Chapter 38

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As soon as Mister Black Cloud gave the order, many people appeared in the fortress with crossbows aimed at the young Daoist priest in the air.

The Daoist priest’s eyes flickered. “What is the meaning of this, Senior?”

A man appeared on the street below. It was the Cold Mountain Sect Master.

He looked up at the sky and said loudly, “Mister Black Cloud wants elders of the Forgotten Truth Temple to come.”

Xie Zhao took a deep breath. “I have no intention of disrespect. I am merely concerned about my junior brother, so I came here.

“My master has allowed me to act on behalf of the Forgotten Truth Temple outside.”

He was the first successor of the Forgotten Truth Temple and the future successor to being the abbot.

The Forgotten Truth Temple had given him a lot of authority to cultivate his prestige, and many sect elders could not compare to him.

In the past, when his fellow senior brothers and junior brothers had provoked some powerful enemies outside, Xie Zhao was normally the first to rush over to provide support or negotiate with the enemy.

Many times, thanks to the Forgotten Truth Temple’s support, they got themselves out of the situation and turned their hostility into friendship when courtesy was present and everyone had dignity.

But unfortunately, no matter how courteous he was, he could not withstand his opponent’s sincere desire to pick a fight…

After Xie Zhao finished speaking, Zhang Dongyun did not respond.

Upon seeing the situation, the Cold Mountain Sect Master waved his hand immediately.

A split second later, hundreds of sharp armor-piercing arrows flew into the air toward Xie Zhao.

The Cold Mountain Sect disciples and many Tang Dynasty troops were attacking him.

In order to break free from being a captive doing hard labor, they were more diligent than the Cold Mountain Sect disciples. They only wanted to make up for their mistakes as soon as possible.

The young Daoist priest in the air soon became the target of the arrows.

But he did not end up like a hedgehog.

These sharp arrows pierced straight through his body and flew into the distance.

In midair, Xie Zhao was just like a faint mist as the sharp flying arrows created holes in him.

The holes spread, and his entire body distorted and changed, turning into a mist that drifted away.

“It’s the Forgotten Truth Temple’s True Illusion Spell!” The Cold Mountain Sect Master bellowed, “Expand the range of the arrows!”

The people pulled their crossbow more.

At the same time, more people in the fortress drew their bows and aimed at the mist drifting in the air.

The hail of arrows reached a wider range, and the mist in the sky distorted and changed. Xie Zhao’s figure then reappeared.

However, he was flying toward the outside of the fortress and about to cross over the wall.

“Since Senior is insistent on doing this, I can only take my leave and invite the sect elders to come and discuss.” Xie Zhao still sounded calm. The fly-whisk in his hand waved away the arrows approaching him.

But his expression soon changed slightly.

The young Daoist priest was forced to stop flying back outside of the fortress, retreating instead of advancing.

This time, he dodged a cold hurricane.

An old man suddenly rose from the ground and blocked Xie Zhao.

“Was that… the Great Wind Cloud Palm just now?” The young Daoist priest frowned slightly. “You’re from the Chen clan?”

The old man replied calmly, “Young Daoist priest, please stay.”

Xie Zhao scanned from the corner of his eyes and saw many people gathered below, all eyeing him with ferocious gazes.

The blood in some of their bodies was steaming hot, seemingly faintly forming small storms that circled them.

It’s the Dragon Scroll Anthology. They’re really from the Chen clan. Xie Zhao regained his calmness.

The old man in front of him, who could hover in the air, was at least at the fifth realm of the Martial Dao, the Flying General realm.

The dozens of Chen clan members were not short of any martial artists at the fourth realm of the Martial Dao. They could also briefly soar and glide in the air.

A group of people surrounded him in all directions, blocking Xie Zhao’s way out of the fortress.

The Cold Mountain Sect Master, who was at the fourth realm of the Martial Dao, caught up behind him.

Xie Zhao glanced at the old man in front of him. “So, the Chen clan has sought refuge under Chang’an Fortress.”

As he performed hand seals with one hand, a light flashed faintly in his eyes.

“You can’t fool me.” The old man in front of him streaked across the air.

Instead of Xie Zhao, who was chanting the spell, his target was the empty place beside him.

However, as the old man’s palms stirred the wind and clouds into a tornado, the air in the empty space suddenly shifted.

Xie Zhao’s true figure was revealed among the drifting mist.

The figure beside him was an illusion created by his True Illusion Spell.

It could fool others, but not the old man.

The old man accurately caught Xie Zhao’s actual position and struck with both palms, striking with all his might.

Xie Zhao did not panic and still performed hand seals.

Talismans suddenly flew from his body and transformed into balls of light in the air.

The balls of light circled Xie Zhao, forming a defense to block the old man’s Great Wind Cloud Palm.

The old man immediately changed his move and launched both palms in succession, exploding the circling balls of light.

But at the same time, a radiance gushed out of Xie Zhao’s eyes in all directions and all colors.

The old man’s expression changed. “The True Nightmare Spell?”

He shouted to alert the others.

At the same time, he gathered all his martial artist blood energy and condensed it into his shout.

His voice was like rolling thunder, shocking everywhere.

His shout dispersed the colorful glow flowing out of Xie Zhao’s eyes.

However, the remaining portion still took effect.

The Cold Mountain Sect Master, who chased after him, looked very pale, his eyes slightly dazed.

He realized his surroundings had changed.

Chang’an Fortress had disappeared.

He was back on Cold Mountain in Qinzhou Prefecture in an instant.

A raging fire had engulfed the Cold Mountain Sect’s residences.

When he looked down, the sect disciples’ bodies were all over the place with blood flowing everywhere.

When he looked up at the sky, he saw red clouds under the reflection of the fire.

The Forgotten Truth Temple Daoists looked down at Cold Mountain expressionlessly from the clouds.

It was as though the heavens had sent down divine punishment to Cold Mountain.

The Cold Mountain Sect Master continuously warned himself that everything was not real and that it was all Xie Zhao’s spell.

He wanted to shout but realized that he could not produce a sound.

The raging fire climbed up his body, wanting to engulf him.

The searing pain felt so real.

A group of severely injured Cold Mountain Sect disciples wailed to him for help and repented to the erudite people of the Forgotten Truth Temple in the sky.

No matter how much the Cold Mountain Sect Master struggled, he could not escape this purgatory.

In the actual world, he stood still like a clay puppet and wood carving.

A group of martial artists of the Chen clan also looked the same on the ground, their eyes blank as they stood still.

Their minds were full of images of their entire clan being massacred by the Eastern Tang Dynasty and not receiving any aid.

“Ninth Uncle, Sixteenth Brother, what’s wrong?”

Only a young girl seemed normal and looked at her clan members in surprise.

The old man in the air firmed his will and stabilized his mind to protect his soul from being affected by the enemy’s Dharma spell.

While he stabilized his mind, Xie Zhao’s figure drifted past like a mist.

Xie Zhao was about to cross over the Chang’an Fortress’s walls, but he suddenly sank.

As though a heavy load had been placed on him, he was forced to descend.

He looked up to see a long-bearded middle-aged man standing in the air above.

His powerful martial artist aura was overwhelming.

“Since Mister Black Cloud has given the order, Daoist Priest Xie should stay,” Chen Jiezhi said slowly.