82: Abolish and release the void

"Crack—Boom!!!"

The sound didn't come from outside the temple, but from directly above Release Void's head! The already crumbling roof of the ruined temple, affected by the energy turbulence of the external array and a precise strike from an external force, collapsed in a massive section! Shattered tiles, rotten wood, and dust rained down upon him!

Release Void dove to the side in a pathetic scramble, barely managing to dodge, though he was left coughing repeatedly from the thick dust.

And at the very moment the roof collapsed, revealing the night sky above—

A tiny, dazzling speck of white lightning, no larger than a fingernail, fell straight down from that hole like a star falling from the Nine Heavens, silent and swift!

Its target was not Release Void, but the ground three feet in front of where he had just been sitting—the very core hub where the evil objects were buried beneath the temple!

Li Muchen never intended to enter through the front door, nor did he intend to attack Release Void directly. He used the moment the other's attention was drawn by the turbulence of the external array to strike the array nodes with a remote, precise 'Lihuo Talisman' simulated with True Essence, creating chaos. Simultaneously, he destroyed the roof to open a vertical passage. Finally, he sent a sliver of a 'Thunder Seed'—which contained a portion of the Palm Thunder's intent but was extremely compressed and refined—into the vital underground point from this unique and unexpected angle!

"Sizzle—Boom!!!"

The moment the tiny Thunder Seed sank into the ground, it was like a spark falling into a powder keg!

The Yin Thunder, Corpse Explosion Talismans, and various other buried evil items were instantly triggered and ignited by this supreme Yang and firm thunder power!

The ground shook violently! The ruined temple swayed! Low explosions echoed one after another from underground, mixed with a shrill sound that seemed like the shrieks of countless vengeful spirits! Streams of evil energy mixed with black mist, foul blood, and bone fragments erupted from cracks in the ground inside and outside the temple, only to be intertwined and purified by the lingering thunder and fire, making a sizzling sound as they rapidly weakened.

The entire Mountain God Temple area seemed to undergo a localized earthquake and energy storm! Dust flew, evil Qi permeated the air, and thunder and fire intertwined!

Release Void was tossed about, his ears ringing, his vision filled with nothing but dust and chaotic flashes of energy. His heart was filled with boundless fear and despair. It was over! Everything was over! Corpse Old Nine's arrangements had been seen through and destroyed so easily by the opponent! That Taoist... was simply a monster!

Ignoring everything else, he scrambled and crawled toward the slanted temple door. At this moment, hatred, Iron Corpses, and deals were all thrown to the back of his mind; he only wanted to escape this death trap that was about to completely collapse!

However, just as he was about to rush out of the temple door, a blue-gray figure appeared silently like a ghost at the edge of the open space outside, blocking his path exactly.

As the dust settled slightly, a few rays of moonlight leaked through the clouds, illuminating the newcomer's face—calm, indifferent, with eyes like deep pools. It was Li Muchen.

His body was enveloped in a faint layer of Pure Qi that warded off filth. His robes fluttered slightly in the still-unsettled air currents, yet he remained untainted by a single speck of dust. He stood in stark contrast to the pathetic, panic-stricken Release Void.

"Monk Release Void," Li Muchen spoke, his voice not loud, yet it reached Release Void's ears clearly amidst the echoing explosions, "In such a hurry to leave? There are still some accounts between us that haven't been settled."

Release Void froze as if hit by a binding spell. His face was as pale as paper and his lips trembled as he looked at Li Muchen, then at the wreckage of the temple where the evil Qi was being rapidly purified by the remnants of thunder and fire. The last spark of madness in his eyes died out, replaced only by endless fear and... pleading.

"Abbot... Daoist Master Li... mercy! I was wrong! I was possessed by greed! It was all Corpse Old Nine! He tempted me! Abbot, spare my life, I... I will return to the Lotus Temple to repent to Master, living out my remaining days before the green lamp and the ancient Buddha! I beg you..." He fell to his knees with a thud, tears and snot flowing as he kowtowed incessantly.

Li Muchen watched his performance quietly, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He had already used his Spiritual Sense to investigate; aside from that mixed resentful Buddha Power, Release Void had no other powerful Magical Artifacts or evil items. His cultivation was only at the Late Stage of Qi Refining, and with his mind now broken, he posed no threat whatsoever.

"Repent?" Li Muchen shook his head slightly. "If you truly had the Buddha in your heart and felt true repentance, you wouldn't have committed such evil in the first place, let alone conspired with a Nanyang Sorcerer and a Western Hunan corpse refiner to kill me and even harm the innocent."

He took a step forward, an invisible pressure enveloping Release Void. "Where is Corpse Old Nine? What other plans do you have? Speak, and perhaps I can give you a swift end."

Release Void's body shook like a sieve. Under the fear of death and the unfathomable pressure of the man before him, his psychological defenses completely collapsed. He didn't dare hide anything and poured out everything he knew incoherently:

Corpse Old Nine did indeed have a backup plan; he had a more secretive 'Corpse Raising Cave' deep within Wild Boar Gully, which might hide even more powerful zombies or evil objects. The deal at the Mountain God Temple was originally agreed upon for Release Void to receive three Iron Corpses here while Corpse Old Nine lurked in the shadows to observe. If Li Muchen didn't show up, the deal would proceed normally;

If Li Muchen did come, the traps here would be activated, and Corpse Old Nine would drive another batch of 'things' from the Corpse Raising Cave to flank him from behind, ensuring he was dealt with. But after the defeat at Wild Boar Gully and Corpse Old Nine's heavy injuries, Release Void didn't know if the follow-up plan could still be implemented. As for the specific location of the Corpse Raising Cave, Release Void only knew it was roughly near the 'Poison Dragon Ravine' further west of Wild Boar Gully; only Corpse Old Nine knew the exact entrance.

He also revealed that Corpse Old Nine seemed to have a history with a Miao woman and Gu-mistress nicknamed 'Hemp Third Aunt,' and might go to seek refuge with her if necessary.

"Poison Dragon Ravine... Hemp Third Aunt..." Li Muchen noted these names.

Looking at the former monk before him, who was now completely broken and could only kowtow for mercy, Li Muchen felt little satisfaction, only a faint sense of sorrow and indifference. Even a pure land of Buddhism could breed such a twisted soul.

He raised his hand, and a strand of refined True Essence shot from his fingertip, sinking into Release Void's Dantian.

"Ah—!" Release Void let out a miserable scream, feeling the meager Buddhist power in his body instantly dissipate. Years of bitter cultivation were destroyed in a moment, and his body felt as if all its strength had been drained as he slumped to the ground.

"Crippling your cultivation is punishment for your collusion with the Evil Path and your wicked heart. Sparing your life is out of respect for Master Huiming, to give him a chance to clear his own house." Li Muchen withdrew his hand, his tone calm. "Wait here; someone will eventually come to take you back."

Having finished, he no longer looked at the limp Release Void. He turned around, casting his gaze toward the dark mountains to the west.

Corpse Old Nine, the potential Corpse Raising Cave, more powerful evil beings, and that mysterious 'Hemp Third Aunt'... the journey to Western Hunan was far from over.

His figure flickered and vanished into the forest, heading quietly toward the direction of Poison Dragon Ravine that Release Void had provided.

Behind him, he left only the collapsed Mountain God Temple, the gradually dissipating evil Qi, and a Release Void slumped on the ground with hollow eyes, completely reduced to a useless man.

The night wind blew through the mountain pass, carrying the freshness of purification as well as the scent of unknown dangers from deeper in the mountains, wailing incessantly.