Chapter 452 - 232: Armies Assembled! Bloodbath at Golden Spring

Chapter 452: Chapter 232: Armies Assembled! Bloodbath at Golden Spring

Countless Sanskrit characters swirled across the bell’s surface as a divine Buddha Light emanated a vast aura, both indestructible and impervious to all evil.

This was precisely the Tier Four mid-grade Mountain Protection Array—the Golden Bell Heaven-Covering Array!

...

At the foot of Golden Spring Mountain, in an open area.

Three thousand elite soldiers of the Military Preparation Army stood in a disciplined formation. Their iron armor glinted coldly, their spears and halberds formed a dense forest, and a murderous aura soared to the heavens.

Nearby, over a thousand elites from the Jingwu Bureau had also assembled. Dressed in practical gear and armed with sabers, they had sharp eyes and formidable auras.

These two forces represented nearly seventy percent of the core combat power the Ning’an Government Office could mobilize.

Besides the troops, the Government Office had also dispatched all its available experts this time.

One Mystic Realm expert from the Prefecture Government Office; General Li Qianzhou and his Vice General from the Military Preparation Army; and Nie Xuanfeng and Chen Sheng from the Jingwu Bureau.

Five Mystic Realm experts stood in the air, their presence imposing.

The only regret was that Sun Yuzhi had not yet returned; otherwise, the chances of victory in this battle would be even higher.

"When will the men from the Three Sects arrive?"

Li Qianzhou stared at the magnificent golden bell illusion at the mountain’s peak, his brow tightly furrowed. He couldn’t help but ask Chen Sheng, who was beside him.

The oppressive feeling emanating from the Grand Array made one’s heart heavy, even from a great distance.

"It looks like Golden Spring Temple has decided to hole up and not come out. This array... will not be easy to break."

This time, they had practically staked the Government Office’s prestige and foundation on this. If they couldn’t succeed in one fell swoop, and they waited for the Celestial Dragon Temple to intervene, the situation would become completely reactive, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Be patient."

Chen Sheng’s gaze was calm as he looked toward Golden Spring Mountain, his tone unperturbed.

"They will arrive when it is time."

’As for breaking the array, Chen Sheng already had a plan.’ He thought.

The three Array-Breaking Pearls in his sleeve faintly emanated a gentle warmth. This was one of the trump cards he had specially requested from the Jingwu Bureau’s secret vault in the State City.

Although the Golden Bell Heaven-Covering Array was strong, it might not be able to withstand the continuous bombardment of three Array-Breaking Pearls.

What’s more...

Inside Golden Spring Temple, there was still a hidden chess piece.

If that person could seize the opportunity, he might not even need to use these Array-Breaking Pearls.

When Li Qianzhou saw how calm he was, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Although his dealings with Chen Sheng weren’t extremely deep, he knew that this man was a meticulous planner who never took unnecessary risks.

Since he dared to upend the situation, he must have something to rely on.

About a quarter of an hour later, the sound of rending air and faint fluctuations of Primordial Qi came from the eastern sky.

The first to arrive were the people from the Danxia Sect.

Bai Qing had truly gone all-in this time, bringing over eighty percent of the Danxia Sect’s elite forces.

A mighty contingent, their killing intent filling the wilds.

The Danxia Sect’s mountain gate was likely more deserted than ever before.

If the Blood River Sect took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, the Danxia Sect would surely fall!

Immediately after, the Sword Light of the Iron Sword Sect split the sky as Lu Qingsong personally led a large group of Sword Cultivators to the scene.

Although they hadn’t mobilized their full strength, they had still deployed two-thirds of the sect’s combat-ready forces. Their Sword Qi soared to the heavens, sharp and unstoppable.

The last to arrive was the Ning’an Wang Clan, who had come from the farthest away.

Wangqingshan had also brought the vast majority of his clan’s high-end combat power: numerous Innate Realm experts and well-trained private soldiers. Their formation was in no way weaker than the Iron Sword Sect’s.

At this point, the entire punitive expedition had assembled.

A rough count showed that the combined forces of the Government Office and the Three Sects had gathered a total of ten Mystic Realm experts.

There were nearly two hundred Innate Realm masters, and countless Foundation Establishment Martial Masters.

The Military Preparation Army, the Jingwu Bureau, disciples from the three sects... the total number of people was approaching eight thousand.

A dense, dark mass of people gathered at the foot of the mountain. Their sheer presence was so overwhelming that it seemed to change the color of the clouds, and all birds and beasts had fled.

Ten Mystic Realm experts stood in the air, their auras linked together, like ten towering mountains. Their might was world-crushing.

Chen Sheng stepped forward from the group, the sleeves of his dark robes billowing in the wind.

His gaze was like lightning. Chen Sheng slowly swept his eyes over the eight thousand grim soldiers below, then across the nine experts of the same realm beside him. He infused his voice with a vast and mighty True Essence and spoke, his voice rolling like thunder across the land:

"Move out!"

The two words rang out like a clap of thunder, echoing through the void.

"DONG! DONG! DONG!"

The war drums of the Military Preparation Army thundered. Three thousand armored soldiers began advancing up the mountain path with heavy, uniform steps, like a black torrent of steel slowly flooding the slope.

The thousand-plus Ti Qi of the Jingwu Bureau moved like an agile wolf pack, fanning out on both flanks to provide cover and clear out any potential hidden sentries or traps.

Over three thousand disciples and elders from the Three Sects displayed their various Body Techniques. Some leaped like apes, others rode the wind, all following closely behind the Government Office’s troops. They were like three surging torrents, sweeping toward the glittering golden temple at the summit.

Chen Sheng took the lead, his figure transforming into a streak of dark light that tore through the air, heading straight for the gates of Golden Spring Temple.

Behind him, nine Mystic Realm auras of different colors and strengths, yet all incomparably sharp, soared into the sky. They followed close behind him like ten falling stars, trailing long tails of light, their momentum unstoppable.

...

Before the gates of Golden Spring Temple, beneath the brilliant golden illusion of the giant bell.

Monk Kongxu, Kongjian, Xuanming, Xuan Ku, and Chu Kuangfeng—the five of them—stood shoulder to shoulder in mid-air, their monastic robes fluttering slightly in the gusting wind.

Behind them were over a thousand Martial Monks, waiting in strict formation.

Further back were the majestic temple halls and the Tier Four Golden Bell Heaven-Covering Array that enveloped everything.

If one included the fallen Xuanbei, Golden Spring Temple possessed a total of six Mystic Realm experts.

Among them, Kongxu and Kongjian were late-stage Mystic Realm experts who had reached Divine Communication. Their foundation was so deep that in all of Ning’an, only Qingfeng Temple could compare.

Yet at this moment, facing the tide of the Government Office’s allied army surging up from the mountain’s base, facing those ten Mystic Realm auras that made no attempt to hide their killing intent, even Monk Kongxu felt not the slightest bit of ease in his heart.

A swarm of ants can bite an elephant to death.

What’s more, their opponents were not ants, but a pack of tigers and wolves armed to the teeth.

Once the Grand Array was broken and they were plunged into a chaotic melee, Golden Spring Temple would have no chance of survival.

"They’re here!"

Monk Kongxu whispered, his eyes locked on the dark figure in the distance who was the first to arrive and possessed the most astonishing aura.

Chen Sheng arrived, treading on air, and came to a steady halt a hundred zhang from the Golden Bell Grand Array.

His dark official robes whipped about in the strong wind. Though the long saber at his waist was not yet drawn, a sharp intent capable of sundering all things emanated from his body.

His gaze was glacial. He first swept a cool glance over the people behind Kongxu, pausing for an imperceptible instant on Chu Kuangfeng, before locking his eyes firmly on Monk Kongxu, who wore a brilliant kasaya and had a dignified, saintly appearance.

Without any unnecessary words, Chen Sheng raised his arm. A dark shadow, wrapped in a fierce wind, was brutally thrown by him like a piece of trash toward the flowing golden light of the bell-shaped barrier.

"THUD!!!"

With a heavy, muffled sound, the dark shadow struck the light barrier. It was repelled by the gentle yet tough golden light and fell tumbling to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It was the charred, curled-up body, a heavy set of shackles and chains still locked around its neck.

Monk Xuanbei.

"Senior Brother Xuanbei!"

"Junior Brother!"

Xuanming, Xuan Ku, and the others stared, their eyes wide with fury and grief, fixed on the mangled remains on the ground.

Then they abruptly looked up, their gazes turning to Chen Sheng outside the array.

"Amitabha Buddha."

Monk Kongxu slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again. The last trace of wishful thinking and hesitation in their depths vanished completely, leaving only cold killing intent and grim resolve.

He stared at Chen Sheng, his voice flat, yet it contained a towering rage and a chilling authority:

"Donor Chen, your actions are so cruel, leaving no room for compromise. You should know that what goes around comes around. Even with the Nie Family to back you, there will come a time when they cannot protect you. If you withdraw your troops now, you can still preserve a shred of dignity and avoid creating endless slaughter."

"Withdraw?"

Hearing this, Chen Sheng’s lips curled into a bone-chilling smile, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.

He immediately took a step forward, his voice like the clashing of metal. It carried an unquestionable finality, a declaration that echoed across the entirety of Golden Spring Mountain:

"I have led the Royal Army here. Where our banners point, that is the law of the land! For years, Golden Spring Temple has exploited the common people, raised Martial Monks, defied the Government Office, and colluded with evil demons. The evidence of your crimes is irrefutable and too numerous to list."

"Today is the day you will face justice and pay for your crimes with your lives!"

Chen Sheng’s gaze was like lightning, sweeping over the shocked and furious faces of every monk within the array. It finally settled on Monk Kongxu’s face as he spat out his final ultimatum, one word at a time:

"I will give you one last chance. Deactivate the Grand Array and surrender without a fight. The ordinary monks of the temple, if they can sincerely repent, may be spared."

"But if you remain obstinate and put up a futile resistance..."

"Then today, the Government Office will wash Golden Spring Mountain in blood, annihilate Golden Spring Temple, and leave no one—not a single person—alive!"

"Don’t say you were not warned!"

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