Chapter 462 - 236: The Fall of Golden Spring Temple

Chapter 462: Chapter 236: The Fall of Golden Spring Temple

The mountain wind howled, whipping at his jet-black inspector’s robes. As they billowed, they further accentuated his imposing figure and grave authority, making him seem like a cold god presiding over life and death.

But...

Beneath this majestic, calm facade lay a surging undercurrent and an alarming weakness.

His battle against Monk Kongxu had seemed like a one-sided affair, culminating in the powerful foe’s suppression and death.

In truth, it had been incomparably dangerous and enormously draining.

Kongxu was a genuine master at the peak of Profound Mastery, his understanding of the Buddhist Dharma profound and his combat prowess immense.

Chen Sheng had only won thanks in part to Bai Qing, who had previously tied down and worn out their foe. But the more crucial factor was his own willingness to risk it all in a life-or-death gamble.

By burning his blood essence and forcibly boosting his True Essence, he was able to unleash the full might of the Nine Nether Yin Fire, creating the hundred-zhang sea of flames that trapped and killed Kongxu.

The Nine Nether Yin Fire, though powerful, consumed an extreme amount of True Essence.

Right now, though Chen Sheng appeared unscathed, his body was actually drained of Blood Qi, his Meridians ached faintly, and he had lost seventy to eighty percent of his True Essence. He was secretly channeling all his effort into refining several precious recovery Spirit Pills, desperately absorbing their medicinal power.

Only when he managed to suppress the blood rising in his throat did Chen Sheng slowly turn his head, his gaze falling upon the anxious face of Daoist Qingxu.

"What is it you wish to say, Fellow Daoist Qingxu?"

Seeing Chen Sheng finally respond, Daoist Qingxu’s spirits lifted. He immediately cupped his hands in a salute, his tone as sincere as he could make it:

"Lord Chen, I no longer wish to argue the rights and wrongs of today’s situation. But Qingfeng Temple and you, my lord, have no personal grudges between us. I hope that for the sake of our shared path in the Jianghu, you will show mercy.

If you are willing to be magnanimous, Lord Chen, Qingfeng Temple will henceforth fully support the Government Office in stabilizing Ning’an and eradicating the demonic scourge!"

One must bow to circumstances.

Daoist Qingxu saw the situation with perfect clarity. The Government Office had now secured a decisive advantage. Wielding the power demonstrated by annihilating a temple, their momentum was at its peak.

Chen Sheng held the great power of an inspector, controlled both military and political affairs, and had the full support of the Iron Sword Sect, the Danxia Sect, and the Ning’an Wang Clan.

His power in Ning’an was like the midday sun; no one could stop him.

If he didn’t bow his head and submit now, the foundation Qingfeng Temple had built over many years would likely follow in the footsteps of Golden Spring Temple and be buried here today.

"These words..."

The corner of Chen Sheng’s mouth twitched slightly, his voice flat:

"Fellow Daoist Qingxu, why didn’t you say this sooner?"

"You’re not wrong. I and Qingfeng Temple have no personal grievances. In fact, during the battle on Wushan Mountain, I even showed your temple some respect and did not wipe you out completely."

Then, Chen Sheng’s tone shifted, the temperature dropping abruptly:

"But I gave you that respect, and you threw it away. Not only did you fail to restrain yourselves, you doubled down, colluding with Golden Spring Temple to throw Ning’an into chaos and obstruct the Government Office’s efforts to quell the demonic threat.

You must be even more aware of these incidents than I am, aren’t you, Fellow Daoist Qingxu?"

Bitterness filled Daoist Qingxu’s heart. He heaved a long sigh and cupped his hands once more:

"Our actions back then may have seemed unwise to you, my lord, like we were courting death. But from the perspective of Qingfeng Temple, seeing Luoyun Manor destroyed, our allies falling, and powerful neighbors circling us, acting to protect ourselves was a move born of desperation.

There is no point in debating the rights and wrongs of it now. In short, the victor is king and the vanquished is the villain. Today, you have won, my lord. Qingfeng Temple... admits defeat, and admits its mistakes!"

Daoist Qingxu didn’t want to explain his position any further.

’From Qingfeng Temple’s perspective, what had they done wrong?’

’They had only made a choice to protect themselves under the Jianghu’s law of the jungle.’

’But now, the victor writes history. Right and wrong had already been decided by the sword.’

’Chen Sheng had won, which meant Qingfeng Temple was wrong. They could only accept it.’

"I gave you a chance."

Chen Sheng shook his head slowly, his tone unwavering:

"You were the ones who gave it up. And now, you’re not truly admitting you were wrong. You’re just trying to save your own skins now that you see the tide has turned and your destruction is imminent.

Unfortunately, it’s too late. The board is set. To admit defeat now... it’s too late."

As Chen Sheng’s voice fell, his attitude was made perfectly clear.

The four of them—Lu Qingsong, Wangqingshan, Chu Kuangfeng, and Li Qianzhou—all shifted almost simultaneously. Their powerful auras locked onto Daoist Qingxu without hesitation, their gazes cold. They waited only for Chen Sheng’s command to strike.

Nie Xuanfeng also stood with his hands behind his back, his presence deep and heavy, blocking Daoist Qingxu’s other escape route.

"Lord Chen!"

Daoist Qingxu’s expression darkened completely, and his voice rose a few notches:

"Is there... truly no room for negotiation in this matter?!"

’He still harbored a sliver of hope, or rather, he couldn’t believe Chen Sheng would actually be so ruthless.’

"None."

Chen Sheng’s answer was brief, clear, and utterly decisive.

Daoist Qingxu took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently. A flicker of struggle passed through his eyes before being replaced by a look of grim resolve.

He stared fixedly at Chen Sheng, speaking word by word:

"Lord Chen, Golden Spring Temple is a branch temple of the Celestial Dragon Temple. Its abbot, Kongxu, had close ties with them. With Golden Spring Temple destroyed here today, the Celestial Dragon Temple will absolutely not let this matter rest.

If my Qingfeng Temple is also destroyed today, would Dragon Tiger Mountain simply sit by and do nothing? When that time comes, the Buddhist Sect’s Celestial Dragon Temple and the Daoist Sect’s Dragon Tiger Mountain will arrive together to hold you accountable. And then there’s the Vast Sea Upper Sect, watching like a hungry tiger...

Let me ask you, Lord Chen, even with the Nie Family backing you, can you truly withstand such overwhelming pressure?"

"Why not show mercy where you can? If you are willing to be lenient today, my lord, I and everyone in Qingfeng Temple will engrave this kindness in our hearts. In the future, should you have any need of us, we will obey without question.

Wouldn’t that be a better choice for both you, my lord, and for Ning’an?"

"Oh?"

Chen Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:

"Are you... threatening me?"

"This is not a threat."