Chapter 684 - 376: Making a Move

’Hmm? This aura?’

On the Golden Thread Pavilion Floating Island, Thirty Flow was inside the Central Hall, discussing their next move with the Sect’s Internal Affairs Elders. Suddenly, he shot up from his seat, his voice filled with surprise as he looked due south.

He had sensed an incredibly powerful aura soaring into the sky, faintly emanating from the direction of Great Virtue Temple. What’s more, the aura felt somewhat familiar.

Seeing Thirty Flow’s reaction, the Elders below, who had been discussing their advance, now fell silent. They, too, had felt the fluctuation of some kind of aura.

’Is that the Insect Dao from Great Virtue Temple? But how could it be so powerful?!’

The aura was distant, right at the very edge of their perception. They only sensed it because the fluctuation from its eruption was so terrifying.

’But how could a single member of the Insect Dao possess such a powerful aura?’

Everyone looked at Thirty Flow in astonishment. At a time like this, the Pavilion Master’s orders were crucial.

Compared to the others, Thirty Flow saw much more.

’This aura, while powerful, is too chaotic. It’s so chaotic it doesn’t seem like something a single person could emit.’

Moreover, he didn’t just sense Hai Shu’s presence within the aura; he also sensed the other members of Great Virtue Temple’s Insect Dao.

The Golden Thread Pavilion often clashed with Great Virtue Temple, so they were both very clear on each other’s combat strength.

’Something must have happened at Great Virtue Temple. Otherwise, there’s no way there would be such a huge commotion!’

In just an instant, Thirty Flow deduced the unexpected situation that had likely occurred at Great Virtue Temple.

And just then, a Zen Master under his command suddenly rushed into the Central Hall, arriving in a great hurry.

"Reporting to the Pavilion Master! The Cultivators from Great Virtue Temple are in a full-scale retreat! Should we press our advantage and pursue them now?"

’A full-scale retreat?’

The Internal Affairs Elders were all stunned. ’Why would Great Virtue Temple choose to conduct a full-scale retreat at this moment? Could they be trying to lure us into a trap?’

"Relay my order! Full mobilization! Attack Great Virtue Temple! The faster, the better!"

Thirty Flow immediately issued the command.

His subordinate’s report confirmed his suspicions. But the real reason he gave the order was that he had faintly sensed a massive amount of Demonic Qi emerging from within Great Virtue Temple.

The aura of Demon Fiends and other evil beings is much thicker and more foul than that of Cultivators, making it easy to distinguish.

Thirty Flow’s thoughts connected to even more possibilities.

Either a massive number of Demon Fiends were attacking Great Virtue Temple, or... with the Round Gate Four Pavilions no longer guarding it, the Eternal Prison had finally been breached by the vast number of Demon Fiends imprisoned within.

Regardless, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Golden Thread Pavilion.

The moment Thirty Flow’s voice fell, everyone obeyed his command without the slightest hesitation. The Central Hall emptied in an instant. All the Cultivators on the entire Floating Island swarmed out, heading toward Great Virtue Temple with immense momentum.

...

BOOM!

Hai Xin’s body slammed heavily into a building, instantly shattering the tall structure. Earth and stone flew everywhere. Some of the surrounding Demon Fiends were grazed by the impact and immediately exploded into a mist of blood.

He was covered in blood, his face stained with his own gore. As he stood up from the ground, his physical body began to recover rapidly, but he still looked utterly wretched.

’I never thought the Power of Rules I’m so proud of would be so fragile before Hai Shu.’

Hai Shu had absorbed and fused with the other members of the Insect Dao in the temple, absorbing their Power of Rules along with them. The might he could unleash at his current Cultivation Level far surpassed anything before. It could be said that in Hai Shu’s hands, every single Power of Rules was wielded with even greater, preternatural skill than its original owner.

PFFT—

Another mouthful of blood sprayed from Hai Xin’s mouth as the Black Pupil technique shattered. Yet, the Black Pupils staining his own body only grew in number, beginning to emit a scorching heat, as if they could erupt into Karmic Fire at any moment.

"Hai Xin, I’ll give you one last chance. Join me and become a part of the Future Buddha, or... die!"

Hai Shu looked down on Hai Xin from above. Hai Wu’s head had already retracted back into the Dharma Body’s neck.

Although the Dharma Body, which had gathered all the members of Great Virtue Temple’s Insect Dao, was powerful, it also had many limitations. The slightest carelessness could trigger a backlash.

"Kill him! He’s obstinately blind to the truth! He deserves to die! I don’t want him to achieve Buddhahood with us."

"What are you thinking, Hai Shu? If he’s looking for death, then grant him his wish! Kill him!"

"He is a demon, and we are Buddhas! It is only natural to kill demons! He is not worthy to share the path to Buddhahood with us!"

But before Hai Xin could respond, the heads of the other Insect Dao members extended one by one from Hai Shu’s Dharma Body, speaking harshly in his ear.

"Shut up! All of you, shut up! Listen to me! I’m the one in charge!"

Hearing this chaotic noise, Hai Shu momentarily lost focus. A large amount of black blood once again flowed from the seven orifices of his Dharma Body, making him instantly become irritable.

"Heheheh, looks like your fusion isn’t going so smoothly. A bunch of treacherous, disloyal trash, dreaming of becoming a Buddha? Go to hell!"

This was Hai Xin’s response. After mocking Hai Shu and the Insect Dao members he had fused with, he shot into the sky once more without hesitation, charging toward Hai Shu.

’Even if I die today, I’ll take a pound of flesh with me.’

’Even if I can’t return to the Great Bodhisattva’s side, I have to vent the rage and hatred that’s been suppressed for countless eons inside the Eternal Prison!’