Chapter 283 - 203: When the Snipe and the Clam Grapple (4)
The Great Vajra Temple had unified most of the Western Regions, turning its territories into Buddhist kingdoms. Within these kingdoms, there were only believers, no infidels.
In these Buddhist kingdoms, the monks were held high above all others. The common folk, on the other hand, had to spend their entire lives serving the monks of the Great Vajra Temple. They toiled without complaint, gladly accepting their fate and even considering it a blessing, all in the hope that they might be reincarnated as monks in their next lives.
These people were virtually no different from slaves, and the Buddhist kingdoms also had actual slaves.
Roto himself was born a slave. But thanks to his innate talent, he was selected to join the Great Vajra Temple and became a disciple of the Ming King.
His talent was astounding, and he rapidly developed into a powerful Martial Monk, basking in the reverence and offerings of countless people.
However, despite his slave origins, he felt not a shred of pity for his former kin. In fact, he was even more ruthless than the other monks. Even though he could take whatever he pleased, he still savagely abused his attendants, staining his hands with blood. It was as if only this could make up for the life he once endured—or perhaps nothing ever could.
Having grown accustomed to a life of superiority, Roto couldn’t stand anyone defying his orders, even when he was in other kingdoms. Nor could he accept any fine thing not belonging to him. He was arrogant and tyrannical, but he was also immensely powerful. Moreover, his master was the Ming King of the Great Vajra Temple, a figure revered by multitudes in the Western Regions. No one could touch him, which only fanned the flames of his insolence.
Watching Roto’s domineering display, Lu Tianyong seethed with rage. The thought of fighting him to the death almost crossed his mind.
But he couldn’t. He still had to find a way to get that Profound Weapon...
Lu Tianyong glanced behind Roto, and his eyes suddenly froze. They widened in disbelief as he pointed a trembling finger.
Roto saw this and sneered.
"Back when I was fighting in the slave pits, everyone used this cheap trick."
Lu Tianyong opened his mouth, but couldn’t be bothered to explain. He tried to run past him, only to be blocked by a massive, dark-skinned fist.
He halted, dodged the fist, and snapped in exasperation,
"You idiot, look! It’s getting away!"
Roto’s face fell. He sneered,
"So naive. You’re dumber than the slaves in my Buddhist kingdom!"
’My cultivation is this high, and I’m standing right in front of the stone platform. Who could possibly sneak the item away without me noticing?’
Lu Tianyong was frantic. He took three steps back and roared,
"You soot-faced fool, look for yourself!"
Seeing Lu Tianyong’s reaction, Roto finally turned his head, still half in disbelief. On his face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot, his two large, white eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
Before his very eyes, the short baton was floating in midair, rapidly flying away from them!
Xie Yuan saw both of them look his way and cursed inwardly.
’This Profound Weapon is too eye-catching! They were staring right at it, so I couldn’t even hide it with the Celestial Concealment Skill!’
For one, Lu Tianyong had been keeping a constant eye on the Profound Weapon, making it impossible to spirit it away unnoticed.
For another, the Profound Weapon was made of a special material. Until he refined it and became its true master, Xie Yuan couldn’t conceal it perfectly.
With two masters of the Qi Blood Third Transformation staring in his direction, the Profound Weapon floating in midair completely gave away his position.
Xie Yuan’s scalp prickled. He threw caution to the wind and bolted.
"Stop!"
Lu Tianyong roared. He instantly realized this wasn’t some minor spirit at work, but an unknown expert in concealment who had stolen what was rightfully his!
He blurred into motion, his figure whistling through the air as he shot straight after Xie Yuan!
Roto, seeing that someone had actually managed to steal the item he’d claimed right from under his nose, stared wide-eyed and snorted in fury. He bent his knees slightly, then launched himself with a powerful leap that actually carried him past Lu Tianyong!
His speed and agility were no match for Lu Tianyong’s, but his raw strength was far greater. His instantaneous burst of power exceeded even Lu Tianyong’s, allowing him to close the distance in a single bound!
Xie Yuan felt the two Third Transformation masters closing in. Gritting his teeth, he abruptly shifted his Cloud Dragon Step, carving a flawless arc through the air as if treading on clouds. He changed direction in an instant without losing any speed, suddenly shaking off the two pursuers who had just been picking up momentum.
Neither of them had expected the floating Profound Weapon to follow such an enigmatic path. They both overshot their mark and had to scramble to change direction.
Their absolute speed was greater than Xie Yuan’s, but just as they were about to catch up, Xie Yuan would repeat the trick—another sharp, angular turn that put more distance between them.
The Cloud Dragon Step was the ultimate skill developed by a Flying Dragon List Master over a lifetime; it was incredibly profound. While they could match its raw speed with their superior cultivation, they could not hope to equal its exquisite finesse.
Seeing the Profound Weapon’s impossibly unpredictable movements, both men were stunned and uncertain. ’Could the treasure truly be sentient and flying away on its own?’
If they hadn’t gotten close enough to lock on with their qi and detect the faint, shadowy figure, even they might have believed some tower spirit was toying with them.
But now that they had a lock on him, given the close distance and the vast difference in cultivation, the two no longer hesitated. One bounded back and forth across the huge chamber while the other used his impressive speed and footwork to stay hot on the trail. Working together, they began to encircle and trap Xie Yuan, steadily shrinking his room to maneuver.
Xie Yuan could no longer spare the concentration to control the training dummies. The pressure on the defenders vanished, and just as they were about to breathe a sigh of relief, a woman’s sharp cry and the sound of a Buddhist invocation echoed out. Yuan Zhenying and Huie Jue leaped from the stairway, a flurry of spear thrusts and bare-fisted strikes forcing the garrison soldiers back.
Seeing that the Great Li masters had arrived, Qiu Ming and his men had no choice but to retreat for the moment. Fortunately, the dummies had all stopped; as long as they kept their distance, they wouldn’t be activated again.
And so, the masters from the East and West separated, using the deactivated dummies as a natural dividing line. They remained vigilant of one another, all while keeping a close eye on the unfolding situation in the center of the chamber.