Chapter 1335: Bai Shuang’s Ordeal
Another month passed. Lu Yang had been living quite comfortably for the past few days. The bodyguards no longer watched him like a thief, likely having received orders from above.
Bai Shuang still hadn’t come looking for Xia He, which puzzled Lu Yang. Without me, Xia He would have lived only until now. Bai Shuang should have shown up by now.
~~~
Outside the villa, a young man in a tangzhuang[1] strolled toward the entrance. A soldier on duty blocked him. “Halt. Who are you?!”
Faced with the armed soldier, the man’s eyes held a hint of amusement. He cupped his fists with a smile. “Please inform Elder Xia that I wish to see her.”
“Elder Xia isn’t someone you can see just because you want to.” The soldier frowned, preparing to chase him away.
The man sighed. “I knew it would be like this.”
With that, he vanished, reappearing in the courtyard the next instant. The soldier frantically sounded the alarm.
“Enemy attack!”
The soldiers protecting Xia He were the elite of the elite. The moment the man forced his way into the courtyard, several sniper rifles were aimed at him.
The squad leader moved to intercept him, only to be sent sprawling by a single palm strike, without even time to react. It was worth noting that the squad leader was someone who had once placed first in the contests during military exercises.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three gunshots rang out, all aimed at the joints of the man in a tangzhuang. Yet he didn’t dodge despite having sensed them. A golden barrier appeared over his body, blocking all three bullets.
“What?!” The snipers were stunned. Even with professional psychological training, the sight made them lose focus for a moment. Blocking sniper rounds—is he even human?
Despite being besieged by waves of soldiers, the man seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll, knocking them down one by one. He pushed open the villa’s door with a smile and searched the entire house, but found no signs of Xia He.
Returning to the living room, he saw Xia He at the entrance, just back from shopping, accompanied by an unfamiliar man carrying armfuls of shopping bags.
“Who are you?” Xia He frowned. The fallen soldiers around the villa must be this man’s doing. Her entourage had tried to hold her back, but she insisted on returning to the villa.
“I am Li Wenjie. Greetings, Elder Xia. My shifu wishes to speak with you.”
“And if I refuse?”
Li Wenjie’s smile didn’t waver. “You’d best come. After all, your friend Bai Shuang is in my shifu’s hands. Of course, if you still refuse, I’ll have to take you there by force.”
The next instant, Lu Yang appeared before Li Wenjie, seizing him by the throat. “What did you say?!”
Li Wenjie’s composure shattered. His legs flailed as he struggled desperately, but it was as though a pair of giant pincers had clamped around his neck, making it impossible for him to break free.
Lu Yang glared daggers at him. A Foundation Establishment cultivator, and a native of the Blue Planet at that. He can’t be from the Cultivation World. Who there doesn’t know me? Where did his cultivation come from? If the Blue Planet had a proper cultivation method, I would have discovered it during the zombie crisis.
“Where is your shifu?!”
“A-At Kunlun Mountain.”
“Lu Yang...” Xia He said softly, deeply worried for Bai Shuang.
“I know. We’re going to Kunlun Mountain. I’d like to see who dares lay a finger on Bai Shuang!” Lu Yang hadn’t been this furious in a long time, killing intent radiating from him. No wonder Bai Shuang hasn’t appeared. It’s because she has been captured!
He roughly tossed Li Wenjie into the Qingfeng Sword’s small world, summoned his wupeng boat, scooped Xia He into his arms, and flew straight for Kunlun Mountain.
~~~
Deep within Kunlun Mountain, old runes stretched outward like eight dragon veins surging in all directions.
A burly, scar-faced monk had erected an altar, and atop it was a petite girl with no physical form, only a soul. Below, worshippers kowtowed and chanted scriptures. Some were wealthy merchants, some scientists, and some professors, but in this moment, they had all abandoned their former identities to devote themselves wholly to the scar-faced monk, sincerely chanting scriptures.
The scar-faced monk couldn’t hide his delight. I never imagined I’d encounter an innate living being on such a remote planet. If I can subdue her and turn her into my follower, it will surely boost my spiritual consciousness and allow my cultivation to advance another step!
Once my cultivation increases, I might even break the ancient seal on Kunlun Mountain in one go!
Unfortunately, this innate living being’s will is resolute. Even chanting the scriptures can barely weaken it. I can refine her slowly, but I have a better method now. She is friends with an aboriginal. If I bring that friend over and kill her before her eyes, her will is sure to waver. Then I can catch her off guard and subdue her, turning her into a follower!
The scar-faced monk’s expression turned greedy. This is my fortuitous opportunity.
“Little sprite, haven’t you been going on about wanting to save your friend? Don’t worry, you’ll see her soon enough!”
“Don’t you dare!” Bai Shuang stormed down from the altar in fury, but the ancient scriptures surrounding it formed an invisible cage that firmly trapped her.
Bai Shuang was overcome with regret. She had recently fallen unconscious, and with Xia He’s imminent death weighing on her sleep, she had unknowingly murmured about it in her sleep. She never expected the old monk to overhear it.
“Of course I dare.” The more agitated Bai Shuang became, the more satisfied the monk grew. It means Xia He holds a great deal of weight in her heart. Killing her right in front of Bai Shuang will be even more effective. Judging by the time, my prized disciple should have found Xia He by now.
A majestic, irate voice reverberated through Kunlun Mountain. Snow came crashing down from the summit as the earth shook and the mountains trembled. “Is that so? Let’s see who gave you the guts!”
“Who goes there?!” The scar-faced monk spun around. The power in that voice actually made my heart quiver?
As an acceleration-type immortal treasure built for cosmic travel, the wupeng boat moved at an inconceivable speed, crossing half of the Blue Planet from the villa to Kunlun Mountain in less than a blink of an eye.
The scar-faced monk made out the figure on the wupeng boat, and his pupils contracted sharply. “L-Lu Yang!” Why is Lu Yang here?!
Lu Yang recognized him, too. It was Banbu, a heretical monk from the Buddhist Kingdom at the Basic Transcendent Tribulation Stage. Formerly the abbot of the Sakya Monastery,[2] one of the Buddhist Kingdom’s Twelve Great Temples, he had strayed onto the heretical path and disappeared without a trace.
His seniority surpassed even Abbot Mingyu, making him a bona fide old relic.
Banbu trembled at the sight of Lu Yang. Having witnessed his battle with Wu Yao, he knew all too well the strength of this rising star. No Transcendent Tribulation cultivator is his match.
He cursed his luck. After fleeing and hiding, barely escaping the Xitian Temple’s pursuit, I’d stumbled upon this planet called the Blue Planet, thinking it was where my fortuitous opportunity would be. Why did I have to run into Lu Yang?
“Young Friend Lu Yang, if you’re willing to spare my life on account of this humble monk being an old senior, I will offer all my treasures...”
The worshippers were dumbstruck. Banbu was an omnipotent god in their eyes. When had he ever groveled like this?
Bai Shuang had been weakened by the altar’s torment. Spotting Xia He on the boat, she called softly, “Little He.”
Lu Yang’s heart ached at the sight. Erupting in wrath, he struck at Banbu with his sword.
A brilliant sword light illuminated all of Kunlun Mountain.
“Die, you old bastard!”
1. Also known as the “Chinese jacket,” the tangzhuang is a modern Chinese jacket inspired by the magua from the Qing Dynasty. Although it originated from the Qing Dynasty and has Manchu origins, it has “tang” in its name because the Chinese were called “Tang” people. ☜
2. The Sakya Monastery is located in Tibet. ☜