Within the ancestral temple whose grand gates were shattered, there was no oppressive darkness nor sinister evil.
Although it was a precise replica of the ancestral temple from Black Cloud Fort, it was ultimately a mere imitation—a hollow shell devoid of unique powers.
A sphere of light floated quietly in the center of the temple, encircled by thirteen coiled dragon pillars arranged in an intricate array. Golden chains extended from each pillar, binding the sphere at the temple’s heart.
The thirteen golden chains converged to lock the luminous orb securely in the temple’s center.
And within the glowing sphere lay the Magic Artifact left behind by Little Wild Grass.
With just a glance, Li Muyang immediately confirmed that this artifact was indeed the one left for him by Little Wild Grass.
The familiar shape, the comforting aura… Suspended in the sphere was none other than an Amulet.
This Amulet was identical to the one gifted to Li Muyang by the Jiang Family.
But it was clear that the Jiang Family’s Amulets were all replicas—the genuine item resided here.
Behind Li Muyang, from the direction of the imperial palace, a dazzling Buddha light ascended into the night sky.
The pseudo Great Radiance Buddha, birthed by the monstrous entity, was speeding toward this location.
Li Muyang hesitated no longer, stepping directly into the temple and reaching out to seize the Amulet suspended within the sphere of light.
[Acquired Special Magic Artifact—Xuanji Talisman]
[Xuanji Talisman: A mysterious artifact left by Fairy Qinghe, imbued with exceptional and potent power. Targets a specific entity to summon an illusion equal in power to the target, lasting 60 minutes.]
Reading the Xuanji Talisman’s description, Li Muyang’s eyes widened.
“So powerful?”
At that precise moment, the radiant Buddha light had already crossed the city, reaching above Li Muyang’s head.
The golden form of the pseudo Great Radiance Buddha sat solemnly and majestically upon a lotus throne, gazing down from the heights at Li Muyang in the mountainous terrain.
Before Li Muyang could speak, the Headless Holy Monk hurriedly arrived, retreating to the gates of the ancestral temple.
Holding his own severed head, the Headless Holy Monk looked up at the pseudo Great Radiance Buddha overhead and asked, “Got the artifact?”
Facing the pseudo Great Radiance Buddha, a True Immortal-level power, the Headless Holy Monk was visibly under immense pressure.
After all, both he and Princess Pingyao were still a step away from reaching True Immortal status. Even if they joined forces, they would struggle to bridge the vast divide between the mortal and the divine.
Without hesitation, Li Muyang stepped forward and raised the Xuanji Talisman in his hand, aiming it at the golden form of the Buddha in the void.
The green glow of the Xuanji Talisman radiated outward, landing directly on the Buddha’s golden body.
In the next instant, the Xuanji Talisman flew out of Li Muyang’s grasp, transforming mid-air into a colossal green Buddha.
Aside from its entirely green body, this Buddha was identical to the pseudo Buddha ahead.
Upon manifesting, the jade-like Buddha immediately unleashed Divine Skills in the form of Buddha light, launching attacks toward the pseudo Buddha.
Witnessing this, the Headless Holy Monk exclaimed in surprise, “This is the Magical Treasure left by Fairy Qinghe?”
Squinting at the battle unfolding in the sky, Li Muyang remarked, “This illusion can only last for an hour; we have to assist.”
The pseudo Buddha created by the Xuanji Talisman was beyond Li Muyang’s control—it fought autonomously.
Although its power matched that of the pseudo Buddha perfectly, expecting it to directly eliminate the pseudo Buddha was futile.
Li Muyang directed Princess Pingyao to soar into the skies, ordering her to unleash skill attacks onto the pseudo Buddha above.
Li Muyang’s greatest concern at that moment, however, was the hordes of wandering monks within the city.
The city was infested with a massive number of monks, monstrous beings controlled by the pseudo Buddha. If they joined the fray, it would spell disaster for Li Muyang’s side.
But after Princess Pingyao entered the battle, even the Headless Holy Monk joined in the assault on the pseudo Buddha. For fifteen minutes, a relentless three-on-one blitz unfolded on the skies, while the wandering monks within Nightfall Capital remained uninvolved.
They continued to loiter along their set paths, drifting away toward the outskirts.
From a distance, Li Muyang could faintly see something stirring at the edge of the darkness beyond the horizon.
That sight brought Li Muyang slight relief.
As he suspected, the monks wandered around the capital as a defensive measure to keep the city from being tainted by the Evil God.
Within the Ancient Resentment Well, the pseudo Buddha had opened up an extensive domain, beyond even the watchful gaze of the Heavenly Eye Earth Monarch. Other Evil Gods could not approach such a fortified locale.
Yet the prowling Evil Gods within the darkness were not so easily deterred.
During the daytime, the monks maintained their patrols outside, rendering the Evil Gods silent and immobile while the monks remained unaffected.
But at night, the Evil Gods emerged in droves, roaming freely across the land.
These monstrous monks had no choice but to devote all their energy to maintaining their patrolling array, preventing the Evil Gods from invading the territory.
Even under attack during the night, the monks would give no response.
For these monstrous monks, sustaining the array’s operation and keeping the Evil Gods out was their paramount duty after dusk.
Thus unfolded a surreal scene in the nighttime skies.
The pseudo Buddha from the royal palace began to lose ground, locked in a fierce battle against the green pseudo Buddha illusion while Princess Pingyao and the Headless Holy Monk relentlessly seized every advantageous opening.
Three-on-one, the pseudo Great Radiance Buddha, initially brimming with menace, now found itself entirely outmatched.
Yet despite the pseudo Buddha faltering, the wandering monks inside the city remained indifferent, continuing their aimless patrols with no intention of entering the fray.
Observing the situation, the Buddha’s golden form in the void sneered, “Jiang Xiaoyu, you certainly are bold.”
“I had thought you’d already fled the city, hiding far beyond my grasp.”
“If you had truly escaped this domain, I’d have no means to pursue you, much less kill you.”
“But instead you stayed, choosing to challenge me with Fairy Qinghe’s artifact, wagering everything for a single chance at victory?”
“Should I commend your courage or mock your idiocy?”
Despite the injuries mounting under the combined assault from Princess Pingyao and the Headless Holy Monk, the creature exuded confidence instead of despair.
The cold, sinister laughter carried an aura of unshakable certainty—a confidence that made Li Muyang’s heart sink.
The golden Buddha laughed chillingly once more before continuing, “Earlier, when you entered the palace, you noticed those Mortal World visitors. Surely you must be curious why they’ve come to this city?”
“The reason is simple; they’ve been tracking a peculiar type of sinister entity here.”
“Besides the Evil God manifestations running rampant across the Mortal World, another unusual category of sinister entities exists.”
“These entities aren’t as mighty as Evil Gods, but they’re far more troublesome to deal with.”
“After being repeatedly defeated in the Mortal World by Sword Cultivators, left with nowhere to flee, they sought refuge under my protection…”
As the pseudo Buddha finished speaking, countless dark shadows arose from the imperial palace.
These shadows were vast in number and brimming with malevolence, surging forth to engulf the battlefield in an instant.