Chapter 686: 294. Celestial Master’s Robe Returns to the Mountain! (Chapter 10,300, Three-in-One)_8

But Lei Jun’s second sword was upon her in an instant. Hong Jie couldn’t even evade it; the attack struck true.

As Lei Jun approached, Hong Jie’s unwilling roar seemed to echo in his ears, "...Was that Chen Donglou an impersonation by you?! You... Were you responsible for the incidents in Jiangzhou and Jinzhou too?!"

"I am ashamed to say, my swordsmanship does indeed seem to greet the elders more often," Lei Jun replied.

With a wave of his hand, he activated the Xuánxiāo Five Thunder Talisman. A silent, black Yin Thunder Dragon appeared, devouring Hong Jie’s remnant soul. As the black dragon circulated, it suppressed the most potent Dao lamp beside Hong Jie, which had been on the verge of erupting. The dragon’s head opened before Lei Jun, and a somewhat damaged ancient Talisman Decree emerged from its mouth.

Previously, inside the Pure Yang Realm, Lei Jun, Yuan Mobai, and Tang Xiaotang had also obtained a similar one. Lei Jun glanced over it briefly, decided not to ponder it too much, and securely put it away.

While the Dark Side of Celestial Book was cleansing the area, he finally managed to retrieve the Nine-colored Radiance from the torrent of Earth Vein Spiritual Qi.

But at that moment, Lei Jun felt a stirring in his heart again. Someone was approaching from behind.

Western Region Buddhist Monks? he wondered. Did they follow the trail of the Celestial Master Robe all the way here, or are they after Hong Jie? Fate brings people together, no matter how far apart they are... Lei Jun remained composed. The black Thunder Dragon immediately dispersed and vanished.

From the other side, Yushu the Eminent Monk, descending with the flow of the earth veins and Spiritual Energy, turned a corner. He suddenly saw the Nine-colored Radiance floating in mid-air. Delight and suspicion intermingled in Yushu the Eminent Monk’s heart. Then, he sharply noticed the light of another Magical Treasure, flickering and hidden beneath the Nine-colored Radiance of the Celestial Master Robe.

Ambush! Yushu the Eminent Monk instantly realized.

Coming from Vajra Temple, he was well acquainted with the high-level experts of the Great Tang. He recognized at a glance that this was Hong Jie’s life-bound Magical Treasure, the Flame Scenic Lamp, renowned throughout the world during her celestial travels.

Immediately, Yushu the Eminent Monk formed the Great Vajra Wheel Seal with both hands before his chest. He prepared to defend against the terrifying explosion of the Flame Scenic Lamp, which had been accumulating power for a long time and was about to erupt, illuminating the underground.

The Flame Scenic Lamp’s final, reckless explosion forced Yushu the Eminent Monk to stagger backward continuously. The Magic Robe enveloped in the Nine-colored Radiance, however, moved forward more swiftly under someone’s Mana influence.

After steadying himself, Yushu the Eminent Monk broke through the bright barrier of light and continued his pursuit.

So, does this mean the Celestial Master Robe has indeed fallen into the hands of the Mortal Tao Country? he pondered. Let alone the great battle on Dragon Tiger Mountain. Just moments ago, Renzhu had mentioned encountering Hong Jie recently, but he hadn’t seen her with the Celestial Master Robe. Did Hong Jie just happen to acquire the Celestial Master Robe here, or did someone else from the Mortal Tao Country bring the robe as support?

Yushu the Eminent Monk frowned inwardly, but he immediately contacted Master Renzhu. Communication was difficult within the earth veins due to the influence of the earth’s Qi. Therefore, Yushu the Eminent Monk sent a simple message: "Hong Jie, backup, Celestial Master Robe."

After sending the message, he slightly slowed his pace, quietly following the Nine-colored Radiance ahead, careful not to lose track of it. His cultivation was weaker than Hong Jie’s, and he knew she was injured. That was why he had followed her so closely, yet he remained vigilant for any additional support from the Mortal Tao Country.

However, after a short while, Yushu the Eminent Monk suddenly felt a sense of alarm. Large amounts of black Mysterious Thunder abruptly emerged all around him.

The Celestial Master Mansion’s Lei Jun? Was he with Hong Jie all along? Wait, no! Yushu the Eminent Monk was initially dumbfounded, but a few ideas suddenly clicked in his mind.

He wanted to retreat, but the silent Mysterious Thunder had already transformed into black Thunder Dragons, surrounding him. Yushu the Eminent Monk formed a Buddhist Hand Seal, and with flashes of golden light, he kept the Mysterious Thunder at bay.

Seeing the Doumu Star God Dharma, which resembled a celestial deity descending amidst flowing starlight, rapidly approaching, Yushu the Eminent Monk stepped back slowly while speaking, "Master Lei, this humble monk, Yushu from Vajra Temple, has come to assist your sect in subduing the evil demons of the Mortal Tao Country. We are friends, not enemies!"

Though he spoke thus, his hands did not slow in the slightest. He merely hoped to delay for some time, waiting for Master Renzhu to arrive. It was well recognized that Lei Jun’s strength surpassed that of cultivators in the same realm, and now, he likely had the Celestial Master Robe augmenting his power. Yushu the Eminent Monk did not entertain the hope of defeating Lei Jun but was prepared to slowly entangle him in a drawn-out battle. If necessary, he would simply seek to make a strategic retreat.

However, just as he was considering strategies to confront Lei Jun’s Doumu Star God Dharma and the Xuánxiāo Thunder Ancestor Dharma, he suddenly sensed a threat targeting him from afar.

Behind Lei Jun, still at a distance, a sword light suddenly flashed...

Hm? Was Lei Jun really in collusion with the Shu Mountain Sword Cultivators from the Mortal Tao Country? Yushu the Eminent Monk was utterly bewildered.

But having lost the initiative, he had no other opportunity. Under the surge of Primordial Magnet Force, the sword light was incredibly fast, arriving in the blink of an eye!

Fortunately, Yushu the Eminent Monk’s body was well-tempered and strangely flexible. His physical form executed an extremely odd yet fluid aerial twist, narrowly avoiding vital spots. But as the sword light passed, blood still splattered from his body, a chunk forcibly torn from his waist and hip area!

As Yushu the Eminent Monk’s figure tumbled, Lei Jun, in his Destiny Star God Incarnation, struck like a crashing meteor, also arriving nearby. His punches followed in quick succession, like stars falling like rain, creating one deep crater after another!

He brutally smashed Yushu the Eminent Monk to death!

"I like the earth veins," Lei Jun said, casually shaking his hand as the blood on his fist automatically dissolved.

While the Dark Side of Celestial Book cleared the surrounding traces with practiced ease, it also kicked the Western Region Monk’s corpse into the thundering, roaring torrent of Earth Vein Spiritual Qi. Although the physical bodies of cultivators from the Buddhist Hand Seal Lineage were also extraordinary, once their vitality dissipated and blood energy declined, being swept into the earth vein torrent meant only one outcome: vanishing into nothingness.

Having dealt with this Western Region Monk, Lei Jun acted briskly and efficiently, making a summoning gesture with his hand. The Dragon-Tiger Talisman appeared on his body, and the Mixed Cavern Nine Lights enveloped him, forming what seemed like an illusory halo of light.

Meanwhile, the actual Magic Robe in mid-air, though still entwined with strands of Golden Glow, was drawn by Lei Jun’s summons and flew before him. Thus, under the flickering and drifting Nine-colored Radiance, the Magic Robe on Lei Jun’s body transitioned from illusory to substantial.

Over his purple Taoist Robe, he donned another Nine-Colored Taoist Robe.

The Dragon’s Chant and Tiger’s Roar resounded automatically, as numerous Tao Containment runes danced and swirled around Lei Jun.

This day, the Celestial Master Robe once again returned to the hands of an heir of the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion.