Chapter 2: A Two-Pronged Approach (3)
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“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
Countless arrows suddenly fell from the sky, slicing through the air with a sound that sent chills down everyone’s spine.
“Hey, stop running, you fools!”
“Stay put and defend yourselves!”
“Don’t panic!”
Unfortunately, aside from the Demon-Subduing Alliance, there were many ordinary civilians from Lehua Town. Facing such imminent danger, they promptly exploded into a chaos of panic, scattering everywhere.
In their frantic rush, the civilians not only broke through the defensive formation of the Demon-Subduing Alliance but also wreaked havoc on their visibility like it was a total circus!
Before the flustered martial artists could adjust their formation, the sharp arrows came comically crashing down.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
“Ah… ah… aah!”
With each arrow that hit the ground, screams rang out in a dramatic chorus.
What was once a bustling crowd at the competition site now resembled a battlefield, blanketed by what seemed an endless rain of arrows.
Ordinary folks were getting pierced left and right, their miserable wails filling the air.
Various martial arts sects were busy dodging and returning fire with swords and fists, defending against the lethal threats raining down from above.
“Crack, crack…”
Many of the arrows were shattered mid-air by their powerful strikes.
“Amitabha!”
Just as the chaos unfolded, Liao Chen, who was originally meditating cross-legged, couldn’t simply sit back and watch as civilians were slaughtered. He jumped up, his monk robe spinning overhead like an indestructible force field, cutting arrows cleanly in half as they passed by.
Grateful for being saved, a few civilians cried out, “Thank you, Buddha! Thank you for saving us!”
On the other hand, the soldiers from the mountain stronghold had already prepared round shields, and upon noticing the arrows, they promptly moved forward, covering everyone beneath their sturdy shields.
Except for Lin Nan, who fearlessly twirled her long sword as if taking a leisurely stroll in the park. She lightly tapped the arrowheads, causing a pile of shattered arrow pieces to litter the ground.
“I mean, come on! We’ve got to wrap this up before we all end up as sad little corpses.”
Lin Nan’s voice drifted into the night sky, not really sure who she was addressing.
Liao Chen, with his robe swirling around him, gathered up a hundred arrows with ease, then leaped high into the air. “Go!”
With a technique that baffled everyone, those hundred arrows flew back with even more force than they came. In mere seconds, a series of screams erupted from the distant forest.
Whether it was Lin Nan’s chiding that made a difference or Liao Chen’s counterattack instilling fear, the relentless rainfall of arrows finally came to a halt.
The martial arts arena now felt like a scene from a horror film.
At least sixty percent of the civilians had perished in the arrow storm, while most of the remaining were wounded, with few managing to escape intact amid such concentrated chaos.
The Demon-Subduing Alliance fared slightly better, but due to their initial panic and surprise, nearly fifty percent of their martial artists fell victim as well.
“Hahaha, isn’t this just perfect? We rid ourselves of the riffraff, and what’s left are the real gems!”
With a boisterous laugh, a tall man wearing an iron mask appeared before everyone.
Behind him trailed a seemingly endless swarm of soldiers clad in black armor, nearly invisible in the night.
The lucky elder from the Kongtong Sect, who managed to escape, angrily shouted, “Who are you to use such despicable means against us?! Could it be… you are a remnant of the Demon Sect?!”
The masked man shrugged, “Does it really matter who I am? What matters is that you’ve fallen right into my hands! Hahaha!”
Liao Chen wrapped his tattered monk robe around himself; his strength was nearly back. He could clearly sense that the stranger behind the mask had powers similar to his own, sending a jolt of shock through him.
In this little Lehua Town, running into characters like Demon Sect girls and masked men was becoming a pesky trend—was it really as the Buddha said, that chaos breeds the rise of demons?
He knew he couldn’t leave, or the remaining martial artists of the Demon-Subduing Alliance, along with the injured civilians, could very well end up as vengeful spirits in the hands of the enemy.
Liao Chen glanced at the masked man, then at Lin Nan, and suddenly made a startling discovery: these two clearly knew each other…
Could it be that the current predicament was a conspiracy they had cooked up together?
The masked man, as if ignoring the bald monk in the center of the arena, strolled right up to Lin Nan.
The soldiers behind him had already surrounded the remaining living and the fallen, ensuring no one would escape.
The elder from the Kongtong Sect sensed a budding aura of dominance but refused to show fear in front of the others. He forced a question, “Who exactly are you? Do you realize we are all elite members of major sects, supported by the Martial Arts Alliance? If you let us go today, perhaps the alliance might go easy on you. But if you persist, the alliance will surely gather all its might to completely surround you, and at that time…”
The masked man shook his head and sighed, “Old man, are you just trying to psych yourself up with all that yapping?”
Suddenly, he extended his hand, whispering a spell that was completely unintelligible to others. The elder from the Kongtong Sect felt as though something was gripping his neck tightly, and he suddenly levitated about a foot off the ground.
“Cough, cough!”
The elder clutched his throat, legs flailing, his voice getting weaker and weaker.
The bystanders were completely dumbfounded; they never imagined they’d witness such a bizarre spectacle, instantly shattering their preconceptions and bringing them into a whole new realm of reality.
“Enough.”
Lin Nan stepped forward, lightly resting a finger on the masked man’s hand.
“We still need him alive. Too many people have already died.”
The masked man fell silent for a moment, though he didn’t respond, he ultimately loosened his grip.
The elder flopped to the ground, coughing violently.
It took him some time to regain his normal breathing. After a brush with d*ath, he was left devoid of all courage, as if his soul had been drained away.
Seeing their elder so demoralized, the others dared not utter another word, fearful that the cold, unfeeling masked man might unleash his fury upon them yet again.
“No… how could this be…”
In that instant when the elder was coerced by the masked man, Liao Chen had wanted to rush forward and intervene.
But to his shock, the masked man seemed devoid of any demon energy, yet the abilities he wielded carried an unprecedented weight of demonic aura.
It was enough to completely rattle Liao Chen’s worldview.
A woman filled with demonic energy who employs Buddhist techniques
And a man without a hint of demon energy wielding overwhelming demonic might.
What in the world is going on here?
