Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 121

Ye Junlin shook his head and put away the Cangyuan Sword.

At the same time, he snapped his fingers and the other two clones vanished as well.

“All done, time to wrap it up!” Ye Junlin said nonchalantly, turning to leave.

“Wait, just like that you’re letting us go?” Elder Longxiang was taken aback, completely opposite to what he had expected.

“Ye benefactor, what do you mean…” Elder Qingjing asked in surprise.

As he walked, Ye Junlin scratched his backside and said, “Why the fuss? I’m a product of nine years of compulsory education, a high-level intellectual, so I can tell right from wrong.”

“You guys aren’t the masterminds; you’re not even accomplices—just innocent bystanders caught in all this. Now that that old bald donkey is dead, you guys at the Hanging Temple have paid the price, and the rest is up to you.”

“Yep, that’s it. Bye-bye.”

Hearing this, both of them were left dumbfounded.

They didn’t quite get the part about nine years of compulsory education and high-level intellectuals, but they figured out that this person had no intention of holding a grudge against them, emphasizing that debts should be settled with the right people.

Now that Xuyun was dead and the Hanging Temple significantly weakened, it served them right!

Watching that carefree figure, Elder Longxiang and Elder Qingjing clasped their hands in prayer, feeling deeply moved, and sighed, “Amitabha, Ye benefactor enlightens us with reason; we take our hats off to you.”

Bai Xiaoxi hurriedly ran after Ye Junlin, short legs pumping, “Master, wait for me!”

It had never been interested in fighting, and now that it could leave, it couldn’t be happier.

The Great Mushroom King followed closely behind, as if granted a pardon.

“Is that it?” Hong Qianye’s eye twitched; it felt a bit unsatisfied.

By its usual standards, he would have leveled the Hanging Temple, slaughtering every monk and burning their scriptures without a care for right or wrong—just for the thrill!

Clang! Li Wujie decisively sheathed his sword; he would unconditionally obey any command from his Master.

“Brother Hong, we need to go. Don’t irritate the Master,” Li Wujie kindly reminded.

“Hmph, need I be taught by you? Just focus on your own business!” Hong Qianye rolled its eyes dramatically and walked past him with crossed arms.

Li Wujie shrugged and followed behind.

After spending some time together, he had gotten used to his senior brother’s quirky attitude, which didn’t seem very friendly towards his peers but did a complete 180 when it came to their Master.

Maybe that’s just the bond between master and disciple.

“Ah Kun!”

Ye Junlin called out but got no response.

Taking a closer look.

The Kunpeng, originally suppressed, had somehow fallen asleep, even unaware that the Five Finger Mountain pressing down on it had disappeared.

“Master, Ah Kun is sleeping so soundly,” Bai Xiaoxi said.

Ye Junlin was speechless.

How could one sleep at such a young age?

“Ah Kun!!”

Ye Junlin shouted again, his voice resonating through the skies.

The sweet dream was shattered, and the Kunpeng woke up, flapping its wings violently, causing a sandstorm and booming winds all around.

Whoa, talk about some serious morning crankiness!

But when it realized its master was calling, the Kunpeng quickly settled down, flying over and rubbing its big head against Ye Junlin’s arm.

“Alright, alright, I get your point. Next time, be more careful,” Ye Junlin said grumpily.

Then they all hopped onto the back of the Kunpeng, which chirped happily a few times, its form returning to its original size, overshadowing everything as it soared into the depths of the sky.

At this moment.

The outside world was closely watching the situation at Vantage Mountain.

Due to the ferocity of the battle on the mountain, the energy released tore the sky apart, making many hesitant to approach, only daring to watch from a distance, shaken.

“Look! What is that?!”

“Hiss, that’s the mount of the Tribulation Stage, looks like that big shot is done!”

“Does this mean the battle is over?”

“What I’m most concerned about is whether the Hanging Temple has been wiped out?”

…

Various forces in the Pure Land were discussing.

Countless divine senses intertwining outside Vantage Mountain, but no one dared to extend their reach inward.

After all, at such a sensitive moment, if the Hanging Temple was still intact, they would be crossing a line!

For years, the Hanging Temple had stood firm, while the Pure Land had undergone several regime changes, yet each new ruling body would still pay respect to the Hanging Temple.

One could see its immense status and influence!

Thus, before they had absolute certainty, all forces of the Pure Land didn’t dare to probe too deeply, fearing they might offend this sacred Buddhist site.

On Vantage Mountain.

The monks were filled with grief as they tidied up the battlefield.

So many fellow disciples had died in this battle, and the temple had sustained heavy losses, the biggest impact it had faced since its establishment.

But at this point, they had no complaints; it was all the Hanging Temple’s fault.

“Everyone, even though the abbot has passed, as long as Elder Longxiang and Elder Qingjing are here, I believe the Hanging Temple can still restore its glory,” one elder said to comfort the disciples.

The atmosphere was heavy and gloomy.

However, everyone in their hearts knew that after this disaster, the truth surrounding it would spread quickly, and the reputation of the Hanging Temple would be completely ruined, the halo of the sacred Buddhist site likely to be stripped away.

Restore glory? Easier said than done!

Elder Longxiang sighed, “Now we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

“Yeah, but we must swallow this bitter pill,” Elder Qingjing said bitterly. “Actually, we share some responsibility for the Hanging Temple’s current state. Had we known, we shouldn’t have ignored things, wasting time in secluded cultivation.”

“Sigh, it’s too late for regrets now!” Elder Longxiang shook his head. Suddenly, he felt something, his brow twitching, an overwhelming sense of crisis welled up in his heart.

“Who’s there! Show yourself!!” Elder Longxiang shouted sharply, his voice echoing like a lion’s roar, stirring up clouds of dust.

“Hmm?!” Elder Qingjing also realized something, both alarmed and furious.

How dare someone sneak into Vantage Mountain at this moment?

Most importantly, there were more than one intruder, and judging by the captured auras, several of them were even of the Tribulation Stage!

Buzz! Buzz!

Ripples echoed through the void.

One after another, figures emerged, all dressed in black robes, their faces hidden beneath the brims of their hoods.

“Heh, the once-mighty Three Saints of the Hanging Temple are reduced to just you two now; what a twist of fate,” the leading middle-aged black-robed man said, standing with arms crossed, his voice deep and resonant.

“Damn it, sneaking around, who the hell are you rodents to act wild in the Hanging Temple?!” Elder Longxiang bellowed like a thunderclap, smashing his demon-slaying staff into the ground, chest puffed out, glaring ahead, while his heart was secretly anxious.

At this point, he was in a pitiful state, lacking any strength to confront them!

He had no choice but to play tough!

“Master Longxiang, your temper remains as fiery as ever, just like that time at the Grand Assembly of the Top Ten Sects in the Eastern Domain when you unleashed your tongue; thinking back, it’s truly a world apart,” the black-robed middle-aged man reminisced.

“Y-you, who are you?!” Elder Longxiang’s pupils constricted.

To appear in such a setting means he must have crossed paths with them in the past—his status clearly that of a significant figure in the Immortal Sect!

The middle-aged black-robed man coldly smirked, forming hand seals, a massive gray shroud enveloping the Hanging Temple.

In the next moment, the black-robed figures behind him suddenly sprang into action, pouncing on the remaining monks.

A chilling murderous intent swept through, filling every inch of space.

“Stop!” Elder Longxiang and Elder Qingjing tried to intervene, but were suppressed by the overwhelming pressure released by the middle-aged black-robed man, forcing them to kneel on the ground, feelings of humiliation welling up as they gritted their teeth.

Right now, they had no strength left to fight back.

They could only submit!

Screams and wails filled Vantage Mountain, but within this gray shroud, those sounds did not reach the outside.

“Ah…” The remaining elders and disciples of the Hanging Temple were mercilessly slaughtered by the black-robed intruders.

Blood stained the ground, the scene resembling hell itself.

“Who are you? Why are you doing this? Did we offend you in any way at the Hanging Temple?!” Elder Longxiang and Elder Qingjing cried out in anguish.

The middle-aged black-robed man shook his head, “Not at all; we are even allies. However, in light of the upcoming plan, the Hanging Temple has become too much of an eyesore, so we can only take this opportunity to eliminate you.”

“Ally!?”

The two were struck as if by lightning, their minds racing, realizing the only group that could publicly proclaim to have formed an alliance with the Hanging Temple was just one!

“Y-you are…”

Their voices were abruptly cut off.

The middle-aged black-robed man suddenly moved, gripping their throats with both hands, and under his hood, a cruel smile curled at the corners of his mouth. “You two will join that self-righteous old fool on his journey.”

Boom~!!

An ocean-like torrent of magical power surged forth.

Elder Longxiang and Elder Qingjing were each enveloped in a silvery glow, their faces contorted in pain, eyes filled with despair, their bodies cracking with glowing lines as blood essence frantically leaked out.

Bang!

With a deafening explosion.

Both of them were obliterated, completely vanishing from the world.

The middle-aged black-robed man slowly extended his hand, the fragment from Xuyun that had transformed into a relic floating into his palm.

“If you were still around, I might have considered bringing you in, but alas you have suffered this calamity. As for the remaining two, they would undoubtedly obstruct this plan, so heh…”

As he clenched his fist and then opened it again, the relic had turned to dust, scattering with the wind.

The massacre continued.

After an unknown amount of time, the Hanging Temple had no survivors left.

Blood ran in rivers, a nauseating stench suffusing the air.

Staring at the dead silence of the ancient temple before him, the middle-aged black-robed man said coldly, “From now on, there will be no more Hanging Temple in the Eastern Domain.”

“Zong…” One subordinate attempted to speak but was frightened into silence by the middle-aged man’s glare, quickly correcting, “M-Master, should we take action now against the Pure Land?”

The middle-aged black-robed man remained expressionless, “Don’t worry, a team has already gone over. The Pure Land is part of the plan and must be taken!”

As he spoke, he looked up at the sky, his eyes dark and unfathomable, his tone deeply meaningful, “The Kunlun Realm will eventually fall; the Eastern Domain is just the beginning. The old ancestor was right—only by following the trend can one hope to survive. Even if we have to reshuffle the deck, our lineage can still be carried on, and it might even thrive!”

“So, there’s no mistake.”