My disciples are all villains.

The Heaven Choice Temple's disciples retreated again.

Xu Liao, Xu Fan, and Xu Hai moved backward as well.

Mingshi Yin understood what his master meant. He cupped his fists and said, "I'll be the vanguard and test their strength…" With a light tap of his feet, he leaped from the top of the stairs to the base, jumping over dozens of steps. His Primal Qi surged and condensed into energy!

'Hm?' The Four Divine Monks could sense that Mingshi Yin's aura was different. They did not dare to let their guards down. At the same time, they retreated while moving further away from each other.

A huge square energy appeared with the four of them at the corners. They pushed their palms forward with synchronized movements!

Bzzt!

The square energy blocked Mingshi Yin's advance.

Mingshi Yin frowned. He raised his palms and relied on the momentum to do a backflip before landing on his feet. "I didn't expect that."

This was the first time Mingshi Yin had encountered this energy technique that the four monks joined forces to cast.

Techniques that required collaborations were unlike the Brahman Lullaby, which could be amplified with more cultivators. A high degree of synchronicity was required for close-quarter combat and the formation of energy and hand seals. For the four of them to be able to conjure up such a technique with a simple hand movement was surprising.

Kong Wen raised his palm and said, "Excellent, excellent… Your cultivation base isn't weak, benefactor. Why are you taking the side of the villains?"

They had sensed Mingshi Yin's cultivation base and wanted to convince him to stand down.

"The thing I hate the most about you bald donkeys is how you go on and on about your grand teachings!" Mingshi Yin stomped his foot on the ground.

Boom!

A perfectly-shaped footprint was left in his place. He leaped toward the Four Divine Monks and engaged them in a fierce battle.

The other monks in the vicinity moved back.

However, the 20 monks from the Temple of Great Emptiness did not budge. They remained rooted to their spots, waiting for their orders.

"Condescension!" Kong Jue moved from his corner and launched a palm strike at Mingshi Yin.

The other three worked together in perfect harmony. They pressured Mingshi Yin enough to keep him occupied. After all, Mingshi Yin only had a pair of hands while he was up against four pairs of hands. The palm strike landed on his shoulder, causing him to stumble back and fall on the edge of the steps. They had breached his protective energy!

Mingshi Yin frowned from the pain. Fortunately, the palm strike was not too powerful. His Body Tempering muscles and bones absorbed most of the impact.

Duanmu Sheng wielded his Overlord Spear, looking visibly eager to join in the fray. He said, "These four monks are something else."

"Amitabha Buddha. Why do you obstinately persist in going about things the wrong way, benefactor?" Kong Wen asked with a straightened palm.

"You're the obstinate one." Mingshi Yin pushed away from the floor and left afterimages in his wake.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Separation Hook and Scabbard had materialized in his hands out of thin air. He stabbed at Kong Wen with tempestuous strikes.

The onlookers could only see vague shadows moving in the air and hear the sharp noises from the collision between the blade and the energy.

Kong Wen did not expect Mingshi Yin's attacks to be this aggressive. He was caught off guard and slid backward. After sliding for some distance, he flew in the air and flipped before he landed on his feet.

Mingshi Yin could have followed up with more attacks, but the palm prints from the other three Divine Monks were already shooting toward him. He had to retreat.

"Too late." Kong Jue's palm print that wrapped in energy grew in intensity. "Hollow Echo!"

The three of them pushed their palms forward in unison.

Bam!

Mingshi Yin blocked it with his Separation Hook.

Dong!

A peculiar sound sent a jolt of pain through Mingshi Yin's head, causing him to stagger backward.

The Four Divine Monks were back in their formation again. Each of them stood at their own corner. It was as though they had never moved at all.

"Benefactor, I was kind enough to persuade you, but you refused to listen. You're not a match for us," Kong Wen said as he looked at Mingshi Yin.

Mingshi Yin did not expect that he was still not a match for the Four Divine Monks even with his heaven-grade weapon, the Separation Hook and Scabbard.

On their own, they were neither strong nor powerful. However, there was something strange about them.

Mingshi Yin could see many openings, but he felt that they were traps.

Kong Wen ignored Mingshi Yin. He shifted his gaze toward Xu Jing and Lu Zhou who stood before the Hall of Great Strength.

When he saw Xu Jing's weak appearance, Kong Wen said with a smile, "Xu Jing, I thought you managed to block that hit. It seems like we managed to injure you. It must not have been easy for you to hold out until now."

At this moment, Xu Jing was supported by a young disciple. He was not in good shape.

Kong Wen turned toward Lu Zhou and said, "Old benefactor, what did he offer you in exchange for your help?"

"Well, Abbot Xu Jing has promised me the sable magnolia and the zen tunic with such sincerity, how can I refuse him?" Lu Zhou replied.

"Sable magnolia?" Kong Wen's eyes widened as he looked at Xu Jing. "Xu Jing, are you mad? You'd rather give away such a precious item to an outsider than giving it to me?"

Xu Jing cursed with a weak voice, "Evil creature!" Cursing was the most he could manage now.

Kong Wen looked at Lu Zhou and said, "Old benefactor, an innocent man will get into trouble for possessing a precious item. The Temple of Great Emptiness is also set on obtaining this item. Why don't you help us fulfill our wish, old benefactor?"

"What does the Temple of Great Emptiness want the sable magnolia?" Lu Zhou asked.

"Have you heard of the Evil Sky Pavilion, old benefactor?" Kong Wen inquired arrogantly.

"I've heard of it."

"The Yun Sect has let slip that the Evil Sky Pavilion is searching for sable magnolias. The Evil Sky Pavilion belongs to the Fiend Path. The people of the Noble Path must take them down if they encounter them. The Great Temple of Emptiness will never let the Evil Sky Pavilion get what it wants!" Kong Wen said.

"The Temple of Great Emptiness has always held back from intervening in worldly affairs, and yet, you're going to make an enemy out of the Evil Sky Pavilion?" Lu Zhou asked indifferently.

The Four Divine Monks had used Kong Xuan's death as a pretext to lead a punitive expedition against the Heaven Choice Temple. They would never publicly admit that Kong Xuan was killed by the Evil Sky Pavilion.

"The Buddha is merciful. It's only right to punish the Evil Sky Pavilion that has committed countless crimes," Kong Wen said righteously.

Lu Zhou stroked his beard and said with a nod, "Alas, I really want the sable magnolia as well."

Kong Wen's expression froze as he said, "Old benefactor, I've given you a chance… Since you refuse to cherish it, you'll share the same fate as the others." He waved his hand.

The 20 disciples from the Temple of Great Emptiness joined their palms before themselves.

A buzzing noise like that of a mosquito rang in the air.

"The Temple of Great Emptiness's Brahman Lullaby?" This scene was reminiscent of the one on Runan's holy altar.

However, the Brahman Lullaby unleashed by these 20 monks was clearly more powerful than the one unleashed by the disciples Kong Xuan had brought with him that time.

With a force that seemed capable of creating hurricanes and disturbing the clouds, the deafening buzz of the Brahman Lullaby filled the area before the Hall of Great Strength.

The cultivation bases of the Heaven Choice Temple's disciples were not profound to begin with. Many of them were not even in the Sense Condensing realm. They, naturally, could not withstand the Brahman Lullaby.

Lu Zhou stood still, completely unaffected. The Heavenly Writing's extraordinary power had shown itself at this moment.

Zhao Yue and the female cultivators retreated into the Hall of Great Strength. With a wave of her arm, a wall of energy was erected before the female cultivators.

Duanmu Sheng and Mingshi Yin were both in the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm so they were not overly affected.

The Heaven Choice Temple's disciples held their heads and fell to the ground!

Xu Liao, Xu Fan, and Xu Hai were barely holding on. The expressions on their faces were bitter.

Duanmu Sheng was annoyed by the sound. He could not stand it anymore. He brandished his Overlord Spear and shouted, "What a bunch of noisy bald donkeys!" He mobilized some of his energy and wrapped them around his spear shadows before releasing them. He kept his body straight as he held his spear with one hand and stabbed toward the heart of the Temple of Great Emptiness's Brahman Lullaby.

"Block it!" The Four Divine Monks switched positions. They raised their hands and a huge square energy square blocked the Overlord Spear's attack. "It's futile!"

Bam!

The Overlord Spear split into ten and breached the square energy.

"Hm?"

'What's wrong?'

'Why can't we block it?'

Duanmu Sheng's countless sparring sessions with Hua Wudao seemed to have bore fruit. This skill of his was not powerful enough to break through the Six Compatible Seal, but it had no problems breaching this energy wall.

Mingshi Yin was filled with indignance after being suppressed earlier. When he saw that Duanmu Sheng had gained the upper hand, he grinned and said, "Don't forget about me…"