Chaotic World Book
Chapter 424 - 413 Vermilion Bird Fire, Incinerates the Heart Sea

Chapter 424: Chapter 413 Vermilion Bird Fire, Incinerates the Heart Sea

The city gates were already engaged in battle at this time.

Tang Buqi’s troops were at the city’s base, attacking three gates simultaneously with Xue Canghai and Wan Dongliu.

Before the world saw a military force capable of fighting thousands single-handedly, the army was still the decisive force. Zhao Changhe needed to block Fa Chi and other protectors; Tang Buqi also needed to fiercely press the attack to suppress the tens of thousands of monk soldiers in the city. Otherwise, being overrun by twenty thousand believers, Zhao Changhe, no matter how many he brought from the Heavenly List or Earth List, could only retreat. Even obstructed by a Bodhisattva a few times, they might not even be able to pull back.

Similarly, the monk soldiers dared not let Tang Buqi’s forces breach the city; otherwise, what Maitreya, what Bodhisattva—when an "army of eight hundred thousand" overwhelms them, all sorts of demons and monsters would be crushed to death. Thus, although Fa Zhen had not set up the defenses well and got his head taken by Tang Wanzhuang, the cultists defending the city still spontaneously formed a resistance.

But without any organization and no one to manage the division of forces to handle the situation in the city, they could only blindly defend the fortifications, creating an extremely fragmented internal and external battle situation. The significance of Tang Wanzhuang’s decapitation move was precisely this.

Those who voluntarily defended this isolated city were all brainwashed fanatics to an extreme degree. As long as they were protected by invulnerability magic, they truly feared nothing.

Even though there were precedents proving that those one thousand monk soldiers ended up crippled, the ordinary believers couldn’t bear such ’Buddhist Law’ initiations. But that didn’t matter.

They were all true believers tested by Buddha, even in death, they would definitely enter the true void homeland.

The cult’s brainwashing could make even the clever-looking ones appear insane to others. Zhao Changhe had seen plenty of such cases in this world, including celebrities.

However, faith couldn’t be eaten as food. The main generals and aides were all dead in the council hall, without any organized resistance, what use was invulnerability?

Tang Buqi prepared for heavy casualties, but the situation unexpectedly turned out to be much easier than when assisting Zhu Huan at dawn...

Back then, there were only a thousand monk soldiers who could form a formation and charge, disciplined and orderly. Now, the city walls shone brilliantly with invulnerable monk soldiers, but it was a chaotic mess, every man for himself, no military formation, no tactics... To a military commander, this was just like a dish on a platter, troublesome individuals notwithstanding.

Amid deafening shouts and killing cries, the ladders were swiftly positioned on the city walls, without the usual barrage of arrows, rolling stones, falling trees, or boiling oil, making Tang Buqi almost feel like he was participating in a staged battle...

Demon Suppression Department’s General Wu Weiyang, armored and wielding his saber, was the first to climb atop the wall.

The chaotic monk soldiers on the city wall seemed energized, shouting in unison and slashing multiple Vow Blades at him.

Wu Weiyang was in no rush to kill the enemy, his long saber swiped sideways, pushing several Vow Blades aside.

The next moment, several soldiers followed up behind him, their spears thrusting simultaneously at a single monk soldier, creating a ’clang’ sound.

Indeed, they couldn’t breach the defense.

The soldiers were not in a hurry, retracting their spears and then flinging a lasso, snagging the monk soldier’s head and pulling him straight off the city wall.

The remaining soldiers below the wall spear-stabbed chaotically, ’clinking and clanging’, turning that monk soldier into a beehive.

While Tang Buqi’s side was methodically testing various solutions, the scene with Blood God Sect was entirely different.

Here were true martial arts masters!

Xue Canghai didn’t need a ladder; using Stepping Blood Traceless, he directly ascended the city wall, swinging his blade in a ’Gods and Buddhas, all scattered’, diagonally slicing the three monk soldiers ahead into six halves.

The surrounding monk soldiers watched, dumbfounded.

This saber technique, they had heard of.

Could this person be Blood Shura Zhao Changhe?

Before they could react, several elders and protectors from the Blood God Sect jumped onto the city walls, all executing ’Gods and Buddhas, all scattered.’

For a moment, the city wall was filled with several Blood Shuras hopping around, then blood splattered, each chopping in two.

Where did all these Zhao Changles come from?

"Leave some for us!" numerous Blood God Sect disciples shouted, clambering up the ladders competitively, "Killing those people earlier didn’t break through, maybe these specially blessed ones can? Leave some for us..."

The fanatical belief of the monk soldiers couldn’t help but make them feel somewhat fearful of this group of lunatics.

Who the fuck are the real cultists here?

Wan Dongliu’s approach seemed like a combination of Xue Canghai’s and Tang Buqi’s methods—the individual strength and organizational and tactical levels were high. While it seemed unimpressive, unnoticed, the city wall was already swarming with Cao Gang disciples, densely packed.

Battle reports need verbosity, battle lines do not.

For a moment, other noble families, originally intending to watch from the sidelines, couldn’t stay still anymore.

Being breached by these three factions in an instant, what need did they have for them? Not even a merit could they gain.

Someone rode up beside Tang Buqi, "Master Tang, the Tang family soldiers have labored since dawn and are now engaged in a fierce battle, which is too harsh... We should also contribute our strength..."

Tang Buqi thought to himself that although these guys were somewhat whatever, uniting with them afterward to stabilize Jiangnan would still be somewhat useful, so he nodded, "Then thanks to Governor Zhang for sharing the burden."

Governor Zhang thought Tang Buqi was quite a people person, fearing he might change his mind, urgently led the charge up the city head.

But just as they engaged in combat, a sudden change occurred.

The previously brilliantly golden monk soldiers, their golden light unknowingly turned into black qi.

Initially, they were only bestowed with ’Buddhist Law’, possessing their own thoughts, even joking about where so many Zhao Changles came from... but at this moment, their gazes turned blank, looking like a group of mindless corpses.

Cui Wenjing and Yang Jingxiu, when examining the corpses, had once said that this kind of enhancement didn’t have many variations... This judgment was right, but also wrong.

Speaking solely of the Buddhist Law enhancement, it was indeed just that, but when the nature of the Bodhisattva himself started to change, the nature of the enhancement naturally changed too.

Governor Zhang’s men tried to emulate Tang Buqi’s method of lassoing and pulling down the monk soldiers, but the moment the rope reached the monk’s neck, it suddenly turned to flying ash.

From defense to... corrosion?

The next moment, the monk soldier pushed with his left hand onto a soldier’s breastplate.

Clapping on his chest guard barehanded should have had no effect even if a martial arts expert had done it ... However, with that clap, a strange deathly aura penetrated the armor, causing the soldier’s heart to stop abruptly as he fell straight from the city wall.

The people above and below the city were shocked.

That dense deathly aura could be felt even from the Central Army... Despite being on a battlefield where vigor and blood thrived, it felt as if one had walked into a desolate burial ground abandoned for thousands of years.

At the western gate, Xue Canghai’s voice spread across the battlefield, "Anyone below the Mystical Gate Third Layer, immediately withdraw a mile away! Those above the Third Layer, sustain your heart meridians with Inner Strength!"

The Mystical Gate Third Layer...

One should not be fooled by how Zhao Changhe seemed to encounter only those starting from the Ninth layer wherever he went; in reality, those below the Mystical Gate Third Layer were still the mainstream in the world. Reaching the Third or Fourth Layer generally meant a significant leadership position. How many people could there be?

Tang Buqi transmitted the order to the soldiers to retreat, his mind suddenly pondering a question.

This might be the first time in this world where "more isn’t useful", possibly signaling a critical junction, after which the conventional thinking of the world could change.

...

Meanwhile, the battle surrounding Maitreya, orchestrated by Tang Wanzhuang and the Vermilion Bird, also reached its conclusion at this moment.

Multiple battlefronts were taking place at the same time, yet not many moves had been made in total.

Maitreya kept retreating and fought as he attempted to return to the Secret Realm. He didn’t understand why the Bodhisattva didn’t dare to display power openly in the mortal realm; only within their "true vacuum hometown" could he truly unleash his full capability.

Unlike now, thinking he had amplified his strength to the Heavenly List, he found himself barely able to preserve his life.

Forget about handling a joint attack; in fact, even if it were just the Vermilion Bird alone, he couldn’t win. With equal cultivation, there were still levels of practical combat ability; otherwise, what would be the point of the rankings?

But Maitreya still had his tricks.

The biggest difference between the Third Layer Secret Treasure and the Second Layer Secret Treasure primarily lay in the comprehensive development of the Spiritual Sea of Consciousness, that is, the full application of "Divine Sense" and "Mind" among other Mystical aspects.

In the standard understanding of Maitreya by the Vermilion Bird and Tang Wanzhuang, he was capable but not at that level. Just like Zhao Changhe could simply use the Soul Capturing Technique of the Maitreya Sect, but only barely affect opponents with lower cultivation, fundamentally lacking control and development over these Magic Skills.

But the enhanced Maitreya had received blessings that were not just of strength.

He truly could capture souls.

Of course, he couldn’t directly manipulate them—these two women weren’t pushovers. Only in the process of being decidedly beaten and retreating in a mess could he suddenly strike to possibly achieve some effect.

And he planned to use it on the Vermilion Bird, who had higher cultivation.

He had once tried it on Tang Wanzhuang, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea, without the slightest effect. Apart from the fact that Tang Wanzhuang’s spirit was actually at the level of the Third Layer Secret Treasure, the more crucial reason was Tang Wanzhuang’s mental method, Moon Reflected in Water—her mind as clear as ice, always the most stable in dealing with such matters.

The Vermilion Bird was different... The Vermilion Bird followed an extremely volatile Fire Attribute Cultivation, which naturally made her more susceptible to mental influence.

He wasn’t seeking to control her, but merely to cause her spirit a slight tremble—that would be his opportunity to turn defeat into victory, and at least allow him to escape!

He had a good plan in mind, but his current power didn’t allow him the luxury to set it up slowly. As the thought crossed his mind, his palm collided with the Vermilion Bird’s. The fierce and unmatched Fire Attribute True Qi surged tumultuously, burning his blood and sending shockwaves through Maitreya, almost causing him to spit blood.

Behind him, Tang Wanzhuang was relentless and launched a sword strike aimed directly at his back.

Maitreya could no longer afford to slowly play his part and suddenly looked up.

His eyes rippled gently, directly meeting those of the Vermilion Bird.

The Vermilion Bird seemed to freeze for a moment, her gaze colder and more murderous, unexpectedly passing over Maitreya and settling on Tang Wanzhuang behind him.

Maitreya felt a surge of glee—his judgment was correct! Tang Wanzhuang and the Vermilion Bird were originally enemies. Stirring up her hatred towards Tang Wanzhuang indeed worked on the first try! He risked taking a sword strike from Tang Wanzhuang with the Soul Capturing Technique fully active, attempting to make the Vermilion Bird’s next strike target Tang Wanzhuang.

But just as the Technique started to activate, he saw a slight smile curling the red lips beneath the Vermilion Bird’s half-mask.

Maitreya’s heart sank.

The next moment, his Spirit Platform blazed like it was on fire, as if flames of the soul had directly risen from his heart, instantly turning his Soul Sea into fierce flames.

Tang Wanzhuang’s sword pierced his heart at the same time.

The air seemed to freeze.

Maitreya looked down at the sword tip protruding from his chest, then looked up at the nonchalant Vermilion Bird, wanting to say something but unable to speak—he had lost the ability to speak, his whole Spirit Platform surging with flames, his soul burning, powerless to talk.

The Vermilion Bird seemed to know what he wanted to say and thoughtfully told him, "I’m not like some women who just close off their Spirit Platform waiting for someone to pry it open. Anyone who invades my heart must suffer from heartfire backlash. Is your paltry cultivation really enough?"

Maitreya couldn’t utter a single word, the vitality in his eyes slowly dimming.

Reluctant...

The Secret Realm was not far, just a few miles away which in the past would have taken but a few moments, but now seemed like a Heavenly Chasm.

The hegemony of Jiangnan, countless beauties, all turned to nothing...

Tang Wanzhuang was telling the Vermilion Bird, "Why waste words with him, hurry and support the Secret Realm."

The Vermilion Bird was about to tease her with a "beg me again", but her expression suddenly changed.

A strange change occurred in the aura of the distant Secret Realm, and along with it, Maitreya, who stood drooping his head and not yet fallen, began a sudden transformation.

His head drooped over his chest, and the flesh on the formerly plump back of his neck bulged, growing more and more protruded, more and more swollen. His body hunched forward, seemingly sprouting another head behind his neck, while the original head looked as if cradled in his chest, creating such a grotesque form that he no longer looked human.

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PS: Begging for monthly tickets, wailing~