Surrender? Scholar Xiao's heart filled with bitterness. If Ruan Tian and Ruan Di hadn't chosen to flee just now, but had stayed to fight alongside them, they might have stood a chance against Taoist Xi Menzi. Especially since the two attendants had yet to reveal their trump cards—the outcome would have been uncertain.

Unfortunately, the Ruan Brothers had betrayed them and fled, leaving them at the mercy of the terrifying and bizarre Taoist Xi Menzi before them.

"Why so silent?" Li Ang rubbed his palms together and asked with a smile, "Is your 'eloquent speech' censored? Or is it that you haven't recharged your 'fan card' to speak?"

Scholar Xiao didn't understand what 'censored' or 'fan card' meant. However, judging by the expression on Li Ang's face, he could guess this was mockery. He said gravely, "Your techniques are superior. I have lost.

But I am a mere nobody; no one would care if I died. However, these two ladies are attendants to the Holy Church's Saint Heir. Their status is revered. If you harm them, wouldn't you worry about provoking the Holy Church's retribution and implicating those close to you? Please, reconsider."

Scholar Xiao spoke with great sincerity. On the surface, he seemed to be pleading for Li Ang to stop and let them go. But his underlying message seemed to hint that the two attendants were worth much more than he was.

Li Ang didn't point out the implication in Scholar Xiao's words. He just casually spread his hands and said indifferently, "Don't worry. Do I look like the kind of villain who kills but doesn't bury the bodies? In this day and age, even non-combustible trash has to be sorted and recycled. You are all talents from the White Lotus Cult. Naturally, you deserve proper arrangements so your remaining value isn't wasted."

As he spoke, the sound of breaking branches and trampled vegetation echoed once more from outside the dilapidated temple. Wu Hu's corpse, covered in green fur, returned with stiff steps. Each hand grasped an ankle of Ruan Tian and Ruan Di, whose necks had been snapped, dragging them both into the temple and tossing them onto the stone floor.

So quickly? Scholar Xiao's pupils contracted. The Ruan Brothers weren't strong fighters, but they possessed many cunning methods. Even an opponent a tier stronger than them would find it challenging to intercept the siblings if they were determined to escape.

"Brought them back?" Li Ang glanced at the unconscious Ruan Brothers out of the corner of his eye and commanded Wu Hu's corpse, "Then start the assimilation."

Wu Hu's body slowly nodded. He squatted down, and his arms burrowed into the ground, allowing the plant mycelium to grow wildly. Some of it pierced through the bricks, delving deep to unearth groundwater and create a shallow mud pit in the temple. Other strands spread across the ground, quickly connecting to the bodies of Ruan Tian, Ruan Di, Yun Heweng, Yi Yeqing, and her husband, dragging them all into the thin layer of mud.

"What are you doing?!" An intense dread surged through Scholar Xiao. He instinctively took half a step back, watching in disbelief as the mud engulfed his companions. Countless plant fibers then emerged, sealing the surface of the mud.

"In a way, I'm trying to bring them back to life," Li Ang rubbed his palms together and said with a smile, "Just like I did with Wu Hu."

Scholar Xiao trembled. Wu Hu, who had just been impersonating Taoist Xi Menzi, had seemed perfectly normal in his speech and mannerisms. But within his body, there was no brain, no internal organs—only dense masses of vine-like mycelium.

Such an existence had undoubtedly lost the capacity for independent thought and could no longer be called human. Scholar Xiao would rather die than become like that.

"Attendants, aid me!"

Determination flashed briefly in his eyes. His long robe billowed without wind, and his hands formed one Magic Seal after another in the air. "Whipping winds and thundering skies, grant me wisdom and strength..."

"Thinking of casting a spell?" Li Ang smiled and casually unleashed his Nether Overwhelm ability. Instantly, Scholar Xiao's airways filled with warm spring water. The incantation for the thunder spell he was uttering was abruptly cut off. The pain of Mana backlash permeated his entire body; every inch of his skin, bone, and muscle felt as if it were being ground to pieces.

HUMM—

From the scabbards held by the two attendants, swords burst forth. Their sharp blades, enveloped in a pale blue glow, tore through the air with a piercing hum, lunging straight for Li Ang's face.

The attendants, having long served by the Saint Heir's side, naturally possessed top-tier treasures. These two flying swords had inherent magic-breaking abilities, capable of slaying evil spirits and demons above, and Specters and other malevolent spirits below. Even direct Disciples of Longhu Mountain, if careless, could have the protective enchantments of their own treasures and Magic Artifacts breached and be fatally struck by these swords.

At this moment, the two attendants knew they were facing a life-or-death enemy and dared not be negligent. They traced the Sword Technique with their fingers, exerting all their Mana. Veins bulged on their tense faces, their eyes looked ready to split from their sockets—a far cry from the cold, aloof beauty of an 'ice mountain flower' they had displayed before.

The tips of the advancing swords were clearly reflected in Li Ang's pupils. He stood his ground. A bright red sweater, the Mirage Dragon Red Mane Coat, mysteriously appeared in his hands. He held one side of it, while two more slender, pale arms stretched out from his chest, grasping the sweater's lower hem. Stretching it out as wide as possible, he lunged forward, using the red sweater like a net to swiftly envelop the two flying swords before they could brake sharply. He then casually knotted the sweater's sleeves, trapping the flying swords completely within the woolen bundle.

From the moment of their forging, these two flying swords had been crafted from a great deal of precious materials. They were unmatched in sharpness, capable of slicing through iron like mud. After their completion, many powerful Talismans were inscribed upon them. This allowed their owners to command them as if they were an extension of their own limbs, sending them flying three to five miles out to decapitate enemies.

But faced with the incredible physical defense of the Mirage Dragon Coat, the two flying swords couldn't cut or tear it in the slightest. No matter how they spun and slashed, they could not escape the confines of the Mirage Dragon Coat and could only attempt to fly upwards with all their might.

The balled-up Mirage Dragon Red Mane Coat, carried by the flying swords, began to drift upwards. But in the next second, Li Ang yanked it back down, using his superior weight.

"Trying to take off? Get down here!"

Li Ang grabbed the corner of the sweater and violently slammed it against the ground.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

With each slam, a huge crater formed on the temple ground. The faces of the two attendants grew a shade paler with each impact. Finally, they vomited mouthfuls of blood and fainted. The two flying swords within the sweater ceased all movement.

Now, only Scholar Xiao was left.

Li Ang slowly straightened his body and took step after step towards Scholar Xiao.

"Don't come any closer!!"

Scholar Xiao's eyes widened in panic, cold sweat drenching his forehead, his fingers clumsily forming the Five Thunder Seal.

"Still trying to form seals? Your teammates are wiped out, and *now* you get serious? Are you the kind who won't unleash their ultimate until the very end?" Li Ang shook his head, swatted away the half-formed Magic Seal Scholar Xiao was making, and casually knocked him out.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.