Chapter Nineteen: The Sinister Cultist Reveals His True Colors

“Jiang Sheng! Die!”

Seven iron chains, each bristling with barbed hooks, sealed off all escape routes for Jiang Sheng from every direction. A faint, eerie green light silently followed in pursuit.

It was clear that the Eight Wolves of Eastern County intended to bury Jiang Sheng and Tian Ming’an together here.

Even faced with such peril, Jiang Sheng remained calm and composed, showing no haste or panic in his movements.

As the seven iron chains drew near, Jiang Sheng raised his right hand and commanded, “Absorb!”

The candle flames on the incense table flickered under the influence of his magic and were drawn into his palm. As Jiang Sheng turned his hand, the flames brightened, transforming into sparks.

“Rise!”

With a light shout, the sparks instantly swelled and blossomed into dozens of fire sparrows that circled around Jiang Sheng, illuminating the front hall of the Taoist temple brilliantly.

“Trickery! Break it for me!” sneered the head wolf, hastening his iron chain talisman to strike first.

“Go!” Jiang Sheng pointed with two fingers. The fire sparrows scattered nimbly, each darting toward a different chain before exploding with resounding blasts.

Explosions roared one after another!

Smoke billowed and sparks flew. The front hall of Qingxuan Temple was partially blown apart by the detonations, with fragments of blue bricks and tiles falling chaotically. The entire hall was in ruins.

The head wolf’s face darkened as he retracted his talisman. The explosions disrupted his senses, causing his weapon to fail.

Moreover, the poisonous needles embedded in the corrupted cultivators’ bodies were completely destroyed in the blasts!

Not only the head wolf, but the others also gained nothing.

Watching the smoke and dust rising from the ruined hall, the Eight Wolves of Eastern County looked grim. Jiang Sheng’s strength clearly exceeded their expectations.

Who would have thought such mere candle flames in his hand could wield such overwhelming power? This youth was truly extraordinary!

Snowflakes swirled endlessly.

Tian Ming’an’s eyes widened in shock, frozen in place, as he watched the treacherous iron chains before him suddenly collapse as if their spines had been broken.

Looking up again, Tian Ming’an found Jiang Sheng standing before him, his foot firmly pressing on the fallen iron chain.

“Dao… Daozhang…” Tian Ming’an was at a loss, having never witnessed such a grand scene in his twelve years of life. His heart nearly leapt into his throat.

Jiang Sheng smiled lightly. “All is well. I’ve troubled you, Tian Ming’an. I should have sent you down the mountain earlier today.”

Tian Ming’an hurriedly replied, “Daozhang, I am not afraid! I believe you can deal with those evil cultivators!”

“You have faith in me, young one,” Jiang Sheng laughed, his right hand clenched as a three-foot-long azure blade materialized in his palm.

“I prefer not to meddle in worldly affairs, but some fools insist on courting death. You’re lucky—stay where you are. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, Jiang Sheng’s sword flashed, severing the iron chain beneath his foot, then he leapt into the air.

“You come to visit so late at night and greet me with such hostility—poor hospitality on my part!”

---

Jiang Sheng’s clear voice rang in the ears of the Eight Wolves. They fixed their gaze on the azure figure darting through the swirling snow.

A streak of blue light cleaved the snowflakes, and in the blink of an eye, it was before them!

“Brothers, be careful!”

The head wolf shouted, his hand moving swiftly to unleash a blood-red palm imprint.

The crimson palm clashed with the azure sword qi. Though solid and forceful, the blood palm was shattered almost instantly by the sword qi, which pressed unrelentingly forward.

The sharp chill made the head wolf’s brow ache and his body bristle with goosebumps.

“Big brother!”

The other seven wolves attacked simultaneously, conjuring seven or eight layers of magical barriers in front of the head wolf.

The azure sword qi breached six layers with ease before its sharpness waned. It broke through one more layer and then dissipated before the head wolf.

The head wolf was drenched in sweat.

Just one sword had placed the eight brothers in such a predicament!

“You’re skilled to withstand my strike. Clearly, you’re no ordinary evil cultivators,” Jiang Sheng’s clear voice sounded again. The wolves looked up to see Jiang Sheng standing atop the partially destroyed roof ridge of the front hall.

Clad in azure robes, wearing a jade crown, his left hand behind his back, and his right hand holding an entirely jet-black long sword adorned with azure lotus patterns, the blade pointed downwards.

Snow fluttered above, fire blazed below. Standing amid the mingling of ice and flame, Jiang Sheng appeared exceptionally distinguished.

“Disturbing peace so late at night, striking with deadly force, and destroying my temple—I wonder, who exactly are you to dare bring such trouble to Qingping Mountain?” Jiang Sheng’s expression was calm, with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

The more so, the more cautious the Eight Wolves became.

Jiang Sheng’s initial strike had weighed heavily upon them—this was not like the so-called prodigies or cultivators with promising foundations from sects they had encountered before.

“I've long forgotten my own name, but the people of Qingzhou call us the Eight Wolves of Eastern County,” the head wolf said darkly, the blood-red chains swirling around his right arm like a venomous serpent.

“The Eight Wolves of Eastern County? I have not heard of you, but it matters little. After tonight, the Eight Wolves of Eastern County will be erased,” Jiang Sheng said, soaring like a hawk, his sword trembling as dozens of azure sword qì streaked forth.

“Brothers, block them!”

Seeing the crisscrossing sword qì forming a celestial net, the head wolf’s scalp tingled with dread.

He now secretly regretted his greed: everyone knew Qingping Mountain harbored a Taoist from Penglai, a figure of considerable renown—why had he been allowed to cultivate here in peace?

Now, he realized the Eight Wolves were not facing a tiger, but a true dragon crossing the river.

“Charge!” The other seven wolves, sensing the grave situation, unleashed their full power.

---

The snow covering Qingxuan Temple’s courtyard swirled again under the surging spiritual energy. The Eight Wolves attacked in unison, deploying various spells to confront Jiang Sheng’s sword qi net.

Above Qingxuan Temple, the blue sword qi mesh clashed violently with fireballs, ice spears, wind blades, golden spears, and other spells.

Explosions erupted continuously as the dense spells, like moths drawn to a flame, relentlessly tried to intercept the sword qi net, eventually devouring it entirely.

Meanwhile, the Eight Wolves had already expended nearly half their spiritual energy!

They exchanged glances, reluctance creeping into their eyes.

“Big brother, this guy is tough. If we keep this up, he won’t be drained, but we will be wiped out!” one said.

Hearing their hesitation, the head wolf’s face twisted with grim determination.

“I want to retreat too, but can we? Remember, he’s a sword cultivator.”

“That sword qi alone can injure with a mere graze; a direct hit means death. If he chases us down, where can we run?”

“If we want to survive, we must fight with our lives! This guy is tough, but we’ll tear him down! Kill him, take his cultivation techniques—this vast world will be ours!”

The others’ greed surged anew at their leader’s words.

They were no fools; wolves are always rational.

But now, they had nowhere to retreat, and Jiang Sheng clearly would not spare them.

So they resolved to fight desperately, hoping to encircle this true dragon.

“Brothers, unite!” the head wolf roared. The blood-red chains around his arm writhed as if searching for something.

The other seven wolves nodded, their blood-red chains trembling as well.

They were brothers who cultivated the same methods and forged identical talismans.

Thus, they were like one entity. Not only could they combine spells, but their talismans could unite!

The chains on their arms seemed to come alive, absorbing their magic and vitality while rapidly expanding and intertwining.

Soon, the eight chains coiled together like a venomous serpent tens of meters long, the barbs serving as scales and the sharp spearheads as fangs.

The blood-red serpent encircled the Eight Wolves, swirling and slithering, flicking its tongue menacingly at Jiang Sheng.

The head wolf, drained of much power and vitality by the serpent, appeared weak but wore a triumphant smile.

“Daozhang Jiang, few have witnessed this move!”

“The last to fall to it was a late Foundation Establishment disciple from the Azure Cloud Sect!”

“Our brothers’ move can withstand Purple Mansion cultivators. Daozhang Jiang, no matter how talented you are, can you slay a Purple Mansion cultivator?”

Despite the terrifying talisman serpent and the genuine spiritual fluctuations of an early Purple Mansion, Jiang Sheng smiled.

“Purple Mansion? Why should I be unable to slay one?”

“Fire, come forth!”