Chapter Forty-Nine: The Nine Suns Become One

The scriptures—all of them? This was the very foundation, the accumulation, the true heritage of a millennium-old temple, and he wanted every last one? Even Master Pudu, for all his composure, nearly cursed aloud.

All around, the monks glared with fury, killing intent seething.

Jiang Ming’s expression remained indifferent, murderous aura swirling about him as he stared at the abbot.

“Agreed!” After some deliberation, Master Pudu nodded with great difficulty. “Benefactor Jiang, state your next two conditions.”

“Second!” Jiang Ming smiled. “One of your Grandmasters at Great Forest Temple must enter final repose. Third, you must annihilate the Sun and Moon Demon Sect.”

Master Pudu’s face darkened at once, what little compassion he had turning to ice. “You are giving us no path to survival, Benefactor Jiang. Do you truly think that you alone can challenge a millennium’s accumulation of our Great Forest Temple? Do you believe that with your immense power, you can disregard everything?”

“Form the array—subdue the devil!” Master Pudu’s voice rang out like a resounding bell, echoing through the mountains. “A great evil has descended upon the world, bringing disaster and bloodshed. As people of the Great Yan, from the four corners of the land, whether from the martial world or the court, within or without the realm, we must unite to expel evil, save the world from calamity, and set the heavens right.”

The staff-wielding monks moved with ghostly speed, surrounding Jiang Ming in a flash. Their positions interlocked, their auras intertwined and merged with the very fabric of heaven and earth, stirring the tides of primal energy, sealing off the area into an inescapable domain.

Their eyes gleamed with predatory malice.

Clap, clap, clap…

Jiang Ming applauded, a note of admiration in his voice. “As expected of the abbot of Great Forest Temple, your eloquence is truly unmatched. Your temple produces nothing, yet your palaces are grand and exquisite, each Buddha statue within forged of solid gold. The lands for a hundred miles around have been seized by your temple, the people oppressed and enslaved. Not even the law of the imperial court can reach here. Pudu, tell me, between us, who is the real demon?”

Master Pudu’s gaze was deep and unflinching. He stared at Jiang Ming, his tone unchanged. “Our Great Forest Temple protects the people from disaster, teaches methods for health and longevity. Which family here does not praise our temple? Yet you twist this into a crime—evil is evil, no matter how you argue, you cannot change your wicked nature!”

“Everyone…” His voice suddenly rose again, shaking the mountains, sending birds scattering and beasts roaring. “To vanquish this great demon and restore peace to the world, our Great Forest Temple will feed ourselves to the devil if need be, every disciple will give their all. Even if our gates are destroyed, even if a thousand disciples shed their last drop of blood, even if a millennium’s legacy ends here, we will fight this demon to the death. I call upon the True Martial Sect, Pure Yang Sect, Cold Moon Palace, Divine Sword Manor, Sun and Moon Demon Sect, Divine Fist School, and all heroes from the North—set aside your grudges, join us to slay the demon! Our Great Forest Temple will take the lead. Let us restore order and peace to the martial world for generations to come!”

“Kill!” He waved a hand at Jiang Ming.

The staff-wielding monks, arrayed in formation, unleashed their assault.

Staff shadows crisscrossed the sky, converging as if summoning wind and thunder, distorting the air and shaking the heavens.

The onlookers were shaken to the core.

“This strike alone could easily kill a peak Grandmaster!” Lu Yuan could see it clearly, his brows furrowed. He couldn’t understand why Jiang Ming demanded three conditions that Great Forest Temple could never accept, nor why, if he intended to kill, he allowed them to complete their formation first.

Wasn’t this making things harder for himself?

Jiang Ming remained unmoved, simply watching Master Pudu with a look of admiration, as if he truly had become the world-destroying demon king with every word the abbot uttered.

In name, he was cast into utter damnation.

For the sake of destroying evil, for the greater good, for all mankind, Master Pudu skillfully rallied all the powers together—even the Demon Sect or northern heroes now had an excuse to join the fray.

This way, the reputation of Great Forest Temple would not be further tarnished.

At the same time, he bound the righteous path: For the sake of justice, would you dare not act? You must act!

“Your gift for oratory is truly enlightening, Master Pudu!” Jiang Ming exclaimed in mock admiration.

With a flash, the Taiji Diagram of Yin and Yang appeared, forming a whirling shield that blocked the rain of staff shadows.

Boom…

The Taiji shield trembled thrice, twisting under the assault before shattering with a resounding crash.

“I have not yet comprehended the true realm of Yin and Yang; I am still far from the mark.” Jiang Ming frowned. In the next instant, the shield reformed, spinning even faster.

This time, two colors appeared, one red, one white.

Red burned hot, white radiated cold.

This was the fusion of fire and water—a compromise, if not the ideal.

Staff shadows kept falling, explosions ringing out.

The shield shattered again and again, but the attacks could not reach him.

The spectators were stunned.

Even Master Pudu’s expression shifted repeatedly; he knew better than anyone how terrifying the staff array of over a hundred warrior monks was.

Even a Grandmaster trapped within could be killed.

Yet now they couldn’t even break through the opponent’s defense?

He felt as if he were in a dream.

“Comprehending the Dao through battle, is it? Then I’ll wear you down!” Master Pudu saw Jiang Ming’s intent, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

Jiang Ming was indeed seeking enlightenment through combat.

But the realm of Yin and Yang was too elusive.

“Trying to advance through the interplay of fire and water—why does it feel even harder? Have I strayed from the path?” Jiang Ming poured his power into the shield.

In the end, he shook his head with a sigh. “I was too arrogant, thinking I could grasp the essence of Yin and Yang in one stroke.”

“This world’s limits are too great—there’s no one to give me the higher perspective, no explanation of greater realms!”

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Jiang Ming let the shield shatter.

Flames of qi surged from his body: Pure Yang, Radiant Sun, Gentle Dawn, Scorching Blaze, Dazzling Noon…

Clang…

His longsword flashed from its sheath, true energy flowing along the blade, turning it crimson as if ablaze, burning with the heat of the sun.

Within the fiery glow, several similar yet distinct auras interwove, and with a sudden burst, the sword blazed with light.

With a single sweep, the sword cleaved through the rain of staff shadows.

“The power of Nine Truths!” cried an old monk beside Abbot Pudu, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints. “Gentle Dawn, Lesser Yang, Old Yang, Dazzling Noon, Scorching Blaze, Radiant Sun, Supreme Yang, Solar Essence, Pure Yang?”

He was Elder Guangming, widely experienced. Though he could not identify every specific realm, he could deduce the truth from what he saw.

“You’ve comprehended all nine ultimate realms hidden in the Nine Yang Scripture—how is that possible?”

“What sort of monster are you?”

Elder Guangming was utterly at a loss.

“Nine Yang Realms?” Master Pudu was aghast, his eyes reddening as he roared, “Attack! Attack! Blood sacrifice the Demon-Subduing Array! Kill him!”

The nine realms of the Nine Yang!

Just hearing of it was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Worse still, the man seemed still in the midst of enlightenment—if the nine Yang forces became one…

Master Pudu could not repress his shudder.

He immediately gave the order.

The hundred and eight staff monks struck themselves on the chest, their faces flushing red. Instead of weakening, their auras soared to nearly double—the threshold of Grandmaster.

Thirty-six soared into the air, attacking from above.

The remaining seventy-two sealed off all directions.

Staff shadows layered and interwoven, obscuring everything, making even the shadows indistinguishable.

But the surging power left every onlooker in awe.

This blow could shatter a mountain.

Jiang Ming’s expression grew serious.

“Now this is more like it!” This was one of his purposes in coming—to temper himself against the power of Great Forest Temple.

If he could not grasp Yin and Yang, he would start with Yang.

If the nine Yang realms fused, would the true realm of Yang be born?

That was his hope.

He looked up—no sun, no sky, only a tide of staff shadows.

Even the air was thick with pressure.

“Finally, some real challenge!” Jiang Ming’s brows rose as his sword hummed, cutting across the heavens.

With a sweep, flames surged, erupting into a sea of fire that swept upward, engulfing the staff shadows.

The two forces collided and clashed.

At last, the staff shadows exploded, and all one hundred and eight monks were blasted backwards.

Just then, two old monks suddenly struck, their movements ghostly, appearing at Jiang Ming’s sides just as his sword-light faded.

Completely unexpected.

One jabbed a finger at his brow, the other slapped at his back.