Chapter 81 The Preacher

The dozen or so men and women in the tavern were all dumbfounded.

Uptown? Enforcement team?

Although the fortress cleanup force is stationed on the 49th floor, isn’t it a bit too absurd for an uptown enforcement team to suddenly appear, shouting that it’s a routine inspection?

In the corner, on a circular sofa, several Wanlijin gang members watched Wang Jixuan, gripping the handles of the pistols in their arms.

Master Wang remained completely unfazed.

There’s no other reason than that he had plenty of Vajra Talismans on him, the kind that were newly made from green paper, and he was also wearing a bulletproof vest.

He glanced around and spotted several men and women whose souls had been corrupted by demonic energy. A faint, cold smile appeared on his face as he calmly said:

“I received a report that there is an illegal gathering here.”

“In accordance with the law prohibiting unregistered religions from holding gatherings of more than six people within the fortress, I am going to search this place. Please cooperate.”

“Sir!”

In the corner, a middle-aged man with a sinister face stood up and said with a smile:

“Although it may be a bit presumptuous, everyone at Wanlijin is a good person… May I see your identification?”

The young woman next to him suddenly pulled out a pistol from under the table and fired a shot at Wang Jixuan.

Bang!

Master Wang had dozens of ways to dodge this standard caliber bullet, but he chose to go with the flow of the bullet, pressing down on the Vajra Talisman, and was “shot” in the back, falling forward.

The tavern fell silent instantly.

Most people looked uneasy, and two young girls were pale and trembling.

The middle-aged man looked at his female companion who had fired the shot, glared at her, and said angrily:

“Guang Siyao, what are you doing! Enforcement team! Enforcement team from the upper city!”

The woman’s eyes gleamed with a pale green light. She did not respond to the man’s low growl, but instead tilted her head to stare at Wang Jixuan.

Calm, indifferent, and eerie.

She raised her hand to finish off Wang Jixuan, but a middle-aged man rushed over and punched her in the face.

The woman slumped onto the sofa, then raised her hand and fired another shot.

puff!

A middle-aged man had a bloody hole in his forehead and collapsed, powerless.

The surrounding gang members were stunned for two seconds, but immediately drew their guns and pointed them at the woman. One of them pulled the trigger with bloodshot eyes, and several others fired at the same time!

The woman’s body was riddled with bullets, yet she still managed to raise her hand to finish off Wang Jixuan, who was lying on the ground.

Wang Jixuan stood up straight.

The woman was shot and fell to the ground, slowly ceasing to breathe, her right hand falling limply to the ground.

But her eyes remained open, her expression calm, and the light green light in her eyes did not fade.

‘Sure enough, the soul has been completely corrupted, not just simply tainted by demonic energy, but to this extent…’

Master Wang narrowed his eyes slightly.

In the corner, three men and two women suddenly grabbed bottles and knives, jumped over the coffee table and the sofa, and charged straight at Wang Jixuan.

A sharp whooshing sound rang out!

Blood suddenly splattered from the back of their necks!

Several nuts, stained with blood, were embedded in the wall covered with pink wallpaper.

Those gang members were clearly out of their minds, staring blankly at Wang Jixuan.

What kind of operation is this?

Wang Jixuan said calmly:

“The purge troops will be here soon. I suggest you drop your weapons and squat down with your hands behind your heads at the door.”

He drew two large-caliber pistols from the back of his belt, checked the magazines, and loaded the bullets.

Then, Master Wang turned to look at the gang members:

“Tell the purging troops that if I spare my life, they don’t need to kill me.”

A burly gangster stood there, holding his head in his hands, about to slowly squat down when someone next to him kicked him.

Wang Jixuan ignored the ordinary people and walked straight to the wooden door on the left side of the bar. He kicked it open and darted into the downward-extending corridor.

A few seconds later.

Gunshots, like the beat of a dance tune, rang out from below.

These gang members suddenly realized what was happening.

“Holy crap! Him, he, he, he!”

“Should we crouch down? Will the mopping-up troops really come?”

“He was shot but he’s okay? Ah, it must be from his bulletproof vest.”

“How did they…die…by nuts? Were those the legendary nuts embedded in the wall?”

“Black Wind!”

Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting! Are you out of your mind?!

“I noticed it a long time ago; something was off about this party they were organizing. It was really weird!”

Gunshots rang out continuously beneath their feet as they moved rapidly.

The gang members exchanged glances, then turned to the men and women hiding in the corner, and together they walked to the outside of the tavern, squatted down with their heads in their hands against the wall.

Just a few meters below their feet.

Bang!

A bullet, accompanied by blood, pierced the back of the old man’s head, who had light green eyes. The old man leaned against the double doors of the casino and slowly slumped down.

In the passageway next to them, more than a dozen corpses lay scattered about, each carrying a gun.

Wang Jixuan didn’t carry many bullets. He put the pistol back in its holster, slowly untied the ball bag on his back, took out the three-section gun barrel, screwed it on, and checked his talisman reserves.

The gun barrel lit up with intricate patterns.

The sound of several people humming came from behind the gate.

Master Wang kicked away the corpse beside him, opened a crack in the door, and squeezed inside.

It’s rare to find such a magnificent hall in the fortress’s lower city; if you do find one, it’s most likely a high-end casino.

—In fact, casinos were also the main business of the Wanlijin gang.

The tables and chairs in the casino had been moved to the two corners, leaving the huge red carpet in the middle empty. Men and women dressed in simple or elaborate attire sat cross-legged on the floor, singing soothing tunes and swaying their bodies slowly to the music.

Their faces showed happiness and ecstasy.

A kind-looking old lady sat at the very front of the crowd.

The old lady sat on a stage half a meter high, wearing a white dress, looking kindly at the ‘believers’ in front of her.

Beside her stood a burly middle-aged man, who was staring at Wang Jixuan with a pair of green vertical pupils.

As the song played, ripples of light green light surged toward Wang Jixuan.

‘They can actually unite these corrupted mortal souls to unleash a mental attack?’

‘Although its power is far less than that of a beginner-level demonic sound spell…’

‘A clever little demon.’

Master Wang held the spear vertically in his right hand, raised it three inches, and then brought it down heavily.

Clang!

A visible blue shockwave rippled forward, instantly knocking over a dozen people closest to the door.

The green ripples shattered one after another, and the chanting stopped. Many people lowered their heads and gagged.

The old lady in the center of the stage opened her eyes.

The spotlight shone down on her, making her face appear even more kind, but her reflection on the stage was incredibly grotesque, like a giant moth.

The old woman said in a gentle voice, “Child, are you also facing difficulties?”

“Do you still have your crystal core?”

Wang Jixuan gazed at the old woman with clear eyes:

“Can I borrow it? I need it very much.”

The old woman’s expression froze instantly.

The burly man jumped off the stage, and one by one, the ‘believers’ stood up and turned to look at Wang Jixuan.

Under the abundant sunlight, these people’s eyes shone with a green light, and their expressions gradually became ferocious.

Master Wang raised an eyebrow slightly and grasped the last nut with his left hand.

‘These killings cannot be attributed to me.’

Suddenly swing your left hand forward!

A deafening sound rang out!

Rows of blood mist appeared in the crowd!

The burly man roared and lunged forward, his body seemingly about to explode.

What a monster!

Wang Jixuan gripped his gun and charged forward!

…

Three minutes later.

Zheng Shiduo, Wan Xiaoqi, Lin Bo, and Lin Yong arrived at the tavern entrance and couldn’t help but exchange glances as they looked at the group of men and women squatting with their heads in their hands.

“Is it all done?”

Wan Xiaoqi muttered to himself:

“It seems like you don’t even need to fight, Captain Zheng.”

Zheng Shiduo’s lips twitched a few times. He ignored the little woman who liked to stuff paper balls and cheat, and kicked open the door of the tavern in front of him.

The stench of blood was overwhelming.

Zheng Shiduo glanced at the corpses on both sides, calmly walked to the side, and removed the nuts embedded in the wall.

Although Wan Xiaoqi had seen the Blade Beast Battlefield several times, he was still slightly frightened by the sight of these staring corpses in this dark environment, and subconsciously moved closer to Lin Bo and Lin Yong behind him.

Wan Xiaoqi asked in a low voice, “These are all… all of them…”

“They died in gang warfare.”

Zheng Shiduo spoke calmly, raised his hand and gestured, and the soldiers of the pacification force rushed in.

Lin Bo said, “You can go down from here.”

“Xiao Qi, you wait here!”

Zheng Shiduo sniffed:

“The following images may affect your good impression of your superior’s boyfriend.”

Wan Xiaoqi rolled her eyes: “So what? I’ve been to the Blade Beast Battlefield.”

“Then come on, Lin Bo, keep an eye on her, Lin Yong, you guard the entrance. No one is allowed to come near here without my permission… No need to bring weapons, I only smelled the scent of a living person.”

Zheng Shiduo clicked his tongue softly and led Lin Bo and Wan Xiaoqi into the downward corridor.

Two bodies lay on the corner, guns lying on their bodies.

As they walked down the steps and turned the corner, Wan Xiaoqi’s pretty face turned a little pale.

The passageway leading to the casino, which is only a dozen meters long, is littered with human corpses.

Most of the corpses had bloody holes in their foreheads and between their eyebrows, and the paintings on the walls were made up of bullet holes, blood, and brain matter.

“I already told you, don’t come down,” Zheng Shiduo said, pursing his lips.

Wan Xiaoqi pursed her lips and remained silent, bowing her head as she followed Zheng Shiduo and Lin Bo to the double doors at the end of the road.

Lin Bo gave the door a slight tug, and both doors slammed open at the same time, startling the three of them who jumped back to the left and right.

Bang!

Behind the door was a basic mimicry blade beast, much stronger than the mimicry blade beasts they had killed before.

Its hind legs were still stuck on the strong man’s back, its conjunctiva had been shattered, and most of its mouthparts had been blown off. It was beyond dead.

Looking inside, following the corpses of the bladed beast and the burly man…

“Ugh!” Wan Xiaoqi turned her head and gagged.

Lin Bo was also pale.

A sickly smile crept across Zheng Shiduo’s lips as he gazed at the stage with utter admiration, completely oblivious to his surroundings as he intently studied the strange bladed beast…

Master Wang.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Wang Jixuan’s voice came, “I’m not killing innocent people indiscriminately. The souls of these people have already merged with this blade beast. Even if I were stronger, I wouldn’t be able to save them.”

Lin Bo immediately replied, “Understood!”

Zheng Shiduo suddenly let out a soft exclamation, staring at the bladed beast in front of Wang Jixuan.

This thing is still based on the Mimic Blade Beast, but it is more ‘petite’ in size and has two huge wings on its back, with vertical pupil-shaped patterns on the wings.

“Preacher! Holy crap! You killed a preacher!”

Zheng Shiduo suddenly let out a howl, glared and shouted, then tiptoed across the pile of corpses in front of him and rushed to the bladed beast.

He turned and glared at Wang Jixuan: “You…you killed it?”

“otherwise?”

Master Wang curled his lip.

This thing is indeed troublesome, specializing in mental attacks and soul control, constantly trying to disturb his mind.

But this thing…

Master Wang’s remnant soul lacked sufficient power; it wasn’t that he had lost his Dao realm or forgotten his spells. He had faced heavenly tribulations and fought against the inner demons that caused them. This level of mental control was far too simplistic.

“Its physical form isn’t strong; it’s just good at bewitching people. You can kill it if you get close to it.”

Wang Jixuan explained briefly and asked softly, “Do you want to take a picture?”

“Can I keep this as a souvenir?”

Zheng Shiduo shouted excitedly, took out his communicator, squatted down next to the ‘fluttering moth’, raised his hand to make a peace sign, and took a series of selfies.

Lin Bo and Wan Xiaoqi tiptoed over here, inevitably stepping on bloodstains.

Wan Xiaoqi also took several photos.

Wang Jixuan smiled with narrowed eyes.

Fortunately, he was quick-witted; after removing the crystal core, he pressed its skull back in.

He specially used three demon-sealing talismans to seal the colorful crystal core.

Half a minute later, Master Wang spoke up to remind him:

“Let’s not linger too long. There should be one or two more mimicking blade beasts on this floor. Let’s keep searching… I’ll burn it.”

“This is an extremely rare specimen!”

Zheng Shiduo sighed:

“There have been instances before where a single preacher destroyed an entire fortress; such bladed beasts are rare.”

Wang Jixuan remained unmoved, raised his sword fingers together, and directly activated the True Fire Talisman that he had secretly stuffed into the body of the blade beast.

Clusters of eerie white flames lit up, the corpse of the blade beast melted rapidly, and streams of spiritual energy dissipated, which were secretly absorbed by Wang Jixuan.

“Let’s go…”

Ding ding!

Zheng Shiduo’s communicator beeped twice.

Zheng Shiduo looked up at Wang Jixuan, his expression somewhat solemn.

“broken.”

“how?”

“The House of Psionics has suddenly issued a Level 3 warning for Blade Beast attacks. The fortress has activated its layer-by-layer sealing system, and psionicists can now move freely within the fortress!”

Wang Jixuan immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

This may indicate that their battle in the lower city has been known to the psionicists of the Thirteen Institutes.

Wan Xiaoqi shouted in a crisp voice, “These bastards not only don’t help, they’re making things worse!”

“It’s not just about causing trouble,” Wang Jixuan said. “This should be…”

Guh—

From a distant place in the northwest, a call from a young queen insect suddenly came, followed by a piercing shriek!

Wow–

Wang Jixuan pressed his left hand to his forehead and couldn’t help but groan. His spiritual consciousness had actually been attacked from a distance!

Are the young queen beetles this strong? Is it seeking revenge because this preacher was killed?

But the young queen beetle is too far away, so he can’t possibly get hurt because of it…

Master Wang was puzzled;

A beeping alarm sounded from Wan Xiaoqi’s body. She grabbed a pocket watch-like device, glanced at it, and exclaimed in shock:

“The officer is in bad shape! The troops were already retreating! The officer has fainted!”

Wang Jixuan suddenly looked up.

Having just been attacked by a young queen beetle, his eyes were bloodshot, his nostrils were trembling slightly, and his expression was quite frightening.