Chapter 453: Unending Wind and Rain (4)

Chapter 453: The Storm and the Silence (Four)

The streets of Uncentral Road bustled with activity, a crossroads where the rhythm of life thrummed beneath the weight of a tense atmosphere. Inside the compound, the area had already slipped into a state of strict curfew. Two pairs of guards, clad in the armor of the Jingyi, moved through the corridors, their eyes scanning for any sign of the elusive Buddha’s abode.

Yet even amid this vigilance, the task proved insurmountable. Placed in such a complex and crowded environment, their efforts were nothing more than a drop in the ocean. It was a lesson in the harsh realities of survival, where only the strongest endured.

In contrast, the patience of the guards stationed at the Dragon and Tiger Mountain was palpable. Their hands, wrapped around carved seals, pulsed with the energy of the battlefield, ready to unleash their might at a moment’s notice.

One of them, a man named Zhang Qingli, remained alert, his posture rigid as a statue. The seal in his hand was always in motion, a testament to his readiness. When the wind stirred the leaves and the air shifted, he rose swiftly, his eyes locked on the figure of Chen Qiu, who sat cross-legged in stillness near Li Jian.

“Old Chen, what is this place?” Zhang Qingli asked, his voice steady.

Chen Qiu blinked, momentarily overwhelmed by the swirling script of seals around him. “I… I don’t know. I’ve heard stories, but I’ve never seen it myself.”

Zhang Qingli’s tone was firm yet measured. “For someone like me, knowing is enough. I prefer to act rather than speculate.”

Chen Qiu nodded, his gaze drifting to the figure of Li Jian, who sat in quiet contemplation. The silence between them was thick with unspoken understanding.

“Do you think it’s possible to avoid falling into this realm?” Zhang Qingli asked, his brow furrowed.

Chen Qiu hesitated, then smiled faintly. “Perhaps. But only if we are prepared to face whatever comes.”

The scene faded into the mist of the mountains, leaving only the echo of their words and the weight of the path ahead.

They hadn't even opened their mouths when a brocade-clad guard, the one who had beheaded Yangji earlier, staggered forward with a tiger guard's saber slung across his shoulder. Facing a Daoist master who could kill him with a single hand, Fan Wuguo showed no fear, grinning as he said, "Brothers, why don't you keep performing?"

A scene of celestial and demonic confrontation unfolded against the backdrop of Osaka's neon-lit streets, where rain poured relentlessly. "So, what's your answer? Cooperate or not?" Li Jun's eyes, dark as ink, stared blankly ahead. His chest wound, torn open by the cold rain, pulsed with pale light, blood struggling to close but always bursting apart at the last moment.

Tense muscles, bulging veins, and eyes filled with unyielding killing intent merged into a primal, captivating aura. Gazing at the pure white Ma, Li Jun's mind drifted to the warrior imprisoned like cattle and sheep by Yuan Mingfei. "What did he say before he died?" "What?" The white Ma frowned, puzzled by Li Jun's meaningless words. "Should be..." Li Jun's lips moved, "Go to hell!" The words fell, and he vanished.

Between Li Jun and the white Ma, a rain-soaked street strangely revealed a dry path. Li Jun's figure appeared before the white Ma in an instant, his fist crashing down. "Dragon's Scale Breaks Armor!" The clash rang like a thunderous bell, the wide sword from the heavens shattered, and the white Ma's foot had already landed on the head of the four-armed black demon. "You martial sect fools, nothing but pigs and dogs!"