Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 28: The Final Battle at Wudang

Lu Zhangke, He Biweng, and the three retainers exchanged glances, each seeing a blazing fighting spirit in the others’ eyes. As martial artists of long-established renown, which of them lacked even a shred of dignity? Today, under the joint protection of the Two Elders of Xuanming and the other three, “Zhang Wuji” had managed to abduct Zhao Min without so much as a sound—a humiliation that had brought utter disgrace upon them. Now, hearing Lu Renjia agree so readily, a flash of cold ruthlessness crossed Zhao Min’s deep, almond-shaped eyes. This seemingly fair proposal concealed a deadly trap. In Zhao Min’s mind, the Two Elders of Xuanming, along with Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San—the five of them—were the strongest combatants in the Prince of Ruyang’s mansion. Even if Lu Renjia were a先天 martial artist, he might not be able to defeat all five of them fighting together. Moreover, even if these five strongest fighters under her command were to lose, the worst that could happen would be releasing the Ming Sect’s elite warriors and withdrawing her troops from Wudang—the major bargaining chip of the Six Great Sects would still remain firmly in her hands. But if these five elite fighters under her command managed to kill “Zhang Wuji,” then the entire unfavorable situation would surely be turned around. To Zhao Min, the aging Zhang Sanfeng was far easier to deal with than the stubborn “Zhang Wuji.” Little did she know that for Lu Renjia, taking on five opponents at once was exactly what he wanted. Although Lu Renjia’s combat power had now risen to the terrifying figure of 16,000, if the Two Elders of Xuanming and the trio of Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San scattered and fled, Lu Renjia would have his work cut out for him. The fiery sword energy coiling around the Yitian Sword pointed directly at Zhao Min’s brow, and Lu Renjia forced her to stand before Zhang Sanfeng. “Wuji… you must be extremely careful in this battle. Lu Zhangke and He Biweng are already at the Half-Step Xiantian level. As for those three servants, although I cannot discern their martial arts lineage, I can sense that they, too, are at the peak of the first-rate realm—their strength should not be underestimated…” Zhang Sanfeng cautioned. Lu Renjia nodded. “Grandmaster, rest assured… your great-granddisciple understands…” Seeing Lu Renjia’s confident demeanor, Zhao Min grew even more furious. She said coldly, “You villain, if you’re afraid, all you have to do is kneel and beg for mercy, then swear allegiance to the Great Yuan Dynasty. Then this Princess may still spare you and everyone in the Ming Sect…” This high-and-mighty tone drew a scornful smile from Lu Renjia. Given Zhao Min’s status, if she were in the real world, she would undoubtedly be the kind of “princess of the heavens”—a beautiful, wealthy, and privileged young woman. But Lu Renjia, who lived at the bottom of society, had never had a favorable impression of such women. He looked at Zhao Min, whose body was wrapped in a bright red cloak. Lu Renjia laughed coldly: “I’ve knelt before Heaven, before Earth, and before my parents… and now you want me to kneel before you? Do you think you’re the king of the world?” By then, the Yuan soldiers—layered three deep both inside and out—had cleared a space in the center. Lu Zhangke, He Biweng, A Da, A Er, and A San—all five of them—drew their weapons. At their level of cultivation, there were few people in the world worthy of them drawing their weapons. This clearly showed that they were determined to kill Lu Renjia. Lu Zhangke and He Biweng’s weapons were two walking sticks, each as black as ink. The tip of He Biweng’s walking stick was shaped like a crane’s beak; the sharp beak was presumably designed to strike an enemy’s acupoints. Lu Zhangke’s walking stick, however, branched out into two prongs resembling deer antlers—somewhat like a halberd, yet also like a rake. Ah Da clutched a simple, ancient sword; its blue blade was engraved with patterns resembling flowing clouds, while Ah Er and Ah San each held a copper club the size of a pot lid. “Zhang Wuji… This day next year will be your memorial! Hmph… Do you have any last words to share with your charming little maid? Rest assured… if you die, this old man will definitely take good care of her… Hahahahaha…” Lu Zhangke sneered coldly, glancing at Xiao Zhao, whose neck was held at knifepoint by a Yuan soldier, a lecherous gleam in his eyes. “Mr. Lu, if you defeat ‘Zhang Wuji’ today, this princess will ask my father to betroth this servant girl of the Demon Cult to you… and I’ll even throw a grand banquet in your honor…” Zhao Min chimed in. “When that time comes, my brothers and I will also drop by to ask for a cup of wine to share in the celebration…” A Da laughed along in agreement. In a duel between masters, victory depends not only on techniques and inner strength but also on one’s state of mind. The petty tricks employed by Lu Zhangke and his companions were, of course, intended to provoke Lu Renjia. Had the opponent been the indecisive Zhang Wuji, he would undoubtedly have been consumed by rage and thrown into chaos. But the one they faced was a suitable candidate who had inherited the “Evil God System.” Yin Tianzheng, the White-Browed Eagle King, and Wei Yixiao, the Blue-Winged Bat King—both rendered powerless by the “Ten-Scent Soft-Tendon Powder”—heard Lu Zhangke and the others’ crude and obscene language and immediately cried out in panic, “Wuji… don’t fall into their trap…” Xiao Zhao, her eyes red-rimmed, felt as if her heart were being torn apart. Choking back tears, she cried out, “Young Master, please rest assured… If you lose, I will never live on alone…” Lu Renjia slowly stretched, a smirk of disdain playing on his face. Staring at Lu Zhangke and his companions, he laughed, “Do you know what makes a proper villain? It’s not spouting so much nonsense during a duel…” “Whoosh…” A fiery sword aura shot out from the tip of the Yitian Sword, taking a devious angle aimed straight for Lu Zhangke’s groin. If the strike landed, Lu Zhangke—a master on the verge of the Xiantian realm—would lose all function in his lower body. For Lu Zhangke, who cherished his virility above all else, this would be more agonizing than death itself. Lu Zhangke, who had long been on high alert, narrowed his eyes and roared, “You little thief—you’ve got some nerve!!” He twisted the deer-antler-shaped staff in his hand backward. As the icy power of the Xuanming Divine Palm surged into it, the staff was suddenly enveloped in a layer of excruciatingly cold white mist. “Clang…” A low, metallic clang rang out. As the red sword energy collided with the white mist, Lu Zhangke was actually forced back more than ten steps. But before he could regain his footing, Lu Renjia tapped his toe, unleashing ghostly speed as he transformed into a blur and charged toward Lu Zhangke. Having boosted his combat power to 16,000, Lu Renjia was confident he could easily kill his opponent in a one-on-one fight. However, facing five martial artists at once—all of whom were just one step away from reaching the Xiantian realm—he had no choice but to take them down one by one. “I never expected Lu Zhangke’s staff to be able to block the sword energy of the Yitian Sword… He truly is an enemy worthy of being targeted by the ‘Evil God System’… Hmph! Good thing I managed to get my hands on the *Vajra Invincible Body Divine Art* from the Shaolin Temple…” Lu Renjia thought to himself. In an instant, he unleashed the incredibly fierce *Dharma Sword Technique*, and the 108 sword moves surged toward Lu Zhangke like a never-ending tide. “Clang, clang, clang, clang…” Under this barrage of fierce, rapid strikes, Lu Zhangke was forced into a desperate and disheveled state. As the saying goes, a prolonged defense is bound to falter. Having cultivated the *Nine Yang Divine Art* to perfection, Lu Renjia—a先天 martial artist—had an endless supply of Nine Yang True Qi flowing through his body. At this moment, Lu Renjia was like a machine with unlimited ammunition; he had absolutely no concern about running out of true qi. “Splatter… splatter… splatter…” Three sword energies, unleashed in an instant, swept past Lu Zhangke’s left leg, arm, and lower abdomen, sending three sprays of blood flying. “This little thief is trying to take us down one by one!! Don’t let him succeed!” He Biweng roared, thrusting his crane-beak-shaped cane straight toward Lu Renjia’s back. This move incorporated techniques from spear, staff, and Judge’s Brush styles; moreover, a white mist had凝聚ed at the tip of the crane’s beak. Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San also struck at the same time. Two copper discs, each the size of a pot lid, flew toward the back of Lu Renjia’s neck like two giant flying saucers. Ah Da moved as nimbly as a raccoon, thrusting his ancient green sword straight toward Lu Renjia’s ribs. “Young Master, be careful…” Xiao Zhao cried out in alarm. Yin Tianzheng, the White-Eyebrowed Eagle King, and Wei Yixiao, the Blue-Winged Bat King, had their hearts in their throats. For Lu Renjia seemed completely unconcerned with the attacks coming from behind him, focusing solely on attacking Lu Zhangke. Zhang Sanfeng, however, was inexplicably excited and exclaimed in astonishment, “The Bodhidharma Sword Technique? The Bodhidharma Sword Technique—which no one at Shaolin has mastered in hundreds of years—has actually been mastered by Wuji?” As she watched the weapons of Crane-Pen Old Man, Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San—the four of them—about to strike Lu Renjia, Zhao Min’s face broke into a smug smile. “Hmph! So what if he’s mastered the Bodhidharma Sword Technique? So what if he’s a prodigy? Anyone who crosses me has only one path… and that is death!” “Clang…” A long, metallic clang rang out. Zhao Min, who had been brimming with smugness, stared in disbelief at the scene before her, her mouth gaping wide enough to swallow several eggs. Just as the weapons of He Biweng and his three companions were about to strike Lu Renjia, a dazzling golden light suddenly radiated from within him. Enveloped by this tangible golden aura, Lu Renjia appeared to be clad in a layer of metal armor. The four different weapons struck this layer of golden qi, yet couldn’t penetrate it even the slightest bit. “Hahahaha… The Shaolin Vajra Invincible Body Divine Art!!! Wuji! Well done!!!! Back in the day, that old codger Kongjian could already dominate the martial arts world after merely reaching the ‘Impervious to Fire and Water’ realm. Now that you’ve attained the Vajra Invincible realm, no weapon in this world can harm you!!!” shouted Zhang Sanfeng, who was over a hundred years old, excitedly. At that moment, Lu Zhangke’s face turned green. Lu Renjia’s Yitian Sword had long since forced him into a frantic defense. Seizing his chance, Lu Renjia let out a low growl, “Eagle Strikes the Sky!!!” His left hand shot out instantly, his five fingernails swelling by over a chi. Enveloped in the Nine Yang True Qi, the fingernails—glinting with a metallic sheen—pierced straight through Lu Zhangke’s chest. “Congratulations to the Qualified One for slaying Lu Zhangke, one of the Two Elders of Xuanming… You have taken another step along the path of sin… May the Qualified One continue to strive for greater achievements!” The prompt from the “Evil God System” echoed in Lu Renjia’s mind. “One down…” “Splatter…” Lu Renjia yanked a blood-soaked heart out of Lu Zhangke’s chest. “Senior Brother!!!!!!” He Biweng let out a heart-wrenching cry. The two, who had trained under the same master, had been up to all sorts of mischief together since childhood—a bond that had undoubtedly forged an incredibly deep friendship. Now, witnessing Lu Zhangke’s gruesome death, He Biweng momentarily lost his composure. “Aaaah… You little thief!!! I’ll take your life!!!!” He Biweng roared, discarding the Qimen weapon in his hand and striking out at Lu Renjia’s back with the Xuanming Divine Palm. “No need to rush… You’ll be reunited with your best buddy very soon…” As he spoke, Lu Renjia stepped aside as if he had eyes in the back of his head, somehow dodging He Biweng’s palm strike—a blow infused with all his inner energy and fueled by hatred. Just as He Biweng and Lu Renjia were about to brush past each other, Lu Renjia let out a low growl—“Arhat Striking the Bell…”—and swung his elbow sideways, striking He Biweng squarely in the solar plexus. “Crack… crack… crack…” The sound of shattering bones erupted from He Biweng’s body. This move, “Arhat Striking the Bell,” was a lethal technique from the *Mighty Vajra Fist*. Moreover, the supremely domineering Nine Yang True Qi was, by its very nature, the nemesis of the Xuanming Divine Palm. In that instant, He Biweng felt as though a hammer weighing tens of millions of jin had struck his chest; beneath his caved-in chest, shattered ribs pierced his internal organs. “Pfft…” A mouthful of fresh blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spurted from He Biweng’s mouth; having been knocked into the air, he showed no further signs of life. “Congratulations to the Qualified One for slaying He Biweng, one of the Two Elders of Xuanming… You have taken another step down the path of sin… May the Qualified One continue to strive for greater achievements!” Amid the prompt from the “Evil God System,” Lu Renjia transformed into a phantom and charged toward Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San. Stunned, the Blue-Winged Bat King Wei Yixiao turned to Yin Tianzheng beside him and asked, “You white-haired old ghost… just how many secret martial arts did the Sect Leader manage to snag during this trip to Shaolin?” “Probably quite a few… the Bodhidharma Sword Technique… the Vajra Invincible Body Divine Art… and this Great Strength Vajra Fist? Surely not that too?” said Yin Tianzheng, the White-Browed Eagle King, numbly. Having already dealt with Lu Zhangke and He Biweng—two martial artists on the threshold of the Innate Realm—Lu Renjia found that dispatching Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San, three peak-tier martial artists, was a breeze, thanks to the razor-sharp sword energy of the Yitian Sword alone. The 108 Forms of the Bodhidharma Sword Technique flowed like a surging river, unceasing and unbroken. At this moment, Dongfang Bai—known as the “Eight-Armed Sword God”—was struggling to defend himself on all fronts. After blocking a dozen or so fiery red sword energies in succession, the skin on his thumb pads had already cracked and split. As for Er and San, they didn’t dare face the sword energy unleashed by the Yitian Sword head-on; the two copper discs in their hands—each the size of a pot lid—had already been whittled down by half by the fiery red sword energy. After Lu Zhangke and He Biweng were killed by “Zhang Wuji,” Zhao Min realized the battle was lost. To prevent her three loyal subordinates from dying at the hands of “Zhang Wuji,” she gritted her teeth and shouted, “Stop!!! Zhang Wuji!! You’ve won…” Hearing Zhao Min’s cry, Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San had assumed Lu Renjia would stop, so they eased up on their attacks. Little did they know that even though they had paused, Lu Renjia was far from done. “Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish…” As he unleashed more than forty sword qi strikes in rapid succession, forcing the three into a frantic scramble, Lu Renjia’s ghostly figure closed in on them. He unleashed a flurry of Eagle Claw Strikes, Mighty Vajra Fists, and Mighty Vajra Fingers—and even A Da, A Er, and A San, who were at the peak of the first-class level, met their end. “Congratulations to the qualified candidate for completing all tasks… Do you wish to return?”