My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

On the other side of the camp, Wang Chengbao was diligently squatting beside Shi Lei, carefully cutting the roasted meat on the fire with a short knife.

The oil dripped into the fire, sizzling as it did so, and its aroma wafted on the night breeze.

"How strong is that little bastard?"

Shi Lei tore large chunks of meat from the meat in his hand, not caring at all as oil dripped from the corners of his mouth, and asked casually.

"Don't worry, sir—"

Wang Chengbao respectfully handed over a large piece of sliced ​​roasted meat, his face full of fawning smiles:

"These three days of sweeping have already left him battered and bruised. With just a little planning, you can ensure his utter demise."

Since he had a chance to inherit the position of family head, he had long since become accustomed to this obsequious attitude, and even developed a twisted sense of satisfaction.

"snort--"

Shi Lei sneered, chewed the piece of meat in his mouth, and swallowed it.

"Letting him die a quick death is too good for him."

Wang Chengbao's eyes darted around, and he leaned closer and whispered:

"If you, sir, are still not satisfied... I've heard that Lu Ming's widowed mother, though past her prime, still retains her charm. And he also has a young, budding girl..."

He didn't finish speaking, but his smile became even more lewd.

Upon hearing this, Shi Lei's eyes lit up. He grabbed the wine flask, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp, the wine dripping down his chin and into his collar.

He patted Wang Chengbao heavily on the shoulder and laughed loudly:

"Good, good...you've got potential!"

He stuffed the last piece of meat into his mouth, puffed out his cheeks a few times, and swallowed it.

He then abruptly stood up, his voice booming:

"All soldiers, prepare... Where is Lu Ming?!"

The clanging of armor filled the air as the two hundred Yin Tiger Guards rose to their feet.

The torches crackled and popped, illuminating the entire open space as if it were daytime.

Behind the boulder, Lu Ming gently patted Fan Wu on the shoulder.

He then stood up, straightened his tattered robes, and strode toward the brightest part of the fire.

"Lord Shi...what are your orders?"

He walked up to Shi Lei, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting.

The firelight reflected off his profile, flickering uncertainly.

His tattered, blood-stained clothes and crisscrossing wounds were particularly shocking under the light.

Shi Lei stared down at him for a long time, a playful smile slowly creeping onto his lips:

"You have rendered meritorious service in discovering the demon's tracks... I will reward you for being the first to reach it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

The crackling of the torches was exceptionally clear in the night wind, and two hundred pairs of eyes all fell on Lu Ming as if he were a dead man.

For those who come to fight demons, let alone facing a near-death experience, even preserving a complete skeleton is a major problem.

The "merit of being the first to scale the walls" mentioned by the lord of the Wei Kingdom was clearly a way of sending him to his death.

Lu Ming's body trembled slightly, and his clenched fists tightened.

Shi Lei crossed his arms, his tiger-like eyes narrowed, and looked at the "troublemaker" in front of him with anticipation.

He was waiting for the other person to jump up and surprise him.

To his disappointment, after a moment of silence, Lu Ming only uttered in a hoarse voice:

"Yes, ma'am."

Having said that, he turned around with a ashen face and walked towards the dilapidated temple.

His steps were unsteady, clearly indicating that he had reached a dead end.

"Hahaha...do you think he looks like a dog?"

Standing beside Wang Chengbao, Zhang Yuquan burst into laughter upon seeing Lu Ming's disheveled appearance.

During this period, based on their family background, academic achievements, and cultivation at the Skin Tempering Realm, all four of them became captains of ten.

Shi Lei brought them along when he was exorcising the demon, clearly so that they could reap a quick reward.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Wang Chengbao's mouth:

"Hmph... I still prefer his previous arrogant and unruly demeanor. Now, looking like a stray dog, he's no fun to watch."

The other two also wore sneers, their eyes full of mockery.

In their eyes, the fact that this lowly person has survived to this day is already a great act of mercy from them.

"Pah...scum! You don't know what's good for you."

Shi Lei's voice was undisguised, echoing through the night sky.

Lu Ming paused, his body tensing slightly, then relaxed and continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.

"Hahaha……"

A burst of unrestrained laughter immediately erupted behind him.

He slowly walked to the dilapidated temple shrouded in a red pillar of light, pushed open the half-rotten temple door, and stepped inside.

The wooden door slammed shut behind him.

"boom--!"

A moment later, a tremendous roar erupted from inside the temple.

The entire temple trembled violently, plaster fell from the walls, and cracks spread rapidly like a spider web.

A blinding golden light shot out from inside the temple, piercing through the cracks in the walls and spreading outwards.

On the temple wall, crimson runes suddenly shone brightly, writhing and contracting like living things, tightly binding the struggling temple.

"Ah... I can't die... I don't want to die!"

A desperate roar echoed from within the temple. It carried a hint of resolve, a trace of resentment, and lingered in the air for a long time.

He looked like someone in dire straits, making a last-ditch effort.

"Boom boom boom—!"

Immediately afterwards, even more intense roaring sounds rang out in succession.

A moment later, the golden light suddenly dimmed.

"roar--!"

An angry tiger roar came from the temple, full of shock, anger and resentment, making the eardrums of everyone around hurt.

Then it gradually faded into the background and eventually became inaudible.

Outside the temple, everyone held their breath, staring intently at the scene before them.

"grown ups--"

Zhang Yuquan glanced cautiously at Shi Lei, his voice low:

"That lowly commoner...died together with the demon in the temple?"

Wang Chengbao hesitated for a moment, then frowned cautiously and said, "Could it be a trap?"

Shi Lei stared intently at the temple, his gaze sweeping over every crevice like a hawk's, carefully sensing the movements within.

Seeing that the tremors inside the temple were weakening and the golden light was dimming, he slowly spoke:

"Probably not. Lu Ming, that little bastard, is quite powerful; he's one of the strongest in the entire Yin Tiger Guard."

"Given that the demon in the temple has been sealed away by the Taiping Dao for sixty years, it must be exhausted. In this death throes, there is a good chance that both of them will perish together."

His gaze swept across his surroundings, and seeing the lingering fear in everyone's eyes for a powerful demon, he felt a surge of anger and roared:

"What's there to be afraid of! It's just a dying bug, what's there to fear!"

Then he changed the subject, grinned, and burst into loud laughter:

"Could it be... that we might encounter the Four Great Bodhisattvas that the evil Taoist priest sealed away back then? Hahaha!"

Laughter echoed in the night breeze.

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Yes, it's just a bedbug that's exhausted and dying.

We can't be so unlucky as to actually run into those four beings who once stood at the pinnacle of demons in the world.

The tension in everyone's hearts immediately eased, and their laughter became more cheerful.

However, no one noticed that a faint blue light flashed and disappeared inside the temple.

"Captain, follow me and break down the gate! The rest of you, slowly surround them... Make sure the demon has no chance to escape!"

Seeing that morale had been raised, Shi Lei immediately took the lead, his iron boots pounding the ground like thunder.

Twenty squad leaders followed closely behind, their armor clanging, their swords and spears drawn, their cold glints blending together in the torchlight.

"Bang--!"

The temple gate was shattered into pieces, with splinters of wood flying everywhere.

Dozens of people rushed in, and the torches illuminated the entire temple as if it were daytime.

Looking around, the temple was empty and dilapidated.

Above the shrine, a cluster of eerie blue flames flickered silently.

In the center of the fire, a golden vertical pupil suddenly opened, staring down at them, the uninvited guests, with undisguised anger and mockery in its eyes.

Shi Lei's gaze swept across the temple, his brows furrowing suddenly... He did not find Lu Ming's body.

"not good!"

His eyes narrowed slightly, and a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.

"Boom—!"

Just then, the entire temple trembled violently once again.

The floor tiles beneath my feet cracked with fine lines as the vibrations shook, and dust rained down from above.

Amidst the eerie blue flames, a thick golden beam of light shot into the sky.

Countless golden runes spread out on the ground, rivaling the crimson pillar of light outside the temple.

"Hahaha... You old bastard! You can't hold me back anymore! Hahaha!"

An extremely arrogant voice exploded from the depths of the golden light, resounding throughout the heavens and earth.

Outside the temple, the Yin Tiger Guards, who were slowly gathering, suddenly changed their expressions and raised their Evil-Slaying Spears in preparation.

However, before they could react, golden light suddenly spread out all over the place.

Like a golden net unfolding from the ground, enveloping everyone within it.

Their figures suddenly became incredibly ethereal, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished from their original spot.

Inside the temple, everyone felt a sudden tightness in their bodies.

When I came to my senses, I found myself surrounded by a dense crowd of fellow soldiers.

Two hundred Yin Tiger Guards were all teleported into this small, dilapidated temple in the blink of an eye.

The crowd was so dense that their armor clashed and it was difficult to even turn around.

"What happened? How did we get in?"

"Demons...this is demonic magic!"

"Lord Wei, please think of a solution!"

Chaos and noise erupted inside the dilapidated temple.

Shi Lei was squeezed in the middle of the crowd, his face ashen.

He forcefully suppressed his shock and anger, and roared at the crowd:

"Quickly! Get out of there! Don't crowd inside the temple!"

Upon hearing this, everyone finally had a leader and turned to look towards the temple gate.

However, before anyone knew it, a tall figure was already standing there.

"Excuse me--"

Lu Ming looked at the surging crowd, slightly raised his eyes, and a slow smile appeared on his lips:

"This road is blocked."