The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 158: Group Battle with the Monkey King

Lin Xiao had no time to care about anything else, only the rage of revenge in his heart.

His eyes were filled with anger and murderous intent like a furnace, and intense internal energy surged in his body. Then he leaped, hovering lightly in the air, his eyes fixed on the Shadow Monkey King in front of him.

Sword energy condensed in the air, and the cold sword blade took shape in his hand. With the launch of the "Sword Energy Decision", the sword energy instantly filled up, cutting through the air like thunder, crisscrossing to form countless dense sword nets, and pounced towards the Shadow Monkey King.

The Shadow Monkey King was slightly stunned. He obviously didn't expect that this young man whom he had let go at the Green Water Pond would be able to display such powerful attack power in front of him in just less than five months.

He gripped the mace tightly, his face grim, and immediately responded with "Agile Stick Shadow Strike".

The mace split into six pieces in the air, spinning rapidly around the Monkey King, like a ferocious beast, rushing towards the oncoming sword energy.

The sword energy and the mace intertwined, and a violent collision sound broke out in an instant, sparks flew, and sword energy splashed like raindrops, but the mace was knocked back into the hands of the Monkey King and held firmly.

Lin Xiao did not stop. He used the recoil force to quickly perform the "Shadow Spirit Sword Stab". His figure stabbed at the Shadow Monkey King like a ghost, and the sword edge drew streaks of light in the air.

The Shadow Monkey King was not in a hurry. He rushed forward with his mace in hand, trying to completely suppress Lin Xiao with the powerful force of the mace.

Every time the swords and sticks collided between the two, it would cause a deafening roar, and the surrounding air seemed to be compressed, erupting into violent fluctuations.

At this moment, the Shadow Monkey King suddenly turned around, and with the long-accumulated "Cloud-Flipping Kick Stick" move, he struck out with powerful force.

Lin Xiao knew something was wrong and hurriedly blocked it with his sword, but the huge force still knocked him away, and his body hit the ground like a kite with a broken string.

He rolled on the ground for several meters before he came to a stop with difficulty, his hands tightly grasping the hilt of the sword, his eyes becoming more determined.

"Shadow Monkey King, stop being so arrogant!"

At this time, the Formation Elder finally couldn't bear it anymore. Seeing Lin Xiao being knocked away, his gaze immediately shot towards the Shadow Monkey King like an arrow, with endless murderous intent in his eyes, and he roared softly.

He knew in his heart that if the battle was allowed to continue, the injuries of Lin Xiao and the three former leaders would continue to worsen, and the Shadow Monkey King would gradually gain the upper hand.

So, he immediately chanted the spell, quickly formed seals with his fingers, and began to activate the Feng Shui Academy's protective formation.

Following the movements of the formation elder, a roar came from the depths of the formation, and spiritual energy gathered and took shape, surging upwards in an instant, covering the entire academy.

The aura of the formation became increasingly solid, like a gigantic barrier, its might instantly making the air tense.

Seeing this, the Shadow Monkey King frowned, as if realizing something was wrong. He muttered softly, "Wasn't this formation clearly destroyed by Xuantian? How did it get repaired so quickly?"

Zhang Ning was standing at the front of the monkey demon army. When he heard the sound of the guard formation being activated, a look of embarrassment suddenly appeared on his face.

He had originally thought that the formation elders wouldn't notice that the formation had been restored, but he hadn't expected it to be revealed. He was secretly upset, but he didn't say much, silently observing the changes in the situation.

At this moment, three figures flew out from the formation. They were the three former heads of Feng Shui Academy. Their aura was as overwhelming as a mountain.

At this time, the three masters were all at the peak of the Dingsi realm, and their strength was even stronger than when Lin Xiao fought them before. It was obvious that it was because the full force of the formation elder at this time had stimulated their combat power.

Seeing the three masters attacking at the same time, the Shadow Monkey King snorted coldly and refused to give in. He gripped his mace tightly and immediately cast the "Clone Phantom Array".

Suddenly, his figure turned into six clones, which dispersed and rushed towards the three former leaders fiercely, brandishing maces.

Seeing this, the three former masters were not afraid at all and displayed their unique skills, "Tai Chi Magic Palm", "Flower-picking Finger Changing Hand" and "Dragon-Tiger Fist".

The three of them cooperated well and quickly launched a fierce battle with the Shadow Monkey King's clone.

The two sides were engaged in a fierce battle, sparks flying everywhere, and the air within the formation was violently fluctuating. Lin Xiao's eyes were burning, realizing that if he didn't join the battle at this moment, the situation would become increasingly unfavorable.

So he jumped into the battlefield without hesitation.

Lin Xiao brandished his sword, the sword energy running wild, and instantly joined the fierce battle with the Shadow Monkey King.

With Lin Xiao's joining, the atmosphere on the battlefield suddenly changed.

Although the three former leaders were powerful, they were no longer able to fight against the Shadow Monkey King's clones and were even a little tired.

However, Lin Xiao's joining relieved them of a lot of pressure.

He didn't say any more nonsense and directly used "Blue Sky Sword Rain Weaving". In an instant, hundreds of sword shadows appeared behind him.

The long sword flew out like a meteor, like a fierce rainstorm, and the dense sword energy instantly surrounded the Shadow Monkey King.

The sword rain was like a waterfall, and the dazzling cold light covered the Shadow Monkey King like thousands of meteors.

However, he did not panic, his eyes flashed with fierce fighting spirit, the mace in his hand suddenly spun, performing a "stick flower".

Like a strong wind sweeping through the forest, the shadows of the sticks overlapped and intertwined to form a huge pattern, blocking all the rain of swords from the sky.

At this moment, the three former sect leaders focused their gazes, seized the gap in the Monkey King's defense, and simultaneously unleashed their might. A terrifying aura gathered in their palms, and the three simultaneously unleashed a single "Bagua Palm" attack.

The energy gathered into a palm print with the Bagua pattern appearing on it, and it was struck out with a tiger's roar, rushing straight towards the Shadow Monkey King.

"bump!"

The three unique skills of sword rain, stick flowers and palm prints collided violently in the air, causing a deafening noise.

A fierce wind howled, and even the heavens and earth seemed to tremble at that moment. The Shadow Monkey King was blown away by this terrifying impact, his massive body tumbling through the air for several times before finally landing awkwardly on a thick branch in the distance.

After stopping, the Shadow Monkey King raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, and glanced viciously at Lin Xiao and the three former leaders.

However, he was surprised to find that these three sect leaders summoned by the formation showed no signs of weakening, but instead grew stronger with each battle. This made him feel depressed.

He quickly weighed the pros and cons, gritted his teeth, and suddenly roared: "Retreat!"

With an order, the vast army of demon monkeys began to evacuate in an orderly manner.

Those burly and powerful monkey demons walked cautiously at the end of the team, always on guard against being pursued by Lin Xiao and others.

"Go! Pursue them and kill them!" Elder Xingchen's eyes were blazing as he was about to command his disciples to give chase.

"No!"

The Formation Elder hurriedly raised his hand to stop him, his face as pale as paper. He then violently spat out a mouthful of blood and said weakly, "I've exhausted all my energy activating the courtyard protection formation. Now I can only rely on bluffing to intimidate them. Pursuing them rashly will only lead to self-destruction!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the three former leaders beside Lin Xiao gradually turned into shadows and finally dissipated into the air.

As the army was retreating, the Shadow Monkey King suddenly discovered that a human monk had mixed into the team.

It suddenly became furious, and with a big hand, it grabbed Zhang Ning and pulled him out of the army, as if he was holding a useless rag doll.

"You useless thing, how dare you hide it!" The Shadow Monkey King roared angrily, and then threw Zhang Ning out fiercely.

Zhang Ning screamed and flew towards the Feng Shui Academy like a meteor, and finally fell heavily in front of Lin Xiao and the three elders.

Zhang Ning lay on the ground, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, and his whole body was trembling.

When he looked up at Lin Xiao, his eyes were filled with fear and despair.

Lin Xiao looked coldly at Zhang Ning who was lying on the ground, and without hesitation put the sword on his neck. The cold sword blade cut through his skin, and a trickle of blood oozed out.

"Lin Xiao, don't kill me!" Zhang Ning was so frightened that he almost fainted. He kowtowed and begged, "I have a secret! A secret that even the Sect Leader dares not tell you! Please spare my life!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao stared at him coldly, with dangerous murderous intent in his eyes.

His voice was as cold as an ice blade: "Speak! Otherwise, die!"

Zhang Ning panted in panic, nodded repeatedly, and said in a flattering tone, "Lin Xiao, I'm telling you the truth! Aren't you still waiting for the 'internal recommendation quota' for next year's Tianshu Academy? I can tell you a huge secret about this quota!"

Upon hearing this, the Zhen Dao Elder frowned and advised, "Lin Xiao, just listen to him. He's been abandoned by the Shadow Monkey King and can't cause any trouble."

Lin Xiao loosened his grip on the sword slightly and said coldly, "Hurry up and tell me!"

Zhang Ning quickly continued, "This spot doesn't even exist! The Sect Master already traded two secret techniques for this spot three months ago, and our academy no longer has the resources to trade. By next year, Tianshu Academy will definitely not give us any chances!"

Hearing this, Lin Xiao's brows furrowed, the sword in his hand trembling slightly, and his anger grew more intense. He sneered and said in a low voice, "Don't you think I don't know this nonsense?"

He exerted force suddenly, and the sword cut deeper, and a drop of blood dripped from the edge of the sword to the ground.

Zhang Ning quickly shouted: "No, it's not just that! There's something more important! About——"

However, Lin Xiao could no longer endure it. He shouted angrily, "Enough! Do you think this little trick can save you?"

Zhang Ning finally realized that he could no longer escape Lin Xiao's wrath.

Facing the approaching sword tip, a trace of despair flashed in his eyes, but there was also a self-deprecating smile.

He slowly said, "If you want to join Tianshu Academy next year, you have to take part in their test - the Trial of the Brave."

Lin Xiao and the three elders exchanged a glance, their hearts awestruck. This term seemed to hold some deep meaning.

Zhang Ning coughed twice and smiled a bit sinisterly. "Only the top five who pass the Brave Trial can join Tianshu Academy, and everyone else will die." He paused and continued, "This is also the reason why the headmaster and Taoist Siqi have been reluctant to tell you."

"So he was waiting for me here," Lin Xiao sneered in his heart. Zhang Ning's purpose was already very clear: before his death, Zhang Ning wanted to dig a big hole for him, so as to make him fall into fear and confusion about the future.

But Lin Xiao could no longer tolerate him.

The rage in his heart erupted like a flood, and he swung his sword lightly, the blade cutting across Zhang Ning's neck, blood gushing out. Zhang Ning had no power to fight back, and quickly fell to the ground and died.

"Three elders!" Lin Xiao stared at Zhang Ning's corpse, his face still cold and his tone firm, "He's dead, but I will definitely avenge the Sect Leader and Senior Brother Ye Xuan."

The three elders looked worried upon seeing this. The Zhen Dao Elder said, "Lin Xiao, this Zhang Ning is setting a trap for you. You must not fall for his last trick. We can discuss the Tianshu Academy matter in the long run. There's no need to rush now."

Lin Xiao nodded slightly, but his tone remained unwavering: "I understand, three elders. Right now, I only want to avenge the Sect Master and Senior Brother Ye Xuan. I won't consider other things for the time being."

The Zhen Dao elder breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good."

He paused, then continued, "Although the Monkey King was repelled in today's battle, he will not give up easily. Although the courtyard protection formation has been restored, if the Monkey King attacks again, I'm afraid it will be difficult to resist. I have decided that from now on, I will guard the formation until one of us breaks through to the Dingsi realm and is strong enough to fight against the Shadow Monkey King."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Lin Xiao again: "You must also be careful. Don't leave Feng Shui Academy easily. The Shadow Monkey King may defeat us one by one."

"Yes, disciple understands." Lin Xiao replied with a bow, but he had already made up his mind in his heart that no matter what the future holds, today's grudges must be settled.

The storm subsided temporarily, and the three elders said goodbye to Lin Xiao and returned to their respective positions.

Lin Xiao did not stay for long. He returned to the cave in the back mountain, sat quietly on the stone platform, and began to practice the "Boundless Sea of ​​Mind".

He recalled the battle with the Shadow Monkey King, pondering the application of every move and every style, looking for the shortcomings and constantly improving himself.

He felt that the gap between himself and the Monkey King was shrinking, as if the moment of revenge was getting closer.

Every time he swung his sword, his heart was filled with the desire and strength for revenge. This power surged in his body, and he no longer needed to fear the Shadow Monkey King.

As it was getting dark, Lin Xiao slowly opened his eyes and recalled Zhang Ning's last words today. He knew in his heart that no matter what the so-called "Trial of the Brave" was, he had to go to Tianshu Academy.

Seeing that it was getting dark, he decided to go to the sixth floor of the Sutra Pagoda. Perhaps the Sweeping Monk had already returned.

After a while, he arrived at the sixth floor and found that it was still empty. He then entered the barrier and meditated to practice.

At the same time, after careful consideration, the Elder Zhendao issued an order from the head of the sect, prohibiting all disciples of the Feng Shui Academy from entering the Ancient Forest for the next six months.

Time passed quietly, and three months passed in a blink of an eye. The Shadow Monkey King did not come to harass the Feng Shui Academy again, and tranquility became the main theme for a while.

Lin Xiao maintained the rhythm of cultivation almost every day, immersed in his own inner world, until one morning, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance of the cave in the back mountain.

"Lin Xiao." The man's low voice echoed in the cave. Lin Xiao opened his eyes and saw Lin Qing standing at the entrance of the cave with a serious expression.

"Senior Brother, is there something wrong?" Lin Xiao put down the sword in his hand, stood up and asked.

Lin Qing nodded and said, "The new head of Jinhai Temple, Yu Yuzheng, has come to Tianci Cave to look for you."

"Yu Yuzheng?" Lin Xiao raised his eyebrows and thought to himself, why did the new leader of Jinhai Temple come to see him?