Chapter 5005

Hu Mazi walked over and followed his gaze. “Waiting for bigger fish?”

“The Eighth Palace wouldn’t send just this trash,” Kai replied, sheathing his long sword. “But before that…” He suddenly turned, pointing the blade toward a patch of empty space. “Seen enough?”

The air rippled, and a figure wearing a bronze mask slowly emerged.

Unlike the earlier man in black, this one had eight jade plates hanging from his waist, each carved with a different ferocious beast.

“Palace Patrol Envoy?” Fengxian’s pupils contracted. He whispered to Kai, “Brother, this time we’re in real trouble.”

The masked man didn’t strike immediately. Instead, he glanced at the three dead gray-robed elders and spoke with a voice as harsh as scraping metal. “An impressive illusion. Who taught you that trick?”

Kai didn’t answer. “What business do you have here?”

The air turned ice-cold. A terrifying aura radiated from the masked man as all eight jade plates lit up at once. “It’s you.”

“I never thought, as just a patrol envoy of the Eighth Palace, I’d encounter a true enemy of the temple. Your name is Kai. You’re the one who destroyed our Ninth and Tenth Palaces, aren’t you?”

“Yes—your grandpa did it!” Kai replied with a nod.

Now that he’d been exposed, Kai saw no reason to hide. He was ready to go all out.

The masked man slowly drew a bone whip from his waist. “I’ll rip out your soul and hang it on the temple’s soul lamp to burn for a hundred years.”

Hu Mazi was about to move forward, but Kai stopped him. “You can’t handle this one,” he whispered. “Take the others and leave. Don’t fight.”

Kai didn’t know the exact strength of this patrol envoy, but it was certainly formidable—likely beyond Huo Zhao, the Eighth Palace Master.

And if other temple members were nearby, things could quickly spiral out of control. It was better for Hu Mazi and the rest to retreat first.

If he couldn’t win, he’d at least find a chance to escape.

Running was still an option.

The masked man sneered. “No one escapes.”

The bone whip suddenly extended a hundred feet, wrapping toward Hu Mazi’s neck like a living serpent.

But halfway through, it was sliced apart by a flash of golden sword light.

Kai now floated in the air, a massive golden dragon appearing behind him. “Your opponent is me.”

The masked man finally grew serious. “A Golden Dragon? You’re from the dragon clan?” He tore off his mask, revealing a face etched with writhing curse marks. “Then I definitely can’t let you live!”

The curse patterns slithered like earthworms, covering his entire body in an instant.
His body began to distort, sprouting scales and bone spurs, until he transformed into a half-human, half-dragon monstrosity.

The eight jade tablets fused into his body, forming grotesque bone armor at his joints.

“Divine Dragon Transformation!” Fengxian shouted. “Brother, be careful! That’s an ancient divine spell!”

The dragon-like masked man let out a sky-shaking roar, sending shockwaves that cracked rocks within ten miles.

He slashed with his claws, unleashing five black beams that tore through space, aiming straight for Kai’s throat.

Kai didn’t dodge. Instead, the Dragon Slaying Sword split into thousands, raining down like a storm.

“You all go…”

Kai shouted!

The aura of the temple’s patrol envoy gave him a strong sense of danger—he had to get the others out first.

“Brother, I’m not leaving! We’ll fight with you!”

The Gadfly and the Crazy Immortal stepped forward to assist Kai.

“Xiansheng, I’m staying too!” Bai Yi insisted.

“Kai, I can’t go now either!” Hu Mazi declared.

“Damn it, get out of here now! If you stay, you’ll just drag me down!” Kai yelled back.

But he was speaking the truth. If they stayed, he’d be forced to protect them, distracting him in a deadly fight.

Even if he couldn’t win right now, he could still escape!

And if worse came to worst, he could let the Red Cloud Demon Lord possess him and kill the patrol envoy!

But if the others were caught or controlled by the envoy, the consequences would be disastrous.

Hearing Kai’s words, everyone froze. Finally, Hu Mazi waved his hand and said, “Retreat! Don’t hold Kai back.”

The group began to withdraw. Jie Zhong and the soldiers from Feihu City escaped and finally caught their breath.

However, their losses were heavy—fewer than one-third of their forces remained.