The Pantheon of Gods was a conglomerate of every religious sect on Earth Federation, save for the Asian Daoist Alliance and the Vatican Holy See. Within this collective, various temple schools passed down since antiquity possessed mystical powers beyond comprehension. The Temple of Misfortune ranked first among the thirteen most powerful Grand Temples in the Pantheon, and the power of its most brutal curse—the Curse of Misfortune—was formidable indeed.

The spectral figure, muttering insults directed at the eighteen generations of female ancestors of Poppy’s entire lineage, transformed into a faster, more intense streak of light and shadow, rushing toward the Holy See’s position. He completely ignored the Holy Knights and priests in his path; his only targets were the three exposed Boundary Masters from the Vatican.

A terrifying mental shockwave materialized as three sharp blades, stabbing directly into the minds of Andre and the two white-robed Archbishops beside him.

Andre instantly assessed the phantom's strength, roaring in horror, "He is at least three tiers above us! Full power attack!"

Three tiers higher!

This phantom’s mental energy intensity was at least a hundred times greater than Andre’s; for Boundary Masters who relied heavily on psychic power, this was an insurmountable chasm!

Andre slammed the white Zakkra Crystal in his left hand violently against the Level Nine Divine Spell Scroll in his right. He had no time to unroll the scroll and could only resort to this brutal method to forcibly activate its power.

The other two white-robed Archbishops were faster; they also whipped out Level Nine scrolls, each about a foot and a half long, from their sleeves, preparing to unfurl them with a flick of their wrists.

Gu Xichen’s hand moved gently. With lightning speed, he snatched the exceptionally high-quality Zakkra Crystal and the three scrolls from the trio's grasp.

With a crisp smack, Andre’s left hand struck hard against his right. Andre stared down in shock at his empty palm, then suddenly shrieked in terror, "My scroll!"

The other two white-robed Archbishops trembled violently, screaming, "Our scrolls!"

The three spiritual shockwaves crashed down mercilessly. Andre and the other two Archbishops flew backward, spitting blood from all seven orifices. The phantom twisted through the void, sweeping past the three men like a whirlwind. With a slish sound, at least two hundred tiny streams of blood erupted from their bodies; Andre and the two Archbishops were practically riddled with holes.

Dozens of priests and bishops from the Holy See charged toward them desperately, each pulling out powerful divine spell scrolls hidden in their sleeves. If the Vatican Holy See lacked anything else, it certainly boasted boundless wealth. None of the divine spell scrolls these priests and bishops produced were lower than Level Eight!

Even the phantom was startled by the sudden display of force. Despite his profound cultivation and the overwhelming advantage with which he had shattered the Boundary Masters from the three factions, he did not wish to confront the suicidal onslaught of the Vatican clergy.

With a flash, the phantom dissolved into a puff of cool air and began to retreat.

However, just as fate would have it, before withdrawing, the phantom 'casually' lashed out a blow toward Gu Xichen’s body. The phantom had clearly seen Gu Xichen snatch the scrolls from Andre’s group. Though he didn't understand why this black-robed priest acted as he did, the phantom didn't mind eliminating a few people he found displeasing along the way.

Poppy’s Curse of Misfortune took effect. Just as the phantom’s dagger sliced in front of Gu Xichen, Gu Xichen’s hands lightly slapped down onto the dagger, which was a translucent, dark emerald color.

With a sharp crack, like a blade cleaving through a stalk of white radish, the phantom’s treasured dagger was split into three pieces by the Ruyi Gloves.

Gu Xichen tucked the crystal into his sleeve, his right hand grasping the three scrolls, and rapidly retreated backward. His left hand unleashed the full force of the Xuepo Divine Claws, amplified by the Ruyi Gloves; the claw energy transformed into five tangible, white cold beams that struck the phantom’s waist.

The phantom stared blankly at the handle in his hand. He never dreamed his dagger could be snapped, especially by Gu Xichen 'bare-handed,' snapping a secret treasure passed down within his clan!

The enraged phantom completely disregarded the priests and bishops rushing toward him, screaming hoarsely, "By the name of my Montetedi, I swear I will kill you!"

Montetedi, having lost his senses in fury, lunged at Gu Xichen, teeth bared and claws brandished, showering Gu Xichen with countless sharp, blade-like mental shocks fired in rapid succession.

With a slish, the five streams of claw energy tore open Montetedi’s waist, causing five blood springs to erupt. The wounds immediately froze into ice blocks, and streams of bone-chilling turbulent energy surged wildly inside Montetedi’s body.

Montetedi's rage intensified. He pulled out an adrenaline stimulant commonly used by the Roman people from somewhere and jammed it into his body, charging toward Gu Xichen with insane fervor.

Bang-bang-bang-bang, flashes of azure light erupted wildly above Gu Xichen’s head. The Azure Jade Dao Crown stubbornly resisted Montetedi’s mental shockwaves. However, Gu Xichen had not truly mastered the Dao Crown, and its passive defense only weakened seventy percent of the impact. The remaining thirty percent of the shock slammed into Gu Xichen, causing stars to dance before his eyes and a splitting headache, as if dozens of sledgehammers were frantically pounding his brain.

"Too strong! The gap in power is too vast!"

Gu Xichen dared not meet Montetedi head-on; he turned and fled. The Cloud Boots under his feet kicked up twin streams of light, and Gu Xichen instantly shot hundreds of meters away, resembling a cloud of celebration. He lightly tapped a few spots on the cliff edge before gracefully ascending the thousand-meter-high precipice. In just a few bounds, he vanished into the dense forest.

Montetedi pursued him relentlessly into the woods, shouting loudly that Gu Xichen must pay with his life for the dagger.

Ducate Hallsum, looking withered as if he had aged decades in an instant, injected himself with three vials of vitality-replenishing nutrient fluid. He then ordered the Roman officer beside him, "Mobilize everyone! Capture that injured Daoist! According to intelligence, the bamboo scroll is on him. Master Montetedi has severely wounded them; they couldn't have gotten far."

Inglis, who had been hidden in a cave observing the battle, also secretly issued orders.

"Brothers, time to work! Seize that young Daoist Zhang and take the bamboo scroll... If possible, kill Gu Xichen!"

The light from the three full moons in the sky grew even brighter. In the moonlit forest, countless startled birds suddenly took flight, and amidst the roars of enormous beasts, the formerly tranquil woods erupted into chaos.

O, likely two more chapters coming around dinner time and late at night... Recommend, recommend, recommend... Everyone prepare your spirit... 50,000 words of updates tomorrow... Heh heh, reading also requires energy...