Chapter 159 – Extra 20 – Sun Yunhe & Jiang Qi 4

Tonight was the night of the full moon, a silver wheel hanging high in the sky, its radiance so bright that it dimmed the stars. If it were any other practitioner skilled in stargazing, they might have avoided the full moon at all costs, yet Sun Yunhe showed no hesitation, striding boldly into the center of the already prepared formation.

This was a grand formation based on the Fuxi hexagrams, not a legacy of the Mao Mountain tradition, but a new formation Sun Yunhe had devised within two days, named the Celestial Star Moon Formation. According to the positions of the Big Dipper, he buried the wing bones of red-feathered pheasants in seven corresponding earth veins to draw upon the power of the celestial stars. At the center of the formation, he used copper coins, apricot flags, and thunderstruck wood to create a protective barrier. The one who controlled the formation only needed to stand at the center of the formation to command the vast array spanning several miles. Such a large-scale formation controlled by a single person was exceedingly rare in the world, yet there was no trace of anxiety in Daoist Master Sun’s eyes. He simply glanced at the figure outside the formation before sitting cross-legged in the center.

Before him lay seven thunderstruck wooden swords, each only a few inches long, crafted from the marrow of an ancient jujube tree over five hundred years old. The swords were inscribed with the Five Thunder Righteous Heart Talisman, making them the epitome of yang energy, impervious to all evil. However, this set of Daoist treasures was not placed here to ward off evil. Sun Yunhe used his nail to make a cut on his left middle finger, and a drop of essence blood welled up at the tip. Without hesitation, he smeared the blood onto the wooden sword closest to him.

With a faint “zheng” sound, a golden light flashed from the thunderstruck wooden sword, shooting like an arrow into the distant mountains. Immediately, silver starlight poured down from the heavens, illuminating the forested peaks. However, the starlight was faint, and the light in the distant mountains flickered for a moment before being swallowed by the night. Sun Yunhe did not pause, immediately using his essence blood to activate another wooden sword. One after another, the faint clanging of swords echoed through the silent forest. The stars trembled as if about to fall, and the silver light gradually surged like waves, as if trying to wash away the pitch-black night. When the last thunderstruck wooden sword was activated, a muffled thunderclap suddenly rang out. In the distant valley, a shadow over ten feet long, darker than the night itself, leaped out and charged toward the seven passes where the light flickered!

That was the qi of the evil dragon! It was unexpected that in such a short time, this thing had already grown to such a formidable state. Sun Yunhe let out a cold snort, drew the sword from his waist, and with a backhand swing, thrust it into the ground before the sword formation. The sword was already sharp, and this strike drove it more than half a foot into the earth. As if pinned at the waist, the writhing dragon qi was also pinned at the center of the seven passes. This was a dragon vein’s baleful qi, born of nature and nurtured by the spiritual aperture. It was no ordinary demon that would surrender without a fight. In the blink of an eye, the evil dragon suddenly surged, crashing into the silver light that bound it.

A series of thunderclaps rumbled across the sky. A fierce wind rose, and the forested mountains swayed wildly, the leaves rustling as if they were about to be swept into the sky. The ground also began to tremble, as if a true earth dragon was turning over. Each tremor corresponded to the moment the evil dragon struck the formation. This was a true clash of formation powers. If the evil dragon were to break through the formation, not only would the person controlling the formation be in danger, but the entire mountain peak might collapse under the force of the qi. In that case, not only the two people on the mountain but also the villagers below would be doomed to the Yellow Springs.

At such a critical moment, Sun Yunhe’s expression also became solemn. He did not let go of the hilt of the sword but instead began to perform the Yu Steps around the sword formation. The Yu Steps were said to have been created by Yu the Great, following the sequence of the Big Dipper’s stars, as if treading upon the constellations. It was one of the secret techniques passed down in the Daoist tradition. However, he was not stepping on solid ground but rather on ancient copper coins that emitted a faint blue light. It turned out that when the formation was first set up, a secondary formation woven from copper coins had been planted around the thunderstruck sword formation. Now, by activating it in sequence with the Yu Steps, the power of the coin formation could supplement the sword formation. The surrounding apricot-yellow flags served as the medium connecting the two, allowing the two entirely different formations to merge into one.

As his heavy steps continued, a silver light rose from the center of the formation, resonating with the starlight from the heavens. The tremors in the ground gradually subsided, and the strange wind seemed to be bound, no longer howling. However, the shadow in the distant mountains struggled even more violently. At some point, the connection with the spiritual aperture had been severed, and the evil dragon could no longer draw power. It had no choice but to fight desperately to escape. Sun Yunhe had anticipated this, and the silver starlight also began to tremble and contract with the shadow, as if trying to crush the dragon qi within the formation!

The battle had reached a critical juncture, but Jiang Qi, who had been standing outside the formation, tilted his head slightly and looked toward the nearby forest. That area was not covered by the formation’s power, and the light of the stars and moon seemed to have been absorbed by the formation, making the surrounding night appear even darker and colder. However, the previously empty bushes now flickered with faint will-o’-the-wisps, their cold green light shimmering faintly, obscured by layers of darkness, their true forms unclear.

The dragon’s roar was like thunder, the formation’s light like fire. In the midst of this thunder and fire, such a strange sight should have been alarming. Yet Jiang Qi’s lips curled into a slight smile, and he turned to face the flickering green light. Seeing that they had been discovered, the will-o’-the-wisps shook slightly and darted toward the formation like arrows! In an instant, the things emerged from the darkness, revealing their true forms.

They were monkey-like monsters, each over three feet tall, covered in green fur, with long arms and short legs. Their heads resembled bloated human skulls, with faintly discernible facial features. Now, they bared their sharp black teeth, looking like demons that had crawled out of the underworld. These creatures were the transformed form of mountain demons, feeding on human souls and thriving on yin qi. They had taken shape thanks to the current dragon-trapping situation.

Now that the evil dragon had been captured, even they sensed something was wrong and naturally emerged from their lairs to kill the one who had set up the formation. However, this was the critical moment of the battle between the two sides. How could these monsters be allowed to interfere? Facing the creatures charging toward the formation like arrows, Jiang Qi raised his wrist and gently shook the Golden Bell in his hand. For some reason, the bell made no sound, but the demons all screamed in unison, clutching their heads as if struck by a deafening noise. Then, the monsters bared their fangs and let out a loud howl, their voices like those from the underworld, carrying a powerful vibration that could shake one’s very soul! This was one of the mountain demons’ ultimate techniques, their most effective hunting method. Anyone who heard the howl of these demons would suffer unbearable headaches, their souls on the verge of scattering. If one was not careful, they would immediately become the demons’ next meal.

Faced with such a terrifying attack, Jiang Qi did not even furrow his brows. He simply raised his wrist and shook the Golden Bell vigorously. Unlike before, when it had been silent, the bell now emitted a sound—not the crisp clang of metal, but a dull “knocking” noise. The sound was not loud, but it enveloped the entire area around the formation, wrapping around the demons’ shrieks. As the bell rang, Jiang Qi bit his index finger and drew lines of blood across his forehead, the corners of his eyes, and his cheeks. The three lines of blood converged at the philtrum, forming a strange, almost demonic tattoo. When the blood dripped onto his lips, he began to chant—not in any known language, but in the ghostly incantations of the Wu Family, a song both ethereal and eerie, its melody winding and twisting. The wind whipped up his loose robes, and his exposed limbs were as pale as the white linen he wore, almost bloodless.

Amidst this sinister chanting, the mountain demons seemed enraged. They stopped their piercing screams and instead lunged at him on all fours. A single mountain demon was enough to kill a person—what kind of terror could a group of them unleash? Jiang Qi’s handsome face showed no expression. With a flick of his right hand, a short blade appeared in his palm. The ghostly chant did not stop, nor did the ringing of the bell. His body seemed to be lifted by the wind, floating in the air as his robes billowed, and the sharp silver light of his blade met the stinking claws of the demons.

White blade in, blood-stained blade out!

The mountain demons did not bleed red but a black, ink-like fluid that splattered onto the yellow earth. Yet the white robes were still stained red—from claws, fangs, and the savage bites of the crazed monsters. How could one fight so many demons with bare hands? Jiang Qi was killing the monsters, but the demons were also doing their utmost to kill him. It should have been excruciating, with the yin qi and soul attacks making the pain unbearable. Yet Jiang Qi did not retreat in the slightest. His chanting and the movement of the bell remained unchanged, as if the one being torn apart and devoured was not him. His steps did not falter either; instead, he fought even more fiercely, holding the demons outside the formation, not allowing them to step into the circle.

The thick scent of blood and the shrill screams echoed outside the formation, as if another underworld had opened.

Sun Yunhe’s steps suddenly stopped. Beneath his feet, all the sub-formations began to glow, rising like another full moon. He no longer performed the Yu Steps or activated the formation’s power. Instead, he stood firmly, his eyes blazing with anger.

“Duo!”

With a fierce shout, the sword deeply embedded in the ground was pulled out and slashed through the air! The sword light flashed, and the moon fell!

The moon hanging in the sky seemed to have been cut down, its light pouring down like a torrent, dimming all the stars. However, the light did not fall into the center of the formation but, along with the silver light beneath Sun Yunhe’s feet, shot like an arrow into the mountains. Thunder roared!

In the valley, an ancient tree as tall as the sky was severed. It was the heart of the dragon-trapping formation, and as if a rift had been torn open, the shadow of the evil dragon trembled violently. It no longer thrashed wildly but instead surged toward the sky. The moonlight seemed to wash away the filth on its body, the darkness and gloom disappearing. The evil dragon let out a clear dragon’s roar, transforming into a brilliant silver light that soared into the heavens. With this change, the entire mountain ridge began to shake. With a thunderous roar, the mountain collapsed!

To be precise, it was the ridge above the spiritual aperture that collapsed. Huge rocks fell like rain, burying the spiritual aperture in an instant. With the mountain’s collapse, the earth also shook violently, and all the spiritual energy was exhausted. Sun Yunhe could barely stand, stumbling as if about to fall.

At that moment, a voice sounded behind him: “Move!”

It was Jiang Qi’s voice. Sun Yunhe did not know what was behind him, but his reaction was swift. He immediately rolled to the side, and with that voice, a silver dagger shot through the air, thudding into the ground and pinning the head of a mountain demon less than an inch from Sun Yunhe’s face. The monster’s black blood splattered onto his cheek, but his gaze was not on that. Instead, it was locked firmly on the figure in front of him.

The white robes were now indistinguishable from their original color—black with blood, red with blood. A few strands of hair clung to his cheeks, whether dampened by sweat or blood. The man walked toward him under the moonlight, step by step, until he reached his side. He knelt on one knee, his slender, pale fingers grasping the dagger embedded in the demon’s skull, and with a gentle pull, withdrew the blade.

After a night of battling and breaking the formation, that last dodge had drained the last of Sun Yunhe’s strength. Now, his entire body felt weak, and he couldn’t even move his face, let alone avoid anything. He could only stare intently at the person before him. Jiang Qi did not rise immediately either, remaining half-kneeling, his head bowed as if to hide the blood patterns on his face. His dark hair fell loosely, draping into Sun Yunhe’s lap.

Sun Yunhe’s throat was parched, and as if under a spell, he unconsciously held his breath. Something burned fiercely in his chest—pain, but also an unbearable longing. His fingers twitched slightly, as if to grab the dark hair so close to him, but a drop of blood fell onto his fingertips before he could act. As if burned, Sun Yunhe’s fingers jerked away, and instead, he gently grasped the arm of the man before him. His grip was weak, and his voice was hoarse, as if he had mustered all his remaining strength to stammer out, “Brother Jiang… you’re… injured…”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the nearly stagnant air was broken. A faint, almost mocking smile appeared on Jiang Qi’s lips as he slowly stood up. “It’s nothing. What about you?”

“My spiritual energy is depleted. I’ll need to rest for a couple of days.” Watching the man move away, Sun Yunhe struggled to sit up and grabbed Jiang Qi’s arm again. “Your wounds need to be bandaged. The claws of the mountain demons are poisonous. They must be treated quickly…”

This time, Jiang Qi did not pull away. He simply gave Sun Yunhe a deep look before sitting cross-legged beside him, lifting the hem of his white linen robe. “We’ll need some detoxifying herbs.”

His voice was calm, but the bloodstains on his exposed shoulder stabbed at Sun Yunhe’s eyes. Summoning strength from somewhere, Sun Yunhe forced himself to stand, panting slightly as he said, “Stay seated. I’ll go look. There should be some in the baggage…”

Watching the man sway unsteadily yet stubbornly persist, the faint mockery on Jiang Qi’s lips gradually faded, replaced by a helpless smile.