Chapter 94 – The Duel

With this movement, Wei Yang felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if a ripple had emanated from the sword, rushing outward. A crisp “bang” echoed through the air, the sound of the Heaven-Breaking Technique, slightly softer than when used to exorcise evil spirits in the past. Hearing this sound, Zhang Xiuqi pulled the sword back and charged forward.

On the other side, Xu Song’s face turned ashen, and a few drops of blood dripped from his nose onto the ground. The four black talismans he had laid out in front of him had all split in the middle. This was his newly set up Intercepting Yang Formation, which had been completely destroyed before it could even be activated. If the previous Pulling Evil Formation was just a test, then this Intercepting Yang Formation was the first real clash, and he had lost decisively. He had used nine-turn black talismans tainted with impure blood, and even during the day, it shouldn’t have been so easily broken. How old were those two kids? How deep could their cultivation be?

Unless he had encountered… an expert in the Zhengyi Legacy.

The thought of this possibility made cold sweat pour down Xu Song’s forehead. In the world of Taoist arts, there were many sects, and those who specialized in talismans were not few. However, the most prominent and powerful were the Three Mountains Talisman Legacies—namely, the Shangqing Legacy of the Mao Mountain Sect, the Lingbao Legacy of the Gezao Mountain Sect, and the Zhengyi Legacy of the Longhu Mountain Sect. Due to historical reasons, the Shangqing Talisman and Lingbao Talisman had gradually declined over time, leaving the Zhengyi Legacy as the leader of the Three Mountains Talismans. Most of the talismanic techniques passed down were related to Longhu Mountain. Therefore, no matter what talismanic technique one used, when faced with an expert from the Way of the Celestial Masters, it would inevitably fall short. Moreover, it was still daytime, and most of his sorcery formations couldn’t exert their full power. If this really was an expert in the Zhengyi Legacy, then he was in serious trouble!

No, if they were really from such a major sect, he couldn’t let them escape! Xu Song panicked for only a moment before quickly regaining his composure. He turned to Zhao Guangfa and roared, “This is all your fault! Get someone to stop them now!”

Immediately, he pulled out three one-inch-long wooden dolls from his pocket, pricked his fingertip, and dripped blood onto the heads of the dolls. A cold wind immediately swirled out from the dolls, spinning rapidly in front of him, almost tangible, as if forming a new formation.

Seeing this, Zhao Guangfa understood that he had kicked an iron plate! Master Xu was someone of great stature, and if even he was panicking and resorting to desperate measures, it showed just how formidable the other side was. He was just a grasshopper tied to a rope, with no room to retreat. In a flash, Zhao Guangfa made up his mind and said to the bald middle-aged man beside him with a grim expression, “Brother Yong, go buy Master some time!”

The fierce-looking man didn’t hesitate and immediately led his men out. Since this was a duel, the other side should be setting up formations and preparing their spells. If they could delay them for even a moment, their chances of winning would increase. It was a good plan, but as soon as they rushed out of the alley, they ran straight into Zhang Xiuqi, who was charging toward them. Seeing this group of men, the Little Celestial Master didn’t even pause, throwing out a yellow talisman with a flick of his hand. A crisp “crack” sounded as the talisman exploded into pieces in mid-air. With this sound, the group of men simultaneously felt dizzy. The stronger ones managed to stay on their feet, but the weaker ones immediately collapsed.

This talisman was essentially an enhanced version of the Soul Shaking Technique, most commonly used in situations where one was surrounded. Zhang Xiuqi didn’t even glance at the thugs as he charged into the alley, coming face-to-face with Xu Song, who was still in the midst of casting his spell.

“The Camphor Willow Formation!” Recognizing the formation Xu Song was setting up, Zhang Xiuqi’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

The so-called Camphor Willow Formation was a sinister ghost technique that used the roots of a plant called Pokeweed as a medium. After carving them into dolls, the souls of young children were extracted using ghost fire and bound within them. There was a specific requirement for this—the souls had to be from sickly or weak children, preferably those who had suffered greatly before dying. Only then would the Camphor Willow Children be powerful enough. Those who used the Camphor Willow Formation were almost always Jiangtou Masters¹Means ‘tame head,’ but that sounds weird and using other terms will require a case by case editing so I kept it in pinyin. A form of black magic., a group of individuals who had no moral boundaries and used any means necessary in their spells. They violated the rules commonly upheld by the Taoist Court. Such “heretics,” even if they weren’t renegade disciples from Longhu Mountain, had to be eradicated!

These things had long been ingrained in Zhang Xiuqi’s mind. Without hesitation, he turned the Suihou Sword in his hand, the tip of the sword cutting his finger. Using the bloodied finger, he began drawing a talisman in mid-air at an astonishing speed.

The appearance of the Little Celestial Master had already shocked Xu Song, and now, seeing this technique of drawing talismans in mid-air, his face turned as pale as paper. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal with his fingers, activating the still-forming Camphor Willow Formation. A howling wind swept through as three clouds of black mist rushed out from the dolls, charging toward Zhang Xiuqi!

Without a trace of panic, Zhang Xiuqi completed the blood talisman in front of him. A golden light burst forth from the talisman—this was the Yang Essence Talisman of Longhu Mountain, capable of instantly gathering all the yang energy in the surroundings for one’s use. Moreover, it was still before 2 PM, and the sunlight in the sky greatly aided the formation. The black and golden energies collided violently, and a deafening Heaven-Breaking Sound exploded in the alley.

In front of Xu Song, the three wooden dolls shattered completely, and he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground. On Zhang Xiuqi’s side, his body only swayed slightly, and a trickle of blood seeped from his nose. The winner was clear!

Never expecting the young man to be so powerful, Xu Song’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. Seeing the other party preparing to charge again, he finally gritted his teeth and pulled out a talisman with a “swish,” forming a hand seal before throwing it to the ground! This talisman wasn’t black but instead had a dirty, blood-stained hue. The gray-white symbols on it were drawn using a mixture of child’s ashes and Pokeweed powder. As soon as it touched the ground, everyone standing near Xu Song, except for Zhang Xiuqi, collapsed, dizzy and nauseous, as if something was being forcibly ripped from their bodies!

This was a life-saving talisman left to him by his master, even more ruthless and domineering than Longhu Mountain’s Soul Shaking Talisman. It could instantly drain the soul energy of those around him for his own use. However, this talisman was so inhumane that there was no way to use substitutes to offset the Heavenly Retribution. It could only shorten his own lifespan. With this one use, given the number of people around him, he would lose at least ten years of his life. But the power it unleashed was naturally immense…

Xu Song’s face showed a mix of excitement and madness: “From Longhu Mountain, huh? Fall down!”

With this roar, a force sharper than blades and colder than vengeful spirits erupted, shooting straight toward the alley entrance!

Although he was still standing, Zhang Xiuqi’s body was unsteady. In fact, Xu Song had accidentally hit his weak spot. The Little Celestial Master was missing one of his souls, making him particularly vulnerable to soul-draining talismans. The moment the blood talisman activated, the two souls and seven spirits in his body began to stir violently. The sensation was so familiar that it made his eyes widen and his body tremble. He had encountered a similar spell before… when he was a child…

However, the attack was too fierce to allow him any distraction. Gripping the Suihou Sword horizontally, he clenched his teeth, preparing to withstand the blow. But just then, a round object landed at his feet with impeccable timing. Lao Ye had descended from the sky, landing steadily on the concrete ground in front of him.

This was no ordinary turtle. As soon as Lao Ye landed, its four claws and head retracted into its shell, while a silver light burst forth from its broad back. Intricate ink patterns appeared on its shell, forming a complete Great Derivation Diagram. Every inch of the shell exuded a profound aura, resonating with one another to create an impenetrable shield, firmly protecting Zhang Xiuqi.

No one knew how long the Great Derivation True Technique could hold, but even this moment was enough! Spitting a mouthful of true saliva onto the Suihou Sword, five talismans flew out from Zhang Xiuqi’s hand. The Three Mountains Talismans of the Little Celestial Master clashed with the Soul Binding Blood Talisman!

Xu Song’s face turned deathly pale. He never expected the young man in front of him to use such a powerful talisman, and he even had a divine turtle to protect him. However, the duel had reached this point, and it was too late to retreat. Taking advantage of the momentary stalemate between the talismans, he pulled out a porcelain doll he always carried with him. This was his life-bound ritual instrument, a “Soul Doll” consecrated with the blood of his own child. Biting the tip of his tongue, he quickly drew a symbol on it with his blood, and a soft giggle emanated from the plump, smiling doll.

With a deafening “crack,” the stalemate between the two sides finally ended. The blood talisman and the yellow talisman both shattered simultaneously! Zhang Xiuqi swayed and fell to one knee. The number of talismans one could control was limited, and using so many Zhengyi Legacy talismans in one go would leave even the most powerful person drained. Moreover, he was missing the Heavenly Soul, which governed the three souls. At this moment, stars were practically dancing in his vision. Yet, the man on the other side was still standing. In his dazed state, he forced himself to rise, determined to stand again. After all, there was still someone behind him who needed his protection…

The series of duels had been swift and intense. Wei Yang wasn’t as fast as Zhang Xiuqi and hadn’t been able to assist in time. Seeing the situation earlier, he had only managed to throw Lao Ye over, but now, seeing Brother Qi barely able to stand while the man across from him was still chanting over a porcelain doll, Wei Yang’s eyes turned red. He rushed forward in a flash, supporting the swaying figure. He hadn’t expected a mere scam operation to have hired such a powerful sorcerer, nor had he anticipated that even Brother Qi and Lao Ye combined couldn’t withstand the man’s techniques.

But Wei Yang didn’t retreat. His eyes blazed as he glared ahead, and in his vision, a faint ghostly figure emerged from the porcelain doll.

It was a child no older than five, dressed in stark white funeral robes, with a bluish complexion, fangs protruding, and a blood-red tongue hanging from its lips. There was no trace of a child’s cuteness—only a malevolent and sinister aura, radiating ghostly energy. Though the daylight was still bright, the child wasn’t afraid of the sunlight, appearing in the middle of the alley as if it were nothing. The light seemed to pass through its small body, making the blurry figure flicker, like a ghost appearing and disappearing. After a moment of hesitation, the child let out a giggle and suddenly lunged forward!

A nauseating, foul wind swept toward them, and Wei Yang’s fingers trembled. As a final resort, this evil entity must be incredibly powerful, right? But Brother Qi was in no condition to cast any spells. What could he, alone, possibly do?

However, the ghostly creature didn’t give him time to think. In an instant, it was upon them. Lao Ye’s shell was no longer glowing, as if it had fallen asleep. Zhang Xiuqi struggled to raise the short sword in his hand, trying to block the attack, but Wei Yang had already stepped in front of him.

There was no bloodshed, no evil spirit piercing through his chest, nor any particularly strange light or sound effects. The small ghostly claw that had been raised mid-air suddenly stopped, as if it had encountered something terrifying. The little ghost let out a shrill scream and tried to flee, but before it could escape, the bone talisman hanging around Wei Yang’s neck lit up. The bone segment from the Miaotou Mountain cemetery emitted a pale white light, and within that radiance, the ghost child’s form seemed to melt away, completely devoured by the bone talisman, vanishing without a trace.

Everyone froze. Xu Song’s lips trembled as the porcelain doll in his hand cracked with a “crack.” The cracks spread like spiderwebs across the doll’s surface, and with a “crash,” it shattered into pieces. This was his life-bound ritual instrument, and with its destruction, blood gushed from his mouth. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

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  Means ‘tame head,’ but that sounds weird and using other terms will require a case by case editing so I kept it in pinyin. A form of black magic.