Chapter Forty-Four: Annihilating the Enemy

The longer Liang Yan fought, the more alarmed he became. Ever since he had comprehended the “Twin Fish Array” and perfectly fused the “Chaotic Energy Technique” with the “Unanchored Mind Method,” he had always believed that among those at his level, he was unmatched. Never did he expect that these two cultivators before him, both at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, could threaten him so greatly.

The necromancer’s skeletal puppets attacked with broad, sweeping strikes—direct and overwhelmingly fierce. Meanwhile, the scholar, Feng Kun, wielded his “Wind Blade Technique” with uncanny unpredictability, shifting and changing with bewildering speed. One fought openly, the other with guile, yet together their cooperation was seamless.

Often, as the two skeletons crisscrossed the field, a wind blade would slip narrowly between them, slicing toward Liang Yan; or a skeleton would lift its arm, only for a wind blade to shoot out from beneath its armpit. The wind blades never hindered the skeletons’ movements but instead used their forms to obscure Liang Yan’s line of sight, launching surprise attacks from unexpected angles.

Earlier, he had become greedy for victory, striking one skeleton’s arm with his staff. To his shock, the skeleton merely lost two bones and continued its assault as if nothing had happened. It was Liang Yan who exposed a brief opening, and a wind blade shaved a slice of flesh from his back.

Liang Yan thought anxiously, “I never imagined his ‘Wind Blade Technique’ would be so formidable. I’ve cultivated the Chaotic Energy Technique to the point that my body can withstand a blow from a lower-grade spiritual weapon used by someone of the same level, yet I can’t block his wind blade!”

What he didn’t know was that all spells in the world are divided into Minor Attainment, Great Attainment, Perfect Integration, and Dao Entry. The same technique at different stages varies enormously in power—beyond simple comparison.

Naturally, the higher the spell’s rank, the harder it is to reach the upper stages. The “Wind Blade Technique” may be a low-level wind spell, but Feng Kun possessed a natural wind spiritual root and excelled at wind arts. Coupled with his mid-grade spiritual artifact, the “Flowing Cloud Fan,” which enhanced wind spells, his Wind Blade Technique had reached the terrifying realm of Perfect Integration. No matter how tough Liang Yan’s body, he couldn’t withstand such attacks.

The skeletons pressed their assault with brutal speed, while the wind blades remained vicious and cunning. Though Liang Yan couldn’t tell how much longer Feng Kun’s spiritual power would last, he knew that if he continued simply defending, he wouldn’t last long himself.

Only defense, no offense—defeat was certain!

Determined, Liang Yan drove his spiritual power to a frenzy, surging a strand of blue energy along his meridians straight to his eyes, recklessly activating the “Qi Gaze Technique” once more.

Maintaining the Qi Gaze required tremendous spiritual energy, and he was already below half his reserves. Now, with the technique active, his power drained even faster. But Liang Yan had no choice; while focusing on defense, he observed the five skeletons, watching the flow of spiritual energy within them, searching for the smallest flaw.

After a few more moments of fierce battle, Liang Yan’s eyes suddenly flickered. Through repeated clashes with the skeletons and the aid of the Qi Gaze, he noticed that every time a skeleton exhausted its attacks, a surge of spiritual power would travel from the black threads into the back of the skull, and a black vortex of energy would appear at one of five spots: chest, shoulders, or legs. Instantly, the skeleton would unleash a new move.

Though the vortexes lasted only a split second, they caught Liang Yan’s attention. He observed carefully and realized that these areas were far more saturated with spiritual energy than elsewhere—like the acupoints in the human body.

As for the black threads, he had tried to cut them before, but each time he severed one with great effort, another would instantly form from the back of the skeleton’s head to Number Six’s left hand.

Since the black threads couldn’t be dealt with, the energy vortexes were his last hope.

“My reserves are nearly spent; I must take a risk!” Once Liang Yan made up his mind, he hesitated no longer. Suddenly shifting from defense to offense, he charged at the skeletons with reckless abandon. The dragon staff in his hand howled with roars, as if it would shatter any who dared approach.

“Heh, this brat is putting up a desperate struggle—he’s on the verge of collapse,” Feng Kun sneered, sending out another wind blade.

“Hmph. Let’s play it safe and steady. Don’t give him a single opportunity!” Number Six, clad in black, replied coolly.

“Of course,” Feng Kun nodded in agreement.

These two had worked together for years, their minds perfectly in tune. Their joint attacks were flawless. Over the years, accustomed to murdering and robbing cultivators, they’d slain countless victims—sometimes even defeating those two levels above, including disciples of major sects at the seventh level of Qi Refinement.

While Liang Yan fought like a cornered beast, the Book and Ghost Fiends slowed their tempo, well aware of the hunters’ patience. They completely blocked his avenues of retreat, waiting for his spiritual power to run dry and for him to perish by his own hand.

But all at once, Liang Yan twisted like an eel, spinning away from two skeletons’ axes. He whirled like a top, and as a wind blade flew at him, he deflected it with his staff’s spinning momentum, sending it slicing toward one of the more aggressive skeletons.

Number Six, knowing the wind blade’s power, hurriedly manipulated the skeleton to dodge.

“Now!”

This fleeting opportunity was not to be missed. Liang Yan lunged forward, pursuing the dodging skeleton. With a precise strike, his dragon staff jabbed at the energy vortex on its left shoulder.

A crack rang out—the staff pierced the skeleton’s white bones with ease. The skeleton’s spiritual energy seemed to lose its circuit, faltering instantly. It collapsed backward, lying utterly still.

Without pausing, Liang Yan leapt right, contorting his body into a strange stance, and drove his fist into another skeleton’s throat.

This, too, was clearly an energy vortex. Liang Yan’s punch shattered it, and the skeleton’s spiritual power rapidly dissipated, leaving it immobilized.

These changes happened in a flash; though slow to tell, it all occurred in mere heartbeats.

First, Liang Yan used the “Dispersing Form Method” to neutralize most of the skeletons’ attacks, then cleverly used the “Rotating Circle Method” to redirect a wind blade at an exposed skeleton, forcing Number Six into disarray. He then struck with all his might at a pre-calculated energy vortex, and, seeing success, immediately unleashed a full-force punch from his Chaotic Energy Technique at a skeleton to his right. In the blink of an eye, he had destroyed two of Number Six’s puppets.

Each “Netherworld Skeleton” controlled by Number Six was individually about as strong as a fourth-level Qi Refiner—tough and fearless, but only truly dangerous when combined into their deadly formation. Now, with two out of five destroyed, a gaping hole appeared in their encirclement.

With a long, triumphant cry, Liang Yan burst through the ranks of the remaining three skeletons. He gestured with a hand seal, and the dragon staff, still embedded in a skeleton, let out a resonant roar and flew high into the air, racing after him.

The notorious “Book and Ghost Fiends” were now stricken with terror. Especially Number Six, whose cultivation was entirely invested in ghost control arts; with his sorcery broken, he turned ashen and cried out in despair, “Brother Feng, help me!”

But Liang Yan was too quick. Before Number Six could react, Liang Yan was upon him, leaping high as the dragon staff soared to meet him. Snatching the staff from behind, Liang Yan swung it with both hands and smashed downward with all his might.

Number Six stood frozen, staring up at Liang Yan suspended in the air. He felt his “force,” “way,” “method,” “technique,” and “energy” all suppressed, as if the figure above was the sole master of heaven and earth, leaving him incapable of the slightest resistance.

What he did not realize was that this was the “Exalted Spirit Method” of Liang Yan’s “Unanchored Mind,” a technique derived from the esoteric Daoist scripture “The Seven Arts of the Original Canon.” The Daoists say: “The Exalted Spirit Method commands five dragons; man and heaven possess five energies.” By channeling the essences of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth into the heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys, one achieves spiritual transformation and attains the force of the universe.

Though Rottenwood Sheng was not a Daoist, he forged his own path, bypassing the five-elemental spirit-cultivation of Daoism, instead drawing upon the righteous energy of the Confucian tradition to create this “Exalted Spirit Method”—a true innovation.

With a thunderous crash, Liang Yan’s staff struck Number Six squarely on the crown of his head, shattering his skull and ending his life in an instant.

Feng Kun, witnessing his longtime companion perish without so much as a scream, was seized by terror. The two had been evenly matched; now Feng Kun’s courage broke. With a strangled cry, he turned to flee, grabbing a box from his storage pouch and preparing to hurl it behind him.

But Liang Yan was swifter, appearing at his back in a flash and swinging his staff at Feng Kun’s head. With a sickening crack, Feng Kun fell limply to the ground, still clutching a red wooden box.

From that day forth, the dreaded “Book and Ghost Fiends” among Zhao’s Qi Refinement cultivators would be known as nothing more than “the Two Ghosts of the Yellow Springs.”

All this time, Number Two, who had been observing the battle, turned deathly pale. He had hoped to delay Tang Diexian, planning for his side to finish off Liang Yan and then surround their final foe as three. At first, the Book and Ghost Fiends had held the upper hand, but in the blink of an eye, the tables had turned, and now it was Liang Yan and Tang Diexian encircling him.

Having witnessed Liang Yan’s powers, Number Two knew that against the two of them together, he had not the slightest hope of survival. His eyes darted, and suddenly he dismissed his black shield, calling out loudly:

“Fellow Daoists, wait! Please!”

Tang Diexian, seeing him withdraw his technique, paused her own spells in slight surprise.

Number Two continued, “Your powers are astounding. I yield without reservation. I am willing to swear an oath upon my inner demon: from this day forth, I shall serve you both as master, and if I harbor any treachery, may heaven and earth destroy me! I am, after all, at the fifth level of Qi Refinement. Should there be matters inconvenient for you to handle personally, you may entrust them to me.”

Seeing Tang Diexian silent and Liang Yan lost in thought, Number Two felt a glimmer of hope.

He pressed on, “I was only following orders. I never wished to become enemies with your sect. I even tried to persuade you before, to avoid mortal enmity—you know this to be true. We itinerant cultivators have it hard; we must rely on organizations for scraps of cultivation resources. It’s a hardship we cannot avoid.”

Reasoning and pleading, he was about to speak further, convinced success was within reach, when suddenly an object whistled through the air—it was Liang Yan’s dragon staff. Number Two was so startled he could not summon his black shield in time. The staff struck his heart with a resounding crack, and he fell dead with a scream.

“We already know all the information about the Cloud Veil Society. If we let him live, there’s no telling what method he might use to inform their leader…”

Before Liang Yan could finish, Tang Diexian raised her hand to interrupt him.

“You don’t need to explain anything to me… I am not one of those overly scrupulous women. Besides, on this journey, have I ever opposed any of your decisions…?”