Chapter 552: Overwhelming Demonic Might (5)

Chapter 552: Magical Might (Five)

The central area of Yushan County had been reduced to a vast plain, with only the Jade Mountain Dao Palace standing unscathed behind Zhang Xi Shou.

The immense Daoist aura still dominated half the sky, while bright stars resembling the moon hung suspended within the swirling mists.

"You've been holding back your strength, or have you merely learned to conceal your aura?"

The purple-robed Heavenly Lord descended from the air, standing on the threshold of the Dao Palace, gazing toward the figure in the distant abyss.

Though separated by great distance, Zhang Xi Shou's voice reached Li Jing's ears with crystalline clarity.

Li Jing smiled and replied, "I've always favored direct annihilation over playing pig under the tiger's nose."

"So you admit you've only just completed the refinement?"

Zhang Xi Shou nodded, his tone laced with awe: "The refinement of technique, body, and inner energy—all accomplished in such a short span. Is this the natural strength of walking the Dao alone, or has the vitality of another sequence accelerated your ascension?"

Li Jing remained noncommittal: "Your eyes see through all, Elder."

"Experience teaches one to observe much. Yet regardless of the reason, this path of solitary cultivation should not exist in the world—we cannot tolerate it."

As he spoke, Zhang Xi Shou stepped forward, descending the stairs with deliberate grace.

In the massive crater unleashed by the Explosive Vital Aura, Li Jing's exposed skin was charred and ulcerated, blood trickling from every movement—a spectacle of horror.

"At this juncture, why still debate tolerance? Let me ask you—why haven't you fled?"

Li Jing's right hand clenched tightly, the carbonized flesh on his arm splitting open to reveal pulsing flesh beneath. Dark gold armor plates extended from his remaining ink armor, re-covering his body.

"If I'm gravely wounded, you're no better—Dao3 versus Wu4, what purpose does fleeing serve?"

Zhang Xi Shou's voice was calm as he raised his arm to shoulder height, five fingers extending beyond the sleeve. A streak of azure lightning descended like a bolt, embedding itself in his palm.

The sword, light and nimble, whirled, its tail scattering luminous dots that coalesced into a phantom saber tail. At the blade's tip, the ancient characters "Exorcism" blazed with ethereal radiance.

"Three-rank Dao weapon, Qinghong Chasing Demons."

"If wounded, that's an exaggeration. Moreover, your Dao3 and my Wu4 aren't so straightforward."

Li Jing strode out of the abyss, eyeing the Daoist approaching him with a laugh: "You wish to buy time with your life, letting that heavenly entity reduce me to ash?"

"Correctly guessed. But how does that help you escape?"

"To delay me, you must engage in close combat—are you capable of besting me?"

"Let's see. Before this, the Heavenly Lord slew many Wu4 cultivators who, like you, refined the three techniques. Today, I'll witness how much stronger you are than them!"

A single step. In the duel's crescendo, Li Jing's scalp prickled as two ancient eyes and cold glints bore down on him.

Zhang Xi Shou's speed had matched his own.

This sword couldn't be seized!

The sword thrust piercing his chest had yet to heal, its bone-deep agony etched in memory. Knowing the Dao weapon's ferocity, Li Jing abandoned his usual bare-handed blade-snatching, diving sideways to evade the thrust to his eyebrows. He flashed to the Daoist's flank, his right fist aimed at the opponent's side.

Zhang Xi Shou's left hand gestured without murmurs or talismans—a murky yellow light materialized beside the Daoist, deflecting Li Jing's punch.

"No object, liberation!"

The Dao3 Yellow Millet Immortal's consciousness no longer needed talismans as vessels; a wave of the hand could manifest myriad wonders. Such power rivaled the immortals of myth.

Boom!

The punch cleaved the yellow light, yet Zhang Xi Shou's form had already vanished.

Li Jing's eyes scanned left, meeting a cold stare that materialized abruptly.

The Daoist's punch struck directly, finger bones aglow with fiery talismans.

Roar!

A furious flame erupted at Li Jing's face, its impact hurling him away, demolishing a ruined house. His figure sank into shards of debris.

Zhang Xi Shou flicked his hand, the Qinghong Chasing Demons severing into light, howling toward the rising dust. Yet the pursuing sword thrust inexplicably veered midway, returning as if repelled.

Such a shift occurred because Li Jing, entombed in the rubble, had inexplicably reappeared behind Zhang Xi Shou!

The stench of scorched armor was now within inches. The Daoist had no time to dodge, fingers dancing to weave a formless, exquisite barrier of five-colored radiance.

The barrier shattered at once, as a thunderous explosion of pressure—like a landslide—swallowed the Daoist.

Punch after punch, the barrier was torn apart, only to be blocked by the returning flying sword.

Ring!

The sword arc was staggering, yet unbroken. As the blade recoiled, its rebound force propelled the Daoist backward like lightning.

Unable to lock onto his aura via spiritual sense, Zhang Xi Shou relied on sight—a disadvantage akin to losing an arm before the first strike for a new-generation cultivator.

His earlier misstep and the ambush stemmed from this very flaw.

Knowing the cause offered no remedy for his current state.

All he could do was delay the activation of the "Greedy Wolf" stored energy—a plan he'd pursued from the start.

Zhang Xi Shou's strategy, now in disarray, fixed his gaze on the looming crimson shadow.

A wave of red light enveloped Li Jing, its ethereal sound whispering in his ears, dizzying him. Simultaneously, a golden glow anointed his body, crushing him beneath a weight like a mountain.

If the Dao3's "No Object Liberation" could be likened to talismans, Li Jing had now fallen prey to two such arrays.

"Primary Rune, Spiritual Array: Bind Soul!"

"Primary Rune, Earth Array: Five Sacred Peaks!"

Zhang Xi Shou forced his retreat, toes skidding on the ground. The Qinghong Chasing Demons, lashed by primal winds, stabbed toward Li Jing's heart.

Hiss!

The blade pierced his palm, yet Li Jing's eyes showed no fear—only malice and murderous intent.

Was this intentional?

Zhang Xi Shou's brow furrowed, unease stirring, yet he clung to this fleeting advantage and chance, twisting his wrist to snap the sword.

Half a severed hand and crimson blood sprayed outward.

In that moment of greed, Li Jing seized the opportunity, lunging forward, dragging a tangle of red and yellow light, one fist crashing into the Daoist's chest.

Crash!

Zhang Xi Shou, horizontally blocking, was shoved sideways by the force, carving deep grooves in the ground. His face turned pale as paper.

The full release of the Ethereal Official's technique rendered Li Jing unstoppable, trampling the ground with a thunderous boom, his form vanishing.

Reappearing behind the Daoist, he crouched, shoulder-to-shoulder, colliding with Zhang Xi Shou in a close-quarters assault that tore through the ephemeral barrier with a roar.

Boom!

Zhang Xiuzhu retreated, turning forward in a straight line, his body slicing through the air like a blade. As if clad in a golden silk robe, his once-graceful form was now reduced to scattered fragments of luxurious fabric.

His steel-clad body emerged bare, the central circular channel of his torso spinning with a silent, relentless force, emitting waves of pure white light that shimmered like stars. Each bone in his body glowed with a crystalline luster, casting radiant brilliance across the surrounding space.

The sequence of tools revealed itself as a testament to his mastery: eight arms, each wrapped in a gleaming jade orb, forming a protective barrier. The sky above swirled with the intensity of his flight, casting a dark, brooding hue over everything below.

No longer could the practitioner remain still. The air crackled with tension, the heartbeat of the cosmos pulsing in his ears. Every movement of his hands was deliberate, yet his eyes burned with an unyielding resolve.

The steel of his blade arced through the air, striking the shadow of Li Quan—a fleeting moment of darkness before the light of the demon’s wrath.

Trapped in the web of his own bindings, Zhang Xiuzhu roared in fury, his voice echoing like thunder. "You dare defy fate? I will purge your darkness!" With a surge of power, he unleashed a cascade of blue lightning, shattering the barriers and sending shockwaves through the chaos.

The tangled threads of his bindings snapped, releasing a wave of magic that sent tremors through the ground. The demon’s attacks faltered, and the once-tight grip of the tools loosened.

With a fierce cry, Zhang Xiuzhu let go, his voice rising in a triumphant chant. "If it had not been sealed for years, you would not have survived this!"

His eyes burned with determination as he gazed at the horizon, where the stars still shone brightly. "The path of the practitioner is never easy. But as long as I walk it, I shall not falter."

The wind howled around him, carrying with it the echoes of his resolve. The battle was far from over, but for now, he stood unbroken.