Wu Qing’s forehead was slick with fine cold sweat. Just moments ago, he had painfully realized the vast gap between himself, a Scattered Cultivator, and these Orthodox Cultivators.
Right before him stood Xu Yan, a veritable human repository of talismans! There was no need for close combat; every time his slender fingers flicked casually, a new talisman materialized and activated from the void.
In the previous moment, several inconspicuous talismans silently slipped beneath the stone slab.
The next instant, several green vines burst through the earth, darting toward Wu Qing and Wu Meng like serpents.
Wu Qing was adept at Movement Technique, so he barely managed to dodge this assault.
But Wu Meng was far less fortunate—thick as an arm, the vines coiled tightly around him, making escape impossible.
And that was only the beginning; following closely behind were tongues of flame and dazzling bolts of thunder!
When Wu Qing unfurled the folding fan in his hand and swung out a Spirit Power attack, a stone wall suddenly appeared in front of Xu Yan, blocking the strike.
Wu Qing was a Sword Cultivator. It had taken him a long time to refine this weapon, and he thought that once his cultivation level rose and he forged more weapons, he would surely rise above the rest.
Under this overwhelming rain of talismans, Xu Yan moved with ease, summoning entry-level Five Elements Talismans as effortlessly as if they were at his fingertips, weaving them seamlessly together.
Talisman practitioners required heart, hand, eye, perception, and material—all indispensable.
It seemed Xu Yan truly was a once-in-a-million genius!
But what unsettled Wu Qing was why Xu Yan didn’t seem eager to finish off the two of them.
Xu Yan’s fingertip light dimmed slightly, and the flurry of talisman attacks suddenly halted.
His gaze landed on Wu Qing, who was twisting and shifting with elusive Movement Technique, and he spoke indifferently:
“Your Movement Technique is decent. For a Scattered Cultivator, it’s commendable.”
Wu Qing’s toes just touched a nearby rooftop eave, his breath held tense. He immediately cupped his hands and replied, “You flatter me. These meager tricks of mine are hardly worth mentioning. But Xu brother, you seem to hold back at every turn. Are you not planning to take our lives?”
Xu Yan’s expression remained unreadable, but he seemed to ponder the question for a moment.
“Both… yes and no. In any case, neither of you will escape.”
Before he finished speaking, a talisman flickering with piercing lightning shot forth from between his fingers!
“Shhhlaa—!”
The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder tore through the sky like a silver snake, bearing destructive pressure as it struck toward Wu Qing.
Wu Qing’s pupils contracted sharply. The thunder’s speed was too fast; he had just relaxed briefly, and now there was no way to dodge!
“Damn!”
At this critical moment, a fireball from the shadows crashed in like a falling star, striking the fierce thunderbolt with pinpoint accuracy!
An explosive blast erupted midair!
Xu Yan’s brow furrowed ever so slightly, clearly surprised by the sudden turn of events.
That brief pause was a lifesaving opportunity for Wu Qing!
His eyes flashed with a brilliant light, his reaction lightning fast. His figure flickered like a ghost as he dashed to Wu Meng’s side, severing the vines binding him.
“Run!”
When life is on the line, survival trumps all else.
Seeing the two flee, Xu Yan did not pursue them. Instead, he sighed softly and scanned around, searching for the source of the fireball.
But strangely, he sensed nothing.
“Ah, never mind. The actor is gone; the performance can’t continue.”
……
Not far away, Xie Xuan had arranged the two children and inscribed a Formation around them.
It appeared he intended to use this Formation to absorb their essence and blood to increase his cultivation.
Xie Xuan’s wrinkled, hideously ugly face was etched with impatience.
His eyes fixed intently on the two children before him, his gaunt fingers trembling slightly with excitement, like a starving wolf finally scenting blood.
These children, originally sacrifices for his Master’s Pure Yang Birthday, would now be consumed by him personally!
His eyes burned with greed and madness, fully immersed in his thirst for power, oblivious to the nearby fight having ceased.
“Pfft!”
A cold, stabbing pain shattered all his fantasies. Xie Xuan looked down in horror at his chest.
A gleaming sword tip, shimmering with cold light, had pierced through his chest.
He coughed up a mouthful of foul blood, his body staggering forward from the overwhelming force.
Struggling, he turned his head to see Xu Yan gently stroking the sword in his hand.
“Talisman are sharp, but after all… I still prefer using the sword.”
“How… how can this be!” Xie Xuan clutched his dreadful wound, feeling his life rapidly slipping away, panic gripping him.
“Those two bastards?! At a time like this… they actually ran off?!”
He could not comprehend how those paid Scattered Cultivators dared abandon him at such a critical moment!
Xu Yan’s gaze showed not the slightest flicker of emotion, as if Xie Xuan’s screams were merely the buzzing of flies.
He looked down coldly, raising the sword tip again to aim precisely for Xie Xuan’s heart.
Xie Xuan was nearly scared into losing control, shouting in a broken voice.
“No! You can’t kill me!! If you kill me, my Master will never forgive you!!”
In desperation, he seemed to clutch at a lifeline, screaming wildly toward the night sky, his voice piercing like a night owl.
“Master! Save me!! Master—!!”
The wailing plea echoed across the silent street, absurd and grating.
Xu Yan paused only for a moment, as if weighing the weight of that word “Master.”
But that hesitation vanished in an instant.
Without the slightest doubt, his sword sliced through the air with a resolute whistle, plunging precisely into Xie Xuan’s heart!
“Fool…”
Xie Xuan’s scream abruptly ended, like a duck with its neck snapped.
His eyes rolled back, his body convulsed violently once, then went limp and silent.
The scene instantly fell into complete stillness.
Hidden nearby, Jiang Che felt his Spirit Power drain away in an instant before slowly replenishing.
Just now, he had used an improved Fire Talisman to launch a fireball that interrupted the entanglement between Xu Yan and Wu Qing and Wu Meng.
This allowed him to repay Wu Qing’s kindness while drawing Xu Yan back to deal with Xie Xuan.
Thankfully, everything went exactly as he had hoped.
Xu Yan shook the sticky blood droplets from his sword and was about to lean down to check on the two frightened, crying children when a warm yet urgent glow appeared in his arms.
He paused, reached into his bosom, and withdrew a warm, translucent Jade Slip.
Then, Wan Yanfeng’s voice came through.
“Junior Brother, how’s the situation?”
“Senior Brother, the matter is nearly resolved. The Demonic Sect cultivator has been slain. The two assisting Scattered Cultivators were no match and fled. However, their crimes don’t warrant death; a light punishment will suffice, no need for further inquiry.”
Xu Yan glanced around, his tone steady, as if reporting on the most ordinary task.
Jiang Che was a bit surprised. What? They could communicate remotely now?
When Jiang Che was in the Shenxiao Sect, this kind of thing hadn’t even appeared yet.
But then he noticed something odd.
Hmm? That’s it? Something feels off…
Xie Xuan, before dying, had wailed for his Master. According to sect procedures, this matter should be reported to the Zhumen, then the appropriate people would be dispatched to investigate and resolve it.
But what did Xu Yan’s words mean?
“Phew… it’s resolved, that’s good! That’s good! What about the children? Are they safe?”
“The two children are unharmed, only frightened. As for the hostages… I’m sorry, they are all dead.”