Knife splashing

Chapter 780 Fierce Battle in the Dark
No wonder this guy dares to be so arrogant!

The hermit Chen Hui had already left.

The one who actually took action was the snake god.

After probing and finding that he had no divine command, they turned around and surrounded him.

Li Yan's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly sneered inwardly.

Of course, he still had the Gangling, which was used to complete the mission of protecting the True Lord of the Flint in the capital and to capture those earth immortals in Mount Tai. Although five of them were used for the "Five Directions Luofeng Banner" and two were used to suppress the "Hundred Ghosts Infant Evil", there was still one left for emergency use.

But it's clearly unnecessary to use it on these people.

The most crucial figure, Chen Hui, is undoubtedly still watching with predatory eyes…

call--!
Before he could think any further, the surrounding wind grew even stronger.

The campfire was blown out, plunging the surrounding area into darkness.

"Woo~"

The children behind them were already frightened, and now they struggled even more violently.

Li Yan frowned slightly, turned his head without looking back, and flicked his sleeve.

Several children collapsed to the ground and fainted.

Knocking them out wasn't just because they were in the way; powerful demons could drive these children mad with sheer force of their aura, causing them to be corrupted by evil energy and attack people indiscriminately.

At the same time, Li Yan turned around and raised his Duanchen Blade horizontally.

Ding Ding Ding!
A series of sparks flew, and the countless kunai shooting from the mist were all deflected.

However, the three Japanese pirates, under the coercion of Huang Quan Sanren, had already taken the initiative to attack.

Of course, they weren't fools. Having witnessed the terrifying power of the Soul-Severing Flying Knife, comparable to a flying sword, they dared not approach it. Instead, ninjas would secretly launch darts to ambush them.

As for the ragged Onmyoji, he took out a wooden monkey bound with straw rope from his pocket, carefully bit his fingertip, and with a face full of cold sweat, drew a talisman on the back of the wooden monkey.

A ronin stood nearby, brandishing a knife and feigning alertness.

Upon seeing the wooden monkey, his pupils constricted slightly, and he secretly moved away.

Others were unaware of the details, but the ronin knew that this Onmyoji was Noshugen of the Outer School, who had stolen the legendary shikigami "Kokusu Yashamaru" made by "En no Ozuno" from Hiyoshi Taisha on Mount Hiei.

In Buddhism, "Yaksha" refers to a ferocious demon, while "Maru" is a common naming suffix.

Taken together, it means "the bound, raging ape demon".

If things get out of control, he'll be in trouble too.

What he didn't notice was that Huang Quan Sanren wasn't looking at Li Yan at all; instead, his attention was entirely on them. Seeing that the ninja and the Onmyoji were busy, his sinister eyes were fixed on the ronin.

At the same time, he made hand gestures and chanted incantations, muttering something unintelligible under his breath.

Call ~
In an instant, a thick, fishy stench gushed out from the tomb.

The so-called snake god has no physical form, which is why no trace of it was found in the Zhang family's distant relatives' residence.

A chill suddenly rose from behind the ronin. As soon as he turned around, a dazzling display of lights appeared before his eyes, and he fell into a hallucination, as if all was silent around him, with only a pair of huge snake eyes staring at him.

In reality, however, he remained completely still.

A thick, snake-shaped black mist, as thick as a bucket, surged in, swirled in the air, and poured into his mouth, causing the ronin to tremble all over.

His eyes quickly turned black, then yellow snake pupils appeared.

Crunch~
The ronin's joints were stiff, like a puppet being manipulated, as he slowly turned around.

This thing was no longer human; its joints twisted in a strange way, and the veins under its skin bulged and twisted, like snakes.

With a hissing sound as the snake flicked its tongue, a plume of poisonous smoke spewed from its mouth.

Li Yan saw all of this, but he didn't bother to pay attention to it.

Ding ding twice.

He deflected the kunai shot by the ninja, and a rumbling sound came from the side.

Li Yan felt a chill and quickly turned around.

A billowing crimson mist surged forth, shattering the rocks along its path, as if some invisible behemoth was approaching with the force to shake mountains.

Upon seeing this, Li Yan frowned immediately.

It is extremely difficult for a spirit to directly control objects. Even if it summons underworld deities, the strongest among them can only lift a small knife. This is the physical law of this world.

In the past, he would have been terrified.

But now, with their experience, they immediately noticed the signs.

While a simple soul is indeed difficult to control objects, the power of the soul's thoughts can influence the Qi of the Gang Sha (罡煞), or, through supernatural abilities, accomplish all sorts of incredible things.

Like this one in front of us, it must be some kind of supernatural power to manipulate earth and rocks.

At the same time, I smelled a foul, fishy stench, just like the mandrill I had seen before.

It must be that this type of ferocious creature was refined into a shikigami.

To be honest, he doesn't care about this thing alone; he has plenty of ways to deal with it.

But now, it's not just one that's besieging us.

In the darkness, the faint strains of a woman's mournful singing could be heard:
"The paper sedan chair creaked and groaned as it was carried across the Bridge of Helplessness~"
New ghosts and old spirits squeeze each other until your back breaks~
Sister, please slow down.

"Let me borrow your skin and paint a beautiful woman's smile!"

The sound fluctuated in pitch and direction, making it difficult to pinpoint its location.

Even more bizarrely, the sound was like an electric drill, relentlessly pouring into his brain. Even with numerous magical artifacts protecting him and his soul not being controlled, it still made him restless and agitated.

Needless to say, it must be Qingluo Niang from the Ghost Opera Troupe.

Li Yan used his right hand to deflect the hidden weapon with his sword, and with a flick of his left hand, the Soul-Severing Flying Knife shot out again, piercing into the rolling blood-red mist, stirring it up and down, and immediately the roars and howls of wild beasts could be heard.

He blocked the Onmyoji's shikigami, but the real threat was on the other side.

Crunch~
The ronin, possessed by the snake god, kept twisting his joints, seemingly trying to adapt to his new body.

Suddenly, he stopped moving, his cold, snake-like eyes fixed on Li Yan, a sinister smile appearing on his lips.

Swish!
The wind whistled past, and the person had vanished.

A strong sense of alarm arose in Li Yan's heart. With a thought, the Thousand Thoughts Armguard immediately rattled.

This treasure was originally made by simulating the spiritual apertures of a grotto-heaven using lines of longitude and latitude, with the intention of nurturing a treasure. But how can humans overcome the power of nature? According to Li Yan's estimation, it will take at least a hundred years.

Its greatest function is similar to a ritual altar, helping him to quickly gather powerful and malevolent energy.

After being refined again at Qiankun Academy, it can store lightning once more.

Combined with the original function of the Soul-Hooking Thunder Lock, his thunder magic no longer requires preparation time.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yan pressed down and used a hidden blade technique. The lightning on the Dust-Severing Blade crackled and popped. Then, he quickly twisted his body and unleashed a move called "Drawing the Blade to Cut Water," relying on his spiritual sense to strike.

"Go to hell!" he shouted coldly.

Boom!

The lightning crackled, like a small thunderbolt falling from the sky.

A large crater appeared in the ground, and soil and rocks flew everywhere. At the same time, a dark figure quickly retreated.

Bang!
The dark figure crashed into a small tree, about the size of a bowl, snapping it in half, and then flipped and landed in a bizarre motion.

It was a ronin possessed by a snake god!

His face was contorted, and he was hissing strangely. A knife wound appeared on his chest, and crackling lightning flashed. There was also the smell of burnt meat.

Although the black mist around him was scattered and uncertain, it remained dense.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, somewhat surprised.

This snake god is indeed something special; he was struck by a lightning spell but didn't die.

Hiss~
The ronin, possessed by the serpent god, flicked his tongue and crawled slowly on the ground.

Seemingly realizing Li Yan's formidable close-combat skills, he stopped approaching and instead slowly retreated, disappearing into the black mist. Accompanied by rustling sounds, he swiftly changed positions among the dense forest and tall grass.

Call ~
Suddenly, a foul, fishy stench swept over us.

Suddenly, the ronin poked his head out of the darkness, his mouth ripped open, almost to his ears, and a stream of green poisonous mist gushed from his throat, quickly dissipating.

Wherever it passed, the wild grass on the ground rustled and began to wither.

What a powerful poison!
Upon seeing this, Li Yan's expression changed drastically.

He was of course not afraid; the speed at which the poisonous fog spread couldn't catch up with his movements.

But the serpent god was extremely cunning; it attacked from behind, targeting the children.

If Li Yan retreats, none of these unconscious children will survive.

"Nogao, with three stars on the left and three prisons on the right, the heavens and earth will be overturned, all nine paths will be blocked, causing you to lose your mind, mistaking east for west and south for north..."

Without a second thought, he raised his left hand and began chanting an incantation. He had plenty of experience dealing with poisonous fog.

This "Northern Emperor's Protective Incantation" can stir up a gale and disperse the fog. However, after the Divine Tiger Token obtained from Tiger Taoist was given to Wang Daoxuan, it was replaced with the Thousand Thoughts Armguard.

In an instant, a fierce wind howled outwards from him.

The swirling poisonous fog was then blown away and dispersed.

But that wasn't the only unexpected bonus.

"Hmm~"

A muffled groan of pain came from the darkness in the distance.

However, the "Northern Emperor's Protective Curse" has the effect of reflecting curses. The ghost opera troupe's Qingluoniang, who was originally singing a folk song and cursing him, immediately suffered a backlash, feeling dizzy and unable to stand steadily.

Soon, the shrill screams began again.

But this time, it wasn't because of Li Yan.

But then they saw Qingluo Niang rolling around on the ground, her sharp nails scratching wildly at her body and face, as if she wanted to tear her own flesh off. Soon she became a bloody mess and was on the verge of death.

A graceful white figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

It was Long Yan'er.

Her eyes were icy cold. With a flick of her wrist, tiny black dots, like fleas, emerged from Qingluoniang's body and silently dispersed towards Huangquan Sanren.

puff!

Passing by the struggling Qingluo girl, he swiftly thrust his sword into her head.

A smile curved Li Yan's lips in the distance.

Divine transformation techniques, summoning ghost soldiers with divine commands, the "Bing Ding Ghost-Giving Talisman"...

Even when he was in danger, he didn't use any of these trump cards, because he wasn't alone; he had to save them to deal with Chen Hui, the mountain immortal hiding in the shadows.

not good!

Seeing this, Huangquan Sanren knew something was wrong.

With a determined effort, he abandoned the others and attempted to turn around and crawl into the tomb.

boom!
In the distance, flames exploded, and Huangquan Sanren's head shattered like a watermelon, instantly splattering blood and flesh everywhere. His body even took two steps forward before collapsing to the ground with a thud, his life extinguished.

A hundred meters away in the treetop, Shalifei chuckled and quickly adjusted the muzzle of his gun.

Creating one's own method is extremely difficult. Even if he is on the right path, he is still far from achieving the state of perfect harmony between man and gun. However, his marksmanship has already surpassed that of ordinary sharpshooters.

The newly modified revolver musket can fire five shots in quick succession.

boom!
Another loud bang, and the Onmyoji who was performing the ritual lost his upper body.

"Roar!"

A ferocious roar of a wild beast echoed from within the blood-red fog.

Without saying a word, Li Yan suddenly exerted force with his feet.

With a deafening boom, the ground cracked open, sending dirt and rocks flying everywhere. He leaped high into the air like a cannonball, landing directly above the thick fog, and pressed his left palm down.

Crackling and popping, the Soul-Severing Blade flashed with lightning, revealing the phantom of the Soul-Hooking Lock.

The lightning chains directly bound the blood-red fog.

As Li Yan landed, he made a pulling motion with his left palm, instantly tearing the blood mist into pieces.

Click!

The wooden monkey in the hands of the Onmyoji's corpse also split in the middle.

Having freed his hands to kill the shikigami, Li Yan was not worried about the children left behind, because a figure walked with his hands behind his back, using the Seven Star Step, and leaving seven shadows behind him, and appeared beside the children.

It was Zhang Tiankui, a master of Gangjin martial arts from Yangzhou.

These children are the only remaining bloodline of his Zhang family's distant relatives, so naturally he must protect them.

Swish!
A shadow lunged out from the darkness; it was the ronin possessed by the serpent god.

Zhang Tiankui did not retreat at all, but stepped forward in a series of rapid movements, and slightly raised his fists and palms.

When one reaches the Gang Jin level, the intent of the fist is divine, and one can directly draw upon Gang Qi to attack evil spirits.

An ordinary brat could be crushed with a flick of the wrist.

This is also the source of Zhang Tiankui's arrogance. In addition, as a martial arts champion for several generations, he has a lot of connections in the army and a superior status in Yangzhou City. That's why he can't be bothered to pay attention to Li Yan, this outsider.

The air around his fists and palms distorted, and sand and dust swirled around him as he moved. He first used a move called "as if sealing and closing," followed by a "chaotic series of attacks," moving so fast that he could not be seen.

Bang bang bang!

The sandstorm was like firecrackers going off, with muffled bangs all the time.

A dark figure was sent flying backwards by the blow, rolling several times on the ground.

It was the ronin possessed by the serpent god, whose bones were now shattered and who was no different from rotten flesh.

"Hmph, monster!"

As the sandstorm subsided, Zhang Tiankui stood with his hands behind his back, exuding the air of a grandmaster.

Of course, this alone is not enough to defeat the snake god.

But then billowing black mist emanated from the corpse, transforming into serpentine shapes that slithered across the ground and seeped into the ground, clearly sensing something was wrong and trying to escape.

Wow~
The sound of invisible chains rang out again.

Li Yan appeared instantly beside him and bound him with the Soul-Hooking Lock.

"Hahaha~"

Commander Zhou, along with his men, came running from afar, laughing. Before they even got close, he clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Young Master Li, your name is renowned throughout the land. You are indeed extraordinary. You easily subdued those mere demonic Japanese pirates."

He felt an indescribable sense of pride.

He simply bent down and easily resolved the issue.

He was also promoted temporarily, and after this incident, his position in Yangzhou was considered secure.

However, just as he was about to continue flattering Li Yan, he saw Li Yan's face turn cold and stern, and he shouted in a deep voice, "This matter is not over yet, all of you come over here!"

Upon hearing this, Long Yan'er quickly came to Li Yan's side.

Zhang Tiankui frowned, and Zhou Qianhu looked puzzled. Although he didn't know the reason, he didn't waste any words. One of them led his men, and the other grabbed the children and gathered around him.

Only the sandfly is relatively far away.

Upon hearing Li Yan's words, he also jumped down from the treetop, grabbed his musket, and ran up the hillside.

But after taking only two steps, he realized something was wrong.

The light suddenly dimmed, and the surroundings became indistinct, as if someone was whispering in my ear.

The sounds were faint and indistinct, yet they were incredibly irritating.

Shalifei felt a tightness in his chest, his vision went black, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He swayed and was about to fall, but someone caught him.

It was Li Yan who sensed something was wrong and rushed over.

"Incantation?"

Long Yan'er also ran over, and when she saw the dark circles under Sha Lifeng's eyes, her expression changed drastically.

A medium is indispensable for casting a curse.

But the curse came silently, and no one could detect the other party's methods.

Even more terrifying, she looked around and saw that the surrounding mountains were dark and the moonlight was dim. She could not sense any unusual aura, and the spell seemed to have come from the sky.

"It's a sinister act committed by a terrestrial immortal!"

Li Yan's words directly resolved her doubts.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the local immortals kept avoiding them; it was because they feared the underworld.

To ordinary people, the terror of earth immortals is almost like that of ghosts and gods.

Their range of spellcasting alone was far beyond their reach.

The other party must have set up an altar and cast spells in a very distant place.

Click!

A delicate amulet shattered on Shalifei's chest.

That was the "Six Ding Six Jia Talisman" that I snatched from the Fire Bear Gang in Chang'an. It was made by the Imperial Observatory and could only be worn by high-ranking generals. After going through countless bloody battles with Sha Lifeng, it was finally completely destroyed.

Looking at the dark mountains around her, Long Yan'er felt a surge of despair...

(End of this chapter)