The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Wang Zhenhuan used nearly 80% of his strength in this palm strike. He held back almost entirely; based on his previous actions alone, killing him wouldn't be an exaggeration. Therefore, Wang Zhenhuan didn't hesitate for a moment.

He swung his arm with incredible speed, creating a whistling wind, and before the Taoist could react, his palm struck the Taoist's head. The Taoist was terrified and instinctively raised his hand to block.

But Wang Zhen had anticipated this and wouldn't give him the chance. Before the Taoist could even raise his hand, he kicked him in the chest. This swift, decisive, and ruthless move had already been rehearsed in his mind beforehand.

As the saying goes, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Wang Zhenhuan was unsure of the Taoist's cultivation level, so as soon as he discovered the slightest flaw, he used almost all his strength.

*Snap!*

After a crisp crack, came the sickening sound of bones breaking. The Taoist priest didn't even have a chance to resist before Wang Zhenhuan shattered his skull with a single palm strike, sending him flying.

The Taoist priest flew backward, his face frozen in astonishment. After Wang Zhen landed, he suddenly noticed that the Taoist priest, who had been flying in mid-air, gave him a wicked smile before transforming into a yellow talisman and slowly drifting down from the sky.

not good!!

Wang Zhenhuan was startled and immediately turned around, striking behind him with his palm. But to his surprise, there was no one behind him. His palm missed its mark, and he staggered.

Just as he was at his wit's end, a whooshing sound suddenly rang out behind him. It was aimed at his Three Yangs Head. With no other choice, Wang Zhenhuan decided to play along.

He ducked down and rolled forward on the ground, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. Then, with a somersault, he sprang to his feet and stood there, staring at the Taoist priest.

All of this happened in just a few breaths, but its danger was no less than when he confronted the mirage dragon in the mirage realm. If Wang Zhenhuan had reacted any slower, he would have been seriously injured, if not killed.

The Taoist priest shared the same idea: to directly target Wang Zhenhuan's Three Yangs Master, aiming for a fatal blow. Because he had his back to the Taoist priest earlier, he hadn't clearly seen the priest's strength.

Looking back now, it was discovered that when the Taoist made his move, a faint blue spiritual energy emanated from his body, confirming that he was undoubtedly a Knowing Profound Realm cultivator. Meanwhile, the Taoist was currently at the Bright True Crimson Realm, a level lower than him.

Although this Taoist priest was not of high cultivation level, he was even more troublesome than the mirage dragon. In fact, Wang Zhenhuan felt that he was even more difficult to deal with than the mirage dragon.

Because the mirage dragon has no physical form, it possesses a high cultivation level but dares not confront Wang Zhenhuan directly. This Taoist, however, is different; he possesses genuine blue-level cultivation, albeit only pale blue, which is still not something Wang Zhenhuan can easily deal with.

Moreover, this demon is cunning and ruthless; he clearly used the clone technique long ago. When Wang Zhenhuan attacked his clone, he didn't make a move, but waited for Wang Zhenhuan to come to his senses, for his attack to miss, and for him to be powerless to retaliate before making his move.

This clearly demonstrates his extensive experience in combat. Moreover, Wang Zhen also discovered that the clone that the Taoist had previously conjured was a clone talisman from orthodox Taoism.

This proved that what the Taoist priest had said earlier was true; at the very least, he was a legitimate Taoist priest who had received ordination. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to use talismans. Wang Zhenhuan was both shocked and puzzled.

What shocked him was that this demon was not an imposter; he was a real Taoist priest. This was precisely what puzzled him: how could a Taoist priest of the Shangqing sect, who had been ordained, have fallen to such a state? Now, entangled in evil spirits and radiating demonic energy, he was practically indistinguishable from a demon.

Although he knew that the Shangqing lineage taught without discrimination, how could such a reckless demon, who treated other living beings like dirt, be granted a title by the Heavenly Court? Could it be that it had some kind of extraordinary encounter, just like him?

But now is not the time to think about these things. The most urgent task is to find a way to defeat this Taoist priest. Otherwise, neither he nor Old Sun will survive.

If facing ordinary demons, Wang Zhen would be quite confident, after all, he was well-versed in the "Secret Essentials of Zhou Tian" and the "Five Thunder Orthodox Method." He knew a little bit of almost all the major and minor spells of the three meridians.

However, this was his first time fighting against a fellow Taoist, and he was unsure of himself. Taoists possessed a vast array of spells, and although he knew of them, he didn't know how to counter them.

So, all he could do now was react to each move as it came. His opponent was strong, but he wasn't weak either; there was no need to underestimate himself. Wang Zhenhuan encouraged himself, then took the lead, stepping forward half a step.

The yellow talisman and the hand seals were completed in one smooth motion. When the Taoist saw that he was about to perform the ritual, he not only did not come over to stop him, but also, like Wang Zhenhuan, got up, took out a talisman from his pocket, and began to make hand seals as well.

Wang Huanzhen's expression hardened, and he immediately quickened the pace of his chanting: "The Big Dipper shines brightly, morality is boundless, the Nine Palaces punish the gods, the fire of Li rises to the heavens, the Supreme Lord Laozi commands swiftly as the law commands!"

The first spell that came to Wang Zhenhuan's mind at this moment was none other than the Blazing Sky Soaring Spell! This spell was originally the signature spell of the Shangqing lineage, and its power could be adjusted according to the caster's cultivation level.

It is effective for both fighting enemies and self-defense, and there is no barrier to entry for using this spell. However, the only problem is that this spell belongs to the Shangqing lineage.

Wang Zhen had been granted the title of Taiqing, so he didn't know if he could activate it using Taiqing's decree. However, the situation was critical, and every second counted. The arrow was on the bowstring, and there was no turning back.

Wang Zhenhuan didn't have time to think about it anymore. After chanting the incantation, he threw the yellow talisman in his hand. Seeing that the talisman spontaneously combust in the wind, he was overjoyed.

As expected, after the yellow talisman burned, it turned into a fireball the size of a palm, hovering in mid-air, connected with Wang Huanzhen's mind, waiting for his command.

It actually works! The three meridians are indeed interconnected, it's not just talk. Just as he was rejoicing, he suddenly heard the Taoist priest standing opposite him, also chanting softly.

"The Big Dipper shines brightly, boundless spiritual treasures abound, the Nine Palaces unleash divine punishment, and the blazing fire soars to the heavens! Supreme Dao Lord, hasten your command!"

After chanting the incantation, the yellow talisman left his hand! It transformed directly into two fiery wings, about the length of a forearm, hovering in mid-air. The Taoist looked at Wang Zhenhuan with suspicion, not understanding why he could use the Taiqing Edict to release Shangqing magic.

Wang Zhenhuan was also completely bewildered. This Taoist priest could actually summon the Heavenly Flame? But why was the flame form he summoned different from the one Wang Zhenhuan summoned? Could it be a problem with the decree?

However, there was no time to worry about that now. Seeing the Taoist's fiery wings appear, Wang Huanzhen had a thought and immediately controlled the fireball in mid-air, flying towards the Taoist's location.

The Taoist priest, not to be outdone, unleashed his fiery wings. The two balls of flame moved with incredible speed, meeting mid-air in the blink of an eye and colliding head-on.

boom--!!!