With virtue

Zhao Yunshu was being chased by zombies and ran wildly!

Then, as he ran, he skillfully repeated the same trick.

As for what trick he was using... all that was seen was that he made a hand seal with his left hand, and the surrounding energy was stirred by his own energy. A phantom was generated around him, separated from his body, and burrowed into the forest on the other side, while his real body turned back and rushed to the west.

He wanted to use this distraction to draw attention so he could go back and behead that gaunt Taoist!

Zhao Yunshu was very confident in his own illusion, believing it could fool the walking corpses and even the Taoist priest's eyes and ears.

You should know that with this skill, he had tricked the ghost general Zhou Heng three times. Even the monk Yuanmeng was fooled by him and was blown to pieces. The Three Yin Elder also fell victim to this.

This method is an excellent way to fight and escape.

He felt that the Taoist priest was so far away, yet he was still standing on the treetop pretending not to move. It was also nighttime, so even if his eyesight was good, he might not be immune to the illusion.

but……

To everyone's surprise, the gaunt Taoist priest merely glanced at it and scoffed, "You think you can embarrass yourself with a cheap trick like that?"

His voice was full of contempt. He then raised his right hand, extended two fingers, and wiped them in front of his eyes, easily distinguishing between the illusion and reality.

The illusion had backfired for the first time! It had been seen through! Zhao Yunshu's heart sank.

What was troubling was not that the illusion had been seen through, but that the other party had immediately uttered the three words "Po Hou Ji".

The "Po Hou Ji" is actually the foundation of this illusion!

This illusion technique is known as magic in Taoism, also called Pohouji.

This art originated from the Western Regions and has a long history. In ancient times, there was a country called Fulou, whose people were skilled in ingenuity and transformation, changing their appearance and clothing. They could create clouds and mist on a large scale, or enter the smallest hair on a small scale. They could also breathe fire and make thunderous sounds by puffing out their bellies. They could transform into the shapes of giant elephants, lions, dragons, snakes, dogs, and horses, or even bring forth a person from a tiger's mouth and provide the pleasure of a hundred beasts in the palm of one's hand.

Its strange and elusive nature was dazzling for a time.

Later, this skill spread to the Central Plains and was learned by musicians in the music bureau. They used it to attract customers and make a living. It was passed down from generation to generation and became known as the "Po Hou Ji" (婆侯伎).

Later, it became what is known as a "smoke and mirrors".

The principle behind this technique is not difficult to explain. It simply involves using one's own energy to confuse people's senses and create illusions. However, it is quite challenging for the user. Overly absurd illusions are easily seen through. The most important thing is to create the most suitable illusion with the least impact.

Zhao Yunshu was well-versed in this art and used it to trick his enemies several times. This was due to the illusions he created, as well as his words, actions, and even certain hints that made his opponents' minds waver.

For example, Monk Yuanmeng was distracted by the visualization diagram, which is why he ignored the illusion. As for the Three Yin Elder, he used Zhao Yunshu himself as bait to trick him into falling into a trap.

With Zhao Yunshu's cultivation level, dealing with ordinary people was more than enough, and he was also quite effective against ghosts or cultivators. But this Taoist priest before him was the most troublesome person he had ever encountered…

Completely unaffected, not even requiring any spells, a simple swipe on the eyes completely negates the illusion...

The difference in their spiritual cultivation is evident, like heaven and earth.

Seeing that his methods of survival had been exposed, and even his background had been brought up and discussed, Zhao Yunshu began to think of other ways to save his life.

He dared not harbor any more illusions and instead focused on using the Six Jia Talisman, borrowing its power to run wildly down the hillside, because the group of walking corpses behind him was getting closer and closer.

Even after solving so many problems, there are still over a hundred people behind us!

The gaunt Taoist laughed and continued condescendingly, "Young fellow Taoist, although your 'Po Hou Ji' (a type of magic trick) is not as refined as your fire magic, it is still somewhat presentable. It can fool ordinary people and mountain villagers without any problem. However, illusion magic is ultimately a minor art. It is fine for playing around, but if you really practice it as a skill, then you are far from being a true master."

Watching Zhao Yunshu being chased by the pursuing zombies, he said leisurely, "Back in the Yongjia era of the Jin Dynasty, there was a foreigner from India who crossed the Yangtze River to the south. He possessed such illusions. This foreigner, who called himself a Brahmin, cut off his tongue in public, causing blood to flow all over the ground. Then he burned the tongue, and when he looked again, the tongue was still in his mouth. Then he took a piece of silk and gave each person one end, cut it in half, put it back together and prayed, and the silk was restored as before. He also took a piece of paper and a rope and threw it into the fire. After it burned completely, he pulled out the ashes, and the original items were undamaged. He said this was the power of asceticism, but it was all just a hoax."

He shook his head slightly as he said this: "This kind of witchcraft, even at its most advanced, is nothing more than providing entertainment and amusement for those ignorant villagers. It's useless to those who cultivate themselves. I can break your illusions without chanting incantations or drawing talismans. I can simply wipe my eyes and see the truth. Do you know what the key is?"

He asked and answered himself, regardless of whether Zhao Yunshu was listening or not, and continued, "Illusions are nothing more than borrowing energy to confuse the mind and bewitch the eyes. The eyes are the gateway to the spirit. When the soul is settled, the spirit is concentrated. When the spirit is concentrated, all illusions cannot invade. I have controlled the soul. If you try to deceive me with illusions, it is like a firefly trying to deceive the moon. You are underestimating me."

"Practicing illusion magic allows one to display various wonders from the very beginning, which is quite impressive. Then, one can gain the praise of fools and swindle some gold and silver from them. Practicing this kind of method shows that your heart for the Dao is not firm. You are probably just a charlatan."

The first update is on suduɡu.cc, with no typos. If you can't see the ".cc" suffix in the address, you can access the first update site. Zhao Yunshu listened to the other person's words, feeling utterly annoyed.

This guy... is he a chatterbox?

Moreover, after all these evaluations, what happened next was a Mi Wu?

The "Mi Wu" refers to the Five Pecks of Rice sect. Because of their expertise in various esoteric arts, they were called "Mi Thieves" or "Mi Wu" by the famous mountain temple.

This practice is widely spread in the Sichuan-Chongqing region and has many followers.

However, later, the Taoist sect split into two factions, and those practitioners from noble backgrounds in famous mountains and grand temples looked down on the Five Pecks of Rice sect.

The main reason was that its methods were too complicated, mixed with many folk witchcraft, healing with talisman water, illusion and animal creation, etc., which were considered unrefined and thus it was called "rice thief" or "rice witch".

The monks of famous mountains and grand temples, upon seeing a Taoist priest using low-level illusions, witchcraft, or talismanic water, would often scoff and call him a "foolish sorcerer."

Zhao Yunshu's monkey-like tricks and sleight of hand made him appear to be nothing more than a wild Taoist priest who had learned some unorthodox methods. He was no different from those folk sorcerers who did not cultivate their nature and had no chance of ascending to immortality. Therefore, the gaunt Taoist priest stood on the tree and mocked him all the way.

This gaunt Taoist priest talked too much nonsense, but Zhao Yunshu ignored him and continued to flee, his eyes only on the desire to survive, and he was too lazy to argue with the other party about these irrelevant things.

However, despite his rapid pace, the overspeeding zombies still managed to surround him on the mountain path.

Zhao Yunshu was surrounded by a horde of corpses. All around him were skeletons, many already rotting, emitting a stench that gave him a headache and creating a truly horrifying scene. Seeing himself surrounded again, he knew that if he didn't fight his way out quickly, he would surely die as the number of enemies increased. So, he steeled his resolve and charged headlong into the fray!

But then the young Taoist priest, relying on the divine light of the Six Armor Gods protecting him, wielded an iron sword with incredible speed and force, charging into the horde of corpses like a whirlwind!

The power of the Six Jia Talisman was indeed wondrous. At this moment, golden light emanated from his body, and the sword's edge was several times faster and more powerful than usual.

With such divine power, it was as if a tyrant had entered his body, allowing him to charge left and right through the horde of corpses as if he were in an empty field, and in the blink of an eye, he had carved out a bloody path.

Behind him lay a jumble of slain corpses, some still twitching slightly, others completely still.

His sword moved with him, its cold light radiating everywhere. He killed one person with a single strike, as easily as cutting melons and vegetables. The path of blood was literally a path of blood; wherever he went, dark red stains appeared under his feet.

A zombie on his left reached out its claws, trying to grab his shoulder. He dodged to the side, swung his sword backhand and severed the zombie's arm, then kicked it away.

Another zombie lunged from the right, leaping down from a height to strike the young Taoist priest. But he neither dodged nor avoided it. Relying on his divine light protecting him, he slumped his shoulder and caught the zombie head-on. With a move like Kuafu carrying a mountain, he sent the corpse flying, and after it flew, it knocked a group of people behind him like bowling balls.

At that moment, a zombie emerged from beneath his feet. It was the one he had just slashed down, which had crawled over and grabbed his ankle with its claws.

But the attempt to grab it was instead repelled by a golden light, and it couldn't be grabbed at all.

This is the ability to protect the body.

Zhao Yunshu swung his sword with a backhand motion, severing the man's head. With a roar, he ducked to avoid the attack, then swept his leg to trip over the next horde of zombies. He leaped up, trying to escape the horde's encirclement. For a moment, screams echoed through the forest, a chilling wind howled, and the stench of blood and decay was so strong it seemed to ferment. Anyone outside would have been terrified.

But the young Taoist priest in the very center was not afraid at all. He was so bold that he could make thunder, so of course he was not afraid of such a scene. He thought it was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep and he had to break through the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood to make a way out!

However, no matter how brave he was, he was still powerless against the endless enemy, and no matter how he killed, he was not efficient enough.

They killed one, and two more came to their rescue! It seemed endless!

The corpses piled up higher and higher, to the point that the blood and severed limbs beneath his feet became obstacles to his movement.

Seeing this, the young Taoist gritted his teeth, steeled his heart, and, fueled by a surge of bloodlust, simply threw the iron sword!

This was a life-threatening situation. If the iron sword were lost, it's unlikely that he could get out of here unscathed using only his fists and feet.

But this strike was indeed very effective. The sword's momentum was like a rainbow, piercing through the chests and abdomens of two corpses in succession. Its momentum did not diminish, and it smashed into a group of walking corpses behind it, causing them to lose their footing and fall to the ground.

He also lost his iron sword and was free of a burden. He immediately leaped up and took the opportunity to land on the shoulders of several zombies. Using the momentum, he quickly skimmed over the heads of the zombies like a dragonfly skimming the water!

A quick-handed zombie reached out and grabbed his ankle, but he was too fast and only managed to tear off a few pieces of cloth.

As he walked over the corpses, he also used his foot to hook up the iron sword stuck in the corpse, then flipped down from mid-air, catching the sword as he landed on the outer edge of the corpse horde!

He trod on the corpses like lotus leaves, his sword light like a rainbow, fluttering like a butterfly! But the young Taoist himself was not so graceful. After landing, he took off running, running wildly without even looking back!

Forget about looking at the hammer; this is a matter of life and death, how dare we stop? We finally broke through, so running away is the most important thing! Let's get down the mountain first!

The horde of corpses howled behind him and continued to chase after him!

As Zhao Yunshu ran, his legs felt weak and his vision blurred. The move he had just performed, which seemed smooth and powerful, had almost exhausted him. He knew he wouldn't be able to do it again, so he had to think of another way.

Running at breakneck speed!

The mountain wind kept blowing, and with the young Taoist priest's constant footsteps, it made the back of his neck feel cool. Several times, he was almost grabbed by a hand that reached out from the shadows.

He cleaved two more zombies in two with his backhand, kicked one of them so hard it rolled down the slope, and without even looking at the result, continued his sprint downhill.

The golden light of the Six Jia Talisman gradually faded, and the color of the talisman paper dimmed considerably, clearly indicating that it wouldn't last much longer.

With his life hanging in the balance and his heart filled with anxiety, he pressed his feet even harder, charging forward with his head down. If he couldn't shake off these zombies before the spell's power wore off, he would probably lose his life here.

Zhao Yunshu fled for his life, descending rapidly from the mountain to the foot of the mountain. He used the slope to accelerate himself and the obstacles and difficulties on the way down caused the zombies to fall over, which allowed him to make his way here.

Those zombies were really troublesome. They wouldn't even get up after falling to the ground, but would roll and fall all the way down, breaking bones and tendons. But as long as the bones weren't completely broken, they could still be chased, just at a slower speed.

Suddenly, the terrain opened up ahead, revealing a lake at the foot of the mountain. Under the moonlight, the water rippled, reflecting a beautiful, white expanse. Seeing this lake, Zhao Yunshu was overjoyed!

What a beautiful scene of shimmering water and moonlight! It paved a way for me to survive!

His eyes lit up, and without stopping, he held his breath and sprinted forward, increasing his speed as he rushed towards the lake.

Sprint! Sprint! Sprint! Charge!

The zombies were hot on his heels, some of them running as fast as they could get within a few feet of him...

In that split second, Zhao Yunshu flicked his left hand and made a water magic spell.

The instant his toes touched the water, a jet of water suddenly surged up from beneath his feet, as if a white lotus had sprouted in the water, lifting his body upwards!

Immediately afterwards, he took a second step, a second white lotus rose, and his body rose again, allowing him to take a third step!

This cycle continues, step by step, each step treading on lotus blossoms, the speed undiminished, rushing towards the center of the lake!

The horde of zombies chased them to the lakeside without stopping, crashing into the water and plunging headfirst into the lake like dumplings being dropped into a pot. But before they could even swim, they were trampled and pushed into the water by the zombies behind them, sinking one by one.

Although these zombies did not need to breathe, they could not move after entering the water. They thrashed about frantically, waving their arms and legs wildly. Some got stuck in the mud, some were entangled in the water plants, and some were knocked over by their companions. They were all stopped at the water's edge.

The lake water churned and splashed incessantly, like a swarm of insects falling into a silver plate, thrashing about and shattering the moonlight on the water, causing ripples to spread wildly. Zhao Yunshu ran all the way to the center of the lake, dozens of feet from the shore, before stopping.

There was a small island in the middle of the lake, and he stood on the island, finally able to catch his breath.

Only then did he have the strength to look back. A large group of zombies on the shore were crowding into the water and continuing to die in his direction, but it seemed unlikely that they could catch up.

Zhao Yunshu finally breathed a sigh of relief, panting heavily. The pent-up energy in his body dissipated, and his pores opened, causing a gush of sticky sweat to pour out, soaking his clothes and making his hair look like he had just washed it.

He didn't mince words; he simply unloaded his burdens, left them on the ground, and then decisively turned around and jumped into the water to cool himself down.

His hands and feet were a little sore, but it didn't matter. After cooling down in the water, he immediately got up, went ashore, and adjusted his internal energy.

The lake water was icy cold, and the night breeze was even colder. He was soaked to the bone, but he didn't feel cold at all. In fact, he felt a little hot because of the excessive activity. This was the benefit of having sufficient heart and kidney energy.

After spending less than a minute adjusting his breathing and stopping his heavy breathing, he stood up, ready to leave the island in the middle of the lake and run towards the opposite shore in the distance.

In short, we should first get onto the official road and onto the main road, then we can run much faster, and that Taoist priest probably won't be able to chase us for long... After we get rid of him, we can find another way.

Pick up the bundle...

At that moment, he squatted down on the ground and rolled around on the spot!

A muffled thud was heard, and a black light streaked through the night, nearly piercing his heart before plunging him into the ground with a soft thud, hence the sound. Luckily, he hadn't let his guard down, and thus escaped unharmed!

He rolled to the side and landed right next to his sword. He picked it up and held it in front of him!

With a clang! The metal clashed!

I don't know when, but just a moment ago, that black light shot out from the ground and attacked again!

After blocking the attack, Zhao Yunshu felt a throbbing sensation in his temples. A strong sense of foreboding made him uneasy, and he blocked again towards what he felt was the most dangerous spot!

Another clang rang out, and this time, he finally saw clearly what the black light was.

It was a short knife with incantations engraved on both sides of the blade. A red thread hung from the hilt and was wrapped around it for grip.

At this moment, the short sword was suspended in mid-air, its tip pointing at Zhao Yunshu.

What made Zhao Yunshu's scalp tingle even more was that behind the short sword, there was a faint, illusory figure, only half of its body outlined, its face indistinct, but a semi-transparent hand could be seen gripping the hilt bound by the red rope, manipulating the short sword.

Now I understand. That red rope was probably not dye, but rather dyed with an extremely yin and spiritual substance, such as the blood of a pregnant woman's fetus. It used the half-dead, half-alive ability of the unborn creature to allow the ghost to easily grasp the knife.

It appears that a ghost, ridden by the Taoist priest, has attacked.

Thankfully, it wasn't a flying sword or anything. But that's to be expected; if it were, he probably would have died from that attack. This Taoist has cultivated so many things, surely he couldn't possibly be able to forge a flying sword, could he? What kind of monster is that? Zhao Yunshu relaxed a little, but in that moment of relaxation, the short sword attacked again!

Zhao Yunshu originally only wanted to stall for time and use the peach charm on his body to suppress the evil spirits, so he stepped forward with his sword, but as soon as he took the blow, he was immediately injured!

The ghost wielding the knife was incredibly skilled with his swordsmanship. The previous strike was merely a test, yet Zhao Yunshu's arm had already glowed with a golden light—the protective effect of the Six Armor Talisman. Had he been even a fraction slower, the light would likely have been emanating from his neck!

Moreover, Zhao Yunshu discovered that his peach charm was actually ineffective in suppressing the opponent!

Damn it, it's a ghostly object, why isn't it afraid of peach wood charms?!

He had doubts in his heart, but he dared not stop his sword, because the short knife had already spun in the air like a butterfly and was flying towards his throat again. It was cunning and shrewd. Although it was not as good as a martial artist who was good at swordsmanship, it was still better than the little Taoist's level!

And the most difficult thing to handle is the speed; the Yin Ghost's knife control is so fast that it is almost invisible to the naked eye!

Zhao Yunshu swung his sword to block again. The sword and blade clashed, and a string of sparks flew in the darkness. The short sword, after all, was suspended in the air and too light. Zhao Yunshu used the brute force of the Six Armor Talisman to knock it to one side, but because it had no physical control, it spun around and returned to its original position!

For a moment, Zhao Yunshu was as if he were covered by a cloud of short swords. Blades flew up and down from all directions, each one aimed at a vital spot, forcing him to retreat step by step. The golden light of the Six Armor Talisman on his body became dimmer with each flash.

They even retreated all the way, almost being forced into the lake.

While parrying, the young Taoist priest also managed to glance at the location of the gaunt Taoist priest.

Under the moonlight, the gaunt Taoist priest still stood motionless on the treetop in the distance. He was facing Zhao Yunshu with his eyes closed, his hand forming a hand seal.

Zhao Yunshu's mind went blank, his scalp tingled, and he felt a chill run down his spine, making his breath tremble!

No wonder the peach charms couldn't suppress the evil spirits!

That's not a ghost!

That's...!!!

The spirit leaves the body! Three hundred feet!

Damn it! It's so far away!