Heaven-Subduing Scripture

Facing the yellow-skin’s pressing question, an ordinary man would have been scared out of his wits — but Li Daoxuan only gave a cold laugh and said lightly, ”I think you look like dogshit!”

At this the yellow-skin was stunned.

In all his years he had never met anyone so reckless; shamed to fury, he showed his true form.

A long tail slipped from behind his clothes; his face was covered in yellow fur, his eyes brimming with bloodthirst.

Whoosh!

He charged Li Daoxuan with great speed, like an arrow from the bow.

But Li Daoxuan was faster; a small bronze mirror had already appeared in his hand, and as he shone it on the yellow-skin a beam of golden light shot forth.

Boom!

The yellow-skin screamed; his belly ran with blood, and the demon-qi about him met the golden light and melted like snow in the sun.

He spat out a vermilion demon core, even a little larger than the old bat demon’s, and whirled it up in a demon-wind that rushed at Li Daoxuan.

Li Daoxuan raised the oil-paper umbrella; a great mass of yin-qi gathered, like a pitch-black shield.

Thud!

The demon core struck the umbrella and sparked; Li Daoxuan stepped back a pace, unhurt.

Black tresses fell, the wedding dress fluttered; Chen Ziyu floated in the air, embroidered shoes three feet off the ground, watching the yellow-skin in silence.

The yellow-skin started — he knew he had kicked an iron plate today; neither this young Daoist nor that red-robed ghost-woman was to be trifled with.

Especially the ghost-woman: a single glance from her set his fur on end, as if some natural enemy had fixed upon him.

Flee!

The yellow-skin swallowed the demon core, clutched his wounded belly, and bolted backward.

Hair like serpents shot toward the yellow-skin.

But as Chen Ziyu’s hair was about to pierce his back, a thick demon-qi burst from the yellow-skin and broke the hair; then a red flash, and the yellow-skin’s figure vanished, as if shifted through space.

Li Daoxuan froze; he had thought Sister Yu certain, so had not even meant to use the Five-Thunder Talisman — yet the yellow-skin had a reserve trick?

That sudden burst of demon-qi had been terrifying, even fiercer than the serpent demon in the Wutong shrine!

This yellow-skin could not possibly have such depth — else he would not have been so easily driven off.

And that fleeting red flash, after which the yellow-skin vanished as if teleported — that shift-art is no small thing; his master had said only some great yaoguai of standing might master it.

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Very likely, this yellow-skin bore no common inheritance!

Else how could a yellow-skin only a little stronger than the bat demon escape Sister Yu’s hands?

Chen Ziyu’s eyes were calm, but the yin-qi about her grew denser, and her wedding dress dripped blood.

”East…” she said.

Li Daoxuan’s eyes lit — worthy of Sister Yu, to track even thus! Marvelous!

Yet he did not rush to pursue, but smiled faintly and produced a faceless effigy-doll from his hand.

The Cursed Effigy!

If one can curse from the shadows, why brawl face to face?

Who knew what other secret arts the yellow-skin might have?

Under Chen Ziyu’s watch, Li Daoxuan stepped forward and found on the ground a few yellow hairs — dropped by the yellow-skin in the fight.

Li Daoxuan brought those hairs to the doll’s mouth.

The next moment the faceless doll sprouted a mouth and swallowed the hairs, then quickly grew a face.

Pointed snout, crafty eyes — the very image of the yellow-skin just now!

Li Daoxuan showed a sinister smile, then drew the Fish-Intestine Sword and drove it hard at the doll’s heart!

The doll was pierced through; it screamed piteously, eyes wide in terror, lifelike.

Stranger yet, from the pierced spot fresh red blood began to flow…

In the moonlit mountain forest.

A red flash, and the yellow-skin reappeared where he was, still a trace afraid.

A hair’s breadth, and he would have died there!

He turned to look behind, eyes venomous, already engraving the young Daoist’s face in his memory — he would have this revenge!

The weasel kind is most vengeful; even after taking spirit-form, the habit does not change.

He clutched his wound and limped forward, meaning to go home.

His steps halted and his body began to tremble.

Thud!

A sound like a blade entering flesh; the yellow-skin’s chest split open a great cavity, as if an invisible sword had stabbed in and pierced his heart.

He fell, blood flowing unceasing.

Thud, thud, thud, thud…

Wounds kept appearing on the yellow-skin’s body — on hands, feet, back, even head — until at last the life left his eyes, leaving only endless regret…

Li Daoxuan stabbed the doll thirteen times, and only when the Heaven-Subduing Demon Scripture in his mind blazed bright did he stop.

That meant the yellow-skin was truly dead.

”Early Zhenguan, sixth month — at Cuiwei Mountain, slew a yellow-skin; reward gained — the Pengzu Valley-Immortal Sleeping Induction Art, Layer Two!”

Li Daoxuan’s eyes lit with delight — a critical hit!

The Pengzu Valley-Immortal Sleeping Induction Art has three layers: the first is ”Guarding Stillness,” his present state; the second is ”Entering Samadhi”; the third is ”Fetal Breathing.”

The next moment a flood of knowledge poured into his mind; the art’s second layer opened wholly to him, no secret left.

Chen Ziyu glanced sidelong at Li Daoxuan, who had closed his eyes; she felt his bearing had subtly changed.

As if grown calmer and more composed.

After some time Li Daoxuan opened his eyes; deep and still, as if in an instant he had grasped the heavenly Dao and awakened his innate wisdom — a perfected Daoist of full realization.

”So this is entering samadhi…”

Li Daoxuan felt his present state; it was better than ever.

The samadhi state is a cultivation of the heart: stillness breeds concentration, concentration breeds wisdom; entering samadhi is a deeper stillness, in which the mind’s wisdom-light flickers and no affliction arises — greatly hastening cultivation!

Though mastering the second layer did not directly raise his power, it let him gain twice the result with half the effort — like giving wings to a tiger.

Now a single day of his cultivation might equal ten before!

And in samadhi his comprehension surges, also greatly speeding the study of talismans and spells.

the gap between the second and first layers is like swapping a bicycle for a sports car .

Li Daoxuan ceased working the art, and that wondrous samadhi state faded with it; he was a little reluctant.

But one cannot stay in samadhi always; the state has a side effect — it greatly dulls desire, whether good or ill.

Long kept in samadhi, one easily grows too cold and detached.

But all told, samadhi’s benefits outweigh its harms; how many cultivators spend a lifetime over their books and never touch this state.

Li Daoxuan looked at the effigy-doll and smiled faintly.

Now faceless again, its sword-wounds were slowly mending; once fully restored it could be used again.

Truly a fine treasure!