Heaven-Subduing Scripture

With mana poured in, the Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman at Li Daoxuan’s palm blazed; between heaven and earth rose at once a howling yin-wind, then a sky-ward battle cry!

Streams of black smoke condensed into human form; they wore black armor, held black long-spears, and beneath their helmets drifted blue ghost-fire — not a whit of flesh upon them!

Underworld yin soldiers!

Yin soldiers, also called ghost-soldiers, are the brave picked by the underworld from the dead, charged with patrolling the Netherworld and suppressing evil ghosts.

Each yin soldier holds early-Bigu strength; trained by the underworld, they may form all manner of battle-arrays; and added to their fearlessness of death and their ability to revive, they hold no small fighting power.

Li Daoxuan summoned fifty yin soldiers at one breath!

This was already the limit of his present mana.

The yin soldiers crossed the Netherworld and killed into the mortal world; the moment they joined, the situation turned at once!

Some yin soldiers’ long-spears melted into black smoke, forming pitch-black shields, then a shield-formation that shielded Li Daoxuan within.

That sharp demon-wind, blowing on it, could only leave white marks.

”We come by summons — obey the Blue Netherworld Envoy’s command!”

The yin soldiers cried grand, voice shaking the clouds; that blazing army-might fired Li Daoxuan’s blood.

Why should a man not gird the Wu-hook, to seize the passes and fifty circuits of mountains!

What man’s heart holds not a general’s dream? Now Li Daoxuan, watching these fine soldiers and fierce captains, was stirred, and swept away his former gloom.

You have the clone-art; I have the battle-troop talisman!

Li Daoxuan began to command and deploy, like a great general gripping the tiger-tally.

”Where are my archers? Shoot them dead!”

”Aye!”

The shield-formation held; part of the yin soldiers’ long-spears transformed into pitch-black long-bows.

Nock, draw, loose!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Arrows rained like meteors, shooting into weasel after weasel.

In a trice a dozen-odd weasels turned to hair.

These weasels differed from the clone Master Sanle had swallowed — they held but a trace of Huang Sanlang’s mana and knew no battle-array coordination; against the yin soldiers’ assault they naturally fell back step by step.

Li Daoxuan gripped a Longevity Talisman and intoned the incantation.

”Away with sickness, prolong the years; patrol the Five Sacred Mountains; known to the Eight Seas; the demon-kings bow their heads. Guard my carriage; ominous dispelled, filth scattered; the Dao-qi endures ever — urgently, as the law decrees!”

The Longevity Talisman turned a golden light and sank into Li Daoxuan, swiftly replenishing his mana.

This was the Longevity Talisman his master had drawn — its effect naturally excellent.

After replenishing mana, killing-intent showed in Li Daoxuan’s eyes; he switched to the Five-Thunder Talisman.

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”Five thunders, five thunders, hasten gather at Huangning; misty transformation; roaring lightning, swift thunder; hear the call and come at once; swiftly send the yang-sound — urgently, as the law decrees!”

Rumble!

Bolt after bolt struck down, fire flying, sound shaking the earth — like artillery washing the ground, turning weasel after weasel to flying ash.

Pity they were but clones, and did not trigger the Heaven-Subduing Demon Scripture’s reward.

Whoosh!

The Jade Escape-Heavens Hairpin, like a dancing rainbow, swept through heavy afterimages; under Chen Ziyu’s working it pierced weasel after weasel.

In a moment the situation changed; Li Daoxuan’s side gained the upper hand, beating the weasels to scattered flight!

This is the might of a spirit-treasure — letting Li Daoxuan, who had been at death’s door, in an instant turn the battle and seize the advantage.

Yet that Huang Sanlang still sat his golden throne, most composed, and would not come out.

The weasels died in countless numbers, yet their total showed no decrease — Li Daoxuan killed one, the other split another.

”Damn — this divine art is too disgusting!”

”You think you’re Brother Monkey or something!”

Li Daoxuan could not but complain; the other’s art of endlessly splitting incarnations was much like Brother Monkey’s, so this weasel must have had some fortuitous encounter, to have learned this great divine art.

Truly a tough nut!

As time passed, the situation slowly bogged down; the balance of victory began to tilt bit by bit toward Huang Sanlang.

For the yin soldiers began to take casualties!

Those who had laid the shield-formation were hurt worst; their shields had begun to shatter, and many yin soldiers had their heads blown off by the demon-wind.

Yet even beheaded, they could climb up again, set their heads back, and fight on.

But each death dimmed the ghost-fire in their eyes a notch.

When that ghost-fire was utterly extinguished, they would return to the Blue Netherworld, and need some time before reviving.

As time ticked, of the first fifty yin soldiers, barely thirty-odd remained — casualties near half.

Yet those weasels seemed without end.

”Ha-ha-ha — who would have thought you held such a supreme treasure as the Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman; boy, this seat is ever more grateful to you!”

Huang Sanlang’s wild laughter echoed the mountains, most smug, as if already seeing himself slay his enemy and gain the heavy treasure.

Li Daoxuan and Chen Ziyu exchanged a look and nodded to each other.

His eyes full of killing-intent, he said loud, ”All of you — form the shield-formation, protect me with all your might!”

”Aye!”

At Li Daoxuan’s command these yin soldiers, without the least hesitation or doubt, roused all their mana, abandoned attack, mended shields, and reinforced the shield-formation.

Truly, the order fell like a mountain!

Li Daoxuan took from his bosom a figurine — the mid-grade artifact, the Cursed Effigy.

Huang Sanlang’s son had died by this effigy; though Li Daoxuan had pierced it, it could self-repair.

Now it was whole again, fit to use.

Li Daoxuan took a faint-golden hair and brought it to the effigy’s mouth — the very hair Sister Yu had drawn from his heart.

The faceless effigy suddenly grew a mouth and swallowed the hair; then its face shifted, showing aged brows and eyes.

It was Huang Sanlang’s likeness!

A vicious smile touched Li Daoxuan’s lips; he raised the Red Cloud Sword and stabbed the effigy’s… nether region.

A sword-cuts-the-chrysanthemum!

…

In the woods, Huang Sanlang’s heart suddenly jumped, a wave of ill foreboding rising; he looked toward Li Daoxuan, but the shield-formation blocked his sight, and he could not see what was within.

As he wavered, a tearing agony suddenly came from a certain part, and he could not help but scream.

Blood sprayed like a fountain…

Chen Ziyu’s beautiful eyes flashed; she turned toward a direction; the next moment her dark tresses flew, her wedding dress fluttered, and blood-red killing-qi shot to the heavens, dyeing even the clouds above red!

Huang Sanlang’s true body — found!

…

Within the shield-formation, Li Daoxuan spewed a great mouthful of blood, his breath flagging.

The Cursed Effigy fared worse — it directly burst into four pieces, shattered to bits; this mid-grade artifact was utterly ruined.

But this too was expected.

A mere mid-grade artifact — to expect it to kill a great demon like Huang Sanlang was surely a fool’s dream.

So Li Daoxuan’s true aim was not to slay the demon, but by this artifact to find Huang Sanlang’s true body!

The reason he said it bore great risk was that the caster would surely meet backlash; fortunate that Li Daoxuan, quick of wit, had not stabbed Huang Sanlang’s heart but changed to the nether region.

Equally painful, but without so great a backlash.

Even so, Li Daoxuan took no light internal injury; he minded it not, but looked to the green light afar.

Chen Ziyu and the Jade Escape-Heavens Hairpin merged as one — man and weapon as one — pushing the treasure’s might to its utmost, piercing drifting clouds, shattering the vault; in a trice she came before Huang Sanlang’s true body.

”You dream!”

Huang Sanlang gave a furious cry; rolling demon-qi burst forth, his eyes full of humiliation.

He roused a startling mana and blocked that fierce-oncoming Jade Escape-Heavens Hairpin with his staff; green and black light held in deadlock.

All the weasels turned about, spitting demon-wind at Chen Ziyu.

Li Daoxuan, killing-intent blazing, drew his sword and cried, ”Yin soldiers, hear my order — with me, kill!”