Chapter Seventy-Six: Take Your Filthy Hands Off

Upon the surface of the talisman, inscribed upon the hide of some unknown beast, a tiny sword, no more than an inch long, darted about with a strange liveliness, clearly marking this as no ordinary charm. As Huang Yipeng poured his spiritual power into it, the talisman gradually transformed into a sword of light, nearly a foot in length, and his face grew noticeably pale.

"A talisman treasure—how is that possible? It's over," Chu Xiner blurted out, her face drained of all color as she watched the sword take shape, her body trembling uncontrollably. Talisman treasures were consumable artifacts that only cultivators of the Foundation Establishment realm or higher could craft; their power and number of uses varied according to the method of refinement. Yet, regardless of quality, even the weakest talisman treasure could unleash the full might of a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s strike.

She had only just stepped into the early stages of the thirteenth level of Qi Refinement. Even the attack of a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator would be impossible for her to withstand. A bitter despair welled up in her heart—there was nothing left but hopelessness.

"Hahaha, retribution... retribution at last, cough..." On the other side, Shi Yan, who had been spared a fatal blow only because Xiao Wenzi wished to keep him alive for future feeding, laughed up at the sky despite his injuries. Blood flecked his lips as he laughed, but the schadenfreude in his eyes did not diminish in the least. "Demoness, evil deeds reap their own reward. Today, you will not escape justice."

His uncle was only a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, so the talisman treasure he had crafted was limited in power and would be consumed entirely upon use, without the possibility of reactivation. Huang Yipeng dared not delay any longer; with a flourish, he pointed his finger, sending the talisman treasure slashing toward Xiao Wenzi.

Indeed, his first target was not Chu Xiner, but rather Xiao Wenzi, who had been relentlessly attacking the barrier from outside. He sensed that this demon mosquito, whose strength had grown at such an alarming pace, was the greater threat.

There was a burst—a collision—"No! Wen!" The sword of light moved with astonishing speed, and at such close quarters, Xiao Wenzi had no chance to evade. The blade struck, and in the midst of Chu Xiner's anguished cry, his body was instantly vaporized, reduced to drifting ash.

The “death” of Wen filled Chu Xiner with a furious grief that momentarily eclipsed her fear. Gritting her teeth, she summoned two mid-grade magical weapons, hurling them against the oncoming talisman treasure.

"Foolish. Do you really think you can withstand the might of a talisman treasure? Utterly ridiculous," Huang Yipeng sneered as he watched her desperate struggle, his heart finally at ease after having so easily dispatched Xiao Wenzi.

There was a clash of metal—resounding strikes as the Vajra Sword and the Willow-leaf Blade met the sword of light. Though these mid-grade weapons were decent in quality, much depended on the user. If she were a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she could easily block the talisman treasure’s sword and dissipate its power. But Chu Xiner had only just entered the thirteenth level; she could not bring forth the full strength of the two weapons. One after another, the Vajra Sword and Willow-leaf Blade were knocked aside, and the sword of light, its force somewhat diminished, pressed on under Huang Yipeng’s control, slashing toward her once more.

Even a lowly ant clings to life—how could Chu Xiner simply await death? In that critical moment, though she knew she could not withstand it, she gritted her teeth and raised her protective aura with all her might.

There was a shattering sound—the sword of light cleaved through, and the watery blue barrier burst like a bubble, utterly defenseless. The water-element sword energy she mustered was just as easily destroyed. Blood welled from the corner of her mouth. Pale and knowing there was no escape, she closed her beautiful eyes in unwilling resignation.

A spray of blood, sudden searing pain in her shoulder—yet Huang Yipeng, still desiring her body, had not delivered a killing blow, using the talisman treasure merely to wound her instead. As Chu Xiner forced her eyes open and reached to clutch her left shoulder, the sword of light, nearly spent, curved and swept past her right calf.

Pain made her falter, nearly collapsing.

Huang Yipeng laughed heartily, striding quickly toward Chu Xiner. Though the sword of light had dissipated and his own spiritual power was now greatly depleted, with the troublesome mosquito dead and Chu Xiner wounded and powerless to resist, he savored the pleasure of ultimate victory.

He did not notice, however, that as he rushed to Chu Xiner and sealed her with his spiritual power, a new mosquito materialized out of thin air where Xiao Wenzi had just perished. At the same instant, two palm-sized talismans appeared before the little mosquito; as demonic energy poured into them, they dissolved into motes of starlight and vanished into its body.

A miracle unfolded—the mosquito’s form swiftly blurred and faded, vanishing into invisibility as if merging with the void. It turned out that Xiao Wenzi’s earlier refusal to resist had all been for this moment: after his resurrection, he could use an Invisibility Talisman together with a Concealing Demon Talisman to launch a sneak attack. Otherwise, when facing the sword of light, if he had used the Demon Shadow Art and the Swift Demon Technique to escape with all his might, he might well have dodged that strike. But what would that have changed? The sword of light conjured by the talisman treasure was too swift and lethal; if Huang Yipeng was truly intent on killing him, escape was but a fleeting hope.

Moreover, Huang Yipeng was a consummate master at the peak of Qi Refinement, with an uncle in the Foundation Establishment realm. He surely possessed more than one life-saving artifact. If his vigilance were aroused, it would become exceedingly difficult to kill him. Weighing all factors, Xiao Wenzi chose to expend a Heart Token, lie in wait, and strike at the opportune moment.

Though his fifth-tier system coins had all been spent, he still had some fourth-tier coins left—enough to exchange for two talismans.

"Hmm? What’s going on?" Though Huang Yipeng’s attention was wholly on the young woman before him, the wave of demonic energy behind him made him glance back warily—yet he saw nothing, and frowned in confusion.

As for Shi Yan, the man in green, his abdomen had been pierced by a bladed wing, leaving a grave wound. Having relaxed after witnessing his enemy’s destruction, he was now focused solely on healing his injuries and paid no heed to his surroundings.

With the Concealing Demon Talisman paired with the Invisibility Talisman, Xiao Wenzi could evade the senses of most cultivators. As long as he remained still, not even those of higher cultivation could easily detect him.

Finding nothing amiss, Huang Yipeng finally turned back, leaned down, and moved to lift Chu Xiner, intending to take her away to enjoy his spoils—he had long awaited this moment, and his heart was aflame with anticipation.

“Filthy scoundrel, take your filthy hands off me!” Chu Xiner’s spiritual power was sealed, but she could still speak. Huang Yipeng’s method of sealing her power was identical to the one used by the man who had once ambushed her alongside the “Twin Heroes of Cangshan.” Her cultivation suppressed and her body wounded, she was powerless to resist, but as Huang Yipeng’s hand reached for her, she could not help but spit a curse at him.