Chapter 98: Chapter 68: What Are a Nascent Soul Practitioner’s Divine Techniques Like?
The moment the restriction dissipated, a hint of joy flashed in Wei Lingyun’s eyes. With a light push of his toes, he was the first to leap up the steps and land before the great hall’s entrance.
Tan Chong’s fingertips twitched, but he held back, considering that the situation inside was still unknown. He then vaulted up the steps, landing before the entrance to the great hall.
Seeing this, none of the factions dallied any longer and surged forward. Fortunately, the hall was magnificent and its entrance vast. Even with more than ten people gathered before it, the space didn’t feel crowded in the slightest.
With a CREAK, the two great vermilion-wood doors slowly swung open, revealing the scene inside.
The hall was indeed vast and empty, supported by eighty-one gilded pillars. At the far end stood an altar. Upon it, however, was not the statue of a sect patriarch but a depiction of the Yin-Yang Fish. The yang fish was crimson and the yin fish was blue, harmonizing fire and water.
Beneath the Yin-Yang Fish, a large seal of gold and jade sat casually on the altar. Other than the seal and a single Incense Burner, the hall was completely bare.
Though it takes time to describe, it all happened in the instant the doors opened. The hint of joy vanished from Wei Lingyun’s eyes as his figure blurred. He floated through the crack between the doors, darting into the hall like a phantom.
The move was abrupt, but those present were prepared and reacted instantly. In a flash, Tan Chong flicked his wide sleeve, unleashing a pre-prepared Magic Formula. A crimson cloud materialized above his head, roiling with fiery mist and showering sparks. The cloud then parted, and a streak of light shot out like a meteor, reaching Wei Lingyun’s back in a heartbeat.
Wei Lingyun sneered. With a careless flick of his sleeve, a plume of dark smoke rose from his back and enveloped the fiery light. The attack struck it furiously but created not a single ripple. In fact, Wei Lingyun’s momentum only increased as he shot toward the altar.
At that same moment, the others reacted. While Yan Renhe took two steps back, the cultivators of Xuanmen moved to charge into the hall. But suddenly, the Wumei Daoist of the Yinji Sect pointed a finger. A ball of inky darkness shot forth, expanding into a black wind that blasted toward the entrance.
"Nether Origin Filthy Divine Qi!" Sun Suzhen’s expression shifted, and she immediately halted her charge.
This Qi was refined from all manner of filth: yin turbidity, wicked human desires, vengeful spirits, and even the malice of Celestial Demons. It excelled at corrupting Magical Artifacts, damaging a cultivator’s foundation, and defiling their very soul. It was an exceptionally vicious technique.
However, the Qi had its flaws. It was difficult to refine continuously, and if made too turbid and heavy, it became hard to control. It was actually quite difficult to hit an opponent with. But the Wumei Daoist wasn’t targeting anyone in particular; he simply unleashed it across the hall’s entrance.
This brilliant move, while not a game-changer, would at least force the others back and buy Wei Lingyun another precious moment. A smug smile crept onto the Wumei Daoist’s lips, just as a calm voice declared, "Reverse the wind and return the fire!"
Zhong Shenxiu hovered in mid-air. With an elegant point of his finger, his wide sleeves billowing, the black wind of the Nether Origin Filthy Divine Qi instantly reversed course. It coiled back into an inky ball and shot back toward the Wumei Daoist. The Daoist’s expression changed drastically. He retracted his hand and quickly formed a new Magic Formula, struggling for several breaths before barely regaining control of his rebounding Qi.
Unfortunately, while the Wumei Daoist was occupied, the Xuanmen party had already rushed through the entrance. Si Xuan and his Yinji Sect allies had assumed the Nether Origin Filthy Divine Qi would halt their opponents and were bracing for a fight. Seeing this sudden development, they realized it was too late to stop them and worried about jeopardizing Wei Lingyun’s mission. Thus, they too hurried into the hall.
In an instant, only the Wumei Daoist and Zhong Shenxiu were left outside the entrance, along with the unhurried Xuzhuang, who remained by Yan Renhe’s side.
The Wumei Daoist’s face twitched as a chill shot through him. He frantically recalled his Nether Origin Filthy Divine Qi and tried to scramble into the hall. But Zhong Shenxiu merely pointed a finger again and uttered a single word: "Freeze!"
The Wumei Daoist instantly went rigid. He saw a flash of sword light emerge from Zhong Shenxiu, as brilliant as the full moon, dazzling his eyes. He felt a faint chill on his neck, and then his head was rolling off his shoulders.
The sword light swirled once in the air before vanishing back into Zhong Shenxiu’s sleeve. A glint appeared in Xuzhuang’s eyes. "An excellent technique, fellow Daoist," he praised.
Zhong Shenxiu smiled faintly at the praise and was about to respond when his gaze sharpened. He gave a curt nod and, with a flash of movement, entered the hall.
Xuzhuang paid it no mind. He turned to Yan Renhe and asked, "You don’t intend to go into the hall, fellow Daoist?"
Yan Renhe sighed. "As you know, fellow Daoist, I began as an Artifact Master. I’m not skilled in combat. Now that the hall is open..."
Xuzhuang nodded in understanding. "Then you should wait out here, fellow Daoist. With the talisman from Senior Brother Sun, you shouldn’t be in any danger. I’m going in."
Yan Renhe quickly replied, "By all means, go ahead."
Meanwhile, Wei Lingyun, the first to enter the hall, paid no heed to the squabbles behind him. Transforming into a wisp of dark cloud, he shot across the vast chamber and lunged for the altar. But just as he came within ten feet of it, he stopped short as if he’d been shocked. An insight surfaced in his mind out of nowhere: ’I am not the master of the five tokens. I cannot touch this object.’
At that moment, the others flooded in through the entrance. A flash of displeasure crossed Wei Lingyun’s eyes. ’Useless,’ he cursed inwardly. He spun around to see Tan Chong leading the way into the hall, followed by the jumbled group from Xuanmen. Si Xuan, the Black Robe Taoist, and Tantai Jing were right behind them.
A White Bone Sword flew from above Tantai Jing’s head, shooting straight ahead. In response, Sun Suzhen shook her shoulder, and a surging wave of light erupted more than a hundred feet into the air, crashing down on the trio. The moment Tantai Jing saw it, he recognized it as a powerful Divine Technique from the Dharma Origin Sect’s ’Myriad Rivers Flow’ arts. Not daring to block it recklessly, he dodged aside. Si Xuan and the Black Robe Daoist quickly followed suit.
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