Chapter 189: Integrity and Righteousness

With a single palm from afar, Li Yanchu shattered half the body of the man who had become hulking and muscular through spirit possession. Staring at the corpse on the ground, Daoist Master Tieshan and Blind Zhou were both visibly shaken, and their entire bodies trembled with fear as their hearts pounded in their chests. This level of strength was simply too overwhelming!

Li Yanchu’s gaze was as cold and sharp as lightning as he turned his eyes toward Daoist Master Tieshan. A man practicing dark arts was bad enough, but wearing a Daoist robe while doing so? He was tarnishing the name of the Daoist path!

“You demonic Daoist. Weren’t you just saying you wanted to capture me and earn favor? Well, here I am. Go ahead, make your move,” Li Yanchu sneered.

Daoist Master Tieshan frowned deeply.

This young Daoist is way too arrogant!

But he hesitated. That terrifying palm strike just now gave him pause.

Li Yanchu scoffed again, “What’s the matter? The only thing your techniques are good for is finding women for your master?”

Daoist Master Tieshan was furious. “Bastard! That’s going too far!”

He pulled a black command talisman from his robe and threw it to the ground.

Clang

! The talisman pierced the solid earth like a javelin.

Then he began to chant an esoteric incantation, his fingers rapidly forming seals. All around them, a howling yin wind rose, as if some terrible ghostly being was about to be born.

“Summoning ghosts and spirits? Quite the mixed bag you’ve got there,” Li Yanchu said coldly.

Daoist Master Tieshan growled hatefully, “You arrogant junior! Since your elders clearly failed to teach you manners, allow

me

to correct that!”

As he spoke, blood began to leak from all seven of his orifices, creating an eerie sight. Clearly, this technique came at a severe physical cost.

Within the swirling ghost wind, five black shadows began to emerge from Daoist Master Tieshan’s body. They were vaguely shaped like infant children, but their twisted and vicious faces were ghastly to behold, and their aura wicked and oppressive.

When she saw this, Ding Rou’s expression changed. She suddenly recalled an evil technique and shouted, “Daoist Master, retreat! That’s the Five Ghosts Soul-Seizing Spell! Once it takes form, it instantly seizes the target’s soul!”

Five Ghosts Soul-Seizing Spell?

Li Yanchu’s brow furrowed at her words, as he had heard his master mention this dark art before. It involved raising five infant ghosts within the body. These “ghosts” were the souls of unborn fetuses, killed before birth. To cultivate this spell, the ghosts had to be filled with extreme resentment. Practitioners of this dark art would often intentionally raise vengeful unborn spirits, committing unspeakable cruelty against pregnant women.

To truly complete the Five Ghosts technique, forty-nine such spirits had to be collected. It was a practice of unimaginable evil.

Daoist Master Tieshan shrieked, “You arrogant brat! Just because your martial strength is great, you think I’m beneath you? I’ll show you that there’s always someone stronger in this world!”

The five ghosts fed on his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, draining his life force. To cast this spell, he had already sacrificed five years of his own lifespan. How could he

not

hate Li Yanchu? He wanted nothing more than to tear him limb from limb.

As his incantation ended, the five ghost infants let out a piercing wail and rushed at Li Yanchu. “Demonic scum! You’re courting death!” Li Yanchu shouted coldly and summoned an ancient seal.

At once, a surge of blazing pure yang flame erupted, like a blazing sun that could scorch the heavens!

Heaven-Illuminating Seal!

With that, the five ghosts, formed from concentrated malevolent qi, were instantly annihilated.

Daoist Master Tieshan had no time to react. His entire body was engulfed in flames, and he was burned to ashes before he could even let out a scream! His soul was utterly destroyed, and not even bones remained.

Ding Rou and Blind Zhou were utterly dumbfounded. What kind of magical artifact was that!? It wiped out Daoist Master Tieshan in an instant.

Li Yanchu retracted the Heaven-Illuminating Seal with a flicker of surprise on his face. This divine artifact, obtained from the mouth of the Baxia stone statue, was something he had already refined, though he hadn’t yet used it in combat.

He hadn’t expected its power to be this overwhelming! So this was the infamous Five Ghosts Soul-Seizing Spell? In front of the Heaven-Illuminating Seal, it wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Li Yanchu made a rough estimate that that single strike had a power comparable to a triple-enhanced Five-Lightning Talisman.

But there was a key difference: Using this fire-aligned artifact drained two-thirds of his internal spirit qi. Whereas talismans like the Five-Lightning Talisman did not consume internal qi.

Still, the Heaven-Illuminating Seal had a crucial advantage. It could be used repeatedly without requiring re-enhancement!

It may not be a legendary artifact from mythology

, Li Yanchu thought,

but its power is tremendous. It can definitely serve as a trump card.

Blind Zhou was utterly stunned.

Where did this killing god come from!? Such ruthless power!

He had already seen Li Yanchu’s incredible movement techniques. This was someone who could carry a giant thousand-jin jujube tree and still move with lightning speed.

Now, even if Zhou wanted to run, it would be far too late. He clutched his razor-sharp erhu, standing stiffly in place, not knowing what to do. An awkward silence lingered.

Li Yanchu suddenly asked, “Your name is Blind Zhou, right?”

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“That’s right. That’s me,” Zhou replied.

Li Yanchu nodded slightly. Only now did he notice that the man truly lived up to the name "Blind Zhou." His eyes were mostly whites, making him really look like a blind man.

Then Li Yanchu asked, “Can you tell me a bit about this ‘young Daoist Master’ you all serve?” Li Yanchu asked.

Blind Zhou was momentarily stunned. “I’m a disciple of Mount Mao. I would never betray the young Daoist Master!”

Li Yanchu chuckled lightly, “Didn’t expect you to be so loyal and principled. Well then, never mind. You can just die.”

As he spoke, he raised the Heaven-Illuminating Seal again.

However, Blind Zhou had only been putting on an act. Usually, those heroic and chivalrous types would look down on double-dealers like him. But they tended to spare people who had backbone and refused to betray their comrades. He hadn’t expected this young Daoist to completely ignore that script. He asked one question, and when he didn’t answer, he just tried to kill him!

Blind Zhou hurriedly shouted, “Daoist Master! Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you everything. I won’t hold anything back!”

Li Yanchu smiled faintly, “Didn’t you just say you’d never betray your young Daoist Master?”

Blind Zhou responded solemnly, “That Hong Baiwei is arrogant and tyrannical. He has no regard for human life. I’ve long grown disgusted by his actions. Today, meeting a chivalrous figure like you, Daoist Master, has made me want to renounce the darkness and follow the light. I’d be honored to follow you instead!”

Ding Rou frowned slightly.

Li Yanchu, however, smiled and said, “You’re quite self-aware. Go on, tell me what’s happening on Hong Baiwei’s side.”

Blind Zhou thought for a moment, organizing his words, “Hong Baiwei is the most gifted disciple of the younger generation at Mount Mao. He cultivated the Mount Mao arts to a very high level. He’s long been capable of spiritual projection and soul travel by night. There are even rumors that he’s the illegitimate son of the Mount Mao Sect leader. He carries many magical artifacts, and his temperament is domineering and reckless.

“There was once a senior monk from a Buddhist sect who was slain by him and cut down by his Seven-Star Mystic Sword. Among Mount Mao’s younger generation, he’s widely regarded as the one most likely to reach the Third Realm, and he’s the top contender to become the next sect leader.

“This time, upon entering the Mount Jinting Blissful Land, Hong Baiwei has been actively collecting fragmented jade pieces. It seems to be tied to some great secret. He’s ordered the disciples of Mount Mao to eliminate other cultivators who enter the Blissful Land.

“Anyone who can be recruited is recruited. Those who can’t... are simply killed on the spot.”