Chapter 23: The Battle of Talismanic Arts! (II)

Materializing objects out of thin air? A storage ability that fits the proverbial "mustard seed in a gourd"

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? What kind of Daoist arts are those? Do such miraculous talismans really exist?

"I'm not afraid of anyone when it comes to playing with talismans," Shi Qianzhang said with a light chuckle. Liu Yunzhi's expression had already turned somewhat solemn.

Wang Sheng kept his eyes fixed on Shi Qianzhang, and the other cultivators watched the young man intently as well. Though the two had yet to engage in combat, most of the attention had already shifted toward Shi Qianzhang.

The under-twenty heir of the Longhu Celestial Master Sect seemed to perfectly embody the words "arrogance" and "flamboyance."

"Please enlighten me!" Liu Yunzhi suddenly shouted and then took half a step forward.

His hair fluttered behind him as he let out another sharp cry. The yellow talisman between his fingers burst into flames, creating a vermilion mahogany sword in his right hand.

With his left hand forming a sword finger, he lightly traced the blade of the wooden sword. Golden light shimmered along its length, and three faint talisman phantasms emerged before him, streams of primal qi surged towarding them.

Shi Qianzhang simply watched with a faint trace of disappointment in his gaze.

"The same trick again? How boring," he murmured.

Anger flickered in Liu Yunzhi's eyes. No matter how calm one was, enduring repeated provocations would be difficult.

The mahogany sword tremored slightly as Liu Yunzhi took another step forward. The three talisman phantasms then merged with the sword.

"By the Decree of Shanqing, Swift Lightning! Descend!" he shouted as he thrust his sword up, his words echoing across the arena.

Thunder rumbled lowly across the clear sky as two small bolts of lightning rushed down toward Shi Qianzhang's shoulders.

Treasured Shangqing Talismans: Lightning-Summoning Talisman!

The bolts of lightning struck swiftly. Though they weren't overwhelmingly powerful, they could momentarily incapacitate a cultivator at the Spirit Convergence Realm.

In response, flames burst out of Shi Qianzhang's palm, forming a basketball-sized fireball. Flames shot forth from it, briefly fending off the two lightning bolts.

Shi Qianzhang leaped backward casually, a few pieces of yellow talisman paper smoldering in his hand. The two streaks of lightning illuminated his slightly gaunt face, giving him an indescribable charm.

Frowning slightly, Liu Yunzhi quickly advanced and gathered primal qi along the blade of his sword. Soon, a small cloud began to coalesce above Shi Qianzhang.

Shi Qianzhang didn't wait for it to finish forming. He reached into the pouches strapped to his upper arms and drew out a yellow and a blue talisman. After shaking them lightly, he slapped them onto his thighs as he yelled, "Hasten, as the decree commands!"

Godspeed Talisman!

Ape's Leap Talisman!

While charging, Liu Yunzhi swung his mahogany sword down vertically. "Righteous Lightning Technique!"

Like serpentine spirits, over a dozen thin lightning bolts struck from above, ahead, and sides, converging upon Shi Qianzhang with uncanny precision. Their positioning hinted at an underlying formation pattern.

Nevertheless, Shi Qianzhang still seemed confident and prepared, maintaining a steadfast composure. With a light stomp of his foot, two streams of primal qi spiraled around his legs, propelling him to the side at an unnatural speed. The talismans on his thighs glowed brilliantly.

In just one leap, he had covered over ten meters, making the lightning bolts completely miss their mark!

Landing gracefully, Shi Qianzhang pivoted to dissipate his momentum. He then crouched and launched himself toward Liu Yunzhi like a tiger pouncing on its prey. The talismans on his thighs shimmered as he darted forward with incredible speed, moving with the agility of a leaping ape and the ferocity of a hunting tiger.

Crossing his arms in front of him, he deftly reached into the pouches strapped to his arms again. He drew a talisman from each pouch, formed a seal, and activated their powers. The two paper talismans—one blue and one yellow—flashed faintly as they drew in primal qi.

Crane Transformation Talisman!

Serpent Spirit Talisman!

The cry of a crane echoed as two streaks of white light appeared—a white crane soaring through the sky and a serpent slithering across the ground. They both swiftly made their way toward Liu Yunzhi.

Liu Yunzhi swiftly retreated two steps and swung his sword to carve precise strokes into the air, drawing a simple yet profound talisman with pure primal qi. With a slight tremble, the mahogany sword ignited the suspended primal qi, transforming it into a flaming net. In its descent, it enveloped the diving white crane, reducing it to ashes.

Guided by Shi Qianzhang's finger movements, the serpent deftly evaded the net. It then lunged at Liu Yunzhi's face.

Liu Yunzhi remained composed. With a steady thrust of the mahogany sword, he severed the serpent's head. Both the crane and the serpent dissolved into burning paper talismans.

However, the brief delay was enough to shift the battle's momentum in Shi Qianzhang's favor.

Shi Qianzhang darted nimbly around Liu Yunzhi, taking full advantage of his talisman-empowered legs to stay out of his opponent's line of sight. While moving, he pulled talismans from his pouches with astonishing speed, scattering them liberally like leaves in the wind. Flames, icicles, stones, and scalding water... the battle was as much a spectacle as it was a test of skill. The endless talismanic techniques on display dazzled the onlookers.

However, with the talismans' power limited by Shi Qianzhang's cultivation level, even a direct hit wouldn't significantly harm Liu Yunzhi.

Liu Yunzhi frowned deeply. Although he wielded the mystical techniques of the Treasured Shangqing Talismans, he could only pivot and defend himself repeatedly. In less than half a minute, he had been scorched all over, and his neck had turned red from the heat.

Meanwhile, Shi Qianzhang lazily peppered him with provocations.

"You still won't give up? Little Liu, do you think I'll keep holding back? This is starting to get boring, you know! Unless you've got new tricks up your sleeves, you'll lose just like last time!

"Tell me, are Mount Mao's Treasured Shangqing Talismans even effective? Can you show me a stronger lightning technique? If I were to just stand still and let you strike me, would you even be able to hurt me at all? By the way, I've always wanted to ask... what would you look like in women's clothing?

"Oh, and how about I start calling you 'Little Sister Liu' from now on?

Hahaha!

I haven't even used my real techniques yet! All I've done is throw some worthless paper talismans. If you can force me to use a talisman worth over 100 yuan, I'll admit defeat. How about that?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Liu Yunzhi roared in anger, "Shut up!"

His eyes flashed with divine light, and a faint green radiance erupted around him.

Five talismans flew out from Liu Yunzhi's collar and began to orbit him. Their crimson characters burst into flames, transforming streams of true essence into lightning and fire that raged outward in all directions.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

However, Shi Qianzhang appeared to have been expecting it. He leaped back with a mischievous smirk, having provoked Liu Yunzhi intentionally.

Now that Liu Yunzhi had prematurely revealed his hidden techniques, Shi Qianzhang stopped holding back. He deftly pulled out a black and a red talisman from his thighs and tossed them out with a flick of his wrists. The black talisman disintegrated midair, transforming into a swarm of over a hundred black butterflies streaked with gold.

The red talisman, on the other hand, shot forward like a flying dagger at an incredible speed. It reached Liu Yunzhi in the blink of an eye.

Liu Yunzhi reacted quickly. He shook his mahogany sword slightly, making the five floating talismans around him rotate in the opposite direction. Shifting their energies from lightning and fire, they glowed golden as they formed five round shields.

The red talisman struck one of the golden shields, causing a series of piercing clashes. It was as though a real blade and shield in fierce combat.

Bathed in the golden light, Liu Yunzhi seemed almost divine. His long hair and Daoist robe swayed in the air as he muttered incantations and continuously formed hand seals.

Still, Shi Qianzhang had clearly gained the upper hand. With his hands maintaining sword fingers, he moved nimbly around the arena. The red talisman continuously assaulted the golden shields, leaving trails that resembled fiery ropes in its path. The relentless onslaught gave Liu Yunzhi no room to counterattack.

Shi Qianzhang's usual grin had vanished, replaced by a look of intense focus.

Liu Yunzhi's determination to win now overshadowed his cultivation realm. He refused to lose again to Shi Qianzhang—a shameless troublemaker—especially not on Mount Mao, the stronghold of his sect.

"What remarkable talisman techniques," Zhou Yinglong softly praised.

Several Wudang disciples nodded in agreement. Their eyes remained fixed on the battle.

"I think Shi Qianzhang is harder to figure out. His talisman techniques are unpredictable, and his sharp tongue has been disrupting the mental focus of the Mount Mao disciple," Hao Ling remarked. "What do you think, Wang Sheng?"

The Wudang disciples all turned their attention to Wang Sheng. Despite his intense focus on the duel, Wang Sheng reluctantly shifted his gaze to them.

"He certainly isn't as shallow as he looks," Wang Sheng replied.

Mu Wanxuan nodded slightly. Her eyes sparkled with fascination as she stared at the swarm of black butterflies slowly fluttering forward. Perhaps she found the technique visually stunning.

A Daoist master from the Wudang Mountains sighed softly. "Shi Qianzhang is more than what meets the eye. He started cultivating on the Longhu Mountains five or six years ago. Even before the resurgence of primal qi, he had already mastered basic talismanic arts, and when primal qi returned, his cultivation progressed rapidly.

"It didn't take long for him to comprehend both volumes of the Longhu Mountains' celestial talismanic scripture, either. At his young age, he already has over a dozen original talisman techniques. He is now the foremost talent of the Longhu Mountains' younger generation, directly mentored by the old Celestial Master. His potential is truly limitless."

Wang Sheng frowned slightly. If Shi Qianzhang possessed such potential, why had he barely heard of him in his previous life? Perhaps some tribulation had prevented the talisman prodigy from reaching his full potential. Given Shi Qianzhang's sharp tongue and flamboyant personality, it would have been impossible for him to remain obscure otherwise.

After the Daoist master's commentary, the group quieted down once more, their attention returning to the duel.

By now, it was clear to everyone that the moment the black butterflies ensnared Liu Yunzhi, he would once again face defeat.

Liu Yunzhi's eyes revealed a hint of helplessness, yet he stubbornly held his ground, refusing to retreat.

Shi Qianzhang's lips twitched slightly. With his left hand, he crushed a yellow talisman, sending a gentle breeze toward Liu Yunzhi. Though seemingly harmless, the wind blew the swarm of black butterflies to Liu Yunzhi's side.

With a sigh, Liu Yunzhi flicked his wrist. His mahogany sword suddenly shattered, and the five floating talismans around him glimmered faintly as if they had given up resisting. The black butterflies enveloped him completely in the blink of an eye, leaving the five talismans hovering weakly around him.

At first glance, it seemed as though Shi Qianzhang was moments away from victory. However, the elder Daoists at the front and a select few spectators continued to watch Liu Yunzhi intently.

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow as his spiritual consciousness detected a surge of blazing primal qi within the swarm of black butterflies.

A moment later, a brilliant golden light burst forth!

It initially appeared as though a golden fireball had suddenly appeared in the darkness, or a blazing sunrise had appeared out of nowhere. However, upon closer inspection, Wang Sheng realized that the golden light was coming from countless thin threads that had instantly pierced through hundreds of black butterflies.

In mere seconds, the swarm of insects disintegrated into ashes and scattered into nothingness.

Liu Yunzhi emerged enveloped in a radiant golden aura. However, he was not its source; it was coming from his seemingly unremarkable Daoist robe.

Wang Sheng's eyes widened.

An artifact?!

1. The mustard seed symbolizes something extremely tiny, and the phrase implies a pocket dimension or compressed internal world hidden within a small object ☜