Very Like the Embroidered Tiger

By the water's edge on Mandarin Duck Islet, Yun Miao's true body had its neck snapped by the green-robed figure. Yet it vanished on the spot, turning into a crimson-purple talisman inscribed in platinum characters that drifted slowly down.

Chen Ping'an caught the rare, life-saving substitute talisman between his fingertips. Purple and white light flowed across it. Rather than tuck it into his sleeve, he flicked his wrist and shattered it with the force of a Martial Cultivator.

He looked around. Yun Miao was nowhere to be seen.

It seemed this Central Continent Immortal was not much of a fighter, but he knew how to flee.

His offensive methods were weaker than those of Han Yushu, the Immortal from the Wan Yao Sect.

On the distant river battlefield, Chen Ping'an had learned and immediately applied Wu Shuang Jiang's "Flower Bloom" technique. It resembled the original in form, but captured no more than three or four tenths of its spirit. Chen Ping'an had also used Ground Shrinking Talismans: every green-robed "petal" opening like a lotus was a talisman, a temporary ferry landing from which he could reverse mountain and water at will and change positions.

Thus, seventy or eighty green-robed figures now stood upon the great river by Mandarin Duck Islet. It was quite a sight.

Each young Sword Immortal had bright, spirited eyes, a long green robe, cloth shoes, and billowing sleeves. They looked rakish and free.

As for Yun Miao, the Immortal who had suffered such a crushing setback, he had withdrawn his colossal manifested form the moment he brought out his substitute talisman. No one knew where he was hiding.

But he certainly had not gone far.

The Yellow Paper Talismans Chen Ping'an had shaken from his sleeve had all been smashed by the towering waves striking the