Trickster

Tricksters were a group of anomalies.

They had once been Spirit Masters.

After the great upheaval of heaven and earth fifty years ago, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth had waned and Evil Creatures had begun to multiply, dealing a massive blow to Spirit Masters.

Not only had the power of their spirit arts weakened considerably, but advancing their realms had also become far more difficult!

Spiritual energy was the force closest to the power of heaven and earth.

Hidden within spiritual energy was the code of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Every Spirit Master was a favored child of heaven and earth.

But now, as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth waned and spirit arts weakened, Spirit Masters were like abandoned children cast aside by heaven and earth!

All kinds of signs seemed to point to one cruel fact... The path of spirit arts had been cut off.

As a result, even more changes had taken place.

Some Spirit Masters wandered from place to place, seeking a way to change the current situation.

Some Spirit Masters altered the structure of their spirit arts, trying to make them adapt to the new circumstances and prevent their power from continuing to decline.

Some Spirit Masters had even abandoned the cultivation of spirit arts and turned to studying martial arts!

The top martial artists were no weaker than Spirit Masters, whether in strength or lifespan!

Other Spirit Masters abandoned spiritual energy entirely and turned to studying eerie power!

These Spirit Masters who studied eerie power... were the Tricksters.

Eerie power was an entirely new force!

In terms of the nature of its power, eerie power was actually no weaker than spiritual energy!

Wherever eerie power was abundant, Evil Creatures multiplied. All kinds of Demons and Ghosts appeared in endless succession, and there were even many terrifying existences beyond description!

Eerie power was indeed powerful, but it was extremely dangerous. Controlling it was exceedingly difficult, and the slightest carelessness could lead to a loss of control.

In order to develop this power more effectively, many Tricksters had actually absorbed it directly into their bodies!

Although this accelerated their understanding of eerie power, the risks were immense.

The eerie power within many Tricksters had run wild, turning them directly into terrifying monsters, or causing their bodies to explode until not even a complete corpse remained.

The path of Tricksters was extraordinarily perilous.

Many Tricksters had died on the road of researching eerie power. Only a tiny minority survived, and there were far fewer of them than Spirit Masters.

But as long as they survived, these Tricksters would inevitably grow immensely stronger. Eerie power was strange and perilous, and Tricksters were generally far more powerful than Spirit Masters!

Even taking on ten opponents alone was no trouble for them!

When Zong Lin heard that there were signs of Tricksters operating here, her expression changed dramatically. She knew all too well how terrifying Tricksters were.

Moreover, Kong Zhuohua had mentioned an organization—the Blood Shadow Hall!

It was an organization founded by four Tricksters. Although it had very few members, every one of them was extraordinarily powerful. Several Spirit Master Lineages had once joined forces to besiege the Blood Shadow Hall, but had suffered heavy casualties without achieving anything.

Within the borders of the Xiang Kingdom, the Blood Shadow Hall was a taboo-like existence.

"How many Tricksters came from the Blood Shadow Hall?" Zong Lin asked.

Kong Zhuohua shook his head. "I don't know. We only detected traces of a Blood Refining Bottle being used, which was why we concluded that the Blood Shadow Hall was directing everything from behind the scenes."

Zong Lin fell silent. She knew exactly what a Blood Refining Bottle was.

It was an eerie object made by the Tricksters of the Blood Shadow Hall. It could contain living beings and refine them into pus and blood, making it an exceedingly vicious eerie object.

However, Blood Refining Bottles were not particularly precious, and there were several of them. Usually, the Evil Warriors under the command of the Tricksters carried them around and operated in various places, while the Tricksters themselves rarely wandered about carrying one.

The appearance of a Blood Refining Bottle did not necessarily mean that a Trickster had appeared as well. Zong Lin quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Yuan and the others listened nearby as Zong Lin and Kong Zhuohua spoke. Although they did not understand the details, they could still sense the gravity of the matter.

After Zong Lin and Kong Zhuohua discussed the details of their next actions, Li Yuan and the others prepared to leave as well.

"There's still an hour before nightfall, and those monsters will attack the city again."

"You've had a difficult journey getting here. Go eat something and rest for now. When the time comes, we'll send someone to call you."

The Jiujang group left the county government office. On the way, Zong Lin explained the various circumstances to Li Yuan and the others, and everyone sensed the gravity of the matter.

This was the first time Li Yuan had heard of an existence like a Trickster. In a low voice, he asked, "Are Tricksters really that powerful?"

Zong Lin's expression turned solemn. "Of course. Don't underestimate Tricksters. They're extremely dangerous."

Li Yuan knew Zong Lin's strength.

During their previous trip to Changgan, a single spirit art from Zong Lin had easily annihilated more than a hundred zombies and evil ghosts. Her strength was plain to see.

Yet even a genius Spirit Master like Zong Lin was wary of Tricksters. Li Yuan had no choice but to face them with utmost caution.

Yangxing took excellent care of the martial artists and Spirit Masters who had come from other commanderies to provide support. Led by an attendant, Li Yuan and the others arrived at a tavern where food and wine had long since been prepared. Everyone took their seats one after another and began eating.

They had spent nearly the entire day rushing to get there and had long since grown hungry, so they all began to eat heartily.

Zong Lin sat beside Li Yuan and said in a grave voice, "Tonight, Evil Warriors and Evil Creatures will definitely attack the city. Several of us will assist with defending the city wall. Make sure we stay together then and don't get separated."

Zong Lin had participated in this kind of defensive operation many times and knew the details extremely well. She explained everything to Li Yuan, including what needed attention and where they needed to be careful.

This was Li Yuan's first time taking part in such a mission, and he listened attentively as Zong Lin explained. Every bit of this was life-saving information, and he could not afford to be careless.

The sky gradually darkened and the red sun sank in the west. When the final ray of sunlight vanished, night finally descended.

The martial artists and Spirit Masters of Meishan County stood atop the city walls. In addition, the walls were packed with guards, with sentries stationed every five paces and posts every ten.

Torches covered the city walls. Their bright flames illuminated everything within a hundred zhang, leaving any existence attempting a sneak attack under cover of night with nowhere to hide.

The entire Meishan County was fully prepared, ready at any moment to face an attack from outside the city.

Li Yuan and the others were responsible for defending a section in the middle of the southern wall. The six of them spread out, each standing ten paces from the next.

Because Mi Lan was the weakest and was still in the Body Tempering Realm, Li Yuan had her stay beside him for fear that something might happen to her. If the situation changed, Li Yuan could support her at any time.

Special fire oil had been mixed into the torch fuel, making the flames burn with extraordinary ferocity and brightness. On the city wall, the only sound was the crackling of the torches. No one spoke, and the air was filled with a solemn, murderous atmosphere.

Li Yuan focused his eyes and swept his gaze across the area beyond the city wall. He could detect the slightest disturbance.

The night deepened, and time passed second by second.

Apart from the occasional cries of birds and insects outside the city, there was not another sound, as if those Evil Warriors and Evil Creatures had forgotten this city altogether.

Around midnight, fatigue began to set in, and many people grew slightly drowsy. Suddenly, a faint sound caught Li Yuan's attention.

"Crack."

It sounded as though something had stepped on and broken a branch on the ground.

Li Yuan's eyes widened. He clearly saw a group of twisted figures appear in the distant darkness.

"Enemy attack!"

The alarm instantly spread throughout the entire city!