Thunder Talisman

The peach wood sword had a bronze sheen and a pleasant fragrance, made through over a dozen processes. Its blade was incredibly sharp, and when infused with Innate True Qi, it was almost comparable to ordinary mortal iron long swords!

And the target was the throat vital point. If an ordinary person were hit, death would be certain.

"Huh?"

There was no sensation of the blade piercing flesh and blood. Instead, it felt like it had struck smooth fur. The sword edge deflected, causing Wu Ming to utter a soft "Huh?".

"Damn it!"

A flash of light flickered on Zheng Qian's body as he retreated rapidly, filled with relief. "You country bumpkin, have you ever seen a Magic Tool? I not only have the Yin Gathering Banner for offense, but I also have a Magic Tool for defense. How can you possibly defeat me..."

Slap!

Just then, the golden light around Wu Ming also collapsed, causing Zheng Qian to pause. He then burst into laughter. "Hahaha... The Talismans' power is depleted. What else do you have to resist my army...?"

"A Magic Tool? A defensive one?"

Wu Ming's expression was blank as he looked at the approaching Ghosts, completely unfazed. "Judging by the Black Gold Ring, even Magic Tools can't be used indefinitely... It seems I'm going to strike it rich this time!"

His thoughts raced, but his hands didn't slow down. In an instant, several yellow talismans flew out.

The talismans turned into flames in mid-air and landed on the vines. They immediately ignited like fuel, spreading rapidly and burning the vines to ashes.

Hiss!

Another layer of gold exploded around Wu Ming, even forming a golden armor that made the evil spirits recoil.

"Damn it... How many Talismans do you have prepared?"

Zheng Qian's facial muscles contorted.

Anyone would feel mentally unbalanced seeing Wu Ming squander them like they were free.

Instead of saving this merit to exchange for high-level Magic Tools and cultivation techniques, he exchanged it all for disposable Talismans? This made Zheng Qian feel like he had encountered an even more extravagant prodigal son than himself, filled with a sense of unreal illusion and frustration.

Sword light flashed! Chilling air!

With his golden armor active, Wu Ming pushed back the horde of ghosts again and charged towards Zheng Qian.

Zheng Qian hastily dodged, rolling on the ground in utter disarray.

"Why aren't you taking the hit anymore..."

Wu Ming smiled, pressing his advantage. "Even defensive Magic Tools... can only be used once. Once they exceed their tolerance limit, or their magical power is depleted, they become useless, right?"

"You..."

Zheng Qian was about to speak when he saw Wu Ming burn another talisman in his hand, emitting a strange fluctuation: "Tremble!"

In an instant, his eyes glazed over, and then, a sword tip entered his throat.

"My... my brother... won't let you go..."

Blood trickled from Zheng Qian's nose and mouth as he slowly fell.

"Hmph! So you have a backer? That makes sense... A mere dandy, yet possessing two Magic Tools. It seems your influence is not small..."

Wu Ming sneered and unceremoniously stepped forward to loot the body. "But this is a mission, and enemies must be eliminated. Even if it were the King of Heaven himself, I would still kill him. What are you?"

"Huh?"

With Zheng Qian now dead, the small banner in his hand seemed to absorb the black mist like a great whale sucking water. The ghost soldiers in the sky vanished.

"A good Magic Tool!"

Knowing the preciousness of Magic Tools, Wu Ming quickly put it away after a brief inspection.

Then, he noticed something hidden in Zheng Qian's right hand. Taking it out, he saw a silver talisman with golden runes that seemed to writhe like tadpoles, exuding a powerful aura. His heart tightened. "This person indeed had many trump cards... But he just lacked experience. Although my Soul Shaking Talisman has many restrictions and weak effects, when used at the right moment, it's incredibly sharp!"

Wu Ming moved like the wind. He also noticed that the long robe Zheng Qian was wearing was quite peculiar, with fine stitching inside that shimmered with a faint light. He immediately stripped it off.

As the robe came into his hands, he felt a strange sensation. It was clearly a rare treasure.

"What a shame... what a shame..."

After obtaining the two Magic Tools, Wu Ming continued his search, but only found some loose silver and other miscellaneous items. He couldn't help but shake his head.

"However..."

Among the pile of miscellaneous items, one object stood out. It was a white talisman with illegible writing, made of grayish-white stone, surrounded by a faint aura.

"Could it be..."

Wu Ming's heart pounded with excitement. He immediately put it away and then rushed towards another battlefield.

"Blood Sword Technique!"

Ling Guhong's eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging on his face, dotted with beads of blood.

The long sword in his hand also transformed into a bloody rainbow, stabbing towards Great General Black Wind opposite him.

"Sword Immortal? Flying Sword!"

Great General Black Wind attacked with both claws, colliding with the bloody rainbow. Sparks flew, and with a deafening roar, one claw was severed. However, that Golden Wind ancient sword was also grasped in his hand.

"A pity... If you were a true Sword Immortal, this old rat would have run far away. But now... hehe..."

The Great General Black Wind cackled, opening his rat maw. With a crunching sound, he proceeded to bite the Golden Wind Sword into pieces, swallowing it mouthful by mouthful.

"Vermin!"

This sword seemed to be connected to Ling Guhong's very being, a product of his blood refinement. Upon its destruction, he immediately spat out a mist of blood and collapsed, unconscious, his life hanging in the balance.

"That was... so brutal?"

Wu Ming arrived to see Shan Lan slumped on the ground, holding a sky-blue talisman crackling with lightning. She was chanting, her blood dripping onto it, her face a mask of despair. Seeing Wu Ming, her eyes lit up, "Quick, help me hold off this demon!"

"Honestly..."

Wu Ming shook his head. A thought struck him, and he took out the Six Ding Six Jia Divine Talisman he had obtained from the City God Temple. "Hiss!"

Poof!

Amidst flashes of golden light, a divine being clad in golden armor, wearing a mask, and exuding immense authority stepped forth from the void. White and red energy swirled around him, his eyes cold and filled with killing intent, as he engaged the Great General Black Wind.

"Damn it! You're the City God's..."

The Great General Black Wind's furious voice could be heard. Wu Ming, sword in hand, shielded Shan Lan. "I don't know how long this will last, hurry up with your ritual!"

"You immobilize that demon, preferably without letting him move!"

Shan Lan's face filled with surprise and a hint of knowing amusement as she glanced at Wu Ming before closing her eyes.

A few breaths later, her blood had almost completely covered the talisman, turning it into a blood talisman.

"Heavenly Heart Five Thunders Talisman! Activate!"

The blood-soaked talisman floated up, hovering in mid-air, emitting a powerful aura and dazzling electric light.

"This isn't one of my low-level talismans... it's something more advanced... But this woman clearly doesn't have much magical power. Is this also blood-refined?"

Wu Ming retreated a few steps, his expression shifting rapidly.

Affected by the aura of heavenly thunder, the Great General Black Wind became even more ferocious, lunging repeatedly and shouting, "That woman has ill intentions, don't be foolish, take me with you!"

"Haha! I am merely a wisp of a clone. If I can perish with you, I will surely earn merit. One out, one in, it's still a profit!"

The golden-armored divine being laughed and suddenly embraced the Great General Black Wind. "Strike!"

"Hiss!"

Shan Lan no longer hesitated, cold sweat dripping from her forehead as she pointed at the Great General Black Wind.

Boom!

Lightning struck, and with a thunderous roar, the air surged, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Thunder magic! What a talisman! Truly a magnificent talisman!"

Seeing this, Wu Ming marveled, "Compared to this, my pile of talismans are like scrap paper! I wonder how much they're worth. I should get a few for self-defense sometime..."

"It's not as easy as you make it sound,"

Shan Lan shot him a look. "If you're not a proper cultivator, how can you use advanced talismans? This Heavenly Heart Five Thunders Talisman... I had to pull some strings and ask a master to reforge it before I could barely activate it with my bloodline power... I'm still hurting from it!"

"I see..."

Wu Ming said casually, his eyes fixed on the dust cloud, his gaze wary.

"Don't worry, after being hit by my Heavenly Heart Five Thunders, even a great demon would..."

Shan Lan was cut off as a giant rat, covered in wounds and with scorched fur, burst out of the smoke, heading straight for Wu Ming. Her face turned pale with shock, and despair flashed across her features. "Oh no!"

That Heavenly Heart Five Thunders Talisman was indeed her last resort. To activate it, she had even used up seventy to eighty percent of her vital energy. If Wu Ming were killed now, it would likely mean total annihilation.

"Kill!"

As the crisis loomed, Wu Ming's face remained as calm as a still lake, his mind clear.

Seeing the giant rat lunging to bite, his expression turned cold. He clenched his left fist and smashed it towards the rat's maw like a Vajra Pestle.

Poof!

Crunch!

The sound of teeth gnashing and flesh tearing reached Shan Lan, causing her to close her eyes.

"As expected of a rat demon, its vitality is truly tenacious!"

A calm voice sounded. Shan Lan opened her eyes in surprise, then her eyes widened even further.

Wu Ming had his entire right arm deep inside the giant rat's mouth. Two bloody holes were visible near his elbow, bleeding profusely.

The Great General Black Wind's eyes, as large as soybeans, opened, but his lower body was ripped open, his innards spilling out. He was clearly dead.

At the same time, a faint light flashed from the Black Gold Ring on Wu Ming's left hand, making it appear even more dim.

Just now, he had deliberately offered his fist to the Great General Black Wind to swallow, seizing the opportunity to activate the Gold Blade Spell inside its belly.

No matter how high its fur defense or how tenacious its vitality, its internal organs were always its soft, vital points. Once they were ruptured from the inside, it would be a miracle if it survived!

"Open!"

Wu Ming pried open the rat's teeth and found that the bite had been incredibly deep, almost severing his tendons and bones. Another moment and his entire arm would have been lost.

"This..."

Shan Lan stared blankly at Wu Ming, whose wounds she had bandaged, her heart deeply shaken.

This mindset of facing death without changing expression, even offering himself to the tiger only to strike at the opportune moment—she knew she couldn't be that ruthless.

Furthermore, even if she could make the resolve, grasping the perfect timing at the critical moment was something she couldn't fathom.

A person like this would undoubtedly stand out no matter where they were.

"If Miss Shan Lan is in the mood to watch me, why not go take care of Brother Ling..."

Wu Ming's faint voice reached her, causing a blush to creep onto Shan Lan's face.

A moment later, the three, having briefly recovered, gathered around the corpse the size of a yellow bull, their faces filled with excitement.

"We're rich! We're rich!"

Shan Lan's eyes gleamed. "This Rat Demon's cultivation might be over a hundred years old, it must have an inner core! Even if not... its flesh, organs, and marrow are incredibly nourishing. Especially its hide—made into leather armor, it would be not only light but also as defensive as iron armor! How should we divide it?"