Yin Thunder vs. Yuan Tao (Second Update)

Night had fallen, and the full moon hung high overhead.

The tree shadows swayed gracefully in the wind.

A figure in white walked through the night, then slowly came to a stop and looked toward the woods ahead.

"Heh, heh, heh! Sneaking out alone this late at night—are you practicing the new technique you just got?"

"Hey, that Old Celestial Master sure plays favorites. Zhang Lingyu's only fifth place, and he still got the Heaven Communicating Talisman Art!"

"You've been watching me all night. If I hadn't come out alone, you wouldn't have felt comfortable showing yourselves, would you?"

"Heh, the Real Person Lingyu certainly knows how things work! We won't make this difficult for you. Leave us a copy of the Heaven Communicating Talisman Art, and we'll let you go..."

As they chatted, four men and a woman stepped out of the shadows, eyeing Zhang Lingyu like a pack of wolves.

"If you want the Heaven Communicating Talisman Art, come to me! Why go after a junior? Yuan Tao, you little runt. It really has been a long time..."

Lu Jin dropped down from a tree branch, and his seven disciples followed close behind.

"Heh, so we walked right into a trap! Everyone, retreat!"

Yuan Tao spun around and deflected Zhang Lingyu's Yin Thunder Water Filth, then roared and charged away.

"Fwoosh!"

Suddenly, a Treant burst out of the woods and blocked the path Yuan Tao and his group needed to take.

"Life Force—Root Entanglement!"

In an instant, green light flashed. Vines writhed across the ground, and dozens of them shot up and coiled around all five of them, pinning them in place.

"Now that you're here, there's no need to rush off! Master Lu, I'll help you deal with Yuan Tao!"

Wang Changle stepped out into the clearing. Paradise's alert had told him that even Yuan Tao, the one who would be restrained for the shortest time, would be immobilized for 1.2 seconds. Han Dan'er would be held the longest—twenty seconds.

The Treant and vines' sudden assault had completely thrown Yuan Tao and the others off their rhythm. None of them had expected Wang Changle to still be on the mountain, let alone lying in wait.

The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it—and the hunter on its flank!

"Han Dan'er, use that!"

Seeing what had happened, Yuan Tao abruptly activated the Chiwen Bead. Rings of protective barriers spread through the air, cutting off attacks from the surrounding plants. Baxia trembled as it flew toward the Treant.

"I-I can't! My hand's stuck! Ah, it hurts!"

Han Dan'er had been hammered several times by the Treant, and now he was howling in pain. Something pressed against his lower back, and a series of sharp cracks rang out.

"Trying to use your wooden mallet to break free? Not so fast! Golden Bell Shield, activate!"

Wang Changle leveled his gun at Han Dan'er and fired several shots, emptying the magazine in an instant.

Baxia swelled in the wind, wrapped in qi, and hurtled toward him like a cannonball. With Armor of Toughness on and the Golden Bell Shield covering his body, Wang Changle spun around and slammed into it.

With a clang, Wang Changle staggered back dozens of steps, stopping Baxia's attack.

[Health -20%]

[You have been affected by Pulao. Movement speed reduced by 80% for 3 seconds.]

[You were struck by Bixi. Health reduced by 5%.]

"Quite the defense! You actually blocked my Baxia head-on—and even withstood Bixi."

Yuan Tao flicked his fingers and swiftly caught Baxia, his voice full of mockery. The Chiwen Bead spun around and quickly formed a shield, deflecting the bolt of lightning that came crashing down.

"Heh, the Orthodox One Sect's Five Thunder Talisman, the Golden Warrior Talisman—why does Master Lu of the Three-One Sect always use outsider techniques? Ah, my Chiwen Bead!"

"Boom, boom, boom!"

A faint qi radiated from Lu Jin's body. One Five Thunder Talisman broke through Yuan Tao's protective qi. At his words, Lu Jin instantly activated Ni Sheng San Zhong and unleashed a flurry of palm strikes against him.

The Golden Warrior Talisman combined with Ni Sheng San Zhong shattered the Chiwen Bead in an instant, reducing it to powder.

"Ni Sheng San Zhong! How many years has it been since I last saw it? The Three-One Sect's supreme art!"

Yuan Tao controlled Suo Ni, sending out clouds of smoke to obscure everyone's vision and bind them. At the same time, he darted around to evade Lu Jin's attacks.

"Ah, my life is so hard! Why is my lot in life so miserable?"

On the other side, the female Otherworldly Person who had been restrained couldn't hold out for long against the seven attackers. Yin Thunder Water Filth enveloped her, robbing her of her ability to fight, but she still struggled to escape.

Ku Hun'er, holding the Wailing Stick, sat on the ground and began to wail. Ghost Qi filled the air, and anguished cries echoed everywhere.

"War Stomp!"

"It's no use. I can sense you!"

With a flash of bloody light, a goat's hoof stomped down from the air. The impact sent Yuan Tao, who had been trying to launch a sneak attack amid the chaos, flying toward Lu Jin. Wang Changle turned and charged at Han Dan'er.

"Baxia! Yazi!"

Yuan Tao shouted. A ferocious Yazi transformed into energy and shot toward Lu Jin, while Baxia, wrapped in blue qi, grew larger in the wind and followed right behind it.

"Clang! Crack!"

In the next instant, Lu Jin's body faded a little more. He caught Baxia with one hand while drawing the Fivefold Thunder Talisman in the air with the other, scattering the beast-shaped Yazi. Yuan Tao immediately turned and rushed toward Han Dan'er.

"Whack! Crack! Splurt! Splurt!"

From a distance, Wang Changle could be seen holding a steel blade in his left hand and a pistol in his right. He attacked Han Dan'er with both, leaving a carpet of shell casings behind him.

He had stabbed Han Dan'er in the stomach with the blade so many times that he'd lost count.

Blood splattered all over Wang Changle and pooled across the ground, until Paradise's alert finally appeared.

[Alert: You killed the plot character Han Dan'er. You gained 2% World Origin.]

[You obtained Treasure Chest (Green).]

"Sorry, you're too late, Mr. Yuan Tao!"

After putting away the chest, Wang Changle wiped the blood from his face. As a flash of crimson light flickered, he used "Stealth" to slip into the shadows and disappear.

Not long after, he landed in the distance and took out all his remaining Life Essence, absorbing it to recover.

"You! I'll make sure you die a horrible death! Bi'an, Pulao, Suo Ni, come forth!"

Yuan Tao arrived and stared at Han Dan'er's disemboweled body. Grief surged through him.

Han Dan'er was the disciple he had painstakingly raised, someone he regarded as his own son—and now he was dead!

With a roar, clouds of mist spread out, shock waves rippled in every direction, and arrays of light appeared. Baxia soared through the air while Morning Wind whipped wildly, forcing Lu Jin to keep his distance.

"My life is so miserable! Please, everyone, let me go!"

Ku Hun'er glanced at Han Dan'er and the frenzied Yuan Tao. In less than a minute, they'd already lost two people, and Vermilion Palm looked ready to fall as well.

His wailing suddenly grew louder, but he ran quickly in the opposite direction.

"Shing!"

The Wailing Stick whipped around in a sudden counterattack, deflecting the Heaven Measuring Ruler. Using the force of Lu Linglong's palm strike, he shot away into the distance.

As qi rippled and wails echoed, four figures approached quickly through the darkness.

"Fat Dragon, keep an eye on that kid! Xiao Xiao, Xi, Yun, Linglong—let's go after him!"

Zhang Lingyu pointed at the yellow-haired kid on the ground, then glanced at Yuan Tao, who was attacking wildly in every direction. He sneered inwardly. Ode really was ruthless!

In a flash, four figures flew over.

"Yuan Tao, I never thought you could lose your temper like this! Hmph, I'll send you to see your father right now!"

As Lu Jin spoke, he traced a symbol in the air with one hand. The Fivefold Thunder Talisman formed a series of edicts, and violent qi gathered in the air.

It was the Orthodox One Sect's Fivefold Thunder Talisman!

"Master Lu, you're over a hundred years old. Why go to all this trouble? Comforting people is my specialty..."

A gentle voice rang out. Flecks of rose-colored qi drifted through the air, and the five edicts dissolved. Dou Mei descended from above as she spoke.

"Yuan Tao, you're really useless. You couldn't even bring Master Lu here!"

As he spoke, Shen Chong's figure blurred. He used Body Flicker Technique to rush at Lu Jin and slammed down with a punch, shaking the earth.

"Heaven Communicating Talisman Art—Combined Scripture Method! Gui You Lu Yun Feng Jing Fu!"

Lu Jin immediately retreated. Qi followed the movement of his fingers, forming spirit talismans and scriptures that wrapped around Shen Chong like ghostly shadows. The writhing talismans sealed off half of Shen Chong's meridians.

"That guy named Ode stuck his nose in our business. Han Dan'er—my Han Dan'er—was killed by him! Help me find him. I'm going to kill him!"

With a wave of Yuan Tao's hand, the five Nine Dragon Sons shot into the air and streaked toward Lu Jin.

But they were blocked midair by clumps of Zhang Lingyu's filthy black qi, and Lu Jin took the chance to dodge.

"What about Vermilion Palm? Careful, that's Yin Thunder Water Filth. It'll eat away at your meridians. You're Zhang Lingyu!"

Shen Chong was startled. He glanced at Han Dan'er, dead beside the tree, and felt a chill. It seemed the plan had gone awry. As he spoke, he was already charging toward Zhang Lingyu.

"Uh, isn't he right... there?"

Yuan Tao pointed, only to see that the yellow-haired Vermilion Palm had a blade through his neck. Blood seeped slowly from the wound, and he was already completely lifeless.

Everyone stared at the yellow-haired man, dead beyond any doubt, and felt a jolt of shock. That was ruthless—he'd managed to kill another man while everyone else was fighting Lu Jin!

In the woods, Zang Long's fat figure was chasing after Lu Linglong. In the opposite direction, Wang Changle's figure was quickly disappearing from sight.

Quanxing's five men exchanged glances. That kid was not only devious but vicious, nothing like a young man just starting out. His ruthless, underhanded attacks made him a real problem!

"So you're Quanxing's Four Maniacs! All four of you came? My meridians have been messed with this whole time. It was you, wasn't it, Monk Yongjue, Lei Yan Pao Gao Ning?"

As Lu Jin finished speaking, a chubby monk with a big head and large ears stepped out from between the rocks.

"Hahaha, Master Lu, long time no see!"

Lu Jin suddenly moved, speeding toward Shen Chong. He had to deal with the half-disabled one first. With all four Maniacs here, even he would have trouble handling them.

"Master Lu, won't you come over and keep me company?"

A sweet, coquettish voice rang out. Pink qi formed a barrier around them, and Bone Scraper Xia He appeared behind him.

"You! What are you doing here? Leave at once!"

Zhang Lingyu stared in shock at the beautiful woman who had appeared, dark lightning gathering in his hands.

"Northern Cold Pool!"

A surging wave of Yin Thunder Water Filth rushed up and wrapped around Yuan Tao, who had launched a surprise attack.

"Quanxing's Four Maniacs! All four of you are here. You really think highly of me, don't you?"

Lu Jin pulled out his fingernail, using the pain to snap himself out of the illusion. Facing the four closing in on him, his expression darkened. This was clearly a carefully planned ambush!

He turned and sent the "Immortal Trapping Talisman" flying, but the rose-colored qi still dispersed it.

"Master Lu, leave Yuan Tao and Shen Chong to you! Real Person Lingyu, take care of your wife! I'll handle Dou Mei!"

Wang Changle charged out of the woods in armor, gunfire erupting as he raised his hand. A hail of bullets blasted open a gap, and he charged straight at the old woman, Dou Mei.

A terrifying monster followed behind him, roaring as it charged at Lei Yan Pao Gao Ning.

"Call of Nature!"

Dou Mei's rose-colored qi suddenly burst outward. The pine tree beside her transformed into a Treant and swung a massive hand down at her. She hurriedly dodged to the side.

"Good!"

Lu Jin glanced at Black Hoof and decisively charged toward Yuan Tao and Shen Chong. Violent qi filled his fists and palms as he attacked without a word.

Zhang Lingyu wanted to explain, but when he saw the others fighting across the battlefield, he held his tongue. He could tell Wang Changle was trying to divide the battlefield!

"Yin Thunder—Water Filth!"

Zhang Lingyu's Golden Light Spell flashed. The ground beneath him turned into pools of black sludge, and the foul Water Filth merged into a river that split Xia He off from the others.

"Are you really going to attack me, my darling?"