Proficient U-Turn

Chapter 38: Skilled U-Turn

Ning Xuan quickly glanced at Yaozhen Immortal Aunt and said concisely, "Scout the path."

He needed to confirm if there were any Human Skin soldiers around.

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt earnestly explained, "This spell is called Yue Zhang. It forms a mountain range with Dragon Qi. If any being wants to touch us while we're inside this mountain, they have to pass through this Dragon Qi mountain. Every step feels like carrying a giant rock with your soul. The closer they get, the greater the resistance. I've cast it twice already, so I don't have the energy for Cha Di."

Ning Xuan looked at the black mist outside and said, "Take mine back. Next time, don't say so much. Just say you don't have the energy."

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt was a little annoyed. She was explaining earnestly. No one in the Imperial Capital spoke to her like that. She was usually so serene and content, so why did this young man always say things that angered her?

Ning Xuan looked at her strangely and said, "How about... I take back the second half of my sentence?"

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt's thoughts were exposed, but Ning Xuan's words still managed to irritate her. She couldn't quite pinpoint why, so she suppressed her temper and replied curtly, "Fine."

Immediately, the golden mountain range halved in size. Yaozhen Immortal Aunt remained within the mountain, but Ning Xuan was directly exposed.

The black mist discovered its target. Like a man-eating shark in the deep sea smelling blood, the black mist, with its long tail of vengeful human faces, paused for a moment. Then, it madly surged towards Ning Xuan.

But it was like rain falling into a pond, creating ripples on Ning Xuan's body, yet unable to harm him in the slightest.

The strength of these human faces was truly minuscule. If they couldn't burrow into a person's body through their acupoints and gnaw on their flesh and blood, they were just useless.

It was manageable before, but now they were nearing the center of the demon disaster.

Seeing Ning Xuan still unfazed, Yaozhen Immortal Aunt showed surprise and thought to herself, He seems to be handling it quite well.

She didn't stop.

A First-Rank Celestial Master could only cast one spell at a time.

A Second-Rank could cast two simultaneously.

She used [Yue Zhang] for defense and cast [Cha Di].

Her eyes instantly turned white, a blind, vacant white. Her expression was indifferent.

She entered a mysterious state. Her vision could extend over ten miles around, and she could overlook the land below from a vantage point in the clouds.

Ning Xuan's thoughts fell upon the "Flying Knife Magic Treasure" in his embrace. He then stood beside Yaozhen Immortal Aunt and began to guard her with all his might, lest she be ambushed during her spellcasting.

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt began her rapid observation.

She saw vast forests.

She saw the official road winding like a snake under the moonlight between the forests.

She saw the Human Skin demons walking on the road.

She quickly shifted her gaze. She saw a place shrouded in rolling black mist, where a bonfire "burned."

But a bonfire emitted light and heat. This thing, however, was continuously spewing out black smoke. This black smoke originated from within, then, with a strange, unidentifiable cry, it flew outwards rapidly.

She wanted to see the bonfire clearly but found it was just a mass of "burning blackness."

That blackness even blocked the probing of Dragon Qi.

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt was startled.

This situation was unprecedented.

The Celestial Master's [Cha Di] technique was completed with the aid of Dragon Qi, and every inch of land on this continent was under the control of Dragon Qi.

Simply put, with her at the center, everything within a radius of ten miles could not escape her sight. If she wanted to see, she could even see what every household was doing. Even if they were hidden in a secret room, they couldn't escape her eyes.

But her eyes, which could penetrate walls, couldn't penetrate this black bonfire.

As Yaozhen Immortal Aunt was contemplating a solution, she suddenly spotted a massive dark shadow moving within the black mist. The shadow carried a pointed-horn knife, yet the "human-faced black smoke" did not attack it.

Upon closer inspection, Yaozhen Immortal Aunt saw clearly that the shadow was a Sheep Demon.

It had a sheep's form with black manes, like steel thorns. It stood on two hooves, its steps light and agile.

It was a Sheep Demon!

The Sheep Demon walked faster and faster, carrying the "human-faced black smoke" like a General leading an army to battle. One moment it was dozens of feet away, and the next it had rapidly approached, heading straight towards them.

Wherever the Sheep Demon went, figures darted out from the surrounding dense forest and joined it, gradually forming a black tide.

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt recognized these figures. They were either demon plague Daoist Boys, elite warriors, or martial artists from the jianghu. But undoubtedly, being able to walk alongside the "human-faced black smoke" without being attacked meant they had clearly become Human Skin demons.

Watching this scene, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

She didn't have time to ponder further. She withdrew from [Cha Di] and immediately looked at Ning Xuan beside her, saying, "There's a Sheep Demon leading many powerful Human Skin demons. Those Human Skin demons were likely our elites in life."

Ning Xuan asked, "Did you see over a thousand soldiers?"

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt replied, "No, I didn't."

Ning Xuan said, "I'll try something. If it doesn't work, I'll charge towards you, and you immediately grab me and escape underground."

A Second-Rank Celestial Master's "earth escape" was instantaneous. Although it consumed a lot of energy to cast instantly, it could be used a few times. For Ning Xuan, this was a life-saving divine skill.

He could fight when he wanted to, and run when he wanted to.

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt said, "Let's fight first."

Ning Xuan replied, "Let me try something first. If I can fight, I'll fight."

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt pondered, then seriously discussed, "What if we could have won, but you tried your move and fell into a disadvantage, then got injured? Wouldn't that turn a sure victory into a defeat?"

Ning Xuan retorted impatiently, "And what if we couldn't win in the first place? I try my move, confirm it completely, and then you, while casting [Yue Zhang] and other spells, can't immediately use [Illusionary Escape]? What then? Wouldn't we be completely wiped out?"

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt said unhappily, "General Anyuan, why boost others' morale while crushing our own?"

Ning Xuan said, "Say that again! When we get back, I'll write a memorial to His Majesty, stating that if His Majesty decrees for me to sleep with you, I will be loyal to His Majesty!!"

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt's face instantly turned red. She stammered, then angrily said, "You, you, you scoundrel! Why do you always say such things!"

Ning Xuan let out a long breath and said, "Listen to me, prepare quickly!"

This time, even though Yaozhen Immortal Aunt was unwilling, she still responded aggrievedly, "Alright, I'll listen to you!"

She disliked this way of thinking, "consider retreat before advancing."

She began to regret it.

What kind of daze was she in to choose this young man to assist and partner with.

She maintained [Yue Zhang] while preparing to cast [Illusionary Escape].

Ning Xuan, meanwhile, gripped the Beast Slaying Saber.

He couldn't openly use the Bodhisattva Golden Body in front of Yaozhen Immortal Aunt, so his strongest attack was still Yan He.

To defend against the pervasive "human-faced black smoke," he also couldn't summon other physique-related Heavenly Demon Scrolls.

Just as he was thinking...

Whoosh!

Wind picked up in the distance.

The woods outside the post station let out strange laughter.

A massive, terrifying sheep's head, accompanied by rolling black smoke, lunged towards Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan steadied his gaze.

Huh? A familiar demon.

Isn't this the Sheep Demon that escaped from Manfeng Mountain?

The Sheep Demon also clearly saw the young man in front of it.

It panicked instantly, stopped laughing, and its ferocious demeanor faded significantly. But then it thought again and felt it was fine.

Because the "human-faced black smoke" was present now, it could completely tie down the martial artist. At that time, no matter how strong the martial artist was, they couldn't multitask, fighting the dense "human-faced black smoke" while simultaneously dealing with its attack.

But in the next moment, it saw clearly again.

This young man wasn't being held back by any "human-faced black smoke."

The black smoke struck his body like rain hitting a pond, creating ripples but causing no harm whatsoever, nor was it able to "restrain" him in any way.

Ning Xuan grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

He had a rough idea forming in his mind: the Stealing Incense Rat had most likely joined forces with the Sheep Demon, and together with some local demons, they came here. This "human-faced black smoke" was very likely its doing.

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt looked at him strangely. Before she could ask, "What are you smiling about?", she saw a bizarre sight. The massive, terrifying sheep's head that had been charging with rolling black smoke suddenly turned around and sped away in the opposite direction, faster than it had arrived.

Ning Xuan rushed towards Yaozhen Immortal Aunt and said quickly, "Get in front of it."

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt didn't waste words. Golden light surged, and she instantly appeared hundreds of feet away.

The moment she appeared, the Sheep Demon was charging.

Seeing Ning Xuan suddenly appear in front of it, the Sheep Demon's past memories were triggered. It was so scared it almost lost its soul and used its demonic arts to instantly dart to the side.

A faint blue glow suddenly flashed from Ning Xuan's embrace.

A flying knife!

The flying knife, with its icy thorn patterns, flashed by like blue light, slicing through the Sheep Demon's left leg. A double explosive force erupted.

A sheep's leg flew up in a mist of blood.

Ning Xuan moved swiftly, grabbed the sheep's leg, refined a drop of blood instantly, and scanned the information.

[Shadowhorn Mountain Goat]

[Constitution 3.0]

[Illusionary Escape: Transforms into black wind, conceals demonic form, steps on emptiness and solid ground, confuses sight and mind.]

The Sheep Demon cried out miserably and continued to flee with a limp. However, the massive loss of demonic essence and blood had already rendered it unable to use [Illusionary Escape].

It looked back in terror.

The "human-faced black smoke" couldn't interfere with this young man at all.

It roared in fear and anger, "We are all demons, what exactly do you want?"

Yaozhen Immortal Aunt looked at Ning Xuan in astonishment. She had checked, and Ning Xuan had no demonic aura on him.

Ning Xuan wasn't flustered at all, nor did he explain. He stared at it and uttered one word: "Run."