Lightning Spell Strikes the Leopard! Confronting Daji

After you and Shen Gongbao arrived here, you clearly sensed that someone was tailing you from behind.

"A leopard demon and a fox demon. Hmph, you two really are something." (A quick note: in the original Investiture of the Gods, Shen Gongbao was not a leopard demon. That was only changed here.)

You looked coldly at Shen Gongbao and said in an icy voice.

"Fellow Daoist, you are mistaken. I am not a leopard that gained sentience. I attained this level of cultivation only through my master's guidance. Strictly speaking, I cannot be considered a leopard demon. Rather, I have received Sect Leader Tongtian's blessings. Perhaps, Fellow Daoist, you should even address me as a fellow Daoist."

You snorted coldly. "That damn fox should come out too, shouldn't she?"

"Hehehe~ Don't be so angry. I only gave you a little tap earlier, that's all."

A seductive figure appeared beside Shen Gongbao, gazing at you alluringly.

You stared at her coldly, your eyes brimming with killing intent. "Your seduction arts won't work on me!"

Having been exposed so directly, Daji was not angered. Instead, she looked at you and let out a coquettish laugh.

"I only came to take a look. You don't need to worry about me."

Though that was what she said, who would believe her?

You: Shen Gongbao, do you believe her?

Shen Gongbao: I don't.

You: Who would believe a fox demon like her? Despicable!

"Fellow Daoist, take this!" Shen Gongbao wore a broad smile, as though he had noticed that you were forcing yourself not to smile. He even deliberately called out that line.

You cursed under your breath and drew the Fuxi Spear to meet his attack.

Daji, meanwhile, put on the look of a mere spectator, specifically there to watch the two of you fight.

You wielded the Fuxi Spear, while Shen Gongbao held the Thunder Duke's Whip. Neither of you hurried to use your respective abilities, choosing instead to begin with close combat.

Since Shen Gongbao was a leopard, he was naturally more skilled in close-quarters combat. You had studied many forms of Daoist Magic and were far more proficient in those than in melee, but you could still barely exchange blows with Shen Gongbao.

You held the Fuxi Spear, and Shen Gongbao wielded the Thunder Duke's Whip. Both were renowned weapons, so neither could possibly be destroyed so easily.

At first, you were unaccustomed to Shen Gongbao's fierce offensive and were driven back step by step.

Fortunately, you adapted extremely quickly. You were now trading blows evenly with Shen Gongbao. Dark clouds filled the sky, and Shen Gongbao seemed to sense something was wrong. Taking advantage of a gap in the fight, he hurriedly looked toward Daji, who was not far behind him.

Daji was still watching the show. Faced with the dark clouds gathering overhead, she could only spread her hands innocently and tilt her head, indicating that she had not done it and was just as confused.

"By my command!" With your sharp cry, Shen Gongbao finally realized who had caused the phenomenon in the sky.

It was you!

Shen Gongbao had not expected that you could set up such Daoist Magic while fighting him—and it was lightning magic, which was particularly difficult to cast!

Rumble!

A deafening boom rang out from the sky, and a silver-white bolt of lightning descended in an instant, striking toward Shen Gongbao!

The thunderclap alone was enough to make one's scalp tingle, let alone the power of the lightning itself.

Shen Gongbao only had time to respond in a panic. Before he could establish a complete defense, the lightning struck him.

"Mm... Aah!!" A scream accompanied Shen Gongbao as he fell straight down, smashing violently into the ground and blasting out a huge crater. The thunderclouds gradually dispersed, but the ground around Shen Gongbao had sunken in, and scorched marks covered the surrounding area—clearly left behind by that lightning strike.

"Cough, cough. Fellow Daoist, I have to admit that I underestimated you. To be able to cast lightning magic like that in the middle of battle... your strength truly cannot be underestimated!" Shen Gongbao said miserably as he looked at you and coughed.

Hearing that, you were somewhat puzzled and slowly said, "Isn't this something anyone with hands can do?"

Shen Gongbao's face darkened. Give you an inch, and you take a mile, huh?

But immediately afterward, Shen Gongbao's expression turned to terror.

Because you merely formed a hand seal, and dark clouds once again filled the sky.

Their power was even greater than before.

Shen Gongbao finally understood why you had said anyone with hands could do it. The power was greater than the previous strike.

And you had cast it with nothing more than a single hand seal.

"Fuck? You're doing it again? That last one nearly took half my life! No way am I playing with you anymore! I'm getting out of here first!"

Shen Gongbao's expression changed drastically. The relaxed smile he had worn earlier had long vanished, replaced by a soot-blackened face.

After saying that, Shen Gongbao vanished in a flash.

You were left speechless. You had not expected Shen Gongbao to leave just after only a few exchanges.

And he had fled directly into the distance without the slightest hesitation.

You could only turn your gaze toward Daji, who was still watching from the side.

Daji: Meow meow meow? I'm just a spectator. What did I do for you to come at me with a thundercloud?

With your cry of "By my command," the lightning that had long been brewing within the thunderclouds instantly descended upon Daji, several times more powerful than the strike that had hit Shen Gongbao.

Rumble!

The bolt struck fiercely where Daji stood. You maintained the hand seal, ready to fire off another at any moment.

For you, this technique required no consideration of cost or consequences, no charging time, and had no side effects. It was the simplest Daoist Magic to use.

As for other, more powerful Daoist spells, they either came with side effects or were quite difficult to perform. In the current situation, they were the least suitable options.

"Oh my, why does your lightning spell seem even weaker than before?"

Daji stood completely unscathed, mocking you under her breath.

Your expression tightened. You did not know much about Daji's strength, but you knew she was certainly stronger than you.

However, you had never seen Daji make a move, so you could not gauge the extent of her strength.

Thus, you did not dare act rashly.

As for Daji, she seemed to be waiting to see what other abilities you possessed, wearing an utterly unconcerned expression.

Clearly, Daji seemed to believe there was nothing you could do to her.

Seeing this, you slowly let out a breath, your gaze turning icy.

You dispersed the thunderclouds in the sky, revealing a stretch of blue. Looking up at the sky, you frowned slightly as your hands swiftly formed more than a dozen hand seals.

The instant you finished forming the seals, what had been broad daylight before your eyes abruptly became night.

"Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian!"

You formed nine seals in succession—these were the Nine Seals.

You then formed two more seals. The moment you completed them, your face suddenly turned pale as paper.

"Get down here!"

Following your furious shout, an unbelievable scene unfolded.