Those Who Answered and Those Who Struck
People in the old days believed that humble names were easier to raise, so very few people in Zhang Household Village had pleasant-sounding names.
Only by leaving the village to join the army or going to places like Hibiscus City to barter for goods could people possibly get a common new name.
Zhang Xuezhou is not his real name, but rather a name derived from the real world; his real name is Zhang Erbao.
This humble name was used for only a few years. When Zhang Xuezhou was six or seven years old and could speak clearly, he insisted on changing his name, which became his current name.
Now, only Zhang Zhong still calls Zhang Xuezhou by his original real name; even the Lady Yourong has changed their way of addressing him.
A layer of gray light swept over his body, Incantation Avoidance Instruction circulated continuously throughout his body, cutting off the faint pull from the the Unseen, and guarding against being tainted by the Dao Lord's Incantation Technique.
Zhang Xuezhou had never seen Incantation Technique that could create a medium for Incantation Technique simply by naming someone. His expression turned solemn, and he was at a loss as to how to break the spell.
He knew Daojun was in the room, and Daojun knew they were hiding in the shadows, but no one rushed out to meet the attack head-on.
Zhang Xuezhou didn't know if Daojun was confident in meeting the new emperor's powerful sword strike; he certainly wasn't confident in receiving Daojun's attack.
Several names were spoken by Daojun, and then the identity of the Kunlun Holy Son was revealed.
Zhang Xuezhou was unaware of whether the identity of the Kunlun Holy Son was special. He had never taken this identity seriously before, but when he saw the talisman transform into a feathered arrow and fly westward like a ray of light, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Given the speed of this Incantation Technique arrow, it would be quite difficult for him to dodge it. Moreover, the Incantation Technique arrow does not shoot in a straight line or a parabola as ordinary people would; instead, it can pursue like a vengeful ghost.
"Fellow Daoist, if I call your name, will you dare to answer?"
The calls came from nameless and anonymous voices, and the Incantation Technique targeting this type of person were extremely scattered.
Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but curse under his breath. He certainly wouldn't dare to agree, and the new emperor wouldn't either.
If someone were to take the fall and block their way, the Dao Lord's curse and killing spell would become their opportunity to attack.
"It's a pity that Li Shaojun isn't here!"
If anyone could take his place, Zhang Xuezhou would first recommend Li Shaojun, followed by Shi Wudao and others.
No matter how fierce the Dao Lord's killing intent is, at most he can kill people; he cannot prevent them from being resurrected after death.
Zhang Xuezhou considered his own abilities and couldn't immediately determine whether the Reincarnation Stone imprint could bring him back to life.
Death is indeed not something that can be easily attempted. He slowly chanted the technique of the Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven, just as he was about to try to push his physical body to its strongest state, thus creating an opportunity for the new emperor to draw his sword, when a trembling voice rang out from the side room.
"My Holy Lord, are you calling me?"
Tian Fen's yang spirit trembled and cried out. The torment the other party had suffered was not light. Being summoned here by the Venerable White Bone must have caused him some pain, and he might even have lost the ability to perceive changes in the outside world.
He asked in a low voice, which was extremely clear in the area where only the distant sound of gongs could be heard, causing the flying talisman to transform into a white, bright arrow once again.
"Oh no~"
Urgent calls rang out from the side room; Daojun clearly hadn't expected Tian Fen to respond so hastily.
As he reached out to Guidance Incantation, a slight sound came from the window of the side room, and a crimson Sword-Ray flew through the window.
This was indeed the sword style he was familiar with. His Yang Soul incarnation had died at the hands of this sword master in Mayi, without even having time to react.
Despite the extensive investigations Yedie River Holy Land, no one has been able to locate the other party to this day.
His swordsmanship was clearly extraordinary yet he remained unknown, which indeed puzzled many of the sorcerers from the Yedie River Holy Land who were out investigating.
Zhang Xuezhou, who was associated with him, was nowhere to be found. When he was finally found, a conflict broke out, and the Nine Spirits Primal Sage swore that he had accidentally killed the other party.
The other party's identity remained a mystery until Daojun encountered this young and dangerous swordsman again.
The Sword-Ray illuminated the figure hiding in the side room, and also reflected the remaining two pages of the Seven Arrows Nailhead Book in the Dao Lord's hand, along with Tian Fen's abruptly stopped scream.
All of this happened in just a few seconds. It wasn't until Zhang Xuezhou rushed out from the shadows and forcibly broke down the door that Lü Bushu and the others reacted.
"It's another incarnation of Yang Soul!"
The new emperor, who was the first to rush into the room, quickly spoke, his words tinged with resentment, but he soon noticed Zhang Xuezhou's wide-eyed alertness.
As the short sword unleashed bursts of Sword Qi that pierced through Dao Jun's Yang Soul Body, Dao Jun, who was struggling to escape due to the Sword Qi's cutting effect, let out a cold snort.
A talisman flew up swiftly, then transformed into a white, luminous arrow and shot out.
"It's not entirely without gain. You're standing right in front of me; did you think my Seven Arrows of Nailhead required roll call?"
With a cold snort from the Daoist Lord, nine talismans on the new emperor's body flashed with light.
The new emperor rarely had fewer than ten talismans on him; such a small number truly indicated that even a wealthy family was running out of resources.
Amidst the flickering light of the talismans, the new emperor unleashed a furious sword strike.
The short sword in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and it was also capable of countless variations.
"It wouldn't be a loss to take your life even if I damaged your Yang Soul Dharma Body once. The essence of this swordsmanship seems familiar... Could it be that you are the emperor of the Han Kingdom?"
A white, gleaming arrow was embedded in the emperor's forehead, relentlessly burrowing in like a blood-sucking leech.
The characteristic of Incantation Technique lies not in the ferocity of Technique Method power, but in the entanglement and torment that clings to the bone; the Dao Lord's Seven Arrows of Nailhead is no exception.
The spell was obscured by the talisman, but the Daoist Lord didn't care at all.
Even if the power of his spellbook diminishes over time, the essence of the spell remains. As long as one is entangled by this spell, no matter what method the opponent uses to resist, they cannot escape the inevitable death seven days later.
He looked at the short sword in the new emperor's hand, a sword technique that had rendered him equally immobile.
As if carrying a thousand pounds of weight, the suppression of this sword technique made it difficult for his Yang Soul Body to move.
Even if he were to fight in his true form, the sealing power of this sword technique would still be very strong. The Dao Lord could even sense the hidden variations in the opponent's sword technique.
This is top-tier swordsmanship and a top-tier swordsman. The only regret is that the opponent's cultivation level is inferior, and he will inevitably be countered by the Seven Arrows of Nailhead.
See you next time!
Seeing Zhang Xuezhou rush in through the door, Daojun couldn't help but snort coldly after confirming that Zhang Xuezhou was still alive. He felt that Zhang Xuezhou had played them for fools and had almost completely outmaneuvered them.
His Yang Soul body erupted with bursts of purple light, and began to disintegrate and escape under the new emperor's short sword.
He could no longer control the other Seven Arrows of Nailhead to cast spells, so he could only utter a sentence indicating that new grudges had been formed between the two sides and that many things were not yet over.
"No need for next time. I want to see how fast you can escape after your Yang Soul Body dissipates, or how fast I can catch up!"
Zhang Xuezhou frowned as he looked at the new emperor, and then gave the same cold response to the Daoist Lord who was standing close by.
Just as he was about to spread his jade wings to fly and pursue, a gray figure stepped in through the doorway, moving so fast that Zhang Xuezhou was somewhat surprised.
Before Zhang Xuezhou could even see the face clearly, a Nanming Flame the size of a human head appeared and then slammed down towards Daojun Yangpo's body.