I gritted my teeth, enduring the sharp pain in my chest, and looked at Huang Xian'er in disbelief.
I saw Liu Changxuan's whip strike one of the paper figures again, and the blood dot on Huang Xian'er's forehead began to glow. Immediately, the same spot on my body where the pain had originated flared up with the sensation of being struck by a whip.
"Yin-Yang Star Shift Technique?" Liu Changxuan noticed the anomaly and explained.
Huang Xian'er giggled, ignoring Liu Changxuan's words. With a seductive look in her eyes, she turned to me and said, "Don't worry, Li Yang, little brother. This technique will only cause you some surface pain, nothing serious."
Hearing that, I finally relaxed.
It made sense. Taoist methods were naturally effective against demons and evil spirits, and using this technique wasn't surprising. Moreover, as long as I could protect the female corpse through these next few days, enduring a little pain was no big deal.
I silently endured, staying quiet.
The four paper figures, manipulated by demonic energy, moved as agilely as humans. Liu Changxuan's dog fur whip was ineffective against them, and he was being pushed back.
However, Huang Jiu had once casually mentioned that Mount Laoshan wasn't just known for its tiger-subduing and rain-bringing techniques—it also excelled in thunder magic.
And so far, Liu Changxuan hadn't used any of those.
After a few minutes of being surrounded by the paper figures, Liu Changxuan's robe was torn at the chest, and one of the paper figures slashed his chin, severing his graying goat beard.
Losing his beard seemed to touch a nerve with Liu Changxuan. He shouted, "Damn beast, you're asking for death!"
The roar was thunderous, like a storm from the heavens. After a sharp reprimand, Liu Changxuan planted his feet firmly, and as the paper figures closed in again, he quickly formed a hand seal and released it.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning, more than ten meters long, shot down from the sky, splitting into four strands and striking the paper figures.
This time, Huang Xian'er's Yin-Yang Star Shift technique failed to take effect.
Thunder magic, a celestial power, couldn't be resisted by the demonic energy within the paper figures, and they were immediately shattered by the lightning.
My respect for Liu Changxuan grew.
The four lightning bolts, each seven to eight meters long, weren't as strong as a natural thunderstorm. But the fact that they were conjured by a human was truly awe-inspiring.
With the paper figures destroyed, Huang Xian'er was truly enraged. She spun her cigarette holder and leapt five to six meters into the air, exhaling a mouthful of thick smoke.
It felt like she was releasing all the smoke she had inhaled over the years. The smoke cloud was so dense it turned white, enveloping her body. Her unfinished lower half suddenly became erect, and when she landed, Huang Xian'er had transformed into a tall and graceful young woman of around eighteen or nineteen.
Landing firmly, she pointed her cigarette holder at Liu Changxuan.
Liu Changxuan seemed to use the Taoist Seven Star Walking Technique, stepping in a way that made his movements erratic and difficult to predict. He dodged Huang Xian'er's cigarette holder and, in one smooth motion, flung a talisman at her.
However, the blood mark on her forehead glowed once again, and the talisman had no effect whatsoever.
I didn't feel any discomfort either.
It seemed that once the power of the talisman was transferred onto me, a normal person, it lost its intended potency.
Huang Jiu, now excited, squeezed his legs tightly and shouted, "Go, wife! Old bull-nose Taoist, you're dead!"
I shot him a glance; he was acting like a sycophant.
Caught up in the excitement, Huang Jiu's little eyes shifted to the young Taoist who was standing about ten meters away. He tugged on my hair and said, "Little Li, keep an eye on that brat, don't let him escape."
He didn't have to tell me twice. I was already keeping an eye on the situation.
With Taoist temples and sects spread across the country, there were connections between different schools. If news of this event spread, in no time, the entire area would be swarming with their people.
That was a situation I didn't want to see.
Amidst Huang Jiu's cheering and cursing, I quietly moved closer to the young Taoist.
But the boy was quick to notice me and, instead of retreating, he charged at me angrily, gripping his short knife tightly.
As he closed the distance, he cursed, "You little brat, all you know is some country tricks. Just because you're with a yellow fox, you think you've got some skills?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Jiu, standing on my shoulder, grabbed his flowered pants and pointed at the young Taoist, shouting, "Beat his damn ass!"
"Beat his damn ass!" I joined in, grabbing Huang Jiu's scruff and swinging him around to throw at the young Taoist.
Huang Jiu, a bit slow to realize, screamed, "Not again with this move!"
The boy had a knife, and honestly, this was the only trick I could think of to deal with him.
Huang Jiu squealed in panic, releasing a puff of demonic energy from its mouth.
The young Taoist, already prepared, flipped his wrist and threw a yellow talisman.
The talisman ignited, burning through Huang Jiu's demonic energy, and his short knife lunged straight at Huang Jiu's belly.
My heart sank. I feared that if Huang Jiu got stabbed, his wife would turn on me instantly.
But thankfully, I was right. Huang Jiu's demon magic wasn't great, but its fur was impervious to knives and swords. The blade slid off harmlessly.
This was probably a skill Huang Xian'er had taught him.
Seizing the opportunity, Huang Jiu leaped at the young Taoist's face. His front paws clamped onto the Taoist's ears while his back paws scratched and kicked wildly.
The Taoist's once calm face was now covered in blood, and he was clearly in pain, struggling to break free.
I had been holding my breath and, without blinking, focused on the golden aura around the boy's abdomen.
During the struggle, the young Taoist grabbed at Huang Jiu, trying to pull him off his face.
Huang Jiu, fully aware that if he got pulled off, he'd receive a beating, dug his claws into the Taoist's ears with all his might.
"Ah!" the young Taoist screamed in agony, dropping the short knife from his hand, and both hands immediately went to grab Huang Jiu.
The moment the knife fell, I pounced on him like a predator, my fist clenched, and I aimed directly at the core of the golden aura on his abdomen.
Bang!
As soon as my fist connected, the young Taoist's arms dropped limply, his whole body freezing in place. His expression contorted in unimaginable pain.
It looked like someone constipated, caught in the agonizing moment just before releasing.
Seizing the moment, Huang Jiu broke free, leaping onto my shoulder. Looking down at the boy, who was frozen in place, Huang Jiu eyed my fist and cursed, "Damn, you just crushed his dantian!"
I hadn't expected this outcome.
At least, before I struck, I hadn't thought I had the power to shatter the boy's dantian.
I had merely used my spiritual vision to locate the core of his dantian, intending to disrupt his breathing and energy circulation.
Seconds later, the young Taoist let out a terrible cry.
His previously frozen expression twisted violently, and after stumbling a few steps, he collapsed to the ground, curling up in pain, unable to make a sound.
Huang Jiu, elated, began waving his arms around and rushing at the young Taoist's face again, shouting, "I'll show you! You keep calling me a yellow fox, try calling me one again!"
The young Taoist was completely incapacitated, lying on the ground, unable to move.
I felt pleased, but not because I had incapacitated him. What truly excited me was that when I threw that punch, the breath within my dantian had also surged, converging into my fist.
It was that Daoist energy that allowed me to shatter his dantian.
I finally felt like I had power again.