Thirty li north of Han Fortress... Here stood a ritual altar, which was built from pale white animal bones, with the distinctive style of the tribes beyond the pass. An old man with hair as white as snow, clad in a sorcerer’s ceremonial robe, suddenly stiffened, then spat out a mouthful of blood! The blood splattered onto the ground with a sizzling, piercing hiss, scorching the surrounding dead grass black. Clearly, it was laced with deadly poison. If Daoist Song Shi were here, he would have recognized this man at once. He was Grand Magus Bantu, a name famous across the lands beyond the Great Pass. Bantu’s robe was stained with blood, and his eyes were full of bitter hatred. “He actually saw through my Soul-Splitting Technique... Just who is this young man?! Could he be some ancient monster from the Central Plains who merely looks young?” Bantu pulled a black wolf’s claw from the table, took out some black powder from an earthen jar, and began to perform a rite, which was an ancient shamanic ceremony still common in the northeast. His lips murmured the obscure and complex incantations of the tribes, his aura growing ever colder and darker. Meanwhile, Li Yanchu stood over the corpse of the crow, face grim. Daoist Song Shi had been confused at first, but then seemed to realize something. “Was there something wrong with that crow?” he asked. Li Yanchu didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he sensed the black qi in his hand and directly invoked a Daoist art, Art of Pursuit! The black qi responded instantly, and his eyes lit up. Only then did he glance at Daoist Song Shi and say, “You really didn’t notice? That wasn’t some spirit-tamed crow, it was a split soul! That crow was watching everything you did. Otherwise, why would it ‘coincidentally’ show up here?” Daoist Song Shi’s face changed dramatically. A split soul of Grand Magus Bantu?! A chill crept down his back. Li Yanchu gave him a sidelong look, his voice cold: “No wonder you abandoned the Daoist path for the Shamanists, this kind of guts is tailor-made for a turncoat like you.” Now that Li Yanchu had found a trail leading to Bantu, Daoist Song Shi was of little further use. Daoist Song Shi’s expression darkened. He had once been a virtuous Daoist master. If not for that one moment of weakness when he killed a man to refine a forbidden art and was discovered by his peer, he would not have been forced to flee after killing three fellow disciples to cover his escape. Wounded in both body and cultivation, he had ended up here in the barren lands beyond the Great Wall... and was forced to tread carefully even before a “junior.” But just as he was suppressing his anger, the young man who had lured him with heavenly treasures suddenly moved, appearing right in front of him in the blink of an eye! Daoist Song Shi’s vision went black. A mountain-like aura crashed down on him. It was thick, oppressive, suffocating. Without a word, Li Yanchu struck. Divine Astral Hands! Void-Splitting Palm! Blazing blood and qi burst from his body like a living flame. He’s trying to kill me! Daoist Song Shi was stunned, shaken by how abruptly this younger man had turned on him. Wasn’t he recruiting me just a moment ago?! The strike came too fast, and he had no time to dodge. Light flared from the protective talismans on his body... A sound like a great bronze bell echoed through heaven and earth. A terrifying wave of force blasted outward in all directions! A blood-red bead inside Daoist Song Shi’s robes shattered, and the protective barrier formed by his talisman shattered with it. His gaze darkened as he formed a hand seal, intending to escape underground. This Earth-Burrowing Technique was something he had stumbled upon by chance and different from the orthodox Daoist method. It came from Fusang[2]. His figure vanished instantly, all traces of his aura disappearing. “Your crooked ways and nonsense are neither right nor proper. How ridiculous!” Li Yanchu stepped forward. The ground shook as if the earth itself groaned! This was the Daoist talismanic armor augmenting his strength, doubling its power. The ground split into a deep trench beneath his foot. The force left the earth around it sunken in a wide ring, as if plowed by an enormous saber. Chaos and ruin were everywhere. Daoist Song Shi’s seven orifices bled, his bones shattered. He lay at the bottom of the pit, barely clinging to life. With a Daoist’s frail body, there was no way he could endure such savage power. From his body rose a beam of clear light, which was his primordial spirit, attempting to flee. But... His mortal body’s severe injuries had also left his spirit gravely wounded. Li Yanchu caught up easily. Mountain-Splitting Strike! One punch, and Daoist Song Shi’s soul scattered to nothing. As a consummate battlefield cleaner, Li Yanchu swiftly gathered anything of value from the scene. Then, following the guidance of the black qi in his hand, he set off. Clouds formed beneath his feet as he rose into the air. From the moment he had slain the crow to the instant he destroyed Daoist Song Shi, hardly any time had passed. It had been like splitting rotten wood, and his power was utterly overwhelming. The cold wind cut like knives; the night air was desolate and sharp. Li Yanchu rode the clouds straight toward the Grand Magus Bantu. His physical body alone carried him through the air, unfazed by the chill. And with the Wind Tamer on him, his speed was tremendous. In no time, he crossed the thirty li. In sight now was an eerie altar, and a white-haired old man in a sorcerer’s robe stood behind it, clearly prepared to duel him in magic. In Daoism, a ritual altar was also an important battle array, a nexus of talismans, implements, and power. This was the meaning of ascending the altar to perform the rite. But this white-bone altar was nothing more than the Shamanists’ vile sorcery. Many of the Shamanist practices and doctrines not only violated human ethics and sentiment, but also set impossibly high thresholds for their own twisted standards. As a result, the Shamanist altar reeked of ominous malice. “Whelp! You killed my underling, destroyed my split soul! I’ll flay your skin, tear out your tendons, rip out your heart and liver, and soak them in wine to drink!” Grand Magus Bantu’s voice dripped with venom. In his eyes, this young man simply had to die. Suddenly, from the ground, countless venomous insects surged forth. Like a black tide, they swarmed toward Li Yanchu in the blink of an eye. The method was strikingly similar to the black insect tide that had poured forth after the camel corpse exploded earlier. Only this time, there were far more of them, and they were bigger. Their venom was deadlier still. Li Yanchu’s body flared with pure yang thunder-fire qi as he activated his talismanic armor! A wave of force, invisible to the naked eye, rippled outward. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sheer power blasted a circular space clear of insects in an instant. Yet the venomous swarm pressed forward without pause, as if ignorant of fear and ignorant even of death itself. A gentle radiance, tinged with divine light, began to glow from Li Yanchu’s body. Plague-Dispelling Talisman! The most update n0vels are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝘯𝘦𝘵 Though it was only a single enhanced Plague-Dispelling Talisman, it was the perfect nemesis for these insects. Combined with his talismanic armor and the qi shield from his Primordial Chaos Technique, it held the swarm at bay. Grand Magus Bantu took a wolf fang from around his neck, muttering incantations. Then, a massive savage, primal, and fierce grey wolf began to take form behind him! “Awoo!” With a thunderous roar, the giant wolf came alive, lunging straight for Li Yanchu! Lightning flickered in Li Yanchu’s eyes as his entire aura poured into the Jiaoslayer! A dazzling arc of saber qi met the colossal wolf, as if cleaving toward a beast out of the ancient past! 1. 跳大神 “Tiao Dashen” is a shamanistic ritual from northern China, originating from shamanism. It is also called “Chuma Xian” and is often regarded as a feudal superstitious practice. The ritual is carried out by two people: the Great Shaman (Da Shen) and the Second Shaman (Er Shen). During the ceremony, the Great Shaman invites deities or spirits to possess their body through drumming, chanting, and other methods, in order to drive away evil and pray for blessings on behalf of the people. I have simplified it to just shaman dance to make it less confusing for you readers. ☜ 2. Fusang is a mythical world tree or place located far east of China. In the Classic of Mountains and Seas and several contemporary texts, the term refers to a mythological tree of life, alternatively identified as a mulberry or a hibiscus, allegedly growing far to the east of China, and perhaps to various more concrete territories which are located to the east of the mainland. Here is a reference image. ☜