Lu Qing, with a punch thrown across the void, grievously wounded the elder. The two fierce culprits retreated, and the dim green light sphere took flight. The rapid succession of events unfolded like a rabbit darting and a hawk swooping, too swift for the eye to follow. Many bystanders were aware of the powerful experts who had stormed in according to the agreement. Distracted for a moment, they soon realized that only the incessant ghostly wails remained in the arena.
The dim green light sphere spun rapidly, emitting a sharp and ethereal howl from over a dozen dark apertures on its surface. The noise stirred the blood of anyone who heard it, and that was just Yu Ci's experience. Those with lesser cultivation levels felt even worse, leading to a chorus of alarmed cries as people began to scatter. Shadows flitted chaotically, creating a tumult that provided even better cover for the escaping pair, who vanished in the blink of an eye.
The many Golden Elixir Stage masters, previously converged, now split up; some gave chase to the outskirts, while others continued to press forward.
Lu Qing had no intention of pursuing. Frowning at the relentless ghostly noises, she understood that the burly nine-foot man had left this device behind with ill intent, and it was unlikely to be the only threat. She took a deep breath, preparing to act, when amidst the arriving reinforcements, someone exclaimed in shock:
"A Soul Capturing Orb? How many apertures?"
Lu Qing cared little whether it was a Soul Capturing Orb or a Soul-breaking Orb. With a slight gathering of her stance, she launched another punch. The moment her fist touched the Soul Capturing Orb, the eerie magical instrument flared brightly. Lu Qing felt a force within the core of the orb, bursting out with explosive power.
Realizing the opponent's plan, she swiftly changed her strategy. The air before her fist seemed to solidify, and in the next instant, she was above the Soul Capturing Orb. Her forward momentum turned downward, and with a low blast in the atmosphere, the orb's dismal green light intensified but failed to break free from the space of a square foot, suppressed by Lu Qing's fist and driven into the ground.
As Lu Qing landed, maintaining the downward pressure of her fist, any cultivator sensitive enough could sense the tremors spreading through the ground, reaching ten fathoms deep, as she forcibly pinned the Soul Capturing Orb in place. The piercing ghostly wail, muffled by layers of rock, could only reach the surface intermittently and posed no further threat.
Yu Ci's eyes brightened at the sight. He had not expected that a quiet and reticent woman like Lu Qing would practice such a fierce and forceful boxing technique. What was even more remarkable was that her fist had reached the profound realm where the yang was at its extreme and yin was born, a harmonious blend of hardness and softness. Her punches bore the might to shatter mountains and split the earth, coupled with the ability to seal and isolate. Her skill was indeed transcendent.
"Just..."
"Market Master Lu, isn't this a bit too wasteful of heaven's gifts?" The voice was the same one that had spoken up earlier. By now, Yu Ci could tell that the speaker was an acquaintance, someone he had met not long ago.
"What do you mean, Deputy Hall Master Su? Are you suggesting that Sister Lu should have refrained from acting, allowing the guests of The Neighborhood to be harmed, to suit your wishes?"
Bao Yun's voice, soft and enchanting even when tinged with anger, tickled the heartstrings as it approached. When she appeared, it was truly a sight to behold. She had clearly rushed over without having time to tidy her appearance; a lock of her hair had come undone from its bun and was draped over her partially exposed snowy shoulder. The stark contrast between the black and white drew eyes involuntarily down to the waterfall of dark hair and the voluptuousness of her chest. The hurried pace and her anger had left her breath unsteady, accentuating the alluring curves of her body, much to the distraction of many onlookers.
Su Tong was momentarily stunned as well, but thanks to his profound cultivation in the Art of Soul and Mind, he quickly regained composure and responded with a calm demeanor, "What are you saying, Miss Bao Yun? I was merely pointing out that this Soul Capturing Orb appears to have over ten Apertures opened already, and the accumulated souls within are reaching a substantial number. If not handled properly, it could spell trouble."
Bao Yun was naturally skeptical. She snorted dismissively, ignoring the gazes of others as she gathered her loose hair and restyled it into a bun. This action further accentuated her stunning figure. However, when her gaze shifted to Lu Qing, she paused. Lu Qing maintained her fist-pressed posture, her expression serious, without standing up.
At that moment, everyone realized that Su Tong's words were not entirely alarmist. Bao Yun was adaptable and knew when to yield. Her bright eyes shifted as she followed up on Su Tong's remarks, "Then, according to Deputy Hall Master Su, how should this matter be resolved?"
Su Tong's gaze lingered on Bao Yun, feeling a tantalizing itch in his heart. He was tempted to tease her a bit and said with a smile, "This Soul Capturing Orb has collected thousands of souls, harnessing the power of a shadowy explosion. Those two Fierce Culprits triggered it before they escaped, and it could detonate at any moment. Not to mention the dispersal of malevolent spirits, the force of the shadowy explosion alone could turn the surrounding area into a pot of thin gruel. Market Master Lu's fist is unparalleled, but she cannot keep it suppressed like this forever..."
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
"Oh dear, whatever shall we do?"
Bao Yun clutched at her delicate chest and stepped forward, coming up right beside Yu Ci. Her bare feet, ensconced in upturned-nose shoes, lightly trod on the tips of Yu Ci's shoes. Leaning in, she whispered urgently, "Hey, Senior, I need your help!"
"Hmm?"
Seeing Yu Ci's clueless demeanor, Bao Yun bit her silver teeth in frustration. But with time pressing, she had no choice but to step on his foot again. "Aren't you the best at summoning spirits and capturing ghosts? Are you really going to let Su Tong walk all over you?"
"In truth, I'm just passable," Yu Ci admitted plainly. His methods, like the Soul Restoring Star Fixing Curse and a few other talismans, were limited in comparison to the likes of Su Tong, who specialized and excelled in this craft.
Bao Yun's pretty face flushed with anger. Were it not for the many eyes upon them, she would have lunged at Yu Ci and bitten him fiercely.
Meanwhile, Yu Ci was pondering something else. When he had burst through the door earlier, full of bluster, he had thought the problem lay with Bao Yun, given the deep impression that mysterious and somewhat eerie individual had left on him. But it turned out there was an unexpected twist. And what had become of that strange fellow?
His thoughts came full circle, and seeing Bao Yun about to explode with rage, perhaps even before the Soul Capturing Orb would, Yu Ci felt he couldn't let Su Tong continue to dominate the situation. The beauty had spoken a hard truth. Considering the incident with Ghost Hand Zhou and the Three Families Market, he and Su Tong were direct rivals. It was either he suppressed Su Tong, or Su Tong suppressed him.
Yu Ci's situation was still favorable because he had the upper hand in both affairs. But if he backed down now, in the eyes of the People of the Northern Wasteland, he would be seen as a pushover, someone to be bullied by everyone, and he could forget about ever holding his head high again.
"It just takes controlling the malevolent spirit," Yu Ci suddenly spoke up, startling everyone in the garden.
Some found his interjection surprising, others speculated he was bewitched by Bao Yun, acting as her pawn, but most importantly, amidst the chaotic chatter, his identity quickly spread, and the majority understood and saw it as expected.
Su Tong certainly noticed the covert dealings between Yu Ci and Bao Yun, but when Yu Ci openly took a stand, Su Tong's face still darkened, his icy gaze piercing like a snake baring its venomous fangs.
Yu Ci paid him no mind, while Bao Yun was visibly elated. Despite maintaining her stunning and seductive demeanor, she eagerly extended her hand to loop through Yu Ci's arm, approaching Lu Qing as if victory was already theirs.
After a brief sensing, Yu Ci inquired, "How is it?"
"Just hold on for half an hour more."
Lu Qing's tone was calm, showing no signs of strain. The so-called "Yin Burst" wasn't enough to harm her, but resolving it with mere brute force was impossible. This stalemate, as Su Tong had mentioned, would likely cause irreversible damage to the surrounding geological structures due to the massive impact of the clashing forces, not to mention the stray malevolent spirits which could trouble the guests if they were harmed.
Yu Ci then smiled, "Market Master Lu, do you mind if I lend a hand?"
With a slight nod from Lu Qing, Yu Ci extended his hand and, under Su Tong's venomous glare, assumed a stance, "Excuse me...wait, hold on."
Bao Yun, who was by his side, nearly threw out her back dodging him, and in a fit of pique, she pinched him hard on the waist. Yu Ci maintained his composure, merely glancing back at her, causing Bao Yun to reflexively withdraw her hand and turn away, refusing to meet his gaze.
There were many like Bao Yun around; the North Wilderness had never been a place of gentleness and humility. At this moment, some even jeered. They had truly embraced their roles as spectators.
Yu Ci had no obligation to satisfy these onlookers, but his lack of action wasn't intentional. He had just remembered something: he had planned to use the Seed True Talisman of the Lifeless Tribulation Star Soul-breaking Divine Light to extinguish the malevolent spirits in the Soul Capturing Orb in one fell swoop. For him, casting a talisman was a matter of a single thought. Even if the spirits were formidable, he could just release a few more. But at the last moment, he considered that if the spirits below had truly amassed, annihilating them in such a way would indeed be a wasteful destruction of heaven's creations.
Casting a glance at Su Tong, it was rare for him to utter such a sensible remark.
Then, he produced the Lunar Banner that had just come into his possession.
The banner, standing about a yard tall, was immediately eye-catching. However, the admiration quickly turned to hisses, even more pronounced than before. There wasn't a novice in sight; how could they not see that, although the banner was made of fine material, it was an unrefined blank slate, its Divine Light dim, of what use could it be?
Yu Ci, undisturbed by the surrounding noise, gave the banner a shake, reducing the Ninefold Bamboo by half, and caught the lower end of the Lunar Banner with one hand. He then said to Lu Qing, "Please wait a moment."
With that, he closed his eyes slightly, and in the next instant, a surge of Divine Light burst forth from the Lunar Banner.
Under the dominion of the Life Death Talisman within the void of his heart, the true essence was channeled through the True Meaning of the Symbol Technique, transformed into Talisman Divine Light. It washed over the Lunar Banner in waves, guided by the existing Talisman Pattern Fractal on the banner, dividing and flowing into their respective places. Thus, it mingled with his Divine Soul Vitality, their Auras intermingling.
In the shadow of a certain Artificial Mountain, someone was wiping the lingering fragrance from their hands with a handkerchief. Seeing the scene unfold in the courtyard, they smiled, "The Magical Instrument's structure is unremarkable, but to establish a layer of consecration is indeed rare."
No one heard this musing, but they did see the effect; influenced by it, the Lunar Banner fluttered like waves, and when Yu Ci released his grip, it remained suspended in mid-air.
Yu Ci did not stop there. He freed his hands and his fingers nimbly weaved through a series of Seal Formulas. His hands moved so swiftly that the Divine Light was concealed rather than revealed, and for a short time, no one could discern his technique. Those with less sharp vision saw only his left hand continuously opening and closing, transforming palm to fist, and pounding five times into the palm of his right hand.
"What's he up to?" murmured whispers spread behind the flower walls of the Artificial Mountain.
The sound waves reached the shadowed figure, who had just offered an appraisal. They uttered a soft 'huh', tossed aside their handkerchief, and looked on with keen interest.
*******
I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e