With a powerful stride, Yu Ci flashed across a distance of thirty feet in the blink of an eye. However, he noticed that the bright stars in the sky had also subtly shifted their angles.
Expanding his field of vision, he realized that at some point, the bright stars, Smoke Crane, and himself had formed a fixed angle. If Yu Ci moved, so did Smoke Crane, and if Smoke Crane moved, the stars shifted. In this way, his position was firmly locked.
In an instant, a star descended overhead and exploded with a thunderous boom. In the dark night sky, a blindingly bright light flared up. There was no explosion, only a wave of heat rushing over him.
Shielding his eyes, even at a distance of a hundred feet, Yu Ci could feel the terrifying heat emanating from the explosion. The heat was so intense that it felt like being drenched in boiling oil. Strangely, this extreme heat penetrated to his bones and turned into a bone-chilling cold, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. As the cold and heat alternated, he broke out in a cold sweat, draining him of half his strength.
"Such treachery!" The thought had barely formed when a red glow expanded above his head, pouring down like a fiery waterfall, threatening to engulf him in an instant.
"Open!"
With a roar, the red glow of the Pure Yang Talisman Sword held steady, transforming into a solid ring of light that circled around him. The formidable curtain of fire was torn apart by the red glow of the sword energy, and the relatively clear air outside penetrated in, colliding with the escaping heat and creating a deafening explosion.
Tearing apart the curtain of fire, Yu Ci had no sense of satisfaction. Just as the sword aura broke through the air, a subtle and powerful force, like a demon wind rising from the ground, seized the moment of inevitable weakness after his Divine Soul Sword Control, invaded his body, and instantly disrupted the flow of his Primordial Qi.
This force, cloaked in flames, was dark and pervasive. Yu Ci, being a notch lower in cultivation level and caught off guard, suffered internal injuries and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Inflicting invisible injuries from tens of miles away... Could this be the Star Slaying Shadow Method?"
This was Tu Du's show of power.
Since ancient times, there has been no distinction between talisman and curse. Yu Ci, being proficient in talisman, also had some understanding of curse techniques. At this moment, he remembered a comment he had heard from Monk Zheng Yan: In terms of cultivation level and combat power, Master Jin was undoubtedly the best; but in terms of curse techniques, Tu Du, the old demon, was unquestionably the best in sheer cliff city!
To prove this point, Monk Zheng Yan had cited many examples. Among them, the "Star Slaying Shadow Method", which was said to be capable of killing people hundreds of miles away, had been highlighted. Now it seemed that this blow was very likely the one.
Acting decisively, regardless of the surrounding fire that seemed eager to devour him, he drew his sword and cut his left index finger, drawing in mid-air. In an instant, he had crafted a "Talisman to Ward off Poison and Evil".
Belonging to the series of Monster and Ghost Scripts, the Talisman to Ward off Poison and Evil is a method that utilizes the might of demons and ghosts to perform exorcism. The talisman, soaked in fresh blood, twisted and turned in the void. Its color, initially a faint red, gradually deepened. By the time Yu Ci completed the final stroke, the color of the pattern had turned so red it was almost black, transforming into a grotesque and terrifying Ghost Face, laughing with a wide grin.
This was the highest level of Shaman Curse Technique that Yu Ci could deploy, a technique he had only recently learned from the Shangqing Star Secret Talisman Book.
Without hesitation, he chanted the spell and launched it with a stern voice.
A sharp scream echoed in the void. The Ghost Face in the Rune Patterns suddenly twisted and spontaneously combusted with a hissing sound, the flames were also black. In an instant, it was almost completely consumed, but a beam of light shot out from the Black Flames, directly hitting Yu Ci's forehead.
His mind went blank, and his forehead felt hot. Without looking in a mirror, Yu Ci knew that a grotesque Ghost Face the size of a thumb pad must have been branded on the center of his forehead. Centered on this Ghost Face, an invisible barrier about three feet in diameter unfolded, blocking the eerie aura flowing from the flames.
Having successfully created the talisman, Yu Ci did not delay. He once again raised his Pure Yang Talisman Sword, set his course for the Sky Rift Valley, and rushed forward.
A demonic wind blew across the flat ground, making it difficult for Yu Ci to stand. But the bone-chilling cold was ultimately blocked outside. Yu Ci seized the opportunity and, before the Curse Power could form a second wave of change, he tore through the flames and surged forward.
Covered in flames, Yu Ci rolled on the ground and then sprang up, sprinting towards the Sky Rift Valley. Under the dim sky, the fire illuminated half of the sky. But the towering fire was nothing compared to the smoke billowing from the fire, which was imbued with a potent Curse Power.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"So this is the power of a Golden Elixir cultivator."
If it were before, Yu Ci might have been surprised. But after witnessing the battle between the two-headed demon and the Ghost Beasts deep in the Sky Rift Valley, his perspective had broadened considerably.
In the Divine Map, where the fire was flickering, the distorted scenery was restoring, showing that this wave of Curse Power was dissipating. However, further away, a new problem was catching up - similar to the previous situation with the "long line" of fog, but this time, a very dazzling spot appeared.
He knew the specifics of that foggy spot. Perhaps as his Cultivation Level progressed, the distortion of the scenery was not as intense as before, but the feeling would not change. That was clearly the Yin Spirit in its wandering state, the White Sun Mansion's Grand Elder, the old demon Tu Du who had lived for more than three hundred years!
Finally, the moment had arrived! Yu Ci exhaled deeply, and despite facing a formidable adversary, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
In this life-or-death situation, even though he was not adept at pre-emptive planning, he had still painstakingly envisaged numerous possibilities. The easiest scenario, of course, would have been him leading the way into the Sky Rift Valley, leaving Old Monster Tu Du eating his dust, and conveniently falling into his trap... but reality proved this to be nothing more than wishful thinking.
Tu Du's strength was undeniable. Even with the Divine Map as his support, and despite his best attempts to outwit the old monster while he was still miles away, he had no choice but to endure a hit from Tu Du's Distant Curse Method. This minor setback served as a reminder that extraordinary measures required extraordinary preparation.
However, so far, the unexpected turn of events was still within his tolerance. Besides, it was only logical to suffer some losses when confronting a Golden Elixir cultivator, wasn't it?
After one final glance at the Divine Map to confirm that the crucial area beneath it remained unchanged, Yu Ci didn't waste any more time and turned to run.
His feet moved swiftly, but his opponent was even faster. Yu Ci vividly remembered the gap between the Nature-Connecting and Golden Elixir realms as explained by Ye Tu, especially in terms of speed.
Generally, a Nature-Connecting Cultivator could ensure a distance of four hundred miles in one hour through the use of talismans and such, but they would be completely exhausted afterwards, requiring a couple of hours to recover. However, for a Golden Elixir cultivator, excluding flight through Manipulating Artifacts, their inherent speed could exceed eight hundred miles in an hour, twice as fast as a Nature-Connecting Cultivator. If they were to travel in the Yin Spirit State, their speed would increase even further.
He had barely covered ten miles when a sudden chill emanated from the void, brushing past his scalp. At first, it was only a slight coolness, but in the blink of an eye, it was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, freezing his brain.
"I've been targeted!"
Yu Ci forced a smile, releasing the tension that had been building in his chest. He never doubted the capabilities of a Golden Elixir cultivator, and thus he didn't mind overestimating his enemy. Old Monster Tu Du's demonstrated skills were still within his tolerance range, so he pushed himself harder, increasing his speed and sprinting with all his might.
Rocks, trees, beasts, and birds whizzed past his face, their forms distorted, making the world seem surreal. Primordial Qi coursed through every corner of his body, providing a constant supply of power for Yu Ci to consume.
The "Primordial Qi" was far from depleted, but his body was beginning to tire. Moreover, his speed was limited by his Cultivation Level and could not be further increased, while the distance between Tu Du and him was gradually closing.
In the next moment, Yu Ci had a clear feeling that Old Monster Tu Du had "seen" him!
A chilling aura crept from the void, attempting to seep into his body, like countless thin ropes trying to bind his hands and feet.
"Another Curse technique!"
Before the thought could fade, a sharp scream erupted.
The piercing sound did not transmit through the air but exploded directly in his brain!
A thunderous noise shook his mind, and Yu Ci nearly thought his skull would be blown apart. He stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. Fortunately, he had been continuously strengthening his Exorcism Talisman, and his Divine Soul remained stable, not collapsing immediately. But at this moment, he felt something strange on his face. Reaching up to touch it, he found blood oozing from his nostrils and ears.
"This guy... I underestimated him from the start!"
Yu Ci knew he was at an absolute disadvantage. Although this was expected, the cunning Curse technique of the old demon Tu was still an eye-opener. This kind of method, which could unleash the most terrifying power without close combat, was something he had never encountered since he began his cultivation.
At this moment, a wave of icy coldness came from his mind. A distance of eight or nine miles was not a problem for Tu's Curse technique. His divine intent could break through Yu Ci's instinctive defense, mix with Tu's unique mark, and transform into a cold laugh that Yu Ci could understand, echoing in his mind:
"Hand over the secret of finding the Fish Dragon Grass, and I will give you a quick end."
Yu Ci did not have Tu Du's method of transmitting messages over ten miles, nor did he want to get entangled. He simply cleared his mind, concentrated on resisting the opponent's divine intent invasion, and activated the remaining Talisman Power of the Exorcism Talisman. His mind cleared, and Tu's cold laughter seemed to be separated by a thick wall, becoming vague and unclear.
At this time, Yu Ci was only about three miles away from the cliff edge of Sky Rift Valley, which was close at hand. Of course, Tu Du's speed was faster. If things continued like this, the old Demon might be able to stop him before he could plunge into the Sky Rift Valley.
Fortunately, Yu Ci had prepared a trick especially for this old guy!
With a thought, a pre-written Spirit Talisman slid out from the Green Spirit Guide of the Divine Bronze Mirror and was held in his hand. At this time, Old Monster Tu Du had already chased within five miles. This place was a meadow in the mountains, with a flat terrain and a clear view. Yu Ci turned his head, seemingly seeing the faint to non-existent figure in the thick darkness behind him.
He clenched his fingers and crushed the Talisman.
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No matter what book I write, I always hope to attract as many readers as possible. This is unchangeable. If all the readers I attract can fall in love with my book and understand the emotions or thoughts I want to express in the book, then that is the state I dream of, and I am always working towards it.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e