The maximum control distance of the talisman was only about a hundred feet, yet the speed of Old Monster Tu Du was astonishingly swift. With Yu Ci turning around to drive the talisman, Tu Du had closed the distance of two or three miles. By the time the talisman's power extended beyond a hundred feet, Tu Du had conveniently caught up.
"Hmm?"
Although the talisman's power was dormant and yet to be unleashed, how could it deceive Tu Du? He clearly sensed the talisman's power spreading in the void. With his speed, it was not difficult to avoid the talisman's range, but he had a protective treasure and wanted to measure the younger generation's strength. Thus, he did not dodge or hide, but faced it head-on.
His thoughts were exactly what Yu Ci was relying on!
In the void, it seemed as if someone was shouting in anger, as if the legendary Ghost Envoy from the Underworld had arrived from the infinite void, throwing out the Soul-Pulling Rope. With a clanking sound, a thick, black chain lock materialized out of thin air. At the same time, countless intricate rune patterns, like a prairie fire, instantly covered the chain lock. Then, with a "boom", the rune patterns transformed into raging black flames burning on the chain lock. Each spark was a talisman attacking the yin spirit's Sha energy!
Yin Capital Black Law Binding Ghost Curse!
Although the chain lock was condensed from the spiritual light in the void, it was incredibly solid and naturally restrained all yin ghost divine souls. In comparison, Tu Du had condensed into a Yin Spirit, unleashing the greatest potential of the divine soul, and after forming his elixir, he was more solid and refined, incomparable to ordinary yin spirits.
As the two sides collided, the howling cold wind in the wilderness suddenly quieted down!
In the suddenly quiet atmosphere, the chain lock recoiled in the void and looped towards Tu Du's neck, with a clear and piercing rattling sound.
After the incident at Nanfrost Lake, where he captured the Water Mimic Bird, Yu Ci's understanding of this curse had greatly improved. More importantly, under the Sky Rift Valley, after observing the astonishing unfinished talisman of the two-headed demon, he gained an unprecedented deep understanding of the mysteries of the Monster and Ghost Scripts system.
At this moment, he stripped away all unnecessary changes, only demonstrating the most fundamental power of this curse, making it more refined.
Tu Du was slightly surprised, but in the end, he snorted, "Such a thing!"
A cold wind suddenly rose from the ground, and a Curse Power Barrier was instantly formed, blocking the recoiling chain lock. Then the Curse Power began to change, as if a fierce beast was condensing into form, roaring to break the chain lock. It was indeed about to break the spiritual light condensed chain lock, which was trembling on the verge of collapse, but the black flames burning on it were becoming more and more violent.
The yin wind and black fire collided several times, sparks flying all over the sky, hitting the Curse Power Barrier, making a sizzling sound. Tu Du clearly felt that his momentum was forcibly restrained!
Without the constraints of a flesh body, from extreme motion to utter stillness, the Yin Spirit felt no discomfort. However, the stagnation in itself was akin to a harsh slap to his face!
"This thing!" He repeated his earlier words, but this time, the meaning was different.
As to what exactly was different, only Tu Du himself knew best. Not to mention the rest, the outwardly projected Curse Power had suddenly escalated a level.
A "Yin Capital Black Law Binding Ghost Curse" ultimately could not withstand the power of Tu Du's Yin Spirit. With a snap, the Chain Lock was torn apart by the Curse Power, transforming into countless fragments of spiritual light scattering in all directions.
Tu Du's Yin Spirit, now unrestrained, surged in speed, forcefully breaking through the scattered spiritual light talisman. The accompanying yin wind also extinguished the remaining Black Flames. But Tu Du could not deny that at this moment, his Yin Spirit Sensing fluctuated between warmth and cold, a sensation completely different from the norm.
The Chain Lock condensed from the void, though not particularly powerful, seemed to carry with it the soul-destroying magic from the Netherworld. It was as if it was a toxin specifically targeting him, intending to inject itself into his Yin Spirit.
"That young man, although he walked the path of death for the Ghost-Face Flower, seemed to be well-prepared!"
Tu Du, with his experience of over three hundred years, naturally saw that the fleeing young man before him appeared flustered, yet every countermeasure was methodical. Especially the Spirit Talisman he threw behind him, it was commendable.
His mind locked onto the figure ahead, he remembered some things Huang Tai had mentioned, "It seems this youngster is very familiar with Sky Rift Valley, able to move freely within... Heh, seems quite self-confident."
Tu Du had grasped Yu Ci's biggest reliance, and he found it amusing:
"What a self-righteous fool!"
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This was, up until now, Tu Du's assessment of Yu Ci.
With this judgment, Tu Du initially wanted to intercept immediately. However, upon second thought, he decided to slow down. In the brief moment of delay, Yu Ci had already crossed the edge of the cliff, plunging into the deep valley.
As Yu Ci fell into the void, all the bumps and changes on the nearby cliff wall passed through his mind. Seizing an opportunity, he reached out and grabbed a sturdy branch, like an old monkey that had lived in this place for decades. He leaped from branch to stone, and in a few jumps, he had fallen several miles, his speed increasing.
However, after running for a while, a cold laugh echoed in his mind. Looking up, a faint figure was suspended in the misty void clouds, no more than a dozen yards away. He didn't know when it had passed him.
Yu Ci's figure abruptly stopped.
Tu Du was pleased to see the change in the young man's expression, at least it made his face less attractive. He should have been more stern, but seeing that handsome face, he couldn't help but want to sneer:
"Why aren't you running anymore?"
Yu Ci seemed to still hold steady, at least he could still laugh at himself, "I thought Mr. Tu was still a hundred miles away, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."
Speaking, he held his sword and saluted with a fist, his manners impeccable, "Greetings, Mr. Tu Du, I have long heard of your illustrious name, and have been longing to meet you. Today, I am indeed fortunate to have this opportunity."
Tu Du also smiled, but his heart was not as pleased. What he had hoped to see was a flustered expression on Yu Ci's face, but the young man was mentally resilient, even managing to engage him in a reasoned and orderly manner!
Therefore, his sharp laughter was not as polite, "Your name, young man, has often been buzzing in my ears these past few days, and it's quite annoying! But Mansion Master mentioned that when you were at Still Heart Temple, you were not as you are now... It was said that you were quite arrogant!"
Arrogant, was that the impression he had given Jin Huan? Yu Ci grinned, "I dare not accept such praise. Compared to Mr. Tu Du's renowned ability to silence a crying child, I fall far short."
This was a sarcastic remark on Tu Du's failure to deal with children, but Tu Du, with three hundred years of cultivation, would not take such words to heart. Even in conversation, his sinister and harsh intent never left Yu Ci. If the younger generation showed the slightest slack, he would not be polite!
However, at this moment, the effects of the Talisman to Ward off Poison and Evil had not yet passed, and Yu Ci's Divine Soul was still stable. Moreover, this young man's thoughts were quite deep, even when he was cornered, he did not show excessive panic. Tu Du scanned his Divine Intent several times but found no obvious flaws, which made him somewhat hesitant.
He was not incapable of launching a strong attack, but the most likely outcome of using Curse Power to kill the Divine Soul would be to turn Yu Ci into an idiot, or even to kill him directly. But so far, Tu Du's intention had always been to capture Yu Ci alive.
Under these circumstances, Tu Du was somewhat indecisive.
The secret of the Fish-Dragon was indeed too tempting for the White Sun Mansion to ignore. Moreover, when he came from the mansion, Jin Huan had repeatedly instructed that this boy had some connection with the Old Daoist Yu Zhou of Still Heart Temple. For the future plans of the White Sun Mansion, cutting off this connection was only a last resort. The best course of action would be to use him.
Even if Jin Huan hadn't mentioned it, Tu Du held some apprehension towards Old Daoist Yu Zhou. During the Demon disturbance in Sky Rift Valley years ago, Lichen Sect and Sunset Valley joined forces to suppress it, inviting experts from various sects to gather there. Tu Du, with his Golden Elixir cultivator status, was able to participate. Among the most prominent cultivators of various sects at that time, Yu Zhou was one of them.
After all, among the Golden Elixir Cultivators, only he had achieved a record surpassing that of Vacuum Walking Cultivators!
In the decades that followed, Yu Zhou seemed to have experienced a great disappointment, voluntarily taking over as the head of Still Heart Temple, passing his time there. Now he is old, but his tiger-like aura is still present. Anyone who experienced the events of those years would probably not want to offend such a formidable figure.
Tu Du, a man of ample experience and ruthless determination, was not a character known for his cunning. Faced with this moderate dilemma, he had no choice but to seek a way to break down Yu Ci's defenses...
However, at this time, it was Yu Ci who took the initiative: "Seeing Elder Tu is indeed a fortunate event, but the current situation is rather disheartening."
Yu Ci maintained a calm demeanor, his words were carefully chosen, each one following the other closely. "I am here under the orders of Taoist Yu, to enter the Sky Rift Valley in search of six medicinal ingredients including Blue Sky Ling and Ghost-Face Flower. However, the stewards of your esteemed manor have obstructed me. What is the intent behind this? Instead of expressing gratitude for my efforts in cleaning up your manor, you resort to violence. What kind of logic is this? When Elder Tu arrived, I thought I would finally get some justice. But why is the situation still the same?"
The excuse of searching for medicinal ingredients was new to Tu Du, which only further confirmed his suspicions. And given the serious accusations made, he had to respond. With a somber expression, he said, his words clear and distinct even through the barrier of Talisman Power:
"Young man, you are spewing nonsense. With Taoist Yu's abilities, why would he need a youngster like you to gather herbs? Are you trying to deceive us with your lies, thinking we are as foolish as you?"
Yu Ci chuckled: "Does Elder Tu really think that the nature of Sky Rift Valley is unknown to the world?"
Tu Du suddenly fell silent, not because he was persuaded by Yu Ci, but because he had an idea sparked by Yu Ci's words. As he pondered, Yu Ci gritted his teeth and said:
"The No Entry Stele, jointly established by the Li Chen and Luo Ri sects, is treated as dirt in the eyes of the elders. Such audacity, I can only hope to follow!"
The youngster finally showed signs of guilt!
When Yu Ci finished his sentence, Tu Du was not angry but rather amused.
At this moment, he completely understood Yu Ci's intentions. His Yin Spirit vibrated, turning into a piercing laughter: "Oh, you're talking about the No Entry Stele! Indeed, the two sects erected this stele to warn future generations to stop at the valley and avoid the Demons, so as not to cause trouble for those in the valley. This reason is very good, I am also very afraid. What if the Li Chen and Luo Ri sects come knocking on the door?"
After he finished speaking in a strange tone, he suddenly pretended to realize something: "Oh, the only one who saw me enter here is you. Are you suggesting that I should kill the witness?"
As soon as his words fell, Yu Ci, like a startled rabbit, jumped up and fell down.
Tu Du chuckled, his fierce spirit booming, and in the blink of an eye, he tore through the invisible barrier formed by the Exorcism Talisman and rushed straight in.
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