Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 51: One Punch, One Kid

"Crash!"

Before the old Daoist could finish speaking, the surface of the suspended lake above them suddenly tore open!

A shadow, moving so fast it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye, plummeted downward and instantly appeared before Luo Haoran, who was closest to the lake’s embankment.

Emerging from the torrent without warning?

This abrupt attack caught everyone off guard.

Luo Haoran, being a True Disciple of the Tianshi Mansion, reacted swiftly. The golden light of his Golden Barrier Talisman flared to life, enveloping him in protection. Yet, the attacker surged through the chaotic spiritual energy of the flood, descending with a fierce momentum that sent a deluge of water crashing down as well.

Although Luo Haoran’s Golden Barrier Talisman provided some protection, the turbulent spiritual flood quickly wore away the golden light.

Seizing the opportunity, the assailant struck again with a powerful blow. Luo Haoran, caught off guard, let out a muffled groan as blood sprayed into the air.

"Master Lu, can you stop sounding like a stage general draped in flags?” Lei Jun quipped as he dashed forward, catching the severely injured Luo Haoran and quickly retreating.

Lu Zhaoqing recognized the attacker instantly—one of the Dong clan. His shock and fury surged as he hastily unleashed a Thunder Talisman. Bolts of lightning crackled through the air, streaking toward Dong Yang.

Unflinching, Dong Yang exhaled sharply and punched forward. His strike cracked the air like thunder.

A mere mortal body clashing head-on with lightning!

The Thunder Talisman was a True Dao Legacy of the Tianshi Mansion, its power far from ordinary.

The lightning forced Dong Yang to stagger backward several steps, but he managed to withstand the attack. Still, his fist and arm, blackened from the lightning, trembled uncontrollably.

"That Elder Yuan already left, yet there are still so many Tianshi Mansion disciples here. What a hassle..." Dong Yang muttered, then snorted, "But what's done is done—no turning back now!"

By taking the full brunt of the Thunder Talisman, he had bought time and space for his allies.

From the opening above, more members of the Dong clan descended, landing firmly one after another.

Once his comrades had secured their positions, Dong Yang abandoned his defensive stance.

"Old geezer, can those creaky bones of yours still move?" He took a deep breath, and the blood circulating through his body began to restore the blackened flesh of his right hand to a healthy red.

In a flash, Dong Yang surged toward Lu Zhaoqing, the head of Qingxiao Monastery.

Lu Zhaoqing unleashed another Thunder Talisman, but Dong Yang's movements were swift. He twisted mid-air, dodging the lightning and closing in on Lu’s side with a lightning-fast left punch!

The Golden Barrier Talisman’s light flared just in time, shielding Lu from the strike.

As a master of the Life-Bound Golden Barrier Talisman, Lu Zhaoqing’s defenses were formidable.

But Dong Yang unleashed a barrage of punches, targeting the same point relentlessly. Though a single punch couldn't penetrate the barrier, a series of over a dozen blows rained down on the same spot in rapid succession.

Lu Zhaoqing, advanced in years with declining vitality, found it difficult to keep up. As a Talismanic Daoist, his physical endurance and reaction speed were no longer what they once were. Though he tried to reposition himself to mitigate the blows, Dong Yang pursued him relentlessly, adjusting his angles to continue the assault.

Initially, Dong Yang relied mostly on his left hand due to his injured right hand.

But as his blood circulated more intensely, his entire body radiated heat like a miniature furnace, restoring his right hand completely. With both fists now in play, his assault grew exponentially more ferocious.

A persistent drip wears away a stone.

Dong Yang, often representing the Dong family in dealings with the Lin clan in Jiangzhou, had clearly acquired insights into countering the Tianshi Mansion’s Golden Barrier Talisman. Exploiting his youthful vigor and seamless movements, he steadily wore down Lu Zhaoqing’s defenses.

Fortunately, the Golden Barrier Talisman bought Lu just enough time to deploy other Spirit Talismans to retaliate.

Though he had been away from Mount Longhu for years, as a True Disciple of the Tianshi Mansion, even the foundational talismans he wielded were potent and refined.

Having learned from his first clash with a Thunder Talisman, Dong Yang avoided a direct confrontation this time.

The middle-aged warrior demonstrated exceptional agility and adaptability, weaving through attacks with precision. He combined offense and defense fluidly, forcing Lu Zhaoqing’s talismans to miss repeatedly.

Lu Zhaoqing gritted his teeth.

His body was in terrible condition.

If compared to someone with a 100-year lifespan, he was akin to an octogenarian or older. His physical capabilities couldn’t match his intentions, and even his awareness had dulled over time.

The exhaustion and weakness from his previous efforts to control the floodwaters lingered, and his depleted mana showed no signs of recovery. Now, his reserves were draining even faster.

His old bones creaked ominously, warning him against overexertion.

But Lu Zhaoqing had no other choice.

Among the three opponents, Luo Haoran had been severely injured in the initial ambush. Dong Yang’s premeditated, decisive strike had taken out the strongest perceived threat first, leaving Lu as the next target.

And Lei Jun?

Lu Zhaoqing held little hope for him.

Though the others at Qingxiao Monastery might not know, Lu was aware of Lei Jun’s connections to Elder Ziyang of Mount Longhu. He also knew that Lei Jun’s body had been weakened due to prolonged exposure to Blue Stone Ink.

Against a body-refining martial artist like Dong Yang, Lei Jun’s fragile constitution was a severe disadvantage. Moreover, Lei Jun was only at the Second Heaven Realm, far from bridging the Heaven’s Chasm to reach the Third Heaven.

The gap between the Second and Third Heaven wasn’t just one of cultivation but of raw strength as well.

With no reinforcements to rely on, Lu Zhaoqing steeled himself despite his deteriorating condition.

“Those two brats are down. Now it’s your turn, old geezer!”

Dong Yang, in his prime, not only maintained a steady rhythm of attacks to exhaust Lu but also taunted him, trying to unsettle his mind.

Finally, Lu Zhaoqing’s second Golden Barrier Talisman shattered under a relentless series of blows. The old Daoist, now defenseless, stumbled backward, struggling to evade Dong Yang’s relentless assault.

In stark contrast, Dong Yang still had the capacity to maintain full awareness of his surroundings, confidently controlling the battlefield.

“Bang!”

“Slap!”

Suddenly, a strange sound echoed.

Dong Yang landed a few more punches on Lu Zhaoqing but turned his head at the unexpected noise.

“Bang!”

“Slap!”

It happened again.

Dong Yang, frowning, turned to look.

“Bang!”

As he pivoted, the sound came a third time.

“Bang!”

This time, Dong Yang caught sight of a black shadow streaking past, accompanied by a sharp “whoosh” of wind.

“Slap!”

Dong Yang froze, his eyes involuntarily following the shadow.

“Bang!”

Finally, he saw the scene unfold in full: Lei Jun.

Supporting the injured Luo Haoran with one hand, Lei Jun struck out with the other, fist clenched tightly, driving it into the chest of a Dong clan member.

The man, like a broken kite, was sent flying past Dong Yang, leaving behind a bloodied arc.

“Slap!”

The man’s body crashed into the stone wall of the embankment and stuck there like a grotesque painting.

Five bodies were already “hung” on the wall, each sporting either a caved-in chest or back, blood streaming from their faces. They were unmistakably dead.

Their corpses, soft and limp, adhered to the stone as if pinned in place—like five gruesome portraits.

“Bang!”

A sixth body flew in.

“Slap!”

It joined the others, completing a grisly row of “human paintings.”

Lei Jun exhaled deeply, shaking his hand. “This looks much closer to the style I was aiming for.”