The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 74: Divination Child Flaunts Ferocity

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Divination Child Flaunts Ferocity

The skill was remarkable!

Li Yan had his Divine Skills activated at all times, naturally aware of the threat.

Unexpectedly, in addition to the Soul Summoning Evil Skill, the puppet could also launch physical attacks.

He didn’t know, this was precisely what made the Puppetry Technique terrifying.

The invisible yin souls and yin soldiers primarily attacked a person’s Divine Soul; as long as one had targeted defenses or hid in a Divine Temple with abundant incense, they could avoid them.

In such cases, yin souls and evil spirits could only find physical hosts.

Just like when he dealt with the Cold Altar Rampant Soldier, while hiding at home, the entity could come directly to the doorstep, but when hiding in the Land God Temple, the other party could only possess the Evil Wolf to attack.

The Puppetry Technique was designed to compensate for this shortcoming.

Chen Fagui intended to conduct an evil sacrifice, knowing the right to mobilize the Society Order Army would certainly be revoked by his sect; he could only command a few Lower Altar soldiers that he himself kept.

By combining with the Puppetry Technique, many shortcomings could be compensated.

Though unclear of the intricacies, facing this kind of physical attack, Li Yan was unafraid.

He sidestepped, abruptly stopping to avoid the attack, then performed a Lazy Dragon Roll, flicking the Guan Mountain Blade upward.

Crash!

The old wooden puppet was instantly split in half.

The scattered components fell to the ground, along with the concealed yin soul within, which was shredded by the Evil Qi of the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin, dispersing into yin fog.

Before hitting the ground, Li Yan followed through with a roll,

Whoosh~

A scorching pillar of fire surged from above.

It was that "Jing" puppet attacking.

Commonly called "Painted Face," a Big Painted Face is a loyal minister or good general, while a Two Painted Face is a rough and rash person; the Martial Painted Face focuses mainly on fighting roles.

This "Jing" puppet dressed like a military officer, with five Order Flags on its back, opened its mouth abruptly to spray burning kerosene.

Of course, this was not a spell; a bladder was hidden in the puppet’s stomach, a fire stone in its mouth, allowing the yin soul to control the mechanism and release it.

Once the bladder was empty and the kerosene was exhausted, it naturally couldn’t spray anymore.

Yet the "Jing" puppet didn’t cease its attack, climbing a tree trunk and swinging its arms, flinging the five small Order Flags behind it like hidden weapons.

Bang, bang, bang!

Li Yan dodged by somersaulting, and the five Order Flags all pierced into the ground.

Perhaps because the old puppet was slain with one strike, the remaining puppets didn’t come close, the "Jing" puppet launched hidden weapon attacks, and the "Chou" puppet continued its soul summoning, with strange laughter and cries for help from familiar voices ringing in Li Yan’s ears constantly.

Li Yan’s gaze was cold and unyielding, ignoring it as he turned and continued running.

His mission wasn’t just to attract these attacks but also to quickly locate the tomb hidden by Chen Fagui.

Whoosh!

He moved swiftly past two large trees, performing the Iron Plate Bridge, sliding belly-up while throwing his blade.

The "Dan" puppet was the most insidious, maneuvering ahead while the "Jing" and "Chou" puppets pursued, drawing a fine steel wire from its flowing cloud sleeves to form an ambush around the tree.

The steel wire was so thin, invisible in the dark of night.

Should someone charge past, their neck might be sliced.

However, Li Yan had long since sensed it, easily avoiding the trap.

Rising, he didn’t even look back, just pulled out the Guan Mountain Blade pinned in the tree, continuing his pace.

Crash!

The "Dan" puppet hiding behind the tree trunk collapsed along with the extraction of the Guan Mountain Blade, its yin soul dissipating.

Behind, Luo Mingzi observed and nodded secretly.

Such a string of evasive maneuvers and attacks was rare at his age, surpassing even several seasoned pugilistic world veterans. Given time, he would undoubtedly thrive.

Unfortunately, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect had its rules, especially the Law Enforcement Hall, which only recruited children for training, though becoming a peripheral agent was possible...

Finally, after rushing through the mountain path, Li Yan again caught the scent of Yuan Qu and Zheng Hebei, faint yet clearly indicating direction.

In the dense woods and ravines up ahead!

The tomb passageway was opened, with scattered bricks around.

Eager to block Li Yan, the remaining three puppets no longer hid, leaping down from the trees, whistling with weapons in hand.

A fierce grin spread across Li Yan’s lips as he raised the Guan Mountain Blade horizontally.

Advancing, he flicked the blade upward,

Swung it diagonally backward with a reversed grip,

And concluded with a Yaozi Flip, delivering a fierce double-handed cleave!

Each of these three strikes was faster than the last, radiating murderous intent.

Crash...

All three wooden puppets were shattered.

Though Chen Fagui’s puppet techniques might be bizarre, controlling puppets to fight a bladesman at close range was tantamount to courting death.

Yet, after smashing the puppets, Li Yan felt no joy, his expression changing as he rolled to the side.

Boom!

Dirt flew as a figure shot through,

It was Iron Blade Gang’s leader, Zheng Hebei.

This time, he was completely transformed.

Originally large and robust like a black bear, now his muscles twisted and knotted, veins bulging, eyes bloodshot, adorned with blood talismans all over his face, resembling a living Yaksha.

It was Chen Fagui who sensed things had gone awry and sent Zheng Hebei to thwart.

Currently, Zheng Hebei, sharing the previous excitement Yuan Qu exuded, felt an immense power coursing through him, murderous intent flooding his mind, charging out with the Ape Jump.

His Ape Jump was slightly slower than Yuan Qu but far more ferocious.

Debris and mud flew as Li Yan evaded just in time, feeling a blast of malicious wind at his side.

However, it was his first time battling a Divination Child.

As he stood, raising his blade for defense, Zheng Hebei halted sharply, his right foot sinking deep into the dirt, channeling Hidden Energy anew, launching another Ape Jump.

The two moves occurred with barely any pause.

Li Yan’s face turned pale, yet it was too late.

Zheng Hebei charged, loosening his shoulders and wrapping his elbows, transferring force along both arms, snapping and popping as he struck with his right fist.

Entangled by yin souls, overwhelming with murderous intent, despite having learned the Zihou Fist from the Zhou Family, Zheng Hebei instinctively unleashed the Tongbei Fist he practiced from childhood.

The resounding Tongbei Fist released was called Cold Crisp Energy.

Li Yan barely managed to block with the blade’s back against his elbow, feeling an immense force akin to a sledgehammer, flying seven or eight meters away, crashing into a tree before falling to the ground.

This already resulted in a fractured arm, choking his chest and blurring his vision.

"Hahahaha..."

Across, Zheng Hebei laughed manically but was poised to attack again, suddenly freezing, not daring to move.

From the woods behind emerged Luo Mingzi, holding a sword, walking out steadily.

His eyes were cold as ice as he slowly drew the Seven Stars Sword.

Luo Mingzi was somewhat helpless; seeing Li Yan attacked, he couldn’t just watch the young bladesman die, forcing him to reveal himself earlier than planned.

And his two-tiered Dao level didn’t allow simultaneous invisibility and Hidden Energy attacks; otherwise, it wouldn’t have come to this.

Luo Mingzi’s appearance not only revealed the killing intent to Zheng Hebei, freezing him in terror, even making Chen Fagui in the magic platform inside panic, waving the Peach Wood Sword and shattering several Wandering Soul Vases on the altar.

Simultaneously, he shouted, "Assist me in blocking the enemy, and today you will be set free!"

Instantly, yin wind arose, black smoke whistling out, swirling once in the tomb before soaring out of the cave, rushing into Zheng Hebei’s body.

These were several powerful yin souls he subdued, nearly becoming fierce ghosts, initially intended for refinement into a puppet army and now forced to use prematurely.

"Roar!"

Injected with waves of yin souls, Zheng Hebei lost all sanity, his eyes turning white, nostrils exhaling cold mist, growling an unhuman roar.

Beneath the tree, Li Yan willed his mind, instantly mending some fractures and internal injuries.

Gazing at the terrible Yin Qi emanating from Zheng Hebei in the distance, he knew his involvement would only burden them, thus he remained inert.

Suddenly, a pit on the ground ahead caught his attention.

It was from which the scent of those children wafted, even carrying traces of incense burning, thin yet incredibly distinct.

It was a robber’s tunnel leading straight into the tomb!

Without a second thought, Li Yan flipped and dove into the tunnel.

In the distance, Luo Mingzi, having awakened his Body Divine Power, lacked Yin Yang Eyes yet possessed incredible eyesight, immediately catching Li Yan’s action.

Unfazed, he pointed his sword at Zheng Hebei.

Though they exchanged no words, their cooperation was seamless.

If Li Yan had been the bait, now he was drawing their fire. Once Li Yan entered the tunnel and destroyed the magic platform, everyone could be rescued.

"Roar!"

Zheng Hebei finally succumbed to the oppressive atmosphere, charging directly...

...

Down the mountain, beside the magic platform, the night wind howled.

Sha Lifei tossed the remaining Fire Papers into the brazier.

This type of paper, made from plant stalks like rice straw, reeds, miscellaneous grass, and bamboo, was rough and yellowish, elsewhere called earth paper or grass paper, mainly used for wrapping and sacrificial burning.

Whoosh~

Instantly, nightwind swirled, a fiery tornado spiraled up.

Sha Lifei grimaced, hastily stepping back.

Glancing at Zhao Facheng, he mused secretly, this dark face indeed was a Cultivator of Magic Veins, possessing two-tiered Dao, the magic platform’s momentum surpassed even Wang Daoxuan.

Simultaneously, Zhao Facheng also raised the Yellow Talisman with his sword, igniting it while forming a spell, Stepping Gang and stepping into the air with a diagonal strike to the sky.

Seeing this, Sha Lifei’s lips curled with delight.

Though he couldn’t see any aura, he knew this summoned the army.

Two orders had been sent; another incense stick’s worth of time to persist, and once three orders were relayed, with the City God Temple’s Society Order Army arriving, that Chen Fagui would be bowed even with three heads and six arms.

Boom!

But just then, a figure dashed down from the mountain, kicking up dirt, radiating killing intent—it was Yuan Qu, transformed into a Divination Child!