In a hidden chamber a few miles away, an old man clad in coarse hemp robes sat before five shattered skulls, his face ashen with fury, his teeth grinding audibly.
The Five Ghosts Transportation Method, also known as the Five Ghosts Chaos Technique, is typically used for locating lost objects or uncovering secrets—extremely convenient. Although not considered a high-level magical art, acquiring five human skulls from individuals who died shortly after their birth dates and elements matched, and then immediately undergoing ritual purification, required considerable effort. Even with all necessary components gathered, the ritual itself required forty-nine days of careful preparation. It was thus no wonder the old man was furious—his careless mistake had led to everything being utterly destroyed.
“You wretched girl! It would have been fine if you merely disrupted my spell, but why go so far as to destroy the very essence of my Five Ghosts? If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never know your limits!” The old man, his face dark with rage, spat out bitterly.
He stretched out his emaciated arm and drew a complex, eerie talisman on a piece of paper. After inspecting it carefully and nodding in approval, he reached for a black stone casket beside him.
Opening the casket revealed several strange claws—mostly blackened and shriveled, some resembling bird talons, others like beast claws. He selected a small black bird claw, began chanting incantations, and flung the talisman into the air. The paper ignited slowly, burning into ashes in an instant.
At the exact moment the talisman turned to ash, the old man traced a square in the air. As his bony fingers moved, a dark, misty space a few feet wide appeared in midair. With his other hand, he hurled the bird claw into this void. A sharp, piercing sound cut through the air as the claw vanished. The dark space flickered and disappeared, and the room returned to its original state.
The old man sat silently, the dim light casting shadows on his gaunt face, his expression dark and unstable.
Meanwhile, Bi Zhen still held the tiny paper figures and continued explaining to Mei Qing: “What I sealed in my binding bracelet just now was a forbidden art. ‘Forbidden’ means restraint, imprisonment, or suppression. This technique can not only bind evil spirits and demons but can also sever the mechanisms of yin and yang, and even snatch the transformation of heaven and earth. Your art of concealment is precisely what this technique counters. Therefore, if you ever encounter a master skilled in forbidden arts, you must be extremely cautious.”
“Ahhh?” Mei Qing exclaimed in alarm. “So if I meet someone capable of sealing the Five Elements, my Five Element concealment would be like water without a source or a tree without roots—completely useless? What good would my concealment technique be then?”
Bi Zhen smiled. “While that is true, forbidden arts are inherently difficult to master. Only highly accomplished cultivators can use them, and even those with basic proficiency require elaborate preparations and their effects are limited. Moreover, everything in the world follows the principle of mutual generation and restraint. Although forbidden arts suppress concealment techniques, if your concealment skills are refined to a high degree, they will no longer be vulnerable to suppression…”
Before she could finish, both suddenly heard a faint whistling sound, as if something were flying from the heavens straight toward them. Turning their heads, they saw a dark shadow blocking the moonlight outside the window, rapidly expanding as if something massive were crashing down.
Startled, the two instinctively stepped back. With a thunderous crash, wooden shards and paper scraps flew in all directions. The wooden window frames shattered instantly, and a massive, grotesque claw burst through, lunging directly at Bi Zhen.
Although Bi Zhen possessed profound spiritual cultivation, she had limited experience in actual combat and had always lived a secluded life. Caught off guard, she stood frozen in place, unable to react. Mei Qing, however, was quick to act. With a surge of determination, he leapt in front of Bi Zhen and shoved her aside with both hands.
Before he could react further, he felt a sudden tight grip around his body. The monstrous claw, nearly a meter wide, was jet-black with bulging blue veins at the joints. Its curved, elongated talons gleamed with a cruel light. The other end of the claw disappeared into a mass of thick, dark mist. With a swift motion, the claw seized Mei Qing entirely and yanked him backward through the window.
Mei Qing felt as though he were flying through clouds, crashing through unknown objects, leaving him covered in dust and soot. In the blink of an eye, he was outside the courtyard, suspended in midair by the claw. Cold winds howled around him, mingled with a chilling, dark aura. His bones cracked painfully, and the claw’s grip tightened unbearably, nearly crushing him to death. He couldn’t even scream from the pain.
In a secret chamber several miles away, an old man in hemp clothes faced five shattered skulls, his face ashen and teeth clenched in fury.
The Five Ghosts Transportation Technique, also known as the Five Ghosts Chaos Technique, is commonly used for locating objects and uncovering secrets, making it quite convenient. Although not a high-level spell, finding five skulls that match both the birth date and the five elements, and then refining them after death, is indeed a laborious task. Even with all the necessary materials, the refining process takes exactly forty-nine days. Today, due to a moment of carelessness, his work was completely destroyed, which explains the old man’s uncontrollable rage.
“That wretched woman! It’s one thing to break my spell, but why did she have to destroy the physical forms of my five ghosts? If I don’t teach her a lesson, she’ll never learn her place!” the old man muttered through gritted teeth, his face dark with anger.
He extended his thin, withered arm and drew a complex and eerie symbol on a piece of talisman paper. After examining it, he nodded in satisfaction and retrieved a black stone box from beside him.
Opening the box revealed several claws, mostly black and withered, resembling either bird claws or beast claws. He carefully selected a small black bird claw, muttered an incantation, and threw the talisman into the air. The paper slowly burned and turned to ash in an instant.
As the talisman burned out, the old man traced a square in the air with his finger. A dark, square space several feet wide appeared in front of him. He then threw the bird claw into this space. The claw emitted a sharp whistling sound and disappeared, followed by the black space, which vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the room as it was before.
The old man sat in silence, the dim light casting shadows on his gaunt face, making his expression even more inscrutable.
Meanwhile, Bi Zhen was still holding the small paper figures and explaining to Mei Qing, “What was sealed in my bracelet earlier was a forbidden technique. The term ‘forbidden’ implies prohibition, confinement, and suppression. This technique can not only restrain demons and evil spirits but also sever the balance of yin and yang, seizing the transformations of heaven and earth. Your escape technique is directly countered by this forbidden technique. So, if you ever encounter a master of forbidden techniques in the future, you must be cautious.”
“What?” Mei Qing exclaimed in surprise. “So, if I meet someone who can sever the five elements, my Five Elements Escape Technique would be like water without a source or a tree without roots, rendering it useless? What’s the point of this escape technique then?”
Bi Zhen smiled and said, “Although that’s true, forbidden techniques are inherently difficult. Unless one is a highly advanced cultivator, they can’t be used. Even those who have just begun to master them find it quite challenging, and their power is limited. Moreover, all things in the world are interconnected and mutually restraining. While forbidden techniques counter escape techniques, if your escape technique is deeply cultivated, it can overcome the forbidden techniques…”
Before she could finish, both of them faintly heard a whistling sound, as if something was flying towards them from afar. They turned to look and saw a dark shadow blocking the moonlight outside the window, rapidly expanding as if something enormous was about to crash down.
They instinctively stepped back, and with a loud crash, wood splinters and paper fragments flew everywhere. The wooden window frames were shattered in an instant, and a massive, grotesque claw burst through, lunging straight at Bi Zhen.
Although Bi Zhen was quite skilled in Taoist arts, she rarely used offensive spells and had little experience in combat. Caught off guard, she stood frozen in place, unable to react. Mei Qing, horrified, instinctively moved to protect Bi Zhen, pushing her out of the way.
In the next moment, Mei Qing felt himself being lifted by the enormous claw. The claw, about ten feet in size, was pitch black with bulging veins at the joints. The long, curved spikes at the tips gleamed coldly, while the other end was shrouded in a thick, dark mist. The claw clenched, grabbing Mei Qing tightly and swiftly retracting towards the window.
Mei Qing felt as if he was flying through the clouds as he was dragged out of the window. He was battered by unseen objects, leaving him covered in dust and dirt. In an instant, he was outside the courtyard, suspended in mid-air by the claw. The cold wind howled around him, and a sinister black aura enveloped him. He felt his bones creaking under the pressure, the claws gripping him so tightly that he was almost crushed, unable to even cry out in pain.
Bi Zhen finally snapped out of her daze and screamed in horror as she saw Mei Qing being carried away by the claw. She stumbled out of the room and saw Mei Qing already high in the air. Without hesitation, she pulled out the hairpin she had used earlier, chanted an incantation, and hurled it at the claw.
A dark streak of light flashed as the hairpin pierced through the thick mist at the end of the claw. There was a dull thud, as if it had struck something rotten, and the hairpin passed right through. Mei Qing felt the claw loosen its grip, seemingly injured, and it began to convulse, plummeting towards the ground.
Mei Qing heard the wind whistling in his ears as he fell from the sky. Just as he was about to hit the ground, the claw twitched and suddenly lifted him again, flinging him aside before turning back to attack Bi Zhen.
Despite Mei Qing’s cultivated body, the impact left him dazed and in excruciating pain, nearly knocking him unconscious. Knowing his life was at stake, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up, only to see Bi Zhen in mortal danger.
The hairpin Bi Zhen had thrown returned after injuring the claw and flew towards it again. This time, however, the claw seemed prepared. Its long spikes extended and retracted, and with a metallic clang, the spikes were broken in two, and the hairpin was sent flying.
The claw, seemingly in great pain, curled up and shook violently before forming a fist and smashing towards Bi Zhen!
Bi Zhen, panicked, quickly faced northeast and began chanting an incantation, attempting to summon the Six Jia and Six Ding deities for protection. But before she could finish, the claw was upon her. The chilling wind whipped her clothes and hair wildly, and the claw was about to strike her.
Mei Qing, terrified, felt his heart shatter as he watched Bi Zhen chanting and waving at him to run. He desperately wanted to rush to her side. At that moment, a surge of energy erupted within him, connecting with the earth energy in the token on his chest. In a flash, he felt his body become intangible, and the next moment, he was standing in front of Bi Zhen.
Unbeknownst to him, in his desperation, he had instinctively activated the Earth Escape Technique, which he had not yet fully mastered.
Among the Five Elements Escape Techniques, Mei Qing had only mastered the “Concealment” aspect of the Earth Element. Although he had not practiced the others, he was familiar with their principles due to his extensive study of Taoist arts. Today, having just achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, and with his focus on the Earth Concealment Technique, he was able to activate the Earth Escape Technique in his moment of urgency, instantly appearing before Bi Zhen.
However, since he had not truly refined this technique, using it so abruptly caused excruciating pain throughout his body, as if he had been crushed by a mountain. The pain was so intense that his consciousness wavered, his vision blurred, and his ears rang.
At that moment, he felt something gently tap his back, and he was sent flying sideways. The pain in his body suddenly vanished, and he felt weightless before everything went black.
Just then, Bi Zhen finally completed her summoning incantation. As her voice faded, golden flowers appeared before her, shimmering and spinning like large pom-poms, filling the air. Behind the flowers, colorful ribbons swirled, and a golden deity gradually materialized. It was the Jade Maiden Yin Spirit, standing nearly ten feet tall, wearing a high crown adorned with golden flowers and a long yellow dress embroidered with cranes and clouds. She exuded a fragrant aura, floated in mid-air, and held flowers in her hands. She was the Ding Chou deity among the Six Ding deities.
As soon as the Ding Chou deity appeared, she felt the chilling wind and saw the claw lunging at her. She angrily scolded, “Soul-Snatching Claw!? The Benevolent Daoist Lord Wen is here. How dare you, a mere evil spirit, act so recklessly! Six Harmonies Ding Jia, extinguish without light, swiftly!”
The colorful ribbons and golden flowers surged forward, wrapping around the claw. In an instant, the claw was completely entangled, and with a twist, it disintegrated into fine dust, scattering in the wind and disappearing without a trace.
As the claw was reduced to ashes, the old man in the secret chamber several miles away opened his eyes, a cold light flickering within them. After a moment, he sat down cross-legged and began to calculate. Soon, he opened his eyes again, his face filled with confusion and an even darker expression.
A streak of black light shot forth, piercing directly into the mass of dark mist at the claw’s end. A dull sound echoed, as if striking rotting leather, and the pin pierced clean through. Mei Qing felt the claw convulse violently from the impact, and suddenly, it began to plummet toward the ground.
The wind roared in Mei Qing’s ears as he fell from the sky. Just then, the claw twitched, suddenly lifting him upward and tossing him aside before turning back toward Bi Zhen.
Despite his cultivation, Mei Qing hit the ground hard, his vision blurring, his entire body screaming in pain, nearly knocking him unconscious. Knowing his life was in danger, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up. When he looked back at Bi Zhen, his heart nearly stopped.
Bi Zhen’s Lümie Hairpin had struck the claw and returned, aiming for it once more. This time, however, the claw seemed prepared. Its elongated talons extended and retracted rapidly. With a metallic clang, one of the talons snapped in two, and the hairpin was flung away by the impact.
The claw, seemingly wounded, curled up, shuddered violently, and then balled into a fist, charging furiously toward Bi Zhen.
Bi Zhen’s face paled in fear. She quickly turned northeast, chanting incantations to summon the Six Jia and Six Ding spirits for protection. But before she could finish the chant, the monstrous claw was already upon her, its howling dark winds whipping her clothes and hair wildly. It was about to strike her directly.
Mei Qing, watching helplessly from a distance, felt his heart shatter. Seeing Bi Zhen, her face pale with fear, chanting spells while gesturing desperately for him to flee, he felt unbearable pain in his chest, longing to rush to her side. At that moment, his inner fire surged, mingling with the water energy of his lower body. A vast primordial energy surged forth, connecting with the earth energy in the talisman on his chest. A sudden insight struck him, and his body instantly became like an intangible shadow. In the next moment, he appeared before Bi Zhen.
Mei Qing himself hadn’t realized that, in his desperation, he had involuntarily activated the earth concealment technique he had not yet fully mastered.
Among the Five Element concealment techniques, Mei Qing had only mastered the “invisibility” aspect of earth. The others remained unlearned. However, he had thoroughly studied the incantations and understood their principles, even if he hadn’t yet practiced them. Since he had just completed his first successful spell and had been cultivating the earth concealment technique, his mind instinctively triggered the earth concealment spell, and he instantly appeared before Bi Zhen.
Nonetheless, since the spell had not been formally refined, using it so suddenly caused excruciating pain throughout his body, as if crushed by mountains. A sensation like needles piercing and fire burning exploded within him, making his vision blur and his ears ring.
At that moment, he felt something gently tap his back, and he was thrown sideways. The pain vanished instantly, and his body felt weightless. Then everything went black.
In a secret chamber several miles away, an old man in hemp clothing faced five shattered skulls, his expression as still as water, his teeth grinding audibly.
The Five Ghosts Transportation Technique, also known as the Five Ghosts Chaos Technique, is commonly used for finding objects and exploring mysteries, making it very convenient. Although it is not a top-tier spell, finding five skulls that match both the birth dates and the five elements, and then refining them after death, is indeed a complicated process. Even with all the necessary materials, the refinement process takes exactly forty-nine days. Today, due to a moment of carelessness, all his efforts were completely destroyed, which explains the old man’s furious rage.
“Wretched wench! You broke my spell, but why did you have to destroy my five ghost entities as well? If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never know the immensity of heaven and earth!” the old man in hemp clothing muttered through clenched teeth, his face dark and menacing.
He extended his arm, as thin as a dry twig, and drew a complex and eerie symbol on a talisman paper. After inspecting it, he nodded in satisfaction and then retrieved a black stone box from beside him.
Opening the box revealed several claws, mostly black and withered, resembling either bird claws or beast claws. He carefully selected a small black bird claw, muttered some incantations, and then threw the talisman into the air. The talisman slowly burned and turned to ash in an instant.
As the talisman turned to ash, the old man drew a square in the air with his other hand. As his dry fingers moved, a dark, square space several feet wide appeared in the air before him. He then threw the bird claw into this space. The claw emitted a sharp, slicing sound and disappeared, and the dark space vanished as well, restoring the room to its original state.
The old man sat silently, the dim light casting shadows on his gaunt face, making his expression even more inscrutable.
Meanwhile, Bi Zhen was still holding the small paper figures and explaining to Mei Qing, “What was sealed in my bracelet earlier is the Forbidden Technique. The term ‘forbidden’ means to prohibit, restrain, or suppress. This technique can not only control demons and evil spirits but also sever the balance of yin and yang, disrupting the natural order. Your escape technique is directly countered by this Forbidden Technique. So, if you ever encounter a master of the Forbidden Technique in the future, you must be careful.”
“What?” Mei Qing exclaimed in shock. “Does that mean if I meet someone who can sever the five elements, my Five Elements Escape Technique will become like water without a source, a tree without roots, and I won’t be able to use it? Then what’s the point of this escape technique?”
Bi Zhen smiled and said, “Although that’s true, the Forbidden Technique is inherently difficult to master. Unless one is a highly skilled cultivator, it’s impossible to use. Even those who have just begun to master it find it quite challenging to use, and its power is limited. Besides, all things in the world are interconnected and counter each other. While the Forbidden Technique counters the escape technique, if your escape technique is deeply cultivated, it can overcome the Forbidden Technique…”
Just as she was speaking, both of them faintly heard a whistling sound, as if something was flying towards them from afar. They turned to look and saw a dark shadow blocking the moonlight outside the window, rapidly expanding as if something enormous was crashing down.
They instinctively stepped back, and with a loud crash, wood splinters and paper fragments flew everywhere. The wooden window frames were shattered in an instant, and a huge, grotesque claw burst through, directly aiming for Bi Zhen.
Although Bi Zhen was quite skilled in Taoist arts, she rarely used them and had little experience in combat. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, she stood frozen in place, unable to react. Mei Qing, standing beside her, was horrified. Without thinking, he stepped in front of Bi Zhen and pushed her out of the way.
In the next moment, Mei Qing felt a tight grip as the enormous claw lifted him into the air. The claw was about ten feet wide, pitch black, with bulging veins at the joints. The tips of the claws were long and curved, gleaming with a cold light, while the other end was shrouded in a dense, dark mist. The claw closed around Mei Qing, and in an instant, it retracted back through the window.
Mei Qing felt as if he were flying through the clouds as he was dragged out of the window. He didn’t know what hit him, but he was covered in dust and dirt. In the blink of an eye, he was outside the courtyard, suspended in mid-air by the claw. The cold wind howled around him, and a sinister black aura enveloped him. He felt his bones creaking under the pressure of the claw’s grip, almost crushing him, and he couldn’t even scream in pain.
Bi Zhen finally snapped out of her daze and saw Mei Qing being carried away by the claw. She let out a cry of alarm and stumbled out of the room. Seeing Mei Qing suspended in mid-air, she didn’t hesitate any longer. She pulled out the hairpin she had used earlier, chanted an incantation, and hurled it at the claw.
A dark streak of light flashed as the hairpin pierced through the dense mist at the end of the claw. There was a dull thud, as if it had struck something rotten, and the hairpin went straight through. Mei Qing felt the claw’s grip loosen as if it had been severely injured. The entire claw convulsed and began to plummet towards the ground.
Mei Qing heard the wind whistling in his ears as he fell from the sky. Just as he was about to hit the ground, the claw twitched and suddenly lifted him again. With a swift motion, the claw threw Mei Qing aside and turned its attention back to Bi Zhen.
Despite Mei Qing’s cultivation and physical resilience, the impact left him dazed and in excruciating pain, almost knocking him unconscious. Knowing that his life was at stake, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up. When he looked at Bi Zhen, he was terrified.
Bi Zhen’s hairpin, after injuring the claw, flew back and struck it again. This time, however, the claw seemed prepared. It extended and retracted its long claws, and with a metallic clang, the tip of the claw was broken in two, and the hairpin was sent flying.
The claw seemed to be in significant pain as it curled up and shook violently. It then clenched into a fist and began to wildly swing at Bi Zhen!
Bi Zhen’s face turned pale with fear. She quickly faced northeast and began to chant an incantation, attempting to summon the Six Jia and Six Ding deities for protection. However, before she could finish the chant, the claw was already upon her. The fierce, cold wind whipped her clothes and hair, and the claw was about to strike her.
Mei Qing’s heart nearly broke as he watched from a distance. Seeing Bi Zhen gritting her teeth and chanting while gesturing for him to run, he felt an overwhelming urge to rush to her side. At that moment, a surge of energy erupted within him, connecting with the earth energy in the token on his chest. In a flash, he felt his body become intangible, and the next moment, he appeared in front of Bi Zhen.
Without realizing it, Mei Qing had instinctively used the Earth Escape Technique, which he hadn’t fully mastered yet.
Among the Five Elements Escape Techniques, Mei Qing had only mastered the “Concealment” aspect of the Earth Element. Although he hadn’t practiced the others, he was familiar with their principles due to his extensive study of Taoist arts. Today, having just achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation and being naturally inclined towards the Earth Concealment Technique, he was able to activate it in a moment of desperation, appearing in front of Bi Zhen.
However, since he hadn’t fully refined this technique, using it so abruptly caused immense pain throughout his body. It felt as if his bones and muscles were being crushed by a mountain, and sharp, burning sensations exploded within him, making his vision blur and his ears ring.
Just then, he felt something gently tap his back, and he was sent flying sideways. The pain in his body suddenly vanished, and he felt weightless before everything went black.
At the same moment, Bi Zhen finally completed her incantation. As her voice faded, golden flowers appeared before her, shimmering and rotating like large embroidered balls, filling the surroundings. Behind the flowers, colorful ribbons swirled, and a golden deity gradually materialized. It was the Jade Maiden Yin Spirit, one of the Six Ding Deities. She stood about ten feet tall, wearing a high crown adorned with golden flowers, a pale yellow robe embroidered with cranes, and exuded a fragrant aura. She floated in the air, holding a bouquet of flowers—this was the Ding Chou Deity.
As soon as the Ding Chou Deity appeared, she felt the cold, sinister wind and saw the claw viciously lunging towards her. She angrily rebuked, “Soul-Snatching Claw!? The Benevolent Daoist Lord Wen is here. How dare you, a mere evil spirit, act so recklessly! Six Harmonies, Six Jia, extinguish all light, swiftly!”
The ribbons and golden flowers surged forward, wrapping around the claw. In an instant, the claw was completely entangled, and with a twist, it disintegrated into fine dust, scattering in the wind and disappearing without a trace.
As the claw was reduced to ashes, the old man in the secret chamber several miles away opened his eyes, a cold, calculating gleam in them. After a moment, he sat down cross-legged and began to meditate, trying to deduce what had happened. Soon, he opened his eyes again, his face even more clouded with suspicion and anger.
In a secret chamber several miles away, an old man in coarse linen faced five shattered skulls, his expression grim, teeth clenched audibly.
The Five Ghosts Transporting Technique, also known as the Five Ghosts Chaos Technique, is commonly used for finding objects and exploring mysteries, being quite convenient. Although not a superior spell, finding five skulls that match in birth date and the five elements, and have been refined after death, is indeed a challenging task. Even with all materials ready, the refinement process takes forty-nine days. Today, due to a moment of carelessness, his work was completely destroyed, which explains the old man’s furious reaction.
“Wretched woman! It’s one thing to break my spell, but why destroy the essence of my five ghosts? If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never know the vastness of heaven and earth!” the old man muttered through clenched teeth, his face dark.
He extended his thin, stick-like arm and drew a complex, eerie symbol on a talisman paper. After inspecting it, he nodded, then retrieved a small black bird claw from a stone box beside him. The box contained several claws, mostly black and withered, resembling those of birds or beasts. He selected a small black bird claw, muttered some incantations, and threw the talisman into the air, where it slowly burned to ashes.
As the talisman turned to ash, the old man drew a square in the air with his finger, creating a dark, square space in front of him. He then threw the bird claw into this space. The claw emitted a sharp sound as it disappeared, and the dark space vanished instantly, restoring the room to its original state.
The old man sat silently, the dim light casting shadows on his gaunt face, his expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, Bi Zhen was still holding the small paper figures, explaining to Mei Qing, “What was sealed in my bracelet earlier was a forbidden technique. The term ‘forbidden’ implies prohibition, restraint, and suppression. This technique can not only suppress demons and evil spirits but also sever the balance of yin and yang, usurping the transformations of heaven and earth. Your escape technique is countered by this forbidden technique. Hence, you must be cautious when encountering masters skilled in forbidden techniques.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing was startled. “So, if I meet someone who can sever the five elements, my Five Elements Escape Technique becomes useless, like water without a source or a tree without roots? Then what’s the use of this escape technique?”
Bi Zhen smiled, “Although that’s the case, forbidden techniques are inherently difficult. Unless one is a highly cultivated practitioner, it’s impossible to use them. Even for those who have just begun to master them, using such techniques is quite cumbersome and their power is limited. Moreover, all things in the world are interconnected and mutually restrictive. While forbidden techniques may counter escape techniques, if your escape technique is deeply cultivated, it can overcome the forbidden techniques…”
As she spoke, both of them faintly heard a whistling sound, as if something was flying towards them from afar. They turned to look and saw a dark shadow blocking the moonlight outside the window, rapidly expanding as if something huge was crashing down.
They instinctively stepped back, only to hear a loud crash as wood splinters and paper scraps flew everywhere. Two wooden window frames were shattered in an instant, and a giant monstrous claw burst through, directly aiming for Bi Zhen.
Although Bi Zhen was quite skilled in Taoist arts, she rarely used them and had little experience in combat. Caught off guard, she stood frozen in place. Mei Qing, horrified, instinctively shielded Bi Zhen, pushing her away.
He felt a tight grip as the monstrous claw lifted him into the air. The claw was enormous, black with bulging veins at the joints, and long, curved spikes at the tips that gleamed coldly. The other end of the claw was enveloped in a thick, dark mist. The claw clenched, holding Mei Qing tightly, and swiftly retracted out the window.
Mei Qing felt as if he was flying through clouds and mist, his head and body bumping against something, leaving him covered in dust. In an instant, he was outside the courtyard, held aloft by the claw. The cold wind howled around him, and a sinister black aura enveloped him. He felt his bones creaking under the claw’s tight grip, almost crushing him, the pain so intense he couldn’t scream.
Bi Zhen finally reacted, seeing Mei Qing being carried away by the monstrous claw. She stumbled out, but seeing Mei Qing already in the air, she didn’t hesitate. She drew the extermination hairpin she had used earlier, chanted an incantation, and hurled it at the claw.
A black light flashed as the hairpin pierced through the thick mist at the end of the claw, making a dull sound as if hitting rotten leather, and went straight through. Mei Qing felt the claw tremble violently, seemingly severely injured, and it began to convulse, plummeting towards the ground.
Mei Qing heard the wind whistling in his ears as he fell from the sky. Just then, the claw twitched and suddenly lifted again, throwing Mei Qing aside and turning to attack Bi Zhen.
Despite Mei Qing’s cultivated body, the fall left him seeing stars, his entire body in excruciating pain, nearly fainting. Knowing his life was at stake, he gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet, only to see Bi Zhen in a state of terror.
The extermination hairpin, after injuring the claw, flew back and struck again. This time, the claw seemed prepared, its long spikes extending and retracting. With a clang, the spikes were broken in two, and the hairpin was knocked away.
The claw, seemingly in great pain, curled up and shook violently, then clenched into a fist, madly smashing towards Bi Zhen!
Bi Zhen, panicked, quickly faced northeast and began chanting a summoning spell, intending to call upon the Six Jia and Six Ding deities for protection. But before she could finish, the claw was upon her, the fierce yin wind whipping her clothes and hair wildly, about to strike her.
Mei Qing, terrified, was still far from Bi Zhen. He watched her gritting her teeth, chanting, and waving at him to run, his heart breaking. He desperately wanted to rush to her side. At that moment, the inner fire in his body activated, shooting down to the water element, and a surge of primal energy connected with the earth energy in the token on his chest. He felt a sudden inspiration, and his body became intangible. In the next moment, he appeared in front of Bi Zhen.
Unaware, in his desperation, Mei Qing had used the earth escape technique he hadn’t fully mastered.
Among the Five Elements Escape Techniques, Mei Qing had only mastered the “concealment” aspect of the earth element. Although he hadn’t practiced the others, he was familiar with their principles from his studies. Today, having just achieved initial success and primarily practicing the earth concealment technique, his intense desire activated the earth escape technique, bringing him instantly before Bi Zhen.
However, since this technique wasn’t fully refined, using it abruptly made Mei Qing feel as if his entire body was being crushed by a mountain, with sharp, burning pain exploding throughout his body. The pain was so intense that his consciousness wavered, his vision blurred, and his ears rang.
Just then, he felt something gently tap his back, and he was lifted slightly. The pain in his body suddenly vanished, and he felt light as a feather, then everything went black.
At that moment, Bi Zhen finally finished her summoning chant. As her voice faded, golden flowers appeared before her, shining brilliantly, large as hydrangeas, swirling around. Behind the flowers, colorful ribbons danced, and a golden deity gradually manifested. It was a Jade Maiden Yin Deity, standing about ten feet tall, wearing a high crown adorned with golden flowers, a pale yellow long skirt embroidered with cloud and crane patterns, surrounded by fragrant wind, floating in the air, holding flowers. She was the Ding Chou deity among the Six Ding deities.
As soon as the Ding Chou deity appeared, she felt the yin wind and saw the monstrous claw fiercely attacking again. She angrily rebuked, “Soul-Snatching Claw!? The benevolent Daoist Wen Gong is here, how dare you, a mere yin evil, be so insolent! Six Harmonies Ding Jia, extinguish without light, swiftly!”
Several long ribbons, accompanied by golden flowers, rose and wrapped around the claw, quickly enveloping it. With a twist, the ribbons scattered, and the claw was gone, only a puff of fine ash like sand remained, disappearing in an instant.
As the claw turned to ash, the old man in the secret chamber several miles away opened his eyes, a cold light flickering within. After a moment, he sat down cross-legged and began to calculate. Soon, he opened his eyes again, his face filled with confusion and an increasingly dark expression.
Several ribbons and golden flowers surged forth, wrapping tightly around the monstrous claw. In an instant, the claw was completely enveloped. With a single twist, the ribbons tore it apart, scattering it into fine ash, like dust in the wind, vanishing without a trace.
At the exact moment the claw was destroyed, the old man in the hidden chamber miles away suddenly opened his half-closed eyes, his gaze flickering with cold, sinister light. After a while, he sat cross-legged again, attempting to divine the cause. Soon, he opened his eyes once more, his face filled with confusion and growing darkness.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage