As Mei Qing seemed to have no way to evade, Zhao Dayou and the others were greatly alarmed. Yet Mei Qing remained calm, holding his talisman with both hands while chanting incantations: “Yin and Yang divide, thunder is born and prohibitions arise…” It was the same Thunder Sealing Art he had used before.
Zheng Jiu, seeing that Mei Qing indeed resorted to the Thunder Sealing Art again, couldn’t help but reveal a faint, sinister smile. Then, raising his right hand once more to form a seal, he chanted: “Preserve the prohibition, guard my true form, hold!” A streak of black light flashed, and from head to tail, the giant airborne serpent was enveloped in a hazy aura.
Zheng Jiu was a man of profound cunning. Having previously witnessed Mei Qing’s skills and possessing some understanding of the spell just used, he regarded Mei Qing as the most dangerous among them. Therefore, from the very start of the battle, he had been willing to abandon the bag of Jiao Ants in order to capture Mei Qing.
After secretly releasing the Iron-Scaled Snake from his waist, Zheng Jiu had been closely watching Mei Qing. Seeing Mei Qing attempt to counter with the Thunder Sealing Art, he immediately enacted the countermeasure he had prepared in advance.
Zheng Jiu had long heard of the power of Mei Qing’s spell. Though his Iron-Scaled Snake was quite extraordinary, he still feared the legendary might of the Thunder Sealing Art. Therefore, he had prepared a protective technique. As soon as Mei Qing activated his spell, Zheng Jiu immediately cast the protective charm onto the snake. Though this protective art might not withstand all sealing techniques, it would at least delay the effect long enough to capture Mei Qing.
What Zheng Jiu didn’t know was that Mei Qing was not from the background he assumed, and his Thunder Sealing Art was only half-baked. If Mei Qing had known that this short Taoist priest held him in such high regard and was willing to go to such lengths to capture him, he would have regretted his earlier action deeply.
Meanwhile, Zhao Dayou, Yao Dingguo, and Zhou Chang, seeing the giant serpent descending from the sky straight toward Mei Qing’s position, couldn’t help but cry out in alarm: “Lord Mei!” Zhao Dayou, after shouting, immediately leapt backward. Yao and Zhou, however, drew their steel blades and charged forward from either side, attempting to block the serpent’s descent.
But the serpent moved like a fleeting shadow, arriving in an instant. Yao and Zhou were too late to save him.
With a loud crash, the serpent struck down like a falling star, landing directly on Mei Qing’s position. Dust and debris flew everywhere, and the ground exploded into a large crater, splattering Yao and Zhou with dirt.
Yao and Zhou were furious. Both were military men who had accompanied their superior officer on this mission. To allow their superior to be killed before their eyes was a grave offense, one that would be hard to explain upon their return. They resolved to fight to the death, casting aside all fear of the monstrous serpent. Swinging their blades, they charged at the serpent.
But with a dull thud, their blades struck the serpent’s body like slicing through rotten cloth, leaving not even a white mark. Then, with a shriek like a rooster’s crow, the serpent flicked its long tail and hurled the two men aside.
Meanwhile, Zheng Jiu stood there, stunned.
Earlier, he had been confident in his calculations, anticipating Mei Qing’s reaction and countermeasures with precision. He was certain that Mei Qing could not evade the serpent’s strike. Events had initially unfolded exactly as he had planned—Mei Qing chanting his incantation, Zheng Jiu protecting the serpent. But when the serpent reached Mei Qing’s position, the man who had stood there chanting suddenly vanished!
It wasn’t that Mei Qing had become invisible like Sun Busan; he had simply and completely escaped Zheng Jiu’s spiritual perception, disappearing entirely from his awareness. The serpent, linked to Zheng Jiu’s mind, would have swallowed Mei Qing whole had he still been there, allowing Zheng Jiu to capture him and plan his escape. But with Mei Qing gone, the serpent lost its target, confused, and ended up crashing into the ground, creating the crater.
While Zheng Jiu was still stunned, Sun Busi, standing nearby, did not hesitate. He formed a talisman with his fingers, directing the jade tablet’s green light downward to strike the floating bag in the air. With a loud bang, the bag was shattered into pieces, its fragments scattering like falling petals.
With the bag destroyed, the swarm of蛟蚁 that had been buzzing and striking the copper bowl suddenly panicked, flying in all directions in confusion, creating a cacophony of clanging sounds. Then a gentle breeze blew through, dispersing the swarm like clouds parting in the wind. In an instant, the courtyard was bathed in moonlight, not a single strange insect remaining.
“You little midget! You tried to trick me! Just wait and see my skills!” Sun Busan, somewhat disheveled, emerged from the copper bowl. No sooner had he steadied himself than he stood like an unshakable pillar, clasping his hands together and chanting in a metallic voice: “Om…”
As he chanted the Buddhist mantra, the Sanskrit characters on the copper bowl began to glow one by one, radiating brilliant golden light and an aura of solemnity.
Despite their alarm at Mei Qing’s situation, Zhao Dayou, Yao Dingguo, and Zhou Chang couldn’t help but laugh. Especially when they saw Sun Busi secretly raising the jade tablet again, preparing to strike, they were even more amused. These two brothers were too comical! Just moments ago, they had tricked the white-robed Yang Jin with this exact maneuver, and now they were repeating the same trick, thinking it would work again? How could that possibly succeed?
Zheng Jiu, recovering from his shock, couldn’t help but smirk. It seemed someone had instructed these brothers in their underhanded tactics, but unfortunately, they weren’t very clever and lacked adaptability. This time, he would have to teach them a lesson.
Zheng Jiu formed the tiger-crane hand seal, and the giant serpent in the crater rose like a dragon drinking water. Ignoring the posturing Sun Busan, the serpent’s tail lashed toward the jade tablet’s green light, while its head swept upward in a black arc, stealthily aiming at Sun Busi’s feet.
Zheng Jiu believed that as long as he blocked the jade tablet’s strike and successfully attacked Sun Busi, the pretentious fake monk would be easily dealt with.
But this time, things took an unexpected turn. Sun Busan’s chanting continued without pause, echoing like a valley’s reverberation: “Mani…” The final syllable rang out like a great bell. To the others, it was merely a powerful sound vibration. But to Zheng Jiu’s spiritual perception, it was like a thunderclap.
If Zheng Jiu had been prepared, he naturally wouldn’t have fallen for Sun Busan’s trick. But he had assumed Sun Busan was once again bluffing, so he paid no attention. As a result, he was completely unprepared for Sun Busan’s actual attack—an auditory assault that directly disrupted his spiritual perception. The impact struck Zheng Jiu like a blow, causing his vision to darken and his inner energy to surge chaotically, a stream of blood bursting from his mouth.
With Zheng Jiu injured, the giant serpent lost control, freezing mid-air in confusion. Without hesitation, the jade tablet’s green light traced an arc and struck Zheng Jiu directly on the head. The impact shattered his skull like a burst of a thousand peach blossoms, driving his head into his torso. From a distance, it seemed as if his already short stature had suddenly become even shorter.
Poor Zheng Jiu, still at the凝聚丹 stage without having formed his Yuan Ying, had his physical body destroyed, leaving his spirit without a home. Naturally, his soul could only dissipate.
His small body stiffened for a moment before collapsing backward with a thud. The giant serpent fell to the ground with a splash, writhing a few times before emitting a hissing sound. Its entire body began to melt, scales and flesh dissolving visibly into a pool of foul, black blood that seeped into the earth.
“Ah, what a shame, what a shame! Brother, you’ve tricked people again by pretending to be a monk. Look what you’ve done to this poor fellow…” Sun Busi lamented.
“Nonsense! When did I pretend to be a monk? I merely chanted a mantra. Does that make me a monk? That final blow was clearly yours. If anyone goes to hell for this, it’s you, not me!” Sun Busan retorted shrilly.
This time, however, no one found it amusing. The Iron-Scaled Dwarf Taoist, Zheng Jiu, who had moments ago been scheming, was now a broken corpse in the dust.
“Where is Lord Mei? Is he alright?” Zhao Dayou, who had been hiding behind, finally remembered Mei Qing after regaining his composure. Yet when he looked into the crater created by the serpent’s impact, there was no sign of Mei Qing.
“I am here. I appreciate your concern,” a voice suddenly came from behind. Turning around, they saw Mei Qing calmly entering the courtyard from outside: “Esteemed elders, your great display of power has eliminated this villain. Mei Qing thanks you.”
“Lord Mei!” Zhao Dayou exclaimed, both surprised and delighted: “You’re unharmed? How did you suddenly end up outside?”
Not only Zhao Dayou, but the others were also puzzled. Even the Busan and Busi brothers, caught up in the urgency of the moment, hadn’t seen clearly. However, considering themselves as superior figures, they naturally refrained from asking directly, but their eyes were fixed on Mei Qing, waiting for his explanation.
Mei Qing smiled: “Last time, that monkey used a feinting tactic. This time, seeing that this fellow seemed to target me, I naturally prepared in advance. Fortunately, I’ve learned a few minor spells, making fleeing quite convenient.”
Mei Qing’s words were not entirely accurate. The first part was true—he had indeed been cautious, noticing Zheng Jiu’s sidelong glances when he spoke, and had prepared his escape spell. But the part about “minor spells” was somewhat mysterious.
At that moment, Mei Qing had been chanting the incantation of the Thunder Sealing Art, deceiving Zheng Jiu into thinking he was preparing to counter the serpent with a sealing technique. What Zheng Jiu didn’t know was that Mei Qing had studied two types of Taoist techniques—sealing arts and escape spells—and had spent considerable effort mastering both for self-defense and combat.
Ordinarily, when a practitioner casts a spell, they chant the corresponding incantation. As their skills improve and their techniques become more refined, they can silently chant the incantation or even act purely by thought. Mei Qing, however, had taken an unconventional approach—not only mastering silent chanting but later, in a moment of inspiration, developing a completely new technique.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage