Chapter 80: The Might of Lightning Arts

Li Lin abandoned his stealth technique and stepped out openly.

He had long known that his stealth technique could not remain effective against everyone forever.

“Four Spirit Hunters.”

The Daoist’s three eyes swept across them before he laughed.

“You people of Yulin County have some skill after all. At least you managed to find me. Unlike Beiliu County, where I came and went as I pleased. I killed seven Spirit Hunters there, and they never even realized I was the one responsible. Hahaha!”

The expressions of Li Lin and the other three grew grave.

If seven Spirit Hunters had died in Beiliu County, how many ordinary civilians had been killed as well?

This man could not be allowed to live.

Without another word, Zhao Hao charged forward.

The Daoist took two steps backward, and the third eye flashed with red light.

Zhao Hao reacted quickly and immediately rolled to the side.

A red beam shot from the Daoist’s eye and skimmed past Zhao Hao’s clothing.

“Daoist divine powers.”

Su Huafang flung out a bronze bell attached to a silk thread.

“Be careful. There’s something very wrong with this Daoist.”

With a sweep of his horsetail whisk, the Daoist sent countless silver strands slashing through the bronze bell, knocking it away. The silver strands also severed the thread attached to it.

The bronze bell flew back and landed beside Su Huafang, ringing continuously.

Bai Liwei was about to rush forward and engage him in close combat when his expression changed drastically and he abruptly retreated.

The instant he moved away, a withered black claw withdrew from the very spot where he had been standing.

The sight made Bai Liwei’s scalp tingle.

“This is a Daoist evil cultivator. Everyone be careful!”

“What a joke. You Spirit Hunters who associate with gui creatures dare call me an evil cultivator? Then let me show you what true magnificent arts look like!”

The Daoist formed a seal with his left hand and rapidly chanted:

“Ten years at the cold window become graveyard soil, from bone powder rises the Scholar Laureate!”

He then flicked a smooth bone fragment from his left hand onto the ground.

The soil writhed and revolved around the bone fragment.

Before long, a clay puppet stood up.

It had eyes and a nose, wore a clay Scholar Laureate’s robe, and sported a black gauze official hat adorned with flowers.

“A bone puppet!”

Su Huafang was widely knowledgeable.

He shouted, “Don’t get close. This puppet will explode, and it’s filled with vicious poison.”

Seeing his technique exposed, the Daoist swung his horsetail whisk at Su Huafang from afar.

“Too much talking!”

Most of the silver strands detached from the whisk and shot toward Su Huafang.

Circulating his blood and vitality into both palms, Su Huafang continuously traced circles, forming a barrier of blood-vitality force.

Most of the silver strands were blocked.

However, a few pierced through the barrier and struck Su Huafang.

Fortunately, none hit vital areas, and there were too few to matter.

At this moment, Li Lin had already begun rapidly forming hand seals.

The Daoist sensed the gathering spiritual force.

He looked up at the sky, then stared at Li Lin.

To everyone’s surprise, hatred and fear appeared in his eyes.

“You actually know lightning arts... How can you know lightning arts?”

He glared fiercely at Li Lin.

With another flick of his left hand, all remaining silver strands detached and shot toward Li Lin.

Su Huafang immediately stepped in front of Li Lin.

His palms danced, creating another barrier of blood-vitality energy that blocked most of the silver strands.

Naturally, he was hit by a few more himself.

Fortunately, they caused no serious injuries.

Meanwhile, the clay puppet had already closed in and was pursuing Bai Liwei.

Because he feared being entangled by it, Bai Liwei kept dodging.

Yet the clay Scholar Laureate moved extremely quickly, and the distance between them kept shrinking.

“Patrol Hunter Bai, get clear!”

Zhao Hao popped a white object into his mouth.

Then he inhaled deeply before forcefully exhaling.

A stream of white freezing breath blasted directly at the clay puppet.

Since the puppet was made of soft clay, it hardened immediately upon encountering the freezing air.

Its movements instantly stopped.

Cold Toad Art!

The Daoist glanced at Zhao Hao.

Fear flashed through his eyes once more.

But he could no longer concern himself with Zhao Hao.

Looking at Li Lin, he formed another seal with his right hand.

“Jade Purity and Divine Firmament are all false shadows, filthy blood transforms the heavens...”

Unfortunately, he had only reached the middle of his incantation when Bai Liwei charged over wielding two short blades.

The Daoist had no choice but to interrupt his chant and use the now nearly bald horsetail whisk in his left hand to block and counterattack.

The two exchanged more than a dozen moves amid a chorus of Clang! Clang! sounds, yet neither could gain the upper hand.

This showed that the Daoist’s martial skills were also exceptionally formidable.

He was almost without weaknesses.

At that moment, Li Lin’s Falling Lightning Incantation finally took shape.

Following a thunderclap from a clear sky, a bolt of blue-red lightning descended from above.

Both the Daoist and Bai Liwei leaped backward to evade it.

The lightning struck the ground.

Li Lin had never expected the Falling Lightning Incantation to hit.

He was already preparing to form the seals for a second cast.

But at that moment, all the Spirit Hunters present noticed that the Daoist’s expression had become extremely ugly.

Cracks had appeared across his formerly immortal-like face.

Even the third eye had begun closing.

“He fears lightning arts imbued with supreme yang power!”

Su Huafang shouted loudly.

“The three of us attack him and keep him occupied. Create an opening for Patrol Hunter Li!”

The three charged forward simultaneously.

Anger appeared on the Daoist’s face.

But when he saw Li Lin forming seals again and sensed the spiritual force gathering once more, he pulled out a clump of something from his sleeve and scattered it.

Red powder spread through the air.

“Poison powder. Despicable!”

Bai Liwei shouted.

In truth, the Bai family possessed similar techniques.

He was usually the one using such tricks against others.

Now that he had suffered from them himself, he felt an upside-down sense of indignation.

After the three retreated, the Daoist snorted and turned to flee.

Seeing the Daoist’s back facing him, Li Lin instinctively stopped forming seals and lowered his body.

Then...

A faint rectangular frame appeared on the Daoist’s back.

Li Lin immediately grabbed his spear and hurled it with all his strength.

Spear-Throwing Technique!

Back Attack!

With the two abilities stacked together, the thrown spear reached astonishing speed, even producing the sound of wind and thunder.

The Daoist turned his head and saw the spear tip hurtling toward him.

Instinctively, he raised the handle of the horsetail whisk in his left hand, intending to block it.

But the spear was aimed at his kidney area.

It was also too fast.

His hand was a moment too slow.

The spear pierced straight through his body and landed in the distance.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Daoist should no longer have been capable of resistance.

After all, having his kidney area pierced through was a fatal wound.

“Well done, Patrol Hunter Li!”

Zhao Hao shouted and immediately accelerated toward him.

At that very moment, however, the Daoist’s body began producing a series of Rip! Rip! Rip! sounds, like cloth being torn apart.

Then his body truly split into pieces.

Meanwhile, the Daoist’s head shot into the sky and fled without the slightest hesitation.

In less than two breaths, it had already vanished into the distant heavens.

All four were shocked.

After a long while, Su Huafang finally spoke.

“Flying Head Barbarian. How does this Daoist know the sorcery of the southern barbarians?”

Zhao Hao sucked in a breath.

“With only a head left, that fellow shouldn’t be able to survive, right?”

“Hard to say.”

Su Huafang shook his head.

“According to rumors, the southern barbarians possess a head-grafting evil art that allows them to attach their heads to another person’s body and continue living by controlling it.”

Bai Liwei frowned.

“If that Daoist comes back for revenge in the future, won’t that be troublesome?”

“Don’t worry. He poses no threat to us in the short term.”

Su Huafang smiled.

“Whether it’s vital essence or yin energy, both are stored within the body. If he changes bodies, then aside from his divine powers, everything else must be cultivated again from the beginning. By the time he recovers to anything close to his current level, who knows how many years will have passed.”

Everyone relaxed.

At that moment, Zhao Hao’s sharp eyes noticed something.

He stepped forward and looked at a bundle lying on the ground.

It had fallen when the Daoist’s body split apart.

“Let’s see if there’s anything valuable inside.”

Smiling, he opened the bundle.

Inside were some banknotes, what appeared to be a secret manual, and a round red pill.

It carried an intense smell of blood and also radiated a sinister aura.