Chapter 506 - 506: Fierce Battle

Lingzi hadn't expected her Flying Head Monster and Bone Woman to be defeated in a mere instant.

But she didn't panic.

Facing the charging Zhao Yuan, Lingzi let out a strange, sharp cry, raised her Wakizashi, and slashed it across her left arm.

The blade's tip broke the skin, drawing a spray of crimson blood that swept toward Zhao Yuan like scattered cherry blossoms.

"Huh?!" As he charged, Zhao Yuan immediately sensed something was wrong.

The temperature of the air around him had plummeted in an instant!

The room, which had been perfectly comfortable with the air conditioning on, turned bone-chilling in the blink of an eye. Zhao Yuan could even see a layer of frost rapidly forming on his body.

His speed and reflexes were severely affected, becoming sluggish.

"Die!"

Lingzi's beautiful face twisted into a ferocious mask. With a roar, she lunged at Zhao Yuan, aiming her Wakizashi for his heart.

At the same time, the disassembled Bone Woman bizarrely reassembled itself into a strange, non-humanoid skeleton and charged Zhao Yuan alongside Lingzi. The bone spurs jutting from its frame were like a multitude of sharp blades, ready to riddle Zhao Yuan with holes.

The Flying Head Monster, heavily injured by the Wind and Thunder Whip, also made a comeback. Its long hair grew wildly, swarming toward Zhao Yuan's back like countless black needles.

In an instant, Zhao Yuan's situation had taken a drastic turn for the worse, and he found himself trapped in a three-pronged attack!

At the critical moment, Zhao Yuan sank his Qi into his Dantian, mobilized the Wish Power in his body, and barked, "Hmph!"

The Exorcism Mantra activated!

The shout was like a clap of thunder on a winter's day, or a lightning strike on a summer's night!

It was the first sound to ever exist, born when the heavens and earth were first separated!

It contained the might of the universe and the power to vanquish all evil!

Lingzi, the Bone Woman, and the Flying Head Monster were immediately struck by an immense and tyrannical pressure!

PTHOO! Lingzi spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, crashing with a BOOM into the full-length mirror embedded in the wall. The mirror shattered with a CRASH, and sharp fragments cut her delicate skin.

But Lingzi paid it no mind, only crying out in alarm, "What kind of Magic is that?"

The Bone Woman and the Flying Head Monster fared even worse.

The Bone Woman, having just reassembled, was blown apart once more. Its Demon Power was severely damaged, and though the bones scattered across the floor writhed and struggled to regroup, they couldn't manage it. As for the Flying Head Monster, it was blasted straight out the window and vanished into the night, its fate unknown.

"Hooo..."

Zhao Yuan exhaled a turbid breath.

It was his first time using the Exorcism Mantra in actual combat, and he hadn't controlled its power well. That single shout had not only consumed a massive amount of Wish Power but also a great deal of his physical stamina.

His legs felt weak, and he could barely stand. But he knew his powerful enemy had not yet retreated. No matter what, he couldn't show any sign of exhaustion!

Fortunately, ever since he'd set foot on the path of cultivation, his greatest strength had been his perseverance.

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Yuan mustered what little strength he had left and walked toward Lingzi, one step at a time.

After that exchange, he knew Lingzi was stronger than him. 'Even without the Bone Woman and the Flying Head Monster, I'm not confident I can finish her off in my exhausted state. I just need to scare her away.'

'As for revenge? There will be plenty of opportunities later!'

Despite her injuries, Lingzi wasn't flustered. She stared intently at Zhao Yuan and said coldly, "Stop putting on a brave face. That last attack must have used up all your energy! Do you have any fight left in you?"

Zhao Yuan's heart skipped a beat. 'She saw through my bluff?' But he quickly calmed himself. 'No, if she really saw through it, she would have attacked me by now instead of just taunting me.'

'She's testing me.'

Having figured this out, Zhao Yuan didn't answer, and his feet never stopped moving.

Seeing this, a flash of panic appeared in Lingzi's eyes.

The Exorcism Mantra had injured her badly. If Zhao Yuan really did have the strength to fight again, she would be in danger.

But she was unwilling to just flee like this.

A vicious glint flashed in her eyes. Lingzi decided to risk it all on one more gamble!

'If I can finish Zhao Yuan, great. If not, I'll turn and run immediately!'

Without any warning, Lingzi suddenly leaped up, shooting toward Zhao Yuan like a meteor. Her Wakizashi struck like a venomous Flood Dragon emerging from the abyss, aimed straight for Zhao Yuan's heart.

'Damn, I couldn't fool her!' Zhao Yuan cursed inwardly. He wanted to swing his Wind and Thunder Whip to counter, but he was completely exhausted. How could he possibly lift it?

In the blink of an eye, Lingzi was upon him.

Seeing him remain motionless, Lingzi was overjoyed. "So you were just bluffing, all bark and no bite! I actually thought you still had some fight left in you. Since you can't move, you can just die!"

'It's over!' A chill ran through Zhao Yuan's heart. For the first time, he felt the presence of death so vividly.

The Wakizashi was just about to pierce Zhao Yuan's heart.

But at that very moment, Lingzi was shocked to find that her Wakizashi wouldn't budge an inch.

It was as if an invisible barrier had appeared in front of Zhao Yuan, blocking her fatal strike.

Lingzi panicked instantly. "What's happening?"

Zhao Yuan was just as surprised, but he quickly understood what was going on.

He saw Zeng Rui standing before him, one hand gripping the Wakizashi Lingzi had thrust forward.

Lingzi was highly skilled in Yin Yang Technique and could also see Zeng Rui. She even discerned her rank. "An Earth Ghost?!"

She felt like she was going crazy.

'This punk, Zhao Yuan, actually has a Ghost Spirit—and an Earth Ghost at that!'

'That's way stronger than my Flying Head Monster and Bone Woman combined!'

Lingzi couldn't help but roar in her mind: 'You had such a powerful Ghost Spirit and didn't bring her out from the start? You waited until now to have her make a move? You bastard, you did this on purpose, didn't you? To lure me into a trap and then finish me off?!'

Her reactions were quick. She immediately let go of the Wakizashi, pushed off the ground with her feet, and tried to retreat.

Zeng Rui flicked her hand, and points of cold light shot from her palm.

Zhao Yuan saw it clearly—the cold light was Silver Needles formed from her Ghost Qi.

"AHHH—" Lingzi screamed. As the Ghost Qi Silver Needles entered her body, she felt as if she had been plunged into an ice cave. The cold seemed to freeze her very organs, an agony beyond description.

Lingzi didn't dare to delay. She quickly swiped her fingers across the wound on her left arm, causing blood to spurt out again, spattering all over her body.

The blood bubbled as it landed on her, releasing a powerful heat.

This did indeed dispel the yin cold in her body and relieve the stiffness in her limbs, allowing her to dash to the door, push it open, and flee into the distance.

The door was, surprisingly, unlocked.

'It seemed she had used some kind of lock-picking technique to silently open the door and sneak in earlier.'

'If it weren't for my keen sense of smell, I would have been ambushed and assassinated by her!'

Zeng Rui didn't pursue Lingzi, instead remaining by Zhao Yuan's side to protect him. She wasn't his Ghost Spirit; she was merely bound to Zhao Yuan by a form of Chaining, which meant she couldn't stray too far from him.