Chapter 64: The Art of Provocation

“You were once human, weren’t you? And now you survive only by feeding on your own kind’s flesh—do you really call this living?” Yun Jiao swept her gaze over the villagers outside. Though their bodies still held souls, they could no longer be called people.

“Hehehehe…” The man only laughed louder, ignoring her taunts and looking smug. “We are no longer mere mortals. The god has granted us eternal life, freed us from the pain of reincarnation. We are a race favored by the heavens, and you are nothing more than our food.”

Yun Jiao’s eyes darkened. She sneered and pushed harder, “A god? What kind of god turns you into such hideous things? Seems your so-called god isn’t very impressive.”

“Silence!” The man suddenly roared. His eyes turned blood-red, murderous intent radiating as the surrounding yin corpses stirred restlessly, growling toward her. “A mere mortal dares to blaspheme our god!”

“Why, did I say something wrong?” Yun Jiao steadied herself, unafraid, and continued to mock him. “Do you think you look good like this? Should we hold a beauty pageant? If you’re this ugly, I’d wager your god must be even uglier—too hideous to show its face.”

“You…” The man shook with rage, clearly wanting to charge forward but wary of the formation’s barrier. His half-rotted face twisted further, and he sucked in a deep breath through gritted teeth. “Fine! Since you insist on courting death, tonight I’ll start with you—devour your flesh and use your soul to offer sacrifice to our god!”

“Come on then! You think I’m scared? Bring it!” Yun Jiao stepped closer, her tone brazen and taunting. “What’s wrong? Is your god a coward, too scared to face the Celestial Masters Hall directly and only capable of cheap tricks?”

“You—!” The man trembled all over, fury nearly tangible. The surrounding yin corpses grew even more restless, seemingly ready to throw themselves at the barrier regardless of cost.

“G-Girl…” the old man beside Yun Jiao tugged at her sleeve nervously. He’d never seen her this reckless before.

Other disciples looked at her uneasily, and Tang Chen couldn’t hold back a whisper, “Why provoke him? If they lose control and attack, even the formation might not hold…”

But Yun Jiao ignored them, only growing bolder. She snorted coldly, arrogance sharp as a blade. “Hmph. And you call that a god? Too scared to show itself and needs minions to snatch sacrifices. Maybe your god hasn’t even weaned yet?”

“Shut up!” The man finally snapped, hurling a blast of black energy at her. It smashed against the formation and dissipated harmlessly. His eyes were crimson as he hissed, “You blasphemous insect… wait for divine punishment to strike you!”

“Come on then, I’m waiting.” Yun Jiao sneered. “Or is your god’s punishment just empty threats? If it has any guts, tell it to show itself!”

“Don’t worry. None of you will escape. When night falls, your souls will scatter,” the man said slowly, every word laced with icy malice. “I will personally deliver you to the ancestral shrine and use your spirits to awaken our god.”

His gaze swept across the room, colder and darker with every word, cutting to the bone. Several disciples involuntarily shuddered.

“Oh…” Yun Jiao’s voice suddenly dropped. In an instant, the arrogant, mocking air vanished. She returned to her calm, serious self, lifting her head to look at the man with a level tone. “So your god is hiding in the ancestral shrine… and can only awaken after dark.”

—Wait, what!?

“…!” The man’s face blanched.

“Thank you for the information.” Yun Jiao gave him a small, sincere nod of thanks, then turned and picked up her purple name token again. Her voice went cold and steady. “Elder Jiao, I’m setting up a barrier-breaking array. It’ll give us only three breaths’ time to reconnect with the Celestial Masters Hall. You need to alter the teleportation array to link here and activate it with me.”

“Ah?” Jiao Hengyi froze for a second. Connecting the array—wasn’t that meant to bring the disciples back? But he quickly understood and answered at once, “I understand! Right away!”

Master Xu Qingfeng also grasped her plan. He turned and ordered, “Go, summon every elder still in the Hall to gather now!”

Three breaths wouldn’t be enough to teleport all the disciples back, but it was more than enough to send several powerful elders here. Yin corpses might be troublesome, but with high-level masters present, they could be handled.

Yun Jiao was already working. Her speed was astonishing—unlike other formation masters who paused to calculate, she moved swiftly and surely, planting flags with confidence. Only when a talisman needed to be drawn did she pause briefly to direct Bai Yu to inscribe one. Otherwise, she never hesitated.

The yin corpses outside sensed her intent and panicked. The leader’s face twisted with rage as he shouted, “Stop her! Stop her now!” He ordered the horde to attack the protective array with everything they had.

But Yun Jiao remained utterly calm, her expression unchanging as she continued to weave the formation. In less than half an incense stick’s time, it was nearly complete.

“Elder Jiao, on my count—three, two, one—we activate together.”

“Understood, Daoist Yun.” Jiao Hengyi’s voice came firm and ready.

Yun Jiao lifted the final array flag and shouted, “Three… two… one!” She drove it hard into the ground.

At that instant, a pillar of white light shot skyward. Cracking, shattering sounds echoed across the air as if space itself were breaking. At the same time, a teleportation array blossomed into being in the courtyard. As the light faded, several figures appeared—each clad in the Celestial Masters Hall’s signature white robes, inscribed with sigils and moon emblems. Exactly ten of them stood in perfect formation before the weary examinees.

At their center was Hall Master Xu Qingfeng. His face was grave as he swept a look over the battered disciples, nodded once to Yun Jiao, then turned his piercing gaze on the yin corpse army outside.

He raised his hand and commanded, “Celestial Masters Hall disciples—follow me! Exorcise them!”

“Yes, Hall Master!”

Ten figures flashed forward in unison, surging straight at the horde. In an instant the night erupted in blinding radiance—talismans flared, thunder cracked, earthfire roared, and spiritual light lit the battlefield in a riot of color.

(End of Chapter)