Like a Shadow

The sky had long turned ink-black. Manor Lord Zhu had entertained his guests through several rounds of wine. Captain Lu gazed out at the night sky and was the first to rise, saying, "It is time to take my leave." He cast a meaningful glance at Manor Lord Zhu, his unspoken hint thick with expectation—he was clearly angling for his promised recompense. At the same time, Qin Xuan stood up as well. Walking over to the window, he paused briefly to catch the distant white crane's eye, signaling it to relay word to Zhao Huaimin underground. Then, he strode toward Captain Lu and the others. Shi Chun, the protector deity of Hawk's Beak Mountain, watched Qin Xuan approach with a look of suspicion. During the banquet, Qin Xuan had not exchanged a single word with them, yet now he was heading straight in his direction. Though Shi Chun knew the youth possessed some skill in sword arts, he felt no fear, relying on his deep magic power and the spiritual form of a divine entity. With a heavy gulp, he drained the large bowl of wine before him. In a rough, boorish voice, he asked, "Young Master Qin, do you have any instruction for me?" Qin Xuan raised his cup from a short distance away, presenting a courteous front. "Protector Shi, there is one matter I wished to ask about." "Speak." Qin Xuan pointed toward Lord Gutless. "Earlier, I heard this crab demon had visited the Mountain God Temple, which piqued my curiosity. Mountain God Tan enjoys the incense offerings of the royal temple, which does not share the same censer as the Yishui River God's Mansion. When the commander from Prison City investigates demons and deities within the divine order, subordinate spirits are very wary of associating with spirits of different imperial decrees, lest mixed incense auras impair the commander's judgment. "Captain Lu, am I not correct?" Captain Lu nodded. "You are correct, yet you misunderstand. Lord Gutless visited the Mountain God Temple merely to deliver a letter on behalf of the Lan River Mansion. It had nothing to do with divine affairs." Believing this explanation sufficient to brush the matter aside, the protector deity let his aura turn sharp, his tone turning hostile: "This is business of the Mountain God Temple, and even Yuansong Temple has no place meddling in it. Aren't you sticking your nose in a bit too far?" Qin Xuan curled his lips into a smile. "I am only considering Mountain God Tan's interests. After all, the Lan River Mansion can hardly compare to Yingyang Prefecture." Captain Lu remained impassive, as though he hadn't heard the provocative remark. The crab demon's pupils narrowed into vertical slits. He could tell Qin Xuan was probing to see which side the Mountain God Temple was backing. Shi Chun could have smoothed things over with vague words, but in front of everyone, how could he yield before a mere junior? The only reason they stood on equal footing was out of deference to Old Daoist Wu. With a chilling edge to his voice, he barked, "Boy, who the mountain god chooses to associate with is none of your business!" Lord Gutless immediately chimed in, "Brother Shi's words couldn't be truer." The atmosphere tautened at once. Yet as the host, Manor Lord Zhu looked utterly drained, appearing as though he lacked the strength to speak. From the City God Temple, Yan Lu frowned and rose, intending to smooth over the awkward standoff. Right at that moment... Deep beneath the earth, the members of the Xieling Sect, who had been waiting for the divine beings to depart, suddenly grew tense. A surge of magic power! Zhang Laosan, Xu the Fourth, and the three guardian elders all turned toward the source of the magical fluctuation—a Qi Refining cultivator skilled in earth arts was hiding underground! *Boom!* Beside them, a small subterranean chamber collapsed from an impact, giving off a sharp rumble. The faces of the Xieling Sect members changed drastically. They looked upward in unison, making their decision in an instant as they channeled their magic power and shot toward the surface. This opportunity could not be missed—strike now! Inside the hall, the Day Wandering Spirit abruptly fell silent, staring at the floor! "Who goes there!" As the words left her mouth, a ten-foot water-parting spike materialized in her grasp, thrusting straight toward the blue flagstones that rippled like waves. Incense divine power plunged through the ground. "Aaargh!" A Xieling disciple screamed as Yan Lu ran him through, slaying him beneath the earth. "It's the Xieling Sect!" Captain Lu was the first to react. His shout served as a warning to Lord Gutless and the protector deity. Sensing an underground aura locking onto him, Protector Shi Chun felt a surge of delight. Lacking subtlety, he sent a direct voice transmission to Qin Xuan: *Boy, your trouble has arrived! Let's see if Old Daoist Wu saves you this time!* Even as he sent the message, he moved backward in retreat, following the example of Captain Lu and the others. However... Qin Xuan employed the very method the little fox had once used against him. His footwork shifted with nimble grace, his eyes seeming to see through the ethereal Nine Palaces formation chart to lock the protector deity onto the Gen Palace. In this manner, no matter how Shi Chun moved, Qin Xuan anticipated his position in advance under the guidance of the Nine Palaces Shifting Array Chart. Coupled with the fact that he had deliberately drawn close a moment earlier, he now stuck to him like a shadow. Shi Chun realized something was amiss, yet he could not shake him off. He had no idea what bizarre technique this was, and not daring to attack Qin Xuan in plain view of everyone, he could only sprint madly toward the outside. As he ran, he roared, "Boy, get out of my way!" Qin Xuan shielded himself behind him and shouted in return, "Protector Shi, be careful!" "Where do you think you're going? Die, all of you!" Xu Dong clutched a pitch-black iron spike, atop which corpse poison blazed with roaring ghostly flames. From the opposite flank, Lian Ji performed the corpse offering technique, fusing with a corpse general to transform into a ten-foot monstrous form that swept down with a ferocious strike! The three guardian elders and more than a dozen disciples all burst from the soil around them, hurling corpse-binding locks to seize both figures at once. From every direction, there was not a single opening. Qin Xuan had been pressed tight against the protector deity. Yet at that exact instant, using his very body as a blade, he poured out his magic power to execute the sword qi thunderous roar technique, doing the unexpected and burrowing downward into the earth. Two hands reached up from beneath the ground, grasping Qin Xuan by the legs and pulling him into an underground escape. The Xieling Sect's vicious onslaught crashed in its entirety onto Shi Chun. This protector deity was born of clay and stone; his footwork was clumsy, but his magic power was considerable. His incense aura transformed into ribbons that deflected the corpse-binding locks, while two large incense tapers appeared in his hands, clashing against the corpse-poison ghostly fire with divine flames. *Boom!* Xu the Fourth shuddered, the flesh on his face trembling wildly under the impact of the divine power. His magic power fell short of Shi Chun's immense reserves, and the divine flames were unbothered by the corpse-poison fire. In a split second, he suffered a heavy blow, losing a portion of his cultivation. Yet their enemies had numbers on their side! Having lost Qin Xuan as their target, the remaining elders directed their various attacks entirely onto this intervening obstacle. "Aaargh!" Shi Chun let out a wretched scream, roaring toward the heavens, "Qin Xuan, you set me up!" The Xieling Sect members blanched at the words, but it was already impossible to pull back their strikes. Pounded by wave after wave of magic power, the protector deity Shi Chun's incense-forged spiritual body detonated on the spot, collapsing into a heap of dirt and rubble. His incense soul drifted out, attempting to flee toward Hawk's Beak Mountain so the mountain god could avenge him. Alas, the moment that fragile soul resonated with the natural elements, it possessed no power to resist and was ruthlessly dissolved by the Great Dao. "Farewell, Protector Shi—I shall avenge you!" A voice rang out as a beam of clear emerald sword light flared brilliantly, severing the heads of two Xieling disciples in succession before sweeping toward Lian Ji. Seeing the incoming sword light, Lian Ji frantically shook his bell, using a talisman incantation to drive the corpse general. With that, Lian Ji managed to block the strike! "Boy, did you take us five core disciples of Xieling for mere ornaments? You killed my junior brother, and now I'll send you to join him!" His confidence surged. Knowing that Qin Xuan was unable to break this spell just like last time, he immediately swung a claw toward Qin Xuan, intent on claiming a glorious feat. Yet the Clear Water sword talisman merely circled around Qin Xuan before he tapped it with a finger, infusing it with a strand of Metal Spirit Origin Qi. "No need to rush. Your junior brother is waiting for you!" In an instant, a chilling golden glint coiled around the tip of the sword, cleaving forward alongside the sword talisman. The toxic mist spewed by the corpse general was sliced to ribbons. Where the emerald glow flashed, a fleck of golden brilliance was already reflected in Lian Ji's eyes. A sound like tearing paper echoed as the corpse general's dense magic power abruptly disintegrated beneath the potency of Secret Demon Fiend-Breaking. With a look of sheer astonishment frozen on his face, Lian Ji's head went soaring high into the air! Perched along the courtyard wall, the three toads jumped in surprise. Two of them called out first, "It's flying again!" Immediately after, they made their prediction: "Elder, that Xieling ghost head is about to speak." Elder Tao widened his bulging toad eyes in disbelief. Yet Lian Ji truly did speak in midair, filled with lingering grievance before death as he cried out toward Qin Xuan, "It wasn't like this during our last fight... You... how could you break my corpse general...?"