Chapter 42: Killing Another Guardian Ghost Deity

From Ren Tian's mouth, Gu Zhao learned another concept.

Dao Practice!

This world's cultivation systems are many and chaotic; demons, ghosts, spirit cultivators, body refiners, contract makers, and pure magic users each walk their own path, making unified realms impossible, so they are only divided by Dao Practice.

After all, if the realm is not high, Dao Practice is hard to advance, but if Dao Practice is high, the realm will absolutely not be too low.

For example, King Jin Feng, established in Changping Prefecture for decades, absorbing countless incense thoughts and mental forces, is a fierce and ruthless ghost deity with hundreds of years of Dao Practice and boundless magic power.

This "hundreds of years of Dao Practice" does not mean King Jin Feng cultivated for hundreds of years, but that his magic power equals the effect of an ordinary person cultivating for hundreds of years.

He, Ren Tian, claims to be the Number One Guardian of the Golden Wind God Sect, with Dao Practice stuck around one hundred and twenty or thirty years, hard to advance an inch further, while other guardian ghost deities have barely a hundred years of Dao Practice, and being called a "hundred-year-old ghost" is already respectful.

As for the Golden Wind Goddess and the Altar Generals, their names sound grand, but their Dao Practice actually ranges from a dozen to several decades; without the Golden Wind God Sect's protection, dividing incense and consolidating their divine souls, they might not be opponents for other demons and ghosts.

"I see." Gu Zhao nodded, understanding.

I have cultivated for ten years; not to say I fished for three days and dried my nets for two, but I didn't neglect eating, drinking, playing, or taking the university exam; even with the best talent, comparing it, it's roughly thirty years of Dao Practice, and only because cultivation efficiency here is extremely high, and I exterminated a full four Golden Wind Sect guardians, and the Five Thunder Talisman accelerated cultivation after absorbing evil qi, did it rise significantly in such a short time.

But I cultivate the Orthodox Method of the Dao, with innate pure yang Qi, my entire body's magic power is spiritual and refined, innately suppressing evil demons and heterodox paths, plus the power of Talismans and Spells is immense, which allows me to fight across levels, so even this hundred-year-old ghost couldn't withstand two authentic Shangqing Great Seals, the Dragon-Binding Talismans.

And in this world, the most numerous are actually these demons and ghosts with cultivation under a hundred years; anyone with Dao Practice exceeding a hundred years can basically rule a county.

"So I'm that powerful!" Gu Zhao rubbed his chin; does he count as a county Brahmin now?

Although according to Ren Tian's explanation, he definitely still cannot defeat King Jin Feng, after all, even his level-skipping monster fighting has limits.

For instance, in "A Chinese Ghost Story," no matter how powerful Yan Chixia and Monk Baiyun are, they can fight the Tree Demon Granny with a thousand-year cultivation to a draw, but they are absolutely no match for the Black Mountain Demon King.

However...

Although he snatched his incense statue, killed his Golden Wind Goddess and four guardians, and is about to eliminate another guardian deity and Altar General, and snatch another incense statue...

He still does not know him!

So time is on his side; as long as he eliminates more demons and ghosts, absorbing evil qi to assist cultivation, then when he first arrives at Changping Prefecture, it will be the time for the other party to lose his head!

Gu Zhao: (◔◡◔)

"But I must hurry, accelerate cultivation, and ideally get partners to help; so... some matters need to be put on the schedule."

Thinking this, Gu Zhao looked again at Ren Tian and Hong Xin, collapsed on the ground.

Both were experienced old ghosts; the moment they saw Gu Zhao's eyes, they knew the other intended to kill to silence them.

"If you dare kill me, the God King will not let you go!" Ren Tian roared fiercely.

"Master, spare my life! This humble one is willing to surrender, to be a slave or servant!" Hong Xin shouted loudly.

Unfortunately, both were bound by the Dragon-Binding Talisman's iron chains, their voices like mosquitoes, barely audible.

Gu Zhao formed the Heavenly Thunder Seal with his left hand, made a hand gesture and chanted with his right; after four true words, he struck his palm vertically toward Hong Xin; a flash of purple light passed, and thunder from his palm instantly struck into the other's body.

"Ah!" Hong Xin screamed miserably; the ghost within his body tried to escape, but was bound by the Dragon-Binding Talisman's iron chains and unable to break free, forced to endure this palm thunder.

With one thunder strike, the ghost body was annihilated and the divine soul scattered; Hong Xin, together with the ghost inside him, was directly struck to death by a single palm thunder, then a wisp of evil qi was absorbed by the Five Thunder Talisman, replenishing Gu Zhao.

"Hah!" Ren Tian's eyes bulged, he shouted fiercely, mobilized the magic power within his body in a rush, shattered his dantian, tore his meridians, his ghost body became unstable, and his divine soul also rippled.

He spat a mouthful of black blood, smoke rose from his seven orifices, the ghost qi within his body became chaotic, but at the cost of severe injury to himself, he broke through the restrictions of the two Dragon-Binding Talisman iron chains.

In the next moment, Ren Tian's figure leaped, wrapped in black qi, intending to burst through the door and escape.

"The Net of Heaven spreads, densely covering all directions; capturing evil demons, ghosts have no form to escape."

It was the same chant as before; a spark of fire shot from Gu Zhao's fingertip, drawing a red line, instantly landing on Ren Tian, then transforming into a fire net that enveloped him, knocking him to the ground.

The Fire Shield Method, the only combat-type Spell Art in the "Shangqing Tianxin Orthodox Method," is not purely offensive but slows and deals continuous damage, which is why Gu Zhao used it as an execution tool.

With the Fire Shield Method binding Ren Tian, Gu Zhao hesitated not, and cast the Palm Thunder again: "Thunder and lightning pursue each other, heaven and earth are the eyes; the righteous Qi of the eight directions, lightning flashes."

"Boom!"

"Ah!" Ren Tian cried out in agony, but at this moment he had broken free from the Shangqing Great Seal Dragon-Binding Talisman; though his body was severely injured, he could finally mobilize his magic power.

Ren Tian reached forward with his right hand, and a large blade appeared in it; he turned and slashed fiercely at Gu Zhao, a black qi skull head split from the blade, carrying blade qi, winding toward Gu Zhao.

At the same time, Ren Tian struck his chest with his left hand; a burst of mental force suddenly radiated outward as he shouted fiercely, "Golden Wind forever solid, God King aid me!"

In the next moment, the wooden statue in the main hall of the Golden Wind Hall went "whoosh," becoming a blur, flying into the small courtyard and breaking through the window.

However, just as the wooden statue broke through the window, Gu Zhao had already waved away the black qi clinging to him, leaped, reached out, and actually intercepted between Ren Tian and the window, grabbing the wooden statue.

But there was no hint of shock on Ren Tian's face; instead, he sneered, "Gin..."

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

Ren Tian only felt a blur before his eyes; it seemed the youth before him flickered, but he instinctively continued chanting the spell, "Golden Wind God King, divine powers forever solid, I offer my loyalty, aid me to defeat the enemy!"

As Ren Tian finished chanting and casting, nothing happened in the quiet room; only then did he realize the wooden statue previously held by the youth had vanished, and the youth had already pointed his right palm at him.

"What happened?"

"Boom!"

A flash of purple light passed, thunderlight pierced through his body; Ren Tian offered no resistance, and his ghost body, almost taking human form, was directly scattered, turning into a pile of black ash scattered like burnt bones.

Gu Zhao felt the evil qi absorbed by the Five Thunder Talisman in his mind: "Worthy of being the Number One Guardian; killed the most, the evil qi is the heaviest."

Just then, he heard the commotion coming from outside; clearly, Ren Tian telekinetically snatching the wooden statue had already caused panic among the believers outside and drawn the attention of the sect members.

Moreover, he had just cast the Palm Thunder; the disturbance of this Spell Art was not small.

A series of hurried footsteps approached; Gu Zhao's figure leaped, jumping out the window; his hand flipped, and a Wind and Thunder Talisman appeared in his palm.

"Wood Virtue Morning Star, spirit of the East; follow my nine Qi, drive out evil spirits!"

In a certain palace, another furious shout rang out: "What is Ren Tian doing for food?"