Chapter 18: Spellcraft

Ji Ming's eyes were gloomy, with shock and anger.

Fortunately, to play it safe, he brought along Zhang ZhiRen.

In the Zhang Manor, there actually was a Mao Ni!

His heart was both shocked and relieved.

"Let's go!"

Ji Ming immediately rose, preparing to escape.

"What about him…?"

Wang Yuanlang looked at Zhang ZhiRen rolling before the altar.

"He's been backfired by the spell, he won't survive!"

Ji Ming's face was expressionless; two figures vanished in an instant, and even before leaving, Ji Ming set fire to the paper craft shop.

The entire Zhang Paper Craft Shop was instantly set ablaze, becoming a vast sea of fire.

However, inside, after Ji Ming and the other left, Zhang ZhiRen struggled to his feet, his body wreathed in roaring flames, like a burning paper effigy, muttering.

"Grandson, my grandson!"

He struggled to crawl before the shrine, howling.

"Red Flower Lady, help me!"

As he howled, the red silk before the shrine suddenly fluttered, a strand of intense black wind swept out, within which appeared a three-headed, eight-armed, dark demonic deity with a bewitching visage; a speck of cinnabar at the center of its brow held a hint of holiness.

The black wind surged out from the shrine, countless gales ravaged the interior of the paper craft shop, enveloping the flames around Zhang ZhiRen, causing the fire burning his body to falter.

The black wind infused his body; in an instant, accompanied by piercing shrieks, Zhang ZhiRen's body toppled upward and turned to ash, yet a wail of black qi escaped, rising with the black wind into the sky and vanishing in an instant.

The huge commotion immediately startled the neighbors; in panic, everyone hurried to fetch water from the well to extinguish the fire.

Zhang Jian and Zhang Yi arrived at the Zhang Paper Craft Shop almost simultaneously.

"Did we come too late?"

Zhang Yi and Zhang Jian exchanged a glance.

Zhang Jian furrowed his brow; this scene looked like a silencing to him.

Burning corpses to destroy evidence?

At the same time, Zhang Jian gazed around; his keen spiritual sense faintly sensed that two eyes in the darkness were watching him.

In an instant, his gaze shifted to the corner of a street.

Two figures flickered in his sight and vanished.

As Zhang Jian focused, a phantom-like flicker appeared beneath his feet.

Beside him, Zhang Yi stared in surprise, then hurriedly followed.

Looking ahead at Zhang Jian, whose speed was extreme—even a bit faster than him—Zhang Yi felt a bit dazed.

Zhang Jian's aura pulsed with unusually dense spiritual energy.

At some point, his cousin's strength had reached this level, possibly even surpassing his own.

This left Zhang Yi somewhat shaken.

How long has it been?

Yet Zhang Yi felt a spark of competitive spirit arise in his heart.

Ahead, Zhang Jian felt his spiritual energy throb, exchanging with the ceaseless heavenly and earthly force in the air; his body shifted, as if turning into a thread of spiritual energy, the ordinary leap technique moving faster than imagination.

He was like a great bird, instantly blocking the two figures.

Those two figures were Ji Ming and Wang Yuanlang.

Gazing at that wanton, surging spiritual energy, Ji Ming's face darkened; he didn't understand how, despite using the Left Path Secret Seal to conceal his own qi, the other could sense it.

This feeling of facing the unknown left him uneasy, and he now did not wish to continue entangling.

His hand held a green jade fan that flowed; above, the scriptures were covered in faint black glimmers, from which five strands of intense yin qi burst forth.

"Five Ferocious Ghost Gods, seize spirits and dispatch generals!"

"Go, kill this wretch quickly!"

Yet terrifying bluish-black figures emerged from the shadows beneath his feet; in an instant, countless black lights burst forth, lunging at Zhang Jian.

Yin wind raged, bone-chilling cold!

Within the yin wind, moreover, five hulking figures like gigantic apes—terrifying ghost gods—swooped down to seize.

Zhang Jian felt countless cold currents pierce his limbs and meridians from all sides, his limbs turning icy, yet within him his fervent spiritual power surged violently, his eyes even flashing with faint red lightning fire.

He did not find the attacking specters particularly fearsome; at that moment his mind held only one thought: to throw a punch.

He swung his fist to smash these specters.

In an instant, his body erupted with unmatched, intense Extreme Yang Vigorous Qi, instinctively gathering his internal Extreme Yang Spiritual Power.

As he gathered his Extreme Yang Spiritual Power, the red lightning that had been wandering through his meridians, as if hearing a command, finally broke through an invisible barrier, turning into a thread of lightning flame that swept over and struck the five Ferocious Ghost Soldiers' souls lunging at him.

The red lightning accompanied his fist like a blazing sun, shaking the long street; the five Ferocious Ghost Soldiers' souls that met the lightning were struck as if by a heavy blow.

On the faces of those five terrifying ghosts appeared human-like anguish and fearful expressions.

The black wind instantly dissipated by half, no longer daring to approach.

"Thunder Law?"

Ji Ming saw this, his expression went wild.

Thunder Law is among the most profound doctrines of spellcraft, its utmost rigidity and yang making it the bane of many ghosts and yin spirits.

He sensed that with just one strike, the Five Ferocious Ghost Soldiers he had painstakingly refined were already heavily wounded.

Filled with dread, he tossed the green jade fan; the faint light in the scriptures danced, releasing countless Five Ferocious Ghost Mist.

He grabbed Wang Yuanlang, who was hiding in the shadows, and they swiftly departed.

He never uttered a harsh word.

"Hmm!"

Zhang Jian gazed at the black mist filling the sky, his heart sank, his innate spiritual sense extended outward, spiritual energy surged around him, seeking that invisible qi, his figure swiftly leapt.

But he still quickly lost the sense of those two qi.

Zhang Yi also flew down from the roof at this moment, looking at the surrounding ghostly mist filling the sky, the two exchanged a glance, somewhat helpless.

The two had not yet had time to cultivate the three techniques later in the Nine Chapters of the Pure and Tranquil Paulownia Mountain; otherwise they wouldn't be so helpless.

"What a pity!"

Zhang Jian also felt some regret in his heart; this time he had a chance to keep these two companions!

But more so was doubt.

The cultivator in the dark wasn't as terrifying as imagined; although able to command ghostly beings, his body is no different from ordinary innate-stage martial practitioners?

Zhang Jian somewhat didn't understand the reason.

On the contrary, that paper man Zhang is somewhat frightening.

Zhang Jian shook off the many thoughts in his mind; he and Zhang Yi exchanged a glance, both could see the eagerness in each other's eyes.

This was the two's first contact with such outsiders, and they were even able to fight and win; this stirred something in their hearts, somewhat exhilarated.

"After returning, it seems we must also quickly cultivate those three techniques! I just don't know if I and Uncle Yi have the qualifications for that?"

The Nine Chapters of the Pure and Tranquil Paulownia Mountain records three minor techniques later on.

Those three techniques are the Minor Wind and Thunder Technique, the Purifying Soul Spell, and the Ten Thousand Wood Method.

The Purifying Soul Spell is both offensive and defensive, specially designed to deal with yin spirits and vicious souls, and can also guide wandering souls.

The Ten Thousand Wood Method can condense the power of yin wood, condensing yin wood essence to protect the body; it is a defensive technique.

The Minor Wind and Thunder Technique can be split into two: one is the Wind-Traveling Technique, which can briefly command wind currents.

Next is the Wind and Thunder Law, possessing considerable divine power.

However, cultivation of these three techniques each has certain requirements.

This involves the cultivator's physique, such as spiritual roots.

Although not all cultivators need to possess spiritual roots, having spiritual roots when cultivating certain attribute techniques indeed yields twice the result with half the effort.

The Ten Thousand Wood Method and the Minor Wind and Thunder Technique both have certain requirements; if lacking spiritual roots, cultivation will inevitably be somewhat arduous.

The Purifying Soul Spell, however, has universal applicability; it is a spell anyone can cultivate, only testing the cultivator's logical comprehension.