Chapter 661: Mastering the Yin Fu Jing: Dragon, Clouds, Rain, Four Substitutions

【"Ding!"】

【The blade clashed violently with the claws, sparks flying everywhere.】

【Dragon One's powerful claw strike forced Xie Guan back several zhang.】

【As he moved, his robe fell away, revealing his full form at last.】

【His body resembled a man, but was entirely covered in blue-green scales, his face twisted like a ferocious lizard. His lower body had no legs—instead, two sharp claws replaced them, and a thick, powerful tail trailed behind him.】

【Lu Hua glanced and teased: "Dragon One—named Dragon One, boasts himself the first true dragon under heaven… yet he's nothing but a four-legged worm."】

【Lotus Master clasped his hands together and sighed softly: "How many lives must have been slaughtered to cultivate such a form?"】

【The Demon Master's face showed a hint of amusement.】

【Dragon One slowly advanced, his claws slashing through the air with sharp whistling sounds.】

【"Dang—dang—"】

【The blade and claws clashed again, the crisp clang of metal echoing through the air.】

【To everyone's eyes, Xie Guan could only defend, with no chance to counter.】

【Yet this dragon was clearly not as reckless as he appeared—he advanced step by step, testing Xie Guan's strength, always holding back, relying solely on martial qi to suppress him, never using Daoist arts.】

【Dragon One's gaze occasionally swept over the Demon Master, Lotus Master, and others, seemingly unconcerned with Xie Guan's movements.】

【You activated the "Tengshe Play with Mist" technique from the Yin Fu Seven Arts—a method to control water vapor, capable of perceiving changes in mist and rain.】

【A phantom white snake, feathered and emerging from the void, flicked its tongue, wreathed in white mist as if gliding through clouds.】

【A faint mist slowly rose across the battlefield!】

【Xie Guan vanished within the mist.】

【Dragon One's eyes turned cold. "How presumptuous—you dare play with water vapor before me?"】

【The surrounding mist surged violently!】

【Dragon One opened his massive maw, revealing rows of fangs, and instantly sucked all the mist into his belly.】

【The mist dispersed, revealing Xie Guan's figure.】

【Dragon One then spat out a jet of water at blinding speed.】

【The water arrow pierced straight through Xie Guan's body, its momentum unbroken, and shot toward the willow tree on shore. The tree was pierced through; smoke rose from the trunk, emitting a sizzling, corrosive sound.】

【"Squeak—"】

【The willow split at the hole, its upper half crashing down.】

【Dragon One watched coldly as Xie Guan's figure faded, turning into a golden talisman that drifted gently downward.】

【He flicked his hand—the talisman shattered instantly into tiny, sparkling fragments.】

【This is the second time!】

【Lu Hua understood—this was one of the Yin Fu Seven Arts: "Sun Dui Fa Ling Ti."】

【"Sun Dui means decisive action in peril—used for substitution."】

【Lu Hua remembered: Xie Guan could use this technique only four times per day.】

【It had only just begun, and he'd already used it twice—two uses left.】

【Lu Hua felt a growing unease—this dragon's cultivation was deep; Xie Guan's current realm could not withstand him.】

【If this demon dragon truly began to fight seriously, Xie Guan would fall instantly—life or death uncertain.】

【Dragon One seemed to sense Xie Guan's limit—he knew Xie Guan could not use the substitution technique repeatedly—so he moved calmly closer.】

【Yet he still kept part of his attention alert, watching the Demon Master and others.】

【At that moment, a swordlight as vast and autumnal as a river suddenly expanded in Dragon One's eyes.】

【Dragon One sneered, reaching out to grasp the blade directly.】

【The "Zhan Gui Sword" within your mind erupted in radiant light.】

【A clear, luminous sword intent enveloped Dragon One—he had just gripped the blade, preparing to exert force—】

【A sharp pain suddenly pierced his Primordial Spirit, causing his golden pupils to tremble violently.】

【A low, bull-like, tiger-like roar echoed within his body, spreading like ripples through the air.】

【The "Zhan Yao Sword" in your hand, just glowing, was violently repelled by this force.】

【You used the rebound to step back several paces—but a pair of claws struck like shadows, unavoidable.】

【Another talisman drifted gently down.】

【Dragon One shook his head, turned, and stared coldly at Xie Guan, who was slowly materializing nearby.】

【"This… sword intent—damn it!"】

【The Demon-Slaying Marsh incident was years past, yet the sword intent still lingered in the marsh.】

【Even now, the demons of the marsh fear the figure of a white-robed swordsman who carries a blade.】

【The Zhan Gui Sword targets the Primordial Spirit—if the spirit leaves the body or if it's a ghostly entity, even a glancing touch of its light reduces it to ash instantly.】

【But Dragon One's spirit and body are now fused—he feels the pain in his Primordial Spirit, yet cannot be truly harmed.】

【A golden sheen rose over his skin, like divine armor, repelling the Zhan Gui Sword's intent.】

【Dragon One's three fingers suddenly extended a full chi, becoming three upright blades, gleaming with chilling light.】

【"Again."】

【Dragon One's form blurred into afterimages, his speed increasing again.】

【The "Zhan Yao Sword" in your mind flared brightly—you swung your hand, and the swordlight blazed like a scorching sun.】

【Where the swordlight passed, the air seemed torn apart, a searing heat rushing toward him.】

【Dragon One felt this sword intent and was startled.】

【It was the sword intent he knew best—and feared most: "Zhan Yao."】

【In Dragon One's vertical pupils, the swordlight wasn't just light—it was the nightmare: deep in the marsh, the Second Master's blade cleaving through a thousand hectares of green water, boiling the lake and scorching his countless brothers and sisters into bleached bones, the steaming white mist blotting out the entire sky.】

【That scene still haunted him.】

【Ssssh!】

【Dragon One's eyes hardened—he erupted in a burst of scales, and from every gap between his inverted scales, freezing white vapor spewed forth, filling the air with mist.】

【The sword is "Zhan Yao," but the man is not the man of old.】

【Dragon One prepared to take the blow head-on!】

【The frost before him condensed instantly into a crystal-clear ice shield.】

【Xie Guan's sword arrived as promised, slashing down with fierce momentum.】

【"Hm?"】

【Dragon One's eyes flickered with surprise—he couldn't believe this sudden change.】

【The sword intent was illusory—it vanished like a bubble upon touching the ice shield.】

【Xie Guan dissolved like smoke!】

【In the instant he hesitated, a brilliant swordlight like a rainbow slashed from behind him, cutting with unmatched sharpness.】

【All he heard was a cold command.】

【"Cut—"】

【The searing sword intent pierced through Dragon One's back scales, instantly igniting his flesh—flames clung like a parasitic poison, impossible to extinguish no matter how he beat at them.】

【The fire on Dragon One's back burned fiercer; his blue-green scales blackened rapidly under the flames, the air thick with the stench of burning flesh.】

【He gritted his teeth, eyes flashing with ruthlessness, and drove his claws deep into his own back, tearing out the burning flesh and hurling it to the ground.】

【The moment the flesh hit the ground, it burst into roaring flames and turned to ash in an instant.】

【This was the Second Master's "Zhan Yao Sword"—its intent like a venomous parasite; once attached, it could not be shaken off, especially lethal to demonic bodies.】

【Dragon One turned his head, his golden vertical pupils burning with fury and dread, fixed on Xie Guan, voice low and hoarse:】

【"You… dared wound me!"】

【Dragon One roared—flesh sprouted wildly from his wound, muscles regenerating visibly, blue scales re-covering his back in moments, restored to perfect form.】

【He suddenly realized—the previous attack had been an illusion conjured by you. His eyes flashed with anger.】

【You looked down at the Three Truths Long Sword in your hand—the blade still glowed with the lingering heat of the Zhan Yao Sword intent—and sighed inwardly.】

【Too bad!】

【With your current realm, you still cannot truly harm this marsh dragon.】

【If the Second Master had wielded the blade himself, this demon would have been reduced to ash long ago—with no chance to struggle.】

【But precisely because of this, you now truly understood the overwhelming might of the Second Master's "Zhan Yao Sword."】

【Even though you've just ignited your Primordial Fire, you still managed to wound this Great Demon of the Ninth Martial Realm—proof enough of the sword's power.】

【On your shoulder, a butterfly gently flapped its wings, its surface shimmering with faint spiritual light.】

【You pondered silently—if you truly wished to slay this dragon, there seemed to be only one way.】

【Lu Hua's gaze sharpened—he recognized this as one of the Yin Fu Seven Arts: "Shen Die Fa Zhuan Yuan."】

【The First Master nodded slightly, eyes filled with memory: "This must be the Yin Fu Jing of that Daoist from Three Truths—he was a renowned Grand Master in his day."】

【Lotus Master clasped his hands together, his expression tinged with nostalgia and relief: "Amitabha—I never thought I'd see my old friend's ultimate art revived in this age—it brings me peace."】

【"This is the Sixth Art of the Yin Fu Jing—Shen Die: formless, imageless, a mysterious Daoist method to draw others into illusion. 'Zhuan Yuan' means colorless, formless—born from the mind, capable of transforming into all things. 'Shen' is illusion; 'Die' refers to the Daoist tale of the dreaming butterfly—hard to distinguish true from false."】

【Lotus Master nodded slightly, eyes full of approval: "In Xie's young disciple's hands, this art is not disgraced."】

【The Demon Master smiled faintly, his gaze filled with admiration. Xie Guan, with cultivation four realms behind Dragon One, had held his own—remarkable indeed.】

【What surprised him even more: Xie Guan's newly elevated cultivation showed no sign of stagnation—it flowed with perfect ease.】

【No!】

The Demon Master suddenly realized that the two uses of the "Substitute" technique just now might have been Xie Guan familiarizing himself with his new body's form. Yet within just a few breaths, he had fully mastered the power of both realms.

What extraordinary talent!

There are two kinds of talent in this world: one is cultivating far faster than peers; the other is excelling in battle, overcoming stronger foes, growing stronger with every fight, feeding off combat itself.

If one possesses both, they are a heavenly prodigy.

The Demon Master pondered silently—was Xie Guan too monstrous? Why had Xie Guan spoken so long with the Master? Had the Master come specifically for Xie Guan?

Yet whenever he delved deep, every thought encountered a barrier, vanishing instantly, leaving him unaware of where the next thought arose.

The Demon Master returned to himself; the previous thoughts had vanished without a trace. He turned his gaze back to the arena.

Xie Guan now stood unharmed, thanks in part to Long Yi's lack of seriousness—he had assumed he could easily subdue Xie Guan.

But the Sword Intent of the Demon-Slaying Blade had utterly enraged Long Yi.

Long Yi's vertical pupils contracted; his scaled skin shimmered with a chilling blue glow. A low, suppressed roar rumbled from his throat: "This is suicide!"

Had Xie Guan not forged the Second Master's "Demon-Slaying Blade," Long Yi's cultivation would never have been so easily deceived by the illusion.

Before the words had even faded!

Long Yi's aura surged violently; cyan-blue demonic energy surged forth like a tidal wave.

Long Yi's form swelled again—his original eight-foot human stature now rose over three feet higher, standing like a small hill in the arena.

His arms bulged with knotted muscles, his entire body covered in cyan-blue scales; he no longer resembled a man, but more like a towering, upright four-legged serpent.

His head twisted and fused, becoming a grotesque hybrid of horse and deer, with two short horns sprouting from his brow and fangs bared in his mouth.

The river's current was pulled by an invisible force, forming a colossal whirlpool that roared into the arena.

Long Yi controlled the water whirlpool, launching countless water arrows from within—dense as rain, striking straight at Xie Guan.

Yet these water arrows skillfully avoided the positions of the First Master and the Demon Master, clearly indicating Long Yi's deliberate restraint—he did not wish to harm them.

The water whirlpool in the arena slowly shifted, lifting a storm of raindrops that obscured all vision.

And Long Yi's figure vanished within the mist.

Lu Hua's eyes flashed two "Ren" character glyphs, attempting to track Long Yi's movements, her pupils spinning rapidly within her sockets.

She frowned tightly, silently fearing the worst.

Long Yi had not truly vanished—he was moving at such speed that the naked eye could not catch him.

At such velocity, let alone launching an attack, even a simple physical collision would shatter Xie Guan's body into pieces in an instant, spraying blood and flesh.

Moreover!

The massive water whirlpool continued to fire dense arrows, each brimming with lethal intent, sealing off every possible escape route for Xie Guan.

Xie Guan stood rooted in place, his long sword trembling slightly—he had nowhere left to retreat.

At that moment!

Long Yi's figure flashed like a ghost, his claws tearing through the air with a shrill shriek.

But he struck empty air!

A talisman fluttered down, soaked by rain and lying on the ground.

Long Yi's form vanished again, leaving only a cold laugh echoing in the air.

"I see… you."

Long Yi burst forth from the rain curtain, claws like lightning, striking straight at Xie Guan. Before Xie Guan's form had fully coalesced, the claw shattered it into a wisp of smoke.

Lu Hua's heart tightened—she cursed inwardly. Xie Guan's Substitute Technique could only be used four times per day; all four uses were spent. How would he respond now?

Long Yi sneered, vanishing once more into the rain, as if merging with the drops.

Xie Guan's figure slowly reappeared elsewhere, his face pale—clearly drained.

Lu Hua formed a hand seal, her eyes hardening with resolve—she was ready to intervene.

Yet!

The First Master spoke calmly: "This duel is decided by each man's own skill. Life and death, each bears his own fate."

Lu Hua, frantic, blurted: "I never agreed to that!"

Lightning flickered in her eyes; a fine bolt of thunder coalesced in her hand.

Master Lianchi smiled faintly, soothing: "Lady Lu Tian Shi, calm yourself. The outcome is not yet certain."

"What? Even you, Master…?"

Before Lu Hua could finish, Long Yi's water arrows pierced Xie Guan's figure again—the illusion dissolved like smoke.

Lu Hua froze, stunned: "That's the fifth 'Shun Dui Fa Ling Ti'—Xie Guan said he could only use it four times per day!"

She immediately realized—her eyes flashed with irritation, and she spat softly: "You sneaky Xie Guan, you dared to deceive this Tian Shi!"

The Demon Master glanced at Lu Hua and chuckled: "Have you not noticed? So far, Xie Guan has used only two of the Second Master's swords."

Lu Hua's gaze shifted—she thought: Given Xie Guan's talent, having received the Second Master's Sword Intent, he could never have grasped only the "Demon-Slaying" and "Ghost-Slaying" swords.

She murmured softly: "Indeed—given his insight, he should have at least grasped one or two more sword intents. Why has he used none?"

The Demon Master's gaze grew deep, fixed on the swirling rain above the arena. He spoke softly: "What, then, is Xie Guan truly plotting?"

(End of Chapter)