Chapter 588: A Turn for the Better

What happened?!

Li Yan looked up abruptly and jumped onto the roof to scout.

This kind of thing had happened for the first time.

Ever since he obtained the Gou Die and learned to summon the Yin Division troops, it had been invincible, capable of suppressing any evil demon, and any expert with high cultivation had to flee at the sight.

But what was going on this time?

Seeing the darkness about to dissipate, Li Yan quickly used his left thumb to press the upper joint of his second finger, activating his supernatural ability.

Instantly, noisy sounds came from the darkness.

"Heavenly Court intervenes..."

"Earth Official Golden Palace Edict..."

"Retreat..."

His supernatural ability could hear the language of ghosts and gods, but these ghost soldiers from the netherworld couldn't speak, instead using sounds similar to the language of the heavens to communicate.

So hearing it, it also became strange.

Soon, the gale subsided, and the darkness dissipated.

These sounds also disappeared rapidly...

Earth Official Golden Palace Edict?

Li Yan remembered the arrow nailed to the door.

What kind of dharma artifact was this?

Of course, at this moment, he couldn't think too much.

The Yin Division troops hadn't fully accomplished their task, only forcing the Black Sect Lama to retreat and killing those few garrison commanders. The most critical heavy-armored Black Feather Guards had suffered only a dozen or so casualties.

Fortunately, without these commanders, the remaining garrison soldiers were also in chaos, constantly retreating in fear of the previous scene.

And those Black Feather Guards, true to being elites, although each was suspicious and fearful, also began to regroup.

Once the timing was missed, it would be hard to escape again.

"Break out!"

Wuxiang Young Master gave a roar of anger and was the first to rush out of the Commandery Prince's Mansion.

His speed was fast, his feet stepped in succession, his strength exploded, his figure flickering left and right like a ghost, quickly arriving on the other side of the street.

On the street, there were still dead Black Feather Guards.

They knelt on the ground with their heads bowed, their heavy armor covered in frost, their faces pale, their vitality already cut off.

As Wuxiang Young Master flew past, he grabbed a Divine Fire Spear and pulled the trigger toward the distance.

The Black Feather Guards who were fleeing had just turned around and, seeing him fire, were startled, instinctively throwing themselves to the side.

Crack!

The hammer fell, but the gunpowder chamber didn't ignite.

This structure of firearm ultimately had weaknesses; the coldness after the Yin Division troops descended had covered the gun body in frost, causing problems.

"Unreliable!"

Wuxiang Young Master gave a cold snort, his feet didn't stop, and he waved his hand to throw the heavy firearm out, directly breaking the neck of a soldier.

And taking advantage of this opportunity, he leaped into the crowd in two or three steps, his hands dancing, and sharp spikes whistled out.

Pfft, pfft, pfft!

Blood burst, and people fell to the ground from time to time.

These Black Feather Guards were wearing heavy armor and helmets, but for the sake of mobility, there was a finger-wide gap at the neck.

It was hard for ordinary people to grasp, but for an expert like Wuxiang Young Master, who could hit a copper coin from tens of meters away in dim light, it was easy.

Grasping the flaw, it was naturally easy.

He wasn't the only one making a move.

At the same time Wuxiang Young Master came out, others followed, full of killing intent, rushing toward the street corner.

Three religions and nine schools, underworld experts.

These people were not good characters.

Someone raised their hand to release a sleeve arrow, soaked in red-chain snake poison...

A Cao Gang expert waved a broadsword, specifically hacking at people's legs...

Once they lost distance, heavy armor was like paper to them.

Li Yan was also among them, but he was a step behind.

It was because that Nuo Altar Goddess, Granny Jin, although her cultivation was high, her martial arts were average, and with her disciple dead, she naturally fell to the back.

Martial arts people prioritize righteousness, but at a time like this, everyone only cared about saving their own lives, and no one looked back.

Li Yan frowned and didn't talk nonsense, directly supporting her arm, "Senior, follow me."

After saying this, he exerted force with his feet and leaped out.

Just as he left the Commandery Prince's Mansion gate, his heart moved, and he leaped into the air, tearing down the yellow silk ribbon nailed to the mansion plaque.

Without even looking at it, Li Yan stuffed it into his bosom and took out a piece of brocade cloth covered with talisman patterns; it was a Jia Ma (Paper Horse).

At this time, Wuxiang Young Master and the others in the distance had already broken through the Black Feather Guard encirclement and were running toward the depths of the street.

And those garrison soldiers who had been scared away were regrouping under the shouting of the Company Commanders, lining up in three rows and firing.

In this world, there are plenty of smart people.

Several commanders were dead, but there were plenty who wanted to replace them.

"Senior, don't move around."

Li Yan warned, then bound the Jia Ma to his legs, stepped in the Big Dipper formation, formed a hand seal, and chanted: "Nuo Gao! Six Jia Nine Chapters, Heaven Round Earth Square, Four Seasons Five Elements, Sun and Moon as Light..."

Granny Jin was knowledgeable and naturally knew what this was, so she hurriedly restrained all her energy to avoid interfering with Li Yan.

Whoosh~

After the spell was chanted, a violent wind whistled around them.

Li Yan supported Granny Jin, exerted force with his feet, and the snow around them exploded. With a "whoosh," he leaped out, jumping directly to the other side of the street.

It looked fierce, but the speed was actually nearly half slower than usual.

After all, using Jia Ma to carry someone consumed far more than usual.

Even so, it was much faster than the others.

The wind whistled in their ears, and the others only saw the wind and snow flying, and two figures had already rushed to the very front.

Seeing this, cold light flickered in Wuxiang Young Master's eyes.

He had suffered heavy losses today.

The original plan was to use this matter to build a relationship with the imperial court, and whether it was Wang Wang Yushi or the Grand Commandery Prince, he could further bet on them afterward.

What was being the leader of the Outside Chengdu underworld?

No matter how famous one was in the martial arts world, one would spend their whole life hiding.

He hadn't forgotten that he came from an official family.

If he could grab the demonic person's treasure, plus his own lifelong skills, becoming a marquis or prime minister and entering the imperial court in the future was not a fantasy.

However, everything was ruined.

The Grand Commandery Prince was dead, and he couldn't explain it to Wang Wang Yushi's side.

What was even more troublesome was that quite a few martial arts comrades had died, all of whom he had promised to invite, and it would be even harder to do things in the future.

And this Li Yan,

Spreading false news!

Now, he was still pretending to buy people's hearts.

Where did that put him?

Thinking of this, his face constantly distorted, sometimes becoming a rugged man, sometimes becoming delicate...

The cultivation method Wuxiang Young Master practiced had hidden dangers; his appearance was formless, and his original heart was also hard to settle.

It was fine on weekdays.

Now that he had suffered a setback, his mind was in chaos, and malice constantly surged...

Li Yan was fully focused on using the Jia Ma and naturally didn't discover it.

He remembered the nearest secret passage exit, which was in the well in the backyard of the neighborhood shrine nearby.

This neighborhood shrine was very ancient, a place for nearby commoners to offer sacrifices, where everyone helped each other with weddings and funerals, and held events at the shrine.

Nowadays, it was also where the Earth Temple was located.

As long as they entered the secret passage, they could escape the pursuit.

But just at this moment, Li Yan's face changed drastically.

He smelled a fierce killing intent, whistling over from two streets away. Before it even got close, a rich smell of blood rushed into his nose, making his eyelids twitch wildly.

What a fierce curse!

Li Yan stepped on the ground abruptly, splashing snow, tore off the burning Jia Ma, moved his divine sense, and raised his left arm.

Clatter!

The suppression coins on the arm guard Sima Qian Nian rang in unison.

The surrounding gang-sha energy gathered, the wind whistled, rolling up snow to form a visible tornado, wrapping the two of them.

Sure enough, a mass of red mist descended from the sky.

Drip! Drip!

Colliding with the wind and snow tornado, it turned into foul-smelling dirty blood and fell.

"It's Ba Ba Dai Zha's Blood Blade Curse!"

Granny Jin looked into the distance, full of taboo in her eyes.

Li Yan heard this, and his heart sank.

Although he used the arm guard Sima Qian Nian to block this poisonous curse, the other party's purpose was probably just to prevent him from escaping.

Thinking of the strange talisman from before,

He secretly thought it was bad. Lu Sheng's trap also had his share!

The other party had a way to avoid the Gangle Order, but listening to those ghost soldiers talk, it was a treasure of the Heavenly Court, so it should also have limitations.

For example, it couldn't interfere with capturing Yin criminals.

This was the thing he had always been worried about.

Lu Sheng and Zhao Zhao Changsheng, these monsters, were all from the same force, and the source of this force was in the Great Luo Dharma Realm!

Before he could think more, another streak of blood mist whistled over.

Li Yan had no choice but to activate Sima Qian Nian again.

While he was fighting with the other party, Wuxiang Young Master and the others also caught up.

Some had cloudy and sunny expressions, wanting to stop and help.

Wuxiang Young Master didn't even look, directly rushed past them, and leaped into the Earth Temple well.

With him taking the lead, many others followed suit.

After all, at this time, everyone was "dead friends, not dead self."

Sure enough, on the roofs in the distance, three figures appeared.

It was the Black Sect Lama, the Blood Nuo Master Ba Ba Dai Zha, and Situ Sima Qian, who had a broken leg and eyes full of killing intent.

They didn't rush to step forward, but used sorcery to interfere, while letting out whistles to guide the surrounding soldiers to block the streets.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the others all rushed into the Earth Temple well.

In the secret passage, Wuxiang Young Master took out a gunpowder barrel hidden in the wall joints and lit it without hesitation, throwing it out.

Boom!

A loud bang, rocks rolled down, blocking the secret passage.

"What are you doing?!"

The Cao Gang elder had an angry expression.

Their Cao Gang had had dealings before, and this time entering Outside Chengdu, they just wanted to make friends and continue the relationship.

After all, after Li Yan became famous, many things were investigated, and he had good relationships with many orthodox Mystic Sects.

And cutting off someone's retreat was something that couldn't be justified anywhere.

"Hmph!"

Wuxiang Young Master gave a cold snort, "Those people have spirit beasts. If they track us along the secret passage, I don't know how many more comrades will die."

"If you want to save them, go dig it yourself!"

After saying this, he led his subordinates and rushed into the darkness.

Others looked at each other and had no choice but to follow closely...

…………

On the street, the situation became even more dangerous.

Li Yan could already hear the footsteps coming from all directions; it was the regrouping garrison soldiers.

They carried fire guns on their backs, clattering in a row.

And on the distant roofs, three figures were staring fixedly at this place.

They were, after all, the top two experts under the Prince of Shu.

The Blood Nuo Master Ba Ba Dai Zha held the blood blade and chanted a spell.

Streaks of blood mist constantly appeared out of thin air, whistling along with the gale, never stopping...

And that Black Sect Lama Dorje Tashi also took a bronze mirror from his bosom, the exterior wrapped in gorgeous Tibetan silver patterns and inlaid with agate and turquoise.

He sat cross-legged, using the bronze mirror to shine on Li Yan from afar, chanting scriptures in his mouth.

Li Yan didn't know what sorcery the other party was using, but he could

The Blood Nuo Master Ba Ba Daiza held a blood-stained saber, chanting a spell.

Wisps of blood mist appeared out of thin air, one after another, whistling along with the gale-force winds, never stopping...

And that Black Sect Lama, Dorje Tashi, took a bronze mirror from his robes, its exterior wrapped in ornate Tibetan silver patterns and inlaid with agate, turquoise, and other items.

He sat cross-legged, using the bronze mirror to shine upon Li Yan from afar, muttering scriptures under his breath.

Li Yan didn't know what technique the opponent was using, but he could feel his vision blacking out in waves, his soul feeling as if it were about to be torn from his body...

"Young Hero Li, you should go."

Granny Jin beside him sighed and spoke, "This old woman has passed sixty; I've lived long enough. You have a bright future ahead, don't throw it away here."

"Senior, stop talking nonsense!"

Li Yan gave a cold snort, "Senior, can you help me hold them off for a moment?"

His biggest problem right now was being attacked in succession, leaving him unable to free his hands to use any of his own methods.

"Fine!"

Hearing this, Granny Jin gritted her teeth, put the Zigu Nuo mask back on, waved the silver bells in her hand, stepped the Seven Stars, and bit her tongue, spraying fresh blood onto the ground.

Her footsteps shifted, and she actually used the blood mixed with the accumulated snow to draw a massive talisman, wrapping the two of them inside.

"Yi——ya——!"

Once the talisman was formed, Granny Jin suddenly broke into a chant.

It was weathered yet resonant, making the hair on Li Yan's body stand on end.

"In the first month, troops are sent to build the border city, Yi——ya——!"

"Master Fan's letters have cut off all news, Yi——ya——!"

"The winter clothes are unfinished, the thread is cold, the Qiang flute blows and cracks the clouds of the Jade Gate..."

"Yi——ya——!"

Every note of the chant was accompanied by a long, trailing tail.

The sound grew increasingly loud, the surrounding air vibrating, directly suppressing the opposing spell-chanting, and even the surging blood mist dissipated in mid-air.

The Blood Nuo Master and the Black Sect Lama stopped, their faces filled with surprise.

"This is the Twelve Altars of Sichuan Nuo!"

Situ Sima Qian beside them also widened his eyes, "The middle altar 'Lady Jiang Hooks Wishes,' singing of Lady Meng Jiang weeping at the Great Wall—it's best at breaking techniques. What is this old thing's background to know this art?"

As he spoke, his eyes were filled with greed.

"Singing and crying, what's the use of that!"

The Blood Nuo Master looked at the soldiers gradually closing in from the surrounding streets and sneered, "They will surely die today. Kill this person, and it will be enough to report back to the Prince."

Li Yan's expression was equally grim.

Granny Jin's technique beside him, though temporarily suppressing the opponent, clearly came at a high price; beneath the Nuo mask, she was already drenched in blood, which kept dripping down.

But he couldn't afford to waste words. He formed hand seals, and eight straw-man effigies soared into the air, circling and rotating, as the Qi of the stars and evil spirits gathered frantically.

Clatter, clatter~

The Soul-Hooking Chain whistled out, wrapping around his entire body.

More powerful techniques required time.

At this point, he could only use the Divine Transformation Method to carve out a bloody path.

Soon, Li Yan transformed into a black-mist figure, twice the height of a normal person, looking like a ghost.

However, the surrounding soldiers had already arrived.

"Quick, shoot him!"

Seeing the humanoid black mist in the center of the street, the soldiers were filled with terror, raising their guns to fire, among them many Black Feather Guards.

Chirp——!

Just then, a sharp whistle came from the bamboo forest to the southwest.

Accompanied by a buzzing sound, waves of black clouds descended upon them.

Looking closely, they were tiny black poisonous bees.

These were the poisonous insects bred in Lu San's demon gourd.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

The poisonous bees instantly swarmed into the crowd.

These bees were not only highly toxic, but their bodies were also extremely small, about the size of flies, and no armor could stop them.

Screams rang out one after another, and a whole group fell instantly.

Thump, thump, thump!

Hidden among these soldiers were several evil-path sorcerers, who immediately began beating leather drums to drive away the poisonous bees.

"Brother Yan, we're here!"

And just then, a shout rang out from afar.

It was Sha Hearing Sha Lifei!

He was seen coming from the direction of the Commandery Prince's mansion, holding a divine fire gun, suddenly leaping onto a rooftop, facing the thousands of troops with a heroic spirit.

Immediately following, figures appeared all around.

Not only Wang Wang Daoxuan, but also Situ Bo, Liang Yu, and several elders, each with extraordinary presence—they were the Six Hermits of the Bamboo Forest.

"You old thing, you're not dead yet!"

Seeing this, murderous intent rose in Situ Sima Qian's eyes.

"What's the rush."

The Blood Nuo Master said coldly, "Don't even think about running today!"

Having said that, he prepared to cast a spell to drive away the poisonous bees.

And Sha Hearing Sha Lifei in the distance gave a grin and suddenly spoke, "Brother Yan, hide a bit, don't let yourself get hurt!"

Having said that, he quickly dodged to the side.

Wu Ba's muscles were seen bulging, like a giant, holding the recovered Tiger-Lord Cannon, the fuse hissing and smoking...

(End of chapter)