Chapter 747

Mad?

Seeing Master Kong in this state, Li Yan’s face darkened instantly.

He had no real connection with Master Kong, but earlier he had helped mediate his troubles and taken Xiao Brother Kong Shangzhao into his fold—that had created karmic ties, and some things had to be borne.

Now this has happened—how can he explain it to anyone?

He turned to Wang Daoxuan beside him.

Wang Daoxuan immediately understood and whispered, “To investigate, we must first break the spell.”

They’re still using a high-level evasion technique; to uncover the problem, they must employ another method—inevitably, they’ll have to drop the evasion and alert the jailers.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan exchanged a glance and gave a slight nod.

No words needed—understanding arose naturally.

This is no place to linger—we must use thunderous force to uncover the truth!

“Disperse!”

Wang Daoxuan muttered sharply, spinning his robe as he turned.

As the Five Directions Luo Feng Flags retracted, the black mist instantly scattered outward.

Almost the moment their forms were exposed, the cold air in the dungeon surged violently; the wooden peach charms hanging on the stone wall by the door cracked with a sharp snap, startling the few jailers dozing nearby.

“Who’s there?!”

The jailers were thrown into panic, instinctively reaching for their waist knives and blowing their warning whistles.

Yet their movements appeared sluggish, frozen in Li Yan’s eyes.

Li Yan planted his feet and shot forward in a sudden burst.

He had long entered Dan Jin; during his days at Qiankun Academy, he trained relentlessly without pause, and even his newly acquired treasures were all used to repair his Great Luo Body, so his progress was lightning-fast—his Dan Jin was now perfectly refined.

As his cultivation improved, his body technique naturally grew stronger.

His body technique merged the martial art "Zhi Chi Tian Ya" with the Yu Bu from the "Northern Emperor Divine Step Scripture," already revealing the embryonic form of martial law—when unleashed, it was as swift as thunder, beyond the grasp of ghosts or gods.

Shhh!

His figure flickered like a phantom, leaving afterimages behind.

In a single breath, he crossed several zhang and closed in on the jailers.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Without drawing his blade, he struck the “Yuzhen Point” at the nape of each man’s neck with the hilt in lightning-fast motions.

The jailers never even saw his shadow—they rolled their eyes back and collapsed limp.

At the same moment Li Yan moved, Wang Daoxuan also dispelled the Five Ghosts Transport Technique.

He drew his dagger and swiftly severed the chains, then stepped quickly into the cell.

“I don’t want to become immortal—let me go!”

Master Kong, raving mad, lunged forward to claw at them.

Wang Daoxuan remained calm, forming the “Calm Heart Seal” with his right hand and slapping it onto Master Kong’s forehead.

Master Kong stiffened all over and froze.

Wang Daoxuan then raised his left hand, fingers extended like a sword, pressing them onto Master Kong’s "Shanzhong Point" on his chest, murmuring incantations: "Spirit gathers, Qi stabilizes; evil and delusion cannot invade—Decree!"

A gentle Daoist gang qi surged in; Master Kong’s frantic struggles vanished as if all strength had been drained from his body—the chaotic red veins in his eyes receded slightly, replaced by a vacant, blank stare, leaving only a hoarse, gasping “he-he” from his throat.

He no longer attacked, yet ignored everything before him.

Wang Daoxuan frowned slightly, flipped him over, and laid him flat on the straw, his expression grave.

He first pried open Master Kong’s eyelids—his pupils were dilated and dull—then pressed his wrist pulse.

“How is it?” Li Yan walked over at this moment.

Wang Daoxuan, still feeling the pulse, stroked his beard and said, “Pulse is thin and weak as a thread, erratic and chaotic—like a bird startled by an arrow, or a lamp burning out its oil. Not caused by ordinary fright or drugs…”

“Souls damaged?” Li Yan’s eyes flashed sharply.

He didn’t know Daoist medicine, but he’d seen enough to know much.

“Mm.”

Wang Daoxuan nodded, forming the Yang Seal with his left hand, then sweeping his right index finger before his eyes.

"Heaven clears, Earth brightens; Mystic Light reveals truth—penetrate the hidden, pierce the subtle—Huiyan, open now!"

This was the “Tong Ming Fa” from the “Five Heads Divine Seals.”

Wang Daoxuan had already awakened the Divine Sight; with this technique enhancing it, he saw even more.

As the incantation completed, a faint golden glow flickered across his pupils as his finger brushed past.

In Li Yan’s gaze, Wang Daoxuan’s face grew increasingly grim.

After a long silence, Wang Daoxuan ended the seal, stood up, and shook his head. “Trouble—he’s lost his soul.”

“Master Kong’s seven po are still present, but the ‘Ren Hun’ among the Three Hun—Heaven, Earth, and Human—is gone.”

“The Ren Hun governs intellect, consciousness, and the soul’s movement between Yin and Yang—it was forcibly ripped away! No wonder he’s like a fool. Kong family experts might sense his soul instability, but they can’t locate this bizarre ‘soul loss,’ because once detached, it vanished completely—ordinary soul-recall methods will likely fail!”

“This is definitely a dark art—and the technique is extremely sophisticated and cruel!”

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. “Can it be recovered?”

“There’s a way!”

Wang Daoxuan nodded, then glanced around. “But the disturbance would be too great—we can’t do it here.”

Sneaking in to investigate won’t alert the authorities, but taking the man away is a capital crime of jailbreak.

For ordinary martial artists, they’d surely weigh the consequences.

But Li Yan—who fears this?

“Let’s go, before things get louder.”

Without hesitation, Li Yan stepped forward, seized Master Kong’s arm, twisted with a deft force, and sent him airborne—he slung him over his back.

Wang Daoxuan matched his rhythm perfectly, pulling several Huang Fu from his sleeve as he walked beside him.

Soon, the two burst out of the cold dungeon corridor.

“Who’s there!”

Two night-watch yamen runners rushed over with lanterns, their startled faces illuminated by the dim yellow light.

Wang Daoxuan didn’t pause—he swept his wide sleeve, and two Huang Fu in his fingers ignited without fire, transforming into thin, nearly invisible blue smoke that instantly spread.

The runners staggered, their eyes glazed, lanterns clattering to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, they collapsed, snoring loudly.

It was a simple soul-dazing technique—perfect for ordinary people.

“You damned scoundrels—don’t run!”

As they turned to leave, another sharp cry exploded.

A man in dark blue constable attire, a four-foot Yanling knife at his waist, sprinted from a distant rooftop, then leapt down like a falcon diving from the eaves’ shadow.

His body technique was sharp and swift; even with his blade sheathed, a chilling, deadly aura roared downward.

Of course, the officialdom wasn’t all mediocre.

This man was one of Jinan Prefecture’s top experts—“Chasing Wind Goose” Zheng Kun—his Yanling Fast Blade combined with his body technique had captured countless river pirates, earning him great fame in the Qi-Lu martial world.

Tonight was his watch—and he never expected to encounter someone daring enough to break into the jail!

The jail… held only the Kong family prisoner.

If he captured this criminal, his future would surely soar!

Thinking of this, his eyes gleamed fiercely—he locked onto Li Yan, who carried Master Kong, his right hand gripping his blade’s hilt. Mid-air, he executed a kite-flip, the sword clanging free with a dragon’s roar, thrusting straight for Li Yan’s throat.

Of course, he was merely an An Jin—how could he possibly harm Li Yan?

Li Yan’s expression didn’t change—he stepped back, perfectly dodging, while shielding Wang Daoxuan and Master Kong, then kicked upward in a Heaven-Pointing Heel.

Clang!

A tremendous force sent the Yanling knife flying.

Zheng Kun, experienced as he was, immediately retracted his blade and withdrew power, using the rebound to launch himself sideways, rolling into a lazy donkey’s turn on the ground, then rising with his sword held horizontally, coldly saying: “Who are you, to dare…”