[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-778":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2263083,4415,"Chapter 778: Night Battle","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-778",778,"\u003Cp>No wonder this guy dares to be so arrogant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain immortal Chen Hui had long since left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who truly acted was the Snake God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After testing and finding no Gang Ling, they turned and surrounded him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s expression remained unchanged, but he secretly sneered inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still had one Gang Ling left—he had used five for the Five Directions Luo Feng Flag during his mission to guard the Suifa Zhenjun in the capital, and two more to suppress the “Hundred Ghost Infants,” but one remained as an emergency reserve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But using it on these people was clearly unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most critical one, Chen Hui, was surely still watching with hungry eyes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could think more, the surrounding yin winds grew fiercer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The campfire was blown out instantly, plunging the surroundings into total darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu wu~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children behind, already terrified, now struggled violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan frowned slightly, didn’t turn his head, and swept his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children all collapsed, unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knocking them out wasn’t just because they were in the way—powerful demons could drive these children mad with mere aura, infecting them with evil qi and turning them into mindless attackers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Li Yan turned smoothly, raising Dunchen Dao horizontally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding ding ding!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A string of sparks flew as every kunai shot from the mist was deflected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the three Japanese pirates, pressured by Huangquan Sanren, who had struck first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they weren’t fools—they’d seen how terrifying Duanhun Feidao was, comparable to flying swords, and dared not approach, only sending hidden shuriken from the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the ragged yinyang master, he pulled from his robe a wooden monkey bound with straw rope, carefully bit his fingertip, and painted talismans on its back with sweat pouring down his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, the ronin held his sword, pretending to guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the wooden monkey, his pupils shrank, and he quietly moved farther away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others didn’t know the truth, but the ronin knew—the yinyang master was a wild cultivator of the Outer Method School, who had stolen from the Hiye Daisha Shrine on Mt. Hiei the legendary shikigami “Moku’en Yajiamaru,” crafted by En no Gyoja.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yasha” in Buddhism signifies a ferocious demon, and “maru” is a common naming suffix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together, it means “the bound, frenzied monkey demon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it went out of control, he’d suffer too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t notice that Huangquan Sanren wasn’t even looking at Li Yan—he was focused entirely on them, and as the ninja and yinyang master busied themselves, his venomous eyes locked onto the ronin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simultaneously formed hand seals and chanted, muttering something under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, a thick, foul stench gushed from the tomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Snake God had no physical form—that was why the Zhang family’s distant mansion had found no traces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, cold dread rose on the ronin’s back; as he turned, his vision swam, then plunged into illusion—he felt all sound vanish, leaving only a pair of enormous snake eyes fixed on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in reality, he stood utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black mist, thick as a water barrel, surged forward, coiled in midair, and poured down his throat; the ronin began trembling all over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, his eyes turned pitch black, then sprouted yellow snake pupils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaa gaa zhi~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ronin’s joints stiffened, like a puppet controlled by strings, slowly turning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was no longer human—his joints twisted unnaturally backward, veins bulged and writhed beneath his skin like serpents slithering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a hissing sound of tongue flicking, a poisonous mist spewed from his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan saw all this, but had no time to deal with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding ding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He deflected the ninja’s kunai, and beside him came a rumbling sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s heart tightened; he spun around instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rolling crimson mist surged toward him; stones along the ground cracked and shattered as if an invisible monstrous beast, wielding mountain-shaking force, was approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Li Yan frowned sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was extremely difficult for a yin soul to directly manipulate objects—even the strongest yin official he summoned could barely lift a dagger; this was the physical law of this realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, he’d have been startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, with experience, he instantly saw through the trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure souls indeed struggled to manipulate objects, but their mental force could influence gangsha qi, or use divine arts to achieve impossible feats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like this one—it must be some kind of earth-and-stone manipulation technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he smelled a foul, stinking wind, identical to the shanxiao he’d encountered before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must have been forged into a shikigami.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, just this one thing, he didn’t care—he had plenty of ways to handle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, the attackers weren’t just one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, a faint, mournful female singing drifted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Creaking paper sedan crosses Naiheqiao~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New ghosts and old souls crush each other’s waists~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sister, walk slower—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let me borrow your skin, to paint a beautiful smile!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice rose and fell, shifted left and right, impossible to locate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more eerie, it drilled into his skull like an electric drill—despite his many talismans protecting his spirit, he couldn’t shake the agitation it caused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without doubt, it was Qingluo Niang from the ghost opera troupe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan swung his blade with his right hand to block the hidden weapons, then flicked his left—Duanhun Feidao shot out again, howling into the rolling crimson mist, churning up and down; immediately, beastly roars and shrieks echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d blocked the yinyang master’s shikigami, but the real threat remained on the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaa zhi zhi~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ronin, possessed by the Snake God, kept twisting his joints, as if adapting to this body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he froze, his cold snake eyes fixed on Li Yan, lips curling into a cruel grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shua!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gust of wind passed—he vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s inner alarm flared; he thought, and Qian Nian Bracelet clattered instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This treasure was originally designed to simulate the spiritual orifices of a microcosm with warp and weft threads, meant to nurture a divine artifact—but how could man surpass heaven? Li Yan estimated it would take at least a hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its greatest function, ironically, resembled a ritual altar, helping him rapidly gather gangsha qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being reforged at Qiankun Academy, it could now store thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with its original function as a Soul-Grabbing Thunder Lock, his thunder arts required no preparation time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Li Yan dropped low into a hidden-blade stance; lightning crackled over Dunchen Dao, then he twisted sharply and slashed with “Cutting Water with a Blade,” guided purely by spiritual sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die!” he snarled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong long!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning exploded, as if a miniature heavenly thunder had struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep crater opened, earth and stone spraying; a dark shadow recoiled swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark shadow smashed through a sapling as thick as a bowl, flipped unnaturally midair, and landed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the ronin, possessed by the Snake God!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face twisted, emitting a hissing sound; a deep gash appeared on his chest, crackling with lightning, and the stench of burnt meat filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though black mist drifted unevenly over him, it remained thick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan narrowed his eyes, slightly surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Snake God truly had some power—it had survived a direct thunder strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ronin, possessed by the Snake God, slithered slowly on the ground, flicking his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing Li Yan’s close-combat prowess, he didn’t advance, but retreated slowly, vanishing into the black mist, shifting positions rapidly through the dense forest and tall grass with a rustling sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a foul, stinking wind struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ronin suddenly thrust his head from the darkness, his mouth torn open nearly to his ears, spewing a green poisonous mist that spread instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever it passed, wild grass hissed and withered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such potent poison!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Li Yan’s expression changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t afraid—the mist spread too slowly to catch his movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Snake God was cunning—he attacked from behind, targeting the unconscious children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Yan retreated, none of the children would survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nuogao, with three stars on the left and three bindings on the right, heaven turns, earth flips, all nine paths are sealed, causing you to lose your mind, turning east into west, south into north…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No time to think further, he raised his left hand and chanted the spell.\u003C\u002Fp>",1385,"2026-06-19T18:28:35.913Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","810c92e9c1c18a3015a1cbf771d78995405eb2b795a79c54c87d5eaaea70727e","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-779","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-777",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]