Chapter 108: Fighting

With a thud, a crisp sound echoed.

The halo of the Treasure Canopy immediately became incredibly grand.

With emerald tiles and staggered scales, jade steps and even edges, the pavilion condensed with auspicious mist, and the tower spanned a propitious rainbow. Around the Treasure Canopy, a hundred deities stood guard, all True Immortals were arrayed, immortal elders stood tall, and Dao Masters were pure as ice.

These surging illusions suddenly formed a Talisman.

The Talisman read: 'By the Edict of the Sage,' and the core of the Talisman itself formed a passage, which was: 'Nine Birds Breaking Filth and Transforming into Pure Land Method.'

As the Talisman was cast, the hundred-zhang-tall female phantom spoke a true mantra. Her voice was like a gentle breeze, yet also like a clap of thunder; though not loud, it made people feel as if they could only hear this one sound in their heads.

That sound was: "Supreme Tai Shang, ever-changing and ceaseless. Expel evil and bind demons, preserve life and protect the body. Wisdom bright and clear, mind and spirit at peace. Three Ethereal Souls eternal, Seven Corporeal Spirits without loss. Swiftly, as per the Law!—Edict!"

As the word "Edict" was uttered, the myriad evil shadows in the sky were forced to retreat.

The Talisman was reflected in the Void Realm, and around the Treasure Canopy, various phenomena surged forth: Azure Dragons and White Tigers faced off in a chaotic array, Vermilion Birds and Black Tortoises guarded its truth, the divine might of the eight directions proclaimed to the Nine Heavens, the world was natural, and the foul Qi dispersed.

Then, the True Immortals, hundred deities, immortal elders, and Dao Masters who formed the Talisman all bowed in unison, chanting: "Nine Phoenixes soar, breaking filth in ten directions. Golden boys lead the way, Jade Maidens attend by their side. We respectfully invite the Nine Phoenix Filth-Breaking Generals to swiftly descend with Heavenly Qi. Evil spirits shall vanish. Heavenly Generals and Divine Officials, descend directly from the clouds. Stars shift and constellations turn, resplendent with the three lights. Obey my Talisman, purify the ten directions, swiftly as per the law of the Heavenly Venerate Queen Mother of the West!"

Subsequently, a nine-headed divine bird suddenly appeared in the sky!

Amidst a golden light, the nine-headed divine bird circled with the Talisman plate, purifying the Purification Method and dispelling evil. The evil shadows that had been suppressing the sky seemed to be touched by a speck of spiritual light in the Void Realm. In an instant, all evil was severed, and misfortune was removed.

As this Talisman was completely finished, the sky cleared and the earth was peaceful, and evil was purified and its form extinguished.

The nine-headed divine bird completely dispelled the evil mist, and even Li Qi felt his entire body lighten and his spirit invigorated.

A clear Qi surged towards him. He and the old horse couldn't help but take a deep breath. Immediately, Qi was generated and saliva flowed, the foulness dissipated, and their entire beings felt refreshed. All the evil Qi throughout their bodies dispersed, and their spirits soared.

The old horse had originally become gaunt and listless, but now, he actually recovered his spirit, as if the fatigue of fifteen days of continuous travel had dissipated. He miraculously stood up and even let out a neigh.

And Li Qi, even more so, felt his internal Qi rising!

This clear Qi, just one breath of it, was equivalent to an hour of his strenuous practice!

Unfortunately, both the evil Qi and the clear Qi quickly dissipated. He only managed to take four or five breaths, but before he could feel annoyed, he heard sounds and conversations in the distance.

That hundred-zhang-tall female phantom, she must be a manifestation of Empress Luofu, right?

The translucent phantom, emitting a faint glow, had a serene and peaceful face, but at this moment, her voice was cold: "A mere sixth-grade minor Yao, daring to act presumptuously before me?"

However, the scattered evil shadows in the sky gathered again like ants, forming a terrifying demonic manifestation with a black face and fangs, also a hundred zhang tall, equal in height to Empress Luofu.

"Heh heh, as expected of Empress Luofu, a dignified third-grade mighty being. Even if only a wisp of a remnant soul remains, she can easily shatter the cursed demon formed by twelve parts of my cultivation, turning my thousand years of arduous cultivation into nothing. If your injuries were even slightly lighter, I estimate I would have died thoroughly just now."

"Unfortunately, I have seen through your true state." The demon said sinisterly: "Even killing one of my cursed demons requires the use of the 'Nine Phoenix Filth-Breaking Talisman.' It's clear you're at the end of your rope. If you ask me, you should stop. Otherwise, although you can kill me, you will expose your location and completely exhaust your True Spirit. By then, it will be difficult even to become a ghost."

"Hmph, you little Yao, you haven't seen the world, but I won't blame you. The Nine Phoenix Filth-Breaking Talisman is merely a Talisman for purifying the environment, used for cleaning the Dao field. How can you speak of it as some kind of killing weapon?" The phantom of Empress Luofu laughed.

"Haha, that's natural, I certainly know about the Nine Phoenix Filth-Breaking Talisman." The demon laughed heartily, bending back and forth.

The method of Nine Phoenix Filth-Breaking is used very frequently in Daoism. Whenever an altar is set up for performing a ritual, filth-breaking is generally carried out to sweep away all evil Qi, purify the environment, ward off misfortune, and create a pure environment. Then, within this environment, rituals are performed and Talismans are activated, which can greatly reduce interference.

In short, it's a method of cleaning up beforehand, before performing a ritual.

The demon naturally knew this, which is why he laughed.

After laughing, he said: "The true Empress Luofu doesn't need these things at all. Even if only a wisp of a remnant soul remains, a Talisman she casts can completely annihilate me! Even if it's just a cleaning Talisman!"

"At this current level, though strong, you absolutely cannot impersonate Empress Luofu. You are her maidservant!"

"I heard that Empress Luofu has Moon Essence and Sun Essence attending her: Sun Essence Golden Crow Yang Ning, and Moon Essence Jade Rabbit Shen Shuibi. Tell me, are you Yang Ning or Shen Shuibi!? Where exactly is Empress Luofu!?" The demon spoke out, his words firm, pressing forward with his questions.

As he spoke, black mist surged out again. This time, it rushed directly towards the vicinity of the Treasure Canopy, but dared not advance, instead surrounding the Treasure Canopy tightly, making it impenetrable.

The female phantom shook her head: "Nonsense. If you are truly confident, why not come forward and try?"

"If not for the Sword Intent of the human emperor sword 'drawing a line in the sand' here, would you, a mere minor Yao, truly think you could offend this venerable one and not die?"

The demon, however, did not believe her. He continued: "How long do you think you can borrow prestige? My Great Sage of the Demon Race have already spread the word that Empress Luofu escaped from the human emperor sword, her Three Ethereal Souls and Seven Corporeal Spirits shattered, with only a trace of a remnant soul clinging to life. They've ordered us from the five lakes and four seas, a thousand rivers and a hundred mountains, to search. Anyone who can capture Empress Luofu will be rewarded with a fourth-grade Spiritual Artifact."

"You are merely a maidservant. You'd best reveal Empress Luofu's whereabouts early, so I can spare your life. When I lose patience later and resort to torture, then you'll know my methods!" The demon said fiercely.

As for Li Qi, it seemed no one had noticed him at all.

After all, he was practically no different from a bug on the roadside.

However, through this conversation, he felt nothing but extreme horror.

Shen Shuibi said there was Empress Luofu's aura here, which meant... Empress Luofu's aura must be here, Empress Luofu should be here.

The demon said that this was actually Shen Shuibi's colleague, that 'Sun Essence' Yang Ning. This was probably, for the most part, not false. After all, if the real Empress Luofu were alive, according to the 'third-grade' status mentioned by that person, she could probably kill this demon with a single breath.

Therefore, with both of the above conditions met, it was probably the worst possible scenario.

Empress Luofu was here.

But, she couldn't even appear! She could only rely on the equally severely injured Yang Ning to put on a show and protect her!