Chapter 83: Deciding Victory and Defeat

The fire talisman caught the wind and burst into flames.

The blaze surged forward, the heatwave arriving first, oppressive and stifling. In the young man’s pupils, a ball of fire drew closer and closer, swelling until it filled his field of vision. His heart chilled; with a swift roll on the ground, he dodged aside.

He had intended to counter the flames with an Iron Courage pellet, but sensing he could evade it, he decided to save one for later.

“That’s enough…” Qingyuan arched his brows, holding seven fire talismans in his hand. Pinching three between his fingers, he flicked his wrist, sending them flying. Instantly, three more balls of fire blazed into existence.

The Sun family youth hadn’t yet thrown his Iron Courage pellet before the barrage of three fire talismans forced him into frantic retreat.

“Had enough running?”

Qingyuan smiled. “Now it’s my turn to play with you.”

He opened his hand, revealing three wooden figurines wrapped in talisman paper, and tossed them to the ground. The figurines landed, rolled, then swelled in size, transforming into three tigers and wolves.

“Go!” Qingyuan commanded. “Devour him!”

The three beasts roared and rushed to surround the young man. He had just escaped the flames and hadn’t even regained his footing when the trio of tigers and wolves closed in on him. Shock flickered across his face, but then he sneered, thinking, “Just these three creatures? You think you can kill me?”

The thought flashed through his mind in an instant.

At the same time, he regained his stance, sword ready.

Then Qingyuan’s voice sounded: “And don’t forget about me…”

Hearing the words, the Sun family youth looked up—another fire talisman was flying at him. He cursed inwardly, no longer stingy with his Iron Courage pellets, and hurled one to block the attack.

Meanwhile, the three beasts were upon him.

He raised his sword, slashing upward in a diagonal arc.

The nearest tiger-wolf was cleaved in two, vanishing in a blink, leaving only half a talisman-wrapped wooden fragment on the ground, while the other half flew through the air.

But the remaining two beasts lunged at him.

Though startled, the Sun family youth prided himself on his martial prowess. Even as a cultivator, he had spent much of his spare time honing physical skills; by pure technique alone, without the aid of inner force or true qi, he could surpass even seasoned martial experts.

Skilled in close combat, he steadied himself, accepting wounds to his arms to seize control of the situation.

The tiger-wolves, while fiercer than ordinary spirits, were still no match for a master of the second tier.

He stabilized his position, ready to dispatch the last two beasts.

But before he could act, a whistling sound came from overhead.

A shadow appeared before him.

Qingyuan, seizing the moment while the beasts kept him occupied, had darted in close, bringing his iron staff down with tremendous force.

The Sun family youth raised his sword to block, but the staff’s power was overwhelming. The sword vibrated violently, nearly shattering his grip and driving his feet deep into the ground. Struggling from all sides, he shouted, “If you didn’t have your tricks, if not for your brute strength, how could you possibly match my skill?”

With the two beasts harassing him, he couldn’t fully display his crafty techniques; his martial arts were greatly hampered.

Qingyuan, though scholarly in appearance, wielded formidable strength. Each swing of the iron staff made the sword hum painfully, nearly breaking his hands.

“A cultivator who excels at martial arts—you’re the first I’ve ever met,” Qingyuan remarked, pressing on with relentless attacks.

“I suppose the Sun family values competition and skill above all? Do you frequently spar amongst yourselves?”

“In that case, even if it’s meant to spur diligence among your kin, some must inevitably favor martial arts over cultivation.”

Qingyuan continued, “A true cultivator values spiritual attainment. Spells and supernatural arts are secondary, but martial prowess is hardly even a protective art… You have gone astray…”

The Sun family youth flushed with anger. “Gone astray? If not for your tricks, how could you beat me? What’s so great about spiritual attainment? If you hadn’t trained in martial skills and only focused on meditation, no matter how advanced your cultivation, I would’ve cut you down today!”

“Martial prowess is a skill—so are spells not skills?” Qingyuan’s voice deepened. “These tigers and wolves are spells. They are my protective arts… But above even that, I value the spiritual path. If I reach the third tier, condense the true intent of the Dao, spells will come at a gesture. No matter how skilled you are, you’d be doomed. Spells and supernatural powers are still protective arts, but martial prowess is ultimately a human art… You have chosen the wrong path!”

He hadn’t finished speaking before he bellowed again, “You have chosen the wrong path!”

The same words, repeated thrice.

The Sun family youth hesitated for a split second.

Qingyuan’s staff smashed down on his sword.

The Sun family youth staggered back more than ten steps, nearly losing his grip on his treasured sword. Fortunately, his dedication to martial arts allowed him to catch it again and desperately defend himself.

Yet even so, he could not avoid the tigers and wolves from leaving two deep gashes on his body, tearing his clothes and flesh, nearly to the bone.

“Despicable!” the Sun family youth roared, “You try to unsettle my mind with words, hoping I’ll make a mistake? I’ve cultivated since childhood, my heart is calm, my mind steady, and my true qi strong! My mind cannot be so easily broken!”

“You’re no Buddhist, nor am I trying to break your resolve with words,” Qingyuan replied, not pursuing further, but instead wearing a mysterious smile. “I merely wished to cause a brief confusion, to delay the cultivator’s instinctive sense for danger and safety.”

“To delay a cultivator’s instinct for omens of fortune and disaster?”

A sudden chill seized the Sun family youth.

Then an icy cold pierced his spine, chilling him to the bone.

This was the cultivator’s omen of impending doom!

His pupils shrank. He wanted only to flee.

But the moment’s delay was fatal.

A tiger-wolf leapt down from the trees, pinning his shoulders to the ground.

With a roar, it bared its fangs and lunged for his head.

The Sun family youth was frozen, the chill of death sinking into his marrow.

Qingyuan’s expression was cold, his gaze unflinching.

“You want to kill me…”

The youth suddenly roared in fury.

His movements were faster than his voice.

A muffled bang sounded, a haze clouded his vision.

“Since I began cultivating, I’ve never suffered such a loss… My Sun family has elders and masters aplenty in Mount Fuzhong, and our roots in Lu Yue County run deep…”

“If I live past today, when the Divine Thunder has passed and the great formation of Mount Fuzhong is lifted, you will surely die!”

The words were filled with venomous hatred.

Qingyuan swept his hand, releasing a surge of true qi, sending a fierce gust swirling.

The haze dispersed, revealing a clear scene.

The Sun family youth had vanished—only an arm, an ear, shattered bones, and blood remained in the grass.

The tiger-wolf that had pinned him was now in pieces.

And on the ground, a single Iron Courage pellet studded with iron spikes was left behind.