Talismans and formations, though each with their own merits, ultimately served the same purpose. As external tools, they existed to help cultivators overcome stronger opponents and achieve victory against the odds.
A ninth-grade formation had given Lü Yang the upper hand in duels time and again.
And a single ninth-grade talisman—though not as powerful as a ninth-grade formation—was still enough to make Yun Miaozhen take notice. It wasn't something to be dismissed lightly.
Not to mention that Lü Yang had just unleashed nearly five hundred talismans with a single wave of his hand. When activated all at once, their combined power truly shook heaven and earth.
Once a talisman was activated, it would inevitably turn to ash after the battle, leaving not a trace. They were consumable items. Most cultivators treasured them dearly.
Lü Yang was not most cultivators.
Out of talismans? No problem. He could simply have the banner spirits work overtime and produce a fresh batch in no time.
Rumble!
In an instant, sword energy swept across the sky. Thunder rolled. Countless talisman lights moved like lightning, converging on Yun Miaozhen from all directions—a thousand swords and axes raining down upon her.
With no other choice, Yun Miaozhen could only retreat into a defensive stance.
The next moment, a surge of energy transformed into a silver canopy, shielding her firmly from the onslaught of talismans.
But this was only temporary. The talismans cost Lü Yang no magic power, while Yun Miaozhen's use of the Taiyi Golden Flower Elixir Technique was extremely draining. As one side expended and the other did not, her defenses were soon shattered by the endless barrage. Only a sliver of light remained, barely protecting her.
"Slash!"
Lü Yang showed no mercy. Sword Qi Talismans and Five Thunder Talismans fell simultaneously, tearing through Yun Miaozhen's protective robe.
In an instant, the robe shattered, scattering like rain and revealing a expanse of snow-white skin.
"Ah!"
Yun Miaozhen's beautiful face flushed crimson with rage. Her alabaster body trembled violently. Instinctively, she tried to cover herself—but Lü Yang's relentless assault left her no room to move her hands.
"Demon! You're courting death!" Yun Miaozhen's expression twisted in agony.
At such a young age, she had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining and mastered the great divine power of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion. She ranked among the true disciples—a Foundation Establishment seed of the sect. Always aloof, always arrogant. When had she ever fallen into such a predicament?
Lü Yang's lips curled into a smile.
"Fellow Daoist, you are truly a beauty of unparalleled grace. So large, so white, so lustrous."
Though Yun Miaozhen tried desperately to conceal herself, it was self-deception at best. She could hide nothing from his sharp eyes. He saw everything—whether he should or shouldn't.
Yun Miaozhen was extremely sensitive to his gaze. Her panic only grew.
What infuriated her even more was that Lü Yang actually showed a look of disgust.
"In broad daylight, what kind of decorum is this? Is this what they call a righteous sect?"
Even as he spoke, Lü Yang continued manipulating talismans to attack her. His verbal provocation was merely a means to disturb her mind. His ultimate goal was to kill her.
As expected, humiliated by Lü Yang—and having gone from holding the upper hand to being utterly defeated by his extravagant wastefulness—Yun Miaozhen's inner fire finally ignited. A slight crack appeared in her Dao heart.
Now!
Lü Yang would not miss the moment when her Dao heart wavered and her mind faltered. He immediately formed a hand seal. A circle of light suddenly appeared behind his head.
The light illuminated the area. The scene before Lü Yang's eyes shifted drastically.
Countless traces of Yun Miaozhen's aura—the marks she had left behind—appeared throughout the space where they had just fought.
"Mysterious Yin Capture Form. Nail Head Takes Life."
With a thought, Lü Yang shone the circle of light upon a cluster of Yun Miaozhen's aura. He captured it, and within the light, her graceful figure materialized.
The next second, Lü Yang did not hesitate. He slashed with his fingers.
A vertical slash.
The halo split in two, severing Yun Miaozhen's figure within it. An invisible force then swiftly acted upon her true form.
Crack!
A soft sound of tearing skin. A clear bloodstain appeared on Yun Miaozhen's fair, delicate forehead—as if carved into ivory.
The bloodstain began to widen.
"You won't get away with this!"
In an instant, Yun Miaozhen's pupils contracted sharply. Her fair skin flushed crimson. Her brows arched. A golden light suddenly shone from her beautiful eyes.
The next moment, she withdrew her "Divine Light"—which had been locked in stalemate with the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light—and gathered her "Qi Light" and "Essence Light" together. The three rays merged into one, transforming into a dazzling golden radiance that rose from the ground.
She looked like a celestial maiden descending to earth.
The three lights united. The Taiyi Golden Radiance.
In that instant, Lü Yang felt that Yun Miaozhen had suddenly "grown"—not physically, but on a dimensional level.
This is... a great divine power?
Before, Yun Miaozhen had merely been using several superior divine abilities that constituted a great divine power. Now, she was unleashing the real thing.
It was an entirely different feeling.
Under the blessing of the Taiyi Golden Flower, Yun Miaozhen seemed to transcend this mortal realm. She rose to a height utterly separate from Lü Yang's.
One high. One low.
Lü Yang was intimately familiar with this gap. Though not nearly as terrifying as that day, it still evoked the horror he had felt when he first encountered Hongyun Daoist.
Then, Yun Miaozhen moved.
With a light wave of her hand, the Mysterious Yin Capture Form—originally applied to her—was forcibly diverted to another person with a similar aura.
Her twin sister. Yun Miaoqing.
The next second, the bloodstain on Yun Miaozhen's forehead healed rapidly. Meanwhile, Yun Miaoqing—still unconscious outside the cave—suddenly cracked open.
"Ruthless enough. Decisive enough."
Seeing this, Lü Yang immediately mocked, "Fellow Daoist, you act quickly. Kill someone to save yourself the moment you're in danger. Is this the righteous path of the Sword Pavilion?"
"This is Miaoqing's tribulation. Do not distort the truth." Yun Miaozhen's tone returned to its indifferent state. "You harmed her cultivation. You prevented her from passing her tribulation. That is why she faces this predicament today. You are the culprit."
Lü Yang laughed. "Fellow Daoist, your skin is remarkably thick. You are wasted in the Sword Pavilion. You should come to my Holy Sect!"
Yun Miaozhen remained unmoved, but the killing intent in her beautiful eyes only intensified. She said coldly, "Sharp-tongued demon. Today, I act on behalf of Heaven!"
The next second, the Taiyi Golden Flower that Yun Miaozhen had condensed collapsed with a crash. Like a mountain of gold and a towering pillar of jade toppling over, it swept through Lü Yang and all the talismans he had activated.
In an instant, Lü Yang's figure and hundreds of talismans were swept away—like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
It was as if words on a page had been erased by an eraser.
No corpse. No residual energy. Not even a trace left. As if he had never existed in this world at all.
Immediately after, the Taiyi Golden Flower vanished, revealing Yun Miaozhen's staggering figure. But at this moment, the face of this celestial beauty was ashen.
Pfft—! Ugh!
As soon as she landed, Yun Miaozhen suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, the radiance surrounding her collapsed with a bang. She could no longer gather even a trace of light.
"Gone... all gone." Yun Miaozhen's red lips trembled slightly. There was no joy of victory in her expression.
This was the price she paid for forcibly activating the Taiyi Golden Flower with a secret technique before her cultivation had reached the peak of Qi Refining. The three radiances—essence, energy, and spirit—had all shattered. Decades of hard cultivation reduced to ashes.
The path to Foundation Establishment, once bright, was now shrouded in gloom.
Yun Miaozhen sighed. She was about to leave the cave when she suddenly saw an unbelievable figure appear before her.
"Fellow Daoist, the battle is not yet over. Are you leaving already?"
Lü Yang stood there, handsome and composed, his sleeves fluttering in the wind. Though his true qi and mana were severely depleted, he was completely unharmed.
"Impossible!" Yun Miaozhen's face paled. Her usually clear, melodious voice turned shrill. "That was the Taiyi Golden Flower! How could you withstand it?"
Lü Yang naturally wouldn't tell her.
Indeed, if he had relied solely on his own divine abilities, he could not have withstood that Taiyi Golden Flower. True great divine powers already possessed some of the might of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
What had blocked it was his talent.
[Purple Talent - Some Skill]
[Some Skill: No matter how terrifying the attack, as long as it is within your limits, you can handle it with ease.]
This was the talent he had obtained after his previous life—when he had angrily slain the Peak Master of Heaven-Mending Peak.
If Yun Miaozhen could have refreshed the Taiyi Golden Flower four or five times in a row, he would surely have died. But she could only refresh it once.
Then she couldn't blame him for using cheats.
He might only have a couple of tricks up his sleeve, but they were still some tricks.
Lü Yang smiled calmly. He first retrieved the Taixiao Mirror, then walked up to Yun Miaozhen and used the mirror's light to freeze her in place.
Yun Miaozhen instinctively struggled, glaring at him. "What are you doing?!"
"To be honest, I am very interested in the Taiyi Golden Flower Elixir Book."
"I won't tell you anything!"
"Don't worry. You will tell me." Lü Yang sneered. "I am a disciple of the Holy Sect's Heaven-Mending Peak."
After a long while, the clouds dispersed.
"...Unfortunately, it's not the complete text." Lü Yang closed his eyes to comprehend it for a moment, then shook his head helplessly. "Only one-third is available. The rest is restricted—impossible to absorb its essence."
The next second, his gaze returned to Yun Miaozhen.
Seeing this, Yun Miaozhen gritted her teeth but dared not show the slightest resentment. She could only smile obsequiously. "You already have me. Isn't that enough?"
Lü Yang looked disgusted. "What use are you?"
Before Yun Miaozhen could respond, Lü Yang shook the Taixiao Mirror.
In an instant, wind and thunder roared.
The beautiful woman's body shattered into dust.