"This Shenji Bailian technique is truly formidable." Despite the six top-ranked temporary workers from Nowhere Express, each a strong figure in the exorcist world, even including Zhang Chulan, they were unable to gain the upper hand against Ma Xianhong. In fact, a few of them were injured in the process.
At this moment, Ma Xianhong was fully equipped with high-grade artifacts. His defenses were fortified by the Wu Dou Armor, his body protected by the Three Treasures Pearl, soul attacks warded off by the Huanghun Bell, sonic attacks neutralized by the Kong Ku Howl, and his offensive strategy supplemented by the versatile Liu He Pearl and the Dao Tun Beast, which could absorb his opponent's energy and Qi.
Though Ma Xianhong was a forgemaster, his own Qi reserves were not to be underestimated. Combined with the Dao Tun Beast, which allowed him to replenish his energy by absorbing the opponents' Qi, Ma Xianhong could withstand the combined assault of the seven temporary workers for quite a while.
However, Ma Xianhong's lack of actual combat experience was a critical flaw. If he possessed the battle prowess of any one of the temporary workers, with his arsenal of artifacts, he could have easily taken on all seven and defeated them single-handedly.
"Be careful—he can instantly turn anything we're carrying into a weapon against us," Hei Guan'er warned after tearing off his ruined shirt.
Transformation was a unique ability of a forgemaster. While most forgemasters needed time to activate it, Ma Xianhong could perform it in the middle of battle, making it seem almost like a cheat. This was the terrifying power of Shenji Bailian—it could transform any non-living object, even clothing, into a dangerous weapon.
During the battle, Ma Xianhong even transformed Feng Baobao's signature weapon, her cleaver, and her trusted Okamoto 0.01, rendering them useless.
"He's clearly let his rage cloud his judgment. Under these circumstances, he should be fleeing instead of fighting," Shen Fei muttered, shaking his head as he watched Ma Xianhong stand his ground against the temporary workers.
On the surface, Ma Xianhong seemed to have the upper hand. But the temporary workers, seasoned fighters, soon adapted and switched to a strategy of wearing him down. Despite the Dao Tun Beast allowing Ma Xianhong to replenish his energy, the workers quickly realized this and began limiting how much Qi he could absorb.
As the battle dragged on, it was only a matter of time before Ma Xianhong's artifacts ran out of energy, leaving him with no choice but to surrender.
"Hmm, someone actually managed to escape." While observing the fight, Shen Fei suddenly sensed that one of the transformed humans had broken through the company's perimeter. Intrigued, he decided to investigate, knowing that the fight with Ma Xianhong still had some time before it concluded.
"It's Guo Liang, the first transformed human. Seems like he's one of Qu Tong's people. Impressive—she must have some connections within the company, or she's using the Shuangquan Hand to control people."
"This is an important figure Qu Tong sent to aid Ma Xianhong, huh? Quite the big shot." Shadowing Guo Liang, Shen Fei spotted three other exorcists on a nearby hill. One of them was none other than the infamous Chai Yan, once the head of the Chai Sect and the master of one of the Two Absolute Top exorcists, Na Ru Hu.
Chai Yan had been missing for nearly a decade, and his once-renowned Chai Sect had long since faded into obscurity. The sect had the potential to thrive, especially given that it had produced one of the Two Absolute Top exorcists, similar to Dingjima An's mentor, Bi Yuan, who was a household name among exorcists.
Unfortunately, Chai Yan was a different kind of man. After losing to his disciple, Na Ru Hu, in a fight, he had angrily closed down the Chai Sect, declaring he needed to retreat for further training. Afterward, Chai Yan disappeared from the exorcist world altogether.
At first, the exorcist community pitied Chai Yan, but as time passed and he remained missing, people began to forget about him. His name would only occasionally come up in conversations about Na Ru Hu, his famous disciple.
The exorcist world was constantly evolving, and much like the entertainment industry, it moved quickly. While some international superstars might have millions of fans, Shen Fei had once thought they could be immortalized using the God Mask technique. However, after consulting with Xia Liuqing, he realized he was mistaken.
Fame, while significant, wasn't enough to guarantee the creation of a deity through the God Mask. What truly mattered was legendary status, which was far more profound. Modern celebrities might be well-known, but they lacked the depth of myth and legend needed to become gods.
To become a deity, one needed not just fame, but also deeply-rooted legends, stories that resonated in the hearts of the people.
For example, figures like the Door Gods, the Five Tiger Generals, Martial Saint Guan Yu, and Flying General Lü Bu had become legends over time, solidifying their place in history long after their deaths.
Modern celebrities, with their ever-changing fame, would never reach that level of immortality.
"Who are the other two?" Shen Fei recognized Chai Yan because of his connection to Na Ru Hu, but he didn't know the other two figures standing with him. No matter—this was the digital age. Using Red Queen, Shen Fei quickly searched for their identities online, finding relevant information.
"Ah, scattered exorcists...how unfortunate." The other two were independent exorcists who had gained some notoriety before vanishing. Independent exorcists often had it rough, unable to compete with the resources and training provided by major sects and clans. Even if they managed to make a name for themselves, they often ended up as pawns in the hands of more powerful forces.
Unlike the disciples of large sects, such as Longhu Mountain, where a missing disciple would trigger an extensive search, small-time exorcists had no one to pursue them if they disappeared.
Take the case of Tian Jinchong from the Tianshi Sect. He was captured, tortured, and crippled, but his captors didn't dare to kill him outright because his death would have unleashed a much more intense investigation by the sect.
If Tian Jinchong had been killed, it would have been like the time in the original story when the old Tianshi master descended the mountain to avenge his death.
"Kuei Ying Body, Luan Jin Tuo."
After identifying Chai Yan's companions, Shen Fei decided not to alert them to his presence. He returned to the battle scene where, after a prolonged stalemate, Wang Ye had finally decided to intervene. With the Luan Jin Tuo technique from the Fenghou Qimen, Wang Ye immobilized Ma Xianhong and knocked him out cold.
Wang Ye's sudden victory over Ma Xianhong took the temporary workers by surprise. However, Wang Ye paid a steep price for it, collapsing to the ground afterward, panting heavily. The strain of using the technique had clearly taken a toll on him.
In reality, Wang Ye's exhaustion wasn't solely due to the Luan Jin Tuo technique. The true cause was his simultaneous use of the Kuei Ying Body, a forbidden technique that burned his own life force.
Luan Jin Tuo slowed down time by pulling the target into a different time zone. However, it had no offensive capabilities in itself. Normally, Wang Ye would use it to escape or reposition himself behind an opponent, but Ma Xianhong's powerful armor made it ineffective, forcing Wang Ye to rely on the more dangerous Kuei Ying Body.
While no one surpassed exorcists in the art of burning their life force, it came at a grave cost, especially for those like Wang Ye.
"It's finally over. Call in the cleanup crew," one of the temporary workers said as they deactivated the signal jammers and called the company to send in reinforcements to take care of the situation. They needed to secure Ma Xianhong and transport the other defeated upper-rank exorcists.
"Don't relax just yet! There's still one enemy we haven't dealt with—follow me, quickly!" Gasping for breath, Zhang Chulan urgently called out to his fellow workers.
Among the temporary workers, Zhang Chulan had been hit the hardest. Ma Xianhong seemed to have a personal grudge against him, perhaps because of Zhang's earlier betrayal, and had targeted him relentlessly. If not for Feng Baobao's constant support, Zhang Chulan might have been out of the fight by now.
"There's still an enemy? Who?" Wang Zhenqiu asked.
"One of the upper-rank exorcists—Wei Zhuang. His target is the Xiushen Furnace," Zhang Chulan replied.
"You didn't destroy the Xiushen Furnace?" Wang Zhenqiu asked, astonished.
"His strength was too great. I couldn't defeat him. If he hadn't held back, I wouldn't even be standing here now," Zhang Chulan said, recounting the earlier confrontation without any hesitation.
"That poor guy has no idea how many people around him have ulterior motives," Zhang Chulan thought privately.
"You should have told us earlier!" Wang Zhenqiu snapped as
the group rushed toward the furnace's location.
But when they arrived, they found nothing.
"Zhang Chulan, are you messing with us?" Wang Zhenqiu demanded angrily, his frustration evident. The other temporary workers, too, turned their eyes toward Zhang Chulan.
"Wait, something's wrong. How could something as large as the Xiushen Furnace just disappear without a trace?" someone remarked. A furnace made entirely of steel was impossible to move without leaving some evidence behind.
"Could they have used one of those Shou Nai pouches to take it?" another worker speculated.
"Maybe. I'll report this immediately."
"Since they've already taken the furnace, we should head back," one of the workers suggested, and the group began their return to the main battle site.
"The Xiushen Furnace has disappeared. Someone named Wei Zhuang took it. Return immediately; we'll begin the investigation," one of the company leaders instructed the team upon hearing their report. The company's higher-ups immediately initiated a full investigation into the twelve upper-rank exorcists from Biyou Village.
"Zhao, Huang, the identity of this Wei Zhuang is fake. There's no such person," came the investigative report shortly after.
"Why are we only finding this out now?" one of the company's senior executives roared, fuming at the failure of the intelligence team. The intelligence officers could only hang their heads in silent frustration. While they wanted to explain, they didn't dare argue.
The twelve upper-rank exorcists from Biyou Village weren't particularly well-known, and so the initial investigation had only covered the basics. It wasn't feasible for the company to thoroughly vet every single exorcist in the community. No one had expected that one of the exorcists would be operating under a false identity.
"Zhao, we've got another problem. Ma Xianhong has been taken!" Just as the senior executives were reeling from the false identity revelation, another subordinate barged into the office, shouting in alarm.
"What? Explain!" The executives quickly gathered around the photos from the scene, showing a heavily armored transport vehicle overturned in a field, surrounded by the bodies of the company's exorcists.
The three senior executives fell into a tense silence as they digested the news, their expressions dark and troubled. They exchanged wary glances with one another, each aware of the implications.
For such an operation to have succeeded, especially with the secure transport route and the careful selection of guards, it could only mean one thing: there was a traitor. And not just any traitor—a high-ranking one, perhaps even one of the executives themselves.
"This matter must be thoroughly investigated. Everyone, including us, will have to undergo a session with the Songkudeng," Zhao finally declared, breaking the silence.
"I agree," the other two executives nodded in unison.
The Songkudeng was a powerful tool for revealing secrets. As long as the situation hadn't escalated to the level of Hydra's infiltration in S.H.I.E.L.D., the traitor would be caught.
But that was merely wishful thinking. While the Songkudeng was formidable, it wasn't infallible. Techniques like the Shuangquan Hand could easily bypass its power.
"You've gone too far! Why did you kill all the guards? Now they're demanding everyone be subjected to the Songkudeng," a voice hissed angrily through a secret phone line within the company.
"It's just the Songkudeng—don't worry, it won't be a problem. By the way, I need a favor. There's an item from the Xiushen Furnace I need you to destroy," a sweet voice replied calmly.
"Are you joking? Didn't your people already take the Xiushen Furnace?"
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