This… damned thing could even summon minions!
The sudden turn of events caught Li Yan off guard.
Plans could not keep up with changes. Though he didn't know how this Cold Altar Frenzy Soldier managed it, the situation had undeniably shifted from a one-on-one duel to a group assault.
It seemed his earlier provocations had gone too far…
Li Yan had no time for regret. He sprang to his feet, drawing his blade.
Clang!
He gripped the sword in his right hand, its tip angled upward, adopting a half-crouched stance. His left hand, reversed, held the scabbard horizontally at his waist as he slowly retreated.
This was known as the Blade-Suppressing Stance.
It allowed for both attack and defense. The upward-tilted blade could strike at charging beasts in an instant, while the scabbard could serve as a blunt weapon for striking or blocking.
Retreating to the incense burner before the Earth Temple, he paused, swiftly crouching to pick up the sword tassel from the offerings and tucking it into his chest.
The wolf pack was fearsome, but the greater threat was the Cold Altar Frenzy Soldier.
This Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin Tassel was the key to victory.
Of course, it couldn't be used rashly now.
Without a moment's hesitation, the wolf pack launched its attack.
Roar—!
Three wolves from the front suddenly lunged.
Baring their ferocious fangs, two came from the ground, their momentum fierce, aiming for Li Yan's abdomen as if to rip him open.
The third leaped into the air, jaws wide, aiming for his throat.
This was the wolf pack's brutally coordinated assault.
Ordinary prey, even if they dodged the throat strike, would be knocked down, allowing the other two wolves to tear open their belly.
But Li Yan was prepared.
With a half-step forward, his right foot barely touched the ground before a flash of blade light streaked forth.
It gave the illusion that the blade moved faster than the man.
This was the mystery of the Guanzhong Swift Blade.
Ordinary swordsmen struck with feet planted, drawing power from the ground, channeling it through waist and arms, their slashes or sweeps carrying the force of a thousand pounds.
But the Guanzhong Swift Blade struck before the foot even landed.
Powerful arm and wrist strength, paired with a razor-sharp blade, compensated for any lack of grounded force.
What use was a fierce strike if your throat was already cut?
Guanzhong swordsmen had earned their formidable reputation with this peerless technique.
Those skilled in this blade art moved so swiftly that foes couldn't react.
The charging wolf was no exception.
Midair, the blade pierced its throat, plunging straight into its skull.
The momentum unabated, paired with the sharpness of the Guanshan blade, it cleaved off half the wolf's head, blood spraying everywhere.
At the same time, the two wolves from the ground closed in.
Li Yan smoothly retreated, his left hand flicking the scabbard to stab into the throat of the wolf on his left, eliciting a pained howl. His right hand, wielding the blade, swept downward with a shake of his arm.
Splat!
The wolf on the right had its forelimb severed, losing balance instantly.
Li Yan stepped forward firmly, delivering a Horse-Blocking Kick that sent the crippled wolf flying seven or eight meters, rolling through the dirt, dust billowing.
With a broken leg and a kick to its soft flank, the wolf whimpered, spitting blood, its struggles fading to stillness.
Only then did Li Yan twirl his blade with a flourish, thrusting it downward.
The wolf on the left, with the scabbard lodged in its throat, had been frantically biting. Now, the blade pierced through its nape, pinning it to the ground, motionless.
Splat!
Wolf blood sprayed, splattering Li Yan's face.
His expression remained unchanged, his cold gaze fixed ahead.
The wolf pack's attacks followed a pattern. They didn't swarm chaotically but sought weaknesses, attacking in waves.
Even if they failed, they aimed to wound their prey.
No matter how large a beast, under these relentless, tide-like assaults, both body and spirit would quickly collapse.
This tactic minimized their losses.
After all, in the wild, injury often meant death.
The wolves' strategy hadn't changed, but they clearly hadn't expected Li Yan's blade work to be so sharp, slaying three wolves in the span of a breath.
Their subsequent attacks were disrupted.
Sensing the killing intent radiating from Li Yan, the remaining wolves whimpered and circled, unwilling to leave but too wary to advance.
Li Yan's focus, however, was entirely on the alpha wolf.
He could smell the familiar, rancid stench on it.
Compared to last night, it was noticeably weaker.
Widow Wang had been right.
This Cold Altar Frenzy Soldier, after suffering multiple injuries, even after devouring the wandering spirits within a ten-mile radius, was at its weakest.
The wolf it possessed merely prowled outside the Earth Temple's incense range, showing no intent to enter.
It seemed it wanted the pack to drag him out.
Li Yan's expression was grim, standing firm with blade in hand.
He aimed to eradicate this menace, while it coveted his soul and body.
Now, it was a matter of who would lose patience first.
Roar!
Perhaps fearing the rooster's crow and the rising yang energy, the wolf possessed by the Frenzy Soldier let out a sudden bellow.
Its foul stench erupted, terrifying several wolves into wetting themselves.
Under its coercion, they all charged toward the Earth Temple.
"Kill!"
Li Yan roared, back against the temple, his Guanshan blade slashing left and right, even delivering a skyward kick to send a lunging wolf flying.
A flash of cold light, and two more wolves were slain.
But his inexperience began to show.
With so many wolves attacking at once, he couldn't keep up. After one wave, his moves grew sluggish, openings appeared, and he quickly fell on the defensive.
Even his right hand, holding the blade, was bitten hard by a wolf.
The others bared their fangs, tearing at him.
Even when kicked away by Li Yan, they would circle back to attack.
Howl!
From a distance, another wolf cry rang out.
The Frenzy Soldier's possessed wolf, fearing the pack would ruin Li Yan's body, roared a command.
As expected, the wolves ceased their savage bites, instead clamping onto his limbs and dragging him outward.
Pain seared through Li Yan's body, fury rising in his chest.
He knew this was the critical moment.
Even if he broke free, he'd be exhausted by the pack's onslaught. Even with the Substitute Statue to recover, killing the remaining wolves would leave him too weak to face the Cold Altar Frenzy Soldier, spelling his doom.
His only chance was to slay the Frenzy Soldier.
With this in mind, Li Yan endured the pain, gripping his Guanshan blade tightly, letting the wolves drag him toward the possessed alpha.
Dust flew, a trail of blood marking his path, shocking to behold.
Soon, he was dragged to the side of the official road.
Here, he was beyond the Earth Temple's incense coverage.
The wolf possessed by the Frenzy Soldier could no longer restrain itself. It pounced, forelimbs pressing on Li Yan's chest, baring its gruesome fangs with a low growl.
Li Yan could clearly feel a chilling sensation at his back, surging and spreading outward.
This cold was so intense it seemed to invade his organs, numbing his skin, even clouding his consciousness.
But the Substitute Statue began to take effect.
Li Yan's judgment was correct: the curse targeted the spirit, but the Frenzy Soldier's attempt to possess his soul would inevitably alter his body.
If fully possessed, as Widow Wang had warned, his organs might begin oozing black water.
The Substitute Statue's restoration brought Li Yan back to clarity.
Without hesitation, he drew the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin Tassel from his chest, attached it to his Guanshan blade, and thrust upward!
The Frenzy Soldier, mid-possession, had no time to dodge.
Splat!
Wolf blood mixed with black water dripped down.
Roar—!
From within the wolf, a bizarre shriek erupted.
It sounded part beast, part human, as if two voices overlapped, echoing endlessly around them.
The remaining wolves, as if freed from control, trembled, urinating in fear, and fled into the underbrush, vanishing.
Li Yan had no time to care.
The moment the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin merged with the blade's hilt, a piercing, icy chill spread along the blade, piercing the wolf above.
It pierced not just flesh.
Li Yan could distinctly smell the cold, bloody scent emanating from the coin and blade, cutting through the Frenzy Soldier's foul odor.
The Six Yang Roots corresponded to the six senses, his awakened sense being smell. Though less direct than the Yin-Yang Eyes, it gave him the keenest perception of the shifting forces between them.
The "Hundred Battles Mighty" plaque and the Earth Temple's incense shared a similar warm, yang-aligned power.
When clashing with the Frenzy Soldier's power, they canceled each other out.
But the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin's power was yin, colder even than the Frenzy Soldier's, like ice plunged into water.
Not only was it undiminished, it seemed to absorb the Frenzy Soldier's power.
Roar—!
The eerie shrieks grew weaker.
Finally, as the Frenzy Soldier's stench faded completely, the wolf above went still, leaving only the scent of its corpse.
Thud!
Li Yan pushed, and the wolf's body rolled to the side.
Panting heavily, he continued using the Substitute Statue.
His wounds vanished in moments.
Were it not for his tattered clothes and bloodstains, no one would guess he'd just fought a brutal battle.
The Substitute Statue could negate all physical ailments, even muscle soreness from exertion.
To an extent, it could restore stamina.
But while his body recovered, the mental fatigue from extreme tension lingered, so Li Yan lay there a while before slowly rising.
Just then, his expression froze.
Within his dantian, the Substitute Statue's accumulated damage reached its limit, fine cracks appearing, as if it might shatter at any moment.
Whoosh~
A ghostly flame on the statue's left shoulder flickered out.
As if reset, the statue instantly restored, not a single mark remaining.
So… he'd lost one life?
Li Yan's heart burned with frustration, and he spat fiercely.
But he knew without the Substitute Statue, he'd have perished.
Widow Wang's offering was a legendary Immortal Messenger, though something seemed off about its state. Yet it hadn't dared show itself, a testament to the Frenzy Soldier's terror.
Suddenly, his brow furrowed, feeling the Guanshan blade in his hand grow increasingly cold, like gripping an icicle.
The chill pierced his bones, numbing his skin.
Li Yan hurriedly dropped the sword tassel.
On the yellow earth, the once-intricate tassel and Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin were soaked in wolf blood, exuding a bloody aura.
Having absorbed some of the Frenzy Soldier's power, the treasure had grown stronger!
This was no good thing.
It meant using this treasure in the future would be even harder.
He'd need to find a way to resolve this.
Or rather, seek a master and step into that mysterious world!
With this thought, Li Yan cleaned up the scene, carefully placing the demon-suppressing tassel into a red cloth bag, and vanished into the night.
Soon, he arrived outside Widow Wang's door.
Before approaching, his expression shifted.
The stench mixed with incense was gone.
Sure enough, pushing open the courtyard gate, he found it empty.
The offering table, spirit tablet, red ropes, incense burner…
Widow Wang and the Immortal Messenger—all traces of their existence had been swept clean, leaving the house indistinguishable from any ordinary dwelling.
Li Yan's heart stirred, and he looked around.
As expected, the strange array of jars had been scattered, filthy water spilling everywhere.
Now, Li Yan was certain.
Widow Wang and her companions were hiding from something…
*(End of Chapter)*