Zuo Can, witnessing the tragic demise of his companion, was consumed by despair, but a flicker of ferocity soon ignited in his eyes.
He was severely injured, the few blows from Ling Tian's staff earlier having landed with considerable force.
Two of his ribs were broken, multiple internal organs were damaged, and his meridians were severely compromised.
He knew well that even at full strength, he would not have been Ling Tian's match. In his current state, he had no chance of victory whatsoever!
Thus, Zuo Can remained seated, forming hand seals and beginning to chant incantations.
Seeing this, Ling Tian let out a cold laugh. He wouldn't allow Zuo Can to finish his incantation. Ling Tian reached into his backpack again, and with a flash of thought, another brick appeared in his hand.
"Halt! Behold my Sky-Flipping Seal!"
The brick whistled through the air, hurtling directly towards Zuo Can's face.
Zuo Can had never imagined that Ling Tian would carry so many bricks with him!
In fact, Ling Tian found the brick to be a very effective weapon, and he truly enjoyed the sensation of smashing people with it.
He had just broken You Que's hand with one brick, and now this one struck Zuo Can squarely in the face.
"Thwack!"
With a crisp sound, Zuo Can was immediately knocked to the ground. Blood and broken teeth sprayed everywhere, and his thoughts turned into mush!
The members of the Zhuo family, seeing the two men dealt with, cheered in unison. As they were about to step forward, Ling Tian stopped them.
"Wait, everyone retreat, move further back!"
The crowd halted almost simultaneously and quickly backed away.
Although they didn't know why, Ling Tian's display of immense power had earned their complete respect. They had no desire to defy his orders.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred. From Zuo Can's corpse, streams of black energy began to drift outwards.
These black energies gathered less than half a meter above the body, gradually forming the shape of a person.
Looking at the face of this entity, one could vaguely discern blurry features. This mass of black energy was none other than Zuo Can's soul, transformed into a vengeful spirit!
At this moment, the vengeful spirit glared at Ling Tian with eyes full of malice.
He had been in the midst of chanting his spell, preparing to channel the Yin煞 within him to attack Ling Tian, only to be sent to the King of Hell by Ling Tian's brick.
Having cultivated evil arts, his soul had been nourished by Yin energy for a long time, making its strength far superior to that of ordinary people. Coupled with his death filled with hatred, this resentment immediately transformed into a vengeful spirit.
Furthermore, this entity was incredibly powerful, appearing even in broad daylight.
Sunshine was one of the things vengeful spirits feared most. The scorching sunlight could continuously devour the Yin energy from their bodies.
The vengeful spirit before them was powerful enough to disregard being exposed to sunlight for a short period.
The vengeful spirit's blurry eyes were fixed on Ling Tian, as if it wished to pounce and devour him immediately.
Ling Tian chuckled, reached into his pocket, and produced three fire talismans. He channeled his true qi into the talismans, activating them instantly. Upon igniting, they floated in mid-air, transforming into fireballs the size of human heads.
The vengeful spirit, retaining memories of its past life, keenly sensed the immense energy contained within these objects.
It turned and fled, rushing towards the land temple with all its might.
Ling Tian flipped his hand, and with a thought, the three fire talismans flew into the land temple, ultimately crashing into the temple's shrine and causing an explosion.
The combined explosive power of the three fire talismans was terrifying.
The entire land temple was instantly engulfed in temperatures exceeding a thousand degrees Celsius. The pressure generated by the violently expanding air blew off the temple's walls and roof.
Shockwaves scattered outwards, decimating the vegetation within several meters of the land temple.
When the smoke cleared, the members of the Zhuo family cautiously approached Ling Tian.
"Um, Mr. Ling, is it all over?"
Ling Tian nodded. "It should be these two causing trouble, and this dilapidated temple was their operational base.
Now that I've dismantled the temple, the problem should be resolved!"
"So, can our family move back now?
The old man is very unaccustomed to the new place and can't sleep at night," Zhuo Gang said.
Ling Tian pondered for a moment before giving his answer.
"I don't mind you doing so, after all, the location where this house stands has unfavorable Feng Shui for human habitation!
Even setting up a Feng Shui array within the house can only offset a portion of the natural Yin energy entering!
Moreover, even if a Feng Shui array is established, if unforeseen circumstances arise in the future, such as someone intentionally sabotaging it or the array failing for some reason, your residence will once again become an Yin dwelling!"
"Alright, I understand. I'll go tell my father right away!
By the way, regarding these two corpses, do you need me to call someone to handle them..." Zhuo Gang asked.
"No need. I have already notified the relevant government departments. They will handle it, and it won't cause you any trouble!
All of you should go back now. Remember, keep quiet about today's events and don't speak of it to anyone!" Ling Tian earnestly cautioned.
"I understand, I understand. You are a celestial being, with divine abilities!
Don't worry, they will definitely keep their mouths shut!" Zhuo Gang promised.
"Hmph, what celestial being? Hurry and leave. I still have some cleanup to do here!"
"No worries, Ling Tian, I'll find someone to help you!" the Zhuo brothers said.
"Do you think you can handle that thing? If your people are here, I'll have to divide my attention to protect them. Hurry and leave, don't cause me any more trouble!"
"Alright, we're leaving. Please be careful!"
Zhuo Gang led the Zhuo family away quickly. He repeatedly warned them not to mention today's events to anyone, and he also cautioned his subordinates that speaking carelessly about certain matters would bring retribution.
Zhuo Gang's threat proved quite effective, and the others were all intimidated into silence.
Once everyone had left, Ling Tian's divine sense flashed, and a sword appeared in his hand.
It was a Seven-Star Sword, about 80 centimeters long and three fingers wide. One side of the blade depicted the Big Dipper constellation, while the other was inscribed with Taoist talismans.
The Seven-Star Sword was an important Taoist artifact, its blade imbued with energy capable of slaying demons and dispelling evil.
Of course, most Seven-Star Swords nowadays were mere imitations. However, the one in Ling Tian's hand was extraordinary; it was a treasured artifact passed down from his master, Celestial Master Dao Yuan!
It was said to have been forged by a powerful Taoist predecessor, using rare heavenly materials. This sword possessed considerable power against malevolent entities!
Ling Tian had not left because, using his Qi-observing technique, he had detected that although the land temple was almost destroyed in the explosion, a large mass of black energy was still gathered beneath it!