The battle between man and snake is imminent!
The tomb-guarding snake ghost, having lost an eye, was enraged. It fixed its target and, without detours, charged directly towards it.
The bamboo stalks, as thick as bowls along its path, snapped like fragile straws under the snake ghost’s onslaught, falling to the ground with explosive sounds.
Seeing the snake ghost’s ferocity, Long Feicheng felt a premonition of doom and retreated behind the others.
While he was the first to boast, in a real fight, his meager skills were not enough to even get stuck between the snake ghost's teeth. After uttering his fierce words, Long Feicheng decided to stay out of it as much as possible.
Not causing trouble for Yan Shouyi was his sole responsibility!
Besides Long Feicheng and Boss Zhou, who had been hiding from the start, no one else retreated a single step.
Yan Shouyi, holding his Zanpakuto, said coldly, "It seems there's no time to devise a strategy. Everyone, act according to the situation. Unleash whatever skills you have!"
"The one among us who is best at hiding is clearly you," Ma Jinxuan retorted.
Yan Shouyi chuckled dryly. He couldn't deny that.
As the tomb-guarding snake ghost approached, Yan Shouyi and Lin Ziqing were at the forefront. They chose to attack as a means of defense, proactively engaging the enemy!
Positioning themselves on either side, they created a pincer. The snake ghost could only attack one of them, naturally turning its head towards Yan Shouyi, who had previously blinded its eye.
Yan Shouyi's speed was incomparable to ordinary people. With the enhancement of the Vertical Ground Golden Light, he was as fast as a mere afterimage!
For a time, the snake ghost pursued Yan Shouyi but couldn't harm him at all!
Meanwhile, Lin Ziqing seized the opportunity to attack. Wielding the Red God Umbrella, she spun it like a whip, directly piercing the snake ghost's body!
Although the tomb-guarding snake ghost was essentially a ghost, its snake scales were incredibly tough. Even the previous attacks from other extraordinary individuals had failed to break them.
But Lin Ziqing was different. Her strike yielded immediate results. The tip of the Red God Umbrella pierced the snake scales on the spot, leaving a massive gash.
Essence, like white smoke, seeped out from the snake ghost's wounds.
These essences were like the snake ghost's blood. The more essence scattered, the weaker the snake ghost became. At a certain point, it could even cause the snake ghost to completely dissipate!
Yan Shouyi and Lin Ziqing, a couple, coordinated with exceptional默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding/chemistry). One attracted the ghost's attention, while the other seized the chance to attack.
With just the two of them, they had the tomb-guarding snake ghost, which had previously rendered everyone helpless, on the defensive.
Witnessing this, Ma Xingping couldn't help but lecture Ma Jinxuan:
"Do you see? In terms of tomb raiding and dragon-seeking, Yan Shouyi and Lin Ziqing might not be as skilled as us, but in other aspects, their strength far surpasses ours. The fact that he didn't kill you earlier was purely him holding back."
If Ma Jinxuan had felt any resentment before, seeing their coordinated efforts now made her accept this reality.
The Ma siblings, being tomb raiders, possessed some means to deal with the evil spirits in tombs, but they couldn't compare to powerful lineages like descendants of Lu Ban or followers of the Lüshan School.
However, Ma Jinxuan didn't admit defeat. After repairing her Flying Tiger Claw, she strode towards the snake ghost, "I'm going to help!"
Ma Xingping intended to stop Ma Jinxuan, but she moved too quickly. Seeing that he couldn't stop her, Ma Xingping also chased after her.
An extra person meant an extra pair of hands. Dealing with the snake ghost sooner would benefit them.
Caught in the pincer attack from Yan Shouyi and Lin Ziqing, the tomb-guarding snake ghost was becoming flustered, accumulating more wounds and looking quite battered.
But this also completely enraged the snake ghost, causing its attacks to become reckless, each one delivered with all its might.
Gradually, Yan Shouyi began to feel the pressure.
As he was running, a steep slope suddenly appeared before him, almost vertical, with a drop of over twenty meters. Yan Shouyi couldn't possibly climb it.
As soon as he stopped, the snake ghost was already behind him, swinging its massive tail, whipping towards Yan Shouyi with full force!
At the critical moment, the Flying Tiger Claw appeared, grabbed Yan Shouyi's shoulder with a swish, and forcibly pulled him away!
The next second, the snake ghost's tail struck the spot where Yan Shouyi had been, leaving a沟壑 (gōuhè - gully/ravine) two meters deep.
If Yan Shouyi had taken that tail whip head-on, he would have likely been reduced to a pulp on the spot!
Yan Shouyi regained his senses, finding himself dragged to Ma Jinxuan's side. Ma Jinxuan retracted the Flying Tiger Claw and said coldly,
"The terrain here is complex, making it difficult to deal with the snake ghost."
"Thank you."
Yan Shouyi expressed his gratitude, then quickly surveyed the surrounding terrain, remarking, "Although the terrain is complex, it's not impossible to utilize."
"What's your plan?" Ma Xingping caught up.
Before Yan Shouyi could speak, the tomb-guarding snake ghost found them again.
But this time, the snake ghost didn't sweep with its tail; instead, it opened its mouth and spat out a stream of venom!
This venom, spewed from the mouth of the enormous snake ghost, descended upon Yan Shouyi and the others like rain.
The bamboo and leaves on their heads, upon contact with the venom, were instantly corroded.
One could only imagine how potent this venom was!
Ma Jinxuan's face turned pale, believing she was about to meet her end here. Unexpectedly, Lin Ziqing suddenly appeared before them, opening the Red God Umbrella and shouting,
"Bend down, lower your heads!"
The four huddled tightly together, completely concealed beneath the Red God Umbrella.
The venom landed on the Red God Umbrella, but instead of melting it, it flowed down like rainwater.
Seeing this, Lin Ziqing shook the Red God Umbrella, and the venom was completely flung off.
Yan Shouyi couldn't help but exclaim, "Bai Shi Xi really collected a treasure!"
The Red God Umbrella had proven its worth multiple times, establishing itself as a divine weapon capable of both offense and defense!
"Do you have a plan?" Lin Ziqing asked, retracting the Red God Umbrella.
"I do."
Yan Shouyi smiled mysteriously and then let out a whistle towards the sky.
The Wooden Bird Sanyuan took flight!
Ma Jinxuan scoffed, "You're not planning to have your little wooden bird carry off and eat the tomb-guarding snake ghost, are you?"
Yan Shouyi smiled.
Underestimating Sanyuan?
You will regret it!
Yan Shouyi produced a Taoist talisman, bit his finger, and activated it with his blood!
The talisman ignited without fire, transforming into a beam of light that burrowed into Sanyuan's body!
"Palace of the Northern Emperor, hasten to the clear clouds. Mighty divine envoys, arrive swiftly in the altar.
With urgent commands, thunder roars and leaps, the sky darkens, the earth grows black, the sun and moon dim.
All demons bow, obeying the talisman’s arrival. Devour demons, consume ghosts, cut down evil and eliminate harm.
Dare to defy the dark laws, be dragged to Sang Tong. Confined to the black prison, eternal damnation awaits.
Deep, long night, the blade’s edge, the sword’s sharpness. Now I release the seal, and ten thousand ghosts submit!"
As the incantation ended, a golden light erupted from Sanyuan. It then completed its transformation, evolving from a palm-sized wooden bird into a king of the skies with a wingspan exceeding five meters!!!
"Chirp—" A piercing cry emanated from Sanyuan's beak, striking the heart and leaving the Ma siblings utterly awestruck!
Yan Shouyi sneered and proudly declared, "This is the divine technique of my Lu Ban Book, Mu Kui Fa Tian!"