"Brother Yan, there's a saying: 'When in distress, focus on one's own virtue.' Let's recognize our situation and make a timely retreat!"
Long Feicheng felt that this battle's outcome was uncertain and quickly advised Yan Shouyi to withdraw.
However, with the atmosphere already built up like this, if Yan Shouyi retreated, he would likely be considered inferior to Yu Lumen in the future.
Especially since Yan Shouyi needed to guide the misguided Yu Lumen back, how could he reason with him if he didn't win this fight?
"I can't retreat!"
Instead, Yan Shouyi took a step forward, provocatively pointing his Zanpakuto at Yu Lumen. "Come here!"
Yu Lumen let out a cold snort and commanded the Lingbao Gourd, "Xiao Bao, do you see that short-haired pretty boy down there? Take care of him for me!"
"Alright!"
Xiao Bao cheerfully manipulated his weapons and flew towards Yan Shouyi.
Facing the incoming onslaught that surged like a tidal wave, Yan Shouyi remained fearless and charged directly into it.
The Zanpakuto danced in his hand, forming an impenetrable defense. All approaching weapons were severed by his single slash. Even the massive meteor hammer couldn't withstand a single strike from the Zanpakuto.
Seeing his treasures so carelessly destroyed, Xiao Bao became a little anxious.
"Oh my, oh my, oh my! Those were all my treasures!" Xiao Bao wailed.
"Those are treasures of the Celestial Master's Mansion..." Yu Lumen corrected, but the ownership of the treasures was not important now; the priority was dealing with Yan Shouyi.
"Hmph, how dare you treat my treasures like this, I'll make you pay!"
Xiao Bao gritted his teeth, let out a "heh," and clasped his palms together.
All the weapons surged into the sky, clanging against each other, and finally, like Transformers, assembled into a colossal metal tiger!
This metal tiger raised its heavy paws and ferociously swiped at Yan Shouyi.
Seeing this, Yan Shouyi stomped his foot down, setting up a formation of Qimen Dunjia.
"Gen Mountain, Earth River Chariot!"
One hundred and eight layers of compasses instantly locked onto the metal tiger. Thick earth walls rose from the ground, forming over a dozen layers between them.
But the metal tiger paid no mind. With a downward swipe of its paw, the thick earth walls crumbled layer by layer!
*Bang!!!*
The dozen earth walls were flattened, and the metal tiger pinned Yan Shouyi beneath its paw!
Xiao Bao, thinking he had subdued Yan Shouyi, clapped his hands with joy. "Hooray~~~"
However, Yu Lumen suspected that Yan Shouyi wouldn't fall so easily. Just as he was about to warn Xiao Bao not to let his guard down, a beam of golden light shot from not far away!
This golden light was incredibly fast. Before Yu Lumen could react, it had already arrived. Then, it extended its golden claws, grabbed the Lingbao Gourd and Xiao Bao, and flew away!
"San Yuan?!"
Yu Lumen's expression changed drastically as he finally recognized the true form of the golden light – it was San Yuan, who had appeared at some unknown time.
San Yuan had snatched the Lingbao Gourd, and the artifact spirit Xiao Bao was crying his eyes out. The metal tiger, sensing its master was in trouble, abandoned Yan Shouyi and prepared to capture San Yuan.
But Yan Shouyi, appearing from nowhere, was completely unharmed. He even leaped onto the metal tiger's back.
"This thing is truly ferocious!"
Yan Shouyi studied it for a few seconds and discovered that the weapons forming the metal tiger seemed to share a remnant soul.
In other words, as long as Yan Shouyi controlled this remnant soul, he could directly control the metal tiger!
In a flash, Yan Shouyi gripped his Zanpakuto and plunged it into the metal tiger's back.
The hilt sank completely into it, and Yan Shouyi quickly located the remnant soul.
"Amitabha! If there is no self!"
Yan Shouyi performed a Buddhist salutation with one hand. The power of Buddhist precepts flowed through the Zanpakuto directly into the metal tiger's body.
The remnant soul had almost no power to resist before being controlled by Yan Shouyi!
"Roar!!!!"
The tiger let out a sky-shattering roar, turned around, and lunged at Yu Lumen!
Yu Lumen's face contorted in alarm. He couldn't bother to save Xiao Bao anymore and retreated into the dense forest, intending to obstruct the metal tiger's movement.
But he underestimated the metal tiger's capabilities.
Yan Shouyi controlled the metal tiger's tail to sweep horizontally, flattening a patch of small forest before him. Yu Lumen, lying on the ground, narrowly escaped death.
"This is too much!"
Enraged, Yu Lumen brandished his willow branches, whipping them at the metal tiger's front legs, which actually caused it to disintegrate!
The tiger was now like a weak shrimp, struggling to even walk, let alone chase Yu Lumen.
Yu Lumen retreated a few steps and suddenly let out a long cry.
In an instant, countless birds flew from the sky, forming a bridge that Yu Lumen stepped onto.
"So the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and the Magpie Bridge isn't fake; bridges made of birds can indeed be walked upon!" Yan Shouyi quipped.
Under Yu Lumen's control, these birds carried him, allowing him to fly at the same level as Yan Shouyi, who stood on the metal tiger's back.
"This is the skill of 'Summoning Myriad Spirits,' you haven't used it, have you?" Yu Lumen taunted.
Yan Shouyi shrugged.
When he obtained the Dragon-Tiger Secret Script, it came with "Summoning Myriad Spirits" and "Controlling the Five Peaks." Yan Shouyi had given "Summoning Myriad Spirits" to Lin Zitong, enabling her to communicate with animals, but Yan Shouyi himself had not learned this skill.
Yu Lumen, having learned both "Summoning Myriad Spirits" and "Controlling the Five Peaks" simultaneously, was now showing off.
"Golden Light Incantation, Five-Thunder True Method, Sky-Soaring Golden Light – you know all these moves. We can't decide the winner with these," Yu Lumen said. "So, this time, I'll let you witness a technique you can never learn, a skill belonging exclusively to the Celestial Masters!"
"Oh? You mean 'Older Sister's Hand Job'?" Yan Shouyi feigned fear.
"..."
The serious Yu Lumen almost broke character.
He took a deep breath, his emotions receding, and he became like a clay statue devoid of any feeling.
"This move is called the Celestial Master's Talisman, and only a Celestial Master can use it!"
After speaking, Yu Lumen drew a talisman in the air with his finger as a brush.
A golden rune floated before him, pulsing rhythmically like breathing, alternating between brightness and dimness.
"Celestial Master's Talisman?!"
At this moment, Zhang Shantong and Liu Yiren exclaimed in unison, "Celestial Master, think carefully! The Celestial Master's Talisman is meant to deal with enemies, not allies!!!"
Their panicked tones conveyed the immense power of the Celestial Master's Talisman.
But Yu Lumen, having already begun the action, had no possibility of stopping, especially since he had deliberately suppressed all his emotions.
At this moment, Yan Shouyi was Yu Lumen's enemy!
"I can't let Old Yu successfully cast the Celestial Master's Talisman!"
Yan Shouyi also felt the threat and urgently moved to intervene.
However, as Yu Lumen was drawing the Celestial Master's Talisman, his power suddenly surged. When Yan Shouyi tried to get close, he was easily repelled by a simple wave of Yu Lumen's hand!
Repelled, Yan Shouyi refused to believe it and tried a few more times, only to meet the same result.
He shouted in exasperation, "What exactly is the effect of this Celestial Master's Talisman?!"