"Legend says that the Celestial Master Talisman was passed down by the Supreme Venerable Lord himself when he personally descended to the mortal realm and appointed Patriarch Zhang Daoling as 'Celestial Master.' It is part of the 'Three Heaven True Methods.' Since it was only passed to Celestial Masters, it is also known as the Celestial Master Talisman!"
Zhang Shantong, worried that Yan Shouyi might not be able to defeat Yu Lumin, quickly explained loudly, "Each time the Celestial Master Talisman is used, the Celestial Master's merit will be halved. If used too many times, one might even lose the Dragon Tiger Secret Script and the qualification of Celestial Master!"
Yan Shouyi's heart skipped a beat.
Although he didn't know how powerful the Celestial Master Talisman was, judging by Zhang Shantong's description, a technique with such a hefty price must be potent.
This move was something even the Old Celestial Master hadn't used against Li Genmiao.
"Brother Yan, why do I feel like Old Yu is getting a bit carried away?" Long Feicheng asked weakly.
Yan Shouyi sighed, "He is. That's why we have to stop him."
As Zhang Shantong said, the Celestial Master Talisman was meant for enemies. If Yu Lumin were to use it against Yan Shouyi now, regardless of whether Yan Shouyi could withstand it, what would happen when he faced truly irreconcilable enemies in the future? The Celestial Master Talisman's power would have diminished.
It was evident that Yu Lumin was truly losing his composure. However, Yan Shouyi felt a sense of relief; it was better for him to lose control now than during the final battle.
Yu Lumin was frantically drawing talismans, his aura becoming increasingly terrifying. A golden barrier, visible to the naked eye, even condensed around him. Anyone attempting to enter would be repelled.
Standing on the metallic fierce tiger, Yan Shouyi gritted his teeth and said in a low voice,
"Little Long, unleash all the malevolent energy!"
"Understood!"
Long Feicheng did not hesitate, releasing the malevolent energy from his Zanpakuto!
Dark malevolent energy surged out, instantly engulfing Yan Shouyi, but in the next moment, Yan Shouyi emerged from the surge, holding his Zanpakuto!
The malevolent energy did not impede Yan Shouyi's progress; instead, it became his propellant, pushing him forward.
Yan Shouyi opened his mouth, and wisps of dark energy drifted out, the terrifying malevolent energy from within him!
"Whether we can stop Old Yu hinges on this strike!"
Yan Shouyi instantly appeared before Yu Lumin, raising his Zanpakuto high, and shouted, "One Sword Asks the Heavens!"
The malevolent energy instantly covered the Zanpakuto, forming a colossal saber phantom behind Yan Shouyi.
With a downward slash, the massive saber phantom, however, got stuck mid-air.
It was the golden barrier around Yu Lumin that blocked the Zanpakuto. The Zanpakuto could not advance even an inch, and the colossal saber phantom remained suspended.
"This Celestial Master Talisman's spell protection is too overpowered!" Long Feicheng grumbled. "But Brother Yan, don't panic, watch this!"
Long Feicheng snorted, and the Zanpakuto clones he had previously collected appeared in a synchronized fashion, slashing at the barrier from all directions with no blind spots.
However, he had underestimated the barrier's strength, as all of them were blocked.
Now, Long Feicheng was at a loss. He shouted in annoyance, "To use such a cowardly tactic as a dignified Celestial Master! Shameful!"
"If physical attacks don't work, let's try some magic!"
Yan Shouyi chuckled lightly, his grip unwavering, while saying, "The female model on the cover of your magazine has gone straight. She now works at our sect, mainly responsible for greeting guests~"
Yu Lumin, within the barrier, frowned, and the golden barrier protecting him trembled slightly.
Others might not have noticed, but Yan Shouyi saw it clearly.
It was effective!
If brute force fails, I'll use softness. If I can't break your barrier, I'll break your Dao heart. I don't believe you, who've been single for twenty years, can withstand this!
A mischievous smile played on Yan Shouyi's lips as he continued his magical assault:
"The short-haired girl on the inside page seems to be my wife's college classmate. Last time, Zi Tong and I visited her place... Yes, she really likes wearing black stockings."
Clang!
The golden barrier, which had been impervious to the Zanpakuto, actually showed a slight crack!
Heh, I've got him!
Yan Shouyi chuckled and unleashed his ultimate move: "On the page you've flipped through countless times, there are a pair of triplets. Little Long met them once when he was walking down a dark alley alone. Don't let their innocent looks fool you; they're quite fond of smoking and drinking in private, and the best part is, they're not expensive... Little Long said only two words after his fun: 'So satisfying.'"
Bang!!!
The golden barrier suddenly shattered, and the talismans Yu Lumin had been drawing for so long dissipated along with it.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, pointed a trembling finger at Yan Shouyi, and roared, "Yan Shouyi... you, you've ruined me!!!"
"Hey, what's done by cultivators can't be called ruin, can it?"
Yan Shouyi smiled and swung his Zanpakuto, the colossal saber phantom directly slamming Yu Lumin to the ground.
Zhang Shantong and Liu Yiren watched this scene in shock.
They were far away and hadn't heard what Yan Shouyi said to Yu Lumin, only witnessing the moment Yan Shouyi broke the Celestial Master Talisman's barrier.
Zhang Shantong knew the terrifying power of the Celestial Master Talisman, and the terrifying power Yan Shouyi had unleashed by borrowing malevolent energy at that moment made even Zhang Shantong feel a tremor of fear.
He had no doubt that Yan Shouyi could have directly broken the Celestial Master Talisman and killed Yu Lumin.
However, Yan Shouyi had shown mercy and hadn't used excessive force. The reason Yu Lumin spat blood was mainly due to the backlash from the Celestial Master Talisman.
At this moment, Yu Lumin lay on the ground, utterly weak, not even having the strength to curse Yan Shouyi.
The formation that had trapped Zhang Shantong also dissipated.
Regaining his freedom, Zhang Shantong angrily approached Yu Lumin.
He raised his hand to strike Yu Lumin but hesitated before lowering it, saying angrily, "You are already a Celestial Master, and even as your elder, I cannot discipline you. But look at yourself now, are you worthy of your master's teachings? Don't lie there, get up yourself! A Celestial Master should look like a Celestial Master!"
Yu Lumin's previously clean Daoist robe was now covered in dust and blood, making him look utterly disheveled.
Hearing Zhang Shantong's words, Yu Lumin felt immense guilt. He also possessed an unyielding spirit, so even though he was extremely weak, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up.
Liu Yiren had also recovered somewhat and slowly walked over.
Yan Shouyi slowly landed, standing before Yu Lumin, and said lightly, "Your Celestial Master Talisman, save it for true enemies."
Yu Lumin's gaze flickered, unwilling to meet Yan Shouyi's eyes.
It was clear he was unconvinced by his defeat and did not accept the outcome of today's confrontation.
"If you're not convinced, once we've dealt with the real trouble, we can fight again!" Yan Shouyi grabbed Yu Lumin's collar and said coldly, "But I've remembered you using the Celestial Master Talisman against me today! This is how you treat a friend, Yu Lumin!"
Yu Lumin was stunned, a hint of guilt appearing on his face. He gritted out, "I just wanted to protect my mother."
"It's not even certain if she's your biological mother!"
Yan Shouyi turned and said, "Grandpa, please bring the woman from the bottom of the well up!"
Zhang Shantong was now on Yan Shouyi's side, so he did not hesitate to jump into the dry well. After a short while, he brought the woman from the bottom up, but he did so gently, and the woman was even unaware of what had happened.