novellaaa Chapter 226 Want to Act?
Chapter 226 Want to Act?
Chapter 226 Want to Act? (4000)
This sudden turn of events startled Lu Yuan and his companions, before they could even figure out what was going on.
A dozen or so fire talismans flew out of the darkness, arranged in a goose-like formation, and skimmed across the ground.
Before the talisman arrived, the fire started first.
The fire was not an ordinary red flame, but rather had a bright blue hue, which expanded rapidly upon encountering yin energy.
"Boom boom boom!"
The fire talismans exploded one after another, and the blue flames spread along the evil spirits, instantly burning out a large gap.
Immediately afterwards, three figures leaped out from behind the flames.
The leader was a young Taoist priest in his early twenties, wearing a dark blue Taoist robe and carrying an old cloth bag slung across his back.
His hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, and his features were clear and upright, but his face still carried the sharpness of a young man.
He made a hand seal with his left hand and held up a bronze object with his right hand.
The object was about three inches long, shaped like an old token, or perhaps half a broken copper ruler.
The surface is rusted and the edges are badly worn, but ancient seal script patterns can be faintly seen on it.
As soon as the token was raised, the surrounding mist parted to both sides like a tide.
A bluish-white aura descended from the token, protecting him for three feet.
Following behind him were two young Taoist priests, a man and a woman.
The man was tall and thin, holding a peach wood sword with three talismans pasted on it. His face was a little pale, but he gritted his teeth and charged forward.
The woman was younger, dressed in a gray-white Taoist robe, with a talisman bag on her shoulder. She kept flicking out yellow talismans with both hands, her movements quick but steady.
The three of them fought their way in from outside the horde of evil spirits, making quite a stir.
Especially the ancient token in the hand of the leading Taoist priest; every time he waved it, it would release a wisp of bluish-white energy.
Those "spectators" who are hit by the qi will either have their bodies disintegrate or be blown into black smoke on the spot.
In an instant, most of the evil spirits surrounding the front of the altar were swiftly cut down.
The shadowy ghost hand that was about to press down on the incense ash circle suddenly found itself empty.
A look of surprise appeared in Wang Cheng'an's eyes.
"Will someone come to our rescue?"
Xu Erxiao was both surprised and delighted: "They're from the Taoist sect!"
Lu Yuan's finger stopped on the sixth red rope.
He did not immediately continue untying the black cloth bag, but instead looked up at the three young Taoist priests.
The leader, with his feet in the Seven Stars Step and holding an ancient command token, charged ahead.
He chanted the incantation quickly, but his voice was weak and his breathing was obviously unsteady.
With each wave of the token, his shoulders would tremble slightly, and sweat would quickly bead on his forehead.
Lu Yuan made a judgment after only two glances.
These three people weren't particularly skilled.
Even in terms of foundation, it's probably only three to five years.
The tall, thin Taoist's footwork was somewhat unsteady, and his movements with the peach wood sword appeared swift, but in reality, he relied entirely on the talisman paper for support.
The gray-robed female Taoist was skilled in talisman-making, but she lacked wrist strength when throwing the talismans, so the talismans always landed half an inch off target.
What's truly remarkable is the old object in the hands of the young Taoist priest at the head of the group.
The lightning patterns on that old token were definitely not from a modern era.
Its aura is ancient and profound; although incomplete, it possesses the majestic presence of a legitimate Thunder Department artifact.
If it weren't for this thing protecting them, those three would have been unable to withstand even the first wave of gloom from the "spectators" on the outside if they had rashly charged into Savage Gully.
Lu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he temporarily loosened the black cloth bag.
He pressed down on the sixth red rope again and whispered, "Not yet."
Xu Erxiao was taken aback: "Brother Lu?"
"Someone shielded us from harm."
Lu Yuan's gaze fell on the ancient token.
"Let's see."
At this moment, the three young Taoist priests had already fought their way to within ten steps of the boulder.
The leading youth suddenly pressed the ancient token forward, shouting, "Thunderous Barrier Opening!"
The bluish-white light on the ancient tablet suddenly surged.
A semi-circular burst of energy slid forward, knocking away the dozen or so evil spirits blocking their path from the altar.
The evil spirits twisted and struggled in mid-air, but before they could land, they were torn into wisps of black smoke by the protective energy.
The young man seized the opportunity and shouted, "Are you on the same path ahead?"
Lu Yuan stood at the edge of the altar, sword in hand, and replied in a deep voice, "Yes."
"When entering the altar, take three steps, but do not step on the circle of incense ash."
"Move to the Gen position."
The young man was clearly taken aback.
He glanced down at the ground, then looked at the altar hidden in the incense smoke beneath the boulder, and immediately realized that the other party had already set up the altar base.
Although young, he was not reckless and immediately shouted to the two people behind him, "Follow me to the northeast!"
The three quickly changed direction and entered from the northeast.
Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan each guarded a corner of the altar, leaving them a small gap.
The young people were the first to step into the Xiangyun area.
As soon as he entered, the cold, oppressive aura surrounding him suddenly dissipated, and he couldn't help but stumble.
The light from the ancient token in his hand dimmed by a third.
The tall, thin Taoist priest behind him was in even worse shape. He had just rushed in when he was already panting heavily, his face as white as paper.
The gray-robed female Taoist priest held the talisman bag with one hand and supported him with the other, her forehead also beaded with sweat.
The three of them appeared impressive on their journey, but in reality, they had clearly expended a great deal of energy.
The young man in the lead managed to steady himself and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Yuan.
"Thank you for pointing me in the right direction."
"My name is Lin Zhaoxuan, a wandering Taoist priest."
He then pointed to the two people behind him.
"This is my junior brother Zhou Heng, and my junior sister Song Qinghe."
"May I ask your name, fellow traveler?"
Lu Yuan did not answer immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on the ancient token in Lin Zhaoxuan's hand.
Upon closer inspection, the token appeared even more ancient.
The bronze is blackened, with fine cracks covering its surface. A fragmented character "霆" (thunder) is engraved on the front, while the back is surrounded by cloud and thunder patterns.
At the very edge, there is a very faint trace of cinnabar.
The cinnabar had long since seeped into the copper body, having been refined by countless generations with magical power.
Lu Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.
It is indeed an old item.
Moreover, it's not an ordinary old item.
This thing has been worshipped and refined by at least several generations of orthodox Taoist practitioners, and contains a pure thunder energy within it.
However, the object is now damaged and its spiritual essence is incomplete.
Otherwise, that sudden movement would have shocked not only the first wave of "spectators," but also the evil actors on the distant stage, causing them to reveal their true forms.
Seeing Lu Yuan staring at the token in his hand, Lin Zhaoxuan's expression tightened slightly, and he subconsciously pulled the token back half an inch.
But he quickly realized that this was somewhat impolite, so he explained, "This is a thunder token passed down from my ancestors."
"I only used it because I was in a hurry and had no other choice."
Lu Yuan then looked up at him.
"We are also wandering Taoist priests, Lu Jin—"
"Without a gate or a temple, I walk the lineage of the patriarch."
Ever since he encountered the fake Tanjiji at the evil god Mother and Child in the back mountain last time, Lu Yuan has learned his lesson.
In these kinds of situations, it's best not to reveal your origins too quickly.
Especially when the other party suddenly appears, who knows if it's another "fake Tanjig"?
After all, their sudden offer of help is highly suspicious.
They also said they were wandering Taoist priests. What kind of wandering Taoist priests could have such powerful orthodox Taoist magic weapons?
To be honest, if it weren't for the orthodox Taoist artifact in his hand, Lu Yuan would have had to think twice about whether or not to let these three people in.
Lu Yuan simply nodded: "You've come at the perfect time."
Lin Zhaoxuan gave a wry smile: "It's not a coincidence."
"The three of us also came here because of the evil spirits in Savage Valley."
"I originally wanted to explore outside, but I didn't expect to hear opera soon after entering the valley."
"Seeing incense burning at the main altar here, I guessed that fellow practitioners were surrounded."
Zhou Heng, having caught his breath, couldn't help but interject, "What do you mean, surrounded?"
"We were watching from outside, but Fellow Daoist Lu managed to withstand the yin dampness through his altar."
"If you hadn't insisted on barging in, I doubt they would have needed our help."
Song Qinghe glared at him: "Say less."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Lin Zhaoxuan's face, but he still said earnestly, "In any case, with evil spirits at hand, we cannot stand idly by among our fellow practitioners."
That's a very frank statement.
Lu Yuan glanced at him, his expression softening somewhat.
Regardless of their skill level, the fact that these three dared to rush in from the outside shows they weren't just all talk about loyalty.
Xu Erxiao grinned and said, "Since we're already here, we're all on the same side."
"But what you did just now was really bright; in a flash, a large number of those ghostly things disappeared."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Heng's face had just shown a hint of smugness when the Thunder Token in Lin Zhaoxuan's hand suddenly made a soft "click" sound.
The sound was extremely faint.
But Lu Yuan heard it clearly.
Lin Zhaoxuan's expression immediately changed, and he quickly looked down.
At the edge of the Thunder Token, a crack that was already there seemed to have extended inward by half a step.
The bluish-white light also became intermittent, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.
Lu Yuan frowned.
"Your magical artifact can't hold up anymore."
Lin Zhaoxuan pursed his lips and did not refute.
Zhou Heng and Song Qinghe's expressions also darkened at the same time.
Clearly, they themselves are aware of this.
That rampage just now, seemingly eliminating the first wave of evil spirits, came at a great cost.
The Thunder Token was already a flawed artifact, and forcibly activating it to this extent has damaged its body.
Lu Yuan said in a deep voice, "Your skills are not enough. You're relying on this old object to hold on. You can only make three more moves at most."
"After three times, the organ will crack, and the person will suffer a backlash."
Lin Zhaoxuan's pupils contracted slightly.
He looked at Lu Yuan, a hint of surprise and doubt in his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist Lu could tell?"
Lu Yuan did not answer, but turned his head to look at the center of the valley.
The sound of gongs and drums rose again on the stage.
Moreover, it's even more urgent than before.
After the first wave of "spectators" was dispersed by the Thunder Order, a brief clearing appeared in the darkness.
But that gap is being rapidly filled by new figures.
Further away, the evil eye on that willow tree shifted slightly.
Countless willow branches drooped down, gently patting the withered bones on the ground.
With each tap, the bones on the ground trembled.
Those once silent skeletons began to stand up one by one, as if someone were piecing them back together in the darkness.
On the stage, the old actor, drawing out his voice, sang softly, "The first act: Welcoming the guests to their seats."
"At the second act, white bones take the stage."
"Dear viewers, please do not leave!"
"The best is yet to come!"
As the last line of the song faded, the black mist surrounding Yeren Valley surged once more.
This time, it wasn't the sound of dragging footsteps that rang out.
It was the sound of bones colliding.
"Click."
"Click-clack".
"Click click click click—"
Countless skeletons scattered throughout the valley are rising up in the darkness.
Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze, his tone solemn.
"The first wave were just spectators."
"The second wave should be the soldiers in the play."
Lin Zhaoxuan gripped the Thunder Token tightly, forcing himself to say, "Then let's kill another wave."
Lu Yuan shook his head.
"We must not kill indiscriminately."
"These things can't be eradicated."
"As long as the stage remains intact and the willow trees are unharmed, the evil spirits will continuously piece them back together."
He looked at the Thunder Token in Lin Zhaoxuan's hand.
"Your Thunder Token is still useful."
"But it can no longer be used to cleanse away evil spirits."
Lin Zhaoxuan immediately asked, "Then what should we do?"
Lu Yuan raised his hand and pointed to the stage in the distance, illuminated by pale white lanterns.
"Once I open the altar to suppress the evil eye of the willow tree, you can use the Thunder Token to attack the stage."
"Light those eight lanterns."
"Once the lanterns are extinguished and the opera music stops, a piece of this offering arrangement will be missing."
Lin Zhaoxuan looked at Lu Yuan with a blank expression and asked, "What is meant by 'supportive framework'?"
"What are you supporting?"
Hearing Lin Zhaoxuan's words, Lu Yuan glanced at Lin Zhaoxuan again with a strange expression: "You don't know what's going on here?"
Lu Yuan didn't know whether Lin Zhaoxuan was genuinely unaware or pretending.
But Lu Yuan felt it was an act.
They knew nothing about Yerengou, yet they dared to rush in?
If you know nothing about this place, what are you doing here?
Isn't that insane?!
No sooner had Lu Yuan finished speaking than Lin Zhaoxuan, with his neck stiffened, shouted, "Of course we know!"
"This place is full of trouble, we're here to exorcise these evil spirits!!"
Lin Zhaoxuan looked so serious that Lu Yuan, Xu Erxiao, and Wang Chengan were all dumbfounded.
no----
Is that all there is to it?!
and----
After arriving, they even used that top-tier ancestral magic weapon?
Well----
To be honest, Lu Yuan didn't believe it.
I can't believe it at all.
I heard from others that this place is haunted by evil spirits, so I came to exorcise them, but I didn't gain anything from it.
Moreover, they even used this top-tier magical artifact passed down through generations, which is used only once and only once.
I don't want anything else, I just want to exorcise evil spirits?
Come to think of it, Lu Yuan felt that he was the kind of person who was quite worthy of the title "protecting all living beings".
Lu Yuan also considered himself to be a very upright and righteous person.
But this matter—
Lu Yuan felt he couldn't do it.
Perhaps while on the road, they might encounter someone whose grandson has been possessed by an evil spirit, or someone who has been tainted by something unclean.
Lu Yuan would definitely take care of such matters, and he wouldn't ask the other party for money.
After all, it's just a simple thing to do; it's a good deed every day.
However, to make Lu Yuan hear of any evil spirits, he would immediately rush there and use his ancestral top-tier magical artifact.
It's still this kind of magical artifact that you can only use once—
Lu Yuan believed he couldn't do it.
After all, this is a world teeming with evil spirits; this is not Earth.
Going there just because you heard there are evil spirits there —
That would be exhausting, and we still wouldn't be able to get rid of it all.
Therefore, Lu Yuan didn't trust these three people at all.
Lu Yuan was like someone who had been bitten by a snake once and was afraid of ropes for ten years. After being stabbed in the back by someone last time, he was wary of this kind of sudden occurrence.
Even with such an extremely bizarre occurrence, Lu Yuan simply refused to believe it.
Lu Yuan felt that these three people might be members of the Ghost-Controlling Liu family, just like the "fake Tan Jiji," who were protecting the land where the evil god was worshipped.
As for why these three haven't left even though Liu Xuanyin is dead and the Liu family, which controls ghosts, has fallen apart—
Lu Yuan's current situation is somewhat urgent, and he hasn't figured it out yet.
But not important!
Since you want to act —
Lu Yuan snapped out of his reverie and pointed to the lanterns below, saying:
Um----
"Anyway, the only way to break this deadlock right now is for you to light those eight lanterns."
Lin Zhaoxuan looked in the direction he was pointing, his expression darkening slightly.
"The distance is too far, and there are too many evil spirits in between."
"With my current level of cultivation, the Thunder Token can't reach there."
Lu Yuan said calmly, "I'll see you off."
Want to act?
Lu Yuan wanted to see how these three would act next.