redvbooks #527 - Shuten-doji
#527 - Shuten-doji
Of course, the island nation's Onmyoji on the opposite side was undoubtedly the same, having prepared numerous backup plans to avoid losing face and life.
Therefore, despite appearing somewhat disheveled under the barrage of Master Lin's attacks, frequently leaping and dodging to evade the power of the talismans,
this Onmyoji himself remained almost completely unscathed, without a single injury, and possessed a considerable number of talismans for counterattack.
Thus, the ensuing match, unsurprisingly, devolved into a battle of attrition…
Both sides attacked relentlessly, refusing to yield.
The arena was filled with a rain of fire and bursts of ice and lightning, seemingly endless, hurled towards the opponent.
The ordinary spectators in the stands had never witnessed anything like it before.
convinced everyone that both combatants were exerting their utmost strength, willing to risk injury and even death to annihilate their opponent!
Of course, while the effectiveness of talismans heavily relies on diligent practice and the skill of the talisman maker, activating the power sealed within also consumes energy.
Thus, after more than ten minutes of such high-intensity combat,
the arena had been transformed into a ravaged wasteland under the relentless bombardment of ice, fire, and various other spells.
The Ushioni shikigami summoned by the island nation's Onmyoji had also been inevitably overwhelmed by the successive waves of diverse spells.
It didn't even have a chance to be recalled, dying a rather pathetic death!
However, likely due to the depletion of their talisman reserves, the pace of attacks from both sides gradually began to slow down.
Master Lin, with sweat beading on his forehead, unleashed three lightning talismans, took a deep breath,
and seizing the opportunity while the opposing Onmyoji was dodging, quickly removed his celestial master's hat, retrieving a palm-sized wooden box from within, and extracting several stacked talismans.
These talismans appeared extraordinary at first glance, with high-quality paper and vermilion ink infused with gold leaf.
However, somewhat surprisingly, Master Lin used these advanced talismans rather casually.
He simply spread them out, one by one, in his palm, and then gently tossed them into the air in front of him.
Immediately, these talismans took effect.
With a surge of radiant light~
some of the talismans transformed into a bronze-colored shield of light, instantly enveloping him.
Others transformed into a flying sword phantom, shimmering with a cyan glow.
Still others directly vanished into the high heavens.
Subsequently, the originally clear sky began to churn and roil, quickly becoming enveloped in a blanket of dark clouds within moments.
Amidst the rumbling thunder that shook the very air, flickering bolts of lightning began to gather!
Upon witnessing this, the opposing Onmyoji was immediately alarmed, sensing the faint aura of pressure emanating from the surroundings, and dared not be negligent.
He then removed his loose-fitting upper garment and laid it flat on the relatively intact ground before him.
An incredibly intricate array diagram had already been inscribed on the inside of the garment.
Next, the Onmyoji removed a string of bells from his wrist, gently tossing them into the center of the array, and then bit his fingertip.
Instantly, blood flowed, and with a flick of his wrist, he accurately applied the blood to the key points of the array.
Then, accompanied by the Onmyoji's intoned chanting, he suddenly crouched down, forcefully pressing his blood-stained palm onto the edge of the array.
"Hoo~"
Suddenly, the array on the garment abruptly lit up, emitting a subtle, restrained glow.
Immediately afterward, a gust of fishy wind suddenly shot up from the small array.
Amidst the spreading crimson mist, a diminutive figure suddenly appeared within the fog.
Accompanying the sudden dark clouds and rolling thunder in the sky, a somewhat eerie man appeared out of thin air.
This man had pale skin, disheveled blood-red hair, a wide piece of tattered cloth wrapped around his waist, and a large gourd slung across his back, from which the faint aroma of wine emanated.
His face was painted with red hues, with drawn eyebrows and eyeliner, and his expression vaguely carried a drunken air.
Upon appearing, this eerie man seemed somewhat confused about his surroundings, scratching his head and looking around.
However, upon seeing his figure, Master Lin of the Nine Phoenix suddenly felt a surge of alertness.
Without a second thought, he immediately formed a hand seal, pointed high towards the sky, and then brought it down heavily.
"Supreme Lord Lao, hasten as the decrees command~! Summon lightning!"
"Kacha!" A sound!
Instantly, heavenly lightning struck the ground, carrying the might of the Nine Heavens, crashing down!
The void trembled, violently!
The dazzling stream of energy struck the eerie man's head directly.
In the blink of an eye, he was blasted into a deep pit.
The large wine gourd on his back shattered, and the wine ignited by the high temperature, scattering like fireworks!
Faced with such sudden heavenly power, the surrounding spectators were filled with terror, their scalps tingling, instinctively screaming and sinking into deep shock!
The Eight Trigrams Mirror, which had been temporarily idle after the death of the Ushioni, was once again reactivated by Master Lin, moved above the pit, seemingly as a precaution.
It unleashed a torrent of brilliant light, relentlessly illuminating the eerie man within the pit, whose fate was unknown.
Master Lin himself immediately formed a sword incantation, directing the cyan sword light phantom in front of him to slash towards the opposing Onmyoji!
Swift as light and lightning!
Unfortunately, the island nation's Onmyoji was clearly not an easy opponent, having also exerted his full strength for this exchange conference.
Unbeknownst to anyone, eight spheres, resembling neither gold nor stone, had risen around him.
Each of these spheres was the size of a human head, with uneven surfaces and vaguely resembling grotesque ghost faces, with several mysterious incantations inscribed on each sphere.
Amidst the clang and clash of energies,
even with the power and speed of Master Lin's advanced sword talisman, it was temporarily blocked by the combined efforts of these eight spheres!
"Ah~~!!!!"
Just then, a shrill scream suddenly came from the pit.
Immediately afterward, illuminated by the golden light of the Eight Trigrams Mirror overhead, a figure enveloped in flames suddenly leapt out.
It was the red-haired eerie man from before!
His aura was now turbulent, his face filled with resentment, and blood and scorch marks covered his body.
Upon escaping, he glared at Master Lin with bloodshot eyes.
Then, bearing the flames and illuminated by the golden light, he bared his fangs and pounced towards Master Lin.
As agile as an ape, his speed was astonishing, and in the blink of an eye, he was upon him!
……