Chapter 242: Fiery Talisman
The burly man sensed something was wrong and tried to retreat, but it was already too late.
The triple-tiered First-Grade Earthfire Formation ignited, releasing intense spiritual fluctuations. Amid the explosive roar, the crimson flames engulfed the burly man completely.
When the fire finally died down, his battered figure emerged.
His clothes were torn, his body scorched, the right side relatively intact, but the left side severely injured, his arm blown to a bloody mess.
Between life and death, the black-clad man relied on instincts honed from years of combat to avoid the center of the Earthfire Formation's blast.
At the cost of one arm, he preserved his life.
Otherwise, even if he survived, he would have been grievously wounded.
"You little brat! I'll make sure you don't die peacefully!"
The black-clad man seethed with rage, yet his heart was filled with shock.
A formation?
Among rogue cultivators, very few could use formations, where did this one come from?
"Could it have been drawn by his elder to protect him? Surely he couldn't have drawn it himself…"
Though furious, the black-clad man was cautious. This little cultivator was a bit uncanny and quite theatrical; he couldn't immediately discern what was real and what was illusion, so he dared not act rashly.
He also feared that other formations might be hidden on the ground.
Mo Hua regretted that the formation hadn't killed him.
Even monsters could be severely injured by a triple-tiered First-Grade Earthfire Formation. Clearly, cultivators who spent years in the Daoist world were more alert to the techniques of other cultivators.
Mo Hua secretly released his Divine Sense to observe the burly man's condition.
Though battered, most of his spiritual power remained.
He had deep reserves of qi, a robust physique—a peak Qi-Refining Ninth-Level body cultivator. Judging by his disregard for human life, he was likely a criminal cultivator with ample experience in combat and magical duels.
Although one arm was ruined by the Earthfire Formation, the other remained unharmed.
He was still a troublesome opponent.
Both hesitated, staring each other down for a while. The burly man didn't dare pursue, and Mo Hua, after a moment's thought, fled in panic, his steps messy and frantic.
"Trying to run?"
The burly man's eyes darkened. Having suffered such a loss, he wouldn't let Mo Hua escape.
He wanted to give chase, but he didn't know what tricks this little cultivator had, and caution held him back.
At that moment, Mo Hua stepped on a stone, slipped, and fell.
The burly man's expression turned ferocious.
He was convinced this brat was truly panicking and fleeing blindly!
With a sudden leap, the black-clad man followed the mountain path Mo Hua had taken, and in a few strides, he reached him.
"Little brat, where do you think you're running?"
The man reached out to grab Mo Hua.
But Mo Hua, sprawled on the ground, flowed along it like water. In an instant, he vanished from the man's front and reappeared behind him.
The man's grasp came up empty, his heart jolted.
"Movement technique?!"
This little brat actually learned movement techniques?!
Cold sweat broke out on the burly man. He barely turned his head in time to see Mo Hua standing behind him, pinching a jade talisman between his fingers.
"Jade talisman?!"
Mo Hua activated it with spiritual power. The talisman glowed red, spiritual fluctuations surged, and a torrent of flames erupted, engulfing the black-clad man.
This talisman had been confiscated by Old Zhao from a Qian family cultivator and given to Mo Hua for self-defense.
It was called the Fiery Talisman, a First-Grade talisman sealing a spell with the power of a peak Qi-Refining Ninth-Level cultivator—Fiery Blaze Technique.
Mo Hua feigned a slip and fall to make the black-clad man lower his guard.
Then, in an instant, he used the Flowing-Water Step to circle behind him and, when the man was unable to react or evade, activated the Fiery Talisman.
Talismans were precious, so he had to use it at the perfect moment to maximize its effect.
Caught completely off guard, the black-clad man suffered a full-strength Qi-Refining Ninth-Level spell from behind, his whole body burning, his meridians on fire.
At the same time, Mo Hua drew his Thousand-Jin Rod from his storage pouch.
Seizing the moment while the man was staggered and severely injured, Mo Hua raised the rod, infused it with spiritual power, and activated the Thousand-Jin Array.
A gray gleam flashed, and the rod instantly became as heavy as a thousand measures, carried by wind, and slammed down hard.
"Clang!"
The rod struck the black-clad man's forehead.
Pain shot through his scalp.
Mo Hua felt the impact in his hand, fingers tingling.
"Truly a body cultivator, head really is hard," he thought.
He then raised the rod again and repeated the strike on the man's forehead.
The black-clad man's mind began to cloud, his consciousness faltering.
Mo Hua pressed the attack, delivering another blow.
Realizing he hadn't called out the move's name, missing some momentum, he added another strike, shouting:
"Force of a Thousand Jin!"
The black-clad man could no longer withstand it. His eyes rolled back, he staggered, finally collapsing to his knees, then face down to the ground.
Mo Hua extended his Divine Sense to inspect the man's spiritual power.
The spiritual energy in his meridians flowed chaotically, indeed uncontrolled.
This meant he had passed out.
Still uneasy, Mo Hua cast a fireball, then raised the Thousand-Jin Rod and, with effort, broke all of the man's limbs, finally allowing himself to relax.
He panted heavily, exhausted.
Not a body cultivator himself, even with the aid of formations, repeatedly swinging the Thousand-Jin Rod left his arms sore.
But the goal was achieved.
The once formidable black-clad man now lay prone, spiritual energy disordered, blood weak, limbs immobilized.
Confident the man could no longer cause trouble for the time being, Mo Hua ran to Ji Li.
Ji Li was still bleeding.
Mo Hua's expression grew grave. He quickly gave him a Small Life-Restoring Pill, crushed several Stop-Bleeding Pills and sprinkled the powder on the wounds, then fed him two Blood-Qi Pills.
Small Life-Restoring Pills sustain life, Stop-Bleeding Pills staunch blood, and Blood-Qi Pills replenish vitality.
All taught by Elder Feng as emergency measures to save a life.
Mo Hua observed Ji Li's meridians with Divine Sense, and finally relaxed.
Though his energy was weak, his spiritual power still flowed, and the wounds were slowly healing.
"Good, you're still alive."
Mo Hua ignited fireworks to signal for help.
Though temporarily alive, Ji Li still needed to be taken to Elder Feng for proper treatment, or his odds of survival were slim.
Mo Hua alone could not carry him down the mountain.
Moreover, Ji Li was covered in blood, attracting monsters. First-Grade late-stage beasts would be even more dangerous.
They could only hope nearby demon hunters saw the signal and arrived to provide aid in time.
Ji Li lay on the ground, bleeding heavily. After a while, his fingers twitched, showing some response.
"Brother Ji! Brother Ji!" Mo Hua called.
Ji Li seemed to hear him, slowly opening his eyes. Seeing Mo Hua unharmed, he relaxed, then his gaze grew vacant, unfocused, and slowly closed again.
A sign of scattered Divine Sense.
Mo Hua was startled, knowing the danger. Once a cultivator's Divine Sense dissolves, even if the body survives, it is no better than dead.
To live, one must have a strong will.
Thinking quickly, Mo Hua said: "Brother Ji, if you die, what will Sister Fu Lan do?"
Ji Li's eyelids twitched.
Mo Hua continued: "Uncle Ji is still waiting to celebrate your wedding!"
Ji Li didn't open his eyes, but tears trickled from the corner of his eyes.
(End of Chapter)