The talismans, possessing a fraction of divine power, could only be used once.
Generally, these were trump cards for survival, yet Yuan Jing used one out of sheer annoyance.
If this wasn't extravagance, what was?
"Buzz!!!"
As Yuan Jing's hand gestures shifted, a vast Yin-Yang Immortal Diagram materialized out of thin air, covering the entire world.
Even the other prodigies watching from a distance were enveloped within the Yin-Yang Immortal Diagram.
This sudden change sent chills down everyone's spines, a wave of inexplicable unease washing over them.
"Yin-Yang Forbidden Curse, life and death vanish, fate defied, soul pursued, talisman's ultimate kill!"
The cold, continuous incantation, like an ancient, eerie spell, boomed like thunder through the land.
It sent a primal shiver up the spines of everyone in the square, a feeling of being watched from behind.
"Fourth-grade divine ability talisman—Yin-Yang Curse Kill Technique!"
The next moment, before Wu Tao could react, his body erupted in flames, burning fiercely.
Wu Tao felt an agonizing pain throughout his body. A golden yang fire, imbued with immense masculine energy, blazed on his skin, unbearably hot.
Meanwhile, his internal organs were consumed by an extremely cold yin fire, chilling him to the bone and gnawing at his flesh.
This extreme contrast of heat and cold, yin and yang, tormented Wu Tao intensely, the searing pain emanating from his very core.
Wu Tao's flesh and blood were being scorched by both the yin and yang fires.
...
Seeing this, Yuan Jing instantly moved far away to observe.
She let out a triumphant laugh, mocking Wu Tao's powerlessness and disheveled state, like a gloating villain.
Kneeling on the ground, Wu Tao's form was a mess, his body completely charred black. Yet, despite this, the divine light in his eyes shone exceptionally bright, a surge of invincible aura rising within him.
Facing this desperate situation, Wu Tao felt no despair. Instead, under immense pressure, his will forged a transformation.
A boundless, unyielding sword intent began to grow, strengthening with each passing moment.
A piercing sword energy suddenly rose, imbued with a chilling, indomitable fighting spirit, manifesting as a resplendent sword strike that slashed outward.
With one sword, all eight directions were swept clean!
In this sword strike, Wu Tao poured his fervent combat spirit, imbuing it with unprecedented will and life.
This transformed the sword strike, no longer stiff and lifeless as before. Wu Tao had broken through his limits, surpassing his own boundaries.
The profound sword intent effortlessly cleared away the extreme yin and yang flames enveloping him.
Seeing this, Yuan Jing's expression turned livid. Her smile vanished instantly. Furthermore, she was immediately locked onto by the rising sword intent.
A sensation akin to being scraped by blades and pierced by swords washed over her, chilling her to the bone and causing her face to pale.
Targeted by this fearsome sword intent, she disregarded everything else, her spiritual power surging madly.
A gentle breeze blew from afar, and the charred clothes on Wu Tao's body gradually disintegrated, revealing muscles coiled like dragon bodies. His eyes were deep and stern, looking coldly at Yuan Jing.
"You're not dead..."
Yuan Jing stared at Wu Tao opposite her in disbelief, feeling for the first time that the situation was getting out of control and troublesome.
She muttered to herself, "Not only are you alive, but you've become this strong in such a short time?"
Wu Tao's face was stern, his gaze as cold as a blade. A hint of killing intent flashed in his heart. He paid no heed to Yuan Jing's words, quietly drawing his broken ancient sword.
...
Facing a life-threatening danger, Yuan Jing produced another rare talisman, the "Demon Sealing Talisman."
This talisman contained the soul of a Nascent Soul stage centipede demon.
Yuan Jing threw the talisman, and a massive void abruptly appeared.
From this void, a centipede-shaped demon soul composed entirely of demonic energy surged out.
This hundred-zhang-long centipede unfurled its thousands of legs, appearing exceptionally terrifying.
...
"A Nascent Soul stage demon soul?"
"What the hell? Is the Yuan family made of money?"
Wu Tao's expression immediately changed.
Having started his cultivation by hunting demonic beasts, Wu Tao was highly sensitive to the demonic energy emanating from them.
He recognized at a glance that this was the soul of a Nascent Soul stage demonic beast.
...
The centipede demon let out a furious roar. Its thousands of arm-like legs moved rapidly, writhing in mid-air and sweeping towards Wu Tao like a long dragon.
As the centipede demon soul crawled, its massive mouth suddenly split open, unleashing beams of blood-red light towards Wu Tao.
"Seeking death..."
Seeing the charging, thousand-legged centipede, a cold expression crossed Wu Tao's face.
"What if it's a Nascent Soul stage demon soul? It's ultimately not a fully formed Nascent Soul stage demonic beast."
Wu Tao, using the Heaven's Will Sword Control Technique with his soul guiding the sword, felt his spiritual energy surge madly.
The next moment, the broken ancient sword shot out of its sheath. The flowing sword light was almost tangible, shimmering with an incredibly sharp and fearsome sword energy.
The broken ancient sword hovered in mid-air, transforming into a ten-zhang-long giant sword, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow.
The seven-colored giant sword confronting the hundred-zhang demon soul created a powerful visual impact!
...
The giant sword and the demon soul collided!
"Boom!"
With a sky-shattering roar, the hundred-zhang, mountain-like centipede demon soul cracked and fissured, collapsing and shattering.
In an instant, the hundred-zhang demon soul dissolved into wisps of black smoke and vanished.
On the other side.
The giant sword, formed from the broken ancient sword, was also not unscathed. The seven-colored sword energy splintered, revealing the broken ancient sword's true form.
Wu Tao frowned. The broken ancient sword, connected to his life force, had suffered severe damage, and he too sustained internal injuries.
A mouthful of blood, stuck in his throat, escaped him as he involuntarily spat out a stream of crimson blood.
With a thought, the broken ancient sword transformed into a streak of light and instantly shot back, returning to Wu Tao's hand.
...
An enraged killing intent, like burning fuel, sublimated his sword intent once more. The sword's hum reverberated through the surroundings, and a powerful sword intent surged out again, manifesting as a sword strike akin to a celestial pillar.
Yuan Jing felt the world around her darken, the entire world seeming to lose its color. She sensed the presence of death.
But the previous demon-sealing talisman was her last life-saving trump card; she had no other means.
At this moment, she felt immense regret.
Terrified of losing her life, Yuan Jing threw out all the defensive talismans from her storage bag.
Countless talismans transformed into layer after layer of crystalline, thick protective screens before her.
The world seemed to fall into an extreme silence, all visuals and sounds vanishing completely, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable and nauseous, wanting to vomit blood.
Then, in the next instant, the world's visuals rapidly accelerated, and with a deafening roar, it exploded.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Layer after layer of crystalline, thick screens shattered. Amidst the vast sword energy, Yuan Jing coughed up blood and crashed to the ground.
A deep, bone-revealing sword wound appeared on Yuan Jing's chest. Blood flowed continuously, staining the ground a deep red.
The intense pain drove her mad. Furthermore, Yuan Jing could feel the warmth in her body slowly fading; she was dying.
...
Several prodigies who were on good terms with Yuan Jing rushed to her side.
One of them administered numerous healing pills, stabilizing her life. The others cautiously watched Wu Tao, guarding Yuan Jing.
The square was silent, save for the occasional rustling of the wind. After a long pause, whispers began to rise.
"So strong, such a powerful sword. Yuan Jing's defeat was not undeserved."
"His combat power is almost at its peak. Few cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage can fight him."
Beside him, Lan Yingxiang inwardly praised her own judgment.
She thought to herself, "My previous investment was clearly not in vain. With such a powerful helper, the possibility of obtaining that inheritance has increased significantly."
With a dismissive glance at the group surrounding Yuan Jing, their expressions unfriendly, Wu Tao retreated to Lan Yingxiang's side.
"Brother Wu, are you alright..."
Lan Yingxiang asked cautiously, looking at Wu Tao's pale face.
Wu Tao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and replied weakly, "I'm fine. More than that, I've improved. My sword intent has ascended to the minor completion stage."
Wu Tao's sword intent had already been infinitely close to minor completion. After the near-death experience, he had broken through his bottleneck, and his sword intent had finally entered the minor completion stage.
While the minor completion stage sword intent and the initial comprehension of sword intent seemed only one step apart, the difference between them was like night and day.
...
"It truly is like that!"
Lan Yingxiang nodded, sighing inwardly.
With Yuan Jing defeated and on the brink of death, the others, after their initial surprise, ceased discussing the matter. No one would be foolish enough to provoke Wu Tao again to avenge Yuan Jing.
However, for these prodigies, they would not truly submit to Wu Tao in their hearts.
Temporary strength and victory or defeat were too fleeting for them.
The prodigies of the younger generation had always been reluctant to admit defeat to one another.
If they lost and the opponent showed mercy, allowing them to live, then there was nothing to say. They could only return to rigorous training and strive to defeat their opponent another day, washing away the day's shame.
(New book being updated, please collect, recommend, and share. Your support is my motivation!)