Zi Hong’s puppet consciousness was essentially a clone of Wang Ping’s own. After being imprinted with the Soldier Talisman and infused with the relevant mories, Zi Hong could summon a weaker version of the Golden Armor Soldiers.
However, since Zi Hong lacked a true Luck-Borrowing Talisman and Spirit Communication Talisman, the summoned Golden Armor Soldiers could only last for ten breaths at most. Any longer and they would start consuming the spiritual essence of the Celestial and Earthly Treasures within his body, which would be far too costly.
Still, this wasn’t bad. He could at least barely hold his own against an Entering Cultivator. If his opponent were to underestimate him, he could even play weak to ambush a stronger foe.
For the next few days, Wang Ping stayed cooped up in his rented courtyard, "examining" Zi Hong’s body and restoring the faded runic inscriptions. Yu Lian, bored, could only amuse herself by chasing the goldfish in the pond.
「A month and a half later.」
It was the morning of the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month. Wang Ping received a ssage delivered by Zi Luan’s Puppet Bird, and after reading it, he imdiately contacted Guan Xi through their prearranged thod.
「The sixth day of the new year.」
All of Dongxu City was imrsed in the festive New Year atmosphere. anwhile, guests arrived at Wang Ping’s temporarily rented courtyard...
The first to knock was, naturally, Jiangcun, who lived nearby. He was very pleased with the courtyard Wang Ping had chosen and unconcerned with the matter of besieging Si Ran. Next ca Guan Xi, who remained as timid and subservient as ever in Wang Ping’s presence. The last to arrive was Zi Luan, and with him was another person: a monk in a long gray robe, with six incense scars on his head.
After introductions, Wang Ping learned that the monk’s dharma na was Mingxin. Like Le Yuan, he was from the orthodox lineage of the Vajra Temple, only he had already cultivated to the Third Realm. Actually, the Vajra Temple didn’t call it a "Realm"; it was the Third Calamity, also known as the "Great Calamity."
Including Jiangcun, three Third Realm Great Cultivators had now gathered in Wang Ping’s small, obscure rented courtyard, along with Guan Xi, whose true strength remained a mystery.
Aside from Jiangcun, the other three n were rather cold. After exchanging nas, they fell silent. Then, their gazes fell on Wang Ping in unison, for he was the one who had called them all together.
"Guan Xi, why don’t you start by explaining the situation," Wang Ping said, unfazed.
Guan Xi bowed deeply once more. Only after completing the salute did he begin to speak. "As of yesterday, Si Ran is on a private island south of the Central Island."
He first addressed the issue that most concerned the other three, then added, "Now, we need to obtain the prerogative to act on the Central Island, as well as authorization from the Daoist Scripture Hall."
"I’ve already obtained the Daoist Scripture Hall’s authorization," Zi Luan stated.
"I’ll handle the permission to act. I just need to have a word with the Dragon Monarch," Jiangcun replied with utter confidence.
"Excellent..."
...
「Half a month later.」
Wang Ping and the others discreetly entered a port city on the coast, south of Lishui Prefecture’s Central Island. The water here seed to stretch to the heavens, yet sunlight was plentiful. A rainbow perpetually encircled the harbor, giving the place its na: Rainbow Bay.
Jiangcun hadn’t been bluffing. For him, getting permission to act really had been as simple as saying the word.
All that remained was to execute the plan.
"There’s one thing we need to watch out for," Zi Luan reminded them. "Although I have the Daoist Scripture Hall’s authorization, there will certainly be people here in Lishui Prefecture who will object. We need to finish this fight as quickly as possible."
"I will handle the main assault!" Monk Mingxin declared, brimming with confidence. He looked at Zi Luan and Jiangcun. "You two just need to prevent his escape."
To him, it was as if Wang Ping and Guan Xi didn’t even exist.
Yu Lian couldn’t help but snark, "This monk is so arrogant. All those years of Buddhist practice were completely wasted on him."
Wang Ping, however, was unbothered. Guan Xi was even more so.
Wang Ping had co along on the mission at Zi Luan’s suggestion. As Zi Luan saw it, Wang Ping was the one who had initiated this collaboration, so he should also be there to share in the spoils.
Zi Luan was more cautious than Wang Ping had imagined. He had insisted on this simply because he feared Wang Ping’s plan might be a trap. Although the odds of that were close to zero, he still took the precaution.
The group traveled on a southbound rchant ship.
It was a rchant ship in na only, of course; the vessel had been arranged by Jiangcun.
Six hours later, just as the sky was beginning to dim, the group spotted a supply island to the south.
"That’s the island!"
Guan Xi’s tone was firm.
"We’ll stick to the plan. I’ll go in first. You all trap him and prevent his escape!"
With that, Mingxin shot into the air, his body transforming into a streak of golden light. He was followed by Jiangcun, Zi Luan, and Guan Xi. As for Wang Ping, he remained quietly on the ship to watch the show.
"BOOM!"
A deafening boom echoed across the heavens as Mingxin’s golden body smashed into the center of the island. Wang Ping then watched as the distant island was shattered to pieces under the assault of Gold Spirit Qi.
The sea was about to churn into violent waves, but it fell calm again under the influence of spreading Water Spirit Qi. From Wang Ping’s vantage point, it seed as if after one loud bang, the island had bizarrely shattered and sunk.
"Zi Luan! You again!"
A voice—furious, crazed, and tinged with a hint of fear—rang out. A flicker of darkness crossed the sky, and hundreds of Golden Armor Soldiers materialized from nothing.
"BOOM!"
Another deafening boom. Monk Mingxin’s body, a streak of light, slamd into sothing unseen. The next mont, the very sky seed to be torn asunder, forming a series of neat gashes.
"Guan Xi! It was you... you traitor! You—"
The infuriated voice cut off abruptly, replaced by yet another thunderous crash. Mingxin had struck again. This ti, darkness flickered across the sky once more.
’Soone’s using a Luck-Borrowing Talisman!’
"End this quickly..."
That was Mingxin’s voice.
As his voice fell, Zi Luan summoned a massive Talisman, and the flickering space around them stabilized. Jiangcun then sealed off the battle zone with Water Spirit Qi to prevent any escape.
"Such an extravagant play..."
Those were the opponent’s last words. Then, all sound was cut off by the barrier of Water Spirit Qi.
A dozen or so breaths later.
The isolation barrier ford by the Water Spirit Qi rapidly dissipated. The island that had once been there was completely gone. Beside Zi Luan, a mass of vines emitting a black, toxic miasma writhed rapidly, as if digesting sothing.
The battle was over!
Wang Ping swallowed hard. He had just witnessed the fall of a Third Realm Great Cultivator, and it had all happened in less than thirty breaths.
Just then, the sigil of the Daoist Scripture Hall—a design incorporating the Five Elents, Taiji, and Yin-Yang—appeared in the sky in the direction of the Central Island. Jiangcun imdiately projected his own identity token into the sky in response.
Before long, three cultivators in Blue Daoist Robes landed nearby. The one in the lead saw Zi Luan and said with displeasure, "Fellow Daoist Zi Luan, aren’t you going to offer an explanation?"
Zi Luan chuckled and explained, "Ah, it’s Friend Bo Yi. I was simply invited by Fellow Daoist Jiangcun to lend a hand."
The lead cultivator’s gaze fell upon Jiangcun. "This is the first I’m hearing that the Ninth Prince and Fellow Daoist Zi Luan are on friendly terms. Aren’t you supposed to be enemies?"
He was openly trying to sow discord.
Zi Luan imdiately cut in, "You jest, Fellow Daoist. We haven’t gotten together in a long ti ourselves. We’re long overdue for a reunion. And hey, no ti like the present. How about we catch up today?"
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