Chương 46: Imperial Magistrate Yue Zhenli (Part V)

Lucian's battle experience allowed him to recognize when the situation was not in his favor. Xu Hua's memories aren't helping in understanding the change in the Magistrate's strength, Lucian thought. Moreover, this dome-like technique is not simple. Usually, he would avoid fighting an enemy he knew barely anything about. However, he had no choice in the matter, as the six streaks of golden light were already closing in.

Instinctively, Lucian sent Blood Essence to his head, where the crimson image of a four-fingered hand gripping a neck, encircled by shifting sigils, formed within his brain. Devilish Arts: Boon of Lust – Out of Touch His eyes flashed crimson, and he sent a wave of crimson intent to create an illusion of a duplicate for Magistrate Yue. At the same time, he kicked the ground, his figure darting to the right as he prepared his next move.

However, Lucian was caught off guard when the six swords shifted direction at the last instant, tracking him perfectly. She wasn't affected, he thought. Magistrate Yue stood still, guiding the golden swords with her fingers, focus unwavering. She had seen two Lucians, one standing still and another moving. The reason she adjusted her attack despite being briefly affected by the visual illusion was that the moving Lucian appeared in her golden vision, while the stationary one did not.

Unaware of her current capabilities and now unable to evade all six blades, Lucian changed his plans. Instead of retreating, he surged ahead. Slashing upwards, Lucian used complex footwork and rushed toward the three swords in front of him, moving faster than before to close the gap between him and the swords at the front, while dodging the ones coming to his back. Those remaining three blades behind him struck the ground where he had been standing a second ago.

And then, they erupted into bursts of golden Qi that carved small craters into the earth. At the same moment, Lucian's sword collided with one of the swords before him, triggering another explosion. Caught between the frontal blast and the shockwaves from behind, Lucian's organs trembled violently. But the worst came next, when the two swords that he didn't parry struck his shoulders. As the blades connected, Lucian's body expanded grotesquely, his robes bursting apart in a spray of blood and golden light.

Most of his organs, bones, and skin were incinerated by the explosion and pierced by the Metal Qi inside the swords. Watching it all through the golden images, Magistrate Yue frowned, uncertain of what had just occurred. It took a few seconds for her to notice small bulges below Lucian's shredded clothes. Next, three small black figures emerged. Each bore the faint outline of a half-closed eye, formed by three crimson lines encircled by shifting sigils.

Devilish Arts: Boon of Sloth – Body Over Mind These three blood-soaked bats, stripped of fur and skin, scattered in different directions as soon as they left the protection of the pieces of clothing. Surprisingly, the moment they touched sunlight, their bodies ignited, transforming into streaking fireballs. One shot toward the barrier, and another darted toward the house filled with corpses. The last one, however, rushed directly at Magistrate Yue, causing her to feel a flicker of disgust and caution.

Activating her talisman out of instinct, she was pulled by the golden net. In her perception, one flaming bat crashed into her previous position, another slipped into a nearby house, and the last collided with the net itself. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. That final one rebounded weakly, veering off toward another building. It was also burning like a torch. Unsure of what this technique was, and unable to sense Qi in it, she chose to be cautious.

Magistrate Yue used her talisman and appeared above Lucian's tattered robes. Then, she launched another volley of six golden swords. After every trace of blood, gore, and cloth had been obliterated, she nodded and activated her talisman again, shifting to another location. The bat that had rushed toward her and struck the ground had risen into the air, burning brighter as it flew under the sunlight, going higher and higher.

Ignoring it, thinking it would dissipate given the lack of Qi, she arrived above the building where the first bat had entered. She could smell blood inside. Holding a Jade Spirit Stone, Magistrate Yue absorbed the Qi within to replenish her reserves while standing atop the roof. Checking on the others during this short moment of rest, she saw through her golden vision how Constable Mu and the West Inspectors were engaging the plump man, Wang Chen.

Constable Mu kept his distance, using Qi Gathering techniques to launch hidden needles, aiming at Wang Chen's knees and face. The West Inspectors, meanwhile, brandished their swords, clashing against Wang Chen's forceful and amateurish strikes. Even so, his sheer strength and resilience were enough to stall the fight. Magistrate Yue was not concerned, however.

She could see that Constable Mu was holding back, and that Wang Chen was focused on protecting the frail woman behind him, Bai Xiaomeng, more than attacking the others. In her eyes, it was only a matter of time before the couple was captured. Then, checking on Xu Duan, she noticed the young man sitting on the ground, staring at a broken wooden toy. She couldn't help but let out a sad sigh.

Returning her attention to the situation at hand, Magistrate Yue detected no other cultivators and remained uncertain about what the bats were or their purpose inside the buildings. She knew there could be a trap. Nonetheless, before absolute power, she feared nothing! Feeling her Qi replenished, she activated her talisman once more, distancing herself from the house.

"Heaven's Decree: Dancing Field," she chanted, six golden swords forming and shooting toward the structure. Two entered through the front door, while the other four split apart under her command, each striking a different wall. At the same time, the blades struck from inside and out. They pierced the ceiling and the ground from inside, and the walls from outside. With a thunderous roar, six explosions reduced the house to rubble, sending limbs and splintered wood flying in every direction.

"Demonic scum," Magistrate Yue muttered, noticing the mismatched body parts scattered within. What she failed to notice, however, was the absence of blood. Abruptly, her mind was engulfed in golden flame, as a burning bat filled her entire golden vision. Realizing the danger, she activated her talisman again, this time shifting to the upper layer of the dome-like net, standing beside its central node. The central node that commanded the formation!

She saw the charred bat, its features melted beyond recognition, clinging to the node. Without hesitation, Magistrate Yue unleashed a condensed wave of sharpened Metal Qi, slicing the creature apart.

"Was his technique targeting the formation?" she murmured, her breath growing heavier as fatigue began to show. Her body hung from the golden thread as she quickly activated her talisman, shifting toward the house the other bat had entered. Sensing she still had enough Qi to battle, Magistrate Yue prepared the same technique as before. But then, she was caught off guard. The black bat burst from the house, flying straight toward the formation's central node!

The moment it left the house, the creature ignited, as if a fire technique had been cast upon it. It soon became a blazing projectile aimed at the formation's node! Without hesitation, Magistrate Yue activated her talisman and appeared beside the bat. With a wave of her hand, she unleashed Metal Qi to shred it! However, this time, the creature reacted. It twisted midair, zigzagging unpredictably before curving into a sharp arc. Then, its trajectory shifted straight toward her face.

Unable to activate the talisman, the Magistrate raised both arms, channeling Qi to reinforce them and use her muscles as a shield. Nonetheless, a second later, through her golden perception, she saw the bat twist once more. The creature veered away at the last instant and dove toward the ground, entering another house. Scowling, she began to gather Qi to cast Heaven's Decree: Dancing Field. She wanted to kill the bat while it was inside the house!

But soon, the third bat emerged from the debris of the blood-soaked house. The previous house she had destroyed. It flew directly toward the formation's node. Her heart pounded. Magistrate Yue activated her talisman, appearing near the new threat. Her hand was already moving, a condensed sphere of revolving Metal Qi forming, ready to be released! Yet once more, the burning creature arced away at the last instant, diving toward another structure below. A surge of frustration rose within her chest.

She was sure these creatures were being controlled by Lucian, and that he was still alive nearby, playing with her. She wanted to take a moment to search for him, but the bats gave her no time to even think about that! The moment one entered a house, another emerged, each taking turns, flying toward the node in relentless succession. Magistrate Yue had almost guessed the truth, but she wasn't completely wrong. Lucian was alive, but he wasn't hiding far away. In fact, he was closer than she thought.