The two jiangshi were about to catch up, so I hastily slashed with my sword.
The blade struck one of the jiangshi, and immediately a shower of sparks erupted across its body. They fell to the ground at once, and I thought the sword had done the trick. But to my surprise, they stood up again and continued lunging at me as if nothing had happened.
What the hell? The Holy Bronze Sword can't even finish off two jiangshi?
Though the situation had taken a turn for the worse and something unexpected had happened, I took advantage of their fall to make a run for it. In just a couple of steps, I was back with the group.
"Philip, these jiangshi are strange—my Copper Coin Sword actually can't kill them," I gasped, completely winded after being chased nonstop by the two jiangshi. This shit is really exhausting.
As Philip had said, the one that turned them into jiangshi probably wasn't an ordinary one. Since my Copper Coin Sword is only half-enchanted and I have no mana, it's no surprise I couldn't finish them off.
Just as I said that, the two jiangshi caught up. Philip waved two fingers, and immediately the peachwood sword stuck in the ground flew up and shot toward one of the jiangshi.
I watched as the peachwood sword struck the jiangshi squarely in the chest. But the creature exhaled a mouthful of corpse breath and actually forced its way forward against the sword, bending it into a U-shape.
"Incredible. They've only just turned, and yet their bodies are already so strong—even the Holy Bronze Sword and Peachwood Sword can't pierce them," Philip frowned.
An ordinary jiangshi would be as easy to kill as a chicken for a Six-Coin Celestial Master. But these two actually made Philip frown. That didn't worry me so much as this did: what kind of jiangshi must have bitten them to make them like this?
"By the spiritual power of talismans and the evil-dispelling sword—begone, foul spirits!" Philip activated a yellow Taoist talisman, threaded it along the hilt, and affixed it to the blade.
The yellow talisman combined with the power of the peachwood sword instantly multiplied its strength. Philip gripped the hilt firmly and thrust down hard into the jiangshi's heart.
With a thud, the peachwood sword pierced its heart. The jiangshi spat out a foul breath and let out a furious roar—the sword inside it was shaken loose instantly.
"By the power of Zhu Rong, the God of Fire, let celestial flames purge this evil!" Philip produced a double talisman, recited an incantation, and two fiery snakes erupted, blinding the jiangshi's eyes.
Philip retrieved the peachwood sword and slashed at the jiangshi's left arm. The wound sizzled and black bubbles foamed up—but the arm remained attached.
"No good. This jiangshi's body is too hard—the Peachwood Sword can't cut through." Philip turned suddenly to me and said, "Lend me your Copper Coin Sword."
I didn't mind at all—as long as we could win. I immediately threw the Copper Coin Sword to Philip. After all, this was a Taoist Priest of the Three Pure Ones' Holy Bronze Sword; it might be even more fearsome in his hands.
Once Philip caught the Holy Bronze Sword, he immediately swung it at the jiangshi. But to my dismay, when the Copper Coin Sword struck the creature, there was no reaction at all—whereas I had at least managed to strike sparks!
"Strange… What's going on?" Philip quickly retracted the sword, dodged a few attacks from the jiangshi, then bit his fingertip and somewhat reluctantly smeared his blood on the Copper Coin Sword.
"Again!" This time, Philip slashed at the jiangshi's neck—but still, there was no reaction. The Copper Coin Sword was just like an ordinary blade; it couldn't suppress the jiangshi at all.
"Could it be that the sword has already recognized its owner?" Philip wondered in surprise.
But just then, the jiangshi lunged wildly at Philip and swatted the Copper Coin Sword away with a sweep of its arm.
I thought Philip was at his wit's end and totally unable to handle this jiangshi. But then his eyes shifted—completely different from before—and his expression grew even more serious.
"It seems Mount Zhongnan is indeed menacing. Even two freshly turned jiangshi are this powerful!" Philip muttered. Suddenly, he executed a reverse golden hook and kicked the jiangshi in the neck, forcing its body to crouch low.
The jiangshi roared furiously, spat out a mouthful of corpse breath, and tried to bite directly into Philip's stomach.
But Philip was agile. With a backflip, he landed on the jiangshi's shoulders. Standing there, he drew a strangely shaped talisman with five fingers, combined it with a yellow Taoist talisman, and immediately, power burst from his fingertips.
I think I've seen this move on Stella. Could it be the Five Thunders Curse?
But it seems I guessed wrong. Philip chanted an incantation I hadn't heard before—nothing like Stella's Five Thunders spell.
"The Five Elements reverse the Yang.
The Azure Nether descends into Yin.
Unfathomable to gods and ghosts,
I borrow the power of the universe."
"The Five Yin Azure Nether Incantation!"
With a snap, Philip slapped his palm onto the jiangshi's head. A wave of talismanic Yin force blasted downward like a flood. Yellow light exploded, directly shattering the jiangshi's celestial aura.
I watched as the jiangshi's head instantly split apart like a smashed watermelon, scattering on the ground.
Philip jumped away just in time. The jiangshi's body twitched for a moment, then stopped moving.
Amazing. A Six-Coin Celestial Master truly is different. Even with the same master and the same five-finger technique, his art is completely unlike Stella's.
Stella uses the Five Thunders spell—rigid and overwhelmingly Yang. Philip's Five Yin Azure Nether Incantation, on the other hand, doesn't seem as fierce at first, but its power is Yin, soft, and utterly devastating.
This Master Raul… Could it be he teaches each disciple differently? Even the spells I've seen Luna use are nothing like Philip's or Stella's.
Just then, three loud gunshots—bang, bang, bang—jolted me out of my thoughts.
The shots were fired by Jeane. She carried two guns; one had been taken when she dealt with the living dead Francesc, and now she was using the other.
There were two jiangshi in total. One had been fighting Philip and was killed by him; the other pounced toward Jeane, Stein, and the others.
Terrified, Jeane pulled out her gun and fired three times, but the bullets had no effect on the jiangshi—only leaving black marks where they hit.
The jiangshi roared and lunged at Jeane again.
"Bang! Bang! Bang…!" Screaming in terror, Jeane fired several more shots until she ran out of bullets.
But it was still useless. The jiangshi was only pushed back slightly with each hit—otherwise, the bullets did nothing.
"Don't shoot! That's a jiangshi—guns can't kill it. And don't accidentally hit one of us!" Stein yelled, covering his ears.
No sooner had he spoken than the jiangshi charged at them again. Stein and Jeane screamed and immediately turned to run.
Antonio grabbed the jiangshi from behind and tried to slam it with a suplex, but the creature was far stronger than he imagined. With a furious roar, it threw him backward.
At that moment, the little fox spread its twin tails. They grew longer, wrapped around the jiangshi's neck, and with a fierce pull, slammed the jiangshi hard to the ground.