As a Saint Stage Witchcraft Master, Guan Ya possessed formidable resistance to curses. Within mere two breaths, the black miasma shrouding the Mage's head rapidly dissipated, and his rationality returned.
Bang!
Guan Ya struck first. Her gun snapped up, her aim locked in an instant. As she squeezed the trigger, a plume of gunpowder smoke erupted from the long barrel.
The Mage, newly restored to his senses, recoiled violently as if struck by a club. A sharp crack echoed from his forehead as the hardened carapace split, releasing a torrent of viscous green fluid.
After breaching the enemy's defenses with her shot, Guan Ya immediately retrieved a half-vial of diluted Life Elixir, clutching it in her palm, ready to inject herself should the Mage attempt to channel a curse through his wounds.
Fortunately, she was surrounded by trustworthy teammates.
The moment the gunshot rang out, Queen tore off the silver ring from her earlobe and hurled it with all her might.
The spinning silver ring struck the Mage's towering two-meter frame, instantly transforming into a water ring that pierced his flesh and constricted violently.
This effectively restrained his movements and disrupted his subsequent curse.
Seizing the opportunity created by their teammates (and enemies), Li Xianzong and Zhang Yuanqing lunged at the Mage in tandem, one from the front, the other from behind.
The first attacker wielded a steel spike in one hand and a butterfly knife in the other, while the second carried a Demon Subduing Pestle and a Blade of Bloodlust.
Both possessed weapons imbued with the Seductive Demon's power, granting them innate armor-piercing capabilities capable of breaching even the toughest chitinous defenses.
Just then, the Mage, bound by two water rings, dropped to his knees and began chanting incantations.
Whether by coincidence or design, his sudden movement perfectly evaded the converging weapons, which grazed past his left and right ears, missing their mark.
This was the core skill of a Level 4 Witchcraft Master: Prayer!
Prayer is a form of Witchcraft. At this level, Witchcraft Masters typically gather materials and perform elaborate prayer rituals before taking action. Through unique incantations, they beseech a great, unseen entity for blessings and guidance, seeking divine favor to ensure the success of their endeavors.
In combat, however, where time is scarce, the ritualistic preparations can be bypassed. By reciting the incantation alone, a Witchcraft Master can invoke Prayer, though its effectiveness is significantly diminished.
Even so, a Saint Stage Witchcraft Master's Prayer, invoked through incantation, remains potent enough to contend with enemies in the Transcendent Phase—far surpassing the makeshift Prayers Li Xianzong could conjure using mere items.
Boom!
The Mage strained his arms, forcibly shattering the water ring. He sprang to his feet from his kneeling position, launching a flying knee strike forward.
Zhang Yuanqing, wearing the Eye of Insight, anticipated the Mage's move. He swiftly retracted the Blade of Bloodlust and, with a thought, summoned the Red Dancing Shoes.
Two intertwining crimson glows enveloped his feet, transforming his sneakers into a pair of gleaming, oversized Dancing Shoes.
If I can't dodge it myself, I'll let an Item that can do the job handle it.
Under the Red Dancing Shoes' control, Zhang Yuanqing's right foot lifted involuntarily, his body arching backward as his heel connected perfectly with the Mage's charging knee.
Bang!
The massive recoil numbed his foot, sending him flying backward in a short, recoil-propelled retreat.
The Mage didn't pursue. Instead, he spun mid-air, whipping his leg back in a powerful kick.
Crack!
Li Xianzong raised his arm to block, staggering from the impact.
"You will all die!" the Mage roared, his voice deep and menacing. He raised his staff high, causing the black gem at its tip to emit a dark, ominous glow.
Every person present felt their hearts clench as if gripped by an invisible hand, the sensation of imminent death returning.
Leaning against the wall, Li Chunfeng heard a thud. His heart sank as he turned to see Chi Ou collapsed on the ground, his pupils dilated.
Weakened and exhausted, Chi Ou collapsed, losing consciousness on the spot.
But the most immediate threat wasn't Chi Ou's collapse, but Li Xianzong, who stood closest to the Mage.
After unleashing a curse upon the crowd, the Mage teleported before Li Xianzong, raised his staff, and prepared to smash the man's head.
Bang!
The sharp gunshot echoed through the air. The Mage recoiled violently, dodging the bullet.
But there was no bullet. The gunshot was an auditory hallucination conjured by the flat-headed man.
Leaning against the wall, he pressed a hand to his lips, perfectly mimicking Guan Ya's gunshot.
Li Xianzong, crouched low, his face contorted with rage as veins bulged across his temples. This Seductive Demon, who had once hunted Saints, tapped into a terrifying reserve of power in his desperate situation. He surged to his feet, transforming into a blur as he slammed into the Mage's chest.
Thunk!
The butterfly knife plunged into the Mage's abdomen, piercing his hardened carapace.
He hadn't used the Curse Nail because the consumable item lacked armor-piercing capabilities.
Roar!
The Mage roared in fury. The gem atop his staff flickered with a dark light, switching curses.
Li Xianzong groaned as his abdomen split open, blood gushing forth.
The Mage raised his staff again, preparing to unleash a Mass Curse.
Bang! The gunshot rang out—this time, it wasn't a hallucination. Guan Ya had pulled the trigger.
The Mage moved in a blur of afterimages, dodging the bullet's lethal strike. Suddenly, the tendrils on his forehead twitched, detecting movement behind him.
He whirled around, his back arching as he swung his staff with brutal force.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the staff was parried by the Blade of Bloodlust.
I can't give him another chance to cast the Curse. The attack must be relentless, or we're all doomed.
Zhang Yuanqing, whose ambush had failed, glanced sideways and saw the Huode Star General charging toward him. Flames erupted from his palm, coalescing into a Blazing Flame Blade radiating intense heat.
The Mage's forehead tendrils twitched violently, sensing imminent danger.
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing gripped his hands tightly, slammed them together before his chest, and unleashed a thunderous explosion. A shockwave of fire erupted in all directions.
The Mage's forehead tendrils trembled violently, disrupting his precise perception.
At that moment, the Huode Star General arrived, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground. He swung the Blazing Flame Blade in a sweeping arc.
Thwack!
The scorching, razor-sharp blade struck true, slicing through the Mage's abdomen where the butterfly knife had pierced earlier. The wound widened into a charred, grotesque gash.
The Mage roared in fury, raising his staff.
Just then, two circular rings descended from the sky, one binding his upper body and the other his legs, interrupting his spellcasting once more.
Bang!
Guan Ya and Li Chunfeng fired simultaneously, bullets tearing into the Mage's body.
Queen sprinted forward, shouting to Zhang Yuanqing, "Give me the blade!"
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing hurled the Blade of Bloodlust.
Queen caught it mid-air, leaped high, and, gripping the yanagiba, plunged it savagely into the Mage's skull.
Thunk! The Mage's head jerked sideways as the Blade of Bloodlust pierced his shoulder. Thick, viscous fluid gushed out, splattering Queen from head to toe.
Now that Queen was in close combat, Guan Ya and Li Chunfeng ceased firing. The critically wounded Mage roared in fury, his arms breaking free from the water rings as he unleashed a curse.
Queen's shoulder exploded, but instead of blood and flesh, clear water erupted.
Using her Water Ghost abilities, she had skillfully evaded the curse's backlash.
Queen retreated swiftly. Seeing the Mage stagger in place instead of pursuing, she felt a surge of elation and shouted:
"His condition is deteriorating!"
Her cry was meant for both her teammates and the Evil Faction.
As her words faded, she suddenly gasped, her legs buckling beneath her. Weakness washed over her, her throat began to itch, and her lungs burned as she erupted into a violent cough.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Zhang Yuanqing and Huode Star General clutched their mouths, coughing violently.
They'd been poisoned!
Their enemy was a Witchcraft Master—a master of poisons.
Guan Ya and Li Chunfeng's hearts tightened. They decisively pulled their triggers, creating an opening for their Captain.
Sensing an opportunity, the Evil Faction members sprang into action. A middle-aged man in a suit and polished leather boots slipped on brass knuckles and charged toward the Mage with a thud-thud-thud.
The gaunt middle-aged man crouched low, his features elongating into a rat-like snout. Thin black whiskers sprouted from his cheeks, and the muscles in his legs strained against his trousers. A tail as thick as a forearm extended from his tailbone.
In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a Ratman. His clawed hand snatched a pitch-black bamboo tube from his Inventory.
The buzz-cut man roared, wrapping his arms around the house behind him. With brute force, he uprooted the entire structure, foundation and all, and hurled it at the Mage.
This was, of course, an illusion, but the Mage sensed imminent danger.
He instinctively dodged aside, only to feel a sudden pain in his abdomen. A jade-green poison needle had pierced his charred knife wound, dissolving instantly and seeping into his body.
The illusion and poison needle worked in tandem, ensuring a successful ambush.
However, for a Saint Stage Witchcraft Master, this minor dose of poison was barely a nuisance.
From the very beginning, the Evil Faction had been suppressed in this battle.
Inspired by the distant Guan Ya, Zhang Yuanqing seized the chaos to fire his rifle. The sharp bullet struck the Mage squarely in the back of the head, causing an explosive impact.
The Mage staggered forward, colliding directly with the iron-fisted punch of the suit-clad man, who wore brass knuckles.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A barrage of iron-fisted blows rained down on the Mage's face and abdomen. Though only a Level 2 Seductive Demon, the suit-clad man was a natural combatant. His ferocious combo attacks left the boss completely unmoved.
The Wood Spirit Youth, who had been observing the battle from the sidelines, calmly dragged away several poisoned teammates. He pulled out medicinal pills from his pocket and distributed them to Zhang Yuanqing and the others, saying, "Chew these before swallowing."
He then retrieved a finger-thick incense stick from his Inventory. "Huode Star General, light this for me."
The Huode Star General, his face pale and defeated, chewed the pill and rubbed two fingers against the incense stick. Blue smoke curled upward, carrying a refreshing herbal aroma that filled his nostrils. He felt his spirits lift, and the pain in his throat and lungs began to subside.
"Wait a little longer, and the poison will be neutralized," the Wood Spirit Youth said, offering the incense to Zhang Yuanqing and the Queen before immediately extinguishing it. "This is a consumable item. Every bit we use is gone forever."
Having a Recovery Sorcerer in the team was truly reassuring, Zhang Yuanqing thought, his gaze fixed intently on the distant battle.
The Mage grabbed the suited man by the neck and slammed him violently to the ground.
Bang!
The floor tiles cracked, and blood seeped from the suited man's mouth and nose.
The Ratmen immediately provided ranged support, firing a barrage of poison needles. Some ricocheted off the Mage's keratinous armor, while others pierced his wounds. Though the needles caused intense pain, they failed to shake the Saint Stage Witchcraft Master.
Li Xianzong, his abdomen drenched in blood, crouched low like a panther, closing in on the Mage. He drove the Curse Nail savagely into the Mage's shattered occiput, the wound Guan Ya had inflicted.
With a sickening crack, the Mage twisted the suited man's neck, then ducked low, evading Li Xianzong's ambush. His free hand, still gripping his staff, swung upward in a vicious arc.
Whack!
The staff struck Li Xianzong's wrist with brutal force, shattering the bone and sending the Curse Nail clattering to the ground.
Li Xianzong's expression remained unchanged as he casually kicked the Curse Nail toward the Ratmen.
Having made this move, he braced himself for the Mage's close-quarters assault. But at that moment, a gunshot rang out from the distance, striking the Mage squarely in the chest. The bullet pierced his armor, leaving a finger-deep wound.
The boss was clearly weakening, no longer able to evade bullets. Li Xianzong's eyes lit up. He stepped forward, extending his butterfly knife toward the bullet wound in the Mage's left chest.
"Ah!"
The blade pierced the Mage's heart, and he let out a piercing scream. "You dogs of the Court will all die!"
With his last ounce of strength, he raised his staff, the black gem at its tip glowing with a dark, malevolent light.
Everyone present paled, their hearts clenching in agonizing pain. A tidal wave of agony and suffocation washed over them. Having endured three consecutive curses, their effects compounded, each person felt their life force rapidly draining away, as if they were on the brink of death.
Li Xianzong, Zhang Yuanqing, the Queen, and the Huode Star General were particularly affected.
Zhang Yuanqing's vision blurred, his mind went blank, and he lost the ability to think.
So... so painful... I'm going to die. Li Chunfeng, his face ashen, stumbled over to the unconscious Chi Ou, grabbed the Scarecrow from the ground, pinched its head between two fingers, and squeezed with all his might.
The Mage's body stiffened, a layer of black mist enveloped his head, and the curse was interrupted.
Li Xianzong was the first to regain his senses. He ducked low and lunged into the Mage's embrace, wrapping his arms around the Mage's waist while simultaneously lowering his hips and tightening every muscle in his body, achieving the effect of a thousand-pound weight.
"Quick! Attack his head!" Li Xianzong roared.
The Ratman immediately inserted the Curse Nail into the bamboo tube, took a deep breath, and exhaled all the air in his lungs in a single, explosive burst.
Pfft!
The Curse Nail successfully pierced the wound at the back of the Mage's head, causing it to burst open.
The Mage's body froze, his Spectral Entity rapidly dissipating. He stood motionless for a few seconds before collapsing with a thunderous crash.
It's over.
Seeing this, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, gasping for air as if they had just completed a long and arduous journey. Exhaustion washed over them in waves.
Simultaneously, Spirit Realm Walkers from both factions heard the Spirit Realm's notification:
[ Ding! You have successfully slain the Evil Mage. Claim your rewards immediately and eliminate the opposing faction. ]
Instantly, members of both the Evil and Orderly Factions surged to their feet, their gazes converging on the staff lying beside the corpse.
Unlike the others, Zhang Yuanqing received a second notification:
[ Ding! You have completed the hidden quest—The Greedy Mage (3/3). ]
[ The Greedy Mage: Driven by greed for the treasures left behind by the Yin-Yang Wanderer, he conspired with Squire Zhao and Wang the Scoundrel to murder the Wanderer's descendants. Yet all he obtained was a staff imbued with a potent curse. ]
[ Note: Like me, you will forever remain trapped in this town. ]
[ Quest Item: Yin-Yang Robe (Unclaimed) ]