Chapter 214: The Battle Outside The Cave

The deity looked bizarre, vicious, and savage. Yet as Li Yan looked at it, he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity. Memories from his previous life surged into his mind. He had seen this thing on a thangka while traveling!

It was Goddess Mamo!

Li Yan did not know much about the deity. He had only heard from the person selling the thangka that Goddess Mamo had originally been a guardian deity of the Tibetan Bon religion. There were many kinds like her, all of them violent and ferocious in temperament. Later, they were subdued by Padmasambhava and became guardian deities of Tibetan Buddhism.

Such things were also common in the Central Plains. Certain deities worshipped among the common people would be formally enfeoffed and brought under the mystic sects, symbolizing the merging of different religious traditions and beliefs.

However, things were clearly not so simple in this world. Judging from the foreign monk's clothing, he should belong to some lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Moreover, gods and ghosts could not normally be seen!

This has to be an illusion!

Li Yan's heart jolted. Just as he was about to retreat, he suddenly found his entire body turning stiff.

At some point, the blood-red eyes of the goddess behind the monk had landed firmly upon him, and a beating heart had appeared in her hand. Sharp nails dug into its enormous black hand. As her hand slowly tightened around the heart and began squeezing, Li Yan immediately felt an agonizing pain in the left side of his chest.

A curse!

The white-robed men did not seem surprised to see the foreign monk restrain Li Yan. Two of them immediately raised their crossbows, preparing to shoot Li Yan dead.

However, that alone was clearly not enough.

Ring, ring, ring!

The Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin tassel trembled. Li Yan regained control of his body and he swayed left and right, dodging the incoming crossbow bolts while simultaneously sweeping a hand across his waist and throwing a flying knife.

He used hidden force in the throw, sending the knife straight toward the foreign monk's head. Of course, Li Yan's goal was merely to interrupt the monk's mystic art. He knew it wouldn't be easy to kill an expert like that.

The illusion of the goddess had yet to disappear from his vision, meaning the opponent's technique was still active. His only chance was to force the technique to dispel when the monk avoided his knives.

Unexpectedly, the foreign monk did not dodge at all. He opened his mouth and caught the incoming flying knife between his teeth. His cold white teeth clenched hard as he bit the flying knife clean in half.

Crack!

That flying knife had been thrown with hidden force! From how easily the monk dealt with it, it was obvious he was also a martial arts expert, likely already at the Jin Transformation Realm!

Of course, that interruption was still enough to stop him from casting his mystic art.

In Li Yan's hand, the White Tiger Token had already appeared. At the same time, he stepped according to the formation of the Big Dipper and formed a hand seal. "Nuogao, three stars upon the left, three prisons upon the right. Heaven overturns and Earth reverses. All nine paths are sealed. Let your mind be lost as east becomes west, south becomes north..."

"RAWR!" A tiger's roar filled the air and the illusion before Li Yan instantly vanished.

What he had used was the Northern Emperor Protection. Not only could it protect the caster, it could also use the incantation's power to attack the enemy's soul.

The foreign monk let out a muffled grunt and staggered backward several steps. With his technique broken, his soul had also suffered a shock.

However, the man's cultivation was clearly extraordinary. He merely shook his head before quickly recovering. Killing intent flashed in his eyes as he removed a demon-subduing vajra from his waist. Its front end was pointed, while a bizarre deity had been carved into its rear.

The monk stamped his bare foot against the ground. His red robes billowed as he lunged directly at Li Yan, thrusting the demon-subduing vajra downward with a peculiar technique.

After seeing the monk bite through the flying knife earlier, Li Yan already knew the monk was no easy opponent to deal with. From the looks of it, he was a Jin Transformation Realm expert with martial arts from a Tibetan lineage. Naturally, Li Yan did not dare underestimate him.

Shing!

Earth Breaker suddenly left its sheath. Li Yan did not retreat at all. He stepped forward to close the distance and slashed straight ahead with the blade held horizontally. His weapon was longer than the monk's, giving him the advantage in reach.

At the same time, the Soul-Hooking Chain came whistling out with a metallic rattle. It now had a length of six chi. Even if his opponent was a Jin Transformation Realm expert who also trained in the mystic arts, once his soul was restrained, Li Yan could still pierce his heart with a single thrust.

But Li Yan had not expected that the foreign monk would have a vision related divine ability, and could vaguely perceive the shape of the Soul-Hooking Chain. The monk’s eyes widened in shock as he abruptly twisted the demon-subduing vajra in his hand and swept it to the side, trying to knock the Soul-Hooking Chain away.

His demon-subduing vajra was also a spiritual treasure. Unfortunately for him, it was completely useless against the incorporeal Soul-Hooking Chain.

Rattle!

The Soul-Hooking Chain passed directly through the treasure and entered his body.

The next second, something happened that Li Yan had never expected.

Crack!

A Tibetan silver and turquoise pendant hanging from the monk's chest suddenly shattered, and the normally unstoppable Soul-Hooking Chain was actually repelled. It was the first time such a thing had ever happened.

The foreign monk was badly startled. He stomped his right foot heavily against the ground. Dirt sprayed everywhere with a loud blast as his body shot backward.

Although the Soul-Hooking Chain had failed to connect, Li Yan would never let such an opportunity slip away. Hidden force erupted beneath his feet, allowing him to almost shrink the ground beneath him, while Earth Breaker slashed down viciously.

The monk had no time to evade and could only raise his demon-subduing vajra to block.

With a crisp clang, the treasure was cut cleanly in two.

But even though Li Yan had destroyed his opponent's spiritual treasure, the foreign monk still had bought enough time to avoid the rest of the attack. Both shocked and enraged, he nevertheless had no time to counterattack.

Instead, the monk grabbed the strange golden pendant hanging from his chest, changed the hand seal formed by his fingers, and chanted, "Om, Mahakala, hum phat."

Li Yan twirled his blade and narrowed his eyes. He could smell some kind of incense aura suddenly surrounding the monk. It carried both a bloody scent and the fragrance of butter. The aura vaguely formed the shape of a Buddha around him, enveloping his entire body.

It's some kind of protective spell!

Apparently, it had been prepared specifically to counter the Soul-Hooking Chain. At the same time, the white-robed men raised their bamboo tubes. Clearly, they had also realized that Li Yan was difficult to deal with and intended to use their Nether Torches.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Just then, the venomous hornets descended like an angry horde. Lu San had noticed Li Yan's dangerous situation through the hawk and sent them to assist him.

The venomous hornets swarmed around the white-robed men, stinging them until they screamed repeatedly. They hurriedly tore off their clothes and swung them wildly in every direction. How could they possibly spare any attention to continue attacking?

Seeing his teammates rendered useless, the foreign monk frowned and once again reached for his hand drum, intending to use its sound to drive away the venomous hornets.

However, Li Yan naturally would not allow him to succeed. He thrust his blade straight at the monk. The Jia Horse Talismans had already lost their effect, so Li Yan's speed was no different from usual. He simply didn't have the time to take out more talismans.

The foreign monk revealed a sinister smile at Li Yan's actions. His right hand did not reach for the drum at all, but instead plunged into the leather pouch at his waist and pulled out a handful of red clay.

The red clay somewhat resembled cinnabar, but it gave off a pungent odor. The monk rubbed the red clay between his palms, causing crimson smoke to rise from them. Facing Li Yan's blade, he neither dodged nor retreated. Instead, he abruptly brought both palms together.

With a sharp scrape, his bare palms actually clamped down on Earth Breaker, producing the sound of metal grinding against metal.

Great Vajrayana Seal!

Li Yan's pupils contracted. "Dharma-Martial Arts!"

Dharma-Martial Arts combined mystic arts with martial arts. Many Dharma lineages possessed such methods, with the most famous being the Huaguang Sect. They had numerous branches and generally worshipped the Huaguang Great Emperor, commonly known among the people as Marshal Ma.

Its teachings emphasized fierce and powerful martial techniques combined with mystic arts. Many of those who inherited its lineage were wandering jianghu practitioners or people from martial professions.

The Great Vajrayana Seal worked on the same principle. Judging by its appearance, it combined martial arts, hand seals, and secret techniques, allowing the practitioner to confront spiritual weapons barehanded. No wonder the monk had deliberately allowed Li Yan to come close.

Li Yan did not panic in the slightest. He sneered, formed a hand seal with his left hand, braced it against the hilt of the blade, and suddenly released the energy he stored within.

Crackle!

Yin lightning exploded and the crimson smoke around the foreign monk's palms immediately became unstable. At the same time, electricity flickered through his beard. His strength slackened, and he stumbled backward several steps.

The Jin Transformation Realm was merely a more advanced application of hidden force. Before achieving the Core Jin Realm, once the martial artist lost their single continuous breath, their strength would likewise weaken.

Crimson smoke and sparks scattered everywhere as Li Yan managed to push Earth Breaker another chi deeper through the monk’s palms.

Squelch!

The blade stabbed slightly into the monk's chest.

The monk roared in pain. "AH!"

His strength abruptly gathered once more, his muscles bulging and veins standing out all over his body as he twisted violently.

Li Yan felt an enormous force surge through the blade. His expression changed slightly as he twisted through the air like a sparrowhawk, shedding the force while simultaneously pulling the blade free and slashing upward in one smooth motion.

Squelch!

The foreign monk's left leg immediately began pouring blood. He had only avoided worse because he dodged in time. Otherwise, even the tendons in his leg would have been severed.

Whether in martial arts or cultivation, Li Yan was slightly inferior to the foreign monk. Yet with the might of Earth Breaker, he still held the upper hand. If he reached the third level of cultivation and his Northern Emperor Yin Lightning Palm was somewhat stronger, the foreign monk would probably have already lost his head.

After being wounded repeatedly, the foreign monk was thoroughly enraged. He cursed in an awkward accent, "You're courting death!"

He reached for the prayer beads hanging at his chest. Clearly, they too were some kind of spiritual treasure. As he was about to deal with Li Yan, a sudden instinct of danger surged through him, and he hurriedly twisted sideways.

A flash of fire exploded in the distance. Lu San appeared through the mountain fog, smoke curling from the item in his hand.

The foreign monk had protective incantations around his body, making the venomous hornets too afraid to approach, so Lu San had taken the opportunity to aim at him with the firearm he had taken back then. The monk possessed a vision type divine ability and had been completely focused on fighting Li Yan, so naturally he had failed to notice Lu San's attack from afar.

Blood and flesh exploded from the foreign monk's face. He had dodged at the last moment, so the shot had missed anything vital.

Li Yan and the others did not know that the monk cultivated Vajrayana Buddhism. Not only did it grant him astonishing strength, it also gave him an extraordinary spiritual sensitivity to danger. Even so, half the monk's face had been mangled beyond recognition. His jawbone and the surrounding flesh had been completely blasted away, and blood was pouring out without stopping.

"Kh...khh!"

The foreign monk's eyes were filled with terror. Enduring the excruciating pain, he abruptly shook his robe, and crimson smoke immediately spread through the surroundings.

The robe dropped to the ground, while the monk himself had already begun stumbling backward in flight. It was some kind of escape technique. But with his jaw shattered and no way to chant an incantation, he naturally could not bring out its full power. He was simply terrified of another shot from the firearm and was using the smoke to obscure their vision.

He exerted hidden force through his feet, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Li Yan naturally would not let the opportunity slip away. He sprang forward, diving and rolling forward to snatch one of the bamboo tubes discarded on the ground. Grabbing the hemp rope at its rear, he yanked hard.

Phosphorous fire and oil sprayed outward like the breath of a fire dragon.

The white-robed men were the unluckiest. They had already been stung unconscious by the venomous hornets, only to be set ablaze by the phosphorous oil. Screaming, they woke again in a daze and tumbled down the slope.

The foreign monk was naturally the main target. The Nether Torch drenched him from head to toe. He instantly became a human torch, roaring as he rolled frantically across the ground.

However, he had extraordinary vitality. Even after being burned until he resembled a piece of charcoal, he continued struggling. Only after a long while did he finally stop moving.

Seeing Lu San about to step forward and inspect the body, Li Yan hurriedly stopped him. "Don't go near him!"

He held Earth Breaker horizontally before him, still staring intently ahead. "There's something strange about this foreign monk. There's still another scent inside his body."

That was precisely why Li Yan had chosen to burn him with the Nether Torch.

The monk carried a jumble of scents. Blood, incense, bronze... Who knew how many elaborate and bizarre techniques he had cultivated? But what made Li Yan even more wary was the icy, unnatural presence inside his body. It pulsed like a heartbeat, and merely smelling it made Li Yan's entire body feel uncomfortable.

They were not familiar with Tibetan traditions. Who knew what strange techniques they might practice? As such, Li Yan had simply burned him to death.

Sure enough, something abnormal suddenly happened. The chest of the monk's charred corpse abruptly split open with a strange squelch, and a centipede crawled out. The centipede was as long as a chopstick. Its shell was pitch-black; its densely packed legs were turquoise in color; and every segment of its carapace bore a blood-red spot.

Just looking at it made one's skin crawl.

Li Yan frowned slightly and raised Earth Breaker. The creature looked disgusting; it certainly could not be anything good. Yet before he could strike, Lu San's little white fox shot past him in a white blur. At the same time, the hawk dove down from overhead, and the venomous hornets from the demon gourd all beelined toward the centipede.

Li Yan was startled and hurriedly glanced at Lu San.

Lu San could only shake his head helplessly. "That insect seems to be beneficial to spirit beasts."

Li Yan revealed a thoughtful look and asked, "Do you feel disgusted by this thing?"

It had been one of the stranger phenomenons during the battle at Azure Dragon Mountain. For some reason, Lu San had instinctively felt disgust whenever he saw the heavenly treasure formed from the dinosaur egg.

No one else had felt anything at all. Li Yan suspected that it might have something to do with Lu San's innate divine ability. But as for what exactly, he had no clue.

Lu San shook his head slightly. "I don't feel anything. This thing was probably formed through some secret art. I can't hear any sounds from it at all."

As they spoke, the unfortunate centipede had already been divided up and eaten. The little white fox bit off half, and the hawk took the other half. Only the venomous hornets got nothing at all. They buzzed about angrily, yet did not dare attack either of them.

Li Yan frowned. "Make them settle down."

He walked across the ground littered with corpses and followed the mountain path toward the caves. They had originally suspected that the Raft Sect had discovered a gold mine and was secretly excavating it, but now it was obvious that something else was going on.

The mountain paths that followed the steep cliffs had all been carved out recently. They were about three chi wide, and bore tracks left by wheelbarrows.

Dense mountain fog blanketed the depths below. They could hear the sound of rushing water but could not see the river, making the location quite well concealed.

Once they arrived at one of the caves, Li Yan examined it carefully. Although the interior was pitch-dark, he formed the Yang Seal and relied on his divine ability, allowing him to perceive everything clearly.

The cave had already been excavated more than three zhang deep. Crude wooden supports held it up, while an overturned wheelbarrow lay near the entrance with chunks of ore scattered all over the ground.

Li Yan entered, picked up a piece, then carried it outside and examined it beneath the sunlight. It was a dark green stone that looked entirely unremarkable. By then, the others had also climbed the mountain carrying their weapons.

The moment Sha Lifei saw the stone, he was startled. "This is phosphate ore!"

Phosphate ore?

Li Yan froze for a moment before realization dawned.

It was related to firearms again!

Sha Lifei gritted his teeth and grunted, "They know how to make Dragon Fire and Nether Torches, so of course they need to gather large quantities of phosphate ore for refining. The Raft Sect really is planning a rebellion!"

But Li Yan shook his head slightly. "They... might not actually be members of the Raft Sect."

He led the others deeper to investigate. Sure enough, they soon discovered something else. They found another mine tunnel, this one extraordinarily deep. Li Yan took a sniff, his expression immediately darkening, and led everyone inside.

Because it was a phosphate mine, they did not dare use torches for fear of causing an accident. Rather, round beads had been embedded along the walls, each emitting a faint green glow.

Sha Lifei's eyes immediately widened and he gasped. "Luminous pearls!"

Li Yan shook his head. "That's fluorite. It's poisonous."

"Huh?" Sha Lifei still looked doubtful. But before long, he shut his mouth.

Soon, they discovered a prison cell inside the mine that was filled with corpses.

Every body was emaciated to the bone, their skin showing abnormal discoloration. Dried vomit and excrement covered the surrounding ground, releasing a pungent stench. Under the sickly glow of the fluorite, the scene looked like hell itself...