Chapter 774: Practitioners of Human-Spirit Protection Are All Powerhouses

Having now more or less figured out his opponent’s path, Zhang Deming ceased his probing attacks. With a wave of his hand, the miniature water dragon beside him swelled into a roaming dragon dozens of meters long, and Zhang Deming’s own form merged into it.

The Water Dragon’s single horn transformed into Zhang Deming’s upper body, fusing man and dragon together in a peculiar way.

Zhang Deming took a deep breath. ‘Let’s give it a try. This is my first time using the United Force Technique in combat. Time to see its power!’

With a turn of his Heart Spirit, a simple, ancient tome materialized before Zhang Deming.

The tome slowly opened, and a passage, seemingly spoken by countless voices, emanated from its pages.

“Witnessing, listening, telling, recording!”

Zhang Deming gazed at the tome and took a deep breath. Using “United Force” as a conduit, he activated a Law-Level Oratory technique and whispered, “The story goes: The Water Dragon spits a pearl, lotuses bloom like a sea, each petal falling like rain!”

As the Oratory took effect, the Water Dragon beneath him opened its maw. While a sphere of water condensed within its mouth, countless more materialized in perfect sync across the sky.

The densely packed water spheres moved in unison. As the Water Dragon’s mouth gaped, each sphere blossomed into a lotus flower.

As the lotuses spun, their transparent petals shot forth like a rain of arrows, speeding toward the location Zhang Deming had pinpointed with his senses.

The instant the petals launched, the flower-rain—a Daoist Technique combining the arts of several people—erupted with a ferocious aura. Driven by the power of the barely-Tier-Five Water Dragon, it fully evolved into a Tier-Five Law-Level Technique.

The technique’s powerful lock-on and intense pressure forced Guan Lijuan out of her illusion, compelling her to reveal her true form. Her expression changed drastically as she looked up at the rain of flowers filling the sky.

She’d never imagined that Zhang Deming would unleash a Tier-Five Technique before they had even finished probing each other’s abilities. For a Three Talents Cultivator, a technique of such power was an ultimate, last-resort trump card!

She felt the lock-on and knew she couldn’t dodge; her only choice was to meet it head-on. After appearing, she took a deep breath. As Spiritual Power pulsed through her, flowers bloomed at her feet.

“Robes stained in mud, grass sparse in the swamp. A path of vines greens, a thousand flowers bloom! Illusion-Control Vine Path: Swamp-Stained Gown Dance!”

As flowers bloomed in the swamp, Guan Lijuan began to dance upon them with a peculiar rhythm. Two contradictory auras—one seductive, the other pure—emanated from her simultaneously.

In the swamp below, the flowering vines and ooze began to writhe slowly, moved by the strange ripples from her dance. It was as if her performance had granted them life, causing them to sprout countless tentacles. They swayed gently, pulsing in time with her steps.

Facing the sky full of approaching lotus petals, the muddy vines swayed. Like chivalrous protectors, they struck out with incredible rhythm, managing to intercept every single petal.

The clash between their techniques lasted for a moment before slowly subsiding. Zhang Deming felt that he had consumed more than half of his Spiritual Power, and the Dark Pawn inside him began to pulse.

Down below, Guan Lijuan’s dance came to an end. She was panting slightly, like a mortal woman, a clear sign that her own consumption of energy had been immense.

But Zhang Deming gave her no time to rest and use Qi Replenishing. The moment the clash of techniques ended and his Dark Pawn stirred, Zhang Deming’s form vanished. The eyes of the Water Dragon, now free of him, became unnaturally sharp and lively. With a whip of its tail, it swept toward the panting Guan Lijuan.

The power of a true Serpent-Dragon, born from a Tier-Five shaping technique, was nothing to scoff at. Guan Lijuan’s expression changed slightly, and her body trembled once again.

The Water Dragon’s tail struck home, and her body exploded in a spray of mud that splattered everywhere.

Sensing that this was the second time Guan Lijuan had used a Life-Saving Technique in such a short span, Zhang Deming smiled. He had completely figured out her techniques now—and he had seen them before in the records of the Celestial Spirit Main Pavilion!

The Water Dragon suddenly opened its mouth and spoke in a human voice, “Law Order: The Clay Swamp Substitute is hereby forbidden!”

As the Law Order took effect, Guan Lijuan’s form was abruptly expelled from the swamp. Her face was a little pale, and she was panting lightly.

“Shaping, Summoning Spirit, Speech Dao, Sword Dao, Wood Dao, Array Dao… Just who are you?” Guan Lijuan demanded, her expression grim. “To have cultivated so many Daos in one person… Why have I never heard of a Three Talents Cultivator like you within the entire Celestial Spirit Realm?”

“Is that all you’ve got?” Zhang Deming’s voice, full of playful mockery, emerged from the Water Dragon. “Aren’t you remnants supposed to use the Devouring Dao as your core foundation? You’re not very impressive. I haven’t even brought out my ultimate treasure yet!”

“Oh, really? Why don’t you let me see it then, Fellow Daoist?” Guan Lijuan replied with a smile, still catching her breath.

“Heh, I really did prepare something special for you. Here it comes!” Zhang Deming said with a smile. The preparations were complete. The Water Dragon opened its maw.

‘Rune Technique: Sleeve Qiankun’s Dragon Absorbing Water!’

A tremendous suction force erupted from the Water Dragon’s mouth, a gaping maw that seemed capable of devouring heaven and earth itself.

Guan Lijuan, who had been secretly gathering her own power, was caught completely off guard by the pull. As one of the most powerful Control Techniques within the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends Skill, its Law-Level might at Tier Four or Five was already incredibly formidable.

The instant the Water Dragon locked onto her, Guan Lijuan’s expression changed dramatically. She struggled with all her might, but her body was still dragged helplessly toward the dragon.

After several fruitless struggles, she knew that if this went on, she would truly be done for. Her expression turned ruthless, and the Spiritual Power in her body erupted violently.

“Devour all Daos, consume every soul, fall to the Asura, with no regrets in ten thousand deaths! I fade to dust with every dawn, only to repay my lord’s grace! Devouring Dao: Essence-Nourishing Puppet!”

As the technique activated, Guan Lijuan’s already pale face turned deathly white, completely devoid of color.

Her entire aura dropped precipitously, falling all the way to the Human Realm, nearly dropping her out of the Three Talents Stage entirely! And this wasn’t a temporary drop—it was a permanent loss of Cultivation!