16: Chapter 16 Counterattack! The Heavenly Prison of Ten Thousand Thunderbolts

Xu Changsheng's voice echoed from all directions.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, weren't you going to take me treasure hunting? Why the sneak attack?"

Liu Erniu's previously honest face shifted into a treacherous smirk. "You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist. I actually specialize in the way of bones and sinews, and I was just preparing to realign your meridians and set your bones."

Xu Changsheng sneered. "Things have come to this; there's no need for you to keep up the act. Tell me, who sent you to rob and kill me?"

Upon hearing this.

Liu Erniu stopped pretending, the smile vanishing from his face. "You're about to be a dead man. You don't need to know the answer."

Xu Changsheng said calmly, "Oh? You're that confident you can defeat me?"

"Of course. You're just a mere Middle Stage Qi Refining Cultivator. Killing you is as easy as slaughtering a pig."

Liu Erniu boasted arrogantly, "If you know what's good for you, surrender immediately. I might consider leaving your corpse intact. As for that little lady of yours, I'll take good care of her for you, haha!"

"Is that so? Then why don't you try this move of mine first..."

"Myriad Lightning Heavenly Prison!"

Xu Changsheng's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

Surrounding blue light flickered between brightness and shadow, gradually becoming visible beneath the cover of the mist.

Seeing this scene.

Liu Erniu's smile instantly froze.

The mist dissipated completely, revealing that the walls, the attic, and the ground were all densely covered with Lightning Strike Talismans.

Dazzling light flashed, and the roar of thunder was incessant.

"How is this possible!"

Liu Erniu was dumbstruck, fear appearing in his eyes for the first time.

His voice trembled slightly. "You're just a Medium Grade Talisman Master. Where did you get so many Lightning Strike Talismans? These are High Grade Talismans!"

Having said that.

He wanted to flee this terrifying courtyard.

This job had taken a turn for the worse; he was out!

He turned around.

Only to find that the entrance was gone. Where he had entered had abruptly turned into a solid gate, with a grey Talisman fluttering in mid-air.

It was another Tier 1 High Grade Talisman—a Vision Obscuring Talisman.

No matter how arrogant Liu Erniu was, he now recognized the reality of the situation, his expression bitter.

"So you're already a High-Grade Talisman Master... since when?"

Xu Changsheng tossed out a few statue fragments. "I have to thank you for your gift. You didn't even know there was a High Grade Talisman Legacy inside the statue."

"Impossible! I checked it; there was absolutely nothing inside that statue!" Liu Erniu said in disbelief.

Xu Changsheng remained silent, wearing an expression that said 'believe it or not'.

Liu Erniu's pupils dilated as he nearly roared:

"You're lying! Even if there was a Legacy, how could you have advanced to a High-Grade Talisman Master in such a short time? And refined so many High Grade Talismans!"

Xu Changsheng said coldly, "You don't need to know that. Just go to your grave in peace."

Knowing that things looked grim today, Liu Erniu shouted loudly, "Help! Xu Changsheng has ill intentions toward me! He wants to murder old Niu! Someone, save me!"

His voice was infused with magic power, making it deafening.

Normally, it might have been heard by a passing pedestrian.

But.

How could Xu Changsheng not be prepared? He had already purchased a Silencing Talisman yesterday.

Not a sound from the courtyard could be heard outside.

"Don't waste your breath, Fellow Daoist Liu. No one else can hear you. I wish you a safe journey on the road to the Yellow Springs."

As soon as he finished speaking.

The sky changed abruptly as ink-thick thunderclouds gathered over Liu Erniu's head.

The surrounding silver-blue lightning interlaced and coiled, its light so brilliant it was impossible to look at directly, resembling a massive cage of electricity.

The piercing lightning scraped against Liu Erniu's skin; it was exceptionally sharp, carving out streaks of blood.

Seeing that he couldn't escape.

Liu Erniu actually calmed down.

He had encountered many life-and-death moments in the Ancient Wood Secret Realm and knew that the more critical the moment, the more level-headed one needed to be.

He gave a loud shout.

His clothes suddenly burst apart, revealing powerful muscles and a silver-white inner armor.

He took a deep breath.

A blood-red protective shield surged around him, radiating a massive amount of blood-qi energy.

"A Body Refiner?"

Standing deep in the courtyard, Xu Changsheng raised an eyebrow and pressed his hands down. "No matter how many Divine Abilities you have, I don't believe you can escape this thunderous strike."

"Vroom!"

A low hum sounded, and the flickering, interlacing lightning suddenly stopped.

However, in the next instant.

All the lightning turned its focus, striking straight at Liu Erniu in the center.

"Hah!"

Liu Erniu let out a long cry, slapped his Storage Pouch, and summoned two wooden shields to protect himself.

He also pulled out a large stack of Talismans, including several High Grade Talismans.

In the blink of an eye, the attack arrived.

Boom!

The wooden shields held for only a moment before shattering into pieces with a groan.

Then came the collision between Talismans!

Countless crackling and sizzling shrieks rang in Liu Erniu's ears. His surrounding blood-qi was being rapidly consumed, and a crack appeared on his inner armor.

"Not good!"

There were too many Lightning Strike Talismans. With several hundred of them, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would have to respond with caution.

Let alone a Cultivator like him.

Bang!

Boom!

A mushroom cloud suddenly rose in the middle of the courtyard.

Xu Changsheng watched intently.

After a short while.

A strange look appeared on his face. "He's actually not dead yet."

Liu Erniu's strength was indeed formidable. After suffering such a heavy blow, he was still alive.

However, his aura was already very weak.

Not daring to be careless.

Xu Changsheng used a Vision Obscuring Talisman to summon a decoy, which walked into the dust.

Liu Erniu was covered in blood, practically soaked in it. If not for the 'Heaven Incineration Art' he practiced being able to absorb a bit of the lightning's power, he would have perished long ago.

"Speak, who sent you?"

Liu Erniu whimpered, "If... if I tell you, will you spare me, Fellow Daoist?"

"Depends on my mood."

"Then, I won't say."

"Hmph, refusing the easy way only to take the hard way."

The next moment.

Four water arrows shot out from behind the house, piercing Liu Erniu's limbs in sequence, shattering his shoulder and hip bones.

"Ah!"

Even someone as strong-willed as Liu Erniu could not bear it at this point.

"I'll talk, I'll tell you everything! It's the people from the Black Wolf Gang. Their First Leader came to me and said if I lured you out of the market, he'd give me a thousand Spirit Stones."

"The Black Wolf Gang?"

Xu Changsheng had heard of this organization. It was a notorious group of Robber Cultivators near the Ancient Wood Mountain Range. Many Cultivators from Liuyun Market had been plundered by them.

"Was Huang Laifu the one behind it?" Xu Changsheng asked directly.

Liu Erniu looked blank. "Who's Huang Laifu? I don't even know that person."

"Hmm?"

Seeing that he didn't seem to be faking, Xu Changsheng asked a few more questions.

Seeing that there were no more questions, Liu Erniu held onto a shred of hope and asked cautiously, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I've told you everything I know. Do you think you could..."

"Of course I can."

Xu Changsheng's illusion gave a faint smile.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist! Thank you! Once I've recovered, I'll definitely strike at the Black Wolf Gang to avenge you!"

"There's no need to avenge me. Having you go peacefully to your grave is the best gift you can give me."

Xu Changsheng had no intention of letting this man go; they were already in a life-and-death situation.

Condensing all his magic power, he summoned a massive water arrow over ten feet long.

"Xu Changsheng, you untrustworthy bastard!"

Bang!

The moment the water arrow touched Liu Erniu, the latter instantly burst apart, organs flying everywhere.

"I never said I would let you go, not even once."

He picked up Liu Erniu's Storage Pouch, suppressed his nausea to summon a few fireballs to clean up the remains, and then tidied the scene.

After all, it was his first time killing someone, and he still felt a bit uncomfortable.

After ensuring nothing was left in the courtyard.

He took Liu Erniu's Storage Pouch into the house and spent some effort breaking the original Restriction.

He poured everything inside onto the table.

Xu Changsheng's eyes lit up!