134: High-level combat

"Old Zhou, you've been cursed!"

"Didn't you just say that? Why repeat it?"

"I'm just afraid you bled too much from your seven orifices earlier and your ears got clogged. Saying it again will deepen your impression."

Having said that, Xiao Sheng once again put on a serious face, instructing the physicians to surround Zhou Yan, constantly monitoring his condition. He then ordered Li Shan to immediately prepare some supplies, while he himself lowered his head and got busy.

"Daoist Priest, what are you doing?"

Yuan Chenling saw the other party somehow bring out a small table and was gesturing back and forth.

Xiao Sheng didn't even lift his head, explaining to everyone while busy with his work.

"The art of curses is originally a heterodox Dao, and my Dao Sect has quite a bit of research on it. I happen to know a little."

"Now I am going to set up an altar and perform a ritual to find out who is secretly cursing Zhou Yan, and then see if there's a way to break it."

"Everyone get ready. After I set up the altar, there will inevitably be a Daoist battle."

"Even with my extraordinary talent and considerable strength, facing an opponent whose background is unknown, I may not necessarily have the upper hand. At critical moments, I will still need everyone's assistance."

Seeing Xiao Sheng's meticulous arrangements and hearing his solemn tone, everyone's expressions also became serious.

However, Zhou Yan, who was surrounded by everyone, fell into deep thought.

This curse is not a special status, so it cannot be removed in conventional ways.

But the attack indeed acted upon him.

Therefore, this should be judged as Spell damage.

However, the combat template was not triggered, and the opponent was not marked on the map, indicating that the curse was not a direct attack. The opponent must have used some kind of medium.

In other words, the current attack relationship is:

The opponent casts a curse, which is equivalent to setting a trap, and he stepped into the trap's range, thus continuously losing health?

Zhou Yan made a preliminary summary of his current state.

However, his analysis was naturally not as professional as Xiao Sheng's. The reason he thought this way was merely to try and find a way to break the curse, as for its feasibility, it was yet unknown.

"Old Xiao, can I ask how the other party cursed me?"

Xiao Sheng was momentarily speechless, not expecting the situation to be so grim and Zhou Yan still having the mind to ask this.

"Uh... you don't understand this branch of Dao, so it's hard for me to explain it in too much detail."

"Roughly speaking, it's by taking your flesh, blood, or hair, using an artifact or Spell as a medium, establishing a Karma connection with you, and then searching for your true name through this connection."

"Once the true name is confirmed, the opponent can solidify the link and directly apply the curse to you through the medium."

"However, even this simple explanation sounds convoluted, and actually understanding it is even more complex."

"If you truly want to understand, now is not the time. For now, you should protect yourself under the care of the physicians. Once you overcome this tribulation, I will explain it to you in detail."

Looking at Xiao Sheng's busy back, Zhou Yan asked again.

"If after being locked on, that person's true name changes, does the Karma still hold?"

Upon hearing this, even the busy Xiao Sheng couldn't help but smile.

"Old Zhou, now is not the time for jokes."

"A true name is closely related to everyone; how can it be changed just by saying so? Even if you willingly change your name now, it's useless. It's like a glass of water; even if you insist it's fire, it doesn't change the fact that it's water."

"Don't overthink things. Everyone is busy saving you right now, yet you, the person involved, act as if nothing is wrong." At this, Xiao Sheng's expression turned a little displeased.

The people around also looked at Zhou Yan with a few shades more seriousness. Zhou Yan could only raise his hands in a gesture of surrender, indicating he would no longer disturb everyone.

However, he already had some ideas in mind.

While Xiao Sheng was busy, Yin Scholar Tree also began his final preparations.

He sat before the altar and lit three sticks of incense.

With a flip of his right hand, a Talisman appeared in his palm. He channeled his magic power, forced out a drop of essence blood, and condensed it into the names "Zhou Yan" and "Chen Huai."

He then controlled the blood characters to attach to both sides of the Talisman.

The moment the names were imprinted, the Talisman paper flashed with a faint light.

Yin Scholar Tree quickly pinched one end of the Talisman paper with two fingers and swiftly passed it over the three sticks of incense, which immediately burned out.

The Talisman paper also changed from a yellow background with red characters to a white background with black characters.

The young man next to him, quick-eyed and quick-handed, immediately replaced them with three newly lit sticks of incense, then placed three red tokens in front of Yin Scholar Tree, before standing quietly to the side, head bowed, Buyu.

Seeing him like this, Yin Scholar Tree sighed helplessly, his tone turning sharp.

"Mo Ran!"

"Do you still remember what I said when I took you as my Disciple?"

The young man gritted his teeth, first clenching his fists tightly, then slowly loosening them.

"You taking me in was nothing more than a whim. If you had met me a little earlier or a little later, you might have only wanted to kill me."

"If the Master-Disciple bond is like this, let alone anything else."

Yin Scholar Tree nodded, not looking at him.

"I initially took you in just to find a test subject, you know this, and I've said it more than once."

"Later, you changed me, making me abandon that idea."

"But I tell you now, I haven't changed. I've thought more than once about using Nascent Soul Possession on your body to achieve Rebirth."

"So, you don't need to have too much affection for me. Take the Spirit Stones and go. Even if I don't die this time, my Lifespan is almost at its end. At that time, I might truly Possess you on the spot."

Mo Ran knew this was just an excuse his Master made to make him leave; he understood this stubborn but soft-hearted Master too well.

Although Yin Scholar Tree had committed many evil deeds, once he formed a bond with someone, he found it difficult to let go.

It was precisely because of this that he was repeatedly harmed by his former 'friends,' and a dignified Nascent Soul fell to his current state. But it was also because of this that he, a test subject, became his only Disciple.

Mo Ran hesitated, wanting to speak, but ultimately said nothing. He shouldered his pack and walked to the cave entrance.

Just as he was about to step out, he said softly.

"Master, this excuse you found is still too fake... so fake that even my childhood self wouldn't be fooled."

With that, he turned and knelt, kowtowing heavily.

"Master, take care!"

He held back his tears, stood up, and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Yin Scholar Tree was somewhat lost in thought.

But soon, he retracted his gaze and looked at the altar.

"Alas, after so many years, I still can't get rid of this bad habit."

"Clearly on the Evil Path, yet always unable to help but be soft-hearted."

"Truly hypocritical."

Yin Scholar Tree formed a hand seal, and the three tokens on the table slowly floated up, while the golden patterns on the Talisman paper also lit up.

With his low shout, the Soul-Reaping Curse was officially activated.

At the same time, inside Jiangzhou Prefecture office, Xiao Sheng's altar was also set up.

The moment he sensed an unknown force approaching, a "buzz" sound was heard.

A sheathed wooden sword flew from his right hand, hovering above the altar, resisting the impact with a stern righteous Qi.

A Daoist battle began.

However, in the next second, that immense force knocked the wooden sword away, sending both him and the altar flying several meters.

All arrangements proved ineffective; Xiao Sheng was easily kicked aside like a roadside stone.

This Daoist battle ended as soon as it began.

Seeing that force rushing straight towards Zhou Yan, Zhou Yan remained completely unalarmed.

He knew that if there was truly a life-threatening danger, the Sword Seal on his chest would activate to protect him, delivering a surprise attack to the opponent as before.

For Zhou Yan, who had experienced that almost omnipotent Law power, he wasn't worried about any accidents.

Unless the opponent was an absurd existence like Arthur, who appeared out of nowhere.

But figures of that level, even if they could move around freely, wouldn't spend all their time playing low-level games and bullying weaker opponents.

So, Zhou Yan, as steady as an old dog, decided to conduct a small experiment first.

Just as Xiao Sheng was sent flying, he simultaneously opened his backpack.