Chapter Forty-Eight: The Protective Barrier!

"Young sir~ wait for your elder sister."
A seductive, spine-tingling whisper drifted from behind.
The moment this honeyed, velvety voice reached his ears, Qi Xiu felt as if lightning had struck him.
His mind instantly plunged into wild, forbidden fantasies.
Countless blushing, heart-pounding scenes flashed before his eyes.
For a moment, it was as if warm arms had wrapped around him, sapping all strength from his body, leaving him limp and weak.
His once commanding lead slowed visibly.
Demonic sorcery—he feared he would not escape this time...
At the city gate, Yuan Baiyi watched, eyes grave.
In his vision, four or five faintly pink, fox-shaped mists swirled around Qi Xiu, coyly enticing, tugging at his soul.
This was fox demon magic.
Without spiritual cultivation or a protective aura,
An ordinary person, once ensnared, could never break free.
With the mutated beasts drawing ever closer, Qi Xiu, mind muddled, summoned his last shred of clarity.
He bit down hard, piercing his tongue.
A spray of blood mist erupted.
With a swift grasp, he used heart's blood as ink.
In an instant, Qi Xiu traced the character for "Ward" upon his brow.
His mind was fortified!
No evil could invade!
A brilliant glow radiated from the character on his brow!
This time, the talisman’s radiance was different from the usual blazing golden light.
Instead, the brilliance was restrained, sinking into Qi Xiu’s body.
Since entering the third realm of calligraphy,
The mystical power of the "Ward" character had evolved.
From outward, forceful suppression,
It had given rise to a gentle, inward protection.
All wicked desires and stray thoughts were erased under the warding golden light.
The fox-shaped demon mist still circled stubbornly, attempting to corrupt his soul.
But with the talisman’s protection,
A faint golden sheen now flowed across Qi Xiu’s skin,
Illuminating him completely, without flaw or gap.
No matter what tricks the demon mist attempted, it could not penetrate him in the slightest.
Clarity returned to his eyes.
Qi Xiu summoned his lightness skill and accelerated again,
Barely dodging a monstrous maw that nearly took a bite out of him.
"Talisman magic?
A disciple of the Luminous Treasure Sect?"
Yuan Baiyi’s expression turned to surprise.
Had that pack of lunatics come out to subdue demons again?
…
"Escaped already?"
Among the mutated beasts, a petite fox with sleek fur and two rosy tails lifted, looked on in human-like astonishment.
A mere mortal, and yet he broke free of my demonic arts?

That golden light… a disciple of the great sect?
Heh, it’s been ages since I’ve tasted the flesh and blood of one raised in the great sect, their bodies tempered from youth—just the thought makes me crave it.
Drool oozed from her lips as the fox demon’s eyes shone with a strange light, faintly reflecting Qi Xiu’s departing figure.
…
He was safe.
Reaching the foot of Baohua County’s walls in a single breath, Qi Xiu let out a deep sigh of relief, glancing back at the marauding horde of mutated beasts.
Now it was up to the Westwind Army.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Qi Xiu strode toward the city.
But after just two steps, he looked up—
A figure stood barring the gate, sword in hand, wearing an odd expression.
Finished!
Did they discover I’d drugged the gate guards and slipped out?
Staring at Yuan Baiyi, Qi Xiu’s face paled; his raised foot hesitated, then lowered.
"Luminous Treasure Sect?"
Looking at the dazed (and frightened) Qi Xiu standing before him, Yuan Baiyi tentatively asked.
What?
What did he just say?
Was that a local dialect?
Not catching Yuan Baiyi’s words, Qi Xiu, deciding that less was more, simply opened his mouth:
"Mm."
"Out in the world before attaining spiritual cultivation—your master is certainly bold." Seeing Qi Xiu acknowledge it, Yuan Baiyi stepped aside with a wry look.
"Go in. There’s a demon in that beast horde—one you can’t handle."
Though unsure what exactly had happened,
It seemed his escapade—drugging the guards and evading surveillance—had not been exposed.
Steadying himself, Qi Xiu clasped hands in salute:
"Thank you, General, for your rescue. Sorry to trouble you."
Having safely returned to the city, Qi Xiu shook his head at the four slumbering gate guards.
So, after all that, he’d come full circle.
Just as Qi Xiu bemoaned his failed escape,
The thunderous, disciplined march of an army echoed from the street corner.
The assembled Westwind troops raced to the city gate.
At the front, Officer Nie Xun carried a great standard, eyes blazing with fighting spirit, the banner shining in the night.
"Prepare for battle."
With a soft command, Yuan Baiyi slowly drew his sword—a blade of pure white, broad and heavy. With a single sweep, the wind howled as if he wielded a thousand-pound weapon!
"Yes, sir!"
A hundred voices replied, eyes fixed and fierce.
As the foul, stinking beast horde surged nearer,
Yuan Baiyi’s gaze sharpened—a luminous aura enveloped him, an impenetrable shield.
Boom!
With a mighty step, the ground sank beneath him.
Transformed into a streak of light, Yuan Baiyi charged directly into the mutated beasts.
His enchanted sword swept out with crushing force.
Anything it touched—
The struck beasts exploded like clay figures smashed by a boulder,
Instantly reduced to bloody mist!

And the mutated beasts’ attacks against Yuan Baiyi were utterly ineffective.
That serene, translucent shield was like an invincibility mode in a game.
No matter how they bit or clawed, they could not so much as shake it,
Nor harm Yuan Baiyi within.
All they could do was watch helplessly as his massive sword descended, destroying them utterly.
With a single sweep, two boar-sized monsters were shattered. Yuan Baiyi, eyes cold, swept his gaze and caught sight of a petite figure hidden at the heart of the beast horde.
"If you don’t come out, little demon, I’ll slaughter every one of your minions."
"Hehehe, is the young sir so eager to see his elder sister?
You’re almost adorable, the way you hurry."
A teasing, melodious laugh echoed, the seductive sound attempting to shake Yuan Baiyi’s will.
"Wildling demon, this is all the coquettishness you can muster?"
Face ice-cold, Yuan Baiyi’s tiger eyes blazed.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and he swung his sword in a fierce arc.
A torrent of silvery light burst forth, instantly slicing through over a dozen mutated beasts in his path.
Clang—
The sword’s radiance struck a murky, foul-smelling shield.
"Young sir, you do have sharp eyes, to find me so quickly."
Speaking in human tongue, the fox demon’s eyes curved in a smile, every gesture radiating a heady charm.
"My niece’s been clamoring for a fox-fur cloak—your glossy pelt will do nicely."
Facing the revealed demon, Yuan Baiyi grinned.
"That depends on whether you have the skill to take it."
Before the words faded, the fox demon transformed into a crimson whirlwind, churning up earth and rock, becoming a tornado of dust that hurtled toward Yuan Baiyi.
"Let’s find out."
Boom, boom, boom!
Yuan Baiyi, a streak of light, and the fox’s tornado collided with a crash.
Waves of shock rippled in all directions.
The nearby beasts shrieked and scattered; the ground itself was torn up and flung aside.
Pure and impure energies—two shields—clashed fiercely!
Sparks erupted, burning holes the size of washbasins into the earth.
One could hardly imagine the devastation at the heart of their clash.
How terrifying it must be!

…
From beneath the distant city gate,
Qi Xiu watched the battle between Yuan Baiyi and the fox demon, his eyes bright with wonder.
To transform into a streak of light, shielded in invincibility...
Was this, perhaps, the realm above True Intention—
The so-called "Ancient Gathering of Celestial Power"?
Hmm… this shield… bears a striking resemblance to my third-realm 'Ward' talisman…
Very similar indeed…