Ji Yuan grinned wryly, a hint of helplessness in his expression and a touch of confusion in his eyes.
Was it a custom in the cultivation world outside to engage in such exchanges before every fight?
He shook his head, flicked his finger at the formation disk before him, and activated the magic power he had previously infused into it, causing a hazy glow to emanate.
Immediately, weapons such as sabers, spears, swords, and halberds appeared on the four shores. Though no larger than his palm, they rapidly expanded several times their size under the infusion of the formation's power!
At Ji Yuan's mental command, these weapons shot through the air, hurtling towards the hook-nosed middle-aged man.
Seeing this, the man remained unhurried. He tossed the bronze mirror in his hand, causing it to suspend above his head.
Then, the hook-nosed middle-aged man formed a hand seal, and the bronze mirror emitted a pure white light. Wherever its beams shone, the weapons transformed from formation items were frozen in mid-air.
"Absorb!"
He declared in a cold, arrogant voice.
As soon as his voice fell, a suction force emerged from the bronze mirror, effortlessly drawing the more than ten formation items used for attack into the mirror's surface.
Ji Yuan's brow twitched at this, and he became somewhat interested in the bronze mirror, wishing he could get his hands on it for a closer examination.
"Is that all you've got?"
The hook-nosed middle-aged man said coldly, "It's rather disappointing. Perhaps I should have acted sooner to at least loosen my muscles."
A look of regret crossed his face, as if not acting sooner was a significant missed opportunity.
The man's expression left Ji Yuan speechless, thinking, 'Just fight, why so much useless chatter?'
He sighed softly, his mood for probing gone. His hands moved swiftly, forming seals, and the magic power that had only just recovered within him began to circulate through his meridians.
In an instant, talismans emerged from the water, radiating varying shades of blue light.
However, the opponent's expression remained unchanged, even showing a hint of disdain in his eyes.
Even with a hundred talismans aimed at him, perhaps it was due to supreme confidence in his own cultivation, or perhaps they were ordinary talismans incapable of causing him any harm.
But Ji Yuan believed that the man's greatest reliance was the bronze mirror hovering above his head.
Although the item was not unleashing its full power, it was likely of extremely high grade, possessing at least seven or eight layers of post-natal restrictions.
However, if that were the case, it would still be no match for the trump card he had prepared.
He wasted no more time, forming a hand seal and then speaking softly, "Formation of Talismans... Rise!"
As his voice faded, a ripple of water emanated from his body, seemingly slow yet rapidly spreading outwards.
In just the time it took to snap one's fingers, one hundred and eight talismans glowed, forming wondrous connections with each other!
The magic power pre-stored in the talisman cores ignited. Seventy-two talismans instantly burned to ash, a few drops of rainwater silently fell, transforming into a gentle drizzle.
A mist then enveloped the entire lake, and in the air, several feet high, patches of mist and clouds appeared!
The remaining thirty-six talismans ignited, and bolts of lightning as thick as an arm flashed within the rolling clouds and mist, unleashing an aura of destruction.
At that moment, dark clouds gathered, and the white mist instantly turned into a vast expanse of oppressive gloom. An immense sense of pressure descended.
The hook-nosed middle-aged man's expression finally changed. He looked around in surprise and, without hesitation, fully activated the bronze mirror above his head.
Although he spouted a lot of nonsense and appeared arrogant, he was not a fool. Cultivating to the second realm was a testament to one's talent.
However, it was now a little too late to realize something was amiss.
Boom!
Boom boom!!
Boom boom boom!!!
Flashing bolts of lightning then furiously struck from all directions, their destructive impact bombarding the hook-nosed middle-aged man.
In a mere instant, he was submerged in endless lightning. The thunderous roar was incessant, and the violent power seemed capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart.
But it was not over yet!
Ji Yuan raised an arm, his eyes gleaming with fluctuating spiritual light. Suddenly, the sound of surging waves arose, and six heavy water pearls, carrying dense water karma, flew out from the lakebed.
Each heavy water pearl weighed dozens of pounds on its own. After activating the first layer of restriction, their weight surged to hundreds of pounds!
Now imbued with ample essence of water karma, they reached a combined weight of sixteen hundred pounds, hovering in the air and radiating layers of water light.
"Go!"
Ji Yuan clenched his palm, and the six heavy water pearls shot towards the dense lightning, their passage through the air accompanied by the roar of the wind!
RUMBLE!!!
The intertwined essence of water karma, descending with the heavy water pearls, caused the surging spiritual energy to become incredibly violent. Coupled with their inherent weight, it seemed as if the very heavens and earth were being squeezed to the point of shattering!
Amidst the lightning and water light, a bronze mirror emitted a series of mournful cries, and finally, with a 'crack,' all anomalies erupted completely!
The rampant spiritual energy lasted for a full quarter of an hour. Clouds churned over the lake, countless bolts of lightning surged, and immense power of water karma continuously spread outwards.
Even with the formation suppressing it, this level of power caused the forests on the surrounding shores to sway. The waves it generated snapped tree after tree.
As the anomalies in the area gradually subsided, the hook-nosed middle-aged man was nowhere to be seen on the lake. Only in the turbulent waters did a trace of blood remain.
Ji Yuan slowly rose, his sword automatically returning to its sheath. A small pagoda, inches tall, landed in his palm. His previously weak aura suddenly returned to its peak.
The six heavy water pearls released their light, carrying a few artifacts back and circling around him, the residual power of water karma making him appear like a water deity.
Without a second glance, he casually collected the hook-nosed middle-aged man's遗物 (yi wu - belongings left behind), then turned his gaze forward, fixing on a heavily damaged forest twenty to thirty feet away on the lake's shore.
From that location, an extremely deep hidden aura had emanated, suspected to be that of a mid-stage second realm cultivator of the demonic path!
Ji Yuan's gaze shifted. The two magic artifacts on his person immediately blazed with light. A halo appeared between his eyebrows, and his Violet Mansion (Zi Fu - a spiritual energy center) cracked open slightly, allowing wisps of sword energy to flow out.
Just as he was about to step forward, intending to strike at the hidden mid-stage second realm cultivator, his spiritual sense perceived that the person was already retreating without hesitation, their speed astonishingly fast.
In the blink of an eye, the opponent had already retreated a mile or two, their aura completely vanishing from his perception, making them impossible to track.
This scene caused Ji Yuan's aura to falter, and a look of helplessness appeared on his face.
He couldn't help but wonder if he was truly that terrifying, to have scared away the last enemy without having done anything.
He shook his head slightly, retracting the six heavy water pearls that circled him. As they returned to his acupoints, the anomalies within his body were suppressed by more than half.
The strong water karma remaining on the heavy water pearls immediately permeated his body, suppressing all his injuries.
Ji Yuan sent out two streams of magic power, gathering the belongings left by the scruffy big man and the green-robed scholar, and casually put them into his emerald ring.
Having completed all this, he unhurriedly changed his clothes, put on another set of washed-out daoist robes, and left the scene with a composed demeanor.
As his figure gradually disappeared from the lake's vicinity and melted into a forest, a black light suddenly appeared and coalesced into a figure on the earthen mound in the center of the lake.
This person appeared to be in his mid-twenties, dressed in black, with exceptionally pale skin, as if lacking blood.
He was the last enemy who had been lurking nearby, suspected to be a mid-stage second realm cultivator of the demonic path!
However, this person seemed never to have left, but had been hidden in the shadows. The previous events were merely a diversion, a deception aimed at Ji Yuan's spiritual perception.
"Do you truly... have any other trump cards left, are you really still able to fight?"
This pale-faced, almost sickly young man, gazing in the direction the young daoist had left, muttered to himself.
At that very moment, he had indeed felt that besides a few magic artifacts, there was an extremely sharp aura emanating from the other party.
It was like a vast quantity of sword energy, or perhaps an incredibly sharp sword edge.
But undoubtedly, if the other party had unleashed it, even with all his means, the sickly youth believed he might not have been able to withstand it.
Even if he didn't perish in the end, he would have been severely injured, likely requiring several months to fully recover.
He was not like those fools who would risk severe injury to kill their target. He considered that if his cultivation were greatly diminished, how could he successfully deliver the head and escape from the cultivators of the Nine Profound Sect?
"I hope you weren't bluffing, otherwise it would be quite embarrassing if word got out."
The sickly youth sighed, then formed a hand seal, instantly transforming into a black light and disappearing from the scene.
On the other side, Ji Yuan moved swiftly through the mountains and forests. Even as the sky gradually darkened, he did not slow his pace.
Only when the moon climbed above the treetops did he find a towering tree, sit cross-legged at its roots, and then clap out a few talismans to conceal his figure and aura.
Only then did he exhale a heavy sigh of relief, and immediately, he could no longer control himself, his face turning deathly pale.
Even his aura became weak and listless again, far from the appearance of one who had just intimidated a mid-stage second realm cultivator.
"Infinite Heaven Venerable, I almost lost my life!"
Ji Yuan grinned, his eyes filled with relief.
On the earthen mound in the lake, he had already been at the end of his rope. It wasn't that he had no strength left to fight, but he was definitely not a match for a mid-stage second realm cultivator.
If the opponent had not chosen to retreat, but had gambled that he had little strength left and attacked fiercely, then the outcome would truly have been uncertain.
Although he still had a trump card or two, he likely wouldn't have won. At best, he could have severely injured the enemy and then either been at their mercy or forced to flee for his life.
Shaking his head, Ji Yuan took a deep breath and began to assess his current condition.
As the six heavy water pearls returned to his acupoints, the dense essence of water karma they retained had permeated his body, greatly alleviating his injuries.
In just half a day, this essence of water karma and the medicinal power of the pills were continuously healing the numerous internal injuries sustained in the battle at the center of the lake.
However, the silver needles and black qi in his nine acupoints could not be removed; they seemed to have taken root within his body.
Ji Yuan swallowed a few more healing pills, then circulated the Nine Yuan Heavy Water Scripture, both recovering his magic power and refining the medicinal properties of the pills.
Compared to the Profound Sky Sword Art, and even the general principles of the Profound Sky Dao Scripture, this cultivation technique was far more effective in healing, using its potent water qi to soothe the many injuries within his body.
By the time dawn broke, Ji Yuan finally opened his eyes. Although his injuries were not fully healed, they were no longer a major concern. They were temporarily suppressed and no longer hindered him from mobilizing more than half of his magic power.
Once he reached a sufficiently safe location and spent a few more days, he should be able to heal completely without any lingering issues.
However, the moment he opened his eyes, he saw three figures who, at some point, had come within a few feet of him, gazing at him with smiles.
"Junior greets Elder Hong Tian, and the two senior masters."
After a brief moment of surprise, Ji Yuan spoke.
However, he did not stand up, and his tone lacked much respect.
If it weren't for the slight acquaintance he had with Elder Hong Tian, he wouldn't even have put on a pleasant expression.