Lu Zheng collected the jade plaque, and Shen Ying withdrew the formation in the courtyard. Dozens of peach trees reverted to their original state, transforming back into seeds. For safety, Shen Ying didn’t retrieve the seeds but left them underground in the courtyard. The roots of the old peach tree stirred beneath the ground, restoring the surface to its original state, showing no trace of the recent battle.
At that moment, Yuanjing suddenly opened his eyes. His true qi circulated through his body, and he exhaled a wisp of black mist. “This healing medicine is very effective, Junior Sister. Is that jade ginseng several hundred years old? Has it not gained sentience?” he asked, quite astonished.
“It’s said to be five hundred years old,” Lu Zheng replied, then shook his head. “It hasn’t gained sentience.”
Yuanjing praised, “What a potent herb. And Junior Sister can blend it into common healing medicines, enhancing their efficacy to rival miraculous elixirs. Her medical skills are truly unparalleled!”
Lu Zheng laughed heartily. “You’re too kind, too kind. It’s not that impressive!”
Shen Ying, listening with a smile, suddenly glanced south, her eyes flashing. “They’re here.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up. “Good timing!”
Yuanjing drew his long sword with a flourish, exhaling sharply. “This time, I won’t be careless!”
Lu Zheng: “…”
Shen Ying: “…”
The next moment, dark clouds covered the sky, spreading across miles, surging from the south. A hoarse voice echoed in their ears: “Who dares steal my treasure pot? Return it at once, or I’ll extract your souls and refine them, condemning you to eternal torment!”
When the first word was spoken, they could only see patches of dark clouds faintly appearing. By the time the last word was uttered, the clouds loomed over Peach Blossom Manor. A figure appeared in the centre of the manor’s front courtyard, sinister ghostly energy spreading, forming a tangible black mist.
The Black Wheel King!
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, understanding the origin of the name. Behind the ghost king, a five-foot-wide black wheel hovered in mid-air, rotating counterclockwise with a “clack-clack” sound. The Black Wheel King stood nearly ten feet tall, draped in a black cloak that obscured his form, with only wisps of black smoke seeping from beneath.
“Two Taoists and a local deity,” the Black Wheel King sneered, raising his hand. The next moment, he froze, then swiftly retreated, attempting to flee.
“Since you’re here, don’t leave,” a calm voice came from the sky. The dark clouds were not high, about a hundred feet up, but the voice came from above them.
A moment later, the clouds were torn open, and a thirty-foot-wide white cloud handprint descended slowly toward the Black Wheel King.
“White Cloud Handprint!”
“Baiyun Temple!”
The Black Wheel King roared, and the black wheel shot upward, spinning rapidly, slicing toward the handprint. Despite the handprint being formed of soft, translucent white clouds, it wasn’t cut apart. The wheel’s momentum only pushed it back slightly.
Then, the handprint trembled, its five fingers closing, grasping the black wheel in its grip.
“Break!” the Black Wheel King’s aura surged, a stream of black smoke shooting into the wheel.
With a whoosh, the wheel’s power intensified, shattering the handprint. It then broke through the scattered clouds, rushing toward the gap in the dark clouds.
“Ding!” A faint sound came from above, accompanied by Master Mingzhang’s calm voice: “This artifact is decent. Which monk did you kill to refine their treasure wheel into a ghostly tool?”
“Mind your own business!” the Black Wheel King snapped, recalling the wheel to his side. “A Taoist from Baiyun Temple, not cultivating in Baiyun Mountain, what are you doing in Yizhou Prefecture, Lingbei Circuit?”
“Do I need your permission to go where I please?” Master Mingzhang, riding a white cloud, descended slowly from the sky, with Liu Qingyan beside him. Looking down, he waved his whisk, sending a Flying Cloud Evil-Breaking Curse downward.
The Black Wheel King extended both hands, summoning countless streams of black smoke to block the curse. “Return my treasure pot, and I’ll leave Yizhou. Otherwise, I’ll turn this place upside down!” he said coldly. “You can’t stop me.”
Master Mingzhang replied calmly, “I may not be able to stop you, but I’m not alone.”
“What?”
Suddenly, dozens of peach trees sprouted from the courtyard ground, growing instantly. Endless peach blossom mist filled the manor. At the same time, Lu Zheng and Yuanjing acted, unleashing Flying Cloud Evil-Breaking Curses and True Cloud Curses relentlessly.
“Bold!” the Black Wheel King bellowed. “Mere peach blossom miasma dares to trap me?”
Before he could erupt, Master Mingzhang formed another seal, conjuring a second White Cloud Handprint that pressed downward.
“Break!” The black wheel shot up with a piercing whistle, clashing with the handprint again.
At that moment, the Black Wheel King’s figure flickered. His true body remained in place, but a phantom slipped out of the peach grove, charging at Shen Ying. He saw clearly that this was Shen Ying’s domain. Killing her would break the peach grove formation, and even Master Mingzhang couldn’t stop him then.
But if he could see it, the others were prepared. Shen Ying drew a porcelain bottle, and endless peach blossom miasma surged out, enveloping the phantom. Lu Zheng waved his right hand, sending six red jade swords slicing through the air, piercing the phantom repeatedly. Sword energy filled the sky, shredding the phantom into fragments, which the peach blossom miasma dissolved into nothingness.
A mere phantom clone dared to target Shen Ying?
With another whoosh, the black wheel erupted again, shattering the second handprint. Instead of charging at Master Mingzhang, it spun in mid-air, hurtling toward Shen Ying.
Yuanjing’s eyes widened, his sword ready to intercept.
“I’ve got this!” Lu Zheng shouted, pulling a Drum-Beating Golden Hammer from his gourd.
“Bang!” The wheel was knocked off course, but the steel hammer was chipped.
“Damn, impressive!” A magically enhanced artifact was indeed superior to mundane weapons.
But Lu Zheng, trained in martial arts and brimming with vitality, was strong enough to protect Shen Ying from the Black Wheel King’s attack. That was the king’s only chance, as Master Mingzhang conjured another White Cloud Handprint, pressing down on him.
With Shen Ying’s peach grove assisting, Master Mingzhang’s handprints pinned the Black Wheel King in place, unable to move. His several attempts to break free were thwarted by the group’s combined efforts.
“Bull-nosed priest! My soul’s origin isn’t here. Push me too far, and I’ll wreak havoc in Yizhou!” the Black Wheel King roared.
Master Mingzhang snorted. “If you rebuild your soul’s origin, that’ll take decades. Whether you survive that long is questionable. If you dare cause trouble then, I’ll kill you again!”
“You practice a Yang-Refining Yin-Returning technique, avoiding the underworld to cultivate in the mortal realm, hiding your soul’s origin?” Master Mingzhang said calmly. “Once I destroy this ghostly body, you’d better hope no heretic finds your soul’s origin. A pure ghost king’s soul is prime material for refining artifacts!”
“Wait, I meant…”
“Enough talk. Prepare to meet your end,” Master Mingzhang said with a slight smile, not letting the Black Wheel King continue. He waved his whisk. “By the Supreme Command, Flowing Clouds Vanquish Demons, Slay!”
