Free Web NovelChapter 106: Chapter 86: Won’t Let Go Even as a Ghost
He was afraid the person who’d stolen the Phoenix True Flame would find reinforcements and come back.
He had managed to scare the person off earlier.
But seeing how badly injured he was, there was no guarantee his attacker wouldn’t go find help and return.
Their motive would be to covet the Bell Magical Artifact, the Alms Bowl Magical Artifact, and his other possessions.
So, naturally, he had to find a new place.
TAP TAP, TAP TAP.
The two Human Puppets walked through the woods, their pace slower than before.
And on their shoulders,
Qi Yang clutched the black alms bowl in one hand and the bell that controlled the Human Puppets in the other.
He was on constant alert.
His eyes darted about, searching for a suitable place to hide and tend to his wounds.
Eventually, he found a hollow in the mountainside.
After having the two Human Puppets set him down, he directed one of them to go inside and clear it out.
Then he had both Human Puppets carry him inside.
The two Human Puppets then moved a pile of rocks and undergrowth to block the entrance before squatting down to stand guard outside.
Throughout this entire process, Xu Lei did not make a move.
After all, while Qi Yang was on the move looking for a place to recuperate, he couldn’t possibly be recovering from his injuries.
The longer this dragged on, the weaker Qi Yang would become.
Besides, Qi Yang was extremely cautious while on the move.
Attacking then might not have yielded the best results.
’Now’s the time!’
And now, seeing the two Human Puppets finally go still, Xu Lei figured Qi Yang must have started healing.
He hesitated no longer. Hiding outside, he commanded the Lotus Treasure Fragments to approach once more.
’Die!’
Xu Lei then brought two fingers together!
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!!!
A full seven Lotus Treasure Fragments shot inside.
’Kill!’
Then, five of the fragments suddenly fanned out, whistling toward Qi Yang.
VMMMM!
Qi Yang reacted in an instant.
His black alms bowl lit up once more, radiating a protective glow.
With his other hand, he immediately grabbed the Bell and shook it!
WHOOSH!
At once, the two Human Puppets sprang into action, turning and rushing to shield Qi Yang with their bodies.
’Sever!’
But just then, another one of Xu Lei’s Lotus Treasure Fragments shot out from the side with a whistle.
SQUELCH!
It sliced clean through the forearm of the hand Qi Yang was using to hold the Bell!
"Aaargh!"
Qi Yang cried out in pain.
But at the same time, his black alms bowl had already flown above his head, enveloping him in a protective light.
SZZZZT!
Xu Lei’s Lotus Treasure Fragments struck the light, but just like last time, they couldn’t break through.
’Retrieve!’
But this time, Xu Lei didn’t press the attack with his Lotus Treasure Fragments.
Instead, he changed his Hand Seal, sending a Lotus Treasure Fragment toward Qi Yang’s severed forearm. It wrapped around the arm and the Bell, snatching them away.
’Success!’
Standing outside, Xu Lei snatched the Bell from the air, a faint smile touching his lips.
Qi Yang was severely weakened, but a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. It would have been unwise for Xu Lei to try and wear him down with his own Magical Power.
But using the Human Puppets against him was a different story!
That was why Xu Lei’s goal in this ambush hadn’t been to kill Qi Yang outright.
He just wanted to get his hands on that Bell!
"It’s you again!"
From within the hollow, Qi Yang’s eyes were red with fury. "You whelp! You dare to return? Do you think I really can’t kill you?
I was just unwilling to expend too much of my Origin!
I didn’t want my Dao Practice to decline!
Even though I’m heavily injured.
If I were to use my Origin, a piddling Lotus Platform Realm cultivator like you would be dead for sure!"
"That’s right, you *could* have consumed your Origin and unleashed a killing blow on me!"
Xu Lei said. "But that was before. You were too reluctant to use it then!
Now you’ve lost your chance!
Qi Yang, your end is here!"
With that said,
JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE!
Xu Lei shook the Bell in his hand.
"Heh."
Qi Yang sneered. "My Puppet-Exorcising Bell is not so easily..."
But before he could finish, his expression changed dramatically.
The two Human Puppets in front of him had suddenly turned and were now wildly hacking at him with their blades!
SZZZZT!
Although the long blades striking the light from the black alms bowl couldn’t break through,
the Human Puppets felt neither pain nor fatigue!
And they consumed very little Magical Power!
"Just who are you?"
Qi Yang’s eyes flashed like lightning as he stared at Xu Lei. "How can you possibly control my Puppet-Exorcising Bell?!"
Indeed, this Cultivation Method was Qi Yang’s own unique Secret Technique.
In all his years of traveling the world, he had never met anyone else who knew it.
But now, Xu Lei actually did!
JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE!
But Xu Lei didn’t answer him, simply continuing to shake the Bell.
He made the two Human Puppets attack Qi Yang relentlessly.
As for the method to control them, Xu Lei naturally knew it from his past life.
Back then, in order to break the Restriction on a certain grotto-heaven, Xu Lei had asked for some Cultivation Methods to study.
After all, on the path of cultivation, many different methods often share a common source.
Having more material to reference could help in breaking the Restriction.
So Miao Ying and Qi Yang had shown him theirs.
In their minds, Xu Lei was a dead man walking anyway.
And just as they’d expected, Xu Lei hadn’t escaped their grasp and had died.
But back then, Xu Lei had learned Qi Yang’s method for controlling Human Puppets.
"When it comes to using Human Puppets, I’m your ancestor!"
Xu Lei then said deliberately, "This method of yours for controlling Human Puppets, didn’t you just inherit it from somewhere?
And you thought it was your own personal secret technique?
How laughable!"
After all, Xu Lei didn’t want Qi Yang to suspect he was the reincarnation of Wu Tan.
He wanted Qi Yang to believe he had simply obtained the same method from another source.
