The door to the Antique Shop closed automatically behind him, blocking out the rustling sounds of the swarm of sandworms. Haotian collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. The antique shop was unusually quiet, with only a few bronze lamps emitting a faint green glow.
"This is..."
Hao Tian's eyes widened. The interior of the shop was much larger than it appeared from the outside. Eight redwood pillars carved with talismans supported the high dome ceiling, and the walls were hung with various magical artifacts. The most eye-catching feature was the glass display case in the center, which contained three short swords with ancient designs, their blades shimmering with a mercury-like luster.
"Don't touch anything." Xiao You put away her oil paper umbrella, the jingling of the bells echoing clearly in the empty store. She walked to the copper basin in the southeast corner, scooped up a handful of clear water, and splashed it on her face. As the water flowed down her neck, the lotus patterns on her skin glowed faintly.
Haotian noticed that his arm was beginning to ooze black blood again. Xiao You glanced at it, then retrieved a purple sandalwood box from under the counter, containing twelve silver needles neatly arranged inside.
"Lie down," she commanded. "The corpse poison has already infiltrated your heart meridians. If we don't treat it, you'll become one of those things outside."
Hao Tian obediently lay down. When the first silver needle pierced the Shanzhong acupoint, he let out a cry of pain. Xiao You's technique was astonishingly fast; in the blink of an eye, the twelve silver needles had formed the shape of the Big Dipper on his chest. She bit her fingertip and gently tapped the end of each needle. Hao Tian immediately felt a chill coursing through his meridians.
"What is this..."
"The Ling Shu Needle Technique." Xiao You's forehead was covered in sweat. "Combined with my Ming Wang Blood, it can temporarily suppress the corpse poison in your body. But to eliminate it completely, we must find the one who cast the spell."
As she chanted the incantation, the silver needles began to spin on their own. Hao Tian saw wisps of black smoke seeping out from the tips of the needles, condensing into grotesque demonic faces in the air. Xiao You snorted coldly, and a bronze bell flew out, devouring the black smoke completely.
"Who are you?" Hao Tian couldn't help but ask, "Why are you helping me?"
Xiao You put away the silver needles, took a bound book from the counter, and tossed it to him. "I am the current keeper of the seal, tasked with guarding the seal of the demonic overlord. As for why I'm helping you..." She paused, "The bloodline of the Taoist master is a once-in-a-thousand-years occurrence; I can't let you die like this."
Hao Tian flipped through the pages. It was a handwritten copy of The Detailed Explanation of the Golden Light Mantra. Compared to the incomplete content in his grandfather's ancient texts, this one was not only illustrated but also had annotations on the flow of spiritual energy beside each segment of the mantra.
"Special training starts tonight," Xiao You pushed open the door to the back room. "Master the Golden Light Body Protection technique within three days. Otherwise, when the zombie beetles attack next time, I'll only save those who are valuable."
The back room was a standard training ground. The floor was paved with black and white jade stones forming a Tai Chi diagram, and the walls were hung with various talismans. The most eye-catching feature was the weapons rack by the west wall, neatly arranged with Taoist artifacts like peachwood swords and copper coin swords.
"Start with the basics." Xiao You took a peachwood sword from the rack and tossed it to Hao Tian, "Try infusing it with spiritual energy."
Hao Tian gripped the hilt tightly, recalling the qi cultivation techniques from the Lingfei Sutra. At first, there was no response, but when he silently recited the Golden Light Mantra, the peachwood sword suddenly grew slightly warm, and a faint golden glow emerged from the tip.
"Good," Xiao You罕见地露出一丝赞许,"Now try drawing an exorcism talisman."
She tapped the air, and a talisman pattern glowing with blue light appeared mid-air. Hao Tian awkwardly imitated her, failing the first three times, but on the fourth attempt, he finally drew a crooked talisman shape. The peachwood sword guided the talisman's light, leaving a faint trail in the air.
"Barely passing," Xiao You suddenly struck out, a black mist shooting from her palm. Hao Tian hurriedly raised his sword to block it, and the talisman's light collided with the black mist, sparking a burst of sparks.
Over the next three hours, under Xiao You's nearly brutal training, Hao Tian barely mastered the drawing techniques for three basic talismans. Each mistake drew a dark energy attack, and by the end, his body was covered in bruises, and his sword-holding hand trembled like a sieve.
"That's enough for today," Xiao You ceased her attacks, "We'll continue tomorrow night."
She led Hao Tian to the second floor of the shop. It was a simple living area, with the only notable feature being the star chart on the ceiling, which automatically changed over time.
"You'll sleep here," Xiao You pointed to the bed by the window, "If you hear crying in the middle of the night, ignore it. It's the spirit of the soul-binding bell murmuring in its sleep."
Haotian was about to thank her, but Xiao You had already turned and gone downstairs. He collapsed onto the bed, his body aching yet strangely excited. Everything that had happened today was so absurd yet so real. He raised his hand, staring at the faint golden glow still lingering in his palm, feeling for the first time that he had touched the door to another world.
Outside the window, a blood-red moon rose silently.
——————
For the next three days, Hao Tian lived a life of day and night reversal. He slept during the day in his apartment and underwent Xiao You's rigorous training at the Ancient and Modern Studio at night. By the third night, he could already draw seven basic talismans with ease, and the golden light on the peachwood sword could now last for ten minutes without fading.
"Your progress is faster than expected," Xiao You inspected the traces of corpse poison on his arm; the black lines had receded below his elbow. "It seems the Tian Shi bloodline is indeed extraordinary."
Just as Hao Tian was about to boast, the shop suddenly shook violently. The magical artifacts in the display window clanged, and the three suspended short swords emitted a piercing hum.
"They're here." Xiao You's expression changed abruptly. She pulled open a secret compartment in the counter, took out a bronze box, and handed it to Hao Tian. "Take this and go to the fire escape in Zone B."
"What is it?"
"It's something your grandfather left behind." Xiao You had already put on a cloak embroidered with runes. "It's the magical artifact he used to seal the evil spirit back then."
Hao Tian opened the box in shock. Inside was a rusty copper coin sword with the character "Zhang" engraved on the hilt. Before he could ask for clarification, the sound of shattering glass echoed from downstairs.
"Go!" Xiao You slapped his back, and Hao Tian felt a tremendous force propelling him toward the window. As he flew through the window, he turned to see countless black beetles swarming into the shop, while Xiao You stood at the center of the swarm, her oil paper umbrella spinning a golden halo...
The night wind whistled past his ears, and Hao Tian was surprised to find himself gliding through the air. This was the "Treading Snow Without Leaving Traces" technique described in the Lingfei Sutra—a lightness technique he hadn't yet mastered, yet it had manifested on its own in this critical moment.
The shopping mall was within sight. Hao Tian struggled to control his direction and crashed into the third-floor fire escape. When he got up, the copper coin sword suddenly became scorching hot, and the rust on its surface began to peel off, revealing the golden-red blade beneath.
"This is..."
The copper coin sword pulled him toward the lower floors. The closer he got to Zone B, the more violently the sword trembled. When Hao Tian pushed open the parking lot gate, the scene before him made his blood run cold—
Seven elderly men dressed in funeral robes were seated around the center of a blood-soaked array, each with a green lantern floating above their heads. At the array's core lay a familiar figure: Aunt Wang! A yellow talisman was affixed to her chest, her limbs bound with red ropes, and beneath her lay a bizarre pattern drawn in blood.
"Outsiders, step back," the leader of the elders suddenly spoke, his voice sounding like two bones grinding against each other. "You, the descendant of the Tian Shi bloodline, this is not a place you should be."
Hao Tian gripped his copper coin sword tightly, feeling a warm current flow from the hilt into his body. "Let her go!"
"Too late," the elder cackled. "Midnight has arrived; the blood sacrifice begins."
The seven elders simultaneously slit their wrists, their black blood dripping into the array. Aunt Wang let out a piercing scream as a blurry shadow was forcibly pulled out from the top of her head. Hao Tian could no longer contain himself and charged forward with his sword.
The moment the copper coin sword made contact with the first old man, it erupted with blinding golden light. The old man let out a agonizing scream as half his body turned to white bones. The remaining six immediately shifted positions, surrounding Hao Tian in the center.
"Heaven and Earth, the Root of All Qi!"
Hao Tian recited the Golden Light Mantra, and the ancient coins on the Copper Coin Sword stood upright, forming the blade. He swung it clumsily, though each strike repelled the old man, who quickly regrouped his attack. Most terrifyingly, Aunt Wang's soul had already been pulled out halfway; if this continued, she would surely die.
In the midst of the crisis, Hao Tian suddenly recalled a page from The Detailed Explanation of the Golden Light Mantra. He bit his tongue, sprayed blood onto the sword, and then thrust it into the ground:
"Golden light, appear swiftly and protect the true person!"
Golden ripples spread out from the copper coin sword. The seven old men were knocked off balance, and cracks appeared in the formation. Haotian took the opportunity to rush to Aunt Wang's side and tear off the yellow talisman from her chest.
The old men let out angry howls as their bodies began to twist and deform, with countless small lumps swelling beneath their skin. Hao Tian knew they were about to reveal their true forms, but Wang Aunty's soul was still suspended in midair, unable to return to her physical body.
At the last moment, a silver light descended from the sky. Xiao You's bronze bell precisely encircled Aunt Wang's soul, and with a gentle shake, the soul returned to its body. Immediately afterward, the oil paper umbrella spun and flew toward the seven old men, severing them at the waist!
"Let's go!" Xiao You leaped down from the ventilation shaft, her face pale with fear. She scooped up the unconscious Aunt Wang and gestured for Hao Tian to follow.
Behind them came the terrifying sound of bones reassembling. Hao Tian turned to look and saw that the severed elders had reassembled themselves into three two-headed, four-armed monsters, now chasing after them on all fours!
"To the elevator!" Xiao You shouted, simultaneously flinging seven purple talismans. The talismans burned in the air, forming a wall of fire to temporarily block the monsters.
The two rushed into the elevator, and Xiao You quickly pressed the button for the top floor. As the elevator ascended, Hao Tian noticed a deep gash on her right arm, the blood flowing from it a pale golden color.
"You're injured!"
"I'm fine." Xiao You tore off a corner of her cloak to bind the wound. "Those are the Seven Evil Corpses of the Demon Lord; ordinary methods can't kill them."
The elevator stopped at the top floor. Xiao You led Hao Tian through a maze-like corridor, finally stopping before a rusty iron door. The door was adorned with complex talismans drawn in cinnabar, most of which had faded.
"When the mall was built, this was the main seal point for containing the Demon Lord." Xiao You set Wang Aunty down, bit her finger, and added more symbols to the door, "Three years ago, the construction crew accidentally damaged the outer seal. Now we can only rely on this main seal point to contain it."
Haotian suddenly understood: "So Zhang Dahai arranged for me to work the night shift..."
"You are of the Tian Shi bloodline, a valuable offering to the demonic entity." Xiao You finished the final stroke, and the symbols on the iron door glowed faintly once more. "It wants to lure you near the array's focal point to use your blood to break the seal."
A loud thud echoed from downstairs. Xiao You's expression darkened: "The zombie puppet has found us." She turned to Hao Tian, "Now I'll teach you the first technique of the 'Nine Heavens Thunder Method.' It's the only way to destroy the zombie puppet."
She quickly drew a thunder pattern on Haotian's palm, then interlocked her fingers with his. Haotian felt a surge of violent power coursing through his body, and a陌生 memory suddenly appeared in his mind—
A mountain peak shrouded in dark clouds, an old man in a Taoist robe performing the Thunder Seal, nine bolts of heavenly lightning striking the zombie horde in the valley...
"Do you remember?" Xiao You released her grip, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
Hao Tian was still immersed in the vision when the iron door was suddenly smashed open, bulging outward. Three massive zombie puppets, fused into one, had already reached the door, their foul-smelling black blood seeping through the cracks.
"I... I'll try."
He followed the method from his memory, holding the copper coin sword vertically before his chest and forming the thunder seal with his left hand. As he recited the incantation, the ancient coins on the sword began to spin rapidly, emitting a thunderous roar.
"Five Thunder Generals, Chariot Generals, soar to the heavens and overturn the earth, drive the thunder and race through the clouds—"
As the iron door was smashed open, Hao Tian pointed his sword forward:
"Hurry, as the law commands!"
A blinding bolt of lightning erupted from the sword tip, piercing through the bodies of the three zombie puppets. They emitted inhuman screams and disintegrated into ashes in the lightning's glow.
Haotian collapsed to his knees, the copper coin sword clattering to the ground. Xiao You supported him, rare smile on her face: "Not bad, you managed to use Earth-grade Thunder Technique on your first try."
The sound of sirens echoed in the distance. Xiao You picked up Aunt Wang: "The police are here; we have to leave." She glanced at the iron gate, "At least we've bought ourselves a week."
"But Aunt Wang..."
"She'll forget tonight's events." Xiao You took a talisman from her sleeve and stuck it on Aunt Wang's forehead. The talisman burned away instantly. "When she wakes up tomorrow, she'll only think she fainted from working overtime."
As they left the mall, Hao Tian glanced back at the top floor. Through his yin-yang eyes, the entire building was shrouded in a black mist, and at the center of the mist, a pair of blood-red eyes were staring intently at him...