Chapter 70: Yuanyi Takes Action, the Jade Talisman Slays the Demon

Beneath the towering city walls, more than thirty feet high, the massive city gate—heavy enough to weigh tens of thousands of pounds—thundered shut with a grinding clatter of winches and iron chains. Witnessing this, the crowd’s faces changed abruptly.

Then, from atop the city tower, several strange, chilling laughs echoed down. Three middle-aged Taoists, each clad in plague-branded robes and wielding black banners, stood upon the ramparts, gazing down at those gathered outside the walls.

“You’re quite vigilant, aren’t you? But in the end, you’re still a step too late!” The leader, known as Black Executioner, taunted with a hint of mockery in his voice.

They had come under orders from the Six Plague Immortal, arriving in Jinhua Prefecture ahead of others to spread the pestilence. Their original plan had been to seize control of the city’s governor, but after searching in vain, they had to abandon that idea for now. Instead, they took control of the city’s garrison, cutting off the city inside from the outside world—an arrangement that would soon facilitate the spread of the plague.

By now, the three had already sown countless plague insects within the city’s walls. Outside, all that remained was for the group of refugees to arrive; then, without any further effort from them, pestilence would sweep the area, turning it into a land of death. Once the Six Plague Immortal arrived, they could harvest this city, gathering vast amounts of primal five-element essence.

Thinking of this, the three exchanged knowing smiles, each raising a black banner as they moved into three positions, encircling the crowd. As incantations spilled from their lips, a torrent of plague insects came pouring from the banners, shrouding the area in pestilent miasma.

The onlookers watched in horror, finally believing what Master Qingyang had warned of: the Plague Demons’ plot to spread disease. But it was already too late—countless tiny parasites, invisible to the naked eye, had already dispersed on the wind, many inhaled by the crowd before anyone realized.

Thousands of citizens, who had come to witness the grand medical assembly, began to show symptoms at once. Even the renowned physicians and healers from across the land turned pale with fear, scrambling to retrieve protective pills and swallow them in haste.

A few martial arts grandmasters attempted to break through the encroaching chaos and escape, but the world itself had turned gray and shrouded, smothered by pestilential fog. As soon as they touched this barrier, their vital energy faltered—a sensation as though countless insects were gnawing at their very essence, eroding their strength.

Black Executioner, Pestilence Severer, and Celestial Punisher burst into laughter at the sight. These insects were the masterpiece of the Six Plague Immortal, their chief. Not even a grandmaster’s internal power could withstand their corruption; on the contrary, it would only serve as nourishment, exciting the parasites further. This was the secret of their unending success in sowing plague wherever they went.

Among the crowd, seeing even martial grandmasters unable to escape, many felt their hope draining away. Even their protective medicines would not last long.

At that moment, a blinding sword light tore through the heavens. For an instant, it seemed as if the entire world froze, as the sword light streaked toward Black Executioner.

“A grandmaster of the sword? Impossible!” The attack came without warning. Locked onto by Zhang Yuan’s murderous intent, Black Executioner had no chance to flee. He didn’t even have time to summon his spiritual treasure before the sword cleaved him in two with a single, agonized scream.

“Black Executioner!” the other two shouted, terror flickering in their eyes. A martial grandmaster—how could such a figure be here?

But in the next instant, two piercing auras of murderous intent locked onto them. Sensing danger, they quickly flung their black banners forward, pouring all their power into the sigils in a desperate attempt to shield themselves against the next sword strike.

If they could withstand this one blow, they might be able to slip into the panicked crowd. Surely, the grandmaster would not dare slaughter the innocent in pursuit.

Their calculation was not unfounded. Though Zhang Yuan was a grandmaster of the sword, he was also constrained by the presence of civilians—giving them a slim chance to escape. That was why he had hidden his presence until now, striking only when certain to kill in a single blow, always wary of collateral damage.

Now, as he struck again with thunderous force, it was an all-or-nothing gamble to fell both foes at once. But these two, as subordinates of the Six Plague Immortal, were no easy opponents; both had reached the third stage of Celestial Dao. Empowered by thirty-six streams of true energy, their banners swelled against the wind and, to his surprise, managed to withstand the sword’s assault.

Just as the two rejoiced and prepared to blend into the crowd, a figure in blue soared above their heads—it was Qingyang, who had come earlier to warn them. With a solemn expression and a jade talisman in hand, he pronounced the final sentence upon the escaping Plague Demons: “Qingyang of the Red Pine Palace, acting under the decree of Master Jade Dawn, hereby executes the Plague Demons!”

With those words, he crushed the jade talisman. Instantly, two streaks of sword energy burst forth, singing like dragons, piercing both demons before they could react. The brilliant sword light of the Nether Sky sundered their lives in a single, flawless stroke.

The three black banners, which had been spewing pestilence, were also severed, their power broken. The countless plague insects they had unleashed were reduced to dust under Zhang Yuan’s sword.

The entire assembly stood in shock. Who could have foreseen such a reversal of fate? First a grandmaster of the sword had intervened to slay the demons, then Qingyang, descending like a divine warrior, used his talismans to destroy the escaping Plague Demons.

At that moment, all present silently committed the name “Master Jade Dawn” to memory.

...

Meanwhile, the Six Plague Immortal’s robe billowed across the sky, blotting out the sun as he bore down on Lin You. From the hundred-plague tapestry on the robe, countless venomous insects and evil parasites emerged. Sheltered by the magical garment, they braved the lethal winds, gathering into a dense cloud and hurtling toward the summit of Red Pine Peak.

“Let’s see who can outlast whom,” the Six Plague Immortal sneered, his aura trembling as he poured all his power into his celestial treasure. He was certain that Lin You’s spiritual strength could not compare to his own.

But suddenly, he sensed the mother parasite within his plague robe weakening, as if it had suffered a grievous blow.

“No!” the Immortal cried, his expression changing. His three subordinates had been defeated! The three black banners he had entrusted to them each contained a child parasite, bound to the mother’s life force.

Now, with the mother severely wounded, it could only mean the children had perished within the banners.

At once, the Six Plague Immortal lost all desire to continue the fight. He resolved to withdraw and investigate—after all, the sacred site and the spirit pine would not flee, and he could return to claim them later.

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