Chapter Ten: The Soul-Dispelling Talisman

"Ah!... Ah!..."
"Roar!"

Old Fifth raised his head and howled toward the sky, the screech echoing from his throat no longer belonged to any human, but to a beast—a bloodthirsty beast. It struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it, making them want nothing more than to flee as far as possible.

"Something's wrong, retreat!" The elder in black felt his heart pound wildly, his mind thrown into chaos. He shouted a warning and darted backward with haste.

The others, startled by the sudden change, quickly scrambled to evade.

Suddenly, Old Fifth's chest and back began to swell rapidly, like an inflated ball, shrouded in green light.

He let out shrieks like a pig being slaughtered.

With a deafening explosion, dust billowed into the air. The Immortal Binding Chains shattered into fragments, scattering in every direction as clouds of smoke rose.

Before anyone could discern the full extent of Old Fifth's transformation, several monstrous shadows darted and twisted behind the veil of dust, moving at incredible speed.

Abruptly, a handful of flesh serpents burst out of the smoke, whipping toward the group with terrifying speed and power, resembling the giant pythons that had just emerged from Old Fifth's arms, but now ten times stronger and faster.

"Crack!"

Two sharp sounds rang out. Two flesh serpents tore through the chests of Second and Third, ghostly claws dragging chunks of bloody flesh, whirling their corpses through the air.

Third died instantly, his intestines spilling out onto the ground, blood dripping in the air, his eyes never even blinking.

Second stared wide-eyed, disbelief etched across his face. Blood poured from his mouth as his innards, shredded by the ghostly claws, fell to the earth. His legs twitched, his throat moved as if he wished to speak, but not a single word escaped him. He died instantly, unceremoniously.

Second and Third, being closest, were the first to fall. Scarface, standing further away, saw the monstrous shapes come for him. He instinctively swung his steel blade, managing to block an attack and narrowly saving his life. Yet the immense force sent him tumbling five or six yards, his blood surging violently.

The birds of the forest erupted in panic, fleeing in every direction as a gale swept through.

As the dust settled, the heavy stench of blood permeated the scene. Chunks of flesh and viscera lay scattered everywhere, blood dripping from the corpses overhead, forming a crimson rain. The carnage was so gruesome that no witness could bear to look, the smell alone was enough to provoke nausea.

Old Fifth was now nothing more than a walking corpse, devoid of any human semblance. His eyes glowed green, his face turned a deep purple-black, and his chest was a horrifying mess of blood and torn flesh. From the wounds on his chest and back, more flesh serpents emerged, whipping Second and Third's corpses about in the wind.

Old Fifth was no longer the sharp-faced bandit he once was, but a monstrous specter, fangs bared and claws unfurled.

"You abomination! How dare you!" The elder in black shouted, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging with rage.

He had lost all rationality, his red eyes fixed on the creature before him, burning with hatred so fierce that only tearing the monster apart could quench his fury.

Even Scarface, hardened by years of fighting and punishment, felt a chill run through his heart at the sight. His steel blade nearly slipped from his grasp, and his legs trembled uncontrollably. All he wished for now was to escape with his life.

"Master... what should we do?" Scarface called out urgently.

"What should we do? We kill it!" the elder snarled. "Blood for blood! It has taken three of our lives—do you think it will survive today? Even if I must risk my old life, I will grind its bones to dust!"

The elder's hatred surged within him. Grabbing his nearby trident, he hurled it at the monstrous Old Fifth.

With a sharp whistle, the trident flew straight for the creature's face.

"Roar!"

The monster did not even flinch. Without so much as lifting an eyelid, one of the flesh serpents swept the trident aside, sending it flying several yards away.

The creature's face twisted with ferocity. It glanced at the elder in black, utterly unfazed, and then stomped, hurling Second and Third's corpses from the flesh serpents onto the ground, each body landing like a battered sack, raising clouds of dust. It seemed to be taunting, green light flickering in its eyes, a low growl rumbling from its throat.

The elder gritted his teeth, seething with rage. Seizing his heavy saber, he charged forward to engage the monster, unafraid of the serpents writhing about it.

The clang of battle jolted Scarface out of his stupor. It was now a fight to the death—either he or the monster would perish. To abandon his master and comrades, to flee alone, was not something Liu could bring himself to do.

With resolve, Liu tightened his grip on the steel blade, watching for an opening as the monster and the elder exchanged blows. He sidestepped and launched a flying kick at the creature's face.

Before the flesh serpents could close in, Liu feinted, darted past, and slashed his steel blade across the monster's flank, leaving a wound two feet long!

Enraged by the injury, the monster retaliated instantly, the flesh serpents lashing Liu's back and sending him tumbling through the air.

The elder was not idle either, wielding his heavy saber and clashing with the monster several times, holding his own for a while. But the beast was relentless, and the elder, aged as he was, soon felt his strength waning.

The elder rolled his eyes, steeled his heart, and made a decision. Seizing the moment when the monster was wounded, he quickly pulled several talismans from his robe and recited, "Great Supreme, banish evil, bind spirits, split souls, command the golden armor, uphold righteousness, return to truth—go!"

"Spirit-Driving Talismans!" Liu had heard tales of such powerful charms, but had never witnessed them before. His excitement was palpable.

The talismans rose without wind, arranging themselves in formation, descending upon the monster.

For the first time, fear flickered in the monster's eyes. It sensed real danger, recognizing the talismans were no ordinary objects and dared not treat them lightly.

Old Fifth's monstrous form hunched and retreated quickly, trying to evade the descending spells.

But the talismans, relentless as shadows, pursued him wherever he fled. After several rounds, they drove him into a frenzied leap, dodging left and right.

Seeing the talismans about to fall, the monster panicked, realizing escape was impossible. Desperate, it summoned its flesh serpents to strike at the charms.

Thunderous crashes erupted. Flesh serpents flailed, but the Spirit-Driving Talismans remained unmoved. The spells formed a celestial net, trapping the monster within. Dozens of beams of energy descended like falling stars, sizzling as they scorched flesh, filling the air with the stench of burning meat that assaulted the senses.