Chapter 47: The Immortal's Manifestation!

Three hundred martial arts grandmasters!

Every single one of them was a loyal soldier whom Tie Fanghou had painstakingly cultivated from among tens of thousands of troops!

Tie Fanghou had poured countless amounts of effort and dedication into these three hundred grandmasters just to rely on such a trump card. Yet now, in the hands of Yang Nan, they were commanded just as smoothly and willingly died for him without a second thought!

Yang Nan gave a faint smile, his gaze chilling as he said, "Since you five elders had made preparations so early on, the Heavenly Demon Sect must be lurking in the shadows as well. Zeng Guang, when you ambushed me beneath the Kunlun Mountains that day, did you know this day would surely come? The enmity between us is as deep as the sea. If I do not exterminate your entire clan, I would truly fail my beloved wife whose life and death remain unknown!"

Gazing at Yang Nan's ferocious serpent body, Zeng Guang suddenly recalled how the venerable master Buhu had instantly reduced all six of them to utter defeat. He gasped in astonishment, "So you are that Buhu's disciple! No wonder you are dead set on opposing my Heavenly Talisman Sect!"

Yang Nan sneered, "As members of the Daoist sect, you not only became the lackeys of the imperial court, but you also colluded with the demonic path. You truly deserve to die! Meeting your end today, you surely can have no grievances!"

Zeng Yan waved his magical banner and sneered, "How the Heavenly Talisman Sect conducts its affairs does not require instruction from the Kunlun Sect. Since you dared to come, we shall fight to the death today to determine the dominion of the Southern Continent!"

With a wave of his banner, five thousand talisman soldiers instantly lunged forward! Old Crab let out a furious roar, and his two thousand personal guards charged forward as well. In an instant, they clashed into a chaotic melee. Although the number of monster soldiers under the five elders was large, their strength was far inferior to the monster soldiers Yang Nan had painstakingly cultivated. Empowered by the Heluo Heavenly Mechanism diagrams and miraculous elixirs bestowed upon them by Yang Nan, these personal guards experienced a massive surge in divine ability. Even when fighting three opponents at once, they did not fall behind. For a time, the sounds of battle shook the heavens and the demonic aura blazed fiercely!

Yang Nan flicked his serpent body and lunged straight at Zeng Yan. Old Crab, Great Roc, Octopus, and Chiyang each chose one of the remaining four elders as an opponent, engaging them in fierce combat using their divine abilities and Daoist magic!

Zeng Yan had already attained the realm of a Grandmaster. Seeing that Yang Nan's magical power was merely that of a grandmaster, he immediately sneered in disdain, "A mere speck of dust daring to shine! Be bound!"

Zeng Yan's eyes flashed with divine light. A peculiar talisman in his palm shimmered with flowing brilliance, and strands of light wrapped tightly around Yang Nan!

Yang Nan felt the surrounding air suddenly freeze, and his massive serpent body was actually locked in place, unable to move at all!

*Talisman Sect spellcraft!* In an instant, Yang Nan realized just how formidable this Grandmaster's Daoist spellcraft was! Countless strands of light were densely wrapped around his serpent body, making him feel as though he could not even twitch!

"Break open for me!" Yang Nan's serpent body lashed out with all its might, and a fierce, tyrannical force suddenly erupted. To Zeng Yan's horror, beneath his binding talisman, the black serpent continued to emit a fierce and violent power, as if it were about to snap the talismanic threads at any moment!

"Mountain Talisman, suppress him!"

Zeng Yan raised his finger like a writing brush and rapidly traced a talismanic spell across his palm. With just a gentle press, a vast and matchless force descended, and Yang Nan suddenly felt as though a boundless, gigantic mountain had materialized above his head! It was far more terrifying than the boulder-crushing ordeal in the boulder-confinement stage of Seeking Immortality!

Yang Nan's serpent chassis creaked under the immense pressure. Had it not already transformed into a supreme-grade magical weapon and undergone the tempering of heavenly lightning, his black serpent body would have long since exploded under the pressure!

Seeing that his two divine spells still failed to crush Yang Nan to pieces, a trace of surprise flickered across Zeng Yan's face. He raised his finger and traced another spell: "Ten-thousand-year cold ice, freeze a thousand feet!"

A bone-chilling frost suddenly surged through the void. From the tip of the serpent's tail to its head, white ice spread inch by inch, instantly freezing the entire black serpent solid! The icy force felt like ten thousand needles and awls piercing simultaneously into the black serpent's body, making its scales ring with metallic clangs!

Only then did Yang Nan truly understand how terrifying a Grandmaster's magical power was!

This Zeng Yan was a Grandmaster-level expert of the Talisman Sect. Any single one of his talismans possessed immense destructive power; if one's magical power fell short, it was simply impossible to contend with his Daoist magic!

"Yang Nan, today is the day your head rolls!"

Zeng Yan wore a stern expression. He consecutively cast the Binding Talisman, Mountain Talisman, Ice Talisman, and even unleashed the most vicious Soul Talisman. More than a dozen spells with various effects were piled upon Yang Nan, tasting entirely different from ten thousand bolts of heavenly lightning!

Although Yang Nan's magical power had reached the level of a dual grandmaster, he was still far from being a match for a Grandmaster. Under the barrage of numerous talismans, his serpent body was firmly pinned in the air, with countless talismanic lights flickering across his skin. He could only watch helplessly as Zeng Yan hurled one spell after another!

*I can no longer use the black serpent magical weapon!* In his moment of panicked urgency, Yang Nan suddenly understood: a Grandmaster was a Grandmaster, and his magical power was far beyond anything he could counter. If he wanted to win, he had to carve out a completely different path; otherwise, he would have his body and soul destroyed amidst this endless stream of talismans!

A Grandmaster was truly not someone to be trifled with!

"Transform!" Yang Nan's physical body instantly merged into the thunder bead. Abandoning the black serpent form, he leaped out of the trapped serpentine chassis and, transforming with the wind, turned into a thunder roc entirely forged from the thunder bead. With a piercing screech, he spat a stream of thunder essence directly at Zeng Yan!

"Hmm? Two spiritual apertures?" Zeng Yan's expression turned one of utter shock. He had clearly seen the black serpent completely immobilized and unable to budge by his own spells, never expecting Yang Nan to possess the ability to split his form into two, transforming into a thunder roc. That stream of thunder essence was unleashed by Yang Nan out of sheer grievance, instantly shattering the protective spiritual light shrouding Zeng Yan's entire body.

Having broken free, Yang Nan secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, he possessed divine abilities like the Indestructible Yin-Yang Wheel; otherwise, how could he have discarded his serpent body and switched to the thunder roc?

Grandmaster-level spellcraft was indeed extraordinary, with magical power far surpassing his own!

However, this time, Yang Nan would never give Zeng Yan another opportunity to use spellcraft! The Indestructible Thunder Boat flew out from the Rivers and Mountains Ring, and Ni Cai shouted with fanatical zeal, "Old man Zeng, try out the thunder essence electric net deployed by my eighty-one Myriad Thunder Arrays!"

Countless magical arrays on the Indestructible Thunder Boat, crafted from Gan-Gang Azure Jade Bamboo, trembled simultaneously. The Yang Thunder Pool operated at full capacity, and dozens of violent bolts of thunder essence were expelled from the arrays, weaving together into a gigantic thunder net that descended upon Zeng Yan.

The aura emitted by this thunder essence electric net was boundless and vast. The arcs of lightning crackled and snapped, rising like a fishing net across the skies, carrying a fierce and unstoppable might!

Seeing how terrifying the electric net was, Zeng Yan was filled with horror. He waved the magical banner in his hand repeatedly, deploying suppression talismans, curse talismans, and binding talismans all at once in an attempt to block the net. However, the thunder essence electric net was one of the premier demon-slaying and evil-purging treasures in the world. Even though his spellcraft and magical power were formidable, upon colliding with the electric net, they would instantly be reduced to ashes!

Just as Zeng Yan was about to take flight and escape, he was entangled by the thunder essence electric net. Amidst the crisscrossing and attraction of countless bolts of lightning, he felt as though he had plunged into the midst of ten thousand heavenly lightning bolts. Bolts of lightning struck down mercilessly. Zeng Yan frantically urged his magical treasures, causing the five character-talismans of Heaven, Earth, Man, Ghost, and God to illuminate around him, barely forming a protective barrier that blocked the onslaught of the thunder essence electric net.

No matter how heaven-shying his magical power was, within the thunder net of heaven and earth, a thousand methods were completely useless!

The thunder essence electric net trapped Zeng Yan. Summoned by Ni Cai, it flew back above the Indestructible Thunder Boat. Although Zeng Yan possessed the cultivation of a Grandmaster, he was helpless against this supreme destructive force of heaven and earth. As lightning continuously battered him, his magical power grew weaker and weaker, and it was evident that in a short while, he would be blasted into dust by the lightning.

"What a formidable thunder net!" Seeing that the Indestructible Thunder Boat's thunder essence electric net possessed such terrifying might, Yang Nan was overjoyed. Ni Cai was so stunned her mouth hung open, and she stammered, "An immortal artifact! The Indestructible Thunder Boat truly is an immortal artifact! Haha, Heavenly Talisman Sect, your doomsday has arrived today!"

Under the bombardment of endless heavenly lightning, what good was a spell-casting Grandmaster? The magical power of those five talismans was not inexhaustible, and within moments, they showed signs of fading!

Ni Cai urged the Indestructible Thunder Boat, and the radiance of the thunder essence electric net flared brilliantly. Amidst flashing purple light, the electric net twisted viciously, tearing the five character-talismans along with Zeng Yan's physical body into complete fragments!

Zeng Yan's soul leaped out of the void, attempting to flee toward Zeng Guang. "Trying to run?" Yang Nan sneered. He urged the Profound Underworld Yin-Searing Banner, and two Yin spirits surged up in a cloud of dark mist to pounce on the soul. A Grandmaster's soul and spirit were not necessarily stronger than Yang Nan's soul, which had practiced the Indestructible Yin-Yang Wheel. Without breaking a sweat, the two Grandmaster-level Yin spirits captured Zeng Yan and dragged him back into the banner.

Before Zeng Yan could even let out a single scream, he was reeled into the Profound Underworld Yin-Searing Banner by the six-headed Yin spirits. Once his soul was contaminated by demonic energy, he would never be able to possess a body and be reborn again!

"Eldest Uncle!" The moment Zeng Yan died, all four remaining elders turned red-eyed. The magical talismans in their hands bloomed consecutively, forcing back Old Crab and the others. The four elders cried out in sorrow, "Yang Nan, how vicious you are! Since you wish to destroy our Heavenly Talisman Sect, then defeat the Patriarch of our sect!"

The four elders suddenly merged into one, and four natal golden talismans flew out from their bodies, illuminating the void.

The four natal golden talismans suddenly flared, emitting a light so blinding one could not bear to look directly at it, and a powerful wave of magical power forcibly pushed everyone back.

Just as Yang Nan was recalling his black serpent magical weapon and returning to his human form, seeing the bizarre methods of the four elders, he could not help but exclaim in shock, "What are the four elders trying to do?"

With a solemn expression, Ni Cai said, "They are using their natal golden talismans to summon the Patriarch! The Patriarch of the Heavenly Talisman Sect is the True Person Miaofu from a thousand years ago! After ascending, True Person Miaofu left behind an avatar formed entirely of talismans within their mountain gate! They are going to fight us to the bitter end!"

"An avatar of an ascended immortal? What level of expert is that?" Yang Nan's expression grew stern as a bad prehension arose in his heart. Even an ordinary Venerable was not someone to be trifled with, and how could the magical power of a Venerable compare to that of a grandmaster?

Ni Cai smiled bitterly, "At the very least, it's at the level of a Venerable! There is no way we can fight them now." A Venerable was no pushover; any random one of them could easily wipe them out! For a grandmaster to engage a Venerable in magical combat was undoubtedly seeking their own death.

Holding his magical weapon, Yang Nan gave a calm smile, "Whether he is a Venerable or an avatar, if we cannot defeat him, we will simply make a clean getaway!"

Although Yang Nan loathed the Heavenly Talisman Sect, he would not throw his life away on a moment of rash bravery. At this stage, facing a Venerable level meant certain death with no chance of survival. A gentleman takes revenge ten years later, and it would not be too late to seek retribution from the Heavenly Talisman Sect once he achieved the realm of a Venerable himself!

The four natal golden talismans merged into one, resembling both a window and a door, indescribably wondrous and bizarre. A pillar of light descended from the edge of the sky. Within the pillar of light, an old Daoist with a long beard abruptly appeared in midair. The four elders stepped forward and said, "Patriarch, Eldest Uncle has died tragically at the hands of a Kunlun disciple. We implore the Patriarch to lend us a hand!" Having exhausted all their magical power to summon this avatar of True Person Miaofu, the four elders retreated far to the side to watch the battle.

The long-bearded old Daoist radiated vast spiritual power. His tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, shooting countless piercing beams of light from his pupils. With a gentle wave of his hand, he shouted, "Quick!" A ball of azure light descended!

The azure light washed over them, and the thousands of talisman soldiers currently locked in combat suddenly experienced a massive surge in strength. Yang Nan's personal monster soldiers were instantly beaten into a hasty retreat. Seeing that the situation was turning unfavorable, Old Crab and the other three hurriedly stepped forward to assist in the battle. Driven to fight with their backs against the wall, the monster soldiers engaged in fierce, reckless combat, barely managing to stem the frenzied onslaught of the talisman soldiers. Looking at this bizarre scene, Yang Nan suddenly exclaimed in astonishment, "Enhancing spell-talismans?"

Grandmaster-level talismanic spellcraft was already extraordinary, but a Venerable-level talismanic spell could instantly boost the strength of thousands of monster soldiers manifold—that was truly terrifying!

Chiyang, Old Crab, Great Roc, and Octopus each brandished their magical treasures, charging fiercely toward the long-bearded old Daoist. The long-bearded old Daoist traced talismanic scripts in the air, shouting a series of commands: "Trap, Bind, Seal, Cut!"

His voice sounded like rolling thunder. Several irresistible, vast forces swept past. To their horror, Chiyang and the others discovered that they were either trapped within a cage or completely immobilized. Regardless of whether they used magical treasures or magical power, breaking free from these Venerable-level talisman spells was utterly futile. They could only stand frozen in place, waiting to be slaughtered!

How could grandmasters possibly break free from the immense magical power contained within each of these spell-characters?

Chiyang and the four others roared and shrieked, displaying their divine abilities within the spell-bound cages—some swinging weapons in a wild frenzy, others hurling spells in a fierce charge. Yet it was like throwing stones into the sea; it caused not the slightest bit of damage to this immensely powerful spellcraft!