The Exorcist

Book 5: Chapter 25: A third party’s power

When the ball of air arrived in front of Bao Da Tong, it suddenly split open in the middle as though it had been cut horizontally. It seemed like an open maw that directly bit at his head. It seemed he had been eaten as his entire head was covered, leaving only his body visible. Everyone else was far away from him and werent able to help!

Da Tong! Uncle Bao cried out while rushing over. I wasnt able to leave my spot and Ah Zhan wasnt able to move. He vigilantly guarded the exit.

There was a snapping sound. I hurriedly closed my eyes, not daring to watch Bao Da Tongs tragic death. However, the sound of laughter and an explosive bang made me look over curiously.

I saw Bao Da Tong standing there looking wretched. Although his face was covered in blood, he was still whole. He hadnt been decapitated. Under the blood, his expression was very smug!

In the distance, that black ball of air had already vanished. I managed to catch a glimpse of the grey little monkey as it was thrown out and smashed against the cliff which cracked under the impact. The little monkey fell to the floor along with fragments of rock!

What had happened?

I looked at Ah Zhan in confusion. He didnt say anything but merely gestured with his head. I followed his gaze and was momentarily blinded. Only then did I realize Bao Da Tong had survived due to luck. The moment the weird infant attacked, the cloud covering the sun happened to drift away. The sunlight had shone directly upon the fiend. Although I didnt understand why it was able to come out during the day, it clearly wasnt able to withstand direct sunlight.

Haha, it swallowed the talismans on my face. Those things are of pure Yang. With the hot sun shining on it, no wonder it was blasted into next week! Haha, truly man proposes and heaven disposesnoits ghost proposes in this case! You wanted to eat me? Yeah right! This lords life is incredibly tough. You wouldnt be able to digest it! Bao Da Tong roared with laughter, oblivious to the situation.

Da Tong, Golden Radiance Grand Formation! It was still Uncle Bao who understood the situation. He interrupted Bao Da Tongs narcissism. Although he was very glad his son was fine, capturing the fiend was still the priority!

Bao Da Tong grunted in acknowledgement and immediately scrambled around on the floor, picking up the talismans and dharmic tools that had been scattered by the wind. The strange thing was that the incense burner had landed upright on the floor, and whatever incense was burning inside still remained lit!

Earth, mountain, water, thunder, wind, fire, swamp, heaven! Uncle Bao chanted loudly. With every word, he pointed with his finger, pulling out a talisman from somewhere. With every gesture, a ball of fire appeared, marking the spot. Bao Da Tong threw out a tiny flag onto each spot of fire. The two of them were extremely well coordinated. They laid out an image of the eight trigrams within a ten meter radius.

On the other side of the valley, that weird infant had also slowly recovered and gotten up.

It leapt onto the cliff with the waterfall like an actual monkey, climbing up along the vines. It stopped under a shaded spot and turned to face the people below. The cunning eyes on the infants face revealed incomparable resentment and ferocity.

I could tell it was about to make a move and had to look at the other three. I saw that although they remained silent, they still continued their movements without paying attention to the unfolding situation.

At this time, the valley was unusually quiet. Even the cries of birds and the blowing of the wind had ceased. Only the formless, tense and explosive atmosphere hung in the air, making me not even dare to breathe too loudly!

The sun was about to reach its highest position in the sky. Only the area by the waterfall still had some shade due to the angle of the cliffs. The rest of the place was filled with sunlight.

The temperature rose and Yang energy was abundantit was almost quarter to one!

The deathly silence lasted for three whole minutes. No one moved. In the end, it was the weird infant who lost composure first. It knew its most disadvantageous period of time was approaching. If it didnt make a move, it wouldnt have any more opportunities to do so!

An infants laugh rang from its mouth. It was still so childlike and innocent, but this time it sounded especially clearly. The valley shook with the sound, and it felt like any loose gravel would be shaken free. The air was filled with a murderous aura.

Before the laughter faded, the weird infant suddenly started screeching again. It seemed to be chanting some spell. Its monkeys paws grabbed forcefully towards the pool before flinging out towards us!

There wasnt an enormous spout of water. Instead, it seemed there was a large suction force that allowed something from the bottom of the pool to burst forth, spitting something right at us! The air hissed as obscured objects smashed towards each of us.

Mysterious ancestors of Heaven and Earth, the root of the ten thousand qi. Vast cultivation through millennia, proof of my spiritual connection. Within and without the three realms, the Dao alone is supreme Uncle Bao had started chanting as the weird infant cast its spell towards the pool. He pointed the broken wooden sword towards me, Bao Da Tong and Ah Zhan in succession. I immediately felt a formless barrier surround me and knew it was a restriction that would protect us from harm.

A torrent of noise sounded and I wasnt able to keep my eyes open against the incoming attack. By the time I recovered, I saw that the area in front of me was littered with various bones. There were those of animals, fish and even humans!

That pools waters were clear enough to see the bottom. I had previously seen nothing within the waters, only beautiful pebbles. Had we been mistaken or were there other secrets hidden within the pool?

Wave after wave came. The same attack struck three times upon the restriction, each time more powerful than the last. I could even feel the air around me shifting. During the third attack, small bits of bone had been able to penetrate the barrier, shooting towards me. I barely managed to avoid them but had suffered a few hits. Luckily they werent too serious.

I turned to look at the others and saw Ah Zhan and Bao Da Tong looking equally wretched. The two of them had powers despite not being too impressive at the time. Regardless, they were stronger than I was but due to their previous injuries, they werent much better off.

Uncle Bao hadnt put up a barrier for himself. Instead, he started moving in place as though performing that Eight Trigrams Fist of the Roaming Dragon or whatever. He was unhurried and composed as he swung that broken sword. His situation ended up being the best of us all. None a single bone landed on his body. They had all fallen two feet away, forming neat piles like small mountains of white bone!

Furthermore, he was still chanting that incredibly long spell. The bodys golden radiance encompasses and illuminates my form. Looking without seeing, listening without hearing. Encompass heaven and earth, nurture all lives. Keep faith ten thousand times, the bodys bright radiance. The Three Realms are guarded, the Five Sovereigns reign. Ten thousand spirits prostrate in ritual. With the strike of thunder, ghosts and demons lose courage, evil spirits lose form. There is thunder within, the spirit of thunders name is hidden. The Cavern of Wisdom is delivered, the Five Qi roil. The Golden Radiance soon manifests to protect the enlightened one. Pressing, like the rule of law! Golden Radiance Grand Formation!

Uncle Bao called the final four words out extremely loudly, shaking our hearts. He leapt into the eight trigrams formation formed by the small flags and sat cross-legged within!

There was a buzz and I felt as if the sky had been covered by an extremely faint layer of yellow light. It was like the radiance of a sunset. Everything grew hazy and there was a comfortable sort of beauty.

However, this beautiful scene seemed to be the most terrifying thing in the world for that weird infant. The moment it saw the light, it immediately withdrew into a depression in the side of the cliff, trying to escape the formless pressure. However, it wasnt able to escape and was forced in to the corner.

It screeched anxiously and barged around for a while. Then, it suddenly charged forwards after falling silent for several seconds. It seemed to have decided to take a risk in its desperation. It took a step into the air and spat out the fiendish blood mist once again!

Ah Zhan, to the left! Da Tong, to the right! Uncle Bao ordered. His hands remained clasped in a seal and there was no trace of negligence.

Ah Zhan and Da Tong didnt hesitate to obey. They leapt over and stood in place, one to the left and one to the right.

Bao Da Tong pulled out a sword from his cloth bag. He kept calling it the sword of seven colors, but to an ordinary person like myself, it seemed to be a rusted metal sword. There was no luster, and it was even covered in stains. As for Ah Zhan, he held the small bloodwood sword I had returned to him in his uninjured hand!

In the air, the gloomy red mist intermingled with the pure and bright yellow light. The moment they came into contact, the red light swelled. Using its fiendish might and the advantage of height, it forced the yellow light back half the distance. It seemed to be suppressing it from above.

The yellow light seemed so faint and weak. The blood mist gave off a chilling, damp and heavy feeling. Despite the noon sun, it made the surrounding air become colder and filled with the scent of blood. A sharp wind could be heard within the mist, making my hairs stand on end as I stood beneath it. I could hear something crying in the mist!

The blood mist was no longer able to descend any further. Although the yellow light seemed transparent and light, it was actually tenacious. It would no longer retreat after being forced back to a certain extent.

Both sides were at a standstill!

Only then did I understand how powerful that weird infant was. Not only was it fighting one against three, it was doing so during the time it was at its weakest. Despite this, it had injured Ah Zhan and Bao Da Tong, and assumed a dominant position against the Golden Radiance Grand Formation!

I realized that this weird infant had to be exterminated! It had never come out to do evil before, and only ate its fill when we unfortunate souls served ourselves up on a silver platter. Now that it had been disturbed, it was extremely vicious. If it wasnt exterminated and night fell, not only would we and the other students meet a tragic end, it might harm even more people!

I sat there trying to think of some way to help. Before I could come up with anything, the stones beneath my feet started moving again.

Let my child go! The female ghost inside shrieked. Give it a path of survival! If you wish to kill, kill me!

Her voice suddenly sounded, startling me. However, the others didnt react as they focused on the struggle at hand.

I knew I had to hold down this side. I couldnt drop the ball at this critical moment. In this evenly matched contest, the slightest interference from a third party could change the outcome. Therefore, I desperately tried to stand as the ground shook. I figured if I stood fully on the circle instead of just having my feet inside, it would prevent the female ghost from coming out and interfering.

I wasnt able to exert any strength with my injured arm and my ribs hurt like hell. I failed to get up several times. The voice below changed from pleading to threatening.

I will kill whoever harms my child! I swear they will die, just wait! Just wait! Just wait! Im coming.

You wont be able to come! I shouted along with her, ignoring my pain and forcing myself up. I even stomped a few times with my feet.

Bang bang bang

The sounds from my feet sounded like a drum, as though the ground was hollow underneath. It felt as if my stomping was powerful enough to split the mountain. Within the pained cries, one, two, three, a total of three different voices could be heard!

I was startled and no longer dared stomp anymore. That female ghost started crying, sounding sorrowful, angry, unreconciled. I got goosebumps and was no longer willing to keep listening.

She continued to cry my son, my son, sobbing, begging until I wished I could comply. Yet I knew I couldnt do so, and forced myself to ignore her. I continued to observe the battlefield!

The deadlock continued on the other side.

I had only been distracted for a few moments but saw that Ah Zhan and Da Tong were now covered in sweat. They were thoroughly soaked as though they couldnt hold on much longer. Yet there wasnt much suffering on their faces. One was cold and determined while the other stubbornly refused to admit defeat!

Sitting in the middle of the eight trigrams, Uncle Baos eyes were closed and his brows were tightly knit. His hand trembled slightly as it formed a seal while the other was held high and pointed towards the weird infant!

The red and yellow in the air grew darker and started seeping into each other. It looked like a weird rainbow suspended in the air! They were tangled and it was hard for them to separate, let alone force each other to retreat!

They were still evenly matched!

Anyone could tell the outcome could go either way. Neither side was willing to retreat, since that would mean death!

I had to do something!

That was my only thought. I feared that if this continued, both sides would suffer losses. So what if the weird infant was exterminated if it meant Ah Zhan and the Bao father and son would accompany it in death!?

But I had no powers and couldnt leave the circle. How could I help?

I wanted to ram my head against something in my panic. While I was feeling helpless, something fell by my feet. Seeing it, I immediately grew spirited.

It was that little mirror! It was the little mirror I randomly grabbed!

I crouched and picked it up, cleaning the surface roughly with my clothes. After I felt it was clean enough, I aimed it at the sun and adjusted the angle. I reflected the sunlight onto that weird infants face!

The weird infant didnt expect this and let out a tragic screech. It hid itself deeper into the fading shadows, trying to escape the deadly ray of light. However, I held the mirror steadily as I aimed it towards its eyes.

It had nowhere to hide and tried to shield its eyes with its hand. Before long, the red mist grew weaker and the yellow light started seizing the advantage.

No, please, let it go! The female ghost seemed to sense things werent going well and started moving again. Although it was hard, I gritted my teeth and ignored her. I continued shining the mirror at the weird infant while occasionally stomping my feet. The yellow light from the Golden Radiance Grand Formation took the opportunity to close in, finally forcing the blood mist back into the weird infants body. Then, it wrapped around it!

Wahhh

The weird infant started crying tears of despair. It started giving off green smoke as if it were on fire!

Its quarter to one! Dispel the formation! Uncle Bao cried out and stopped his hand seal.

That weird infant fell like a rock and crashed to the floor unmoving.

Ah Zhan and Bao Da Tong collapsed to the floor, panting heavily. They werent able to say a word, clearly having gone all out to hold on.

Uncle Bao slowly stood up. His legs were a little weak but he could still walk.

He walked up to the incense burner and took out a slowly burning incense that was still lit. He walked to the weird infant. No matter how much evil youve committed, I will not use any cruel methods to kill you. That is not our way. He said with a hint of pity. However, be gone! You have to atone for your deeds!

As he spoke, he lowered the incense stick and touched it against the weird infants body!