Chapter 171: Fist

　　At the moment when Leyang Wen made it past the crowd and his ten fingers were upon Wen Leyang, suddenly, the scene before his eyes became pitch black. A black beetle that covered the heavens and earth appeared out of thin air without warning, wrapping him up in an instant!

　　Little Chi Maojiu was shivering all over. His hands were desperately tearing his own vital fire. His vital fire was like a furious and helpless living soul, wailing endlessly under its master’s tearing. Wen Leyang did not recognize the life-taking Witchcraft that little Chi Maojiu was casting, but he could clearly see that black blood with pus was wriggling crookedly out of the dolls seven orifices like an earthworm, flowing out slowly!

　　However, little Chi Maojiu himself did not notice that. He cursed with a sharp voice at Leyang Wen who was wrapped in countless Bug Spells, “It’s alright if Painting Town had asked for it. If you want to take it by force, over the Miao Bujiao’s dead bodies!”

　　A few Qing Miao Elders who had just freed themselves from their predicament let out a furious and sad cry in unison. They pounced to little Chi Maojiu’s side. Little Chi Maojiu had discarded his usual show of maturity and calmness. However, on the ten-year-old doll, a sternness and madness that struck fear into others suddenly bloomed. He cursed at his subordinates with a hoarse voice, “Who told you that you should guard me first in the face of a formidable foe?”

　　Little Chi Maojiu did not bother about the Laughing Face Witchcraft Spell, which was affecting him and activated his own Ben Ming. With this, he is the same as Second Mother, giving up his progress in the second half of his life to risk his life. Although Chi Maojiu was young, his ruthlessness and stubbornness as a Miao Bujiao were not weak at all!

　　Leyang Wen could not react in time. He was torn and stung by countless Bug Spells. He fell heavily from mid-air to the ground. He was shouting in a shrill voice some spell that Wen Leyang could not decipher. The blood cloud vital fire behind him rolled towards him in the blink of an eye, wrapping around all the Spell Bugs and Leyang Wen’s body. Then, the ground beneath him suddenly transformed into a huge swamp, and he sunk into it in the blink of an eye!

　　It was but a short flick of a finger, the short-statured Leyang Wen had re-emerged from the ground with a wan smile of utmost fury!

　　Chi Maojiu cried and spat out a mouthful of black blood. He fell to the ground stiffly. The Ben Ming which he had risked his life to cast had been broken by the opponent. The few Qing Miao Elders bulged their eyes and bared their teeth while coaxing their vital fires as they rushed towards their enemy.

　　The countless Spell Bugs on Leyang Wen’s body was nowhere to be seen but the layers under his skin were filled with densely packed grain-sized bumps that were wriggling endlessly. Sometimes, one or two bumps would burst and a little bug with flap its wings and fly out. Leyang Wen had a savage expression. He let his vital fire roast himself continuously while he let out a sharp howl, “To annihilate the Miao Bujiao is no big deal!” Then, he waved his arms about in a wild manner. Huge, furious waves of flames surged from the sea of fire under the coaxing of its master. The waves looked like they were going to break, completely destroying everything on Seven Maidens Mountain!

　　Leyang Wen had lost his former calmness and friendliness. He became short-tempered and wild. Just when he was smiling madly and about to make the sea of fire fold in on itself, his vision blackened again!

　　A puff of poison undercurrent pulsating with the sharpness of Metal Element had mercilessly rained on him from the top. It was Wen Leyang’s Metal Poison Stream!

　　The singing puppet black magic was still taking its course. Wen Leyang did not have the luxury of worrying about the Heart-linking Lock from backfiring. Due to his hesitation in Leyang Wen’s identity, little Chi Maojiu had given up on his future cultivation base. If he had dallied for a long moment, the entire Miao stockade village would be destroyed in one fell swoop.

　　When the poison sprayed, even the surrounding air was corroded. Leyang Wen did not have time to activate his black magic. His arms flailed and continuously coaxed the life vitality which he had cultivated to repel the all-enveloping poison current. Then, a fist, penetrated the poison without any flashy show, penetrating the barrier of the life vitality, penetrating the enchanting vital fire, and landed heavily on Leyang Wen’s face.

　　The first had turned into the world as it flew in front of his eyes!

　　Leyang Wen truly felt that the heavens and earth had mixed together suddenly at that moment. That ball of ferocity which accumulated Life, Death, Yin, Yang, and all creation had mercilessly minced all the power within his body! It was not that he did not guard against Wen Leyang’s life-risking attack, he did not think that the Wen Leyang who was on par with him just a month ago at City God Temple of Shanghai could pack a punch that was as heavy as the falling skies or as the breaking ground!

　　Wen Leyang smashed Leyang Wen with a punch (Author’s note: Anyone else finds this awkward-sounding?), and he muttered, “You are wrong!”

　　Leyang Wen vomited blood on the spot and was limp into a ball after being hit by that heavy strike. The Laughing Face Witchcraft Spell also dispersed. The huge red flower withered instantly. The fissure on the ground quickly closed up. Everything returned to normal. The Miao clansmen who were affected by the Laughing Face Witchcraft Spell were all exhausted and fainted, lying limply on the ground.

　　Wen Leyang was extremely satisfied with his own speed. When he struck Leyang Wen back to the ground, the joyful laugh of the singing puppet stopped abruptly. Wen Leyang seized the final moments and instructed the Miao Elders who were already onto Leyang Wen in a loud voice, “Don’t kill him yet…” He had not finished, when the Heart-linking Lock gave a sharp howl that was enough to blast the skies into pieces and rolled madly towards him!

　　The combination of thirty percent of witchcraft power of all the disciples of Qing Miao could easily tear an iron rock to pieces. Wen Leyang’s skin tightened. The Miao Bujiao around him could not even get close to him, let alone rescue him. The strong wind caused by the rolling witch’s fire had blown up sand and rocks, which were capable of breaking the bones of a normal human being. Wen Leyang’s only reliance now is his own skin that was as tough as bronze and bones that were as strong as iron.

　　The boundless witchcraft power was a godly dragon, which was baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. It brought with it a fury that reached the heavens and plunged mercilessly into Wen Leyang’s chest!

　　Wen Leyang, who was gritting his teeth and tense all over suddenly opened his mouth in shock. A familiar feeling which frightened him out of his wits had appeared calmly in that instant the Heart-linking Lock started backfiring…

　　Second Mother’s Ben Ming had been destroyed a few years ago when they had the fierce battle with the demon lady. Her body was much weaker than the Qing Miao elites. She only woke up after a long while. When she lifted her head to look, the entire Heart-linking Lock was like a raging sea of witch’s fire, swirling madly while enveloped in layers. She could not see the situation inside of it.

　　A few Qing Miao elites shook their heads at Second Mother with grim expressions. There was nothing they could do.

　　Second Mother exclaimed and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. She fainted a second time. The grand gift which she had given to Wen Leyang had turned into a life-taking sea of fire. If Wen Leyang dies on Seven Maidens Mountain, she could only bring her head up to Nine Peaks Mountain to beg for forgiveness.

　　When Second Mother woke up a second time, a sea of fire was still in front of her eyes. As long as the witch’s fire did not erupt into a ball, that meant that Wen Leyang had not died just yet. She asked the elder beside her, “How long have I been out cold again?”

　　“Ten seconds or so!” The elder replied in a low voice, “I revived you when you just closed your eyes.”

　　Second Mother would have given anything to chase him away so that she could sleep for a while longer. After taking a deep breath and trying hard to calm her mind, she continued to ask, “How’s the Big Dragon’s Root? What’s the death toll of the clansmen?”

　　The elder shook his head, his eyes full of hatred, “The Big Dragon’s Root had activated his Ben Ming, he is badly wounded and unconscious, his foundations must’ve been destroyed… Almost half of the children are wounded with a few with serious injuries. So far none had died!”

　　At this moment, another two elders carried Leyang Wen that was heavily bound with witch needles pinned on every joint and laid him down heavily in front of Second Mother, “What should we do with him?”

　　Second Mother answered briskly, “Leave him be for now. If our good brother is unharmed, then we can still talk. If our good brother dies, then he dies with him!”

　　The elder then pointed at the small bugs that were continuously emerging from under Leyang Wen’s skin, “This…”

　　This time, Second Mother hesitated. She sighed, “Help him dispel it. We can kill the Leyangs, but we will not torture them. If the good brother dies, I’ll kill him with my own hands then repay the Leyang family with my life!”

　　There was no unwillingness on the Qing Miao elder’s face, nor were there any unbearable anger. He nodded after he heard that. He cast Black Magic and slowly dispelling the witchcraft which was affecting Leyang Wen.

　　The giant toad Xiu Er had appeared hopping far away without anyone knowing. It stared blankly at the rolling Heart-linking Lock. Its pitch-black eyes were full of avenging joy…

　　A few years ago, Ah Dan had crossed the god’s punishment at Wen family village. The Nine Heavens Thunder had entered the jade knife on Wen Leyang’s neck. Then, the Five Blessings had gathered on Nine Peaks Mountain. Wen Buzuo had blasted Taoist priest Qing Niao with Thunder Heart Sand. Thousands of lightning arcs surged towards the jade knife again.

　　When the Heart-linking Lock started backfiring and witchcraft power started invading his body, Wen Leyang felt the same sensations as when the jade knife had redirected thunder twice.

　　However, what was coming for him was not the might of Heaven’s Thunder, but the boundless witchcraft power that was contained within the Heart-linking Lock.

　　And the object madly absorbing these witchcraft power now was not the jade knife under his neck, but it was a small object which Wen Leyang had been keeping with him recently, a small object which he did not even know what good it was for, the jade talisman!

　　About a month ago, Ji Fei and Shui Jing were unintentionally entrusted by a World Sect disciple who was hunted by Eyang Sect to pass the jade talisman to Leyang Tian in Painting Town.

　　Leyang Tian gave the jade talisman to Wen Leyang before his death and wanted him to pass it to his big brother Leyang Wen. Wen Leyang had been keeping it with him. This object had caused Eyang Sect’s San Wei and Painting Town to fight over it. Wen Leyang knew that it was something important but he never expected it to be able to absorb witchcraft power.

　　The jade knife had swallowed the thunder like a gluttonous evil beast, pouncing at every release of godly thunder. The jade talisman was like a loyal sleuth hound. When the Miao Bujiao were refining the ‘Heart-linking Lock’, it was unknown how many times witchcraft powers were activated but it did not make a move and did not actively absorb witchcraft power.

　　Only when witchcraft power that was powerful enough to shatter mountains had hit into Wen Leyang’s body, the formerly silent jade talisman take that as food given to it by its master. It immediately came to live, greedily, swiftly and mercilessly swallowing the witchcraft power that was entering Wen Leyang’s body.

　　Wen Leyang felt like an ‘earth wire’ now. The witchcraft power was like the high voltage current, the jade talisman was the earth and he was a conductor. Although the witchcraft power was fierce, it did not even have the chance to wreak havoc after invading his body, nor did it have the time to hoard and explode before flowing completely into the jade talisman. With his body, he could withstand it. He did not even feel any pain but only felt a slight chill…