He quickly pulled out a talisman from his pocket and roared, "Not only do you have talismans, but I also found several talismans in an ancient ruin last year. Take one of my talismans!"
The ancient ruins were just an excuse Wang Xuan made up. This was the only way to explain the origin of his magical treasures and to provide a reason for his rapid increase in strength later on.
He poured his true energy into the talisman, and the talisman instantly burst into flames, transforming into a flaming blade several meters long that slashed towards Wang Daoling.
As soon as the Flaming Blade appeared, Wang Daoling felt death approaching him. Terrified, he immediately revealed his true form, transforming into a toad the size of a millstone.
The toad leaped quickly away into the distance, attempting to escape, but the flaming blade had a lock-on function and slashed down without any way to avoid it.
Wang Daoling could only resist with all his might. After taking a deep breath, his entire abdomen swelled into a spherical shape.
The flaming blade finally struck, slicing a huge gash in Wang Daoling's demonic body. Foul-smelling blood gushed out, and his internal organs were faintly visible inside!
"Wang Xuan, I will repay this grudge tenfold in the future!" Wang Daoling roared and fled into the distance without stopping.
He was already seriously injured, and he didn't know if Wang Xuan still had any talismans, so he naturally dared not stay here any longer.
Wang Xuan did not pursue and kill him; he deliberately spared the life of the toad demon Wang Daoling.
The other party is already seriously injured, and in order to heal, they will definitely do evil deeds, such as eating a few living people.
Then it will be Wang Xuan's turn to step in and vanquish the demons.
Chapter 193 Building Reputation (Third Update)
If you want to quickly establish the reputation of the Xuantian Holy Sect, staying in the sect and teaching disciples won't work. You must go out and make your mark, let the world see your strength, and then you can build your fame.
Wang Daoling's initiative to come to us this time is undoubtedly an opportunity.
Ideally, it would be when the toad demon Wang Daoling is causing trouble outside and everyone is helpless, that they would remember Wang Xuan, the expert who once injured the toad demon.
In order to let Wang Daoling stir up trouble as much as possible, Wang Xuan even planned to artificially provide him with several opportunities to greatly enhance the toad spirit's strength.
Although Wang Xuan's thoughts were somewhat dark, he didn't care anymore. As long as no one exposed him, he would still be a great hero who slays demons and monsters, and the world would only admire him.
Although the battle just now lasted only a short time, it caused quite a stir, attracting the attention of all the disciples of the Xuan Tian Holy Sect.
Xiaoqing rushed over worriedly and asked curiously, "Master, how did you let that toad escape?"
Xiaoqing was the only person in the world who knew Wang Xuan's abilities. In her opinion, the toad demon's cultivation level was about the same as hers, and it had no chance of escaping from Wang Xuan's grasp.
"Don't meddle, I have my own plans!" Wang Xuan rolled his eyes, worried that Xiao Qing would go around spreading rumors, so he gave her a serious warning.
In fact, when Wang Xuan subdued Xiao Qing, he only revealed the strength of the Transcendent Realm, but this was also a potential problem later on.
Xiaoqing nodded obediently. During this time, she had been cultivating with Wang Xuan, and one day of cultivation there was equivalent to ten days of cultivation before. She had finally seen the benefits of becoming a disciple.
Just as Wang Xuan had predicted, even if Wang Xuan tried to get rid of her, she wouldn't leave.
The little girl was still thinking about how to trick Wang Xuan into giving her a few useful treasures. Naturally, she would do whatever Wang Xuan said and would never make him angry.
Wang Xuan chuckled and summoned his disciples to spread the word about what had just happened.
A few days later, the entire Qiantang County knew the news that a toad spirit had disguised himself as a Maoshan Taoist priest and broken into the Xuantian Holy Sect. In the end, he was severely injured by the sect leader Wang and fled in a sorry state.
Others may not know whether it's true or false, but ordinary people treat this news like a novel or storybook, and some storytellers even turned it into a storytelling performance, which is why it spread so quickly.
This unbelievable news would have been forgotten by the world in no time, but less than a month later, news of a toad spirit harming people came from Qiantang County, inevitably leading people to connect the two news items.
"A toad demon has indeed appeared in our Qiantang County! I've heard that this toad is full of demonic energy and likes to eat living people. Only Sect Master Wang of the Xuantian Holy Sect can subdue it!"
"Oh no! The toad demon has come out to harm people again! Quickly, go and fetch Sect Leader Wang!"
The turmoil surrounding the toad demon did not fade away; instead, it intensified. Wang Daoling was injured by Wang Xuan's flaming blade, and even his soul was burned. He showed signs of going berserk and acted recklessly without any restraint.
Wang Xuan naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to gain reputation, so he took the Qingming Sword and went down the mountain to hunt down the toad demon.
The two sides clashed several times. With Wang Xuan intentionally concealing his strength, their battle was fierce. In the end, Wang Xuan, relying on his endless trump cards, chased Wang Daoling around.
After several major battles, Wang Xuan's reputation grew louder and louder, and he became a well-known hero in Qiantang County. Even the surrounding counties had his legends.
This toad demon is truly a selfless and altruistic monster. To help Wang Xuan gain fame, he would be severely injured and cough up blood every time he was beaten, but he would not rest for more than a few days. In the blink of an eye, he would come out again to harm people, giving Wang Xuan the opportunity to continue to gain reputation.
However, at this point, the toad spirit's value has been almost fully utilized, and if things drag on any longer, the truth might be exposed.
Therefore, Wang Xuan "broke through" at just the right time. He no longer showed his cultivation as the perfect innate realm, but instead revealed his cultivation as the early stage of the Dao.
"Toad Demon, my cultivation has now broken through, reaching the realm of martial arts and enlightenment. This time, I will not give you another chance to escape!" Wang Xuan roared, and charged towards the Toad Demon Wang Daoling with his Azure Nether Sword.
Wang Daoling was so angry upon hearing this that he almost vomited blood. Did they really think he wanted to harm people? He was forced into this by some hypocritical guy!
Whenever he tries to hide away to heal his wounds, an unexpected event occurs, forcing him to jump out and harm others. What awaits him is the arrival of the great hero Wang, who vanquishes demons and monsters.
He didn't think much of it when it happened once or twice. But when it happened several times in a row, even he, who was usually quite naive, began to have some doubts.
"Wang Xuan, if you have the guts, come at me! I'm not going to run away today; I'm going to drag you down with me!" Wang Daoling roared furiously, his body transforming into a giant toad as he lunged at Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan quickly used his sword to defend himself. With his cultivation level at the early stage of the Dao Realm, combined with the superior-grade magic weapon Qingming Sword, he was already able to fight Wang Daoling to a draw, and he no longer needed to use talismans or other treasures.
After exchanging dozens of blows, the toad demon suddenly developed huge pustules on its body, from which black venom gushed out. An ordinary person who smelled it would become dizzy and collapse from poisoning.
Originally, Wang Daoling's true form was a toad, but it was closer to a frog and not particularly ugly. However, after the pustules appeared, it immediately turned into a toad, and its appearance deteriorated significantly.
Wang Xuan frowned deeply. He had no desire to get entangled with this ugly guy any longer. In short, he was rejected because of his ugliness!
Before the venom could even reach Wang Xuan, he had already merged with his sword, transforming into a streak of light and flying far away, avoiding the venom.
Just then, Wang Daoling, who had been ready to die, suddenly turned and fled, showing no intention of taking Wang Xuan down with him.
"You fiend, don't run away! Take this sword strike!" Wang Xuan made a sword incantation with his hands, and after he unleashed a sword strike, dozens of sword beams shot out, each one aimed at the toad demon's vital points.
"Damn it, this bastard really wants to kill me today!" Wang Daoling was both shocked and furious. He had no choice but to stop his escape and release a cloud of demonic energy to disperse the sword lights.
The human and the demon exchanged blows for another dozen or so rounds, with Wang Daoling gradually gaining the upper hand. After all, he was an old demon who had cultivated for hundreds of years, and his strength was three points greater than that of a martial artist at the peak of the Dao realm, making him not so easy to deal with.
"You think I can't kill you with your early-stage cultivation?" Wang Xuan sneered. "Luckily, I still have one last talisman. I'll give it to you today!"
Chapter 194 Power as Vast as the Sea!
As soon as Wang Daoling saw Wang Xuan take out a talisman, he immediately realized something was wrong.
He had already suffered enough from Wang Xuan's talismans these past few days, and it had become a conditioned reflex. Without hesitation, he burned his essence blood and transformed into a stream of light, fleeing towards the horizon.
Any living being that has reached a certain level of cultivation will condense essence blood, which contains the origin of the physical body.
Once you burn your essence blood, you sacrifice your very essence in exchange for temporary, powerful strength!
Even though Wang Daoling had burned his life essence, his only thought was to escape; he had no intention of confronting Wang Xuan head-on. Wang Xuan simply had too many trump cards up his sleeve, and he couldn't see any chance of victory!
Wang Daoling even made a decision in his heart that once he escaped this time, he would leave Qiantang County far away and never come back.
"Toad demon, stop struggling and just accept your death!" Wang Xuan did not give up the pursuit as he had done before, and continued to chase after it relentlessly.
The toad demon Wang Daoling was clearly suspicious. If Wang Xuan didn't kill him this time, he would most likely go around spreading rumors and trying to ruin Wang Xuan's reputation.
In order to maintain his glorious and noble image, Wang Xuan had no choice but to resort to ruthless killing.
In their chase, they quickly flew more than 200 miles, having already flown from Qiantang County into Hangzhou.
Just then, a chanting suddenly came from ahead, followed by a huge alms bowl flying through the air, emitting a powerful suction force.
This is because a powerful Buddhist figure has made a move. The person who made the move is comparable to the perfected Transcendent Realm, and may even have one foot in the Celestial Realm.
To use the language of the Legend of the White Snake, he was a powerful Buddhist figure who was about to attain the Golden Body Arhat!
"This is bad. Buddhism has always emphasized the idea of 'laying down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot.' Many demons have been converted by them and transformed into the foundation of Buddhism. If the other side really captures Wang Daoling, they probably won't kill him. Then the few good shows I directed and acted in before might be exposed!"
Wang Xuan disregarded everything else and cursed loudly, "Where did this bald monk come from, daring to snatch food from a tiger's mouth? He's just meddling in other people's business like a dog trying to catch a mouse!"
Almost at the same time, the talisman in his hand was finally activated.
The talisman instantly ignited, transforming into a sky-ripping sword aura that slashed towards Wang Daoling.
Bang!
Just as the sword energy was about to strike Wang Daoling, another string of Buddhist prayer beads flew over, shattering the bead into pieces and dissipating into the sky.
Wang Xuan's face was extremely gloomy, and he roared, "Which bald monk is causing trouble? Show yourself!"
"Amitabha, this humble monk Fahai of Jinshan Temple greets you!" As soon as Wang Xuan finished speaking, a kind-faced old monk flew over and chanted a Buddhist prayer towards Wang Xuan.
It turned out that Wang Xuan and the toad spirit were chasing each other and gradually approaching within a hundred miles of Jinshan Temple, which attracted the great villain in the Legend of the White Snake, the Zen Master Fahai, who was known for his boundless magical power!
"So it's Zen Master Fahai from Jinshan Temple. I've heard of your great name before, but why are you stopping me from exorcising the demon today?" Wang Xuan questioned.
Fahai said, “Why do you need to commit such a heinous crime, benefactor? Why don’t you hand this demon over to this humble monk? This humble monk will suppress it under Leifeng Pagoda and use Buddhist scriptures to convert it day and night, and I guarantee that it will never do evil again.”
Wang Xuan raised an eyebrow. Before Bai Suzhen even appeared, Fahai was already planning to suppress the toad demon under Leifeng Pagoda. Was this a way of finding a neighbor for Bai Suzhen in advance?
"Old monk, this toad demon has killed quite a few people. If he joins the Buddhist order, his crimes can be wiped clean. Wouldn't all the other demons in the world follow suit?" Wang Xuan sneered. "He can just keep harming the people as much as he wants. Anyway, if someone comes to slay the demon, those demons can just join the Buddhist order and live in peace!"
Fahai was speechless upon hearing this, because what Wang Xuan said was indeed possible.
Upon hearing this, the toad spirit Wang Daoling immediately became displeased and quickly protested, "Master, you must save me! If this bastard hadn't been chasing me, I wouldn't have resorted to eating people!"
Humans, as the protagonists of the world, are all born with bodies of the Dao, possessing boundless potential. Monsters can enhance their cultivation by eating humans, and can also quickly heal their injuries.
According to Wang Daoling's implication, he was being relentlessly pursued by Wang Xuan, and only resorted to cannibalism to save his life. Otherwise, with his injuries still severe, how could he have escaped from Wang Xuan's clutches?
Oh no, if this toad demon keeps talking, he'll definitely be exposed!
"This is an absolute joke! You monster harmed people, and now you want to blame it on me?" Wang Xuan cursed. "Over the years, in order to amass wealth, you directly poisoned the well water, causing countless people to fall seriously ill. Then you sold the talismanic water as a cure for profit. And you're blaming me for that too?!"
"How did you know?" Wang Daoling was immediately shocked. Although he had thought of this money-making idea, he had only thought about it in his mind and had not yet put it into action.
Could it be that the other person is a mind reader, able to know even what he's thinking?
The toad demon was a bit slow-witted; he was completely unaware that Fahai's expression had changed, and his gaze was now filled with rage.
To Fahai, monsters eating people was as natural as wolves eating sheep. But a monster that harmed the entire city for profit was definitely beyond his tolerance!
Wang Xuan, observing Fahai's expression, knew that Fahai was wavering. He quickly seized the opportunity and took out another talisman and threw it out.
As soon as the talisman was produced, seven streaks of light flashed past, like the Big Dipper, and instantly struck Wang Daoling.
Compared to the talisman Wang Xuan used before, this talisman is much more powerful, reaching the level of the mid-to-late stage of the Transcendent Realm, enough to kill the toad demon in one blow!
Fahai hesitated for a moment, and before he could stop them, the seven streams of light struck the toad demon, obliterating the monster completely.
After eliminating the toad demon as a threat, Wang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, nodded to Fahai, and turned to leave.