Through countless calamities, I will prove my divine powers.
Within and beyond the Three Realms, only the Dao is supreme.
My body is bathed in golden light, which illuminates me.
Upon seeing this, Shi A immediately frowned. He knew this incantation. Although Shi A wasn't a Qi cultivator, he still had some basic knowledge of cultivation.
This incantation, known as the Golden Light Incantation, is one of the most widely circulated Taoist incantations in the main world.
This spell is relatively simple, yet its effects are diverse and almost all-encompassing. More importantly, even ordinary people can use it directly.
Moreover, it is said that some geniuses, after devoutly reciting the text ten thousand times, will naturally possess some supernatural abilities, more or less. Although it is just a rumor, Shi A knows that the rumor is true.
It cannot be seen or heard.
It encompasses heaven and earth, and nurtures all living beings.
If you recite this mantra ten thousand times, your body will be filled with light.
Guardians of the Three Realms, Welcoming Officials of the Five Emperors.
With each incantation, the golden light emanating from Zhang Ning's body grew stronger and hotter. The radiance emanating from the Ruyi on the altar also grew brighter.
Seeing this, Shi A knew he couldn't wait any longer.
"Haha, Master Wang told me that to deal with you Qi Refiners, we absolutely cannot give you enough time. Otherwise, the whole situation will be reversed. Because when it comes to utilizing the right time, place, and people, Qi Refiners of the same level are always better than others."
"Therefore, when dealing with you, the best approach is to strike first and kill as soon as you meet. If you fail, flee immediately. This is the only correct course of action."
After he finished speaking, Zhang Ning still didn't react. Instead, he continued chanting the incantation as if nothing had happened.
Seeing this, even though he knew there must be an ambush on this altar, Shi A couldn't wait any longer. He couldn't just stand by and watch Zhang Ning cast his spell without stopping him.
Once he made up his mind, Shi stopped, then gently tapped the ground, and three identical copies of himself immediately appeared on the spot.
However, one person held a sword, one held a knife, and one held a large hammer.
"Ha, I'm here."
After speaking, the three of them moved in three different directions. Accompanied by bursts of intense internal energy fluctuations, three different sets of cultivation techniques were immediately activated to their maximum potential. Then, the three Shi'a rushed towards Zhang Ning from the southeast, west, and north directions.
Neither the enormous sword light, nor the chilling blade light, nor the enormous iron hammer posed a threat to Zhang Ning. Instead, he continued chanting the incantation without a care.
All gods pay homage, and thunder is commanded.
Ghosts and demons lost their courage, and spirits and monsters lost their senses.
Within lies thunder, and the Thunder God remains anonymous.
With penetrating wisdom and insight, the five vital energies surge forth.
Golden light appeared swiftly, covering and protecting the true person.
I obey the command of the Supreme Lord Laozi: May this be done swiftly and lawfully.
The three different Sera quickly arrived three zhang away from the altar. The protective barrier shattered after only one breath.
The trap two zhang away was immediately spotted by Shi A. The forbidden magic barrier one zhang away disappeared before it could even take effect.
When the sword, saber, and hammer were only a foot away from Zhang Ning, he finally reacted.
Even though they were still a foot apart, a strong gust of wind had already hit her. Even her hair was disheveled.
In an instant, Zhang Ning opened his eyes. Golden light burst forth from his entire body, illuminating the area within a radius of several dozen feet.
As for the three identical Shi'a, they were instantly reduced to ashes the moment the golden light appeared.
However, at that very moment, when the golden light was at its strongest, a figure suddenly appeared from the void. Arriving in the unsuspecting north, a dark blue sword light appeared simultaneously, aimed directly at Zhang Ning's vitals.
"Well done, you truly deserve to be the disciple of a great swordsman. Whether it's the previous technique of splitting light and shadow or the current technique of flashing through the void, they are all products of combining Taoist magic with martial arts. I never imagined that you, Shi A, would be such a genius. It seems that you have truly succeeded in your path of dual cultivation of magic and martial arts as a great swordsman."
The so-called dual cultivation of martial arts and magic is actually a profession that prioritizes martial arts and uses magic as a supplement, essentially a side job between a martial artist and a Qi cultivator. This profession has quite high requirements for cultivators. To some extent, it compensates for the vulnerability of martial artists in their early stages.
As he spoke, a black seal appeared directly in Zhang Ning's right hand. Then, with the infusion of magical power, the seal swayed in the wind and grew three-tenths of its original size.
Then, it transformed into a bolt of lightning and hurtled towards Shi A. If Shi A insisted on delivering that blow, then he too would surely be struck.
Seeing this, Shi A couldn't help but shake his head. The attack power of magical artifacts is often unreasonable. Basically, once hit, it's almost certain death.
"Haha, Holy Maiden, you jest. How could I dare to show off my meager skills in front of you? Wouldn't that be like trying to teach a fish to swim?"
"Who doesn't know that the Holy Maiden is a super genius, a rare find in the Taiping Dao, appearing only once every few centuries? She is proficient in all kinds of Daoist arts." After saying this, Shi A instantly retreated. At the same time, he glanced at the large seal with great apprehension.
Sure enough, as Shi A retreated, the seal slammed directly into the ground. The previously flat ground now had a hole three feet deep.
With such immense power, if it were to hit me, it would be truly unbearable. Let alone myself, even after breaking through to the Grandmaster level, being hit head-on would likely result in me collapsing and dying.
Seeing Shi A's wary expression, Zhang Ning smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Hehe, this seal is a magical artifact that I crafted when I was twelve years old to celebrate breaking through to the second-tier Yin God realm."
"At the time, I didn't know much about these things. Then I heard that black iron was quite precious. So I just found tens of thousands of kilograms of black iron and kept refining it until I made this thing. Its function is rather simple; it can only be used to hit people."
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Chapter 81: You are what you eat
Upon hearing this, Shi A's eyes widened. "Heh, do you really think I'm stupid?" Then, he looked at the large hole in the ground.
Inside the hole was an enlarged version of the seal. The seal was enormous, and judging by its material, it was likely made of black iron. Its overall weight was probably only tens of thousands of kilograms.