Using the cover of the swirling sandstorm, Shawn Young darted swiftly to the flank of the Spectral Samurai formation. Planting his feet in the Seven Stars stance, he pinched a Taoist hand sign, left hand pointing to the sky and right hand to the earth, both hands tracing clockwise circles to conjure a ring of black energy before him. Then, with his left palm flat and his right hand clenched in a fist, he struck his fist into his palm and chanted:
"Heaven and Earth, boundless and free,
Mystic Yellow, Fivefold Energy.
Dharma Lotus, blaze and burn,
Wind and thunder, make evil turn.
Break the curse, drive out the blight—
By law divine, extinguish night!"
Finishing the incantation, Shawn flipped his right palm skyward. From his palm, a streak of violet light shot out, piercing the clouds above.
Boom... Thunder rumbled across the sky as the dark clouds parted, swirling into rings. Suddenly, a barrage of crackling spherical lightning burst forth, striking straight down at the Spectral Samurai formation.
Jade Swann seized the moment, her hands carving graceful arcs before her chest. With a swift flip of her palms, she pressed her wrists together, fingers forming a lotus shape as she spun and shouted, "Transform—Fearless Thunderfire!"
The raging winds abruptly halted, then split into two intertwining streams of thunderfire, howling as they pressed down on the Spectral Samurai.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst the chaotic thunder and wind, lightning and fire filled the sky. The Spectral Samurai's once-solid formation finally shattered under the relentless barrage, mangled limbs flying everywhere as blackened silhouettes swirled through the storm.
Yet, despite the flawless teamwork between Shawn Young and Jade Swann, their assault didn't wipe out all the Spectral Samurai—it only scattered their formation and cut their fighting strength in half.
In the instant the thunder and wind struck, the Spectral Samurai formation dissolved. A hundred or so warriors surged forward, intercepting the falling lightning spheres and detonating them with their bodies. The rest locked arms, their black armor meshing into a massive barrier, pressing onward toward the duo...
"Celestial Shock, clouds astir,
Fivefold Essence, deep within.
Thunder and wind, gather and spin—
Five Elements Blade, let the slaying begin!"
Jade Swann murmured, tossing her Raikiri Dagger skyward.
"Swish..." With a strange sound, a surge of blue light erupted. Countless thunder pearls suddenly appeared in the sky—dense as a hailstorm, shooting toward the Spectral Samurai like bullets.
Empowered by the divine might of the Raikiri Dagger, the thunder pearls shot in from all directions, leaving the Spectral Samurai nowhere to escape. Their bodies were riddled with holes, collapsing like rotten wood, yet they stubbornly struggled, trying to rise again.
Seeing this, Shawn Young immediately realized that these Spectral Samurai feared the power of thunder and lightning. Knowing this was a chance not to be missed, he focused his energy, crossing his hands with thumbs joined and fingers interlocked, forming the Radiant King Seal. Channeling the Celestial Essence within, he gathered a formidable force and chanted swiftly:
"Divine Star Shift, time and tide,
Six Senses turn, thunder rides.
Dao Sovereign, Ninefold Thunder—
Gather my form, let evil sunder!
By law divine, annihilate!"
With a flip of his hands, divine power surged within his Second Sight. A brilliant burst of violet light shot out, enveloping him completely. In an instant, rolling clouds of purple swirled overhead, and as Shawn Young roared, a shower of dazzling ball lightning rained down on the Spectral Samurai!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The power of the ball lightning was overwhelming, shaking the earth for miles around. The raging thunder blasted the Spectral Samurai to pieces, torn limbs flying everywhere. In a flash, half of those struggling on the ground were wiped out by the storm.
"That was epic—wait, what?! There's still so many!" Jade Swann had just started cheering, but when she saw what was happening in the distant valley, her jaw dropped.
As the smoke cleared, Shawn Young looked up to see waves of Spectral Samurai pouring out of the valley—more than ever before!
The mountainside was swarming with Spectral Samurai—tens of thousands, it seemed! The few thousand they'd faced before were just the advance guard!
Shawn Young felt his scalp tingle. No matter how strong his and Jade Swann's cultivation was, their energy would run out eventually. Thunder spells burned through their reserves fast—if their power ran dry before wiping out all the Spectral Samurai, even a handful could finish them off!
Just as Shawn Young was wracking his brain, a clear female voice rang in his ear: "You silly Young, why are you so clueless? These Spectral Samurai are born from the vengeful spirits in the Earthshade Soul Trap. If you fight them head-on, no matter how strong you are, you'll never finish them off—they'll just keep coming back! If you want to defeat them, you have to destroy the Forsaken Earth that powers them! Only then can you cut off the earth energy that sustains their strength."
"Destroy the Forsaken Earth! How do I do that?!" Shawn recognized Annabelle Hung's voice. He looked around but couldn't see her, realizing she must be using a secret technique to speak to him.
"Hmph, looks like you never learned this! All that precious Celestial Essence wasted! Fine, I'll teach you today—can't have all those girls becoming widows because of you! Listen up..." Annabelle Hung began transmitting Taoist techniques to Shawn Young through her secret art.
Shawn Young immediately followed her instructions, biting his middle fingers and drawing a blood bagua on the ground. He channeled Celestial Essence, left hand to the sky, right hand to the earth, both hands tracing clockwise, then stomped his feet and shouted, "Open!"
Boom!! With a thunderous crash, the ground split open before him and a jet of black energy shot skyward. Even standing nearby, Shawn felt a bone-chilling cold.
But he didn't have time to think—he dashed to the crack, left palm flat, right fist clenched, striking together as he chanted:
"Solar Essence falls, crimson bright,
Earth Yin plunges, depths of night!"
Finishing the incantation, Shawn traced patterns in the air, and a faint Balance Fish symbol appeared—its colors swirling red and white.
"Fall!" Shawn shouted, and the Balance Fish symbol burst with radiant light, morphing into countless red snowflakes that spiraled down into the crack in the earth.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, thunder rumbled below, and the black clay began to crystallize into a layer of white salt-like grains.
The Spectral Samurai charging toward Shawn and Jade Swann slowed, their ferocity fading and movements becoming stiff.
Seizing the opportunity, Shawn Young pushed his left palm forward, traced a 'Z' shape in front of his chest with his right, then pressed both palms together. Spinning his body, pale blue lightning coiled around him as he spread his hands and shouted, "Break!"
A dazzling bolt of lightning arced down, crackling as it struck the ground and raced outward in all directions, surging into the valley. As the electric current sizzled, acrid black smoke billowed up—the Spectral Samurai shattered by the Sixfold Yin-Yang Purge, the Forsaken Earth corrupted, puppets collapsing and exploding one after another.
For a moment, the entire valley echoed with explosions and thick smoke, the scene utterly spectacular.
With the Forsaken Earth destroyed, the Spectral Samurai lost their power source—like water from a dried-up spring. In less than ten minutes, all were wiped out, turning to piles of black, smoking mud.
With the Spectral Samurai annihilated, the Earthshade Soul Trap was broken, and the valley's atmosphere cleared. The oppressive aura faded, replaced by gentle breezes.
Only then did Shawn Young finally exhale, wiping sweat from his brow. His middle fingers throbbed with pain—bloodied and nearly ruined.
"Heh, Young, what do you think of our Sixfold Yin-Yang Purge?!" Annabelle Hung's triumphant laughter rang in his ear.
"Impressive, but it really burns through my energy! If I use it a few more times, I won't even be able to walk!" Shawn replied with his mind to Annabelle Hung.
It was true—Shawn now felt dizzy, his head heavy, legs weak. He could even feel his organs trembling, all from the massive energy drain.
"Kid, you think the evil of the Forsaken Earth is that easy to deal with? The Nine Chrysanthemums Society set up this soul trap on an ancient battlefield—it's a masterstroke. Breaking it is impressive! Let me tell you, the Sixfold Yin-Yang Purge is a signature technique of the Mountainbreaker Enforcers. You got lucky today!" Annabelle Hung said with a hint of annoyance.
"Oh? A signature technique! Thank you, elder, for your generous help!" Shawn said sincerely.
"Thank me? I'm only helping for the girls' sake. Oh, and the girls from the Xiao family are eager for you to join them. They're too shy to say it, so I'm passing on the message, heh..." Annabelle Hung laughed.
"Got it, I'll head over now," Shawn said.
"Don't rush, kid. This is the Nine Chrysanthemums Society's headquarters, not a dating spot. They've been here for centuries—lots of hidden dangers. Stay sharp." Annabelle Hung warned again.