Dragon-Elephant Talisman and Spirit Suppression Rite

"Oh! No wonder these weapons are so heavy—they've got quite the origin!" Shawn Young exclaimed in awe.

"Hmph, at least you know your stuff, kid. If that girl from the Nangong family hadn’t come knocking to warn me you were in trouble, you’d all be dead tonight at Orochi’s hands! To deal with a ten-thousand-year-old monster, you need these ancient divine weapons—and plenty of good booze to lure it out. Without my method, you’d never take down Orochi! That beast’s been hunting here since before the Japanese even lived on these islands..." Hong Xuanjiao snorted, but a smug grin crept onto her face.

"Heh, let's go, kid. If you can wield the Celestial Godslayer Blade, you’ve got what it takes to hunt monsters. You come with me to get Orochi’s Spirit Core, the rest of you wait here." Hong Xuanjiao said.

"Uh... Senior Hong, if Orochi feels pain, is there any chance it’ll wake up? Wouldn’t that be really dangerous?" Xiao Yuewu asked nervously, still shaken by Orochi’s terrifying defense.

"Hmph, I’ve got my own way to send Orochi straight to hell. Don’t worry, I won’t let you lovely girls become widows... I’d hate for this boy’s harem to blame me for anything!" Hong Xuanjiao really had no filter.

At her words, Xiao Yuewu, Gu Meier, and Ryoko Sasaki all blushed, while Shawn’s face burned with embarrassment. He couldn’t help but wonder how Hong Xuanjiao knew about all his women.

"Surprised, kid? I can read faces and feng shui. One look at you—peach blossom aura, dragon-like energy, strong inner breath, sword brows, starry eyes, earlobes hanging low—that’s the face of a man destined for endless romance and fortune. You won’t die young! In ancient times, you’d be a hero with a kingdom and beauties galore. Heh, just enjoy it!" Hong Xuanjiao said with a flourish.

"Senior Hong, maybe we should just handle Orochi first..." Shawn said, a little embarrassed by her words.

"Heh, I’ve been telling you to go, but your girls can’t bear to let you out of their sight. Let’s move!" With that, Hong Xuanjiao grabbed the mighty Xuanyuan Mountainbreaker Hammer and strode toward the drunken, sleeping Orochi five hundred meters away. Shawn hefted the Celestial Godslayer Blade and followed.

The two quickly reached Orochi’s side. The monster’s eight ugly heads were all shut tight, snoring like thunder. Its massive body trembled with every snore, and the remaining seven giant tentacles sprawled limply on the ground, occasionally twitching.

Suddenly, Hong Xuanjiao unzipped her black jacket and pulled out a dark talisman hanging from her neck. The talisman was the size of her palm. She pressed it to her chest; it wasn’t gold or jade, but looked more like an animal’s scale. Strange symbols—almost bug-like—were carved into it. Shawn couldn’t help but stare, realizing he had no clue what language it was.

"Heh, this is the secret treasure of the Mountainbreaker Enforcers—the Dragon-Elephant Talisman. Legend says it’s a spirit scale from Bodhisattva Nemo’s mount, the Dragon-Elephant. It wards off all evil and poisons. Those symbols? Ancient Sanskrit Buddhist scripture, protection by the gods! Only the sect leader gets to wear it." Hong Xuanjiao explained, clearly enjoying showing off her skills and treasures to Shawn.

"Oh... So what are you planning to do with the Dragon-Elephant Talisman, Senior?" Shawn asked.

"Spirit Suppression Rite!" Hong Xuanjiao replied coolly.

"Spirit Suppression Rite? What does that mean?" Shawn was even more curious.

"Heh, kid, you sure ask a lot of questions! If you’re really that interested, why not become my disciple? Then you’ll get to see all my magical powers and secret treasures for yourself." Hong Xuanjiao was already scheming—she’d had her eye on Shawn’s talent from the start, which is why she kept showing off her skills.

"Uh... Senior Hong, I’m honored, and your magic truly impresses me, but I’m already a disciple of the Taiqing Sect..." Shawn replied quickly.

"Haha, kid... I, Hong Xuanjiao, don’t care much for those old rules. What matters most is talent, and my standards are sky-high. If you’re not gifted enough, you couldn’t learn my arts anyway—especially the Mountainbreaker Enforcer’s secret techniques. Many past disciples came from other schools. Our sect is open-minded; we even borrowed from the Tomb Raiders and Mountain Movers, breaking new ground in feng shui and formations. Some say we’ve even surpassed them! Sadly, the lineage is dying out. Whether you formally become my disciple isn’t important—what matters is passing down our legacy." Hong Xuanjiao told Shawn.

"Hmm... That’s actually pretty cool! But right now, I really want to see what the Spirit Suppression Rite is all about." Shawn was getting excited, eager to witness the sect’s legendary technique.

"You sly fox! Not gonna show you until I see the goods! Fine, keep your eyes peeled." Hong Xuanjiao laughed, set down her Mountainbreaker Hammer, gripped the Dragon-Elephant Talisman in her left hand, and formed a sword sign with her right. She planted her feet, stomped the ground, and shook her body. Shawn heard a muffled sound rising from the earth, feeling a mysterious energy channeling into Hong Xuanjiao.

On Hong Xuanjiao’s sword fingers, a pale blue glow suddenly shimmered. She pointed at the Dragon-Elephant Talisman, and the light shot into it, making the dark talisman gleam with a crystal-clear radiance.

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Hong Xuanjiao hurled the Dragon-Elephant Talisman at Orochi’s heart. It flashed as a streak of pale blue light and vanished into the monster’s body.

"Awo... awo... roar..."

Orochi shuddered violently, all eight heads snapping open. Sixteen fierce eyes glared at Shawn and Hong Xuanjiao. It tried to move its tentacles but found them unresponsive, tried to spew demonic flames but could only wail—its body was stiff, completely immobilized, and all its lethal powers were sealed.

Shawn watched Orochi’s eight heads howl, reeking of foul stench and strong booze. The smell made him frown. He gripped the Celestial Godslayer Blade tightly, determined to strike if the monster made any sudden moves.

Seeing Orochi both terrified and furious, Hong Xuanjiao calmly picked up the Xuanyuan Mountainbreaker Hammer and turned to the nervous Shawn: "Heh, don’t worry, kid. I’ve already suppressed its spirit with the Dragon-Elephant Talisman. All its powers are locked in its Spirit Core now. It’s just meat on our chopping block! I’ll start!"

With that, Hong Xuanjiao raised the massive Xuanyuan Mountainbreaker Hammer and swung it hard at one of Orochi’s heads...

Boom—

"Howwwl..." Orochi let out a blood-curdling scream—like a banshee’s wail. Its head was smashed to pulp, skull cracked, and thick green goo splattered into the air, mixed with grayish slime and a stench like rotten wood soaked for years.

Boom... Boom... Boom... Boom...

Hong Xuanjiao didn’t stop—she swung the Xuanyuan Mountainbreaker Hammer again and again, smashing all eight of Orochi’s heads to pieces. The monster wailed miserably but couldn’t budge. When it was done, its huge body collapsed, surrounded by sticky green and grayish slime. The mighty demon god was slain in the most pathetic way.

"Hahaha... Turns out Orochi was a wood-element spirit beast!" Hong Xuanjiao exclaimed, stomping on its corpse.

"Wood-element spirit beast? What’s that about?" Shawn asked, never afraid to learn.

"It’s a long story, but simply put, everything in this world—every creature—comes from the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth. Unlike humans, Orochi’s green goo is its blood, and the gray stuff is its brain. The smell in the air proves Orochi was a wood-element spirit from ancient times. Your turn, kid—cut it open and get the Spirit Core!" Hong Xuanjiao finished her explanation and urged Shawn to act.

"Uh... But it’s so huge, where’s the Spirit Core?" Shawn asked, staring at Orochi’s mountain-sized corpse.

"Right where the Dragon-Elephant Talisman hit it. Don’t be a wimp—just cut it open and look!" Hong Xuanjiao urged impatiently.

Shawn gripped the Celestial Godslayer Blade, poured all his true energy into it, and in an instant, the blade gleamed with a fierce red light. He raised it high and slashed down hard at the center of Orochi’s body.

Splurt—

Orochi’s body split open from Shawn’s strike, and a wave of rotten wood stench burst out. Green blood sprayed everywhere, splattering Shawn’s face, while Hong Xuanjiao dodged aside, grinning mischievously at him.

Shawn frantically wiped the green slime from his face, grumbling, "Senior Hong, you could’ve warned me about Orochi’s disgusting blood."

"Stop whining, kid. I’ll explain later—just keep cutting and get that Spirit Core first!" Hong Xuanjiao laughed from the sidelines.

...