Master Zachary Wu began trembling all over, then, with a sudden leap, soared into the air. He looked as if he were drunk, walking in front of me with a rhythmic, splayed gait, and started singing with a clear, pure voice—a Taoist chant.
"Fragrant incense fills the world, rising to Heaven's gate. The golden bird races like a cloud-bound arrow, the jade rabbit shines like a chariot's wheel. Southern stars and Northern Dipper illuminate the sky, colorless clouds swirl in chaos. In the Purple Palace, the holy temple opens; in the peach garden, the jade maiden invites the immortals. A thousand-mile journey, incense stretches forth; flying clouds and galloping horses, descend and arrive. We respectfully invite the Three Lords of this altar..."
I was entranced by the fresh, pleasant lyrics—this melody felt soothing, my mind growing soft and fuzzy, my consciousness blurring. My body began swaying in time with the rhythm. After Master Zachary Wu finished singing, he sprang up, pointed a single finger to the sky, still murmuring some cryptic verses.
He looked as if he were dancing—a drunken dancer. There was a strange beauty in his movements. Gradually, my mood grew lighter and lighter, and I couldn't help but start humming along with Master Zachary Wu.
At this moment, my vision began to blur. In the golden light before me, I seemed to see a celestial maiden dancing with fluttering ribbons. She spun gracefully, her figure lithe and elegant, while strands of golden silk swirled softly around her.
A clear and gentle female voice drifted into my ears. The song was intoxicating, even more beautiful than an oriole on a branch—pure, crystalline, utterly sincere. That beauty seeped into every corner of my body.
Bathed in golden light, I felt warmth flooding my body, as if I might melt away. I kept swaying my head, utterly entranced, while the celestial maiden continued to dance and sing.
"Ethan, keep your mind clear—don't let these illusions before the Spirit Summoning ritual enchant you."
Suddenly, I felt a sharp tap on my forehead and snapped back to reality. What maiden? It was just the ragged old Taoist, Master Zachary Wu, waving his horsetail whisk and dancing. Seeing this, I was instantly jolted, feeling as if my entire being had been shaken.
Thinking back to the maiden I'd just seen and the current sight of Master Zachary Wu—there was simply no comparison.
"All venerable Vajra Saints, General Xuanwu of the Mysterious Heavens, Five Emperors shining like clouds, the two Great Sages of Incense Mountain and Snow Mountain, Golden Zha, Wooden Zha, Nezha—come and guide the boy. With single-minded devotion, I respectfully invite you; divine soldiers, hurry as commanded by law..."
Master Zachary Wu called out solemnly, then pressed his palms together, crossing them as he sat before me. A surge of unknown power poured into my body from the top of my head, and I cried out in shock.
"You three, I'm counting on you—I'm summoning the deity to descend into Ethan Zhang's body now."
Master Zachary Wu shouted again, pressed his palms together, and began chanting silently. I felt the surroundings tremble—golden talisman papers seemed ready to take flight, swirling endlessly.
It was unbearable—like being stuffed to the point of bursting. With Master Zachary Wu's chanting, my body grew heavier and heavier, my consciousness on the verge of collapse.
I struggled desperately to hold on as my body began to swell—pain wracked me.
"You three, hurry up! We must coordinate perfectly, or Ethan will be in danger!"
Master Zachary Wu shouted again. At that moment, two beams of light—one black, one red—appeared at my shoulders: the Vermilion Bird and the Spirit Snake.
"Ethan, remember—you only have ten minutes. You must finish quickly. If you miss the time to send off the deity, you'll be in grave danger."
I nodded with difficulty, my body on the verge of bursting. To my astonishment, my right hand and left foot had returned. Just then, with a thunderous crash, the desk beneath me completely collapsed.
"That's enough, Ethan. With this power, you can defeat all three of them. Go."
Master Zachary Wu shouted, and I lifted my head. Instantly, with a thunderous boom, a golden light soared skyward, forming a beam. For a moment, my perception seemed to hover above, looking down at everything below.
Suddenly, I saw Wei Chengwu already standing up.
Almost there. Vivian Maple's ghost domain is barely holding. My senior brother is strong, but now he's missing a hand and can't form seals.
Zhang Anle said, standing up and swinging his whisk. With a swish, the ritual sword flew from his sleeve toward Master Zachary Wu. At the same time, Wei Chengwu raised his fist, aiming at Vivian Maple, crouching as if ready to attack at any moment.
I roared and, in an instant, burst through the wall.
"Fourth... extreme..."
Wei Chengwu roared, his raised fist striking at Vivian Maple. At that moment, cracks appeared in the air, followed by a bang and the sound of shattering. The unconscious Rufina Howard fell out, and mud surged up from the ground, rushing toward her.
I roared, transforming into a mass of golden light. With one hand, I grabbed Zhang Anle's ritual sword flying toward Master Zachary Wu. With a crunch, the sword was completely crushed in my giant palm.
At that moment, my whole body glowed golden, standing three meters tall. My massive figure landed in front of Vivian Maple. I raised my fist and, facing Wei Chengwu's aggressive punch, struck back without hesitation.
With a bang, white and golden streams of energy collided powerfully, blowing everything around us away.
"Ethan Zhang?"
Wei Chengwu looked surprised. With a thunderous crash, everything around me and Wei Chengwu was blown away. It was strong—Wei Chengwu's attack seemed to have been charging for a long time.
[Skipped: Irrelevant passage for the novel's narrative.]
However, I didn't yield at all. My fist and his collided on either side of an invisible wall of energy. The raging wind swept everything around, kicking up debris.
"Hah...!"
In a daze, I lunged forward with my right foot, shouted loudly, and smashed my right fist ahead. With a sizzling sound, intense flames ignited in the air, and with a bang, Wei Chengwu was sent flying backward.
"What do you think you're doing?"
My anger was completely suppressed within, as if my body was about to burst. I instantly moved to the mud, reached out, and as I touched it, there was a sizzling sound.
A scream rang out—it was Luo Yichen's. I grabbed Rufina Howard's foot and, with a pull, dragged her completely out of the mud.
Then I threw him backward.
Miss Vivian Maple, you go first. I'll take care of them.
I said, and as I turned, I became a mass of golden light, charging toward Zhang Anle.
Careful, it's the Transformation Technique—try to avoid it.
Zhang Anle shouted, immediately throwing his whisk. It spun a circle in the air, forming a Taiji pattern. I struck it, feeling a soft sensation from my fist.
It's useless.
I roared, my fist charging forward. With a boom, the whisk turned to dust before my fist, and I punched Zhang Anle.
With a bang, the ground caved in around us. It was Wei Chengwu—his mask cracked. He raised his crossed arms to block my punch.
I shouted again, kicking at Wei Chengwu's waist.
With a smack, mud splattered. The Taoist began forming seals again. Pure power—at this moment, my body was filled with endless, pure power.
With a bang, Wei Chengwu's waist caved in. He spat out black blood, which instantly evaporated upon touching my golden light.
Wei Chengwu flew to the right. Quick as lightning, I saw Zhang Anle's form start to blur in the silver light. I grabbed Wei Chengwu and, roaring, threw him at Zhang Anle.
With a bang, Wei Chengwu crashed into Zhang Anle. Both fell to the ground, raising clouds of dust. Just then, mud bubbled up from the ground.
Don't even think about escaping.
As I landed, I strode forward like a cannonball, plunging my big hand into the mud. Suddenly, Wei Chengwu leapt out of the mud—I heard his heart pounding wildly.
Die!
I shouted, slamming my broad head into Wei Chengwu's black fist.
With a crunch, Wei Chengwu's arm broke into pieces. He screamed. I grabbed him, then kicked the mud—Zhang Anle, covered in blood, flew out of the mud.
The mud formed by Luo Yichen also shattered, smoking and sizzling.
I grabbed Wei Chengwu, baring my teeth and glaring fiercely. My right hand gripped him, while my left hand rose, aiming at his body.
This strike will finish you.
I roared, suddenly coughing up a mouthful of blood. Enduring the excruciating pain, I released Wei Chengwu with my right hand and punched him with my left.
With a thunderous boom, Wei Chengwu's body caved in like clay. Black blood splattered, and his blue mask shattered instantly.
I dropped Wei Chengwu and strode across the ground toward Zhang Anle.