Chapter 1122: Getting Serious
Talismans shot towards him with blinding speed, yet Yang Haoran's expression remained unfazed. He had no intention of dodging. Instead, he multi-tasked, simultaneously conjuring a protective barrier with a wave of his hand while commanding Remnant Moon to attack Yi Xuan.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Explosions echoed in quick succession. The power erupting from the talismans shattered the protective barrier, forcing Yang Haoran back several meters. At the same time, Remnant Moon had also left a wound on Yi Xuan's body.
The pain inflamed Yi Xuan's nerves, but instead of bringing him back to his senses, it plunged him further into a berserk rage. He continuously pulled talismans from his independent space, unleashing a furious, storm-like assault upon Yang Haoran.
He was utterly consumed by his rage now. All he wanted was to kill Yang Haoran; his mind could hold no other thought.
As for the young woman's bisected corpse, he had placed it on the ground when the ice wall formed, setting up a small barrier around it to prevent collateral damage from the battle's aftermath.
Moreover, this process permitted no errors whatsoever. A single mistake would inflict immense damage upon the soul, so for safety's sake, he refrained from forcibly extracting the woman's soul.
In his estimation, it wouldn't be too late to deal with the young woman's soul after slaying Yang Haoran. The safest approach, of course, would be to wait seven days for the young woman's soul to naturally coalesce into a Spirit.
Facing Yi Xuan's ferocious assault, Yang Haoran appeared somewhat strained. Yi Xuan's inherent strength was already formidable, and coupled with his reckless deployment of numerous top-tier Black Talismans, it was naturally anything but easy to contend with.
Yet, this wasn't the worst of it. The truly dire situation lay with his Night Watchers. Their strength was limited, and facing the experts of the Talisman Order, they naturally found it even harder to cope. So far, significant casualties had already occurred on his side, while the Talisman Order's losses were considerably smaller.
Yang Haoran naturally recoiled at the thought of his Night Watchers tragically dying at the Talisman Order's hands. Setting aside the considerable Spirit Power he had expended implanting the Death God Seal in each of them and the time he'd invested in their training, his very identity as an Undertaker forbade him from standing idly by as they fell. After all, these Night Watchers were relying on him for their livelihood.
With no other choice, he diverted a portion of his strength to engage the other Talisman Order experts, easing the pressure on Huang Sha and his comrades. If he didn't, he feared his Night Watchers would soon be all but wiped out.
Contending with Yi Xuan was already taxing, but having to divert a portion of his strength to handle other Talisman Order experts only magnified Yang Haoran's burden. Yet, he had no choice but to proceed.
Initially, Yang Haoran had remained unharmed, but after diverting a portion of his strength to engage the other Talisman Order experts, wounds gradually began to appear on his body under Yi Xuan's relentless assault.
"Is there something wrong with Yang Haoran's head? He's already struggling against Yi Xuan, yet he's diverting strength to fight other Talisman Order experts. He's practically courting death!"
"Judging by the current situation, it seems we won't need to make a move today. The Underworld Office hasn't even fully recovered for a few days before it's about to be erased from Gu Mo City once more."
"If Yi Xuan truly kills Yang Haoran, this grudge will become colossal. The Underworld Office certainly won't let it slide. Once a new Undertaker is dispatched to Gu Mo City, it's bound to be quite the spectacle once more."
None of the major factions observing the battle favored Yang Haoran. From the current state of affairs, it wouldn't be long before Yang Haoran was defeated. His strength was inferior to Yi Xuan's, and his subordinates were no match for the Talisman Order's experts. Defeat was merely a matter of time, so they naturally didn't hold out much hope for Yang Haoran.
Zhuang Yingjie watched Yang Haoran, who was clearly on the defensive, his brows tightly furrowed and his expression solemn. He wasn't concerned for Yang Haoran's disadvantageous position; his mind was occupied with other thoughts.
"If Yang Haoran hadn't killed Yi Xuan's precious apprentice, Yi Xuan wouldn't have gone so utterly mad. That old bastard is incredibly strong; Yang Haoran's current predicament is entirely self-inflicted. But. . . why hasn't Ye Zhiqiu appeared yet? Is it possible that, in his seclusion, he's completely oblivious to what's happening outside? Or. . . has Ye Zhiqiu actually left Gu Mo City long ago?"
Zhuang Yingjie mused thus, and the thought of Ye Zhiqiu possibly having already left Gu Mo City sparked a surge of anger in his heart. If his suspicions proved true, it meant Yang Haoran had been deceiving him. All that talk about waiting for Ye Zhiqiu to emerge from seclusion before notifying him was utter nonsense.
Despite the anger brewing within him, he didn't attack Yang Haoran. Firstly, he couldn't be sure if his speculation was correct, and secondly, Yang Haoran was already at a disadvantage, so there was no need for him to intervene further. Since Yi Xuan had already gone to such extremes, he might as well let the Talisman Order shoulder the blame.
"Yang Haoran, you still have the nerve to worry about others? Today, not only will you die, but everyone in your Underworld Office will perish! This is all your own doing! I'll make you all accompany my apprentice to the grave!"
As Yi Xuan continued to unleash talismans and assault Yang Haoran with furious intensity, he roared at him, his expression and tone both brimming with potent killing intent.
Conversely, Yang Haoran remained unchanged, a faint smile still gracing his face. Even at a disadvantage and with some injuries, his smile didn't falter.
"Heh heh, it's not over until it's over, and who will prevail is still uncertain. Wouldn't it be quite laughable if I didn't end up accompanying your wife to the grave, but you, instead, followed in her footsteps?"
Yang Haoran, controlling Remnant Moon to counterattack, replied with a smile. Despite being at a disadvantage, he remained calm and composed, appearing utterly unconcerned by his current plight.
To Yi Xuan, Yang Haoran's reaction was nothing short of blatant provocation. The two words "wife," in particular, ignited his fury. He let out a furious roar, falling silent but intensifying his attacks, clearly intent on slaying Yang Haoran with the utmost speed.
Simultaneously, the air outside the Death God Temple began to crackle with incessant tearing sounds. Ordinary Talisman Masters from the Gu Mo City Talisman Order arrived one after another, pouring into the temple. After assessing the situation, they didn't hesitate, immediately unleashing talismans and launching an assault on Yang Haoran's side.
While these Talisman Masters were merely ordinary, holding no high status within the Gu Mo City Talisman Order and possessing only average strength, their sheer numbers meant the power they unleashed when gathered together was not to be underestimated.
Yang Haoran's side was already at a disadvantage, and with the sudden appearance of so many ordinary Talisman Masters, the pressure on his forces naturally grew even heavier.
"Heh heh, it seems I can't keep playing around. If this goes on, I'm afraid I'll end up a bare-pole commander."
Yang Haoran chuckled faintly. His words were not loud, and he hadn't infused them with a shred of Spirit Power. In this chaotic, explosion-ridden environment, the sound naturally couldn't carry. Yet, he paid it no mind, for he hadn't spoken those words for Yi Xuan, nor for anyone else present, but solely for himself.
As his words faded, he suddenly waved his hand, and a not-too-large restrictive barrier appeared, enveloping both him and Yi Xuan within its confines.
As the residual shockwaves from their intense struggle were the most potent, no one dared to approach their immediate vicinity. Neither Yang Haoran's allies, nor Yi Xuan's, nor even those from other factions, ventured too close to the pair.
It was precisely for this reason that the restrictive barrier Yang Haoran suddenly erected only encompassed the two of them.
Of course, the young woman was also within the restrictive barrier's confines, though with only half a corpse remaining, she could no longer be counted among the living.
Upon seeing Yang Haoran suddenly erect a restrictive barrier, many were startled, but even more were bewildered. They couldn't fathom why Yang Haoran would suddenly pull such a move, nor what his true intention was in doing so?
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