Chapter 509: I Agree!
After Remnant Moon expanded, it deflected every single bone spike. At this moment, Remnant Moon resembled an colossal shield, with the bone spikes showering down like a countless barrage of arrows.
The bone spikes crashed against Remnant Moon, scattering sparks and emitting a rapid succession of crisp cracks. Yet, Old man Lu's technique was undeniably formidable, causing Remnant Moon to be relentlessly forced backward.
Upon seeing Old man Lu's Spiritual Art successfully pin down Yang Haoran, the woman, her heart ablaze with fury, likewise began to swiftly form hand seals.
Just like Old man Lu, the woman's hand seal formation was remarkably swift; in fact, her speed was a touch quicker than his.
However, the woman's hand seals didn't coalesce in an instant; rather, her gestures continuously flowed and transformed.
The swiftness or sluggishness of forming hand seals is intrinsically linked to one's mastery of the secret art: the more skilled one becomes, the naturally faster their hand seals will be.
Moreover, distinct secret arts necessitate varied hand seals. The more potent the secret art, the more intricate and numerous the hand seals required, and consequently, the longer it takes to complete the formation.
The bone spikes Old man Lu currently wielded were merely a commonplace Spiritual Art. It was precisely its ordinariness that allowed him to complete the hand seals in an instant, for its formation was relatively simple compared to more advanced Spiritual Secret Arts.
The woman's inability to complete her hand seals instantaneously, unlike Old man Lu, was precisely because the Spiritual Art she intended to unleash transcended the ordinary.
Though they hadn't directly engaged Yang Haoran earlier, both had covertly channeled the Communication Power within their bodies, ensuring they could unleash the Spiritual Art's utmost power when the time came.
Though unspoken, their intentions mirrored each other: both had planned to employ Spiritual Arts capable of instant hand seal completion against Yang Haoran. His Soul Armament, Remnant Moon, was simply too swift; attempting any intricate Spiritual Secret Art would deny them the slightest window to finalize their seals.
Their original strategy had been to first use an instantaneously cast Spiritual Art to restrain Yang Haoran, thus creating an opening to unleash their more formidable Spiritual Arts.
Yet, in this moment, the woman found herself utterly provoked by Yang Haoran. Seething with anger, and with Old man Lu's Spiritual Art already holding Yang Haoran in check, she altered her plan.
She scorned the notion of a common Spiritual Art; instead, she yearned to unleash a truly potent Spiritual Secret Art, one that would eradicate Yang Haoran in a single decisive blow!
The hand seals for a Spiritual Secret Art were not only extensive but also exceedingly intricate. This explained why the woman, despite forming hand seals faster than Old man Lu, had yet to complete her incantation in an instant.
The woman's delayed assault filled Old man Lu with profound confusion. He cast his gaze upon the female demon, unable to suppress his exasperated plea: "What are you dallying for? ! Act now!"
"Keep him occupied! ! !"
The woman's eyes were tightly sealed, yet from her lips a fierce retort boomed toward Old man Lu. Her voice left no doubt: she was incandescent with rage.
Though the woman offered no direct explanation, Old man Lu, himself a Spirit Master, instinctively discerned she was manifesting a potent Spiritual Secret Art. He ceased his urgings, instead refocusing on Yang Haoran, manipulating an even greater volley of bone spikes to press his assault.
Yang Haoran was no Spirit Master, yet he was no fool. He naturally comprehended that the woman was now unleashing a major technique. As their conflict was an outright confrontation—a kill-or-be-killed scenario—he knew he had to devise a counter, ideally thwarting her successful casting of the Spiritual Art.
A faint smile still graced his lips, giving the impression of composure, yet within, his mind raced, strategizing how to sever the woman's connection to her hand seals and disrupt her spellcasting!
Ink-black Spirit Power surged forth from his very core, and under his precise command, poured into his Soul Armament, Remnant Moon. Bolstered by this sudden influx of immense Spirit Power, Remnant Moon hummed loudly. The crescent blade, which had been steadily pushed back by the relentless barrage of bone spikes, abruptly stabilized in mid-air, its retreat halted.
Not only that, but having stabilized in the air, Remnant Moon astonishingly began to suppress the bone spikes, rapidly pushing forward towards Old man Lu's location!
Old man Lu's face contorted in alarm. Confronted with this turn of events, he was forced to channel even more Communication Power to sustain his offensive, for otherwise, the bone spikes of his Spiritual Art risked being forcibly shattered.
Should his Spiritual Art be sundered, Yang Haoran would assuredly grant him no further opportunity to cast. At Remnant Moon's speed, mere injuries would be negligible; he stood a grave chance of forfeiting his very life.
Thus, left without recourse, he could only muster more Communication Power to fend off Remnant Moon, though this course of action would inevitably hasten the depletion of his internal Communication Power.
Nevertheless, he had no alternative. As things stood, this was his sole recourse. He had to employ every conceivable strategy to prolong the struggle, to buy enough time for the woman's Spiritual Secret Art to fully materialize.
Provided the woman's Spiritual Secret Art manifested successfully, regardless of whether it could claim Yang Haoran's life, he would at the very least be able to free his hands to cast more potent Spiritual Arts, escaping his current defensive plight.
As he desperately strained to hold back Remnant Moon, Old man Lu discovered with profound indignation that the three Guardian Spirits, including his very own, were merely standing by, watching the spectacle. This filled him with boundless fury.
"What are you gaping at? ! Do you truly believe his drivel? ! You are Guardian Spirits! The Guardian Spirits of Spirit Masters! Not mere lackeys of the Underworld Officials! ! !"
The fury boiling within him caused Old man Lu to erupt in an unrestrained roar.
Old man Lu's furious bellow caused the three Guardian Spirits' complexions to shift, yet none immediately launched an assault on Yang Haoran as commanded.
Old man Lu's eyes blazed with fury. While the disobedience of the other two Guardian Spirits was tolerable, since they weren't his own, what truly incensed him was the current indecisiveness of his very own Guardian Spirit.
"Heh heh, my esteemed Spirit Master," Yang Haoran scoffed, "if you had been kinder to your Guardian Spirits on a regular basis, how could such a situation arise now? At its core, this is merely a reflection of your usual poor treatment of your own Guardian Spirits."
Yang Haoran scoffed coldly, all the while urging Remnant Moon forward. Once his words hung in the air, he completely disregarded Old man Lu's contorted visage and fixed his gaze upon the three Guardian Spirits.
"I, Yang Haoran, am a man of my word. So long as you are willing to follow me, I vow not only to never harm you in the slightest, but to also nurture you as my most trusted aides. This is my solemn promise. Should the day ever come when I, Yang Haoran, betray this oath, then may I be struck by five heavenly thunders and suffer a wretched end!"
Yang Haoran's declaration struck the three Guardian Spirits with immense force. Their minds, which had already harbored seeds of dissent, now wavered with even greater instability!
Yet, precisely at this juncture, a furious roar abruptly erupted from the woman's lips!
"You wouldn't dare!"
With the roar's reverberation, the woman's eyes snapped wide open, and the swift motions of her hand seals came to an abrupt halt!
"Spiritual Art! Spiritual Ghost Tree! ! !"
Communication Power surged from within the woman, then rapidly coalesced before her, gradually revealing the colossal silhouette of a towering tree.
Concurrently, one of the three Guardian Spirits cast a swift glance at the colossal tree coalescing before the woman, then shifted its gaze to Yang Haoran, who was currently wielding Remnant Moon against Old man Lu. In that very instant, it made a decisive choice!
"I accept your offer! But I earnestly hope, Underworld Official, sir, that you will remember your promise today and in the future!"
The Guardian Spirit spoke in a resonant voice. As his words faded, he wasted no further breath, turning abruptly and charging directly towards the woman, who was still intent on conjuring her Spiritual Ghost Tree!
This Guardian Spirit's sudden, momentous decision stunned all present, both living and spectral, a shock that even extended to Yang Haoran, who had been relentlessly inciting them to betray their masters.
Had this decision been made by the young man's Guardian Spirit, Yang Haoran would not have harbored a shred of surprise. For that young man had already perished, liberating his Guardian Spirit from the binds of their contract. Moreover, the young man's Guardian Spirit had long sought to align itself with Yang Haoran, finding his promises deeply enticing. Thus, its agreement would have been utterly unremarkable to Yang Haoran.
However, the Guardian Spirit that had now agreed to Yang Haoran and was already charging toward the woman was not the young man's Guardian Spirit, but. . . the woman's very own Guardian Spirit!
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