The moment the Eight-Legged Lion saw the Taotie, it began flapping its wings rapidly, roaring loudly."Alright, alright," Shemen patted it. "You usually get upset when people call you big, but now that you see one bigger than you, you're excited."Yelu glanced around. The area seemed to be the border between the town and the forest, with sandy soil underfoot. In the distance, small trees gave way to the sprawling forest, and no houses were visible behind them. Even though it was daytime, they shouldn't disturb any commoners.Feeling reassured, she said, "Shemen, leave the Taotie to you. The rest of us will deal with Yama."Shemen said boldly, "No need. Let Xiao Bao handle it all."She then formed a hand seal and chanted incantations in a language they couldn't understand. The Eight-Legged Lion instantly straightened its wings, hovering in mid-air, each golden feather hardening like iron in an instant.The Eight-Legged Lion fiercely beat its wings. Golden feathers shot towards Yama like rain.
The sound of explosions was continuous, the feathers blasting crater after crater into the ground. Bensheng stared at the clouds of dust kicked up everywhere, exclaiming in awe, "So strong! A direct hit would be fatal!"Just as Shemen was feeling pleased, the infant-like wail of the Taotie came from within the dust. A shockwave blasted through the dust, shooting straight towards them. The Eight-Legged Lion banked sharply, dodging it.On the ground, Yama and the Taotie had retreated several li, barely avoiding the last of the golden feathers. Shemen snorted coldly, "Lucky him. Again."But then Yama suddenly produced his ritual hammer, waving it while chanting demonic spells. From amidst the surrounding small trees, many figures suddenly emerged."Shemen, wait!" Yelu cried out in shock. "Look, what's that?"Shemen squinted. "Are those... people?""Hahahaha..." Yama looked at them triumphantly. "Come on! Attack again! Go ahead and smash these people to pulp too!""They're Lost Souls!" the Alchemist observed the approaching figures. They were expressionless, moved sluggishly, and shuffled towards them like manipulated puppets, completely unaware. With just a gentle flap of the Eight-Legged Lion's wings, large swathes of Lost Souls were sent tumbling by the gale, the sound of cracking bones audible.Yelu frowned. "Shemen, the Eight-Legged Lion's attacks are too powerful, the area too large. And once the Lost Souls are injured, they can never properly return to the human world. You'd better not attack.""Damnable Yama," Shemen spat. She directed the Eight-Legged Lion to land. Bensheng and Yelu slid down its wings, staring intently at Yama in the distance."Leave this to us."Bensheng gripped his staff. Yelu drew her longsword. The four of them on the ground and on the beast's back exchanged glances and smiled at each other.The moment the Eight-Legged Lion took to the sky, Bensheng took a deep breath and charged forward.The moment he moved, Lost Souls on either side moved to block his path. Using his staff to vault, Bensheng nimbly flipped over, passing through the air, and continued his swift advance. Yama didn't take him seriously at all, but he watched as Bensheng accurately
dodged every obstacle the Lost Souls posed, even when he used spells to make them ambush him. It was as if Bensheng had eyes on the back of his head, knowing where attacks came from without looking."How is this possible? How is this kid so agile!" Back in the Netherworld, the Taotie had almost reached him before he noticed. If it weren't for that wind-wielding kid, he would have been finished.Yama had prepared for several days this time, specifically gathering an army of Lost Souls to deal with the newly joined Beast Tamer, intending to wipe out their entire team to prevent further interference.Puzzled, Yama looked towards Shemen and suddenly froze. He noticed Shemen's mouth opening and closing, as if giving commands, but the Eight-Legged Lion wasn't moving."Could it be...?"The Taotie opened its massive maw and inhaled like a whirlwind. Bensheng, having just run right in front of it, instantly lost his balance. But he shifted to using all four limbs, gripping his staff in his teeth, shifted his center of gravity backward, and immediately stabilized himself."As I thought! You're a beast! That Beast Tamer is directing your movements using beast-taming methods!" Yama shouted.Shemen, riding the Eight-Legged Lion high in the sky, had a broad, open view. Compared to Bensheng's own eyesight and reactions, her commands were faster and more effective. Shemen curled her lips into a smile. "I've long heard demons have low intelligence. How dare you challenge us! Today, you'll learn your lesson! Bensheng, attack!"Bensheng moved as commanded, darting swiftly to the Taotie's rear—the blind spot for the giant eye in its healed armpit. Not daring to underestimate him further, Yama urgently ordered the Taotie to leap away. But it was too late. The staff swept low along the ground, striking the Taotie's Achilles tendon.The Taotie cried out in pain, its hind legs buckling as it knelt, dragging a long furrow in the ground."You're seeking death, kid!" Enraged, Yama made the Taotie plunge its sharp claws into the earth, grab a huge chunk of soil and rock, and hurl it at Bensheng. The space for Bensheng to dodge was blocked by Lost Souls. Just as he was about to be hit, a bolt of heavenly lightning erupted from the ground, instantly shattering the earthen mass into fragments.
In the distance, Yelu stood holding her longsword upright, its sapphire-blue light illuminating her beautiful, determined face.Bensheng grinned slyly. "Yama, you can't defeat us!" He clasped his hands together, opened his eyes wide, and roared, "Path Beneath My Feet!"He directly climbed three zhang into the empty air and charged straight downward. The invisible path led directly towards Yama on the Taotie's back."To capture the rebels, first capture their chief!"Bensheng's downward charge was extremely fast. With no way to avoid it, Yama was forced to reveal his vicious nature. He suddenly swung his lasso, snaring the nearest Lost Soul and hurling it at Bensheng.At Bensheng's speed, the Lost Soul wouldn't hit him. But if he just charged past, that Lost Soul would surely be smashed to pieces, never to return to the human world.In the split second it took to make a decision, Bensheng spun around and caught the Lost Soul. But in that moment of passing mid-air, a tremendous, tearing pain shot through his right leg."Ah..." Bensheng cried out, looking down. It was the Taotie! It had bitten his right leg!Yelu saw it from afar, her face paling with horror. "Bensheng—!" She urged her longsword forward, swiftly attacking the Taotie. The Taotie flung Bensheng away.Bensheng was slammed hard onto the ground. Every part of him hurt, but he still held the Lost Soul tightly. The little girl, a Lost Soul, lay dazed in his arms, completely unaware.The Alchemist slid down the Eight-Legged Lion's wing and scrambled over, dodging attacks from the Lost Souls surrounding the lion, reaching Bensheng's side. He pulled medicinal powder and white bandages from his sleeve and quickly began treating the wound.Yelu stared at the Taotie, hesitating no longer. She tore off the guard on her right wrist, revealing the lotus sigil there. Clasping her hands together, she shouted loudly, "Lotus Throne - Eighteen Arms Technique!"The sand and soil on the ground instantly flew up, converging to form a lotus throne. From within the throne flew the eighteen traditional weapons: Dao (sabre), Qiang (spear), Jian (sword), Ji (halberd), Gun (staff), Yue (battle-axe), Cha (fork), Tang (long spear), Gou (hook), Shuo (lance), Huan (ring), Guai (crutch), Fu (axe), Bian (whip), Jian (mace), Chui (hammer), Bang (rod), Chu (pestle). Hearing
Yelu's command, they all attacked Yama in unison.The relentless assault of the eighteen weapons was swift and fierce. Before Yama could even react, a fork grazed his face. Black blood flowed down, burning with pain.The Taotie, after all, was huge; no matter how it dodged, it couldn't outmaneuver the small, sharp weapons. Before long, Yama suffered several more wounds. Furious, Yama's wicked heart stirred again. He swung his lasso, snaring another Lost Soul and throwing it at the incoming weapons. Yelu had no choice but to pull her attacks back, throwing herself forward to protect the Lost Soul.Tasting success, Yama used his lasso repeatedly, snatching Lost Soul after Lost Soul. In the pulling and tearing, who knew how many Lost Souls suffered broken bones and tendons? Yelu was forced to retreat step by step, the situation instantly reversing from offense to defense."If this continues, we can't win." Bensheng tried to stand, supporting himself on the ground, but his freshly bandaged right leg immediately seeped blood. The Alchemist hurriedly stopped him. "Don't move recklessly.""But... someone needs to help Yelu fight..."The Alchemist saw the contents spilling from Bensheng's open pouch on the ground. He looked at Yelu, who was fighting desperately, made a resolute decision, gritted his teeth, grabbed the item, and ran."Alchemist?!"Yelu was sweating profusely, her mind in turmoil. Just then, she suddenly heard the Alchemist's shout from nearby."Taotie! Over here!"The Alchemist unwrapped the oil-paper package in his hand, took out its contents, and tossed it high into the air. A rich aroma spread – honeyed, sweet, evoking imagined crispness and softness. In the sunlight, the sugar strands coating the flat, round pastry were layered and distinct, exceptionally enticing... and not just to people, but to beasts too.The Taotie drooled instantly. Ignoring Yama's commands, it pounced towards the Alchemist, snapping up the morsel – barely enough to fit between its teeth – mid-air.Bensheng was stunned. He looked down, rummaged through his pouch, and let out a horrified shriek. "Ah! My Golden Thread Pastries!"The Alchemist ran, tossing pastries as he went, quickly luring the
Taotie away from Yelu. "Stop! Stop!" No matter how Yama shouted orders, the Taotie didn't listen."The Classic of Divine Wonders says the Taotie is gluttonous. It's true!" the Alchemist exclaimed joyfully, turning his head to shout, "Yelu! Quickly, use vines! Seal them in!"He pointed at the Lost Souls Yama had thrown. Thanks to Yama, these Lost Souls were now conveniently clustered together. Yelu understood immediately. She pressed her hands to the ground, chanting incantations loudly. A circle of vines sprang from the earth, rapidly weaving into a net.Unfortunately, there were too many Lost Souls. The vine net was too large, porous rather than dense, and couldn't completely block the mindless Lost Souls. Having just used the Eighteen Arms Technique, she had little magic power left. In desperation, Yelu prepared to bite the tip of her tongue to offer a blood sacrifice...Just then, the longsword on her back suddenly vibrated. Yelu looked back in surprise. The sapphire-blue light was more brilliant than ever, emitting a sizzling sound. A crack suddenly appeared on the blade, widening as if something was about to burst forth...In an instant, a blinding light flashed, so intense the heavens and earth seemed to darken momentarily. Yelu, prostrate on the ground, looked up, her mouth agape in astonishment.A gilded steel sword hovered above the ground. The sword was two chi, seven cun, and one fen long. Its hilt was shaped like a vajra pestle, with three edges. It was set upon a lotus base, inlaid with a turquoise stone."...The Three-Pronged Vajra Sword!"Well-versed in weapon lore, Yelu recognized the ritual implement of the Immovable Wisdom King at a glance.The Three-Pronged Vajra Sword plunged into the ground. The gilded light flowed along the earth into Yelu's hands, which were still pressed against the soil. Instantly, countless vines sprouted, bypassing the initial net and directly forming a large canopy, securely trapping all the Lost Souls inside.With the Lost Souls contained, the situation reversed instantly. No longer needing to worry about harming innocents, Shemen laughed and patted the Eight-Legged Lion. The lion, having held back for so long, pounced forward, saving the Alchemist from being caught, and pinned the Taotie to the ground.Yama was thrown to the ground. He looked back and saw the sword in Yelu's hand, his face instantly turning deathly pale. "The
Three-Pronged Vajra Sword... How can it be in the hands of a mere junior disciple? Impossible!"The Three-Pronged Vajra Sword was firstly a sharp blade, secondly a ritual implement. It could sever afflictions, awaken sentient beings, and frighten away demonic obstructions. It was precisely what countered him!The battle between the Eight-Legged Lion and the Taotie shook the very earth with each blow. Yelu stood firm on the trembling ground, immovable as a mountain. She raised the Three-Pronged Vajra Sword high. The sword emanated a majestic, righteous energy that filled the world."Those who see my form, contemplate Prajna; Those who hear my name, repent their transgressions; Those who hear my Dharma, discern good and evil; Those who know my mind, become awakened!"Heavenly lightning enveloped the Three-Pronged Vajra Sword, forming a massive thunderous body. Yelu swung her hand down. The thunderous sword slashed directly towards Yama...The earth instantly returned to calm. Despite the immense sword light, not a single fissure appeared on the ground. Instead, both the Eight-Legged Lion and the Taotie backed away, ceasing their movement.Countless points of spiritual light surged forth from Yama's body, disappearing into the vine canopy. The Alchemist, from the back of the Eight-Legged Lion, saw the Lost Souls within the vines vanishing one by one, and immediately cried out joyfully, "We succeeded! Yelu! The Lost Souls are saved!"As the spiritual light dissipated, Yama sat slumped on the ground in a daze. With a snap, the golden necklace around his neck broke and fell to the ground.Yelu frowned. It seemed the necklace had protected Yama once. Then she would just strike again!"Wait! Are you from the Yiji Clan?" Yama, finally coming to his senses, hurriedly crawled forward a few steps, firing off questions. "You can wield the Three-Pronged Vajra Sword; you must be a descendant of the Yiji Clan, inheritors of the Earth Vein. Your clan members are naturally skilled in spirit communication, am I right?"Yelu was startled but didn't cease her movements, retorting sharply, "Demon! Don't think you can confuse me!"Bensheng saw this from afar and shouted worriedly, "Yelu!"Yama sneered. "Hmph! Suit yourself, subdue me then. But you will never know your clan's history, never know why your clansmen so desperately wish for you to become a Comprehender!"Yelu's expression changed dramatically.