The man's eyes turned cold, and he stared at Yu Daohang, his voice chilling, "Fellow Daoist, you know of Yin Guiren?"
Yu Daohang stared intently at the man, sneering, "Everyone in the martial world despises Yin Guiren. Who doesn't know of him?"
A flicker of killing intent flashed in the man's eyes. He lunged forward at Yu Daohang. Seeing this, Yu Daohang raised his hand to meet him. But before he could, a claw ripped through the air, aiming for his throat.
Yu Daohang was startled and took a step back. Simultaneously, he clenched his left hand into a fist and moved it to the left, blocking the incoming claw. Seeing his attack blocked, the man changed his left hand into a palm and thrust it towards Yu Daohang's throat.
Yu Daohang grabbed the thrusting hand with his right hand. The man, seeing this, lifted his right foot and kicked out. Yu Daohang's lips curved slightly upwards. He shifted his body to the left, dodging the man's kick. At the same time, he unleashed a sweeping kick towards the man's abdomen. Before the man, who had missed his kick, could react, he felt a piercing pain surge through his lower abdomen. Immediately after, his entire body was sent flying back a meter.
Yu Daohang's eyes were icy as he stared at the man, "You want to kill me!"
As the man just managed to steady himself, Yu Daohang stepped forward and slammed a palm towards the man's head. The man muttered something under his breath and simultaneously turned his right hand into a palm to block Yu Daohang's strike.
Their palms met. The man's face contorted in shock. He stomped his foot and retreated three meters, staring at his scorched palm in disbelief, "You know Five Elements Arts?"
Yu Daohang remained silent. Seeing Yu Daohang's silence, the man pulled out a black talisman, scattered it into the air, and chanted an incantation. The black talisman ignited in the air, transforming into a ball of black fire. The man pointed his finger at Yu Daohang, and the black fireball paused in mid-air before hurtling towards Yu Daohang.
Seeing the fireball flying towards him, Yu Daohang's eyes narrowed. As he raised his hand, he chanted, "Five Elements Arts, Earth Kun Hand." As soon as he finished speaking, his palm's surface grew a layer of rock-like material, encasing his hand.
The moment the fireball was about to touch Yu Daohang, he caught it and flung it towards the ground beside him. The fireball exploded the instant it hit the ground. Yu Daohang glanced at the explosion site and then looked at the man.
The man stared at the technique Yu Daohang had used to catch his fireball, his face contorting into a grimace. He sneered, "I never imagined that the Five Elements Arts, long lost in the martial world, would be learned by a junior."
As he spoke, he took out five small porcelain bottles from his chest.
The porcelain bottles were opened, and five wisps of clear smoke emerged, transforming into five ghosts in white robes. Yu Daohang's brows furrowed as he stared at the five white-robed ghosts summoned by the man.
The man grabbed one of the white-robed ghosts and inhaled it in one breath, a look of enjoyment on his face. "You know of Yin Guiren, but do you know the meaning behind it?"
As the man was about to consume the second ghost, Yu Daohang stepped forward. Seizing the man's distraction, he punched towards his head. However, before his fist could connect, the man grabbed it with one hand.
Yu Daohang was about to kick when his body was yanked backward. Immediately after, a foot kicked towards his abdomen. Yu Daohang moved his left hand to block the incoming kick and simultaneously slid back three meters.
Seeing Yu Daohang kicked back three meters, the man said triumphantly, "The strength of Yin Guiren doesn't lie in themselves, but in what they become after consuming ghosts. That is the true Yin Guiren."
The man grabbed the second white-robed ghost and inhaled it. A faint black aura appeared on his body. He took a step forward but suddenly stopped, becoming motionless. Even the white-robed ghosts beside him stood still, as if time had frozen.
"Still not planning to get serious?" a voice like a tiger's roar echoed, carrying a sense of pressure, giving one the feeling of facing death.
Yu Daohang looked down at his hand, which was numb from the shock, and took a deep breath, "His strength has at least doubled."
"His killing intent is very heavy," the voice said.
The man froze for a moment. He glanced at the white-robed ghosts beside him, then at Yu Daohang, who had stood up. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face was filled with horror. Time had stopped. No, he had become disconnected from his surroundings. Something terrifying was coming.
Yu Daohang clenched his fist, his voice icy, "If you don't leave now, you won't have a chance to."
The man snorted coldly and grabbed a white-robed ghost, intending to swallow it. Seeing this, Yu Daohang flashed forward, appearing before the man. Before the man could react, Yu Daohang grabbed his neck with one hand and lifted him up.
With his neck in Yu Daohang's grasp, the man struggled with all his might to break free, but Yu Daohang's hand was like a vise, unyielding.
The man gestured twice towards the air, and the three remaining white-robed ghosts lunged at Yu Daohang, their gaping mouths wide open.
Yu Daohang, without turning his head, condensed a golden light in his other hand and struck out. The three white-robed ghosts were instantly obliterated, their souls scattered.
The man now looked at Yu Daohang as if he were the god of death, stammering, "Don't... don't kill me, please... please."
Yu Daohang loosened his grip on the man's neck, then suddenly tightened it again, with even greater force. Yu Daohang was startled and turned to look in a certain direction.
The voice echoed again, "What, are you still planning to let them go as you did before?"
Yu Daohang looked at the man, whose face had turned red and was foaming at the mouth, and sighed, "He has already lost."
"He attacked you with killing intent in every move, yet you held back at every turn. If he was unjust first, then do not blame me for being unrighteous," the voice said with anger.
Yu Daohang could clearly feel the man's breathing growing weaker, hovering on the brink of death. Within twenty seconds, the man would be dead.
Yu Daohang calmly looked in a direction and said, "He is truly going to die."
The voice calmed down, "If he doesn't die today, and you still don't wish to kill, then you yourself will be the one to die next time."
Yu Daohang watched the man's weakening breath. His hand trembled slightly. Seeing that Yu Daohang still hadn't made up his mind, the voice sighed, "You have memories of your past life. You should also know how you died before."
As he finished speaking, Yu Daohang felt his hand move again. His grip loosened slightly, and the man gasped for air. Suddenly, Yu Daohang's eyes turned cold. He squeezed the hand gripping the man's neck, and a crisp cracking sound of bone breaking was heard.
Yu Daohang released his hand, and the man's body collapsed onto the ground, his breath completely gone. A wisp of green smoke rose from the corpse and fled into the distance. Yu Daohang condensed a wisp of golden light in his palm and directly struck the wisp of smoke, scattering it into nothingness.
Looking at the man's corpse, perhaps influenced by the memories of his past life, Yu Daohang showed no fear or apprehension. It was as if this was a common occurrence, and he was long accustomed to it.
Yu Daohang walked to the man's chest, squatted down, and began to rummage through it. Soon, Yu Daohang held a talisman in his hand. He threw the red chest next to the man, skillfully chanted an incantation, and the talisman in his hand suddenly ignited. He threw it back, and the flames spread rapidly over the man's entire body the moment they touched him.