Just as Ying Chen was about to fall into the puppet's grasp.
At this moment, Ying Chen raised his finger and pulled it horizontally through the air.
Layers of golden ripples appeared in the air, growing larger and more distinct until they formed the shape of a long sword!
Ying Chen beckoned, taking the sword in his hand.
Without even looking, he swung it casually.
Chiiii!
A chilling, piercing sound rang out, and the puppet's fingers, which were about to grasp Ying Chen, were severed at the root!
Only a half-palm remained suspended in mid-air, from which a large amount of crimson liquid was continuously flowing.
It looked like fresh blood, yet also like moonlight, and also like some kind of ghostly death energy.
The puppet froze for a moment, then let out a deafening wail of rage.
Since its birth, it had never suffered such a severe injury!
Meanwhile, Ashiya Douman, who had thought victory was assured from afar, widened his eyes in shock at the sight.
"Paper turns into a sword?"
"Impossible! You're clearly a martial artist, how could you know such profound arts?"
"And they are arts that have long been lost!"
"This must be an illusion, a trick you're playing with some secret martial technique! Trying to scare me!"
Ashiya Douman couldn't believe his eyes.
Just a moment ago, he was a martial artist, using martial arts.
How could he suddenly transform into an arcane arts practitioner the next moment?
And more importantly, the technique used was not an ordinary one, but one that had long been lost!
One had to know that this kind of art, where paper turns into a sword, was first documented in an idiom: drawing a dragon and dotting its eyes.
A painter drew a dragon on a wall but deliberately left its eyes undotted. When people urged him to add the eyes, the dragon suddenly came to life and flew through the wall.
The painter in the story used the "paper turns into a sword" art!
"Oh, so this technique is also lost." Ying Chen nodded upon hearing this.
In the two thousand years of declining spiritual energy, far more techniques had been lost than Ying Chen had anticipated.
"Then you are very lucky today, I can teach you for free once."
Saying this, Ying Chen actually recited a incantation and demonstrated the hand gestures for casting the spell to Ashiya Douman.
As Ashiya Douman watched in stunned disbelief, a flicker of temptation stirred within him.
"I'll try it, just once..."
"It costs nothing to try. If something's wrong, I'll stop immediately."
Ashiya Douman muttered to himself, trying to convince himself.
Then, following Ying Chen's instruction, Ashiya Douman began to chant the incantation and perform the hand gestures.
What followed was a scene that shocked and excited Ashiya Douman.
A golden trace, like rippling water, actually appeared in the air!
Although the shape wasn't quite like a sword, achieving this level on the first attempt was already quite remarkable!
What Ying Chen taught him was actually real!
Not a fabricated lie!
A glint of greed and desire ignited in Ashiya Douman's eyes as he looked at Ying Chen: "Is there more?"
Ying Chen, like a tireless teacher, nodded: "Naturally."
"For example, this move."
As Ying Chen spoke, he dropped the long sword in his hand.
The sword instantly shattered into phantom images and disappeared into the air.
Then, where the sword had been, a swastika symbol appeared out of nowhere.
Seeing the swastika, Ashiya Douman looked confused.
He didn't understand why Ying Chen would draw a Buddhist symbol.
"A compatriot of yours, a while back, looked at me with the same expression. He only understood when he died that my swastika symbol was different from the Buddhist symbol he imagined."
"This is called the Four Seasons Big Dipper Circumpolar Talisman, created by an ancient master of esoteric arts. As for its destructive power, you'll see."
With that, Ying Chen casually waved his hand.
The swastika symbol, swirling in the air, shot forward instantly.
Fierce power tore through the air, leaving a long trajectory, so fast that it was impossible to react.
Puff!
A sound of flesh and blood exploding, making one's hair stand on end, rang out.
The puppet standing in front of Ying Chen was pierced through the middle by the swastika symbol, its entire chest exploding!
The massive wound was like a bloody and deep abyss, constantly seeping blood.
Around the edges of the wound, circles of starlight-like objects flickered, moving along the wound, like the Big Dipper revolving around the celestial pole, like celestial movements.
Plop!
The puppet could no longer withstand the injury, its massive body collapsing to the ground, wailing incessantly.
"No! Moon Swallower!" Ashiya Douman was heartbroken.
He had completely overlooked Ying Chen's mention of his "compatriot" when discussing the Four Seasons Big Dipper Circumpolar Talisman.
If he hadn't overlooked that sentence, he would have known that Tsutomu Higashi had actually died at Ying Chen's hands!
He would have been able to respond appropriately, instead of standing here waiting to die!
"This move is also lost, do you want to learn it?"
Ying Chen asked Ashiya Douman with a serious expression.
Ashiya Douman's eyes were filled with heartache. The Moon Swallower hadn't even gotten to unleash its full potential before suffering such a severe blow.
He wished he could dismember Ying Chen a thousand times over to vent his hatred!
Yet, he had to admit, the move Ying Chen had just performed was incredibly tempting.
If he could also learn this move, coupled with the paper-into-sword technique earlier, the damage to the Moon Swallower seemed less important.
"Learn it!"
Ashiya Douman made his decision.
Ultimately, he couldn't escape the "true fragrance" law.
"You are teachable." Ying Chen nodded in admiration, as if seeing a promising and intelligent talent.
Then he said leisurely, "Since you want to learn, what are you waiting for? Kneel down and kowtow!"
"What do you mean?" Ashiya Douman's expression changed.
"Having learned my skills, you are naturally my disciple. According to the customs of the Dragon Country: one day as a teacher, lifelong as a father. Is it too much to kowtow to your father? Shouldn't you?" Ying Chen said.
Whoosh!
Ashiya Douman's face instantly turned grim.
So, Ying Chen had been waiting for him here!
He wanted him to be his son?
His biological father, who had abused him two hundred years ago, wasn't even worthy, and Ashiya Douman had killed him with a single sword. What made Ying Chen think he could be his father?
If he truly wanted to be his father, he would have to pay with his life!
A killing intent gradually rose from Ashiya Douman's body, and the greed and excitement in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a dense, chilling ferocity.
"Dragons have scales that must not be touched, or they will die. You dare to touch my scales, you truly don't know death!"
Ashiya Douman said coldly.
Then, he sternly roared at the puppet: "Moon Swallower, heed my command!"
"Grant you a thousand moons, and one strike of ten thousand moments!"
The puppet, which had been wailing in pain, instantly stopped and then rose with a rumble.
At the same time, a large area of bloody moonlight descended from the sky.
It was like a torrential downpour!
A thousand blood moons gradually dimmed, as if exhausting all their power.
The puppet's aura surged, and its wounds were repaired, regrowing ten fingers!
The puppet's eyes were ferocious, its blood-red irises flashing repeatedly.
Suddenly, it raised its arm and grabbed the horn on its head!
With a forceful upward pull!
A sickening sound rang out as the horn was forcibly ripped from the puppet's head!
Blood splattered, flesh and blood were mangled.
The gruesome scene continued for more than ten seconds before stopping!
Looking at the puppet's hand, it wasn't a horn at all, but a bloody bone sword!
This sword had been sealed within the puppet's body in the form of a spine, and could not be unsealed until the absolute last moment.
Once unsealed, it would be the puppet's final battle!
After the battle, there would be no more life!
Ashiya Douman's voice was cold as he gave the order: "What are you hesitating for?"
"Kill him!"
Whoosh!
The puppet raised the bone sword high in its hand, and the blood dripping from it transformed into burning flames, instantly engulfing the blade.
Then, the puppet squeezed out four hoarse and deep syllables from its throat.
"Ten! Thousand! Moments! Strike!"