Chapter 105: The Battle with Murong Ba

“Both of you are here as well?” Murong Ba was somewhat surprised by the appearance of Yang Xiao and Cang Yuan. “I originally intended to let you two go, but you dared to come back. However, this time, you won’t be so lucky. Since you’ve come, you won’t be leaving here again.”

“Chief Murong, how did you know we intended to steal the spirit herbs here? Was it because our presence during the day aroused your suspicion?” Cang Yuan asked in confusion.

“Did you come here to steal spirit herbs? That, I did not know. This time, I surrounded you not for that reason, but to kill you and absorb your cultivation power,” Murong Ba said with a cold, sinister smile.

“In that case, it seems the recent disappearances of many cultivators in Murong Town are related to you,” Yang Xiao probed cautiously.

“Correct. Since you are all facing death, it does no harm to tell you the truth. Recently, I have been cultivating the Devouring Spirit Technique. This method requires absorbing the cultivation power of other cultivators to strengthen myself, which is why I have killed many to practice it. In fact, when you entered Murong Town, my subordinates reported it to me, and I began closely monitoring you. I didn’t know you two were among them. Had I known earlier, I would have eliminated you sooner. During the day, I held back out of some regard for your identities,” Murong Ba revealed the whole matter without reservation.

“I see. So whether or not we were stealing spirit herbs, Murong Ba intended to kill us all along. Facing such a formidable enemy, our chances of resistance are slim. We’ll have to split up and flee later,” Cang Yuan sighed and said to the others.

“None of you will escape. Since you came here, there’s no reason to let you leave,” Murong Ba declared. A powerful aura radiated from him, spreading like a great dome, instantly enveloping Yang Xiao, Cang Yuan, and the others.

Yang Xiao was engulfed by Murong Ba’s attack, but strangely, the aura carried no offensive force. However, after being surrounded, Yang Xiao sensed a dramatic shift in the environment. Though Cang Yuan and the others had been nearby moments ago, now there was no sign of them.

“Is this an illusion technique?” Yang Xiao quickly grasped the key point. Murong Ba had cast an illusion that easily confuses the mind. Most importantly, while the victim is disoriented, the illusion caster remains fully clear-headed. This allows the caster to attack recklessly while the victim, lost in the illusion, cannot discern the enemy’s real location, forced into a passive, defensive position.

Knowing it was an illusion meant that breaking it would take time, especially given the disparity in strength. Yang Xiao responded swiftly, activating multiple layers of defense to safeguard himself.

First, he summoned the Light Shield of the Giant Spirit Technique as the outermost defense—a technique he had mastered after leaving the Wild Thunder Plains. Then, he employed the protective skill of the Ninefold Golden Body. A white halo appeared around him, and a faint golden sheen shimmered on his skin.

These two defenses ensured Yang Xiao’s temporary safety, but he needed to dispel the surrounding illusion quickly. Otherwise, he would be trapped in a passive state, vulnerable to unexpected attacks.

The surroundings transformed into a pastoral scene: blue skies, white clouds—the epitome of tranquility. Yet, the more peaceful the scene seemed, the stronger Yang Xiao’s sense of hidden danger grew.

He closed his eyes, refusing to be deceived by the visual illusion, and began sweeping the area with his spiritual perception. But Murong Ba’s illusion was formidable; even spiritual perception failed to reveal clear details, everything remained vague.

Yet Yang Xiao refused to give up. Concentrating harder, he scanned again and unexpectedly detected Murong Ba’s presence nearby—standing still not far from him.

“No, that’s not Murong Ba,” he quickly realized. “It must be one of Cang Yuan’s group. I distinctly remember who was around me. Murong Ba couldn’t have arrived so close so quickly, nor would he stand idle without attacking.”

The illusion was clearly distorting spiritual perception, causing serious misjudgments. Understanding this, Yang Xiao refrained from attacking the figure nearby, knowing it must be an ally. Still, not far off, someone launched an attack against him. Fortunately, his defenses held firm, and he took no damage.

Concentrating again, Yang Xiao found four indistinct Murong Ba figures nearby, which he identified as Cang Yuan and the others in disguise.

Confirming this, he extended his spiritual perception farther and detected another figure in the distance. Though blurry, Yang Xiao could faintly sense this presence.

When the distant figure began attacking the illusions of Yang Xiao’s companions, he became certain: this was the real Murong Ba.

Without hesitation, Yang Xiao locked onto the target’s location with his spiritual perception and unleashed a thunder talisman.

With a tremendous explosion, the talisman detonated in the distance, accompanied by an angry curse. The figure staggered, dodging, and at that moment, the entire illusion surrounding Yang Xiao dissipated completely.

Yang Xiao’s guess had been correct. The target of his thunder talisman was indeed Murong Ba. It was by harnessing the talisman’s power that he forced Murong Ba to retreat and shattered the surrounding illusion.