“Jin What are you doing?! You know by interfering and giving orders, you are jeopardising the impromptu mission that you supposedly wanted them to take,” Claire said in a voice transmission to Jin while the rest were preparing their formation.
“I know, I will hold responsibility later. Right now the Transforming Spider Demon matters more.” Jin replied briefly while he told Su Zhen, The White Demon Snake Cultivator to release the Hundred Snake Binds again to test the reaction of the Transforming Spider.
“Won’t it go into flames?” Su Zhen said as she performed the command of her interim leader. The chi snake silhouettes bound the Transforming Spider again, but it was not moving nor did it release the same wave of fire attack at them.
“So, it is really a patient and intelligent demon.” Jin thought to himself as the Transforming Spider assumed that by being bound, it would be attacked by Jin’s flame as a follow up move. However, Jin was not doing that at all. Instead, he asked Rong to attack with his Rocket Hammer technique again.
“Here goes nothing!” Rong charged forth but realised his body was not as heavy as usual. Instead, there seemed something to be enchanting his body. He felt faster and lighter as the winds were with him rather than against him. The others at the back saw that there was a Green looking Panda silhouette right behind Rong, powering him.
The Transforming Spider scoffed as it brought up its hand to block the attack. It already knew the strength and impact of the hammer so it would be easy to deflect. However, when the hammer attack connected, the Spider’s hand was splintered right in front of it into many directions. Causing blood to smear all over his hammer and himself.
Because, instead of a blunt blow, the Green Panda Silhouette had enhanced the hammer blow into something similar to a pickaxe, thus the change of impact. The Transforming Spider released a screech as if it was not expecting that particular attack from Rong and it transformed back to Rong with a huge hammer by its side.
However, what was interesting was that the hand that Rong had split was still bleeding and not fully recovering. That was when the others finally believed they were able to defeat it. “I only changed the tactics a little. How could it have such a big impact?” Jin queried, but he felt the pieces did not fit properly.
“That is because of Jin’s chi. Now he had awakened to the true cultivation, His Maqi was more than enough to cause damage against the demons.” Grandma Yuan said as she could hear his conversation via the Magic Eye cameras. “…Plus he killed demons before. His body had sufficient capability to kill the demons.”
“The other demon exorcist trainees had yet killed a proper demon, their chi was not fine tuned to fight the demons. Thus, they had to fight harder than usual to make the demon bleed and be baptised by their blood.”
“Baptised by blood? User had not done anything of such sort.” The System retorted, and Grandma Yuan laughed.
“It’s a figure of speech and in some way literal. Demons had a natural resistance against all sort of attacks, and thus the trainees had to use more chi than usual to pierce their resistance and physical armour. This was to produce a more solid kind of chi. For some reason, that’s the only logical method to make the trainees effective against demons. To hit harder.” Grandma Yuan explained.
“However, that is only one way of doing things and not to mention traditional too. The other way was more unorthodox and seemingly effective despite the process. Let the exorcist trainees be exposed to the demon’s blood. The blood might not have a visible effect, but to the cultivator’s chi circulation, it was a different issue. Because the demons had a tendency to thirst for the spiritual body. When the exorcists had come in contact with the demon blood, their chi circulation will react in a way which will defend the cultivator’s spiritual self from being affected by the blood.”
“A bit of it is fine, the chi can produce something like an antibody against it. How it works is similar to a vaccine. Thus, their chi would be effective against the demons. What Jin was doing incidentally was just quickening the process for them.” Grandma Yuan remarked. “The lads have had some form of demonised chi within their blood, but this Transforming Spider was way beyond their capabilities or their bodies. That boy cheated me saying it would be a decent challenge for the kids.”
“On the other hand, if a person was literally immersed by Demon’s blood, you will see that they might go insane as if they were possessed by them. Sadly, It’s the same if someone was draped in God’s blood. That is why we subjugate both despite our names being Demon Exorcists. Gods are equally a troublesome sort for their spreading their overwhelming love and their twisted ideals of peace.” Grandma Yuan went down the memory lane, remembering a case where she had to convince the parents that it was a demon that was possessing their child instead of a selfish god.
“Rong! Holy water!” Lian shouted towards her training partner as she threw a potion of holy water right at him. Rong took it like a man as he allowed the potion bottle to smash straight at this head. (Actually, he was too tired to even catch the potion properly) The demon blood on him dissipated from the use of Holy Water and Rong felt refreshed as always.
“Why do you need to splash holy water…? A possible incoming flame attack?” Jin did not know what was happening until the System filled Jin on what Grandma Yuan said right after he sent a command to Lein to attack with Rong.
“Oh, really? Then the times I am stained with the blood of fighting those demons from the dungeon world?” Jin could remember how bad it was against Moloch’s army and fortress.
“Like what past Sub System User Yuan had said previously, your cultivation was made to prevent those and at the same time allowed you to fight them.” The System replied while Jin did the same thing for Lein and supported him with a Green Wind Astral Panda.
Lian and Su Zhen, on the other hand, were surprised by Jin’s use of chi skills. It was the first time they saw an Eastern cultivator supporting someone similar to a Western Enchanter. (Most cultivation styles were selfish in nature, rather than selfless.) It was apparent that Rong could smash the Transforming Spider’s hand into splinter was because of Jin, and they finally saw his powers at work.
“Even the four of us could not have made much of a dent against the Transforming Spider but just one enhanced hit with Jin’s chi, we can finally make a dent. He really had beaten a demon before.” Su Zhen said in a voice transmission to Lian.
“Can’t he be manipulating the dungeon so that he could be absurdly strong as the Transforming Spider?” Lian had her doubts but Su Zhen shooked her head.
“You do know my father is a talkative but extremely knowledgeable dungeon supplier for the Royal Clans. If not for my mother’s insistence for making me a Demon Exorcist… I would have followed him.” Su Zhen said as she prepared the chi skill which Jin had instructed after hearing her skill repertoire.
“Your point?” Lian was preparing her chi while Jin had temporarily enchanted her with the Black Fire Astral Panda and Lian was steadily trying to adjust herself to attack the Transforming Spider in one shot.
“I know exactly how a dungeon supplier works. My dad had taught me how dungeon works. It is not as easy as you think. Jin’s power is the real deal, there is no way to fake it. If possible, I would want my father to meet him and exchange pointers. I believe he would be thrilled to do so and be envious if he knew that I went to the rumoured Dungeons and Pandas for a fight.” Su Zhen replied in the voice transmission as they heard Jin giving orders at them to get ready.
In the meantime, Rong noticed his dexterity enchantment disappeared, and that was when he knew that he had to withdraw and gave Lein the priority to distract the Transforming Snake.
“Yes Rong! Come back, drink another chi recovery potion. Your stamina is faltering and your burnt wounds might act up again.” Jin beckoned to him as he used the Tact Tweak and the System to keep track of their supposed health bars. The way he commands people from the Tact Tweak suddenly gave him a sudden bout of inspiration in the midst of battle.
“I think I thought of another nice mini game for the shop… Ah, I should keep it for the new year when the kids are having their holidays. I could make a bit of their pocket money that way.” Jin thought to himself as he told the System to remind him to keep that idea on hold.
“Ah! You traitor! I thought we agree to hate that fake exorcist!” Lian said out loud towards Su Zhen as she boosted herself up into the sky with the aid of an additional Green Astral Panda by Jin. However, the White Demon Snake cultivator was concentrating on her timing the moment Lian shot up.
The plan to eliminate the Transforming Spider was now in motion.
“Su Zhen! Now!” Jin said as he promptly placed the Green Wind Astral Panda he used on Rong and transferred onto Su Zhen. From a distance, she hit the whip on the floor, and a great chi snake silhouette emerged from the ground, breaking it a hole underneath it. It then slithered towards the Transforming Spider which Lein delivered one last thunderclap before retreating as well.
The Spider saw the great chi snake silhouette from afar and was already preparing to counter it by transforming back into spider form. It was something similar to the first form the exorcist trainees had fought but of a smaller scale version and highly more agile.
The snake’s mouth was wide open, only to be stopped by the legs of the spider as it tried to spit venom into the snake’s mouth. However, it did not realise that it was just a chi form energised by Su Zhen and with the help of the Green Wind Astral Panda infusion.
“Lian! Kick away!” Jin said as he secretly prepared a lance of White Panda Ice in case their attacks would not work. Lian did what was told, and her three tails form appeared once again. Just that this time around, flames were enveloping her tails and legs. The Green Wind Astral Panda infused with Lian’s leg made her feel like the embodiment of the spirit of a flame god had possessed her as the flames continued to spiral around her leg like a cyclone.
“All of nothing!” Lian flew down, and that was when Jin also ordered Lein to give an impromptu thunderbolt discharge at the Spider. The Transforming Spider who had its eyes affixed at the snake got electrocuted and paralysed momentarily for Lian to execute the finishing attack. Her kick managed to hit the spherical body of the Transforming Spider and everything around her burst into dark black flames.
“Don’t get back yet! Continue to attack and make sure it’s dead! Do not let it have a chance to copy your attack!” Jin ordered loudly via chi transmission.
“SO LOUD! You do not have to tell me what to do!!” Lian recovered her stance and continued her assault in the flames. “Claw Arts! Vertical Rebounding Slash of the Fox!” Lian said as she placed utilised as much chi as she could garner.
“From above!” In the heat of the moment, Rong shouted and did a Rocket Hammer Slam before grabbing Lian and pulled her out of the flames.
“We are not even sure if it’s dead!” Lian shouted as if to tell Rong to put her back.
“I rather you survive than ensuring that thing is dead! Remember what Jin said! Do not discount anyone!” Rong followed Jin’s order to rescue her as soon as he can while making sure Lian did the maximum amount of damage before leaving.
“System, found where the eyes were located from the analysis?” Jin asked and the System gave the coordinates via his new Pandaromic Eyes. “Thanks!” Jin held onto the ice lance until it was bustling with chi. He believed the damage from the trainees, which were enhanced by his Maqi, was sufficient for the last act of this battle, but he wanted to be sure.
The moment he knew that everyone was out of the way and the Black Panda Fire was still burning the Transforming Spider, Jin overcharged his White Panda Ice lance and threw it upwards before it angled based on the coordinates he received from the System.
“Transforming Spider, It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can get along together in the future.”
