Seeing his split lip, crusted over with dried blood, with tiny trickles still oozing from the fissures, it was clear he had suffered immensely. Yet, for a penniless, barefoot Daoist, to have managed several rounds one-on-one against the legendary Hanba was already a feat of considerable fortune.

"Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Wang!" Zhang Enpu clasped his hands in greeting. "You should retreat now; I will handle this!" With that, he pulled his Daoist robe, the sleeves fluttering without wind, and his silver beard beneath his jaw swaying wildly, making him resemble an immortal.

"Aooo..." A piercing shriek interrupted their brief exchange, just as the house door was torn open, revealing the transformed, sentient Hanba.

"This thing is impervious to everything; ordinary magical artifacts are useless..." Wang Weizhen swallowed a surge of blood rushing to his throat, leaning back against a chair with rolling eyes, speaking with great difficulty.

"I know!" Zhang Enpu slowly drew the Celestial Master Sword from behind his back. Instantly, several shafts of icy azure light sliced the black shadow projected on the floor into pieces.

"Young Master, what are you waiting for? Execute the formation as I instructed!" Zhang Enpu roared, hooking a stool with his left foot and setting it upright, then pivoting on his right foot, launching himself into the air. From above, he stabbed the Hanba directly in the chest.

Meanwhile, Young Master Liu was already seated cross-legged on the ground, chanting the core tenets of Daoism. As the syllables of his recitation grew louder, the air began to vibrate, emitting sharp popping sounds. The talismans Zhang Enpu had inscribed on the floor slowly came 'alive'—'alive' in the sense that these symbols began to enlarge and shrink, coalescing into a crimson circle that tightly encircled the Hanba.

Splat...

Zhang Enpu moved with his shadow, the Celestial Master Sword burying itself firmly in the Hanba's chest.

"Enter!" Zhang Enpu gritted his teeth, holding back a heavy breath, clenching his fist, and pouring all his strength into the push. However, the Hanba’s body was truly too formidable. Even aided by the supreme treasure of Daoism, the blade only penetrated by three parts, leaving the remaining seven still protruding—stuck fast, neither advancing nor withdrawing.

"Roar!!!" The Hanba’s eyes widened as it roared in pain. Simultaneously, five fingers, hard as steel saws, swept towards Zhang Enpu with a gust of wind. If this blow had landed squarely, Zhang Enpu would have been crippled, if not killed.

But who was Zhang Enpu?

He was the current Heavenly Master and head of the Orthodox Unity Celestial Master Sect. To lack skill would have made him a laughingstock. He held the hilt of the Celestial Master Sword firmly; his left shoulder slipped along the Hanba’s body, dropping his stance instantly, skillfully dodging the lethal strike. Yet, even so, the Hanba’s hand grazed past his nose, a near miss that could have cost him his face.

"Spirits of the Three Pure Ones, lend me your power!" Zhang Enpu formed a sword with his fingers and drew a horizontal line followed by a vertical stroke in the air. Immediately, the red circle on the ground underwent a new transformation, fracturing into countless minuscule symbols that began to crawl like ants up the Hanba’s legs.

As soon as these tiny symbols reached its feet, they erupted with crackling, electric snaps. Soon, a sickeningly acrid smell of burning filled the air.

More and more crimson talismans spread like a vast, overwhelming net, intending to completely envelop the Hanba. Startled, the creature couldn't immediately break the formation. But while enveloped, relying on the formation alone to destroy the King Hanba—which had consumed the blood of countless living souls—would prove difficult.

As the Hanba struggled with increasing force, the red talismans finally began to weaken, their strength draining. Worse yet, some detached entirely, dissolving back into puddles of crimson cinnabar ink.

Young Master Liu, sitting at the formation's core chanting, felt the imminent pressure closing in. His voice grew increasingly uneven.

"Master, what do we do?" Young Master Liu asked with rising anxiety.

"Ignore everything else, keep chanting!" Seeing no immediate way out, Zhang Enpu kicked the Hanba's body, using the momentum to wrench the Celestial Master Sword free. With a swift slash and pull, he carved a cold arc, executing a backward somersault to regain distance from the Hanba.

Under these circumstances, brute force was no longer the optimal solution. The only reliance now was using the formation to restrict the Hanba's movements, allowing him to engage in a war of attrition.

Since it was a Jiangshi, it must have a weak spot; he refused to believe he wouldn't find it.

With that thought, Zhang Enpu nodded slightly, resolved to stick to the plan.

The sword tip shifted; this time, Zhang Enpu intended to attack the Hanba’s flank. Though not young, his foundation was deep and his mastery pure. Using this hit-and-fade tactic, the Hanba couldn't catch him before the great formation broke.

For a time, the entire room was filled with Zhang Enpu’s yellow silhouette—dodging, weaving, and perfectly adept at evasion. The Celestial Master Sword danced in his hands like splashing frost and scattering snow, utterly masterful. Yet, every thrust proved futile.

"This can't go on," Zhang Enpu sighed inwardly.

"Master, can you actually manage this?" Young Master Liu felt the Hanba's struggle beginning to drag him and the inscribed talismans, situated at the formation's nexus, toward the center of the conflict.

He had no desire to become the creature's hors d'oeuvre without even understanding why.

"I don't know why, it simply won't pierce! Truly iron-plated bones." Zhang Enpu's brow furrowed tightly.

"If outside attacks fail, attack from the inside! I refuse to believe its belly is just as hard! Does it think it's a giant boulder?" Liu cursed.

He failed to realize that the Hanba was far tougher than stone. Take the Celestial Master Sword in Zhang Enpu’s hand, for instance—a divine artifact capable of slicing through metal—it would have cleaved stone easily, yet against the Hanba, its sharpness seemed dulled.

However, Liu's unintentional remark gave Zhang Enpu a vital clue. Yes, if the outside was impenetrable, why not change tactics and strike from within?

The thought sparked an idea.

"Young Master, take this sword. I will force these Five Emperors Coins into the Hanba's mouth, momentarily incapacitating it. You seize this chance to drive the sword into its heart. Remember, success or failure hinges on this one strike; I can't hold it for long." Zhang Enpu then inverted the Celestial Master Sword and offered it to Young Master Liu.

"Master, that’s too dangerous!" Young Master Liu wasn't foolish. Rushing forward empty-handed to shove coins into the Hanba's mouth was akin to snatching food from a tiger’s jaws, not to mention controlling it. He suspected that even Zhang Enpu wouldn't survive such an attempt unscathed.

"Heh heh, rest assured!" Zhang Enpu affectionately patted Young Master Liu’s head. Though he had only just met this disciple, Liu's concern for him at this critical juncture warmed his heart, even if he didn't voice it.

"Should anything happen to me, you shall inherit my mantle! My books are sufficient for you to study independently. The Celestial Master Sword is yours; I hope that in your lifetime, you will bring glory to our Celestial Master Sect. Then, even if I pass on, I can rest easy in the Yellow Springs!" Zhang Enpu shook his head and prepared to rise.

"Master, let me go instead..." Young Master Liu grabbed Zhang Enpu's hand and refused to let go.

"I will go!" At that moment, a bold shout rang out beside them. As Zhang Enpu turned, the Five Emperors Coins were already snatched from his hand. When he looked again, he saw Wang Weizhen gripping the copper coins, charging fearlessly toward the Hanba.

"You..." Zhang Enpu tried to pursue, but it was too late. Young Master Liu stared wide-eyed in astonishment, unable to reconcile the shift from the roguish, street-wise charlatan to the man before him.

The retreating figure of Wang Weizhen was now so sharp, so bright, and so utterly stirring. It brought to mind a line of classical literature Liu had read in his youth: Though faced by thousands, I shall go!

Was this the true Wang Banxian?

Perhaps this was the real Wang Banxian!

Watching Wang Weizhen fight the Hanba with such reckless abandon, Young Master Liu dug his fingernails into his flesh, tears involuntarily welling up and spilling over.

Zhang Enpu closed his eyes in pained resignation and murmured a single benediction: "Immeasurable Celestial Venerable!"