Zhang Caifeng, on the side, was locked in a fierce struggle. The Blade Puppet, wielding a greatsword over three meters long, swung with immense coverage. Zhang Caifeng dared not clash her weapon against the greatsword, for it would surely be disarmed.
Fortunately, over the years, Longhu Mountain had developed numerous evasion techniques and combat styles to counter the immensely strong zombies. Zhang Caifeng treated the Blade Puppet as a zombie, and surprisingly, her agile movements proved quite effective.
However, continuing this way was not a sustainable solution. Human stamina was finite. While the Blade Puppet couldn't harm Zhang Caifeng in the short term, her situation would become dire once her energy waned. She had no way to close the distance, nor could she afford any mistakes. Facing such a monstrous entity, a single slip-up meant death!
At this moment, Zhang Caifeng recalled Ling Tian's words: "When facing a formidable enemy, just bombard them with talismans. Don't be afraid of wasting them. No enemy can withstand a barrage of talismans. If one isn't enough, throw a few more!"
With this in mind, Zhang Caifeng reached into her left hand, retrieved a Vajra Talisman, infused it with her true essence, and hurled it at the Blade Puppet. A white sphere of light shot out, striking the puppet's chest.
The puppet, unwilling to be a passive target, swung its greatsword, cleaving towards the sphere of light.
"Boom!" The Vajra Talisman struck the greatsword, erupting in a violent explosion. The shockwave caused the Blade Puppet to stagger and lose its balance.
Seeing this, Zhang Caifeng produced two more Vajra Talismans and threw them.
"Boom... Boom..."
One Vajra Talisman was once again intercepted by the greatsword, while the other landed squarely on the Blade Puppet's body.
This time, the explosion's shockwave sent the Blade Puppet reeling, its guard wide open and its stance slightly compromised!
"Now!"
Zhang Caifeng's pupils constricted. Another talisman appeared in her hand. Infusing it with true essence, this time, a blue talisman enveloped in pure white lightning shot forth!
It was a Lightning Talisman!
The Lightning Talisman instantly struck the Blade Puppet, emitting a crackling sound. The electricity from the talisman unleashed, forming a net of lightning that enveloped the puppet.
The Blade Puppet stood frozen, as if struck by a paralysis spell, its body twitching uncontrollably!
While on the surface, this level of attack seemed insignificant to the Blade Puppet, in reality, the electrical discharge sent tremors through both the puppet and the soul of its controller, Ogasawara.
Lightning was a fearsome power, capable of greatly impacting and damaging even spells and souls.
For Longhu Mountain, a Lightning Talisman was far more effective against zombies than a Fire Talisman.
However, crafting Lightning Talismans was incredibly difficult, had a low success rate, and required extremely expensive materials.
Before obtaining the talisman manual from Ling Tian, the entire Longhu Mountain possessed no more than five Lightning Talismans.
But now, with the methods provided by Ling Tian, Longhu Mountain's strength had surged. The Lightning Talismans, which they had previously been reluctant to use, could now be mass-produced.
Zhang Caifeng, a seasoned warrior, understood the principle of striking while the iron was hot. She began hurling talismans as if they were free!
A Vajra Talisman destabilized the Blade Puppet, followed by a Lightning Talisman that seemed to interrogate its soul, then another Vajra Talisman…
In the blink of an eye, seven or eight Vajra Talismans and as many Lightning Talismans had left the Blade Puppet scorched and battered. The immense electrical current generated by the Lightning Talismans, channeled through the puppet's armor, penetrated its internal mechanisms.
Finally, the magatama, which provided energy to the puppet and controlled its movements, developed cracks under the repeated electrical assault. With a crunch, it shattered!
The Blade Puppet, as if its soul had departed, collapsed to the ground with a clatter.
Zhang Caifeng, panting heavily, had reached her physical limit during the battle. The expenditure of over twenty talismans had also completely depleted her true essence.
After all, she wasn't a monstrous anomaly like Ling Tian; her true essence reserves were finite.
Meanwhile, inside the coffin, Ogasawara was enduring agonizing torment. His head felt as though it were about to explode, as if countless needles were piercing his skull. This was the backlash from the Blade Puppet's destruction!
The Blade Puppet's power far surpassed that of the two child puppets. Consequently, Ogasawara had invested more soul power into it. With the puppet's core damaged, his soul had also suffered a severe blow.
Sensing grave danger, Ogasawara attempted to push open the coffin lid and escape. However, no matter how much he struggled, the lid remained stubbornly shut!
This coffin was no ordinary one; it was crafted from Phoebe Zhennan wood.
Phoebe Zhennan wood was a precious timber unique to China. Its straight grain and fine structure made it resistant to deformation and cracking, rendering it an excellent material for construction and high-end furniture.
Historically, Phoebe Zhennan wood was exclusively used for royal palaces and the construction and furniture of a select few temples. The crystalline content in Phoebe Zhennan wood was significantly higher than in ordinary nanmu. Its surface shimmered with a golden luster under sunlight, revealing golden threads, and it emitted a faint, elegant fragrance. These qualities allowed Phoebe Zhennan wood to remain incorruptible for a millennium, while its emitted fragrance deterred insects and prevented infestation.
Unfortunately, over centuries, China's Phoebe Zhennan wood resources had been severely depleted. Finding a single tree large enough to craft a coffin was now an arduous task.
Ogasawara, the perverse individual, had used a massive, precious Phoebe Zhennan tree to construct a coffin, and inexplicably, he used this coffin to house his puppets.
Earlier, in a moment of desperation, he had hidden inside the coffin to shield himself from arrows. However, he had forgotten that this coffin had a sliding lid, incorporating a highly precise mortise and tenon joint.
Upon seeing the Blade Puppet eliminated, Aurora and Haifurong immediately moved forward. Aurora, with swift hands, pressed a rivet on the coffin lid.
Once this rivet was in place, the entire coffin sealed perfectly, making it virtually impossible to open from the inside!
Although Ogasawara possessed some martial skills, his strength was only sufficient to handle one or two ordinary individuals. His primary offensive method was through his puppets. With his puppets gone, he was as helpless as a chicken without a fight.
At this moment, Zhang Caifeng, still catching her breath, walked over. She immediately took out a bottle of pills, poured them into her hand, and swallowed them in one gulp.