Hu Lan threw a handful of bean-like objects at Ling Tian and the Monk of Punishing Evil. Upon hitting the ground, they immediately emitted a puff of white smoke. Following this, each bean-like object transformed into an adult male, clad in armor and wielding various weapons.
Once these figures appeared, they quickly formed a circle and adopted combat formations, preparing to attack Ling Tian and the Monk of Punishing Evil.
Ling Tian and the Monk exchanged a look, a sense of dread creeping into their hearts.
"Amitabha, Brother Ling Tian, what is this..."
The Monk of Punishing Evil hesitated. If the opponent had summoned demons, ghosts, or other malevolent spirits, he would have no reservations, simply using his staff to "physically guide them to enlightenment."
However, these entities conjured by the opponent appeared to be normal humans. Even when he activated his Wrathful Appearance, he couldn't discern their origins.
Ling Tian let out a cold laugh. "Heh, scattering beans to create soldiers. Interesting... Master, you need not hesitate. These are not real people; they are Yin Soldiers, a form of Taoist sorcery!"
The art of "scattering beans to create soldiers" doesn't involve transforming actual beans or grains into soldiers. Instead, it uses grains as vessels, with each grain bearing a wisp of the caster's spiritual energy. After offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, the caster draws talismans to summon Yin Soldiers from the underworld into the mortal realm.
Souls favor tofu as a food, but tofu cannot carry spiritual energy. Thus, beans are used as a substitute.
Of course, these are not ordinary beans but seeds from a special plant.
Upon their appearance, the Yin Soldiers would ravenously consume the beans. By ingesting the beans, they also absorbed the spiritual energy contained within them, thereby accepting the caster's mental control.
This sorcery is incredibly potent and not easily executed. The beans themselves are exceedingly rare, and each one requires meticulous refinement, demanding a considerable investment of time and effort!
"So, you're saying these individuals are Yin Soldiers?" the Monk of Punishing Evil asked, still finding it hard to believe.
Ling Tian nodded. He had used his Celestial Eye divine ability to observe them and detected faint traces of Yin energy lingering around them. However, as these Yin Soldiers were formed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, their malevolent aura was very subtle. It wasn't surprising that the Monk of Punishing Evil couldn't discern their true nature.
"Amitabha, since they are not human, this humble monk shall not hold back!"
With that, the Monk of Punishing Evil brandished his staff and charged towards the figures. Ling Tian, without hesitation, swung his Ma Shuo and plunged into the throng.
Both Ling Tian and the Monk wielded incredibly heavy weapons. As they burst into the crowd, the battle immediately escalated into a fever pitch.
The combat prowess of these Yin Soldiers, summoned through sorcery, was only slightly superior to that of ordinary people. They were far from comparable to the martial generals Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong, who had been summoned from the painting earlier.
Ling Tian spun his Ma Shuo, the weighty weapon smashing three Yin Soldiers away. Two of them managed to block with their weapons, sending them flying several meters back. The third, an unfortunate soul, was directly struck on the head by Ling Tian's weapon.
No bloody scene ensued. Instead, a puff of white smoke emanated from the Yin Soldier, causing it to vanish instantly. Only a shattered bean remained on the ground.
At this moment, Hu Lan's heart was bleeding. He had invested immense time and effort in crafting these beans to create the Yin Soldiers.
If these Yin Soldiers did not suffer fatal injuries, the beans would not be easily damaged, and they could be recovered and reused after the battle.
Ordinarily, Hu Lan was reluctant to use these Yin Soldiers in a life-or-death struggle, primarily employing this sorcery for show.
However, he never expected to be pushed to such lengths by Ling Tian and the Monk, only to encounter two incredibly ferocious opponents.
Soon, the Monk of Punishing Evil also inflicted fatal damage on several Yin Soldiers with his staff. White smoke erupted from these soldiers, and they reverted to shattered beans!
"Ah, you, you dare! I will have you all killed!"
Hu Lan's eyes turned red. He reached into his satchel and produced a strangely shaped doll. The doll was about half a foot long, made of white cloth. Silver needles were inserted into its limbs and the top of its head, with red strings attached to the tail of each needle!
Hu Lan held the doll in his left hand, his index and middle fingers of his right hand pressed together. He chanted incantations. After a few seconds, the red strings attached to the silver needles suddenly stood upright, swaying gently and pointing towards the Monk of Punishing Evil!
The Monk of Punishing Evil was in the midst of his fierce battle. After dispatching several Yin Soldiers, he discovered that he could gain some energy feedback from them.
Although the energy provided by these Yin Soldiers was limited, and he would likely need to defeat tens of thousands more to achieve another breakthrough, every little bit counted.
Suddenly, the Monk of Punishing Evil felt his body becoming unresponsive.
He wanted to continue fighting, but his staff felt as heavy as a mountain. Helpless, he could only plant the staff on the ground.
"Amitabha, Brother Ling Tian, I..."
Before the Monk could finish, he immediately picked up his staff again and swung it towards Ling Tian's waist.
Fortunately, Ling Tian had been using his Celestial Eye divine ability since the start of the battle, observing every subtle movement on the battlefield. He sensed the Monk's unusual actions and immediately turned back, smashing his Ma Shuo towards him.
"Clang!"
The two heavy weapons collided in mid-air, sending a shockwave rippling outwards from the point of impact. Several Yin Soldiers within a two-meter radius were swept by the shockwave, exploding and reverting into shattered beans.
Ling Tian and the Monk of Punishing Evil were both forced back several steps, their arms feeling numb, their tiger mouths nearly split open.
However, at this moment, the Monk of Punishing Evil, his face filled with horror, continued to swing his staff, launching an attack at Ling Tian.
Ling Tian was perplexed by the Monk's sudden frenzy. Just then, the Monk of Punishing Evil shouted loudly.
"Amitabha, Ling Tian, this is bad! This humble monk may have been ensnared. My body is not obeying me; I cannot control myself..."
Before he could finish speaking, his staff descended upon Ling Tian, showing no signs of restraint!
Ling Tian now understood the situation. Although the weapon in the Monk's hand appeared formidable, it lacked any discernible pattern or technique, as if he were fighting with reckless abandon!
The remaining Yin Soldiers also turned their attention and began attacking Ling Tian.