Lao Mo's palm struck Cangjing's chest, but Cangjing didn't dodge. Instead, she moved to meet it.
Wasn't this suicidal?
Lao Mo felt something was off, but still brought his palm down.
Yet, as his palm landed, Cangjing vanished like a wisp of smoke from the spot.
Lao Mo was horrified and bewildered.
And this scene was witnessed by all of us.
However, what we saw differed somewhat from what Lao Mo was seeing.
We saw Lao Mo not striking Cangjing at all, but rather the empty air beside her, not Cangjing herself.
After throwing the kunai, Cangjing had already positioned herself ten meters to his front-left.
She formed hand seals, muttering continuously, likely chanting a spell.
On the stage, Lao Mo's face was filled with terror.
Before he could react, Cangjing appeared from behind him.
Lao Mo retaliated with another Five Thunder Palm, but it was the same result: she shattered into a mist.
In our eyes, Lao Mo was alone on the stage, striking wildly at the air.
Those watching from the sidelines understood immediately.
"Damn, has this kid been cursed?"
"Must be. Look, he can't even see the woman and is just flailing."
"Brother, you're under a genjutsu!"
"When did he get caught? We didn't even see the woman use hand seals earlier?"
"..."
Several fellow Daoists called out reminders, simultaneously wondering how Lao Mo had fallen victim to the genjutsu.
But within the illusion, Lao Mo couldn't hear their prompts.
Lao Mo still couldn't hear, battling against the air.
The thrown shurikens occasionally struck him,
leaving gashes on his body...
After unleashing two Five Thunder Palms, Lao Mo likely realized he was under a genjutsu and stopped wasting spiritual energy.
He was now solely focused on dodging the incoming shurikens.
Watching Lao Mo from afar, I grew even more perplexed.
I asked my Martial Uncle:
"Martial Uncle, when did Lao Mo get cursed?"
My Martial Uncle gazed at the stage, squinting his eyes:
"Think carefully. How many movements did that woman make? Each of her actions was planned."
My Martial Uncle didn't explain directly, but prompted me to analyze it myself.
Meanwhile, many on the stage shared the same thoughts,
but couldn't figure it out.
I recalled Cangjing's sequence of actions after stepping onto the stage.
Taking off her clothes, tying her hair, using shurikens, forming seals, using kunai.
Right, the kunai.
"Martial Uncle, was it that kunai that missed many times?"
My Martial Uncle nodded slightly:
"Indeed. If I'm not mistaken,
that kunai likely bore a special curse seal.
And Fusang Onmyoji are quite distinctive.
They utilize genjutsu and swordsmanship.
This woman here likely belongs to the former category.
She used that kunai to silently curse Little Mo.
But beyond that, there was also when she took off her clothes..."
"Took off her clothes?"
I narrowed my eyes and began to recall.
When the woman removed her clothes, a faint fragrance permeated the air, not strong, but subtle.
"Martial Uncle, could that fragrance also be problematic?"
This time, my Martial Uncle didn't dare to answer with certainty, but he did say:
"I believe there might be a connection.
Watch this match carefully.
So that you may have some defenses when encountering such Onmyoji in the future."
I hummed in agreement and reopened my eyes to watch intently.
Lao Mo, meanwhile, continued to see phantom figures everywhere.
The entire arena was filled with the female Onmyoji, but none of them were real.
Cangjing was a master of genjutsu, renowned in the Eastern Isles as the foremost illusionist of the younger generation.
Her genjutsu had reached a level where she could silently ensnare and kill even ghosts and demons.
She was the strongest illusionist Onmyoji in the Nine Circles Sect's younger generation.
And she was quite famous within the entire circle of Eastern Isles Onmyoji.
Lao Mo wasn't carrying a Qing Ling Talisman, as who would bring one for a mere arena match?
He couldn't break free from the illusion anytime soon.
Many in the audience began to shake their heads, inwardly declaring Lao Mo finished.
Without a Qing Ling Talisman, unable to escape the hallucination, he would surely be exhausted and defeated.
Cangjing wore a sinister smile, chanting continuously.
Occasionally, she would use a talisman to strengthen its power,
or throw shurikens to ambush Lao Mo.
"Alas! This female Onmyoji has some skill!"
"Indeed! Even if this Daoist friend's strength surpasses hers, in the realm of genjutsu, he can't strike the real body, it's useless!"
"To lose like this would be too frustrating."
"What a shame."
"..."
Sighs of regret echoed through the crowd.
But just then, from Lao Mo's lips, bursts of Daoist sounds suddenly arose:
"The Dao is formless, giving birth to heaven and earth.
The Great Dao is unfeeling, operating the sun and moon.
The Great Dao is nameless, nurturing all things..."
Most of the bystanders were fellow cultivators from the Central Plains.
Upon hearing the Daoist sounds Lao Mo chanted, they were slightly stunned, then shook their heads.
"Tranquility Mantra?"
"Damn, for this level of genjutsu, chanting the Tranquility Mantra is useless!"
"Alas! A deathbed struggle, it's futile!"
"..."
Many were not optimistic.
However, as Lao Mo continued to chant, the surrounding people increasingly noticed something was amiss.
Because what Lao Mo was reciting was entirely different from what they had learned.
Furthermore, with each line chanted, waves of Daoist energy would emanate outwards.
"Huh? What is this kid chanting? It's different from what I know."
"Yes! I've never heard those few lines before!"
"Something's not right. Look at Cangjing, her expression has changed, she's accelerating her hand seals and chanting."
"..."
Cangjing's voice deepened, her brows furrowed, her entire Daoist energy fluctuating and intensifying.
Clearly, this was a magical duel.
Many couldn't understand why this was happening.
How could this chant Lao Mo was reciting possibly resist such a genjutsu?
But only a few elders and prominent figures stared at Lao Mo with astonishment.
They exclaimed with emotion, word by word:
"It's... it's the Flawless Tranquility Mantra!"