PCJ – Chapter 437 War of Attrition

Although the Corpse King had been wounded, Chen Dianzi was deeply alarmed. Despite not using his strongest spell, the one he unleashed was still powerful, yet it inflicted only a minor injury on the Corpse King. Its resilience was truly daunting.

Nonetheless, Chen Dianzi did not lose heart. Missing one attack, he immediately prepared for another.

Chen Dianzi began chanting a new incantation:
“This oil is no ordinary oil, gifted by Lu Ban to burn away the wicked. With my head crowned in fire, my body clad in flame, and my feet stepping in fiery shoes, may it burn the evil sorcerers of the east, the witches of the south, the warlocks of the west, and the demons of the north and center. May it reduce all fiends, ghosts, and malevolent spirits to ash. I summon the Six Stars of the South Dipper and the Seven Stars of the North Dipper. By the decree of the Supreme Elder, so it shall be!”

A fiery spell, the Five Thunder Oil Pool Flame, erupted as a massive fireball descended upon the Corpse King.

This time, preoccupied with the attacks of the mountain-sweeping dogs, the Corpse King had no chance to dodge. The fireball struck its body and erupted into roaring flames, covering the Corpse King entirely. Its sizzling flesh filled the air with the sound of burning.

“Roar!”

The Corpse King howled in pain, as the searing fire proved exceptionally agonizing. But soon, white vapor began emanating from its body, drastically lowering the temperature of the tomb to freezing levels. The flames extinguished under the frigid aura, and the white mist slowly retracted back into the Corpse King. Though it managed to quench the fire, it had cost the Corpse King a significant amount of its vital yin energy.

Realizing the spell’s effectiveness, Zhang Jiaohua urged, “Chen Dianzi, cast the Five Thunder Oil Pool Flame again! The Corpse King fears it the most!”

Chen Dianzi shot back irritably, “You think I don’t know that? The problem is, this spell is exhausting! Just casting it once drained half my mana.”

Zhang Jiaohua, as the core of the sweeping formation, couldn’t divert his focus to cast additional spells. His limited mana was already stretched thin maintaining the formation and coordinating the spiritual beasts.

Chen Dianzi refrained from further attacks, knowing smaller spells would barely affect the Corpse King. Opting to recover his energy, he kept his distance. However, the Corpse King, now enraged, turned its attention toward him.

“Watch out! The Corpse King is about to strike!” Chen Dianzi warned.

The Corpse King opened its mouth, exhaling a black mist that coalesced into a dense, spherical mass resembling an iron ball.

With a whoosh, the black orb shot toward Chen Dianzi like a cannonball.

Panicking, Chen Dianzi hastily conjured protective talismans. But they were no match; the black orb shattered through them effortlessly. At the last second, Chen Dianzi rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the attack as the black orb bored into the tomb wall, leaving a gaping hole that began to smoke ominously.

Cold sweat dripped from Chen Dianzi’s face. “This thing’s playing for keeps! Jiaohua, hold it off! I need time to recharge. Once I’m ready, I’ll hit it with another Five Thunder Oil Pool Flame. That spell drains its yin energy. Without that, it’s finished!”

“Fine!” Zhang Jiaohua gritted his teeth, his focus still on maintaining the sweeping formation. The spiritual beasts, despite their relentless efforts, could only deal superficial damage to the Corpse King.

Realizing the need for a shift in strategy, Zhang Jiaohua decided to attempt a more aggressive tactic. Chanting another spell, he summoned the Iron Enclosure Array:
“With a cord eight feet deep, bronze and iron intertwined, impervious to golden shears or jade blades. Let evil sorcery turn to dust. I summon the Six Stars of the South Dipper and the Seven Stars of the North Dipper. By the decree of the Supreme Elder, so it shall be!”

The formation transformed. The spiritual beasts responded instantly, weaving into a cohesive network that formed an invisible web. The Corpse King, now trapped at the center, struggled furiously, but the web held firm, restricting its movements.

“Roar!”

The Corpse King’s frustration mounted. It exhaled more yin energy, attempting to dissolve the web. However, unlike the flame spell, the Iron Enclosure Array drew power directly from Zhang Jiaohua and the beasts, replenishing itself faster than the Corpse King could destroy it.

Chen Dianzi’s face lit up with hope. “This is perfect! Jiaohua, keep it up! As long as we drain its yin energy, it’ll become powerless!”

“Easy for you to say,” Zhang Jiaohua muttered, sweat dripping down his face. The effort to sustain the array was taxing, and he worried about running out of mana before the Corpse King exhausted its yin energy.

Still, the battle of attrition continued, with both sides locked in a grueling stalemate.