Chapter Thirty-Six: Banishment of the Demon

The little spirit dog leapt through the gap without hesitation, pursuing the trail inside. Zhou Changwang hesitated briefly, but finally stepped over as well.

However, the moment he crossed, a small stack of talismans appeared in his hand; at the slightest sign of trouble, he was ready to activate them instantly to ensure his safety. He also retrieved a magical flying sword from his storage pouch—one of his main reasons for daring to venture into the mountains to hunt demons. After several days of ritual refinement, he could now wield the sword with basic proficiency and unleash its power.

The little spirit dog moved in fits and starts, occasionally lowering its head to sniff the ground. Zhou Changwang followed close behind, ears pricked for any sound, his gaze warily scanning his surroundings.

“If only I had mastered Qian Xiaoyue’s Listening Art now—I’d be able to hear every movement, even each breath, with perfect clarity. I also need to learn the Spirit Eye Technique, so everything within sight becomes crystal clear…”

Only by truly experiencing such moments did he realize what he truly needed. The wilderness’s quiet, coupled with a nameless anxiety weighing on his heart, made him feel deeply unsafe and left him yearning to master various spells to bolster his courage.

Suddenly, the little spirit dog growled low, eyes fixed intently on a small hollow ahead. Beside the hollow lay a patch of mud, riddled with the marks of demon beasts rolling about. Behind the muddy patch was a freshly dug hole, as tall as a man. From within, Zhou Changwang could hear the unmistakable grunting of a beast.

It was obvious: this was the lair of the Ironclad Boar. He hadn’t expected the den to be so close by.

“It seems the spiritual rice in my field was so tempting that it couldn’t bear to leave—or perhaps it plans to treat my field as its own granary,” Zhou Changwang thought coldly. His eyes grew steely.

He drew a talisman from the stack, and spiritual energy surged within him.

With a hiss, the talisman activated. Instantly, a transparent shield shimmered around Zhou Changwang, enveloping him like a curtain of water. It was a protective charm.

Next, he activated a lightness talisman. He felt as light as a swallow; with a single stride, he could cover several meters, and at full speed, he would be swift as the wind.

This was his first real battle against a demon beast; he could not afford to be too cautious. With these two talismans, his chances of survival increased dramatically.

At that moment, the surging waves of magical energy seemed to alert the Ironclad Boar within the cave—the grunting ceased abruptly.

The ground trembled softly, and a dark, hulking figure emerged from the cave. It was the Ironclad Boar. Its body was pitch black, with a long snout and two upward-curving tusks jutting from its mouth. Bristling tufts of hair stood up like spikes on its head, but most striking of all was the black armor covering its body—plates formed from compacted mud, resin, and powdered stone, fused together by its own unique magic, heavy and impenetrable.

The little spirit dog lifted its head and howled. Though its cry was youthful, it carried real authority. Its eyes were fierce and its small body taut, ready to pounce at any moment.

The Ironclad Boar, incensed by the intruders on its territory, charged straight for Zhou Changwang without hesitation. Its massive, armored body barreled forward like a living mountain, the force of its momentum unstoppable.

“Go!” Zhou Changwang’s heart clenched—he quickly activated several talismans.

A Wind Blade Talisman flared; blades of wind slashed through the air, striking the Ironclad Boar with the force of razors.

Icicle talismans followed—sharp, icy darts streaking forward like arrows, all aimed at the beast’s vulnerable points.

Fireball talismans burst forth as well, scattering flames like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers.

Zhou Changwang had acquired a number of low-grade talismans from his storage pouch and now used them all without reservation.

Wind Blades, Frost Talismans, Fire Talismans—all launched at the Ironclad Boar.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The wind blades struck the armored back with heavy thuds, but failed to injure the beast in the slightest. Its armor, a mixture of mud, resin, and stone powder, magically hardened, was impervious even to the sharpest winds.

The icicles shot straight for its eyes, but the Ironclad Boar, though fast, was not reckless; it simply lowered its head, and the icy darts shattered harmlessly on its neck and back.

The fireballs that followed did little damage; the armor was simply too thick, its defenses too strong for ordinary weapons to breach.

These relentless attacks only enraged the Ironclad Boar further. A surge of spiritual energy pulsed from its body, churning the mud at its feet into a roiling mass.

Seeing this, Zhou Changwang swiftly activated another talisman.

A Freezing Talisman!

A blast of icy air enveloped the beast, instantly freezing the churning mud into solid ice. But the Ironclad Boar, with its overwhelming strength, barely slowed—charging straight through the frozen barrier.

By then, Zhou Changwang had completed his own spell. Spiritual energy surged violently as he pointed with his finger; a flash of golden light shot out—his signature spell, the Geng Metal Finger.

At the same time, Zhou Changwang’s mind focused; his spiritual energy surged into the magic flying sword.

With a hum, the sword vibrated, rose into the air, and under his control, shot forward like lightning—aimed straight for the Ironclad Boar.

Fast—faster—faster still! The flying sword raced through the air, arriving almost simultaneously with the Geng Metal Finger, both aimed for the boar’s eyes.

With a sickening squelch, the sword and the golden light pierced straight through, stabbing into the eyes and deep into the brain.

In an instant, the beast was dead. No matter what kind of demon beast it was, the head was always its weak point; destroy the brain, and death was certain.

But even in death, the Ironclad Boar’s massive body continued its rampage, inertia propelling it straight at Zhou Changwang.

He shifted to dodge, but to his shock, the little spirit dog hurled itself forward, its eyes filled with desperate resolve.

What was it doing? Was it trying to save him?

Zhou Changwang was stunned.

He watched as the little dog collided with the boar’s corpse—like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—only to be flung back even faster.

Zhou Changwang rushed forward and caught it in his arms, only to find its body limp, its bones shattered in countless places.

The little spirit dog whimpered weakly, its voice barely audible.