Brian Carter descended from the Great Peng Mingwang Pagoda, feeling somewhat melancholy. Emily Foster had a pleasant appearance and a graceful demeanor; the two of them had hit it off at first sight. Now, after parting ways, he feared there would be no chance to meet again. Although Brian Carter did not know what business his master had in Chang’an, he assumed they would not stay long in such a bustling place. In the future, whether at the ends of the earth or in some ancient mountain cave, the chances of meeting Emily Foster again were slim to none.

He was about to find his way out of the Minister’s Residence when, by chance, he turned his head and saw a pillar of black energy rising from the Great Peng Mingwang Pagoda, soaring dozens of zhang into the sky. He was greatly alarmed and blurted out, “There was no sign of anything unusual on the pagoda just now—how has such a towering column of black energy suddenly appeared? According to my master, the four schools of Xuan Shen Shi Za each have different cultivation methods, and the spiritual aura on their bodies is also distinct. But this black energy is filthy and evil; it certainly cannot be from a human cultivator. Only a monster that has devoured countless living beings could emit such a dark demonic aura.”

Brian Carter remembered that Emily Foster was still in the pagoda and hurriedly rushed back. The Great Peng Mingwang Pagoda had thirteen stories. Although Brian Carter had cultivated the Black Water True Art and his stamina had greatly increased, climbing up and down still left him gasping for breath. He finally made it to the twelfth floor, where he heard a man’s voice, cold and sinister, laughing: “Lady Su, you have five hundred years of cultivation, but you are certainly no match for me. If you surrender, after I take your inner elixir, I will let your remnant soul go. But if you insist on resisting, my Huntian Banner still lacks a few main souls—once I capture you, I won’t be so polite.”

“So it really is a demon causing trouble. But why is Miss Emily Foster being called Lady Su? Could she be a concubine of the current emperor?”

Brian Carter, sharp-minded, did not charge in recklessly but instead hid at the stairway entrance and looked up. He saw a black-robed Daoist, about fifty years old, holding a banner over eight feet long. The pole seemed to be made of refined steel, but the banner itself was woven from some unknown material, pitch black and painted with the stars of the heavens. The black-robed Daoist casually twirled the banner, and a misty aura swirled and coiled on its surface.

Chapter Two: Black Water True Art (Part Five)

Emily Foster’s beautiful face was frosty as she said angrily, “Charles Walker, don’t think that just because you joined the Heshan Sect and learned some crooked sorcery, you can be so arrogant. If not for you, how would my elder sister have been captured by George Young? I was just about to seek revenge for this deep hatred. Since you dare to show yourself, I’ll capture you and see if George Young can save you!”

The black-robed Daoist burst out laughing, flicked his banner, and instantly more than a dozen strands of black energy descended. Emily Foster spread her hands, and a long, pure white whip coiled upward, engaging the black-robed Daoist in battle.

Brian Carter watched, utterly captivated, thinking to himself, “I didn’t realize before that Emily Foster also possesses magical powers. According to my master, her abilities must be ten times greater than mine. But that’s not surprising—I’ve only been with my master for just over a month. If a cultivator wasn’t much stronger than me, that would be truly strange!”

Although Brian Carter didn’t know why Emily Foster was hiding her abilities, he had grown fond of her after spending time together and was naturally on her side. Moreover, the black-robed Daoist was detestable, openly admitting to using living souls in his sorcery—he was clearly an evil demon who committed all manner of atrocities. Brian Carter had already made up his mind to help Emily Foster.

His Black Water True Art was only at the stage where he could control a faint mist of water. He had made some progress recently, able to move the mist a bit farther—about seven or eight steps at most. Beyond that, he was powerless, and the mist would simply dissipate.

With such limited ability, he naturally couldn’t intervene directly in the fight between Emily Foster and the black-robed Daoist. But Brian Carter had another idea: “If the black-robed Daoist is locked in a fierce fight with Emily Foster, and I hit his face with my mist, the chill might startle him, giving Emily Foster the chance to win.”

The black-robed Daoist, Charles Walker, wielded the Huntian Banner, which was extremely sinister. Strands of black energy hung down like writhing serpents. Emily Foster’s long whip seemed quite weak in comparison. The two fought in the cramped thirteenth floor of the Great Peng Mingwang Pagoda, danger at every turn. Several times, Emily Foster was nearly ensnared by the Huntian Banner.

Brian Carter watched for a while, his palms sweating. Steadying himself, he waited for a critical moment when the black energy on the banner shifted, then flicked his hand. A ball of water vapor shot out like a pellet, striking the black-robed Daoist Charles Walker right in the face. Charles Walker, caught off guard, hadn’t expected someone to be lurking at the stairway. Stunned by the sudden chill, he thought Emily Foster had used some unexpected magic, and his movements with the banner slowed, exposing a huge opening.

Emily Foster’s cultivation was already slightly superior to Charles Walker’s. It was only because Charles Walker had joined the Heshan Sect and learned all sorts of evil arts, and because his Huntian Banner was so formidable—even though it wasn’t yet fully refined—that Emily Foster had been struggling. Seeing her formidable foe suddenly reveal a weakness, Emily Foster wasted no time. With a flick of her whip, she executed a cunning maneuver, threading it through Charles Walker’s mouth and out the back of his neck.

Although Charles Walker was steeped in evil arts, he could not withstand such a grievous wound. His body collapsed to the ground with a thud, transforming into a massive black wolf, its bristling fur like iron, eyes blood-red, but with not a trace of life left in it.