Master of Kaidan-Chapter 517: Magical Duel

The blue-black flames spread throughout the small living room, like a flood-tide, yet without a trace of warmth.

As these illusory flames completely filled the room, they condensed again, forming a human-shaped apparition of black flames right in front of the corporate worker.

Within those flames, one could faintly see a slender form akin to skeletal remains; merely attempting to look directly at it caused a stinging pain in the eyes.

However, Feng Xue merely made a sarcastic remark about the grand display, and then scattered a handful of salt.

The fine grains of salt formed a crescent-like arc of a sword under Feng Xue’s exquisite force. This attack utilized the No-thought Divine Power technique, and before the corporate worker could even react, a large amount of sanctified salt, empowered by the combination of "Master of Props" + "make the most of everything" + "Heart Over Matter," was already before him.

Yet this ghost, which had both a name and a certain flair, was evidently more powerful than those that tore each other apart in front of memorial tablets. Even though its master hadn’t reacted, it moved first.

It seemed to understand the destructive power of these salts and didn’t attempt to block them. Instead, it waved its arm, pushing the corporate worker aside, and its body moved several positions as if pulled by some invisible force, avoiding the Salt Blade.

"Quite intelligent, isn’t it!" Feng Xue played with the steel pen in his hand while contemplating the combat methods in this world, or rather, this game.

Although he sarcastically compared the spirit body’s emergence to unsealing, fundamentally, even unsealing is a form of conveying word magic culture.

Around the world, there are tales of "word magic," which supposedly has magical powers; granting a name is akin to sharing power, and mastering a true name is equivalent to seizing control of everything.

In the West, there are stories of using devices inscribed with a demon’s true name to enslave demons; in Ancient Egypt, it’s said that Isis extorted Ra for his true name to steal his power and help her son Horus ascend; in the Eastern Country, word magic manifests in many aspects; even in the pragmatism-focused Yan Country, there’s magic treasure for capturing people by calling names and getting responses.

Feng Xue’s mind raced as he casually scattered another handful of salt, while focusing his gaze on the corporate worker.

Though he had been pushed aside by his ghost, the point of contact bore a charred handprint. Noticing this detail, Feng Xue had a sudden realization—

"Judging from this initiative, the role of word magic should primarily be to unleash power. It doesn’t exert overly strong dominance; otherwise, it wouldn’t have such autonomy."

With this thought, his gaze focused on the corporate worker, who looked agonized yet quickly readjusted his stance, particularly on the charred bracelet he held.

That bracelet had no heat, yet it seemed to roast the man incessantly. In less than two breaths, his hand gripping the bracelet already bore a charred mark.

"Kill him!" The corporate worker screamed a hoarse command, and the ghost veiled in blue-black flames displayed a cruel smile, its entire fiery body swelling an extra measure as if activating the "fierce flame" trait, reaching towards Feng Xue.

"Oh, then I guess I’ll join in too." Feng Xue twirled the expensive steel pen in his hand and said casually,

"Write, Young Fairy Flawless Brush Star Lord!"

Although he articulated a name in a formal manner, the senshin lady didn’t appear to be bound at all. In the brief silence that followed, Feng Xue surreptitiously tapped the pen’s body with his fingertips, prompting the senshin lady to waft out of the pen with a resigned expression.

Though it didn’t come with the grand display of the previous Fire Ghost, just in terms of presentation, it surpassed the other side by far.

"Just hold it off."

Feng Xue waved the pen in his hand. The senshin lady sighed, extended her right index finger, and swiftly traced through the air.

The luminous flow from her fingertips gathered into an artistic character—

"Die!"

The senshin lady, who could only write "die," attacked with a basic strike in a grand heroic pose, causing the Fire Ghost to repeatedly dodge in fright. Yet, realizing that the attack’s intensity wasn’t as overwhelming as imagined, it immediately lunged at the senshin, seemingly intent on igniting her with its fire.

Feng Xue wasn’t worried about anything happening to the senshin. Suffice it to say, she’s now a temporary Star Lord worker. As a derivative of an illusion, even if she were truly to die, reduced to ashes, her soul scattered, Feng Xue could play a spirit-calling game, and she’d immediately reappear.

More than watching a battle between two ghosts, Feng Xue was more concerned about the corporate worker. Until now, his Heart of Bright Mirror couldn’t catch the slightest of the other’s thoughts, this ability that could nullify power, made him feel a sense of unease far greater than facing the Ke family’s young miss.

Because, this was unknown.

Just that, with Feng Xue’s physical condition, this nearly guaranteed hit turned out to be a miss. The corporate worker before him seemed like a mirage, dispersing into dust smoke under his grasp.

"Did you discover it? But it’s too late; you’ve already fallen under the Curse of the Shukyo Black Tide’s unknown fire! However, your held spirit isn’t bad; I’ll gladly take it!"

The corporate worker laughed wildly, a stark contrast from his previously subdued demeanor. Feng Xue squinted, feeling as if he’d consumed a rather dubious mushroom, with everything around becoming less real.

This wasn’t just a distortion of perception, or rather, if it were directed at perception, aside from Feng Xue’s sixth sense granted by "Martial" power, even the Masked Rider’s built-in enemy detection system wouldn’t be affected.

Thus...

"Power!"

Feng Xue determined, only power could make him have such a significant error when facing an "ordinary person."

"That ghost named Unknown Fire didn’t have Kaidan Fire, nor did it bear labels or elements. Either it was merely an illusion itself or this ghost was just a Kaidan derivative, with something else providing the true power."

Feng Xue made his judgment but didn’t panic in the least because he had already felt the force that struck his neck.

Hmm, not even enough to breach the cloak of Open Mouth and Close Eyes.

"Pop!" Feng Xue swung a slap following the angle of the attack, but it brushed through empty air, with the sound of the corporate worker’s dry laugh immediately echoing beside him to cover up his own failure to deal damage.

"Don’t just laugh! At a time like this, aren’t you supposed to explain your abilities?" Feng Xue tore open another pack of salt and flung it out, but the opponent obviously didn’t possess the dignity of a hot-blooded character, only launching attack after attack at Feng Xue.

"Tch, I was hoping to extract some intel from you; since you’re unwilling to share, let’s just leave it."

Feng Xue sighed, but the corporate worker taunted,

"Acting like you could actually win, I bet you’ve invested all your magic power just to protect yourself. What a waste of such a powerful ghost! Eh, where did this fog come from?"

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