Crazy…
The moment Su Fan said those words, everyone still conscious felt their hearts seize with terror and dread.
To actually provoke such a horrifying being so openly—what in the world was this young man thinking?
Sure enough, the oppressive aura of the sinister nun in the shadows began to spread. The vast space was quickly filled with her presence, and the entire studio started to tremble nonstop, as if shuddering before an overwhelming, unstoppable rage.
Su Fan said nothing. His blood and vitality surged through him, pouring out of his very being. The pale cyan glow on his sword, which had been about to fade, now grew even richer and denser.
If the Ghostly Nun’s oppressive presence was like a towering tidal wave crashing in,
Then Su Fan was an immovable boulder—standing firm, unmoved no matter how the raging waves battered against him.
The onlookers could feel it—second by second, the pressure radiating from both sides grew more and more intense!
Just as the standoff was about to reach its peak, the Ghostly Nun finally turned slowly and vanished back into the shadows.
With her departure, the heavy, suffocating pressure inside the studio dissipated completely.
The actors, directors, and crew members who had survived this ordeal were overjoyed. They wanted to stand up and celebrate their narrow escape—only to find that their bodies had gone completely limp.
A breeze swept through, and they all felt a sudden chill.
Turns out, under that extreme pressure, the clothes on their backs had long since been soaked through with cold sweat, clinging uncomfortably to their skin.
They looked around at one another, exchanging glances, and felt—somehow—that the distance between them had shrunk, that they had grown a little closer.
Sensing the Ghostly Nun’s retreat, Su Fan finally sheathed his sword and let out a long, slow breath.
Another demon lord.
If he hadn’t used his divine abilities, Marbas might very well have slipped away.
And at the critical moment, yet another demon had come to the rescue.
There was no way he’d believe that the Seventy-Two Pillar Demons had no ties among themselves.
Su Fan could tell that the Ghostly Nun’s true body hadn’t arrived, and that she wasn’t at her peak strength either.
But he had also used his divine abilities multiple times, and his injuries hadn’t fully healed.
If they clashed now, he might gain the upper hand—but the other people in the area would surely tie his hands, and could even turn the tide of battle against him.
Fortunately, in this confrontation, it was Su Fan who came out on top.
Unable to gauge his full capabilities, the Ghostly Nun chose not to engage him here.
Perhaps—like me—she’s also looking for ways to recover her power.
As he pondered this, the wail of police sirens sounded from outside.
Before long, the sealed doors were pulled open, and beams of light shone into the dark studio, making everyone’s eyes squint as they struggled to adjust.
“Check the scene for abnormalities, seal the area, no outsiders or media allowed in.”
“The rest of you—check on the survivors, transport the unconscious to the nearest hospital.”
The two familiar men in suits at the front were issuing orders to the officers behind them.
The police looked somewhat displeased, but they quickly got to work.
The men in suits were the two FBI agents from earlier—Adam and Davis.
They had moved swiftly, contacting the local precinct to coordinate the lockdown, contain the scene, and manage the situation.
They could handle the aftermath and the remaining personnel. Su Fan, meanwhile, walked straight toward Teresa and Annie.
“Mr. Su Fan, are you all right?”
Teresa looked him up and down, repeatedly checking to make sure he wasn’t hurt.
“I’m fine. But you should probably show me your hands now.”
Su Fan stared at Teresa across from him.
Unlike her usual posture—with her hands kept in front—the nun now had them clasped behind her back.
It might have looked somewhat charming and cute, but the real reason was far less pleasant.
Hearing this, Teresa reluctantly extended her hands with a hint of embarrassment.
Under the light, they were covered in blisters and peeling skin from severe burns.
Seeing the damage, Annie couldn’t help but cover her mouth, her eyes filled with deep sympathy for Teresa.
Su Fan frowned at the sight.
Earlier, when Marbas realized he couldn’t win and shifted his attack toward the crowd, it was Teresa who stood up first, raising her cross to protect the ordinary people from the demon’s assault.
But Marbas was no ordinary demon.
While the cross was doing its work, the evil forces were also corroding it in return, turning it against its wielder.
The burns on Teresa’s hands were proof of that.
If Annie hadn’t reacted quickly, scattering all the talismans she had, Teresa would probably have held onto that branding-iron-hot cross until the very end—even if it killed her.
Su Fan extended a finger, and fine threads of spiritual energy materialized. A talisman took shape in an instant and melded into Teresa’s palm.
The whole process was so fast that even the nearby police officers didn’t notice.
But as the talisman took effect, the burning pain in Teresa’s hands eased significantly, as though a gentle spring was soothing the wounded tissue.
It worked…
“The talisman can greatly relieve the pain and promote healing, but you’ll still need bandaging and medication…”
Su Fan paused, then waved over Adam and Davis.
While Su Fan had been speaking with Teresa, the two agents had been talking with a few of the people who had remained conscious throughout the ordeal, getting a rough idea of what had happened.
They were amazed by Su Fan’s efficiency, but also a little frustrated that they had missed recording the battle itself.
However, upon learning that someone had attempted to document the fight—and that the camera fragments were nearby—
They immediately found the spot, fiddled with the broken cameras on the ground, and searched for the film reels.
And sure enough, they found an undamaged portion and stored it away at once.
When Su Fan called them over, they approached, their faces still beaming with barely concealed delight.
“Get her to a hospital and have her wounds treated.”
“No problem. Leave it to me.”
Adam nodded without hesitation.
They had already seen the general situation at the scene—most of the unconscious people were simply overwhelmed by shock, and the only serious injury was the director.
And getting someone priority treatment at a hospital was no big deal.
Besides Teresa, Annie was also told to go to the hospital with the others for a check-up.
“Would you have time to grab a meal together sometime?”
As she was leaving, Annie turned back and asked Su Fan, her eyes carrying a glimmer of hope and a hint of pleading.
“Sure.”
Su Fan thought for a moment, then quickly agreed.
The demon Marbas had been eliminated, and there was no major threat in the immediate future.
After finishing the third rehabilitation session, it was about time for a little rest anyway.
A smile bloomed on Annie’s face as she walked briskly toward the police vehicle that would take them to the hospital.
With his acquaintances gone, there was no reason for Su Fan to linger.
He’d find a place to rest for the night and take the chance to review the spoils of this battle.
With that in mind, Su Fan walked over to the car parked outside.
And found a large hole smashed through the window.
He glanced at the sword in his hand and fell silent for a moment.
“Seems like I need to figure out a way to carry this thing around more conveniently.”
——-
The area around the studio was lined with decent hotels.
Su Fan picked one at random and checked in.
Once inside his room, he began reviewing the dense stream of notifications from the system.
He was quite looking forward to the rewards from this fight.
A demon from the Seventy-Two Pillars was no run-of-the-mill evil spirit.
The rewards ought to be substantial.
[Congratulations on successfully slaying the Thirty-Eighth Pillar Demon — Marbas!]
[Despite being injured and not fully recovered, you single-handedly killed a powerful demon manifested in the mortal world.]
[An evil being that has existed in hell since ancient times, eternal and undying, has now been completely erased from both the human realm and hell—with no possibility of resurrection.]
[Using the state of calm clarity granted by the Heavenly Talisman, you perceived the changes in your surroundings and located the demon’s hidden position.]
[Then, using the Heavenly Talisman once more, you superimposed and released multiple talismans simultaneously, restraining the demon.]
[Heavenly Talisman: +200!]
[Heavenly Talisman: 4%]
Reading the descriptions flashing in his mind, Su Fan realized he had truly underestimated the Heavenly Talisman skill.
It offered him far more than just the ability to create talismans anytime, anywhere—or to accelerate his talisman comprehension.
The hidden effect of sensing changes in the world around him had been discovered after dealing with Bathsheba, while he was crafting talismans for the Perrin family.
He just hadn’t expected it to prove so useful in battle against a demon so soon.
Su Fan was certain that, beyond superimposed talisman release and heightened perception, the Heavenly Talisman had even more latent abilities waiting to be uncovered.
Thinking it over, though he had many skills at his disposal, he had never delved deeply into developing any single one.
As the saying goes—it’s better to master one skill than to dabble in many.
Perhaps it was time to settle down and seriously study his abilities—including his divine powers—in greater depth.
With that thought, Su Fan continued reading.
[During the battle, you used Bajiquan to inflict heavy damage on the demon. With your existing Grandmaster-level foundation, you achieved a critical breakthrough!]
[Bajiquan: +200!]
[Congratulations! Bajiquan has officially entered the Grandmaster realm!]
[Grandmaster of Martial Arts: Effortless mastery, unity of form and intent, a state of natural perfection!]
Grandmaster.
Su Fan felt a surge of quiet emotion.
Most of his enemies had been evil spirits—with only a handful possessing physical bodies. In those fights, martial arts had been far less effective than mystical techniques.
Plus, his later focus had shifted toward cultivation, which meant that before his injuries, his progress in martial arts had slowed considerably.
Now, picking it up again brought clear benefits.
All martial arts lead to the same destination. Becoming a grandmaster in one style wouldn’t instantly elevate his others to the same level—but with the cross-pollination of knowledge, the speed at which he could grasp new techniques would undoubtedly increase.
[You combined your swordsmanship with the Demon-Slayer ability to finish off the demon lord, deepening your comprehension of the blade.]
[Swordsmanship: +300!]
[Through accumulated effort, your path of the sword has ascended to a higher level!]
