The giant demon - suppressing puppet loomed over them like a mountain, its mechanical joints screeching as it moved. The imitation Celestial Master's Order on its chest pulsed with a malevolent red light, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield. Watanabe Miyuki, perched in the helicopter above, watched with a cold smile, her Onmyoji jade glowing in sync with the puppet's movements."Zhang Chengying, protect Shen Qingluan!" Chen Jiuzhang shouted, his grip on the Snake - Severing Saber tightening. The blade still hummed with the power of the twenty - eight constellations, but he could feel the puppet's dark aura sapping his strength with every passing second.Zhang Chengying revved up his modified electric bike, the Big Dipper Array on it flickering brightly. "Leave it to me!" He charged forward, throwing a handful of thunder - struck wood talismans at the puppet's legs. The talismans exploded on impact, sending sparks flying, but the puppet barely flinched. Instead, it swung its massive arm, creating a gust of wind that sent Zhang Chengying flying backward.Shen Qingluan, despite her injuries, raised the fragment of the Imperial Seal of China. A golden shield formed around her, but the puppet's next attack—a stream of dark energy shot from its eyes—cracked the shield instantly. "Jiuzhang, its weak point... must be the imitation Celestial Master's Order!" she shouted, her voice strained.Chen Jiuzhang nodded, his mind racing. He remembered the prophecy: "The one who breaks the situation is not the saber, but the heart." Closing his eyes for a moment, he focused on the warmth of his birthmark, the connection to the true Celestial Master's Order, and the memories of all those who had sacrificed to get him here.Suddenly, the Snake - Severing Saber glowed with a blinding light. Chen Jiuzhang leaped into the air, dodging a barrage of energy blasts from the puppet. As he soared, he could see Old Wugou fighting off the soldiers of the Institute of Paranormal Phenomena in the distance. The old man's Prophecy of the Sage seemed to dance in the air, deflecting bullets and spells alike.Just as Chen Jiuzhang was about to strike at the puppet's chest, a powerful force knocked him back. Watanabe Miyuki had joined the fray, summoning a horde of shikigami. The air filled with the screeches of the demons, their claws and fangs glinting in the dim light."Foolish boy," Watanabe Miyuki hissed. "You think you can defeat us? The Eight - Headed Serpent was just the beginning. Our true goal is to rewrite the balance of power between the worlds!"But Chen Jiuzhang wasn't deterred. He could feel a new power surging within him, a combination of the divine tree's energy, the Celestial Master's Order, and the determination of his friends. "You won't succeed," he growled. "This is our land, and we'll protect it at all costs!"With a battle cry, he charged again, this time with Zhang Chengying and Shen Qingluan by his side. Zhang Chengying used his electric bike to create a distraction, zipping around the puppet and the shikigami, while Shen Qingluan used the fragment of the Imperial Seal of China to disrupt their magical attacks.As they fought, Chen Jiuzhang noticed something strange. The imitation Celestial Master's Order on the puppet was starting to crack. Could it be that the puppet was drawing too much power? Seizing the opportunity, he channeled all his energy into the Snake - Severing Saber and aimed for the cracked emblem.The blade sliced through the air, and with a deafening crash, it connected with the imitation Celestial Master's Order. A shockwave rippled through the puppet, causing its mechanical body to shake violently. Watanabe Miyuki's eyes widened in disbelief as the puppet began to crumble.But before they could celebrate, the ground trembled again. From the ruins of the puppet, a dark portal opened, and an even more terrifying presence emerged. Chen Jiuzhang knew that the real challenge was yet to come, and he braced himself for whatever awaited them on the other side of the portal.
Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Confrontation with the Puppet
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