Chapter 106: The Principle of Subjugation Arts

Now this was troubling. Ding Lingzi's sudden appearance had already thrown everyone into chaos, and just as one problem seemed to settle, another arose: Hao Dalong had vanished without a trace.

Yan Boguang, upon seeing Dalong’s life talisman tube dropped on the ground, immediately concluded that something had gone wrong. Before disappearing, Dalong must have struggled fiercely with someone—or something—otherwise, why else would the tube hanging around his neck be forcibly torn off? Moreover, the talisman inside was missing.

The two of them hurried back to the inn and told Xuanxuan about the situation. She immediately grew anxious. “What? Where did he run off to this time?”

“We don’t know, but he must have encountered some kind of danger. He probably hasn’t gone far since he hasn’t been gone long. We should start looking…”

Qi Yan frowned. “But it’s pitch black outside. How are we supposed to search? Should we ask the innkeeper and others to help?”

Yan Bo waved his hand. “No need. If Dalong is missing, it’s not too difficult to find him. He left behind some personal belongings, so we can use some unconventional methods…”

Xuanxuan suddenly became very eager and volunteered, “I’ll go. You two stay here and take care of Ding Lingzi.” Without waiting for a response, she started to leave.

Yan Bo stopped her. “Wait a moment. Let me think… Considering all the strange occurrences today and what I suspect, Dalong is very likely entangled with some extremely dangerous entity. It’s not safe for you to go alone…”

At this, Qi Yan also hesitated. “Then I’ll go with her. I can’t just stay here taking care of Ding Lingzi—it’s not very convenient.”

Yan Bo looked at both of them deeply, then after a moment of contemplation, he finally made a firm decision. “Alright, but you two must be very careful. There’s something seriously wrong in this remote mountain village. We still don’t know the source of this danger. Qi, your body has also been acting strangely. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“I’m just a little overheated, nothing else feels wrong. The priority is to find Hao Dalong quickly, isn’t it? But I don’t really understand—how exactly do we search for him under these circumstances?”

Xuanxuan explained, though her tone was somewhat hesitant. “There is an extreme and rather crude method, but at a time like this, it’s quite effective. That is… I’m going to use a ‘descent’ on him.”

“Ah?” Qi Yan stared at her in disbelief. “You mean… ‘descent’ as in the ‘descent’ curse?”

The Southeast Asian ‘descent’ magic, while not known worldwide, is widely infamous across Asia as one of the four great forbidden arts, striking fear into those who hear its name.

Anyone who has heard rumors knows that just the word ‘descent’ makes people shudder. It is a mysterious and ever-shifting occult practice.

Seeing his expression, Xuanxuan guessed he had misunderstood, like most ordinary people. “It’s okay. ‘Descent’ isn’t entirely an evil art, and I only intend to use it to locate him, not to harm him.”

Yan Bo sighed. “If Ding Lingzi were fine, none of this would be necessary. But since she is already so weak, it’s unwise to invoke the power of the ‘blind spirit’ again.”

But in truth, if Ding Lingzi hadn’t been harmed, Hao Dalong wouldn’t have gone out alone to find a vehicle, and he wouldn’t have gotten into trouble...

At first, Qi Yan thought Xuanxuan’s bag only contained ordinary supplies, but when she unpacked it, it was filled with strange, unidentifiable bottles and jars.

As Xuanxuan began preparations, Qi Yan asked, “I know ‘descent’ magic can curse from a distance, but can it also be used to pinpoint someone’s location?”

“Of course,” Xuanxuan replied. “‘Descent’ consists of two parts: ‘descent’ itself—which includes all spells, poisons, and herbs—and ‘head,’ which is the individual target. It’s a highly targeted magic. Before performing any ‘descent,’ you must specify your target and establish a connection using items the person carries or information related to them. This connection is like an invisible tether that allows the spell to take effect on the individual.”

Qi Yan listened, somewhat confused, but Yan Bo’s explanation simply meant that to cast ‘descent,’ you needed to form a link via personal belongings frequently used by the target.

That was why earlier, near the livestock shed, they had tried to find any items left by the owner of the ominous talisman.

Unfortunately, too much time had passed since his disappearance. Even if something had been left behind, it was no longer effective for tracking.

But Hao Dalong was different: he had only been missing a short time, and he had many personal items on him, making it much easier.

Plus, Yan Bo and Xuanxuan knew him well, making the casting of ‘descent’ on him quite feasible.

Simply put, the better you know the target, the higher the success rate of the ‘descent.’

The realm of ‘descent’ magic is complex and diverse. It spans Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, parts of mainland China’s southwest, and Hong Kong and Taiwan. Each region has different methods and types.

Especially in Thailand, high monks in temples or folk sorcerers—whether clad in black or white robes—often use ‘descent’ magic.

Compared to the Miao people’s witchcraft, ‘descent’ is even more terrifying because its descriptions are overwhelmingly negative—dark, sinister, terrifying, and bloody.

This curse magic is insidious, able to kill or harm people silently and without leaving a trace from miles away. Such things are not mere rumor in the world of ‘descent.’

Of course, mastery of ‘descent’ does not make one invincible; it is a complicated and esoteric art.

The caster’s skill level is crucial—an amateur ‘descent’ practitioner cannot compare to a grandmaster.

Additionally, the condition of the target heavily influences the spell’s effectiveness.

According to Taoist theory, people with strong life forces—born under certain zodiac signs or with robust birth charts—are naturally immune to evil magics and are difficult to curse.

If the target’s spiritual cultivation is deeper than the caster’s, attempting ‘descent’ may backfire disastrously.

Methods to break ‘descent’ are varied. Different sects have different approaches; Buddhists believe reciting the Heart Sutra can dispel it, Taoists say the Dao De Jing works. However, the effectiveness depends on the strength of both sides.

Yan Bo stayed by the door to keep watch. Such matters must be kept secret; if the innkeeper suddenly walked in, it would be very awkward, even if they couldn’t understand what was happening.

Watching Xuanxuan at work, Qi Yan became curious. “Xuanxuan, you told me last time that you found me at the expo city because of ‘descent’ magic, right?”

Xuanxuan used tweezers to pick out dried herbs from eight glass bottles, placing them onto a small plate. “Yes, but I didn’t find you directly. I had previously cast ‘descent’ on Nobu Watanabe and tracked him down. By chance, I saw you lying unconscious there.”

“Wow! You’re incredible! That Japanese guy was tough—‘Mama’ couldn’t even handle him. And yet you managed to cast ‘descent’ on him?” Qi Yan was impressed, seeing the usually polite and composed Xuanxuan in a new light—as fiercely powerful.

But Xuanxuan smiled wryly, not letting the praise get to her. “No, no. Don’t misunderstand. Normally, it’s almost impossible to cast ‘descent’ on someone like him. But he was already very weak at the time. If you hadn’t fought him and drained his strength to a low point, I wouldn’t have succeeded…”

The weight of the situation hung heavy as they prepared to use this dark art to find their missing friend.