While in Hollywood, I used Taoist magic to quell American terrorism.

"A name... I saw a name in a vision... in a Bible..."

Rowling clutched her forehead in anguish, running her fingers through her hair as she desperately tried to recall.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide, her pupils contracting: "Valak! Its name is Valak!"

Ed was overjoyed and gripped Rowling's hand tightly: "Excellent! As long as we know the demon's true name, we have the authority to banish it! This is God's guidance!"

Cao Kun, however, showed no expression.

"authority?"

Cao Kun scoffed: "Those are the seventy-two demons of Solomon."

If you could kill something just by shouting its name, hell would be empty long ago.

Ed's smile froze: "But that's what the ancient texts say..."

"It's better to have no books than to believe everything in them." Cao Kun interrupted him. "It's worth a try, but don't put all your hopes on it."

Are there any other details?

Rowling shook her head, her face pale. "No more. Only this name remains. It's a demon that blasphemes the image of a nun, the Marquis of the Serpent."

Cao Kun nodded and asked no further questions.

He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the ceiling, staring straight into the endless darkness.

"Since you refuse to come out, then I'll force you to."

Cao Kun turned to Peggy, who was huddled in the corner: "Ms. Hodgson, come here for a moment."

Peggy stood up shakily, shielding the children behind her: "What's wrong, Master?"

"When they start fighting, it'll be quite a commotion."

Cao Kun pointed to the surrounding walls: "Your house may not be saved."

The walls collapsed, the roof was blown off, and it even turned into a pile of ruins.

You need to be mentally prepared.

Peggy glanced at the messy hallway, then at the spot where the hunchback had disappeared.

She gritted her teeth, her eyes hardening: "I'd burn this house down if it could save my child."

Anyway, this place has become hell, and I don't want to stay here for another minute.

"it is good."

Cao Kun responded.

With a flick of his wrist, several jade stones engraved with runes appeared in his palm.

This is an array he crafted earlier, used to set up the Nine Palaces Demon-Trapping Array.

Since the other party is hiding in the shadows, let's use an array to lock down every inch of this space and force it to show itself.

Cao Kun walked to the center of the corridor, preparing to throw the jade stone.

Sudden.

The rain outside the window has stopped.

It didn't gradually shrink, but stopped abruptly, as if someone had pressed the mute button.

Immediately afterwards, all the light disappeared in an instant.

The window at the end of the corridor, which used to let in a little light from the streetlights, is now completely dark.

That blackness was as thick as ink, clinging tightly to the glass.

The lights in the room flickered, then went out with a "sizzle".

"what!"

The children screamed in terror.

Ed quickly pulled out a flashlight and turned it on.

It's not lit.

He tried a different spare flashlight, but it still didn't light up.

"What happened?" Ed's voice was tinged with panic. "All the electronic devices have stopped working."

Cao Kun stood in the darkness, the jade in his hand emitting a faint glow.

He released his spiritual sense, only to find that when it touched the outer wall of the house, it was blocked by a cold, slippery force.

"It's not a power outage."

Cao Kun's voice was steady and exceptionally clear in the deathly silence of the darkness.

"We are in quarantine."

He walked to the window and pushed it open.

Not moving.

It's like it's been welded to a steel plate.

"It stripped this house out of the real world."

Cao Kun turned around, looked at the trembling crowd in the darkness, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Good tactic."

Not only does it not want to leave, it wants to keep us all here.

"ah--!"

Jenny and her younger siblings screamed again, huddled together, and trembled.

The darkness came so suddenly and so completely, as if it had sucked all the air out of the house.

"Don't panic."

Cao Kun's voice rang out in the darkness, calm and without a trace of emotion.

"Ed, Rowling, stop hiding it."

Take everything out of that box.

Now is not the time to save money.

Ed Warren realized what was happening and frantically rummaged through his large leather bag.

"wipe."

A soft sound.

A thick white candle was lit.

These are holy candles used for baptism in the Vatican. Although the flames are small, they create a small, dim yellow halo in the dark corridor.

By candlelight, Ed held up a large silver cross with his left hand and opened the thick Bible with his right.

Rowling clutched the pendant on her chest tightly and closed her eyes in prayer.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!"

Ed recited aloud, his voice echoing in the enclosed space, trembling yet full of determination.

"Retreat! Evil thing!"

This place is under the Lord's protection; it is not a place for your arrogance!

As the scriptures were recited, the flame of the sacred candle suddenly shot up higher.

An aura of holiness and solemnity emanated from Ed, attempting to dispel the surrounding evil.

Cao Kun was not idle.

He stood with his feet slightly apart.

His hands moved swiftly in front of his chest, forming a mudra, while he chanted softly:

"The profound origin of heaven and earth, the root of all vital energy."

"I will cultivate for countless eons to prove my supernatural powers."

……

As the incantation was performed, specks of light began to appear on Cao Kun's skin.

That's a sign that magic is flowing under the skin.

Although the golden light was weak, it was rapidly increasing, complementing the candlelight in Ed's hand.

however.

Just as Cao Kun was reading halfway through.

"puff."

A very faint sound.

It felt like someone was gently blowing a breath in my ear.

The holy candle in Ed's hand went out without warning.

The darkness surged back instantly, thicker and more oppressive than before.

"What's going on?!"

Ed panicked and struck another match.

The match lit up for a moment, then seemed to be extinguished by water, with only a wisp of smoke rising.

No matter how he tried, he couldn't light the fire.

"Damn it!"

Ed's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

He suddenly raised the cross and roared at the dark void:

I know who you are!

I order you to leave!

In the name of the Lord, I banish you—Valak!

Go back to hell, Valak!

He called out that name.

According to Rowling's prophecy, this should be the devil's Achilles' heel.

The air was dead still for two seconds.

Followed by.

"Heh...hehe..."

A contemptuous, chilling laugh, seemingly emanating from the depths of the sewers, rang in everyone's ears.

"Valak...?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to penetrate directly into a person's brain.

"You think you can command me just by calling my name?"

"Foolish mortals..."

"Your cross is rotten wood, your scriptures are waste paper."

"Here, I am God."

Ed felt a burning sensation in his hand, and a wisp of blue smoke rose from it.

"Ah!" he cried out in pain as the cross slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

Rowling suddenly opened her eyes, her face filled with terror.

Useless.

It's really useless.

The laws of True Name Exorcism have failed.

This is not only a threat to their lives, but also a devastating blow to their decades-long faith.

"Master Cao is right..."

Rowling trembled as she backed away until her back slammed against the wall. "We...we can't handle it."