Before the Array

As that glint of silver light reflected in his eyes, Chengyan's heart went cold. *The Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges!* *The Qingchi Sect's Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges!* Originating from Douxuan, this treasure had once been a lightning armament of the Dharma Dao. Within that flash of silver brilliance were assembled 1,821 array-breaking wedges. Drawing out just ten of them could breach an ordinary Foundation Establishment array, and with all 1,821 gathered together... it was one of the few treasures in Jiangnan capable of swiftly tearing through a Violet Palace array! Changxiao had received his orthodox lineage from a Douxuan Grotto-Heaven in the East Sea. As the first Violet Palace cultivator nurtured by Changxiao Gate, Chengyan knew this treasure better than almost any cultivator in the Qingchi Sect! Yet beyond the intrinsic might of the Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges, the implications it carried chilled Chengyan's heart even further: *The Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges would not have fallen into his hands without reason. The Qingchi Sect must have approved, or even thrown its full support behind this! Ning Wan is useless now; it seems that man named Si... that Si wants my life as well...* *And behind Qingchi... most likely stands the Yang clan...* *This shouldn't be... It shouldn't be like this at all...* Yet in the span of a single thought, the silver light in Li Zhouwei's palm had already scattered into a sky full of flowing streaks. As each streak manifested, it revealed a handleless rhombic blade of silver-white, over three feet long, etched all over with profound lightning runes! Rolling thunder shuttled back and forth, filling the entire sky with shimmering specks of silver light. Densely clustered yet orderly, they were distributed across every corner of the sky, bearing down heavily like a suffocating net. The gazes of the entire mountain gate shifted toward Chengyan. The Zhenren had no time to ponder further—no matter how the political tide turned, he could never sit by and watch the Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges shatter the grand array! *Hum—* A dense Wutu radiance finally erupted, shaking every corner of the mountains. Intertwining as it surged upward, in the space of a breath it transformed into a gigantic umbrella rising into the sky. Woven in brownish-yellow and traced with gold-green patterns, it blotted out the sun and sky, blocking every trace of lightning and light! *Boom!* The silver-white lightning could only wash futilely over the umbrella, swiftly worn down and pulverized by the Wutu radiance. With light and thunder barred outside, Changxiao Gate was plunged into darkness. Chengyan's voice rolled like thunder, resounding through the night sky: "Li Zhouwei! In stirring up such sinister slaughter... where do you place True Qi?!" Yet atop the light and thunder, the profound Heavenly Gate of Bright Yang did not waver in the least. The golden-eyed youth took a step forward, the center of his forehead brightening swiftly as the Bright Yang radiance within the Heavenly Gate surged up along his robes: "Changxiao pledged allegiance to the north, and you, Chengyan, wallow in depravity. How dare you speak of True Qi? I have not come today for True Qi's sake! Nor do I intend to champion righteousness, but rather..." He bared his teeth in a smile, his eyes turning cold: "...to avenge Salt Lake." Before his words had faded, blazing radiance had already erupted. Enveloped in flickering Wutu light, Chengyan dared not be careless. He crossed his hands before his chest and summoned a bead. The Wutu spiritual embryo, the [Wuxiao Bead]! This Wutu radiance was exceptionally dense, like the unfathomable, heavy earth. It received the [Shangyao Subduing Light] blow for blow, rippling with thick purple flames. *Rumble...* The Wutu radiance trembled, yet held fearless amid the Bright Yang, only its brilliance diminishing swiftly. Just as Chengyan felt a surge of joy, who could have anticipated that a spark of Taiyang radiance would leap out from the floating light? The two manifestations reflected each other, causing the spiritual embryo in his hand to suddenly turn scalding hot! He poured his divine ability into the spiritual embryo with all his might while watching for an opening. Yet he discovered that [Audience at the Heavenly Gate] above remained entirely motionless, silently locking onto him, while Li Zhouwei himself was merely employing the spell at his glabella. Chengyan had nonetheless been a Violet Palace cultivator for over sixty years. Even if his talent was slightly inferior and could not compare to the geniuses of his era, his methods were seasoned and cunning. At this moment, showing not the slightest retreat, he suddenly lifted his head and shook out a spark of radiance. The Wutu divine ability—[Xian Wulou]! Interweaving divine ability and spell, this speck of radiance appeared ordinary, yet exuded a distinctive flavor. The Zhenren's expression shifted into something deeply grim, yet he possessed great confidence in his divine ability: *How arrogant... Even if I have made not an inch of progress in recent years, am I someone you can subdue with hands clasped behind your back?!* The radiance expanded at high speed, swelling and contracting in midair like breathing. Within it, seven-colored light blended into white, transforming into tens of thousands of rosy rays. But Chengyan's face grew burning hot; raising his brows slightly, he realized the youth had already closed in! *Hum—* The sharp, brilliant halberd descended in an instant. Tangled white radiance, falling like ropes of light imbued with the solar art of Yingli, flickered in and out of existence within the glow. Chengyan's voice was frigid: "Bright Yang... Bright Yang must also submit to Wutu!" This speck of his [Dharma-Subduing Light-Overcoming Wutu Radiance] was exceedingly difficult to cultivate. Combined with the Wutu divine ability [Xian Wulou], it drew upon the majestic might of "Wutu flawlessness," precisely meant to subdue all dharmas and buy him time to maneuver! Once he resolved the entangling subduing light, he would immediately flee into the Great Void! *Even if you are the White Qilin, you possess only two divine abilities! Dealing with my Wutu radiance, how could you possibly spare another hand?!* Yet before his words had finished, a golden light leaped from the halberd, manifesting as a golden halberd that bypassed the clash between halberd and radiance, thrusting straight toward Chengyan's face! Chengyan was no Buddhist cultivator; he certainly had no intention of underestimating this strike. He was forced to manifest his divine ability to block the Bright Yang, pausing for the briefest instant. But the light at the golden-eyed youth's glabella swiftly converted into darkness, giving rise to an eclipse omen. The [Diqi Light]! From within that omen of eclipse emerged countless flowing lights—black in front and gold behind—like nimble venomous serpents carving graceful arcs through the air, whipping up a dense storm of magical power. The spell even made Chengyan's face burn, leaving a lingering dread in his heart: *What a formidable spell! Fortunately, my Wutu radiance is before me!* Sure enough, just as those tens of thousands of black-and-gold streaks unfurled their forms in the air, that ethereal speck of radiance expanded in response like the solid earth, swallowing every bit of light without exception! Chengyan finally broke free, stepping into the pitch-black Great Void. Just as doubt began to rise in his heart, a sudden chill struck the crown of his head. He jerked his brows upward: Within the Great Void, a violet-gold lightning mace was flashing. Lightning crackled and profound runes covered its surface, etched with motifs of demon-slaying and evil-purging. Violet-gold light shone down, unleashing a sea of thunder below! Chengyan's protective spiritual umbrella was still down in the mountains. Caught off guard, he was instantly trapped in the thunderous sea, unable to maneuver. To make matters worse, the violet-gold lightning mace showed no sign of stopping; its radiance grew increasingly brilliant as it abruptly brought down a bolt of thunder. *Boom!* Chengyan's [Wuxiao Bead] immediately soared up, solidly intercepting this strike, bursting into a spray of brownish radiance. Thanks to Wutu's property of suppressing lightning, even such an abrupt bolt only made his face turn pale. Yet the thunder from above seemed enraged; bolt after bolt crashed down in succession, head to tail, each thicker than the last, pounding him into misery! Yet amid this web of thunder, Chengyan's expression changed. Although his divine ability [Xian Wulou] was not a destiny divine ability, it was extraordinarily wondrous; it silently warned him, bringing an epiphany: *Not good!* Sure enough, patches of brilliance emerged in the Great Void, revealing that Heavenly Gate. He no longer cared about the barrage of lightning and instantly leaped from the Great Void back into the mortal realm! However, during the time Chengyan had been momentarily trapped in the Great Void, the omen of eclipse in the mortal realm had not paused in the slightest. The darkness within it had grown deeper, and the streaks of light shuttling out split from one into two, and two into four, like fiendgods of the Nine Nether unfurling their forms to engulf the entire horizon. That speck of radiance was worthy of flawless Wutu; refusing to be outdone, it swelled in tandem into a hazy, benevolent expanse of brownish-yellow, shielding all living things. Yet it was ultimately water without a source. Its remaining magical power of divine ability was drained dry almost in an instant, and it collapsed with a roar! *Boom!* The countless black-and-gold flowing lights bound within it burst forth immediately, blotting out the sky and sun as they roamed across the firmament. Chengyan, having just shifted out, was instantly forced to reveal his form, his expression changing drastically—he had only just formed a single spell hand-seal! *His words... were by no means empty talk...* An unprecedented sense of crisis welled up in the Zhenren's heart—between his own life and Changxiao Gate, he chose the former without hesitation. The spiritual umbrella shielding the mountain gate from the intrusion of the [Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges] vanished in an instant and appeared in his palm. He held it open at once, bobbing like duckweed in a torrential rain amidst the [Diqi Light]. Chengyan showed no trace of panic. Even though everything had exceeded his expectations, he had already hurled a spiritual tool into the Great Void to ward off the thunder, while a faint white talisman appeared before him, cast simultaneously with the spell in his hands. *The [Heart-Shifting Form-Dispersing Talisman]!* Chengyan had no intention of tangling with this White Qilin here. Li Ximing and Si Yuanli had yet to show themselves; should circumstances shift, nine times out of ten it would be a fatal catastrophe! Combined with his spell, the talisman unleashed myriad beams of brilliance in an instant. Even before the talisman took full effect, streaks of hazy mist already surged forth, attempting to freeze all divine abilities and spells in place, rendering them immobile. *Order!* With this withdrawal, the demonic spectacle of the solar eclipse Diqi Light outside was finally laid bare before all disciples of Changxiao Gate, the sky no longer obstructed. The corner of Li Zhouwei's mouth curled up slightly, and an object emerged before him. This item was as round and whole as a Golden Core, coiled with countless golden threads and red as flame, bearing the constantly flashing radiance of Lihuo—it was none other than the [Chonghuo Liangming Instrument]. [Qunguang]! An immensely vast suppressive force instantly expanded across the surroundings. By a hair's breadth, Chengyan activated the [Heart-Shifting Form-Dispersing Talisman] just in time. His divine ability circulated, not only artfully evading the sky full of flowing lights, but scattering as Wutu radiance. It left only boundless hazy clouds spreading through the air to disrupt Li Zhouwei's judgment. Li Zhouwei's expression showed little change. Allowing the Wutu radiance to wash across the sky, his divine ability did not waver in the least, remaining suspended high aloft, primed and ready to prevent him from escaping far. Only those golden eyes brightened slightly as he turned his head, gazing coldly toward the left. "A joke." Chengyan's spells were indeed decent, but back then, even Helian Wumeng's [Thousands of Bodies] had failed to deceive his golden eyes, let alone a mediocre talisman! Chengyan was in the midst of seeking a way out when this sudden gaze caught him off guard, chilling him to the bone. But it was already too late! In this instant, he had made several mistakes... Even if he had suffered no serious injury, even if he might still have had a chance to turn the tables, these compounded errors were fatal enough. Beneath the resplendent Heavenly Gate, there was no longer anyone. [Jun Daowei]. The youth's face appeared before him almost the exact moment he turned—mere inches away. Intricate, scale-like golden markings reflected in Chengyan's pupils. The Zhenren felt his throat tighten as an iron hand clamped mercilessly onto his neck, a suffocating sense of danger rushing into his mind! *Disaster!* A violent sideways drag tore through him. Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands, this Changxiao Gate Zhenren had his divine ability shattered in a flash; seized by one hand, he was hoisted high into the air! For all Chengyan's calculations, rack his brain as he might, he had never imagined that the moment his spell and Violet Palace talisman were active—which should have been the safest—he would suddenly be caught in someone's grasp! Yet no matter how baffled he was, at this moment only icy dread remained in his heart. He had abruptly lost connection with his spiritual tool, the [Baimeng Xuanshi Umbrella]! Not only had he lost connection with his tool, but the moment the other man's hand clamped onto his neck, a sharp, piercing pain surged into his mind, blacking out his vision and plunging him into confusion. Before his eyes, the youth's gaze was filled with light, the colors at his glabella already condensed into substance. Chengyan snapped awake as if from a dream, but it was too late. While the divine abilities throughout his body continued surging wildly toward his neck, he struggled desperately. That head of his, braving the suppression of the Bright Yang divine ability and [Qunguang], severed itself from his neck without hesitation! Back then, Helian Wumeng possessed a formidable Dharma body and excelled at close combat, yet when Li Zhouwei locked his throat, even he had retreated in wretched disgrace. Chengyan had some skill in spells, but how much power could his Dharma body have? What was more... Li Zhouwei was no longer who he had been before; he had now mastered [Jun Daowei]! No sooner had Chengyan's head flown up than another large hand pressed against the back of his skull. The dazzling sky-light turned into endless white, piercing through his eyes, nose, and ears, issuing a shrill, shattering noise like cutting through metal. *Boom!* That head let out a miserable howl as scorching sky-light spewed from Chengyan's wide-open mouth. His headless body, still unable to break free from Li Zhouwei's grip, forcefully snapped itself off from the chest, wielding divine ability to fly into the Great Void! Yet Li Zhouwei lightly pinched his head, not even turning his gaze. Meeting Chengyan's body was the colossal Heavenly Gate flying out of the Great Void. Two massive white bases of the gate slammed down with a crash, trailing rolling purple flames to suppress him back into the mortal realm, crushing all Wutu radiance and pinning him firmly in the air. A pale white scroll hung upon the Heavenly Gate, bound with a slender golden thread and swaying slightly; unopened though it was, it bound the entire Heavenly Gate into a single whole, transforming it into an unshakeable entity. *Rumble...* Endless white light continued to pour from that head. All the flesh was burned away, leaving only a jade-textured brownish-yellow skull. Its jaw trembled slightly, uttering a low, pathetic plea: "My lord... my lord..." The youth smiled. "Fellow Daoist is too polite. It turns out Fellow Daoist did not carry the [Yongjing Xuanhuan] after all. I waited and waited, but waited in vain." He casually tossed it to the base of the Heavenly Gate, took a step forward, and let his gaze sweep lazily down upon the mountain gate beneath his feet. *Mobilizing three numinous treasures, answering with the Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges, and having me personally take action to slay you—should there be an afterlife, you will have plenty to boast about.* Yet the entire mountain gate of Changxiao Gate had become a sea of dead silence. Tens of thousands of people stood among the peaks, but only the rustling of the wind through the mountain woods could be heard. This silence stretched from the mountaintops all the way to the foot of the mountains. Not a single person dared ride the wind, nor did anyone dare look up. Countless cultivators lowered their eyes in terror, standing on the ground with their own two feet, a single thought echoing in their minds: *How long did this take? A dignified Zhenren... a noble divine ability cultivator... How long did it even take?!* Main Characters of This Chapter — Li Zhouwei [Early Violet Palace] Cheng○yan [Early Violet Palace]