*Tink...*
Amid the absolute silence, a crisp, ringing chime resounded across the sky. A dot of gold emerged from the Great Void, transforming midair into a small umbrella woven of brown and yellow. Rich with gathered spiritual glow and painted with gold-green patterns, it floated gently up and down.
It was none other than Chengyan's Hundred-Ridge Darkstone Umbrella!
The spiritual umbrella's radiant surface was bound in layers of golden threads, which held every rib firmly in place. Though the spiritual instrument struggled constantly, it could not escape.
This was the most wondrous divine ability of the Double Fire Dual Brightness Instrument—Dark Snare! Unbeknownst to the opponent, it could suddenly lock away their spiritual instrument. If timed deftly, in a single instant it could achieve the immense effect of severing an enemy's arm!
A spiritual treasure was sentient. With Chengyan now suppressed, the Hundred-Ridge Darkstone Umbrella was immediately brought back.
Yet Li Zhouwei's gaze lingered upon the mountains. In his golden eyes, dark flames danced faintly; every disciple of Changxiao Gate who bowed their head seemed only to stoke the blaze within his eyes.
He simply raised his halberd horizontally, pointing its gleaming tip down at the immortal mountain below his feet.
At the same time, the rumble of thunder began to rise. One thousand eight hundred and twenty-one silver-white, hiltless rhombic blades surfaced together across the sky. As the halberd's blade shifted, the lightning patterns upon the flying blades all blazed bright.
"Open the array, and only the chief culprit shall be executed."
The words were spoken flatly, yet when they fell upon the mountains, they struck like a clap of thunder, draining the color from the cultivators' faces. Baibinzi's face was drenched in sweat. Around him, some wept silently, others mumbled with downcast eyes, but no one dared say another word.
Most even stood up one after another, abandoning their earlier indignation. Not daring to look at the old sect master, they kept their heads lowered and urged:
"Sect Master! Open the array..."
Their Zhenren had been suppressed, his spiritual instrument seized! Once the Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges breached the barrier, a sealing restriction would surely descend, and by then, none of them might even be able to flee!
Baibinzi understood this all too well. Looking around, he was terrified to the extreme.
It was not only Chengyan who had recognized the Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges; the high-ranking cultivators of Changxiao Gate saw with utter clarity that the Qingchi Sect had to be pulling the strings behind this... Now Changxiao was nowhere to be found, and Chengyan was subjugated—catastrophe had arrived!
Yet at this very moment, Baibinzi stood rooted to the spot instead. Lowering his gaze, he ground his teeth and said, "The Grand Zhenren must have a trump card!"
*Rumble!*
The 1,821 silver-white, hiltless rhombic blades descended ruthlessly!
Unlike the earlier descent of Audience at the Heavenly Gate, with its shimmering radiance and clash of spiritual energy, the Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges firmly embedded themselves in the array, locking it tight. Streaks of silver-white patterns began roaming across the barrier, and violent thunder spread out, instantly making the mountains shake.
"Sect Master!"
Desperate pleas erupted all around, yet Baibinzi remained unmoved, his face eerily cold.
*If he enters the array, I will certainly die!*
The lightning before the array grew denser and denser, even triggering the mountain's primordial magnetism. Withered leaves floated in the air, robes clung and whipped about, and unrest spread through the crowd. Baibinzi shouted sharply:
"The Grand Zhenren has not yet returned! How could the sect dare yield!"
Yet Changxiao Gate had never been ruled by him alone. The various peaks schemed and struggled against one another, each harboring their own intentions. The only reason those around him had obeyed his orders was the Zhenren's appointment. Now that their Zhenren was pinned under another's divine ability, what weight did his words still hold?
No matter how loudly he bellowed, the expressions of those around him did not soften in the least. Darkness fell over the mountains once more as the thunderstorm danced upon the array's barrier. Amid the tumult, two people exchanged a covert glance and called out:
"We obey the Sect Master's immortal command!"
Baibinzi's expression changed, but several hands had already seized his arms. The crowd crowded around him, dragging him toward the hall, while someone wept and called out:
"The Sect Master acts with great righteousness! The hundred-odd members of your clan... we will surely intercede before the Zhenren to protect them! Please rest assured, Sect Master!"
...
Up in the sky.
The bright-white Heavenly Gate shone with dazzling brilliance in the darkness, trailing billowing clouds of multicolor. Beneath the Heavenly Gate, the brownish-yellow divine ability struggled desperately, yet could not shake it in the slightest. Each collision merely caused that bright-white scroll to bear the brunt on the gate's behalf, swaying lightly atop it.
Li Zhouwei stood beneath the divine ability. Below his feet, the entire sect was already shrouded in silver-white lightning. He waited quietly, forming an incantation seal before his chest, casually breathing dark flames in and out.
The small umbrella of brownish-yellow woven with gold and green lay in his palm, flickering with Wutu radiance. Li Zhouwei weighed it slightly, already clear in his mind.
This item could be considered a mid-grade spiritual instrument, and it was even more formidable in the hands of a Wutu cultivator. Bright Yang had no affinity with Wutu, so in his own hands, its power would be slightly worse than when used by an ordinary cultivator—roughly on par with the Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger.
*A pity this fellow is also an impoverished pauper. That spiritual embryo certainly cannot be used; the only thing of value is this Hundred-Ridge Darkstone Umbrella. At least having it in hand leaves some possibility of trading it away...*
As he pondered, he suddenly raised his brows slightly and spoke:
"Fellow Daoist Qinghu."
Only then did a middle-aged man emerge nearby, dressed in a green robe with long sleeves, a gourd tied to his waist and a sword on his back. Looking somewhat constrained, he hurried to say:
"Congratulations... congratulations to Your Highness!"
Si Yuanli had witnessed the entire duel from the side. Even though he had had a hand in it and knew Chengyan could not hold out for long, his heart still quailed—Chengyan had been defeated far too quickly.
One had to know that Chengyan cultivated Wutu! That lineage was reputed to be without leakage, and that was no idle boast; it was a reputation truly carved out by the Wutu cultivators of the past! Against immortal cultivators, this lineage held a unique advantage!
Even if Chengyan was mediocre, he was still a Wutu Violet Palace cultivator who cultivated Immortals Without Leakage. Even if his lineage was not the northern orthodox branch and the lineages of the East Sea were mostly tainted with demonic arts, ordinary people would still find him exceedingly difficult to take down!
*He was defeated far too cleanly... If one day the White Qilin wants to kill me, how long will it take?*
Horror gripped his heart. As he hesitated, preparing to speak, Li Zhouwei looked at him and raised his brows:
"Please!"
Si Yuanli quickly cast his stray thoughts aside, nodding in understanding. The two shifted their forms simultaneously, appearing directly beneath the Heavenly Gate.
Beneath the Heavenly Gate, scorching heat surged, and violet flames raged fiercely. The flesh of that headless body was lustrous, cradling a brownish-yellow skull in its arms. Billowing violet flames flowed across his Dharma body, yet he seemed oblivious to it, kneeling amid the purple fire.
The vitality of a Violet Palace cultivator was exceptionally resilient, and Chengyan cultivated Wutu, an originally noble lineage. Yet fallen to such a plight, he could only struggle within the suppressing and grinding force of Audience at the Heavenly Gate.
"My lords... both my lords!"
Chengyan's headless torso bowed low to the ground, revealing pinkish-red sinews and bones alongside a section of gleaming white trachea. All his spirit had vanished, replaced by sheer terror as he wailed:
"Your Highness... everything was ordered by Changxiao! I possess only one divine ability; what power could I have before a Grand Zhenren like him!"
Li Zhouwei acted as though he had heard nothing. He raised a hand lightly and plucked an object from the flames—a bulging golden storage bag.
*Since Changxiao departed the immortal sect, prepared to sacrifice this place, there certainly won't be many Violet Palace treasures left within Changxiao Gate... Whatever there is should be in Chengyan's storage bag.*
According to their prior agreement, this item was to be split with Si Yuanli. He tossed it forward, having Chengyan dispel the divine ability binding the storage bag, then flicked his finger lightly. Bound by heavenly radiance, the bag hung beside the scroll on the Heavenly Gate, demonstrating that it remained untouched.
Chengyan could no longer care about such things. Pausing briefly, he spoke in a voice filled with belated regret, fury, and hatred:
"Changxiao... Changxiao... I was completely loyal to him, braving danger for him at every turn... Yet he deceived me! He used me as his certificate of allegiance... Be it me or Changxiao Gate, we were nothing more than tools for him to declare his stance!"
Kept in the dark by Changxiao, Chengyan had received far too much false information, remaining oblivious even as enemies marched up to the mountain gate. Now, after spending just this short while beneath the divine ability, everything had become clear to him.
*Changxiao... Changxiao has chosen the north...*
Yet even if the hatred in his heart ran as deep as the East Sea, he could care about nothing else now. He could only say subserviently:
"Now I have long repented. Falling into Your Lordship's hands... I beg only for my life!"
"Though this humble one's cultivation is meager... I am still of the Violet Palace... I have no ambitions and am willing to guard a domain for Your Lordship... willing to serve as Your Lordship's dog, following at your beck and call..."
He debased himself to the utmost, not daring to reattach his head. His headless torso remained bowed, his shoulders thudding against the divine ability again and again as he begged bitterly.
"Heh..."
Si Yuanli watched quietly and let out a cold laugh.
Li Zhouwei glanced at him with a smile and asked, "Has Fellow Daoist Qinghu come to plead on his behalf?"
Si Yuanli shook his head and said wistfully, "I merely recalled... a story from our clan's chronicles."
"Oh?"
Li Zhouwei glanced at him, watching as Si Yuanli smiled and continued:
"Back then... the State of Chu had a Bixuan Gate that took in Zhenren Xiangxiao, a rogue Violet Palace cultivator fleeing south, who also guarded a domain on their behalf. Regrettably... the old Zhenren of Bixuan Gate fell in a great war, causing Bixuan Gate to change masters... and their bloodline was completely severed..."
"This Bixuan Gate was also located in Helin. Zhenren Xiangxiao had many descendants, so it is no wonder the Helin clans have such fine bloodlines, producing so many geniuses."
His words were too blatant, directly mocking Chengyan's origins. The headless torso raised itself up; enduring the humiliation, the skull in its arms spoke subserviently:
"My lord, you overstate the matter."
"Then he must be killed."
Li Zhouwei chuckled, but his tone was resolute, making Chengyan grit his teeth and finally erupt in curses:
"Sima Yuanli! Your clan stole Qingchi from the Chi family, and yet you dare speak of usurpation!"
Si Yuanli sneered and remarked offhandedly:
"It is inconvenient to speak of the truth behind Qingchi, but Fellow Daoist's murder of your brother-in-law and incest with your elder sister was certainly radiant! Pity those wretched bastards—I imagine Fellow Daoist Chengyan took wonderful care of them."
Si Yuanli had never feared people speaking of the usurpation, whereas Chengyan's deeds were far more disgraceful. That single retort left Chengyan speechless. Trembling within the divine ability, chest overflowing with fury, he could neither raise his head nor lower it.
Si Yuanli was not about to let him off, however, and laughed:
"You simply have no sense. Were it not for your incest with your sister and your Earth Virtue demonic practices, I doubt His Lordship would have ignored you entirely. A Violet Palace cultivator is easy to kill yet hard to cultivate; absorbing one into the imperial court is always convenient!"
His words made Li Zhouwei narrow his eyes slightly. Chengyan's heart sank completely. His headless torso trembled against the ground once or twice, and his grim, chilling voice drifted out:
"You two... one is a northern aristocratic clan spanning four dynasties, the other is an imperial scion clad in official robes, the sole favored darling of Bright Yang. My ancestors were bound by the moral principles established by your ancestors, condemned at the slightest transgression. Yet when Bright Yang brothers slaughter each other and great clans treat human lives like grass, your moral principles turn a blind eye! Today... your Li family executes others from afar under the banner of righteousness, and your Si family usurps without guilt, solely because one of you is surnamed Li and the other surnamed Si. How is this any different from antiquity?"
"I am merely an uncouth man of the wilderness. If I perish under your so-called moral principles, what is there to say?"
Si Yuanli laughed aloud and retorted:
"It seems I struck a nerve. In your eyes, your incest with your sister was truly most radiant."
Flesh and skin grew back over Chengyan's skull. His eyes flared as he ground his teeth and answered:
"Radiant? With divine abilities bestowed upon me, I refused to obey your moral principles! Sima Yuanli, listen well: you are nothing more than a junior! Do not think the world's moral principles and virtues have triumphed! I die by the shifting times, not by virtue! Stop waving your banner of morality—what virtuous thing has your Sima family ever been!"
Si Yuanli's gaze turned dark, and he cast a cold look at him. Beside him, Li Zhouwei held him back with a smile:
"Fellow Daoist Qinghu, do not hound him to death just yet. I still intend to keep him alive to see if we can probe Changxiao's whereabouts."
At these words, Si Yuanli froze slightly, furrowing his brows in silence. Chengyan's gaze grew even colder as he sneered:
"Changxiao is cold-blooded and merciless. Why would he care about me?"
Li Zhouwei replied indifferently:
"I have my own methods."
Two divine abilities flashed back out. Si Yuanli still wore a puzzled expression. Li Zhouwei glanced at him, sighing inwardly, and remarked:
"Fellow Daoist truly has fine calculations."
Si Yuanli looked slightly embarrassed and shook his head lightly. Li Zhouwei casually unfastened the dark-gold battleaxe at his waist and said:
"My lineage has no fondness for Wutu, much less any use for it. If Fellow Daoist truly needs it, leaving this fortune here poses no problem. However... I want the Hundred-Ridge Darkstone Umbrella."
Even if Li Zhouwei had not spoken, the Hundred-Ridge Darkstone Umbrella would have been his nine times out of ten. By going along with the flow, he did him a favor. Si Yuanli nodded repeatedly, showing not a shred of embarrassment at having his scheme seen through, and replied:
"Then I shall trouble Fellow Daoist!"
The golden-eyed youth raised the battleaxe and glanced down at the divine ability below. After many years, the Huayang Royal Battleaxe blazed with light once more. Its profound patterns trembled and suddenly shone!
*Splitting Light!*
The Heavenly Gate lifted abruptly, unleashing endless magnificence in a single instant. From the clouds broke forth a mountain-sized golden radiance, crashing down alongside multicolor clouds. Chengyan's terrified, enraged voice instantly rang out through the night sky:
"Li Zhouwei... you—!"
Yet the long-weakened Wutu radiance appeared fragile and helpless before this dazzling brilliance. The battleaxe's light merely paused for an instant before smashing it into total collapse.
*Rumble!*
Amid the billowing thunderstorm, an even vaster radiance flared. A tremendous aura soared into the sky, instantly scattering every dark cloud and unveiling an eye-catching rosy glow spanning a thousand li!
Countless dark rays gathered from a single point, spreading rapidly across the heavens. Dense mist rolled outward—clouds of dawn above and mist below—showering down specks of black soil like rain.
On the ground, the Earth Fiend resonated. The earth roared, cracking open abyss after abyss, and the fiendqi hidden deep underground surged forth one after another, erupting and mingling with metal, stone, fire, and earth as it spread across the land.
The dark flames in Li Zhouwei's eyes grew ever thicker, while the brilliance of the Huayang Royal Battleaxe in his hand waxed and waned excitedly, like breathing.
*When Earth is hollowed, it collapses: rosy mist above, fiend springs below... Chengyan has fallen.*
Si Yuanli kept his eyes downcast in silence, entirely unsurprised.
He had discussed this matter with Li Zhouwei long ago. As a figure of the new dynasty now, Si Yuanli could not take action rashly; even lending out spiritual treasures carried a degree of risk. It was only because his relationship with the Li family had been exceptionally close in recent years, coupled with his coveting of this immortal mountain, that he had lent out the item.
His relentless badgering within the divine ability earlier had been no petty clash of pride; it had been wholly intentional, designed to force Chengyan to perish on the spot! With the Wutu radiance falling right here, it would add yet another brilliant endowment to his future sect mountain!
Li Zhouwei naturally saw right through his thoughts. With the two of them present and multiple spiritual treasures suppressing the area, Chengyan could cause no great waves even if he committed suicide. But while Chengyan's suicide was a small matter, Li Zhouwei could not bear to let it happen!
He had come all this way intending to breach the mountain and raze the sect, using the deed to cultivate the Sexagenary Soul-Refining Halberd Soldier Art. Changxiao Gate had once enjoyed widespread fame; though its history was not exceedingly ancient, its foundation was deep and its reputation resounding—making it the finest possible nourishment! Once the Sexagenary Soul-Refining Halberd Soldier Art received this tempering, it would no longer be a trivial spell fit only for show!
All his maneuvers had been meant to let the world witness with their own eyes Chengyan being captured alive and then executed before the sect mountain, overlapping the slaying and the mountain's fall in the exact same moment... If Chengyan were allowed to commit suicide, what good show would be left to perform? It was precisely for this reason that he had soothed Chengyan, only to personally strike him down!
*What is more... since it is said he employed demonic methods, perhaps executing him will even earn immortal merits...*
Li Zhouwei stood firm amid the rolling dawn clouds. Gazing at the undulating fiendqi within the mountain ranges and the fleeing beasts, unusual thoughts arose in his mind.
He felt that sooner or later he would clash with Wutu cultivators, and while dueling Chengyan, he had observed carefully and gained immensely:
*Wutu is indeed without leakage. Shangyao Subduing Light fared better, but Diqi Light, serving as the guest position of Bright Yang, had its might drastically reduced when falling upon Wutu... weakened all the more severely!*
Earlier, when the opponent received his Diqi Light with a divine ability, Li Zhouwei had sensed it and immediately grew vigilant. He knew timing was critical, so he had recklessly poured in magic power to overwhelm the other's divine ability. Fortunately, Chengyan's courage had already shattered... Otherwise, over time, Diqi Light might truly not have suppressed his Wutu!
*Emperor Wei has been tormented for so many years... the damage to Bright Yang definitely exists; it is merely that he has not yet completely fallen from his throne, so the deficiency is internal and not yet revealed externally... This deficiency manifests especially in the guest position. If he is truly dragged down one day... both host and guest positions will truly be subdued by the Wutu glow.*
As he was thinking, he heard the spiritual energy fluctuate between heaven and earth, accompanied by a faint, immense rumble. The dark flames inside him surged suddenly, signaling that Changxiao Gate below could no longer hold out. Sure enough, he heard Si Yuanli murmur:
"Eh?"
He glanced down and raised his hand lightly. The Thunder-Smiting Array-Breaking Wedges turned back into streaks of silver light, returning to his grasp as he congratulated:
"Congratulations, Your Highness!"
"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist as well."
Li Zhouwei closed his eyes slightly, in no hurry to descend. With dark flames blazing around him, he exhaled deeply, feeling the feedback of the Sexagenary Soul-Refining Halberd Soldier Art. Raising Dasheng, he tossed it lightly.
The halberd hovered above the mountain gate, spewing streaks of dark flames. Only then did he traverse the Great Void, descending slowly into the mountain gate of Changxiao Gate.
As the violent thunderstorm dissipated, the silver radiance over Mount Changxiao finally receded, exposing this immortal mountain overflowing with spiritual energy. The once colorful, noble, and elegant immortal pavilions seemed coated in a dim layer of ash. Cultivators on the stairs and in the pavilions either knelt cowering, not daring to move, or rode the wind into the sky in an attempt to flee, while others raised magical instruments to clash with the Li family cultivators descending from the sky.
On the jade gate at the mountain foot, the four gold characters "Western Regalia Changxiao" that had once glittered brilliantly were now dim and lusterless. The golden-eyed youth paused before the gate, and billowing dark flames immediately sprang forth from thin air, spreading rapidly along the stairway.
He walked up the mountain step by step. Wherever he passed, heavenly light burned brightly and dark flames surged. Though the trees remained unharmed, the pavilions collapsed one after another. The cultivators still putting up desperate resistance were seized by the dark flames one by one, detonating and shattering like talismans.
Ranks of white-armored soldiers marched in, moving in orderly fashion through the various stairs and pavilions to apprehend the Changxiao Gate disciples, who were ashen-faced and at a complete loss. Across the mountains, only the clinking of armor and quiet weeping could be heard.
By the time the youth reached the mountain peak, the entire sect lay in ruins, already pacified. Billowing dark, formless flames soared into the sky. Li Minggong stood quietly beside him, casting cold eyes upon the crowd on the summit.
"Greetings, My Lord!"
Though the summit remained somewhat chaotic, the Changxiao Gate cultivators who had opened the array had already brought the situation under preliminary control. Baibinzi was pinned down by two peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, prostrated at his feet. Beside him, a black-robed man did not dare look at Li Zhouwei, creeping forward on his knees in submissive deference:
"My Lord... the chief culprit of Changxiao Gate, Baibinzi, is here!"
Li Zhouwei's gaze fell upon him, recognizing the old man at a glance. Sweeping his eyes over the surroundings, before he could speak, the black-robed man quickly raised his brows and ordered men to push open the main hall behind him, hurriedly saying:
"Baibinzi's mortal family... resides in the commandery, and the disciples who cultivate under him on the mountain are all here!"
Inside the hall, five cultivators were bound, their six senses sealed. Lying on the ground like five corpses, they were dragged forward and thrown to the ground.
"Helin Commandery has already surrendered to the righteous path. He also has kinsmen in the commandery. We implore Your Lordship to grant us the opportunity to identify them one by one, so that we may exterminate them root and branch and bring these villains to justice!"
At these words, Baibinzi whimpered incessantly, raising his furious eyes only to meet those golden pupils directly. Before he could utter a curse, dark flames erupted from his ears and nostrils, burning him as he rolled across the ground, black smoke and fire billowing all over him. Yet the divine ability kept him alive, denying him even the relief of death.
In an instant, the mountains echoed with his wretched howls. The crowd bowed their heads in dread, and the crackle of fire seemed all the louder. The Zhenren spoke indifferently:
"There are more."
Back then, when he was besieged at Salt Lake, there had been six in total. Yu Nanzi had been slain by him; Daoist Zhuang had just been glared to death by him in the market town; Baibinzi was right here; and three remained.
Yet the black-robed man had prepared for this long before. From the crowd, an old man was immediately dragged out and tossed before him. Not daring to look up at him, the black-robed man hurried to say:
"My Lord, among the other three that day, one was killed overseas, another perished while attempting to break through to the Violet Palace, and only this old bastard, unable to make any progress... remained here dragging out an ignoble existence!"
Despair filled the old man's eyes. Before he could speak, the Zhenren before him gently parted his lips and breathed out a puff of violet flames, blowing the old man into nothingness. Only then did the Zhenren step forward amid Baibinzi's screams, turning to look at Li Minggong beside him, his voice slightly raspy:
"That day, I drew forth the treasured sword of my ancestors to break out, yet the drawn blade could not claim a kill—a true lack of reverence. Send this Baibinzi back to the lake to be executed before the sword, as a sacrifice to the spirits of our ancestors."
"Yes!"
Li Minggong bowed and nodded, a hint of joy touching the corners of her mouth, though her eyes still held lingering, incredulous terror, and she dared not look at him directly either.
Li Zhouwei then turned his gaze toward the black-robed man.
The black-robed man immediately kowtowed, tears streaming down his face as he said respectfully:
"My Lord... My Lord... this humble one is originally a native of Jingchuan... Wu Fan. I was brought here in my youth to cultivate, and I have long heard of Your Lordship's illustrious name!"
Raising both hands, he presented an ash-white medallion about a foot long, carved with rolling mist patterns, and cried out:
"This is Changxiao Gate's Sect Master Secret Token... a treasure for passing down the lineage, offered to Your Lordship!"
Terror and greedy exhilaration surged in his chest at once. He merely felt his palms lighten, followed by a long silence, before he raised his head slightly.
The figure before him stood amid surging dark flames. As if in an illusion, this lord seemed even taller than when he had arrived, looming like a colossus before him, a face etched with golden patterns looking down. Prostrated on the ground, Wu Fan seemed unable to even reach the other's knees.
Those golden eyes narrowed, dark flames raging within them. A claw-like giant hand gradually tightened, letting powdery silver light trickle between the fingers, while the cast shadow enveloped everyone present:
"Where are the sect's spiritual vaults and Daoist treasuries?"
Chapter 1007