The sky was dim, gray winds surging. A purplish-black jade bead rose in midair, cascading brilliance like a waterfall as it hovered over the Purple Light Blessed Land. A monstrous, ferocious ghost spanned the sky, bearing a colossal chariot on its back.
Before the chariot stood a black-clad man, cold-faced. The Star of Xiuwu shone from high above, and the light of True Qi set off his figure like clouds, making him look like a heavenly god.
Diverse divine abilities intertwined. The woman in xiang-colored robes withdrew her spirit tool. A faint blush returned to her pale face as she looked surreptitiously toward the Real Person on the other side.
*It... it should be time to stop now, shouldn't it?*
On the other side, the youthful Real Person was draped in white gauze, wearing a Daoist robe patterned with dark clouds over a white background edged in gold. Fair-complexioned and delicate, he remained silent, exchanging glances with Yang Ruiyi in the sky.
With one hand tucked inside his sleeve, he tapped gently:
*Come back. The matter of Lake Wangyue is not something to be settled in a single moment.*
Nearby, Kong Tingyun was still in the dark. She discreetly glanced toward Helian Wujiang and Murong Yan, whose baleful auras rolled off them, only to find that these two from foreign tribes were equally silent, quietly watching the situation develop. Only the colossal golden body spanning midair continued releasing the brilliance of a thousand eyes, keeping the billowing dark clouds at bay one by one.
*Yang Ruiyi commands the light of Xiuwu. On the territory of the Song Court, he is practically the equivalent of a Great Real Person with four divine abilities... A Great Real Person descended from the Nether Bureau is likely far beyond our ability to take down.*
This great battle had wrought utter havoc. Kong Tingyun did not even need to look to know that Xuanyue Gate, which had just begun to show signs of recovery, had suffered grievous losses. Yet she possessed no say in the matter, nor had there been any chance to avoid fighting:
*If the Song Court wants to rule across the river, it cannot possibly spare Xuanyue Gate. If Zhixuan Pavilion wants to suppress the southern powers under a cloak of legitimacy, it will never spare me either...*
Kong Tingyun knew that Real Person Changxi had done his utmost, but objectively speaking, landing in her hands had only worsened the situation. A self-mocking irony even rose in her heart:
*Though I am walking on a mountain of blades right now, at least there is a path to walk. If the north and south ever cease fighting one day, and Zhixuan Pavilion's people return to Jizhong, no longer caring about Jiangbei, that is when I will truly have cause to fear!*
She waited for a good while before hearing Qi Lanyan speak from beside her with a beaming smile:
"Judge Yang's methods are indeed formidable and live up to their reputation. The state was barely established, yet you can already resonate with Xiuwu—we have troubled Your Excellency Yang to make this trip."
Standing atop the ghost chariot, Yang Ruiyi looked down at him with noticeable contempt. Chuckling coldly, he said flatly:
"Wei Xuanyin is the imperial appointee heading Zhixuan. If he were here, he might have the right to speak such words. But you Qi family turncoats of Yan and Zhao, and you, Qi Lanyan, a petty cultivator from the mountains—had you not hitched yourself to Zhixuan, you would merely be another Gongsun Bei. Do you honestly think you are qualified to comment on the methods of a high figure of the Nether Bureau?"
He added impassively:
"Luoxia presides over the Dao of Immortals and is indeed riding high right now, but do not forget who holds dominion over death. Carelessly passing judgment on matters of the nether realm—are you planning to leave yourself no way out?"
This reprimand was impeccably struck, and the threat landed right where it hurt. Qi Lanyan's smile gradually faded. Swallowing his indignation, he gritted his teeth in silence. Beside him, Murong Yan felt a chill run through him; slowly turning the staff in his hands, he sighed inwardly:
*This Yang Ruiyi is no soft target either. The Nether Bureau used to stand aloof above worldly concerns; when have they ever uttered such blunt threats... leaving Qi completely unable to step down gracefully...*
The Murong lineage scion's fleshy face twitched, his eyes narrowing slightly:
*Perhaps it is because of the matter of True Qi that the Yang Clan's status has risen so much...*
Qi Lanyan said no more, swept his sleeves, and turned away. The northern cultivators withdrew alongside him. Yang Ruiyi remained atop the ghost chariot. Immediately, a sword cultivator rode the wind toward him, bowing respectfully before the chariot:
"Thank you, Your Excellency, for coming to our aid!"
Yang Ruiyi swept a glance over him. His figure vanished, leaving behind only a faint voice:
"Qi Lanyan was trying to stall for time. The real issue is in Tingzhou. Real Person, guard this place; I shall go to reinforce the King of Wei at once."
Nearby, Ning Wan hurriedly descended on the wind, looking slightly pale. Hearing his words, she nodded and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Yang Ruiyi stepped into the Great Void, the ferocious ghost chariot sweeping forward aggressively. What met his eyes next was a river surface turned into a sea of blood!
The entire riverbank was drenched in crimson. Under the setting sun, the gravel gleamed with a crystalline, dark-red luster. Skeletons and shattered swords blanketed the shore. Several peaks had collapsed, exposing dark brown stone.
A colossal, clearly patterned remnant of a golden body lay sprawled on the riverbank like an undulating hill, its lifeless eyes staring straight up at the sky.
Directly in front of where the golden body knelt, a heavenly gate spanning the sky stood erected upon the earth. Its pristine white, translucent brilliance no longer shimmered; instead, it was mottled with bloodstains and pitted with craters, standing amidst the battlefield like an ancient city tower, all the more imposing.
*Tingzhou has suffered considerable losses.*
If the battle in the Shanji area had been more of a contest between the northern and southern immortal aristocrats, stopping when appropriate, then the slaughter on the northern bank was a true life-and-death clash with bare steel, blood flowing for a thousand li. Suspended in the air against the setting sun, the fearsome ghost chariot actually seemed right at home amidst the carnage.
Yang Ruiyi sighed inwardly and stepped down.
The young man held a halberd in one hand, leaning against the weapon as he stood. On his black-and-gold armor, the qilin patterns had dimmed, scarred and pitted all over with silver-white slash marks. The royal cloak behind him was riddled with tears, fluttering gently in the wind.
Li Zhouwei raised his brows. Those golden eyes remained as sharp as ever, but a massive scar slashed from his forehead through the bridge of his nose down to his chin, revealing white bone flowing with iridescent light. The Xi Qi at the wound was being rapidly expelled from his body, and the flesh was closing up inch by inch.
When Yang Ruiyi descended via divine ability, the King of Wei was unbuckling a vambrace covered in silver-white slash marks and flexing an arm of bare white bone—evidently one he had only just reattached.
In the front lines, Yang Ruiyi had stood aloof and imperious, but now he found himself somewhat awkward, unsure how to begin. Fortunately, Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow and smiled:
"Thank you, Your Excellency Yang."
Yang Ruiyi gazed deeply at him, then shook his head:
"What happened in Tingzhou was a miscalculation on the part of our Song Court..."
The general of imperial descent untied his cloak and draped it over the young man. Flakes of azure light immediately lit up on the cloak, shedding the brilliance of Horn Wood. Yang Ruiyi then took a jade box from his sleeve and said in a grave voice:
"Your injuries are far too severe... Take this first!"
Li Zhouwei reached out to accept it. Weighing it slightly in his hand, he immediately knew what was inside.
*The Late-Tassel Golden Branch... an extinct Horn Wood resource...*
The Late-Tassel Golden Branch was a treasure of Horn Wood. Although categorized as a cultivation resource, its rarity rivaled that of spiritual objects. Taking the entire tassel produced the best results; it was a miraculous item capable of raising the dead and regrowing flesh on bare bone. Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow and replied:
"Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency, but I have already taken medicine."
The Xi Qi spirit treasure in Gongsun Bei's hands was indeed terrifying. Under the suppression of that spirit platform, his divine abilities were severely diminished and his magic power expenditure was doubled. Moreover, the two short halberds inherent to the spirit platform were venomously insidious, able to pierce Mingyang divine abilities and shuttle about at blinding speed!
Even with the Immortal Mirror's detection, he had both Mingxiang and Gongsun Bei pressing him. He often sensed the weapon, yet lacked the surplus strength to react in time. Not only was the artifact exceptionally powerful, but once struck by it, a surge of Xi light would spread through his flesh like venomous serpents.
Fortunately, the Wupo Moluo Dharma Body could neutralize Xi light, and Li Zhouwei had relied on vast amounts of divine ability magic power to suppress it... yet that left him even less able to fend off the siege, dragging him into an ever worse cycle... Were it not for the Talisman Qi Manifestation of Sun and Moon resonating with his karmic mandate to supply him with an endless stream of magic power, he would likely have fallen here long ago.
*My divine abilities and magic power are far beyond the ordinary to begin with, and only with the aid of the Manifestation of Sun and Moon did I barely manage to hold on. Had it been any other mid-stage Violet Palace Mingyang cultivator suppressed here, they would already be dead, unable even to escape!*
Even though Li Zhouwei had endured, the interior of his body was in utter disarray. The venom of Xi light flowed across every inch of his dharma body, suppressed only by the brute force of his vast magic power, which prevented him from sparing any effort to tend to his injuries.
The damage Xi Qi inflicted upon the origin of Mingyang was truly horrific. Li Zhouwei's wounds were severe, genuine damage to his very foundation, yet he was in no hurry.
For no other reason than this: with the retreat of the cultivators, the wondrous effects of Jun Daowei were reviving at a measured, unhurried pace!
It was precisely the fruit of Braving Peril to Success!
*If it had been single combat, that would be one thing. But a horde of cultivators besieged me alone, pushing the blessing of the White Qilin karmic mandate to its utmost—ninety percent fulfillment—which in turn brought my braving of peril to fruition... perfectly resonating with its wondrous power!*
The reviving response of Jun Daowei fed back with an additional ninety percent efficacy, and what was even more crucial was the Talisman Qi Manifestation of Sun and Moon!
By lodging his life within a single mansion, the seemingly fatal wounds had first been greatly mitigated. Furthermore, this battle responded to [Breaking Divine Abilities, Crushing Devilish Sramana], resonating alongside the White Qilin karmic mandate to cause magic power to surge ceaselessly from the Shengyang Mansion.
At this moment, within his Shengyang Mansion, magic power surged and divine abilities shone brilliantly, brimming to the utmost. It was merely sealed within by him. Although the venom of Xi Qi countered Mingyang, as long as the major issue of magic power was resolved, and with pills of his own at hand, recovering would not be difficult!
However, these wondrous powers were either sealed or suppressed by him, none of them apparent on the surface, and they were the fruits of resonating with the White Qilin karmic mandate, not part of ordinary Jun Daowei. Yang Ruiyi naturally had no inkling of this, and watching him left him both embarrassed and vexed:
*We only just invested him as the King of Wei, yet the moment he stepped out the door, he suffered such grievous wounds defending our land, damaging his foundation... Granted, guarding Tingzhou is guarding the Li Clan... but this is practically trampling the prestige of my Yang Clan into the dirt!*
*And it makes it all the harder to face my younger sister...*
This cast a gloomy shadow over his gaze:
*Qi Lanyan... Wei Xuanyin... I thought Zhixuan Pavilion was subordinate to Luoxia after all, and even if there were moves against Mingyang in the world, they would not be the first to step forward and agitate... Their conduct is truly disgraceful!*
Now that Yang Zhuo had become Emperor of Song, there were many actions Yang Ruiyi could not control and could only turn a blind eye to. But Qi Lanyan's actions undoubtedly filled him with displeasure. His eyes narrowed slightly:
*Just you wait.*
Fortunately, Li Zhouwei did not let his awkwardness linger. He casually withdrew his divine abilities, raised a hand, and lightly brushed it across his face. All wounds and abnormalities vanished from sight, restoring his majestic and imposing appearance:
"Please."
...
The State of Zhao.
The bright moon shone, casting silver glimmers across the sea. A white-clad man stood upon a pitch-black sea cliff, hands clasped behind his back, silent.
After a while, a faint phantom was seen drifting through the mountains. Drifting a few times through the crags of the ridges, it materialized into a woman. Yet she wore men's garments, clutching a wine pot in her arms. She sat softly on her knees amidst the mountains, a swarm of insects and snakes spilling from beneath her robes with a rustling whisper.
A chuckle sounded from her throat as she said faintly:
"The State Preceptor is in fine spirits, enjoying the moon all alone."
Wei Xuanyin turned his head, looking down at her from above, and said flatly:
"What business brings Attendant Zong here?"
This woman was none other than Zong Chang!
Both held peculiar status and were renowned throughout the world: one was the State Preceptor of Zhao, pursuing Jueyin through the orthodox Immortal Dao; the other was a power-scheming palace attendant, practicing Jueyin through unorthodox and sinister paths. One exalted and one lowly, yet they were surprisingly harmonious.
Zong Chang narrowed her eyes, took a sip of wine, and said softly:
"I just received word of a great clash between north and south. Quite a few died along the shore... For such a wonderful affair, Your Excellency had the news yet refused to share even a piece with me? If you had added me to the mix, things would only have gone better, not worse..."
Wei Xuanyin shook his head with a sigh. Discerning the mockery in her tone, he did not reply, only to hear Zong Chang suddenly say:
"Did Qi Lanyan act on your instructions? Deliberately targeting Mingyang... stepping ahead of all the other factions—he is quite bold, isn't he?"
Wei Xuanyin said flatly:
"I know not whose doing it is. Fellow Daoist has misunderstood."
Though both walked the path of Jueyin, their cultivation paths were entirely different. Wei Xuanyin treated her with little difference, yet Zong Chang harbored deep jealousy and resentment toward him. Her gaze drifted as she replied:
"You and I both cultivate Jueyin, so our interests naturally align in this regard. Why deceive me?"
Wei Xuanyin looked at her in silence. After a long while, he said:
"The path of Wei's Li Clan was glorious, and the Sovereign Emperor is indeed worthy of admiration. Yet He promoted the Human Dao on a grand scale, running counter to the Immortal Dao. Ever since Him, Jueyin and Mingyang have drifted out of balance once more. You claim our interests are aligned, but I do not see it that way."
Standing beneath the moonlight, the man appeared ambiguous in gender:
"I intend to uphold the orthodox way of Jueyin, revive the harmonious complementarity of yin and yang, and restore the Dao legacy that Li Qianyuan destroyed... If I were to ascend by destroying Mingyang, it would inevitably devolve into myriad evils and become a demonic path. I have no such intention; you need not ask again."
Zong Chang smiled coldly and replied:
"What grand ambitions you have! You wish to attain Jueyin through your own ability alone? To attain it in an open and upright manner without attaching yourself to the status of inverted yin and yang and shattered moral order? You must first have the ability to do so!"
She chuckled:
"Now that Mingyang has descended into the world, whether the White Qilin succeeds or not is of little concern to the esteemed figures above, who have tacitly permitted placing bets. But the various Dharmakayas, aristocratic clans, and immortal sects all have their own stances. Since the peak has uttered no decree, everyone acts by their own means.
"I care not for your talk of upholding orthodoxy or whether you have the ability. Let me ask you just one question: If Li Zhouwei completes all his divine abilities, strives for the fruit of Dao, replaces the Mingyang Sovereign Emperor, and revives Mingyang from then on... Whether the esteemed figures above can tolerate it is hard to say—but can you, Wei Xuanyin, tolerate it?!
"If the great trend of Mingyang's revival truly sweeps the world, with Mingyang enthroned while Jueyin falls out of order, it will inevitably return to the state of affairs in the ancient State of Wei! Jueyin will be degraded into what you call a demonic path. Moreover, your true spirit, Wei Xuanyin, is of a male body. Will Li Zhouwei spare you? What talk of yin and yang complementing each other? What hope of a breakthrough? Courting death is more like it! Must I really be the one to remind you..."
Sitting on her knees upon the ground, the woman drank her wine to her heart's content, laughing:
"If those on the mountain were interfering, that would be one thing. But right now, those on the mountain are clearly looking the other way. As someone with the ambition to seek the throne, can you truly let such an unstable factor—someone who could destroy every chance you have of ascension—continue on his path unchecked?
"Now... now Qi Lanyan has meticulously tested the waters, already harboring the intent to destroy Mingyang, risking the peril of death to take care of it for you. You, Wei Xuanyin, preside over Zhixuan and possess terrifyingly profound cultivation. If you claim to have known nothing at all, I will never believe it!"
Chapter 1035