"May a plague take your grandmother!"
Moutuo cursed violently, but unable to sway Situ Mo in the end, he channeled his golden light once more and formed hand seals. The reddish glow on his face faded by a shade before he finally obtained a result. He snapped impatiently, "I cannot divine this person's whereabouts! How could he possibly be in the Eastern Sea?!"
His crimson face twisted into a ferocious scowl as two streams of blood trickled from his nostrils. Moutuo wiped them away with his hand and ground his teeth. "You suspicious little devil, you have damaged my cultivation again! You had better compensate me generously once we return!"
Situ Mo had already sunk deep into thought and paid him no heed, clouds of suspicion filling his mind. 'How could that be... Did Kong Tingyun truly act out of momentary carelessness? Xuanyue Gate only has one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators left within the sect. Reason dictates that for her to depart so calmly, her reinforcements must consist of more than one Foundation Establishment cultivator...'
Moutuo had to call him three times before Situ Mo finally snapped out of his reverie. He muttered, "Moutuo, I fear there is trickery afoot. Let us fall back a hundred li and bide our time, coordinating with Jindou Island. If anything goes awry, we can retreat in good time."
"You, you, you..."
Moutuo spat, "That is not far from Yuezhou Island! It will make it far too easy for Kong Tingyun to escape! What kind of mess are you making?!"
Seeing Situ Mo's unyielding expression, Moutuo could only say resentfully, "You Southern Immortal Path cultivators are all gutless turtles and carp, jumping at shadows all day long..."
***
The Li family party rode the currents all the way, only slowing to a halt as they approached the Zhulu Sea. The group broke through the water's surface, and Li Yuanjiao dispelled his art, gazing into the distance.
The seawater here had gradually taken on a faint jade hue. The seabed was littered with dark red reefs rich in iron essence. Looked down upon from high in the sky, it presented a magnificent expanse of jade and crimson, which was how it earned the name "Zhulu Sea."
Kong Tingyun also gazed upon the resplendent scenery before them and explained, "Two thousand years ago, this sea was originally called Qunyi. Later, the eighth son of the Heshui True Chi was captured in these waters. For the crime of matricide, the dragonkind bound him to a deep oceanic precipice, forging nine cold-iron pillars to nail him to the cliff base, where he was slain, dismembered, and fed to the swarming demons.
"Overnight, the seawater turned jade-green, and the sea demons transformed one after another, taking on their current forms."
She smiled gently and continued, "The True Chi had nine sons—six of He and three of Lu. Today, only two still roam free between heaven and earth; the rest have all perished, their Dao extinguished."
Kong Tingyun paused and lowered her voice. "There are also legends claiming that the dragonkind did this to disperse the Lushui golden nature across the entire Zhulu Sea, making it impossible to coalesce, leaving it to manifest only as all manner of demonic evils."
Li Yuanjiao pondered for a moment before asking, "Why didn't... the dragonkind carve it up among themselves to bring forth a Golden Core..."
Treading on a cloud, Kong Tingyun whispered, "The True Chi died from swallowing a Lushui Feathered Serpent, forging an irreconcilable enmity between the two. Even to this day, dragons still devour feathered serpents, and that eighth son was precisely a feathered serpent!
"The Real Person of my sect guessed that perhaps they feared whichever dragon swallowed the Lushui golden nature would immediately sprout feathers and become an enemy!"
"A karmic affliction..."
Kongheng chanted a Shakya title and said softly, "Feathered serpents and dragonkind originally share the same origin, differing only in whether they cultivate Lushui or Heshui. To have slaughtered each other to this extent is truly a profound sin."
Li Yuanjiao was lost in thought, gaining a deeper understanding of the Golden Core. He mused, 'A Golden Core... is one a Golden Core by attaining the golden nature, or by attaining the fruit position...'
Kong Tingyun spoke up, her tone turning solemn. "There is one matter I must trouble you fellow Daoists with.
"That Situ Mo is crafty and has a Zhao Shakya Master as an accomplice. My absence of several months will certainly not have escaped his notice, and he will surely lay an ambush on my return journey. I must ask you fellow Daoists to first keep your distance from me and conceal your auras..."
Li Yuanjiao understood immediately and rejoiced inwardly: 'As expected, there truly is a Shakya cultivator behind him!'
Knowing that the person behind him was merely a Shakya cultivator rather than a Purple Mansion, Li Yuanjiao felt a great weight lift from his heart. He immediately responded, "I possess a concealing magical artifact. Why not have Kongheng and my younger sister trail far behind, while I conceal myself at your side? That way, we can pin the two of them down together and prevent them from slipping away."
"Very well!"
Kong Tingyun nodded in approval. Li Yuanjiao activated the Mystic Pattern Bottle, and dark-pattern spirit mist billowed around him. He flew forward alongside Kong Tingyun, leaving Kongheng and Li Qinghong behind.
Being left alone with her made Kongheng somewhat uneasy; he lowered his head and chanted Shakya titles. Li Qinghong paid him no heed, instead gazing out at the boundless jade-red expanse of the sea. For a fleeting moment, a thought surfaced in her mind:
'If only Grandfather could see such magnificent scenery too.'
***
Li Yuanjiao rode the wind alongside Kong Tingyun. She did not speak, but knowing Li Yuanjiao was by her side gave her an easy confidence. They sped forward together, gradually nearing the depths of the Zhulu Sea. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind:
'Can that scoundrel truly be so cautious? If we fly any further, pinning him down in a fight will become very difficult.'
Just as the thought crossed her mind, several streaks of golden light manifested from the floating reefs beneath their feet. A dazzling golden radiance rose abruptly from the surface of the sea as Situ Mo broke through the waves into the sky, narrowing his eyes slightly to glare at Kong Tingyun.
Above the sea, only water veins surged in a seamless, boundless expanse. There was nowhere to plant formation flags, nor any spiritual aura or earth veins to anchor them; very few formations could operate out of thin air over the open sea. Thus, even though Situ Mo possessed precious formations, he had not set one up.
Kong Tingyun feigned a sudden change of expression and sneered, "We are extraordinarily close to the two islands here! Do you take the guest elders on my island for blind men?"
The open sea was vast, and both of them were direct disciples of immortal sects who would never grant each other the chance to employ escape techniques. A fierce battle would be more than enough to decide life and death, rendering grand formations unnecessary. Yet being so close to the two islands, Kong Tingyun had good reason to show no fear.
Situ Mo merely scrutinized her for a couple of breaths, seemingly discerning something, and murmured, "Fellow Daoist... you certainly have great courage. I have no need to kill you; I only require that you suffer a heavy wound..."
While diverting her attention with words, his hands were already secretly forming hand seals. Going through six variations, he hooked his index finger and pressed his other three fingers together; the golden blade sprang from his palm once more.
'It is that spell!'
Li Yuanjiao had suffered at the hands of this spell before and had already rested his hand silently on his sword hilt. But then the sea below burst open, and a muscular, bald-headed monk with a crimson body flew upward, clutching a cudgel with both hands and smashing it toward her head.
Kong Tingyun remained unruffled. She tapped her storage bag, and a golden mountain flew forth, descending to suppress the monk. As a fierce-eyed cultivator possessing a Vajra body, the monk showed no fear, sneering as he raised his hands to catch it.
Yet the moment he touched the golden mountain, Moutuo's tongue went numb. Of the five facial features on his face, only four remained—his two lips had vanished entirely, leaving a flat expanse beneath his philtrum. Terror gripped his heart as Kong Tingyun sneered, "This golden mountain has been waiting for you, monk, for a long time!"
With that, she flicked out a jade bead that radiated blazing light, shining down upon the golden blade. Situ Mo's spell immediately slowed, the golden blade buzzing and twitching erratically like a dragonfly caught by its tail. Kong Tingyun remarked casually, "I would like to see how you intend to gravely wound me."
It was Situ Mo's first time clashing with her directly, and a headache began to form: 'I have long heard that the Xuanyue Gate disciples are all iron tortoises, exceptionally skilled in defense. This Kong Tingyun holds an extraordinary status, and her magical artifacts are more formidable than the last. She is truly difficult to deal with.'
Sure enough, Kong Tingyun flicked her sleeves, releasing a pair of black curved hooks. Like two crescent moons, they spiraled through the air and struck at him, sizzling with jade-green smoke.
Situ Mo glanced at them and recognized that the paired hooks were nothing extraordinary. He summoned three golden shields, deflecting them with ease. Meanwhile, his golden blade spell broke through the jade bead's screen of light, speeding up as it darted forward.
Kong Tingyun was clearly in peril, yet she remained utterly fearless, causing Situ Mo to feel a creeping unease.
Right at that moment, two streaks of light arrived from afar—one purple, one brown. Situ Mo's expression changed abruptly. Golden light flared beneath his feet, but his back suddenly turned ice-cold. A sweep of his spiritual sense revealed an azure-white sword light surging forth.
"Li Yuanjiao! You truly joined forces!!"
Cold sweat broke out across his body. He had no time to ponder how Li Yuanjiao had evaded the Shakya cultivator's divination. With his golden shields occupied in parrying Kong Tingyun's magical artifact, he could only execute a hand seal, shifting horizontally several paces in an instant to barely avoid the brunt of the strike.
*Clang!*
His evasion pulled his neck out of harm's way, and the sword light unleashed by the Azure Ruler Sword slashed across his feathered robe, producing the piercing shriek of grinding magic power. Situ Mo's face turned pale and sickly green. He coughed up a round red pill, which spun once before vanishing into smoke.
'That trick again!'
It was likely a displacement technique specifically designed to counter sword light and spell radiance. Having just evaded the strike, Situ Mo roared, "Retreat, quickly!"
Li Yuanjiao's sword gave him no respite. Wheeling back, it split into three rays of sword light that darted nimbly, striking toward his upper, middle, and lower vitals. Having suffered a minor loss before, Situ Mo was prepared. Displaying the sheer wealth of a sect disciple, he flipped his hand and tossed out three talismans. They expanded into three white halos, deflecting the sword rays one by one.
Situ Mo had clearly made specific preparations. The white rings released by these three Foundation Establishment talismans were pure white, slick, and remarkably supple. It was unknown what spell was sealed within them, but while their raw power was not overwhelming, their agility and slickness made them perfect for countering the Threefold Moonstream.
Yet that brief delay allowed Li Qinghong and Kongheng to arrive. Though Situ Mo did not recognize this dashing female cultivator, he recognized Kongheng and quickly deduced Li Qinghong's identity. He saw purple light brimming in her eyes and purple lightning crackling along her jade armor.
Situ Mo only had time to retreat several paces before Li Qinghong parted her crimson lips, her jade teeth separating as she spat out a tiny speck of purple light. Perfectly round, it expanded in an instant into a fist-sized orb gleaming with flashing white light.
Situ Mo felt a prickling numbness across his back, instantly recognizing it as an art of immense destructive power. Disregarding the paired hooks, he hurriedly recalled his three golden shields, and his golden blade abandoned its clash with Kong Tingyun to rush back to his defense.
Kong Tingyun swiftly drove her jade bead in pursuit. Below, the monk looked on in shock and terror, unable to fathom how Li Yuanjiao had evaded his calculations. Unable to open his mouth, he could only muster all his strength to shove the golden mountain off him.
Kong Tingyun glanced downward, took a golden talisman from her sleeve, and flicked it lightly. It drifted downward, landing upon the golden mountain.
Moutuo was truly unfortunate. He originally possessed a repertoire of powerful spells, yet from the very start, he had been suppressed by this golden mountain. It was made of an unknown material that severely slowed his movements and erased his lips and teeth. Just as he managed to heave it upward with great difficulty, Kong Tingyun's talisman settled upon it.
The yellowish-brown talisman gleamed with golden light, inscribed with bold, straight strokes of vermilion ink that formed a single line of characters:
"1,006,580,000 jin."
Moutuo felt a terrifying, inexhaustible force crash down upon his hands. He barely had time to utter a tragic wail before the pale jade seawater parted violently with a deafening roar. The golden mountain plunged down, churning the sea into raging billows that threw up hundred-foot waves as it sank into the depths.
*Rumble!*
The scene in the sky above was no less spectacular. A white flash detonated across the heavens, the thunderclap roaring like a collapsing mountain and splitting earth. The white lightning cascaded down, transforming into a dense waterfall of purple lightning that crashed down upon him.
Situ Mo's golden shields were on their way back, but Li Yuanjiao, swift of hand and sharp of eye, deflected them with a strike of his sword, while the golden blade was suppressed by an incantation from Kongheng. Caught in dire straits, Situ Mo watched as a faint golden light emerged silently over his chest.
*Rumble!*
Amidst the rampant lightning, Situ Mo flew out from the blast in a sorry state atop his golden light, protected only by a paper-thin, eggshell-like golden barrier. As he took to the wind, five or six streaks of light were already streaming in from the two islands, confronting one another in the air.
Situ Mo's golden shields had failed to arrive in time after all. Taking the full brunt of the lightning art, his feathered robe was scorched dim and his chest was covered in blood. Several Foundation Establishment guest elders caught him from behind, and Situ Mo rasped hoarsely, "Go!"
Situ Mo secretly rejoiced at his own caution, yet he feared even more that the market had been left completely unguarded and its stronghold sacked. He dared not linger for a breath, hurriedly fleeing under his golden light.
The others dared not dally either, terrified of pursuit, and rapidly vanished into the distance. The guest elders of Xuanyue Gate came forward to pay their respects. Kong Tingyun laughed, "Splendid, splendid! Forcing him to waste a life-saving trump card and inflicting such heavy wounds on him means this trip was not in vain!"
She looked toward the pale-faced Li Qinghong and praised, "I never expected you to possess such an overpowering lightning art, sister... Truly magnificent."
Although the mystic thunder had been condensed in advance within her thunder pool, the toll on Li Qinghong remained substantial. She offered a modest smile and said gently, "It pales in comparison to fellow Daoist's effortless handling of that golden mountain."
As a highly valued direct descendant of Tangjin Gate, Situ Mo could naturally not be slain in a single stroke. Under the combined advantages of timing and terrain, this clash had already set his cultivation back by years. Li Yuanjiao nodded inwardly, but caring more about the monk, he asked, "Where is that monk?!"
Kong Tingyun replied, "He fared no better than Situ Mo."
The group dove down through the pale jade seawater, locating the golden mountain at the seabed. Kong Tingyun retrieved the magical artifact, revealing a mangled expanse of bloody paste. After examining it carefully and executing several hand seals, she looked toward Kongheng with some doubt.
Kongheng understood. He took a step forward, closed his eyes to sense the surroundings for a moment, and said gravely, "He has fled back north."
Kong Tingyun sighed with regret. "It is a pity this took place in the sea rather than on land. Touching the earth veins so late allowed him to escape."
"Escaped he may have," Kongheng said, "but this physical vessel of his is thoroughly destroyed. He likely prepared a fallback long ago in some northern temple, seizing the body of another monk. Even so, seventy to eighty percent of his cultivation has been ruined. Unlike Situ Mo, it will take him several decades at least to cultivate it back."
Shakya cultivators were notoriously difficult to kill, so Kong Tingyun had never expected to finish him off outright. Extending her slender hand, she summoned the golden mountain back, saying with a hint of resentment, "The ancestor bestowed this artifact and talisman upon me specifically to deal with these Zhao Shakya cultivators. He is merely the first! Sooner or later, I will beat them all back to their original forms!"
Li Yuanjiao breathed a quiet sigh of relief, pleased. "Good, good, good. With this monk gone, we no longer need to worry about being in the light while the enemy hides in the dark. Situ Mo's threat has been reduced considerably!"
Only Kongheng, who had barely contributed from beginning to end, looked thoroughly remorseful. He rubbed his bald head, gazing at the others with an earnest, helpless expression.
Chapter 418