Yu Mujian's eyes went wide. He thrust both palms forward, unleashing two blasts of golden light. Yet Li Xijun's swordsmanship was exquisite, having long transcended the standard form of the Lunar Crescent Sword Arc. Halfway through the swing, his longsword shifted ever so slightly, its sword light converging to dart right through the gap between Yu Mujian's hands.
Adapting to every maneuver, the sword arc he struck came alive in an instant. Though its raw might showed little change, its lethal threat multiplied. Careless for a fleeting moment, Yu Mujian grasped only empty air; the white sword light pierced through his chin, erupted through his upper palate, and tore out the back of his neck, nearly flipping his entire head off. Reacting with astonishing speed, Yu Mujian lashed out violently with his bronze sword, forcing Li Xijun to withdraw his blade and drop back. At the side, Li Ximing was slightly startled, hurriedly maneuvering the Ming Pass to suppress him once more.
Though Li Ximing did not cultivate the Dao of the sword, he was dazzled by his younger brother's strike. In his heart, he thought in admiration: *Jun-di's swordsmanship has already surpassed Second Uncle's in his prime. Now that Zhi-ge'er cannot focus entirely on the sword, in our family from past to present, aside from the ancestral founders of the two branches, no one can rival him.*
On guard this time, Yu Mujian formed a hand seal and slipped out from under the Ming Pass by the narrowest of margins, rapidly pulling away to widen the distance. His eyes glowed intently as he murmured, "Indeed, I underestimated you..."
Sword light still rippled along his chin, showing signs of knitting together only after a good while. As magical light gathered in his hands, that maddeningly troublesome Ming Pass descended urgently again, forcing Yu Mujian to strike back in defense, feeling deeply vexed.
Pinned down by the Ming Pass, Yu Mujian had lost the initiative and suffered a flurry of pincer attacks from the pair. Realizing this could not continue, he dodged past the Ming Pass, immediately formed an incantation seal, and flicked out three droplets of golden tears.
The three golden tears rolled and bobbed in midair, shifting unpredictably. In an instant, they transformed into eight figures, all wielding bronze swords, each speeding off in a different direction.
Having fought countless battles across the north, Yu Mujian knew well that whether it was a suppressive spell or a suppressive artifact, what it dreaded most was stealth and phantom duplicates; shifting back and forth to find the true target took precious time. He concealed his true form among the illusions, steadying his breath to prepare a strike.
Yet just as the spell was cast, Li Xijun sheathed his sword. In his eyes shone a hue as pristine and bright as snow; with Bright Frost Pine Ridge augmenting his Clear-Sight Spiritual Pupil, he saw through the trick at a single glance. With a stir of his spiritual sense, he transmitted a thought:
"Lower right."
Li Ximing caught the cue and urged the Ming Pass forward, driving it straight down to crush the target. Yu Mujian was forced to raise his golden barrier once more to resist; meeting Li Xijun's bright, piercing pupils, his chest tightened.
*I took Li Ximing for an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator who only knew alchemy, underestimating his suppressive method, and walked right into Li Xijun's scheme by falling into this formation. If I don't show some true skill, I'll be in serious trouble.*
Yu Mujian paused for two breaths in midair, and the Ming Pass bore down once more, the pure white pass gleaming with bright light, at last pinning him squarely beneath it.
Glaring light cascaded down as Yu Mujian's expression darkened. Li Ximing sat squarely atop the pass, legs crossed, eyes shut tight, and hands joined in seals, wholeheartedly suppressing him.
Beside him, Li Xijun's white robes fluttered. Sweeping his sword behind his back, he pressed two fingers together and formed an incantation seal. The spiritual aura around Mount Qingdu shifted drastically: ten beams of cold light rose swiftly, flowing into a curtain of deep azure that descended from the zenith.
Li Xijun had deliberately invited him to fight over the lake because he had long made arrangements. Liu Changdie's Seven Waters Imperial Qian Formation had been completed for some time but had never yet been deployed; Li Xijun had saved it precisely for this moment to obliterate this body in a single stroke. His hand seals shifted in rapid succession:
"Viper Stream."
"Pure Origin."
"Unbuoyant."
Instantly, killing intent surged from all directions. A horde of water vipers condensed from magical power sprang from the lake, flickering with grayish-green luster. Yu Mujian's footing sank; pressed down another notch by the Ming Pass, he felt hopelessly trapped.
Li Xijun lightly pinched an incantation, and a grayish water mist instantly rose from the lake, spreading rapidly to sever spiritual sense from prying within, coiling straight toward Yu Mujian.
"Morning Mist."
Li Ximing gradually grasped the intervals of Yu Mujian's evasions and the duration of his casting, growing increasingly familiar with his rhythm. Meanwhile, Li Xijun stirred his Sunflower Light spell, drawing his sword to dance with shimmering streams of radiance, constantly entangling him. Though the two brothers had rarely fought side by side, Li Xijun's timing was so sharp that he unfailingly covered Li Ximing's openings, driving Yu Mujian's temper to flare and his face to flush crimson.
After all, Yu Mujian had only managed a single strike before being trapped beneath the Ming Pass, constrained at every turn. The pass's brilliant radiance held a terrifying grinding force; had he possessed a method to pierce a single point, it might have been manageable, but the bronze sword in his hand followed a style of sheer, crushing momentum. His expression grew increasingly grim as he realized he had been too conceited.
Yu Mujian had now manifested the Yu Mujian Noumenon. His beard and hair vanished, resembling a gilded Dharma figure, his eyes glowing golden, his eyelids and face coated in gold lacquer as he bellowed like thunder.
His words were swift and urgent, solemn and severe, chanting an incantation beneath the golden shroud. His eyes turned entirely golden; his hands pushed forward, his back arched, and his flesh parted as two golden arms thrust out from behind!
"Yu Mujian attains the noumenon, enlightened in the Diamond and Womb Realms! Xu Mu receives it, entreating possession this day. By decree!"
"Decree of the Yu Mujian Noumenon!"
The garments on his upper body burst apart, exposing a lean, sinewy back and waist. Two beams of golden light flared from his chest, opening a pair of eyes that glared coldly outward. The long cloth that had previously released the golden arhat wrapped around his waist, gradually turning gold.
All four of Yu Mujian's eyes glared forward. His rear two arms propped upward, golden runes flaring to thrust up the Ming Pass, while his other two arms gripped the sword together, pointing straight at Li Xijun.
He placed the bronze sword at his waist. All four arms gripped the hilt simultaneously, drawing out a slender, elongated golden light inch by inch. A razor-sharp aura permeated the air, intertwining with the arhat upon him, shaking the lake into roaring waves.
Yu Mujian's expression was icy cold. The golden light upon him seemed to burn, converging entirely into his sword. Paying no heed to the Ming Pass pressing down again, he said in a heavy voice:
"Concealed for many years, the blade moves today."
*No wonder every strike was heavy and mighty yet lacked a sharp edge—so this is how he concealed his sword!*
Draw blade!
Instantly, it was as if dragons roared and tigers howled, mountains and seas churning. Li Ximing and Li Xijun both gasped. With a fierce shove of his arms and a blast of white qi from his mouth, Yu Mujian shoved the Ming Pass aside. White qi and golden light intertwined as his eyes blazed, bellowing:
"Tài!"
The grand formations of Mount Qingdu and the surrounding peaks lit up under the provocation, flickering bright and dark as multicolored lights intertwined, sending waves of tremors through the sky. Li Ximing felt as though knives were carving his face, but with Yu Mujian pointing his blade straight at his brother, how could he back down? Steeling his resolve, he channeled his magical power, causing Huangyuan Pass to erupt in brilliant light and smash down ruthlessly!
Golden light erupted, clouds melted, and mist dispersed. The Ming Pass in the sky gave a crisp crack. The radiance within its gateway flared once, then dimmed, as mountain collapses and tidal waves tore through its interior, detonating a spray of golden sword qi!
The sword qi howled outward. The plaque upon the pass shook violently, its bricks and stones covered in cracks. It suddenly dimmed, shrinking into a pale stream of light that fell back toward Li Ximing.
With the Ming Pass damaged, Li Ximing spewed a mouthful of blood mingled with gold and crimson. Before the blood could fall into the lake, it dissolved into golden light and fled in all directions. He had no time to heed his own wounds, drawing out talisman tallies to pursue and strike at the scattering golden light.
Li Xijun channeled the entirety of his cultivation into his sword. The lake water beneath his feet had already frozen into solid ice. In his pupils remained only that golden sword qi—the culmination of a lifetime's sword dao forged by the golden arhat, Yu Mujian's noumenon.
Yu Mujian's eyes dimmed further as he slowly unsheathed his sword. Li Xijun stood poised in midair, gripping his hilt tightly. The final stance of the Seven Waters Imperial Qian Formation, "Laminar Flow", surged forth, vast deep-blue lake water gradually rising to envelop him.
A piercing whistle rang out! From within the mountain, a beam of blue-and-white sword light shot into the sky, leaping forward to land squarely in his hand. Its sword tassel swayed—it was none other than the Qingchi Sword!
Goaded by Yu Mujian's sword qi, the fine hairs on Li Xijun's skin were already bristling with anticipation. The longsword in his hand shrieked sharply. Staring quietly, he swallowed the pill in his mouth without a word.
He felt the talisman seed in his Qihai acupoint as if stimulated, gushing forth a wave of pure qi. His mind became sharper than ever before; countless profundities surfaced in his heart, his consciousness seemingly falling into a mirror to catch sight of a green sword resting upon a stone.
And there was a man clad in a wide white robe, his countenance clear and ethereal, standing solitary atop a weathered, ancient great city. A fiery phoenix blotting out the sky swept across the heavens like a falling star; the man gently unsheathed his sword, and an iridescent blue-and-white radiance surged forth!
In Li Xijun's eyes, the blue-and-white sword shadow slowly reflected. His fingers, pale to the point of turning white, drew the blade and slashed through the air—
A moon-white sword light blazed once more, and the luster over the lake suddenly dimmed.
*Rumble!*
Just then, golden light erupted miles away, accompanied by the deafening roar of tumbling boulders. Li Ximing stood in midair, staring blankly.
As the blinding radiance drifted down, Li Xijun's expression slowly grew solemn. He gradually returned his sword to its scabbard, standing on guard.
Li Xijun stood quietly opposite him. Yu Mujian slowly lowered his sword. After standing motionless for two breaths, his expression gradually shifted, and he spoke abruptly:
"I have already entered the empty gate; the affairs of the Yu family are now in the past. This sword was meant only to sever mortal ties and repay Senior for his guidance back then."
"I have no regrets."
The moment his words fell, countless dense cracks surfaced across his face. His form held for a breath, then instantly shattered into innumerable fragments, bursting into the sky, rapidly turning into streaks of light, and dissolving into gray ashes that drifted down.
The dark yellow Tongzang lost its luster. Falling from midair, it crashed into the lake, snapping into two halves, twirling half a turn before sinking rapidly into the depths.
***
Daxu, the Great Void.
Within the gloomy Great Void, golden auspicious clouds drifted amidst swirling white mist. A colossal golden Dharma body sat cross-legged within, possessing three heads and eight arms, its numerous faces coated in gold lacquer, amidst continuous chanting of Sanskrit hymns.
Among the cloud layers resembling golden lotuses stood many Lianmin beneath the golden body's feet, each only a tenth of its size. Their expressions varied: some glared with fury, others were cold as frost, holding blades, spears, axes, and halberds.
Those Lianmin were completely motionless, their lotus-like palms frozen within the golden clouds, cold Buddhist implements radiating luster that tempted onlookers to stare deeply and lose themselves within.
Suddenly, one Lianmin opened its eyes—three upon its face and two upon its chest, all five glaring round as faint anger surfaced. The arms held in lotus poses dropped swiftly, its fingers calculating.
"Hmm?"
"Xu Mu is dead!"
"What kind of Li family is this, to actually have the power to prevent the Yu Mujian noumenon from even reincarnating!"
He felt a surge of anger. Xu Mu was someone he had converted with great difficulty—a rare first-rank Yu Mujian noumenon within the Void Formlessness, a capable follower.
Not only that, the man also possessed sword cultivation and hailed from Jiangnan; he was very likely to attain the realm of sword origin, making him the finest of pawns... He had only sent him south to sever mortal karma, yet he died so abruptly!
Seven-Eyed Lianmin's face showed faint anger in three eyes, while the two on its chest remained icy cold. The lotus ritual implements lowered from above its head to its sides. After a moment of hesitation, it thought:
*The Bright Yang lineage... it should be an immortal foundation formed from some divine ability art, of no low grade. Had it been an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would have been ground to ash...*
His regret somewhat assuaged, Seven-Eyed Lianmin slowly closed all seven eyes, fingers calculating in detail:
"Several Golden Cores of Jiangnan have almost all gone beyond the heavens; isolation is complete, making this the perfect time for divination... Maha is near at hand. I shall see what kind of destiny-bound figure this is! Better yet if I can take him under my wing..."
***
Sensing that Li Xijun's aura was erratic and dim, Li Ximing rushed over to shield him without delay. Through the swirling wind and snow, he saw blood staining the corners of Li Xijun's mouth.
He hurriedly supported Li Xijun down to the mountain and fed him a Wanling Flower. Only then did Li Xijun's expression shift. Seeing a faint thread of blood across his waist, evidently pierced by sword qi, Li Ximing was stunned in horror.
Li Xijun swallowed blood and said hoarsely, "Diwang bloodstone!"
Li Ximing quickly retrieved the blood-radiant jade stone from his storage bag and handed it to Li Xijun. He watched as Li Xijun used his palm like a blade to slice off most of the stone, then cut open his own abdomen, which was already mangled and torn to pieces inside.
Li Xijun placed the bloodstone within, pressed his palms together, and coughed up a mouthful of black blood, pitting the bluestone with a dense splatter.
After panting for a moment, Li Xijun's face slowly regained some color. He asked, "Is Yu Mujian dead?"
"At least his body should be dead."
"Pfft!" Li Xijun spat another mouthful of blood and croaked, "Ming-ge'er, there should still be a sword immortal's hidden measure or inheritance inside the Qingchi Sword!"
"Inheritance or not, shut your mouth first!"
Li Ximing had no patience to hear him ramble; he simply brought out medicinal pills from his storage bag, piling them in front of him, saying only, "With the Diwang bloodstone, you should be fine."
"Every time I come out of seclusion, something has already happened at home. My heart has been uneasy all along. Just focus on healing!"
Li Xijun's face was as pale as golden paper. Leaning against the bluestone, he managed an answer, using his magical power to bind the fragments of his internal organs, yet his eyes were astonishingly bright as he smiled:
"I have no regrets."
Li Xijun nodded, took several pills, and sat cross-legged with closed eyes to heal.
A dozen breaths later, Li Xuanxuan rushed up in a panic, calling out:
"Ximing! Xijun! Are you two all right?"
Li Ximing took half a breath to realize he should reply. Drenched in sweat, he hurriedly responded to him. Li Xuanxuan then asked, "Is Yu Mujian dead?"
Li Ximing answered quickly and gradually calmed down. Following Li Xuanxuan outside, he offered a few reassuring words, only to see the old man holding two halves of the broken bronze sword. They were dripping wet with lake water, their cross-sections as mirror-smooth and polished as glass.
Chapter 550