“Oh?”
The face on Yu Jiang was completely different from the one that had met the gazes of the Li family members just moments ago. His light-brown skin gave him the typical appearance of a South Sea cultivator. Having anticipated what Master Xuwang was planning, he now sat down in a seat upon hearing those words, letting one hand drape casually over the armrest as he remarked offhandedly, “Enmity is enmity, but there’s no such thing as getting something for nothing.”
No one knew how the situation within Anhuai Heaven stood; the various Violet Palace Lords and Mahas might emerge at any moment. While Master Xuwang wore a beaming smile, he was burning with anxiety within.
*If those seniors happen to emerge right now, everything before us will fall back into a contest among supreme cultivators, and that would be troublesome! This can no longer be delayed… If this man makes no outrageous demands, then I shall grant them…*
Xuwang’s current actions could be framed as anticipating his superiors’ wishes, but they could just as easily be deemed acting without authorization. Xuwang had languished at the rank of Master for over a century, lacking only that crucial opportunity. Once Mount Bianyan was taken, not only would a breakthrough be within reach, but he would also claim immense merit… At that point, he would reap every possible advantage.
Yet if they failed to conquer the mountain, or if someone emerged from Anhuai Heaven halfway through, he would be left hanging over the fire. Competition for Shakya seats in the north was fierce to begin with. Regardless of what attitude the Qingchi Violet Palace took, the various Lianmin would only look on coldly and kick him while he was down rather than protect an ambitious junior who sought a share of the spoils.
*Only by standing out, catching the eye of a Maha, and obtaining a Lianmin seat… who then would not greet me with a smiling face?*
His strength was in fact far superior to that of his peers, and he had long calculated everything in his mind:
*Li Xuanfeng stands upon the Huaijiang Map, beyond the match of any single man. If the Shakya assembly does not besiege him together, who could possibly take his life? Even if Tuoba Chongyuan were brought back from the dead, he would only perish several more times!*
*And if a multitude of cultivators besiege him, how much karmic mandate will actually fall into my hands? There is no point in that!*
Ambitious as he was, since pushing south had failed, he would not contest Li Xuanfeng’s life. Taking Mount Bianyan was as vital to him as his own life. He immediately said, “Time is running short. Whatever demands you have, Fellow Daoist, speak them freely.”
Yu Jiang adopted a solemn expression and replied, “I have a way to breach Mount Bianyan. I only want a wisp of Shaoshang Ministerial Fire.”
The moment the name of this object was uttered, the man in the python robe seated beside them raised his brows heavily. Xuwang naturally recognized the item as well. Stepping forward quickly, he whispered, “When Great Zhao broke Liang, they obtained quite a few items of the Shaoyang nature. The imperial house is feeble, and the Palace Attendants there must have seen some. Please, lend a hand…”
He offered soft words and endless persuasion until the man in the python robe finally spoke, his voice sharp and thin: “The item is granted; consider it the Realized One’s intention. Fellow Daoist Xuwang had best make sure his path ahead is clear!”
Pressed by the circumstances, Xuwang could only nod obsequiously. He took out a stone bottle and handed it to Yu Jiang. Knowing that once an action was begun, it had to be carried out with decisive ferocity, the group spoke not another word and sped away on the wind together.
The place was merely several hundred li from Mount Bianyan. Passing through the rolling demonic smoke, they arrived before the array. Boundless Shakya and demonic cultivators had already gathered around it, assailing the great array with all their might.
The array took on a pale-green hue. Though the scenery within could not be discerned, it remained exceptionally sturdy and dependable. Even after being besieged by the cultivators for so long, its bright luster shone on without the slightest sign of faltering, like an unstained green lotus standing amid a rolling demonic abyss.
A circle of cultivators had already gathered around the great array, with a continuous stream of others converging here after failing to break south. All three turned their gazes upon Yu Jiang. Xuwang’s heart was in his throat as he whispered, “What follows depends entirely on your abilities, Fellow Daoist.”
“Give me the jade talisman!”
At Yu Jiang’s demand, the monk hastily handed over a jade talisman. It was precisely a talisman used for entering and leaving the great array before them, retrieved from some immortal cultivator. However, this array was exceptionally ingenious; one could only enter if both person and talisman were registered within it, rendering the item of little use on its own.
Accepting the jade talisman without haste, Yu Jiang used his hand like a blade and made a gentle slice across his chest, splitting his torso open. Reaching his hand inside to grope around, he drew out talismanic implements one by one.
These talismanic implements came in various forms, pristine and luminous. From among them, he retrieved three elongated beast-tooth plaques, pinching one and placing it before him first.
“Respectfully welcoming the High Shaman Three-Nine.”
He then placed one on each side, chanting:
“Respectfully inviting Yuzhen Six-Nine.”
“Praying and bowing to Bingxiu One-Nine.”
The three tooth plaques glowed in unison. He then drew a white talisman from his sleeve, clasping it between his palms, and aligned the crook between his thumb and forefinger with his lips. Breathing out twice, he murmured:
“Sacrificing the talisman to consummate the elixir, combining ancient rites, unpredictable in transformation… There is a person who gave me an arrow; first lost then returned, which makes for borrowing. He comes, I go, and I borrow as well…”
His words were muffled, interspersed with numerous incantations that made it impossible for the others to hear clearly. Bizarre cracking sounds issued from his bones. His brows grew longer and sharper, his eyes turned pale gray, and an awe-inspiring authority that commanded respect without anger radiated from between his brows, sweeping toward the people beside him.
“Li Xuanfeng!”
That single glance gave Xuwang quite a fright, prompting him to stumble back a step in haste. A long whip even surfaced in the palm of the man in the python robe. Xuwang immediately came to his senses and gasped in horror, “What marvelous arts of transformation you possess, Fellow Daoist! This… this, this…”
Yu Jiang’s appearance as Li Xuanfeng was not a mere imitation of his face; even his aura was completely identical. When examined repeatedly with spiritual sense, he seemed in every way to be Li Xuanfeng himself! Had he not lacked that signature astral qi, the onlookers might have truly believed Li Xuanfeng had arrived in person!
Xuwang instantly clapped his hands in realization, sighing with admiration, “So that was why you specifically went to meet Li Xuanfeng, Fellow Daoist! You used the guise of a South Sea cultivator to draw near him solely to cast your arts now… You had already laid your plans… yet you deceived us so thoroughly!”
“You are very sharp, Fellow Daoist!”
Yu Jiang nodded with an approving expression, though he thought coldly to himself:
*If I were merely borrowing his appearance, why would I need such pretexts? It was only to dispel your suspicions…*
He cast a cold glance at the three. Seeing them involuntarily avert their gazes, he finally picked up the jade talisman, rose upon the wind, and murmured softly, “Once I descend into the array, I will open the array gates before Chi Zhiyan can react. Pull yourselves together, everyone! Do not miss the moment!”
Speaking with that face lent several measures of majesty to his words. Feeling an odd discomfort in their hearts, the others turned their heads aside and gave their assent.
Yu Jiang sank into the array. A mere three breaths later, the lotus-like great array flared with brilliant light, flickering erratically as several rifts appeared. A furious roar erupted from within:
“Who is it!”
“Kill!”
The clamor of demons and Shakya instantly shook the heavens. Countless dark clouds poured through the opening, and Xuwang threw his head back in uproarious laughter, his voice booming:
“The opportunity for this old monk to attain the Dao has arrived!”
***
While the green lotus north of the river gradually dimmed, the radiant light south of the river shone ever brighter. The sky was blanketed in multicolored Shakya light, crisscrossed by the sharp aura of spears, staves, sabers, and swords. Crashing lake waters poured from bottles, surging tempestuously through the void.
As the various Masters revealed themselves together, Li Xuanfeng remained cold and unyielding as iron. With one hand, he seized the Master’s crescent shovel, radiant light coiling upward to bind the monk’s body; with the other, he drove straight inward, blasting the monk’s head apart with a deafening crash.
*Splatter!*
The burly Master’s blood dissolved into a sky full of fragrant lotus blossoms. His headless body, riddled with fractures, abandoned even the artifact and hastily descended upon the wind, relieved only that Li Xuanfeng had struck with a fist rather than loosed an arrow.
Both lesser Masters used as bait lost the dharma bodies they had cultivated for a century and fled in panic. The fourteen Masters specially arrayed against him finally seized the chance to step forward, their faces twisted with fury as they bellowed:
“Audacious demon, how dare you run rampant!”
*Rumble!*
Numerous artifacts descended at once, unleashing a tremendous din. Sabers, spears, axes, and staves struck together, flashing with brilliance that dazzled the eyes. The sharp bite of metal intertwined with the multicolored light of the Shakya cultivators, all of it halted by a single golden bow.
“Hmph…”
Li Xuanfeng’s figure sank. His breath finally hitched, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his lips. Radiant light rose beneath his feet as the wondrous workings of the Huaijiang Map activated, extricating him from the encirclement of over a dozen foes. He manifested atop another mountain pass, sharp brilliance welling upon the immortal bow.
*Clang!*
Below, a bloom of sword light suddenly leapt up. Si Yuanli raised his sword origin, yet two Masters broke away from the crowd specifically to suppress him, each holding a bottle designed to store sharp qi.
These two bottles were peculiar in form; rather than spewing outward, they drew inward. Evidently prepared specifically for sword cultivators like him, they swallowed all of his sword qi in the span of a breath, giving off a grinding screech of metal.
*Pine-Cypress Whole-Origin Sword Art!*
The green sword in Si Yuanli’s hand turned, weaving ethereal specks of sword brilliance. Although the two before him were clearly tailored to counter sword cultivators, he was no ordinary figure. Undaunted, he conjured countless ethereal rays of sword light that surged forth like a vast tide.
Reining the two golden-bodied Masters before him, his expression remained steady as his swordplay grew increasingly fluid. Taking advantage of the momentum, he observed the situation along the entire riverbank.
There were quite a few northern Foundation Establishment cultivators below. Li Qinghong caught thunder and grasped lightning, shining most brilliantly. Li Ximing held Mingguan, suppressing several opponents. Li Xizhi’s spells were agile and nimble, toying with the gathered cultivators in the palm of his hand. All exhibited remarkable methods, evoking quiet astonishment in Si Yuanli:
*The Li clan now possesses the might of the Xiao family in years past. Li Ximing is comparable to Xiao Yuansi, while Li Qinghong is a figure on par with Yuan Chengdun… Li Xizhi is likewise within the sect, yet his methods and scheming are even more ruthless than Xiao Yuansi’s…*
Having grown up amid sectarian strife, he always considered matters through the lens of factional conflict. That remained his first instinct now, and the more he thought, the more startled he became, musing secretly:
*I do not know whether Bu Zi has fallen. By executing this plan today, my family will certainly offend the Chi family. Since we have already taken this step, we must enlist the Li clan as allies…*
While the other cultivators were occupied with their foes, only he had the opportunity to assist Li Xuanfeng, allowing him to observe more closely. Yet the bulk of his attention remained fixed upon Li Xuanfeng.
*Brother Xuanfeng…*
Behind the man in white-gold armor, rings of radiant light spread outward, pushing aside the surging water from the spiritual bottles. He drew the long bow into a full moon, its golden light flickering.
On the other end, the Shakya light seemed poised to dye the sky in colors. Twelve Shakya Masters took their positions, their voices echoing in midair in unison:
“Huixu Demon-Subduing Great Array!”
With the toll of an ethereal, resonant bell, dark golden patterns converged with multicolored brilliance to form a colossal array in the sky. The Masters assumed their respective array positions, their artifacts glowing with even greater intensity, exuding a terrifying majesty.
The twelve Shakya cultivators appeared solemn and dignified, exuding waves of pure fragrance like World-Honored Ones descending to vanquish demons:
“Audacious demon! Today you shall taste our orthodox teaching’s demon-subduing rites!”
Excluding the two who had initially targeted Si Yuanli, the twelve Shakya Masters formed the great array, confronting Li Xuanfeng. Seeing the golden bow in his hand shine brightly, the cultivators shouted in unison:
“Order!”
The six Masters occupying the odd positions shook as one. Raising their artifacts—be they bottles, rings, mirrors, or pagodas—they unleashed their brilliance simultaneously.
The gold-patterned bottle poured out lake water that surged swiftly upon leaving the spout, crashing forward. The brilliance of the golden mirror was capable of melting gold and stone, burning intensely as it shone toward his eyes. A towering pagoda stood erect in the void to ward off the radiant light of the Huaijiang Map, while the remaining three golden rings stacked themselves in midair, poised in readiness to seize his arrow.
The patterns upon Li Xuanfeng’s face shone with solemn dignity. The radiant light upon his body blocked the river waters before him, and he closed both eyes without hesitation. The Tianjin Cuirass crept over his face to shield him from the incoming mirror light, and he loosed his fingers.
*Clang!*
A thunderous crash like the crumbling of mountains and the rending of the earth spread across the riverbank. A dark arrow was tightly trapped within the three golden rings, emitting a piercing screech that threatened to rupture ordinary eardrums.
Yet before the dark arrow could be worn away or the golden rings could shatter, another thunderous roar followed hard upon it. The six Masters occupying the even positions stepped forward brandishing sabers, spears, staves, and tridents, shouting:
“Ha!”
Their shout rippled through the air like rolling waves. The artifacts of all six struck out simultaneously—sharp swords and sabers, the keen points of spears and halberds, the sweeping blows of staves and clubs—traversing the void to strike fiercely at Li Xuanfeng.
*Clang!*
These three resounding crashes struck the entire riverbank dumb. Li Qinghong, cloaked in dancing purple lightning, paused for only a breath, while the demonic cultivator before her was shaken so violently by the thunderous noise that he nearly tumbled from his flying light.
Li Ximing, who was using Mingguan to bludgeon foes, had not needed much concentration to begin with, so he fared somewhat better. Conversely, the cultivators he was suppressing suffered even more. Li Xizhi, however, staggered as his spell was interrupted; taking a blow from the demonic cultivator’s spell-light, he muffled a mouthful of blood.
While Foundation Establishment cultivators merely had their breath stifled, blood rushed into the ears of those at Qi Refinement and Embryonic Breathing. Nearly half were rendered deaf, and a small portion collapsed, writhing and rolling across the ground.
For a time, both sides of the riverbank fell into utter chaos. Countless artifacts tumbled from midair. Men looked at one another in dazed shock before steeling themselves to pick up their weapons and resume the slaughter.
*Rumble!*
Showers of blood rained down, drifting amid the murky smoke.
Upon this dark, blood-drenched earth, minor figures collapsed one after another. Yet a pair of eyes lifted ruthlessly, laced with crimson veins, staring straight up into the sky.
This man had a cultured and refined appearance, yet his clothes were in utter disarray. His hair had turned white before its time, revealing a weary, decrepit air. He did not look at the twelve glittering Shakya cultivators, nor did he look at Li Xuanfeng, who resembled a heavenly god descending to the mortal realm; he looked straight toward a certain spot in the sky.
Those blood-filled eyes bulged as if they might burst from their sockets, stripping away every trace of his refined elegance as he stared unblinkingly at the ethereal, otherworldly swordsman in the heavens.
Even as the reverberating Shakya voices caused blood to spout from his ears, and the dazzling radiance threatened to melt his eyes, he continued to stare at Si Yuanli. Through lips and broken teeth that trembled uncontrollably, he choked out words like a cuckoo weeping blood:
“It’s you… It was you all along!”
Chapter 608