Flames surged beneath his feet as he skimmed across the surface of the Eastern Sea, sending up plumes of white vapor. Unease gnawed at Guo Hongkang's heart. He flew headlong forward, his gaze sweeping restlessly back and forth across the waves.
Beside him, the woman was still furrowing her brows and grumbling, but Guo Hongkang could not bring himself to listen to a word. Having traveled with her all this way, he knew her well enough to understand that simply ignoring her was best.
*I had long heard of Guo Hongyao's reputation... Truly, she is someone who refuses to listen to reason.*
Guo Hongyao was actually far more noble by birth than he. Her father was a bona fide descendant of a Violet Palace cultivator, though because her mother was a mortal, she was somewhat slighted within the clan. Fortunately, her elder brothers all doted on her; truth be told, a whole year of Guo Hongkang's cultivation resources could not compare to what she received in a single month.
*Born above thousands, yet cursed with the temper of a pampered, arrogant scion.*
In Guo Hongkang's eyes, Guo Hongyao had entirely brought her troubles upon herself. First, throwing a temper tantrum, she had broken off her betrothal with Xi Chang of Chunyi Dao for no rhyme or reason; then, Xi Chang's grandfather emerged from secluded cultivation having attained a divine ability, elevating Xi Chang to young sect master in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone to coldly sneer at her folly.
After that, she took charge of several islands, only to run the business completely into the ground. When she was sent to the Li clan to investigate Xu Xiao, she had recklessly struck out without warning, pointing her sword straight at the young master's throat!
And so upon returning to the Eastern Sea, Guo Hongkang heard that she had been robbed of a Violet Palace spiritual artifact by Master Junjian—who was merely a Daoist at the time. The matter was brought before Master Tianwan, who slapped her across the face and banished her beyond the island.
*An immortal descendant of the Violet Palace, and so beautiful to boot... Keep her mouth shut, and everyone takes her for a fairy; open it, and all can only shake their heads in pity. With a pedigree everyone envies, how could someone be so utterly senseless? To think such a person could exist in this world!*
Guo Hongkang's branch of the family had long declined. Countless times he had daydreamed about getting even a sliver more resources, so watching her squander everything filled him with gnawing resentment. And now that Master Junjian had broken through to the Violet Palace, not even her elder brothers dared shelter her...
"Where on earth could Brother have gone..."
Guo Hongyao's voice interrupted his thoughts. Everything else had gone in one ear and out the other, but this single line struck a chord, causing Guo Hongkang to frown as well.
Guo Hongkang's strength was unremarkable. Escorting a Violet Palace spiritual item like the Mingfang Sky Stone back home naturally wouldn't rely on just Guo Hongkang and Guo Hongyao; the one leading this mission was the exceptionally capable Guo Hongjian, while the two of them were merely accompanying him.
Yet this morning, Guo Hongjian had suddenly taken some inexplicable whim into his head, leaving behind a talisman as he exited the grand formation, merely instructing the two of them to escort the spiritual item ahead of him, before riding the wind and taking off on his own!
Guo Hongkang felt thoroughly put upon. To make matters worse, he was stuck with Guo Hongyao, who was utterly deaf to reason, instilling in him a creeping sense of dread:
*I had better not follow this lunatic... and end up suffering some undeserved disaster...*
Beside him, seeing that he had not replied for a long time, Guo Hongyao showed no anger. She merely assumed that since he had looked this foolishly simple all along the way, he was probably one of those dullards whose wits were fried from constantly drilling spells. Thus, she was unusually forgiving, turning her gaze toward the sea.
"Huh?"
Looking out, she spotted a trail of frost and snow sweeping in from the east. A youth in white robes was treading upon the snow, cradling a sword, his bearing striking and graceful. He immediately caught her eye. Guo Hongyao could not help taking a closer look, only to freeze in shock.
*It's him!*
A surge of nameless fury erupted in her chest, instantly vaporizing whatever initial favor she had felt. Gritting her teeth, she hissed coldly, "So it's you! What good fortune you have, managing to break through even in that petty little clan..."
Guo Hongkang's gaze had also been drawn to the sword cultivator. The praise *What a handsome lad* had barely reached his throat when, with a sharp clang, Guo Hongyao drew the crimson token in her grasp, her face flushed with fury, and charged straight at the stranger without a word.
"Ah?"
Guo Hongkang hurriedly moved to block her, exclaiming, "My lady, what are you..."
"Out of the way!"
Guo Hongyao flicked her red dress and barked. The man was forced to take a step back. Not far away, the youth in white was exceptionally sharp; alerted by merely those two shouts, he had already turned his gaze toward them, his ocular technique apparently extraordinary.
Guo Hongyao had intended to close in unnoticed, but Guo Hongkang's interference had put Li Xijun on guard. Her simmering rage immediately turned on Guo Hongkang, and she snapped, "I'll settle accounts with you later!"
Guo Hongkang could not afford to offend her. Utterly panicked, he stumbled back a step. Billowing Combined Fire surged from the fire token in Guo Hongyao's hand, fury written all over her pretty face as she hurled it straight toward the frost and snow.
"Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?"
Seeing the white-clad youth ask with a look of surprise while pinching his fingers to conjure gossamer threads of cold light in defense, Guo Hongyao drove the Combined Fire forward and spat with venom, "Li Xijun! You ruined Chijiao's plans back then... Out of deference to Qingchi, we spared your life... and yet you dare swagger about the Eastern Sea!"
The words exploded like thunder in Guo Hongkang's ears. He felt as if the air had been knocked out of him and cried in horror, *It's actually the Li clan of Mount Wangyue!*
It was true that the Li clan of Mount Wangyue had no Violet Palace cultivator, but anyone who made basic inquiries would know: their in-law was Master Chuting, who had carved out a path amidst the cracks of the Three Sects and Seven Gates. What was more, that immortal bow at Mount Bianyan had just died in battle for Qingchi, and the Si clan patriarch had personally petitioned for posthumous honors—they were at the very peak of their prominence... And now she wanted to murder their direct lineage?
Guo Hongyao dared to strike, but he did not dare, nor was there any reason for him to do so. He could only trail behind with a bitter face, pleading, "My lady, please..."
Guo Hongyao paid him no heed whatsoever. Foolish though she was, she was nonetheless of the Chijiao direct line. The ashen Combined Fire in her grasp was ferocious and not something ordinary spells could withstand.
Furthermore, Li Xijun cultivated the Dao of frost and snow, inherently in conflict with fire. Both his magic power and cultivation technique were inferior to hers, and the spell he cast was Tujun Sunflower Light, which merely grazed the bottom threshold of what major sects practiced. The gossamer wisps of cold light melted the moment they met the Combined Fire, and the murky, ashen flames surged backward, forcing him to retreat several paces.
"Tricks and petty craft!"
Seeing that his cultivation and magic power were both inferior to hers, and that his immortal foundation was countered by her Combined Fire, Guo Hongyao rejoiced. Stepping forward, the faint lingering worry in her heart vanished completely, and she rode the flames ahead with soaring arrogance.
Li Xijun exchanged several moves against her with magic, then drew his sword to parry. A few beams of sword qi carried decent potency, yet after cleaving the Combined Fire, they were completely ground down to nothing. Giving not a single inch, Guo Hongyao advanced right through the sword qi and sneered, "So much for the sword immortal clan!"
Lowering his sword, Li Xijun pulled back and actually rode the wind to flee in retreat. At the side, the helpless Guo Hongkang saw Guo Hongyao take off in pursuit and cried in alarm, "My lady, beware of a trap! The spiritual item... the spiritual item!"
Guo Hongyao shot him an impatient glare. With a flick of her sleeve, the jet-black jade box was swept out by her magic power and fell straight into Guo Hongkang's hands. Riding the fire forward, the woman tossed back a single line: "Keep it safe then!"
Guo Hongkang scrambled to catch it. After inspecting it, he finally let out a sigh of relief. The terror gripping his heart subsided, and he steadied his mind:
*Thank goodness... It shouldn't be the lure of a Violet Palace divine ability! Otherwise, how could she have remembered to give the item to me?... Still, if she kills Li Xijun... the Li family might direct their hatred at me...*
...
Guo Hongyao rode the fire forward, hurtling ahead in pursuit. Though the white-clad youth before her lacked in cultivation, the speed of his escape light was astonishing—perhaps he had ingested some spirit pill—such that she could not close the distance right away.
"Run... keep running!"
Delight coursed through her as she rode the flames. Ahead, riding the frost, Li Xijun pondered:
*This fellow is indeed not bad. At the very least, her flight speed is beyond ordinary people.*
Earlier, as Li Xijun flew forward, he had indeed run into the pair, confirming his suspicions. Now, having dashed tens of li over the frost, he noticed Guo Hongyao hot on his heels and drawing ever closer. He thought to himself:
*Her mind must have been bewitched; she shouldn't have any hidden schemes up her sleeve...*
His hand slowly reached down to Hanlin at his waist. The frost and snow beneath his feet gradually dispersed, and his speed slowly slackened. Waiting as the scorching Combined Fire behind drew nearer and nearer until the heat pricked his back with searing pain, Li Xijun abruptly spun around and drew his sword.
*Clang!*
A streak of snow-white lit up over the sea.
This strike was simply too fast. Hanlin's physical blade was already impossible to discern; only a gleam of brilliant white frost and snow swept from his sword tip. As the whistling wind blew through pine-like chill, a drift of falling snow rushed toward her face.
Caught off guard, Guo Hongyao saw only a flurry of white snow swirling toward her, unable even to tell whether it was sword light or magic glow. As the razor-sharp, icy chill crashed into her face, a stunned thought crossed her mind:
*A talisman?*
The token in Guo Hongyao's hand was no ordinary object; its reflex to protect its master was faster than her own. The Combined Fire stored within gushed forth. Only then did she realize that the magic power throughout her body was surging into the token, condensing into a wall of ashen fire that shielded her front.
But she was a mere three feet away from Li Xijun.
Back then, when Chi Zhiyun and Li Chijing had both cultivated sword origin, they had maintained a distance of three feet when facing each other. Violet Palace cultivators would retreat nine feet when facing Shangyuan. Yet Guo Hongyao—stood three feet from a sword cultivator who had attained sword origin. Hanlin could even brush the hem of her clothes.
This wall of Combined Fire, meant as a safeguard, offered no resistance at all before it was cleaved in two by Hanlin's physical blade. Her eyes were filled with blinding white drifting snow, and all she felt was a sudden coldness at her neck.
*Pfft!*
Blood erupted from her neck. Guo Hongyao's pupils dilated instantly as her graceful neck was severed by the single stroke. Crimson blood spurted along the blade for a short distance before curling back to seep into her neck.
*Buzz!*
The strike had fallen too swiftly for the treasures on Guo Hongyao's person to react. Her head had already parted from her neck before the protective jade bead at her throat finally channeled magic power in time to deflect the sword away.
Before the astonishment and panic in Guo Hongyao's eyes could dissipate, Li Xijun's sword art reversed. Three beams of snow-light flew from his blade, fluttering gracefully as they plunged toward her body.
Three nimble and cunning beams of snow-light darted forth, swimming toward Guo Hongyao's Qihai, Shengyang, and Juque acupoints. Though Guo Hongyao's head was still suspended in midair, she managed to react, raising the long token in her hand to block.
Gritting her silver teeth, the blood on her lips ignited into ashen fire, surging forward with her breath. This ashen fire was several times denser than before, billowing with ferocious momentum to meet the three flowing beams.
Yet Threefold Moonstream was inherently elusive and crafty. Circling around, it evaded the ashen fire and crashed with a ringing resonance against her protective lifesaver glow. For a moment, the sounds of shattering ice and snow exploded repeatedly, and the jade bead at her neck flickered between bright and dim.
*Thank the heavens!*
In the end, it was Guo Hongyao's lineage that saved her life. At the level of sword origin, Threefold Moonstream was capable of annihilating almost any magic, yet the life-preserving treasure bestowed by Chijiao Island upon its direct descendants had managed to hold it off, even retaining spare strength.
Guo Hongyao finally found the chance to set her head back onto her neck. At the seam of the neck, frost and snow met Combined Fire, hissing and churning out white vapor. The ashen fire pouring from the Combined Fire token encircled her neck, fixing her head in place.
*Damn him!*
Guo Hongyao felt a delayed sense of relief that Li Xijun cultivated Cold Qi; had it been of the Metal or Earth element, putting her head back on would never have been this easy.
Venom surfaced in her eyes. Guo Hongyao quickly reached for the storage bag at her waist, but a sudden doubt struck her mind:
*He gave me so much time to react... What is he doing?*
Her spiritual sense was wholly dedicated to using the ashen fire to drive off the three beams of sword origin that seemed to have developed minds of their own, so she could only gaze blankly forward.
Snow filled the sky over the sea.
Before her, the white-robed man held his longsword pointed at an angle. That icy, snow-like, slightly slender blade gleamed with terrifying brilliance, inch by inch radiating a sword glow so bright it forced the eyes shut.
Flakes of snow tumbled from the sky, each one striking her protective spiritual barrier with a ringing clatter like heavy rain pelting roof tiles—clinking and pattering. Those three flowing beams darted like fish in water, flickering in and out of sight amidst this sky full of snow-like sword qi.
Yet she no longer had the strength of mind to pay them any heed.
Li Xijun's sword had already fallen. Guo Hongyao clutched a talisman in her trembling hand, her vision a sea of white where nothing could be seen except pure, harsh, drifting snow.
Magic power had only been halfway channeled into the talisman in her hand when a beam of sword light surged within her Shengyang Mansion, disrupting the circulation of her power. The half-lit talisman simply lay in Guo Hongyao's palm, faintly flickering.
Guo Hongyao felt a sudden spasm of chill in her chest. A sound of shattering rang in her ears. The tip of Hanlin rested against her brow between her eyebrows. The biting cold made her shiver uncontrollably as her consciousness drifted into darkness.
Blood gushed from her mouth and nose without the slightest sign of turning into Combined Fire, trickling instead down her fair cheeks. Li Xijun stood directly three feet away, his white robes billowing. As Guo Hongyao's vision faded to black, she suddenly realized where she had gone wrong:
*I shouldn't have scrambled to reattach my head... I should have put distance between us first...*
Watching her slowly close her eyes, Li Xijun reversed his sword and sheathed it with a crisp click, catching Guo Hongyao as her limp body collapsed.
*So childish, like a youngster with no experience in magical combat... Far too careless. Was it truly the work of a Violet Palace method, or was she simply this foolish to begin with?...*
No matter how out of favor Guo Hongyao had been, the grade of her cultivation method and spells was undeniable. Li Xijun had attained sword origin and possessed the means to slay her, but to dispatch her within a mere few exchanges—sixty percent of the credit belonged to the woman's reckless impetuousness.
The remaining forty percent lay squarely in the third form of the Moon Crescent Sword Scripture—Autumn Moon Listens in Harmony!
In earlier years, Li Xijun had wondered: Moon Crescent Sword Arc was an opening move, often catching opponents off guard, its might already conspicuous during the Qi Refinement stage; Threefold Moonstream was nimble and luminous, capable of driving enemies into frantic disarray; yet in the end, it lacked a move that could finish off an opponent in a single stroke.
When Li Chijing defeated Chi Zhiyun, he had struck him down in a single blow, earning such great renown. Li Yuanjiao had always lamented that descendants could not inherit the sword intent, never having comprehended it until his death. But Li Xijun had broken through to sword origin at the brink of life and death, his sword cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds. Only upon finally mastering this sword strike did he realize the true purpose behind Threefold Moonstream.
These three flowing beams could obstruct the enemy and were difficult to dispel, buying time for Autumn Moon Listens in Harmony. More importantly, as long as the three streams hovered beside the foe, once Autumn Moon Listens in Harmony was unleashed, the three moonstreams followed in close succession, uniting three into one while striking separately at the three mansions—Shengyang, Qihai, and Juque. Its power was terrifying.
Now that this sword had been loosed, the woman's three mansions of Shengyang, Qihai, and Juque had been extinguished simultaneously, ending her life in a single strike. Li Xijun was equally astonished by its power, thinking to himself:
*If even Elder Brother took this sword strike out of nowhere from three feet away, I'm afraid he too would be grievously wounded, if not slain...*
Li Xijun dared not dwell on it. With all three of Guo Hongyao's mansions extinguished in his arms, a heaven-and-earth anomaly was on the verge of manifesting. When that happened, the man from Chijiao Island would surely detect it. He hurriedly used his magic power to shroud her corpse, frost and snow creeping over her body to buy as much time as possible.
Not daring to delay, he hastily gathered her blood with one hand while pressing the other against his storage bag, turning his palm upward to reveal a golden talisman.
The "Transformation" shamanic talisman!
Chapter 635