Situ Mo was truly no ordinary cultivator. Even after being countered by true fire, suppressed by the Chongming Dongxuan Screen, and letting Ding Weizeng slip away, he still seized a fleeting opportunity in battle to turn the tables.
Li Minggong and Ding Weizeng could not reach him in time. An Siwei managed to trade only three blows before being severely wounded and captured. The next moment, Situ Mo's chilling voice rang out as he barked:
"Assault the mountain!"
Situ Mo unhooked a seal from his waist and tossed it into the air, where it transformed into a stone mountain that bore down upon the Chongming Dongxuan Screen. Li Minggong recognized the stone mountain with a single glance—it was all too familiar, likely a gift presented when Xuanyue and Tangjin had been on friendly terms.
This magical artifact was of no mean grade. The instant it pressed down, Li Minggong's magical power consumption doubled. Situ Mo drew his saber and stood before the two of them, while five figures behind him had already ridden the wind downward, surging toward Funan's main mountain.
Situ Mo's combat experience far surpassed theirs. Though he could do nothing against the two of them, the mountain beneath their feet could not run away. Choosing defense over offense, he used his magical artifact to hold off both Li Minggong and Ding Weizeng single-handedly. A tremendous roar shook the air:
*Rumble!*
The grand formation below shattered in just two exchanges, leaving the Li clan cultivators exposed before the Foundation Establishment cultivators like trembling sheep. Li Minggong's pupils contracted slightly. Situ Mo, holding the gravely wounded An Siwei in his grip, pressed his advantage and shouted:
"Li Minggong! The Fuyun territory can no longer be held! I will release this man if you lead your people back across the river! I swear I will not pursue!"
Li Minggong remained unshaken, the radiance of her magical artifact blazing even brighter. An Siwei gritted his teeth, his face flushing crimson, causing Ding Weizeng and even Situ Mo to pale in shock.
"Are you mad?!"
Hailing from a renowned sect, Situ Mo saw through An Siwei's intent to stake his life in an instant. A flash of golden light surged in Situ Mo's eyes like lightning, striking squarely between An Siwei's brows to hastily scatter the man's magical power.
Yet in that briefest delay, Situ Mo felt an immense, surging force crash into him. The dharma robes on his body lit up on their own as if he had been slammed by something massive. The world spun before his eyes, his figure forced into a rapid retreat, nearly coughing up a mouthful of stifled blood.
Yet his willpower far exceeded that of ordinary men. Even after suffering such an unexpected ambush, he did not release the spell in his grip. Dragging An Siwei along, he came to a stop and looked closely, only to find an extra figure standing where he had just been.
It was a young man in colorful feather robes, with a somewhat rounded face and bright, clear eyes, marred only by fine orange plumes growing densely at his temples—one glance made it clear he was a demon.
"A xiayao?"
He paused briefly. Several figures emerged on Funan's main peak; his own men had already been driven back and were regrouping around him. Situ Mo tossed the captive to his subordinates and suddenly leaned backward. Only then did a pitch-black shadow manifest, slicing across his chin and leaving a trail of dark red blood.
"You fatherless, motherless bastard!"
The slit pupils of a hook snake surfaced from the shadows. Brandishing two black swords, Li Wushao lunged toward Situ Mo's ribs. Situ Mo's feathered robes fluttered as he drifted several paces away, evading the strike. Metallic golden qi surged across his body, coursing along his robes and into his flesh, his long saber gleaming brightly.
Down below, the massive White Ape, having reverted to its true form, joined forces with the flickering, shadowy figure of Li Chenghuai to clash against the cultivators of Tangjin Gate. Across the Fuyun territory, rosy light flashed while true fire and Gengjin interwove in turns, roiling the spiritual atmosphere into turbulent waves. The common folk below stumbled frantically into the woods, curling up on the ground and trembling in terror.
...
The Wilderness.
Compared to the utter chaos in Funan, the Wilderness was far more vast and seemed somewhat quieter. A gold-eyed man sat boldly amid the heavenly light, locked in a standoff with several figures across the river surface before him.
The group from Duxian Dao was shrouded in pale gray mist, with a brown stone stele carved with dense, intricate patterns hovering above their heads.
The leader wore black Daoist robes tied at the waist with a silk sash. The space between his collars was stark silver-white, while jet-black markings were painted on both cheeks. He cradled a Daoist scripture in his hands; though his attire was rather bizarre, it carried a strange aesthetic allure.
With prominent brows and deep-set eyes, he was none other than Guan Gongxiao, the head disciple of Duxian Dao. He possessed late Foundation Establishment cultivation; though he had broken through to the late stage not long ago, he was exceptionally adept in magical arts, practically unmatched within his sect.
The Wilderness stretched far and wide, and as the home ground of Xuanyue and the Li clan, both their communications and defensive strength were far superior. At first, Li Zhouwei had not appeared at the riverbank, and the defenses along the outermost perimeter were sparse, making the area seem somewhat deserted.
However, Guan Gongxiao was no fool either. Instead of charging straight into the heartland, he had first mobilized forces to strike several strategic peaks to ensure a measured advance and retreat. Li Zhouwei had then stepped forward to block him, resulting in this stalemate along the river.
The Wilderness was vast, yet Li Zhouwei refused to scatter Xuanyue's forces. Most areas were manned only by Qi Refinement or even Embryonic Breathing cultivators, with Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed only at critical junctures. Stationed here was Xuanyue's main force: of the Kong clan's fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators in total, nine, led by Fuyuezi, were gathered at this very spot.
The rest were led by Li Zhouwei—Cui Jueyin, Li Wen, Qu Bushi, and Miaoshui, making five people. Together with the Kong clan members and the yet-to-arrive Li Chengkun, they numbered fifteen.
Both sides were well-staffed. On Duxian Dao's side, Guan Gongxiao, Gongsun Baifan, and their peers numbered even more—a full eighteen. This could well be called the greatest battle since the Strife of the South and North.
Li Zhouwei was waiting for Li Chengkun, while Guan Gongxiao was waiting for Tangjin Gate. After they held each other at bay for a few moments, the weather in the east shifted as baleful qi surged to the heavens. Kong Guxi's expression changed drastically.
Li Zhouwei did not even need to ask; an outlying corner of Xuanyue's territory had definitely fallen. Duxian Dao would not commit all its forces here either; they must have sent numerous guest elders to strike from various points.
*The Wilderness is inherently open on all sides and completely exposed. Our family alone could never hold it; the right move is to cede peripheral ground and focus on holding off their main force.*
The tension grew increasingly palpable. Feeling the warmth from the jade pendant at his waist, Li Zhouwei knew that Li Chengkun was mere breaths away. Heavenly light flashed at his brow, and the Shangyao Fuguang erupted outward, shooting straight across the river. From Duxian Dao's side, stone steles immediately rose to block the brilliant beam.
Neither side wasted words. The scene instantly shifted from stillness to motion as colorful surges of magical power erupted everywhere. Li Zhouwei thrust his halberd forward, and the first to meet him was unexpectedly Gongsun Baifan, clad in a coir raincoat!
With resolute eyes, Gongsun Baifan drew his saber and lunged forward. In contrast, Guan Lingdie took a step back, not daring to trade blows with Li Zhouwei, and turned instead toward an easier target, Qu Bushi. Clearly, their clash years ago had left a deep impression on the woman, and now that life-and-death peril loomed at any second in this grand battle, she shrank back immediately.
Gongsun Baifan sought to engage, but Cui Jueyin gave him no chance. The dashing, scholar-like man offered a wry smile, bright steps materializing beneath his feet one after another as he swept Gongsun Baifan into his technique.
With Gongsun Baifan intercepted, Guan Gongxiao's gaze shot over like an arrow. The Daoist scripture in his hand flipped open without any wind. Facing the lunging halberd, vast torrents of river water surged from the scripture, swirling and dancing beneath his feet.
Li Zhouwei's heavenly light shone down, piercing into Guan Gongxiao's eyes. To Guan Gongxiao, the man before him showed nothing extraordinary aside from those golden pupils. He sneered inward:
"Let's see just what makes you, the White Qilin, so fearsome!"
Chapter 726