Mysterious Method

‘Mount Luoxia… How can this even involve Mount Luoxia…’ Thick gray smoke permeated the sea's surface, appearing poised to close in at any moment. Before the lightning could strike, Li Ximing had no time to ponder; he immediately traversed into the Great Void. Due to the fluctuations of lightning perturbing the spiritual qi, the Great Void was already surging and turbulent, rugged peaks rising everywhere amidst rolling waves. Changxiao's voice boomed and echoed in all directions. Li Ximing distinctly felt the tugging pull of the gray smoke. Whether born of a divine ability or a spiritual tool, this gray smoke possessed sealing capabilities as well, though containment was clearly not its specialty. With a fierce wrench, the Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger broke free and bolted away. Changxiao's figure immediately tore through space to enter after him. Spurring his spiritual tool into a furious dash, Li Ximing discreetly produced a Xuanque Heart-Passing Medicine and swallowed it. As his Dharmic body gradually circulated its power, the influence of the Precious Vase Combination Mysterious Method began to wane. But Changxiao smoothly raised the silver plate in his hand, shining it squarely toward him. ‘Undoubtedly another spiritual tool!’ Changxiao had inherited the Douxuan orthodoxy and had been a Violet Palace cultivator for countless years. Whether the lantern, the silver plate, or even the gray smoke outside, each of these formidable spiritual tools caused Li Ximing endless distress. Seeing him take up the silver plate now, Li Ximing's heart turned cold: “Do I escape the Great Void… or withstand it head-on?” Fleeing the Great Void meant facing the thunder outside—likewise fraught with peril. It was merely a choice between Taiyin and lightning! ‘Yet staying in the Great Void offers immense advantages!’ One had to know this was the edge of the Hetian Sea, and further out lay the far reaches of the East Sea's eastern expanse. The further out one went, the thinner the spiritual qi became, no longer abundant like in the Near Sea. Flying through the Great Void would become increasingly efficient—potentially five or even ten times faster! Wavering slightly, Li Ximing ultimately summoned Audience at the Heavenly Gate. Rather than bluffing by thrusting it upward, he applied its blessing to himself. A brilliant white heavenly gate with intricate patterns towered over his head, shedding celestial radiance downward. The glow projected by the silver plate was clear and bright. As it drew near the heavenly gate, what rose first was a thick, sturdy brownish-yellow curtain of light—the Mountain-Driving Mysterious Curtain! The light of Taiyin cascaded down, held at bay for the moment by this luminous veil. Li Ximing breathed a sigh of relief: “Thank goodness it works!” Yet in the very next instant, he realized: ‘Changxiao is not Ye Gui… I cannot shuttle back and forth between the Great Void and the mundane realm. That won't buy me time; it will only walk me straight into his spells!’ What was Changxiao famous for? Manipulating karmic mandates and excelling in divination and calculation! Li Ximing was truly deficient in combat experience. Earlier, when he repeatedly shuttled between the Great Void and the mundane world, Changxiao had read him like an open book. Masterful at prognostication, Changxiao had pinpointed exactly where he would emerge and waited on the other side with divine abilities and spiritual tools already prepared! Earlier, he had suffered two direct hits: a white beam of divine ability and the Precious Vase Combination Mysterious Method. Both struck him head-on as he crossed between the two realms, leaving him no time to defend! He had taken two attacks from a late Violet Palace master head-on; had it been an ordinary Violet Palace cultivator who became suppressed by those arts, their plight would be unimaginable! ‘Even if I must cross… I must burst into the mundane realm unexpectedly, rather than reacting only after another's spells and divine abilities have already been unleashed. Doing that will inevitably be predicted by him… especially against someone as proficient in divination as Changxiao…’ Having momentarily blocked the opponent's spiritual tool, the Taiyin brilliance grew steadily stronger. Li Ximing had learned his lesson: even if the Mountain-Driving Mysterious Curtain struggled to hold, he would under no circumstances cross back into the mundane realm to disrupt the other's spellcasting. ‘No need to even think about it… The lightning outside in the mundane world is surely tracking me. The moment I exit, a bolt of Xuan Thunder will detonate right against my chest! How could there be any room to maneuver?!’ His thoughts flashed. Sunlight radiance and Mingyang purple flames surged from his hands in unison, soaring straight into the Great Void to intercept the diminutive jade bottle flying his way. A resonant crash rang out: *Boom!* Though the two radiances of Taiyang and Mingyang were dazzlingly bright, they were forced downward at a visible rate, steadily pressed back by the jade bottle as it drew nearer. Still, this was far better than having it materialize right in his face without warning, as before. Yet Changxiao's divine ability had already manifested. Layer upon layer of white mist welled up from within the Great Void, turning the entire void into a quagmire. The white mist crept upward along Audience at the Heavenly Gate, seeking to pin this divine ability fast in the Great Void. No matter the tactical clash, Li Ximing merely wanted to buy time; he had no desire to get entangled by a divine ability. Audience at the Heavenly Gate immediately surged upward to ward off the Taiyin light, while the Mountain-Driving Mysterious Curtain plunged downward to obstruct Changxiao's divine ability. While Audience at the Heavenly Gate held firm, the Mountain-Driving Mysterious Curtain proved inferior to the opponent's divine ability. After a brief stalemate, Li Ximing knew well that he could not drag this out as before. Between the Precious Vase Combination Mysterious Method and the Taiyin radiance, he chose the latter without hesitation. Audience at the Heavenly Gate burst with blinding brilliance. In midair, the Taiyang light and Mingyang purple flames detonated violently, temporarily arresting the small bottle's advance. Audience at the Heavenly Gate surged upward at blazing speed, smashing toward Changxiao's face. Meanwhile, Li Ximing spurred the tiger upward, braving the Taiyin light as he hurtled onward, fleeing furiously toward the east. Without Audience at the Heavenly Gate to block it, the Taiyin brilliance darted toward him like a swimming fish, crashing directly against his body. Driving the Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger with all his might, Li Ximing stirred his spiritual sense, and a dusky yellow halo rose from his person. Gen Earth Spiritual Absorption! This marvelous art was likewise an innate property of the Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger. Li Ximing had never once used it from the start, for a simple reason: Gen Earth Spiritual Absorption could reduce damage from forces other than the Twelve Qi and the Fire Virtue. The injuries he had sustained earlier were either from true fire or caught him completely off guard, leaving no opportunity to employ it. Now, wisps of dusky yellow light wrapped around his Dharmic body like threads. When the Taiyin brilliance struck them, its force was immediately diminished by several tenths. It detonated against his Dharmic body, merely scorching open various small and large holes. The injury was neither light nor heavy, comparable to the burns inflicted by Ye Gui's true fire earlier. Yet taking advantage of this brief window, Li Ximing pulled ahead, widening the distance between them for the first time! ‘He learns fast.’ Held back by Li Ximing's divine ability, Changxiao frowned slightly. With his profound cultivation, how could he fail to recognize the Gen Earth radiance enveloping his quarry? With a light wave of his hand, the twelve-cornered luminous lantern tore from the mundane world through the Great Void and returned to his grasp, ready to unleash true fire against him. Witnessing this shook Li Ximing to the core: ‘So out in the mundane realm, there was more than just a storm of lightning lying in wait for me—there was also this lantern's true fire… He had stationed it out there long ago, lying in wait… Had I realized this even a moment later and repeated my mistake, it would have been fatal!’ Yet Changxiao had already assumed a grave expression. Pointing forward with one hand, white flames churned within the Great Void. Before he could even begin incanting, Li Ximing slipped into the mundane realm like an agile fish. The reason was simple: since Changxiao had recalled the lantern, only lightning remained in the mundane world! Shielded by Gen Earth Spiritual Absorption, which had nothing to fear from lightning, if not leave now, then when? The moment Li Ximing stepped out of the Great Void, boundless silver-white lightning indeed materialized before him. Gen Earth Spiritual Absorption blazed brightly, dispersing the lightning strike by strike. Although Gen Earth Spiritual Absorption was far more effective against lightning than against Taiyin, the thunder here had gathered for a long time. Billows of black smoke were blasted from Li Ximing's Dharmic body, yet he remained capable of braving the lightning and hurtling forward at extreme speed. The damage was not even as severe as what the Precious Vase Combination Mysterious Method had inflicted! He waited for Changxiao to escape back into the mundane realm so that he could seize an opportune moment to slip back into the Great Void. Contrary to his expectations, Changxiao did not appear for a long while. As Li Ximing darted through the torrential rain, drums of unease began beating in his heart. Having suffered two setbacks, Li Ximing had swiftly grasped the tricks of the trade. Yet Changxiao possessed a deep, calculating mind; having once fought his way out from among a horde of Violet Palace masters just like Tu Longjian, how could he be the sort of man willing to serve as a whetstone for others? Li Ximing only felt a chill down his spine as an explosion detonated out of thin air beside his ear, carrying the faint murmur of an incantation: “Sangyu Canjiu Mysterious Method.” A deep black streak of light tore out from the Great Void at blinding speed. Unwilling to resign himself to defeat, Li Ximing drove his escape light forward and sped through the deluge, knowing well that he could not duck into the Great Void to evade it. Clenching his teeth, he flew forward, yet the dark beam drew ever closer. “If not for having suffered such a severe blow earlier… I wouldn't be in such a sorry state now!” After a bout of pursuit, the pouring rain showed no sign of letting up. Ahead, silver light intertwined as three silver bottles tore through the air—naturally the Precious Vase Combination Mysterious Method. Having already suffered from it once, Li Ximing could not spare thought for where his foe was. Channeling Gen Earth Spiritual Absorption, a brilliant white heavenly gate with intricate patterns towered into being amidst the torrential rain, pressing downward with supreme majesty to suppress the arts before him. Striking with all his strength, he barely managed to hold the three silver bottles in check. Yet in his pupils, boundless true fire was mirrored—the twelve-cornered luminous lantern ripped through the Great Void and manifested before him! Li Ximing made his choice in a heartbeat: “Gen Earth Spiritual Absorption cannot block true fire!” He had no choice but to unleash Shangyao Fuguang and Mingyang purple flames to suppress the opponent's spiritual tool. The pitch-black Sangyu Canjiu Mysterious Method slammed squarely into his body, erupting in a violent burst of brilliance. In the very next instant, his form vanished from the mundane realm, escaping into the Great Void. Changxiao, however, broke into a smile. ‘The great matter is accomplished!’ Both the Sangyu Canjiu Mysterious Method and the Precious Vase Combination Mysterious Method were profound arts of his Douxuan orthodoxy. The Sangyu Canjiu Mysterious Method was even more ancient. It was neither Dharmic light nor spiritual radiance, but derived from certain immortal arts, emphasizing being struck through sight, struck through sound, and struck through landing. Just now, Li Ximing had witnessed the art with his own eyes, heard the art's name loud and clear, and was ultimately struck by it. He had taken the full brunt of this spell from start to finish—something the Precious Vase Combination Mysterious Method could never compare to! From the Near Sea all the way to the Hetian Sea, Changxiao had never possessed absolute certainty of capturing and slaying him. Although Li Ximing was battered and disheveled, he had not suffered a fundamental injury; his reactions were sharp, and he had even managed to contest him for a time. Had the chase dragged on much longer, Hengzhu would definitely intervene. Yet Changxiao had planned for so long. He had first tested Luoxia's attitude, then probed the dragon clan's stance. Having ensured that nothing was amiss, and having landed his proud profound art, the Sangyu Canjiu Mysterious Method, squarely on his target, he finally felt assured of victory. ‘Mount Luoxia has no intention of protecting him… The dragon clan's territory has also been passed. Earlier, I deliberately made my voice thunderous enough to penetrate deep into the sea, yet not a single soul from the dragon clan came to mediate… That proves the dragon clan won't meddle either.’ ‘When Li Zhouwei received an invitation from a dragon prince years ago, it did not necessarily mean the dragon clan wished to forge ties with the clan as a whole. Seen now, even if they befriended anyone, it was only him alone; the Li family does not fall under the dragon clan's protection.’ ‘Even if the dragon clan did want to protect him, the only ones in the East Sea capable of stopping me are demonic Violet Palace cultivators, who wouldn't dare pay too high a price. And if they let him escape, Mount Luoxia won't remain sitting aloof on high… That might even serve as proof that the dragon clan is meddling with the Mingyang lineage!’ Changxiao had always calculated everything before making a move. At this moment, he spurred the gray smoke and rolling thunder, causing tremors throughout the surroundings. Faintly sensing several demon Violet Palace masters and East Sea Violet Palace cultivators traversing the Great Void to observe from the sidelines, his heart settled even further: ‘Even in the one-in-ten-thousand chance that Li Zhouwei is a covert piece placed by Imperial Sovereign Minghua Huangyuan Who Rules the World, he would not dare save him now… With so many Violet Palace cultivators watching, wouldn't doing so make it blatantly obvious that Li Qianyuan still retains consciousness in secret?’ ‘Although this massive commotion will draw Ziyan and Hengzhu rushing here at once… it is already far too late!’ Listening closely, the man tossed the lantern into the Great Void to let the spiritual tool pursue on its own, while he traversed the mundane realm, flying into the rain right after. After traveling for a short while, he pinched his fingers to divine. Li Zhouwei was exceedingly likely connected to Mount Luoxia, or even to Li Qianyuan. Though Li Ximing appeared ordinary, he too had shown an abnormality earlier—some treasure in his spiritual sense that guarded his clarity of mind. It was not impossible that he held secret ties to Emperor Wei as well. Changxiao, of course, would not grant his foe any chance to turn the tables. Bypassing Li Ximing's destiny and calculating solely the fluctuations of the Great Void, he indeed divined that in the mundane realm not far ahead, Li Ximing, clad in platinum-white robes, was about to tear through the void and emerge. Pinching an incantation seal in his hand, the silver plate behind him leaped into the air as gray smoke and thunder surged. He raised his brows slightly. *Rumble!* Rain poured like a deluge, and thunder crashed, echoing between heaven and earth. In the distance, the Great Void rippled, and Li Ximing indeed broke through the void. Black qi swirled around his Dharmic body, and the Gen tiger beneath him was several tenths slower. Having been struck by the Sangyu Canjiu Mysterious Method, black qi shrouded Li Ximing's Dharmic body, and flames erupted across his entire person, crackling as they burned. His Juque Chamber throbbed with a dull ache, as if jets of black fire were welling up from within. Fortunately, Audience at the Heavenly Gate itself nurtured fire within the Juque Chamber, and with numerous Mingyang purple flames suppressing it, the damage did not appear excessively severe for the moment. Li Ximing discreetly clasped his spiritual tool in his hand and plunged headlong into the dark, torrential rain. Real Person Changxiao recalled the bright lantern and strode forward. Then, hesitating slightly, the movements of his hands came to a halt. He ceased his pursuit, instead raising his head to gaze toward the heavens. Torrential rain poured relentlessly, every raindrop clattering upon the sea surface and splashing up ripple after ripple. Giant waves surged upon the sea, towering toward the horizon. Lightning slithered through the sky like dragons, silver-white fissures tearing across the pitch-black night sky. The lightning in the sky no longer obeyed his commands; instead, it converged relentlessly before him. Purple and white intertwined like a flowing river of liquid thunder, meandering downward with a ferocious, deafening roar. Changxiao's eyes were gradually overcome by the cascading purple and white. His gaze rested coldly upon the lightning in the night sky. The silver plate of Taiyin nature circled clockwise around his body, slowly drifting until it hovered directly in front of his face. *Boom!* A shimmering, silver-white burst of lightning plummeted abruptly from the heavens, striking the silver plate with a piercing drone. Lightning surged frantically, condensing into solid form within a span of three feet, stabbing against the silver plate and searing out patches of black smoke. The front seven inches of this lightning bolt were pointed like a four-sided prism and flat as buckwheat, humming as it pressed against the spiritual tool. The rear portion seemed roughly six feet in length, lightning coiling and gradually transforming into purple-white electricity that flowed backward into the sky. The twelve-cornered luminous lantern in Changxiao's hand was raised slowly, dispelling the burst of lightning that drifted before his eyes. Only then did the lightning before him grow distinct, bit by bit, revealing its true form. It was a silver-white, intricately patterned spear.