"Whoosh!"
Golden flames poured down, spreading along the golden body. Chiluo's protective treasure light had been shattered by the lethal light of Mingyang; he barely caught a breath, and the meager glow he had just rekindled was incinerated clean by the scorching true fire, eliciting a wretched roar from him.
Li Ximing used Shangyao Subduing Light to ward off the pressing pagoda, but Yetian Gate flickered erratically from the blast of the enemy's treasure implement. He hastily brought it down to shield himself. The other two Lianmin had already charged before him, poised to slam into Yetian Gate before it could recover.
Right at that moment, Li Ximing's palm once again revealed that golden, radiant disc carved with runes of the eight directions!
The three-eyed Lianmin reacted fastest, discarding the treasure implement in his hand almost instantaneously and retreating a step to shield himself with magic power. The sword-wielding Lianmin, however, had no time to react at all and could only brace himself and crash headlong into the divine ability with all his might, setting off a blast of celestial light.
Yet the Chongyang Governing Star Treasure Plate in Li Ximing's hand did not light up in the slightest; he was merely holding it out—how could he possibly have the divine ability magic power left to activate this precious spiritual implement right now!
"Cough, cough..."
Yet what made a Lianmin formidable was their heavy bulk, and what made them clumsy was also their heavy bulk. In the end, the sword-wielding Lianmin's gamble had actually paid off. Yetian Gate dissolved into dispersing celestial light. Li Ximing's vision went dark for an instant; his divine abilities dimmed, leaving him looking even frailer. Fortunately, at least one of his opponents had pulled back his strike. Li Ximing touched his waist, and a Xuanque Heart-Channeling Medicine had already dropped into his mouth.
Even though Li Ximing had not suffered any catastrophic wounds, having his divine ability magic power drained by the Chongyang Governing Star Treasure Plate, forcibly using his divine ability again, and being blasted by his foe's desperate gamble had already thrown his divine ability and magic power into disarray, leaving his celestial light faint and thin.
Yet Chiluo across from him was in no better state. A Lianmin was still just a Lianmin, after all. Battered in succession by the lethal light of Mingyang, the Yetian Gate divine ability, and the Violet Palace spiritual fire, more than half of the runes covering his body had burned away. Half blackened, half golden, he cut a thoroughly miserable figure.
Seeing that his two companions had reached this point and still failed to shatter their opponent's divine ability, Chiluo was almost driven to furious laughter. If even one of the remaining two Lianmin had possessed a shred of experience, it wouldn't have come to this... If these three had been replaced by a single Five-Eyed Lianmin from the Golden Lotus seat, Li Ximing would already be severely wounded!
Chiluo had never underestimated Li Ximing from start to finish, but he had known nothing of the Chongyang Governing Star Treasure Plate, taking that strike practically undefended. Right now, chaotic celestial light still coursed wildly inside him, while true fire raged across the surface of his body. His eyes bloodshot, he barked:
"Fools! Shine your treasure light on him!"
Sure enough, just from those two brief glances earlier, Chiluo had already discerned the flaw in Geng Earth Spiritual Absorption. Hearing his shout, the three-eyed Lianmin immediately gathered white light between his brows, while the sword-wielding Lianmin moved forward on his own initiative, resolved not to give Li Ximing any breathing room.
Li Ximing cursed inwardly. Ganshan Mysterious Screen flared up, already showing signs of exhaustion. He countered with the Solar Yingli Technique, but as the sword-wielding Lianmin closed in, the advantages of a golden body became apparent—he remained a genuine threat and held Li Ximing at bay. Although Li Ximing's divine ability magic power was rapidly recovering as he regulated his breathing, it was ill-advised to summon a divine ability to suppress him in the short term.
Seeing the white light between Pingling's brows growing ever more concentrated, Li Ximing was forced to shift his gaze and assess the overall state of the battlefield.
He did not know what trump card Kuiqi had brought out, but black qi was spewing forth and heavy gray mist masked his face. He had fought Pijia to a draw, yet he could not free up a hand anytime soon.
Chen Yin was faring even worse under Daixi's techniques. His Fushui divine ability seemed firmly contained by the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl; had it not been for a sharp, chilling blade that inspired wariness, he likely would have suffered injuries already.
As for Master Naluo, he was truly unreliable, just as Kuiqi had warned. He was tangled up with three Lianmin who lacked a leader from the Golden Lotus seat like Chiluo, yet they traded blows back and forth with him. Whether it was due to subpar divine abilities or holding back strength, he failed to achieve anything of note.
A look around revealed no good news whatsoever. Instead, the Eight-Spoke Dharma Wheel hovering in midair flickered erratically, and unexpectedly, a golden body leaped out from within it.
This golden body was exceptionally imposing, a whole size larger than Chiluo's, gleaming with brilliant light. His facial expression was ferocious, and in his hands he gripped two blackened, shattered cudgels.
"What!"
Li Ximing was startled. The three before him had already forced him onto the defensive; if another arrived, his life would be in grave jeopardy. But when his spiritual sense swept over the newcomer, his brows furrowed slightly in mixed joy and worry.
As it turned out, this fellow appeared to have been a fierce Lianmin originally, but right now he was covered in flames and screaming in agony. The fire coiled in layer upon layer, displaying the dual polarity colors of indigo-green and lustrous blue as it clung to his golden body.
The moment he saw these flames, Chiluo nearly jumped out of his skin, his face darkening. Others could see it clearly, and how could Li Ximing fail to recognize it? He had wielded this very flame himself—it was Tinglan's Measureless Water-Fire!
Li Ximing was both glad and worried. He was glad because after the disruption they had caused, Tinglan's situation inside did not seem bad; he was worried because now that this burly Lianmin had appeared, he was in deep trouble.
This fellow looked somewhat haggard, but surveying the battlefield and suddenly spotting the man in white-and-gold robes, he froze for an instant before riding the wind, dissolving into a drift of golden sand that surged forward.
'He actually knows movement techniques... completely different from Chiluo...'
A chill ran down the back of Li Ximing's neck. Unable to wait to adjust his magic power, he summoned his divine abilities. With fierce eyes, he blasted Shangyao Subduing Light alongside Violet Palace true fire, reawakening his divine ability and suppressing the turmoil churning within his body. Mingyang rose high, and he finally sat enthroned within it once more.
Yet before Yetian Gate had even stabilized, that ray of treasure light came darting through. Though Pingling was not very strong, achieving the status of Lianmin meant he still had discernment; he had waited for the precise moment Li Ximing raised his divine ability to strike with the treasure light.
However, the Chongyang Governing Star Treasure Plate in Li Ximing's hand had already lit up. A thick outer ring of white runes spun and split into four circular bands of runes, the outermost shifting from bright to dark. Holding the treasure plate inverted, four specks of golden radiance separated once more. Though not as dazzling as before, they formed an inverted configuration with Shangyao above and Yangji below!
The bright light in the sky converged instantly. Yetian Gate dissolved into drifting iridescent clouds, sparkling across the heavens. Four bright stars trailing golden light arose as the celestial light gathered and receded, casting the surroundings into gloom until it felt almost like a night sky.
The treasure light shooting from between Pingling's brows was intercepted by these four golden stars. In just a single breath's tremor, the four bright stars shattered with a thunderous crash:
"Clang!"
Water-like celestial light poured downward. Though far less oppressive than the lethal light of Mingyang, it carried a clarifying aura that spread in all directions, coiling and binding. It not only forced the burly Lianmin who had dissolved into golden sand out of midair, but also caused all four of them to freeze simultaneously.
Li Ximing flickered for an instant not far away. Before he could unleash Yetian Gate, he sensed something. His gaze sharpened, and he quietly watched the world before him.
A small, eight-pointed snowflake twirled in the air, gently drifting down.
Raising his eyes slightly, he saw that snow was already tumbling over the entire mountain range, gradually draping it in plain white. Li Ximing was initially terrified, his mind going blank for a brief moment, but he quickly realized:
'There is no pine fragrance! Thank goodness there is no pine fragrance...'
Yet on Mount Xiaoshi, all the divine ability experts looked up in unison, their expressions shifting. The Eight-Spoke Dharma Wheel suspended in the sky finally buckled under the unbearable strain, emitting creaking groans. In an instant, the chill across Mount Xiaoshi deepened drastically, and bitter winds howled.
The Eight-Spoke Dharma Wheel dimmed to the extreme as white snow surged violently from it, the speed of its eruption climbing at a terrifying pace. In a flash, it was like an avalanche, transforming within the swirling snow into a pillar of snow-white light that pierced the heavens, accompanied by a mournful snap:
"Crack!"
The scattering brilliance was suppressed and dispersed in all directions. A sky-soaring killing intent, condensing extreme cold qi, surged out from the snow. In the heavens, countless iridescent clouds gathered, and a golden body towered into view, revealing a noble dharma body densely packed with innumerable eyes.
"Zhelu!"
This foremost figure beneath the Kongwu Path Dharmakaya, who had achieved the Turbid Emptiness Mohe Immeasurable Power and sat in the Kongwu Buddhist Land where mandarava blossoms rained down, displayed magnificent grandeur the moment he manifested. Clearly, he had not suffered the slightest injury. He illuminated an endless rain of lotus blossoms, followed closely by the manifestation of one Lianmin golden body after another.
Beneath Zhelu's golden body, set against the white snow, was a tiny purple pavilion. A fairy maiden cloaked in falling snow furrowed her brows, blood at the corner of her lips, holding a sword pointed toward the open sky.
This sword was snow-white throughout. Its blade was long, while its hilt was short, square, and exceedingly austere, barely half a finger thicker than the blade itself. Its body was etched with patterns of Mysterious Snow and Taiyin Ascending into the Cosmos, its flat inscribed with scenes of autumn turning to winter and heaven and earth in harmonious communion. As its radiance alternated, a soaring killing intent rose naturally from it!
'A Violet Palace spiritual sword!'
Seeing this spectacle, how could Li Ximing fail to guess the sword's origin?
'It is Qingchi Sect's renowned Daxue Juefeng! It must carry special measures—she must have broken the formation by surprise with this sword!'
Back when Daxue Juefeng showed its might, the Li family was not even at Lake Wangyue, and who knew which corner of the world their ancestors had been residing in. At that time, Daxue Juefeng did not yet bear this name, yet it was already known as the Qingchi Sect Master's ultimate trump card, one of the world's few celebrated spiritual swords. It was said that after the turmoil of Lake Wangyue, it gained immense benefits and acquired countless wonders, thereby earning the name Daxue Juefeng!
Even by the time the Li family rose to prominence, Daxue Juefeng had not appeared in the world for untold years, yet its legend still circulated across the lands of Wu and Yue, renowned even among rogue cultivators.
This was the first time Li Ximing had ever seen this spiritual sword. Observing the soaring killing intent and spiritual snow, he knew this spiritual implement was extraordinary—quite possibly the greatest spiritual implement he had ever laid eyes on. Yet he was no lover of swords and did not lose himself in admiration. Seeing more and more Lianmin appearing around them in varying conditions, he immediately looked back.
In the midst of this chaos, he indeed saw Chiluo's eyes glowing, burning with eager excitement. The Lianmin's gaze swept across and caught sight of a golden body descending through the snow. This figure had three eyes on his face and two on his chest, with numerous arms arranged in the shape of a lotus. The aura of empowerment clinging to him was exceptionally powerful; judging by his aura, he seemed even stronger than Chiluo by a notch!
His eyes gleaming, Chiluo roared:
"Five-Eyed! Join me at once to surround and slay this Wei-Li remnant!"
The current situation was glaringly obvious. Now that the Huixu Demon-Subduing Grand Formation was broken and the various Violet Palace masters were present, Tinglan and Qiuhu possessed Measureless Water-Fire. The Buddhist Mohe dared not press them too hard, lest mortal danger prompt them to unleash their Taiyang heritage. With the grand formation broken, no matter how poor a condition the two were in, making their escape would not be difficult.
And right now, to these Lianmin, the most valuable and softest target to squeeze was none other than Li Ximing!
The Five-Eyed Lianmin, whose wondrous hands behind him formed a lotus, had just landed when he heard Chiluo's roar. He looked up, dumbfounded, and his eyes fell upon Li Ximing in the distance. His heart felt as though struck by lightning, his legs turned to jelly, and he gasped in horror:
'Oh lord... the immortal clan of Lake Wangyue!'
Ever since he was captured by the Immortal Lord last time, Five-Eyed had lived the life of a rat skulking like a thief. Originally, he indulged his every desire on his own turf—hadn't he lived like that for centuries? Now, he couldn't even step out the door, burying his head inside the temple, not even daring to collect rent from the temple tenants!
He knew full well how much wicked karma his disciples and grand-disciples had racked up over the years, and he had manufactured all sorts of excuses to slaughter them, leading everyone beneath him to think he had become erratic and bloodthirsty... Five-Eyed had tossed and turned, racked with ceaseless anxiety:
'Who? Li Ximing? You want me to kill Li Ximing?! You goddamn beast! It's not enough that you seek your own death—you want to drag me down with you!'
Frantic with rage, his heart was a chaotic swirl of conflicting emotions, while his face contorted into a fearsome, glaring scowl. This was genuine, unadulterated fury, but Chiluo assumed he was manifesting his divine ability and that they were on the same page. Chiluo rejoiced:
"Good!"
Li Ximing had noticed him long ago. Taking advantage of the moment when the various Lianmin had just landed and had not yet reacted, and having freed himself under the protection of the Chongyang Governing Star Treasure Plate, his first instinct was to escape immediately into the Great Void!
These Lianmin posed no less of a threat than Chiluo. If they mounted a pincer attack, Li Ximing would not only be injured, but might even be targeted by Daixi and the others. However, most of these Lianmin had been afflicted by Measureless Water-Fire; as long as the flames upon them were not suppressed, they would be barred from the Great Void and could not possibly enter it to deal with him!
Yet just as he slipped into the Great Void, before he even had time to recuperate, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Standing within the Great Void was a middle-aged man in Daoist robes with grizzled hair and beard. He cradled a sword in his arms, his gaze keen as a blade. A black talisman hung at his waist, shrouding him as if in a murky mist, making him nearly undetectable.
'Senior Ling Mei!'
Li Ximing was overjoyed, but he saw that this master of the Sword Sect had none of the polite benevolence from when they had met years ago. With baleful intent in his eyes, he shook his head at Li Ximing, one hand already resting on the sword hilt as he waited in silence.
Just a moment later, a brilliant iridescent light gave chase into the Great Void, crossing the churning depths and swelling violently to reveal a colossal golden body. His horse-like face and pitch-black eyes were extraordinarily terrifying within the Great Void.
It was actually Daixi... Judging by his speed, this had been premeditated!
The iridescent light shone radiantly, mingled with gold. As if possessing eyes of its own, it descended straight toward Li Ximing, revealing within it a demon-subduing lotus densely covered in intricate patterns.
The Three Retributions World-Entering Lotus!
Daixi had endured from start to finish while harboring his own petty calculations. His mind had clearly been set on Li Ximing all along, harboring the desire to eliminate him long ago. Now that the situation had shifted dramatically, this Mohe had not waited for the Lianmin to swarm forward; he had already charged his treasure implement and waited for him in the Great Void!
"Clang!"
At the same time, Ling Mei behind Li Ximing finally sneered and lifted his wrist. Golden qi surged and chilly edges crisscrossed, as if answering the white snow and purple pavilion in the mortal realm. Within the Great Void, a vast, bone-white sword light leaped forth.
The Sword Sect was inherently foremost in offensive power among the Taiyang lineages, and Ling Mei was the preeminent swordsman within the Sword Sect. Though bogged down by worldly affairs in his youth and unable to form sword intent, his sword arts, spells, and divine abilities were all consummate. Who knew how long he had prepared this single sword strike? Li Ximing felt everything before his eyes turn stark white, and a clear, melodious, and resounding sword hum rang in his ears:
"Weng..."
Chapter 863