"Fellow Daoists!"
No sooner had he spoken than a figure stepped out from the Great Void. He had a full head of gray hair and was clad in black robes adorned with tens of thousands of brown circular markings of varying sizes. They resembled eyes, faintly gleaming with dark light within the Great Void.
Evidently, this was Real Person Luo, who had been mentioned earlier.
He first bowed to Kuiqi with a very respectful expression and said with a smile, "Greetings, my lord!"
Kuiqi gave a cold, stiff nod. Luo then turned to Chen Yin, clearly far more familiar with him, and said with a chuckle, "Not having seen you for so many years, your cultivation has advanced once again, Fellow Daoist!"
Unlike Kuiqi, Chen Yin smiled amiably. Only then did Real Person Luo turn to Li Ximing. The eye-like patterns covering his robes fluttered as he said with great warmth, "And this must be the renowned Real Person Zhaojing! I have long heard tales of your exploits. Truly remarkable!"
One does not strike a smiling face, so Li Ximing responded with polite courtesy. Finding the man’s garments somewhat eerie, he refrained from staring directly at them. Just then, Kuiqi's cold voice sounded in his ear via a divine ability transmission:
*Zhaojing, this Luo fellow also hails from the State of Yue, but he is no good sort. He consorts with demonic beasts in the Southern Border and rules over the Wu State. Year after year, every promising barbarian cultivator there gets refined into his robes... Be on your guard...*
*There is no need to worry about him defecting to the Buddhists, though. The demon kings loathe them to the bone, and he has slain Lianmin himself. Just keep your dealings with him to a minimum.*
Only then did Li Ximing understand where that unsettling feeling came from. Observing a bit more closely, this Real Person Luo appeared to be of Shanyue descent.
*He shares the exact same disposition as Fu Daimu back on the lake, who refined the Human Head Mountain... Chen Yin dared invite him here... It seems Chen Yin must hold some leverage over him.*
Small wonder Kuiqi looked so frigid. Wearing such a Dharma robe, how could Kuiqi possibly give him a warm reception? It was likely only because Luo targeted the barbarians of the Southern Border that Kuiqi did not harbor outright hostility... Otherwise, Kuiqi might well have drawn his blade to strike him down on the spot.
*This fellow truly is... dancing on the edge of someone else’s blade...*
Brushed off by Kuiqi’s icy demeanor, Real Person Luo remained smiling, his warmth impeccably maintained. Once Kuiqi finished the divinations in his hands, a hazy veil of multicolored light indeed surfaced from the Great Void, as though a black cloth were being peeled away to reveal a stretch of gold beneath.
Taking one look, Luo understood and said in a low voice, "It is the Huixu Demon-Subduing Grand Formation. Zhelu himself is suppressing within it. It must be held at bay by either the Purple Seat Muling Pavilion or the Rain-Watching Treasure Cauldron.
"This grand formation is presided over by a Mohe and assisted by magical artifacts, allowing it to conceal itself within the Great Void. Yet its formation eye remains in the mortal realm, holding several people pinned down; shaking it will suffice."
He reeled off two treasures in a single breath. Li Ximing recalled that Tinglan also possessed the Shangxiang Pot and the Measureless Water-Fire. If those two were brought out, even a Mohe would likely have to yield ground. No wonder the man before them showed no sign of worry.
The light in Kuiqi's hands receded, and he turned to instruct them, "Those of you gathered here are under the protection of my magical artifact. As long as you remain still, those below cannot divine the presence of anyone in the Great Void. When the timing is right, make your move!"
Beneath their feet, the rain over Mount Xiaoshi subsided, revealing traces of multicolored Pure Land ground. Kuiqi said softly, "Wait for me to go first!"
His figure materialized over Mount Xiaoshi. The golden light trembled slightly, and before anything else could happen, a horse-headed Mohe leapt out from within, grinning broadly to reveal large, bright white buckteeth as he called out, "Fellow Daoist Kuiqi! Just whom have you brought with you?!"
Li Ximing and the other two held their ground, remaining motionless within the Great Void. Li Ximing fixed his gaze upon him, musing silently:
*So this is Daixi... our family's blood nemesis.*
Sure enough, the moment Daixi appeared, Kuiqi's expression turned fierce. He raised the Dahe Kui Bronze Sword, saying not a single word.
Resonant booms echoed from the Great Void as four golden-bodied Lianmin emerged, each wielding magical implements. Chen Yin rose with his sword and vanished.
Below, Daixi's smile froze. His two horse ears immediately perked up to listen. Suddenly, a flash of silver flared, and a slender sword pierced through the void, bursting out behind his head with fierce, biting sword brilliance.
"Chen Yin!"
Without a second thought, Daixi expanded his Dharma body rapidly in midair. Abandoning his cross-legged posture, he took flight on multicolored light, his purplish-black alms bowl gleaming as he sought to intercept the blade.
Yet Chen Yin was no ordinary cultivator. The slender sword lightly tapped against the bowl, and the sound of surging waters arose between heaven and earth. The Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl emitted an intense hum as a torrential downpour of white rain descended, causing his Dharma body to sizzle with strange crackles.
Daixi instantly pulled back, raising the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl to catch and gather the celestial waters while raising his staff to parry Chen Yin's sword techniques. Doubts raced through his mind:
*Isn't Chen Yin in the Southern Border... engaged in a tense standoff with Real Person Zhusheng over magical artifacts? Changxiao Gate hasn't made a move, so how dares the Chen clan cross the river?!*
Kuiqi did not fear Daixi, but Daixi also possessed the confidence to handle him.
Mohe Zhelu had stated long ago that Real Person Yushui, Chen Yin, was on friendly terms with Hengzhu and had no reason to intervene. Moreover, embroiled in disputes with Real Person Zhusheng of Shahuang State in the Southern Border and facing pressure from Real Person Luo, he had every excuse to decline. How could he possibly cross the river?
The Sword Sect was conservative; although an outlier like Ling Mei had emerged, taking action was still fraught with obstacles. Only Li Ximing held an unyielding stance, but unfortunately he had been driven away to the East Sea. With Changxiao nowhere to be found, how could they dare show their faces?
That was why Daixi had been left outside the formation to meet incoming foes. Now that Chen Yin had abruptly surfaced, Daixi knew things had gone terribly wrong. Urgently calling for reinforcements, he shouted, "Stop him, quickly!"
The four Lianmin nearby froze.
Fending off Zhugong had been easy enough, but was Kuiqi on the same level as Zhugong? It was not merely a matter of possessing two more divine abilities... All of Zhugong's assets combined were not worth a single one of his magical artifacts!
Moreover, Kuiqi was a Real Person of Great Xiukui Abbey. His methods went far beyond simple physical slaughter. Xiukui was known as one of the Three Binggu Shaman Paths; fighting him carried the real risk of having both body and soul annihilated!
Yet since the Mohe had given the order, how could the four refuse? They had no choice but to brace themselves and advance, though each looked more timid than the last, appearing ready to sever their own Dharma bodies and flee at any moment.
Sure enough, cold light flickered in Kuiqi's eyes. Certain that Daixi still had hidden reserves, he was in no hurry to call upon Li Ximing and the others. Instead, he stood poised with the Dahe Kui Bronze Sword and slashed forward.
At the same time, a sweeping tempest of black wind surged, shredding the multicolored light atop the four Lianmin's golden bodies into disarray. Concurrently, a black chain descended from midair, striking swiftly like a venomous serpent lying in wait in the dark night.
A chill ran down the four's necks. The old Lianmin leading them had long since fled back to the Pure Land, leaving the rest completely at a loss. Only the six-armed Lianmin with the highest combat prowess roared and braced at the front, only to be bound and hauled aloft by the black chain, temporarily trapped in midair.
The bronze blade of the Dahe Kui Bronze Sword flickered within the gray wind. A low shout rang out:
"Freeze!"
A point of cold glint flared within the black wind. The remaining three Lianmin retreated one faster than the next. Real Person Kuiqi's form dispersed and reconvened, bursting forward in a sudden assault.
A massive hand materialized from the black wind, seizing a golden-bodied Lianmin by the throat. The Dahe Kui Bronze Sword, held in his other hand, plunged straight down into the opponent's crown, then twisted violently as if butchering a sacrificial beast!
No one knew what manner of divine ability he had invoked, but the Lianmin let out a heart-wrenching, agonizing roar. Kuiqi’s expression remained unfaltering, the whites of his eyes expanding:
"A Lianmin cultivated for a mere few decades, leading three newly elevated wastes, actually dares obstruct my path! Do you truly think yourselves beneath the lotus seats of the likes of Nuzi and Minghui?!"
Zhugong lacked experience fighting the Northern Buddhists, but how could Kuiqi? He went all out from the very start, unleashing two magical artifacts and three divine abilities simultaneously!
He kept a firm grip on the Dahe Kui Bronze Sword, letting the Lianmin howl in bone-deep torment, unable to move while bound by the rushing black chain. The other three looked on in terror as Kuiqi sneered, "The clever one sacrificed himself early and returned to the Pure Land to avoid facing my Dahe Kui Bronze Sword... Only the four of you were foolish and clumsy enough to wait for death!"
The weight of these words was immense. Not only did the remaining three Lianmin choke with dread, but even Daixi's expression shifted. Hearing this, the Lianmin pinned beneath the Dahe Kui Bronze Sword was utterly broken by pain and terror. Rather than wait for death, what mattered more than preserving his life? Countless golden rays and fissures fractured across his golden body.
*Rumble!*
Treasure light soared into the sky and diffused through the billowing smoke, displaying a splendid, multicolored array. Kuiqi, however, had already used a movement divine ability to pull back. Coughing twice, he laughed heartily and spat, "Fool!"
The path of Xiukui was bizarre and occult, but it lacked many true one-hit-kill techniques in open combat. In this manner, Kuiqi saved his trump cards. The remaining three Lianmin, oblivious to the truth and frightened out of their wits, hesitated in unison, allowing him to raise his sword and strike toward the golden light.
*Boom!*
A single sword strike shook the golden light violently, as though disturbing some massive entity. Vaguely, descending radiant beams appeared atop the firmament, accompanied by drifting clouds—evidently alerting those within the formation.
Daixi's face turned exceedingly grim. He could only shout at the top of his lungs, "Pijia!"
Following his call, a shaft of multicolored light finally descended from midair. Illusions of diverse men and women seated opposite one another flickered faintly, accompanied by the roaring sounds of wolves tearing into one another. A golden body dropped from within. Half of its face was filled with hatred and envy, while the other half looked desolate and forlorn, striking dread into all who beheld it.
*Pijia of the Great Desire Path...*
Kuiqi finally turned solemn, fixing a cold gaze upon the golden body before him.
During the North-South Conflict, Daixi beside him was only in his second reincarnation. With the Kongwu Path benefiting from that war, many years had passed, and he had now reached the third reincarnation, proving quite troublesome.
He could hold off a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator. The one before them, having undergone five reincarnations, was vastly stronger. That half-face gazed over, its voice buzzing sonorously:
"Fellow Daoist Kuiqi! I have no desire to meddle in this affair, nor will we endanger the lives of you two Real Persons... It is merely to prevent divine abilities from ravaging Jiangbei and causing needless slaughter. If you withdraw now, it would be an act of virtue and blessing..."
Hearing this, Kuiqi understood.
Pijia clearly did not wish to get overly entangled. Back then, Ziyan and Qingchi had joined forces to seize his Qiwang Xuantian Ting, and now he had come chasing karma. Had Kuiqi crossed the Purple Threshold, wielding four divine abilities along with his array of magical artifacts, Pijia would have turned and fled without hesitation... But since the foe possessed enough power to suppress him, he had stepped forward...
Yet Kuiqi merely sneered and shook his head, raising the Dahe Kui Bronze Sword as he said casually, "I have never tested the divine abilities of a five-reincarnation Mohe! Today, I shall seek some instruction!"
At this moment, Kuiqi had no choice but to stall Pijia. After all, only he was capable of contending against this five-reincarnation Mohe... He began to feel fortunate that he had not revealed himself right at the start.
Had they appeared together, the enemy would surely have dispatched this Mohe to deal with Chen Yin, allowing Daixi to pin Kuiqi down, which would have spelled immense trouble! Fortunately, by seizing the initiative, they had avoided the worst-case scenario...
*The Chen clan is on good terms with Hengzhu, so reasonably speaking, Pijia is unwilling to incur too much enmity and karma... Thus, he will only focus on me... But one must always guard against the unexpected.*
With somber eyes, he summoned his magical artifacts.
Seeing this, Daixi disengaged from Chen Yin's sword brilliance, gradually gaining the upper hand as he sneered, "The fellow surnamed Lin is nothing special after all!"
Kuiqi said nothing, but a flicker of golden light appeared as a small beast-bone blade descended sinisterly from the Great Void, slamming into the golden light and kicking up a blast wave.
Simultaneously, a man in white-and-gold Daoist robes emerged, heavenly light shining brightly at his brow. A dazzling, blindingly white Shangyao Subduing Light, trailing intense purple flames, shot through the Great Void and struck the golden light with immense force.
*Hum!*
The golden light wavered erratically. Only then did the three Lianmin scramble forward, just in time to see a gray-haired man clad in a dark robe dotted with a thousand eyes materialize. Holding a small white jade hammer, he followed closely behind, striking the pommel of the bone blade with a crisp *ding*.
*Clang!*
Real Person Luo did have genuine skill; the golden light immediately destabilized, revealing its original form—an eight-spoked Dharma wheel, entirely golden, hollow in the center, and studded with various gems.
Yet this hammer strike seemed to disturb something. A chorus of chanting resonated from the Great Void, and three golden-bodied Lianmin emerged from the formation. The leader bore an eye at the center of his brow, exuding considerable majesty. All wore placid expressions as they shouted:
"Impudent demon!"
A seasoned demon like Real Person Luo would never let himself suffer such a loss. Fully prepared, he transformed into a swirl of gray wind the moment the blow landed, causing the three Lianmin to strike empty air.
Li Ximing was farther away. Seeing three golden bodies suddenly leap out, he immediately rode the light and withdrew, purple flames following him to block the encroaching treasure light.
Daixi, possessing spare capacity while clashing with Chen Yin, observed the battlefield. Catching sight of a Mingyang cultivator emerging, his heart surged with shock and bewilderment as he cried out in horror:
"Li Ximing!"
*He has returned from overseas! Where is Changxiao?!*
The expressions of the three Lianmin shifted almost simultaneously. Three golden bodies with seven eyes all snapped toward him, filled with astonishment and a flicker of greed. In unison, they abandoned the gray wind and surged toward Li Ximing.
"Remnant of the Wei and Li, clinging to a pitiful existence, how dare you venture north? Die!"
Daixi kept close track of the situation. Real Person Luo's appearance had left his jaw hanging, and enlightenment finally dawned on him:
*Damn it! This bunch of immortal cultivators truly knows how to put on an act!*
Fortunately, the retreating Real Person Luo was intercepted by their own Lianmin, allowing the Mohe to breathe a sigh of relief. He then turned to look at Li Ximing. Yet unlike the delight of the three Lianmin, Daixi's heart turned cold the moment he saw their behavior.
*He cultivates Yetianmen... Lianmin are cumbersome to begin with, yet these three fools who haven't even attained the Wisdom Seat... actually charge headlong into his face!*
*Forget it... Even if they cannot gain the upper hand, stalling that Mingyang barrier will suffice...*
On his side, Li Ximing was fighting Lianmin for the first time and could not gauge the true depth of those pursuing him. He merely flicked his sleeves, riding light and flame. Heavenly radiance surged at his brow, and the Shangyao Subduing Light flared once again.
The brilliant Shangyao Subduing Light did not strike toward the three-eyed Lianmin in the center. Instead, shifting slightly, it plummeted like a streak of shooting light toward the Lianmin lagging a step behind, forcing him to raise his sword in defense.
*Hiss!*
Flames burst and shattered. The Shangyao Subduing Light, honed by Li Ximing over many years, struck the side edge of the opponent's Dharma sword. Deflected slightly, it did not dissipate as it once would have; instead, it ricocheted and shot toward his face.
The Lianmin barely had time to close his eyes and dip his head, taking the Shangyao Subduing Light on his cheek. The bright white radiance pierced his left cheek, melting a finger-sized hole right through.
Glancing at the result, Li Ximing felt a bit more confident.
*It's hard to say about the leader, but the two flanking him are cumbersome and lack the augmentation of Purple Mansion divine abilities. Aside from their firmer Dharma bodies, they are inferior even to Fuxia back on the lake!*
In Li Ximing's eyes, these so-called golden bodies were merely slightly stronger than Purple Mansion cultivators who specialized solely in technique divine abilities, roughly comparable to himself. If his Wrathful Manifestation had not perished, Fuxia would have been considered an elite among Lianmin, so these ones naturally could not compare.
With his confidence bolstered, he raised his hand. A round bead materialized in his palm, carved with patterns of a tiger looking back—the Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger.
A gentle, threadlike brownish-yellow glow emerged instantly, standing before him like an ornamental screen just in time to meet the short club hurtling from the three-eyed Lianmin!
*Thud!*
The Mountain-Driving Mysterious Screen had been of little use against Changxiao, but facing this Lianmin, it finally held firm. Though its radiance dimmed, it managed to withstand the blow.
Li Ximing seized the moment to press two fingers before his lips, channeling his divine ability flames. Seeing his posture, how could the foes allow him to unleash his arts unhindered? One after the other, they swung their weapons downward.
The Mountain-Driving Mysterious Screen parried another sword strike before finally shattering. As the final golden hammer struck with immense force, Li Ximing tapped the heavenly light to dodge slightly. A thin, pale-yellow film seemed to coat his body, deflecting the magical implement. Aside from a slight ache in his wrist, he suffered no harm!
It was precisely the second wonder of the Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger—the Gen Earth Spiritual Reception!
Li Ximing stoked the flames, parting his lips slightly to exhale a stream of fire.
Blazing red on the outside and white-gold within, the flame moved with startling speed, blossoming rapidly in the air before unfurling into gold, sweeping across like an interwoven whip of gold and scarlet.
The Purple Mansion spiritual flame—the Three Hou Shuxuan Fire!
The three Lianmin leaped back at once. Though the hammer-wielding one had struck Li Ximing, he was half a beat slower as a consequence. The Three Hou Shuxuan Fire crashed against his warhammer first, engulfing it swiftly and kicking up a shower of sparks that rained down upon the arm of his golden body.
"Aargh!"
A howling shriek rang out. The Lianmin reappeared nearby, his arm burnt with holes of various sizes by the thoroughly golden flames—the larger ones the size of longan fruit, the smaller ones resembling dense black dots that squirmed continuously.
How could the three fail to recognize it? They realized at once:
"Careless! A Purple Mansion flame... It's a True Fire!"
A True Fire was not a Combined Fire or a Lihuo after all; it could not corrode like maggots clinging to bone, nor did it linger indefinitely. Hence, the wounds it inflicted were easier to heal. Yet it specialized in instantaneous burst power, dealing formidable damage. Even the engravings on the golden hammer he had used to block were blurred from the burn, visibly diminishing its might.
"This..."
It was beyond Li Ximing's expectations, and a complex wave of emotions welled within him.
In his previous battles after reaching the Purple Mansion realm, his opponents had either been mid-stage Purple Mansion Real Persons with three divine abilities or late-stage Great Real Persons who had crossed the Purple Threshold, every one of them an inheritor of Douxuan. They had battered him so severely that he had scrambled for his life, barely surviving!
Now, having obtained spiritual flames, advanced his cultivation, and gathered formidable trump cards, he had returned to battle these Lianmin who were inferior even to early Purple Mansion cultivators. The sheer contrast astonished him, instantly filling him with newfound confidence as his eyes lit up.
*If the Three Hou Shuxuan Fire is already like this, what of Jinhui Chengyan? What of Congyu Binghuo, which even the Jiuqiu lineage sought to obtain back then...?*
Li Ximing paused in brief surprise, but he would not let the opportunity slip. Stepping forward, the radiance at his brow flared once again!
The three-eyed Lianmin frowned slightly, clearly finding him troublesome. The squinting eye at the center of his brow snapped open, projecting a beam of golden light to meet the heavenly radiance from Li Ximing's brow. Swinging his short club with both remaining hands, he shouted:
"Form the array!"
The other two hurriedly exhaled, treading on multicolored clouds as they took up positions. Li Ximing still held the Chongyang Star-Governing Treasure Plate in reserve, leaving his composure rock-solid. Interwoven purple and golden flames flared simultaneously in his hands.
The Solar Yingli Technique!
This was an art Li Jiangqian had acquired through inheritance; rarely did the Li family possess a better technique. Having mastered it himself, Li Ximing unleashed radiant Lihuo light to deflect their spells, while the brownish-yellow Mountain-Driving Mysterious Screen lit up around him once again.
Yet the three-eyed Lianmin showed no panic. All three opened their mouths together, spewing a swirling storm of golden sand.
How could Li Ximing fear such a move? Spiritual fire refined metal; unless these monks could spit out Purple Mansion-grade metallic essence, what could withstand a True Fire? The Three Hou Shuxuan Fire blossomed anew, circling before him to keep the golden sand at bay.
Manipulating the heavenly light and purple flames, Li Ximing hurled them once more toward the hammer-wielding Lianmin.
Unexpectedly, treasure light surged around that Lianmin. Though dispelled by the heavenly light, and though the crashing purple fire scorched his abdomen until it was soaked in golden blood, he stood unwavering, continuing to spew golden sand.
Li Ximing instantly grew vigilant. Sweeping his spiritual sense across, he noticed the golden sand they spewed was growing increasingly potent. Looking up, ribbons of multicolored light cascaded from the sky, reaching deep into the Great Void... As their formation took shape, it seemed to be channeling the radiance of the Pure Land through the Great Void!
"Ha!"
Li Ximing showed no mercy. After a momentary daze, he gave a cold laugh:
*Forming an array? Good, very good! Daring to set up this sort of formation right in front of me! You court death!*
With a thought, a faint golden gleam lit up his eyes. Gale winds howled as an intricately patterned, brilliant white heavenly gate emerged from the Great Void amidst multicolored clouds. Banners fluttered, and armored troops clad in golden mail descended from the Great Void, illuminating the entire mountain range in blazing radiance and prompting those nearby to look over in astonishment.
Yetianmen!
The Yetianmen divine ability was immensely weighty. Piercing through the multicolored clouds like an ever-expanding mountain range, it soared straight into the firmament, grinding away, suppressing, and severing the flow of divine ability power. The multicolored light above the trio's heads was instantly crushed downward.
Before three breaths had elapsed, a violent rupture sounded. The connection of multicolored light binding the three shattered instantly. The three grotesque Lianmin stumbled back a step in unison, the two weaker ones coughing up mouthfuls of golden dust.
*Rumble!*
Amidst drifting multicolored clouds and the clamor of armored legions, Yetianmen towered within the cloud layer. The Real Person in white and gold stood atop the heavenly gate. As the two massive, intricately carved white gate pillars bore down, the three were pinned beneath the gate like mere ants!
In the blink of an eye, the tables were turned!
"Ever since I embarked on this path, it has always been I who suppressed others! Was this Yetianmen cultivated by me, Li Ximing, or by you three monks? You dare try to suppress me?!"
Chapter 889