Should I still hold the line, or not...?
Facing this northern Real Person amidst the torrential rain, Li Ximing hesitated for an instant.
Helian Wujiang’s appearance here made it clear that northern forces were already being redeployed southward. Yet the strength in Kuiqi’s hands was not to be underestimated; the Taiyang lineage possessed even more hidden trumps than they showed on the surface. Under an all-out assault, the north might not be able to hold out...
I must at least stall for time. There is no reason to retreat without even crossing blades...
He did not look away toward Real Person Luo; the whistling blue-gray vapor in his spiritual sense was proof enough. Profit stirred the hearts of men. With Li Ximing standing in front of Helian Wujiang, this demon cultivator from the Southern Border had no intention of retreating.
Yet even though Real Person Luo did not pull back, he was already fraught with misgivings, his eyes fixed on Li Ximing, ready to flee at any moment. If the cultivation method were not so crucial and his confidence in the Taiyang lineage not so high, he likely would have fled long ago.
Treading upon the clouds, Helian Wujiang held a long whip like a serpent. Before Li Ximing could react further, the cultivator drew in a breath, brought two fingers together between his nose and eyes, and struck a posture of focused, distant gazing.
Seizing this gap, Li Ximing responded immediately. The Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger transformed into a barrier of luminous colors, shielding him in front. On the other side, the heavenly gate flickered, and without much hesitation, soared into the sky.
In this life-or-death crisis, it was no longer realistic to slay the Lianmin. If he turned toward the gate below, his divine ability, Audience at the Heavenly Gate, which demanded his undivided focus, would inevitably be exposed to the enemy's butcher knife. Even though Audience at the Heavenly Gate possessed formidable defensive capabilities in its physical form apart from its suppression power, Li Ximing would basically be coughing up blood and fleeing for his life if he allowed a mid-Violet Palace cultivator with three divine abilities to attack it freely. Sooner or later, he would fail to keep it suppressed; it was better to use it to protect himself!
The moment the Lianmin was released, he turned into precious radiance and fled, darting through the air and manifesting into view. Before he could react, a bone flying dagger suddenly emerged from the Great Void, flying straight for the space between his brows.
Li Ximing had no time to worry about anything else. A patch of pitch-black lightning had already condensed between Helian Wujiang's fingers. With fiendish aura swirling in his eyes, the man pointed forward.
Haisha Yixing Firmament Thunder!
Dark clouds gathered thickly. Between heaven and earth, thunder answered his fingertips, turning jet-black as it descended from the heavens with rumbling detonations.
Imbued with fiendish qi, this firmament thunder was translucent and glossy black, its speed astonishing.
Taking the brunt of the strike was the Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger. The bright jade bead rotated slightly, and the engraved pattern of the tiger looking back immediately released the Mountain-Driving Profound Screen!
*Boom!*
The firmament thunder was one of the Three Thunders, and Helian Wujiang had cultivated fiendish qi, making it an exceptionally powerful spell. Yet the Mountain-Driving Profound Screen was of Earth virtue: first, it could suppress surging thunder, and second, it could siphon off fiendish qi. It now burst into an unprecedented brilliance.
Li Ximing had used the Mountain-Driving Profound Screen for many years, but never before had it shone with such radiance. If Real Person Changxi were here, he might truly have been able to withstand the firmament thunder with this spirit tool!
Even in Li Ximing’s hands, the Mountain-Driving Profound Screen brought the firmament thunder to a momentary halt before being blasted into ashes by the flashing fiend thunder.
To a Violet Palace cultivator, an instant was enough to accomplish a great deal—enough to raise the Chongyang Xiaxing Treasure Plate, enough to command spirit tools, and even enough to step into the Great Void.
Yet Li Ximing suppressed the impulse to raise the treasure plate. Ascending to the luminous pass, he held up his divine ability. The distinct, white-jade pavilion-gate flashed, and the searing heavenly light at its center cut through the rainy night.
Rather than defending, he attacked! A majestic heavenly gate surged forth, aiming to suppress Helian Wujiang's dharma body.
Li Ximing had already experienced the formidable power of that long whip earlier. The spirit tools in his possession were cumbersome and could never be used to deal with a whip. Only by using offense as defense and forcing his opponent to battle under his divine ability would he have a chance to contend with him!
Yet Helian Wujiang has not drawn his sword, nor has he used his full strength...
The thought flashed past in an instant. Shichuan had already emerged, its blue-and-yellow mountain-and-river patterns rippling out in dense layers. With his other hand, he drew back the Huayang King Battleaxe, suspending it overhead to unleash a dazzling brilliance.
Brightness!
The faint toll of a bell seemed to echo as a pale-white luster rippled forth, coating Li Ximing in a pure-white film—the effect of the Brightness blessing.
Yet the white luster did not stop there. Expanding at extreme speed, it lightly descended upon Real Person Luo, similarly coating his dharma body in shimmering pale white.
The effect of Brightness: blessing oneself and one's allies!
Real Person Luo was taken aback for a brief moment as billowing black smoke began rising from his collar. The path of Mingyang was radiant and pure; though it harmonized with his divine ability, it was none too friendly to the sinister dharma robe he wore.
Yet far from being alarmed or worried, he was overjoyed. Hooking his little finger into the collar, he gave a tug and stripped off the Thousand-Eyed Demon Robe. With a flick of his forearm, he tossed it out. The demon robe spun into the air, transforming into a cloth-like dharma artifact whose thousand eyes flashed with mesmerizing golden light.
Swaying slightly as he absorbed the blessing of Brightness, he rejoiced inwardly:
*My eyes never deceive me! Even a dilapidated house has its foundation stones and pillars, let alone an imperial scion! I knew he had plenty of good things! It looks like he can pull his weight after all.*
Empowered by the blessing, Real Person Luo fought with even greater ferocity. Meanwhile, the Mountain-Driving Profound Screen had already shattered. The incoming firmament thunder locked on, crashing into the billowing divine abilities and purple flames around Li Ximing’s dharma body with an ear-piercing screech.
*Rumble!*
"Good!"
Seeing that Li Ximing neither fled nor dodged but instead launched an attack, bringing Audience at the Heavenly Gate down to suppress him, Helian Wujiang halted his spell. The subsequent thunder vanished as he shifted to press against his sword to channel his divine ability. The two fingers in front of his nose moved down to his lips, drumming up a blast of fiendish qi.
This fiendish qi was grayish-yellow, drifting and swirling through the air. As Helian Wujiang drummed it up, it emitted shockwave-like halos of light. With firmament thunder rolling over him, Li Ximing did not hesitate; he turned sideways, joined his fingers, and spewed fire.
Three Hou Shuxuan Fire!
His family's *Runyang Method* had once noted: *"When water and fire flourish, they can be driven; when wood and stone are steadfast, their utility is realized."* Spirit water and spirit fire possessed an innate nature suited for being commanded, which was why they were especially precious. Helian Wujiang's fiendish qi was a fiend-essence spiritual substance refined into a spell, likewise at the Violet Palace tier.
Now, true fire and fiend essence clashed at the Violet Palace level, unleashing all manner of radiant flames. The intense heat drove away spiritual mechanisms and dulled divine abilities, even giving rise to specks of purplish-black flame-blossoms that ignited a sea of fire across the mountain.
Since obtaining his true fire, this was the first time Li Ximing had encountered a controllable spiritual substance of the same tier. Helian Wujiang spewed fiendish qi with effortless ease, seemingly augmented by a divine ability. Mingling with multicolored light, it shifted in the air into various wondrous forms in massive quantities, smothering the flames in an instant.
Yet Li Ximing brandished the Huayang King Battleaxe. Empowered by the wonders of Flame Spewing, the true fire burned brightly with raging flames. Its inherent quality was high, so even though he was at a disadvantage, he still held the fiendish qi at bay.
*That is enough!*
Thanks to this brief moment of resistance, Audience at the Heavenly Gate had already descended over Helian Wujiang's head.
Helian Wujiang merely smiled faintly. He tugged at the long robe behind him, channeled his fiendish qi, and lightly tapped the ground. Boundless black shadows surged up behind him, blanketing the area and manifesting into over a hundred wondrous peaks of fiendish qi that soared into the sky.
Bukong Kalpa!
The gleaming heavenly gate slammed down onto the peaks of black fiendish qi. Two corners of the gate sank into the mist, scattering the black vapor amid billowing smoke and flame as the two sides reached a precarious stalemate.
Had Li Ximing's Audience at the Heavenly Gate not reached perfection, the heavenly gate would surely have been thrust upward. As he formed hand seals, an understanding dawned on him:
*Although his divine ability is formidable and ever-changing, Mingyang carries the intent of dispersing disasters and expelling evil. In terms of suppression, it holds a slight advantage—it is merely that his cultivation is higher!*
Yet how could Helian Wujiang allow him to hold the initiative? His free hand had long been gathering power on the long sword at his waist. Light gleamed in his eyes as he gripped the sword in a reverse hold and drew it out in an instant. Billowing black fiendish qi rose along with the blade.
Bukong Kalpa Light-Bearing Fiend Art!
Drawing his sword, he was indeed employing an art-sword technique. Reversing the blade's edge, he used the dharma sword to connect with the fiendish qi of heaven and earth. In an instant, the Bukong Kalpa shifted from still to dynamic, transforming from a mountain into a sea. The fiendish qi of heaven and earth howled, surging toward Audience at the Heavenly Gate along with the sword light.
This burst of fiendish light soared to the heavens. It not only extinguished the flames burning across Mount Cai, but also dimmed Real Person Luo's blue sea below. The Lianmin broke free, and the situation instantly shifted.
*He is getting serious!*
Li Ximing sensed that things were going awry. The Audience at the Heavenly Gate in the sky was bound by fiendish qi and could not dissipate like water in time. With a flick of his sleeve, the dazzling Chongyang Xiaxing Treasure Plate was already prepared!
Yet he did not activate the treasure plate immediately. Instead, his figure emerged like light, descending from his divine ability amid a blaze of fire. He thrust out a palm, pressing straight toward Helian Wujiang's face.
His own family had been known as a clan of sword cultivators in the early years, and his elder clan brother, Li Xizhi, possessed profound cultivation and was well-versed in art-sword methods. No matter how formidable an art-sword was, it remained a spell, not a sword qi released from the body; it required hand seals and incantations to cast!
Helian Wujiang watched his incoming palm quietly, a faint smile actually surfacing on his face.
The armor on his chest parted to the left and right, exposing a blood-red chest cavity. Black blood churned within, and the vigorously beating heart suddenly flipped over, revealing a distinct black-and-white eye on its back.
His cultivation method had been orthodox up to this point; only now did it reveal a hint of demon cultivation. This eye within his heart was icy cold, carrying a biting majesty as it flickered with intermittent golden light.
"Freeze!"
With just a single glance, Li Ximing felt as though struck by lightning, a chill washing over his entire body. Layers upon layers of gold settled onto his dharma form, and trapped by the golden light, he could not move in the slightest.
*I’ve fallen into a trap!*
Helian Wujiang's expression turned instantly cold. Without hesitation, he released the long sword that had soared into the sky, letting the boundless fiendish qi drift away. He no longer held up the Bukong Kalpa divine ability, but instead focused with rapt attention, his eyes fixed deathly upon Li Ximing.
In that split second, a smile actually appeared on the man’s handsome face. His lips split open all the way to the base of his ears, turning into a bloody, gaping maw of astonishing size. Even the connecting flesh turned into a thin membrane. With thunderous speed, he pounced forward, casting a dense black shadow.
He actually intended to swallow Li Ximing in a single bite!
*Feigning weakness at every turn was all to lure you forward!*
The moment that eye locked onto him, Li Ximing’s mind cleared, having already dispelled the intimidation. Yet the golden light binding his body was not so easily dispelled! He could only desperately channel his divine ability, giving it his all!
Fortunately, he had awakened early enough. The golden light had restrained him for only a split second before bright light flared in his eyes, allowing him to barely shift his body.
Flame-Stepping Walk.
*Bang!*
A chain of Lihuo instantly erupted from all over his body. All the Mingyang heavenly light contracted, transforming into bursts of vermilion Lihuo that scattered like smoke.
This Lihuo movement technique was by no means weak. Facing such danger, Li Ximing had squeezed out virtually every ounce of potential in his body, turning his physical form into Lihuo in an instant. Yet the opponent was simply too close... As the bloody maw snapped shut, a burst of heavenly light exploded!
The Lihuo scattered and reconverged, reforming Li Ximing’s figure—and he was still charging forward!
The upper half of the face of this Real Person in white-and-gold Daoist robes was gone, with fine, dense tooth marks visible right down the bridge of his nose, as though bitten off by some demonic beast.
A small part of both ears was also missing, dripping with glistening golden blood. High in front and low in back, looking down from above, one could even see his throat constantly swallowing.
Yet he still charged forward.
Of his head before one's eyes, only the lips and teeth remained intact, yet they were still chanting an incantation. From his hand fell a round treasure plate inscribed with eight-directional runes, pulsating like breath, golden and dazzling.
The Chongyang Xiaxing Treasure Plate!
The dense layers of incantation runes on the circular plate turned pure white. A speck of golden light flew out, freezing the long sword in Helian Wujiang's hand. Then, the heavens and earth darkened as if the primordial heavenly light had been split open, showering down a veil of golden white.
The killing light of Mingyang!
Li Ximing directly confronted Helian Wujiang, but Helian Wujiang was also completely exposed before the Chongyang Xiaxing Treasure Plate—even closer than Chi Luo had been back then!
Losing control, Audience at the Heavenly Gate in the sky sank through the heavy black vapor to suppress the Bukong Kalpa, while the Luminous Ocean Wave surged from both sides to entangle Helian Wujiang's dharma body.
Even more fatal was that brilliant colors flickered within Helian Wujiang's abdomen; a cluster of Mingyang brilliance was constantly flashing, resonating with the outside world. Before he could suppress it, the killing light of Mingyang had already shone down.
*Buzz...*
A burst of radiance exploded in the sky as fiendish qi fell like rain. Real Person Luo, covered in bright golden light, was hard-pressed holding off three Lianmin alone. Yet he could not resist looking up, inwardly shaken and tinged with envy:
*It really is the Chongyang Xiaxing Treasure Plate... A fine treasure indeed...*
*Stalling for this long should be enough. But even with the Chongyang Xiaxing Treasure Plate on him, Li Ximing can at most injure Helian Wujiang. The Helian family possesses an orthodox demon-cultivator lineage—how could he be easy to deal with?*
Daoist Luo himself cultivated demon-path methods. Though referred to as a demon cultivator in the south, he was ultimately of the Path of Violet Palace and Golden Core. He harbored both dread and greed toward Helian Wujiang's lineage, understanding its terror all the better.
*He has the treasure plate to facilitate his escape. As for a solitary wanderer like me with no backing, I had better make preparations early!*
His expression shifted, and his strikes grew even more sinister, fighting as if ready to lay down his life. This made the three Lianmin deeply wary. Then, the Mingyang light overhead dissipated, and with fiendish qi blanketing the sky, the northern cultivator finally regained his footing.
Helian Wujiang possessed long arms and a slender waist, with an exceptionally handsome face. His entire body was wrapped in black vapor coiled around his armor. A horizontal slit over an inch wide opened on his chest, revealing an icy pupil, while the rest of his fiendish qi drifted and billowed with his movements.
*A corporeal divine ability!*
The billowing fiendish qi divine ability merged with multicolored light, flickering across his body. Yet a fist-sized void had appeared in his abdomen, glowing pure white within. The surrounding flesh and fiendish qi squirmed bit by bit, slowly shrinking the wound.
Helian Wujiang's face had returned to normal, resuming its handsome appearance. A look of slight surprise appeared on his face, and he even paused for a brief moment:
*What formidable willpower. He is an imperial scion after all, someone who broke through the pass in just over a decade!*
His divine ability was a fatal trick for overcoming enemies. Once inside the belly, the Bukong Kalpa outside could immediately sink into it, meeting the foe with various methods. At the moment, however, he was not discouraged:
*There is still a way to fight... Fortunately, he is an imperial scion, so it won’t disgrace the Helian family. It's just that failing to take his life will make it hard to answer to the State Preceptor...*
Not far away, the man in the white-and-gold Daoist robe stood suspended in midair. The flesh on his face was likewise constantly reconverging. As his lips spewed fire, parting and closing slightly, he resembled a divine statue, carrying a solemn air.
His mind was entirely calm and cold, without the slightest panic. Though the current injury looked horrific, it was merely the loss of a portion of his physical form. To the vital-free body of a Violet Palace cultivator, it was nothing!
*This is the true strength of a mid-Violet Palace cultivator going all out, not Ye Gui dragging his feet and refusing to fight hard!*
His lips spewed fire, and his hands held the golden plate in reverse, radiating a profound halo. Four bright stars swayed beside him as heavenly light poured down, confronting the fiendish qi on the other side.
Helian Wujiang's dharma body merged with the fiendish qi, Mingyang light continually spurting from the void in his abdomen. Holding a sword in one hand and a whip in the other, his eyes filled with battle intent as he laughed:
"Again!"
It was unknown what demonic art he cultivated, but his corporeal divine ability was particularly peculiar. It rolled like clouds, constantly interacting with the fiendish qi, and suppressed the wound extremely quickly. The fiendish qi rising from his body merged with the Bukong Kalpa, gradually blotting out the entire sky until only his pale-red pupils remained visible.
"My Helian family has ruled a state for many years, yet we can only be called a royal family. Coming here today on orders, I have offended you greatly, and hope to witness the grandeur of an imperial scion!"
His voice rumbled through the air, yet received no reply. Only the radiant heavenly gate stood tall within the fiendish qi, its intricate patterns shedding light downward—the sole light standing amidst a sea of fiend.
***
Mount Xiaoshi.
Gray winds howled, and torrential rain poured.
Mount Xiaoshi stood facing the Buddhist cultivators across a narrow path, separated by the shortest distance. The Buddhist cultivators stationed there held the greatest strength, making it the first region where battle broke out, and it was already in utter ruin.
Purple mist drifted over the mountain. A profound pavilion of the Purple Qi path, a spirit treasure, hung suspended in midair, shedding bursts of brilliance that were exceptionally striking in the rain. Layers of light screens shone downward like fluttering veils of gauze.
"Tinglan!"
The woman standing upon the pavilion was naturally Real Person Tinglan, currently focusing on channeling her divine ability. Voices in the sky boomed like thunder, and precious light refused to show weakness, forming a five-pointed formation in the heavens that trapped the purple light within.
Yet this formation was not merely restraining her. The five monks channeled the brilliance of the Buddhist Land together, driving their blessing power to the peak. It even faintly resonated among them, elevating their channeling light to a higher level.
Leading this formation was a large, rotund monk with a kasaya draped over his shoulder, a smile on his face. He was none other than Xuwang, the fastest-rising Lianmin of the Kongwu Path in recent years.
If it were said that the Kongwu Path had reaped immense benefits in the previous North-South conflict, then setting aside a few Mohe, Xuwang was arguably the foremost beneficiary. He had led the charge that wiped out all of Mount Bianyan, becoming a Lianmin on the spot. Mohe Daixi had lost Li Xuanfeng's destiny, so his harvest had actually been inferior to Xuwang's.
Consequently, Xuwang's standing in the Buddhist Land rose every three years. Though a newly ascended Lianmin, he now wielded a treasure artifact. He laughed heartily:
"Day after day, you used Measureless Water-Fire to harm our fellow disciples, yet today it is no longer so handy!"
As his voice fell, five rays of light flared simultaneously, converging upon the Lianmin riding a red tiger beside him. In utter silence, that Lianmin simply raised a treasure pagoda, gathered the strength of all five monks, and brought it crashing down.
*Boom!*
Clouds of golden precious light soared into the sky, repeatedly pouring down upon the purple pavilion with bursts of radiance. The Lianmin of the Kongwu Aspect undoubtedly hated her to the bone. After all, having fought so many battles over the years, they had always retreated to the Buddhist Land whenever they were outmatched; never had there been anything as detestable as Measureless Water-Fire and the Shangxiang Kettle!
Tinglan, however, remained calm and unhurried. The Zizuo Muling Pavilion was a spirit treasure handed down by Ziyan Blessed Land, renowned for securing territorial defense. It had five kinds of Violet Palace-tier purple qi locked within as its foundation. Back then, when she and Ning Wan worked together in defense and offense, not even Mohe Zhelu could breach it. Although these five had formed a battle formation, they still could not outlast her in a war of attrition.
Just as the monks encircled her in formation, clouds surged in the northern sky. Pink radiance shot toward the heavens, precious light soaring as glaze fell like rain.
*A Lianmin has fallen!*
Looking in that direction, it was precisely where Kuiqi and the others were located. Dark clouds roiled and rain poured furiously. Tinglan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief on the surface, but her mind did not relax in the slightest as she immediately raised her brows to look.
Xuwang showed little surprise, gazing at her coldly.
To fight his way out from among the Masters and become a Lianmin on the spot, Xuwang had never been a simple character. Those like him who attained Lianminhood on the spot held a very unique status in the Buddhist Land.
The positions in the Buddhist Land were always limited. The temples lacked neither monks nor Masters. Not to mention monks, there were plenty of Masters who believed in the afterlife; countless monks and Masters obediently died of old age to nourish the Buddhist Land without the slightest chance of promotion.
On the rare occasion that the Buddhist Land gained a new Mohe, a few Lianmin positions would be allocated down. Yet the newly ascended Mohe would have his own faction, spending ten or twenty years bestowing those seats one by one. Where would there be a seat left for anyone else?
Yet a person like him, who had obtained great fortune in the North-South conflict to expand the Buddhist Land, naturally earned a seat. Whether in background or methods, he was cut from a different cloth. From beginning to end, he was Zhelu's foremost confidant, which was why he had been stationed here!
From the moment he laid eyes on Tinglan, he knew that this woman taking on many foes alone to stall for time meant the Taiyang lineage was advancing northward.
Xuwang had just heard from the Buddhist Land that the present affair was neither an issue of the Kongwu Path nor merely the business of Buddhist cultivators. That figurehead Emperor of Zhao had personally emerged from the inner palace to invite the State Preceptor to discuss the affairs of Jiangbei.
The Emperor of Zhao was nothing more than a puppet. Ever since the surrender of the Gold Nature, he had been devoid of any real value. His sole worth lay in his title as the common lord of the northern State of Zhao, like an official seal. If the Seven Aspects wished to act in concert, they would bring him out, stamp the decree, and make a formal gesture.
Without a consensus among the Seven Aspects, who could have invited him to court? The court and commonalty of the State of Zhao were shaken, and the State Preceptor of Zhao had already become a Great Real Person. It was unknown whether he would personally descend to the south!
*Kuiqi possesses boldness... but so what?*
Toward Kuiqi, Xuwang could not help but feel a shred of admiration. The Taiyang lineage possessed many hidden trumps, the north was currently leaderless, and Kuiqi was decisive enough. At least for now, there was still no news of reinforcements reaching Mount Xiaoshi, which lay furthest from the north!
It was hard to say what the outcome would be, but Xuwang's heart burned with anticipation.
*A single North-South conflict paved my path to Lianmin. If I can win the great merit of expanding the Buddhist Land once more... then Mohe will be in sight!*
Chapter 901