The Luoxia Plain.
The sky was dim, sword radiance rising and falling. A black-robed man stood quietly in the gloomy wind, holding a bronze sword.
Brilliant light still flowed across the bronze blade, looking as though it had just cleaved through the dharma body of some Lianmin, leaving the sword dazzlingly bright. Billowing sand and pink light drifted before him, accompanied by the cracking and crumbling of earth and rock all around.
He held his ground, surrounded by swirling black wind. Not far away, Real Person Zhusheng stood with sword held horizontally, pinning down the ceaselessly howling purple-red glow.
Kuiqi’s expression was calm, his gaze icy. On the other side, Ning Wan was even more silent.
The Taiyang lineage had staked all its forces on this great battle.
Aside from herself, Ning Wan, there were Tinglan of Ziyan Blessed Land; Kuiqi and Master Houfu of Xiukui; Yushui of the Chen clan; Zhaojing of the Li clan; Zhusheng of Shahuang; Real Person Luo of the Southern Border; Chehong of Chunyi Dao; Hengxing’s close friend Kuang Yu; and even Ling Mei of the Sword Sect!
Even Zhugong, who had traveled far overseas, had rushed back and waited quietly at Mount Xiaoshi to assist Tinglan.
*If there is a next time, there is no way we could ever gather more people than this!*
When they charged into this land, they had indeed swept forward with irresistible momentum at first, heavily injuring Zhelu. But Luoxia lay right before the eyes of the State of Zhao, making it naturally the first place to receive reinforcements. Enemies were bound to arrive in a flash.
If they arrived, so be it; neither Kuiqi nor Ning Wan had ever expected to take advantage of the north scot-free and just walk away. Yet the enemies arriving in succession had truly exceeded all expectations...
Most conspicuous was the colossal golden body before them, towering into the clouds and radiating dazzling brilliance. It took four Violet Palace cultivators acting together just to suppress it, causing divine abilities to flicker across the plain, light washing over the earth amid billows of smoke and dust.
Cultivators of the Compassion Path usually cradled huge bellies, but this golden body was remarkably different. It was bent low in a stooped posture. Though it was a boundless, magnificent golden body, it was hunched like an old man, its waist bent over by more than half. Resting across its shoulders was an immense, towering golden mountain covered with lotuses and draped in gold. Eminent monks chanted scriptures and disciples sought teachings—some sitting cross-legged, others suspended in midair. The mountain was vast to begin with, and the figures upon it were tiny as ants, numbering tens of millions, as though it carried an entire Buddhist kingdom upon its back—magnificent to the utmost.
This Buddhist kingdom reached straight into the heavens and earth, connecting directly to the boundless Pure Land. Thousands of radiant beams descended from above, blessing the monks upon the mountain, and then transferring onto the Mohe dharma body bearing the mountain, as though about to solidify into tangible substance.
Seventh-Life Mohe of the Compassion Path—Beigu.
His waist was bent extremely low. The face turned toward the earth was filled with guilt and distress, while behind the head of the golden body sat another face, positioned over the Fengfu acupoint and extending nearly to the nape of the neck. It bore a look of compassion and mercy, gazing quietly with a gentle smile upon the golden mountain on its back.
With Murong Xia attaining nine lives, linking with his dharma idol, and no longer departing the Pure Land, this person was now the most exalted Mohe of the Compassion Path, and the fastest-cultivating Mohe in history. Even Mohe Jinlian, once renowned for extraordinary talent, was far inferior to him in advancement speed.
His path was even more peculiar; he seemed to nourish a Pure Land of his own, tightly bound to the Compassion Path, its radiance potent to the extreme and inseparable, possessing tremendous power.
Standing alone, he had drawn the siege of a crowd. Even after subsequent reinforcements arrived to relieve him, Ning Wan, Chehong, Master Houfu, and Yushui remained behind to besiege him. Though his dharma body trembled and spat golden blood, the two faces on that head bent so low it nearly knocked against the ground still showed nothing but compassion, mercy, guilt, and unease, without the slightest perturbation.
"What a formidable Buddhist kingdom."
Master Houfu stared at him with an unsightly expression. The divine arts in his hands rose, linking continuously to a brown spiritual pouch in midair, pouring down thick, brilliant Taiyang light that cascaded over the treasure glow cloaking his foe.
In his hand was Xiukui's spiritual treasure, the Taiyang Yangguang Treasure Pouch. Being both a spiritual treasure and of the Taiyang path, it was uniquely suited to purging evil and quelling demons. Even a Buddhist cultivator struck by this light would feel as though burning coals had fallen upon them, unable to resist.
Yet bathed in this Taiyang light, though Mohe Beigu was clearly somewhat constrained by it, his dharmic power did not dissipate nor were his divine abilities unraveled as was usually the case... Not the slightest trace of purging evil or quelling demons could be seen.
This was an extremely awkward predicament, even causing Chehong nearby to frown in secret.
On the other side, Sanskrit chants echoed in the air. Real Person Ling Mei of the Sword Sect held Daxue Juefeng, an icy look on her face. Before her stood no fewer than three Mohes: Sixth-Life Zhelu, Third-Life Daixi, and First-Life Nuzi!
This Sixth-Life Mohe Zhelu, covered from head to toe in eyes, was without doubt in the most wretched state among the northern ranks. Riddled with wounds, over seventy percent of his eyes had been stabbed into mush. Had he not joined forces with Daixi and Nuzi, assisted by the Lianmin forming a formation, he probably could not have withstood Ling Mei's methods.
Setting aside that battlefield of whistling sword qi, Real Person Kuiqi held his dharma sword under immense pressure as well. The man before him was cloaked in dark-yellow qi, his expression fierce. It was Real Person Tuoba Ci of the Tuoba family, wearing a tall cap, broad sash, and gleaming feather robe. His cultivation was likewise at mid-Violet Palace, wielding a great halberd as his spiritual implement—his divine abilities exquisite and his demeanor majestic.
The Tuoba family had met the best end among all the imperial descendants, having even preserved their grotto-heaven. As descendants of a Golden Core, their lineage was naturally hardly inferior to Xiukui's. With two Lianmin supporting him from the side, he even held a slight upper hand.
Meanwhile, Real Person Zhusheng held the Sword of Yuzhen. Beside him stood a pale-faced female cultivator in light blue robes—Real Person Kuang Yu, Hengxing's close friend. Working together, the two were contending with a demon cultivator swathed in billowing white qi whose lineage could not even be identified...
Ning Wan silently cast a sweep of her gaze, taking everything in.
*The cultivators of the Helian family are not here... The enemy's control over the situation is clearly comfortable and assured. Helian Wumeng is nowhere to be seen, and Helian Wujiang might even have arrived as well...*
*The forces at Mount Cai shouldn't be able to hold Li Ximing back, yet news has been delayed for so long. Someone must have intervened with reinforcements. That no new enemies have rushed over from the east already means Li Ximing has done everything he can.*
As for affairs in the north, Ning Wan was not entirely ignorant, but in terms of detailed intelligence she certainly could not compare to Kuiqi. Ever since Kuiqi specifically had Tinglan deliver the Chongyang Governing Star Treasure Plate to Li Ximing and redeployed Real Person Luo, who was supposed to go to Mount Xiaoshi, Ning Wan had already harbored a premonition that the pressure on Li Ximing’s side would not be light. She simply dared not say much... In their current predicament, which side's pressure could possibly be light?
By now, she did not know what Kuiqi was thinking, what further tricks the north possessed, or how such precise intelligence had been passed directly into Kuiqi's hands from the north—who among the northern figures was secretly leaking information. But they had already passed the point of no return!
*Staying inside the formation is waiting for death. These Violet Palace cultivators can't stay huddled and defending forever. The only way is to fight with everything we have!*
Yet how could that be easy?
Before them, the golden body prostrated on the ground, bearing the golden mountain, remained completely motionless, letting the four besiege it. Its mouth opened and closed, uttering a calm, solemn voice like thunder:
"Benefactors! Though you have achieved divine abilities, you lack wisdom roots and cannot enter the Pure Land. Our path wishes not to add needlessly to karmic slaughter. We bid you retreat at once, yield Mount Dayuan Guangyin, and return that which belongs to our Pure Land!"
As this voice rippled out, carrying a pure, serene light, it shook off the converging divine abilities. Real Person Chehong of Chunyi Dao looked grim, reining in the Taiyin brilliance in his hand, a look of resentment surfacing on his face.
Mount Dayuan Guangyin was, of course, Mount Tangdao. If it was lost, Jiangbei would be lost. This was naturally a condition impossible to accept. Beside him, Real Person Yushui, Chen Yin, did not even deign to reply, striking the golden body with a sword slash.
*Boom!*
The sound of dharmic power colliding in the air echoed like thunder, wave after wave surging louder. Kuiqi's expression was grave as the spiritual implement at his waist soared up to parry the enemy's divine abilities. Finally, white light burst across the sky, shrouding the expanse in endless white mist before a sheet of crimson rain poured down.
*Whoosh!*
The crimson rain fell like a cascade, rapidly overlaying all the rain clouds in the heavens, clattering noisily onto the ground. The surging rainwater transformed into silk-like ribbons leaping upward, clinging to each Real Person.
Kuiqi started, then beamed with delight, while the Tuoba family Real Person before him suddenly looked grim:
*The spiritual treasure Tianheng Xuansi Cloud...*
Sure enough, just as the thought crossed his mind, the crimson rain draped over the sleeves of each Real Person, radiating protective light. From within the clouds descended two Real Persons, a man and a woman: the woman cradled an umbrella with a helpless look, while the man tread upon fire, eyes wide with fury.
*Hengzhu Dao has arrived!*
The two were none other than Hengxing and Hengli!
Though Hengzhu Dao had claimed they would not intervene, they still could not bear to stand idly by. Hengxing’s tongue was sharp, but her heart was soft after all. In the face of such a massive conflict, she had first invited her good friend Kuang Yu, yet remained uneasy, waiting in the Great Void alongside Hengli all along.
The coverage of the Tianheng Xuansi Cloud was extraordinarily vast. As a spiritual treasure of the Hengzhu path, under the empowerment of its blessing arts, the morale of the southern cultivators surged.
How could Hengli hold himself back now? With thick eyebrows and large eyes, wearing a broad-lapelled robe with narrow sleeves embroidered with Liguang talismans, the man gave his sleeves a vigorous shake. Dense swarms of bright-red little talismans immediately surged forth. Reaching out with both hands, he grasped two long sabers from the Great Void. His eyes first fixed upon the trio of Zhelu and the others as he laughed:
"You three miserable birds, your grandpa will beat you to death!"
The three blanched instantly. Zhelu was already wounded; even drawing on the combined strength of all three to stall Ling Mei was difficult enough, and as the fight dragged on, more sword wounds piled up. Already hanging by a thread, his injuries worsened continuously. Hengli was famously combative—how could Zhelu possibly endure him?
Under normal circumstances, they would have turned and run the moment Hengzhu appeared. Yet they could not simply flee as they pleased. They could only exchange silent glances, unhesitatingly pooling the radiance in their hands to hold their ground, trapped and suffering bitterly!
On the other side, Hengxing raised an eyebrow slightly. Without a word, she twirled her spiritual umbrella, bringing down a swath of red light before Kuiqi that dissolved the dark-yellow glow. With a gentle spin of the canopy, it cast out multifaceted rays of light.
Ignoring the black-robed man beside her who awkwardly offered his thanks, Hengxing turned her head away, giving him only her side profile. Her divine abilities never paused as she said coldly, "The Tuoba family has stayed in the State of Yan so long they've become beasts of burden for the Murong clan as well."
The luxuriously dressed cultivator cloaked in dark-yellow qi, Tuoba Ci, smiled and shook his head. Even though the two Lianmin beside him blanched at Hengli's arrival and abandoned him to rush to the rescue, he still waved his halberd with calm composure, shattering the oncoming Liguang. After several rounds of clash, he sneered, "So it is Hengzhu Dao. I thought that after so many years, you would have become a second Changhuai Mountain at least. Who would have thought you are still huddled in one corner... No wonder you decline by the day!"
Hengxing would not indulge him. Hengzhu Dao was currently the best-preserved in strength among the Taiyang lineage. With a gentle flick of her sleeve, a red-glazed cloud-patterned treasure casket flew out, gleaming brilliantly. The lid shifted, spilling forth two colors of light—gold and crimson.
This light blocked the dark-yellow hue and swept away the sandstorm of the halberd. Painted on the casket was a red-patterned sword against a black ground, poised to leap forth. Tens of thousands of sword rays erupted. The Tuoba man hastily swung his halberd back to defend. For a moment, dark-yellow colors scattered as the blessing arts shone gloriously.
The north was already at a disadvantage; with Hengzhu's intervention, the scales tipped completely into chaos. Having just extricated himself, Kuiqi breathed a sigh of relief. But just as he withdrew his sword and turned, a sudden chill rose within him.
The crimson clouds of the Tianheng Xuansi Cloud were gradually dimming. A faint color emerged from the Great Void, abruptly descending to stand quietly before him.
It was a man.
The man wore white clothes beneath a silver robe of feathers, each feather distinct like a bird's plumage. His hair was jet-black, his willow-leaf brows slender, his phoenix eyes elegant, and his features feminine and delicate. His hair was bound with a wooden hairpin.
In his left hand rested a silvery-white censer, while his right hand was held behind his back. A white jade bead hung from his waist, and beneath his feet swirled dim-white mist resembling a rising beast. Though somewhat feminine, he drifted like an immortal, commanding reverence at first glance.
Yet an overwhelming aura surged from him, rolling dark clouds that suppressed the Tianheng Xuansi Cloud. The crushing momentum bore down, making Kuiqi's expression turn ever colder.
*A Great Real Person... a Great Real Person of the Jueyin path!*
This figure brought a hush over the entire plain. Several Mohes and Lianmin secretly breathed sighs of relief, and even Tuoba Ci found a spare moment to raise his brows and nod respectfully toward the Great Real Person.
*State Preceptor of the Great Zhao, Wei Xuanyin!*
This was the Great Real Person Wei Xuanyin, who had achieved four divine abilities and hailed from Guanhua Tianlou Dao. As State Preceptor of the Great Zhao and the foremost immortal cultivator on the surface in the State of Zhao, supported by an entire kingdom, he possessed an illustrious heritage, exquisite divine abilities, and numerous spiritual implements. He was by no means an ordinary figure!
The moment Wei Xuanyin appeared, the cultivators previously heartened by Hengzhu's intervention grew uneasy. Only Hengli, wielding his spiritual implement and cloaked in flame, paid him no heed at all, hacking his sabers only at the wretched Zhelu. Though it was splendid news, that Mohe had no time to laugh or mock, fleeing for his life as if he had seen a ghost.
Kuiqi stared coldly at the Great Real Person, only to see the feminine man say with a smile, "You were mistaken! The one above the temple was not me. I had long asked Shengbai Dao to help craft an avatar together."
His tone was friendly, as though discussing some esoteric Daoist doctrine, yet only he and Kuiqi understood the meaning behind his words. The Great Real Person looked down and met his gaze for an instant, Jueyin brilliance flickering from the mouth of the censer in his hand.
*Hum...*
Kuiqi merely raised the bronze sword in his hand. With the other hand, five black talismans appeared, which he tapped onto five major acupoints on his body. Parting his lips, he spat a puff of black qi.
The black qi transformed in midair, taking the shape of a massive, one-legged ghost with a savage countenance, draped in white bones and bearing eerie eyes. Kuiqi did not call for help from Hengli or the others; instead, he raised his sword and moved, eyes sharp as blades!
He, Kuiqi, had never aimed to occupy Luoxia; he only wanted to seize this moment while they still held their momentum to strike a heavy blow against the Buddhist cultivators. Today, fourteen Violet Palace cultivators had gathered from Jiangnan. Frankly speaking, even the Wrath Manifestation Jingzhan back then had never received such treatment! Even if it cost his life, as long as he stalled Wei Xuanyin, Hengli, Ling Mei, and the others would certainly crush the northern cultivators and northern Buddhists!
And as the current leader of Grand Xiukui Abbey, a three-ability cultivator who cultivated Bingxiu—when it came to offensive slaughter and severing true spirits, he was far inferior to Ling Mei; when it came to forging implements, blessing arts, and purifying evil, he fell far short of Hengli; even in anchoring a domain and seeking truth and immortality, Tinglan possessed wonders that surpassed him... But when it came to permutations of incantations, entanglement, and stalling for time, only he, Kuiqi, dared stand before State Preceptor Wei Xuanyin of the Great Zhao!
*Rumble!*
Muffled thunder echoed from within the clouds. The black-robed man's robes billowed, the bronze sword in his hand blazing with dazzling brilliance, while the one-legged, one-eyed monster dissolved into layers of black qi circling around him.
Wei Xuanyin watched him quite gently, no extraneous emotion in his pupils. He merely nodded slightly and shifted the silvery-white censer in his hand toward the northeast. Countless dim-white waterfalls poured down, whipping up a terrifying storm that pressed down upon Kuiqi.
The man's silver feather robe fluttered faintly in the tempest, and the white jade bead at his waist began to sway. Looking down from above, he said quietly, "Fellow Daoist underestimates my Guanhua Tianlou Dao."
Chapter 902