The Soaring Mountain Descends

Mount Cai. Sinister evil qi pervaded the air, a dark blue-black vapor weaving between the mountain forests like a tide, rising and falling in restless turbulence. A colossal sheet of black cloth draped across the sky. Hundreds and thousands of golden eyes flickered within it, casting down thin, elongated, swift-as-the-wind golden rays. Beneath it, the two Lianmin had turned dull in color, both wearing enraged expressions. Real Person Luo gripped a short blade, his expression grave. Originally, there had been four Lianmin here—one of Cibei and three of Kongwu. The two of them had struck in advance, slaying one and leaving three. One among the Kongwu faction was of little concern, merely a nuisance. Another was under the seat of Fahui, possessing considerable means. Most lethal was the Cibei Dao Lianmin who drove arhats. The three joining hands had been sufficient to suppress him. Fortunately, their opponents were unfamiliar with the path of Gathered Wood. As the battle had progressed to this point, he had managed to strike down the weakest one, who had fled who knew where. With only two remaining, the threat was much reduced, yet fatigue was taking its toll on him as well. If not for the Thousand-Eye Light-Cultivating Robe in his hands—which had been specifically crafted to counter the Cibei path's methods of containing souls and commanding arhats—his predicament would be far worse... Real Person Luo was still far from his limit, nor had he reached the point of defeat. While defeating them was difficult, a Lianmin's variations were limited, making it even harder for them to pin him down. This demon cultivator merely circulated his divine ability, sending bursts of dark blue-black light soaring into the sky from time to time while his spiritual sense roved, keeping an eye on Li Ximing and his foe high above—without question, facing Helian Wujiang, Li Ximing was in far greater trouble than he was! Li Ximing manifested his true body, standing amidst the fiendish qi. Golden-red flames wound around him like swimming dragons; the rolling, condensed fiendish qi was beaten back one wave after another by the fire. Suspended before him was the Huayang King's Battle-Axe, radiating bright light that enveloped his dharma body. At his side floated a cyan-yellow spiritual ruler, rippling with waves of mountains and rivers. Not only did it repeatedly push back the sea of fiendish qi surrounding him, but it also measured the illusions within into wisps of black smoke, dispelling phantoms. Yet his condition was genuinely poor. The clash had not lasted very long, but he lacked the divine ability and dharmic powers to restore the more than half of his head that had been bitten off. He remained in that ghastly state, his body covered in wounds caused by fiendish qi, surrounded by stagnant, rolling black vapors that refused to disperse. After fighting Helian Wujiang for a while, he had gradually come to understand where the man's terrifying strength lay. Aside from the venomous solitary eye upon his chest, his divine abilities were exceptionally peculiar. Li Ximing's Yetian Gate could bolster his dharma body, but only to a limited degree. Helian Wujiang's dharma body was vastly superior to his. Although not considered exceptionally tough among the Violet Palace, it was composed of layer upon layer of fiendish qi. This fiendish qi gathered and dispersed without fixed form; mundane spells below the Violet Palace could no longer harm him at all. Even damage from Violet Palace-grade divine abilities and spells was somewhat diminished when striking him. Most vexing of all, this divine ability resonated with the Luosha Sea—the fiendish sea divine ability currently blanketing the firmament—allowing him to recover ceaselessly. He was exceedingly difficult to deal with! To make matters worse, his opponent's long whip was extraordinarily nimble, whereas Li Ximing's spirit artifacts and divine abilities were generally cumbersome. In a mere few dozen exchanges, his opponent had already forced him to twice invoke the miraculous effect of the Chongyang Star-Governing Treasure Plate—reversing Mingyang to shake the erratic stars and escape dire peril... Each time the Chongyang Star-Governing Treasure Plate was held in reverse, four bright stars would emerge. Having used it twice, two of them had already dimmed. Though their power had not lessened and had even become more wondrous, through his connection with the spirit artifact, such wondrous effects could only be invoked four times in total. *I wonder how things are going on Kuiqi's side. Helian Wujiang is too formidable. If this drags on... I will drag myself down with it!* It was not that his bond with the Taiyang lineage was so profound, but Lake Wangyue lay right beside the river. He had no time to deliberate. His spiritual sense stayed deadlocked on the sword-bearing figure within the black vapors, daring not relax in the slightest. Sure enough, Helian Wujiang did not afford him even a moment's respite. From within the billowing black vapors, a gleam of golden light burst forth once more like a silver vase abruptly shattering, sending a chill through his rising Yang and instantly triggering an intense sense of mortal danger. *Hum!* Unable to see any spirit artifact or spell, Li Ximing immediately activated Flame-Treading Step first. The moment flames ignited across his body, he snapped his head up, concentrating all his divine abilities and dharmic powers into a single point, his spiritual sense keyed to the absolute limit. Nothing. *Hum...* Yet what broke first were the cyan-yellow waves of mountains and rivers. The vast reach of Shichuan and the measuring wonder of Junheng played an exceptional role; Li Ximing finally caught a faint trace of the direction of the attack. Flame-Treading Step flared as he pivoted his divine ability. The Huayang King's Battle-Axe was inherently cumbersome; in this split second, there was no time to maneuver it in front of him. But with Flame-Treading Step, Li Ximing stepped through the flames, pressing himself tightly behind the spirit artifact! *If the Huayang King's Battle-Axe cannot move in time, I can move myself behind it to let it block!* *Rumble!* In the sky, the glittering Huayang King's Battle-Axe was struck violently as if by some phantasmal streak of light, abruptly thrown high into the air. Immediately following was a thunderous crash and a blaze of Mingyang radiance surging toward the sky. Li Ximing abruptly spat a mouthful of blood and tumbled out of the fire conjured by Flame-Treading Step. Fine, dense cracks surfaced across his chest like a swarm of tiny ants crawling over him, yet a faint smile of relief tugged at the corner of his lips. Only now could he see clearly: that streak of phantasmal light was pitch-black, shaped like a knife only a palm's length, extraordinarily sharp—it was none other than the short blade at Helian Wujiang's waist! The blade's light was insidious. As the dust settled, only then did the rolling fiendish sea show signs of parting, revealing the scar cleaved by the blade qi. While Shichuan's measuring ability had indeed played a major role, that block with the Huayang King's Battle-Axe was the key factor preventing his dharma body from being severed. The opponent's short blade was devastating; whether it was Shichuan or the Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger, blocking before it would inevitably result in damage. Shichuan, being merely a spiritual embryo, might even have been cleaved in two... This spiritual embryo was currently the key to sustaining the situation; how could Li Ximing let it be damaged so easily? With blood in his mouth, he had not a single moment to savor his fortune or catch his breath. The Heavenly Gate rose from beneath him, brilliant heavenly light radiating outward to suppress the dharma sword lunging from within the billowing fiendish qi. The owner of the fair-skinned fingers jolted slightly, manifesting before him—clad in shining black-and-silver armor, his long robes fluttering, his gaze glacial. Helian Wujiang had arrived right before him. That Heavenly Gate stood amidst the clouds, trembling slightly as it was engulfed by the rolling fiendish qi. Its originally bright and immaculate white bricks were now dull and lusterless; the dragon banners and phoenix carriages tumbled into the fiendish mist, and the jeweled tallies and pennants fell limp, fluttering feebly beneath the assault of fiendish qi, vaguely unable to suppress the sword. With the luminous heavenly light temporarily obstructed, Helian Wujiang's chest suddenly split open. That eye rolled once more, golden light pouring forth to freeze Li Ximing in place, revealing that monstrous, terrifying mouth once again. *Pfft!* Li Ximing dispersed into fire and fled with his divine ability. The man abruptly whipped his head around, only to see a sparkling treasure plate appear once more, erratic stars shaking violently to trap him in place. The man in white-gold Daoist robes materialized not far away, panting slightly, and immediately swallowed an elixir. The opportunity just now had been good, but Li Ximing had not had the time to unleash his lethal Mingyang light. Half of his head had yet to reform, and an arm had also been lost to the opponent's freezing bite just now. His lips continued to chant incantations, stabilizing his stance amidst the rolling fiendish qi with his divine ability—a truly wretched sight. On the other side, Helian Wujiang, draped in black-and-silver armor, blinked the eye upon his chest. His outer robe fluttered in the wind. Holding a longsword in one hand and a dharma whip in the other, he stared silently at Li Ximing. The wound on his abdomen was healing amidst the rolling fiendish qi, seemingly no longer a major issue, save for currents of Mingyang brilliance that were continuously being suppressed by the fiendish qi. Evidently, it was not merely the field of erratic stars constraining him; Helian Wujiang himself was also mitigating the pressure within his belly. Meanwhile, a bright white cleave mark had appeared on Helian Wujiang's shoulder, steadily regenerating amidst the rolling fiendish qi. The longsword in his hand shimmered with radiance, preparing who knew what spell. *That demonic art is truly formidable...* Li Ximing showed no discouragement, merely exhaling a somewhat stifled breath. This eye was among the most domineering arts Li Ximing had ever witnessed. It immobilized first, then swallowed, nearly impossible to evade. With a single bite, the dharma body was injured instantly. Li Ximing had suffered from it the first time he encountered it, but as the battle grew fiercer, dodging this technique became ever more difficult. Worse still, Helian Wujiang seemed to have expended little, save for the faint Mingyang brilliance growing stronger inside his belly. Had he not paused to suppress it, Li Ximing would not even have been able to tell he bore any burden. *Bang!* As the longsword in his hand flared and the long whip snapped back, the light of the shaking erratic stars gradually dissipated. That deep-set, high-browed face looked over once more. Li Ximing's hand pressed upon the Chongyang Star-Governing Treasure Plate again, still holding it in reverse. *He intends to retreat...* Helian Wujiang's expression darkened slightly. The Chongyang Star-Governing Treasure Plate was an exceptional treasure. That single retreat earlier had already taken him to the edge of the fiendish sea. If invoked in succession, it would not be difficult for Li Ximing to withdraw, rendering all the prior effort completely in vain. *A pity...* Right at this moment, a wisp of dark blue-black shot straight into the firmament, carrying a grim demonic light, and clung toward Helian Wujiang's silver boots, causing the man to frown slightly. It was Real Person Luo, finding a brief opening to provide reinforcement. Unlike the solemnity and coldness with which he treated Li Ximing, Helian Wujiang felt almost insulted and provoked. His brow locked tight, he abruptly drew the dharma sword he had been preparing to sheathe, unleashing brilliant flashes of light. "A rat of the unorthodox paths... What insolence!" Yet what rushed toward him was far more than that: there was also a black cloth bearing hundreds and thousands of eyes—none other than Real Person Luo's most renowned artifact, nurtured over a lifetime, the Thousand-Eye Light-Cultivating Robe! Though disdainful, Helian Wujiang immediately turned serious at the sight. Spitting fiendish qi from his lips onto his sword, it burst with radiance, blocking the oncoming flood of golden light. But the moment his attention was divided, Yetian Gate rose once more amidst the rolling fiendish sea on the other side, dispelling a swath of fiendish qi, and a beam of Shangyao Subduing Light swept across the void! *Instead of fleeing, he strikes back...* Helian Wujiang turned his head at once, raising a hand to marshal the rolling fiendish qi, condensing it into a fiendish beam to counter the white light, letting the scorching Subduing Light burn and clash against the fiendish qi. *In your current state, how much of a threat could you possibly pose!* Li Ximing slowly raised his head. With his dharma body wounded, the heavenly light naturally could not emanate from his glabella and could only be released from his palm. Though only half of his head remained, he tilted his face slightly, his hand ultimately resting back onto the spiritual plate, appearing poised to make his escape. Yet as his dharmic powers poured into it, he silently mused in his heart: *Still not showing yourself? You've lurked in secret for so long; you still have the patience to wait? Do you still want to earn a favor from me? I'm truly about to leave!* *Whoosh...* Just then, rain began to fall between heaven and earth once more, bearing a faint violet tint. Helian Wujiang's pupils constricted abruptly. His eyes strained upward, only then noticing something amiss. Amidst the clouds, a pair of treasures manifested. One was a round, flat jade lump inscribed with square thunder patterns like a talisman, roughly the size of a palm. The other was a black strip with white markings, resembling the Shichuan spiritual ruler but slightly smaller, shimmering brightly. The flat, bright-white jade lump had been gathering power for a long time, unleashing rolling silver-white lightning permeated with a perilous aura. The long talisman of black with white markings seemed to breathe and pulse, spewing rolling crimson flames that arrived before his eyes in an instant! A cold sweat instantly broke out over Helian Wujiang. The eye upon his chest blinked and flipped over first, revealing its pitch-black reverse side. Faced with thunder and fire, his first reaction was actually to protect this eye! *Rumble!* Silver-white thunder and crimson flames engulfed him in an instant, streaming down his gleaming black-and-silver armor and bursting into plume after plume of black smoke. The billowing fiendish qi surged into the heavens, the Luosha Sea boiling relentlessly. Caught in the thunder and fire, the longsword's gushing fiendish qi and lightning were forced to a halt. "Awoo—!" The power of this thunder and fire was clearly formidable and had been building for a long time. It sent the man in the sky trembling violently, letting out a heart-wrenching shriek that caused everyone on the battlefield to pause in unison. Yet this was far from over. Real Person Luo barely managed to strike before immediately turning to block the pursuing Lianmin. But the rain clouds above Helian Wujiang's head dispersed, revealing a white soaring mountain peak that spanned heaven and earth! The Great Void churned and heaved, as though suppressed by something immense. A layer of hazy white light instantly crept over Helian Wujiang's armor, as if intending to lock him in place. Helian Wujiang's pupils instantly turned blood-red. Wisps of fiendish qi drifted from the corners of his eyes and ran down his cheeks. As the Bukong Kalpa shifted, countless peaks of black qi surged forth, colliding against the soaring white mountain in the sky. *Clang...* Caught off guard, he coughed up a mouthful of black blood. The bone-deep wounds on his face slowly closed as his deep eyes glared fixedly into the sky: "Who is it?!" Yet amidst the ever more ferocious thunder and fire in the sky, a youth appeared. The youth rode a bird-beast covered entirely in scales, wearing a deep-blue robe with dark patterns. His face was short, his chin slightly pointed, appearing handsome. He cradled a sword in his arms, his long hair unbound and drifting in the wind. His eyes were bright, and he smiled pleasantly: "Baiye Duxian Dao, Ye Gui." No sooner had these words fallen than dense swarms of violet fish rained down from the sky. Each was the size of a calf, their scales varying in shade, wearing white-bone human skulls on their heads. Covering heaven and earth, they fell as violet water. *Nanchou Water!* Mount Dongyu was a sky-soaring mountain, an elemental spirit of earth and streams that sprouted bird wings to become a suspended mountain. Nanchou Water was water that traversed the netherworld, a monster and fiend of river gorges that donned human heads to dive as water that flowed without return. As it cascaded down now, it struck down a swath of fiendish qi, turning it into specks of chilling fiend that fell to the earth below. Who was Ye Gui? Having inherited the orthodox Douxuan lineage, he shared the same origin as Changxiao. Caught off balance, Helian Wujiang found his divine abilities drastically reduced and his situation precarious. The thunder and fire refused to stop, crashing down to blanket the sky. "Hahahahahaha!" The moment he appeared, Real Person Luo showed his true colors, looking quite like a petty villain having his day. Although beaten into scattering dark vapors by the two monks due to his rash intervention earlier, his face was full of sheer delight as he nodded to Ye Gui from afar. Clearly, Real Person Luo's intervention had not come out of nowhere. His relationship with Ye Gui was anything but ordinary; having received advance word, he had disregarded his own safety to hold back Helian Wujiang! "Ye Gui! Have you thought this through?!" The situation had reversed in an instant. Beside them, the big-bellied monk flew into a rage, gnashing his teeth and cursing: "Your background is clean! You could have stayed out of this, yet you side with the Taiyang lineage! Do not blame us for showing no mercy!" The youth in the sky appeared quite gentle. Hearing this, he merely smiled, yet his gaze was filled with coldness and boiling fury. He chuckled: "You bald fucking donkeys... bringing your people right to my doorstep. Three or four Lianmin banding together, abducting my disciples, storming my mountain gates, and demanding my juniors surrender! And now you ask if I'll stay out of it?" "I'll pluck your mother's goddamn head!"