Thunder and scarlet fire descended from the heavens. Helian Wujiang knew that with Ye Gui appearing here, there was no longer any room for compromise. He did not bother to inquire like a Buddhist monk would. Instead, black qi swirled within his eyes as he raised his divine ability to resist the violet water cascading from above.
Ye Gui's lineage stemmed from Douxuan. Helian Wujiang had already been locked in bitter combat for a long time, and having lost the initiative to this sudden ambush, he immediately found himself in dire straits. The deep-black Rakshasa Sea that originally shrouded the sky was suppressed by the violet water, condensing into rolling chilled air that gradually receded to reveal the bright firmament.
Li Ximing paused in midair on his divine ability to catch his breath. In that brief respite, the elixirs he had swallowed began to take effect. His dharmic powers, which had been sluggish and suppressed by fiendish qi at every turn, began to flow once more, coursing through his dharma body.
This great battle had lasted for most of its course, and it was only when Helian Wujiang revealed himself and drove that numinous saber right before him that Real Person Luo's voice had sounded in his ear, claiming reinforcements had arrived.
Li Ximing had not placed much trust in him and had merely activated Chayou to investigate, only then discovering that the reinforcement was Ye Gui.
To be candid, when Ye Gui appeared, Li Ximing had no way of knowing whether the man came to assist or to kill him. To Helian Wujiang, Ye Gui was merely a nuisance, but to Li Ximing in his current state, Ye Gui was lethal. Ye Gui was not Helian Wujiang; several of his Duwei divine abilities could influence the Great Void. Escaping before him was an entirely different level of difficulty.
By all reason and instinct, Li Ximing should have fled long ago. The only reason he found the man remotely trustworthy was that this Real Person had silently waited in the Great Void near Helian Wujiang rather than lurking beside Li Ximing himself.
Now that the two had clashed, Li Ximing assisted with divine abilities and spells while consuming elixirs to steady his breath. Soon regaining his footing within the clouds, he felt a strange, complicated emotion in his heart:
*To think that one day... I would actually fight side by side with this Ye Gui.*
Helian Wujiang, on the other hand, was pushed into an awkward position.
Ye Gui's Nanchou Water and Mount Dongyu suppressed and sealed off the area, while his Duwei lineage's ability to drive ghosts and enlighten spirits proved remarkably effective against fiendish qi. In particular, that Nanchou Water countered the Rakshasa Sea to the death. Not a shred of fiendish qi could be seen in the sky; only chilling gales howled, as if snow were about to fall.
With the Rakshasa Sea broken, the marvels of Helian Wujiang's dharma body diminished greatly, yet the lightning in the sky showed no sign of ceasing. Coupled with Li Ximing aiding from the flanks, using Shangyao Subduing Light and the Guangming Tiantao to tie him down from both sides—a ray of heavenly light from the left, a surging wave of radiance from the right, with Shichuan dispelling illusions—Helian Wujiang was pressed exceedingly hard.
After trading blows for several exchanges, Helian Wujiang immediately grew eager to retreat. Steering his black qi, he shuttled through the thunderbolts for a long time, unraveling Ye Gui's spells, until his two fingers finally touched the short saber at his waist!
*Buzz...*
Yet Ye Gui merely chuckled.
He had watched from the sidelines for so long that he had already gained a thorough understanding of Helian Wujiang's methods. How could he forget this move? He lightly flicked his finger. Thunder and fire converged in the sky, and from within them emerged a hazy yellow brilliance.
Sanxu Shesu Profound Light!
No one knew how long this Sanxu Shesu Profound Light had been brewing; it had long been concealed within the clouds. Belonging to the Douxuan lineage, wherever this profound light shone, near and far were bridged. When used against numinous implements, it possessed the marvelous efficacy of severing divine abilities and illuminating the true form.
Now slipping from Ye Gui's fingertips, it hovered between distant and near, circling in the air. The target of that short saber seemed to separate from Ye Gui like a reflection in a mirror, locking instead onto this profound light.
Like a shadow beneath the moon, the Sanxu Shesu Profound Light split from its tail into three hazy silhouettes of light. A crisp sound rang out:
*Bang!*
One of the three hazy silhouettes vanished, and the violet water was split apart by rolling saber qi. Helian Wujiang's expression turned exceedingly grim. The jet-black short saber had already remanifested before him, its divine ability surging atop the numinous implement. Though it suffered no damage whatsoever, it had clearly returned without achieving any result.
Without waiting for him to recover, Ye Gui came treading across the thunder.
Helian Wujiang reacted with immense speed. Billowing black smoke surged beneath his feet as he activated his escape technique well in advance, intending to break free immediately!
The youth before him merely smiled and raised his palm:
Xitian Plateau!
The Great Void abruptly shifted. Snow suddenly began to fall, amidst treacherous, precipitous terrain. Beside him, an endless, mighty gale bearing falling snow manifested out of nothingness.
As this wind blew near, it took on a pale cyan hue, locking him in place. Ye Gui's long hair fluttered in the cyan wind. The two beams of Sanxu Shesu Profound Light immediately flashed from far to near, sinking into the back of his head. The light of thunder and fire appeared in his pupils as his voice boomed like a thunderclap:
"Halt!"
It was a plain, ordinary shout, yet imbued with the power of the Sanxu Shesu Profound Light. Helian Wujiang's body shuddered violently, his eyes revealing a dazed look as his divine abilities shattered. Before him, Ye Gui had already transformed his palm into a blade, cleaving straight down.
In a flash, Helian Wujiang was disemboweled, fiendish qi billowing out. Yet he was no ordinary cultivator. He suddenly opened his mouth, swelling to the size of a person. His gory, bloody maw swallowed his opponent's divine ability and spat out a white talisman.
This white talisman unfurled, stretching over a zhang in length. It dispersed the radiance and draped over his body. Though Helian Wujiang coughed up blood, his fiendish qi scattering after being wounded by his opponent's spellcraft and unable to gather his divine abilities, he could still stir up a gust of wind that sent him flying several zhang away.
Having stepped back, Helian Wujiang hesitated not for a fraction of an instant. The Bukong Kalpa activated in a flash, turning his body into rolling fiendish qi that scattered in all directions.
Ye Gui sneered coldly. A talisman and a register in the sky immediately went into motion, yet from the distant horizon came a rumble like mountains collapsing and tsunamis surging, thunder roaring as a wave of white vapor rose, sweeping away all the red that shrouded the heavens.
His expression shifted slightly. The divine ability in his hands halted, a lingering wariness and hesitation arising in his heart as a name surfaced in his mind:
*Guanhua Tianlou Dao... Wei Xuanyin!*
In that brief moment, the Helian Wujiang before them scattered into black qi, and from within it, two specks of golden scaled insects burst forth.
These insects had twelve legs and two wings, four body segments, and fine scales. Clothed in colorful radiance and furious winds, like chained dragons breaking free, they soared upward and cast forth brilliant golden light, shooting over like falling stars.
"Splendid!"
Li Ximing was overjoyed. He immediately stepped forward, letting the wind-riding scaled insect land upon half of his face. The little insect rolled about in delight and coiled into a ball within his nasal cavity. White bone emerged, flesh and blood leaped, and that golden, glittering eye manifested once more.
The other scaled insect bared its fangs and brandished its claws, vomiting blood as it died. Its corpse locked onto his severed limb and transformed into long bone, while its flesh and blood turned into skin and meat. The arm that had been bitten off remanifested anew.
These two scaled insects were none other than his severed flesh and bone!
This severed body part had been suppressed within Helian Wujiang's divine ability and had yet to be refined. Now that the man was forced to dissolve into fiendish qi to flee, severing his tail to survive, this remnant flesh naturally returned obediently to seek its master.
Now, Li Ximing was enveloped in pure, bright heavenly light. Though a faint scar still remained across the bridge of his nose, it was barely visible unless scrutinized closely. At the very least, his dharma body was no longer in such a miserable state.
"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing!"
With the fiendish qi receding and the violet water dissipating, Ye Gui did not give chase. He turned around and smiled.
"Long time no see."
Helian Wujiang's retreat had been an inevitability. Ye Gui had lurked on the sidelines for a long time; once he revealed himself, driving the man off was enough. Using spells to break his divine ability and release the severed flesh was an act of goodwill. Though Li Ximing felt considerable unease in his heart, he still raised his brows and said:
"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist..."
Yet before he could finish speaking, a soft pop sounded by his ear:
*Crack!*
The jade talisman at his waist glowed silently, fissures spreading across it as black light flickered. In the blink of an eye, it shattered into fine powder, drifting slowly down along his robes.
*Not good...*
Li Ximing's heart suddenly went hollow, a chill surging within him.
This talisman had been given to him by Kuiqi of the Grand Xiukui Abbey. Not only he, but Real Person Luo also had one. They could sense each other through it, and they had relied on this object's prompt when striking earlier. Now that the jade talisman had shattered, it was a signal for them to drop whatever they were doing and return immediately to defend Mount Tangdao.
*Something must have happened on Kuiqi's side as well...*
Ever since Helian Wujiang appeared, Li Ximing had known this matter would be hard to resolve and that trouble was inevitable. The only thing that had given him some comfort was that Kuiqi had sent the Chongyang Star-Governing Treasure Plate over, which could pass as proof that Kuiqi had anticipated Helian Wujiang's arrival to some degree.
Yet now, the shattered jade talisman undeniably confirmed the worst, prompting him to raise his brows and look toward the north.
The sky was dim and murky, light and darkness shifting unpredictably. The red glow that had shone on the horizon was receding rapidly, and aside from that, no other phenomenon could be seen.
*It was likely covered by some treasure, leaving no pink light piercing the sky... That can hardly be considered good news...*
With Helian Wujiang gone, the two monks had also been forced to flee into the Great Void. Real Person Luo had not displayed the slightest intention of dragging things out to slay them with their combined divine abilities; he had clearly been startled by the jade talisman at his waist as well. He immediately turned around. Seeing Ye Gui standing with hands clasped behind his back, Real Person Luo's face was filled with unease as he simply said:
"Let's go, let's go! We must leave at once!"
The two did not dally. Li Ximing was also injured and unwilling to linger, immediately stepping into the Great Void, only to see Ye Gui's expression turn slightly somber as he said:
"Leave? Where are the two of you heading?"
It was a harsh question, yet one that had to be faced. It was unknown how the main forces of the Taiyang lineage fared in their battle. Right now, should they each return to their own homes, or continue toward Mount Tangdao?
Though none of the three spoke, there was no need to say what the current situation was.
If the Taiyang lineage had won, then upon retreating from Luoxia, their first priority would inevitably be to relieve the siege. By this time, one or two Real Persons should have come riding the wind to keep these Lianmin trapped here, or at the very least to receive them and cover their leisurely retreat.
Yet now, not a single figure was to be seen. Instead, the jade talisman had been crushed—the highest-level warning, ordering everyone to head to Mount Tangdao to provide support. Every sign pointed to a single conclusion: the Taiyang lineage had, if not fought to a draw, suffered a minor defeat, or perhaps even a crushing rout!
*Though Kuiqi's plan was unexpected, it was likely countered by the other side after all. If Helian Wujiang could appear here, could the forces at Luoxia be few? Could the forces at Mount Xiaoshi be few?*
Had Ye Gui not been here, Mount Cai would likewise have fared no better, ending in a minor defeat. One had to remember that Ye Gui had no jade pendant at his waist, meaning he had not coordinated with the Taiyang lineage beforehand. Otherwise, he should have gone to Luoxia instead; Mount Cai was hardly the critical point of victory!
*He must have rushed back from overseas to protect his sect... Perhaps he has his own petty schemes. But even so, the other two places wouldn't have extra Ye Guis to help them!*
Once he went to Mount Tangdao, whether it would be safe was hard to say. Li Ximing had the immortal mirror with him, so if the north had won and laid an ambush midway, he could detect it. But no matter what, there would surely be one or two battles to fight, and his own condition was far too poor.
*Though I've reclaimed two parts of my dharma body, greatly reducing the time and labor needed to repair it, these two remnants are saturated with fiendish qi and constantly turbulent. Without time to refine them, for the short term, it's no different from having never reclaimed them at all...*
*Going there in this state, if a Lianmin comes, I might not even be able to secure a steady victory.*
Li Ximing looked up at Real Person Luo, only to see his face turn ugly.
"This is hard to say. Although I urgently need that cultivation method in Fairy Ning's hands, the Taiyang lineage has many cultivators. It would be fine if Hengzhu hasn't arrived, but there happens to be Chunyi Dao, who will inevitably look down on me. It's inconvenient for me to stride openly toward Tangdao..."
"I shall follow through the Great Void. I only ask Fellow Daoist to mention me to the other Daoists. If any grand battle breaks out, it would be better for me to reveal myself quietly to assist!"
Real Person Luo was a devil from the Southern Border and inherently crafty. With these words, he immediately pushed the matter onto Li Ximing. Li Ximing's thoughts spun rapidly:
*Once Luoxia is lost, they will inevitably scatter in all directions. It's a question whether the crowd of Real Persons who came to assist will even go to Mount Tangdao...*
*If I were the northern Buddhist cultivators, where would I go right now? Mount Tangdao?*
*It would certainly be Mount Xiaoshi!*
Mount Tangdao's grand formation could not cover the entire Tangdao Mountain Range; the branch ranges still had various ordinary formations of all sizes. Up ahead was Mount Xiaoshi, where Tinglan was stationed. While the crowd of cultivators was there, all was well, but once it fell, the north could plunge straight into Baijiang Creek! Why would that pack of Buddhist and demonic cultivators choose to gnaw on a hard bone?
Once Baijiang Creek was lost, the various clans along the banks would be in imminent peril, their retreat cut off, and Li Ximing himself would have to return to the northern shore!
His expression turned grim. Cupping his hands, he said:
"Pardon me, everyone. I must head to Mount Xiaoshi first. If Fellow Daoist Tinglan retreats... the north might very well slaughter their way into the Baijiang Creek region. The fire will be burning right at my family's doorstep!"
Without waiting for their replies, Li Ximing hurriedly transformed into a streak of light and departed. Real Person Luo hesitated, gazing again and again in the direction of his departure, his expression somewhat puzzled.
"With Zhaojing returning in that state, even if someone truly attacks Lake Wangyue, so what? Wouldn't he just be throwing his life away for nothing? If you ask me, he ought to hide in a corner and heal his wounds right now. Both sides are perilous places; why throw himself into the net!"
He glanced over at Ye Gui again, discovering that the youth's expression looked no better.
*...The front door of the Li clan is Baijiang Creek, but isn't it the same for his Duxian Dao?*
Real Person Luo had a sudden realization and said at once:
"Brother, do you want to make a trip there?"
Ye Gui narrowed his eyes and shook his head. He was no Li Ximing. To put it bluntly, aside from caring about the Guan siblings, he did not place anyone else in his eyes at all, nor did he care about the casualties among the commoners or sect cultivators in his territory. He merely waved his hand and said:
"How can one manage so much! My mountain gate is protected by a Violet Palace grand formation; it won't be breached in short order. It's merely that the population and spiritual resources will be pillaged clean. Those siblings are still at Mount Tangdao. I'll accompany you on this trip; at the very least, I must fetch the two of them."
The devil sighed, stirring up a dark blue-black gale, and rode alongside him using his divine ability toward Mount Tangdao in the south. He asked:
"In all your years wandering abroad, did you reap anything good or bad?"
Ye Gui was unexpectedly close to him. He waved his hand and said:
"Nothing worth mentioning. To seize a Douxuan treasure, I traded blows with Changxiao and spent several years nursing my wounds. Now that I have returned, I reckon he is going to defect to the north."
Real Person Luo pondered this carefully and replied:
"I see that this time is extraordinary. Wei Xuanyin is not someone easily schemed against; he will definitely come this time. If Cibei Dao also assists with all its might, people will definitely die."
Ye Gui's expression remained calm. Real Person Luo also chuckled slyly and replied:
"It's just that it has nothing to do with me... Who cares? As long as I can get my hands on the cultivation method, that's enough. If the situation gradually turns into a stalemate and the battle drags on, taking a few more things wouldn't hurt... That would naturally be wonderful."
"Look at it: the north acting as villains want to carve out their flesh, but don't we who act as good men also carve out their flesh? They always have to cut off pieces to feed us. Look at this Zhaojing—his lineage is more orthodox, and look at how much he has devoured by now... It's also because their interests align, and Taiyang is more generous."
"Now, on the rare occasion that a demonic cultivator like me can get a few scraps of grease, you come running to claim a share too!"
Real Person Luo laughed and pointed at him. Ye Gui stood with hands clasped behind his back, showing no anger, and chuckled:
"You devil!"
Real Person Luo sneered and replied:
"Devil? I may be a devil, but at least I don't scheme against my own disciples and children. Even when I harvest blood qi, I use unruly commoners and landlords from remote mountain gullies—all unrelated people. If I am a devil, then what are the likes of Sumian and Qulei? Better to call them beasts."
That word "beasts" made Ye Gui lower his head slightly. His lips moved, his eyes downcast, as he murmured:
"The so-called pursuit of survival, of strength, of unobstructed freedom... was never something to be judged by conscience and morality to begin with."
"Bah!"
Real Person Luo spat. Having been pointed at as a devil by the people of Jiangnan and further north for so many years, though he did not say it aloud, he clearly harbored resentment. With a mocking sneer, he countered:
"Tell me then, aside from conscience itself, what in this world is judged by conscience? Just how bright the Taiyang lineage is—I reckon Li Jiangqun knew best! The play being staged today was already performed on the lake five hundred years ago!"
***
Baijiang Creek.
The vegetation was lush and luxuriant, swaying in the violent wind and bending low early on. Scarcely any human figures could be seen, save for a sky-obscuring gale drifting amidst the clouds...
Rumbles like rolling thunder echoed from the horizon. The sounds of formations shattering rose and fell. Streaks of golden light shuttled across the sky, whipping up scattered flying leaves. A figure draped in chilling winds skimmed close to the ground, soaring forward.
It was a one-armed man in disheveled rags, his face streaked with blood. Though handsome, his desperate flight and injuries left him looking exceedingly wretched. Blood welled up in his mouth from time to time, but not daring to let it transform into frost and reveal his trail, he could only swallow it back down.
*Mount Xiaoshi is finished... Outside Mount Tangdao's main formation is also a sea of blood... Masters everywhere, yet not a single Real Person in sight...*
Deep fear still lingered in his pupils.
Fei Qingyi had not been stationed at Mount Tangdao for very long. The first batch of Li clan cultivators had followed Li Jiangxia into Baijiang Creek. After reorganizing, they left a few detachments behind and led Duxian Dao toward Mount Tangdao.
It was only when the Buddhist cultivators became increasingly active that the Li clan's second batch of reinforcements arrived, led by Fei Qingyi. When Master Wen, who was assigning troops, heard his name, he arranged for him to guard the relatively peaceful southern side...
Yet unexpectedly, Mount Xiaoshi was overrun, and three Lianmin came attacking. Not only did no Real Person emerge from the main formation, but even their manpower ran short. Fortunately, the formation Fei Qingyi guarded was remote, allowing him to receive word in advance. Having no desire to exert himself for the Taiyang lineage, he watched as formations large and small collapsed one after another, immediately abandoning the formation and leaving the crowd of cultivators behind to flee.
He had not expected that several Masters would pursue him along the way, gathering in increasing numbers and grand momentum. Not daring to engage them, he could only flee while bearing his injuries, running all the way to the boundary of Baijiang Creek. Only then did the group of Masters disperse, seemingly wary of something.
By the time he dragged his dying breath here, he had already reached his wit's end. Checking the terrain, he found it to be Mount Manghuazi, still quite a distance from the lakeshore. Yet without warning, a furious wind shook the heavens around him, dark clouds blotting out the sky and sun as though he had stepped into a demonic domain!
This made his limbs go limp. He turned to flee, but after running for only a short distance, he discovered a burst of demonic light crashing down from the heavens. With a thunderous boom, it struck the chilling wind beneath his feet, instantly shattering the chilled vapor and causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood. The demonic light leaped and coiled, wrapping around his chest and back, and his vision abruptly went dark.
He felt only the whistling of wind in his ears before the darkness cleared:
*Thud!*
In an instant, he had been carried to an unknown height, tumbling into the clouds. Jet-black fiendish qi swirled beneath his feet. Knowing in his heart that disaster had struck, he immediately scrambled up. Not daring to look up, he caught a glimpse with his peripheral vision of a row of cultivators standing on both flanks, and prostrated himself, crying out:
"Greetings, My Lord! Greetings, My Lord!"
"Oh?"
The person seated above seemed to be a young man, his voice sounding quite youthful. Yet from the left, someone reported in a trembling voice:
"R-Report, My Lord... This subordinate was negligent... and actually let an immortal cultivator slip through..."
"Hahahahaha!"
A hearty burst of laughter came from above, the tone carrying a touch of casual ease:
"What does that matter? The troops under our command have been dispersed across several commanderies to pillage everywhere; how could they watch our rear?"
Sweat poured from Fei Qingyi like rain. He saw only a pair of silver-white boots step forward before him, as a condescending voice sounded:
"Even if your defenses were tight, you wouldn't have been able to stop this person anyway. He was deliberately sent down by Xuwang. He is one of Lake Wangyue's men, and we have use for him right now. If he renders merit, Xuwang will want him back! If he had fallen into your hands and lost his life for nothing, to whom would Xuwang complain?"
Fei Qingyi turned cold all over, unable to move. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator after all, and having heard plenty about affairs in the north and south, how could he fail to grasp the meaning in the man's words? Just as he was at a loss for how to reply, he felt his throat tighten. His entire body was hoisted into the air by immense force, suspended in midair.
The Violet Palace Real Person before him wore armor beneath a feather cloak, his features handsome. One hand leaned on a long-handled zhaodao saber, while the other held Fei Qingyi up before his face, his eyes icy cold:
"Don't play dead with me. Li Ximing is still at Mount Cai and cannot make it here right now... Even if he escapes with his life, he can only crawl back to some corner to hide. Even if he does come, he will likely be heavily wounded and on the verge of falling..."
"I cannot breach the Violet Palace grand formation in short order, but I cannot let such a choice piece of meat sit untouched right before my eyes!"
He saw the man before him smile radiantly, whispering:
"I know your Fei clan resides on the northern shore... You need not have any misgivings. Even if the matter fails, you will merely lose your life, and taking the mere northern shore is a matter of a snap of the fingers. The entire Fei family can be pulled out of this place and follow us to Monan... If it succeeds, Northern Buddhism will surely grant you a fine position."
Held in his grip, Fei Qingyi's will to survive surged, and he unexpectedly calmed down in that instant. Staring straight into the other's eyes, he replied:
"I only hope My Lord keeps his word..."
"Hahahahaha!"
The silver-armored man lowered him with an amused chuckle. Setting the long-handled weapon upon the ground, he clapped his hands and laughed:
"You need not worry about that. I am Helian Wumeng, royalty of Tiefu. Naturally, I have no reason to go back on my word!"
Chapter 905