Countermove

Brilliant radiance surged through the heavens. Murong Yan's expression shifted drastically as the black mist in his grasp recoiled at astonishing speed, a flicker of hesitation passing through his eyes. Even though the sudden crisis had pivoted entirely toward the spiritual weapon in his hand, a countermeasure formed in his mind in an instant: *The best move is to step forward... enter the gate myself, and then find an opening to escape with my divine ability!* Yet the moment that thought surfaced, the smile on Li Zhouwei's face magnified boundlessly in his pupils, planting a seed of suspicion: *If this were a duel, I could easily venture in. But things are vastly different now... In the chaos of battle, circumstances change in the blink of an eye. If Chi Buzi lurks nearby, or if they seek an opportunity to finish me off with Daxue Juefeng... wouldn't I be courting disaster!* That suspicion made him waver for a fraction of an instant. Yet Li Zhouwei had long been waiting for this very moment. Having attained perfection in the divine ability of Audience at the Heavenly Gate, its manifestation was blindingly swift. With this momentary hesitation, how could Murong Yan possibly evade it? He was stripped of even the chance to throw himself into the gate! *Rumble!* In that breath, the blazing aura of light boiled over. Beneath the sky where multicolored divine abilities converged, a shimmering Heavenly Gate stood aloft in midair. Within the portal, a radiant dawn seemed to rise, casting pure white brilliance so dazzling that cultivators on both riverbanks lowered their heads, daring not look upon it directly. Beneath the Heavenly Gate, a speck of gray light still trembled violently, thrashing unwillingly like a demon suppressed beneath the celestial entrance. From time to time it forced the gate to rise by a fraction, yet it could no longer break free. Murong Yan already stood far off in another corner of the sky, his expression thoroughly unsightly. Within his sturdy arm, nothing remained! *Audience at the Heavenly Gate...* Murong Yan naturally knew how formidable this technique was. But as a practitioner of Female Water divine abilities, what he feared least was being worn down and suppressed; thus, contempt had subconsciously crept into his heart. Now, vaguely sensing the immense crushing weight transmitted from his spiritual weapon, his expression tightened with unease. At the same time, sheets of white light surged from the Heavenly Gate like a rising tide, sweeping away the dark radiance of Ning Wuchen and carving out its own sanctum within the illumination of the Female Water. Li Zhouwei stood atop the Heavenly Gate. Feeling the faint tremors beneath his feet, he quietly reinforced the divine ability, pointing his long halberd forward across the void, bathed in glittering luster. *I misjudged the domineering nature of this Audience at the Heavenly Gate! Even if I had entered myself, escaping wouldn't have been easy without unleashing my Female Water divine ability, let alone for a spiritual weapon!* Having lost his favored weapon due to a careless slip, Murong Yan was both furious and shaken. His face turned increasingly grim as billows of demonic qi coiled from his flanks, slowly condensing behind him into a massive disc of black mist. Streaks of dark light materialized into churning clouds that circled about him like a giant centipede-tailed scorpion, baring tens of thousands of venomous barbs while keeping its true body deeply hidden. *Heavy Cloud Illusion-Extinguishing Female Light!* Golden brilliance flared in Li Zhouwei's eyes. Filaments of Bright Heavenly Surges coalesced around his form once more, rising to meet the onslaught. Unfortunately, Bright Heavenly Surges was inherently mediocre in grade and had been cultivated hastily. It could hardly contend against these streaks of black qi; though the silken rays surged forward, they were forced backward inch by inch. *Boom!* Light flickered intermittently between Li Zhouwei's brows. The Shangyao Subduing Light streaked across the expanse in a flash like a magnificent firework, striking with immaculate precision against Murong Yan, who was concealed beneath layers of mist. The churning black mist stalled instantly. Yet it was far from over; no matter how his adversary sought to hide within the black fog, the Shangyao Subduing Light struck his true body fleetingly and with unerring accuracy, repeatedly stifling the spells brewing in his hands. For a time, white light flashed ceaselessly across the firmament, casting shifting shadows through the dark clouds. *Bang! Bang! Bang...!* Though the Shangyao Subduing Light was not exceedingly fast and could not keep up with Murong Yan as he shifted and dodged through the dark clouds to avoid head-on clashes, it consistently disrupted his arts, keeping his offensive at a complete standstill. After an unknown duration, the spell finally waned, and the roiling dark clouds around Murong Yan dispersed. Looking thoroughly grim, he pressed two fingers before his chest and raised his other hand, relinquishing the maintenance of the Heavy Cloud Illusion-Extinguishing Female Light to finally summon a beam of Female Water demonic light. This light was pitch-black and heavy, like thick gossamer, moving through Ning Wuchen like a fish in water. Yet it did not draw near; instead, it drifted about sinisterly. When faced with the incoming weapon, Murong Yan did not evade. Instead, he closed in aggressively, dark light flickering in his eyes with mounting ferocity. *Boom!* A tempest of golden brilliance erupted across the sky. The long halberd was barely caught between his two palms. Boiling vapor and radiant light burst from the point of contact, while roiling demonic qi was consumed at an astounding rate. Colors churned within his eyes as his gaping mouth expanded horrifyingly, tearing all the way to his ears. A swirling vortex of purple-black radiance sank inward, swallowing every bit of bright light before him whole, while billows of purple-black demonic qi coiled around Dasheng to arrest its momentum. The golden edge in the sky trembled slightly. Li Zhouwei turned on his heel and vaulted into the air. Bracing against the onslaught of purple-black demonic qi, he brought his boot down firmly upon Dasheng, bending the shaft of the weapon slightly while brilliant light began to brew between his brows. No one could tell how much divine power and mana were poured into that single step. Dense golden fissures instantly lit up across Murong Yan's hands, and two of his fingers were severed clean off, tumbling through midair and causing his pupils to dilate in shock. Yet Dasheng's might was far from exhausted. Today, Li Zhouwei was no longer the one fighting empty-handed. Without surprise, the marvelous power of Imitative Accord flared once more, shining with brilliant luster. Though the true weapon was still forcibly pinned, the golden projection—hammered down by Li Zhouwei's heavy step—sprang forward. Slipping through Murong Yan's hands, the blade plunged straight toward his throat, coming close to piercing his neck through. The swelling vortex of purple and black flickered faintly. Only thanks to Murong Yan's profound cultivation was the spell forcibly held together, yet the dazzling Shangyao Subduing Light arrived right on schedule! *Hiss...* Blinding golden radiance flashed as scorching light rushed over him. The golden luster reflected in Murong Yan's eyes, and as his spiritual sense swept through the air, he was shocked to find that Li Zhouwei's hand was already touching the Huayang Royal Battleaxe! *Not good!* He reacted almost instinctively. The purple-black light in his mouth stalled and withdrew, preparing to retreat. Yet the light that faded even faster was Li Zhouwei's Shangyao Subduing Light! Li Zhouwei had merely brushed his hand across the Huayang Royal Battleaxe without the slightest intention of drawing it. Instead, he lifted his boot, shifting his stance from a step into a kick, striking heavily against the halberd's shaft. *Thump!* Murong Yan had already dispelled his spell, leaving Dasheng unconstrained. This single kick sent Dasheng piercing forward with blazing solar light. Breaking free from his grasp, it sheared off several more fingers and plunged deep into his chest and lungs. *Pfft!* The golden glow of Imitative Accord surfaced upon the halberd, only to flicker out unexpectedly. Li Zhouwei's eyes gleamed as he brought his hands together before his chest in advance, narrowly catching a sliver of dark, fish-like Female Water demonic light! *Creak...* The demonic light ground slowly forward between his palms, emitting an agonizing screech as dense demonic qi billowed across his face. Seizing the opening, Murong Yan coughed up a mouthful of blood, an expression of regret washing over him. His art had been seen through, so he had shifted his strategy on the fly, deliberately closing in to seize the weapon just for this moment... He had not expected his opponent's relentless assault to be so ferocious that his spell had been launched in haste! *Boom!* Intense light detonated within Li Zhouwei's grasp. Streaks of demonic qi, sharp as blades, tore through the white light. In that brief shockwave, both figures vanished from their positions once more. *Cough.* Murong Yan reappeared, golden light flickering in his chest and abdomen, deep enough to reveal his internal organs. The fingers on both his hands were completely gone, leaving only bare palms and jagged white bones. His face showed not the slightest hint of pain. With a quiet flick of his hands, white bone regenerated and flesh crept back over them, fully restoring his limbs in a matter of moments. The wound across his chest and abdomen also sealed rapidly, temporarily concealing the golden light within. When it came to healing, as a Female Water demonic cultivator, only those of the Horn Wood could rival him in this world. Furthermore, Horn Wood leaned toward healing others, while Female Water excelled in self-restoration; under equal conditions, they were still a step behind him! Yet his eyes held not a shred of triumph. Instead, a flicker of hesitant unease crossed his gaze: *He chose to strike my chest... rather than piercing my qi sea...* As he hesitated, Li Zhouwei also shook the demonic qi from his palms. A hazy white mist rose from his hands, slowly mending his injuries. Dasheng hovered quietly beside him, encircled by four rings of white light. In the instant the two confronted each other in midair, they seemed to read an anomaly and a subtle hint in each other's eyes. At that very moment, streaks of resplendent light descended from the heavens. Coiled in black serpents, a Mohe with the head of a horse appeared out of thin air, flanked by several suspended golden bodies. Daixi had arrived! Controlling the array from within, Ning Wan was straining to withstand Shilou Yingge alongside Zhu Sheng, already hard-pressed beneath the adversary's true fire. Now, seeing sheets of radiant light tear through the snow, her expression shifted. "Fellow Daoists, why have you come north!" The Mohe's booming laughter resonated across the sky once more, immediately drawing cheers from the cultivators below. Unfortunately, Mohe were inherently detested figures, and Daixi was among the most notorious of them all. Murong Yan visibly furrowed his brow, while Shilou Yingge, who was already holding the upper hand with ease, merely cast a cold glance in his direction. Yet the faces of the southern cultivators had darkened. Weighing the situation in his mind, Li Zhouwei frowned quietly: *A bit too early...* Up in the sky, Daixi swept his gaze across the northern assembly, cursing inwardly: *What kind of crowd is this!* Daixi was a Mohe of the Kongwu Path, whom the Gao family had long resented. Though Shilou Yingge advocated restoring his ancestral surname, the clan grudge was genuine and unyielding! Why would he want Daixi's help? The Murong family was quite the opposite. In truth, their Zhuokong Mohe of Power, the foremost figure of the Kongwu Path, Zhelu, had been elevated with the assistance of the Murong family, so they ought to have been exceptionally close... Yet Daixi knew his own side's secrets. Zhelu was utterly unwilling to remain a puppet answering to the Murong family and the Dayu Dao, and in recent years had increasingly pursued his own designs... For Daixi, taking a clear stance was perilous; he dared not recklessly approach them! Furthermore, Daixi recognized that White Qilin all too well. Though greed consumed his heart, he felt a genuine dread when it came to actually intervening. Daxue Juefeng was formidable as well. After casting a swift, cautious glance around, he concluded that this Fushui sword cultivator was the easiest target! With a hearty laugh, he rode the clouds downward. Chen Yin's cultivation was a notch below Xin Du's. He had lasted this long solely because of the sharpness of the newly forged spiritual sword he had spent the better part of his life's savings to create. His adversary was also wary of getting hurt and had lacked a fierce appetite for battle. Yet after a brief glance, Chen Yin's heart sank to the freezing depths: *Why is he coming for me?!* In the sky, the four Lianmin exchanged glances, each calculating their odds. After a moment of hesitation, they rode the wind down together behind Daixi. A cold sweat broke out over Chen Yin as a sense of imminent catastrophe gripped him! *I am expected to withstand a formation like this?!* Without hesitation, he retrieved his sword and retreated, supported by his Fushui divine ability. But having seen this development, how could Xin Du let him leave? Setting his sights on the spiritual sword in his opponent's grasp, intense greed flared within his chest: *No wonder they say the south is wealthy—even a sword cultivator with no apparent backing can possess his own spiritual sword! If I could seize this treasure, who knows how much I could trade it for!* Bolstered by his divine ability, he gave chase with fierce urgency, clinging tight, while the several Lianmin quickly closed in, preparing to encircle and trap their quarry. Only Daixi kept a smile on his face, not daring to advance. He merely watched furtively, keeping a constant eye on Ning Wan's position. For no other reason than his sheer terror of Daxue Juefeng! *I must also watch out for the sword intent sealed within that spiritual weapon. Compared to these northern cultivators, the people before me might hate me even more... Better to let the immortal cultivators battle each other, just as they have for a thousand years, and let them exhaust their own strength...* Chen Yin barely had time to raise his hand. Slashing upward with his spiritual sword, waves of surging, pale-white radiance erupted. Merely neutralizing their assault turned his face deathly pale, and he nearly spat blood. Yet the predicament grew far worse. His hastily swung blade slashed cleanly through the white-robed demonic cultivator before him, cleaving his dharma body in two. Yet the demon's expression did not waver; dispersing and reforming in an instant, he pounced once more. Chen Yin understood clearly. Whether it was Xin Du or Daixi, the only reason they singled him out was that he had no hidden trump cards and made for an easy target; moreover, having newly forged a spiritual sword naturally invited greed... Yet how many grievances had he harbored all along? Unlike Li Ximing, Chen Yin had attained his divine ability when the Great Sun was in its ascendancy, and he lacked an advantageous position like Xiao Chuting's... He had long existed as an immortal clan bound to the Great Sun lineage. Though this pressure had lessened somewhat in recent years, the shackles upon him were still far heavier than those upon Li Ximing... *I had no choice but to wade into these muddy waters... After all, the sword in my hand was forged from materials granted by others... How could I refuse? But once my life is on the line, who can continue holding the line for their Great Sun!* The ruthlessness in his eyes deepened. Casting all caution aside, he held his spiritual sword upright and raised it with strenuous effort! *Hundred Lights Form-Dividing Sword Art!* The deep blue spiritual sword in his hand split into eight in an instant. As he lifted two fingers, the blades formed a massive arc around his body, radiating white sword light in unison. Immediately following was the fiery gleam in the old man's eyes: "Die!" This was a calamity capable of claiming his life. Chen Yin held nothing back and hesitated not in the least, visibly fighting for his very survival. The radiance of the eight spiritual swords flared with mounting intensity, each growing as vast as a door leaf to shield him, while Weak Water surged around his form, sweeping away all winds and divine abilities. Chen Yin indeed possessed true skill, and the Fushui lineage held its own peculiarities. With his sudden all-out exertion, the divine abilities beneath his pursuers' feet were wiped out simultaneously. The Weak Water below exerted an irresistible downward pull, dragging them rapidly downward against their will. Just as the eight spiritual swords blazed with radiant splendor, an object suddenly burst forth from the Great Void. It was a purple bowl rimmed with two bands of black. Its opening was pitch-black, and the purple light had reached its absolute zenith, completely suppressing the Weak Water below! The Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl! Daixi had originally refined this treasure specifically to draw in water and fire. In the brief moment it took to control the Weak Water divine ability, the surrounding cultivators came to their senses and circulated their arts to break free! "Fine divine ability!" The first to break loose was naturally Xin Du. This demonic cultivator prioritized self-preservation in all things; the boots upon his feet were actually spiritual embryos, shimmering with radiance that had allowed him to slip free of the divine ability early on. Forming hand seals, joy surged in his chest! *Coming south truly yields good pickings!* His strength was formidable to begin with, and seeing the opportunity to seize a spiritual weapon, he threw caution to the wind. His eyes turned crimson, and two specks of pale-golden flowing light manifested within his pupils, darting forward like venomous bees. Driving his divine ability with everything he had, Chen Yin gritted his teeth and prepared to step into the Great Void, paying no heed to the rest. Yet the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl was already suspended high within the Great Void, sending a dazzling sheet of purple light crashing toward him. *Splatter!* The situation deteriorated abruptly. Visible hesitation flickered in Chen Yin's eyes; urgent as he was, he had no choice but to evade the brunt of the strike. Parrying with his spiritual sword, he heard Xin Du laugh: "Surrender the spiritual sword, and I won't harm you!" How could Chen Yin agree? This sword was forged from spiritual materials he had spent most of his life gathering, consuming countless opportunities and ancestral treasures; pawning the entire Chen clan would not suffice to match its worth! Moreover, though his adversary laughed, all manners of divine abilities rained down without mercy, followed closely by the golden implements of the nearby Lianmin. The barrage forced him to spit blood once more, his eyes reddening as he gnashed his teeth in secret: *The more dangerous it gets, the calmer I must be. Only by finding a flaw can I depart safely; otherwise, it will merely mean continuing this fight within the Great Void!* Yet just as he was strained to his limits, a tremor rippled through the Great Void. A halberd swept across the expanse, stirring purple flames as divine abilities erupted wildly! *Boom!* A dense white divine ability exploded upon the halberd. The crescent-shaped side blade snagged several golden implements simultaneously. Chen Yin's burden eased drastically in an instant. Looking upon the figure standing before him in astonishment, his hands did not slow in the least; tearing through the Great Void once more, the dazzling purple light reflected into his eyes again. This time, he was not caught in a pincer attack, and the pursuers behind him were already being held at bay. There was no need to fear their relentless pursuit; so long as he braced against this light and endured minor injuries, he would surely be able to escape! Yet Chen Yin hesitated for a fraction of an instant. The light upon his spiritual sword dimmed and flared again; in the end, he did not take that step. Instead, he thrust his sword forward with astonishing speed, parrying a divine ability aimed at Li Zhouwei's flank with a resonant clang. Chen Yin's move sparked a momentary surprise in Li Zhouwei, drawing a faint smile from him. Exerting force through both arms without hesitation, he reversed the halberd, wrenching it free with a metallic ring. Bringing the spearhead forward, his pupils locked onto Xin Du! A faint rage surfaced within the demonic cultivator, though it was unclear whether it was directed at Murong Yan or Li Zhouwei. Yet the surging anger and greed quickly waned as he weighed their respective strengths. If no benefit could be gained, why fight this battle? *Where is Murong Yan! To think he couldn't even pin him down!* No sooner had he cursed in his mind than Murong Yan's Ning Wuchen swept over from the distance, having already joined the flames in the sky to suppress Zhu Sheng and Ning Wan! Xin Du watched the two with a grim expression. Just as Li Zhouwei brought his weapon back, a golden ring tore through the Great Void, swooping down to trap it—Daixi's newly acquired treasure. The golden ring carried an imposing aura, expanding and contracting in midair. With a metallic clash, it locked tightly around Dasheng's side blade, constricting abruptly and vibrating violently. Holding the halberd with one hand, Li Zhouwei found his weapon ensnared by the artifact, unable to pull free for the moment. *Excellent!* Delighted, Xin Du lunged toward Chen Yin once more! *Boom!* The light of flames flickered across the sky. The sporadic snow that had blanketed the area finally dispersed, leaving the white array banners fluttering feebly in the air. *Ning Wan and Zhu Sheng are struggling to hold on... The north wants to sweep us all up... suppress everyone, or at least plunder some treasures...* Li Zhouwei composed his expression and lifted his gaze, planting the halberd beside him. The golden ring still could not be cast off, its various wondrous functions restrained and unable to unleash their might. His gaze turned piercingly cold, sweeping over Daixi, who was quietly stepping into the Great Void, and the nearby Xin Du. A low rumble of thunder had already begun to resound within the clouds. Audience at the Heavenly Gate! The moment the might of this divine ability began to manifest, the several Lianmin who had been treading carefully were struck with terror. Even Daixi cast a wary glance in his direction, noting the Huayang Royal Battleaxe at his waist. After all, Li Zhouwei was a prominent figure of the day; among Buddhist cultivators, who hadn't studied him thoroughly? They immediately scattered in retreat. Seeing that he was the target once more, Xin Du's expression shifted drastically, and he laughed out of sheer fury. *What does this have to do with you? I've never heard of your Li family being close with the Chens! You even let Murong Yan's spiritual weapon go, yet you insist on ruining my plans!* With Daixi's treasures occupied in the Great Void, this Audience at the Heavenly Gate was clearly meant to force a retreat. Unwilling to yield, Xin Du pulled back, turning around with indignation. Only then did he realize that Li Zhouwei had already burst through the three-man encirclement, charging straight before him! Understanding dawned on Xin Du—it was simply because he lacked a powerful background that he was being singled out. Even knowing Li Zhouwei possessed an illustrious bloodline, being targeted repeatedly pushed him to laugh in anger: "Do you truly take this master for an easy target!" Brilliance flared in his eyes as white qi enveloped his face. He resorted directly to his trump card, pouncing forward the moment the Audience at the Heavenly Gate missed, sneering coldly: *Your spiritual weapon is bound, and your divine ability has missed. Facing this technique of mine, I'd like to see how you handle it!* Yet Li Zhouwei seemed entirely unconcerned by the entrapment of his weapon. Standing coolly before him, he shook his sleeve, unfurling a scroll painting out of thin air. *What spiritual weapon is this?!* Xin Du's heart leaped, but the white light in his hand was already hurled with all his might. Only then did he realize the scroll before him was completely ordinary. Though it carried a faint wisp of Lushui qi, it possessed no magical brilliance whatsoever; it was merely a portrait of a person. The figure was utterly unfamiliar—clad in green robes with green hair, possessing a thoroughly sinister countenance, likely some demonic fiend... Believing it to be a defensive spiritual weapon, Xin Du had not restrained his divine ability at all. The surging force shattered the scroll to pieces, crashing head-on into Li Zhouwei and sending him flying back dozens of paces, coughing up a mouthful of blood. *That's it?* Xin Du stared in disbelief, his instinct to scoff. But clouds of suspicion quickly gathered in his mind. Sweeping his gaze across the battlefield, his eyes met Murong Yan's in the distance—a look so stricken with horror that he seemed on the verge of tears. Yet that expression lasted only an instant. Murong Yan, the sky full of true fire, Shilou Yingge, and the drifting white snow were already nowhere to be seen, fleeing far into the distance. *Wait? Why are they flying on foot?* Every hair on his body stood on end. His spiritual sense flared for an instant, and realization dawned upon him, sending a chill running from the crown of his head straight down to his tailbone. He could not connect to the Great Void. The several Lianmin below, still oblivious, burst into mocking laughter that made him want to vomit blood, sounding gratingly harsh in the dead silence of the sky. He could only spin around with lightning speed, yet his motion ground to a dead halt. His pupils dilated to their limits, reflecting a pair of blue-purple eyes resembling those of a serpent or flood dragon—seemingly smiling in cold derision.