Daixi knew that Li Ximing had absorbed much from the Great Sun lineage, and he also knew that Li Zhouwei had reaped a bountiful harvest in the grotto-heaven. Because of this, the appearance of a spiritual treasure had stirred only mild jealousy in him. But who could have imagined three distinct spiritual flames?
*This is excessively extravagant!*
Envy and hatred flared in his heart. Yet seeing the three spiritual flames harmonizing seamlessly with one another as they bore down with ferocious momentum, he grew wary. His response was cautious and disciplined: bracing his golden body, he swiftly withdrew the overbearing, dazzling radiance of his Shi Land divine ability, letting it all flow back into his dharma body. Taking a step back, his eyes flashing, he summoned a bowl from the Great Void.
The bowl was entirely purple, bordered with a rim of metallic black luster. The mouth of the bowl was a pitch-black abyss without a glimmer of light, resembling an endless void. It was none other than the renowned Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl!
Though Daixi lacked deep seniority within the Kongwu Path, he had spent many years refining a fine collection of treasures. He had begun tempering this artifact long before he ever converted to the Buddhist path, and its greatest strength lay precisely in containing substances of water and fire!
Yet the condensed brilliance of the three spiritual flames abruptly split apart. From within, the Lihuo leapt forth, detonating in advance before the precious artifact with a resounding boom, transforming into a raging apricot-red blaze that surged into the spiritual bowl.
It was the Red Pheasant Surging Lihuo!
Among all Lihuo, the Red Pheasant was the most spiritual. The Red Pheasant Surging Lihuo possessed the ability to surge, level, and move the profound; being of the true orthodox Lihuo position, it poured out and coiled in relentless entanglement, suppressing the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl in an instant, while the other two spiritual flames crisscrossed past it and streaked forward!
*This...*
Daixi was channeling his miracles when his face darkened at the sight. Staring blankly in disbelief, he thought:
*It separated... just like that?*
Li Ximing’s counter to the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl looked effortless, but Daixi had studied the arts of fire himself! The underlying mastery was terrifyingly profound!
*Kneading spiritual flames into a single stream with such ease, then separating them at will and controlling them independently without the slightest interference... This is like seeing a ghost...*
One had to realize that Li Ximing was simultaneously manipulating True Fire, Lihuo, and Combined Fire!
These were three spiritual flames, each more domineering and ferocious than the last. Between different spiritual flames, harmony was virtually nonexistent. Moreover, a True Person’s spiritual sense had its limits; whether controlling spiritual artifacts or spiritual flames, their capacity was likewise constrained—how could anyone endure such internal attrition? Even a True Person cultivating Fire Virtue could, at most, handle two or three spiritual flames of the same lineage in actual combat!
Daixi intimately understood the difficulty. When refining the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl back then, he lacked spiritual flames and had to spend a full five years harmonizing the three fires of True, Combined, and Mu within the bowl. He managed to produce a mere wisp of flame, which was so pathetic that even with his thick skin, he felt too embarrassed to give it a proper name, referring to it simply as karmic fire.
*Li Ximing isn't even a cultivator of Fire Virtue—at most, Lihuo has some affinity with Mingyang. Yet three Violet Palace-grade flames from different lineages merge and separate at his whim? On what grounds?! Even Gao Fu couldn't be more capable than this!*
Yet with the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl—which should have countered fire techniques—neutralized instead, Daixi had no choice but to project billowing magnificent light from his eyes. But a streak of white light had already leapt across: the Shangyao Subduing Light!
Though Li Ximing's Shangyao Subduing Light could not match Li Zhouwei’s, he had practiced it for several decades. It firmly blocked the magnificent light. In an instant, the flickering Three Hou Shuxuan Fire leapt forth once more, golden-red and radiant, shattering the golden glow emitted by the lotus beneath him.
Daixi clasped his hands before his chest, urgently summoning his magical artifact to return, yet no resonance came from the Great Void.
*What?*
Li Ximing’s gaze was cold. The five tiers of gold thread encircling the Chonghuo Liangming Instrument in his hand had already vanished, traversing the Lihuo light in the distance. The miracle Xuanhuo was engaged, binding the artifact fast, cutting off Daixi's connection to the precious lamp he had hidden in the dark for protection!
The Mohe’s expression changed drastically as the bright white light expanded in his pupils.
*Boom!*
Blindingly bright to the point of searing the eyes, the Tianwu Combined Fire plummeted abruptly, detonating upon Daixi’s arm. The soaring, pale-gray invisible flame forced back the Lihuo light, burning through iridescent clouds and dispersing fleeting radiance.
"Roar..."
As the intense white light dispersed, the Mohe howled in agonizing fury. The arm he had raised to defend himself had turned bright white, Combined Fire blazing furiously as it melted the golden skin, exposing the jade- and colored-glaze-like cross-section beneath.
Countless flecks of Combined Fire had splashed across his golden body, dancing like maggot-ridden rot clinging to the bone. Shuddering continually, they expanded into rings of gray flame that spiraled outward around the bright sparks, growing brighter bit by bit!
Caught off guard and suffering a crushing blow, Daixi was in unbearable agony. Boundless hatred and terror mingled in his eyes, yet his lips twisted with jealousy as he gasped in silent resentment:
*Tianwu Combined Fire!*
The Tianwu Combined Fire enjoyed immense renown among Combined Fires. It was said to incinerate life and manifest total brightness, possessing the aspect of flocking to flame and clinging to power, as well as the ability to smelt gold and water. These were no idle claims. Once it landed upon a body, it spawned this pale-gray Flocking-to-Flame Combined Fire!
And if left unchecked, this Flocking-to-Flame Combined Fire would burn through magical power and divine abilities, gaining nourishment to fuel the spread of the original Tianwu Combined Fire's dharma flames—vicious beyond measure! It was an easily recognizable treasure, yet Daixi had never imagined his opponent would possess such a thing!
*Tianwu Combined Fire... How could it be Tianwu Combined Fire?! Even selling Li Ximing ten times over shouldn't be enough to exchange for such a thing!*
Though the other two spiritual flames had been detached, leaving only the pure might of the Tianwu Combined Fire, it still burned him until he was covered in wounds. His pupils dilated from the agonizing pain until the glaze-like irises nearly consumed his eyes. The lotus pedestal beneath his feet swiftly retreated as billowing magnificent light climbed upward, suppressing his injuries before the flames could spread further...
*I am doing their Dayu Path's dirty work, yet they sit idly by, watching me stumble and suffer wounds... Truly outrageous!*
His surging wrath bled into the magnificent light with heavy oppression, sending a chill through the three Lianmin who had been fishing in troubled waters within the Lihuo light, making them inwardly wail in dismay.
Lacking any patron, Nüxiao suffered the most, resentment welling within her:
*We were blocked by the Lihuo light; taking a bit of time is completely normal... It's not like we're slacking on purpose... Li Ximing's divine ability is Audience at the Heavenly Gate. If reinforcements really do burst out, whoever charges in front will die first! Having an excuse to linger for a moment was obviously the best choice... Who could have guessed that a three-lifetime Mohe like you would get wounded within just a few exchanges!*
Curses aside, drenched in cold sweat, the three Lianmin charged out of the Lihuo light. Led by Nüxiao, whose cultivation was the highest, they raised several streaks of magnificent light and flew forward! Yet the death throes of the Great Sun lineage in past years had not been without effect; Daixi’s Lianmin had suffered heavy casualties. The three remaining were all unremarkable—to say nothing of having a golden lotus pedestal, even the strongest among them, Nüxiao, only held a Fahui Seat!
Li Ximing’s figure drifted upward within the Lihuo light. Audience at the Heavenly Gate, held in reserve until now, had been waiting for this very moment; he brought it down upon Nüxiao without hesitation. The spiritual treasure hovering between his brows suddenly blazed with light, the tremendous drain turning his face pale:
*Qunguang!*
The spiritual treasure's power to suppress heterodox paths manifested. The other two, lunging from either side to avoid being suppressed simultaneously by his single divine ability, both stiffened. Then the fourth miracle, Chongguang, manifested: crimson light swept across with a resonant chime of Lihuo force, which, combined with Qunguang, locked both of them in place.
*A spiritual treasure is a spiritual treasure after all!*
The Lianmin on the left and right were thoroughly held at bay, their hearts clenching.
Yet in the rear, Daixi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Having briefly stabilized his dharma body, the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl set atop his form to absorb and suppress the spiritual flames, he exerted fierce force and finally yanked an object out of the Lihuo light.
It was none other than the precious lamp artifact, previously pinned down by Xuanhuo!
This lamp, newly acquired through trade, had been trapped in the Lihuo light by a single miracle for more than ten rounds. Had Daixi not freed up his hands to rescue it, he suspected it might have remained locked away until the battle concluded... While this owed to the might of the opponent’s spiritual treasure, it left Daixi deeply disappointed—almost enraged enough to laugh aloud. In silence, he exhaled a breath to kindle the lamp’s flame, casting magnificent light to illuminate his foe.
This magnificent light had some extraordinary properties after all, moving with astonishing speed. Li Ximing, channeling several miracles to bind multiple foes at once, found his magical power and divine abilities faltering. Strained by this sudden tug, his hand seals nearly unraveled. Falling half a beat behind, the interwoven light of the Great Sun and Yingli around him failed to hold, snuffed out abruptly by the magnificent light!
*A misstep...*
Li Ximing felt his chest sink as light and fire followed, searing heat scorching toward his heart. Fortunately, his reactions were swift; at his flank, the Biting Qingyuan Xuan Ding sprang out immediately. Cyan light rolled and poured forth like water, taking in the magnificent light in full.
Coughing twice, Li Ximing lowered his gaze. With the aid of the immortal artifact, he detected another golden body lingering in the Great Void to watch the show. Unsurprised, he sneered inwardly. Shielded by the Chonghuo Liangming Instrument, he closed his eyes in deep concentration, reining in his aura until the radiance on his body was completely subdued. The flickering golden-red True Fire danced beside him before abruptly flying into his qi sea.
Daixi had just formed the hand seal for a magnificent light spell, but hampered by the Combined Fire upon his flesh, his breath had only reached his throat when the sweeping radiance of Qunguang bore down upon him. Together with the rippling river-and-mountain patterns, it descended to cleanly disrupt his technique!
Before annoyance could set in, a sudden sense of mortal peril spiked in his heart. A talisman leapt into midair, covered in intricate shamanic runes, shimmering with bright hues that condensed into profound light and poured downward!
The Dushan Pointing Spirit Talisman!
At this moment, Li Ximing was directly over the lake. The Dushan Pointing Spirit Talisman had long been linked to Lake Wangyue; drawing upon the power of the premier lake of the State of Yue, its might was formidable! Having remained linked for so long, there was no delay; triggered instantly, it struck Daixi across the void, erupting in shattering streams of light that pinned him to the mortal realm, denying him escape!
*He still has a killing move!*
A seasoned veteran, how could Daixi fail to discern the intent? Yet the precious bracelet he had painstakingly refined in recent years had been lost at Zhuoshaling while binding Li Zhouwei, when Sui Guan's sudden arrival shattered his plans. The newly acquired lamp was far inferior, and now it was suppressed by Li Ximing's xuan ding. Daixi could only glare furiously, his divine abilities trembling as he roared:
*Nuzi!*
Li Ximing had already opened his eyes again. Pushing forward the hands that had formed the seal before his chest, he revealed an object.
It was only the size of a thumb: a speck of illusory golden radiance, densely covered in runes, spinning and dancing with exquisite nimbleness. It no longer bore the hazy, dim cast of the crimson light from years past, but blazed with ascending brilliance.
The Great Li Golden Radiance!
Over the past five years of diligent cultivation and technique condensation, Li Ximing had attained nine crimson radiances. Now, by recalling the Three Hou Shuxuan Fire, he added the final and most difficult one. With all ten gathered, they manifested into the golden radiance!
As the golden illusory radiance shone forth, the Great Void reverberated. The golden body with six arms and four legs finally manifested. Mohe Nuzi descended amidst rolling, wondrous melodies, a golden bell descending to shield Daixi from the Dushan Pointing Spirit Talisman while another hand projected light in defense. His voice resonated with solemn majesty:
"Benefactor... put down the butcher's blade!"
Yet the moment that light descended, purple-gold hues suddenly rose from within the dim Lihuo light. Thirty-two spiritual rays, waiting in ambush, united as one and coalesced into an intense pillar of light that slammed squarely onto Mohe Nuzi!
Venturing deep over the lake, the Buddhist monks had stepped right into the range of the grand lake array: the Zhaoguang Xuanzi Spirit Array!
Nuzi came to an abrupt halt, his face washed in purple light, his expression shifting drastically.
*Splendid!*
Seeing this, Daixi rejoiced. Who cared about Nuzi's plight?! Seizing the momentary reprieve granted by the blocked Dushan Pointing Spirit Talisman, Daixi spun around and fled, leaving behind the golden Great Li Radiance as it streaked downward toward Nuzi.
*Clang!*
The manifesting treasure shook, swept aside by the radiance. Having only recently attained the rank of Mohe, Nuzi naturally possessed no treasure comparable to the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl. No sooner had he neutralized the array's purple light than the radiance was upon him. Horrified, he managed to shift only half a step aside, bracing himself to endure the blow:
*Boom...*
Magnificent light shattered and Lihuo dispersed. While the brilliance of Audience at the Heavenly Gate continued to shimmer, a crisp sound of cracking colored glaze rang out. Mohe Nuzi threw his head back, blood trickling from the nose of his golden body as he coughed up spatters of Lihuo.
*Pfft!*
Lihuo erupted from all six arms and four legs of Mohe Nuzi's golden body, engulfing him in radiant flames. He hurriedly steadied himself to quell the blaze, yet in his smoldering eyes, ferocity and delight surfaced:
*The foundation of this spell wavered... its power was severely diminished! His magical power and divine abilities must have run dry!*
*He relied on Daixi's miscalculation to force back the Kongwu Path... but he has reached his absolute limit!*
His mood shifted rapidly from dread to elation, and then to intense malice. Yet just as his light flared to strike back, the Great Void shook, and a furious roar thundered:
"Bald donkey!"
*Reinforcements!*
Startled, he no longer dared speak of putting down the butcher's blade, nor did he entertain any lingering malicious intent. With deep regret, he shot upward in a flash, riding his light toward the north.
A streak of light sped across the sky and materialized over the lake into a green-robed man carrying a sword on his back. Newly arrived, he descended onto the water and stood beside Li Ximing.
It was Si Yuanli.
Extremely sharp, the green-robed man saw the Buddhists retreating one by one. Pausing only briefly, he cast a scroll from his waist. Innumerable golden rays burst forth; without even revealing the scroll's true form, he lightly pressed it atop the violently shaking, crumbling Audience at the Heavenly Gate. Not only did this pin down the Lianmin beneath it, but it also allowed Li Ximing to breathe a long sigh of relief.
*A pity...*
Li Ximing’s face remained pale. With some regret, he received the returning radiance; the golden light immediately fractured into several red rays and fell back into his hand, its luster waning.
He extinguished the flame burning at his chest, feeling a parching heat in his mouth while his divine ability dimmed.
*At the critical moment... my divine ability and magical power could no longer sustain the Great Li Radiance...*
Throughout this brief clash, Li Ximing had simultaneously deployed spiritual flames, spiritual artifacts, a spiritual embryo, and a spiritual array. Both the Chonghuo Liangming Instrument and the Tianwu Combined Fire demanded immense tolls on mind, spirit, and magical power, to say nothing of the Great Li Radiance...
Even with his Violet Palace cultivation and divine ability allowing rapid recovery, his breath remained erratic, his chest tight and short of breath. When struck by the lamp's light earlier, his vision had nearly gone black.
*This won't do... I must plan more meticulously in the future... My use of spiritual artifacts was riddled with flaws, and I made no small number of mistakes in combat... Quality over quantity—that truly holds water...*
Unable to ponder further, he turned at once to Si Yuanli and asked urgently:
"What is going on here?!"
Real Person Qinghu wore an ugly expression. The northern assailants had struck out of nowhere; if Li Ximing was in the dark, how much more could he possibly know? He could only look up, gazing with an ominous foreboding toward the karmic fire in the east, and replied:
"I fear they have come for Qingchi!"
Li Ximing raised a brow slightly, a trace of color finally returning to his face. Seeing the karmic fire flowing in the east, he silently channeled the Immortal Mirror. Catching sight of the heavenly light streaking through the karmic fire, he finally let out a soft sigh of relief. Turning to the trembling Audience at the Heavenly Gate with a sneer, he said:
"I wouldn't be so sure!"
...
The Wilderness.
The sky was a somber gray-black, karmic fire surging as the winds and clouds shifted wildly. The mountain forests had already been burned to black ash, laying bare barren stone. Clouds of black smoke rose from the earth, morphing into flames in midair.
In the sky, karmic fire converged continuously, spiraling down like a whirlpool mixed with bluish-purple feathers and scarlet fluff, condensing atop the peak into a handsome monk. His eyes were pale red, and a red silk sash was tied around his waist.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he plucked a wisp of spiraling gray flame from his sleeve, tightly coiling around an interwoven ring of golden light. With a gentle flick of the handsome monk's finger, it was crushed to pieces.
*Buzz...*
As the golden light shattered, a violent resonance echoed through the air like the breaking of a golden bell or the splitting of leather drums, throwing the surrounding karmic fire into disarray. Queliyu raised his brows, only then drawing his sleeves together:
"The Qianyang Bracelet... has a bit of merit after all."
Rustling sounds echoed from the Great Void. A horse-faced man stepped through the empty air and landed upon the mountain. The radiant fire across his body was suppressed beneath his robes, yet it continued to flicker covertly. Queliyu turned to face him with cold eyes.
That single glance sent Daixi's heart pounding. Hastily bowing, he lowered his head and said:
"My lord..."
A smile appeared on Queliyu's face as he asked with keen interest:
"Mahasattva Daixi... how is it that you have returned in such a disheveled state? Where is Nüxiao?"
He chuckled:
"You are truly regressing the more you cultivate. It seems we shouldn't have sent you to the northern-southern war either. Three lifetimes cultivated in vain... Fighting a True Person with a single divine ability, and you still managed to wound your own dharma body."
Daixi was a Mohe of the Kongwu Path, while Queliyu was a Mohe of the Dayu Path. They were nominally of the same rank, but Queliyu had reincarnated through six lifetimes, whereas the Kongwu Path's Mahakaryakarita had been propped up by Queliyu's lineage. Daixi had no status to speak of. Both awkward and helpless, he replied:
"He wields three spiritual flames and carries a Lihuo spiritual treasure... Everything on him is worth more than my very life! What's more, he was backed by a Violet Palace grand array... He was extraordinarily troublesome to deal with... After all, he managed to escape from Changxiao back then."
"As for Nüxiao... she failed to escape in time and was pinned beneath his divine ability..."
Queliyu knew the Kongwu Path was dirt poor and that Zhelu was stingy. He had sent Daixi and Nuzi to pin down Lake Wangyue so the White Qilin wouldn't interfere. Who could have expected that they would suppress nothing at all? Leaving the White Qilin to wreak havoc in the Wilderness was one thing, but losing personnel on top of it earned his contempt. He said coldly:
"Changxiao? That man surnamed Yan was merely putting on a chase for the mountain and the seabed to watch! And even if it were genuine, so what? Is 'Shangyi' a lineage renowned for combat?"
"Of the two or three who emerged from the Zhao Palace back then, most were illustrious figures. Mahasattva Daixi has truly opened my eyes."
Daixi seethed with hatred, yet he was truly powerless. Cultivation in the Buddhist path placed little stock in individual prowess, favoring bloodline, background, fortune, and station above all else. The Kongwu Path's Mahakaryakarita, Zhelu, was wholly devoted to grooming Xuwang and secretly guarded against Daixi—a troublesome plight indeed. Unable to air his grievances, he could only pretend not to hear the mockery, sighing:
"It is all thanks to that Combined Fire! Who knew he possessed such superb mastery over fire arts?"
He loosened his robe, and the radiant flames instantly surged forth. Queliyu's gaze drifted down, his interest piqued:
"Oh? Tianwu Combined Fire?"
Daixi nodded and sighed:
"I must trouble my lord!"
This Mohe was notoriously shameless: when he first arrived, he had boldly addressed him as Fellow Daoist, and now that he needed a favor, he switched back to "my lord." Though a Mohe himself, Queliyu despised such men. Sneering, he shook his head and parted his lips slightly.
In that instant, a pointed beak twisted out through his face, tearing free amidst flame-like flesh and causing flames to flare. The gleaming beak opened in a soundless screech.
The Tianwu Combined Fire on Daixi danced and flickered, drawn by the pull until it poured into that mouth, vanishing in an instant. Queliyu's handsome face resurfaced once more, his eyes tinged with a touch of greed as he said casually:
"Go and keep watch in the north!"
Though fire still coursed through Daixi's body, the flames were largely abated. Breathing a massive sigh of relief, he accepted the order with joy, stepping into the Great Void under Queliyu's gloomy gaze.
Queliyu withdrew his gaze. Behind him, the great hall had been burned down to its foundation, rolling karmic fire surging around. Sitting upon the slowly melting head seat, he smiled:
"Fellow Daoist Qi!"
A young man stepped out from the Great Void, hands clasped behind his back, looking quite leisurely:
"What swift reincarnation speed, Fellow Daoist!"
The young man wore black garments with dark patterns over a white lining with gold trim. Behind him, a woman was clad in dark-patterned light-yellow robes, largely unadorned. Her features were fair and her poise refined; she was none other than Kong Tingyun.
Her face was calm. Lowering her gaze to scan the mountain range beneath her feet, she easily recognized that this mountain belonged to her family—or at least, had once belonged to them.
The Kong clan had likely moved it over when they resided in the Wilderness, and it had remained with the Li family ever since without being retrieved. Even the foundations remaining on the ground still retained some of the Xuanyue Gate's style.
Yet now, she set foot here as an enemy.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist... your fortune has arrived."
Smiling, Qi Lanyan raised a brow and said:
"Were it not that the Yuhai Mahakaryakarita was constrained, he would have led the descent in person. Who could have imagined that an oath from those years would yield today's situation, allowing you to advance yet another step?"
Queliyu smiled faintly. Uncertain whether this was a probe, he simply rested his hand on the armrest and said:
"I must also congratulate Fellow Daoist Qi. Just when men are needed most, Chenshui Mausoleum first saw one reach the middle stage of the Violet Palace, and then another break through into the Violet Palace, with more news arriving from overseas... It seems the situation ahead is growing ever more stable."
He was naturally referring to the Chengyun Sect of Jiangbei. But Qi Lanyan took two steps across the ground patterned with Wutu designs, looking down to inspect the motifs in detail as he spoke offhandedly:
"That sect... there is no need to pay them any mind. In the end, they are not our own people. Quite a few discords arose earlier that displeased several elders. After all, it has always been them scheming against others; when have others ever schemed against them?"
"It merely forced our Chengyun Sect Master to resort to inferior means to prematurely elevate himself... and so the road ahead is long and without hope in this life. He could only hitch a ride on this turn of fate, hoping to see what arrangements await after his reincarnation!"
Queliyu chuckled:
"That person frequently conducts matters of Congge; I wager he has more than one piece on the board."
"Indeed."
Qi Lanyan narrowed his eyes and said leisurely:
"There is also our Senior Tiandong... Aside from Tianyuan, he is the eldest of the Tian generation. Unlike Tianhuo, whose poor talent meant reaching the Violet Palace was already a blessing from fate... and unlike Tianwan, who insists on going her own way... he is the true hidden piece... Where might he be?"
Queliyu’s expression turned somber, his eyes fixed intently on Qi Lanyan:
"If you could calculate his whereabouts, you wouldn't need to descend the mountain for such errands, and the esteemed Daoist Shanqing wouldn't have sat upon the Metal Seat for so long."
Unruffled, Qi Lanyan merely chuckled, shook his head, turned around, and gestured politely:
"Someone has to do it, after all... After you!"
Chapter 992