Chapter 1034: Shu General

Valley Mist Desert.

A torrential downpour turned the surroundings into a muddy expanse. Along a secluded, darkened path, a convoy sped forward.

Cries of sorrow filled the air. A black coffin rested in one of the carriages, and the cultivators below it bowed their heads in solemn grief. A man in white robes, positioned at the front, appeared utterly distraught.

It wasn't until a nearby cultivator addressed him that he seemed to awaken from a trance. He lowered his gaze and asked, "Where are we now?" The other person reassured him, "Don't worry, Clan Leader... The land is in chaos, filled with refugees. Our carriages are swift; we'll cross the desert in less than a day."

Zhuang Pingye, looking dazed, nodded silently.

The turmoil in the State of Wu had been ongoing for some time, and the Zhuang family had been aware of it, yet they never considered leaving. "This is the Golden Feather Sect!" they had thought. "How chaotic could things get? Could the unrest reach the heartland of the Golden Feather Sect? Could it sweep across the entire desert? Our patriarch, Zhuang Cheng, is still out there suppressing the rebellion for Golden Feather. What major chaos could possibly arise?" At the time, his wife, Li Xinghan, was in seclusion. Zhuang Pingye had traveled south, secretly concealing his identity to hire courtesans in a familiar market. He then suddenly heard news of invaders entering the desert and received a message that his patriarch was gravely ill. Only then did he realize the gravity of the situation, abandoning everything to rush back home.

Zhuang Cheng was lying on his sickbed. This elderly Daoist, a rogue cultivator renowned in the desert for his talismans and swordsmanship, had made many minor mistakes but no major ones throughout his life. In his later years, he had even elevated the Zhuang family to its peak. He had been severely wounded in battle, struggling to escape back, and was now clinging to his last breath.

Zhuang Cheng paid no mind to his junior. Instead, he summoned Li Xinghan from her seclusion to discuss the situation. The two analyzed the circumstances, sensed something amiss, and without waiting for a reply from Moon Lake, the patriarch made the last wise decision of his life.

"Flee... Flee immediately!" The Zhuang clan was a prominent family in the desert, a long-established Foundation Establishment lineage that had once been closely allied with Moon Lake, holding significant and unparalleled influence in the prefecture. Yet, they abandoned everything, not even daring to fly. They loaded all their clansmen and spiritual treasures onto more than a dozen carriages and secretly left the city overnight, heading east.

Patriarch Zhuang Cheng had not yet drawn his last breath. Fearing that the phenomena accompanying his death might attract attention, he sealed himself within the coffin to await his end. The entire group sped away without delay.

Even now, Zhuang Pingye's hands and feet felt cold. Entering the carriage, he saw his wife still channeling spiritual power beside the coffin. He tremblingly asked with concern, "Do you need to rest...?" Li Xinghan shook her head.

Her features had matured considerably, and years of managing the household had given her a certain capability. However, at this moment, she harbored a slight worry.

"The Golden Feather Sect wasn't a peaceful transition after all, but a massive slaughter... leading to some misjudgments by our family..." The Zhuang family wasn't fully aware of the changes in the State of Wu, but Li Xinghan had some information and knew that the Golden Feather Sect would very likely be incorporated into the new dynasty. Since the Zhuang family was, after all, affiliated with Golden Feather, Moon Lake hadn't directly intervened with instructions. They hadn't anticipated that the western forces would simply unleash a massacre.

They had come slaughtering all the way! This made her sigh inwardly as she looked at her disheveled husband, remaining silent.

She was not unaware of Zhuang Pingye's affairs outside. She also understood that his coming to Moon Lake was naturally not out of love at first sight for her. Whether it was keeping a mistress or seeking pleasure, at least he was clever and handled things discreetly, ensuring she, Li Xinghan, wasn't humiliated. For many years, they had lived with mutual respect.

She had felt some unease earlier, but gradually grew accustomed to it. Besides handling clan affairs for him, she barely had time for her own cultivation and sword practice. Naturally, she wouldn't try to forcibly change someone's nature; doing so would more likely cause widespread unrest and chaos.

"What I cherish most is the sword; I shouldn't demand that he cherish me most."

However, with the current world-shaking changes, perhaps knowing that he might have to live out the rest of his life under the patronage of his wife's family, Zhuang Pingye's voice became incredibly gentle. His usual underlying pride and composure had vanished, and he even seemed anxious, worried that she might settle accounts later.

This, in turn, made Li Xinghan feel some pity. The scene of Patriarch Zhuang grasping her hand and pleading tearfully was still vivid in her mind. She merely waved her hand and said, "You don't need to be afraid. Since the patriarch managed to drag himself back to the desert from the front line despite his severe injuries, he must have used some divine ability. The Golden One Sect couldn't possibly be unaware; they are likely bound by some agreement preventing them from directly interfering, merely exerting silent influence."

Zhuang Pingye was an intelligent man and understood immediately. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief but continued to watch her. Li Xinghan, however, was looking out the window. Noticing the loud sounds of battle in the distance, her expression subtly changed. "That was Valley Mist Temple just now!" "Ah!" Zhuang Pingye gasped in alarm, lowering his voice. "Do you mean... a contingent of troops from the west must have arrived here early via a shortcut...?" "Either they want to block cultivators from the desert from escaping to Moon Lake, or they're guarding against Moon Lake taking advantage of the chaos to seize territory in the desert!"

Li Xinghan nodded, replying, "I think they're afraid Moon Lake got wind of it. They want to take them by surprise and try to capture West Screen Mountain!"

The couple sat in the carriage for a while, feeling the rain intensify. The sound of hooves, both ahead and and behind, was drowned out, yet their path remained unobstructed. Suddenly, the sounds of wind and rain ceased, and a person abruptly landed in front of the carriage, their voice authoritative and strong: "Subordinate Ding Weizeng... By order of His Highness, King Wei, I have come to escort the young lady!"

"King Wei..." Li Xinghan was slightly surprised, but she naturally recognized Ding Weizeng. Zhuang Pingye, receiving her nod, sagged with relief and let out a sigh, his gaze lingering on his wife. Li Xinghan politely said, "Thank you, Honored Guest Ding!"

As the soft curtain was lifted, a touch of cold, drizzling rain entered. Zhuang Pingye greeted the honored guest with a polite smile, then quickly placed his hands on the coffin and tapped it gently. There was no response from within, only a cold, silent stillness.

Li Xinghan turned away, shedding a tear or two for the old man. Zhuang Pingye bowed to Ding Weizeng, feeling a dull ache in his heart. His left hand nervously caressed the coffin, and he felt an overwhelming emptiness—his father, the patriarch renowned throughout his life... must have quietly, anxiously, breathed his last within the coffin sometime along the way.

Valley Mist Temple.

A torrential downpour raged across the desert. The muddy ground was covered in dark grey sludge. Collapsed city walls were submerged in the water, revealing only fragments of ancient ruins. Thunder rumbled across the sky, shaking the heavens.

At the other end of the desert, silver-armored troops were neatly arrayed. Dark blue banners fluttered in the wind, displaying golden characters for "Shu." Celestial chariots were positioned in the sky, their ten-foot-tall wheels standing amidst the clouds, exuding immense majesty.

On the other side, colorful clouds swirled, and the troops appeared much sparser. Li Zhouwei stood amidst the clouds, wearing a royal cloak over simple black robes with golden patterns on the sleeves. A bronze-skinned strongman held a large indigo-purple banner emblazoned with a Qilin pattern, standing amidst the surging celestial light.

A few cultivators were halted in the torrential rain, supporting each other at the foot of the mountain, looking utterly disheveled.

Valley Mist Temple was originally the site of an ancient city wall. Due to its strategic location, it had been favored by the Li clan, maintaining a long and close relationship as a vassal. Its importance had greatly diminished after the ancient city wall collapsed, but it still served as a crucial bridgehead to the desert. The few cultivators from Valley Mist Temple were all from the west bank and were now being helped up by the Li family, embracing each other and weeping.

The dark blue banners of 'Great Shu' were prominent. Clearly, the Xiao Wu dynasty, which had seized power from Chu, had been utterly crushed, leaving nothing behind. The entire army still carried a strong scent of blood and killing intent, signifying their bloody path.

"This family indeed possesses more destructive might..." As Li Zhouwei stood in the sky, the troops standing in the blood-soaked ground began to stir uneasily. A brilliance flickered in the air for a moment, and a figure leading a contingent emerged, riding the wind.

The person stopped at the horizon, revealing himself. He halted courteously and bowed, cupping his hands. "I am Ni Hongyan, Founding Earl of Qige of Great Shu, and Military Governor of the Desert Pacification Army... I greet you, sir!"

"Revered Ni Hongyan..." Li Zhouwei had heard of him. The Ni clan had always been the Sword Gate's right-hand and left-hand, managing the Shu region for them. This Reverend Hongyan had achieved divine abilities some time ago and had always been a loyal supporter of the Solar Daoist Lineage.

However, with the current trend, he had naturally pledged allegiance to the State of Shu. It seemed he had received a significant official position, though he had been dispatched to Valley Mist.

He nodded slightly and replied, "King Wei of Great Song, Ming Huang."

Reverend Hongyan felt a little embarrassed, forcing a smile. "So it is King Wei. King Wei has crossed the mountains and brought troops here. Is there something important to discuss?" This made the young man smile. With his hands clasped behind his back, he asked, "The people in the temple are from my Moon Lake. So it seems I've brought troops here for nothing?" Reverend Hongyan took a step back, raising an eyebrow as if to speak, but wary of being so close to Li Zhouwei, finding it difficult to respond, he whispered, "Allow me to report to the Grand General."

But before he could turn around, another man arrived on the wind, raising an eyebrow and opening his eyes. Dressed in brilliant silver armor, he looked awe-inspiring. He stopped beside Reverend Hongyan and frowned, "Governor, why the hesitation?"

Li Zhouwei watched him with cold eyes. Unexpectedly, this man also looked back, refusing to yield even slightly, staring directly at him. He even spoke, "And who is this?" This made Reverend Hongyan embarrassed. He stepped forward again, not answering the man, but looking at Li Zhouwei, he said conciliatorily, "King Wei... this is Lord Li Muyan, Meritorious Minister of Xuanwu Spiritual Guard..." Li Zhouwei remained noncommittal, not bothering to spare Li Muyan another glance.

This person hadn't achieved divine abilities long ago, but it was unclear what enhancement he had received; he looked quite impressive, revealing a hint of mysterious power.

What drew his attention more was the distant, shimmering silver carriage, which likely held another person: "I wonder... is it the Shu Emperor or someone else?"

There was still no news from the Golden Feather Sect. Barring any surprises, Golden Feather should be allied with Changhuai. One was a golden Daoist lineage, and the other, Changhuai Immortal Mountain, possessed terrifying strength.

Behind him, Li Zhouda was somewhat surprised, his gaze growing colder. "The Li clan of Tanshan..." How could Li Muyan not know who Li Zhouwei was? He merely maintained a cold expression and casually said, "King Wei, I am returning from conquering West Screen Mountain by order of the Grand General. I don't know what King Wei..."

At these words, Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow, his golden eyes sweeping over him.

West Screen Mountain was a spiritless mountain separating the two regions. Its terrain was treacherous, towering into the clouds, impossible for lower-level cultivators to cross. It was easy to defend but difficult to attack. Guarding it didn't require many cultivators; one high-level cultivator could defend it with a formation. Once it fell into enemy hands, the elevated position would be virtually unconquerable, enough to make Moon Lake restless day and night.

It was hard to say whether the State of Shu was determined to capture West Screen Mountain, but Moon Lake absolutely could not afford to lose it! Reverend Hongyan's expression subtly changed, and he sighed inwardly: "He truly wants to fight..." But since Li Muyan had spoken, Reverend Hongyan had nothing more to say and quietly took a step back, positioning himself behind Li Muyan.

The golden-eyed youth before him, however, sneered and suddenly spoke, cutting off Li Muyan's words: "Li Muyan... The Li clan of Tanshan may not recognize King Wei, but do they recognize Emperor Wei?" Li Muyan hadn't expected such a reply. His expression changed dramatically, and he said coldly, "What nonsense is this! My Tanshan Li clan originates from Jiangnan and has no connection whatsoever with the North! Where does this talk of Emperor Wei come from?!" But in the blink of an eye, the young man before him vanished!

Reverend Hongyan's face changed drastically, and his body instantly condensed with light. He felt a scorching celestial radiance assault him. Li Zhouwei appeared in mid-air, one hand extended forward, clenching a golden light that, as he swung, extended like water to both ends, forming a crescent-moon halberd. Its chillingly sharp blade suddenly thrust out, like a dagger.

His voice boomed like thunder, cold and majestic: "Trying to cover up only reveals more!"

Li Muyan gritted his teeth, his silver armor glowing. Divine abilities converged, and swirling lightning instantly gathered from heaven and earth, all empowering his silver armor. A golden light erupted from between his brows, casting a radiant glow.

Li Zhouwei's long halberd descended like a mountain, yet it was also agile and elusive, finding a gap in the thunderous golden light to stab directly downward, a hint of disdain flashing across his brows.

"Boom!" Golden lightning poured forth, but a yellowish-brown and emerald-green umbrella leaped out, spinning open and unfurling a brown-yellow hue, completely covering the golden light without a single leak! It was the Hundred Ridges Profound Stone Umbrella, an earth element responding to the thunder.

His lightning was easily blocked, but the surging halberd point could not be ignored. Li Muyan slightly opened his mouth and roared, "Halt!"

In an instant, a wave of silver lightning rippled out, exploding around his body and transforming into layers of silver chains that hooked onto the halberd, causing it to suddenly halt.

At the same time, Reverend Hongyan conjured a spiritual artifact from his hand. Boiling, hazy flames coiled up his arm, transforming into a spiritual flame spear that flew from his grip, piercing towards Li Zhouwei's face! Seeing this, Li Muyan merely sneered. Who knew that the halberd, with a slight turn amidst the rolling lightning, would explode with a bright golden light, causing him to momentarily hesitate and almost allowing Da Sheng to escape.

Li Muyan immediately grew wary: "Reverend Hongyan has achieved divine abilities years ago, and both of his are perfected. Although I haven't achieved mine long, I have the blessing of the Martial Inquiry Light, so I'm not weak. But he has destiny on his side, so I still need to be careful."

Thus, his divine power surged even more, desperately locking down. Yet, Li Zhouwei held his halberd with one hand, strolling leisurely, not even sparing them a glance. With a slight raise of his other hand, ten streaks of purple-white lightning immediately crashed down from the sky, all striking the spiritual flame spear.

"Boom!" Swirling black smoke ascended, and a purple-gold lightning mace appeared within the vortex of dark clouds in the sky, shimmering with gold and causing Li Muyan's expression to change. "What a treasure... It's actually in Ming Yang's hands! But it's far from enough... The person surnamed Qing is watching from behind, I need to force out some of his true abilities!" He gritted his teeth and sneered, "You dare mention Emperor Wei? You truly don't know your place, ignorant junior! How dare you hope for my Tanshan clan to be of the same lineage as your Wei villainy!" This statement struck like thunder, and the first to react was Reverend Hongyan. The Reverend was startled, silently clicked his tongue, and felt a jolt in his heart: "...He dares to say anything. Does he truly trust the person surnamed Qing so much?" With things reaching this point, Li Zhouwei finally refocused his attention on Li Muyan's face, a hint of disdainful cold anger appearing. "This King will grant your wish."

In an instant, the golden-eyed youth's brows furrowed. A massive, irresistible force shattered the divine ability, scattering silver fragments. Li Muyan staggered forward, his divine power unbalanced, and heard a dizzying explosion near his ear.

"Clang!" In that instant, he felt dizzy and disoriented, golden light bursting before his eyes, a buzzing in his ears. All scenery before him shattered into countless fragments of blue, white, purple, and yellow. Only the noise in his ears, a dampness in his nose, and a chilling coldness remained.

His consciousness blurred for a moment, as if suddenly climbing out of a thousand abysses, swiftly recovering from confusion to clarity. He was startled; all colors before him finally returned to normal! But the rolling thunderclouds in the sky, and Reverend Hongyan by his side, had all vanished. Above was the bright, mountain-like Celestial Gate, and as far as his eyes could see, there was boundless black and gold, with only a single point of light.

It was the cold-faced Li Zhouwei.

The young man before him seemed both miles away and right in front of him.

In just a flash, he clearly saw what the boundless darkness engulfing him truly was... It wasn't some divine artifact, nor a spiritual formation or veil, but dense, endless streams of dark golden light.

Emperor Qi Light.

This torrent of divine ability poured down, and he was like a small boat, struggling helplessly within it. Yet, above, a gleaming, mountain-like long halberd slowly descended, emitting a terrifying aura that suffocated him.

"Huayang Royal Halberd!" Li Muyan could no longer maintain his composure, his eyes wide with rage. "Grand General!" "Boom!" The wind and rain outside suddenly ceased. Grey mist from above descended like lightning, forming a massive hand that seemed to have been accumulating power for a long time. It roughly swept away the surrounding Emperor Qi Light and clenched down hard!

A cold shout simultaneously rang out in the sky: "Li Zhouwei!"

Thud!! The Huayang Royal Halberd seemed to have struck something indestructible. Golden dust exploded from its blade, drifting down like rain. A grey spiritual pearl awkwardly bounced out of mid-air, unable to control its movement, and like a meteorite falling from the sky, it crashed onto the ground with a thunderous explosion! Struck by the Huayang Royal Halberd, even if Li Muyan wasn't on the brink of death, he would need to hide and recover for over a decade. Now, despite being protected, he still broke out in a cold sweat. Taking advantage of the Emperor Qi Light being violently shattered, he shed the flowing light from his body and raised his eyebrows, intending to flee.

But the black-robed youth had already vanished.

The grey mist between heaven and earth suddenly condensed, revealing a handsome young man with clear features. His Daoist robe was plain and unadorned, but his expression was extremely grim. One hand was painfully hidden behind his back, while the other gently clenched in the air.

"Clang!" Everyone's ears buzzed simultaneously. The western army stumbled and fell, thrown into chaos. Yet, a golden bracelet flashed briefly in the air and then vanished again.

But in that instant, the bright halberd point had already appeared reflected in Li Muyan's pupils on the other side. All his divine abilities converged onto his body, simultaneously activating his true perception. He exhaled a stream of white qi from his nose: "Command!"

But the opponent's spiritual artifact was simply too fast! "Bang!" Just as the grey pearl landed, Li Muyan, caught off guard, took the full force of a halberd strike. Before his white qi could condense, it was shattered. He himself followed like a falling star, crashing into the western battle formation with a thunderous impact, igniting a burst of lightning and flames, causing mountains to crumble and the earth to crack, and the rain to cease!

The youth who emerged from the grey mist now wore an extremely grim expression. He stared coldly at Li Zhouwei, stepping forward and conjuring grey mist like a mountain.

A brief standoff occurred in the sky. Only then did the silver-armored general crawl out from the pile of bodies, coughing violently and spitting out black blood surging with purple flames. Before he could even steady himself, his expression changed dramatically.

Almost simultaneously, the youth confronting Li Zhouwei, eyes filled with shock and rage, suddenly erupted, shouting, "King Wei, what a temper!" "Clang!" It wasn't Li Zhouwei who answered him, but an earth-shattering clanging sound. Something abruptly pierced through the void in front of Li Muyan.

It was a golden spear, about ten feet long, entirely golden, without any patterns or undulations! The vanguard of the Descending Light Camp! This artifact had been obtained by Li Zhouwei from a grotto-heaven. It had never been used before, forged from 'Carefree Gold,' existing without cause or effect, free and unconstrained, difficult to detect, impossible to calculate!

"Pffft!" This golden light, waiting for a long time, flashed like lightning for an instant, piercing straight through Li Muyan's chest and then vanishing. He groaned, staggered back several steps, and coughed up blood again. The grey mist in the sky, now furious and embarrassed, began to roar like thunder!

"Li Zhouwei!" This spear didn't pierce him, but it was worse than piercing him.

It was as if his dignity had been utterly impaled. Qing Jifang, a dignified scion of an immortal sect, a person who believed himself superior to anyone he met, had never suffered such a loss! In a fit of rage, grey mist blanketed the sky. Qing Jifang sneered, "Good... A truly good King Wei. You dare disrespect Changhuai? Let's see who brings you humiliation!"

The grey spiritual pearl instantly leaped from the ground into his hand. Surging grey mist boiled and swirled, encompassing Li Zhouwei's Dharmic body. Li Zhouwei's expression, however, was a little strange. He silently observed the hand Qing Jifang kept hidden behind his back: "As expected of the son of Changhuai's Grand Reverend. Rashly using his divine Dharmic body to take a split attack from the Huayang Royal Halberd... Even if his Dharmic body is tough, his divine arts are profound, and he's been preparing for a long time... Four fingers must be broken... Yet he didn't even utter a sound!" When Qing Jifang saw him staring intently at the hand behind his back, he suddenly understood, feeling utterly humiliated as if fuel had been added to a fire. His four fingers were barely attached by a sliver of flesh, and the potent Bright Yang divine ability was still spreading through the wound. For a moment, he truly didn't dare to reveal it, which made him grit his teeth: "Li Muyan, Ni Xuguang... One played a losing game, being careless and underestimating, the other was sly and stood dumbfounded... They were both stunned by the opponent's spiritual treasure in an instant. If even one of them were a normal Purple Mansion cultivator, why would I have needed to directly intercept that halberd strike!" Qing Jifang's cultivation method was profound, his lineage noble, and his treasures numerous. No matter how he fought, such a clumsy spiritual artifact should never have struck him! He believed he had countless ways to injure Li Zhouwei here, yet he had to suffer this loss! "Li Zhouwei, you may laugh now... But when you suffer losses in the North, let's see who at Moon Lake can still laugh!"