Chapter 1107: Silver Drum

Golden flames surged skyward, an ominous light appeared, and rolling sand sometimes emerged, sometimes receded, causing the cosmic void to ebb and flow with it. As the long saber slid into its sheath, blood-red flecks of light shimmered, captivating the soul.

On the ground, soldiers and horses stood in solemn formation, their jade-white armor gleaming. Each held a hiltless silver blade, completely encircling the mountain gate. Three cultivators stood on one side, channeling divine abilities and refining treasures. Thousands upon thousands of silver streams of light surged from the soldiers and horses on the ground, creating dense silver lightning that pulsed in the sky, continuously striking the grand array!

This was precisely the Thunderbolt Array-Breaking Wedge!

Although the Thunderbolt Array-Breaking Wedge was a spirit artifact, its brilliance lay in its ability to be disassembled into thousands of hiltless small wedges. These could be used in groups of three to five, or even carried by disciples into trials. In the current situation, it allowed thousands of soldiers to wield them simultaneously, breaking the array in unison!

In the dark and silent cosmic void, a youth stood, wearing a long crown and a black and silver Daoist robe with mystical patterns. A purple sash around his waist emitted flecks of color, subtly obscuring his figure.

Watching the ominous energy being steadily beaten back and suffering immensely—if not for a divine ability sustaining its life, its foundation would have been damaged long ago—the youth showed no change in expression, seemingly unsurprised.

'Situ Huo… this looks like the Heavenly Beard Polished Gold Scripture, the lineage of Master Xuhua, the true monarch who once transformed primal gold into magnetism and entered the Complete Elixir realm… It seems Situ Tang was indeed Golden Feather's doing, and the lineage must be in Golden Feather's hands.'

'Which means… this lord's interest in the Complete Elixir is not a recent development, but something that dates back centuries. They used Situ Tang to initiate the lineage and then secretly seized it… The Dragon Clan, however, couldn't tolerate it and personally intervened to cripple him.'

He watched Helian Wujiang flee for his life with cold eyes:

'The Complete Elixir's two unorthodox paths… have actually collided in this way.'

Qi Lanyan had naturally come to assist the two, but it wasn't just to assist; he simply couldn't resist coming to see for himself.

The Crimson Break-Arrow.

His gaze was cold as he watched the Desert Terrace spanning above the sect. His hand, resting on his sleeve, twitched slightly:

'Vast desert, crimson light like blood, bright day and dark night, somber as shadow…'

What did this represent?

'This is a top-tier Emperor Scripture, of the kind secretly passed down within the Wei Palace—where did he get it?'

This was no ordinary item; it was definitely not something like the "Body Suppressing Tiger Pass Scripture" that could have been obtained from the Li family dependents back then!

'The remnants must have given it to him…'

Whether Xuan An possessed the Bright Sun True Transmission was already questionable, and the severance of the Crimson Break-Arrow was certainly deliberate. Li Zhouwei standing here now, wielding such a divine ability, inevitably aroused suspicion.

After long deliberation, Qi Lanyan finally made a silent decision:

"Now that he has the Crimson Break-Arrow Emperor Scripture, who knows if next time he'll have the Great Radiance Emperor Scripture and the Source Manifestation Profound Scripture? This matter cannot be taken lightly; it must be reported to the higher-ups."

While divine abilities achieved by those in the Purple Mansion realm are generally derived from fourth or fifth-grade cultivation methods, and their true power is determined by one's cultivation and skill, this doesn't mean that cultivation methods have no influence. If one obtains those few true transmissions from the Wei Palace, it grants genuine, formidable strength!

Although Fan Kang could foresee the future, it was clearly impossible for him to know the specifics of Li Zhouwei's cultivation method. What troubled Qi Lanyan even more was that Luoxia Mountain very likely genuinely didn't care about Li Zhouwei's cultivation method or divine abilities!

'The broader Li Zhouwei's divine abilities become, the more powerful he will be in overthrowing Emperor Wei… Both the Underworld and Luoxia are quite accommodating of his future. To resolve these doubts… or even to impose restrictions on him, I need to find a mountain elder who doesn't wish for his divine abilities to become too extensive…'

He fell silent for a moment, already having a candidate in mind:

'Once this matter is concluded, I should return to Longdi.'

The silver light underfoot became increasingly fragmented. Having watched long enough with a cold gaze, Qi Lanyan finally acted, drawing a pair of items from his sleeve.

One of the items was the size of a fist, silver-white like snow, an exquisite little silver drum etched with arcane runes. Long golden threads dangled from both sides, tied with three round rods of different colors.

Qi Lanyan selected the silver rod, solemnly channeled his divine ability, and finally tapped the silver drum lightly.

"Dong!"

Though the drum was small, its tap unleashed an incredibly terrifying silver storm, faintly tinged with gold. It surged wildly from the cosmic void, instantly engulfing the entire sky at an alarming speed!

"Boom!"

The Desert Terrace of the Crimson Break-Arrow should have borne the brunt of the attack, but Li Zhouwei happened to withdraw his divine ability at that exact moment, teleporting away. What ended up facing the storm was instead Situ Huo's rolling golden wind.

This golden wind divine ability was visibly obliterated before the lightning. Situ Huo was immediately knocked out, the old man extremely cautious, his expression changing drastically. His long saber slid into its sheath, and he fully activated the Jun Shiyang technique, attempting to distance himself.

Yet, the golden light within the flowing lightning suppressed him in place, rendering him unable to move!

It wasn't just Situ Huo; the entire sky seemed to be suppressed by the thin golden light carried within the lightning. Helian Wujiang, who was also knocked out and spitting blood, Murong Yan, whose face instantly paled, and even Li Zhouwei… all were fixed in place.

The person in the cosmic void showed no surprise. He untied the purple silk from his body, wrapped it around his wrist, and with a hook and pull of his other hand, Murong Yan and Helian Wujiang simultaneously vanished from the present world!

"Snap."

The thin golden light instantly dissipated, and the lightning throughout the world quickly scattered. Li Zhouwei withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Situ Huo. The old man's expression was grim, and he remained silent. After a long while, he finally spat out some lightning, and a silver light flashed explosively around his lips.

'That was Qi Lanyan's treasure.'

With the Immortal Mirror on him, Li Zhouwei saw everything most clearly. The rise and fall of the Crimson Break-Arrow, while seemingly accidental, was actually intentionally guided by him during the battle…

'This silver lightning specifically targets light-ominous energy. It appears to be effective against large-scale magical divine abilities and a small portion of manifested, scattered body-based divine abilities…'

Besides him, Situ Huo's rolling golden wind, Helian Wujiang's body-transformed ominous wind, and Murong Yan's Mare Water Divine Ability were all struck by the lightning, and they clearly looked extremely uncomfortable.

'As for this golden lightning… Jun Daowei's charge could break it, but he wouldn't foolishly use it carelessly. If caught off guard, the tide of battle could be reversed. The only fortunate thing is… it doesn't seem to have much direct offensive power… Perhaps it hasn't been fully unleashed yet.'

Though Qi Lanyan greatly disdained Southern cultivators, Li Zhouwei was deeply aware of this man's threat. Having finally witnessed some of his subtle wonders, it was an unexpected gain. He then shifted his gaze and reminded:

"General Situ, could even Jun Shiyang not evade that?!"

Situ Huo's grim expression had not yet eased. He shook his head gravely:

"He is a Northern High Cultivator, from the Xuan discipline, and wields a supreme treasure. How could I resist him?"

Despite his words, having his life-saving trump card casually broken by the other party left Situ Huo noticeably subdued. Neither of them had any intention of pursuing, and they stopped together.

The dense silver lightning underfoot still pressed against the array formation. Li Zhouwei took another look, and the nearest Li Jiangliang quickly turned and gave an order. Immediately, overwhelming shouts could be heard from below:

"Northern cultivators have been defeated and fled! Quickly open the array!"

The sound was overwhelming, shaking the four directions, yet the mountain itself remained silent, without a stir. Situ Huo descended on the wind, sneered, and said:

"The Baiye Duxian Dao has been tormented by that group of Buddhist cultivators for a while, and then several Purple Mansion cultivators entered one after another. I think it is…"

Li Zhouwei slightly narrowed his eyes and said with interest:

"I don't think so."

Situ Huo withdrew his gaze and smiled:

"Oh?"

"Boom!"

Indeed, as the lightning surged with increasing intensity, the mountain trembled. The grand array's light screen finally dissolved like water. Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow slightly and drew his long halberd. As the sky blazed with light, rolling black flames instantly enveloped the heavens, and at the foot of the mountain, endless cries of "Kill!" erupted.

"Kill!"

The stone hall high up was covered in blood, and corpses lay strewn everywhere.

Gongsun Baifan leaned quietly against the stone steps, the true essence and magic power within his body long since exhausted. His limbs were broken, and his eyes were dull and gray as he stared blankly at the roof of the bluestone main hall. Rolling black flames were climbing along the bluestone, as if igniting some unseen entity.

Naturally, the first to reach the summit of Duxian Dao were the various guest cultivators.

The jade talisman for opening the grand array had, after all, been personally given to him by Ye Gui, and Gongsun Baifan had long been promoted by this True Master. Though he knew the tide had turned, he still fought against multiple opponents. Despite his profound cultivation, two fists were no match for four hands, and he naturally fell.

However, this group of rebel cultivators needed a scapegoat, so Gongsun Baifan was naturally spared. Several unnamed guest cultivators knelt subserviently in the mountain, holding blood-stained jade tablets in their hands, their collective shouts faintly reaching him:

"We humble cultivators greet the True Master, and congratulate the heavenly soldiers on entering the mountain!"

Gongsun Baifan, however, heard no reply, only the faint sound of boots on the ground. A warm breeze subtly wafted past, and by the jade platform high above, an extra person had appeared.

The youth stood with his hands clasped behind his back, meticulously examining the array plate on the jade platform.

Clearly, whether Duxian Dao lived or died, who killed whom, or who remained loyal to Bai Ziyu, none of it drew even the slightest attention from this True Master. The entire Duxian Dao, if bound together, was less significant than a single rune on that array plate.

'What a pity…'

The last shred of spirit in Gongsun Baifan's heart gradually dissipated, and his consciousness drifted. Yet, he faintly felt a surge of warmth ascending, like someone submerged in deep water suddenly taking a breath. Everything before his eyes instantly became clear.

Those golden eyes were reflected in Gongsun Baifan's.

"Where is the secret vault?"

Only then did Gongsun Baifan realize he was kneeling in place, his limbs completely normal; only his shattered armor indicated the fierce battle he had just endured. The man was momentarily stunned, as if from another world, then bowed and said:

"The True Master does not maintain a secret vault; the lineage's treasures are passed down directly and have their own hidden locations."

Li Zhouwei was not surprised.

Ye Gui had originally come to capitalize on the war between the North and South; how could he possibly consider Baiye Duxian Dao his fallback? Preserving this array was already his greatest gain.

"It's a pity… the Song Court will surely requisition this place… this grand array may not end up in my hands…"

But he wouldn't believe this man's word alone. He extended his hand, and agile black flames coiled around his fingertips, seemingly narrating something.

'Attacking the mountain and breaking through the gate… nurturing the Dharma body, but it seems to have suffered some interference…'

With the experience from Changxiao Gate, Li Zhouwei understood that this could not be interference from any Purple Mansion grand array. So, his spiritual sense sank, already connected to the Immortal Mirror, and in an instant, the entire mountain range's scenery appeared before his eyes!

A profound investigation!

Instantly, various scenes surged into his mind, and all the secret hiding places were revealed. As expected, they were utterly barren; none of the spiritual resources stored within were worth mentioning.

Yet, he searched everywhere and still refused to give up. Superficially, he appeared to be examining the patterns on the array plate, but in reality, he was exploring each cave dwelling one by one. Finally, he saw a luxurious cave dwelling at the very deepest part, bright with platinum and a river of purple water, which was Ye Gui's personal cultivation retreat!

Although this place was luxuriously decorated, all valuable items had also been moved out. Only a bottomless purple water spring in the very center, with gushing colors, was revealed in every detail under the Immortal Mirror's unhindered detection, which ignored all obstacles.

Below it, remarkably, lay an azure jade object, seemingly pulled by a talisman!

'Cleverly hidden.'

Ye Gui hadn't actually hidden this item very deep; it was just slightly beyond the typical detection range of a Purple Mansion cultivator. It was unclear whether it was a natural formation or a unique ability of the Duxian Dao, but the cave where the object was located featured a cosmic void fault, providing no solid ground. This characteristic blocked most detection and divinatory methods.

Restrained by a talismanic divine ability, the item was still faintly sensing.

'Well played, Ye Gui… to use the destruction of your own mountain gate and sect to refine a treasure! No wonder!'

Li Zhouwei's lips curved into a slight smile as he glanced at Gongsun Baifan kneeling on the ground. This sight, however, made the scalps of the other guest cultivators, who were kneeling on the other side, tingle. They quickly shuffled over, fawningly saying:

"My Lord! There are one or two sect storages hidden in various parts of the mountain… the cultivators within the sect often take from them…"

Gongsun Baifan was appalled by his stupidity and retorted coldly:

"What good are the meager expenditures of humble cultivators?"

The guest cultivator immediately dared not speak. Li Zhouwei, meanwhile, raised his head and saw Situ Huo stepping into the hall from the front, who smiled and said:

"Congratulations, King Wei…"

Li Zhouwei felt a little disappointed. Duxian Dao was utterly barren, and now he would have to guard the mountain. The remaining spiritual mountains and veins were difficult to move, making them unappealing to keep and a pity to discard. He then heard Situ Huo say:

"These Duxian Dao personnel… King Wei won't have any use for them, will you?"

Li Zhouwei immediately understood. Although Situ Huo was exceptionally powerful, he had very few subordinates. Those few remnants of the Situ family had low cultivation and would be of no immediate use. What Li Zhouwei most disdained, Situ Huo was eager to acquire.

Li Zhouwei then said:

"I'll take this one; you can use the rest as you wish."

The old man smiled, shook his head, and said with a hint of disappointment:

"King Wei certainly knows how to pick!"

Li Zhouwei had interacted with Gongsun Baifan before and had a genuinely good impression of him. This man was also a swordsman at the peak of Foundation Establishment. While not an overwhelming genius, he was definitely more than capable! Cultivating such a swordsman on the Lake would certainly require a considerable amount of resources.

The Lake was already short on personnel, and Li Zhouwei had a certain appreciation for a rogue cultivator who was reasonable, understood honor and shame, and was well-informed. This was why he had specifically saved his life.

Gongsun Baifan had only expected to die a gruesome death for opposing the Li family, never imagining he would hear such words. He stood stunned for a moment, then bowed and wept:

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Li Zhouwei nodded slightly, indicating his approval, but said nothing more, only:

"Take me to Ye Gui's cave dwelling."