Chapter 1145: Lost Land

"It must be the Qilin's offspring."

Tuoba Ci glimpsed the face, already having a clear idea in his mind. The five fingers gripping the long halberd, which surged with demonic flames, tightened slightly. A hint of surprise and terror flashed in his eyes.

"So this is the Violet Mansion stage..."

Li Zhouwei, one of the most critical figures in the North-South conflict, had not only his incredible divine powers but also his terrifying cultivation speed that astonished the world. This person was already at the mid-Violet Mansion stage with three divine powers, yet he was only just over ninety years old!

What kind of speed was that?

His own uncle, a dignified descendant of the Great Liang and now the acting king, had reached three divine powers at the age of one hundred and twenty-two. The renowned Wei Xuan'in, due to the decline of Jueyin, was even slower. And Jiang Yan, from the prominent Gao Ping Wang clan, who was famous for his rapid cultivation in previous years, had still taken one hundred and ten years...

Even discounting reincarnated cultivators, few high-level practitioners from Luoxia Mountain could surpass his speed. Tuoba Ci knew this well—when Liang fell, Wei Kan, a direct disciple of a True Lord, was ninety-six years old when he first descended the mountain, and he also possessed only three divine powers!

Li Zhouwei was less than a hundred years old, so how old could his descendant be? Seventy? Eighty? Pure Wei lineage blood flowed in his veins. While he couldn't compare to figures like Wei Kan or Yao Guanyi, his chances of reaching the Violet Mansion stage were definitely not small!

He cast an incredulous glance at the other party's golden eyes, feeling the inexpressible chill that flowed within them.

"In time, another Great True Man!"

As he paused, Li Jiangqian had already clasped his hands and slightly opened his eyes, a sense of vigilance in his heart:

"Formidable..."

His Great Li Scripture had some benefits from Taixu movement! From the moment he leaped from the lake to the instant the Twin Luminaries of Raging Fire displayed their divine power, the time was extremely brief. Gongsun Bei had barely been able to mount any effective resistance, yet Tuoba Ci managed to go from perceiving to activating a spiritual artifact. It was simply inhuman!

The Li Fire in the crimson-robed man's hand showed no hesitation. The ancient, amber-like flames leaped from his pristine palm, streaking across the sky directly toward Tuoba Ci!

The Northern Di turned his gaze slightly. Under Li Jiangqian's solemn expression, the Jueyin light surrounding his feathered robe suddenly transformed, becoming surging, pale-gray Kan Water that rushed forward.

Instantly, water and fire erupted, and a radiant white light shimmered. Tuoba Ci's long halberd, which he had just raised, paused, then forcefully changed direction to block in front of him:

"Huh?"

In his sight, this flame had unexpectedly burned through the Kan Water, fiercely charging forward and violently striking the long halberd in his hand, erupting into a blaze.

Tuoba Ci's cultivation was not shallow; he naturally recognized the opponent's Li Fire. However, he also saw that Li Jiangqian's divine power was dim, clearly indicating a recent breakthrough with little time for nurture. Meanwhile, his own "Daixingfang" was a profound Suiqi divine power cultivated for many years!

"Suiqi subdues weakness by merging, transforming Kan and dispelling Li... and Daixingfang also transformed into Kan Water. With the two overlaid, the suppression of Li Fire... should have been terrifying!"

Although the flame was not intense and quickly dispersed like smoke under the impact of Suiqi, it caused a small section of the surging demonic flames to vanish, making Tuoba Ci's expression change slightly as his mind became clear:

"Sun!"

While he pondered, his hand movements showed no迟钝. The long halberd, like a dragon, thrust forward, summoning pervasive Xuanhuang energy across the sky, rushing straight ahead!

Li Jiangqian suddenly raised his eyebrows, drawing his hands back to conjure a rising wave of Li light. Like thousands of crimson clouds, faintly golden, it moved through the hazy Li mist and descended with a roar.

The Great Li Scripture.

"Thump!"

For a moment, shattering sounds echoed continuously, like sharp blades striking porcelain, a crisp cacophony. Before the surging Suiqi, the Li Fire retreated, forcing the crimson-robed man to step back and summon the Southern Bright Heart Fire to meet the enemy.

But at this moment, Tuoba Ci's lips moved slightly, uttering ancient, layered incantations. His eyes blinked slightly, turning to a pure Xuanhuang color, staring intently at him:

Dark Heaven's Calamity!

Li Jiangqian felt a sudden sharp ringing in his ears, as if a continuous barrage of golden rings was smashing before him. His vision abruptly went white!

The refreshing sensation from his Ascendant Yang Palace arrived as expected. His eyes dimmed for only a moment before he suddenly regained clarity, only to find his spiritual power rioting throughout his body. The divine powers that had previously operated smoothly were now in complete disarray, leaving him unable to move.

A halberd had already reached him!

This Suiqi divine power was so overbearing that its shock caused the Twin Luminaries of Raging Fire, which tightly locked down the Xiguang Dividing Platform in the Void, to suddenly dim.

What was worse, the distant dust had already settled, and a pale blue-white light was approaching from afar—Gongsun Bei was arriving with light!

This person had just taken a direct hit from the Great Li White Splendor Light, and his face was extremely pale. A neat circular hole in his chest flickered with layers of Li Fire, while the color of Xiqi constantly tried to overlay the Li Fire, but each attempt drifted away...

Even with Tuoba Ci's help and timely recovery and medication, his divine powers were still reduced by a full thirty percent in a short time—but that was entirely enough.

Even though he had always highly regarded Tuoba Ci's divine powers, Li Jiangqian still felt a great chill in his heart and was covered in cold sweat. Fortunately, at this moment, the Void resonated, and a hand had already grabbed his collar, stepping on the surging flames and moving him one step sideways!

To his side, a brilliant Heavenly Gate surged upward, suppressing the long halberd. On the other side, a blue-yellow ruler descended, barely resisting the Xiqi. Li Jiangqian only heard a sound:

"By command!"

The vast light of the Six Harmonies had already surged into his body, dispelling the Suiqi divine power. Li Jiangqian spat out a mouthful of black gas, but then heard Gongsun Bei's loud laugh. He immediately looked up, only to find the Xiguang Treasure Platform above the sky rapidly expanding and falling with a crash.

Gongsun Bei merely laughed:

"Let's capture them together!"

His face was full of smiles, but Tuoba Ci's expression changed slightly, and he retreated a step.

The Xiguang Dividing Platform was astonishingly suspended in mid-air. Fine golden light ropes covered the platform, immobilizing it. Bright, flickering Li Fire enveloped it, continuously nullifying the splendor of its divine power.

Infinite darkness had already risen in the sky. The vast desert's rolling sunset was like a sick tiger, quietly lying between heaven and earth. The golden-eyed youth held his halberd horizontally with one hand, while the other hand was placed before his lips, where a soybean-sized flame of life flickered.

The long halberd still dripped a trace of golden blood. A vibrant, colorful scar, deep enough to show bone, remained on the youth's cheek. Yet, his golden eyes brimmed with calm coldness, making Tuoba Ci narrow his eyes warily and Gongsun Bei grit his teeth.

"Li Zhouwei..."

"Where did he come from? There's a problem... definitely a problem... Where was he guarding?"

"Baiye? Could it be that it was lost so quickly!"

Li Ximing showed no surprise. He had already used this brief moment to shift sideways and move out. At the same time, the darkness in the sky vanished, and the golden halberd in Gongsun Bei's eyes rapidly magnified:

Li Zhouwei was now before him!

Once, Gongsun Bei had held the Xiguang Dividing Treasure Platform, firmly suppressing this Qilin on the lake. Even without a spiritual treasure, he had boasted he could suppress this King Wei!

But the person before him, who had acquired three divine powers at a speed comparable to a reincarnated cultivator, was now attacking in full force. The white Qilin patterns on his majestic and terrifying face gleamed, instantly striking fear into Gongsun Bei's heart.

The rain vase instantly brightened. The light of Qidaiye followed closely, collectively diminishing all the dazzling Myriad Yang hues, and then emerald-like jade beads rolled out.

In an instant, a heavy haze arose, obscuring the sun and moon. Cold and heat inverted, qi flow plummeted. The long halberd radiated brilliant light, yet before this colorful display—it diminished, and a beam of light shone down, overcoming the halberd's glow.

Gongsun Bei did have some capability, even if his humble origins meant that the spiritual artifact in his hand was not particularly powerful, yet the profound might of Qidaiye still significantly dimmed the beam of light. One possessed the power of doctrinal counteraction, the other harnessed the noble might of a spiritual artifact, and they surprisingly nullified each other.

But the long halberd, empowered by Jun Daowei, had already struck before him!

Unfading Splendor!

The extremely dazzling Xiguang showered upon the youth, yet it could not make him stop even for a moment. The long halberd crashed down, striking Gongsun Bei and erupting in a surge of celestial light.

Only then did the Xiguang Dividing Treasure Platform break free, and the Southern Emperor Xuan Gui arrived to suppress!

The Xiguang Dividing Treasure Platform was, after all, an ancient spiritual treasure. If one were to truly compare, the Li family's Heavenly Nourishing Urn's lineage was weak, the Qianyang Bracelet was originally a ceremonial artifact, and only the Twin Luminaries of Raging Fire could compare. Now, it came to suppress, and with the conflicting Myriad Yang lineage, even Li Zhouwei had to retreat a step.

Gongsun Bei, however, was spitting out celestial light in large mouthfuls. His already injured Dharmakaya further disintegrated. He was greatly alarmed, watching as the deep black color enveloped him again, and the white Qilin again pressed two fingers together before him, igniting a terrifying, soybean-sized flame.

"I must leave!"

The sky grew dim, and light and qi crisscrossed.

A dense, dark energy rose in the air, like a hidden black sea, dissolving various divine powers. On the other side, however, it flickered between light and dark, with faint silvery-white cracks subtly appearing.

A small drum floated in mid-air, long golden threads fluttering. A small silver stick rhythmically struck the drumhead, causing the sky to alternate between bright and dark, creating a colorful display.

This light, though seemingly not intense, caused the Underworld Chariot, submerged in the Banished Mist, to constantly tremble. Its finely carved dark windows shook as if struck by a violent storm, threatening to be torn open at any moment.

Terrifying divine power spread across the sky. Banished Qi severed the Void, both inside and out. The master of the Underworld Chariot looked up, his voice sharp:

"Qi Lan'yan... how many lives do you have to squander fighting me?"

A corner of the black cloud dispersed, vaguely revealing the cold face of the Daoist-robed man within. He straightened his cap, raised an eyebrow, and calmly said:

"Fellow Daoist Yang, we merely serve our respective masters... Whether I return to the mountain to cultivate to the Violet Mansion stage or die in this North-South storm, why would I need multiple lives? On the contrary, Fellow Daoist..."

"You still have one life left to use after achieving success and retiring."

His words were calm, yet they caused the windows of the Underworld Chariot to shake even more violently. Yang Ruiyi's voice was low and heavy:

"Qi Lan'yan... who doesn't understand what you're doing under your banner? The great currents of the world are not something one person or one family can change."

Qi Lan'yan smiled without speaking, estimating that the time was near. He simply said lightly:

"How do you know there's no great power behind me?"

In an instant, golden threads leaped up, and three small Xuan-patterned sticks simultaneously struck the drumhead, shaking heaven and earth. Silver-white lightning, so dense it seemed inseparable, surged forth from the Banished Qi, forcefully breaking through the blockade and resounding across the world!

"Boom!"

The dark Xuan Chariot sped out from the blessed land where purple qi surged. Watching the stream of light quickly recede into the distance, the man stopped in his tracks, his expression slightly strange, and silently swallowed the blood.

"Lightning... is ultimately overbearing!"

Li Zhouwei had gone to Baiye, and Yang Ruiyi naturally sped towards the longed-for Shanji. He was intercepted halfway—by Qi Lan'yan himself!

In the North-South conflict, Yang Ruiyi had personally engaged in many battles, always moving freely. However, Qi Lan'yan, the opposing commander, had always remained high in the mountains. His only previous move was leading people away from Baiye to prevent the situation from escalating.

Now, this could be considered their first direct confrontation, yet it filled Yang Ruiyi with apprehension, leaving him feeling somewhat dispirited.

"The Bao Yin Xuan Lei Drum... he could actually use it with such ease... No wonder he was accepted by the Guanxie sect. Qi Lan'yan... he truly has ability... In this regard, the South is still somewhat lacking."

Compared to Tongxuan, which had many Daoist lineages passed down, the Southern Underworld had paid little attention to the mortal world for many years, possessing no commendable mortal lineages at all. Even the Yang clan, now being used, was originally a declining aristocratic family with few members. While it had some foundation when it moved south to establish itself and settle in various prefectures, after the rise and fall of Yang Yue, it had long since deteriorated!

It was precisely because of this decline that Yang Ruiyi had his current opportunities... but this also meant that when Qi Lan'yan and others wielded Daoist lineages and magical artifacts of similar caliber, Yang Ruiyi immediately felt strained.

"The threshold of the Violet Mansion... after all these years... I can't put it off any longer..."

His gaze was cold, but he had no time to catch his breath. Since Qi Lan'yan had intercepted him here, the Northern cultivators emerging from Shanji would surely descend along the current, heading for the coastal prefectures...

"If they penetrate deep into the heartland and cause the Four Min to tremble, ten of my lives wouldn't be enough to compensate!"

Although his situation was similar to that of the Guanhua Heavenly Pagoda Dao, and both the Yang and Guanhua families could be said to be responsible for their own victories and losses, neither dared to touch the bottom line of the other's background, nor dared to shake the foundation of the Underworld. However, he could not gamble his own life here. He immediately withdrew the Banished Qi that filled the sky, and just as he was about to form a hand seal to communicate, he saw a woman riding the wind, her figure swaying, her face utterly devoid of color. She stopped close by and whispered:

"General... the south has held! Linhai Prefecture is intact... Lord Lin has rendered great service!"

This greatly relieved Yang Ruiyi. He sighed from the bottom of his heart and said joyfully:

"Xiu Kui is still reliable!"

But as his fingers slid from fingertip to pad, the Song general campaigning in the north's expression suddenly changed, and a wave of coldness washed over his face:

"Baiye? Lost..."

He was clearly somewhat horrified—he had disregarded the safety of the east, sent Li Zhouwei to Baiye, yet still suffered a defeat!

His gaze darkened as he turned his head, seeing a streak of golden light crossing from the Void. He opened his mouth to curse, but then saw the old man's body seething with true fire and covered in wounds. He suppressed his anger and said coldly:

"What happened?!"

This general had always presented himself as benevolent. Situ Huo saw his expression for the first time and knew he must have been ambushed by the North. He immediately put on a weak demeanor and lamented:

"It was someone from Tongxuan! They cultivated Return-to-Earth!"

Yang Ruiyi's gaze was grim. The opponent's words from moments ago suddenly echoed in his ears. He listened intently for a while, then closed his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth, and took a deep breath:

"The Spiritual Treasure Daoist lineage... it truly is Tongxuan Palace..."