Chapter 410: Dousitu End

“Boom!” The golden formation faintly swayed, shaking leaves from the trees like rain, while the young man in white lay on his back on the ground.

“Boom!” Li Xijun listened silently, confirming that Situ Mo had engaged Kong Heng and was fully occupied. Only then did he push himself up from the ground.

White light flowed in Li Xijun’s eyes, showing no pain. He channeled his spiritual power, bringing his hands together to grip the dazzling, golden Dinglin Peak, and slowly drew it out.

Having been ordained as Ming Shuang Song Ling, he maintained his composure. The situation was critical, and though the Dinglin Peak struck swiftly, Li Xijun’s reaction was equally prompt.

Li Xijun’s eyes, capable of piercing illusions, calculated the Dinglin Peak’s trajectory. He employed the Yuehe Torrential Flow Steps, twisting and turning to evade vital points. Thus, although the Dinglin Peak pierced him, the injury was not severe.

His talismanic energy circulated calmly, his expression unchanged. As he withdrew the long spike, a sense of confusion arose within him.

“Even so, the Dinglin Peak is a Foundation Establishment-level magic artifact. Its power was far too weak. Even if I avoided vital points, it should have inflicted a debilitating injury. Did Kong Heng intervene?”

While pondering, he had already pulled out the Dinglin Peak and wiped away the blood. The seven-foot-long artifact, covered in ridges and gleaming golden light, struggled incessantly in his grip, attempting to fly away. He had to exert considerable strength to hold onto it.

After casting several spirit-sealing spells upon it, Li Xijun finally had the opportunity to tend to his wounds. He applied external medicine, then swallowed a pill. With a sigh of relief, his strength recovered to sixty percent.

The Dinglin Peak fluttered twice in the air before falling to the ground, trembling slightly. Li Xijun’s thoughts raced:

“This is troublesome… Situ Mo is a direct descendant of the Tangjin lineage. I’m not sure if Kong Heng can handle him.”

The Quanwu Mountain Range, where he stood, was centrally located in Yue Country. Reaching Wangyue Lake, the Xiao family, or the Xuanyue Sect would take at least several days of travel. Requesting assistance was now impossible.

Li Xijun turned to look at the massive golden formation. As white mist appeared in his eyes, the dazzling formation slowly blurred, and the scene within gradually emerged.

“Boom!” Kong Heng, wielding a bronze monk’s staff, emitted a soft yet potent white golden light to parry Situ Mo’s sharp, dense golden magical artifact. The two lights clashed, generating a thunderous roar.

As he pushed the subtleties of his talismanic energy to the extreme, a figure shrouded in mysterious spiritual mist also became visible.

“This…” The somber-faced, black-robed middle-aged man stood cautiously in a corner of the formation. The greenish-white sword light in his hand had accumulated to its peak, flickering incessantly, as he patiently sought an opening in Situ Mo’s defenses.

“Second Uncle?!” Li Xijun immediately let out a sigh of relief. He finally understood why the Dinglin Peak’s power had been so weak. Feeling much more relaxed, he stepped on the bizarre artifact and began casting layered spells upon it.

“So, he had already moved to protect me!”

Inside the golden formation, Kong Heng reassured Li Xuanxuan, feeling no tension himself. Moments after the formation had risen, Li Yuanjiao’s voice had already whispered in his ear. Kong Heng’s surprise wasn’t solely due to the secrets Situ Mo had revealed.

With Li Yuanjiao secretly intervening, Kong Heng naturally had no fear for Li Xijun’s safety. Although the blow Li Xijun sustained appeared severe, from Kong Heng’s perspective as a Buddhist cultivator, it was not a major issue.

Sharp golden light surged forth. He used his staff to repel Situ Mo’s probing attack, sighing inwardly:

“He remains so cautious, having followed us all this way…”

While Kong Heng possessed certain trump cards that, though insufficient for killing, were more than enough for self-preservation, and he had no fear of Situ Mo, confident in his ability to protect both of them, he still sighed at Li Yuanjiao’s caution, thinking:

“He was afraid of scaring Situ Mo away, so he even misled his own family… Senior Xuanxuan’s demeanor clearly indicated his complete unawareness, which Situ Mo naturally wouldn’t perceive.”

Situ Mo made two probing moves, but the monk before him remained tranquil as water, unmoving as a mountain, focused solely on defense. Situ Mo sneered:

“He’s found himself a bald donkey to act as a pawn.”

Situ Mo, aware of the monk’s peculiar methods, did not let down his guard. Three golden shields hovered beside him, providing complete cover. He held his saber, observing intently. After a moment of thought, he formed a hand seal and whispered:

“Come!” Outside the formation, the Dinglin Peak immediately began to struggle violently, thrashing about on the ground. Li Xijun, having anticipated this, had already covered it densely with spirit-sealing talismans. He stepped on it, then brought two fingers together, unleashing a cold light.

The Fourth-Rank spell, Turjun Sunflower Light!

The Turjun Sunflower Light, truly befitting its reputation as the Li family’s highest-grade spell, instantly unleashed a white radiance. A chilling energy surged forth, literally freezing the Dinglin Peak. This frigid aura severed its magical connection, pinning it firmly in place.

Inside the formation, Situ Mo’s expression changed. Li Xijun, merely a Qi Condensation cultivator, should have been utterly incapable of resisting his magic artifact and ought to have died beneath the Dinglin Peak long ago. Yet, now even the Dinglin Peak was unresponsive. His heart sank, realizing the situation was somewhat spiraling out of his control.

However, Li Xuanxuan’s every action moments ago did not seem feigned, and Kong Heng’s surprise was genuine. Having grown up relying on others, Situ Mo possessed a deep cunning and could naturally distinguish truth from pretense. He suddenly found himself in a dilemma.

Conversely, Li Xuanxuan, observing Situ Mo’s reaction and Kong Heng’s demeanor, belatedly realized the situation, revealing a look of relieved joy that was even more galling in Situ Mo’s eyes.

Situ Mo’s eyes flickered as he made his decision. He pulled a talisman from his robe, clasped it between his palms, and began casting a spell.

Kong Heng, naturally, could not stand idly by. He swiftly raised his bronze monk’s staff. Tasked with protecting Li Xuanxuan, he could not launch a direct assault, only interfere from a distance with golden light. However, being skilled in defense but not offense, he found himself unable to breach the golden shields.

Situ Mo cast a mocking glance at him, then with a flick of his wrist, released six streams of light. These lights, like faint stars, settled on his own face, flowing across acupoints such as Zanzhu, Tongziliao, and Chengqi. Slowly, golden light began to emerge in his eyes.

In a life-and-death struggle, Situ Mo was naturally not so foolish as to announce his techniques. However, Li Yuanjiao, who had studied "Clear-Sight Spirit Eye," recognized these acupoints as critical points for ocular arts, realizing that Situ Mo had detected something.

‘Pity! This person’s magic artifact is formidable, and he still hasn’t revealed a weakness!’

Lingering any longer risked exposure, so he seized this fleeting moment. He drew his sword, and the Yueque Sword Arc, a sweep of light, pressed towards Situ Mo’s face.

“Clang!” The greenish-white sword light flared abruptly. The spell in Situ Mo’s hand ceased abruptly, but instead of surprise, he showed delight. The golden saber at his waist, having accumulated power for some time, suddenly sprang forth. He laughed:

“I knew it!”

Li Yuanjiao’s sword light deflected, shattering Situ Mo’s golden shield, only to be met by the saber energy Situ Mo had long prepared. He mused inwardly:

‘How cunning!’

Situ Mo’s spell ceased instantly, and he had secretly gathered saber energy. It was clear he had accurately anticipated Li Yuanjiao’s inevitable move. Perhaps he hadn’t even cultivated ocular arts at all, merely feigning it to provoke any potential hidden adversaries into action.

“It is you, after all! Li Yuanjiao!”

Although Situ Mo had forced him to reveal himself, the power of the Yueque Sword Arc far exceeded his expectations. The saber energy in his hand resisted for merely an instant before being devastatingly shattered. Situ Mo cried out:

“Chì!” Before the word fully left his lips, the three golden shields appeared before him, and he instantly shifted several yards sideways, coughing out a round red pill. The pill spun once, then vanished into a puff of smoke.

“A Tangjin Sect spell!”

Li Yuanjiao sighed. Before Situ Mo could even manage a relieved smile, he felt a chill behind him as a greenish-gray flood dragon materialized, lunging to bite his neck.

“Clang!” Li Yuanjiao struck away the three golden shields. The flood dragon was also blocked by the radiant light emerging from Situ Mo’s magical robe. Situ Mo formed a hand seal, unleashed golden light from his palm, and with a single strike, shattered the flood dragon, uttering fiercely:

“An impressive Yueque Sword Arc.”

Before he finished speaking, three more streams of light shot forth before him, moon-bright and agile. They spun and soared, nimbly weaving in and out among his three golden shields, seeking any opening to strike at his upper, middle, and lower body.

Situ Mo was startled. Golden patterns appeared on both his hands as he made a grabbing motion, but both attempts grasped only empty air.

The three streams of light were incredibly swift and agile, circling so close to him they felt like three snakes crawling beneath his clothes. He had no time to form hand seals or cast spells, forced to let the three sword lights strike his body.

The golden Daoist robe on Situ Mo’s body once again flared with light, emitting a burst of white mist that repelled and nullified the three sword lights. Li Yuanjiao’s attack was thwarted once more. Only then did Situ Mo breathe a sigh of relief, drenched in sweat, and declare bitterly:

“Good… good… truly exceptional swordsmanship!”

A dark greenish flood dragon once more surged from beneath Li Yuanjiao’s feet, and sword energy rippled in his hand. He sighed inwardly with a sense of helplessness:

“I likely cannot defeat him… My Three-Part Moon Flowing Light is not proficient enough; it possesses agility but lacks sufficient power… A pity.”

Situ Mo formed a hand seal and advanced, engaging him in a probing exchange. For a moment, saber energy and sword energy crisscrossed and collided, generating thunderous roars.

Kong Heng was indeed not skilled in offense. The magical light emanating from his staff only extended a mere ten feet around him. His golden light attacks did little more than momentarily distract Situ Mo.

‘The Tangjin Sect has been in Xu Country for many years, once a formidable power that frequently clashed with Qingchi… Its foundations are ultimately robust. Though it has declined, it remains a difficult opponent.’

Firstly, the Tangjin Sect possessed a solid foundation; secondly, Situ Mo was far from simple. Li Yuanjiao had lost the initiative, and the most potent phase of his swordsmanship had already passed, rendering him unable to gain further advantage.

As expected, Situ Mo waved away his two sword energies, sneering:

“Is that all your family has to offer, with just this one sword?! You’re merely fortunate to have a sword immortal ancestor, barely scraping your way to gentry status in a hundred years—a mere opportunist…”

As he spoke, his hand movements were anything but slow. He merely used the Foundation Establishment artifact to block Li Yuanjiao, while rapidly forming six hand seals in succession. Finally, he brought both hands together, crossing his ring finger over his middle finger, hooking his index finger, and pressing the remaining three fingers together.

Then, with a pop, a golden light erupted from Situ Mo’s palm, instantly forming a finger-sized pointed blade. It circled once in the air, then shot forth with the speed of lightning, cutting through the air with a whistling sound.

Situ Mo knew Li Yuanjiao’s family history intimately, while Li Yuanjiao knew nothing of him. He felt an intense warning, a silent chill down his spine. He slapped his storage pouch, summoning a large brown shield.

The Six-Stone Cloud Disk!

The golden blade was incredibly swift. Li Yuanjiao didn’t even have time to retrieve a talisman; he could only channel all his spiritual power into the shield, upon which the dark greenish flood dragon also coiled.

“Bang!” He felt a powerful force surge through his hand. The Six-Stone Cloud Disk boomed, and the golden light pierced through it instantly. A sharp pain shot through his wrist, and he gritted his teeth, retreating.

“Whine…” The Six-Stone Cloud Disk let out a mournful sound. A bleeding hole, the size of an eye, had already appeared on Li Yuanjiao’s wrist. Before he could assess the injury, the golden blade circled around from behind, aiming for his back.

Meanwhile, Situ Mo, having unleashed the golden blade, took but a single breath before advancing with his saber, swinging down with a golden light. Not only did the Six-Stone Cloud Disk in Li Yuanjiao’s hand now bear a new small hole, but the golden blade’s thrust towards his back sent a chilling, extremely perilous sensation through him.

Li Yuanjiao immediately drew his sword and spun, barely managing to keep Situ Mo at bay with his Green Ruler Sword. The Six-Stone Cloud Disk rose, blocking the golden blade.

“Creak…” While no longer as terrifying as its initial strike, the golden blade still made him stumble. Li Yuanjiao retreated several steps, his body enveloped in mysterious spiritual mist, creating distance. Like a venomous snake, the golden blade twisted and coiled, preparing to strike again.

“Om Hum!” Li Yuanjiao clutched a talisman and drew his sword to parry. Just then, he heard Kong Heng utter an exclamation from behind, and the golden blade was abruptly halted in mid-air. Situ Mo, surprised and enraged, bellowed:

“You monk! Must you truly oppose me?!”

With Kong Heng’s intervention, Li Yuanjiao’s Mysterious Pattern Bottle activated, concealing his figure, and he vanished from sight.

Situ Mo immediately grew cautious. Li Yuanjiao was no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator; a surprise attack from him would be highly dangerous. He cast a grim glance around, then formed another hand seal. The golden blade obediently returned to his palm and vanished.

‘I should have cultivated an ocular art long ago… Unfortunately, my single-minded focus on this Gold-Illuminating Blade cost me time. Otherwise, all three of them could have been eliminated today!’

He took a deep breath. Since he couldn’t kill them, Situ Mo was absolutely unwilling to take further risks and needlessly expend his energy. A sudden tremor of alarm seized his heart, giving him a premonition of impending disaster:

“Not good…”

He uttered no threats. Instead, with a wave of his hand, array flags rose from all corners of the forest, returning to his grasp as the massive golden formation vanished.

Golden light rose beneath Situ Mo’s feet, and several golden shields enveloped him. Though tall, his words carried a sinister undertone:

“We shall meet again!”

Before his words finished echoing, he instantly transformed into a streak of golden light and flew away with extreme speed, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

“Granduncle!” Only then could Li Xijun enter. He called out twice. Li Xuanxuan placed a hand on his shoulder, drew him close, and after a thorough inspection, let out a long sigh:

“You truly scared me to death!”

Li Yuanjiao’s face was somewhat pale. The light from the Green Ruler Sword in his hand dissipated, and the sealed sword intent subsided. The large hole on his wrist, the size of an eye, revealed a ghastly white bone at its cross-section.

Without a word, he casually summoned a stream of water from the pool, which filled the wound on his hand. With a touch from his other hand, the injury appeared to heal completely.

Kong Heng knew this was merely a superficial concealment, and advised gently:

“These injuries shouldn’t be prolonged. Please use some spiritual pills and elixirs to heal them quickly. If left untreated, they could impede your cultivation path.”

Since Kong Heng had just provided significant assistance, Li Yuanjiao’s expression remained cordial as he replied:

“Thank you, Master, for your timely intervention.”

Li Xuanxuan, having just checked Li Xijun’s wounds, then hurried to his second son’s side and examined him carefully. However, Li Yuanjiao’s Foundation Establishment cultivation and the methods he employed prevented the elder from discerning the true severity of the injuries. The old man could only fret:

“Oh dear! Oh dear…”

Li Yuanjiao glanced at him in surprise, a faint, fleeting smile touching the corner of his lips. He quickly turned back, expressing regret:

“What a pity… this person truly has some capabilities. I didn’t manage to gain any real advantage…”

“Uncle!” Li Xijun, smiling, then took a gleaming golden artifact from his storage bag. He presented it with both hands, bowing his head respectfully as he said:

“Perhaps not.”