Chapter 554: Indai War

Before his words even fell, Li Xizhi had already drawn his sword and arrived. Several streams of light flickered and descended. Quan Yi also retracted his golden rope and struck with a golden palm print. Tuoba Chongyuan merely blocked with his halberd, and the two forces collided.

Quan Yi's attack made the halberd tremble. Tuoba Chongyuan slightly parried, deftly extending his arm, just in time to turn and block Li Xizhi. However, he saw the feather-robed man still casting a spell; with a light touch, he transformed into mist and clouds.

"Rainbow Shadow Clones."

Li Xizhi took advantage of Tuoba Chongyuan's eye technique being broken, transforming into several illusions that moved apart. His true body appeared behind Tuoba Chongyuan. With a flick of his spell incantation, a vibrant Morning Rainbow Incantation surged forth, striking him squarely in the back.

Tuoba Chongyuan's magical robe was very powerful; even with a direct hit like that, it only made his face turn pale. Tuoba Chongyuan swept his hand, scattering the three clones. His halberd shimmered with golden light, twirling, and lightly hooked Yu Yuwei's purplish-red great cauldron.

Yu Yuwei was a seasoned cultivator, posing the greatest threat to him. Tuoba Chongyuan's hook managed to hold the great cauldron, but dark red veins appeared on his arm, and his blood and qi surged, clearly indicating he took damage. Yet, the purple flames within the cauldron still erupted, burning towards his Daoist robe.

Tuoba Chongyuan felt a slight pain in his arm and pondered: "This feather-robed man is light and agile, not suited for direct attack. And since I've broken his eye technique, trying to catch him is just a waste of time! That golden-roped man, though weak, dares not face me directly, cowardly and clingy. The rest are merely mediocre. The top priority is certainly to eliminate this old Daoist priest first!"

He summoned another jade tablet, effortlessly extinguishing the flames in the cauldron. He took two steps in mid-air and lunged like a ghost.

Yu Yuwei was completely fearless, his beard and hair bristling, each hand holding a purple flame. He activated his spells, which fell like rain. Long wisps of purple smoke also swirled around him, and he, too, felt a surge of resentment:

"This kid's magic robe is powerful, he has many artifacts, and he's also learned two formidable spells... But the halberd in his hand is rather ordinary by comparison..."

"Though powerful, he relies heavily on external objects, and a few of his spells are deadly. If we all work together, we might just win!"

He manipulated his flames to resist Tuoba Chongyuan's halberd. As his immortal foundation circulated, dark blue water droplets emerged instead, water and fire complementing each other. Combined with his bristling beard and hair, his expression instantly turned fierce.

Yu Yuwei was born when the Yu family's glory still lingered. He and a few clan brothers were among the Yu family's last batch of geniuses. At that time, the Yu family had not yet splintered and become a mere shell of its former self. The cultivation techniques he practiced and the spells he acquired were all top-tier. Now that he unleashed his might, with water and fire intertwined, he appeared truly formidable.

Tuoba Chongyuan, however, was unfazed. He merely frowned and wielded his halberd in defense. Quan Yi again threw out his golden rope to entangle, while Li Xizhi observed from the side, manipulating his glowing mist and often assisting with rainbow light.

Although Tuoba Chongyuan was significantly stronger, his eye technique had been broken, making it much harder to deal with Li Xizhi. The first few times he seized opportunities to strike, he often made Yu Yuwei turn pale and Quan Yi cough up blood, but he found it difficult to catch Li Xizhi.

The three of them exchanged dozens of blows. From Li Xizhi's side, someone would occasionally spit out blood, but with lives at stake, what did a few mouthfuls of blood matter? They relentlessly trapped Tuoba Chongyuan, gradually wearing down his magical energy.

"Whoosh..."

Struck again in the back by a rainbow light, Tuoba Chongyuan gripped his halberd with both hands, his face growing grim. His artifact rotated in his hand, and with a cold expression, he began to form hand seals. Two fingers clasped together, releasing a magical light.

Strangely enough, the Tuoba family was clearly a prominent demonic cultivation clan, yet throughout the battle, Tuoba Chongyuan exuded an ethereal immortal aura, showing no trace of demonic or blood qi, and the techniques he used were all upright immortal incantations.

Naturally, the others would not let him have his way. Almost the moment Tuoba Chongyuan paused, several spells immediately rained down. Tuoba Chongyuan had anticipated this, shifting his hand seals to one hand, while the other hand inverted his halberd, holding it in front of him.

At the same time, his sleeve billowed upwards, releasing a surge of clear qi. Before these spells could even get close, they were all reduced in power by forty percent. They then struck, one by one, painting the halberd with a dazzling array of colors that spread out.

Tuoba Chongyuan's face paled slightly from the attack, but he secretly allowed a smile to form. He slightly loosened his grip on the halberd to absorb the impact, but his pupils suddenly dilated.

"Golden Drop in the Clouds!"

Three brilliant streaks of colorful light suddenly appeared more than ten zhang away and instantly darted before him. Li Xizhi abruptly materialized, flicking his sleeve, sending a mist of light slowly dissipating in the air, like smoke and wisps.

The feather-robed man reached out and unexpectedly, without hesitation, gripped the sharp edge of the halberd. Intense colorful light rippled from his palm.

Floating Light Seizure!

The mist of light was naturally adept at knocking things down and capturing them. Tuoba Chongyuan was multitasking and had been repeatedly struck by spells, forcing him to slightly loosen his grip to absorb the impact. Li Xizhi, seeing his chance, used "Golden Drop in the Clouds" to get close and seize it.

The next moment, Tuoba Chongyuan felt his hand lighten. His slightly loosened grip completely gave way. The scenery before his eyes spun for a moment. The halberd had actually fallen into Li Xizhi's hands!

The halberd felt cool and smooth to the touch, and its material was very hard. One could feel the constant surge of spiritual energy within it. It was a top-tier artifact. Perhaps only his own Qingchi Sword could compare.

Li Xizhi took the halberd with one hand. Several bloody gashes burst open in his palm, tearing his flesh, extending down his wrist; his entire arm was soaked in blood. Yet, with that same hand, he had already formed hand seals, with his middle and ring fingers bent into his palm, and the others upright, forming a cauldron shape. His face instantly paled, and he shouted:

"Elder Yu!"

Yu Yuwei was truly shocked and delighted by this move. His eyebrows shot up in excitement, and he shouted:

"Good!"

The purple great cauldron immediately flew towards him. Without Yu Yuwei needing to remind them further, Quan Yi and the accompanying disciples all rode the wind to launch a furious assault. Tuoba Chongyuan momentarily lost his chance.

A surge of furious shock, as if capsizing in a ditch, instantly rushed into his heart. Tuoba Chongyuan almost dispelled the nearly completed spell. His eyebrows shot up instantly, and he roared like spring thunder:

"How dare you!"

A white light suddenly flared in his other hand, transforming into six streaks of white silk, trailing long tails. He actually endured numerous spells, deflecting them with a mere flick of his sleeve, and sent one hand striking towards Li Xizhi.

In an instant, three brilliant colorful lights leaped forth one after another. Li Xizhi narrowly managed to employ "Golden Drop in the Clouds" from his "Mist Light Evasion Technique." Li Xizhi darted sideways dozens of zhang, forcing the six white lights to circle low. The spell seal in his hand was already complete:

"Heart Cauldron Dispelling Calamity!"

The first spell Li Xizhi learned since joining the sect was this life-preserving incantation. Now, a faint, cauldron-like shape of mist-light appeared in his hand. He poured all his magical energy into it without reserve, drawing the surrounding spiritual essence to surge towards him.

The white light was astonishingly fast. Although he used the Mist Light Evasion Technique to leap to the other end, the white light turned back and still arrived in an instant. It paused slightly before him, then plunged into the Heart Cauldron in his hand.

"Boom!"

A chaotic white light erupted in the sky. The spell in Li Xizhi's hand held for three full breaths. He flung it away as if it were burning his hand. It exploded uncontrollably just as it flew past him. A sound of vomiting blood and bone cracking was heard, and he spiraled downwards.

On the other side, purple flames, like boiling water, poured over Tuoba Chongyuan's head and face from above, stirring up a violent white mist. For a moment, he lost his artifact and had to extend both hands to block the purple great cauldron.

Purplish-red blood stained Yu Yuwei's lips, dripping down his white beard. Dark blue water currents and purplish-red flames struck simultaneously. The old man's eyes suddenly gleamed, and he shouted:

"Halt!"

Golden light reappeared from his mouth, disappearing into the air. At the other end, Tuoba Chongyuan's eyes were bloodshot, his upper body clothing billowed. One hand braced against the purplish-red great cauldron, scorching him and emitting a burnt scent, yet his expression remained unchanged.

Two golden ropes hooked onto Tuoba Chongyuan's other forearm, pulling Quan Yi off balance. Dark blue water transformed into ropes, binding Tuoba Chongyuan's wrists tightly. The three worked together with all their might, not only preventing him from sweeping his sleeve to dispel spells, but also making it impossible for him to form hand seals.

"Crackle, crackle."

Furthermore, surging purplish-red flames rolled forth, clinging to his neck, scorching his flesh and producing a burnt aroma. Tuoba Chongyuan still stubbornly held his head high, his expression calm yet fierce, his eyes wide and round, as if straining to observe something.

"Snap."

A very loud and clear sound of bones shattering was heard. Tuoba Chongyuan forcibly twisted his neck to a bizarre angle. His gleaming white teeth clicked open and shut, producing crisp sounds.

"Clang!"

He panted heavily like an ox. Blood streamed from his white teeth, mixing red and white. He bit down hard on a golden leaf-shaped object. It struggled desperately between his white teeth, emitting a grating, teeth-grinding sound, making Yu Yuwei's face darken.

"Bang!"

The golden leaf-like object lingered for a moment, then quickly turned to dust and vanished. White patterns appeared all over Tuoba Chongyuan's body, and he even had the audacity to laugh:

"Old Daoist priest, I told you, sand-feeding sword cultivation isn't used like this!"

Golden light, like smoke and wisps, flickered between Tuoba Chongyuan's lips and teeth. Quan Yi suddenly threw his head back and let out a violent shriek. The back of his neck was a bloody mess, and he fell downwards like a bird with broken wings.

Tuoba Chongyuan, now free from the golden ropes' restraint, slowly snapped his originally twisted and dislocated head back into place, emitting creaking sounds. Numerous spells around him slowly faded, and golden-red blood slowly flowed back into his wounds along his skin's patterns.

"Tai Liang Sheng Le Immortal Yin Art..."

The patterns on his body became even clearer, stretching along the lines of his muscles and bones. Only now did a strange and sinister aura begin to emerge from him. Yu Yuwei naturally could not stand idly by, and once again activated his great cauldron, sending it crashing forward.

"Bang!"

Tuoba Chongyuan lightly waved his hand, and the great seal in the sky finally moved. It suddenly descended with immense power and weight, striking the purplish-red fire cauldron with a thud.

"Thud!"

Yu Yuwei's face instantly turned pale. The cauldron flew back, its glow dimming, and hung in the air, leaving him breathless for a long time.

In just a breath's time, Li Xizhi, his face slightly pale, once again rode the wind into the air. He disregarded his hand, which was already swollen, bones fractured, and tendons snapped, and consumed another Huiqiu Pill.

Consuming one Huiqiu Pill usually required several years of recovery; otherwise, it would reduce one's lifespan by several more decades. At most, only three could be taken at a time; otherwise, there was a risk of the immortal foundation collapsing. Given the current situation, there was no time for further consideration.

Li Xizhi took the pill and waited for his magical energy to replenish. His gaze was deep and solemn.

"Crackling... crackling..."

The great seal in the sky gradually lost its luster. White and yellow light streamed down, pouring into Tuoba Chongyuan's body like a waterfall. These thick, dark, and vibrant black patterns then climbed onto his body, densely covering him and drawing attention.

Although Li Xizhi felt some chest tightness and shortness of breath, he gradually recovered after taking the pill. Observing carefully, he saw that as the great seal lost its light, the surrounding barrier also slowly faded and disappeared. He watched calmly, secretly waiting for the right moment.

Tuoba Chongyuan finally opened his eyes, glancing at the halberd in Li Xizhi's hand. His face was covered in a white-yellow sheen, and his voice resonated like bells and drums:

"For decades, only you have dared to seize my artifact... Good..."

Tuoba Chongyuan's expression was not one of resentful envy, nor outright admiration, but rather a kind of excitement. Yu Yuwei's expression gradually turned grim. Behind him, Quan Yi shakily rode the wind. A large part of his face was missing, and his breath was faint, like a thread.

Tuoba Chongyuan's spell had shattered most of Quan Yi's cheek and exited from the back of his neck. Though a Foundation Establishment cultivator's vitality was tenacious, his eyes were filled with despair. He shakily flew up, dripping blood as he floated in the air, with auspicious qi forming from the blood on his face, scattering downwards.

Yu Yuwei remained silent. Tuoba Chongyuan's gaze shifted slightly. The purple great cauldron reappeared, and rainbow light pierced through again. Tuoba Chongyuan extended both hands flat, striking the great cauldron with a palm and making it tremble violently.

Yu Yuwei's face paled. Various magical energies intertwined in the air. Quan Yi, amidst the shimmering magical energy, barely managed to fly into the air. With half an eye, he surveyed his surroundings. The great seal was dim, and though the surrounding barrier was thin, it still stood.

"If only I had known!"

Quan Yi stood in the center, a long whisper escaping his broken mouth. His immortal foundation belonged to Auspicious Qi, named the Good Merit Scroll, and it had long foretold a life-or-death calamity for him in the north.

But what good was foretelling it? It was destined to come eventually. Who among those who came north didn't face a life-or-death calamity? In the end, whether it was foretold or not, there was no difference.

Quan Yi stared at the great seal with wide eyes and let out an earth-shattering wail:

"Fellow Daoists! Quan Yi still has a mother in the sect!"

As soon as he uttered these words, he transformed from head to toe into dense layers of golden light, soaring skyward. His Good Merit Scroll immortal foundation, cultivated for decades, was instantly transformed by some secret technique into a weave of light and runes, rushing towards the heavens.

This dense light enveloped the surroundings, covering Li Xizhi and Yu Yuwei from head to toe. Their bodies felt as light as if treading on clouds, their qi calmed and minds serene. The artifacts of several people all trembled.

Whether it was the purple fire cauldron, the jade tablet Tuoba Chongyuan had thrown, or even the Mist Gloom in Li Xizhi's hand, all were faintly covered in a radiant light. Li Xizhi and Yu Yuwei were relatively fine. Tuoba Chongyuan, however, clearly furrowed his brows, evidently having his vision obscured.

His eye technique was already broken, and now he was enveloped by the light formed from Quan Yi's lifelong cultivation; he truly could not see clearly. Yu Yuwei sighed and replied:

"Let's go!"

The two exchanged glances and simultaneously attacked. Taking advantage of Tuoba Chongyuan's momentary lapse in awareness and the seal's obscuration, they jointly struck the barrier.

"Crack!"

The barrier had already been reduced to a thin layer. With a combined attack from the two, it instantly shattered. They plunged out of the formation. Tuoba Chongyuan, realizing what had happened again, activated his escape light and pursued them amidst the white and yellow qi.