Chapter 590: Action

“Fellow Daoist, wait a moment.” Li Xuanfeng did not answer him further. The young man in black below was very alert; he merely glanced at the two and immediately conjured a demonic wind, his black robe billowing as he fled in the opposite direction. If they didn't act promptly, unexpected complications would arise.

He placed one hand on the bowstring, and a golden arrow reappeared on the string. The young man in black below immediately felt his ears vibrate, a sense of terror surged through him, and his body began to tremble as if in warning. Earlier, Li Xuanfeng's gaze had met his, and Li Xuanfeng's pupil technique saw through the black mist on his face, clearly revealing his features. The young man also saw Li Xuanfeng's appearance, and seeing the bow in his hand, he cautiously prepared to flee. He instantly understood, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He gasped in horror, "It's Li Xuanfeng of the Swallow Immortal Bow from that side..." This person was Helian Changguang of the Tiefo Kingdom, who had fought Li Qinghong during the demonic disaster! At that time, Li Qinghong had killed his female companion and obtained a magical robe, which she forged into the Sparrow Azure Feather. She had worried about this matter and specifically discussed it with Li Xuanfeng.

As Li Xuanfeng's arrow came flying, a thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately deduced, "It seems this small hall I was heading to has already been claimed by these two. This arrow is meant to stop me!" With this idea, he immediately leaped back, not attempting to dodge the elusive arrow, but rather fully demonstrating a retreating posture. Demonic smoke billowed from beneath his feet as he took two steps, a sharp pain shot through his chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Although Helian Changguang was a royal of the Tiefo Kingdom, the kingdom was inherently weak and had seen a decline in talent over the years, becoming far less formidable than before. Sending out a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator like him truly meant they had no one else to spare. Helian Changguang was truly terrified in this place; anyone around him was at least a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and all of them were exceptionally strong. He had just tangled with a demon and was nearly killed. He was cautious by nature, and at present, he couldn't discern the arrow's origin or trajectory. All he felt was numbness and pain throughout his body, and a large hole had appeared in his chest, filling him with dread. "This person's immense reputation is truly extraordinary. The pinnacle of weapon artistry is intent; he probably possesses arrow intent..."

He had no intention of further entanglement with Li Xuanfeng. He immediately fled, not caring about anything else, and took out a life-saving talisman. His body began to burn with black energy as he chanted softly, "Dew-Bearing Blood Silver Marvelous Art!"

Li Xuanfeng, however, closed the distance. The arrow returned to the string, another appeared at his waist, and he drew the string again. "Strike!" The head of the young man in black far away instantly exploded like a watermelon, releasing a cloud of blood mist. His hand instinctively clawed at where his head had been. His headless body became even more frantic, leaping up as a demonic light and fleeing rapidly, "He really wants to kill me!"

Helian Changguang couldn't fathom Li Xuanfeng's intentions. All his magic power, along with a bloody glow, poured into the spell. The Dew-Bearing Blood Silver Marvelous Art activated at full power, transforming into a silver-red light, expelling the baleful qi from his body as much as possible. "Hmm?" Helian Changguang's Dew-Bearing Blood Silver Marvelous Art was a secret technique of the Full Elixir path. Perhaps due to Qiushui casting divine abilities outside, or perhaps because of the secret realm itself, it unexpectedly gained several degrees of power, causing him to spit out a blood arrow that was torn to shreds by the baleful qi before it even hit the ground. This indeed surprised Li Xuanfeng. One must know that his baleful qi was condensed from his spirit aperture combined with his lifelong cultivation, further empowered by two immortal foundations, making it terrifyingly potent now. Once this baleful qi contaminated someone, it was like a maggot in the bone, clinging to their magic power. Once it entered the body, it would take years to dissolve, and certainly couldn't be resolved by simply spitting out some blood.

"Perhaps his spell is extraordinary..." Li Xuanfeng didn't recognize his immortal foundation, but Si Yuanli beside him let out a soft "yi," showing surprise. Three more arrows appeared at Li Xuanfeng's waist, and he became vigilant: "From Qinghong's description, this person is cautious and resourceful, as well as decisive and ruthless. It seems to be true." "His cultivation is still shallow, yet he can already dissolve my baleful qi, which shows his cultivation method is equally marvelous. However, his practice is insufficient, so he can't fully exert it. How can I let such a person escape? I mustn't be careless; I must eliminate him early to prevent future trouble." His golden bow was drawn like a full moon. Five arrows circled, but didn't land on the string. Instead, a golden-red arrow shot out from his waist like a swimming fish, resting docilely in his hand.

"Clang!" A golden-red flash erupted instantly in the distance. Si Yuanli felt a strong gust of wind sweep past, his face stinging. He couldn't help but look at the middle-aged man beside him, somewhat surprised, "Brother Xuanfeng, why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?" His only answer was a humming sound. Li Xuanfeng's figure had already vanished from beside him. Si Yuanli looked up; Helian Changguang's demonic light was extremely fast, but it couldn't compare to the arrow and had already transformed into a sky full of demonic smoke.

Li Xuanfeng's eyes gleamed with golden light as he swiftly rode the wind through the demonic smoke. The Sky-Gold Armor propelled him forward at incredible speed, allowing him to arrive in an instant. He reached into the smoke and squeezed hard, seemingly grasping something, before he stopped, narrowing his eyes to observe his surroundings. Si Yuanli stepped forward and saw the formidable man gently open his palm, revealing a silver-gray mercury droplet. It spun and struggled in his hand, emitting a mesmerizing glow. A thin layer of silver light enveloped the mercury droplet, resisting Li Xuanfeng's magic power and protecting Helian Changguang's soul. It was now gradually diminishing, becoming dimmer and dimmer.

He feigned sudden understanding, let out a deep breath, and whispered, "The Full Elixir path is renowned for its miraculous nature; it truly possesses many life-saving spells. Had Brother Xuanfeng not been vigilant, this person would truly have escaped." Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly. A face with a high nose and deep-set eyes, clearly Helian Changguang himself, suddenly appeared on the mercury droplet in his palm. His voice was sorrowful: "Two immortal elders, I have never offended either of you... I merely lingered here for a couple of steps; why must it come to killing me? Senior Xuanfeng, your junior killed my concubine, seized my magical artifact, and pursued me until I abandoned my body. I haven't even sought revenge, and now you want to kill me again! Is this what a true gentleman does..." In just a few breaths, Helian Changguang had figured out the source of Li Xuanfeng's intense killing intent. His voice was mournful, full of pitiful despair.

Si Yuanli laughed heartily and simply said, "You demon, do I need a reason to kill you? Those who devour humans and drink blood deserve to be executed by everyone." As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xuanfeng slightly tilted his head and averted his gaze, not bothering to answer Helian Changguang. His magic power grew brighter and brighter, completely wearing away the silver-white film. "Crack..." Before Helian Changguang could utter another word, the golden magic power had already burst through the barrier and surged into the droplet, instantly shattering his soul. Only the dull gray mercury droplet remained, emitting a faint glow.

Li Xuanfeng's magic power didn't harm the item at all; it circled once and then withdrew. He watched the mercury-like object lie silently in his hand, suspecting it was a magical artifact. He then purified it with his magic power a few more times, but no magical light emerged. "Could it be a spirit item...?" Li Xuanfeng frowned, unable to recognize the origin of the item. Si Yuanli, being observant, noticed his magic power flickering twice and softly said, "It's likely not a Violet Palace spirit item. This person's entire cultivation transformed into a spirit item, condensing into this tiny mercury droplet. That's quite interesting." Understanding his meaning, Li Xuanfeng flipped his hand and put it away, pondering to himself, "If it were a Violet Palace spirit item, perhaps True Immortal Qiushui could use it? If I could use it to forge a connection with her and exchange it for a Bright Quadrant Heavenly Stone, that would be ideal..."

Helian Changguang's magical artifacts were retrieved by Si Yuanli, but his storage bag was nowhere to be found. That fellow was very cunning; a small spirit array had been attached to his storage bag. Upon his sudden death, the bag itself was immediately destroyed, and most of its contents were incinerated, with a few remaining sturdy spirit items falling into the lake.

Without further ado, the two headed towards the small hall. Si Yuanli quickly passed through the corridor and stopped before the main hall, observing it carefully. He had already confirmed it in his heart, but expressed surprise aloud: "Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng! This main hall still has a formation remaining!" "Oh?" Li Xuanfeng accompanied him down and stopped before the hall. At the entrance stood two stone statues, the three-eyed Yao Mountain Beasts, renowned for protecting formations and attracting wealth. Ancient people loved to use these for safeguarding residences.

"What a magnificent ancient formation!" Si Yuanli stopped, pointing at the formation, and exclaimed, "Come quickly and take a look; this formation is quite interesting. It's a rare ancient formation that uses the Grand Yin and Grand Yang as its core. These two Dao fruits have never manifested, yet they have never changed, allowing the formation to barely operate even now. The owner of this hall must have been extraordinary..." He seemed to be greatly interested, discussing everything from the formation's foundation to the coordination of Yin and Yang, and then the impact of the Primordial Era's Dao Attainment. Li Xuanfeng listened thoughtfully: 'Perhaps opening this grand formation will cause some significant changes. Si Yuanli is dragging his feet, most likely to buy more time... The closer it is to leaving the Great Ning Palace, the fewer problems there will be.'

Li Xuanfeng didn't press him, treating it as listening to some secret knowledge. Seeing that Si Yuanli was making small talk, he deliberately asked about something rarely heard: "That's interesting. I wonder how many Yin-Yang Dao fruits have been attained now?" Si Yuanli choked slightly, then had to answer: "Grand Yin and Grand Yang are very noble Dao fruits. The previous few holders were all Immortal-level beings. The Grand Yang was once with Immortal Yingze... The Grand Yin, naturally, was the Immortal Monarch of the Moon Splendor Origin Mansion. Unfortunately, both of these have left no trace and disappeared a very long time ago..." "Whether they are alive or dead, or at some crucial breakthrough, a small cultivator like me dare not judge, lest I simply squander my lifespan... Best not to speak of it."

As he spoke, he felt it was somewhat unnatural for them to just stand there. He placed a hand on the grand formation, seemingly observing the patterns closely and contemplating a method to break it. He spoke casually, "As for Bright Yang and Queling Yin, Fellow Daoist Bright Yang surely understands more clearly than I do; there's no need for me to explain. Queling Yin, however, is vacant. Its previous master was killed by Emperor Wei, establishing the current situation where male cultivators far outnumber female cultivators..." He spoke too quickly for a moment, then paused for two breaths, as if realizing he had said too much. He hastily skipped over these two Dao fruits and whispered, "Lesser Yang is Lesser Yang Demonic Monarch Kuaili! The story of Split Kuai Island is known throughout the world... The Demonic Monarch was split into three by Immortal Yingze, which led to the current Dragon Lord Xiyang, who still considers himself a junior of Immortal Yingze." "As for Lesser Yin, there's even less trace of it; I haven't even heard of a few lineages..." He barely finished speaking. Seeing Li Xuanfeng about to ask more, he suddenly felt uneasy. With so many Violet Palace cultivators watching outside, many from Golden Core lineages, saying anything wrong could be troublesome. He finally made up his mind, lightly patted the formation, and quickly said, "Brother Xuanfeng, I have a way."

He allowed no interruption. He swiftly handed a large green cauldron to Li Xuanfeng, saying urgently, "This formation reached the Violet Palace level at its peak, but due to the changes of eras, it has collapsed significantly. Look at this..." He pointed to the eight streams of light at the center of the formation, observing that six were on the outside, guarding the two central Yin-Yang colors. He explained, "The two central ones are Grand Yin and Grand Yang. Of the six outer ones, two have become ineffective, leaving the Lush, Harmony, Exchange, and Geng phases. As long as these four phases are removed, we can immediately enter the formation."

Li Xuanfeng took a careful look. He didn't understand formations, and his own skill in them was very shallow. Yet he saw Si Yuanli produce two white talismans from his hand and place them in his palm. Li Xuanfeng glanced at them. The talismans faintly shimmered with iridescent light, roughly three fingers thick and a palm's length. Four large characters were written on each with ink. One had a bluish-gray script: "Transform Lush into Harmony." The other's script appeared golden-white, almost blending with the talisman's white: "Borrow Geng for Exchange."

The two talismans perfectly matched the four phases within the formation. Si Bohxiu's intentions were clear, and it was instantly a moment of revelation. Si Yuanli lifted the two talismans. His slightly bent posture immediately straightened, his brows relaxed, and all traces of dejection vanished. He declared in a deep voice, "By Heaven's Decree, borrowing Geng for Exchange; dragons and serpents contend, transforming Lush into Harmony... attaining true law, marvelous divine abilities..." His speaking speed was extremely fast, yet his tone was solemn and grave. His words echoed in the air for two breaths. From his hands, bluish-gray and platinum lights burst forth, soaring into the sky and exploding into a bright flash. "Boom!"

Green raindrops fell from above. Li Xuanfeng, already prepared, gathered his magic power before him, condensing it into a golden barrier that blocked all incoming shockwaves. He silently took a step back. His eyes slightly opened, golden magic power emanating white light. The corridor beneath his feet had collapsed in places, and before the main hall lay a vast expanse of azure, combined water. Two green fish-shaped bells, hanging from the hall's eaves, jingled and fell from mid-air. Before they even hit the ground, they had disintegrated into copper beads, scattering across the floor.

The six streams of light within the grand formation flickered. The green Lush phase and the azure Harmony phase reversed, while the white Exchange phase and the golden Geng phase inverted. The entire grand formation, like sand scattered by the wind, collapsed without being attacked, transforming into a sky full of colors and disappearing. Unlike a formation that had been forcibly breached, there were no lingering shockwaves or active restrictive forces. The entire grand formation seemed to have never existed, leaving only an empty expanse of light.

"Creak..." The main hall's door swung open with a bang. Si Yuanli's figure, displaying a nimbleness completely unlike before, leaped inside. His voice, deep and urgent, carried out: "Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng! All items within the hall are yours for the taking. I must retrieve the painting on the table, and we must leave this place within ten breaths! Once the other cultivators surround us, it will be impossible to escape!"