Chapter 604: Da Ning Palace Falls (Part 2)

**Ink and Brush Literature, Xuanjian Immortal Clan!**

**Yu Jiang**

Li Qinghong had just met this person; it was the South Sea cultivator she had encountered earlier during her fight with Guo Hongjian. His aura was unfathomable, emanating a mysterious and unpredictable quality.

He merely stopped before her, gazing at Li Qinghong's radiant form, enveloped in purple lightning. A sense of natural admiration was evident, and he seemed to be waiting for something, making no move to attack.

Li Qinghong understood this person's formidable power. She gripped her spear, refraining from acting. After two breaths, she saw a dark greenish-black light soaring skyward from Chengshui Ridge in the north, rapidly expanding and dyeing half the sky a dark greenish-black.

“Boom!”

A thunderous roar erupted. Something seemed to have fallen from the distant mountains, creating an earth-shattering rumble, and a hazy purplish-black qi surged skyward.

The demonic smoke from the north collectively paused, then twisted in confusion. Some turned back north, others stopped to fight among themselves, and a few continued south, making the situation even more chaotic.

She glanced over, a hint of worry in her eyes. The young man before her seemed to have been waiting for this very event, and finally spoke:

“Fellow Daoist Li, the Great Tranquility Palace has fallen, Chengshui Ridge is now covered with various ruins, and demonic cultivators will surely go to search them. The offensive will temporarily slow down.”

“I specifically sought out this opportunity to come here, and I ask for your instruction.”

His voice was clear and echoed slowly through the air. Li Qinghong, hearing these unexpected words, knitted her beautiful brows and softly said:

“Qinghong greets fellow Daoist. However, now is the time of the great catastrophe between north and south, and it is perhaps not suitable for a fight. I ask fellow Daoist to wait a little longer, until this time passes. If we can preserve our lives, it will not be too late for fellow Daoist to seek me out for a fight then.”

Yu Jiang looked at her intently and replied:

“I have some enmity with Qingchi. Your blocking the demonic cultivators is not something I find agreeable.”

Li Qinghong narrowed her eyes slightly, finding his words contradictory. But she immediately became alert:

“Indeed, since the southward movement of demonic cultivators is the will of several Purple Palace masters, my single-handed effort has greatly reduced the pressure on the defense line... As time passes, I might offend the Purple Palace masters…”

She let out a slight breath. She now regarded the person before her as a cultivator sent by a Purple Palace master to stop her. On one hand, she was relieved he hadn't arrived a moment sooner, and on the other, she drew her spear, purple lightning rippling around it, and softly said:

“Li Qinghong of Qingdu.”

“Yu Jiang of the South Sea.”

The young man nodded slightly. A burst of thunder already exploded in his ears. Li Qinghong's figure vanished from her spot, and she rapidly approached, wreathed in purple lightning. In one hand, six silver Profound Punishment Tokens revolved, emitting a silvery-white lightning glow.

“When Yang reaches the utmost void, six thunders emerge!”

“Boom!”

Before her spear even arrived, a silvery-white bolt of lightning had already pierced the air ahead of it. Yu Jiang's gaze flickered to the six Profound Punishment Tokens. He formed a hand seal, and a sparkling golden symbol appeared in his palm.

He softly uttered:

“Thunder descends at the Dui position, resting in the sea of clouds.”

Instantly, a vast ocean materialized in the air. A sparkling golden light rose from its depths, and the silvery-white lightning bolt fell into it, vanishing entirely as if plunged into a bottomless whirlpool.

The vast ocean swirled, condensing into a single golden talisman, which landed in Yu Jiang's hand. Li Qinghong's Profound Thunder was thus neutralized.

She had long known this person's exceptional strength and was not surprised. Her spear, Du Ruo, lunged forward with a purple shadow, and Yu Jiang, surprisingly, raised his hand and struck her spear.

“Hm?”

Li Qinghong's silver spear felt as if it had struck something soft. The spear lightly curved, somehow grazing past him, bringing forth a burst of purple lightning, which the black-robed young man dispersed with a wave of his hand.

“Clang!”

Li Qinghong withdrew her spear and spun around. She inverted her spear, first placing the six silvery-white Profound Punishment Tokens in front of her to defend against attacks. She took a quick glance and indeed found that the tip of Du Ruo spear was slightly twisted, slowly twisting back into shape like a living thing.

“This is sorcery…”

She now had some understanding of her opponent's strength. Yu Jiang, however, remained expressionless. The hand holding the golden talisman trembled slightly, dispersing a bit of silvery-white lightning, clearly indicating that it wasn't as effortless as he appeared, nor without any effect.

Li Qinghong withdrew her spear. Yu Jiang, however, raised his sleeve and gently flicked it, releasing several points of black light. In mid-air, they swiftly transformed into streaking talismans, which quietly spun around him once before all settling into the young man's eyes.

His pupils suddenly dilated, and he stared intently. Li Qinghong felt her mind explode like thunder, seeing only a dark gloom with blood dripping into it, and everything before her became unclear.

“What a powerful spell!”

Li Qinghong's vision darkened. Yu Jiang, however, seized the opportunity to form another hand seal and cast a spell. His gaze fell upon Du Ruo in her hand as he secretly pondered:

“This spear is no ordinary item. Perhaps because of its innate Profound Thunder property, it naturally counters these changing demonic and evil things. After taking my palm strike, it could actually begin to straighten itself immediately…”

One hand rested under his elbow, while the other, with fingers pressed together, extended forward, pointing at Du Ruo in Li Qinghong's hand. He gently lifted his head and commanded:

“High sorcery transforms; the weapon becomes demonic.”

Li Qinghong's eyes briefly dimmed. A clear light once again surged from her Qi Sea acupoint, sweeping away the many sorcery illusions in her mind. Regaining her senses, she then unleashed her lightning, and felt a sticky, slippery sensation in her hand.

The Du Ruo spear in her hand had surprisingly transformed into a white python with fine scales, which was opening its mouth somewhat blankly, trying to break free from her grasp. Li Qinghong held on tightly, realizing she had fallen into the rhythm of the other's spell.

“Command!”

She decisively spat out a Profound Thunder, a point of light flying from between her lips. Yu Jiang's eyebrows twitched at the sight. He then retreated half a step. A torrent of purple lightning had already erupted in the air, crashing down with a roar, and he had no choice but to interrupt his spell and temporarily defend.

Li Qinghong immediately seized the opportunity. A surge of potent lightning energy poured into her spear, completely washing away the sorcery within it. The Du Ruo spear instantly reverted to its original form, a flash of silver light appearing as it plunged into the lightning torrent.

Yu Jiang struggled to move within the lightning torrent, yet he still managed to raise his hand. A talisman glowed in his palm, resisting the attack. He struck the spear with both palms, attempting to deflect it.

Li Qinghong was no longer merely skirmishing. Her eyes turned a brilliant purplish-white, and terrifying lightning spread across her body, instantly tearing his spell to shreds and thrusting forward directly.

“Good!”

Yu Jiang had no choice but to avoid her sharp attack. He lightly spun his robe, which was shredded by the lightning, and reappeared several feet away, spitting out a mouthful of purple lightning.

Both ceased their attacks simultaneously. They looked north together, only to see rolling demonic smoke roaring, and several magnificently dressed, imposing demonic cultivators standing in the clouds, slowly approaching from the horizon.

“Clang...”

However, what they were looking at was not the demonic smoke before them, but further north. A golden light was rapidly streaking through the air, its overbearing and fierce qi surging powerfully, unceremoniously tearing through the demonic smoke and swiftly drawing closer.