Chapter 728: A Scene of Devastation

The original domain name has been compromised; please remember the new one.

A thunderous roar echoed through the air, muffled like distant thunder before a storm. All the cultivators battling on the river paused almost simultaneously. Yet, Cui Jueyin was the first to look up.

Cui Jueyin wielded the Long Bright Staircase, an immortal foundation unique to the Mingyang path for its binding and pulling capabilities. As a direct descendant of Chongzhou, which had spent centuries researching Heavenly Light, he was unparalleled in its manipulation on the battlefield, surpassing even Li Zhouwei. From his sleeves, dazzling light erupted, scorching and pushing, keeping his four opponents in a whirlwind. They couldn't even touch his robes; among the Li family members, he was the only one who remained unscathed.

Cui Jueyin's expression had remained as placid as still water, but the roar struck his ears like a sudden peal of thunder. He nearly lost control of the Heavenly Light he was wielding. Abruptly, he lifted his gaze and saw white scales bristling on Li Zhouwei's neck. "Huh?" A complex expression crossed his face. He instinctively took a step forward, pausing mid-air. The momentary loosening of his Heavenly Light was immediately exploited; a guest elder swept through, forcing him to react quickly. Cui Jueyin shifted his stance, deflecting the attack, tightened his defense, and once again found himself in a desperate struggle.

Guan Kan's skull head faced directly forward. Beneath him, the earth cracked, and rivers burst forth, flowing with a gurgling sound. Shallow, dark Kan water swirled. Li Zhouwei's gaze lingered on Guan Kan's body for a moment, and his scale-covered neck made a strange swallowing motion. The next instant, Li Zhouwei vanished from his spot. Heavenly Light rippled, and he reappeared before Guan Gongxiao. The blood-red patterns in his eyes and the white scales on his neck were gone, leaving only a face covered in fragmented wounds.

Guan Gongxiao, however, was desperately channeling his magic, red light flashing. His desperate cry for help still echoed in the air: "Come quickly to my aid!"

The resounding cry for help instantly threw the aggressive Duxian Dao formation into chaos. From all directions, guest elders, regular elders, and even direct disciples began to disengage, showing intentions of providing aid. Li Zhouwei simply thrust his halberd, fully dispersing the red light Guan Gongxiao had unleashed. Then, a deep voice thundered from the sky: "The extreme of Yang is a breath, giving birth to six thunders!" It was Li Cheng!

Li Cheng's strength was considerable, and his cultivation base was profound. He had achieved Foundation Establishment before Li Ximing's seclusion. Over the past decade, he had reached a point where he could attempt mid-Foundation Establishment, but such a breakthrough required years of isolated cultivation. He had spent these years assisting Li Zhouwei, constantly mending breaches and fighting crises, leaving him no time to seclude himself. In the years before Li Ximing emerged from seclusion, Li Cheng's cultivation was ready to advance to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. However, as the three Mifan sects pressed ever closer, he dedicated all his energy to thunder spells. Given that the Duxian Dao originated from the East Sea, the two direct descendants he was battling on the river, one specialized in Kan Water and the other in True Fire. The Duxian Dao had clearly anticipated this, sending two who were not particularly afraid of lightning to intercept him.

Now, silver-white lightning exploded, its searing light surging. Having absorbed the full force of his attack, the two opponents were compelled to retreat temporarily.

Li Cheng's tactical acumen was sharp. Capitalizing on the brief moment his words distracted the two opponents, he fully activated the Six Thunder Profound Punishment Decree. His figure pierced through the lightning waterfall, moving instantaneously by treading thunder, and appeared before Guan Gongxiao and his companion!

Li Zhouwei had already looked up the moment the thunder sounded. The Upward Sun Hidden Light surged from his brow. Guan Gongxiao no longer had time to concern himself with Li Cheng. With one hand, he produced a talisman, while with the other, he formed a hand seal. The Xiqi wind and sand rose again, meeting the approaching light.

Guan Gongxiao's wind and sand were, of course, no match for the Upward Sun Hidden Light, but they were enough to hold it off for an instant, especially given the principle of mutual restraint. Even with the crisis temporarily resolved, he found no moment to relax. Beside him, Li Cheng suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a bright, white light. It was the Purple Talisman Primal Light Secret Art! The light instantly expanded. Guan Gongxiao barely had time to tilt his head back and activate the talisman in his other hand before a mighty roar erupted.

"Boom!" A circular white light rippled through the air, its brilliant glow sweeping across the river. The river surged, and rocks tumbled down as the white light expanded, transforming into a cascading purple lightning waterfall. Guan Gongxiao's shield rapidly disintegrated within the torrent of lightning. This Young Master of Duxian Dao truly possessed an abundance of valuable artifacts; he was only lightly grazed by the scattered lightning, yet a long halberd, burning with fierce black flames, was already thrusting towards him.

Guan Gongxiao gritted his teeth, breaking free from the lightning's grasp. His Nan Chou Water circulated, dissolving into a sky full of gray water, allowing him to traverse the currents of the Daoist scripture. Yet, escape was not so easy. Guan Gongxiao was still grazed, his back scorching, and his Daoist robe crackling from the burn. Knowing that Li Zhouwei's pupil technique could instantly see through his disguise, he emerged from the water's edge and rushed towards the nearest person.

The nearest individual was a Duxian Dao guest elder, a man with a square face and a prominent nose, who was hurrying over. He appeared to be wielding a wood-elemental light. Before he could even reach Guan Gongxiao, a long halberd, ablaze with fierce black flames, suddenly flew towards him.

The guest elder dared not receive it. His magical wind abruptly ceased, and he retreated a step, leaving Guan Gongxiao to face the onslaught alone. The young master was enraged, practically fuming. Fortunately, Guan Lingdie, who had previously clashed with Li Zhouwei, had been observing from a distance. She preemptively sent a white dart that struck the halberd with a clang, deflecting it. Guan Gongxiao swiftly conjured wind and sand, dispersing the Heavenly Light, and managed to transform into water to pass through.

Li Zhouwei finally retrieved his halberd, while Li Cheng used his lightning to block the two pursuers. The entire battle on the river finally stalled, and the combatants slowly began to disengage.

Guan Gongxiao, pale-faced, reappeared on the opposite bank of the river. The Duxian Dao cultivators also withdrew one by one, stopping beside him. As the Duxian Dao held the upper hand, disengaging was relatively easy for them.

Killing Guan Gongxiao was simply out of the question. With Ye Gui and Li Ximing both in the Grand Void, there was no justifiable reason to directly assassinate the opposing young master unless the conflict escalated to the Purple Mansion level.

The Li family absolutely did not want this conflict to escalate to the involvement of Purple Mansion cultivators. Li Zhouwei had broken through the suppression of three opponents, crippled Gongsun Baifan, and killed Guan Kan, still having strength to spare. The outcome of this major battle was already predetermined.

Despite the Li family's precarious and disadvantaged position, the Duxian Dao simply could not find two more individuals capable of holding back Li Zhouwei. Purple Mansion direct descendants like Guan Gongxiao and Li Zhouwei, when unleashed among guest elders, were like tigers in a flock of sheep, capable of dramatically altering the tide of battle.

"And that scholar from the Mingyang Dao... he's also not simple... In these years, not only has our Dao paid a great price, but the Li clan has also been secretly preparing..."

Having escaped peril, Guan Gongxiao's mind settled. He swept a heavy gaze across Li Zhouwei and the others, then touched the jade bead bracelet in his sleeve. Only three of the ten beads were broken, offering him a small measure of comfort: "At least the Li clan of Shanji County and Xuanyue are now beyond control. We've succeeded in seven locations, and the wilderness has crossed the river, securing several footholds. It's not a loss."

He comforted himself. The battlefield had fallen utterly silent. Li Zhouwei stood, halberd in hand, watching him, the wound on his forehead slowly shrinking and healing. Li Cheng and Cui Jueyin stood beside him. Guan Gongxiao paused, feeling an immediate surge of pressure, then spoke: "Fellow Daoist possesses remarkable skill."

With that pronouncement, he finally departed, riding the magical water. The three magical artifacts remained suppressed beneath the brightly illuminated corner tower; he could no longer attend to them and had to leave with a heavy heart. Li Zhouwei watched him go, the wound on his forehead now imperceptibly small.

Guan Gongxiao retreated in disarray, only hearing the silent rush of wind in his ears; no one dared speak beside him. It wasn't until he reached deep within his own territory that Guan Lingdie approached, offering soft words of comfort.

She whispered, offering solace: "Li Zhouwei is akin to figures like Tu Longjian and Guo Shentong—exceptionally favored by heaven, possessing advantages beyond all fairness. He's unreachable without divine powers. Brother, try to relax.""I understand," Guan Gongxiao replied, undeterred by his personal humiliation and the loss of troops. "Someone will deal with him. We just need to do our best."

***

In the Funan Territory, golden mist pervaded the sky, and true fire flowed freely.

Li Minggong held the Six-Horned Scarlet Flame Lamp high, its fiery light soaring to repel the golden mist. On the other side, the Chongming Cavern Profound Screen glowed brilliantly, its azure illusory colors descending to entrap golden rays of light.

The great battle in the Funan Territory was drawing to a close. Situ Mo hovered high in the sky, his golden, rhomboid-patterned feather robe swaying. One hand tightly gripped Ding Weizeng's long staff, and golden energy streamed down his cheeks, making him appear exceptionally terrifying.

Across from him, Ding Weizeng appeared even more battered. His entire Dharmic Body was riddled with wounds, dark red blood flowing. A massive abdominal gash revealed his glimmering internal organs, glowing with Dharmic light.

Situ Mo glared at him sullenly, his gaze subtly shifting from side to side. That accursed, foul-mouthed Hook Snake was still lurking, its whereabouts unknown.

"Time is running out..." Situ Mo certainly lived up to his formidable reputation. His methods even surpassed the Li family's initial estimations. Alone, the Tangjin Sect Master withstood the combined assault of Ding Weizeng and the Hook Snake—one man and one beast—inflicting increasingly severe injuries on Ding Weizeng. Moreover, the Chongming Cavern Profound Screen, specializing in countering flying swords and needles, hovered in the sky!

While Ding Weizeng had previously faced six opponents and suffered some injuries, his current performance was still astonishing. It's worth noting that the present Li Wushao was no ordinary foe; the two venomous hooks on his tail were enough to make even seasoned fighters hesitate.

It was precisely due to the potency of these two venomous hooks that Situ Mo had been caught off guard earlier; though only his chin was grazed, an icy chill had spread from his chin to his chest. Even after consuming several pills, it was only temporarily suppressed. Moreover, some of his own foolish subordinates, unaware of the Hook Snake's formidable nature, had been needlessly stung and nearly plummeted to the ground.

"Couldn't they even use their pig brains to think? The Li family is a Purple Mansion immortal clan, after all. An ordinary Hook Snake from the seabed—white snakes are somewhat tolerable, but black snakes fight so poorly that even dragons find them unappetizing—could such a creature truly be favored by the Li family? This black snake must possess something extraordinary!"

Situ Mo, having spent many years in the East Sea, was well-versed in such matters. Consequently, he no longer dared to be pierced by the hooks, which forced him to fight defensively. With his favored spells being countered, he found himself in a true dilemma.

Among the other Tangjin Sect members, Situ Biao was preoccupied with Li Minggong. Though he steadily pushed her back, he became apprehensive due to Li Wushao's intermittent support. Meanwhile, White Ape and Li Chenghuai each engaged their own adversaries.

Conversely, the Xiaray, with his extraordinary background, proved exceptionally formidable. Attacking back and forth, he single-handedly engaged three opponents. Though his attacks weren't life-threatening, they were both swift and vicious, perhaps advanced spells learned from Li Xizhi. Furthermore, his mastery of phantom clones created a sky full of illusory figures, a mix of real and fake, making him incredibly difficult to pin down.

By the latter half of the battle, Situ Mo still saw no sign of Duxian Dao reinforcements. His heart began to pound, and after a long period of anxious anticipation, he finally saw several streams of light rising from the east. They were Foundation Establishment reinforcements from the Midong Territory.

The leader was a round-faced woman. Li Minggong recognized her immediately as Song Yunbai, and her heart sank. "Trouble!" she thought.

Her own forces were already struggling to the utmost to resist the Tangjin Sect. Moreover, below, a guest elder poisoned by the snake was causing widespread destruction and plunder, making their situation increasingly dire. If even a few more opponents arrived, they would likely be forced to retreat...

When the woman drew near, Situ Mo recognized her too. He was respectful to the Duxian Dao and superficially polite to the Li family, but to Song Yunbai, he spoke in a harsh tone: "You, girl! Why did it take you so long in the Midong Territory!"

"Why so long?" Song Yunbai, unafraid, retorted in an odd tone: "It's not like the Sect Master can just march straight in! Li Cheng dismantled the Hongfu Mountain Grand Formation... The entire mountain was filled with rogue cultivators and esteemed aristocratic families. Hongfu Mountain was personally designated by a True Lord for careful management, and it couldn't be neglected." She spoke, smiling as she drew closer, then added: "If the Sect Master has any complaints... perhaps your esteemed sect's Purple Mansion True Lord could inquire with my sect's True Lord?"

The Tangjin Sect's True Lord wandering abroad was hardly a secret. Song Yunbai's words, though outwardly polite and unimpeachable, were deeply unpleasant to hear. Situ Mo's face darkened, but he knew he couldn't lose his temper now. He could only manage: "Aren't you coming to aid us!"

Song Yunbai, however, bowed and simply stated: "Sect Master, you misunderstand. Our Young Sect Master activated a secret talisman and retreated from the wilderness. I received word and came to inform you."

At her words, the morale of the Li clan members surged. Song Yunbai flicked her sleeves, ignoring Situ Mo's sour and chilly expression. After providing a brief cover for his retreat, she prepared to depart on the wind. Situ Mo, his breath held in a knot of suppressed fury, could only manage a guttural: "Go!"

He immediately withdrew his magic, dodged a suddenly appearing pair of hooks, and abruptly retreated. On the field, all the combatants bore wounds, and no one dared to pursue.

After all, Li Minggong had been assailed by Situ Mo and Situ Biao from both sides for some time. She had consumed all her medicines and deployed all her trump cards. Had either the Chongming Cavern Profound Screen or the Six-Horned Scarlet Flame Lamp been even slightly weaker, she would have already succumbed, transforming into true fire. Pursuit was entirely out of the question.

Ding Weizeng was the most heavily wounded, though his Dharmic Body's enhancement made him appear somewhat better for the moment. White Ape and Xiaray sustained minor injuries. Li Wushao, fighting with stealth, played a considerable role and was merely slashed a few times.

Li Chenghuai, on the other hand, originally lacked significant combat prowess and was facing a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. Yet, equipped with the Upper Feather Night Robe and Night Ghost Secret Talisman gifted by his parents, his opponent couldn't even touch him. Instead, the Night Ghost left the adversary disoriented. Consequently, Li Chenghuai was in the best condition, having suffered minimal loss of magical power.

Li Minggong, relaxing in the moment, nearly collapsed. She simply gestured for Li Chenghuai to come and handle the immediate matters, murmuring: "Have someone capture Elder Siwei... I have no face to meet the elder!"

Li Chenghuai offered a word of comfort, then had White Ape help her down. All around them, flames raged and black smoke billowed. The Funan Territory, which had only just begun to recover, was once again ravaged, most of its mountain formations shattered, leaving it in utter disarray.

The original domain name has been compromised; please remember the new one.