Chapter 755: One Talisman, One Charm

Li Ximing walked through the Great Void, deep purple-black mist thick around him on all sides. As he sped along, the white mist-shrouded peaks reappeared. Ye Kui was still riding the scaled bird-beast, its large beak golden yellow and its pupils white.

From the beast's back, he glanced at Li Ximing, his spiritual power gathering in his hand, and spoke:

"Zhaojing's willingness to concede, to release the Xuanyue Mountain Gate, and sacrifice Kong Haiying, truly shows him to be a reasonable person. Ye Kui acknowledges this favor and thanks you here."

Li Ximing looked at him gravely. The man's smile was polite; facing Li Ximing, Ye Kui never showed the cold remarks, sarcasm, or mockery he reserved for Changxi. Even when using their divine abilities in combat, he always maintained a degree of decorum.

His attitude consistently conveyed a sense of detachment—how subordinates fought was their business. Your rook captured my cannon, I checkmated you—it was all just a game of chess. Holding a grudge meant you weren't generous enough!

It was precisely his current attitude and Li Ximing's caution that allowed for continued maneuverability between the two factions at the Zi Mansion level. Now in the Great Void, Ye Kui was even offering thanks, to which Li Ximing could only reply:

"What are you saying, fellow Daoist? Since the Xuanyue Mountain Gate was involved, I had to intervene."

Ye Kui looked at him deeply, seemingly pondering something, then replied:

"Very well. Today, I will have a good experience of your Bright Yang divine ability."

As this declaration fell, intense fluctuations erupted in the Great Void. Vast purple water cascaded down, with human-headed fish darting and leaping through it, and the white mist-shrouded peaks surged up again, their snowy summits standing tall.

Bright light immediately rose behind Li Ximing, dazzling heavenly light shooting up and suffusing the Great Void. The Gate of Heavenly Adoration reappeared, the bright white gate, intricate with patterns, rising majestically from the Great Void. Dragon banners and phoenix chariots moved through it, precious banners and ceremonial pennants fluttered and flew, and golden-armored soldiers in golden robes all materialized.

Immediately, battle cries rose loudly as golden-armored soldiers charged out from the Heavenly Gate. Human-headed great fish roamed amidst the purple water, and the radiance of divine power rippled. The white peaks on the Heavenly Gate suddenly descended, pressing down on the gate, making Li Ximing feel the pressure double and his divine ability tremble.

The human-headed great fish, controlling the purple water, no longer dispersed upon impact as before. Instead, they firmly blocked the charge of the golden-armored soldiers and retreated bit by bit. The white mist-shrouded peaks also stopped being motionless; instead, they expanded as if inflated.

Previously, uncertain of his opponent's situation, Ye Kui had always been hesitant. But now that a confrontation was predetermined, he dared to openly employ his divine abilities. His first move was with full power, suppressing the entire Gate of Heavenly Adoration until it trembled.

As soon as they clashed, Li Ximing knew that Ye Kui's previous efforts were mere skirmishes; now he was using his true strength. The illusory purple tide intensified several times over, forcing the heavenly light back within three zhang, unable to advance an inch.

His cultivation over the past year or two had brought negligible improvement to the Gate of Heavenly Adoration, and he quickly fell into a disadvantage. Li Ximing had to ignite the heavenly light between his brows and fully activate his divine ability to resist the Southern Sadness Water. But then, the tides on both sides parted, revealing Ye Kui's figure.

The True Man was clad in a deep blue Daoist robe, his face somewhat short. He was still holding the sword, which now glowed brightly, and behind him, a pair of treasures actually appeared.

On his left was a round, flat jade disc, only palm-sized, with intricate patterns like a jade talisman. On his right was a long, wide object with a black background and white patterns, looking like a long mystical scroll. As they appeared, they shimmered with light.

Forming a hand seal, Ye Kui said:

"Calming Wind, Still Water; Laws Manifesting Primordial Chaos."

The pair of talismans vanished instantly. Li Ximing felt a chill surge through his heart. He took a step back, and fierce purple flames erupted under his feet. With the heavenly light shining down, he mused:

"He obtained the Douxuan lineage! He truly has spiritual artifacts and treasures!"

Just as he ignited the purple flames, he felt a tremor beside his mind. A round, flat jade talisman was caught by the heavenly light with a clang. This talisman was aimed at his face, and immediately, a deluge of lightning bolts rained down.

The lightning appeared silvery-white, each bolt fierce, causing the purple flames on his body to surge like waves. Li Ximing suppressed the urge to pull out the Mountain-Driving Sea-Rushing Tiger. He formed a hand seal, and a ray of solar bright light rose from his hand, urgently moving to block the lightning.

But just as he formed the hand seal, a long, deep black-based white-patterned mystical scroll leaped out from the other side. He then heard a muffled sound, and a stream of crimson true fire sprayed down, like a fierce, exceptionally savage bird. Li Ximing had just barely managed to block the lightning; how could he have the presence of mind to block the fire? Moreover, the Gate of Heavenly Adoration was suppressed by Ye Kui's two divine abilities, unable to move.

He gritted his teeth. As a practitioner of Bright Yang, being scorched by fire was better than being struck by lightning. He could only block the lightning, and the heavenly light between his brows brightened again, as bright white Supreme Illumination Veiled Radiance surged forth to resist the true fire.

As he expected, his hastily refined Veiled Radiance was no match for the opponent's spiritual artifacts. Although the true fire was split by the bright light and its power slightly reduced, it still rained down from above, striking his body.

Li Ximing was now a Zi Mansion Dharmakaya, not mere flesh and blood! With such an impact, the scorching true fire split into two halves like boiling water, flowing over his Dharmakaya, and white smoke rose from everywhere it touched.

Li Ximing took a direct hit from the true fire; his Dharmakaya was ablaze, reflecting a glinting, glass-like color. This lightning was not ordinary lightning, nor was the fire ordinary fire. It couldn't be extinguished by a casual suppressive divine ability, and the fire from another's artifact was beyond the control of his talismanic energy. Meanwhile, Ye Kui had already raised his ritual sword, its tip pointed directly at Li Ximing's face, murmuring incantations.

Li Ximing no longer cared what Ye Kui was muttering. He only felt a yellow light flicker before him, his eyes stinging slightly. From the west, numerous halos appeared, one connected to another, clearly not easy to deal with.

"That old guy is serious now!"

While the opponent's spell was not yet complete, he forcibly activated his divine ability, consuming his vital energy. The Gate of Heavenly Adoration behind him blazed with light, purple flames erupted, and in an instant, he struggled free, sweeping everything back for a moment. His figure immediately vanished from the spot.

The purple water instantly returned to calm, and the white mist-shrouded peaks found nothing. The bright light struggling to hold on in the Great Void vanished, and the halos behind Ye Kui slowly dimmed. He let out a soft sigh and stepped into the Great Void in pursuit.

Li Ximing instantly fled, his body still covered in raging flames. Fortunately, Bright Yang excelled in fire, so this bit of true fire was temporarily not a big problem, nor was it a converging fire that intensified as it burned. There was no rush to deal with it. He plunged forward into the distance, his heart vigilant:

'Ye Kui truly intended to fight. It might not be just a show of force... If he had a chance to inflict minor injuries on me, he probably wouldn't mind!'

The two spiritual artifacts that had just appeared truly startled Li Ximing. Now Ye Kui was pursuing from the west, and lightning and flames were about to re-emerge from his body, so Li Ximing had no choice but to flee east.

Yet Ye Kui's speed in the Great Void was still faster than his, even several points faster than before. The Southern Sadness Water surged forward, purple water rippled underfoot, reflecting his shadow. Li Ximing cursed inwardly and hesitated slightly.

He had now left the Xuanyue territory. Currently, he could only go to a few places: Sword Gate, Profound Marvel, Xiukui, or continue east to the Eastern Sea. Sword Gate and Xiukui were both neutral observers, and fighting in someone else's territory, especially having to cross into the mundane world, would inevitably incur dislike.

The only remaining option was Profound Marvel Monastery, and Li Ximing did not hesitate. Controlling his light, he slightly changed direction and headed towards Profound Marvel Monastery's territory.

"Going to Profound Marvel Monastery at least provides a retreat... If Ye Kui truly intends to harm me, there's still Sumian... If he refuses to intervene, I'll descend into the mundane world. Profound Marvel Monastery is in Jiangbei; how dare Ye Kui fight there?"

Descending into Jiangbei in the mundane world was a last resort in a life-or-death situation, with no room for retreat. Firstly, while the cultivators would certainly intervene to stop them, alarming every Zi Mansion cultivator in Jiangbei and Jiangnan would severely damage his reputation. Secondly, it involved the True Lord's arrangements, which was no laughing matter...

He simply sped along, alternating between the Great Void and the mundane world to shake off the pursuing Ye Kui. After passing the Xueji territory, he had acquired a few more flame marks on his body, but then he heard Ye Kui softly say from behind:

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing! Let's keep this a proper fight; going to Jiangbei would spoil the fun!"

'Who knows if you're fighting or trying to harm me!'

Li Ximing replied inwardly, but then saw the Great Void before him suddenly change, becoming steep and precipitous. Snow vaguely fell, and in the distance, an infinitely strong wind, carrying falling snow, surprisingly appeared.

As the wind approached him, it was clearly light blue, yet it had a hazy, gray feel, causing the heavenly light under his feet to dim, and white snow accumulated half a finger's depth. Li Ximing's expression gradually grew cold.

This wind was very familiar. Li Ximing himself had seen similar spells; the Heavy Abyss from the Chongming Cavern Profound Screen was of this type.

"A divine ability from the Heavy Abyss Great Wind lineage!"

He was silent for a moment, then understood.

"The Capital Guard divine ability: Western Heaven Plateau!"

What did Western Heaven Plateau refer to? Naturally, it was the Great Western Plateau west of Longshu, atop those endless high mountains—the origin of the Heavy Abyss Great Wind. It was a desolate land where spiritual energy was cut off and the Great Void could not be traversed!

As soon as the divine ability manifested, Li Ximing's speed almost instantly slowed down. The Great Void under his feet was affected by the ability, making travel difficult and uneven. At the same time, Ye Kui exhaled white mist from his mouth, and the Eastern Feather Mountain ability activated. The white mist seemed to weigh a thousand jin, and the entire Great Void, along with it, solidified.

The Western Heaven Plateau and Eastern Feather Mountain abilities overlaid each other, and the control over the entire Great Void instantly reached a new level. Li Ximing was startled, and a gloomy suspicion immediately rose in his heart:

"Is Ye Kui trying to kill me?!"

"The Capital Guard's three arts of divine ability... each one is deadly... Why has the Western Heaven Plateau never been heard of?!"

His thoughts raced like lightning for a moment. The white mist from the sky descended, and the Great Void around him solidified, almost cutting off his connection to the mundane world. Trapped with no way forward or back, Li Ximing had no choice but to stop and once again summon the Gate of Heavenly Adoration.

The Eastern Feather Mountain technique was not unfamiliar, nor was it overwhelmingly powerful. Its effect on the Great Void was not on the same level as the Western Heaven Plateau; it merely solidified and suppressed. Li Ximing's own Gate of Heavenly Adoration could achieve the same. Moreover, Ye Kui had already used it during their first skirmish, and Li Ximing had then used purple fire to break through the Great Void's solidification and escape into the mundane world.

But now, a talisman and a mystical scroll had already appeared on the sides. Lightning and true fire descended simultaneously, the white mist-shrouded peaks from the sky fell, and the Southern Sadness Water surged forward. With his own purple flames ready, what should he do?

Li Ximing now had only two choices: Either use purple flames to resist the lightning and true fire, and unleash the Gate of Heavenly Adoration to block the white mist and purple water, remaining trapped here to observe the situation and try to shake the Great Void again; or, he could only endure the flames and lightning, use purple flames to break through the divine ability, and return to the mundane world.

'In the mundane world, it's the Xueji Gate. Ye Kui would naturally pursue me. I would also have to cross Salty Lake, and my speed would be even slower if injured. At the very least, sustaining injuries wouldn't guarantee an absolute escape...'

'Use the Mountain-Driving Sea-Rushing Tiger? With divine abilities bearing down and suppression from both sides, the sword already at my neck, the Mountain-Driving Sea-Rushing Tiger couldn't instantly flee... It might just be a waste of defensive effort.'

In the flick of a finger, the Gate of Heavenly Adoration pierced through space, blocking the white mountains and purple water from the sky. Li Ximing's purple flames had already collided with the lightning, and he once again used Supreme Illumination Veiled Radiance and his Dharmakaya to resist the true fire, causing his Dharmakaya to crackle and pop as it burned.

This time, the true fire scorched his Dharmakaya, causing it to sizzle, unlike before. Although the glass-like color remained, there were faint traces of scorching. Li Ximing suddenly raised his hand, and the recently learned Solar Separation Technique activated again, sweeping away the black-background white-patterned mystical scroll above. His other hand was already forming a seal.

"Should I use it?"

Li Ximing activated the Gen Tiger Path of the Mountain-Driving Sea-Rushing Tiger. Although he could escape using it, the Gen Tiger Path had the ability to evade blockades and move stealthily, but it didn't enhance escape techniques or provide miraculous assistance for movement in the Great Void, so its speed was not fast.

Most critically, the true fire on his body was not extinguished, glowing like a beacon. And he was still close to the man; he couldn't escape far. It would be a complete waste!

He immediately used his divine ability to resist the purple water and white mountains, activated purple flames to resist the lightning, and used the Solar Separation Technique and Supreme Illumination Veiled Radiance to resist the true fire. Unable to concern himself with Ye Kui's chanting and hand seals, he slapped his storage pouch, and a stone box flew out.

This stone box was brought back by Li Zhouwei and contained a full box of Huanyuan Spiritual Water, which could be said to be the Li family's most abundant spiritual water. In this emergency, only this type of spiritual water was plentiful enough, and he couldn't worry about wasting it!

Fortunately, Ye Kui seemed unaware that extinguishing the true fire would make it easier for Li Ximing to conceal himself and escape. He only chanted his incantations faster and faster. Li Ximing urgently slapped the stone box, pouring out a stream of clear, transparent spiritual water, drenching his Dharmakaya, while simultaneously activating his divine ability with full power.

"Sizzle!"

The flames reluctantly flickered a few times and finally extinguished unwillingly. Li Ximing had no time to rejoice, as a faint yellow radiance had already appeared behind Ye Kui nearby, and he heard Ye Kui chant:

"Three Xuanxian White Profound Light... Go!"

Having just barely extinguished the true fire, Li Ximing wasn't listening to whether it "went" or not. The opponent had only just begun chanting when he already summoned a white bead from his Rising Sun Mansion, engraved with a tiger turning its head. Seeing its multicolored light like fine hairs, in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a stone-sculpture-like spiritual tiger, grey-black all over, with remarkably spiritual eyes.

Li Ximing mounted the tiger. A yellowish-brown Mountain-Driving Mystical Screen immediately appeared, wrapping around him like threads of silk. He used his divine ability to push away the purple water and white mountains, and indeed found the Great Void before him loosening. In an instant, he broke through the Great Void and sped away.

The Three Xuanxian White Profound Light, however, simultaneously vanished into the Great Void, leaving Ye Kui holding his ritual sword, with purple river water flowing beneath his feet. The man sighed, clearly having expended a considerable amount of energy. Surprisingly, he didn't pursue further, only stood in place, retracting his divine abilities.

As the white mountains and purple water dissipated one by one, Ye Kui gazed into the distance of the Great Void, seemingly contemplating something. After a moment, he made up his mind and departed, controlling the purple water.