Chapter 758: Mystic Arts

"Sunset Mountain... how could this be related to Sunset Mountain?"Thick gray smoke billowed over the sea, seemingly about to close in. Without waiting for the lightning to strike, Li Ximing, without time to think further, had already plunged into the Void. The Void itself was already turbulent due to the lightning's fluctuations affecting the spiritual energy, with peaks rising everywhere, like a vast ocean.

Chang Xiao's voice boomed, echoing all around. Li Ximing clearly felt the pulling sensation of the gray smoke. He wondered if this smoke, whether from a divine ability or a spiritual artifact, also possessed sealing power, though it wasn't its primary strength. As soon as the Mountain-Moving Sea-Crossing Tiger broke free, it fled.

Chang Xiao's figure then broke through the void. Li Ximing activated his spiritual artifact and sped away, secretly taking a Mysterious Heart Pill. As his Dharma body gradually started functioning, the influence of the Precious Vase Profound Art diminished. However, Chang Xiao naturally raised the silver disk in his hand and directed its light squarely at him.

"Another spiritual artifact, undoubtedly!"Chang Xiao had inherited the Dou Xuan Dao lineage and was a seasoned Purple Mansion cultivator. Whether it was the lamp, the silver disk, or even the gray mist outside, these formidable spiritual artifacts had given Li Ximing a headache. Now, as Chang Xiao picked up the silver disk, Li Ximing's heart turned cold.

"Should I escape the Void... or resist head-on?"

Escaping the Void would mean facing the lightning outside, which was equally dangerous. It was merely a choice between the Yin energy and the lightning.

"But there's a great advantage in the Void!"

He knew that this place was on the edge of the Harmonious Sky Sea, beyond which lay the eastern part of the East Sea. The further one went, the sparser the spiritual energy became, unlike the abundant energy near the coast. Flying efficiency in the Void would continuously increase, potentially offering five to ten times the effect.

Li Ximing wavered slightly, but ultimately raised the Heaven-Visiting Gate. Instead of feigning strength to meet it head-on, he imbued it upon himself. A bright white, intricately patterned Heavenly Gate rose above his head, casting down divine light.

The clear, bright radiance from the silver disk approached the Heavenly Gate. However, what rose first was a thick, sturdy, brownish-yellow light barrier, the very Mountain-Driving Profound Barrier!

The light of Yin slanted down, temporarily blocked by this barrier. Li Ximing felt a great sense of relief.

"Good, it worked!"

But the next moment, he realized:

"Chang Xiao isn't Ye Hui... I can't constantly shuttle between the Void and the real world. Not only would that fail to buy time, but I'd also fall victim to his spells!"

What was Chang Xiao known for? Manipulating destinies and excelling at divination and calculations!

His combat experience was indeed insufficient. Earlier, by repeatedly shuttling between the Void and the real world, he had been perfectly caught by Chang Xiao. This individual, skilled in calculations, had accurately predicted his landing spots and had already been waiting with divine abilities and spiritual artifacts on the other side!

He had previously taken two hits: a divine ability of white light and the Precious Vase Profound Art, both of which he encountered head-on while transitioning between realms, leaving no time to defend! He had forcibly endured these two late-stage Purple Mansion spells. If it had been an ordinary Purple Mansion cultivator trapped by such spells, their situation now would be unimaginably miserable!

"Even if I have to shuttle... it must be a sudden plunge into the real world... not dealing with others' spells or divine abilities after they've already been cast. That would inevitably lead to being predicted by the opponent... especially someone as skilled in calculations as Chang Xiao..."

Now, having temporarily blocked the opponent's spiritual artifact, the Yin radiance was gradually intensifying. Li Ximing, having learned his lesson, decided that even if the Mountain-Driving Profound Barrier couldn't hold much longer, he absolutely would not shuttle back to the real world to interrupt the opponent's spell.

"No need to even think about it... that lightning must be following me in the real world. The moment I step out, a profound lightning bolt will surely strike my chest! How could I possibly turn the tide?!"

His mind raced. The Solar Radiance and Bright Yang Purple Flame in his hand surged forth simultaneously, flying straight into the Void to block the approaching small jade vase. A resounding boom echoed.

"Boom!"

Although the Solar and Bright Yang lights were extremely bright, they slid down at a visible speed, gradually approaching, pressed by the jade vase. Yet, it was not as sudden as before, when it had abruptly appeared before him.

But Chang Xiao's divine ability had already manifested. Layers of white mist surged from the Void, making the entire Void seem like a quagmire. The white mist climbed up the Heaven-Visiting Gate, attempting to fix this divine ability within the Void.

Regardless of the fight, Li Ximing's only goal was to stall his opponent, and he did not want to be entangled by the divine ability. The Heaven-Visiting Gate immediately flew up to resist the Yin radiance, while the Mountain-Driving Profound Barrier suddenly sank to block the opponent's divine ability.

While the Heaven-Visiting Gate held steady, the Mountain-Driving Profound Barrier was not as effective against the opponent's divine ability. After a brief stalemate, Li Ximing knew he couldn't stall as he had before. Between the Precious Vase Profound Art and the Yin radiance, he unhesitatingly chose the latter. The Heaven-Visiting Gate immediately shone with dazzling light.

The Solar Radiance and Bright Yang Purple Flame in the air burst apart, temporarily holding back the small vase. The Heaven-Visiting Gate then rapidly rose and hurled towards his opponent's face. Li Ximing, riding his tiger, soared up, enduring the Yin radiance, and continued to rush eastward.

Without the Heaven-Visiting Gate to block it, the Yin radiance, a silvery glow, crashed into him like a swimming fish. Li Ximing fully propelled the Mountain-Moving Sea-Crossing Tiger, and with a flick of his spiritual consciousness, a faint yellow halo rose from his body.

Earth Spirit Absorption!

This miraculous ability was also inherent to the Mountain-Moving Sea-Crossing Tiger. Li Ximing had never used it before, for no other reason than that Earth Spirit Absorption could reduce damage from all energies except the Twelve Qi and Fire Virtue. His previous injuries were either from true fire or were completely unexpected, leaving no opportunity to use this ability.

Now, the faint yellow halo entwined his Dharma body like threads. When the Yin radiance landed on it, it was instantly weakened by several tenths, exploding upon his Dharma body but only burning various small and large holes.

The injuries were neither severe nor light, akin to the true fire burns inflicted by Ye Hui earlier. However, Li Ximing seized this opportunity to create distance for the first time!

"He learns quickly."

Chang Xiao, blocked by Li Ximing's divine ability, frowned slightly. With his profound cultivation, how could he not recognize the Earth energy glow on Li Ximing's body? With a gentle wave, the twelve-cornered Bright Lamp that had broken through the Void from the real world flew back into his hand. He would use true fire to counter it.

This scene greatly shook Li Ximing.

"So, there wasn't just lightning waiting for me in the real world, but also this Bright Lamp's true fire... he had already placed it outside, waiting... If I had awakened a little later and made another mistake, it would have been truly fatal!"

However, Chang Xiao's expression had already turned serious. With one hand pointing forward, white flames surged in the Void. Before he could even begin to chant, Li Ximing, like a fish, had already slipped into the real world.

There was no other reason; since the Bright Lamp had been recalled by Chang Xiao, only lightning remained in the real world! With the Earth Spirit Absorption, which feared no lightning, now active, when else would be a better time to leave?

As soon as Li Ximing stepped out of the Void, countless silvery-white lightning bolts indeed appeared before him. The Earth Spirit Absorption shone brightly, dissipating the lightning one by one.

Although Earth Spirit Absorption was far more effective against lightning than against Yin energy, this lightning had accumulated for a long time. Li Ximing's Dharma body was struck, emitting rolling black smoke, yet he still managed to resist the lightning and speed forward. The damage inflicted was even less than that from the Precious Vase Profound Art!

He now waited for Chang Xiao to return to the real world, intending to find a suitable moment to re-enter the Void. However, Chang Xiao did not appear for a long time. After maneuvering through the torrential rain for a while, Li Ximing's heart began to pound with apprehension.

Li Ximing, having suffered two setbacks, quickly mastered the technique. However, Chang Xiao was cunning and profound, a cultivator who had once fought his way out of many Purple Mansion cultivators' clutches, like a "Dragon-Slaying Jian." How could he be content to merely act as a whetstone?

He felt a chill down his spine, and a sudden blast echoed in his ears. He vaguely heard a chanting sound:

"Sang Yu Can Jiu Xuan Fa."

A deep black stream of light burst from the Void, moving with extreme speed. Li Ximing, unwilling to give up, also conjured his escape light and darted away. He knew he couldn't fly into the Void to hide, so he gritted his teeth and flew, yet the stream of light drew closer and closer.

"If I hadn't suffered that great loss earlier... I wouldn't be in such a sorry state now!"

After being chased for a while, the torrential rain showed no signs of stopping. Before him, silver light intertwined, and three silver vases burst through the air—naturally, the Precious Vase Profound Art. Li Ximing, having suffered a loss from this before, paid no attention to his opponent's location. He activated Earth Spirit Absorption, and a bright white, intricately patterned Heavenly Gate rose from the downpour, its immense power descending to suppress all spells.

He launched an all-out attack, barely managing to suppress the three silver vases. Yet, his pupils reflected boundless true fire as the twelve-cornered Bright Lamp broke through the Void and manifested. In an instant, Li Ximing made a decision:

"Earth Spirit Absorption cannot block true fire!"

He had no choice but to unleash the High Radiance Subduing Light and Bright Yang Purple Flame to suppress the opponent's spiritual artifact. The dark Sang Yu Can Jiu Xuan Fa then landed on his body, exploding into a burst of light.

The next moment, his body vanished from the real world, escaping into the Void.

Chang Xiao, however, smiled.

"The great matter is accomplished!"

Both Sang Yu Can Jiu Xuan Fa and Precious Vase Profound Art were profound arts from his Dou Xuan Dao lineage. Sang Yu Can Jiu Xuan Fa was even more ancient, not mere spell light or spiritual light, but derived from certain immortal arts, emphasizing striking the target's sight, hearing, and physical being.

Li Ximing had just personally witnessed this spell, clearly heard its name, and was ultimately struck by it. This single spell had hit him with its full force, far surpassing anything the Precious Vase Profound Art could do!

From the nearby sea to the Harmonious Sky Sea, Chang Xiao had never been entirely certain he could capture and kill Li Ximing. Although Li Ximing was in a sorry state, he had not suffered fundamental injuries, and his reactions were excellent, giving him opportunities to contend. If the chase continued for a while longer, Heng Zhu would certainly intervene.

However, Chang Xiao had planned this for so long, first probing Sunset Mountain's attitude, then the Dragon Clan's, ensuring everything was in order. Now that his proud divine ability, Sang Yu Can Jiu Xuan Fa, had landed on his opponent, he finally felt confident.

"Sunset Mountain has no intention of protecting him... and we've passed the Dragon Clan's territory. I deliberately made my voice thunder like lightning just now, letting it echo into the sea, yet no one from the Dragon Clan came to mediate... This means the Dragon Clan doesn't care either."

"Li Zhouwei was once invited by a Dragon Prince, which might not necessarily mean the Dragon Clan was befriending him. As it stands now, even if there was a friendship, it was only with him personally; the Li clan is not among those the Dragon Clan would intervene for."

"Even if the Dragon Clan wanted to protect him, only the Demon-affiliated Purple Mansion cultivators in the East Sea could stop me, and I wouldn't suffer many losses. Letting him escape would mean Sunset Mountain wouldn't just stand by and watch... and it could even be evidence of the Dragon Clan's involvement with Bright Yang!"

Chang Xiao always calculated carefully before acting. At this moment, he propelled the gray smoke, and thunder rolled, shaking everything around. He vaguely sensed several Demon-affiliated Purple Mansion cultivators and East Sea Purple Mansion cultivators approaching through the Void, watching from the sidelines. This further eased his mind.

"Even in the unlikely event that Li Zhouwei is a secret pawn of Emperor Ming Hua Huang Yuan Yu Shi, no one would dare to save him now... With so many Purple Mansion cultivators watching, wouldn't it clearly imply that Li Qianyuan still has a private consciousness?"

"Although I've caused a big commotion, Ziyan and Heng Zhu will rush here immediately... but it will already be too late!"

The man listened intently, then threw the lamp into the Void, allowing the spiritual artifact to pursue on its own, traversing through the real world. He then swiftly followed into the rain, and after moving for a bit, he began to calculate with his fingers.

Li Zhouwei was very likely connected to Sunset Mountain, or even Li Qianyuan. Although Li Ximing appeared ordinary, he had just displayed unusual abilities, possessing some treasure within his spiritual consciousness that protected his clarity. It was also possible he had private ties to Emperor Wei. Naturally, Chang Xiao would not give his opponent any chance to turn the tables.

Now, bypassing the calculation of the opponent's fate and only calculating the Void's fluctuations, he indeed detected that Li Ximing, clad in white-gold robes, would soon burst out from the real world not far away. As Li Ximing formed a hand seal, the silver disk behind Chang Xiao leaped up, and gray smoke and thunder rolled. Chang Xiao slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Boom!"

The rain poured down, and thunder roared, echoing between heaven and earth. In the distance, the Void fluctuated, and Li Ximing indeed broke through. His Dharma body was surrounded by black mist, and the Earth Tiger beneath him had slowed by several tenths.

Li Ximing had been struck by the Sang Yu Can Jiu Xuan Fa. Black mist enveloped his Dharma body, and flames erupted all over him, crackling and popping. His Juque Court throbbed faintly, as if streams of black fire were emerging from within.

Fortunately, the Heaven-Visiting Gate itself nurtured fire in the Juque Court, with numerous Bright Yang Purple Flames suppressing it, so the situation did not immediately appear severe. Li Ximing secretly clutched his spiritual artifact and plunged into the dark downpour.

True Monarch Chang Xiao recalled the Bright Lamp and strode forth. He paused briefly, then his movements ceased.

He stopped pursuing and instead looked up at the sky.

The torrential rain poured down, each drop splashing onto the sea, raising waves upon waves. Gigantic waves surged across the sea, reaching towards the sky. Lightning coiled like dragons in the air, and silvery-white cracks spread across the inky black night sky.

The lightning in the sky no longer obeyed his commands; instead, it fearlessly gathered before him. Purple and white intertwined, resembling a flowing river of lightning fluid, coiling downwards and emitting a violent roar.

Chang Xiao's eyes were gradually consumed by the pouring purple and white. His gaze remained cold and fixed on the lightning in the night sky. The silver disk of Yin One flew clockwise around his body, slowly moving to directly in front of his face.

"Boom!"

A silvery-white, trembling lightning storm suddenly descended from the sky, causing the silver disk to hum. The lightning then flowed wildly, condensing into form, halting three feet away, piercing the silver disk and burning out plumes of black smoke.

The front seven inches of this lightning bolt were sharply pointed like a prism and flattened like buckwheat. It buzzed as it struck the spiritual artifact. Its rear seemed to be about six feet long, with lightning circulating, slowly transforming into purple and white electrical currents that flowed back up into the sky.

The twelve-cornered Bright Lamp in Chang Xiao's hand slowly lifted, dispersing the lightning storm that filled his vision. Only then did the lightning before him gradually become clear, revealing its true form.

It was a silver-white, intricately patterned spear.