Chapter 770: Swordsmanship

Fiery flames boiled, streaming down from the heavens. The hand on his neck tightened, yet Situ Mo still couldn't understand.

Why?

Li Zhouwei had found him on the vast river. Situ Mo was initially surprised, then quickly understood with relief: Li Zhouwei could find him, so there must have been a Purple Mansion cultivator guiding him. But why did Li Zhouwei reveal himself? Wouldn't it have been better to just flee into the East Sea in one go?

If the Purple Mansions couldn't fully comprehend Li Zhouwei, could they also not understand Situ Mo? Even if Situ Mo was released by the Purple Mansions, with his profound magical abilities, how could there be no surveillance? No matter how quickly Li Zhouwei retreated, he could never be faster than a Purple Mansion.

‘Why did they have to eliminate me, this very blade?’

‘Unless… the Purple Mansion who guided Li Zhouwei intended for him to come and eliminate me… But the Purple Mansion's gaze must be on me. Even if he uses that talisman again… could he really escape?’

But he had no time to speak. Bright Yang and heavenly light boiled and erupted from his face. The Upper Yang Fuguang from Li Zhouwei's brow instantly blasted Situ Mo's entire head into shattered bone and flesh fragments. Scalding blood gushed out in an instant, evaporating into golden malevolence that flew upwards.

This master of the Drill Gold Gate, who had fought the Li family for four generations, finally melted cleanly in the scorching Bright Yang, leaving behind only two storage bags and a dull golden, diamond-patterned Dharma robe hanging on the long halberd, its two sleeves billowing high and fluttering in the wind.

Gleaming golden needles rained down from the sky, scattering across the river surface. This valuable set of Foundation Establishment artifacts was drawn up by the heavenly light, floating back into the air. Li Zhouwei withdrew his long halberd and rose, transforming into a streak of light.

Boom!

As Situ Mo fell, the sky quickly brightened. The trees around Salty Lake rustled, every leaf swaying and drooping downwards.

The calm water surface churned violently. A massive surge of golden malevolence struck Salty Lake, drawing forth celestial phenomena, causing clouds and mist to dissipate. The chill of late autumn permeated the air, as if night had passed prematurely, giving way to dawn.

Situ Mo, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator practicing secret arts and on the verge of reaching the Purple Mansion realm, unexpectedly fell victim to a scheme, dying suddenly without significant loss of life-essence. The resulting celestial phenomena were grand, swift, and rapid.

This golden malevolence reached the sky, then quickly descended, making contact with Salty Lake's surface and bed. As gold is considered a child of the earth, this scene instantly became a hundred times more vibrant. Salty Lake's surface turned shades of green, blue, and red, and the earth veins vibrated, clearly indicating ore veins incubating underground.

Li Zhouwei did not suppress the anomalous phenomena caused by the other's death. The changing colors of the sky and the trembling of the earth instantly drew gazes from all directions. Instead of fleeing towards the East Sea, he instead radiated spiritual light, which flickered brightly as he appeared on the horizon by the riverbank. He brought two fingers together at his chest, channeling his magical power.

Boom!

The river water flowed murmuringly, the sky was hazy, already touched by the glow of dawn. A Bright Pass fortress appeared out of thin air, constructed of layer upon layer of white bricks, its corner towers soaring upwards, glittering golden. It burst forth with tremendous momentum, shining in all directions from within the clouds.

This Bright Pass, fully activated by Li Zhouwei, shone brightly over Salty Lake, visible from far and wide, drawing onlookers from all directions. Li Zhouwei stood holding his halberd, clad in white and gold armor, beneath the Bright Pass.

The view here was extremely open, once the Salty Lake shore of the Profound Mountain Sect. As he simply stood there, gazes from the Grand Void already converged upon him one by one. There were even streaks of light whistling closer from the river, stopping with hesitation over the nearby lake surface.

Li Zhouwei remained still, his white and gold armor growing even more luminous under the Bright Light. He planted his long halberd on the ground, raised his brows, looked directly overhead, and spoke with a voice like thunder.

"Li Zhouwei of the Moonview Li Clan is here! If you wish to kill me to eliminate future trouble, then act swiftly!"

This voice rolled forth, reverberating across the lake surface. After a brief moment of silence, no one responded.

Li Zhouwei's hand, gripping the Great Ascension Halberd, whitened slightly. With a clang, he propped the halberd in the air. He then simply sat cross-legged beneath the Bright Pass and took out a jade box from behind him.

This jade box was bright green like emerald, with clear patterns. The lid slid open smoothly, revealing a gleaming azure-edged sword within.

This sword was four feet five inches long, a single piece of greenish-white with a pristine white edge, quite beautiful. Its radiance rippled like water, and in its center were carved two ancient characters. In the profound cold light, the sword seemed to pulse faintly. Its hilt was wrapped with ordinary black cloth, neatly trimmed by its previous owner with rounded edges, and characters faintly appeared on the sword tassel hanging down.

The Azure Nether Copper, a metal of Grand Yin and Lesser Yin, had been preserved for many years, making its greenish-white color even richer. Even with the brilliant light in the sky, sword light still shot towards the heavens.

Li Zhouwei simply placed the jade box on his lap and waited silently.

Points of bright light quickly appeared on the river surface, moving from far to near. After two breaths, six cultivators in grey-white robes arrived on the wind, drawing closer and closer to the lake surface.

These six wore grey-white robes with gold trim, the uniform of the Longxiao Sect. The leader was handsome and imposing, tall with eyebrows that reached his temples, truly possessing the demeanor of an immortal, clearly a highly skilled disciple of an immortal sect, though his expression was somewhat complex.

Seeing the young man unmoving beneath the Bright Pass, this person adjusted his sleeve, not immediately attacking, but instead tilted his head and asked:

"Where is the True Monarch? This person fled to Salty Lake, causing us to miss him at Moonview. Now that he's in this territory, why is the True Monarch nowhere to be seen?"

A nearby cultivator cupped his hands and replied:

"Martial Uncle Yu Nan, Zhaojing is outside. There's no reason for an inner-sea Purple Mansion to privately harm a Foundation Establishment cultivator. True Monarch Chengyan should be in the Grand Void, supporting us."

Yu Nanzi, who had been stationed overseas for many years, had an explosive temper, but was still somewhat knowledgeable about affairs within the inner sea. Hearing this, he flared up and quickly retorted:

"Bai Bin, you're just too timid. What is there to fear about him? This is a Purple Mansion seed, said to have a destiny, far more terrifying than Zhaojing. Wouldn't it be even more dangerous if he escaped? If a True Monarch killed him with a single palm strike, the Moonview Li Clan would still be on the lake, and we'd still have a weakness to exploit. If Zhaojing dares to harm one of our disciples, we'll simply seize and kill a direct descendant of the Li family. What could he do then?"

Bai Binzi whispered:

"Martial Uncle is accustomed to killing overseas, but within the inner sea, it's different. The Li clan is related to several Purple Mansions; they are also an immortal Purple Mansion family, and even have in-laws among several Purple Mansions. Even True Monarchs can die and fear such methods. Openly harming a direct descendant of a Purple Mansion family in such a blatant manner is something no family would tolerate."

"Cowardice only leaves future troubles! …With heavy ambushes on the lake… he escaped, and the Mountain's Gloom Moving Mountain Rope wasn't here, and now Situ Mo is gone."

Bai Binzi could only try to appease him, replying:

"Martial Uncle, please don't be angry. Fortunately, several True Monarchs kept an eye on Situ Mo. True Monarch Chengyan, furthermore, followed the Grand True Monarch's orders, instructing us to guard the lake, while he personally trailed Situ Mo. Now, we can say we've caught him."

"Moreover, True Monarch Chengyan said… Li Zhouwei is too dangerous, and various sects have intentions of fanning the flames. If anything goes wrong, he will personally act, and even risking retaliation, he will capture Li Zhouwei. We should first try methods with fewer losses."

"Situ Mo wasn't meant to bait him! Without Situ Mo, do you know how many things can't be done?"

Yu Nanzi replied, suppressing his anger, as the group gradually came to a halt over the lake.

Yu Nanzi gazed from afar at the Bright Pass in the clouds, noting its astonishing presence. He gradually grew serious, fixed his eyes carefully on the young man, flicked his sleeve, and said:

"Bring the sword! It's the same if we capture him!"

Several people immediately drew near. Just as Yu Nanzi began to move his fingers to form a hand seal, the young man instantly raised his brows to look, a pair of golden eyes piercing through him. Yu Nanzi was slightly stunned, his anger gradually transforming into a feeling of dread.

‘No wonder the Grand True Monarch wants to capture him…’

Yet, facing the sudden arrival of the six individuals, Li Zhouwei said not a word, nor did he form any hand seals to cast spells. The first action the young man took was to actually tie the greenish-white treasured sword conspicuously to his armor.

Receiving such contempt, the few exchanged glances. Bai Binzi had already taken out a luminous ring from his sleeve, no larger than a palm and as thick as a finger. He held the ring with two fingers, then glanced silently at the people below, puzzled.

‘Strange…’

Time did not allow him to think further; an extra hour meant an extra variable. This cultivator held nothing back, immediately taking out his spiritual artifact. He raised the luminous ring in his hand and chanted:

"Dispelling light and sharpness, dimming sun and decaying stars, allow no bright flame, grant it no vitality…"

As he spoke, Yu Nanzi had already led his people to charge down. This Daoist priest held a slender ritual sword, which emanated rings of golden light. He acted decisively, striking down with his long sword a step ahead of the others.

Li Zhouwei glanced at him, drew his halberd, and with a forceful swing, the halberd immediately surged forth with fierce black flames, like a dragon emerging from water. Yu Nanzi, relying on his two extra years of cultivation and his long experience overseas, did not fear him and directly confronted the halberd's light.

Clang!

With a ringing clang of metal, Yu Nanzi's long sword uncontrollably shot upwards. The Geng Metal spiritual light on the sword was eroded by the black flames, disappearing completely. Li Zhouwei, however, showed no mercy. He held his halberd firm, and from his brow, the Upper Yang Fuguang immediately erupted, shooting forth rapidly.

This Upper Yang Fuguang, glittering golden, suddenly expanded. Enhanced by the Numbness-Removing Gold, this spell pierced through distances, surprisingly not targeting Yu Nanzi, but instead instantly flying towards Bai Binzi, who was casting spells a little further away.

The Upper Yang Fuguang was incredibly fast. Bai Binzi had not expected Li Zhouwei, while resisting five opponents, would choose to attack him from a distance. Caught off guard, a halo of light appeared on Bai Binzi's body, barely blocking it, causing flames to erupt and sizzle.

Bai Binzi's chant paused, causing the halo in his hand to flicker. Feeling slighted, the others each brandished their artifacts. Li Zhouwei retracted his long halberd, holding it horizontally across his chest, dispelling the spells of the two cultivators to his left and right. Two dark-glowing halberds immediately extended, parrying the enemies' artifacts.

The remaining Li Fire spell was both urgent and fierce, taking the form of a bird. It carried a strange brownish-yellow hue, seemingly enhanced by spirit fire, not merely a simple spell, and possessed immense power. Before it even reached his back, flames were already erupting all around.

A small banner immediately appeared behind Li Zhouwei. Five-colored Li Fire swept forth, colliding with the incoming Li Fire, repelling it. Unexpectedly, the incoming Li Fire changed color, and from within it, a sword suddenly materialized.

This sword blazed with fierce Li Fire, its light flickering, its sword energy like a rainbow. It was actually a sword control technique.

"Junior Brother Zhuang, what an excellent spell!"

This wielder of Li Fire was also formidable. Yu Nanzi, knowing his strength, had specifically chosen him to come. At this moment, Yu Nanzi also drew his sword, activating a long-prepared spell, unleashing a Gale Wind of Qi, which likewise pressed towards Li Zhouwei.

Li Zhouwei, however, remained unhurried. The Bright Pass behind him suddenly brightened, and the heavenly light shining down gently suppressed the incoming Li Fire sword. His long halberd feigned a thrust, then swiftly turned to stab at one of the surrounding individuals.

He alone held off five Longxiao cultivators, appearing not at all strained for a moment. Facing Yu Nanzi's Gale Wind of Qi, he showed no fear, sweeping his long halberd. Turning his face slightly, the Upper Yang Fuguang from his brow struck towards the sword of the cultivator named Zhuang.

Although Bai Binzi had been interrupted, his cultivation was profound. Within a few breaths, he had finished casting his spell. He lightly tossed the luminous ring, which rapidly expanded in the air, becoming the size of a courtyard and as thick as an embrace. Waves of spiritual light emanated from the ring, enveloping everything around.

In an instant, the colors of the Bright Pass behind Li Zhouwei suddenly dimmed, the flames within the Li Fire banner flickered, and even the Upper Yang Fuguang on his brow shrank by a circumference.

Only the fierce black flames on his long halberd showed no sign of diminishing, even pushing back three parts of the spiritual light scattered from above.

"Spiritual artifact."

Li Zhouwei propped his long halberd. Yu Nanzi's Gale Wind still swirled on the halberd, scattering the Bright Yang magical power. Magical power from both sides assailed him, forcing him to take a small step back.

Yu Nanzi and the cultivator named Zhuang were both direct descendants of Purple Mansion cultivators. The remaining three were slightly weaker, but two of them were also late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Disregarding Bai Binzi, who was busy manipulating the spiritual artifact in the sky, this group of cultivators dispatched by the Longxiao Sect clearly intended to overpower him.

He stood firm, while the Longxiao Sect cultivators gradually spread out to surround him. Bai Binzi, operating the spiritual artifact in the high sky, watched him carefully, his doubts lingering like an unshakable shadow.

"There's still no True Monarch's order… How strange. Whether it's to kill him or capture him alive… there must be an order!"

Above the long sky, gusts of northern wind blew. Bai Binzi even became a little distracted. He raised his brows. In the sky above, a faint, almost imperceptible trace of azure appeared, blowing towards the northwest.

Bai Binzi was a high-level cultivator of the Longxiao Sect. Of course, he understood what the azure color in the sky was: it was the Precious Spike Spring Wind of the Sword Gate, rising from the peak of Sword Peak, traveling all the way to Salty Lake to combine with the daytime sea winds, nourishing Jiangnan. It was a good thing, but no one dared to collect it within the Sword Gate's territory.

‘The Precious Spike Spring Wind travels through Sword Gate territory before combining with the sea winds… Is this the path it takes… How did it blow to Profound Mountain Sect territory…’

His expression stiffened. A sudden white light flared in his hand, and he swiftly grabbed a person from mid-air. This rogue cultivator, who had been watching the show, was caught completely off guard and nearly spat out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with terror.

Bai Binzi instantly clutched his throat and said coldly:

"Whose territory is this?! Wasn't Profound Mountain Sect taken over by the Capital Immortal Path?!"

This person, also a local rogue cultivator, quickly said in fear:

"Reporting, Daoist… Profound Mountain Sect has long had no lakefront territory! I heard that the area around Salty Lake was secretly returned to the Sword Gate, and it's been Sword Gate territory for a while now… Xuanmiao Sect also hurriedly sent territory over. From this area all the way north, even more than half of Salty Lake itself, is Sword Gate territory!"

"Sir, I heard that sword cultivators looking up from here can even see the sword light on Sword Peak!"

These cultivators, including Bai Binzi, had been in seclusion for many years. Upon emerging, they were immediately brought to ambush at the lake, all within a day or two. They only knew that Profound Mountain Sect had been annexed by the Capital Immortal Path, and were unaware of such details. His heart suddenly trembled:

"So that's it! No wonder… an unexpected self-entrapment… No wonder!"