Chapter 771: White Crane Falls to the Ground

“That bluish-white sword at his waist must be the legendary Cyan Ruler.” The White-Haired Old Man looked at the man fighting within the spiritual light of Yongjing’s Mystic Ring, and a sigh suddenly escaped his heart.

Li Chijing was not a member of the Sword Sect, nor had he reached the Purple Mansion realm. A century had passed, and the Sword Immortal's influence had gradually waned. For many years, there had been no reports of any dealings between the Sword Sect and the Li family. It was likely that the Sword Sect's sentiment for this prematurely deceased young sword immortal was largely one of regret, not a deep relationship.

However, when the White-Haired Old Man was still in the early Foundation Establishment stage, he had been assigned to guard the Changxiao Gate’s assets in the Shuiling Market. He had heard of a person, the elder brother of this very sword immortal, named Li Tongya.

This same Li Tongya, wielding his Moon Gate Sword, had slain a Maha, causing a sensation. His deed was recorded in the Sword Sect's Chenghua Hall as an exemplary tale for all Sword Sect disciples, universally acclaimed.

The White-Haired Old Man understood clearly: Li Zhouwei, who stood before him, was not merely the head of the Li family and a descendant of a sword immortal, but also the true, legitimate, direct bloodline of Li Tongya!

“Such a figure, bearing the Cyan Ruler—the very sword of a Sword Immortal and a Great Virtue from past and present—at his waist, if he were to be killed by a Purple Mansion cultivator on Sword Sect territory... Wanyu would surely be shamed and disgraced. The Sword Sect's moral standing and the reputation of its sword cultivators would be utterly destroyed!”

At this moment, the White-Haired Old Man had not received a single word from Chengyan. Without much thought, he knew this True Lord must be facing some trouble in the Grand Void. Since it was their own True Lord, the White-Haired Old Man could only put a positive spin on it in his mind: his True Lord was "confronting" the Sword Sect's master.

“We can’t rely on the True Lord anymore...” The White-Haired Old Man became distracted in mid-air. Below, within the spiritual light, dark flames raged. Li Zhouwei had withdrawn most of his spells, parrying and thrusting with his long halberd, dark shadows swirling. He used his spell-breaking flames to resist the spiritual light, already having established a firm footing amidst the encirclement of five opponents.

"What is White-Haired Old Man doing, standing there dazed in mid-air!" Yunanzi fought with exasperation, consumed by fury. The young man before him seemed to have almost no weaknesses; his spells were potent, and his long halberd wielded the power to break magic, shattering flames and spiritual light with every sweep and thrust. Yunanzi could only draw his sword, using his magical blade to interfere with his opponent.

Daoist Zhuang, who stood nearby, specialized in spells. In the East Sea, his raging Lihuo (Fire of Separation) would normally suppress enemies with unerring success. But unexpectedly, he faced Mingyang, who was immune to fire, and spell-breaking flames that eroded his magic. He couldn't even unleash fifty percent of his full strength.

Yunanzi watched in growing anger. He held his sword horizontally, placed two fingers together against the blade, chanted a spell, and shook talismans from his sleeve. Daoist Zhuang, accustomed to their long cooperation, reacted swiftly, immediately conjuring a green gourd and shouting:

“First, trap him!” The cultivators on both sides exchanged glances, each pulling a string of purple, wave-patterned mystic chains from their sleeves, gripping their artifacts and chanting incantations.

Li Zhouwei also seized the opportunity to pull his halberd from the dense quagmire of spells. Flames from the Jiazi Soul Halberd Combat Art surged, finally quelling the five or six chaotic Qi winds that had been repeatedly swirling around his body.

In a mere instant, Li Zhouwei suddenly raised his halberd, and a dazzling light erupted from between his eyebrows. Four of the opponents swiftly withdrew, leaving the last Changxiao cultivator to face the brunt. This elder, suspended on the wind and holding a brown lacquered peach wood staff, had no choice but to grit his teeth and advance to block.

Li Zhouwei, having caught his breath, intensified his assault. Before the halberd tip even arrived, the Superior Brightness struck first. The elder activated his turtle-shell-like defensive artifact, but with a resounding boom, white light and flames engulfed it, sending it hurtling backward.

Only then did the halberd thrust forward, its dark flames raging, stirring up a turbulent wave of magical power.

Now free from the hindrance of numerous spells, Li Zhouwei attacked with full force, golden flames practically leaping from his golden eyes. The elder, scared out of his wits, raised his brown lacquered peach wood staff high. His Immortal Foundation began to circulate, and a brownish-yellow current surged forth.

“Boom!” This elder was not skilled in weapon arts, and the few spells he did master had already been dispelled. Moreover, he was suddenly subjected to such an attack. Fortunately, his peach wood staff still held some life-saving properties, and the entire artifact let out a low wail.

“Crack!” The halberd suddenly hooked horizontally, its crescent-moon-like branch gleaming. The elder felt an uncontrollable surge of immense power in his hand. The peach wood staff instantly flew from his grasp, hooked by the halberd, and soared high into the sky.

“Not good!” The peach wood staff struggled frantically in the air. The elder, being a direct descendant of Changxiao, immediately formed hand seals to cast a spell. The peach wood staff transformed into a brown speck of light, attempting to pierce through space and return to his hand.

“Boom!” However, a brilliant white Bright Gate appeared, slamming onto the speck of light. The spell was instantly shattered by its grinding, suppressive power, revealing the artifact's true form, which was then firmly suppressed below.

"Wei Li often uses halberds... it's not without reason. Combined with this Immortal Foundation, it truly is a path of suppression..." The elder, having lost his artifact, looked disheveled. Fortunately, Daoist Zhuang's green gourd had already been activated, from which a torrent of white water, infused with surging magical power, poured down.

Li Zhouwei immediately felt the magical wind at his feet, fueled by converging celestial light, weaken. He instantly understood: “A Mansion Water Artifact!”

“A Mansion Water Artifact!” The surging Mansion Water swirled around his feet. Before it could even fully encroach, the magical wind around his body had completely dispersed, leaving only a faint trace of celestial light beneath his feet, causing him to hover in mid-air.

He stepped into the empty air, and a jade mountain materialized beneath his feet. This mountain rapidly expanded, adorned with swirling clouds, lifelike immortal cranes, and ancient trees. In less than a second or two, it had already settled into the water, suppressing it.

Li Zhouwei stood on Jade Smoke Mountain. This Jade True artifact radiated brilliantly, forcing the Weak Water on both sides to divert. However, two purple mystic chains flew through the air, attempting to entangle him. Li Zhouwei always found such binding artifacts the most frustrating to deal with, so he immediately wielded his halberd, using both ends to parry them away.

“Hah!” Suddenly, a furious roar echoed through the air. Yunanzi had already drawn his sword, repeatedly held a mouthful of clear water in his mouth, then spat it onto the blade with a "puff." A sinister bluish-green radiance was released from it.

“Whoosh...” As this mystic radiance left the sword, it seemed to draw away the blade's spiritual light as well. The Gengjin brilliance that had adorned the sword's surface completely vanished, leaving only a hollow, dull blade.

Yunanzi, who cultivated True Qi and had practiced spells for many years, cast spells with extreme speed. He simply hung up his sword, then drew a jade talisman from his waist and clasped it in his palm, apparently preparing to cast his next spell immediately.

Li Zhouwei, on his end, became serious. The Yangli Scarlet Sparrow Banner suddenly unfurled, unleashing five-colored Lihuo (Fire of Separation) that temporarily blocked the purple chains on both sides. He then swept his halberd upward, striking the sinister bluish-green radiance from mid-air with a "clang."

This mystic radiance flickered for an instant and then vanished.

Li Zhouwei swept his halberd back horizontally, shattering the spells on both sides and stirring up a wave of spiritual energy. Yet, his golden eyes continued to search the air.

From their first exchange, he knew this thing was unusual. It seemed to be a spell that had condensed gold essence, making it difficult to dispel. Furthermore, the spiritual light continuously descending from the sky severely suppressed his own spells.

He silently consumed a pill. The two dark flame arms behind him swept their halberds into the Lihuo to resist the two purple mystic chains. He glanced at Yunanzi, who was lurking behind, then stepped forward into the void, and the Jade Smoke Mountain beneath his feet abruptly ascended.

“Clang!” The sinister bluish-green radiance moved faster and faster, escaping from under Li Zhouwei's halberd several times. Fortunately, thanks to the suppressive power of Jade Smoke Mountain, it was finally struck out of the air.

This great mountain, a Jade True artifact, appeared at just the right moment, emitting streams of white light that, combined with Mingyang's suppressive power, shone brilliantly. Daoist Zhuang saw Li Zhouwei's gaze repeatedly searching the air, and realizing he was again employing the path of suppression, he knew the opponent intended to suppress his senior brother's sinister bluish-green radiance. He quickly stepped forward and agitated his Lihuo.

Li Zhouwei maneuvered the artifact, which suddenly flew out of the Weak Water, radiating brilliantly. Instead of taking the obvious path, he pressed it down towards Daoist Zhuang.

As he disregarded the others, the sinister bluish-green radiance immediately escaped, found an opening, and plunged into his back. The scales of his Yuan'e Armor instantly bristled, Li Zhouwei's entire body dimmed, and then the spell fled far away again.

But this suppression utterly terrified the man. His spells were potent; in an instant, he transformed into a streaking flame and dispersed, gritting his teeth as he said: “If Senior Brother Yufu hadn't fallen overseas, how could this fiend be so arrogant!”

Who knew that the jade mountain behind him didn't give chase. Instead, with a resounding crash, it slammed onto the green gourd.

"The most crucial factor here is Daoist Zhuang's Mansion Water artifact. My spells are already weakened by the celestial spiritual light, and this artifact has dispersed my magical wind. I'm trapped on Jade Smoke Mountain, forced to endure their encirclement!"

This gourd was not a defensive artifact to begin with. Under the combined suppression of the Immortal Foundation and the artifact, it immediately let out a mournful cry, proving even weaker than the wooden staff. In an instant, it was absorbed by the Bright Gate from above.

As Li Zhouwei took this step to escape, three spells erupted on his body. His armor rapidly brightened, and every scale hummed.

The next moment, he transformed into dazzling celestial light, moving as swiftly as a fish darting through water, and vanished amidst the shimmering golden radiance.

The Yuan'e's light-transformation and spatial traversal ability!

A sense of crisis suddenly surged within Yunanzi. The jade talisman in his palm had only halfway brightened when he perceived a blinding celestial light shining toward him, so intense it made flames erupt from his face. He had no choice but to abandon his spell, sweeping his sleeve to unleash a black halo.

“Crack!” The next moment, the halberd pierced through the halo. His hastily deployed defense provided little resistance, quickly shattering into countless streaks of light. The halberd's glow surged in, and the Bright Gate behind Li Zhouwei likewise sped forward.

Yunanzi's spell was rushed, its residual power still lingering. His feathered robe clanged and hissed with fire. He couldn't afford to wait for death. Capitalizing on his opponent's diminished magical abilities, he instantly vanished from his spot, reappearing several yards away.

Yet the halberd pursued relentlessly, executing a small turn. Its crescent-moon-like branch stabbed again. Yunanzi, having gained a moment to breathe, was far more composed this time, and swung a jade bead from his sleeve to block.

As the halberd hooked and struck the bead, Li Zhouwei continued to ignore the magical sword and spells pursuing him from behind. His two arms behind him did not defend, instead wielding the halberd to thrust forward.

“How dare this demonic disciple be so brutal!” Yunanzi's words were a mix of shock and rage, but his legs were already moving. Most of his Immortal Foundation's marvels were related to spells; the Changxiao Gate was a major spellcasting lineage, with very few skilled in artifact refining. Their only sword was even practiced solely for spellcasting. There was no way he could engage in close combat with Li Zhouwei, so he turned and fled.

He took a step forward, and behind him, the roar of flames and spiritual water echoed, with spiritual light darting everywhere. Clearly, Li Zhouwei was resisting the encirclement of several opponents. Hearing a resounding tremor, Li Zhouwei actually darted out from a mass of flames, heading straight for him!

The golden-eyed man was now engulfed in flames, the scales on his Yuan'e Armor roasted to a reddish hue, emitting faint glows when intensely activated. Li Zhouwei used the Yuan'e's light-transformation to approach. The incantation in his mouth had been humming for a long time, and the Superior Brightness Hidden Light between his eyebrows had condensed to its extreme:

"Shining upon all directions, all dynasties pay homage to me... All spirits look up and down, the Superior Brightness is the Heavenly God!"

After three consecutive pursuits, the Superior Brightness Hidden Light finally transformed into a bright white column of light, gushing forth in an instant, as thick as a water bucket. Yunanzi's pupils were instantly enveloped by an endless, brilliant radiance.

He finally realized why his opponent had pursued him three times in a row without leaving him any time to react.

"We've already left the spiritual light range of Yongjing's Mystic Ring!"

“Boom!” A grey light shield suddenly materialized on Yunanzi's body. The blazing Superior Brightness Hidden Light, like scorching earth fiend-fire, spread across the entire shield. He felt his entire body burning, gritting his teeth as he exclaimed: “White-Haired Old Man!”

His voice was swiftly drowned out by the Superior Brightness Hidden Light, which also seemed accompanied by dark black flames. These forces heavily struck his shield, emitting sizzling sounds.

Yunanzi, confident in the power of the talismans on him, felt no fear. Indeed, he was both anxious and enraged that such precious talismans were being expended, a venomous sneer appearing on his face.

But he raised an eyebrow, faintly discerning a speck of gold within the flickering radiance.

“This is...”

In an instant, Yunanzi's vision cleared. He discovered it was a small, palm-sized bottle, inscribed with golden-red Lihuo patterns, tilting downwards.

A tiny bit of liquid slowly seeped from the bottle's mouth. It appeared extremely viscous, and surprisingly, the liquid itself was covered with patterns, displaying a terrifying apricot yellow hue.

Yunanzi belatedly became terrified. He tried to shift his position but realized that all the bright radiance surrounding him was merely for his imprisonment.

“Drip.”

Li Zhouwei suddenly withdrew his halberd. This Great Ascension Halberd swept out a crescent-moon-like halberd wind, carrying intense dark flames that shattered the Lihuo and Mansion Water into countless streaks of light across the sky. As the halberd turned back, the five people pursuing him all took a simultaneous step backward.

“Boom!” A dazzling apricot-yellow radiance shot skyward. Several individuals couldn't help but squint their eyes. The already vibrant Salt Lake now reflected a golden hue, transforming into a golden lake. The vast Lihuo instantly permeated the sky, even causing the halo above to dim slightly.

Daoist Zhuang looked bewildered, flustered by the intense Lihuo. Apricot-yellow flames billowed over his robes, yet as a practitioner of Lihuo, he was the least disheveled among the group. While shielding the apricot-yellow flames on his sleeves, he looked up.

The apricot yellow dimmed slightly, finally revealing its presence.

A fierce Lihuo storm was slowly rising from behind the golden-eyed man, apricot-yellow flames sweeping forward from his back. Li Zhouwei raised one hand, the sharp edge of the Great Ascension Halberd pointed directly at the five figures behind him, and the arc-shaped core of the halberd emitted rings of radiance.

That speck of sinister bluish-green radiance had lost its efficacy, aimlessly shuttling within the arc-shaped core of the halberd. Its formerly sharp form had been roasted into an oval, struggling desperately.

Li Zhouwei, clad in armor and wielding his halberd, had the True Qi radiance suppressed by Lihuo behind him. The falling phenomena were transforming into gracefully posed immortal cranes. These cranes flapped elegantly in the air a few times before swiftly turning into falling flames.

"Yunanzi is dead! The dignified direct descendant of the Purple Mansion, Yunanzi, just died like that!"

The lake surface shimmered golden, the morning light was splendid, Lihuo ascended to the sky, and white cranes fell to the ground. Amidst the bright apricot-yellow radiance, Li Zhouwei's halberd seemed to condense all the golden hues of the area, making it impossible for the others to open their eyes.

And his cold voice resonated across the lake: “Changxiao's direct disciples are nothing special.”