Chapter 861: Red Luo

The Path of Heaven's Veneration was already a glorious and manifest display, magnificent in aura and dazzlingly bright. In terms of sheer grandeur, no other path has ever surpassed it. Now, a Mingguan town, vast as a mountain, suppressed and illuminated the four directions, compelling northern temple tenants to prostrate and southern commoners to kowtow.

The three Lianmin, burdened as if by towering peaks, were momentarily unable to move. Heavenly light shone down, releasing a continuous grinding and suppressing force from within the Gate of Heaven, applying pressure layer by layer. Li Ximing raised his hand to his lips:

"Hoo!"

Red and white flickered, finally transforming into a torrent of golden Three Hou Xu Xuan Fire that poured down towards the base of the Gate of Heaven. Along with it, scorching Mingyang Purple Fire erupted, instantly turning the area into a blazing sea.

The three instantly began to sweat profusely, and golden lacquer dripped from their Dharma bodies, falling into the brilliant flames and quickly evaporating and rising. This divine power thus settled more firmly.

Even more critically, as the light from Shitu in the sky was severed, the protective multicolored light that shielded their bodies and preserved their lives also noticeably weakened. Only the inherent precious light radiating from their Dharma bodies continued to flicker, barely resisting the surging flames.

Regardless of the plight of the three below, Li Ximing sat steadily atop Mingguan, a silent realization dawning on him:

"I told Master Kuiqi he would still need to come back for me. It seems the Gate of Heaven's Veneration is quite effective against Lianmin, especially this grinding suppression and the ability to sever divine powers—it hits precisely where it hurts!"

All types of divine powers have their uses. The Gate of Heaven's Veneration is renowned for its grinding and suppression. While it might not grant Li Ximing the same enemy-defeating power as Ye Hui or Chang Xiao, once it gains the upper hand, it possesses a righteous and imposing might, like Mount Taishi. And precisely because the Lianmin have no divine powers to speak of, they are utterly suppressed!

Currently, the white Gate of Heaven above pressed down heavier and heavier. The two Lianmin behind quickly looked at their leader, one whispering:

"Master Pingling, we juniors have only recently ascended to Shitu. Our faith power is weak, and our status is low. Please, Master, borrow Shitu's divine power to protect our three Dharma bodies!"

The three-eyed Lianmin leader seemed hesitant. His condition was somewhat better. While channeling spiritual energy to the other two to resist the suppression, he watched the golden lacquer dripping from them in the true fire as they sweated profusely. He gritted his teeth and transmitted a thought:

"This divine power is simply bizarre. Do you think I don't want to borrow it? You and I are in Shitu, so our pleas can naturally reach Shitu, but Shitu's light might not be able to descend. I'm not under Fahui or Golden Lotus; where would I get such great faith power?!"

The two, however, might not have believed him, both showing skepticism. After all, if this fire kept burning, Pingling might last until reinforcements, but the two of them might not. Understanding he didn't want to bear the burden alone, they could only whisper:

"We are willing to lend Master a hand!"

Pingling's face showed joy, but before he could finish speaking, a bright white light shot out from the flames. It used the bright light above as cover, darting forward like a venomous snake. The hammer-wielding Lianmin only had time to raise his magical artifact before letting out a cry of pain!

"Ah!"

His metallic, golden eyes were struck by the light, and his left eye instantly exploded into golden dust. The three Lianmin dared not hesitate, simultaneously forming hand seals and casting spells. The three-eyed Pingling quickly chanted:

"The boundless eight directions are all illusory; right and wrong are but empty thoughts... What the precious light illuminates... inconceivable merits, only Shitu can verify! This humble practitioner implores for divine power!"

Li Ximing's Gate of Heaven's Veneration was already being urged stronger and stronger. He suddenly looked up, feeling the Grand Void stirring, as if a certain realm was approaching the current world. Auspicious clouds appeared in the sky, and a wisp of colorful light descended.

This radiance was only about the size of a head, like a leaking pillar of light. It sought to land on someone, but instead stopped above the Gate of Heaven's Veneration, shining on the divine power.

With that illumination, Li Ximing immediately frowned, feeling a searing pain rising. The Mountain Driving Profound Screen quickly responded, but he found that this colorful light was completely unhindered. It was only gradually compressed and reduced by the Gate of Heaven's Veneration's power of erosion and severance. By the time it passed through this bright light, a large part of it had already dissipated, only then landing on the head of the three-eyed Lianmin.

Pingling Lianmin, having received this light, had sparkling eyes, and dense runes lit up on his body. Two arms burst out from behind him, pushing against the base of the Gate of Heaven's Veneration, attempting to lift it.

Li Ximing merely glanced. The heavenly light on his brow re-converged, and he let out a laugh. His eyes gradually turned into white-gold as he formed hand seals, his heart growing colder:

"Good, good, good. Not trying to escape with divine power, but instead trying to overturn the Gate of Heaven's Veneration! Then let's try!"

So, tirelessly, he circulated his spiritual energy. The radiance on the divine power became even more pronounced, and the Gate of Heaven itself became dazzlingly bright, illuminating heaven and earth in white.

This caused Pijia in the sky to glance sideways and Taixi on the ground to shake his head. Kuiqi, however, was not surprised. Whether it was the true fire or the Gate of Heaven's Veneration, he, Kuiqi, clearly knew about them, and he only exhaled a mouthful of black qi.

Taixi's expression appeared gloomy. Even though he had long anticipated these three idiots would mess things up, he hadn't expected them to be suppressed so quickly.

His strength was superior to Chen Gao's, and with the Kongxi Subduing-Demon Bowl containing the opponent's 'mansion water,' he already had the upper hand. Seeing this situation, he secretly shook his head and pondered:

"It was said that Chen and Li Ximing were too busy to dispatch avatars, yet both of them came. Could it be that Zhelu secretly lacked confidence but tricked me into leading the charge? If that's the case, there wouldn't still be a Ling Mei in the Grand Void, would there?"

The schemes within Shitu were no less intricate than those in the immortal path. It was just that Taixi and Zhelu were both Mahas of the Path of Emptiness, in the same boat. Zhelu and Taixi's strength couldn't be compared; Taixi was also promoted by Zhelu, so he acted as a junior under his command. His vigilance, however, had not necessarily decreased. He secretly sank into thought:'You, Zhelu, have many Lianmin under you, and quite a few under Golden Lotus as well... You weren't willing to send out two, but I, with five people under my command, lost two Dharma bodies at once. Damn it... And that Tinglan Qiuhu, he's just Kuiqi, a beginner Purple Mansion realm cultivator. It's one thing to use a Maha, but can he also hold back a group of Lianmin?'

The formation artifact in the sky that suppressed and contained the two Tinglan individuals belonged to someone else, after all. Taixi couldn't gauge the situation and received no news from Zhelu. He only felt something was amiss. So he stood, forming hand seals, and half of his eye instantly transformed into a round orb covered in dense runes. Through the Grand Void, he looked far towards Shitu, urgently activating a plea for aid.

On this side, Pingling Lianmin was utterly suffocated with frustration. His four arms flickered unsteadily under the increasing weight of the Mingguan. The two behind him, having received his protection, barely caught their breath, but their expressions were equally grim.

It wasn't that Pingling insisted on resisting stubbornly and didn't want to escape. The colorful light from the sky was a divine power bestowed by Shitu, and there were only a few types. What was bestowed was what it was; they weren't Mahas, who had various profound divine powers for their own use. And with the Gate of Heaven's Veneration, this sinister thing, having cut off 60% of its power, what great use could it still have?

But when it rains, it pours. Li Ximing wouldn't wait for him. White light pierced through, and Shangyao Fuguang arrived again.

Fortunately, the two this time got a breather. They quickly used their magical artifacts to block. The hammer-wielding Lianmin took a heavy blow and coughed out some golden dust. Who knew a bright light galloped through the sea of fire, the heavenly light suddenly intensified, and a white-golden sleeve with golden fire swept out from within!

Li Ximing had long planned this move. Although the Sun Yinli Art couldn't perfectly cooperate with true fire, he, in his Dharma body, personally arrived, using valley wind to draw fire, gathering unknown layers of flames in his palm. Finally, catching him off guard, he fiercely struck the hammer-wielding Lianmin's chest!

Li Ximing had no body-type divine power. This hammer-wielding Lianmin originally had a chance to react, but one hand holding the hammer had already been blocked by Shangyao Fuguang. His other arm was about to be burned by fire, so he was half a beat slow and had no choice but to take this palm strike.

"Boom!"

Intense true fire erupted. This Lianmin only had time to let out a howl. The Purple Mansion True Fire, bright as a pillar of light, instantly pierced through his chest, exploding into a shower of golden fragments. The three-eyed Lianmin's eyes were about to split; his four palms simultaneously retracted, enduring the heavenly divine power and striking into the fire.

"Bang!"

Li Ximing took a hit. His figure transformed into light and departed. The three, suppressed by divine power, naturally couldn't pursue and could only watch helplessly as he returned to the pass.

The hammer-wielding Lianmin was charred all over. A massive wound, almost splitting his chest in two, was blasted open. His entire aura was diminished by sixty to seventy percent. Golden lacquer liquid constantly spewed from his mouth, and he muffled:

"What a sinister fire technique!"

In their view, Li Ximing's palm strike was without any warning. It must have been from secretly chanting spells, using divine power to conceal true fire fluctuations, accumulating power little by little, which was indeed sinister. Li Ximing, meanwhile, retreated to the pass, exhaling a mouthful of Mingyang light. With the protection of the Mountain Driving Profound Screen and the opponent's hurried attack, he only experienced some internal turmoil. He secretly nodded:'Monks' bodies are tough after all... fortunately, they're clumsy...'

This palm strike essentially had no divine power; it just relied on true fire and Talisman Qi. If it were others, whether Chang Xiao or Ye Hui, with divine power active, he certainly wouldn't hit them. But Lianmin were much easier to hit.

The three below, seeing this situation, had already become terrified. If this continued, the two would eventually be slowly tortured to death by Li Ximing. Pingling had no choice but to transmit a message in a low voice:'This person is sinister, truly a Wei Li. The techniques he cultivates are clearly all specifically aimed at us Shixiu from beginning to end. He is truly an enemy of our path; his strength cannot be underestimated. We cannot delay any longer!'

He finished transmitting these words quickly and urgently, causing the two behind him to nod repeatedly, feeling it was very reasonable. Only then, with lingering fear, did he bring up the situation inside the formation:'The Wuzhang Water Fire is too terrifying; it severs the Grand Void. Those inside not only find it difficult to know the outside world but are also constrained by fear of harming the good for fear of hurting the bad. It would be better to come out and face the enemy, relying solely on Shitu for a plea.'

The three of them were actually relieved to be sent out. The woman inside, stepping on a purple pavilion and holding a mud pot, spraying Wuzhang Water Fire—it's not an exaggeration to call it the bane of Lianmin. Others merely sever the Grand Void, but this fire completely obliterates the Grand Void! As long as a bit touches you, the Grand Void breaks wherever you run. If severely wounded, you can't even die back to Shitu!

A single Wuzhang Water Fire was already troublesome enough. What's more terrifying is the Shangxiang Pot passed down by the Purple Smoke Sect, imbued with Wuzhang Water Fire, spewing flames that almost drowned the grand formation! If not for Zhelu Maha personally guarding it, who knows what a mess it would have been inside.

The three of them, being the weakest, were driven out. They didn't have to face the terrifying flames. But with Li Ximing suppressing them like this, given enough time, it would probably wear down their Dharma bodies until all their efforts were wasted!

Just at this moment, they finally saw the Eight-Armed Dharma Wheel in mid-air light up. From it flew out a red-skinned, green-eyed monk. He rode a short-haired tiger whose fur burned like flames, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.

He stepped out into the void. His eyes still held a lingering sense of relief, but his complexion was slightly ashen. His gaze swept across the Mingguan between heaven and earth; he was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed with joy:

"Wei Li remnant!"

Currently, he only strode through the air. With one hand, he grabbed into the air and pulled out a red pagoda. His eyes wide with anger, the pagoda immediately shot out light, and the Red-faced Lianmin then shouted:

"Still dare to be presumptuous!"

Li Ximing felt a sense of crisis strike him and knew someone formidable had arrived. He suddenly turned his head, the heavenly light on his brow meeting the incoming force. He heard a burst of sound in mid-air, smoke dissipating, and this Red-faced Lianmin had already ridden his tiger to him, his palms like iron, striking towards his face.

The Mountain Driving Profound Screen instantly lit up. Taking this palm strike, it was shattered. The fierce tiger under this Lianmin suddenly roared, and then sacred Buddhist chants boomed in Li Ximing's ears, causing his spiritual energy to stagnate. Li Ximing had no choice but to retreat.

He hadn't expected this person's Dharma body to be so powerful. He didn't stop at all. Red light burst forth from his eyes, and his two mouths opened, spewing scarlet flames that poured down like rain.

Although Gen Tu Ling Na couldn't avoid fire, Li Ximing's Gate of Heaven's Veneration was beneficial to his Dharma body, giving him stronger resistance to flames. And standing on the Gate of Heaven, protected by its light, he only felt a stinging pain in his chest from this flame attack, with no major harm. But the flames still clung to his chest, so he immediately joined two fingers and exhaled the Three Hou Xu Xuan Fire.

Although the Red-faced Lianmin fought fiercely, his strength was clearly superior to the three below. But he knew in his heart that dealing with a beginner Purple Mansion cultivator was still somewhat strenuous. Therefore, his defenses were robust. He was only scorched and took a step back, blocking with his pagoda.

This pagoda was built from Gengjin. All fires refine metal, and it was countered by true fire. Fortunately, Gengjin was considered the least afraid of fire among the three types of metal. And Chiluo was also skilled in flames, temporarily suppressing the fire.

As soon as the Three Hou Xu Xuan Fire was released, the flames at the base of the Gate of Heaven finally subsided, flickering slightly.

Li Ximing sighed inwardly. He used divine power to wipe away the flames on his chest. Facing the pagoda pressed down by the Red-faced Lianmin, the Gate of Heaven's Veneration finally rose from the ground. He landed in the center of the Gate of Heaven, using its divine power to protect himself.

The three, having been roasted by the true fire for a while, finally broke free. The two magical artifacts, the sword and the hammer, were both slightly warped by the heat. The three flew up on the wind, saying respectfully:

"Thank you, Lord Chiluo!"

"It's nothing!"

The Red-faced Lianmin had eyes only for Li Ximing. How could he have many words for them? His eyes subtly gleamed, shielding the three from the incoming heavenly light. He retrieved his pagoda, blocking Shangyao Fuguang. His heart, however, was greatly stirred:

"It would be best to plot and kill this person!"

Li Ximing remained unmoving, suppressing the spiritual artifact in his sleeve.

If this great battle concerned Li Ximing's own interests, he would certainly have suppressed the three firmly without letting go, clashing head-on with Chiluo, and enduring it all in one go. At least striking the two weaker Lianmin until they lost the strength to fight again... This would have been the best way to defeat the four.

But this battle was someone else's affair. If he were to fight so fiercely and be approached by Chiluo, Li Ximing would definitely get injured. Whether that elixir could mend him was one thing. After so many years of turmoil, he understood how much effort it took to recover from one injury, and he truly didn't want to waste any more time.

And the opponents couldn't use spells to encircle and attack him. Moreover, the Chongyang Xiaxing Treasure Plate had the ability to escape distress. There was no need to fight these four to the death. He simply stood quietly, thinking:'These Lianmin, one by one, are all greedy when they see me, but they also won't easily let me go!'

As expected, Chiluo had already formed hand seals and was casting spells. The three protected him. Li Ximing's gaze deepened, falling once again on the hammer-wielding Lianmin, whose body was already severely damaged!

'First, send this idiot away!'

**Characters appearing in this chapter:*** Kuiqi (Mid-stage Purple Mansion)* Li Ximing (Early-stage Purple Mansion, direct descendant of the Bo lineage)* Chen (Early-stage Purple Mansion)* Taixi (Third-generation Maha of Kongwu)* Pijia (Fifth-generation Maha of Dayu)* Master Luo (Early-stage Purple Mansion)