Chapter 904: Flying Mountain Falls

Mount Cai.

A sinister aura pervaded the mountain, with a pall of dark, ominous energy weaving through the forests, ebbing and flowing like a restless tide.

A colossal black shroud enveloped the sky, studded with thousands of golden eyes that flickered erratically, casting down slender, swift golden beams. Below, two Emissaries, their auras dimmed, wore expressions of anger.

Master Luo, clutching a short blade, wore a grim expression.

There were originally four Emissaries here: one from the Path of Compassion and three from the Path of Void. Two attackers had arrived early, already eliminating one Emissary, leaving three.

One of the Void Emissaries was not a serious threat, merely an annoyance. The other, however, was a disciple of Fa Hui, and quite formidable. The most lethal opponent was the Path of Compassion practitioner, who commanded the Arhat-like Emissaries. Together, the three were already sufficient to suppress him.

Fortunately, his opponents were unfamiliar with the Path of Wood Assembly. So far in the battle, he had already struck down the weakest Emissary, who had fled to an unknown location. The remaining two posed significantly less threat, but he too was showing signs of fatigue. If not for his Thousand-Eyed Radiance Robe, forged specifically to counter the Path of Compassion's methods of housing spirits and commanding Arhats, his troubles would be far greater.

Master Luo was far from his limit and nowhere near defeat. Although he found it hard to vanquish his enemies, the Emissaries' limited transformations made it equally difficult to subdue him. The demon practitioner merely unleashed his divine abilities, occasionally sending streams of bluish-black light soaring into the sky, his spiritual sense roaming and still fixed on Li Ximing and his companion above. Without a doubt, Li Ximing, facing Helian Wujiang, was in even greater trouble!

Li Ximing's true form materialized amidst the baleful qi. Golden-red flames, like roaming dragons, coiled around him, repelling the surging, congealed baleful qi one by one.

In front of him, the Huayang King's Axe hovered, radiating a brilliant light that enveloped his spiritual body. To his side, a greenish-yellow spiritual ruler floated, emitting ripples of mountains and rivers. This not only repeatedly pushed back the sea of baleful qi surrounding him but also measured the illusions within, turning them into wisps of black smoke and dispelling them.

However, his condition was truly not good.

The battle had not lasted long, yet he currently lacked the divine ability or magical power to restore the greater part of his head that had been bitten off, leaving him still in a gruesome state. His body was covered in baleful qi wounds, with black qi rolling and lingering stubbornly.

After battling Helian Wujiang for a while, he gradually understood his opponent's formidable nature. Apart from the sinister single eye on his chest, Helian Wujiang's divine abilities were also extremely peculiar.

While Li Ximing's Heaven-Approaching Gate could empower his spiritual body, its effects were ultimately limited. Helian Wujiang's spiritual body was far stronger, and though not considered exceptionally powerful among Purple Mansion cultivators, it was composed of layers upon layers of baleful qi.

This baleful qi could gather and disperse invisibly; spells below the Purple Mansion level could no longer harm him. Even damage from Purple Mansion-level divine abilities or spells was slightly weakened when it struck him. Most troublesome was that this divine ability resonated with the Rakshasa Sea, a sea of baleful qi that now covered the sky, allowing him to constantly recover, making him incredibly difficult to deal with.

Furthermore, his opponent's long whip was incredibly flexible, while Li Ximing's spiritual artifacts and divine abilities were generally cumbersome. In these mere dozens of exchanges, his opponent had already forced him to use two of the "Brilliant Sun Reversed, Shaking Stars, and Escaping Peril" divine effects from his Chongyang Star-Governing Astrolabe.

Each time he reversed the Chongyang Star-Governing Astrolabe, four bright stars would appear. Having used it twice now, two of them had dimmed. Although their power remained undiminished, and perhaps even became more wondrous due to their connection with the spiritual artifact, this miraculous ability could only be invoked a total of four times.

'I wonder how Kuiqi is doing,' he thought. 'This Helian Wujiang is formidable; if this drags on... I'll be dragged down myself!'

It wasn't that his friendship with Taiyang was particularly deep. Moon-gazing Lake was right by the river, and he no longer had time for extraneous thoughts. His spiritual sense was tightly locked onto the sword-wielding figure within the black qi, not daring to show the slightest slack.

As expected, Helian Wujiang gave him no quarter, not even a moment to catch his breath. From within the rolling black qi, a streak of golden light pierced through once more, like a silver vase suddenly shattering, sending a chill through his Rising Yang and instantly raising an intense sense of crisis.

"Buzz!"

Unable to discern his opponent's spiritual artifact or spell, he immediately activated Treading Flames. As the flames on his body flared up, he suddenly looked up, all his divine abilities and magical power converging to a single point, pushing the alertness in his spiritual sense to its limit.

There was nothing there.

"Buzz..."

But what first broke through were the greenish-yellow ripples of mountains and rivers. The vast range of River of Signs and the marvelous measurement ability of Jun Heng played an excellent role. Li Ximing finally vaguely sensed the direction of the attack. Treading Flames flared up, and he twisted his divine ability.

The Huayang King's Axe was inherently very cumbersome. At that critical moment, there was no time to place it in front, but Li Ximing, using Treading Flames, transformed into fire and took a step, pressing himself tightly behind the spiritual artifact!

'The Huayang King's Axe cannot move fast enough,' he thought, 'but I can move myself to make it block!'

"Boom!"

The gleaming Huayang King's Axe in the sky was instantly flung high, as if struck heavily by some dazzling, illusory force. This was followed by a colossal crashing sound and a dazzling light of brilliant yang that shot skyward.

Li Ximing suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, falling out of the flames he had transformed into using Treading Flames. Tiny, dense cracks appeared on his chest, like countless small ants clinging to him. Yet, a hint of grateful relief touched the corners of his lips.

Only then did he see clearly: the dazzling, illusory object was entirely black, shaped like a knife, palm-sized, and exceptionally sharp. It was, astonishingly, the short blade on Helian Wujiang's waist!

The blade's light was insidious. As the dust settled, the surging sea of baleful qi finally showed signs of parting, revealing the traces of the blade's qi.

While the measuring ability of River of Signs indeed played a significant role, it was the block by the Huayang King's Axe that was crucial in preventing his spiritual body from being severed. The opponent's short blade was powerful; anything blocking it, be it River of Signs or Mountain-Driving Sea-Rushing Tiger, would surely be damaged. River of Signs, being a spiritual embryo itself, might even be severed. This spiritual embryo was now crucial for maintaining the situation, so how could Li Ximing allow it to be easily damaged?

Blood stained his lips, leaving no time for grateful rest. The Heaven-Approaching Gate rose from beneath him, its heavenly light dazzling, suppressing the magical sword that lunged from within the rolling baleful qi. This caused the owner of the pale five fingers to tremble slightly and manifest before him, his black and silver armor gleaming, long robe fluttering, and gaze icy cold.

Helian Wujiang was now directly in front of him.

The Heaven-Approaching Gate stood in the clouds, swaying slightly, submerged by the rolling baleful qi. Its originally radiant white bricks had dimmed, and the dragon banners and phoenix carriages sank into the baleful qi. Precious banners and streamers had fallen silent, drifting weakly with the impact of the baleful qi. It vaguely seemed unable to suppress this sword.

The brilliant heavenly light was momentarily obstructed. Helian Wujiang's chest suddenly opened, that eye rotated again, and golden light reappeared, fixing Li Ximing in place and revealing that horrifying large mouth once more.

"Pfft!"

Li Ximing transformed into fire and dispersed, fleeing with his divine ability. Helian Wujiang suddenly turned his head, only to see a gleaming astrolabe reappear, with chaotic stars shaking, trapping him in place.

The man in the white-gold Daoist robe manifested nearby, breathing slightly heavily, and immediately took a pill.

The timing just now was good, but Li Ximing no longer had time to unleash the Brilliant Yang's destructive light.

Half of his head had not yet reformed, and one arm was also lost in his opponent's recent immobilizing bite. His lips were still chanting as he stabilized himself amidst the rolling baleful qi, commanding his divine ability, looking quite wretched.

On the other side, Helian Wujiang, draped in black and silver armor, with the eye on his chest blinking slightly, his outer robe fluttering in the wind, held a long sword in one hand and a magical whip in the other, quietly gazing at Li Ximing.

The wound on Helian Wujiang's abdomen was healing amidst the rolling baleful qi, seemingly no longer a major issue. Only streaks of Brilliant Yang energy flowed within him, constantly suppressed by the baleful qi. Clearly, it wasn't just the chaotic stars confining him; Helian Wujiang himself was also easing the pressure within his abdomen.

A bright white gash appeared on Helian Wujiang's shoulder, constantly recovering amidst the rolling baleful qi. The long sword in his hand gleamed, indicating he was undoubtedly preparing another spell.

'That demonic art is truly formidable...' Li Ximing mused.

Li Ximing showed no sign of dejection, only letting out a suppressed sigh.

This eye ability was one of the most tyrannical spells Li Ximing had ever witnessed. It first immobilized and then devoured, making it difficult to evade. With one bite, his spiritual body was immediately wounded. Li Ximing had suffered a loss the first time he encountered this spell, but as the battle grew fiercer, evading it became increasingly difficult.

Yet, Helian Wujiang seemed to suffer no significant consumption; only the faint brilliant yang light within his belly grew more intense. If he hadn't stopped suppressing it, Li Ximing wouldn't even have noticed any burden on him.

"Bang!"

As the long sword in his hand glowed and the long whip coiled back, the chaotic stars' shimmering light gradually dissipated, and that face with high brows and deep-set eyes looked over once more.

Li Ximing's hand abruptly pressed down on the Chongyang Star-Governing Astrolabe once more, still in its reversed position.

'He's going to retreat...'

Helian Wujiang's expression slightly darkened. The Chongyang Star-Governing Astrolabe was an excellent item; one retreat had already brought Li Ximing to the edge of the sea of baleful qi. If he continued to use it, it wouldn't be difficult for Li Ximing to retreat, and everything just now would have been for naught.

'What a pity...'

Just then, a trace of bluish-black light shot straight into the sky, carrying a sinister demonic glow, adhering to Helian Wujiang's silver boots and causing him to frown slightly.

It was Master Luo, taking the opportunity to provide assistance.

Unlike the solemnity and coldness he showed towards Li Ximing, Helian Wujiang was even somewhat angered, feeling humiliated. His brows knitted tightly, and the magical sword he had been preparing to sheath was abruptly drawn, emitting dazzling rays of light.

"You rat of the heterodox path... how dare you!"

But what came rushing at him was far more than that: a black cloth adorned with thousands of eyes. It was precisely Master Luo's most renowned artifact, the Thousand-Eyed Radiance Robe, nurtured over his lifetime!

Although Helian Wujiang was disdainful, he immediately grew serious upon seeing this. He exhaled baleful qi from his lips onto his sword, which immediately flared with light, blocking the oncoming golden light.

But the moment his attention was divided, on the other side, the Heaven-Approaching Gate rose from within the rolling sea of baleful qi, dispelling a patch of it. Then, a streak of Upper Radiance Hidden Light shot across the sky!

'He's not retreating; instead, he's attacking...'

Helian Wujiang immediately turned his head, raised one hand, and caused the rolling baleful qi to condense, transforming into baleful light to resist the white light. He allowed the scorching Hidden Light to burn and clash with the baleful qi.

'In your current state, how much threat can you possibly pose!'

Li Ximing slowly raised his head. His spiritual body was injured, so the heavenly light naturally couldn't emanate from his glabella, only from his palm. Although only half his head remained, he subtly turned his face, and that hand finally grasped the spiritual astrolabe, seemingly preparing to escape.

But as his magical power infused the astrolabe, he quietly, silently murmured in his mind:

'Still not showing yourself? Hiding so long, still patient enough to wait? Do you still want this favor from me? I'm leaving now!'

"Splatters..."

Just then, rain began to fall between heaven and earth again, surprisingly with a faint purple hue. Helian Wujiang's pupils suddenly dilated. He barely managed to look up, and only then did he realize something.

A pair of treasures actually appeared from within the clouds.

One was a round, flat jade disc, engraved with square thunder patterns like a talisman, and palm-sized. The other was black with white patterns, similar to the River of Signs spiritual ruler but slightly smaller, and gleamed brightly.

The flat, gleaming white jade disc, having accumulated power for a long time, unleashed surging silver-white lightning, exuding a dangerous aura. Meanwhile, the long scroll with a black background and white patterns, operating like breathing, breathed out surging scarlet flames, instantly appearing before Helian Wujiang!

Helian Wujiang was instantly struck with a cold sweat. The eye on his chest blinked slightly and, astonishingly, flipped over first, revealing its pitch-black reverse side.

With lightning and fire upon him, his first reaction was astonishingly to protect this eye!

"Boom!"

Silver-white lightning and scarlet flames instantly engulfed him, flowing down his gleaming black and silver armor, exploding into wisps of black smoke. The pervasive baleful qi shot straight into the sky, and the Rakshasa Sea boiled ceaselessly. His long sword was also affected by the lightning and fire, forcing the surging baleful qi and lightning to cease.

"Aow—"

The power of this lightning and fire was clearly not weak, and it had accumulated for a long time. It instantly caused the man in the air to tremble all over, emitting heart-rending shrieks that made everyone on the field pause simultaneously.

But everything was far from over. Master Luo reluctantly made a move, immediately turning to block the pursuing Emissaries. Meanwhile, the rain clouds above Helian Wujiang's head dissipated, revealing a colossal white flying peak that pierced through heaven and earth!

The Great Void immediately undulated erratically, as if suppressed by something. A layer of hazy white light immediately climbed onto Helian Wujiang's armor, seemingly trying to lock him in place.

Helian Wujiang's pupils instantly turned blood red, and streaks of baleful qi drifted from the corners of his eyes, flowing down his cheeks. The Empty Kalpa Transformation shifted, and innumerable peaks of black qi emerged, colliding with the flying white mountain in the sky.

"Clang..."

Responding in haste, he immediately spat out a mouthful of black blood. The deep wounds on his face, revealing bone, slowly closed as his profound eyes stared fixedly at the sky:

"Who!"

Yet the lightning and flames in the sky grew even more fierce, revealing a young man.

This young man was riding a bird-beast covered in scales, wearing a deep blue robe with mystic patterns. He had a small face, a slightly pointed chin, and looked handsome. He carried a sword in his arms, his long, unbound hair flowing freely in the air.

The young man's eyes were bright, and he said with a smile:

"Ye Kui of the White Ye Capital Immortal Dao."

As soon as these words fell, countless densely packed purple spiritual fish fell from the sky. Each the size of a calf, with scales of varying shades and wearing white bone human heads, they covered the sky and earth, falling as purple water.

Nanchou Water

Dongyu Mountain is a flying mountain, a spirit monster of earthly mountains and rivers that sprouts bird wings to become a floating mountain. Nanchou Water is a water that connects to the underworld, a demon of rivers and streams that, by wearing human heads, becomes the Irreversible Water. With its current descent, it further struck down a mass of baleful qi, transforming it into specks of chilling baleful qi that fell to the ground.

Who was Ye Kui? He had inherited the orthodox Douxuan Daoist lineage, originating from the same source as Chang Xiao. Helian Wujiang was caught off guard, his divine abilities temporarily greatly diminished and his situation precarious. The lightning and flames showed no signs of stopping, crashing down everywhere.

"Hahahahahahaha!"

The moment Ye Kui appeared, Master Luo immediately revealed his true colors, looking somewhat like a villain who had gotten his way. Although he had been beaten, causing dark qi to scatter, by the two monks for his earlier rash move, his face was filled with triumphant laughter, and he nodded to Ye Kui from afar.

Clearly, Master Luo's move was not without reason. His relationship with Ye Kui was unusual; having received an early hint, he had disregarded his own safety to hold back Helian Wujiang!

The situation changed in an instant. Suddenly, the pot-bellied monk nearby flared up in rage, gritting his teeth and cursing angrily:

"Ye Kui! Have you thought this through!"

The young man in the sky looked quite amiable, and merely smiled upon hearing this. Yet, his eyes were full of coldness and boiling, ceaseless rage as he chuckled:

"Bald bird-donkey, you brought people to kill at my doorstep! Three or four Emissaries banded together, kidnapped my disciples, attacked my mountain gate, and demanded my juniors surrender. And now you ask if I want to be 'extracted'?"

"I'll pluck off your mother's bird-head!"

**Characters Appearing in This Chapter:**

* **Li Ximing:** Early Purple Mansion, Purple Mansion Alchemist* **Master Luo:** Early Purple Mansion* **Helian Wujiang:** Mid Purple Mansion* **Ye Kui:** Mid Purple Mansion