Chapter 940: Female Appearance (1+1/2)

The moment he opened his mouth, a dark void appeared, accompanied by a whistling wind. Layers of dark shadows coiled like snakes, and a dripping sound was heard. The light in the sky dimmed once more, leaving only the profound darkness within his mouth.

Yet, the only light in the world wasn't just his golden eyes, but also the glow emanating from Li Zhouwei's brow!

Supreme Solar Subjugation Light.

Murong Yan's spirit weapon struck the Qianyang Bracelet, neutralizing its power. Li Zhouwei's divine ability, after a brief delay, swiftly reacted, surging towards his brow. He immediately activated the Ambush Gold enchantment, unleashing the most profound Bright Yang spell he had cultivated.

A brilliant golden light immediately burst forth. A divine aura in the shape of an inverted cone appeared at his brow, expanding to the size of a washbasin, then transforming into a golden pillar of light that descended with a roar.

Murong Yan was prepared. His eyes had completely turned purplish-black, and his mouth instantly swelled, splitting open to his ears in an instant. He devoured all the incoming Supreme Solar Subjugation Light without hesitation!

Meanwhile, the swirling purplish-black mass in his mouth resembled a churning vortex. It delved deep, constantly interfering with the radiance emanating from his opponent's brow, attempting to twist and shatter it, thereby disrupting the opponent's casting.

"Boom!"

In an instant, the cultivators stationed along the riverbanks covered their eyes, their faces all illuminated brightly. The sky was sharply divided: half brilliantly lit, half dim and lightless, a division that spread out along the riverbanks.

"Buzz..."

The intense light was fleeting. All eyes from both banks simultaneously focused on the dazzling pillar of light in the sky. The shimmering light from Li Zhouwei's brow was incredibly stable, constantly flickering as it resisted the twisting force from his opponent's mouth, demonstrating an exceptionally high level of Daoist magical control!

Murong Yan, surprisingly, neither dodged nor avoided. His wide mouth, like a bottomless pit, continued to swallow all the incoming Subjugation Light.

Intense bright light and flames streamed from the corners of his mouth, which were split to his ears. They trailed two long, silken cascades in the air, transforming into a rain of fiery meteors, descending all around.

In their very first move upon meeting, these two Violet Palace experts began to contend their divine abilities and magic power!

The cultivators on both banks collectively held their breath. The man on the flaming arch bridge also suddenly stood up and gazed quietly at the sky.

"Bang! ...Buzz..."

A fierce burning sound continuously echoed in the air. Li Zhouwei's entire face was also brightly illuminated by the Subjugation Light from his brow. Yet, his golden eyes remained clear, gradually brightening, their pupils transforming from dark gold to a brilliant golden hue.

As his divine power infused it, the pillar of light at his brow also slowly expanded, gradually swelling!

A grating, teeth-grinding creaking sound continuously rang out. Though the demonic figure, wreathed in gray smoke in mid-air, maintained an unchanging expression, its bulky form was gradually being forced backward, constantly dissolving the surging divine light.

Although Supreme Solar Subjugation Light was merely a Rank Four spell, with the Ambush Gold enchantment, it was already no weaker than an ordinary Rank Five spell. Furthermore, Li Zhouwei had cultivated it for many years.

Even more crucially, Supreme Solar Subjugation Light was inherently a Bright Yang illumination technique. The more direct the confrontation, the greater its power, and as time dragged on, the power of this spell continued to climb!

Murong Yan's divine abilities and spells were certainly not simple. At this moment, he still had plenty of room to maneuver. But seeing the opponent's divine power continuously escalating, how could he stand idly by? He slowly retreated over three feet, allowing the opponent's divine might to push him back, thereby dissolving its power. Meanwhile, his eyes suddenly brightened.

But Li Zhouwei, before him, had already slowly extended his hands comfortably, stretching them out to his sides, fingers splayed. From his palms, shimmering golden light, like silk, simultaneously emerged!

Brightness Heavenly Waves!

These silken threads, like agile snakes, swiftly coiled around Murong Yan's body, gripping him tightly! They drew him closer. At the same time, the divine ability in his body reached its peak; even a faint Heavenly Gate appeared behind him. The Supreme Solar Subjugation Light had been pushed to its utmost limit!

Murong Yan's expression slightly changed. Swirling demonic energy rose from his body, transforming into silvery scales, like viper armor, adhering to him. It was clearly a spirit garment!

'It's a spirit embryo...'

The Brightness Heavenly Waves were not of a high grade to begin with. Even with the spirit embryo, under the miraculous vibrations, the hastily refined Brightness Heavenly Waves were unsustainable. In an instant, they dispersed into shimmering fragments of light.

'What a pity...'

A hint of regret flashed in Li Zhouwei's eyes. The demon before him finally got a chance to breathe. A silver arc of light blocked the Supreme Solar Subjugation Light, flashing and disappearing. A rolling thunder burst forth in the air, and Heavenly Purple Flames instantly assailed him, pushing the dividing line between the two celestial phenomena several feet forward, allowing the bright light to illuminate over the great river.

And Murong Yan's true form had vanished.

"Whoosh!"

Immediately, countless whistling sounds echoed throughout the world. A faint, illusory mouth seemed to open on the riverbank, from which brilliant, fiery red meteors of light rain erupted, imbued with Bright Yang colors! In an instant, they transformed into a sky-filling downpour, descending from above.

'What a splendid spell!'

These meteors of light rain were precisely the Supreme Solar Subjugation Light that his opponent had just swallowed. Such a spell, after transformation, astonishingly descended as a sky-filling radiance, carrying churning flames and illuminating everything around.

The cultivators and monks on both banks paled with alarm, collectively taking cover. Li Zhouwei, however, remained standing in the mountains. The sky-filling meteors of light brushed past his sides. He simply raised his hand calmly, and a golden light, mixed with black flames, swiftly rose in his palm. From nothing, it gradually condensed into a long halberd the color of a golden crow.

"Whoosh..."

Li Zhouwei effortlessly extended his arm. The halberd reversed, pointing diagonally towards the ground, as he looked again towards the opponent who had reappeared in the distance.

This was undoubtedly an awkward moment. His primary weapon was currently being forged at the Observation Pavilion, and even with the addition of a costly spirit essence, the forging time was still calculated in years. Furthermore, after the battle with Helian Wumeng, he wouldn't carelessly bring it out for wasteful wear and tear.

Although he had found a way to acquire the scales for armor, when they would actually be refined into armor was unknown!

Moreover, the Huayang King's Yue Axe at his waist was extremely special. Not only was it cumbersome, but if it missed its target, its power would be reduced. It could only be used as a trump card, not as a casual weapon.

At this moment, his hands were empty. Even a temporary weapon could only be formed by combining the Solar Response Severance technique with his Bright Yang divine ability, infused with the Jiazi Soul Halberd Refinement technique!

How discerning was Murong Yan across from him? He could tell Li Zhouwei's predicament almost at a glance. Though he didn't want to miss the opportunity to press his attack, he could only take a deep breath and cough out two points of golden light.

'Solar power... This radiance seems to be of low grade, yet it possesses some power...'

However, he cultivated Yin Water. Facing the solar power, he was clearly less passive than he would be against Helian Wumeng's baleful qi. His spell was also of a high grade and had not been broken; he merely coughed twice. But what truly made him wary was the hint of demon-breaking power contained within his opponent's divine ability.

'His roots are good after all, imbued with some divine peculiarities.'

Circulating his magic power, he quickly dissolved the solar energy within his body. Murong Yan's pupils suddenly dilated. This man, astonishingly, neither retreated nor avoided, but pointed his halberd directly at him!

"Good!"

The River Barrier Staff, his spirit weapon, suddenly rose, carrying dense Yin Water power mixed with the metallic luster on its surface, timely blocking the incoming halberd!

"Creak..."

Heavenly Purple Flames exploded for a moment. This halberd, mingled with black flames, collided with the spirit weapon, bending a little under the strain, but ultimately withstood the blow. Li Zhouwei's expression remained unchanged. The halberd slightly deflected, its tip sparking a trail of purple flames, immediately bypassing the spirit weapon. The halberd's shaft snapped straight again and thrust towards the demon's face, its divine power undiminished, even stronger than the previous thrust!

This single halberd thrust greatly piqued Murong Yan's interest. One must know this was no ordinary weapon, and what it collided with was a spirit weapon. This movement, though seemingly not difficult, simultaneously demanded a certain level of cultivation and weapon mastery, making his mind race like lightning:

'Not just Bright Yang spell cultivation! His weapon mastery isn't weak either!'

Facing the incoming, gleaming halberd tip, he slightly raised his head, exposing his thick neck, as wide as his head. His throbbing throat tore open like lightning, and from it emerged the disheveled, fair, and beautiful face of a woman.

The woman smiled slightly. Facing the incoming divine ability, she parted her crimson lips, revealing eight teeth, and bit down firmly and swiftly as lightning onto the halberd tip.

"Boom!"

Purple flames raged, and black mist permeated the air. Li Zhouwei's halberd was stuck, as if submerged in water or wedged into a steel-hard rock crevice. The woman, meanwhile, extended her tender, jade-white hands from Murong Yan's armpits and gripped the blade tightly.

Murong Yan's waist, as thick as a bucket, thinned down. His entire bulky skin hung loosely on the woman like ill-fitting clothes, highlighting her graceful and well-proportioned figure. Her beautiful eyes were pale, yet held a chilling glint.

"Crack..."

Ultimately, as it was condensed by divine ability, this weapon emitted a cracking sound under the strain. Li Zhouwei's eyes slightly narrowed. He pressed his elbow against the halberd, forcing his entire arm downwards. The weapon finally buckled under the overwhelming pressure; its halberd head burst with a bang, scattering black flames across the sky.

Yet, amidst the dense black flames, Li Zhouwei had already deftly inverted the bare halberd shaft. His thumb gripped it tightly, and he suddenly lunged, striking the woman squarely in the brow with a single hammer-like blow!

"Splash!"

Yin Water scattered everywhere. The woman seemed to have only had the power for a single strike; before she could react, she was easily shattered by the blow. From the bursting Yin Water, a skin floated down, carried high by the sweeping winds, soaring into the sky.

Yet, from the original spot, a large, jade-white hand extended, gripping the shattered halberd shaft tightly.

Murong Yan had reappeared. At this moment, he was surprisingly thinner. His bare upper body revealed distinct, jade-white muscles, and his face had also transformed into a proper, chiseled, and majestic countenance!

Only his eyes remained purplish-black, releasing swirling demonic energy.

His hand tightly gripped the fractured halberd shaft; from his palm came a shattering sound. The plump skin, meanwhile, rose with the strong wind, then was flung down like a tattered sack, landing on the brown rocks by the riverbank.

"Good... Even without a weapon... he's still so fierce!"

He slightly loosened his grip. Jade-white powder floated from between his fingers, transforming into black flames and heavenly light. Murong Yan's eyes, at this moment, had surprisingly become exceptionally sharp and imposing, revealing a hint of a smile:

"Again!"

The long shaft in Li Zhouwei's hand had shortened to three feet. A burning fighting spirit also rose in his eyes. The flickering heavenly light was dazzling as small, prismatic fragments appeared out of thin air, continuously extending along the halberd shaft. The incomplete halberd, as if time had reversed, restored itself to its original form.

The long, staff-like weapon was once again in Murong Yan's hand. His demeanor changed, and he shot into the sky, holding the staff with both hands, raised above his head. Every muscle exerted force as this spirit weapon, neither truly a sword nor a staff, suddenly transformed. As he flew, it instantly condensed into a house-sized demonic blade of black mist, which he brought down overhead!

The halberd thrust straight up, its tip meeting the attack head-on. It exploded with a boom in mid-air. The halberd bent for only a brief breath of time; only a short sound was heard in the air:

"Snap!"

The halberd could no longer hold out. It began to shatter into fragments from its tip, flying in all directions, along with the halberd shaft in the golden-armored man's palm, exploding into light and dissipating. The River Barrier Staff whistled towards him!

"Boom!"

A mist of black flames exploded in the sky. The heavenly light in the sky suddenly dimmed, and the 'Evil-Free Dawn' shone brilliantly, causing all colors along the riverbanks to fade.

As the smoke and mist dissipated, Li Zhouwei held both hands in front of him. The River Barrier Staff struck squarely into his palms, and intense black energy surged from his palms and rolled down his thick arms.

Four slender, golden-white arms, however, burst out from behind Li Zhouwei. They braced themselves in front, gripping the entirely black River Barrier Staff tightly. Divine abilities surged wildly in both men's bodies, and just like that, they remained in a stalemate in mid-air.

Below, there was complete silence. The two in the sky fought fiercely, and everyone below was already holding their breath. In the Great Void, gazes met, silent.

Murong Yan, however, was unfazed. His first misjudgment was due to not knowing his opponent had something else up his sleeve. Now, he wouldn't fall for it a second time. He easily avoided the outstretched arms, forcing Li Zhouwei to use his palms to receive the blow!

But as he stared at the four slender, golden-white arms, his expression became unpredictable for the first time, reacting almost identically to Helian Wumeng:

"Profound Qi spell... is that the Tuoba family's method?"

"Helian Wumeng didn't even mention it!"

He was momentarily stunned for that brief instant.

The stalemate seemed to last only an instant, everything concluding like lightning. The River Barrier Staff leaped up on its own, rotated twice in mid-air, and returned to its owner's hand. Murong Yan, however, keenly raised his head. His face was illuminated by a bright light as colorful clouds churned in the sky. Something massive, like a meteor from outer space, descended through the air!

Gate of Heaven's Veneration!

Brilliant light shone, and banners fluttered. The pure white corner of the gate was as thick as a courtyard, carrying a brilliant, meteor-like tail flame, and had suddenly appeared directly above his head!

Li Zhouwei deliberately took that staff blow precisely to turn defense into offense!

Amidst the swirling white smoke, Murong Yan's purplish-black eyes calmly and coldly gazed into the distance. The golden-eyed youth had already withdrawn his hands, shaking off the swirling black energy from them.

Li Zhouwei was not entirely unharmed. His palms already showed radial, glassy cracks, and swirling black energy traveled through them. Yet he paid no mind; with a mere flick, he dispersed the swirling black energy.

The miraculous demon-dispelling ability of Bright Sun and Moon Manifestation!

He withdrew his hand, placing it on the Huayang King's Yue Axe at his waist. But his expression showed little ease; his golden eyes casually swept across the large rock still by the riverbank.

'Beyond reach... How cautious.'

Indeed, Murong Yan, seemingly with no escape under the Heavenly Gate, showed no trace of panic. He slightly turned his head, and the 'Evil-Free Dawn' circulated around his body, dissolving all the surging heavenly light that assailed him, then he let out a chuckle.

"To fulfill my meaning of the Gushing Ravine."

He looked up again, his throat blood-red. The woman once again surged from his throat; her entire being exploded into colorless, hazy flames scattered everywhere, evaporating completely amidst the scorching purple flames, leaving no trace of anyone!

The wind howled. The skin, which had quietly draped over the river rock by the bank, swelled as if inflated. Flesh and blood reappeared from within the marrow. It turned over, adjusted its clothes, and vanished.

At the same time, the Heavenly Gate in the sky, the flames, all anomalies vanished simultaneously. Li Zhouwei's figure also disappeared, leaving only the sky's colors growing increasingly vivid. In a moment, it was as if nothing had happened; everything along both banks gradually recovered from dimness to brightness.

"Good."

The man on the flaming arch bridge in the distance praised, shaking his head with some emotion. Watching the skin stride back and casually sit down by the table, it was Lou Yingge, who laughed:

"You underestimated him!"

"He's got some tricks up his sleeve. While he lacks a proper weapon, let's observe his methods."

Murong Yan had reverted to his original short, stout, and bulky appearance. The agile, majestic man and those cold, purplish-black eyes seemed to have vanished. He casually pulled out silver chopsticks and replied:

"Right now, his eyes are still formidable. His Dharma body can be considered to have achieved a physical divine ability, but those eyes... even ordinary cultivators who have cultivated life divine abilities wouldn't easily see through my disguise. Yet he discerned my Yin form was by the river... I even tried to trick him into revealing the power of the Huayang King's Yue Axe... but unfortunately, he didn't fall for it."

He didn't say much more. And Lou Yingge didn't bring up the sight of Li Zhouwei's four arms behind him. He seemed to be in good spirits, laughing heartily:

"He has no weapon and doesn't want to make a big fuss. It's best if you fight a bit and then disperse. After all, he has trump cards. But haven't you also left your Misyin Water technique unused? It would be troublesome if things escalated."

"However... once he gets a suitable weapon, you might not be able to take him down quickly."

Murong Yan, uncharacteristically, restrained his temper. He chuckled twice, then replied:

"The Spring of Rebirth will be refined soon, so it's not good to get injured. It's better to just test him a bit."

This made Lou Yingge slightly vigilant:

'Such speed! He seems quite confident; it's going to succeed this time. I didn't expect to be only five or six years ahead of him in this step... After all, the Murong family's foundation is much deeper than ours!'

Murong Yan, however, seemed oblivious to his thoughts. He simply continued picking up food. After a long while, he finally put down his silver chopsticks and said softly:

"The timing isn't right. If I were two hundred years older, I'd at least try to injure him, borrow a bit of fate, and try to break through to the Released Earth realm... Right now, it's not worth it unless I can kill him, and I have no confidence in that either."

"For now... let's wait for our Lord Qi!"

North Bank.

The mountain wind was biting. The crimson-robed man gazed intently at the sky. He exhaled deeply, standing quietly by the small pavilion, his mind filled with endless thoughts:

'This is the Violet Palace realm... Without reaching Violet Palace... one is merely a speck of dust beneath heavenly light and flames!'

He slightly lowered his head. Li Zhouwei had already reappeared in the pavilion, and Li Jiangqian quickly said:

"Father..."

Li Zhouwei shook his head and raised his hand. His palm still showed the glassy cracks, which had spread to his little finger. All the demonic energy had long been completely expelled, yet it took quite a while for even a trace of Yin Water power to be dispelled.

"What a formidable opponent."

As the black energy dispersed, his palm immediately emitted a grating sound of metal and stone colliding. The skin on his palm was spontaneously regenerating, attempting to restore itself to its original smooth and clean appearance.

This was precisely the life-sustaining ability of Bright Sun and Moon Manifestation, concentrated within a single vital point.

Unless this arm or hand was severed or taken, he wouldn't truly suffer a debilitating injury. Injuries like collisions or shattering, as long as the foreign magic power was dispelled, would heal with ease.

This time, it was essentially not a major injury. And since his opponent was a demonic cultivator, with the reduction from his own Dharma body and Bright Sun and Moon Manifestation, and even the enhancement of the 'Profound Grand Art', his recovery would be even faster. He wouldn't need to exert much divine power; he would recover in three to five days.

But Li Zhouwei's focus was not on this, but on his opponent's spells and Dao lineage.

'Yin Water... The miraculous Gate of Heaven's Veneration has never failed. Uncle Master used it to forge quite a reputation in Jiangnan. Now, I've encountered a divine ability that isn't afraid of it. Yin Water is water in the Gushing Ravine; it is inherently hidden water. Once suppressed, it thrives like a fish in water...'

In fact, Li Zhouwei had also seen Ding Weiz