Chapter 953: Counterattack

Intense brilliance surged in the sky, and Murong Yan’s expression drastically changed. The black qi in his hand rapidly retracted at an astonishing speed, a moment of hesitation flickering in his eyes.

Although all danger had suddenly shifted to the spiritual artifact in his hand, he immediately formed a countermeasure in his mind:“The best course would be to step forward… enter this gate with my body, then find an opportunity to escape using a divine ability!”

But the moment this thought arose, Li Zhouwei’s smile infinitely magnified in his pupils, instantly bringing a look of suspicion to his face:“If this were a one-on-one fight, I could easily go down there. But now things are quite different… In the heat of battle, circumstances change in an instant. If Chi Buzhi were nearby, or if Great Snow’s Absolute Edge sought an opportunity to eliminate me… wouldn’t that just ruin everything!”

This suspicion made him hesitate for a split second, but Li Zhouwei had already been waiting for this moment. The Gate of Heaven divine ability was perfected and extremely fast. With another moment of hesitation, how could Murong Yan possibly escape? He didn't even get the chance to enter the gate with his body!

In an instant, bright aura flared. Under the sky where various divine abilities converged, a brilliantly shining Gate of Heaven stood in the air. Within the gate, it was as if the morning sun was rising, bright white light shining, causing cultivators on both sides to lower their heads, daring not to look directly.

And beneath this Gate of Heaven, a small gray light point still trembled, like a demon lord suppressed by the Gate of Heaven, resisting unwillingly. Every now and then, it caused the Gate of Heaven to rise slightly, but it could no longer break free.

Murong Yan already stood far away in another spot, his face grim. His muscular arm was now empty!

“Gate of Heaven…”Murong Yan naturally knew how formidable this item was, but as a practitioner of the Water of Vixen divine ability, what he feared least was grinding suppression. Naturally, a hint of disdain arose in his heart. Now, feeling faint waves of heavy pressure emanating from the spiritual artifact, his expression also changed.

At the same time, waves of white light gushing from this Gate of Heaven surged like a tide, driving away Ning Wuchen’s dark light one by one, forming a distinct area within this Water of Vixen light.

Li Zhouwei stood atop the Gate of Heaven, feeling the slight vibration from beneath his feet. He subtly amplified its power, his long halberd pointing from across the void, glittering with light.

“I underestimated the domineering power of this Gate of Heaven! Even if I entered the gate, I wouldn’t be able to escape easily without the Water of Vixen divine ability, let alone a spiritual artifact!”

Caught off guard, he had lost his handy weapon. Murong Yan was both furious and alarmed, his expression growing even more somber. Rolling demonic energy swirled out from his sides, slowly forming a vast black qi disc behind him.

Streaks of black light transformed into swirling cloud-like qi, revolving around his body, like a giant hundred-tailed scorpion, displaying its countless poisonous stings, yet deeply concealing its true form.

“Heavy Cloud Mirage-Destroying Vixen Light!”

Golden light, however, flickered in Li Zhouwei’s eyes. Streaks of bright heavenly torrents gathered beside his body once again, rising to meet the attack.

Unfortunately, the Heavenly Torrent of Light was inherently not of high quality, and had been quickly formed. Naturally, it was difficult for it to confront these streaks of black qi. Although the streaky brilliance surged forward, it was forced back inch by inch by the black qi.

Li Zhouwei’s glabella, however, flickered between bright and dim. The Upper Sun Hidden Light, spanning across the sky, flashed and vanished. Like a dazzling firework, yet it precisely struck Murong Yan, who was hidden beneath layers of mist.

The surging black qi instantly paused, but everything was far from over. No matter how the opponent hid within the black qi, the Upper Sun Hidden Light always flashed and precisely attacked his true body, causing his spellcasting to halt.

For a time, white light constantly flickered in the sky, illuminating the black clouds erratically.

“Boom! Boom! Boom…”Although the Upper Sun Hidden Light was not fast enough to continuously keep up with Murong Yan, who was maneuvering within the black clouds and avoiding direct confrontation, it always managed to interrupt his spells, keeping his offensive constantly stalled.

After an unknown period, the spell finally weakened, and the swirling black clouds around Murong Yan dissipated. His face was grim, two fingers joined in front of him, his other hand raised forward. He had to sacrifice maintaining the Heavy Cloud Mirage-Destroying Vixen Light, finally gaining an opportunity to summon a streak of Vixen Water Demonic Light.

This light was black and heavy, like thick gauze, thriving as if in its natural element within Ning Wuchen’s domain. Yet it deliberately kept its distance, circling eerily. And Murong Yan, facing the incoming weapon, not only didn’t dodge but even pressed forward, dark light flickering in his eyes, looking even more ferocious.

A storm of golden light instantly erupted in the sky. He barely managed to brace the long halberd, the Great Ascension, between his hands. Boiling water vapor, accompanied by bright light, emerged from the point of contact. The surging demonic energy was consumed at an alarming rate.

Colors surged in his eyes. His large mouth suddenly expanded, splitting to between his ears. Rotating purplish-black light sank deep inside, swallowing all the bright light before him completely. At the same time, he wrapped the Great Ascension with swirling purplish-black demonic energy, obstructing its might.

The golden spearhead in the sky gently swayed, trembling slightly. Li Zhouwei flipped his hand, turned, and leaped up. Facing the purplish-black demonic energy rushing at him, he stepped with one boot onto the Great Ascension, causing the weapon’s long shaft to slightly bend. A bright radiance also began to gather at his glabella.

This gentle step, imbued with an unknown amount of divine power and magical energy, caused densely packed golden cracks to suddenly light up in Murong Yan’s hands. Two fingers were cleanly severed, flying into the air, causing his pupils to tremble slightly and abruptly widen.

But the power of the Great Ascension was far from exhausted. Today, it was no longer Li Zhouwei who was unarmed. The Mimicry Divine Wonder unexpectedly flared again, shining brilliantly.

Although the main body was still forcibly locked, that golden shadow, forcefully stepped on by Li Zhouwei, had already sprung its blade. It passed between his hands, directly penetrating into his throat, almost piercing through his neck.

The rapidly expanding enormous purplish-black vortex flickered faintly. Fortunately, Murong Yan’s cultivation was profound, and he managed to stubbornly maintain this spell. But the bright Upper Sun Hidden Light had arrived as scheduled!

“Sizzle…”Dazzling golden light flickered, and scorching radiance rushed forward. The golden brilliance was reflected in Murong Yan’s pupils. His spiritual sense continuously swept through the air, and he suddenly discovered that Li Zhouwei’s hand had already touched the Huayang King’s Axe!

“No good!”He reacted almost instantly. The purplish-black light in his mouth immediately halted and contracted, intending to withdraw. But what dimmed even faster was Li Zhouwei’s Upper Sun Hidden Light!

This person merely lightly brushed the Huayang King’s Axe, with no intention of picking it up at all. Instead, he raised his boot, turning a stomp into a kick, and heavily kicked the long handle.

“Bang!”Murong Yan had already withdrawn his spell, leaving the Great Ascension in his hand unrestricted. This kick sent the Great Ascension, imbued with intense bright light, piercing through him, finally slipping from his grasp. It was unknown how many fingers it severed, as it heavily impaled his heart and lungs.

“Pfft!”The golden light of Mimicry appeared on the halberd, but unexpectedly flickered bright then extinguished. Li Zhouwei’s eyes suddenly brightened, his hands already joined before his chest. He barely managed to grasp a speck of dark black Vixen Water Demonic Light, like a swimming fish!

“Gritch…”This demonic light slowly moved forward in his hands, emitting a grinding sound that set teeth on edge. Intense demonic energy spewed onto his face. Murong Yan seized the opportunity to cough up a bit of blood, his expression instantly regretful.

His spell having been seen through, he immediately changed his strategy. He deliberately pressed forward, grasping the opponent’s weapon, precisely for this moment… He hadn’t expected the opponent’s series of blows to be too strong, causing his spell to fail hastily!

Intense light exploded in Li Zhouwei’s hands. Streaks of demonic energy, piercing through the white light like blades, swept across. During the brief impact, the figures of the two vanished from their original positions again.

“Pfft.”Murong Yan reappeared, golden light flickering in his chest and abdomen, deep enough to see his internal organs. Both hands had lost their fingers, leaving only bare palms and stumps of white bone.

His expression showed no hint of pain. He silently flicked both hands; white bones regenerated, and flesh attached. He recovered in just a moment, and the wound between his chest and abdomen rapidly healed, temporarily concealing the golden light.

When it came to healing, as a Vixen Water demonic cultivator, only cultivators of the Horned Wood lineage could contend with him in the world. Furthermore, Horned Wood tended towards healing others, while Vixen Water leaned towards self-healing; under equal divine abilities, they would still fall short of him!

But there was no hint of triumph in his eyes; instead, a flicker of uneasy hesitation passed through them:“He chose to wound my chest… rather than pierce my Qi Sea…”

As he hesitated, Li Zhouwei also shook off the demonic energy from his palm. A misty white aura appeared in his palm, slowly healing his injuries. The Great Ascension quietly hovered beside him, four streaks of white light circling.

The moment the two confronted each other in the air, both seemed to see something amiss and an unspoken hint in the other’s eyes. Streaks of brilliant light had already descended from the sky. Maha, with a black serpent coiled around his body and a horse-like head, appeared out of thin air, several Golden Body figures hovering alongside him.

Daixi had already arrived!

Ning Wan silently manipulated the formation, resisting the Shi Lou Yingge alongside Zhusheng. They were already struggling under the opponent’s true fire. Now, with streaks of brilliant light breaking through the snow, her expression changed even more.

“Fellow Daoists, why have you come from the north!”This Maha’s loud laughter once again erupted from mid-air, instantly causing a chorus of shouts from the cultivators below. Unfortunately, Maha was inherently an unlikable character, and Daixi was among the most prominent of them. Murong Yan clearly frowned. Shi Lou Yingge, already fighting with ease, simply gave a cold glance.

But the expressions of the Southern cultivators had already changed. Li Zhouwei weighed the situation slightly in his mind, secretly frowning:“A bit too early, isn’t it…”

Daixi in the sky swept his gaze across the faces of the Northern cultivators, silently cursing in his heart:“What kind of people are these!”Daixi was a Maha of the Path of Emptiness. The Gao family had always harbored resentment. Although Shi Lou Yingge advocated restoring the family name, the clan feud was real! Why would they want his help? The Murong family, on the other hand, was the opposite. Their own Turbid Void Maha, Liang Li, and the foremost figure of the Path of Emptiness, Zhelu, were both supported by the Murong family to rise. They should have been extremely close… But Daixi knew his own affairs. Zhelu was absolutely unwilling to be a puppet controlled by the Murong family and the Path of Great Desire. In recent years, he had increasingly made his own arrangements… His (Daixi’s) position was more important; he truly didn’t dare to get involved!

Moreover, Daixi clearly recognized the White Kylin. Although he was immensely greedy, he was somewhat afraid to actually get involved. Great Snow’s Absolute Edge was formidable; he had already observed it early, swept a glance, and ultimately decided that this Fushui sword cultivator was easier to bully! So, he chuckled and descended on a cloud.

Chen’s cultivation was a step below Xindu. His ability to persist until now was entirely due to spending most of his life’s savings and the sharpness of the newly refined spiritual sword in his hand. The opponent also didn’t want to get injured and didn’t have much fighting intent. He just took a quick glance, and his heart immediately sank to its coldest point:“Why are they coming for me!”

The four Lianmin in the sky looked at each other, each pondering. After a moment of hesitation, they unanimously followed Daixi, descending on the wind.

Chen broke out in a cold sweat, feeling disaster looming!“This kind of formation, for me to block?!”

He unhesitatingly retracted his sword and retreated, empowered by the Fushui divine ability. But seeing this situation, Xindu would never let him leave. He secretly coveted the spiritual sword in Chen’s hand, and his greed surged:“No wonder they say Jiangnan is prosperous; even a seemingly unbacked sword cultivator can have his own spiritual sword! If I could seize this, who knows how much it could be exchanged for!”

So, with his divine ability activated, he eagerly pursued and clung tightly to Chen. Several Lianmin immediately encircled, preparing to form a formation to trap this person.

Only Daixi, with a smile on his face, dared not advance at all. He just watched furtively, constantly noting Ning Wan’s position.

No other reason, he was simply too afraid of Great Snow’s Absolute Edge!“I also need to be wary of the sword intent sealed within that spiritual artifact. Compared to these northerners, these few people in front of me might hate me even more… It’s better to let these immortal cultivators fight among themselves, as they have for a thousand years, and let them exhaust their own strength…”

Chen only had time to raise his hand, his spiritual sword sweeping upwards. Streaks of surging, icy white light emerged, merely deflecting the attacks of several people, which caused his face to turn pale and he almost vomited blood.

But the awkwardness of his situation was far from over. His hastily launched sword edge swept across, swiftly slicing through the white-robed demonic cultivator in front of him, splitting his spiritual body in two. Yet, the demonic cultivator’s expression remained unchanged, scattering and re-forming, then pouncing again.

Chen understood in his heart. Whether it was Xindu or Daixi, the reason they singled him out was simply because he had no trump cards and was easy to target, and having newly forged a spiritual sword naturally aroused their covetousness… But how many difficulties did Chen face?

Unlike Li Ximing, Chen’s divine ability was achieved when the Sun Path was strong, and he didn’t have as good a position as Xiao Chuting… In truth, he had long existed as an immortal clan figure of the Sun Path. Although this pressure had somewhat eased in recent years… the restraints on him were still far greater than on Li Ximing…

“I have no choice but to wade into this mess… After all, the sword in my hand was just refined with someone else’s materials… How could I refuse? But once my life is in danger, who will continue to guard the Sun Path for him!”

The fierce glint in his eyes grew thicker. He cast aside all other thoughts, raising his spiritual sword vertically with effort!“Hundred Lights Fractal Sword Art!”

The deep blue spiritual sword in his hand instantly split into eight. As he raised two fingers, these spiritual swords formed a massive arc around his body, collectively emitting white sword light. What lit up next were the old man’s pupils:

“Kill!”

This was a major tribulation that could cost him his life. Chen showed no reservation or hesitation, clearly having begun to fight with his life on the line. The eight spiritual swords shone with increasingly intense light, each as large as a door panel, protecting him in front. Weak water surged around him, sweeping away all magical wind divine abilities.

Chen naturally had some true skill, and the Fushui lineage was somewhat peculiar. At this moment, with a sudden full activation, the divine abilities beneath everyone’s feet were all swept away. The weak water beneath their feet exerted an endless pulling force, causing them to involuntarily plummet.

Just as the eight spiritual swords unleashed their full brilliance, something suddenly shot out from the void.

It was a purple alms bowl encircled by two black rims, its opening a dark void. The purple light had reached its extreme, suppressing all the weak water beneath! It was the Emptiness-Subduing Demonic Bowl!

Daixi’s treasure was originally refined to collect water and fire. It quickly controlled the Weak Water divine ability. Several cultivators reacted, activating their divine abilities together to break free!

“Good divine ability!”The first to break free was naturally Xindu. This demonic cultivator prioritized self-preservation in everything. The boots on his feet were surprisingly a spiritual embryo, shimmering with light inch by inch. He had broken free of the divine ability early, forming hand seals, greatly rejoicing in his heart!

“Indeed, there are good things to be gained by going south!”

His strength was already high, and now seeing an opportunity to seize a spiritual artifact, he was even more eager to act, holding nothing back. His eyes turned red, and two faint golden streams of light, like venomous bees, appeared in his pupils, flying towards Chen.

Chen’s divine ability operated at full power. Gritting his teeth, he surprisingly ignored everything, about to step into the void, when he saw the Emptiness-Subduing Demonic Bowl already suspended high in the void, a dazzling purple light rushing towards him.

“Pfft!”The situation rapidly deteriorated, clear hesitation flickered in Chen’s eyes. Even if he was momentarily anxious, at this moment he had to temporarily avoid the sharp edge. His spiritual sword swept back. But then he heard Xindu laugh:“Hand over the spiritual sword, and I won’t harm you!”

How could Chen agree? This sword was refined with spiritual materials from most of his life, and cost him many opportunities he’d gained and ancestral treasures. Even pawning the entire Chen clan wouldn’t be enough to match the price of this sword!

And though the other party laughed, all their divine abilities still rained down on him. The golden artifacts of the surrounding Lianmin also arrived one after another, making him vomit fresh blood again, his eyes slightly red, secretly gritting his teeth:“The more dangerous it is, the calmer I must be. Only by finding an opening can I leave safely, otherwise, it will just be continued fighting in the void!”

But just as he was struggling on all sides, he heard a commotion in the void: a halberd swept across the sky, purple flames rippled, and divine abilities raged!

Dense white divine power exploded on the halberd. Its crescent-like long blade hooked several golden artifacts at once. Chen’s pressure suddenly decreased. He looked at the person in front of him with some surprise. His divine ability, however, was not slow at all; he broke through the void again, and that dazzling purple light shone into his eyes once more.

This time, it wasn’t a pincer attack from front and back; the pursuers from behind were already being resisted. There was no need to fear them chasing closely. As long as he endured this light and suffered some minor injuries, he would surely be able to escape!

But Chen hesitated for a split second, his spiritual sword dimming then brightening again. In the end, he didn’t take that step. Instead, he swiftly extended his sword, clanging loudly as he blocked the divine ability piercing towards Li Zhouwei’s side.

Chen’s action also caused Li Zhouwei a moment of surprise, making him smile slightly. Without any hesitation, he abruptly exerted force with both arms. The halberd reversed, clanging free, its tip returning to a thrusting position. His pupils immediately locked onto Xindu!

This demonic cultivator clearly harbored a faint anger, unsure if it was directed at Murong Yan or Li Zhouwei. But the surging anger and greed immediately diminished as he weighed their respective strengths. If he couldn’t gain any advantage, why bother fighting this battle?

“Where is Murong Yan! He couldn’t even restrain him!”No sooner had he finished cursing in his mind than Murong Yan’s Ning Wuchen already covered him from afar. It turned out he had already become entangled in the celestial flames, going to suppress Zhusheng and the other person!

Xindu gazed gloomily at the two, but as Li Zhouwei turned his blade, a golden ring took the opportunity to break through the void, unexpectedly ensnaring Li Zhouwei. It was Daixi’s new treasure.

This golden ring was awe-inspiring, fluctuating in size in the air. It clanged as it snared the long blade of the Great Ascension, then suddenly tightened, swaying continuously. Li Zhouwei held the halberd with one hand, his weapon unexpectedly troubled by this item, unable to break free for a moment.

“Good!”Xindu was overjoyed and lunged towards Chen again!

Flames flickered in the sky. The sporadic snowfall that had originally enveloped the area finally dissipated, and white formation flags fluttered weakly in the air.

“Ning Wan and Zhusheng are struggling… The North wants to sweep everyone away… suppress everyone, or at least seize some things…”Li Zhouwei’s expression tightened as he raised his brows, placing the halberd beside him. The golden ring still couldn’t be shaken off for a moment; all its divine wonders were restrained, difficult to unleash again. His eyes suddenly became sharp. He swept a glance over Daixi, who was silently stepping into the void, and Xindu, who was nearby. A rumbling sound had already risen from the clouds.

The Gate of Heaven!

The power of this divine ability had only just begun to manifest. Several already cautious Lianmin beside him turned pale with shock. Even Daixi glanced with some apprehension, noticing the Huayang King’s Axe at Li Zhouwei’s waist.

After all, Li Zhouwei was a prominent figure now, especially among Buddhist cultivators. Which of them hadn’t thoroughly studied him? They immediately retreated. Xindu, seeing that he was once again the target, turned pale and let out an angry laugh.

“What concern is it of yours? I haven’t heard that your Li family is particularly close to the Chen family. You even let Murong Yan’s spiritual artifact go, just to ruin my good fortune!”

Daixi’s treasures were all occupied in the void. This Gate of Heaven was clearly focused on forcing retreat. Xindu reluctantly retreated, turning his head with some anger.

Only then did he realize that Li Zhouwei’s figure had suddenly burst out from the three-person encirclement, rushing right in front of him!

Xindu finally understood. So, he was being targeted because he lacked a strong background. Even though he knew Li Zhouwei’s lineage was prominent, being targeted repeatedly like this inevitably made him laugh in anger:“You think this Realized Being is easy to bully!”

His eyes suddenly brightened, white qi enveloped his face, and he directly used his trump card. Seizing the moment while the Gate of Heaven missed, he abruptly pounced, sneering:“Your spiritual artifact is confined, and your divine ability missed. Facing my divine ability, let’s see how you’ll deal with this!”

But Li Zhouwei seemed completely unfocused on his weapon being entangled. He stood coldly before Xindu, shook his sleeve, and actually flicked a painting open from thin air.

“What kind of spiritual artifact!”Xindu’s heart jolted. The white light in his hand had already been thrown with full power, but he found the painting in front of him to be ordinary. Although there was a faint hint of pure water qi, it had no magical radiance whatsoever; it merely depicted a person.

This person was also very unfamiliar: green robe, green hair, with a sinister appearance. He must be some kind of demon lord…

He thought it was to block a spiritual artifact, so he didn’t hold back his divine ability at all. It grandly shattered the painting, then crashed squarely into Li Zhouwei, sending him flying back over ten zhang and causing him to cough up blood.

“That’s it?”Xindu was slightly stunned, his first reaction was to scoff. But a cloud of suspicion quickly enveloped his mind. His gaze rapidly swept across the battlefield, meeting Murong Yan’s distant expression, which looked as if he had seen a ghost and was about to cry.

But the expression lasted only a moment. Murong Yan, the sky full of true fire, Shi Lou Yingge, and the drifting white snow had all already vanished, fleeing into the distance.

“Huh? Why are they flying on foot?”The hairs on his body stood on end, his spiritual sense flickered for an instant, and then he belatedly realized, a chill spreading from his head all the way down to his tailbone.

The void could not be connected to.

The few Lianmin below, still unaware, burst into mocking laughter in the air that made him want to vomit blood. It sounded particularly harsh in the quiet sky. He could only turn around with lightning speed, but his movement abruptly stopped.

His pupils dilated to their utmost, reflecting a pair of greenish-purple eyes, like those of a snake-dragon—they seemed to be sneering.