Chapter 247: Gathering of Heroes, Each with Their Battlefield

"How is this possible? Li Weiyi is fighting Luansheng Linyou back and forth, despite being a realm lower? If Luansheng Linyou is a 'Young Heavenly Emperor,' then what is Li Weiyi?""In his insect-controlling state, Li Weiyi is virtually invincible. If he were to reach the Seventh Sea, he alone could likely alter the entire course of the war.""Isn't he doing that already?"

Blood mist steamed from Li Weiyi's entire body as he advanced step by step, twin swords in hand, through streets littered with corpses and blood. Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Sovereigns, glowing with the brilliance of immortal earth, flew around him. He declared, "You don't seem as strong as I thought!"

After being repelled, Luansheng Linyou entered a state of profound clarity, his eyes devoid of all emotion. "I have always known that there is always someone stronger, a higher peak to conquer. I anticipated encountering opponents stronger than myself within the same realm, individuals who would serve as whetstones on my martial path."

"I considered every possibility, but I never imagined someone could cross an entire realm and still fight me to a standstill like this."

"Your Dao Body is incomplete, and your fifth-tier Qi remains unrefined. You still have considerable room for improvement in the Sixth Sea."

"You possess the legendary, mysterious physique, the one said to have no weaknesses because its Trace Meridians have been fully refined into gold, correct?"

Upon hearing this, every Legacy-level master present was profoundly shaken. Only top prodigies like themselves, who had experience with gold meridian refinement, truly understood the immense difficulty involved. If the number of Trace Meridians a martial artist cultivates is determined solely by their physical constitution and the potency of their breathing technique, then the number of gold meridians they can refine is similarly constrained. Once a martial artist reaches the limit of their physical constitution, no amount of resources can enable them to cultivate another.

"'No wonder this youth's combat power is so uncanny,' exclaimed Zang Jin. 'To defeat a pure immortal body with a mortal body, as easily as eating and drinking—it's likely the Young Venerable was correct in guessing he possesses a full-gold constitution.'"

The Soulless Golden Ape snorted. "A full-gold constitution only reigns supreme in the martial domain; its advantages are most pronounced in physical refinement. Once one reaches the Dao Seed realm, the importance of the Dao surpasses that of martial prowess."

Li Weiyi halted, asking, "Are we going to keep fighting, or what?"

Luansheng Linyou replied, "On the first day of the lunar new year, I declared that among the hidden dragons of this age, only you and I stood out. Back then, I admired your courage and your wisdom in navigating perilous situations. This current confrontation, in my view, still demands a strategic approach. I've already attempted to overpower you; it won't work!"

"With the aid of these seven mystical insects, you indeed possess the strength to challenge me."

"However, this is precisely your fatal flaw: those seven mystical insects cannot leave the battlefield. If they do, your entire insect army will be drawn away, rendering them useless."

Li Weiyi countered, "Do you believe you can abandon the battlefield? If you do, I will swiftly eliminate every master in the Far West Ash region."

Luansheng Linyou replied, "I have a contingent of twenty-eight Disaster Fire realm Grand Psionics currently suppressing Ge Xiantong. Should they intervene, your insect swarm would undoubtedly disintegrate. All things are interconnected and mutually restraining; no one can hope to be truly invincible."

Li Weiyi and Luansheng Linyou locked eyes, each recognizing the other's psychological vulnerability.

Luansheng Linyou immediately turned and sprinted towards the ash-covered area by the sea where Ge Xiantong was being suppressed.

Li Weiyi pursued him swiftly, and true to his fear, the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Sovereigns followed, drawing the entire insect swarm away from the main battle. His heart sank. "Luansheng Linyou is truly a terrifying opponent, not only for his cultivation but also his intellect. He's trying to force me into a one-on-one confrontation!"

Once Luansheng Linyou reached that ash-covered area by the sea, Ge Xiantong would likely perish quickly under the combined assault. Should Ge Xiantong fall, not only would the twenty-eight Disaster Fire realm Grand Psionics converge, but Ming Niansheng, Tantai Jing, and other masters from the Realm of the Deceased would also enter the fray. At that point, the entire situation would be lost.

In an instant, countless thoughts raced through Li Weiyi's mind.

Suddenly.

Mid-air, Zuoqiu Hongting, treading on a shower of petals and moving with meteor-like speed, shot directly towards the sea, intercepting Luansheng Linyou.

"It's her! How did she escape the Dragon Palace?"

Li Weiyi glanced back.

A thunderous roar echoed!

Thirty-six pillars of lightning, forming the Thunderstrike Array, descended from the sky, trapping the Dragon Palace within its confines. Electric light blazed, and thunder shook the heavens and earth.

Lu Cangsheng floated effortlessly, descending to rest upon the shoulder of the Thunder Division Deity's Combat Will, standing amidst the thirty-six Thunderstrike Arrays. He roared, "Li Weiyi, you are not the only heroes in this world; please retract that 'Two Eastern Insects' moniker! The Dragon Palace is now my responsibility; Luansheng Linyou is yours and Zuoqiu Hong's. Do not let me regret this decision today!"

It was Li Weiyi's audacious defiance in adversity, his fearless courage, and his twin swords driving back Luansheng Linyou that swayed Lu Cangsheng's resolve, prompting his early entry into the battle.

Watching the Thundercloud Sect martial artists charge into the fray, Li Weiyi let out a long, hearty laugh. "Tonight, Lu Cangsheng, I will definitely hold you in higher regard!"

"And us!"

"One final push; even with injured bodies, we can still fight!"

Cang Li, Jiang Ning, Zhu Yibai, Yin Jiu, and other figures, dragging their heavily injured and exhausted bodies, hastened towards the battlefield near Bingzuzu.

"Help me look after the seven little ones."

With these words, Li Weiyi picked up Yin Eleven and sped towards the coast.

Zuoqiu Hongting was severely wounded and could not possibly hold out long against Luansheng Linyou by herself.

Yin Eleven was gripped by terror, believing Li Weiyi intended to force him into the fight. "I'm just an ordinary Legacy-level martial artist…"

"I'm heavily injured!"

"My survival against Luansheng Linyou earlier was solely due to the sacrifice of the entire Hidden Gate of the Zuoqiu Household, which bought me a path to safety. Divine Hermit, you mustn't overestimate my abilities!"

Li Weiyi countered, "You're just heavily injured, but your internal Dharma Qi is abundant, unlike theirs."

Thud!

Upon reaching the coast, Li Weiyi dropped him to the ground. He then tossed the Ghost Banner to him. Yin Eleven, who had long heard of the Ghost Banner's formidable reputation, instantly transformed from despair to elation, clutching it tightly with immense excitement.

Li Weiyi instructed, "You won't be fighting Luansheng Linyou. Go rescue Ge Xiantong."

"Alright, I'll handle it," replied Yin Eleven. "But what about those seven mystical insects? If you leave, who will command and control them to lead the swarm in battle?" His worry was palpable.

A vision of an incomparably beautiful, ethereal figure appeared in Li Weiyi's mind. He let out a helpless sigh and headed towards Luansheng Linyou and Zuoqiu Hongting, who were locked in fierce combat.

"Now, it's up to me, Yin Eleven, to save the greatest master of the younger generation and rewrite the course of this entire battle!"

Wielding the battle banner, Yin Eleven surged forward, his dragon tail swaying with youthful vigor.

However, upon seeing the formidable lineup surrounding Ge Xiantong, Yin Eleven abruptly froze, his only thought to turn and flee. Before him were countless figures of departed spirits, dozens of Disaster Fire realm Grand Psionics, and even apex masters like Tantai Jing and Ming Niansheng. Within the formation, five more ghostly figures lurked. Each ghostly figure was a formidable powerhouse.

Yin Eleven could barely fathom how Ge Xiantong had managed to survive until this point. Was the 'greatest master' truly so resilient?

The seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Sovereigns, intelligent yet childlike, surprisingly rushed towards Jiang Ning and gathered around her once Li Weiyi departed. This, naturally, drew countless astonished gazes! Qi Xiao and Shi Shishi's eyes nearly popped out. After all, on the night of the twelfth lunar month, they had worried all night for Li Weiyi, fearing he would perish by Jiang Ning's sword. Yang Qingxi, standing behind Jiang Ning, gazed at the figure before her, feeling as though she were seeing her anew.

Jiang Ning couldn't spare a thought for the future implications at this moment. For now, she could only grit her teeth and command the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Sovereigns to split into seven divisions, causing utter chaos among the martial artists of the Far West Ash region, their ranks decimated, and their shrill screams reverberating throughout the city.

Long Ting, stepping on a wisp of cloud, flew to the top of the Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion. He took out a two-foot-long bone flute and began playing a low, resonant melody. Amplified by Dharma Qi, the flute's mournful sound spread throughout the entire South City. The sound waves permeated the insect swarm. Immediately, some of the lower-intelligence soldier-tier fierce insects became agitated, ignoring the commands of the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Sovereigns and indiscriminately attacking all martial artists.

"'Deploy high-grade Dharma artifacts to suppress and eliminate the seven mystical insect larvae; the insect swarm will then collapse on its own.'"

The Soulless Golden Ape, clad in armor and protected by Dharma Qi, fearless of the insect swarm's assault, charged rapidly towards Bai Shu at the center of the swarm. It had observed that Bai Shu was controlling numerous general-tier fierce insects, maintaining order within the swarm.

"'Soulless Golden Ape,' roared Shi Shishi, rushing to intercept it, 'the members of my Earth Wolf King Army are not to be trifled with!'"

"You, alone?"

The Soulless Golden Ape paid Shi Shishi no heed. A mere mortal, and only just entering the Seventh Sea, with such meager strength… it merely indicated a severe lack of talent within the Earth Wolf King Army, where anyone could claim the title of Dharma King.

"'That's right, just me. Since this is the final battle anyway, it's time to unleash my ultimate desperate measure!'"

As Shi Shishi ran, ancient scriptures appeared on his skin, and his body began to swell, growing proportionally and tearing through his clothes. Soon, he towered even larger than the Soulless Golden Ape. Still growing…

"'You are… of the Ancient Immortal Giant bloodline…'"

"'I've never truly felt full before, but today, I've had a third of a meal, and that should be more than enough to deal with you.'"

Shi Shishi unleashed a colossal punch, relentlessly driving the Soulless Golden Ape backward. His sheer physical strength as a giant, independent of his cultivation, was already immensely formidable. In the past, he had relied on the scriptures adorning his body to conceal his true bloodline form, suppressing his gigantic stature to that of a normal human.

Long Ting, standing atop the Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion, suddenly felt a powerful gust of wind behind him. He immediately ceased playing and turned to look. He saw. A dragonfly over six meters long was flying toward him, its wings thrumming with an incredibly loud roar. Long Ting recognized it as the mystical insect cultivated by Zuoqiu Ting, named 'Zuoqiu Qingting.'

Thump, thump!

After several exchanges, Long Ting found himself gaining little advantage and was secretly astonished. He never imagined a mere insect could possess such formidable combat power. Bright light erupted from the dragonfly's abdomen, and it spewed forth countless beams of light from its mouth, forcing Long Ting to immediately leap from the Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion. He teleported, moving towards the battlefield below.

The next moment.

Three incredibly swift figures—one wielding a staff, another a ruler, and the third twin swords—fought, paused, spun, and moved across the upturned eaves and corners of each level of the Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion, battling their way up to its very peak. The Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion was, in fact, a scripture artifact inscribed with ten thousand characters, imbued with seven thousand array patterns. At this moment, all these scriptures and array patterns emerged in brilliant, swirling rings, magnificent and beautiful, shining even brighter than the full moon in the night sky.