Chapter 251: It’s Back

A ray of light surged from Zuoqiu Hongting’s glabella, pushing back like a shimmering screen. Instantly, the immortal feather burned, and Luansheng Linyou was thrown back without any resistance, his body turning into a fireball as he plunged into the sea. The entire sea area boiled continuously.

Li Weiyi and Ge Xiantong exchanged glances, both looking at Zuoqiu Hongting. This trump card… no wonder she had been holding back, not daring to use it; this item no longer seemed to be of this world.

The light from Zuoqiu Hongting’s glabella dissipated, revealing a face as pale as porcelain, her vitality seeming to drain away in an instant. “Li Weiyi,” she said, “it’s fair now, isn’t it? You fully assisted my Zuoqiu Sect at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, and to save you… I also exposed the secret I least wanted to reveal… I truly gave it my all…” Her body went limp and she began to sink into the water.

With a flash, Li Weiyi instantly rushed over, embraced her, and checked for breath and pulse. Thankfully, she was just exhausted!

On Taoli Mountain, the elder powerhouses from various major forces remained silent for a long time, then let out a collective sigh of relief. Luansheng Linyou’s strength, mental state, and wisdom were all exceptional, and the power he wielded was immense. Winning against him was truly difficult. Both sides had given their all.

Soon, the relaxed elder powerhouses thought of Luansheng Linyou’s immortal feather and the fragmented lamp in Zuoqiu Hongting’s spiritual glabella.

“That must be the immortal feather left by Yujia, containing immortal scriptures and ancient immortal power; it’s an unsurpassed treasure.”

“If only one could comprehend the immortal scriptures on it, it would greatly aid cultivation.”

Someone asked the old man in Confucian robes, “Hongting’s lamp isn’t simple, is it? Even the immortal feather couldn’t block it.”

The old man in Confucian robes looked solemn and sighed deeply. “Since it has been exposed, there’s nothing to hide. It’s a supreme artifact, but it’s damaged. The Zuoqiu Sect has tried many methods but couldn’t repair it. It can only be slowly nurtured by this young Heavenly Scion of my Zuoqiu Sect!”

Exclamations of astonishment rang out. That was a supreme artifact; even damaged, it still held unparalleled value and extraordinary power. It should be known that there are fewer than ten supreme artifacts in the entire Lingxiao Realm, each with a name. They represent the strongest foundation of a faction; once unleashed, even transcendent beings would have to flee for their lives.

A supreme artifact represents the ultimate in the realm of artifacts. Like a dragon among men, supreme among artifacts.

“The Zuoqiu Sect already has one supreme artifact, and now it has another; truly, destiny favors them,” someone said, deliberately staring at the Second Palace Lord’s carriage.

The old man in Confucian robes quickly explained, “It’s just a damaged artifact. If it could be repaired, how could it be given to a junior to wield?”

Another person said, “This Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival will certainly be talked about even a thousand years from now. It was extraordinary: a mortal genius with a complete golden spiritual trace, a supreme martial artist with a pair of immortal eyes, a dragon-phoenix scion wielding an immortal feather, and Zuoqiu Hongting commanding a supreme artifact. Any one of them, standing alone, could dominate an era.”

“Long Dian, Lu Cangsheng, Tang Wanqiu, Cang Li, and Zhu Yibai are actually very strong too. Given time, they will surely become pinnacles among mortal martial cultivators, but unfortunately, they were overshadowed by those four.”

At this moment, many finally understood why the Du’e Temple valued Zuoqiu Hongting and Luansheng Linyou. As for who would win the title of Hidden Dragon, there were still variables. After all, Li Weiyi’s performance was quite impressive. If Du’e Temple still favored the power behind Luansheng Linyou, they might resort to a divisive scheme.

The younger generation fought desperately, like pawns, and everything became clear. However, the battles among the older generation were full of unpredictable twists and turns; their true intentions and the external circumstances were shrouded in mist, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood.

The seabed turned green, radiating brilliant colorful light, forming a whirlpool that released a terrifying energy aura. With a whoosh and a flash, twelve patrol envoys immediately rushed over.

With a splash, Luansheng Linyou burst out of the water, his green wings on his back a size larger, hovering dozens of yards above the ground. His charred skin developed a crack, which quickly spread, becoming a dense network of fissures. From these cracks, dazzling colorful light burst forth. His old shell was completely shed. The aura and energy emanating from his new body were so powerful, like a towering divine mountain, creating an unshakeable presence.

Ge Xiantong’s gaze deepened: “How formidable Luansheng Linyou is! Not only has his Qi Sea reached perfection, but he has also crossed the Great Dao in a single stride, instantly entering the Dao Seed Realm. No wonder he survived that previous power; he broke through!”

Li Weiyi said, “Could it be that he already possessed a Dragon Seed?”

“That possibility cannot be excluded,” Ge Xiantong admitted. Based on his own understanding and experience with the Dao Seed Realm, it would take at least several days to complete the ‘planting’ of the Dao and initially consolidate the realm without the aid of a Dragon Seed. Luansheng Linyou broke through too quickly.

The patrol envoy from Du’e Temple who had been accompanying Li Weiyi spoke up: “Breaking through to the Dao Seed Realm means automatically forfeiting the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival. Luansheng Linyou, present the three kinds of tokens you possess to the opponent who forced you to break through.”

Zuoqiu Hongting had woken up but was very weak, only able to remain standing while enveloped by Li Weiyi’s spiritual energy.

The immortal feather in Luansheng Linyou’s hand was damaged, with only the immortal scriptures still radiating light. He looked at Zuoqiu Hongting: “You possess such a treasure; losing to you is no injustice!” He retrieved a stack of invitations from his Ancestral Field and tossed them towards the three. He spread his azure fire wings and flew towards the Dragon Palace.

The twelve patrol envoys chased after him, worried that Luansheng Linyou might break the rules.

Li Weiyi swept away the stack of invitations with his spiritual energy.

Ge Xiantong kept tapping his fingers, assessing his current state, eventually restraining himself and sighing inwardly. He truly wanted to befriend people like Li Weiyi and Zuoqiu Hongting, but as they served different masters, they were destined to be adversaries.

Dong! On Taoli Mountain, the second bell rang.

“Brother Weiyi, tonight, on Shangyuan, you two have become the biggest winners. Congratulations! Even if we are both conferred the title of Hidden Dragon, I, Ge, am utterly convinced. Luansheng Linyou actually flew towards the Dragon Palace; shall we go see?” Ge Xiantong said.

Li Weiyi felt uneasy. He wanted to secure his gains quickly and obtain the Longevity Elixir, Dragon Seed, and Dragon Bone as soon as possible. So, he nodded, enveloped Zuoqiu Hongting, and headed towards the Dragon Palace.

Ge Xiantong said, “This Dragon Palace is said to be where the Flying Dragon once lived. When Fog Emperor fought against it, Du’e Temple most likely plundered its home. I suspect all the wealth and treasures collected by the Flying Dragon definitely ended up in Du’e Temple’s coffers.”

Li Weiyi looked at the island-sized immortal turtle and then at the magnificent and beautiful complex of palaces on its back, naturally marveling. He decided to find time to ask Zenhai Guanwu about her entanglement with Du’e Temple and the events of that bygone era.

Zuoqiu Hongting said, “Do you see it now? Du’e Temple has always favored the far Western Ash Region, believing Luansheng Linyou would win. Dragon Seeds and Dragon Bones are more valuable to him, given his Flying Dragon bloodline. Presenting the Dragon Palace is more like returning something to its rightful owner, to create momentum for him.”

Ge Xiantong nodded, “Unfortunately, we are the winners.”

“Do you feel an unusual aura?”

Li Weiyi frowned and looked up. Above them, ominous dark clouds rolled in densely from the south, rapidly engulfing the clear sky and bright moon. The night wind grew stronger!

Luansheng Linyou, who had flown outside the Dragon Palace, looked south, gazing at the luminous barrier of the city’s protective array, which stretched for miles across the sea and connected heaven and earth. He said, “I have failed; I have let down your expectations.”

Those shimmering layers of light represented the strongest defense of Qiuzhou City. Everyone sensed an extraordinary aura.

Just as everyone was wondering who Luansheng Linyou was speaking to, opposite the shimmering barrier, two colossal black figures appeared out of thin air. One stood on the sea to the left, and the other flew in the air to the right. The black figure standing on the sea resembled a lion-tiger from a shadow puppet play. The black figure flying in mid-air had wings that stretched to the eastern and western horizons.

Whoosh! As the dark clouds devoured the bright moon, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky and earth. Its brilliant light illuminated the entire Bingzu Marsh, and the whole land of Qiuzhou shimmered briefly. This lightning bolt illuminated the two black figures on the other side of the city’s protective barrier.

A Qilin and an Azure Luan, like beings from myth and legend, had descended. The Qilin stood on the sea, too vast to be described as a mountain, its body appearing forged from ten thousand metals of different colors, erupting with unparalleled colorful light. The Azure Luan was covered in flames, its wings like clouds descending from the sky.

The lightning vanished, and the Qilin and Azure Luan reverted to two black silhouettes; heaven and earth returned to silence.

The next moment, deafening thunder, along with the terrifying aura of the Qilin and Azure Luan, surged forth simultaneously, sweeping overwhelmingly towards Qiuzhou City. Rumble! The waters of Bingzu Marsh rose in waves dozens of yards high, threatening to strike the firmament.

Long Ting and Li Shengtong rushed out of the Dragon Palace like lightning. The immortal turtle let out a long cry, and countless anomalous scriptures surged from its body, enveloping itself and the Dragon Palace. Then, it soared into the air, like a flying immortal island, rushing towards Taoli Mountain for refuge.

The change happened too fast, in merely the time it takes for a lightning bolt to flash. There was no time to escape at all. The terrifying aura of the Qilin and Azure Luan spread within the city’s protective array, instantly impacting the nearest young martial cultivators. Almost all the young martial cultivators were severely injured; just the pressure of the aura caused many to collapse, their spirits and wills unable to withstand it. This included the severely injured Zuoqiu Hongting and Ge Xiantong, who also fell backward.

Whoosh! Li Weiyi, facing the wind and waves, supported himself with all his might, continuously injecting spiritual energy into his Bloodhand Demonic Armor, barely managing to withstand the pressure. Yet, he felt an immense terror in his heart, a sensation of being adrift in a storm, as if he could be torn to shreds at any moment.

Whoosh——In the distance, a colossal palm pressed against the shimmering barrier of Qiuzhou City’s protective array, causing it to constantly twist and indent, as it reached out for the immortal turtle fleeing towards Taoli Mountain. Even before the palm broke through the shimmering barrier, it had already locked the immortal turtle in mid-air. It was as if space solidified and time stopped, its power unparalleled.

Li Weiyi gritted his teeth, his gaze following the colossal palm in the sky, feeling that if the city’s protective barrier broke, his own scalp might explode along with it.

At that moment, the voice of Zenhai Guanwu came to his ears: “It has returned! Fortunately, it has not yet reached the level of a Martial Dao Emperor. In this battle, I hope they can withstand it…”