Chapter 337: Confrontation with Long Xiangcen

A vertical spiritual eye, incredibly divine, floated outside the golden smiling Buddha mask, seeing through all illusions.

Long Xiangcen met Li Weiyi's gaze, feeling as though she was exposed under the scorching sun, her entire body laid bare. It was as if all her secrets were open to his perception.

"Let's stop here today!" she said. "If we continue fighting, we'll surely alarm the various martial artists in the Heavenly Pavilion."

Li Weiyi didn't intend for this, but fighting her with his Heaven-Opening Eye made it genuinely difficult for him to maintain a peaceful and natural state of mind. He was at a complete disadvantage and was sure to lose today.

The star-trail patterns released by the Myriad Staff-Spear covered his entire body.

Li Weiyi thrust his spear forward.

"Swish!"

A crimson-gold beam of light shot from the spear tip, piercing through the five layers of the Dao Heart Outer Manifestation one by one, and flew directly towards the formation light barrier above the courtyard wall.

If he could break it, Long Xiangcen and the demon martial artists would be the ones to worry.

Just as the beam was about to hit the formation barrier, a green dragon scale, the size of a cattail leaf fan, appeared in front of it.

Then came the second, then the third...

"Boom! Boom..."

Long Xiangcen used seven dragon scales to fully block the beam's power.

"You've had your fun, but I haven't even started."

She was clearly seven zhang away, but by the time the second word sounded, she had appeared beside Li Weiyi, her speed terrifyingly fast.

Her five fingers formed a claw!

Her fingernails gleamed with golden light, leaving four claw marks.

Li Weiyi's protective spiritual light truly seemed like just a layer of light, unable to block her claw marks in the slightest.

"Qian!"

Li Weiyi, using his spiritual power, chanted "Qian," one of the nine characters of the Six Jia Secret Incantation.

The Golden Crow flames on his body flickered intensely, blazing blindingly.

In the next instant, he appeared ten zhang away.

His left arm ached, hit by Long Xiangcen's claw marks. Three white marks appeared on the left sleeve of his invisibility cloak, its invisibility completely ruined, and three bloody marks appeared on the back of his hand. If he had been wearing ordinary clothes, his left arm would have been severely wounded.

Only then did the two words "start" drift into Li Weiyi's ears.

Her speed was incredibly fast, and her cultivation profoundly deep.

"'Fire Escape Grand Art, Yan Flash?'" Long Xiangcen was very surprised to see her attack fail.

It wasn't Yan Flash, but the Six Jia Secret Incantation.

Li Weiyi had encountered the nine characters of the Six Jia Secret Incantation as a child, but had only considered them a type of spell.

It wasn't until he reached the Dao Seed Realm and activated the Yellow Dragon Sword, with the nine characters of the Six Jia Secret Incantation appearing on its blade, that he began to study them.

The nine characters were all ancient, imbued with a sense of mystery.

Later he discovered that by combining them with spiritual power, he could unleash various miraculous techniques.

The character "Qian" could not only unleash fire-element escape techniques but all five-element escape techniques.

When encountering fire, he could use fire escape.

When encountering water, he could use water escape.

"Whoosh!"

Long Xiangcen activated the Dharma Qi within her Dao Heart Outer Manifestation, forming countless white silk sashes to entangle and restrict Li Weiyi's speed. Alternatively, the sashes could transform into white dragons and launch direct attacks.

Li Weiyi knew her power well and refrained from directly clashing with her, knowing that a prolonged battle would lead to certain defeat.

The Myriad Staff-Spear in his hand spun once, and he swung it towards the courtyard wall. The courtyard wall collapsed with a crash, causing the residence's formation to violently shake.

With that single strike, the entire Heavenly Pavilion shook and the ground trembled.

Inside the Heavenly Pavilion, countless martial artists turned their gaze towards the source, all knowing that a battle had broken out.

An elder of the Heavenly Pavilion flew out and appeared outside the courtyard.

To unleash that spear strike, Li Weiyi's speed momentarily slowed, and he paid the price. His wrists, the Myriad Staff-Spear, his neck, waist, and legs were all entangled by the Dharma Qi white silk sashes. Long Xiangcen flew towards him and struck a claw towards his face with extreme ruthlessness.

If hit, his entire head would be shattered.

Li Weiyi had no choice but to activate the second layer of the Six Truths Burning Karma Art, the Karma-Burning Millstone. Fully combining his martial arts and spiritual power, he collided with the incoming Long Xiangcen.

"Boom!"

Li Weiyi was flung backward, crashing through another courtyard wall.

Seizing this opportunity, he activated the Myriad Staff-Spear in his hand and pierced through the formation barrier. With a thud, he fell outside the courtyard, causing a rockery to collapse and the ground to indent.

Long Xiangcen's iridescent robe was largely burned away by the flames of the Karma-Burning Millstone. Her white porcelain doll-like body, with the exception of a few vital areas, was almost entirely exposed.

Her eyes were cold and chilling, and she dared not pursue him out of the courtyard.

This was partly because she didn't want her current alluring state to be seen by countless people, and also because she feared her identity and whereabouts would be exposed.

Long Xiangcen transmitted her voice with Dharma Qi to Li Weiyi: "Brother Zuo Ning, let's stop here today. I won't expose you, and you mustn't reveal me. Let's just pretend nothing happened. Guess how many demon powerhouses are gathered in Leiling City right now? If you dare to shout out the secrets in this courtyard, the final outcome will definitely be your death. Our plan might be damaged, but we can still leave calmly."

Li Weiyi stood up, holding his spear, his gaze sweeping around. He saw numerous martial artists, their eyes filled with curiosity.

He knew very well that Long Xiangcen was definitely not exaggerating, because the demon race's attack on Lingxiao City was already imminent.

Long Xiangcen seemed to be letting him leave.

However, as soon as Li Weiyi left the public's sight, the demon powerhouses in the shadows would certainly assassinate him immediately to silence him.

Tuoba Butuo and Qi Xiao appeared nearby, hiding in the shadows under the eaves.

To everyone's surprise, Li Weiyi brushed the dust off his body, complained, "It was just a spar, why such heavy blows?" and then, holding his staff-spear, walked back into the courtyard's formation light barrier.

"Head towards the ferry, wait for me outside the city."

Li Weiyi's spiritual message entered the ears of Tuoba Butuo and Qi Xiao.

The two quickly put away their magic tools and swiftly left the Heavenly Pavilion.

Long Xiangcen draped a loose white robe over herself, appearing like a celestial maiden untouched by mortal dust, and was startled by Li Weiyi walking back in.

Four demon experts stood as if facing a great enemy, glaring at him like tigers.

"I was just itching for a fight, merely testing your strength," Li Weiyi said. "I am Sikong Jingyuan, the Fifth Divine Son of the Dao Cult." He held the spear in one hand, while the other was behind his back, preparing to take a gamble.

He gambled that Long Xiangcen had never met Sikong Jingyuan.

After all, Sikong Jingyuan often trained in the Realm of the Undead and was a rising expert of the Dao Cult.

Long Xiangcen paused for a moment, then covered her mouth and chuckled. "You already used the name Sikong Jingyuan on the boat, and you want to use it again? You know that once you leave the Heavenly Pavilion, you'll surely die, which is why you came back to gamble, isn't it?"

Li Weiyi sneered, "Long Xiangcen, you've been famous for twenty years, and this is all you know? You don't even recognize my Dao Cult's Grand Art, the Six Truths Burning Karma Art?"

Long Xiangcen's eyes narrowed as she carefully recalled the Karma-Burning Millstone he had just displayed, and a look of realization flashed across her face.

"The thirty people in the coffins," Li Weiyi said, "were brought out of my Dao Cult's divine prison by Luan Sheng Lin You just five days ago."

A demon martial artist at the Dao Seed Realm's Fourth Heaven, who had previously followed Luan Sheng Lin You to the Dao Cult's main headquarters, quickly transmitted a message with Dharma Qi into Long Xiangcen's ears.

A strange gleam appeared in Long Xiangcen's eyes as she re-examined the mysterious man in the golden mask before her. "Words alone are not proof!" she said. "If you are a Divine Son of the Dao Cult, why are Dao Cult martial artists chasing you?"

"Who doesn't have a few enemies?" he retorted. "Don't you have rivals in the demon race?"

Li Weiyi took out a Divine Son's Life Token and casually tossed it to her, then looked at the thirty coffins. "You demons are truly formidable!" he said. "Our cult thought you intended to send Ash Spirits to hide within their human skins. I never expected you'd bring so many experts from the Realm of the Undead."

A demon martial artist said in a deep voice, "This must be the true reason His Highness, the Divine Son, disguised himself as Lord Longting to investigate, isn't it?"

Traces of Li Weiyi's blood still remained under Long Xiangcen's fingernails, identical to the blood essence in the Divine Son's Life Token, dispelling all doubt in her heart. She stomped her foot lightly and chided playfully, "Hmph, why are you so mischievous? I almost killed you! How would I explain that to the Dao Ancestor then?"

"It wouldn't go so far as to alarm the Dao Ancestor!" he said. "I am the son of the Lord of the Withered Glory Hall, and my father would certainly avenge me."

Li Weiyi took the token from Long Xiangcen's hand, then seized her slender wrist and used his spiritual light to purify the bloodstains from her fingernails. "This Divine Son has another secret mission," he said, "and if today's events are leaked, the demon race will be entirely responsible."

"If our secrets are leaked!" Long Xiangcen retorted, "Your Highness, the Divine Son, you won't be able to bear the consequences either."

After threatening him thus, Long Xiangcen smiled charmingly. "Your Highness is so young, yet your spiritual power cultivation and martial arts cultivation have both reached extremely high levels, truly earning Xiangcen's admiration. How about we both return to the City Lord's Manor together?"

"I'm afraid Brother Taishi might misunderstand."

What Li Weiyi actually feared was Luan Sheng Lin You and Longting returning and exposing his identity. He then added, "I have an important mission to complete in Lingxiao City, so I won't accompany you!"

"Oh, and by the way, I know you demons want to silence me," he continued. "But my companions are already hidden outside the city. If I die here, how will you explain it to the Divine Cult?"

With that said, Li Weiyi put the Myriad Staff-Spear into his Ancestral Field and quickly walked out of the courtyard.

Long Xiangcen watched his retreating back, the smile fading from her face. "It seems the Twin Dao Cult's internal structure is full of factions," she mused. "This person's talent is extraordinary. His spiritual power and martial arts, when unleashed, yield combat power no less than that of an ordinary Dao Seed Realm Fifth Heaven cultivator."

"I'll leave this place to you. Transfer everything quickly."

Li Weiyi immediately left the city, not daring to linger for even a moment.

Even within the Dao Cult, he had enemies everywhere and few trustworthy individuals, let alone allies.

As long as it could be done without anyone knowing, silencing witnesses was the best way to hide secrets.

After reuniting with Tuoba Butuo and Qi Xiao, the three concealed their presences and quickly entered the mountains, intending to travel along the Xushan Sky Vein towards Nanyanguan Pass.

"Long Xiangcen's cultivation is at least at the Dao Seed Realm's Fifth Heaven," Li Weiyi sighed to the two, "placing her at the level of the Nine Fasting King. I couldn't even withstand a single move from her and couldn't gauge the full extent of her power."

Qi Xiao was greatly startled. "The person who drove you out was actually her. Is she involved with the demon race?"

"More than just involved."

Li Weiyi recalled the scene of Long Xiangcen sitting on Luan Sheng Lin You's lap and felt sorry for Taishi Bai, vowing to warn him if the opportunity arose.

Tuoba Butuo glanced at Li Weiyi with a complex look in his eyes. "Brother Weiyi already possesses the ability to exchange blows with her," he said. "That's what truly shocks me."

"The demon race has grand ambitions," Li Weiyi remarked, "and is cooperating with the Realm of the Undead, and their cooperation must be very deep. Eh, this is..."

Li Weiyi stopped using his movement technique and descended from the treetops to the ground.

Before them were originally endless mountains, dense with pines and cypresses, stretching boundlessly. Yet, suddenly, a vast black desert appeared.

The sand was as fine as dust, and when blown by the wind, bright sparks appeared, dancing in the valley.

"It's an Ash Region, there's an Ash Spirit powerhouse nearby!"

Li Weiyi's pupils contracted, and he quickly retreated into the dense forest. One must know that an Ash Region is the Dao Heart Outer Manifestation of an Ash Spirit powerhouse, burning all surrounding matter into dust and sparks.

"Rumble!"

A deafening peal of thunder came from deep within the valley, causing the surrounding peaks to shake.

An avalanche followed.

"Two powerful forces are clashing," Li Weiyi exclaimed, "most likely an Ash Spirit powerhouse and a prominent figure from the Thundercloud Sect. Tuoba, how did you lead us? You haven't led us into the Thirty-Six Thunder Tombs, have you?"

The three ran frantically, wanting only to get as far away as possible.