Chapter 1345: Suppress (II)

Kuiqi said nothing. Suddenly, the golden light flickered as a sinister beast bone dagger descended from the great void and smashed into it, kicking up a wave of energy.

At the same time, a man in a pale golden daoist robe appeared. Heavenly light shimmered between his brows as a snow white, dazzling beam of Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light, carrying intense purple fire, burst forth from the great void and struck the golden light with overwhelming force.

Buzz!

The golden light immediately began to flicker between bright and dim. Only then did the three Merciful Ones realize and rush closer, just in time to see a gray-haired man clad in black robes patterned with countless eye-like spots appear. He held a small white jade hammer and struck the blade hilt with a clear ding.

Clang!

Daoist Master Luo truly had real skill. The golden light shivered as it was forced to reveal its true form. It was an eight-armed dharma wheel, entirely golden, hollow at the center, and inlaid with all kinds of precious gems.

Yet this single strike seemed to disturb something more. A chorus of chanting arose within the great void, and three golden-bodied Merciful Ones emerged from the formation. The leader even had an eye growing between his brows and carried great authority.

All three wore calm expressions as they shouted, "Vile demon!"

An old demon like Daoist Master Luo would never suffer such a loss. He had prepared long ago and transformed into a gust of gray wind the instant the hammer fell, causing the three Merciful Ones to grasp at empty air.

Li Ximing was farther away. When he saw three golden bodies suddenly appear, he immediately rode his light away, purple flames trailing behind him to block the radiance shining toward him.

Daisi still had enough leeway while dueling Chen Yin to observe the situation. When he saw a Bright Yang cultivator appear, he felt both shocked and confused and cried out in alarm, "Li Ximing!"

He has returned from the outer-sea? Where is Changxiao?!

The expressions of the three Merciful Ones changed almost simultaneously. Seven eyes across their three golden bodies all turned toward Li Ximing at once, filled with strange astonishment and even a tinge of greed. Without prior agreement, all three abandoned the gray wind and pursued Li Ximing’s position.

"Remnants of Wei and Li, barely clinging to life, and you still dare come north. Hurry and meet your death!"

Daisi had been watching the situation closely. The appearance of Daoist Master Luo nearly made his jaw drop, and realization finally dawned on him,

Damn it. These cultivators really know how to act!

Fortunately, the retreating Daoist Master Luo was being blocked by his own Merciful Ones, allowing the Maha to breathe a sigh of relief. Only then did he look toward Li Ximing. Unlike the excitement of those three Merciful Ones, Daisi felt a chill the moment he saw their expressions.

He cultivates the Heaven-Venerating Gate. Merciful Ones are already clumsy by nature, and these three fools have not even reached the Enlightened Wisdom Seat. They are actually charging straight at him!

Forget it. Even if they cannot gain the upper hand, it will be enough to hold that radiant pass back.

This was Li Ximing’s first time fighting a Merciful One. Unable to gauge the strength of those behind him, he merely flicked his sleeve and rode light and flame forward. Heavenly light surged between his brows as the Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light lit up once again.

The brilliant Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light did not strike the three-eyed Merciful One at the center. Instead, it shifted slightly and shot like a streak of light toward the Merciful One who was a step slower, forcing him to raise his sword to meet it.

Sizzle!

Flames burst apart. Li Ximing’s Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light, cultivated for many years, precisely struck the flat of the opponent’s dharma sword. It deflected slightly and, unlike before, did not dissipate but instead rebounded and shot toward the opponent’s face.

The Merciful One only had time to tightly shut his eyes and lower his head slightly, using his cheek to receive the Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light. The bright white glow barely pierced his left cheek, melting a finger-sized hole through it.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Li Ximing gained a bit more confidence.

The leader is hard to judge, but the two on either side are clumsy. Without Purple Mansion Realm divine abilities supporting them, their only advantage is a tougher dharma body. They are not even as good as Fuxia from the lake back then!

In Li Ximing’s view, these so-called golden bodies were only slightly stronger than Purple Mansion Realm cultivators who specialized in techniques and divine abilities. They were about on par with himself. If Fuxia’s Wrathful Manifestation had not died back then, he would have been among the top Merciful Ones and naturally beyond comparison.

With his confidence greatly increased, Li Ximing raised his hand. A round bead appeared in his palm, engraved with the pattern of a fierce tiger turning its head. It was the Mountain-Charging Sea-Pacing Tiger.

Soft, threadlike earthen-yellow light immediately emerged and stood before him like a painted screen, directly meeting the short staff hurled forward by the three-eyed Merciful One!

Thud!

The Mountain-Charging Profound Veil had been of little use before Changxiao, but it held firm against this Merciful One. Though its glow dimmed, it managed to withstand the blow. Li Ximing seized the moment and brought two fingers together before his lips, mobilizing his divine ability flames. Seeing his stance, the two opponents sought to prevent him from unleashing it freely, striking from front and back as they swung their weapons down at him.

The Mountain-Charging Profound Veil blocked another sword strike and finally shattered. A golden hammer smashed down with overwhelming force, yet Li Ximing nudged himself aside with heavenly light. A pale yellow membrane seemed to form over his body, deflecting the dharma artifact away. Only a slight ache spread through his wrist, and there was no real injury at all.

This was precisely the second marvelous effect of the Mountain-Charging Sea-Pacing Tiger, Stable Earth Spirit Absorption. Li Ximing urged his flames forward, parting his lips slightly as he exhaled a stream of fire.

The flames were blazing red on the outside, while white streaked with gold within, and moved at terrifying speed. They bloomed midair and unfurled into gold, sweeping forward like a long whip woven of gold and crimson.

The Purple Mansion Realm spiritual flame, Profound Fire of the Three Phases’ Guard!

The three immediately leapt back. Although the hammer wielder had managed to graze Li Ximing, he slowed by half a beat. The Profound Fire of the Three Phases’ Guard struck his hammer first, swiftly engulfing it and exploding into a spray of sparks that fell onto his golden arm.

Howl!

The Merciful One reappeared not far away, his arm engulfed in golden flames that burned holes of all sizes into it. The larger ones were as big as a dragon’s eye, while the smaller ones looked like densely packed black dots that writhed endlessly.

How could the three fail to understand? They reacted at once.

"We underestimated him! Purple Mansion Realm flames... are True Fire!"

True Fire was not like Merging Fire or Radiant Fire. It could not cling like a festering sore, nor could it persist for long, making the injuries easier to treat. However, it focused on explosive damage in an instant, and its power was tremendous. Even the golden hammer used to block it had its patterns burned into a blur, its strength clearly diminished.

"This..."

Li Ximing was taken by surprise, and a rush of mixed emotions surged through his heart.

In the battles after he entered the Purple Mansion Realm, his opponents had either been mid Purple Mansion Realm Daoist Masters with three divine abilities, or late Purple Mansion Grand Daoist Masters who had crossed the Purple Immortal Realm Threshold. Every one of them had been a Douxuan inheritor, beating him so badly that he had fled in panic and nearly lost his life!

Now, having gained spirit flames, improved his cultivation, and prepared his trump cards, he was fighting Merciful Ones who were not even comparable to early Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. The shock hit him hard and instantly rebuilt his confidence.

His eyes lit up.

If the Profound Fire of the Three Phases’ Guard was already like this, what about Returning Flame to Completion? And what of the Desire-Origin Merging Fire that the Nine Mounds Dao Lineage once coveted?

Li Ximing froze for just a moment, then seized the opportunity and stepped forward, light flaring once more at the center of his brows.

The three eyed Merciful One frowned slightly. This was clearly a troublesome opponent. The eye at his brow snapped open, sending out a beam of golden light to meet the heavenly light from Li Ximing’s brow, while his other two hands swung their short staffs as he shouted, "Form the formation!"

The remaining two exhaled sharply, stepping onto multicolored clouds and taking their positions. Li Ximing still had the Surging Yang Star Command Treasure Disk, leaving him perfectly calm as purple and gold flames flared in both his hands.

The Supreme Yang Resonance Radiant Art!

This art had been inherited from Li Jiangqian’s talisman seed and was surpassed only by a select few spell arts in the Li Family’s possession. Having mastered it himself, Li Ximing immediately released Radiant Light from his hands to block their techniques, while the earthen yellow Mountain-Charging Profound Veil lit up around him once again.

Yet the three eyed Merciful One did not panic. All three spoke at once, spewing clouds of golden sand that filled the air.

How could Li Ximing fear this? Spiritual flames refined metal. Unless these monks could spit out Purple Mansion Realm metal, who among them could withstand True Fire? The Profound Fire of the Three Phases’ Guard blossomed again, forming a ring before him that repelled the golden sand.

Li Ximing controlled his heavenly light purple fire and struck toward the hammer wielding Merciful One once again. Unexpectedly, treasure light flared across the Merciful One’s body. Though it was neutralized by heavenly light and the purple fire burned his torso until it overflowed with golden blood, he remained unmoved and continued spewing golden sand.

Li Ximing immediately grew alert. A sweep of his spiritual sense revealed that the golden sand they were producing was indeed growing stronger. Looking up, he saw a wisp of multicolored light descending from the heavens and spreading deep into the great void. It seemed that they were drawing the radiance of Buddhist land through the great void as their formation took shape!

"Hey!"

Li Ximing showed no courtesy at all. He was even briefly stunned before letting out a cold laugh, thinking in his mind,

Forming a formation? Fine, fine! You dare form this kind of formation in front of me? Courting death!

Golden light faintly lit his eyes. Howling winds erupted as a brilliant white heavenly gate etched with intricate patterns burst forth from the great void, wreathed in multicolored clouds. Banners fluttered as troops clad in golden armor and robes descended from the great void, illuminating the entire mountain range in blazing radiance and drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

"Heaven-Venerating Gate!"

The Heaven-Venerating Gate divine ability struck with overwhelming force as it surged out from the multicolored clouds, like a mountain range that kept expanding and thrusting straight into the sky. It ground down their suppression and severed the circulation of their divine ability energy. The multicolored radiance above the three of them was pressed down in an instant.

They did not last even three breaths before a thunderous explosion rang out. The links of multicolored light around the three were blasted apart, forcing the three ferocious-faced Merciful Ones to retreat a step in unison, with the two weaker ones coughing up golden dust.

Boom!

Multicolored clouds drifted as the clamor of troops resounded. The Heaven-Venerating Gate stood towering amid the clouds, with the Daoist Master clad in gold and white standing atop it. Two enormous, intricately patterned white gate pillars pressed downward, pinning the three beneath the gate like ants!

In the blink of an eye, offense and defense were reversed!

"Since the day I began cultivating this Dao, I have always been the one suppressing others! Is this Heaven-Venerating Gate cultivated by me, Li Ximing, or by you three monks? You dare try to suppress me?!"