Chapter 1398: Breaking The Flame (I)

Light Splitting.

Purge the profane, punish the disloyal, trust none lightly, strike and there is killing.

Li Ximing stood tall amid the surging wind and sand, gripping his long axe. The aura that had climbed to its peak gradually receded. Suspended at his side, the Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers released a blue and yellow glow, freezing the storm of sand in place almost instantly.

Behind him, the four-armed, gold-covered Merciful One remained where he stood, his body trembling slightly and riddled with fine fractures. Sand and gravel poured from the cracks, cascading down his form. Brilliant light also escaped in threadlike wisps from the fissures in his body.

His imposing, gold-lacquered head had already dissolved into a storm of golden light rising skyward, his neck shattered with it. Deep crevasses cut across the center of his collarbones, and impact patterns spiderwebbed across his chest, reflecting rippling white radiance.

Li Ximing seemed nothing more than a small point of light before him, yet he did not hesitate. His eyes turned pale gold, and with two fingers pressed before his lips, he suddenly blew out a mouthful of flame.

The flame took on a faint purple hue, resonating with the Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard and tinting the True Fire with a soft purple halo.

Flame Exhalation!

A mouthful of Radiant Fire formed and surged forth alongside the Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard, pouring downward in a torrent. Above, the radiant pass flickered as the raging flames climbed along its seams. The massive headless dharma body stood sluggishly beneath the gate, casting a vast shadow across the earth. Suppressed by the heaven gate and scorched by the True Fire, the brilliant light fled more violently, and the dharma body began to show rapid signs of melting.

The Merciful One Nuyan had dared to receive the Heaven-Venerating Gate with his body, so his dharma body was naturally formidable. Yet he could not move an inch as he was suppressed beneath the divine ability and burned by True Fire. With the light of the Buddhist land severed and caught unprepared, nearly ninety percent of the blow had been borne by his dharma body. Even though he had not been sent back to the Buddhist land by the strike, he was nearly knocked senseless.

Only at this moment did the Merciful One Nuyan begin to recover. His headless body creaked under the pressure of the heavenly pass as a dim orb barely returned to support him. Two eyes opened upon his chest, emitting light to guard his front, just as the Merciful One Nuxiao rushed in.

The Heaven-Venerating Gate shone brilliantly as the divine ability surged. Li Ximing remained calm, having already sensed subtle fluctuations within the great void. The Buddhist land's radiance grew stronger, and he frowned slightly.

Another Merciful One has arrived. It should not be from the Great Desire Dao. They are watching from within the great void.

The Immortal Mirror had already illuminated a Merciful One standing within the great void. Brilliant light surged skyward, golden clouds beneath his feet. Three eyes adorned his face, the one between his eyebrows containing a restrained purple-black glow that was quite startling. Two more bright white eyes had grown upon his chest, marking him as anything but ordinary.

This must be one from under the Golden Lotus Throne! He appears to be highly accomplished!

Though this five-eyed Merciful One sat within the great void with lowered eyes and no intention of acting, Li Ximing remained secretly vigilant and thought,

This cannot be delayed any longer.

As he faced the swiftly approaching Nuxiao, he merely tilted his head. The Merciful One's many arms formed seals before rising together to release countless lotus-leaf-like beams of golden light. The Merciful One also split into three forms, each wielding a saber, spear, and sword, striking toward his dharma body.

The golden light appeared ordinary and not particularly powerful, yet when the heavenly light at Li Ximing's brow illuminated it, a faint sharpness could be sensed. He knew these beams were not as simple as they seemed.

It seems he is using his full strength!

The Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers glowed faintly before Li Ximing, assuming a poised stance. Blue and yellow patterns spread like ripples as the two sigils at either end lit up simultaneously.

Sovereign Weighing!

Before the three bodies within the blue and yellow mountain-river patterns could draw nearer, countless lotus-leaf-like golden lights descended. Under the subtle clear radiance of Sovereign Weighing, one could discern a single, tangible petal of brilliant light among the dense golden lotus petals.

The Light Splitting of the Brilliant Yang King's Axe would descend too slowly to block such a thing, so Li Ximing gently held the axe upright and turned it.

Bright Light!

A pale white radiance immediately climbed across his body. Yet Li Ximing's techniques did not end there. The brilliant solar Radiant Fire manifested first, followed by the rise of the Mountain-Charging Sea-Pacing Tiger, and finally, the Mountain-Charging Profound Veil descended.

The golden petals fell like rain upon the brownish-yellow Mountain-Charging Profound Veil, causing the barrier to tremble violently. When the single strand of brilliant light embedded within descended, the Mountain-Charging Profound Veil shattered completely.

As the patterns of the Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers rippled, Li Ximing did not hesitate and stepped forward, closing the distance to Nuyan. Nuyan's dharma body was already on the verge of collapse. Only the painstakingly refined treasure orb kept him alive beneath the heavenly pass. Even so, the blazing True Fire still crawled over him. There was no chance for him to move.

He merely watched Li Ximing with burning eyes, his lacquered golden gaze filled with venom. In that brief moment of respite, he understood that Nuxiao was unreliable and the five-eyed observer in the great void would remain uninvolved. The only thing he could do was raise his kasaya high, abandon his shattered dharma body, and transform entirely into surging brilliant light that rushed upward to strike the Heaven-Venerating Gate!

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Had Nuyan been at full strength when abandoning his dharma body to strike the Heaven-Venerating Gate, Li Ximing would surely have been injured under the pincer assault. But having taken a Light Splitting strike and lost most of his strength, the remaining brilliant light only lifted the Heaven-Venerating Gate slightly before transforming into light and returning to Li Ximing's hand, forcing him back with nothing more than a pale face.

The brilliant light of Nuxiao followed, landing upon Li Ximing's shoulder. The Stable Earth Spirit Containment failed instantly under the radiance. Only Bright Light shimmered faintly. A hollow sound rang out as heavenly light surged, faintly revealing shimmering white bones.

Though the Mountain-Charging Profound Veil was not powerful, it could be summoned repeatedly with minimal cost and swift response. With it blocking the blow and Bright Light enhancing him, the injury was not severe.

Yet his gaze followed the kasaya rising into the sky while he probed with the Immortal Mirror. At this moment, three streaks of Golden Dao light were already racing in from the eastern great void!

They are closing in!

Master Baiyin was tightly wrapped within the kasaya, unable to move, leaving only a human-shaped outline. Empowered by Nuyan's dying mana, the garment glowed with golden light as it attempted to flee.

Li Ximing stepped forward immediately, not daring to show excitement. The Supreme Yang Resonance Radiant Art in his hand transformed into a rope of Radiant Fire that pursued it.

Nuyan must have known the location of the five-eyed Merciful One and realized Nuxiao could not be protected. Even in death, he would not allow it to be lost. With the three still distant, he could only send the kasaya toward the five-eyed Merciful One.

But now there is another!

Indeed, the kasaya had no chance to fly far. A great hand extended from the great void, divine ability flowing as it reached down and seized the garment.

The man wore a Daoist robe with dark patterns on a blue base. His face was youthful, bearing a smile, with a vermilion mark at the center of his brows and a Black Cloud Silver Sparrow Bottle at his waist.

Grasping the kasaya with one hand, he laughed. "Obedient monk!"

Li Ximing felt half his burden lifted upon seeing him appear. After a brief moment weighing the situation, he dispersed his spell art with a wave and continued holding his axe, calming his mind.

"How dare you?!"

As expected, four figures emerged nearby in radiant light. The imposing five-eyed Merciful One sat among them with a solemn expression, three Merciful Ones standing behind him in fury as they shouted in unison, their voices like thunder.

Li Ximing ignored them completely, while the Daoist Master snorted in disdain. Both turned to look at the Merciful One Nuxiao trapped between them.

Not good!

The joy on Nuxiao's face had barely formed before it turned to terror. Losing all composure, she shed her brilliant light like evaporating vapor and fled into the great void in a single motion, clearly frightened out of her wits.

Li Ximing stepped forward slightly, and with tacit understanding, the two entered the great void and vanished.

"Five-eyed! You... you... you truly watched the tigers fight from the mountain. Now that the item is lost, let us see how you will explain this?!"

Nuxiao appeared abruptly, eyes full of fury as she rebuked him, only to see the five-eyed Merciful One remain calm and speak quietly, "Ignorant. While you were fighting here, Xuanyi of the great void had already set his sights on me. If I acted, would it not alert the enemy? Your reinforcements arrived too slowly. Have you not considered what has gone wrong with your Great Desire Dao? And you still question me?

"I held off a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. It is your Great Desire Dao that has failed!"