Chapter 1438: Bright And Baleful (I)

Black qi spread through the air, while white light rippled outward.

Fei Chingyi rode the wind upward, sword in hand, and halted among the clouds. The black-robed youth before him barely spared him a glance, his gaze drifting lightly past to settle on Cui Jueyin instead. With a casual lift of his sword, he handled the three of them as if the battle were nothing more than a game.

This was not particularly unusual. From the lake to Mount Tangdao, whether it was cultivators from the Purple Smoke Gate or the Great Xiukui Temple[1], all looked down on him. Rogue cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm might give him a bit of respect, but even guest cultivators of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage could treat him like a joke.

But things were different now. The opponent's sword strikes were all directed at An Siwei, battering the old man until he could barely endure it. Though he seemed to ignore Fei Chingyi, he was in fact holding back against him.

Yet below, the gourd was held high. How long could the lake endure this?

As expected, with no one restraining the devil cultivator, even Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators had to rush forward. The first to block the red light were Fei Family Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators. However, with a single sweep of his sleeve, they were reduced to white bones.

He burst into laughter and turned, only to see an old man riding the wind toward him, shouting sternly, "How dare you act so recklessly?!"

The devil cultivator glanced over and saw a gray-robed old man at the Qi Cultivation Realm, holding a sword. He immediately laughed and cursed, "Who are you supposed to be?!"

At that moment, everyone froze. In the sky, Chen Yang turned pale, "My lord, don't!"

That man was Chen Donghe!

Chen Yang ignored the weapons of the devil cultivator and blasted out a field of sword light, trying to intercept the one on the ground. Other cultivators rose into the air at once. An Zheyan leapt up to block his path, but the red light in the sky suddenly vanished as a figure arrived riding flames.

The man wore a smile, holding a golden hammer, stepping upon blazing apricot-colored flames. Who else could it be but Li Jiangqian?

The golden hammer had long been charged. Wrapped in blazing flames, it smashed down on the opponent. But even before the dharma artifact arrived, a wave of fire surged forward, causing the devil cultivator's expression to change.

What powerful Radiant Fire!

He moved to draw a blade from his sleeve, but the man before him opened his throat and spat out apricot-yellow flames straight at his face.

The [Great Radiant Book] was formidable in battle, and its flames were fierce. The devil cultivator hurriedly formed a spell to resist the Radiant Fire. With a clang, black smoke burst in the sky. The gourd was scorched by the Radiant Fire and wobbled as it fell through the air like a bird with broken wings.

His spell had been cast in haste, and he had not expected the flames to be so fierce. Thus, he only managed to disperse a small portion. The rest fell upon him, burning him until his face turned pale.

Li Jiangqian rarely made a move, let alone after advancing to the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Now that he acted, the flames stunned everyone.

The tense atmosphere eased, and Fei Chingyi even called out, "Family head, mighty indeed."

Li Jiangqian drove the golden hammer forward again. He turned his head and smiled. Though it was called a smile, his eyes were cold, even carrying a trace of mockery.

Family head... this must be a direct descendant of the Li Family!

Though the devil cultivator before Li Jiangqian had been scorched and looked grim, he was overjoyed inside.

After dozens of exchanges, the two in the sky could no longer restrain Cui Jueyin. Moreover, Li Jiangqian only grew fiercer with each strike. Layers of apricot flames stacked upon the opponent, burning him until he howled in pain. In his heart, he became even more ruthless,

Good, good... even at this point, only one has come out... truly cautious!

But before his thoughts finished, the youth before him flicked his sleeve. A painted screen flew out, sweeping away all the black qi in the sky in an instant. At the same time, a golden blade shot forth from it toward his face.

The startled devil cultivator slapped out a talisman and activated his Immortal Foundation. A sharp clang rang out as he blocked the golden blade. Already the weakest among them, he had been acting as bait to harvest mortals. How could he withstand a suddenly appearing ancient dharma artifact? All his black qi was suppressed by the screen, and he could no longer defend himself from the massive hammer that was already swinging down before him.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Boom!

A geyser of black clouds burst forth in the sky. His chest caved in as blazing Radiant Fire burned across it. Terrified out of his wits, he immediately crushed the jade pendant hidden in his sleeve.

Everyone on the battlefield was stunned, but Fei Chingyi could no longer hold himself together. His expression turned anxious, and a chill rose in his heart,

What are we still waiting for... it seems the others will not come out at all...

In that brief moment of distraction, he suddenly felt heat rising behind his head. Startled, he turned around, only to find the youth with the golden hammer had appeared behind him at some unknown moment, looking at him with a cold sneer.

Fei Chingyi's heart sank to the bottom of an icy lake. He said softly, "Fa... Family head..."

Li Jiangqian remained calm and unhurried, barely moving. Those eyes that Fei Chingyi never dared meet now looked at him with open mockery. "Lord Fei, who exactly are you waiting for?"

That single sentence carried biting sarcasm, sending his heart plunging into even icier depths. In his dazed mind, names began to surface one by one.

That Daoist Master deceived me? Has Li Ximing returned... or is there another Purple Mansion Realm cultivator at the lake?

————

White River Stream.

Helian Wumeng wore armor and held a long-handled blade. His armor glimmered faintly with silver-white light in the darkness. He looked relaxed, watching the south as if enjoying a performance, clicking his tongue in admiration from time to time.

Only when the apricot-colored Radiant Fire erupted did he smile faintly and step forward, saying, "The rigid ones are always easy to deal with. Kill a few people and they can't sit still!"

But after just two steps forward, he narrowed his eyes slightly and stopped.

The black qi in the clouds before him dispersed, revealing a man standing quietly.

The man wore golden armor that shimmered white-gold, its surface formed of fine overlapping scales. He was tall, and had a calm expression. Most striking were his eyes, which glowed with intricate dark-gold patterns in the darkness.

Rolling white qi surged from beneath his feet, forming a vast, radiant sea that spread rapidly. It took on various shapes, at times like white cicadas singing, at times like qilin beasts lunging. All the black smoke and Baleful Qi in the sky dissolved upon contact.

Now revealed, he simply stood there. The darkness in the sky rapidly receded like a tide, retreating northward until it gathered behind Helian Wumeng, forming a patch of black sky that stood in stark contrast to the bright south.

The smile on Helian Wumeng's face gradually stiffened as he thought,

[Bright Yang]... not Li Ximing... the Li Family still has hidden strength...

His gaze turned cold, yet he showed neither anger nor irritation. He sneered, "I wonder which Fellow Daoist you are."

The golden-eyed, scaled-armored man raised his head slightly. The clouds above shifted and formed into a qilin of white qi, carrying a long weapon as it descended from the sky. It circled him once before placing it into his hand.

It was a halberd with a crescent-shaped blade at its center, like a full moon. Surrounded by dense spiritual energy, it emitted streams of Radiant Light through the rolling white qi, each beam nearly solid as it pierced through the clouds, flickering in and out of view.

He reversed the halberd and pointed it straight at Helian Wumeng. Its cold edge gleamed as he said in a deep voice, "Moongaze Lake, Minghuang."

Helian Wumeng was of the direct line of Tiefo State, a prodigy forged through bloodshed in Mobei. He showed no hesitation. Instead, excitement flickered in his eyes as he looked at him with a smile. "After fighting for so many years in Mobei, this is the first time I've seen someone like you!"

He raised his long-handled blade. The armor on his body lit up piece by piece, and the eighteen glass beads at his waist shone one after another. A fierce wind howled, lifting his black hair and revealing the bone necklace at his neck.

He said coldly, "Helian Wumeng of Tiefo State."

However, the sky brightened before his words even finished. A halberd was cutting through the air, rapidly enlarging in his vision. Its brilliant white light reflected in his eyes as its cold edge rushed toward him, causing his pupils to contract sharply.

1. Also known as Xiukui Dao Gate. ☜