Chapter 1439: Bright And Baleful (II)

Clang!

The collision of divine abilities erupted into multicolored light and blazing sparks, sending vast ripples through the air. The Da Sheng halberd was pure white like snow, its shaft marked with scale-like patterns. Helian Wumen braced his long-handled blade firmly before him, stopping it less than a few centimeters from his face.

Good!

A flash of delight appeared in Helian Wumeng's eyes. Surging Baleful Qi had already risen along his body, forming a dark aura around him. Yet in that brief instant, the weapon he had blocked vanished, transforming from a sweep into a downward cleave, crashing down with overwhelming white light from the sky!

Boom!

White smoke shot into the sky. Helian Wumeng steadied his long-handled blade and planted it on the ground, letting out a breath as he grinned. Opposite him, the golden-eyed youth's scaled armor gleamed under the sunlight, his halberd slanted toward the ground. Helian Wumeng narrowed his eyes, and vanished from where he stood.

Clang!

The youth before him gripped the halberd with both hands and raised it level. With a sharp clang, he blocked the descending blade that was neither spear nor saber. The dark clouds in the sky were immediately scattered by the surging multicolored light of divine abilities. The clash of weapons grew more intense as they exchanged dozens of blows.

Though Helian Wumeng's entire body burned with heat, he felt exhilarated. The demonic light of his long-handled blade grew more and more powerful, surging forward like a dragon plunging through the sea, streaking with black light.

Li Zhouwei withdrew his halberd, reversed its shaft, and slipped past to the side. The scales of his armor rose one by one under the glow of Baleful Qi, emitting a sharp humming sound.

Clang!

The halberd flicked and struck. Its crescent branch hooked onto the long-handled blade with a light tap like a dragonfly touching water. The main body evaded, but the clash of divine abilities transmitted into the man's hands like a collapsing mountain and roaring sea, forcing him to release his spirit artifact with a grin as it deflected.

Thick white smoke surged into the sky. The spirit artifact vanished abruptly, followed by the arrogant laughter of the northern man.

"Good, good! Among you southerners, only the sword has merit, the rest lack refinement. Rare to meet someone so open and forceful, a true match for me. Let us fight!"

Baleful Qi swelled upward along his armor. Two vertical slits appeared on his cheeks, each opening into an eye filled with blood-red light. In an instant, he transformed into a war general from the depths of hell. He reached into the void to seize the returning long-handled blade and charged forward as a streak of baleful light.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

On the other side, Li Zhouwei rose on golden light. His divine ability quickly enveloped the dharma artifact in his hand again. With a glance, he saw the crescent branch of the halberd trembling as if struck by lightning. It was emitting a low hum, and already showing slight damage.

[Da Sheng] was, after all, only an ancient dharma artifact. Even with a divine ability protecting it at every moment, how could it compare to a true spirit artifact?

Whoosh...

A gale rushed toward him as the opponent charged forward on the wind, dragging a sea of Baleful Qi with him. Li Zhouwei's eyes half-closed, and the center of his eyebrows lit up. A beam of light burst forth, piercing through the sea of baleful energy, freezing the clouds in the sky and dispersing the black qi.

[Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light]!

Li Ximing had only begun cultivating [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] after reaching the level of divine ability, but Li Zhouwei had practiced it for over twenty years. At the same time, brilliant light burst from his Juque Court[1], and a point of golden radiance emerged.

A Purple Mansion Realm Supreme Yang spirit item—[Hidden Plunder Gold]!

Dense golden light pierced through the clouds as Helian Wumeng's face turned cold. The baleful glow around his body seemed to condense into droplets. He pointed his long-handled blade forward and collided head-on with the incoming light.

Boom!

Rolling white light surged into the sky in an instant, turning the dim evening into something like the glow of dawn. The long-handled blade froze momentarily within the golden light, trembling slightly as if struck by a chill. The halberd suddenly shot forth from the great void.

Clang!

The crescent branch radiated dazzling white light as it firmly hooked onto the shaft of the blade. Sparks burst with a piercing sound, and a tremendous force surged forth. "Bold! You dare try to seize my weapon?!"

Helian Wumeng came from a notable lineage and had heard of Li Ximing's divine abilities. How could he not know that Bright Yang specialized in suppression? How could he let go? Yet before he could react, the golden-eyed man released his grip first, sending a strike of heavenly light infused with divine ability straight at his face.

His opponent had fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, but Li Zhouwei had spent years in battle and guarded the Mifan border for a decade. His combat experience was no less. Since his dharma artifact could not match the opponent's, he would simply trade his weakness for the opponent's strength!

Helian Wumeng sneered inwardly. The two eyes on his cheeks rolled and transformed into two clusters of red light before him, causing the opponent's divine ability to sink as if into a swamp. His long-handled blade immediately shifted, trying to twist free and return.

You want to trade against my strength? I won't even return your weapon to you!

A trace of appreciation flickered through Helian Wumeng's eyes. Surging black flames erupted from Li Zhouwei's body, and four additional slender arms burst forth from his dharma body, shimmering in gold and white, each holding an object!

The upper left arm held a pure white ivory fan that unleashed blazing Boundless Essence fire. Below it was a small flag painted with flying birds, releasing five surging streams of Radiant Fire. The upper right arm held a white jade mountain with circling cranes, and the lower right grasped an overwhelmingly powerful halberd of roaring black flames.

All four erupted in brilliance and descended toward Helian Wumeng at once!

[The Armor Cycle Soul-Refining Halberd Art]!

Yet that was far from all. Behind the man clad in white-gold scaled armor, a magnificent heavenly gate rose through the clouds, reaching into the endless sky. Dragon-birds circled around it, and the two white pillars of the gate had already aligned, ready to descend and suppress everything in an instant!

But Helian Wumeng's gaze remained fixed on the surging black flames. The exhilaration of battle was quickly doused as his pupils suddenly contracted,

Boundless Essence? Great Liang? The Tuoba Family?!

But his hesitation lasted only an instant. He refused to release the spirit artifact in his hand and lifted the long-handled blade slightly, its tail crossing before his chest. Vast Baleful Qi surged out from within him, as if the gates of hell had been thrown open, releasing endless torrents of demonic energy and baleful force.

[Thousandfold Body]!

1. An acupoint. ☜