Chapter 696: One Palm (I)

In the pitch-black depths of the ocean, two streaks of light flashed by. The one in the lead was dazzling and vibrant, resembling a long, flowing ribbon cutting through the dark waters.

The one trailing behind appeared far more ordinary, like a massive air bubble pushing aside the seawater as it advanced. Yet, it was much faster than the first as it was steadily closing the gap.

Li Xizhi sped forward, his light-trail shifted off course and left behind a stunning, multicolored ribbon. His escape technique, Dawn Imperial Movement, was a Grade Four spell of exceptional speed.

His cultivation of Universal Dawn Mist was already specialized in speed. But only with multiple reinforcements did he barely manage to maintain some distance from Dongfang Heyun, preventing immediate capture.

But as Li Xizhi’s course deviated, he unwittingly gave Dongfang Heyun the perfect opening to close the gap. The young pursuer lifted his gaze and spotted the colorful glow ahead.

Though he did not understand why Li Xizhi had changed course, Dongfang Heyun would not let the opportunity slip. He pinched a deep blue pearl between his fingers and flicked it toward Li Xizhi’s back.

Up ahead, Li Xizhi pulled out a talisman and braced himself. His severed arm had already reattached. Although it was slightly stiff, it was still functional. The sight made Dongfang Heyun raise his brows in surprise,

He neutralized my mana so quickly?!

Dongfang Heyun’s palm-blade attack had not been a simple cut, it was imbued with mana designed to seep into the wound. It would disrupt Li Xizhi’s own mana circulation and prevent his injury from healing.

Had it not been for the golden radiance hidden within Li Xizhi’s feathered robe, his arm would have been utterly obliterated, leaving him no chance to reattach it. Yet now, somehow, it was functioning once more.

Did he take some kind of treasured panacea?

thought Dongfang Heyun.

Li Xizhi focused solely on his talisman defense, paying no heed to the golden light of his robe. The reason his arm had reattached so swiftly was, of course, due to his talisman qi.

Having received the Rainbow Pierce Skyway talisman, he could dissolve external spell arts. As its colorful light circulated, the pale blue mana lingering in his wound rapidly dissipated. This allowed his flesh to knit back together, emitting brilliant hues of dawn.

As he gradually regained control of his arm, Dongfang Heyun’s spell advanced silently. It struck the talismans and erupted into a series of thunderous blasts which sent shockwaves rippling through the water. Li Xizhi let out a muffled groan as his breath faltered. The Heavenly Glow beneath his feet dimmed, it was slowing his escape.

Dongfang Heyun had already closed the distance in an instant, only to see Li Xizhi forming a seal once again.

The young pursuer watched with interest, as if expecting Li Xizhi to unveil a new technique. Yet, the seals he formed seemed oddly familiar, ones he had already used before.

In such a critical moment, Li Xizhi positioned his right hand above his left and extended a finger from each. He pressed them together and cast a duplication technique.

Is he courting death?

thought Dongfang Heyun.

Dongfang Heyun remained calm and composed, showing neither hesitation nor doubt. No matter what Li Xizhi was attempting, he simply extended his palm toward the latter’s back.

Poof!

Li Xizhi coughed up blood as he had taken the full force of the palm strike head-on. A golden-blue imprint bloomed on the back of his feathered robe and an explosive surge of golden radiance burst forth, engulfing Dongfang Heyun’s vision.

This time, Dongfang Heyun was prepared. He pushed out forcefully, instantly shattering the golden light. But in that brief moment of pause, a thick mist of rainbow hues erupted from Li Xizhi’s body, swiftly spreading and dyeing the surrounding seawater in vibrant colors.

At the same time, seizing this fleeting moment, Li Xizhi's feet flared with radiance. His form dispersed like mist and left behind three dazzling trails of multicolored light.

Gold In Cloud!

In an instant, his well-honed duplicates leaped in separate directions. Everywhere, brilliant streaks of light wove through the mist, using the rainbow fog as cover while scattering in all directions.

Over two meters away, Li Xizhi’s silhouettes appeared in every direction, all executing identical movements. They all swept out a sleeve of Heavenly Glow that drifted like smoke and floating wisps. Then, each of them streaked away upon radiant trails.

Dongfang Heyun nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation flickering across his face as he thought,

First, he took a direct palm strike to release a spell, using the golden light from his robe to blind my vision. Then, he masked his movements with rainbow mist, preventing me from discerning the real body and finally scattered in all directions...

In just a few seconds, despite Li Xizhi’s grave injuries, he had unleashed three different techniques in succession. He transformed into a dozen beams of radiant light shooting outward. Dongfang Heyun stood still, sweeping aside the rainbow mist with his sleeve, shaking his head slightly.

"What a pity," muttered Dongfang Heyun.

Li Xizhi had calculated everything to perfection, yet he failed to realize that Dongfang Heyun’s mana had already latched onto his feathered robe like a parasitic worm. Even if he couldn’t visually distinguish the real body, his mana could still trace the correct escape route.

Since he already took my palm strike, the connection remains. No matter how he scatters like falling petals, it’ll be futile in the end.

Closing his eyes slightly, Dongfang Heyun sensed the distant fluctuations of mana. Stepping upon the seawater, he flew for several more miles before his form dispersed once again like mist. The surrounding ocean waters froze over in delicate layers, producing faint, crackling sounds.

The sea roared as Dongfang Heyun figure dissolved into vapor and reformed, emerging ahead of the fleeing light which blocked it completely.

Dongfang Heyun casually flicked his sleeve, appearing before Li Xizhi once more. Perhaps due to his severe injuries, Li Xizhi's perception had dulled. He remained focused on flying forward, unaware of the imminent obstruction.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Eh?"

Dongfang Heyun’s usually gentle and refined expression shifted, a faint smile appearing on his face. With a casual flick of his sleeve, the Li Xizhi before him shattered into scattered beams of colorful light.

The fragmented light dispersed like a swarm of tiny fireflies, vanishing into the air. Left behind in the water was only a tattered feathered robe, gently drifting with the current. On its back, the deep blue palm imprint still shimmered brilliantly, radiating an ethereal glow.

Seeing this, Dongfang Heyun's smile widened as he thought,

Good... very good... So he deliberately took my palm strike, then placed the feathered robe on a clone. The rainbow mist was merely a distraction... As expected, humans are cunning.

His smile soon faded as he extended his pale, jade-like fingers, lifting the feathered robe. Turning it over twice, he finally noticed a tiny ancient seal in the corner.

Yang.

The writing style was not contemporary but rather archaic. Having lived for many years, Dongfang Heyun recognized the mark and nodded in realization.

"So, he is a descendant of Yang Jinxin! That explains everything." He showed no urgency in pursuing Li Xizhi, instead gazing at the feathered robe with a calm expression, murmuring, "To think that the once-proud Yang family has fallen to such a state... They don't even have a single Purple Mansion Realm cultivator left!"

"But they do have connections in the Underworld... Even Suiguan wouldn’t dare act recklessly against them." After contemplating for a few seconds, he tucked the feathered robe into his sleeve. Then, pressing his two fingers together, he exhaled softly, causing a deep blue radiance to glow upon his fingertips. He whispered, "Heyun humbly borrows the esteemed force, passing through the Mansion’s decree, to traverse the great void..."