Chapter 1759: Jeweled Fang (I)

Waves had started to roll across the lake. Li Ximing's expression darkened slightly as he looked toward the colorful clouds in the north. Figures stood scattered across the cloudbanks at uneven heights, while the purple flames originally belonging to Bright Yang were now tinged with pink, surging magnificently like a waterfall suspended in the sky.

Guangchan...

Li Zhouwei's old armor had been left on Zhijing Mountain to be reforged and repaired, and he had entrusted it to Li Ximing beforehand. Li Ximing had taken it out and examined it, but unfortunately, with Li Zhouwei in seclusion, the armor refused to acknowledge him.

Fortunately, after searching through the family's stores, he managed to find the [Demon-Suppressing Gut-Cleaving Mace] and the [Descending Light Unified Spear].

Both of those could still be put to use. Only the [Brilliant Yang King's Axe] and the [Dry Yang Bangles] were nowhere to be found, as Li Zhouwei had always carried them on his person and never let them leave his side.

He folded his sleeves together and waited quietly, appearing as steady as Mount Tai. In truth, his sleeve trembled ever so slightly, and the little finger of his left hand detached cleanly at the base, rolling straight into the mouth of the wooden figurine.

[Sealing the Life]!

At that very moment, something rose from within the clouds. Layer upon layer of clouds parted around a temple as vast as a mountain. Ancient bells rang through the temple, its halls towering majestically, while monks in golden robes sat throughout it in all manner of poses. Their appearance bore a faint resemblance to the golden armor and robes of the [Heaven-Venerating Gate]. Above the temple hung a golden plaque bearing three large words, [Jeweled Fang Temple].

Before the temple, a lotus throne was in full bloom. A young monk sat upon it, his forehead smooth, his chin pointed, and his pupils pitch black. He wore light brown meditation robes beneath a kasaya embroidered with golden patterns, while his long spear stood upright beside him, radiating rolling waves of Radiant Fire.

His expression was calm as he stared directly at Li Ximing. "Fellow Daoist Zhaojing, hearing of you truly cannot compare to meeting you in person."

Back when Changxiao had made his move, he had chased Li Ximing all the way to the Eastern Sea like a cat toying with a mouse, but that had largely been an act of probing and could hardly be counted as a true battle.

Aside from Changxiao, Guangchan was almost certainly the most terrifying opponent Li Ximing had ever faced. He carried the bloodline of the Wei's Li and had first cultivated the Immortal Dao before turning to Buddhist Dao. He was far more formidable than Helian Wujiang! Moreover, Li Ximing had still possessed the [Surging Yang Star Command Treasure Disk] back then!

There was no way Li Ximing could remain completely calm. He immediately opened his hand, and a wash of green-yellow light spread across his palm as a jade ruler sprang forth. It was none other than the [Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers].

Green-yellow patterns of mountains and rivers rippled across its surface. When Guangchan saw them, the young monk pressed his palms together, seemingly recognizing at a glance that the artifact had an extraordinary origin.

He said softly, "What a fine treasure. The Li Family truly deserves to be called the inheritors of the Wei's Li... It seems I have indeed come to the right place."

He wasted no time. The moment he brought his palms together, the leisurely tolling of bells sounded through the air. The temple among the clouds suddenly expanded, and the ground formed from colorful clouds swelled outward at tremendous speed.

In what seemed like an instant, Li Ximing found himself standing upon an endless platform before the temple. The lake beneath his feet vanished from sight, and the only thing reflected in his pupils was a brilliant crimson light descending from the heavens.

So fast!

At the same time, a somewhat youthful voice faintly echoed beside his ears. "Forgive me!"

The words seemed to be directed at Sima Yuanli nearby, but Li Ximing had no attention to spare. He formed a hand seal before his chest, and brilliance abruptly erupted from his eyes. [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] surged forth, wavering as it resisted the crimson radiance, while his other hand slipped into his sleeve and formed a flame seal.

Li Ximing had cultivated [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] for many years. Although he could not compare to Li Zhouwei, who possessed all manner of mystics that enhanced the technique, his mastery had still reached a respectable level. Yet it melted away like ice and snow beneath the opponent's crimson radiance, breaking apart inch by inch and doing little more than slightly slowing the descending light.

Li Ximing immediately sensed that something was wrong. The man atop the Golden Lotus Throne had already seized his spear and vanished! Without hesitation, Li Ximing made his decision and instantly activated his spiritual sense!

Boom!

Dark clouds suddenly appeared amid the layers of colorful clouds, and the [Demon-Suppressing Gut-Cleaving Mace] abruptly manifested. Silver lightning poured down like a waterfall, suppressing the crimson light with the speed of a thunderbolt.

Li Ximing immediately swept back his sleeve and revealed an object of deep green hue. It expanded rapidly in the wind and positioned itself before him. It was none other than the [Supplementary Court Verdant Profound Cauldron]!

Radiant Fire rolled around the spear, mingling with brilliant light, yet all of it was drawn into the gaping mouth of the cauldron. The golden spear tip flicked upward and struck the cauldron squarely.

Clang!

A resounding clang rang out as the [Supplementary Court Verdant Profound Cauldron] was knocked high into the air, nearly breaking the mystics sustaining it. Li Ximing's face flushed slightly, and he immediately gained a sense of his opponent's strength.

What a formidable spear...

Guangchan was entirely unlike Helian Wujiang, who had focused entirely on Daoist arts. He had fused his mystics, mana, and spear technique into one, with brilliant light and Radiant Fire interweaving around him. He was exceedingly dangerous!

Yet the monk merely glanced at him. Seizing the instant when the [Supplementary Court Verdant Profound Cauldron] had been knocked aside and destabilized, he activated a wondrous technique and spat out a blazing golden radiance as sharp as blades and spears, temporarily pinning the profound cauldron in place. His spear tip thrust forward, already slipping through the opening.

Li Ximing was not one to sit back and await death. In the blink of an eye, the invisible Light of the Six Directions was already dancing at his fingertip.

The light flickered before him and landed upon the spear tip as he declared, "The Sovereign restrains the wicked; the Sovereign bids the carriage turn back."

These words invoked his Fate Divine Ability. Though the words left his mouth as a single utterance, they were amplified by the divine ability until they shook the great void. This was precisely the calamity-dispelling and adversity-resolving ability of the Light of the Six Directions!

In an instant, the purplish-pink Radiant Fire wrapped around the spear gathered into a ball and transformed into plump-bellied little birds. They looked lively and adorable as they fluttered off in every direction. The gleaming golden brilliant light peeled away and scattered into lotus blossoms and pieces of glazed crystal that tumbled from the sky. Even the razor-sharp spear tip became blurred and indistinct.

[Radiance Under Heaven]!

Guangchan had never expected Li Ximing to have mastered a Fate Divine Ability so quickly. Caught unprepared, he miscalculated for a moment and his expression shifted slightly. The hand he had kept behind his back finally emerged and lightly slapped the air before him, as though scattering something unseen.

At the same time, something struck Guangchan's sweeping spear heavily, knocking it an inch off course. Li Ximing flicked his sleeve and calmly slipped past the strike. Rather than retreating, he advanced, parted his lips, and spat out a burst of flame!

[Heavenly Crow Merging Fire]!

The Merging Fire erupted in a blinding white torrent so bright it made the eyes ache. It was accompanied by faint gray, invisible companion flames that rippled like water, while two other flames, one golden-red and one crimson, mingled within them, sending out waves of terrifying power.

Li Ximing's breath of fire borrowed the might of [Valley Wind Leading Fire], and the [Heavenly Crow Merging Fire] itself was already infamous. Even Guangchan felt his heart tighten with alarm. Fine white scales suddenly bristled across his face, and he immediately opened his mouth.

There was no tongue behind those jade-white teeth. Instead, a long, slender old cicada was connected directly to his throat. Its entire body was pale white, and its two scaled wings were light white with pure white veins. Its crimson compound eyes stared greedily at the outside world, only to discover a torrent of Merging Fire rushing toward it. Startled, it frantically beat its scaled wings.

As its wings moved, a hazy pale-red wind streamed from their tips. The red-eyed white cicada slipped free from Guangchan’s mouth and drifted away, leaving the body standing motionless behind. Above its gleaming bald head, a patch of colorful cloud suddenly opened, pouring down golden light.

Boom!

Guangchan’s body took the blast of flame head-on, yet it did not retreat in the slightest beneath the hazy golden light. Its skin and muscles, tougher than iron and stone, melted away completely before the flames, exposing pale golden bones beneath. Li Ximing immediately sensed something was wrong and shifted his attention warily.

The red-eyed white cicada in the distance suddenly shuddered, and the abandoned body melted away like water. The remaining flames found nothing to cling to and merely gave off black smoke in vain. Meanwhile, the red-eyed white cicada transformed back into Guangchan. The young man's face was hideously distorted, but after he ran a hand across it, smooth white skin reappeared. A trace of admiration appeared on his face.

As expected of a descendant of Wei!

His opponent's escape art was truly formidable, completely shedding the flames before they could penetrate into his bones. Yet in the brief instant all this unfolded, how could Li Ximing simply stand by and watch? Taking advantage of Guangchan's miscalculation, he brought both hands together before his chest. [Heaven-Venerating Gate], vast enough to rival the temple in the sky, came crashing down and landed squarely over the young man's head!

Guangchan showed not the slightest fear. Instead, he laughed loudly and shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Li, I also cultivated Bright Yang in my previous life! Beneath the [Heaven-Venerating Gate], Valley and Dui are easy to evade, but True and Purple cannot escape!"

His confidence was by no means unfounded! Before Guangchan entered the Buddhist Dao, he had been known as Li Jieyi, an immortal cultivator at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm who possessed three Bright Yang divine abilities. He had cultivated the Immortal Dao as far as it could benefit him, only converting to the Buddhist Dao after reaching the Immortal Threshold!

The monk raised his palms, pressing his left hand beneath his right as he formed a lotus seal. His mystics converged as he proclaimed, "[Borrowed Valley Rite Brilliant Art]!"

In an instant, Valley light and brilliant light flashed together. The massive [Heaven-Venerating Gate] had already closed, yet beneath the blazing radiance now stood the lotus throne Guangchan had kept nearby all along, seemingly without purpose!

Guangchan himself did not cultivate Valley Water, but this art was not of a low grade, and he was extremely familiar with this particular divine ability. The lotus throne was in fact a fine Buddhist artifact, carefully refined through Buddhist methods from numerous Valley Water spirit items, allowing him to walk out from beneath the [Heaven-Venerating Gate] with ease!