Chapter 1803: The Great Fissure, The Place of Yin (I)

The young man took a step through the balanced qi flows of the realm, then turned and lowered his gaze. Seeing the box of letters placed before the threshold of his courtyard, he picked up the topmost letter, and read it carefully.

Only after finishing did his expression turn solemn, a hint of surprise appearing on his face. He held one hand open, folded the letter with the other, and gently tapped it against his palm.

"Guangchan... The Jeweled Fang Golden Land... The legacy of the Undefeated King of Brightness..."

Back then, he had only been at the Embryonic Breathing Realm. The moment he first displayed his might and Kongheng saw him, the monk's very first words had been to call him the Undefeated King of Brightness. That monk held the Great Dao within his heart and rarely spoke with such certainty.

The young man raised his brows, his golden eyes flickering. "Destiny? Or a scheme? Behind the Undefeated King of Brightness stands Great Liang... and the Tuoba Family as well... Yet neither has contributed much to the conflict between north and south thus far..."

He set the letter aside, picked up the remaining letters one by one, and read each of them before placing them into his storage pouch. He then took out a jade bottle.

Three Bright Truth Harmonizing Divine Pills.

Li Ximing had hurriedly obtained these pills from Sima Yuanli, but he had underestimated Li Zhouwei's cultivation speed. Li Zhouwei had already begun cultivating his divine ability by the time they were delivered.

In Li Zhouwei's view, [Severed Crimson Arrowhead] was not particularly difficult to cultivate. The [Imperial Book of Radiance-Slaying for Myriad Chariots] suited him as though it had been tailor-made for him, especially now that his cultivation had advanced another step. Although there had been some difficulties in cultivating the divine ability, and the process could not compare to how perfectly [Sovereign in Peril] had aligned with the perilous circumstances he faced, it had nevertheless come together naturally.

As for these Bright Truth Harmonizing Divine Pills... every pill used will leave one fewer for the future. Granduncle will need one for his next divine ability, and I will also need one to cross the Purple Mansion Threshold. The remaining pill will likely find a use soon enough.

Completing this divine ability had dispersed much of the excessively fierce Baleful Qi from his countenance, transforming it into a stately presence as calm as a tranquil lake. As he counted the years on his fingers, his bearing appeared even more distinguished.

It took me six or seven years to cultivate this divine ability... Jiangqian should have entered seclusion by now. As for Quewan, the secret techniques of the [Whole Pill] Dao are difficult, so she will probably need more time.

His gaze darkened slightly. He climbed the jade steps into the pavilion, found a cabinet within the cloud-shrouded jade chamber, and gently opened it. A small casket sat inside the cabinet, half-filled with green-white qi contained in five bottles.

Li Ximing had discovered this substance as soon as he entered the realm. It was spiritual qi left here by the realm's former owner, and it very likely dated back to Li Jiangqun!

Now that he had emerged from seclusion, he would certainly pay a visit to the foxes!

Granduncle took one bottle out back then, but after much consideration, he could find no one he dared ask about it and hurriedly brought it back. After witnessing what happened to Chunyi Dao Gate, he is even less willing to speak of it now... If I want answers, the foxes are the only ones I can try asking!

He therefore took another bottle and departed. Stepping out of the realm, he appeared within the softly glowing great hall. He looked around and found that nothing had changed. Everything remained as before.

Yet he was in no hurry to leave the great hall.

I have already reached the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm. With my many spirit treasures, cultivation methods and spell arts, as well as the destiny of the White Qilin... the opponents I once had to struggle against are no longer foes. Even Helian Wujiang and Shilou Yingge together may not be a match for me!

The only people who can truly surpass me are figures like Wei Xuanyin and Que Liyu...

His reappearance alone would be enough to shift the entire balance of power. Every additional day he remained hidden gave him another day of advantage, so he absolutely could not reveal himself lightly. He was even unwilling to let anyone at the lake know!

He merely took a jade pendant from his sleeve, sensed it briefly, and then activated it. In almost the same instant he activated the jade pendant, a streak of golden light came hurtling over and manifested within the great hall. The figure's white-golden Daoist robes shimmered with light. Who else could it be but Li Ximing?

He had been refining pills in the mountains while constantly monitoring the jade pendant hidden in his sleeve. The moment it lit up, boundless joy surged through his heart, mingled with apprehension. Pretending that he needed to retrieve some medicinal ingredients, he stepped into the inner formation. When he saw the white-robed, golden-eyed young man standing within the dim hall, his face immediately lit up with delight.

"Minghuang... Did you succeed?"

Li Zhouwei smiled and swept his gaze over him, seemingly noticing something. He took the Bright Truth Harmonizing Divine Pills from his storage pouch and said with a smile, "We saved a pill!"

Li Ximing praised, "Excellent! The middle stage of the Purple Mansion Realm!"

He took a neatly folded black robe from his sleeve. "[Yuan'e] restored itself long ago. I have kept it safe for you!"

The moment the armor saw Li Zhouwei, it soared toward him like a young swallow returning to its nest. With a rustle, it draped itself over his body and transformed into a robe. Its base was as black as ink, adorned with golden patterns of a qilin baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, while the edges of its sleeves were trimmed in gold. It looked incomparably noble.

After offering a word of praise, Li Ximing could no longer contain himself and asked eagerly, "How is it?"

Li Zhouwei naturally understood what he meant. He chuckled, raised his sleeve, and gently swept it outward!

In an instant, heaven and earth transformed, and a dense cloud of windblown sand struck them head-on. The dark lampstands, the flickering candle flames, and even the profound tower shimmering high above all dimmed and sank into impenetrable darkness.

In the space of a moment, they found themselves standing within a crimson desert filled with churning whirlwinds. The land stretched desolately into the distance as sand hissed all around them. Countless broken weapons and shattered pieces of armor lay scattered across the desert, shrouded in dense, boundless, and oppressive Baleful Qi. Devastation filled their eyes!

Li Ximing turned around, but the doors of the great hall had long since vanished. Behind him lay the same endless desert. Only a single golden disk hung in the pitch-black sky, a setting sun like some colossal beast.

Li Ximing drew a sharp breath, intense astonishment and uncertainty gathering between his brows as he turned back and asked, "This is [Severed Crimson Arrowhead]?!"

"Precisely! The [Great Fissure Blade-Breaking Wondrous Divine Ability], [Severed Crimson Arrowhead]!"

Li Zhouwei smiled faintly as the mark of a solar eclipse suddenly appeared between his brow, utterly black and devoid of the slightest trace of light.

"Using [Imperial Divergence Light] here produces twice the result with half the effort. All arts belonging to the Inverted Position of Yang Apex are not only enhanced, but also consume considerably less mana!

"More marvelous still, this divine ability flickers in and out of existence, making it difficult for even the most wondrous spiritual artifacts and spirit treasures to sever its influence. When used against an enemy, it can often catch them completely off guard!"

His tone carried a calculating edge, making it clear that numerous tactics had already taken shape in his mind.

"The setting sun, the weapons and armor, the blood-red desert, and even the stars of Surging Yang beneath the firmament are all mine to command. Not only can I wield them freely, but I can also combine them with various profound ancient arts to produce even more marvelous effects!"

Li Ximing pondered for a moment before murmuring, "This is quite the place for cultivating Baleful Qi!"

"That is not all!"

Li Zhouwei stood beneath the setting sun, gazing at the boundless, icy Baleful Qi drifting across the surface of the desert beneath his feet. He raised his brows and said, "The Imperial Book states: An emperor who slaughters his subjects destroys his own Great Wall. An emperor who shepherds rebels nurtures his own bandits."

He continued, "This desert possesses another profound property. Unless my divine ability is shattered in a single blow, a portion of all damage suffered by the people and objects within it will be set aside. This provides no immediate benefit, but when they leave the desert, that portion can be left behind instead of taken with them.

"Conversely, a portion of all healing and recovery received here will be stolen. When they leave, that stolen portion can likewise be destroyed within the desert."

Li Ximing raised his brows, then relaxed them again as he exclaimed in astonishment, "This... Could it be like the [Xinyou Pristine Marsh Seal] from back then... Such a divine ability actually exists! Once you seize the advantage, who could possibly withstand you?"