Chapter 2446: Like a Tiger Gaining Wings

The three turned back and discovered nearly a hundred Changfeng Valley disciples closing in.

This is Changfeng Valley's territory; the commotion He Lingchuan made blowing up the stone anglerfish was huge, so it would have been strange if the local power hadn't been alerted.

The leader wore ice-silken robes and a white jade pearl crown, his beard groomed with exquisite care, yet the three couldn't help but let out a surprised "Huh?" upon seeing him.

Isn't this Li Yun?

Those facial features, that face shape.

Only this Elder Li before them was high-spirited and vigorous, a world apart from the ragged, knotted-hair figure in the Screen Secret Realm.

But their arrival this swiftly still surprised He Lingchuan somewhat.

Did someone tip them off in advance?

Taking advantage of He Lingchuan turning his head, a stone mole cricket lunged and bit onto his arm.

The thing's strength was astonishing; He Lingchuan tugged twice before pulling it off, casually flinging it back into the ground fissure, and at the same time said:

"Madam, down!"

The Earth Spider Matriarch suddenly sprang, leaping into the ground fissure.

Underground, few creatures could move more swiftly than her.

Li Yun not far off watched this scene entirely, and surprisingly produced a pellet drum in his hand.

Other pellet drums have skin heads, but this one in his hand, from the small beaters to the drumhead, was made of stone, yet striking it still produced thumping sounds.

Li Yun pointed at where the three stood, shook the pellet drum, and spoke a word:

"Close!"

A dull rumble came from underground; those several fissures rapidly shrank, closing shut!

This is the entrance to the Earth Mother's nest; outsiders intruding here without a sound — their intent could not be more obvious:

They mean to harm the Earth Mother!

The first thing Li Yun must do is level the entrance.

Though the Earth Mother slumbers, she has bestowed a portion of her innate divine abilities for Changfeng Valley to share, such as this power to rapidly alter terrain. The token is this pellet drum.

Seeing this, Immortal Mingke fished out over a dozen walnuts from his sleeve and threw them into the ground fissure.

They rapidly enlarged as they fell, each exceeding three and a half zhang in diameter, perfectly standard great spheres.

True Person Si Hai had also displayed this move outside Yujing City.

As the ground fissure shrank further, it was jammed fast by the giant walnuts.

Immortal Mingke asked He Lingchuan: "We're not going down?"

"Not going down." He Lingchuan turned to stare at Li Yun, silently calculating the distance between them, "If Madam can't find it, we're even more wasted effort."

As they spoke, the giant walnuts emitted cracking sounds. Immortal Mingke's hand seals shifted through several changes, and He Lingchuan could see his exertion.

"The force of this land closing is absurdly great; my magic treasure can barely hold!" Immortal Mingke's fingertips trembled, "This should be... Shangguan Biao taking advantage to leverage the Secret Realm's own power, contending with me!"

The giant walnuts were astonishingly tough, hardness comparable to meteoric iron, yet now they were in dire straits.

Holding... can't hold.

"One person alone can hardly oppose an entire Secret Realm!" Speaking, He Lingchuan's steps were light as he retreated backward, "Retreat, retreat further!"

Immortal Mingke retreated together with him, step by step moving away from the ground fissure.

Li Yun led his group rushing over, glanced at the ground fissure, and was about to cast a spell, when He Lingchuan on this side summoned the Yinglei Spear and leapt high.

This leap put him twenty zhang off the ground; his springing power in no way fell short of Zhu Xiuer's. He strangely halted at the highest point, then backhanded the spear and hurled it violently toward Li Yun and the others!

He threw the Yinglei Spear like a javelin; the moment it left his hand, lightning snakes coiled around it, flying faster and growing longer!

Li Yun and the others on the ground looked up, only to see a thick bolt of thunder descend from the sky, reaching them in an instant!

The hair at Li Yun's temples and the beard under his jaw were stood on end by the blue-white lightning.

Even an Immortal would not want to catch thunder barehanded.

He dodged without a second thought, and the Yinglei Spear plunged into the ground fissure.

The spear shaft's diameter had expanded from wrist-and-hukou thickness to two zhang, truly deserving the name of a great spear.

From the moment it pierced the ground crack, lightning surged from the spear body in all directions. Fortunately, the experienced Changfeng Valley disciples had already erected barriers or magic shields; the electric light surged past them like a tide.

But there were also quite a few unlucky ones who couldn't react in time, or whose shields lacked power; they were blasted over ten zhang away before they could even scream, landing with life or death unknown.

He Lingchuan's spear thrust was exquisitely calculated; midway it shattered several stone walls, the spear tip aimed roughly at where Shangguan Biao had originally dripped the dew!

Simultaneously with throwing the long spear, the cloak behind him surged, violently propelling him forward at a speed in no way inferior to the Yinglei Spear's.

This was the Blood Demon doing the work.

Li Yun had just dodged the thunder strike from above when a figure appeared before him, cold blade light reflecting his face green.

If the thunder spear just now was awe-inspiring in might, this man's saber technique was domineering beyond compare.

In the urgency, he shot backward while flicking his wrist; two copper bracelets flew from his wrist, crashing straight at the other's eyes. The two bracelets spun in midair, their edges sharper than a guillotine blade; if they connected, it would be death by a thousand cuts within three breaths!

This is Gushan Cold Copper, washed and tempered in a cold pool for three hundred years, its quality astonishingly hard.

Moreover they can automatically acquire targets, and by colliding with each other can rapidly change direction. Li Yun had killed many monsters with this pair of treasures; a Giant Bear King was shot blind in the eyes by them, yet its full-body fur remained intact, and it still hangs in Li Yun's residence to this day.

Li Yun's combat experience is also very rich; the opponent seized the initiative the moment he arrived, unstoppable. He had to break the opponent's seamless flow to mount a counterattack.

As long as the opponent had to parry, his momentum would vanish.

However, the Fusheng Saber fell, like mercury spilling.

This saber had no flourishes, only a curved upward flick, yet it could sever the two copper bracelets with their different trajectories and speeds.

One after another, precise shearing, yet only a single sound rang out.

Ding—

The first copper bracelet was sliced in two from the middle; the Cold Copper's material could not block Fusheng's keen edge.

The second was struck flying; though it did not follow its companion's fate, a huge notch was knocked into it.

This little interruption did not stop He Lingchuan's blade momentum; he still lunged at Li Yun.

Not only swift, not only fierce, facing him Li Yun felt he was like a lofty mountain to be looked up to, towering and without equal.

Where did this fierce enemy come from?

Masters who enter the Dao through martial arts are few and far between in the world.

However, He Lingchuan's attack also encountered an obstacle; Li Yun's protective gangqi was surprisingly tough, and the Floating Life Blade, so sharp, cutting into it felt like slicing nine-layered soaked old cowhide. This gangqi was like a ball; the harder He Lingchuan struck, the more he shoved Li Yun far away, yet could not get close to him.

This fellow's protective magic artifact is quite unique; it can transform an opponent's attack force into a pushing force.

Li Yun, after struggling to regain his strength, grabbed the wave drum with his left hand and gave it a shake, then clasped his fists in a drum-holding posture, and slammed his fists together hard!