Chapter 549: Vulnerable

Marquis Lord Zhongwu reached out and grabbed it, and the heavy large spear fell into his hand.

With the weapon in hand, his heroic spirit surged, as if he had returned to the time when he led troops to gallop across the battlefield during his lifetime.

Li Yi said: "Although your strength is decent, wanting to take down this poor Daoist is wishful thinking. After the previous exchange, I already know your approximate strength, so this poor Daoist has no interest in playing with you anymore. Since the sky is still early, I'll just send you all on your way together, saving the trouble of you coming one by one and wasting my time."

"This Marquis is not that trash Taiyue Mountain God. Under the Nation-Stabilizing Spear, you won't even have a chance to beg for mercy."

Marquis Lord Zhongwu was furious. He strode out holding the spear, but after just a few steps, his figure flickered and he disappeared from the spot instantly. When he appeared again, he had already reached Li Yi. The long spear in his hand swung out, and one could vaguely hear the neighing of warhorses and the sound of gold and iron clashing. A shocking baleful aura filled the air, but this baleful aura was reinforced by countless incense fire belief powers, possessing an indestructible divine might.

"This Marquis Lord Zhongwu is truly formidable."

Seeing this scene, the Taiyue Mountain God's eyelids jumped. He had to admit that the other party's strength far surpassed his own. He was worthy of being a Marquis who had fought his way out of the battlefield; even after becoming a god after death, he remained powerful.

Even he would find it hard to resist this strike.

Although this Daoist had bested him by a notch, he surely would find it hard to parry.

But the next moment.

Something inconceivable to him happened.

Such a terrifying strike landed on Li Yi but did not shake him in the slightest.

Instead, light surged on the other party's Daoist robes, as if it had turned into a red-feathered divine bird, protecting him. No matter how fierce the Nation-Stabilizing Spear was, it could not advance a single inch.

The form transformed by the Daoist robes faded, and a set of red-feathered purple-gold armor appeared.

"What did you say just now? I wouldn't even have a chance to beg for mercy?" Li Yi looked at him with glowing eyes.

"What kind of armor is this?" Marquis Lord Zhongwu was extremely shocked.

He had fought across the world during his lifetime and guarded a region after his death, yet he had never seen such armor.

This was a middle-grade Daoist weapon specially refined for him by the bald Daoist of the Three Flower Realm. If even an incense fire god could break it, then Daoist weapons would be too worthless.

However, Li Yi did not speak, only swallowing the Qi of heaven and earth, operating his heart-fire magic power.

"Wind-Calling!"

At this moment, he revealed his sharp fangs. The previous exchanges were just testing, to see the depth of the other party's strength and avoid flipping over. Now that he knew their approximate strength, there was no need to remain low-key and patient. He could fully employ his Daoist techniques and send these incense fire gods on their way.

The Wind-Calling Great Technique was employed, and a gale filling the sky swept out. Because he was operating heart-fire Qi, the gale immediately turned into raging fire, sweeping across the firmament and burning for dozens of miles.

"Not good."

Marquis Lord Zhongwu was shocked and hurriedly wanted to retreat, but it was too late. As the gale rolled, the fire Qi penetrated everywhere. Since he was an incense fire body without a physical body, the fire Qi mixed with the gale poured directly into his body, blowing away the incense fire Qi and entering deep into his soul. Once this fire Qi entered his body, it was as if he had been ignited from the inside out.

His whole body turned red and began to burn directly.

"Ah!"

He let out a miserable scream, his body scorched, black smoke rising from his whole body, and he fell from the high sky.

Although he struggled desperately, he could never extinguish this raging fire, as if this fire was naturally the nemesis of incense fire gods.

"You Daoist, how insidious. You had such means and hid them until now."

Marquis Lord Zhongwu roared, smoke rising from his seven orifices, fire light erupting, and his body began to collapse. Even if the incense fire Qi gathered, it couldn't save him.

Because this fire specifically burned the Primordial Spirit.

Even a cultivator's Nascent Soul would be reduced to ashes once ignited.

Seeing this, the Taiyue Mountain God wanted to flee, but it was too late. The fire light that had instantly filled dozens of miles of land could not be easily escaped. As the gale entered his body and the heart-fire Qi scorched him, his body seemed to be melting. The chest that had already been injured collapsed again, and streaks of fire Qi refined his soul, making him equally unable to endure, so he could only let out a painful cry and fall from the high sky as well.

Seeing this, the Xinzhou City God was terrified and wanted to return to the temple to seek protection from his divine statue, but he was a step too late.

The gale whistled, fire light filled the sky, and he was also enveloped within it. He didn't even have a chance to take action before the divine robes on his body were already burning with raging fire. After he took off the divine robes, his body was also stained with clusters of fire, and countless sparks sprayed out from within his body.

Only after experiencing it personally could one understand how terrifying this Wind-Calling and Fire-Transforming was.

Unavoidable and impossible to guard against.

Even the three righteous gods ended up in such a state, let alone the ghosts and monsters brought along. Although their numbers were large, once blown by the Wind-Calling Great Technique, the ghosts tainted by incense fire immediately had their forms dissolve, their souls scattering, not leaving a single scrap behind. The monsters were burned by the heart-fire Qi and died on the spot, falling down charred black.

Within the dark clouds filling the sky, one figure after another fell into the city like dumplings.

In no time, the group of ghosts and monsters that had been aggressive just a moment ago had all vanished into smoke.

Miserable screams echoed incessantly.

And in this painful refining, the Taiyue Mountain God was the first to be unable to hold on. He roared, his body exploded, leaving incense fire all over the ground, but his soul had already been burned clean, and this incense fire Qi could no longer gather.

Next to die was the Xinzhou City God. He endured the pain of being scorched and burrowed into a water well in the city, but it was of no use.

How could ordinary water extinguish the heart-fire of a cultivator? Moreover, with the reinforcement of the Wind-Calling Great Technique, even if the heart-fire Qi were truly extinguished, that soul-devouring and bone-melting gale could still take your life.

Soon.

The City God burned to death in the well water. The last to die was Marquis Lord Zhongwu. He fell onto the street, rolling and struggling, and finally, amidst bursts of miserable screams, his soul was thoroughly refined away, leaving only a vast incense fire aura that dissipated into heaven and earth.

"Dead, all dead?"

Inside the Yaoxing Tower, King Xin saw this scene, his heart trembling with fear. He had never dreamed that the righteous gods appointed by the imperial court would be blown to death by this Daoist in one breath, truly as clean and neat as autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

"How could it be like this? How could it be like this?"

Inside the Prefect's government office, Chu Chu Pingzhi, who was the Yin Prefect, was also watching everything happen tonight. He had thought that with the addition of Marquis Lord Zhongwu and the local City God, this battle was a sure win, but he never expected such an outcome.

A great fire filling the sky had burned everything away.

Chu Chu Pingzhi's lips moved, wanting to say something, but he couldn't say it. At this moment, he had thoroughly realized that he had underestimated that Daoist Tai Yi from beginning to end, and the Daoist was indeed not wrong—he truly had the ability to call the wind and summon the rain. If such a person wanted to rebel, he could truly make a climate.

However, Li Yi scanned the surroundings, confirming with his own eyes that these incense fire gods had been exterminated before he was willing to stop.

"Becoming a god through incense fire is not bad, but in the final analysis, there is no physical body, only a soul, making it hard to achieve the Great Dao. Once restrained, even if there is more incense fire, it is of no use. This method is not suitable for primary cultivation, but suitable for secondary cultivation. If a cultivator uses the incense fire path to refine a Primordial Spirit, mobilizing the power of heaven and earth, and then cooperates with a powerful physical body, that can truly be considered invincible."

After the exchange, Li Yi gained insight into the shortcomings of the incense fire gods, but also understood their advantages.

【Note: Repetitive filler phrase.】

After confirming that the enemies were all finished, he stepped on the red auspicious cloud and descended from the sky once more.

He didn't go anywhere else, but headed straight for the Yaoxing Tower.

"Your Highness, that Daoist is coming."

Everyone was shocked, but they feared the Daoist's means, standing still in place for a time, not knowing what to do. Until Li Yi stepped into the tower, they didn't make a single move, fearing they would also be blown to death by a single breath.

"My business here is settled. What about you? Have you thought it through? Are you going to the capital with me to find that lyricist, or do you want me to use forceful means to take you?" Li Yi said with a calm expression.

King Xin gradually recovered from his shock and smiled bitterly: "Daoist, you are truly a person among immortals. Good ability, good means. The Taiyue Mountain God, Xinzhou City God, and Marquis Lord Zhongwu—three righteous gods appointed by the imperial court—could not restrain you. Why should this King struggle in vain? Since you want to go to the capital, this King can only accompany you. I only beg you to give this King a little time to write a letter to submit, so that the imperial court may pardon my crime of leaving the fief without authorization."

"Otherwise, this King would rather die."

As he spoke, King Xin immediately took the precious sword from the wandering knight's hand and held it against his own neck, looking as if he were ready to die for his cause.

He was using his own life to fight for some opportunities.

After all, leaving the fief without authorization was also a capital crime. Dying now would at least preserve his name before and after death.

Li Yi said: "This poor Daoist is not the kind of person who doesn't understand human feelings. Fine, this poor Daoist will give you an hour. We depart in an hour. If you try to delay, this poor Daoist will not be lenient."

"Thank you, Daoist. An hour is enough."

King Xin breathed a sigh of relief, put down the precious sword in his hand, and then turned and left impatiently.

Before leaving, he ordered: "White Ape, entertain the Daoist well. No matter what requests the Daoist has, satisfy them all. Do not be negligent."

The White Ape agreed.

King Xin walked away quickly, not daring to delay a single moment.

Li Yi didn't stop him, letting him leave. After all, what could an ordinary person do? Even if he tried to flee for his life, he couldn't escape a hundred miles, so he was not worth worrying about.

He simply found a seat and waited for an hour.

"Daoist..." The White Ape respectfully brought fine wine and delicacies for Li Yi to enjoy.

Li Yi said: "I promised you to teach you an invisibility technique. Lean your ear over. Whether you can learn it depends on your own fortune."

The White Ape was extremely excited upon hearing this.

It didn't expect this Daoist to be so trustworthy, always remembering this matter.

The White Ape leaned over cautiously and listened with its ear.

Li Yi didn't begrudge this small magic technique and taught the invisibility technique to the White Ape.

The White Ape listened, scratching its ears and cheeks. It understood some parts, but didn't understand others, because Daoist techniques involved magic power, and magic power involved cultivation.

However, cultivation matters were much the same.

Li Yi gave a few more pointers. The White Ape was clever and soon entered the path.

The White Ape tried to cast the spell. At first, it wasn't very effective; its body was only half hidden, missing arms and legs, looking very strange, but it proved that the magic technique was real.

After practicing a few more times, the White Ape gradually became proficient, but its tail could never be hidden.

The White Ape wanted to ask the reason, but didn't dare.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately understood and said directly: "You have the body of an ape, not a human body. The forms are different, so the magic techniques naturally have differences."

"So that's how it is." The White Ape nodded as if it understood, then knelt and bowed sincerely: "Thank you, Daoist, for teaching the technique."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 550 =====