Chapter 354: Planting Thoughts

Xu Qing's words were like a thunderclap, exploding within Taichu City and echoing with a boom.

All the cultivators who heard it were shaken, especially those disciples from various sects; they were even more so.

It was simply that it had been too long since such a life-and-death battle had occurred in Taichu City.

Generally speaking, disciples from various sects challenging each other here was something everyone tacitly accepted; after all, they were all human prodigies, and with so many gathered together, it was inevitable that there would be disputes and thoughts of who was superior.

Coupled with the Sword-Holding Court's rules, it made challenges even more frequent; during this period, every sect had experienced being challenged or challenging others.

But on the eve of this Sword-Holder trial, there had never been a life-and-death battle. As such, Xu Qing's words were naturally like a thunderbolt to everyone.

They never expected that Xu Qing, who had been avoiding battles and was privately discussed by many as being cowardly, would be so murderous the moment he opened his mouth.

This point exceeded the expectations of too many people.

"Ruthless enough!"

"Is this a case of not making a move until he's ready, and once he does, he intends to kill?"

"I was wondering before how Xu Qing, as a quasi-Daoist, could be so cowardly. Now this is what I call exciting!"

"It's too early to say. I hope this Xu Qing isn't seeking his own death; that Li Ziliang is no simple character!"

In an instant, discussions were constant, and a large number of cultivators took flight, all looking toward the direction of the Taisi Immortal Gate to see if Li Ziliang would accept the challenge.

Among the crowd that flew up, there were also disciples of the Alliance.

For the cultivators of the Alliance, they had a relatively better understanding of Xu Qing and felt gratified; the disciples of the Seven Blood Eyes within it were even more so.

And very quickly, more and more people paid attention to this matter, and the figures flying out were the same, all waiting for Li Ziliang's reply.

Even those climbing the Taichu Liyou Pillar came down one after another to pay attention to this battle. It could be said that in an instant, Xu Qing's single sentence made him the center of attention for all.

It was truly because Xu Qing, as someone enjoying Daoist treatment within the Eight Sect Alliance, had an extraordinary status and position.

And Li Ziliang was the same; although he was not a Taisi Daoist, he himself also possessed great fame.

Furthermore, Li Ziliang had been in the limelight recently; he had easily won more than a dozen challenges and defenses, his four-palace combat power was quite astonishing, and at the same time, he had always been at the peak among the participants on the Taichu Liyou Pillar.

Even some Sword-Holders had paid attention to him. As such, his battle with Xu Qing would naturally become a hot topic.

Amidst the gathering of these countless gazes, within the Taisi Immortal Gate, Li Ziliang's expression remained as usual, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes, but deep down he felt some hesitation.

People outside didn't understand Xu Qing, but he had specifically paid attention to him and knew that the other party was not simple.

If it weren't a life-and-death battle, he wouldn't have any hesitation; after all, there would be no life-or-death crisis, and he could go all out.

And he felt that there was a high probability he could win.

And battling Xu Qing would attract more people's attention; after all, the other party had an unusual status in the Eight Sect Alliance. If he won, he could suppress the other party and leap to prominence.

The gains in reputation would be great.

At the same time, the display of his own talent would also be more likely to attract the attention of the Sword-Holding Court, adding points for himself in secret.

Most importantly, someone had promised him great benefits to take this opportunity to test Xu Qing's depth.

He knew clearly that that person valued Xu Qing's Life Lamp.

And according to that person's habits, every move was meticulously planned, pursuing a path of certain victory.

In reality, he, Li Ziliang, also had his eyes on Xu Qing's Life Lamp.

But he wasn't prepared yet, so as for a life-and-death battle... he was somewhat hesitant.

This wasn't the Taisi Immortal Gate; if he really went, it would be a true life-and-death battle. With so many people watching, neither the Taisi Immortal Gate nor the Alliance could shield him.

However, thinking that he now had four Heavenly Palaces and formidable combat power, and according to intelligence, Xu Qing only had three Heavenly Palaces.

Even if he had an Imperial-grade technique, it would only be on par with his own.

"A life-and-death battle... If I kill him and take his Life Lamp, the Eight Sect Alliance and that person won't be able to say anything."

"But for this Xu Qing to dare to propose a life-and-death battle, he must have some confidence. The outcome of this battle is hard to say..." Li Ziliang wasn't stupid; he analyzed it very thoroughly, but now he was more or less in a position where it was hard to back down.

After all, he had proposed many previous challenges; if he didn't accept a life-and-death battle, he would surely lose all face, and the importance he had gained would instantly dissipate.

"Although there are unknown dangers, it is also an opportunity."

"Moreover, apart from that insidious, cunning, and cold-hearted person Zhang Siyun, no one else has yet encountered a second person who can avoid my trump card."

Li Ziliang pondered for a slightly long time, and the discussions outside gradually increased. As various rumors echoed faintly, a murderous intent flashed in Li Ziliang's eyes.

He knew he couldn't hesitate any longer, and he sneered again.

"Xu Qing, you are seeking your own death, don't blame me!"

His body flickered, and he flew out abruptly. The moment he stepped onto the firmament, the gazes of countless cultivators in Taichu City directly converged upon him.

Under the gaze of all, Li Ziliang transformed into a long rainbow, heading straight for the place where Xu Qing was.

From afar, he saw Xu Qing standing in mid-air outside the city.

A purple robe, long hair, an enchanting appearance, a cold expression, and calm eyes.

All of this made Li Ziliang squint his eyes. Without slowing down, he headed straight for Xu Qing, and just as he was about to rush out of the city, his speed suddenly increased, unexpectedly erupting with a speed twice as fast as before.

His speed was already very fast when he came, and now the sudden eruption formed a sense of surprise, especially since this speed was something he had never displayed when battling others before.

At this moment, his speed skyrocketed, and he turned into a blur, rushing out of the city in an instant. Approaching Xu Qing, he raised his right hand and pressed down fiercely.

Four Heavenly Palaces materialized behind him.

These four Heavenly Palaces were similar in shape, but unlike ordinary Heavenly Palaces, they looked like a ladder, made entirely of crystal, covered in runes, and emitting a brilliant light.

At this moment, as Li Ziliang raised his hand, these four Heavenly Palaces roared and directly appeared above Xu Qing's head.

Stacked together, seen from afar, these four Heavenly Palaces overlapped, as if forming a crystal pagoda.

It suppressed Xu Qing in an instant.

All of this happened in a flash, and combined with Li Ziliang's speed, it formed a trump card.

Furthermore, the moment it fell, Li Ziliang suddenly spread his spiritual sense and transmitted a message to Xu Qing, saying something only Xu Qing could hear.

"Xu Qing, I've been looking for you for a long time. The hatred between you and me... do you still remember me?"

These words echoed in Xu Qing's heart. Xu Qing remained expressionless; he didn't know the other party and was certain he had never seen him before. Otherwise, if the other party had hatred for him, he would have already been on the bamboo slip.

So he didn't pay attention to what the other party was saying. At this moment, the four Heavenly Palaces above whistled down, smashing fiercely toward him; the power of the four-palace Golden Core erupted fully.

In an instant, the eight directions shook, and the pagoda formed by the four Heavenly Palaces submerged Xu Qing's figure.

Countless flashes of lightning spread from it, connecting to the ground like silk threads. While it looked very astonishing, the speed at which the pagoda smashed toward the ground became even faster.

But the next instant, the pagoda paused abruptly in mid-air, and as it trembled throughout, a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering loud noise echoed.

Amidst the roaring, the pagoda collapsed rapidly, visible to the naked eye, breaking into pieces and shooting in all directions.

It revealed Xu Qing's figure in mid-air and the nine-layered great waves rising around him.

The waves rolled one after another, expanding in all directions with a rumble. Xu Qing, standing on the sea waves, was like a sea god.

Furthermore, a roar was emitted. Behind Xu Qing, above the waves, the Jin Wu was like a sun rising from the sea, emitting golden light above Xu Qing.

Within the golden light, although its body was black, its nineteen colorful phoenix tails, which had grown long, danced in all directions. Wherever it passed, pieces of burning phoenix feathers swirled through heaven and earth.

Li Ziliang's expression changed. He knew Xu Qing was strong, but it wasn't until this moment of battle that he truly felt the violent power on Xu Qing's body.

The feeling he got was that it was still four-palace combat power, but it was infinitely close to five-palace.

"Damn it, why didn't my previous transmission plant any doubt in his heart!"

Almost the moment he looked at Xu Qing, Xu Qing moved.

With great speed, he stepped on the waves and headed straight for Li Ziliang, the Jin Wu spreading its wings, the angry waves following.

Li Ziliang's pupils contracted, his body retreated rapidly, and his hands formed seals.

"Immortal Art, True Spirit Ice Spear!"

Ice spears materialized all around, whistling toward Xu Qing. Each of these ice spears emitted a brilliant, crystal-like light.

They blocked Xu Qing, but were shattered by Xu Qing's Jin Wu.

"Immortal Art, Omen of Flame!"

In an instant, a sea of fire formed in the eight directions, turning into a huge flame palm that swept toward Xu Qing, wanting to block him again, but it was submerged by the angry waves.

"Immortal Art, Hexagram of the Sigong!"

The shattered Tiangong fragments in the firmament all blurred and dissipated, and then four more Heavenly Palaces materialized in mid-air, arranged with each other, two side-by-side in front and two vertically behind.

Like a broken hexagram, they blocked Xu Qing's path, as if analyzing and deducing him.

It wasn't over. With a wave of Li Ziliang's hand, a huge mirror appeared beneath Xu Qing.

This mirror was illusory, and countless blurred figures appeared on the mirror's surface. They couldn't be seen clearly, but it seemed to possess some strange power, making people's gazes involuntarily look at it; the less clear it was, the more they wanted to look.

After doing this, Li Ziliang raised his right hand and formed seals rapidly, as if calculating something.

The numerous figures within the materialized mirror also began to become clear from being blurred.

Until the next instant, after Xu Qing shattered his Tiangong with a punch, Li Ziliang's expression changed drastically. He spat out a mouthful of blood, looked at Xu Qing with an expression of disbelief, and exclaimed in shock.

"I know why you don't recognize me. On your body... you were actually..."

While speaking, he put on a posture as if he had seen a ghost, turned around abruptly, and fled toward the distance.

Just as he was fleeing, Xu Qing raised his head and glanced, his expression calm. He suddenly raised his right hand and grabbed fiercely.

The direction Xu Qing grabbed wasn't where Li Ziliang was fleeing, but behind himself!