Chapter 716: Drinking to Death

Guan Gongxiao's Duxian Dao was originally a Daoist lineage from the East Sea, and he had read more demonic cultivation techniques than the Li family had ever seen. The "Jiazi Soul-Refining Halberd Art" practiced by Li Zhouwei was, in essence, a technique from the Liang Dynasty; if one really wanted to call it a demonic art, it wasn't much different from his own.

Yet, no sooner had this thought crossed his mind than black flames appeared before his eyes like rain. Seeing the Great Ascension halberd suddenly thrusting toward him, he realized that although the heavenly light on the halberd had been blocked by his own small mirror magic treasure, the surging black shadows were clearly not easy to deal with. He hurriedly pinched a seal, releasing a sheet of white light.

This white light was known as 【Evening White Dispersing Origin】, specifically designed to deal with cultivators skilled in artifact arts. It could dissolve sharp Qi and push away magic treasures. Guan Gongxiao usually fought with this technique and was always successful; previously, he had relied on this method to resist the halberd.

Who would have thought that now, as he released the white light to block the halberd, a cluster of black flames immediately rose from the weapon. The white light withered away as if it had been deflated. Not only did the Great Ascension halberd thrust right in front of him, but the heavenly light on the halberd also broke free from the binding range of his mirror-shaped magic treasure, shining brilliantly.

"Clang!"

Caught off guard, Guan Gongxiao could only pull the Daoist book in front of him. The pages moved without wind, spraying out clear Qi with a rustling sound, barely managing to hold off the halberd. Guan Kan and General Gongsun Baifan broke out in a cold sweat and rushed to assist.

But Li Zhouwei had finally seized the initiative; how could he easily let it go? He activated the Yang Li Red Sparrow Flag with all his might, pressing down with five types of Li Fire, and in coordination with the heavenly light flying out from the Heavenly Gate, he held back Guan Kan.

Meanwhile, General Gongsun Baifan, who was skilled in saber techniques, had only taken one step forward when a black-shadowed halberd broke through the air and stabbed at his saber. The saber-wielder, clad in a straw raincoat, parried over a dozen blows in an instant. He looked up and saw that the man shrouded in black-shadowed waves had already pressed Guan Gongxiao until his face was flushed red, and he was about to fall from mid-air.

General Gongsun Baifan was almost at the peak of what a grassroots rogue cultivator could achieve; ordinary clan-based Foundation Establishment cultivators were no match for him. Yet, he still suffered from the common ailment of rogue cultivators—a lack of knowledge in profound techniques and shallow Daoist attainment. Relying solely on his saber technique to climb this far, he could hold his own against anyone, but he lacked even a shred of means to break the deadlock.

Perhaps if he had served as a guest elder in Duxian Dao for fifty or sixty years, he could have been reborn and soared like a roc, but as of now, he was ultimately just a rogue cultivator.

Seeing the situation on the field, General Gongsun Baifan understood that if he returned this time, he would be scolded even if he didn't suffer some form of punishment. If something happened to Guan Gongxiao, it would be even worse! Guan Kan naturally didn't care, but what did he, General Gongsun Baifan, have to rely on?! He had to fight for his life now!

Without hesitation, he slapped his storage bag, from which three crimson elixirs immediately flew out and landed in his mouth. He bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of essence blood onto his saber, and arrays of runes immediately lit up.

In this brief moment, Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes and laughed:

"So it's an auxiliary magic treasure!"

Guan Gongxiao had always presented himself with this Daoist book; anyone who fought him would naturally be wary of this trump card. But Li Zhouwei had caught him off guard, forcing him into a desperate situation with a single halberd strike, only to discover that the Daoist book was merely an auxiliary magic treasure for casting spells and releasing water domains!

"That black bell is his most proficient magic treasure! It was suppressed under the pass long ago!"

He flipped and parried with his halberd, breaking through the protection of Guan Gongxiao's Daoist book and driving straight in. Heavenly light surged on the Great Ascension halberd, scorching Guan Gongxiao's face until flames rose and hissed.

"Not good!"

Guan Kan was the most surprised of all. The old man clearly hadn't expected that the young sect master, in whom he had placed such high hopes, would truly be in mortal danger from a single halberd strike. While he was still casting spells and observing, he was now terrified, his eyes turning sharp as he immediately condensed a spell in his mouth.

"Hum!"

At this critical juncture, a halo of white light sprang from Guan Gongxiao's body, and the runes on his chest lit up, driving away all the heavenly light and flames on his face. With a clanging sound, he simultaneously blocked the Great Ascension halberd.

Li Zhouwei was not at all surprised; after all, how could someone of Guan Gongxiao's status not have some life-saving protection? Not to mention Guan Gongxiao, even he, Li Zhouwei, had three life-saving items!

But he would not miss his chance. The halberd slid upward, clanging and locking onto the mirror magic treasure with lightning speed. Although Guan Gongxiao hadn't been injured thanks to the talisman, his blood and Qi were surging; how could he have a chance to react?

The magic treasure struggled twice before being dragged back by the Great Ascension, struck down, and pinned firmly beneath the Heavenly Gate. Li Zhouwei didn't have time to press his advantage; as the halberd swung back, General Gongsun Baifan had already broken through the entangling black shadows and was charging over with murderous intent!

With a clanging explosion, Li Zhouwei retreated a step, slightly surprised, knowing that the man before him was fighting for his life. He blocked the long saber with the Great Ascension head-on, two black shadows swirling. As the halberd swung back to strike from the side, General Gongsun Baifan, having taken the elixir, was completely fearless. Three water dragon shadows surged from behind him, each blocking one of the black shadows, and he shouted:

"Elder!"

Guan Kan, alerted by him, knew this was a prime opportunity. The spell he had been accumulating for a long time erupted from his mouth, turning into the essence of Kan water in mid-air as it swam toward him. Yet, he saw heavenly light surging from Li Zhouwei's brow. General Gongsun Baifan's hair stood on end; this man wasn't using his Upper Radiance Subduing Light to block the Kan water essence, but was aiming it directly at his own face!

"Him!"

General Gongsun Baifan was fighting for his life so as not to be stared to death by Ye Huai's cold gaze, not to throw his own life away! He immediately retreated, raising his long saber. Li Zhouwei's Great Ascension halberd, however, was drawn out naturally and with long-planned intent, thrusting directly to block the Kan water essence...

"Why go to such unnecessary trouble?"

The long saber in General Gongsun Baifan's hand was struck by the Upper Radiance Subduing Light, and he felt a massive force transmitted through it. If he hadn't been proficient in saber techniques and extremely skilled in defense, he would have collapsed from this blow. The entire back of his saber grew hot, and he almost vomited blood, but he felt puzzled in his heart.

But the next moment, General Gongsun Baifan and Guan Kan immediately understood.

Seeing the Kan water essence collide with the black flames of Li Zhouwei's halberd, white vapor immediately surged, splitting into several streams of flowing water that scattered. They retreated a few steps, then dispersed again, blindly scattering toward the south. The spell Guan Kan had been accumulating for so long had been shattered like white snow under the scorching sun.

"What is the logic behind this!"

General Gongsun Baifan stared in a daze, but Guan Kan's expression changed drastically. Guan Gongxiao, the young sect master, had just caught his breath and shouted loudly:

"That black flame is the Great Liang's 'Sui Qi' spell!"

Guan Kan immediately understood, and looking at Li Zhouwei, who was covered in surging black flames, he felt a sudden sense of dread.

"'Sui Qi' transforms Kan and removes Li; having passed through the Liang Wu Dynasty, it can also suppress and subdue the weak... This is going to be hard to deal with!"

Li Zhouwei was also surprised by the power of this halberd strike. His practiced "Jiazi Soul-Refining Halberd Art" contained the power to break techniques, which was why he had been able to force out Guan Gongxiao's trump card when caught off guard. Now, he realized in his heart:

"I intended to rely on the technique-breaking power of this set of spells, but 'Sui Qi' can actually break Kan water too. Good, good, good!"

Having gained such a great advantage, he immediately pulled back his halberd, ignoring the red light Guan Gongxiao was desperately spraying to relieve the pressure, and thrust toward General Gongsun Baifan.

Everyone on the field had an epiphany, except for General Gongsun Baifan, who remained completely in the dark. He only knew that Guan Kan's spell had been inexplicably shattered. Before his shock could fade, seeing the Great Ascension thrusting toward him, it turned into terror.

But Li Zhouwei was relentless. The Upper Radiance Subduing Light at his brow grew stronger and stronger, condensing into a tangible white pillar of light that locked him in place. If General Gongsun Baifan were to pull his saber and flee, his head would inevitably be blown apart.

With a muffled sound, the straw raincoat on General Gongsun Baifan's body—a Qi Refining-level item he had crafted himself—emitted a tearing sound like fabric being ripped. He spat out a mouthful of blood, which evaporated in mid-air. The three water dragons were swept away by a single halberd strike and extinguished by the heavenly light, causing General Gongsun Baifan to fall like a bird with broken wings.

Surging black flames leaped from his body. Guan Kan's eyelids twitched as he watched:

"This saber-wielder practices the 'Jing Dragon King' technique, which is also of the Kan water path. One strike like this... is enough to make him suffer!"

Li Zhouwei forcibly struck this man down, but he could not dodge Guan Gongxiao's spell. He used the two arms under his ribs to block the red light slightly with his halberd, took the spell, and let out a muffled grunt. His scales bulged, and he turned back, pulling his blood-stained halberd. As his gaze swept over, Guan Kan felt a chill down his spine:

"This man is coming for me!"

General Gongsun Baifan on the ground was no different from dead. Since Li Zhouwei knew that his own "Jiazi Soul-Refining Halberd Art" countered Kan water, he naturally used strength to suppress weakness. Swallowing blood and stepping on heavenly light, he scared Guan Kan into hurriedly discarding the Yang Li Red Sparrow Flag, which was flickering in mid-air, and shaking his sleeves to shed several shadows.

These shadows shifted before him, but Li Zhouwei didn't even look. Operating his Great Brilliance Golden Pupils, he saw through them at a glance and took a step through the void, closing the distance.

At this critical juncture, Guan Gongxiao, rushing as fast as he could, finally arrived. His body, transformed into gray water, emerged from the water flow Guan Kan had condensed. He took out a copper coin from his hand and flicked it lightly.

"Geng Metal is controlled, protect my own body!"

Although Guan Gongxiao was no match for Li Zhouwei, his reaction speed was not slow. Just from this one exchange, he guessed that Li Zhouwei had the ability to break techniques, so he didn't even use spells, instead throwing out a Geng Metal magic treasure!

A large golden shield immediately jumped into the air. It took a strike from the halberd, which was surging with black flames, and emitted a huge roar. Its light dimmed instantly, but the two of them stood firm.

Seeing him pull out a Geng Metal magic treasure, Li Zhouwei immediately activated the Yang Li Red Sparrow Flag, covering him with Li Fire to refine the metal with fire, while sweeping his halberd horizontally to extinguish the spells. These two direct descendants of Duxian Dao were actually caught in a dilemma.

There was no other reason; both of their magic treasures were being suppressed by that Bright Pass Heavenly Gate and couldn't move, while Li Zhouwei's halberd light had the power to break techniques. Guan Gongxiao was doing okay, but Guan Kan was even more troubled and in extreme pain.

After waiting for a dozen rounds, the two were unable to advance or retreat. The Geng Metal magic treasure had already been burned until it hissed, turning bright red. Seeing it couldn't hold on, Guan Gongxiao finally gritted his teeth and said:

"This demonic disciple specifically prepared the Sui Qi spell to target our family, and General Gongsun Baifan is incompetent, leading to this situation. What should we do now?"

Duxian Dao's forces were far superior to the Li family's. Even if they lost Guan Kan, this elder, they still had a significant advantage. Guan Gongxiao only wanted to drag Li Zhouwei down, and his family would surely have the last laugh... He absolutely did not want to call for more people!

Hearing his words, Guan Kan knew what the young sect master Guan Gongxiao meant. The matter of fighting for one's life naturally had to be done by him, the elder; it absolutely could not be Guan Gongxiao. So he said in a hoarse voice:

"Young Master, rest assured, this old man still has some strength left."

The old man took several talismans from his sleeves, stuck them onto his ribs and cheeks, bit the tip of his tongue, and sprayed essence blood into his palms. Li Zhouwei had already burned the golden shield and looked over with golden eyes.

These elderly men had their own methods. Like Yu Yuwei and Jiang Huzi, they didn't have much lifespan left, nor did they care about consumption or whether they had a chance at the Zifu realm. They could not be underestimated. He immediately moved his halberd to thrust at the spell in his hand.

Guan Gongxiao's Daoist book flipped, "South Sorrow Water" operated, and several spells were cast with all his might, hoping to block the black flames a little more. The magic power surged, and Guan Kan just sprayed out the Kan water essence, shouting:

"Kan Metal Four-Direction Water Rope, attach!"

Several pale gray water ropes surged from his sleeves, soft and winding, jumping onto the halberd shaft at an extremely fast speed and winding toward Li Zhouwei's arms. Li Zhouwei rotated his halberd to scatter the water ropes, but they immediately condensed and returned. Although the light dimmed slightly, they quickly recovered under the support of the opponent's full magic power.

"Not a pure Kan water technique..."

In just one breath, Guan Kan's expression turned ugly. Under his desperate input of magic power, the water ropes were both flexible and stubborn, tightly binding the Great Ascension halberd. Seeing this, Guan Gongxiao was overjoyed. The spell finally had a use, and after condensing it slightly, he struck at his back.

"Clang!"

Li Zhouwei immediately struggled with all his might. Guan Kan's face turned pale; this blow had ultimately struck his back solidly, causing Li Zhouwei to pause. The water ropes immediately followed the halberd and bound his two arms under his ribs.

For a time, the scene was quite spectacular. The old man exhausted his essence to bind the fierce young man surging with black flames, while the young master in Daoist robes condensed spells to suppress the fierce flames.

Duxian Dao's spells were not only powerful but also extremely painful when they landed on the body. In just a few rounds, Li Zhouwei's momentum fell, while Guan Kan was so thin that even his skin was wasted.

Guan Gongxiao only felt that the armor on Li Zhouwei's body was terrifyingly hard, so he changed to strike at his face. Although Li Zhouwei's magic robe could protect his whole body, his face was covered less, and he was struck until his forehead cracked, revealing white bone. The old man shouted:

"Just force his Immortal Foundation to return for reinforcements!"

If he dragged it out any longer, he, Guan Kan, would die first!

The purpose of the two should not have been to kill Li Zhouwei, but to drag him down. As long as the two magic treasures, 【Kan Metal Encirclement Chain】 and 【Du Dao Bell】, were released, blocking Li Zhouwei would not be a problem!

But as soon as the old man opened his mouth, his breath loosened slightly. Li Zhouwei, who had been silent all along, suddenly erupted. Both arms exerted force at the same time, and the water ropes tightened instantly. Guan Kan subconsciously went to pull, but Li Zhouwei pulled and then loosened, suddenly pouncing forward.

"Not good!"

With this pounce, not only did he dodge Guan Gongxiao's red light, but Li Zhouwei also arrived in front of Guan Kan in one step. The old man discovered the white-boned, blood-interwoven face magnifying instantly before his eyes. Reacting with extreme speed, he immediately pushed out two water shields to block his hands.

In an instant, all movements seemed to slow down. He watched helplessly as dense, shiny white scales emerged from Li Zhouwei's neck. Those golden pupils were filled with bloodshot veins due to extreme pain. His two hands pressed against the shield, making a creaking sound.

A thought surfaced in the remaining reaction in Guan Kan's mind:

"Is Li Zhouwei truly the reincarnation of a White Qilin!"

The next instant, Li Zhouwei's white teeth bared, and he let out a roar as violent as a beast:

"Aow!"

Guan Kan didn't have time to close his eyes. The skin on his face flew off in pieces as if being torn, disappearing rapidly. Meridians, blood, and cartilage were stripped from his face one by one. All the flesh and skin on the old man's entire skull instantly detached from his face and flew in all directions.

Only a lonely white bone skull remained on his neck.

At this moment, a white light shield finally sprang from his body. Guan Gongxiao, standing to the side, was shaken until blood sprayed from both ears by this roar. Seeing the skull under the light-flowing shield, he finally let go of his face and shrieked:

"Come to reinforce quickly!" ===== CHAPTER 717 =====