Chapter 758: The Sword

Flames boiled, flowing downward along the celestial light. The hand around his neck tightened further, yet Si Tumo still could not understand. Why? Li Zhouwei had been able to find him on the vast river; Si Tumo had been suspicious at first, but soon let it go, realizing that if Li Zhouwei could find him, there must be a Zifu guiding him from behind. But why would Li Zhouwei choose to reveal himself? Wouldn't it have been better to escape into the East Sea in one breath? The various Zifu could not calculate Li Zhouwei, but could they not calculate Si Tumo? Even if he, Si Tumo, had been released by the Zifu, his divine abilities were profound—how could he have no eyes and ears? No matter how Li Zhouwei retreated, he could absolutely not be faster than a Zifu.

"Why must you insist on eliminating me, this blade!"

"Unless... the Zifu guiding Li Zhouwei wants to lure him here to eliminate me... but the Zifu's eyes must be on me. Even if he uses that talisman again... can he really get away?"

But he had no time to speak. Mingyang and celestial light erupted from his face, boiling over. Li Zhouwei's Shangyao Fu Guang, at the center of his brow, blasted Si Tumo's entire head into a mist of white bone and blood. The scalding blood sprayed out in an instant, evaporating into Jin Sha that flew upward.

This Master of the Tangjin Gate, who had fought the Li family for four generations, finally melted away completely in the scorching Mingyang, leaving behind only two storage bags and a dim, golden, diamond-patterned magic robe hanging on the long halberd. The two sleeves billowed and rose high, fluttering in the wind.

"Splash."

Bright golden needles descended from the sky, scattering onto the river surface. This set of precious Foundation Establishment magic tools was scooped up by the celestial light and drifted back into the air. Li Zhouwei pulled out his long halberd, his figure turning into light as he rose.

"Boom!"

Following Si Tumo's fall, the sky brightened rapidly. The trees around the Xianhu rustled and moved, every leaf clattering and drooping downward.

The calm water surface rippled violently. The massive Jin Sha impacted the Xianhu, hooking into the celestial phenomena, causing the clouds to vanish and the fog to disperse. The chill of late autumn permeated the air; the night had passed early, revealing the dawn.

Si Tumo, as a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator practicing secret arts with Zifu in sight, had been careless and fallen into a trap, dying abruptly. His essence and life had not suffered much loss, and the celestial phenomena were grand and intense, swift and rapid.

This Jin Sha reached the horizon and soon descended, contacting the surface and bed of the Xianhu. Gold is the child of the earth; the scene became a hundred times more magnificent in an instant. The surface of the Xianhu turned green, blue, and red, and the earth veins shook—clearly, there was a mineral vein gestating underground.

Li Zhouwei did not suppress the anomaly of his opponent's death. The changing sky and the shaking earth instantly drew gazes from all directions. Not only did he not flee toward the East Sea, but he instead lit up his magic light. Bright light flickered, appearing in the sky by the river. He pressed two fingers to his chest, channeling his magic power.

"Boom!"

The river water gurgled past, and the sky was hazy, already possessing the brilliance of dawn. A bright pass appeared out of thin air, stacked with layers of white bricks, its corner towers rising high, golden and brilliant. It broke through the air with great momentum, shining in all directions amidst the clouds.

This bright pass, driven by Li Zhouwei's full strength, shone its brilliance over the Xianhu, visible from far and near, drawing onlookers from all sides. Li Zhouwei stood holding his halberd, clad in white-gold armor, standing beneath the bright pass.

The view here was extremely open; it was once the shore of the Xianhu belonging to the Xuanyue Gate. He merely stood there, and the gazes from the Grand Void had long since been cast one by one. Even escape lights whistled from the river, stopping suspiciously on the lake surface not far away.

Li Zhouwei remained motionless, his white-gold armor shining ever brighter under the bright light. He planted his long halberd into the ground, raised his brows to look at the zenith, his voice resounding like thunder.

"Li Zhouwei of the Wangyue Li clan is here! Since you want to kill me to remove a future threat, hurry up and make your move!"

This voice rolled out, spreading across the lake surface. After a brief moment of silence, no one answered.

Li Zhouwei's hand gripping the Dasheng long halberd turned slightly pale. With a "clang," he stood the halberd in the air and sat cross-legged beneath the bright pass, taking a jade box from his back.

This jade box was as green and bright as emerald, with clear patterns. The lid slid open smoothly, and from within, a green blade shone forth.

This sword was four feet five inches long, green and white as one, its edge pure white and quite magnificent. Its brilliance rippled like water, and two ancient characters were engraved in the center:

【Qingchi】

Amidst the deep, cold light, the sword seemed to pulse slightly. The hilt was wrapped in ordinary black cloth, meticulously trimmed by its original owner, the edges rounded. Near the sword tassel that trailed down, characters faintly emerged.

【Zhu Po】

【Seven-Foot Qingming Copper】 is the gold of Taiyin and Shaoyin. Maintained for many years, the green-white color was even richer. Even with the bright light in the sky so brilliant, sword light still shot into the sky.

Li Zhouwei just sat there with the jade box on his knees, waiting quietly.

Bits of bright escape light appeared rapidly on the river surface, coming from afar. After two breaths, six cultivators in white-gray robes arrived on the wind, getting closer and closer to the lake surface.

These six were dressed in gray-white with gold at the cuffs—the attire of the Senior Chang Xiao Gate. The leader was handsome and tall, with brows reaching his temples, truly possessing the air of an immortal. At a glance, he looked like a high disciple of an immortal gate, yet his expression was somewhat complex.

Seeing the young man standing motionless beneath the bright pass, this person tugged at his sleeves. He did not attack immediately, but tilted his head and asked:

"Where is the True Person? This person fled to the Xianhu, causing us to make a wasted trip to Wangyue. Now that we have arrived in this territory, why is the True Person not to be seen?"

A cultivator beside him bowed and replied:

"Uncle Master Yunan, Zhaojing is outside. There is no reason for a Zifu within the sea to harm a Foundation Establishment cultivator privately. True Person Chengyan should be holding the line for us in the Grand Void."

Yunanzi had been stationed overseas for years and had a fiery temper, but he was reasonably knowledgeable about affairs within the sea. Hearing this, fire ignited in his heart, and he spoke quickly: "Baibin, you are just too cowardly. What are you afraid of? This is a Zifu seed; I heard he has a destiny and is far more terrifying than Zhaojing. If he escapes, isn't it even more dangerous? Let the True Person strike him dead with one palm. The Wangyue Li clan is still on the lake; we still have their weak points in our hands. If Zhaojing dares to harm one of our disciples, we will just squeeze the Li clan's direct descendants and kill them. What can he do?"

Bai Binzi said in a low voice:

"Uncle Master is used to killing overseas, but things are not the same within the sea. The Li clan has ties with several Zifu and is also a Zifu immortal clan. They even have Zifu in-laws. The True Person also has a life to lose and fears such methods. To harm a Zifu direct descendant so openly is something the various families cannot tolerate."

"Mediocrity only leaves future troubles!... There are layers of ambushes on the lake... If he runs away, and 【Mountain Ming Moving Peak Rope】 isn't here, we've lost another Si Tumo."

Bai Binzi could only try his best to appease him, replying: "Uncle Master, do not be angry. Fortunately, several True Persons have kept their minds on Si Tumo. True Person Chengyan, following the Great True Person's orders, instructed us to guard the lake while he personally followed Si Tumo. Now, we can consider it hooked."

"Furthermore, True Person Chengyan said... Li Zhouwei is too dangerous, and the various sects have the intention of fanning the flames. If something goes wrong, he will personally take action. Even if he has to face retaliation, he will capture Li Zhouwei back. It is always better to try the method with less loss first."

"Si Tumo was not meant to be used to hook him! With Si Tumo gone, do you know how many things cannot be done!"

Yunanzi suppressed his anger and replied. The group had already stopped on the lake one by one.

Yunanzi looked into the distance, gazed at the bright pass in the clouds, and seeing its astonishing momentum, he gradually became serious. He stared at the young man carefully, shook his sleeves, and said: "Bring the swords. It is the same if we capture him ourselves!"

Several people immediately approached. Just as Yunanzi moved his fingers to prepare to cast a spell, the young man immediately raised his brows to look. A pair of golden pupils pierced over. Yunanzi was slightly stunned, and the anger in his heart gradually turned into palpitations: 'No wonder the Great True Person wants to capture him...'

But facing the six people who had arrived suddenly, Li Zhouwei did not say a word, nor did he cast any spells. The first action the young man took was to tie the green-white precious sword to a conspicuous place on his armor.

Several people felt this contempt. They looked at each other. Bai Binzi had long since taken a light ring from his sleeve, only the size of a palm and the thickness of a finger. He pinched the ring with two fingers, looked at the person below, and was silently puzzled: 'Strange...'

Time did not allow him to think too much. Every extra hour meant more variables. This cultivator did not hold back at all. He came up and took out a spirit tool, raised the light ring in his hand, and chanted:

"Drive away light and scatter sharpness, the sun darkens and the stars decay. Do not give birth to bright fire, do not provide its Qi..."

Amidst the words, Yunanzi had already led the people to pounce down. This Daoist held a slender art sword in his hand, which released circles of golden brilliance. He acted decisively, taking the lead to slash down with the long sword.

Li Zhouwei glanced at him and pulled up his halberd. With force in one hand, the long halberd suddenly carried surging black flames, pouncing over like a dragon emerging from the water. Yunanzi, relying on his two extra years of cultivation and his long-term practice overseas, did not fear him and faced the halberd light directly.

"Clang!"

Only a metallic vibration was heard. Yunanzi's long sword was suddenly lifted as if out of control. The Geng metal magic light on the sword was eroded by the black flames and disappeared completely. Li Zhouwei did not spare him; he held him off with the halberd, and Shangyao Fu Guang erupted from the center of his brow, speeding away.

This Shangyao Fu Guang suddenly magnified, golden and brilliant. This spell, blessed by the Fule Gold, pierced through far and near. It was not aimed at Yunanzi, but instantly went toward Bai Binzi, who was casting spells from further away.

The speed of Shangyao Fu Guang was extremely fast. Bai Binzi had not expected Li Zhouwei to ignore the close threat to deal with him while defending against five people. Caught off guard, a halo of light appeared on Bai Binzi, barely blocking it, but it burned until flames erupted, squeaking and crackling.

Bai Binzi's incantation paused, causing the halo in his hand to flicker. Several people felt this contempt and each waved their magic tools. Li Zhouwei pulled back his long halberd, held it across his chest, dispersed the spells of the two people on his left and right, and two black-light long halberds immediately extended to block the enemies' magic tools.

The remaining Xuanyang Lihuo spell was fast and fierce, taking the shape of a bird, carrying a strange brownish-yellow color. It seemed to be blessed by spirit fire and was not a simple spell. Its power was immense. Before it reached his back, flames had already sprouted all around.

A small flag immediately appeared behind Li Zhouwei. Five-colored Xuanyang Lihuo swept up, collided with the Xuanyang Lihuo, and resisted it. Who knew that the color of the Xuanyang Lihuo would change, and a sword would suddenly emerge from within.

This sword had surging Xuanyang Lihuo, its brilliance flickering, and its sword Qi was like a rainbow. It was actually a sword-controlling technique.

"Junior Brother Zhuang has good spells!"

This Xuanyang Lihuo-cultivating fellow is also a formidable character. Yu Nanzi had long known of his prowess and specifically pointed him out. At this moment, he also drew his sword, channeled a long-brewed spell, and released a wind of Xi Qi, likewise pressing toward Li Zhouwei.

Li Zhouwei, however, remained calm and unhurried. The Mingguan behind him suddenly shone with light, and the celestial radiance descended, gently suppressing the incoming Xuanyang Lihuo magic sword. He feinted with his long halberd and thrust it back toward someone nearby.

He held off the five from Senior Chang Xiao alone, yet showed no signs of strain. Facing Yu Nanzi's Xi Qi wind, he felt no fear. He swept his long halberd horizontally, turned his head slightly, and the Shangyao Fu Guang at the center of his brow struck the sword of the cultivator surnamed Zhuang.

Although Bai Binzi, standing to the side, had been interrupted by him, he was deeply skilled in the Dao. Within a few breaths, he had finished casting his spell. He gently tossed the ring of light, which rapidly expanded in the air to the size of a courtyard and the thickness of a man's embrace, releasing waves of spiritual light that enveloped everything around it.

In an instant, the colors of the Mingguan behind Li Zhouwei dimmed abruptly, the flames within the Xuanyang Lihuo small flag flickered, and even the Shangyao Fu Guang at the center of his brow shrank by a circle.

Only the black flames on the long halberd burned fiercely, showing no signs of fading, and even forced back the spiritual light descending from the sky by three parts.

"A spiritual artifact."

Li Zhouwei braced his long halberd. Yu Nanzi's Xi wind was still swirling on the halberd, and his Mingyang magic power was being continuously repelled. The magic power attacking from both sides forced him to retreat a small step.

Yu Nanzi and the cultivator surnamed Zhuang were both direct descendants of the Zifu, while the remaining three were slightly weaker, though two were at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Not to mention Bai Binzi in the sky manipulating the spiritual artifact, the group of cultivators sent by the Senior Chang Xiao Sect clearly intended to finish him off.

He stood motionless, while the several Senior Chang Xiao Sect cultivators gradually dispersed to surround him. Bai Binzi operated the spiritual artifact in the vast sky, watching him carefully, his inner doubts still lingering like a shadow.

"There is still no order from the True Person... It's strange. Whether it's to surround and kill or to capture alive... there must be an order!"

On the vast sky, the northern wind blew in gusts. Bai Binzi was even somewhat distracted. He raised his brows, and a faint cyan hue appeared in the higher sky, blowing toward the northwest.

Bai Binzi was a high-level cultivator of the Senior Chang Xiao Sect, so he naturally understood what the cyan hue in the sky was. It was the 【Baosui Spring Wind】 of the Jianmen, which flew from the top of the Jianfeng, combined with the sea breeze of the Xianhu all the way to nourish the Jiangnan region. It was also a good thing, but no one dared to collect it within the Jianmen's territory.

"The 【Baosui Spring Wind】 passes through the Jianmen's territory before combining with the sea breeze... Is this the path... How did it blow to the Xuanyue Sect..."

His expression stiffened, and a white light suddenly lit up in his hand. He abruptly grabbed a person from mid-air. This loose cultivator was just watching the show and was caught off guard, nearly vomiting a mouthful of blood, his face full of terror.

Bai Binzi gripped his throat and said coldly:

"Whose territory is this! Wasn't Xuanyue taken over by Ye... by the Du Immortal Dao!"

This person was also a local loose cultivator and hurriedly said in terror: "Reporting to the Daoist... Xuanyue has long had no lakeside territory! I heard that the area around the Xianhu was privately returned to the Jianmen and has long been the Jianmen's territory... Xuanyue also hurriedly sent the territory over. From this area all the way north, and even more than half of the Xianhu surface, it is all Jianmen territory!"

"My lord, I heard that when sword cultivators look up from this land, they can even see the sword light on the Jianfeng!"

These cultivators like Bai Binzi had been in seclusion for many years. They were pulled to ambush on the lake as soon as they came out, and it had only been a day or two. They only knew that Xuanyue had been annexed by Du Immortal, but they didn't know so much. Their hearts were suddenly shocked: "So that's it! No wonder... throwing themselves into the net unexpectedly... no wonder!"