The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 194

Episode 18: Looking in the Mirror, Chapter 4: Seeking Benevolence

Li Xun slowly stood up, and the next moment, his figure had disappeared from the small pavilion in the middle of the lake. When he reappeared, he was already above the southeast forest, a thousand feet high in the sky.

Stepping on the air, Li Xun’s figure did not stop at all, breaking through the high-altitude strong wind and soaring into the clouds.

Thousands of feet high in the sky, the clouds were thin, the strong wind was blowing, and the cold current was like an invisible ice front, piercing into the bone marrow.

Li Xun’s true breath surged, resisting the intense cold, but his eyes had to squint to block out the overly dazzling light from the outside world.

Not to mention that it was late at night, even at noon, the light was too strong.

The bright light in front of him was a hundred miles away, and no cloud could block it. How come the change of day and night below was not affected at all?

What struck Li Xun as particularly baffling was that, amidst the overwhelming light, he couldn’t locate its central source. Instead, he felt the radiance was vast and boundless, illuminating his very being. Even the “Lapis Lazuli Sea of Light” that Qing Luan had unleashed that

day pales in comparison. He closed his eyes, only to find them as bright as daylight, his entire body as transparent as if completely transparent. Not only his internal organs and acupoints, but even his mind and spirit were illuminated, revealing every detail.

At that moment, a resounding explosion erupted, and a massive tremor erupted in the sky. The ripples instantly dissipated the remaining clouds around Li Xun.

Losing his only point of reference, Li Xun felt a slight vertigo, unable to discern his true direction. At that moment, he realized something he had previously overlooked: at such a distance, he hadn’t detected a single cultivator’s presence.

Pausing, Li Xun felt a chill in his heart.

Although the wind howled in his ears, to him, this was a dead world, with nothing but the all-pervasive light.

Coming to his senses, he uttered a few words through gritted teeth: “What a boundless sea of light.”

Li Xun didn’t actually know what this method was, but the casual remark seemed quite fitting. He recovered, realizing that after spending so long in this supreme light, he was inevitably affected by it, as evidenced by the feeling of clarity he’d felt before.

With this realization, he immediately cleared his mind, and when he opened his eyes again, although the light was all around him, he no longer felt the same sense of being illuminated.

However, he still couldn’t detect any signs of life, as if all the cultivators in the sky had died!

Unable to determine his direction on his own, Li Xun simply contacted Yin Sanren and, using her as a reference, reconfirmed his position. Without worrying about anything else, he intuitively chose the west and flew slowly towards it.

Dozens of miles passed in a flash. All Li Xun could sense was a monotonous glow. All he could do was block it out. However, he faintly sensed a change in the outside air temperature.

As he turned his attention to this, something unexpected happened!

The surrounding temperature suddenly rose, the air hissing like a ball of red-hot molten iron, a scorching current lashing him in the face.

The next moment, a resounding thunder roared across the void. The previously unstoppable light shattered like a beaded curtain, a vast rip open. Blazing tongues of fire erupted from them, flashing a dazzling golden-red light.

The long flames, like giant tentacle, lashed out from the air. Li Xun shifted his body backward, instantly increasing the distance.

The splattering flames nearly struck his face, but he didn’t even blink. His inner Qi formed a barrier, slicing through the flames without even a scratch.

However, the energy contained within the main body of the flames far surpassed that of these sparks. The flaming tentacles twisted and slashed, seemingly oscillating in disorder, yet their threat enveloped an area several miles in radius.

With two swipes of the tentacles, the void surrounding Li Xun was filled with smoke. The flames blended with the boundless sea of light, making the void seem even more turbid and indistinct.

The violent onslaught of vital energy stirred the previously stagnant environment, radiating even more information.

A sense of déjà vu rose within him. In that moment, Li Xun felt the might of the twin suns, blazing and threatening to ignite.

A blazing hurricane swept across the area, stripping away the chill of the high altitude. The parched air crackled, and upon contact with the sparks bursting from outside, another wave of flames erupted.

Although the conditions were still harmless, Li Xun refused to resist. He retreated again, avoiding the madly expanding sea of fire.

As the fire in the void grew larger, Li Xun noticed that his effective field of vision had actually expanded. The flames consumed all impurities, and the smoke was much thinner. This fire was likely fueled by the surrounding celestial energy. Perhaps because of this, the boundless sea of light was affected, and the intensity of its interference was greatly reduced.

He looked out into the distance, and through the curtain of flames, he could vaguely see the scene several miles away.

Seeing the inferno burning endlessly, Li Xun simply retreated over ten miles in one breath, creating a complete distance. He stopped only when the air outside cooled slightly. When he looked back again, he was startled: When did such a huge thing appear?

Before him was a huge fireball, spewing flames, its surface whipping and shooting out flames with a tail over a hundred feet long.

Li Xun was certain that this thing had not existed before.

Based on his own experience and visual observation, the fireball’s diameter was at least twenty miles. Layer upon layer, flames danced and crisscrossed, fierce and violent. Even with his full vision, Li Xun could only penetrate a few miles. Then, a trance ensued, his gaze unconsciously swaying with the flames, his soul practically melting within.

How could such an incredible thing be created by human

power? He even attempted to use his sense of the vital pulse to assess the situation. However, even after the interference of the boundless sea of light faded, the celestial energy within the fireball’s outer layers was violently chaotic, disrupting his perception. Deeper within, all vital energy, under the extreme heat, was reduced to its purest form, continuously emitting scorching shockwaves, shutting out all external influences. In such a situation, any attempt at sensing was a joke.

Li Xun could only irrationally conclude: This scene must have been caused by Gu Yin!

Unfortunately, even if he were 99% certain that Gu Yin was at the center of the massive fireball, what would that mean?

At this moment, inside the huge fireball, close to the limit of Li Xun’s vision, a blurry figure flew, like thunder and lightning, instantly piercing his entire field of vision and moving to an unknown location.

His heart trembled. Although it was only a blink of an eye, he could already clearly recognize the identity of the person. He

had a strong body and wore a thin blue shirt. It must be Li Douliang.

Li Douliang was here, so where were the others?

After a pause, the expansion of the fireball seemed to slow down. Looking at the flames on its outer layer, it seemed to have begun to slowly rotate.

At this time, Li Xun could no longer find any trace of Li Douliang, let alone the others.

Could it be that they were all trapped in the fireball?

With this thought in mind, Li Xun did not go deeper and began to circle around the perimeter of the huge fireball.

This didn’t take him long. As the interference from the Boundless Sea of Light diminished, his spiritual sense gradually recovered. While it wasn’t as divinely assisted as it had been on the East China Sea, after just a few shifts, he felt a vague sense of something strange.

This direction seemed interesting.

Li Xun paused, staring at the massive fireball ahead. He tried to move forward again tentatively, but as he moved, a sharp, cold aura pierced through him, practically brushing across his brow, a warning.

Li Xun remained motionless, his gaze cold. The situation was unique. Before he could fully grasp the situation, he didn’t mind others’ warnings. However, such a lack of sincerity was unacceptable to him.

The trajectory of the cold air was unmistakable. Li Xun was about to turn to look when his heart skipped a beat. As he turned, a voice called out from behind, “Little Brother Li, don’t move rashly.”

The kind greeting and the deep, gentle power in the voice effectively suppressed the raging fire within him, though it also slowed his thoughts. Only after a few more thoughts did Li Xun realize the familiar voice behind him.

“Bancheng Lay Buddhist?”

A deep laugh echoed, erasing the previous impression of steadiness. “With the connection to the Hundred Illusion Butterflies, if you don’t mind, Little Brother Li, you can simply address me by my bandit name.”

This guy was truly not to be trifled with. Seeing him using the Water Butterfly Orchid as a cover, Li Xun smiled and replied, “Brother Tiger,” before turning away.

The one behind was indeed the Flying Tiger with Wings, the only one among the Seven Demons in the Universe who held a so-called righteous stance. This great protector of the Western Zen Sect was still dressed in a gray robe, twisting the wooden Buddhist beads in his hand, with a slight smile on his square face, showing his simple and unpretentious demeanor.

Li Xun seldom dealt with this great demon who converted to Buddhism, but from their previous exchanges it was clear that this great demon was of genuine character and not a man of two minds, so he simply stopped beating around the bush and said directly: “What’s going on in there?”

“For the exact information, I’m afraid Brother Li will have to ask Gu Yin in person. As for us…”

Bancheng grinned, “It’s nothing, but Brother Li, look, with such a brilliant and majestic magical power, what’s the difference between one person rushing up and ten people rushing up?”

Li Xun looked back after hearing that, and saw that the fireball was spinning slowly, with a tail of flame spraying out, and layers of flames rising and falling, driving the chaotic outer layer of heaven and earth energy to form a huge vortex with astonishing momentum. After staying next to it for a long time, he felt his body leaning forward, almost being sucked in by the magnificent power.

He nodded and said with a wry smile, “There really is no difference… Wait, there’s only Sect Master Li in there?”

After getting an affirmative answer, Li Xun felt a headache: “The remaining dozen or so Zhenyi masters are just watching?”

“No more than ten.”

Bancheng Jushi said lightly: “Let’s not talk about Qiwu’s death. And half a quarter of an hour ago, Gu Yinli broke through the joint attack of Tianzhi Shangren and Liuyunzi in one fell swoop. Now their life and death are unknown; Liangran accidentally fell into the devil’s calamity, and his Zen mind was broken. He is still struggling now; Sect Master Dayi was free and easy, and left when he said he would, and he is probably thousands of miles away now… If you exclude Sect Master Qixiu who was injured by Qianyang Thunder, there are only six people who can fight now.”

Li Xun was shocked when he heard that Tianzhi’s life and death were unknown, but as Bancheng Jushi described, Li Xun couldn’t stop smiling bitterly, and finally became numb.

Granted, these masters each harbored their own selfish agenda, some as serious as Dainichi Dharmazun, retreating before advancing, a significant contributing factor to the current situation. But with over a dozen Grand Masters stomping their feet, they’d have expected a resounding response. In just a few hours, more than half the effort had been lost. This, he felt, was no longer shocking, but rather absurd.

But then again, if Gu Yin was involved, what absurdities wouldn’t be possible?

Li Xun was speechless.

Bancheng Lay Buddhist glanced at him and abruptly changed the subject: “Looking at that sea of light, it appears pure and clear like glass, untainted by dust, but in reality, it’s a demonic calamity manifesting, following Gu Yin’s will, infecting spiritual consciousness invisibly. Liaoran has been carelessly afflicted, provoking the demonic force to consume him, and his cultivation will be reduced by at least 40%!”

Li Xun was infuriated. Monk Liaoran, after thousands of years of cultivating his mind, his ethereal and tranquil Zen heart, had also suffered a demonic calamity. Even if he survived, he was likely destined to die in this world, like Lingfengzi, with no hope of achieving the Great Dao.

Gu Yin, Gu Yin… Could it be that you are truly the devilish calamity that all the Tongxuan sects cannot overcome?

He was frightened in his heart, but he had to keep a calm face. He just nodded and said, “So this is the power of the devilish calamity. The three calamities of thunder and fire, hell, and inner demon have arrived at the same time. The so-called forty-nine calamities have taken shape.”

Seeing that Li Xun was calm and composed, and his words were meaningful, Bancheng Jushi said more deeply, “Judging from Gu Yin’s situation, he must have used some forbidden method to connect with the great calamity of heaven and earth. However, it is not an ordinary skill of attracting force into the body. Instead, he uses his body as a channel to make the calamity like water.

“In this way, the canal will bring water, and Gu Yin’s every gesture will exude divine majesty. But I’ve just had a few encounters with her

, and I’ve felt that although she stands firm as a mountain, she can only attack with spells and is not easily dislodged. Clearly, the burden of guiding the heavenly tribulation is quite heavy for her…” Li Xun knew more clearly, but since this involved some rather private matters, he didn’t want to discuss them, so he simply changed the subject: “The remaining six, besides Sect Master Li and the layman, are Taoist Qingming, Sword Emperor, Ramashi, and Chu Chen? Where are they?”

Bancheng Layman didn’t take offense at his forced question and readily pointed out each person’s location.

With his guidance and Zhuo’s spiritual perception, Li Xun finally broke through the interference of the turbulent fire and detected each person’s aura.

Coincidentally, the four idle masters were also close to the fireball, all on Li Xun’s side, not too far away from each other.

A closer look revealed that Qingming and Luo Qichang were very close, only slightly offset in front and behind. Ramash was higher in the sky, almost at the top of the fireball’s arc. As for the usually low-key Old Demon Chu Chen, he hovered around Ramash, sometimes far away, sometimes near, without stopping.

As Li Xun inspected the conditions of the various masters, Bancheng Lay Buddhist further explained, “Sect Master Li is also testing Gu Yin’s methods. We still don’t understand how she summons the Heavenly Tribulation Evil to her advantage. Perhaps the answer lies within this fireball.”

Li Xun’s lips twitched, but he ultimately remained silent, once again casting his gaze upon the massive fireball, silent.

As time passed, the flames from the outer layers of the fireball grew more restrained, occasionally shooting out ten feet, a mere sight considering the sheer size of the sphere. Simultaneously

, the fireball’s appearance grew increasingly condensed, layers of flames within, their colors appearing pale at the extremes of intensity. The air on the outer layers seemed to evaporate completely, and the entire sky seemed to be warping in the heatwave.

However, to be fair, while this fireball was undoubtedly beyond imagination, its level of danger didn’t seem to compare to the might of the Yin Prison and the thunderbolts that erupted over the East China Sea not long ago. After all, behind the icy lightning lay the unbreakable laws of the Heavenly Heart.

This disparity in level and the restraint in nature were the primary reasons why even Master Zhenyi was unable to intervene.

Now, judging solely by what was visible, the calamity demons had transformed into this boundless blaze, seemingly no longer driven by the will of the immensity of heaven, but rather shifting control to Gu Yin… This

shouldn’t be the case!

Recalling Gu Yin’s series of actions, she first used Lin Wuyou and herself as bait to trigger the heavenly tribulation explosion, placing the Grandmasters in a lock; then, once the situation took a turn, she decisively acted, using a method Li Xun still couldn’t understand, to draw in the heavenly tribulation, possessing unfathomable supernatural powers.

In Li Xun’s view, things had reached perfection at this point, arguably exceeding the limits of human endurance. Why would Gu Yin still dream of controlling this immense power of heaven and earth, committing such an overreaching and unnecessary act? Of course,

from another perspective, using one’s own body to draw in the power of heaven and earth, and perhaps something went wrong, would be more realistic…

“This fireball is undoubtedly magnificent, but its movement lacks agility. It might not be that she can’t withstand the power of the tribulation, so she’s using a method to dissipate it.”

As soon as this speculation came out, even Li Xun laughed. Monk Bancheng nodded, “Brother Li, what you said is not impossible.”

Li Xun glanced at him and smiled, “I think it’s safer to think about things in the worst possible direction.”

“That’s true.”

Monk Bancheng clapped his hands and laughed, “Brother Li really has made a conclusion!”

Li Xun was stunned for a moment, but he didn’t know what conclusion he had made. He glanced at the demon monk, “What conclusion?”

“As long as you think about the worst case scenario, the result will be out, right?” Monk Bancheng pointed towards the fireball, “For us, the worst possible situation at the moment is that Sect Master Gu will have all the power of the evil spirit, and his every move will have earth-shaking power, and his movements will be unpredictable.

“By then, let alone Sect Master Li, even if all the cultivators in the East China Sea are surrounded, they will probably be powerless to resist. Then this peerless figure will be able to sweep across the world, overturn morality, and wash away the old atmosphere of this world…”

Hearing this, Li Xun also smiled.

He finally understood Bancheng Jushi’s thoughts.

As expected, this supreme demon was far more optimistic than he was. More importantly, he had ample reason to be optimistic.

The aforementioned scenario could never possibly occur in the Tongxuan Realm!

If Gu Yin truly could fully harness such incredible magical powers, how could the heavens tolerate her? Another heavenly tribulation would undoubtedly befall her, and it would undoubtedly be a “body tribulation” directed at her. At that point, Gu Yin would be faced with only two options: either obey the will of Heaven and ascend to heaven in broad daylight, or be reduced to ashes! Wenxin Hand combined with Group Hand combined with Sorting.

Either option would be excellent news for Li Xun and the others, despite the near-impossibility of such a scenario.

In reality, until now, Li Xun’s only concern was that Gu Yin would cause irreversible, dire consequences in the short term—such as the annihilation of all the elites of the nineteen sects!

Then, with the Loose Cultivator Alliance bearing its weight, who could resist?

Wait…

Upon realizing this, a hidden chord suddenly tugged in Li Xun’s heart. This time, however, Bancheng Lay Buddhist didn’t see the key point and interrupted his thoughts.

“Gu Yin is a man of great wisdom, surely understanding that too much is as bad as too little. But her methods are so drastic, which inevitably reduces her room for maneuver. To put it bluntly, she’s figured out the next ten thousand steps, but only a few options remain.”

“Which three options?”

Li Xun deliberately misinterpreted Bancheng Lay Buddhist’s approximate number as a real number, outwitting him.

The old demon smiled, “I don’t know.”

Li Xun’s glare was like a knife, slicing across his face, but then he heard another sentence.

“Even so, we know exactly what to do!”

“Oh?”

As Li Xun asked, another wave of fire erupted from the sky. The hot winds simply brushed past the two men, causing their hair to singe, and it felt as if countless red-hot needles were probing their skin, tentatively attacking inward.

What a powerful fire poison!

Li Xun’s brows twitched. While the heat radiated from the previous fireball had been astonishing, it wasn’t this intense. Could this mean that Gu Yin’s control had reached a new level?

He glanced at Monk Bancheng again, only to see a faint glow emanating from his unadorned face, like a thin mist rising from his skin, yet shimmering and radiant. The swirling heat wave twisted and diverged at a distance, posing no threat at all.

Sensing Li Xun’s gaze, the supreme demon exhaled, and the glow receded. He returned to his usual self, though his eyes were unusually bright.

“This is…”

Li Xun keenly sensed that the other person was under a different kind of pressure than he was. Monk Bancheng nodded and smiled. “At my level, I still have some sensitivity compared to others. As for you, there’s still a layer of distance.”

Li Xun could tell there was no disparagement in the words, so he narrowed his eyes and listened.

“Young man, you are a master of forbidden techniques in this world. You should be able to draw inferences from one instance to another, so you should know something about mechanisms. There is a mechanism in the human world that seems to be called the Rolling Stone in the Passage, right?”

Li Xun didn’t know what Bancheng meant by that simple mechanism, but he nodded and continued to listen to Bancheng.

“That’s what Gu Yin is like now. Maybe she can completely control this destructive force and easily crush the people in front of her, but that’s the only way she can wield her power. Since she can’t do what she wants, it seems to me that God is using her to change her mind and create disasters… Hey, taking advantage of the situation, but I don’t know, who is taking advantage of whose situation?”

“Does it make any difference?” Li Xun raised his eyebrows again.

Bancheng Jushi laughed and said casually, “A sect’s inheritance is the path to entering the world, while overcoming tribulations and turning the corner is the path to transcendence. While the ancient sound is powerful, it is a man-made disaster. How can it compare to the will of heaven, which sends down tribulations and disasters? In worldly affairs, intrigue is inevitable, but on the path to immortality, one must focus solely on one thing.”

As the supreme demon spoke, it became like chanting Buddhist verses. His leisurely voice, riding a wave of heat, flowed in all directions. Though the outside world roared, the listeners felt a sense of silence.

“Is that so? Towards the secular world and the immortal path are two completely different attitudes…”

Just as Li Xun had vaguely grasped something, another wave of shockwaves struck, and the air temperature dropped abnormally.

In fact, the flames that threatened to engulf the two of them had already retreated, as if the earlier onslaught of flames was merely a burst before they completely faded.

However, Li Xun and the others certainly didn’t believe that. They turned their heads simultaneously to observe the current state of the massive fireball.

The fiery crimson faded, but the intensity of the light in the sky soared. In the blink of an eye, the two of them were surrounded by a boundless sea of light, their surroundings returning to their previous state. The massive fireball a few miles away no longer dazzled them.

Next, countless threads gushed forth.

These threads, composed of the purest essence of energy, seemed almost tangible. From the center of the fireball, they spread madly, densely covering the sky. They seemed to be the internal texture of the fireball, or as if

the forbidden patterns and veins enveloping the fireball had materialized, resembling a gigantic, eerie spider.

Li Xun’s pupils shrank to the size of pinholes as he saw clearly the countless veins of forbidden patterns that crisscrossed the void, pulsing with indescribable might.

Rather than being completely united, they surged and collided recklessly, forcing out layers of mist-like light that splashed and spread in all directions.

This was the primary cause of the boundless sea of light high in the sky!

It must contain some causal connection between calamities and transformations, perhaps even the mysteries of the celestial order, enough to fascinate cultivators for tens of thousands of years.

However, Li Xun held no interest; he simply stared at the flickering patterns of the forbidden patterns beneath the pervasive light.

Whether through rational analysis or intuitive judgment, he was certain that within this complex structure of forbidden patterns lay the ultimate secret to the ancient sound’s supreme power.

At this moment, he also saw Li Douliang.

By this time, Li Douliang had been squeezed to the edge of this hemisphere, stretched to his limit. Every time he raised his hand or shifted, a piercing blood mist erupted from his body. The intense pressure radiating from Gu Yin constantly drained his remaining vitality, yet his will remained unwavering.

Behind him, Luo Qichang and Qingming definitely had the opportunity to attack, but they remained calm and rational, remaining in mid-air. Though they continued to gather strength, they showed no signs of imminent danger.

This was unnatural within the righteous sects, known for their social etiquette.

Farther away, Ramash, known alongside Li Douliang as the “Dual Poles,” remained elusive, while the old demon Chu Chen grew increasingly erratic.

These two had always held different positions from Luo Qichang and the others, but at this moment, their auras resonated with each other, creating a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere.

Although Li Xun was concentrating most of his attention on the complex forbidden pattern structure before him, he could still sense the subtleties of the surrounding atmosphere.

This group’s minds were united as never before, placing them on a common footing to face the impossibly catastrophic situation before them.

Perhaps it could be said that in the eyes of Grandmasters like Ramash, Li Douliang, and Bancheng Jushi, the ancient sound was no longer an ancient sound, but rather the manifestation of a cosmic catastrophe.

This wasn’t a man-made disaster, but a calamity…

Man-made disasters can be avoided, but calamities are unavoidable.

That was the consensus of everyone in the sky, save Li Xun.

Bancheng Jushi had initiated the conversation, perhaps with the intention of drawing him into his side, but Li Xun didn’t care. He simply knew that the Grandmasters’ fighting spirit was stronger than he had anticipated.

At that moment, his breathing ceased completely. Examining such a vast and complex structure of forbidden patterns was a heavy burden for him.

Though others didn’t know, he was well aware that his underwear was completely soaked with sweat. This structure was like a bottomless black hole. As its true meaning gradually unfolded, it proved to be invisibly draining his energy, even his soul.

So… he had been misinterpreting it!

The clearer the structure before him became, the more Li Xun confirmed that his previous deductions were seriously flawed.

The forbidden pattern structures demonstrated by Gu Yin and Lin Wuyou, along with the overall layout of the Gangsha Armillary Sphere, were not the subordinate relationship he had previously assumed, but rather a mutually dependent relationship.

The Gangsha Armillary Sphere’s layout was indeed grand, but the forbidden pattern structure Gu Yin currently relied on was something it could not digest.

Lin Wuyou’s forbidden patterns also had their own unique characteristics. Without grasping the interplay of these elements, even if one could fully understand each of them individually, it would be difficult to fully grasp their essence.

Li Xun was not foolish enough to delve into the mysteries at this moment. Instead, he followed his previous approach, not pursuing details but observing the general outline, searching for the underlying structure and divine purpose.

By absorbing the entirety of the structure, he could discern the key points between understatement and full expression.

The more he followed this method, the more he felt it held a deeper meaning. The vaguely familiar feeling within was like a living creature shrouded in a veil, its general outlines revealed in its fluttering movements. But the answer, even at the tip of his tongue, remained elusive, a choking sensation in his chest.

Was it him? Not him? What method was this?

Li Xun’s mind erupted like magma, scorching his scalp.

At that very moment, a sudden explosion erupted from the void. The supreme might that had previously been drawn to Li Douliang finally broke through the surrounding barriers and surged forth unchecked.

In response, Li Douliang’s imposing form shrank as if crushed by an invisible giant hand. He spurted blood and flew dozens of miles away, his aura instantly weakening.

Every cultivator nearby felt a pang of shock in their chests. Ramash, who had been gathering strength for a long time, saw a slight ripple in his aura, but the elder of the evil sect, whose cultivation was no less than Li Douliang’s, showed no sign of attacking.

It wasn’t a matter of fighting will, but rather a difference in style.

The surrounding cultivators were all aware of this. Luo Qichang snorted coldly and, without hesitation, advanced with sword in hand. However, as he took a step, a clear light scattering in front of him created a barrier in the air, abruptly halting the already overwhelming force of the Heavenly Tribulation.

The current Sword Emperor was startled, but Taoist Qingming, standing behind him, had already advanced, charging headfirst.

A series of events unfolded in an instant, from Li Douliang’s severe blow to Qingming’s rebellion against Luo Qichang, all in the blink of an eye. No words were spoken in between. By the time Li Xun glanced over, Qingming was already facing him head-on.

A sudden surge of turbulent wind streaked through the sky, signaling the collision of Qingming’s vigorous sword energy and Gu Yin’s supreme might.

In an instant, Qingming’s face turned deathly pale.

However, his aura remained steady, his figure moving like flowing clouds and water. The sword in his hand lifted lightly, and with a subtle trembling sound, a cluster of scattered green bamboos and smoke screens grew out of thin air, rustling with the strong wind.

What a

green smoke screen !