Boom!

The torrential rain pouring from the heavens grew ever more violent. Though Li Zhouwei had appeared to choose casually, his target had been clear from the start. One hand, wrapped in surging heavenly light, suddenly closed around its prize, yet his divine ability gently protected the spirit item instead of crushing it. At the same time, his other hand shot upward, sliding along the shaft of his halberd before giving it a light twist and bringing the long weapon up into guard.

His halberd swept back across the sky in a diagonal arc. With a sharp metallic clang, it intercepted a silver dagger that had darted in like a venomous bee. The dagger's gleaming white blade was now locked by the crescent-shaped side branch of the halberd, releasing thick streams of green smoke.

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes swept across his attacker. As expected, it was Zong Chang.

Her robes billowed wildly. The shifting currents of her divine ability revealed her body beneath, alternating between flawless white beauty and a skeletal frame of bare bones. Beneath the fabric, the contours of her chest swayed faintly, while one hand remained protectively before her body, clutching a pristine white Jade True spirit item she had only just obtained.

With a single glance, Li Zhouwei had already concluded, The movement and traversal speed of [Veiled Yin] should surpass that of [Bright Yang]. Even among all the Dao lineages, it would be considered exceptionally fast... I had only just secured the spirit item, yet she had already seized another item and launched an attack against me!

Though the Pristine Water rain obscured much of his vision, Li Zhouwei could still sense the fierce struggles over treasures taking place throughout the battlefield. His expression gradually turned cold.

Typical of [Veiled Yin]. Rather than compete with the others for treasures, she'd rather expend effort just to make things difficult for me!

The moment the thought arose, the halberd in his hands spun around, blazing golden radiance erupting from its surface. Zong Chang merely curled her lips into a smile. Her sinister eyes suddenly strained, then leaped from their sockets one after the other, transforming into faint, ghostly shadows.

An intense [Veiled Yin] aura spread outward as Li Zhouwei felt the rain and surrounding noise fade away. Darkness stretched beneath his feet, yet from within that darkness emerged countless pale white hands.

The hands were cold and silent. Each raised its index finger while the other four curled into the palm, all pointing directly at him. Layer upon layer, tens of thousands of them filled every direction. Veiled Yin radiance surged from above, below, left, and right simultaneously, descending upon him and burdening him with a profound sense of exhaustion and heaviness.

Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes slightly. One hand held the halberd in reverse, while the fingers of his other hand formed a sword seal before his chest and pointed toward the sky. At the center of his eyebrows, the omen of an eclipse appeared once more, white on the outside and black within!

[Imperial Divergence Light]!

Countless streams of light erupted from between his eyebrows. Black tipped with gold, they moved with remarkable intelligence. In the blink of an eye, they filled the darkened world before cascading down like a rainstorm, each one slamming into a pointing finger.

Bang!

The surging storm exploded violently. Both sides pressed forward relentlessly, producing one thunderous detonation after another. Zong Chang possessed the greater divine ability mana, causing the Veiled Yin radiance to gather in ever-increasing quantities. Yet Li Zhouwei's [Imperial Divergence Light] was of a higher grade, carrying traces of Supreme Yang power that devoured every wave of incoming radiance.

[Bright Yang] and [Veiled Yin] collided again and again within the endless darkness before finally shattering apart with a tremendous blast. The vast curtain of green rain reappeared before their eyes, and the echoes of divine abilities crashing together rang through the air. Thin strands of dark-colored Valley Water drifted down from somewhere unknown. Li Zhouwei, however, lifted his head. Though the eclipse mark between his eyebrows had dimmed somewhat, it continued pouring forth Imperial Divergence Light, now shooting toward the slightly pale-faced Zong Chang!

Her expression changed subtly once again as faint surprise flickered within her eyes, Bright Yang reversed... using the [Yang Apex Wandering Light] to counter my [Art of Myriad Exhausted Yin Arrows]... What a response. Of course.

If he intends to replace the World-Governing Imperial Monarch[1], how could he not be proficient in the reverse arts of Bright Yang? And how could the power of those arts possibly be weak?! I miscalculated!

But in the span of a thought, countless rays of Imperial Divergence Light were already upon her. Zong Chang had no time to suppress the turbulence within her divine ability. Her delicate body softened and dissolved into a streak of white wind, swaying amidst the divergence light. However, before she could fully withdraw, she discovered that Li Zhouwei had already charged straight at her, killing intent surging.

Zong Chang forcibly suppressed the urge to raise her sleeve and unleash the [Yin Vast Three Palaces Bewildering Light]. Her mind remained perfectly clear, The [Yin Vast Three Palaces Bewildering Light] is an art of illusion and confusion. Bright Yang thrives on charging into danger and cutting through uncertainty. I cannot afford to underestimate him!

The [Veiled Yin] Dao had always been Bright Yang's sworn enemy, and the two had been entangled for ages. Yet [Bright Yang] had reached supreme heights in the hands of Li Qianyuan, nearly driving [Veiled Yin] to extinction. When Bright Yang later fell and Veiled Yin rose once more, almost every Veiled Yin Dao lineage felt a lingering chill whenever they looked back on that era.

During the years of Bright Yang's decline and dispersal, the various Veiled Yin Dao lineages had quietly studied it from the shadows... A single Veiled Yin Dao lineage might not fully comprehend every transformation of Veiled Yin itself, but it would certainly know how to counter Bright Yang!

Whether it was Zong Chang's own Dao lineage or Wei Xuanyin's, both possessed a deep understanding of Bright Yang!

Thus, instead of retreating, she advanced. Enduring the torrent of radiance rushing toward her, she drove her silver dagger forward. When the two forces collided, her complexion alternated between pale and flushed, but she successfully halted Li Zhouwei's charge. Only then did light begin to emerge from her sleeve.

[Yin Vast Three Palaces Bewildering Light]!

Li Zhouwei frowned slightly. He immediately realized that his opponent was likely extremely familiar with his Dao lineage. His halberd thrust forward; golden light blazed within his eyes; and brilliant heavenly light gathered among the colorful clouds above. In the next instant, the [Heaven-Venerating Gate] descended to suppress everything below!

The clash between Bright Yang and Veiled Yin should have produced a world-shaking spectacle. Yet just before they collided, Zong Chang's eyes suddenly widened, and even Li Zhouwei turned his head in surprise.

Every sound within the vast expanse of Pristine Water abruptly vanished. All those nearby raised their heads at once as a sharp, piercing whistle echoed through the air. A brilliant white radiance erupted from the ground toward the heavens, splitting the rain clouds apart and forcing them to retreat to either side.

The world-filling white light flashed for a single moment. Even Yehui turned to look. At that instant, the same thought crossed everyone's mind.

Sword Intent!

Everyone's attention was drawn away at once, yet the divine abilities in the sky showed no sign of slowing. Zong Chang merely smiled faintly as the vast and orderly palace reappeared behind her.

[Hall of Doubt]!

The moment this divine ability manifested, [Da Sheng] began to fluctuate violently, alternating between heavy and light. The strange effect allowed the two silver daggers to twist free and escape. Zong Chang once again retreated into the depths of the palace, vanishing into the white qi.

Her figure emerged several kilometers away, leaving only the [Hall of Doubt] behind. Beneath the suppression of the [Heaven-Venerating Gate], it rotated gently as its chambers shifted, its doors and windows contracted, and then it dissolved into nothingness.

So that was the source of her confidence...

Li Zhouwei recalled Da Sheng and cast a thoughtful glance at the weapon in his hand.

An extraordinary divine ability for preserving one's life... It can even influence the weapon I'm wielding...

Without question, [Hall of Doubt] was the most efficient displacement divine ability he had ever seen, capable of transporting its user the farthest distance at the smallest cost. As a [Veiled Yin] Spell Divine Ability, it also possessed a troublesome resistance to the suppressive power of the [Heaven-Venerating Gate].

His opponent had clearly only come to probe his abilities. Unwilling to waste any more time, he swept his gaze across the battlefield and noticed a swordsman standing not far away.

The man stood around two meters tall and wore plain clothing in the style of Shu. Despite his imposing frame, his face looked remarkably young. He had a long face, broad brows, and a pair of eyes that were not particularly large, yet carried an extraordinary calmness as they swept through the rain clouds.

Clang!

He sheathed his sword as surging Metal Qi coiled around him. Though he appeared to have only recently broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm, his presence was astonishingly powerful. The Purple Mansion Realm cultivator who had been fighting him had vanished after taking that sword strike, escaping to who knew where. Only a tiny point of golden light remained floating in the air, a [Geng Metal] spirit item that drifted neatly into the swordsman's hand.

The sword immortal casually accepted the spirit item and departed atop a streak of light.

Li Zhouwei withdrew his gaze, his thoughts stirring, I wonder which family that sword immortal belongs to... I had already heard there was a sword immortal of the Supreme Yang Dao in the Northern Sea. Now there's another sword immortal of Metal Virtue here! The allure of a grotto heaven truly is irresistible. All those figures who usually refuse to leave seclusion have flocked here today!

Li Zhouwei had also heard of another sword immortal named Duoling who cultivated within Lacquer Marsh. However, that individual had entered the Purple Mansion Realm long ago and possessed far greater cultivation. It was obviously not the young swordsman who had just been before him.

The thought flashed through his mind and was gone. Breaking through the curtain of rain, he shot toward the nearest battlefield. His halberd gleamed brightly as he raised his eyes to survey the scene ahead.

The area was in utter chaos as five or six streams of light intertwined in battle. An extremely aged Purple Mansion Realm cultivator was trapped in the air, while two Merciful Ones battered at him from either side. Gritting his teeth, he maintained his divine ability, but he was clearly struggling under the combined assault of both opponents.

Most of the Merciful Ones who had entered this place served beneath the Lotus Seat. These veteran Merciful Ones possessed spell arts, treasure artifacts, and powerful, durable dharma bodies. Even early-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivators found them difficult to deal with. Three of them could even form battle formations capable of troubling a mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. Although the old man had perfected one divine ability, he was still hard-pressed against the combined assault of two such opponents.

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes flashed. He spotted another Merciful One racing toward the battlefield. The newcomer was clearly a fellow disciple of the other two, his face filled with delight. Hanging from his waist was a jade ring that was unmistakably an item of the Immortal Dao.

As Li Zhouwei streaked across the sky, he took in the scene and immediately acted. Without the slightest hesitation, he plunged downward. His halberd swept through the air as he descended like a falling golden comet, crashing into the battlefield with a resounding clang amid a sea of radiance.

Boom!

The halo shattered instantly. Brilliant light burst forth, and a Merciful One tumbled out from within. His face was bluish-purple, ghastly as a vengeful spirit. A chill ran through his body as his expression changed. He hastily looked up, only to find a gleaming halberd blade already stabbing straight toward him.

"Not good!"

His reaction was extraordinarily fast. His body swelled as though inflated, and he opened his mouth wide, coughing out a stream of golden light. Five-colored radiance blossomed; lotus flowers appeared one after another; and the clear ringing of glazed crystal echoed through the air. Yet [Da Sheng] showed not the slightest hesitation as it came crashing down!

The golden light he had hastily expelled shattered like brittle glass under the massive halberd. It managed only to slow Da Sheng for a single instant. The power of [Effect Attachment] manifested first, sending a radiant halberd crashing forward. The actual weapon followed close behind, and the two attacks converged on the blue-purple-faced Merciful One from opposite directions.

The unfortunate Merciful One had been caught completely off guard. The lotus divine ability he had just begun to activate was interrupted by the radiant halberd formed beneath [Effect Attachment]. Before he could recover, the true [Da Sheng] had already crashed down upon him. He let out a miserable cry as his forward momentum halted instantly. Then, he was blasted backward at an even greater speed than his original charge and slammed into the ruins below, sending up waterfall-like sheets of water.

Splash...

Li Zhouwei smoothly reversed his halberd and sheathed it across his back. Bringing two fingers together before his chest, the point between his eyebrows started to blaze with light. Without the slightest hesitation, he unleashed [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light]!

The blue-purple-faced Merciful One had already been heavily struck. Heavenly light within his body churned violently while purple flames rolled across his skin. Dizzy and disoriented, he now bore a fresh crack across his chest and abdomen. He had barely managed to rise back into the air when [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] came pouring down upon him once more...

1. Referring to the Bright Radiant Primordial World-Governing Imperial Monarch that appeared once in Chapter 1150. ☜