Good talisman, thought Li Xizhi.
The talisman Chi Zhihu had taken out was extraordinary. It had a pale blue-and-white base, with gold paint forming the script. Its grade, symbols, and incantation were unknown, making it impossible to use.
Li Xizhi did not give it another glance. Forming a spell art with his hands, he raised his thumb, tapped two fingers in succession, then shifted into a two-finger transformation seal. First, he pointed at the northern falling clouds, then at Xia Mountain in the east. Three gleams of radiance. emerald green, earthy brown, and profound gold, rose from his fingertips.
The three could hardly stand by and watch him cast spells. Chi Zhihu immediately raised his hand, and a gleaming white, needle-shaped dharma artifact appeared in his palm. Mana flowed and gathered into it, yet he did not know which target to strike.
Wu Weibai was at a loss for words, his heart stifled with frustration, Back then, when I told you to diligently train in understanding the properties of spell arts, you dozed off day after day, only wanting to practice arts of great destructive power... Now you’re getting your retribution!
By rights, a dharma artifact used for this kind of scan should not only be able to pierce Li Xizhi’s whereabouts but also distinguish between these illusionary clones. Yet of all things, Chi Zhihu had to bring a Bright Yang heavenly light dharma artifact, the Clear Serenity Mirror!
There were many spell arts capable of producing illusionary clones, but when using a dharma artifact to examine them, heavenly light and Heavenly Glow types were mutually obscured and could not see through each other.
If only you’d brought the Glimmering Inquiry Mirror or the Taiyu Sword... there’d be no need to waste time dealing with these clones!
Wu Weibai silently grumbled to himself, unaware that Chi Zhihu, though keeping a calm expression as the radiant mirror floated above his head, was inwardly cursing his luck. However much of a wastrel he was, he was still at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm now. How could such an oversight happen?
Chi Zhihu thought, Ning Hejing borrowed the Glimmering Inquiry Mirror, and the Taiyu Sword was taken by the Lingu Family to the Southern Sea for demon-slaying... The Clear Serenity Mirror is better than having nothing at all!
Wu Weibai shot him a glance but kept his hands moving. Being older, he had mastered many spell arts. He had already begun forming seals, and now he raised his sword to his lips and shouted, "Endless Longfire, exhale into Apricot Light... Command!"
A stream of apricot-yellow flame burst from his mouth, swelling rapidly in the air into a bright, round sphere. In the blink of an eye, it was as if a silver bottle had shattered in the air, releasing countless streams of Apricot Light Li Fire.
The surging flames spread, forming a round expanse of apricot yellow. They swept across the dozen figures of Li Xizhi, which were forming seals and treading on Heavenly Glow.
Xia Yun was overjoyed, waving his hand to cut apart the approaching glow and calling out, "Senior, what an amazing spell art!"
But then, Li Xizhi formed a seal with one hand and brought the other together. The dozen clones simultaneously swept their sleeves, casting shimmering lights before them, blocking the surging apricot-yellow flames.
"Ah?"
Wu Weibai’s expression changed. He had crossed swords with Lingu Xia before and had even personally shattered her Heavenly Glow clones. How could there be such a thing as a Heavenly Glow clone still capable of casting spells?
There was no time to react. Chi Zhihu could only hastily release the spell art in his hands, only dispersing one clone. Xia Yun was still controlling his dharma artifact, chasing after the clones to destroy them, when Wu Weibai shouted, "Defend quickly!"
But Li Xizhi had already completed his spell seals. Ninety percent of the rainbow phantoms in the formation had been dispersed, with only two remaining, positioned with his true body in a triangle within the formation. The Heavenly Glow grew dim and hazy.
"Morning Rainbow Lure!" exclaimed Li Xizhi.
The three gleams, emerald green, earthy brown, and profound gold, leaped up together, crossing mid-air and flashing down upon Chi Zhihu.
But the burly man’s expression lit up with joy as he shouted, "Good!"
The jade pendant around Chi Zhihu’s neck exploded with a bang, releasing a bright yellow halo that condensed in mid-air into a three-tailed feathered beast. It pounced forward like a predator, latching onto the Heavenly Glow.
All three were delighted at the sight.
Li Xizhi’s Heavenly Glow spell arts came like a typhoon. Wu Weibai was better prepared, having already brought out his dharma artifact and talismans, but Xia Yun was so frightened that his soul nearly fled his body.
He was the only soft target of the three. Following the logic that it is better to break one finger than to injure ten, killing him first made the most sense. Since he had not known the depth of the Heavenly Glow’s power, how could he not be afraid?
Yet Li Xizhi had chosen Chi Zhihu instead. As a direct descendant of the Chi Family, he had treasures to protect him, and the Heavenly Glow was instantly restrained. Chi Zhihu rejoiced and Wu Weibai grew suspicious.
However, Xia Yun was the most elated, raising his dharma sword to cast a spell as he laughed, "What kind of thing do you think you are?!"
He pierced through a Heavenly Glow clone with one sword strike, only to hear Wu Weibai cry out in alarm, "Not good!"
The old man drew his sword and leaped forward, but with a clang, it was blocked by a fan radiating a deep blue light. A glint of gold flashed from within the emerald green, earthy brown, and profound gold gleams, and Li Xizhi suddenly appeared before Chi Zhihu, standing with his hand on his sword.
"This is bad!" exclaimed Wu Weibai.
Though the three had witnessed his skill in spell arts, they had not forgotten that the Li Family was a family of sword immortals. What’s more, throughout the earlier exchanges, Wu Weibai’s swordsmanship had been dismissed by Li Xizhi as easily as swatting away a joke, proving his mastery in the way of the sword.
The dharma sword worn by this Changtian Peak master was certainly not for decoration!
Too close! thought Chi Zhihu.
When his opponent appeared before him, Chi Zhihu’s hair stood on end. He hastily reversed his spell art, forcing his mana to dissipate the fire art he had condensed in his hands, and slammed his spiritual sense into the necklace at his neck.
"Return!" Chi Zhihu hurriedly summoned the three-tailed feathered beast back into the jade.
Seeing his master in danger, Wu Weibai bit the tip of his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood as he shouted, "Ha!"
Wu Weibai was indeed a seasoned cultivator. His shout rang out like thunder, condensed into a single thread of sound that struck right beside Li Xizhi, making him freeze abruptly. Chi Zhihu finally seized the opportunity, his heart easing as shock turned to joy.
A perfect chance! thought Chi Zhihu.
Wu Weibai had halted Li Xizhi’s advance at the cost of injuring himself. The three-tailed feathered beast suppressing the tri-colored Heavenly Glow in midair vanished in an instant and reappeared before Chi Zhihu, baring its fangs and claws, roaring at empty air. It spewed a mist of golden light straight at Li Xizhi’s face.
"He’s been struck by the jade’s condensed Mangjin Feathered Beast! The match is decided!" exclaimed Chi Zhihu.
Chi Zhihu knew the treasure’s worth. This jade had been passed down from his forebears once it had been acquired from a grotto heaven, and depicted the long-extinct Gold Feathered Beast. One breath of its dense mist was enough to kill an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. Even with Li Xizhi’s profound cultivation, he would fare no better.