Li Zhouwei refused to relent. The Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light between his brows grew ever stronger, condensing into a tangible white beam that locked Gongsun Baifan in place. If Gongsun Baifan tried to draw back his blade and retreat, his head would be blown apart.
A dull thud echoed as the straw raincoat Gongsun Baifan had forged himself at the Qi Cultivation Realm tore with a sharp rip. Blood gushed from his mouth and evaporated before it even touched the ground. The three flood dragons were swept apart by a single halberd strike and erased under the heavenly light, sending Gongsun Baifan plummeting like a bird with broken wings.
Black flames surged from his falling body, and Guan Kan's eyelids twitched violently as he thought, That blade cultivator practices Jing Dragon King[1], which also belongs to the Pit Water Dao. After that halberd strike... he'll be suffering indeed!
Having forcibly brought Gongsun Baifan down, Li Zhouwei could not evade Guan Gongxiao's spell. The two fiery arms beneath his ribs thrust their halberds to block the crimson light, but he still took the blow with a muffled grunt, causing the scales across his body to ripple. He swung his blood-streaked halberd around and swept his gaze across the field, sending a chill down Guan Kan's spine.
"He's coming for me!"
The fallen Gongsun Baifan was no different from a corpse. Now that Li Zhouwei knew his Armor Cycle Soul-Refining Halberd Art countered Pit Water, he naturally sought to use strength against weakness. Swallowing blood, he stepped onto heavenly light and advanced, terrifying Guan Kan into hastily discarding the flickering Yang Radiant Red Sparrow Banner still suspended in midair. With a sweep of his sleeve, he released several dark shadows.
The shadows shifted and transformed before him, but Li Zhouwei did not spare them a glance. His Grand Veined Golden Eyes glowed, piercing through the illusion in an instant. He stepped forward into the void, closing the distance in a single stride.
At this critical moment, Guan Gongxiao finally rushed close enough. His body, now transformed into gray water, surged within the current Guan Kan had summoned. He pulled a copper coin from his sleeve and flicked it lightly.
"Geng Metal brings control; protect and guard me!"
Although Guan Gongxiao could not match Li Zhouwei in battle, his reactions were far from slow. He had already deduced from their brief exchange that Li Zhouwei possessed a spell-breaking ability. Thus, without even casting a spell, he threw out a Metal Virtue dharma artifact.
A massive golden shield burst into existence in the air. It took the full force of a halberd strike wrapped in raging black flames, producing a thunderous roar before its light dimmed. But the two men had held their ground.
When he saw his opponent bring out a Metal Virtue dharma artifact, Li Zhouwei immediately activated the Yang Radiant Red Sparrow Banner. Radiant Fire surged downward, using fire to refine metal, while his halberd swept horizontally to extinguish the ongoing spells. The two direct disciples of the Capital Immortal Dao suddenly found themselves caught in a dilemma.
The reason was simple. Their dharma artifacts were pinned beneath the heavenly gate and could not move, while Li Zhouwei's halberd strikes had a spell-breaking ability. Guan Gongxiao was holding on, but Guan Kan was in deep trouble as his face contorted with pain.
After barely a dozen exchanges, the two were still trapped, unable to advance or retreat. The Metal Virtue dharma artifact was already sizzling and turning a glowing red. It was clearly on the verge of collapse.
Guan Gongxiao finally grit his teeth and spat, "This demonic wretch came prepared with Boundless Essence spell arts tailored against our gate. Gongsun Baifan's incompetence has brought us to this state. What are we to do now?"
The Capital Immortal Dao's forces were still far stronger than those of the Li Family. Even without Elder Guan Kan, they retained a significant advantage. Guan Gongxiao's only aim was to stall Li Zhouwei. He had been confident that his side would have the last laugh and had no desire to call for more reinforcements.
Guan Kan immediately understood the young gate heir's meaning. The task of risking one's life should fall to him, the elder, not Guan Gongxiao. His voice turned grave as he replied, "Rest assured, young master. This old man still has strength left to give."
The old man drew several talismans from his sleeve and pressed them to his flanks and cheeks. Biting his tongue, he spat blood essence into his palms. Li Zhouwei had just finished burning his way through the golden shield, and his golden eyes turned coldly toward them.
Older cultivators always had their own methods. Like Yu Yuwei and Jiang Huzi, they had little lifespan remaining and no longer feared exhausting their essence or missing their chance at the Purple Mansion Realm, so they were not to be underestimated. Li Zhouwei immediately moved his halberd, thrusting it toward the spell forming in the elder's hands.
Guan Gongxiao flipped through his Daoist scripture, activating the South Chou Waters. Several spells were unleashed at full force in hopes of stalling the raging black flames even a little.
Mana surged wildly as Guan Kan spat out the essence of Pit Water and shouted, "Pit Metal Fourfold Water Chains, bind!"
Streams of pale gray water chains gushed from his sleeves, supple and serpentine. They raced swiftly along the halberd's shaft to coil around Li Zhouwei's arms. He spun his halberd and shattered them, but they immediately reformed. Though their glow dimmed slightly, they rapidly recovered under the elder's immense mana.
This is not a simple Pit Water spell art... thought Li Zhouwei.
Guan Kan's expression turned grim. Fueled by his reckless torrent of mana, the water chains became both flexible and unyielding, binding the Da Sheng Halberd tightly in place. Guan Gongxiao rejoiced at the sight; his spells had finally proven useful. Once he gathered them, he hurled them at Li Zhouwei's back.
Clang!
Li Zhouwei struggled fiercely as Guan Kan's face turned pale. The blow landed squarely on his back, staggering him. The water chains surged upward along the halberd, binding the two spectral arms beneath his ribs.
The scene quickly grew intense. The elder burned through the last of his essence, exerting all his strength to restrain the fierce young man wreathed in black flames, while the young gate heir in Daoist robes gathered spell after spell to suppress the demonic blaze.
The Capital Immortal Dao spells were not only powerful but also agonizing when they landed. Li Zhouwei's momentum began to drop within just a few exchanges, while Guan Kan's body grew gaunt and withered.
Guan Gongxiao realized how terrifyingly tough the armor on Li Zhouwei's body was and changed his target to his face. Though his Dharma robe shielded his entire body, the protection there was thinner. His strikes split Li Zhouwei's brow open, exposing white bone.
The elder shouted, "Force his Immortal Foundation to return to defend him!"
If this continued, Guan Kan would die first. Their goal had never been to kill Li Zhouwei outright but to stall him. Once the Pit Metal Chain Rings and Capital Dao Bell dharma artifacts were released, stopping him would no longer be an issue.
Yet the instant the elder opened his mouth and his focus wavered, the long-silent Li Zhouwei suddenly exploded into motion. Strength surged through both his arms, snapping the water chains taut. Guan Kan instinctively tried to pull them back, but Li Zhouwei jerked once, then relaxed his grip to lunge forward at terrifying speed.
Not good!
That sudden lunge allowed Li Zhouwei to not only evade Guan Gongxiao's crimson light but also close the distance in a single step and appear right before Guan Kan. The elder saw a face before him, pale bone showing through and streaked with blood, suddenly magnified in an instant. His reflexes were swift, and he immediately thrust forward two water shields to block the incoming hands.
For a moment, everything seemed to slow. Guan Kan stared as countless bright white scales appeared on Li Zhouwei's neck. Bloodshot veins spread through those golden eyes, twisted with unbearable pain. His hands slammed into the shields, producing a harsh creaking sound.
A final, fleeting thought surfaced in Guan Kan's mind, Could Li Zhouwei truly be the reincarnation of the White Qilin?
In the next instant, Li Zhouwei bared his pale teeth and let out a roar that shook the air itself, " Roar! "
Guan Kan had no time to even shut his eyes. The skin on his face tore apart and flew off in fragments, vanishing almost instantly. Veins, blood, and cartilage peeled away one by one. In the blink of an eye, every scrap of flesh from the elder's head separated from his face and scattered in all directions.
Only a bare white skull remained atop his neck.
Only then did a white protective barrier burst from his body. Blood sprayed from the ears of the nearby Guan Gongxiao from the force of that roar.
When his eyes fell on the skull beneath the shimmering shield, all composure left him, and he shouted shrilly, "Reinforcements, now!"
1. The other name for Boundless Ocean foundation. ☜