Boom!
The golden formation trembled faintly, shaking the forest and causing leaves to fall like rain. A young man in white lay on the ground, facing the sky.
Boom!
Li Xijun listened silently, confirming that Situ Mo had already engaged in battle with Kongheng and had no time to focus on anything else. Only then did he press his hands against the ground and sit up.
White light flowed through Li Xijun's eyes, but there was no sign of pain. He gathered his mana in his hands and, with a steady motion, grasped the radiant, golden Dinglin Piercer and slowly pulled it out of his chest.
The talisman he received before was the Radiant Snow Pine Ridge , which kept him calm at all times. Though the situation had been dire, and the Dinglin Piercer had struck quickly, Li Xijun had not reacted slowly either.
His eyes, capable of piercing illusions and seeing through falsehoods, allowed him to calculate the trajectory of the Dinglin Piercer quickly. Using the River Crossing Torrential Step, he skillfully dodged its most dangerous points. Although the weapon had pierced through his body, it had not struck a vital area, leaving him with only a wound.
As talisman qi circulated through his body, he pulled the piercer out without flinching and began to wonder, "Even so, this Dinglin Piercer is a Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact. It seems really weak... Even if I avoided the vital point, it should have left me seriously wounded. Could it be that Kongheng had intervened...?"
While pondering this, the piercer was fully removed from his body. He wiped away the blood, and examined the weapon. The Dinglin Piercer was about seven chi long, covered in ridges, and shining with golden light. It struggled in Li Xijun's hands, trying to break free and fly into the sky. He had to use considerable effort to just hold onto it.
After sealing the piercer with several Spirit Sealing Techniques, Li Xijun was finally able to free his hands to heal himself. He applied some ointment on the wound, swallowed a pill, and sighed with relief as his strength recovered by sixty percent.
The Dinglin Piercer fluttered weakly in the air before falling to the ground, trembling slightly. Li Xijun's thoughts raced as he pondered to himself, This is trouble... Situ Mo is a direct descendant of the Golden Tang Sect. I am not sure if Kongheng will be able to handle him...
The Quanwu Mountain Range, located in the center of Yue State, was several days' journey from Moongaze Lake, the Xiao Family, or the Profound Peak Gate, making it impossible to call for aid.
Li Xijun turned back to the golden formation, and white light appeared in his eyes. The brilliant light of the formation gradually blurred, revealing the scene within it.
BOOM!
Kongheng was wielding a bronze monk's staff, emitting golden light to resist Situ Mo's dharma artifact. His mana light was soft yet immense, while Situ Mo's was sharp and intense. The clash of their golden lights echoed with thunderous force.
As Li Xijun pushed his talisman qi to the limit, a figure cloaked in the mysterious spirit mist within the formation was also revealed.
"That's... Second Uncle?!" Li Xijun gasped.
The black-robed middle-aged man stood cautiously at the edge of the formation, his face dark. In his hand, a green-white sword light flickered, growing stronger with each passing moment as he waited for a flaw in Situ Mo's defense.
"So, it was him who intervened to protect me!" Li Xijun let out a breath of relief, realizing why the Dinglin Piercer's power had been so weak. He felt more at ease now and confidently began casting layers of spells, keeping the peculiar dharma artifact pinned under his foot.
————
Within the golden formation, Kongheng steadied Li Xuanxuan, showing no signs of panic. As the formation activated, Li Yuanjiao's voice had already reached Kongheng.
Kongheng's surprise stemmed not only from Situ Mo's revelations but also from the unexpected timing of Li Yuanjiao's intervention.
With Li Yuanjiao silently intervening, Kongheng no longer had to worry about Li Xijun. Though the blow Li Xijun suffered seemed severe, Kongheng, with his knowledge as a Buddhist cultivator, did not consider it a serious concern.
As a sharp golden light surged toward him, Kongheng used his monk's staff to repel Situ Mo's attacks, silently reflecting to himself, He's indeed cautious, following us all the way here...
Although Kongheng had some tricks up his sleeve, more than enough for survival but not for killing, he was not afraid of Situ Mo and remained confident that he could protect both himself and Li Xuanxuan.
Yet, he still sighed at Li Yuanjiao's caution, thinking to himself, He was worried about alarming Situ Mo, so he even deceived his own people... Since Senior Xuanxuan hasn't noticed anything, it's even less likely that Situ Mo would suspect a thing!
Situ Mo tested with two attacks, but the monk before him remained as calm as still water, his defense unyielding like an immovable mountain.
Situ Mo sneered and taunted, "Found yourself a bald monk to play guard dog, eh?"
Situ Mo understood that the monk's methods were strange and was careful not to underestimate him. Three golden shields floated around him, covering him completely while he held a saber, watching for an opening. After a moment's thought, he performed a hand seal and muttered, "Come!"
Outside the formation, the Dinglin Piercer began to struggle violently, thrashing on the ground. Li Xijun had long been prepared for this and had covered the weapon with spirit-sealing talismans. He stomped down on it with his foot, brought his fingers together, and released a flash of cold light.
Grade Four spell, Slaughter Jun Kui Light !
True to its reputation as one of the Li Family's highest-graded spells, the white light burst forth, releasing a chilling energy that froze the Dinglin Piercer solid, cutting off the flow of mana and suppressing it completely.
Inside the formation, Situ Mo's expression changed. Li Xijun, only at the Qi Cultivation Realm, should not have been able to resist his dharma artifact, and should have already been killed by the Dinglin Piercer. Now, with the weapon unresponsive, he felt deep unease growing within him, sensing things were slipping out of his control.
Yet, Li Xuanxuan's earlier behavior had seemed completely genuine, and Kongheng's shock had also been real. Situ Mo, who had grown up surviving on his wits, could see through pretense, and now found himself hesitant and unsure.
Meanwhile, Li Xuanxuan, seeing Situ Mo's hesitation, began to piece things together based on Kongheng's demeanor. A hint of relief crossed his face, which only made him look more pleased in Situ Mo's eyes, adding to the latter's irritation.
Situ Mo's eyes flickered suddenly as he made up his mind. He pulled out a talisman from his robe, clasped it between his hands, and began to cast a spell.
Kongheng, naturally, could not just stand by idly. He quickly raised his bronze staff, focusing on protecting Li Xuanxuan from afar by disrupting Situ Mo with bursts of golden light. However, his defensive nature made it hard to break through Situ Mo's golden shields.
Situ Mo cast a mocking glance at Kongheng before shaking his wrist and releasing six streams of light that landed on his own body. The tiny streams glimmered over his acupoints—Zanzhu, Tongziliao, and Chengqi—gradually lighting up his eyes with a golden glow.[1]
In this life-and-death confrontation, Situ Mo was not foolish enough to announce his techniques aloud. However, Li Yuanjiao, who was still observing from the shadows, had read the Spirit Eye Perception manual and recognized these critical eye acupoints. He realized Situ Mo had sensed that something was amiss.
What a shame! His dharma artifact is formidable, and he hasn't shown any openings!
Knowing he could not stay hidden much longer without being discovered, Li Yuanjiao seized this fleeting opportunity. His sword flew out of its sheath as he raced toward Situ Mo, executing the Celestial Moon Slash technique.
Clang!
A sharp green-white light filled the air. Situ Mo's spell was interrupted, yet he seemed more pleased than surprised. The golden saber at his waist, which had been accumulating power, suddenly shot forward as he laughed.
"I knew it!"
Li Yuanjiao's sword arc shifted, shattering Situ Mo's golden shield, but was met by the saber qi he had been gathering for a long time. Internally, Li Yuanjiao couldn't help but admire Situ Mo's slyness.
What a cunning man!
Situ Mo's ability to stop his own spell midway and secretly charge his saber qi showed that he had anticipated Li Yuanjiao's move. It was possible that Situ Mo had never cultivated perception techniques seriously and had only acted to lure out a hidden enemy.
"It really is you, Li Yuanjiao!"
Though Situ Mo had forced Li Yuanjiao to reveal himself, the power of the Celestial Moon Slash technique still exceeded his expectations. His saber qi only managed to block it for a moment before shattering like brittle wood.
1. Acupoint locations: Zanzhu is at the start of the eyebrow, Tongziliao is near the tear duct, and Chengqi is near the outer corner of the eye. ☜