The seawater in front of Dongfang Heyun rippled violently, collapsing inward as though a great whale had opened its massive maw. A pitch-black rift appeared in the depths. Dongfang Heyun’s body transformed into mist, swirling upward before merging into the glowing light at his fingertips, then vanishing into the great void.
Far Away. The golden sun slowly rose over the ocean, casting a magnificent scene of gold and deep blue across the world. Yet Li Xizhi had no time to admire it, he was coughing violently.
Every ounce of his mana was being channeled into the Heavenly Glow beneath his feet. His qi reservoirs were being drained dry, all in service of maintaining his escape technique.
He had no idea how far he had flown. With trembling hands, he fished out several pills from his storage pouch and swallowed them hastily. He also stuck a few flight-enhancing talismans onto himself. Although their effects were meager, anything was better than nothing. Only then did he finally take a moment to survey his surroundings.
Dongfang Heyun fell for it, thought Li Xizhi.
With a single glance, Li Xizhi knew that Dongfang Heyun was an exceedingly confident individual. That very confidence had led him into the trap. Li Xizhi had sent out over a dozen clones and since Dongfang Heyun had failed to distinguish them immediately, he had lost his chance to do so altogether.
Even if Dongfang Heyun could use that void-traversing technique, there were certainly limitations. It took time to do so and he couldn’t just appear before Li Xizhi without cause or a guiding force. By all accounts, Li Xizhi had already escaped danger.
Yet, Li Xizhi dared not relax, nor did he let a single trace of triumph show on his face. He remembered well, this was never a true assassination. It was merely a punishment by a great demonic beast of the Purple Mansion Realm. Dongfang Heyun had never shown true killing intent.
But if he allowed even the slightest smirk, if he dared to laugh, things could take an entirely different turn.
So even though he seemed to have escaped on the surface, his expression remained cautious as he pushed himself to flee at full speed.
If the Purple Mansion master does not act... Dongfang Heyun’s most likely move would be to summon the sea tribes to inspect each clone one by one. If that happens, I won't last long. The question is, what will bring this to an end?
He flew in silence, the multicolored light beneath his feet reflected against the deep blue waters and created a breathtaking sight. He coughed twice, then, his pupils suddenly dilated.
Before him, a pitch-black void emerged in midair. A young man calmly adjusted his robes and stepped forward from within, gazing at him with refined elegance as he spoke softly, "Fellow Daoist, your calculations are truly impressive!"
He traversed the great void! There's... there's no escaping this! thought Li Xizhi.
Panic surged in his heart. He flung out the five or six talismans hidden in his sleeve. The talismans expanded in midair into colossal barriers of light and floated with glowing runes that exuded an imposing aura. But it was already too late.
Dongfang Heyun’s jade-like palm sliced through the air. Only the first talisman managed to briefly slow him down; the rest were left trailing uselessly behind. He gently pressed his palm against Li Xizhi’s abdomen, sending him reeling as he spat out blood, which billowed into a mist of multicolored light.
Dongfang Heyun’s palm pierced straight through Li Xizhi’s abdomen. As he withdrew his hand, the blood staining his flawless, jade-like skin rapidly transformed into radiant clouds.
Gold In Cloud!
It was only thanks to Li Xizhi’s mastery of escape techniques that, even in his dazed state, he could still step out the golden light. His form dispersed like mist, leaving behind three dazzling trails of multicolored radiance, reappearing more than two meters away.
The morning sun brightened along the horizon and Li Xizhi struggled to remain conscious. A shimmering glow appeared in his palm, which he pressed against the gaping wound in his chest.
From his other sleeve, he flung several more talismans. White runic light flickered in midair, but before they could fully manifest, a sharp cracking sound echoed. Ice crystals spread across the sea’s surface. Dongfang Heyun had already bypassed the barriers and stood right before him.
Once again, he unleashed that suffocating technique. The surrounding spiritual energy thickened, shattering the spell Li Xizhi had just formed. Dongfang Heyun calmly raised his hand and grasped Li Xizhi’s throat.
"Hmm?" The refined, gentle youth suddenly paused. A smile played at his lips as he blinked, his dark eyelashes catching the glow of dawn. He glanced at the sky and remarked, "Time is up."
Dongfang Heyun slowly released his grip, letting the immobilized Li Xizhi remain suspended in midair. Raising his jade-like hand, he straightened Li Xizhi’s disheveled robes.
He studied Li Xizhi carefully, then seemed to realize something. Reaching into his sleeve, he retrieved the tattered feathered robe, which had been neatly folded and gently draped it over Li Xizhi’s arm. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.
Dongfang Heyun politely stepped back, bowed slightly, and spoke in a warm tone, "I was merely carrying out an immortal’s decree to eliminate you. My offense is great. I ask for your forgiveness, fellow Daoist."
From the start of this chase until now, his robes had never once creased. He offered another courteous bow, his voice as gentle as before, he said, "I am Dongfang Heyun, born from the first breath exhaled by a Dragon Monarch during his pill formation. I follow the clouds and ride the mist, and it seems we share a certain fate. May I ask for your esteemed name, fellow Daoist?"
Li Xizhi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and rasped, "Li Xizhi of Qingsui Peak."
"Good." With that single word, Dongfang Heyun dissipated like mist and vanished into the morning light. Li Xizhi's legs nearly gave out beneath him and he almost plummeted into the sea.
He was still clutching the feathered robe that Yang Xiao'er had given him. There were secrets hidden within it, but he had no time to investigate. Panting heavily, he quickly retrieved several medicinal pills and swallowed them.
Only after taking a few deep breaths did he manage to steady himself in midair. Spotting a small island, he descended. As soon as he landed, he coughed up a mist of multicolored blood and muttered, "My guess wasn’t too far off."
When Dongfang Heyun tore through the great void, Li Xizhi had indeed been startled. But the moment the palm strike landed, hitting him squarely in the abdomen, most of his fear had already dissipated.
Dongfang Heyun did not intend to kill him. The disparity in power between his earlier restraint and later attacks was significant. Considering his ability to traverse the great void, it was now quite clear.
Had he intended to kill, he could have done so immediately upon emerging from the great void. Why wait until now? It was simply because Dongfang Heyun had been tasked with inflicting enough damage within a limited time. Li Xizhi had calculated correctly. By forcing the time constraint, he had made Dongfang Heyun exert full effort at the last moment.
That being said, within the parameters of the battle, Dongfang Heyun had shown no mercy. This was, in itself, a form of selection. If Li Xizhi had not been up to standard, then he would have simply died. His survival or demise would have made no difference to the Azure Pond Sect or the Dragon Clan.
This chance at survival... I had to fight for every bit of it.
Even so, taking that palm strike directly without any dharma artifact to protect him was no minor matter. Li Xizhi slowly sat down, feeling the internal injuries that the strike had left behind and pondered over his condition.
Dongfang Heyun’s technique primarily inflicted mana-based damage, with deep blue energy continuously corroding his body. However, Li Xizhi was uniquely suited to counter it. His Rainbow Pierce Skyway allowed him to dissolve external mana.
But the fact remained that the palm strike had torn through his abdomen and coupled with his earlier severed arm, the injuries were severe and could not be ignored.
Now, sitting quietly, he finally had the chance to piece together the sequence of events and organize his thoughts.
"He wants to harm me..."