“This is...”
The intense sense of déjà vu stirred unease within him. He was sure he’d never seen it before, yet the ancient style felt intimately familiar. His gaze followed the panels to the final one; it depicted the outside of the hall, where a man stood with his ear tilted as if listening.
At that moment, Li Xuanfeng’s mind roared with realization, and he finally remembered why it felt so familiar. He had seen that very view before; the painting of black-green winds, the swaying pine forest amidst the Heavy Abyssal Gale...
Chongming Hall! These panels depict the Six Sons of Chongming!
He quickly withdrew his gaze, feigning nonchalance as he scanned the hall again. The cultivators inside had all turned to look at him. Some were cloaked in eerie demonic energy, while others were wreathed in True Flame or bathed in Buddhist radiance. All of their eyes now locked firmly on him.
Li Xuanfeng’s gray eyes narrowed slightly as he met their gazes without hesitation, showing no concern for the warning in their stares. He was regally composed as he stepped forward into the hall with one hand gripping his bow, and the other held behind his back.
Si Yuanli followed close behind, visibly tense. His longsword shimmered with brilliance; it was practically pressed against his armor as he stared fixedly at the four central cauldrons.
“So it’s Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng...” The tension in the hall lingered until someone finally spoke. Gao Fangjing of the True Flame lineage was clad in his dark red robe and wielding a horse lance.
Many of the devil and Buddhist cultivators had already been eyeing him with suspicion due to his attire. But when they heard the cautious tone in Gao Fangjing’s voice, their gazes gradually shifted away, pretending to focus on one another instead.
Li Xuanfeng had taken roughly fifteen minutes to obliterate Murong Wu in both body and soul, shatter Yu Qian’s dharma body, and tear apart a demonic creature with his bare hands. The ensuing rain of blood had deeply shocked the northern devil cultivators.
Then, he had even forced his way into Buddhist territory and slain Tang Shedu, catapulting his reputation to its peak. Many of the devil cultivators hadn’t seen him in person but they had all heard the name. None of them wanted to face him directly.
Gao Fangjing glanced around the room, True Flame burning steadily across his body, before finally speaking, “There’s no need to delay, fellow cultivators. More are on their way. If we wait too long, no matter how powerful we are, how much can we seize? And how many wounds will we suffer in the process?”
As his voice fell, Gao Fangjing raised his lance high and grinned, “Now that Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng is here, we have eight present. How about one-on-one duels, each to claim a cauldron?”
His words were blunt, completely disregarding Si Yuanli’s presence. The latter made as if to speak, only for Li Xuanfeng to extend an arm in his defense and say softly, “Just focus on protecting yourself, fellow Daoist.”
Before he could finish, a burst of brilliance erupted in the hall. Li Xuanfeng took a step forward and reached for the nearest cauldron, only to find, with a raised brow, that no one dared challenge him for it.
Instead, two nearby devil cultivators exchanged glances and suddenly launched their assault. One unleashed thick purple qi, the other rose in swirling demonic smoke. Together, they encircled Gao Fangjing, whose body blazed with True Flame, as thunderous explosions erupted.
So we meet again... Li Xuanfeng saw clearly as he hoisted the cauldron. It was a deep bluish-green, warm to the touch, and covered in opulent, ornate patterns of birds and beasts. There were dragons and phoenixes dancing across its surface.
One of the two attacking Gao Fangjing was cultivating Purple Essence. He was a devil cultivator named Murong Gong, whom Li Xuanfeng had briefly fought days before. His form was hidden in a purple mist as a swirl of demonic light surged around him.
“Hahaha...” Gao Fangjing burst into furious laughter. His lance flared with scorching True Flame, emitting dazzling golden-red light as he bellowed, “Murong, you vile old cur! I knew you’d pull something like this!”
Seven elite Foundation Establishment cultivators were now locked in battle, unleashing deafening blasts. Golden and white lights flashed as immortal and demonic energies surged and clashed, yet the grand hall stood firm, immovable as a mountain.
Boom!
As they exchanged blows, more massive booms echoed from afar. The entire Great Ning Palace immediately erupted into chaos in a chain reaction. Places that had been still and silent suddenly burst into action. Spiritual energy twisted and churned violently.
Li Xuanfeng weighed the cauldron which emanated a subtle mystical glow in his hand. The lid was tightly sealed and immovable. Even his spiritual sense couldn’t penetrate it. There seemed to be another world within, so it couldn’t be stored in a pouch.
He had little interest in the cauldron. Whatever treasure was inside, it was unlikely to end up fully in his possession. But Si Yuanli’s eyes were practically glued to it. Li Xuanfeng casually handed it to him and said softly, “Stay close.”
Si Yuanli nodded eagerly, his joy almost spilling off his face. He showed not a hint of refusal, murmuring gratefully, “Fellow Daoist, your generosity is unmatched! I’ll surely speak well of you before my ancestor. When we leave this grotto heaven, you’ll be handsomely rewarded...”
Li Xuanfeng responded nonchalantly, his spiritual sense silently locked on the screen behind the immortal throne. He paid no mind to Si Yuanli’s flattery.
Perhaps affected by the surrounding demonic and dharma light, the dim dark-green screen now gleamed with a richer hue, like an aged bronze. It stood firm behind the hall, unshaken by the residual waves of mana still rippling through the space.
Li Xuanfeng hesitated no longer. His gaze didn’t even linger on the mountainous piles of treasure below. He soared toward the throne, reaching for the screen.
“Hm?”
Li Xuanfeng’s eyes narrowed. Platinum lines suddenly lit up on his chin, flowing downward across his chest, forming the sleek and elegant Heavenly Gilded Helm. His eyes glowed faintly as he focused with intense concentration.
“Benefactor...” A figure suddenly appeared before him, calmly blocking his path. It was a burly man with long, narrow brows and a clean-shaven head. He wore a golden kasaya and gazed at him with gentle eyes.“This humble monk has long heard of your name and held you in deep admiration. But fate conspired against us, keeping our paths apart... Until now.”
Li Xuanfeng glared coldly, saying nothing. He had already raised his golden bow. Golden light surged forth as five arrows leapt onto the string. A sharp hum filled the great hall, silencing every cultivator in the room.
Clang!