By command!
The black-robed youth cast another spell. Chi Zhiyan’s longsword suddenly transformed into a colorful lizard that twisted and bit at his wrist. Chi Zhiyan no longer had the strength to dispel the spell, he simply reached for his waist, hoping to switch weapons altogether.
Squeak, squeak!
The fat golden-furred rat squeaked again, and only then did Chi Zhiyan remember that the pouch could no longer be used. A wave of despair rose in his heart, To think I would fall here!
He didn’t know what had happened in the south, but the swarm of devil cultivators from the sky had sealed off Mount Bianyan. Demonic light shimmered in every direction.
To be fair, Mount Bianyan’s defenses were not weak. There were over ten peak masters, all of significant strength. Only four devil cultivators among the enemy were formidable, and the grand formation had only been breached in a few spots. They still had the strength to fight.
But the north did not only bring Yu Jiang and his three companions, but many more devil cultivators that surged from the south. Though they were weaker, they mercilessly slaughtered the Qi Cultivation Realm disciples on the mountain. Since the main four were holding off the top defenders, the key nodes of the formation were quickly dismantled and lost all brilliance.
The peak masters were then executed one by one. Chi Liangzhe, Chi Dongqing, and others had fallen before his eyes. Chi Zhiyan gradually understood that he had miscalculated, I should have abandoned the riverbank and let the devil cultivators sweep down from there, instead of having them trap us at Mount Bianyan! There would have at least been a chance to escape!
Chi Zhiyan’s heart turned cold. His storage pouch still held pills and talismans, yet Yu Jiang’s persistent spells prevented him from using them, while Xuwang pressed closer with ruthless aggression.
Finally, blue rain began falling from the sky. The blue rain was laced with droplets of blood, pouring over the battlefield. The Hooked Serpent seal floating in the air reverted to its true form and hovered silently.
The Xinyou Pristine Marsh Seal has been broken!
He could no longer see Ning Heyuan through the hazy rain. All he saw was a delicate-looking man in a python robe emerging with a long whip in hand, lashing out in a cold flash.
Splurt!
Chi Zhiyan could only raise both arms to block. The last of his mana had run dry. His dharma robe dimmed, and a searing ray of colored light pierced his chest. His heart turned utterly cold.
Xuwang’s palm strike pierced through his chest and shot upward, shattering his face as well. In that fleeting instant, what remained of Chi Zhiyan’s consciousness flickered, So I’ve ruined my brother’s great plan after all!
Boom!
As he fell, several beams of golden light mixed with rainbow hues shot into the sky. Xuwang suddenly rose into the air. Countless corpses and blood below him lifted with the surge, shining with golden radiance.
Wisps of soul-like pure energy rose skyward, flowing into his body. Xuwang sat cross-legged midair as a golden lotus bloomed beneath him, joy lighting up his face as he thought, Destiny has arrived!
————
Within the great void.
A vast, multicolored radiance condensed within the great void. Layers of iridescent clouds drifted like smoke as a dark-purple alms bowl hovered silently in the air, trembling slightly, yet unable to move.
A single dot of amethyst light rested upon the bowl. It was gleaming faintly, yet it was as immovable as a mountain. Just like that, the treasured Kongsijiang Demon Bowl, refined over many years by a Maha, was pinned in place within the great void, unable to advance or retreat, hovering dumbly in the air.
A woman in purple robes was standing before it. Her black hair was pinned back with an ordinary white hairpin. An elegant brow lifted as she looked northward, her gaze landing on the vast, round shape of Anhuai Heaven suspended within the great void. She said nothing.
"Zipei..." Maha’s voice echoed from near and far, tinged with fury, rumbling across the great void like a multitude speaking in unison, "It was one thing for you to ruin my plans, but now you won’t even let it go. What is it you want?"
Li Xuanfeng carried the fated weight of the north-south conflict. The Maha had been lurking in the great void, awaiting changes within Anhuai Heaven. But when he sensed such a ripe opportunity, he could no longer restrain himself.
If I could seize such a dense fate, wouldn’t that be perfect?
Though the Maha could not act directly, there was still a host of Master Monks in the north. He summoned them and granted the Kongsijiang Demon Bowl with the goal of forging a Merciful One under his command.
If one of them killed Li Xuanfeng and became his Merciful One, it would not be just any servant; he would gain a powerful subordinate. Then, with the Merciful One’s fate in his hands, he could absorb that destiny to nourish himself, skipping much of the effort required for cultivation.
The Kongsijiang Demon Bowl had three transformations. He had only used two. Though they had been summoned by a Master Monk rather than wielded by him directly, they were already more than enough to deal with Li Xuanfeng.
He had intended to take more time and let a few more monks die so their fate could gather, thus he had not unleashed the final transformation. Who would’ve thought Zipei would suddenly interfere, causing the prize already in his grasp to slip away!
That wretched woman actually didn’t enter Anhuai Heaven? How is that possible? thought the Maha.
To put it bluntly, with Shangyuan and the others now gone, Zipei was already the most formidable cultivator in Jiangnan. If she had entered Anhuai Heaven to compete with the others, she would have secured a significant share. Who could have predicted that she would show no interest?
Now, his treasured artifact was suppressed by Zipei’s divine power, trapped and unable to act. The Maha could neither advance nor retreat. He glared at her with hidden fury, secretly growing uneasy.
He had taken advantage of the Purple Mansion Realm cultivator's momentary absence in the south to summon two transformations of the Kongsijiang Demon Bowl. Though it had not been wielded by his own hand, relying on those monks to enact his plans was already crossing the line. Now, feeling guilty, he found himself at a loss for words.
Daoist Master Zipei finally spoke, "The bald monk certainly crafted a fine dharma artifact. So many transformations, all just to target a single Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator!"
She tilted her head slightly to the side, and a flicker of violet light spun atop the bowl. The Kongsijiang Demon Bowl shook violently, emitting pained wails.
Maha’s voice boomed in fury, "Fellow Daoist, are you trying to break the rules?"
Zipei watched coldly, her divine ability drawing forth a swirl of gray mist. The mist dispersed and transformed into three kinds of flame, each falling into her hands.
She lifted her head and said coldly, "You, Daisi, are no more than a Maha of two incarnations, and you dare speak to me of rules? Even Zhelu wouldn’t presume so much. Get lost while you still can!"
Maha Daisi’s radiance flickered in the great void, bearing the flavor of forced restraint. He truly dared not retort. Retracting the wailing Kongsijiang Demon Bowl, his eye-shaped glow dissolved into a patch of rainbow mist and retreated northward.
An ordinary Merciful One possessed only early stage Purple Mansion Realm strength and lacked divine protections, making them comparatively weak. Even those who had cultivated for years were barely equal to an early stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.
Only after becoming a Maha would one gain true power. It took three incarnations to reach mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm, and five to seven to approach the late stage. Frankly speaking, Daisi was no match for the woman before him. He had no choice but to swallow his anger and flee like a defeated dog.
Zipei lowered her eyes, quietly gazing at Anhuai Heaven before her. The grotto heaven was gradually fading away, while the aura of Metallic Essence pulsed in and out, releasing a sudden, thunderous roar.