The heavy rain over Lake Xian had just ended. The skies had cleared, and Li Qinghong stood atop the lake, riding thunder. This part of the water was completely empty, with no trace of people. Li Xuanxuan and the white ape stood beside her.
Moongaze Lake was crowded with people and too conspicuous for a fight, so the group naturally wouldn't make a scene there. Instead, they found a random spot on Lake Xian to land. This was the quietest location in the inland region, with only two lake-dwelling demonic creatures passing by on patrol. When they saw several Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, they didn’t dare interfere and pretended not to see them as they slipped away across the water.
Two small boats passed by in the distance, manned by disciples of the Kong Family. They circled around, spotted Li Qinghong from afar, recognized her, offered a distant bow, and continued on their way.
Li Zhouwei raised his hand with his palm facing up. A surge of blazing Radiant Light burst from his palm, forming two armored soldiers by his side. Their white-scaled armor shimmered under the sunlight, with matching silver boots. Their faces bore neither helmets nor features, just a blank expanse of pale light.
Both wielded spears and carried bows on their backs, exuding an imposing presence.
As for Li Zhouwei himself, he held a halberd across his body. Radiant Light gathered at the arc in the center of the weapon, where two halberd blades joined to form a razor-sharp edge that gleamed menacingly.
Kongheng pressed his palms together before his chest, his narrow eyes squinting nearly shut. He chanted softly, and pale golden runes flew from his crimson lips and white teeth and started to circle him.
Li Zhouwei flipped his halberd upward. The Radiant Light at its center rippled, releasing an invisible, colorless glow that instantly covered a section of the lake. White steam hissed up from the surface.
Across from him, Kongheng fared better. He merely felt the blinding light crash against his face like fire, which made it hard to lift his gaze. But as a Buddhist cultivator, he wasn’t afraid of such forces and was not greatly affected.
But the sudden heat was harsh on the lurking demonic creatures nearby. They began sweating profusely and grew restless. After exchanging glances, most of them lost their curiosity and quietly dispersed.
"Da Sheng!"
But Li Zhouwei didn’t stop there. With a command, a stream of flame shot out from the arc and draped over his body. Radiant Light rolled across his armor, and fire spiraled beneath his feet.
Bang!
A sonic boom erupted over the lake. An instant later, the long halberd was already upon Kongheng. The monk finally opened his eyes a little, and suddenly parted his palms, sending forth a burst of golden runes.
The golden runes transformed into chains in midair, clinking noisily as they wrapped around Da Sheng like serpents. Li Zhouwei flexed his forearm, and his halberd shuddered violently, breaking most of them apart.
Kongheng’s hand seal changed in an instant, and his eyes opened slightly wider.
The golden light behind him condensed into a large orb. Then, a massive figure emerged with a thunderous boom. A golden upper body took shape, six arms spreading wide through the air, covered in dense golden script. Its golden face, marked with two broad horizontal lines, glowed with red light and radiated immense authority.
A towering, six-armed Vajra in golden armor rose upright from the golden light.
"Decree!"
The Vajra's eyes widened, and all six of its arms tugged on the golden chains in unison. A heavy metallic clatter rang out as every chain tightened at once, bursting forth in a dazzling flash of golden light.
The golden-armored Vajra was as large as a temple. Its eyes were as wide as windmills, casting a massive shadow over Lake Xian. In front of it, Li Zhouwei looked like a small colt tethered outside a gate. His dharma artifact was yanked taut in an instant.
Kongheng had struck with his full strength, using Buddhist cultivator secret techniques. Li Qinghong and the others all nodded in approval.
Li Xuanxuan stroked his beard, lifting his white brows in mild surprise. He turned and said with a smile, "A monk cultivates the heart and is free from worldly affairs. When he strikes, he does so with everything and holds nothing back."
Kongheng wasn't the type to joke around or show favoritism. This strike alone would have disarmed most Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. Dense golden chains wrapped tightly around Da Sheng, making Li Zhouwei feel a sudden heaviness in his hands.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he opened his mouth and spat out a beam of white light. The white light shot upward like a white rainbow, not toward Kongheng himself, but directly at the golden-armored Vajra behind him.
It was the Radiant Origin Pass. A white pass formed in the air, dispersing the golden glow in an instant. The Radiant Origin Pass excelled in suppression, and was especially effective against incorporeal spell arts. The Vajra was suppressed into a blur in a flash.
Kongheng nodded slightly when his opponent seized the chance to retrieve his dharma artifact. In theory, using the Radiant Origin Pass to suppress the opponent directly was the best strategy. Like Li Ximing had demonstrated, once the enemy was pinned down, casting spells and chanting incantations became difficult, while draining their mana and gaining the upper hand became easier over time.
But using an Immortal Foundation to suppress the opponent's spell arts might seem like a waste, since too much mana expended with each rise and fall, while the opponent could simply dismiss the spell and cast anew. But Li Zhouwei was facing Kongheng.
Kongheng’s cultivation excels in defense, and he far surpasses me in level. If I were to use an Immortal Foundation to suppress him directly, I’d be meeting strength with strength and weakness with weakness. Even if I manage to save myself this time, next time I’ll be bound by those golden chains, thought Li Zhouwei.
He had instantly capitalized on his opponent’s lack of offensive power and used his Immortal Foundation to grind down Kongheng’s spell arts, rendering them ineffective and preserving his own safety. As for the mana cost...
If I can shift this duel into a contest of mana, then that’s a win in itself!
The Radiant Origin Pass shimmered for a moment and shattered the phantom in the air into golden light. Kongheng flicked his sleeve, scattering the charging armored soldiers, and said lightly, "Come."
A bronze monk’s staff appeared in his hand. He lifted it into the air and slammed it down with tremendous force. Li Zhouwei raised his brow and brought his long halberd up to meet it.
Clang!
Li Zhouwei wielded an ancient dharma artifact from a grotto heaven, while Kongheng’s weapon was a guardian treasure he had cultivated with since his mortal days. Though it had been refined for many years and was extremely durable, it still couldn’t compare to such a treasure.
The sharp tips on the arc of the halberd gleamed and let out a metallic snap as they hooked into the arched head of the monk's staff. Li Zhouwei had been waiting for this moment. He twisted the halberd, unleashing a burst of Radiant Light flame.
The monk’s staff was firmly caught by the halberd’s hook and couldn’t break free, taking the full brunt of the Radiant Light flame. It crackled loudly as it sizzled, still hanging on the halberd and unable to detach.
Flame washed across Kongheng’s face, forcing him to retreat a step and laugh, "Good!"
His bronze monk’s staff suddenly twisted, writhing like a snake before slipping free from the halberd’s hook. Li Zhouwei, knowing this move wouldn’t finish the monk, followed through with a thrust.