Chapter 1652: Soul-Refining (II)

Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes slightly at those words, while Chengyan's heart sank completely.

His headless body trembled against the ground before he growled in a cold, sinister voice, "You... One descends from a northern great house that has endured through four dynasties, the other from an imperial clan forever favored by Bright Yang. My ancestors were bound by the moral order your ancestors established, and condemned the moment they stepped out of line. When Bright Yang brothers slaughtered one another, when the great clans treated human lives as worthless, your so-called moral order turned a blind eye.

"And today... The Li Family wages distant campaigns in the name of righteousness, while the Si Family usurps without consequence. The only difference is that one of you bears the surname Li and the other Si. How is that any different from the ancient past?

"I'm nothing more than a man of the wilds. If I'm to die by the moral order you people preach, what more is there to say?"

Si Yuanli burst into laughter as he replied, "So I was right. In your eyes, bedding your own sister was the most righteous thing of all."

Flesh rapidly regrew over Chengyan's skull. His eyes burned with fury as he ground his teeth and answered, "Righteous? With divine ability at my command, I refused to bow to your so-called moral order! Listen well, Sima Yuanli. You're nothing but a junior. Don't delude yourself into thinking the world's morality or your code of ethics has triumphed today. I die because of the times, not because your morality has judged me. So don't wave that banner of virtue in my face. What gives the Sima Family the right to preach?"

Si Yuanli's expression darkened as he cast Chengyan a cold glance. Before he could speak, Li Zhouwei stopped him with a hand and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Qinghu, don't provoke him into dying just yet. I intend to keep him alive and see whether I can use him to uncover Changxiao's whereabouts."

Those words caught Si Yuanli off guard. He frowned but said nothing. Chengyan, meanwhile, looked at Li Zhouwei with icy eyes and sneered. "Changxiao is cold-blooded and heartless. Why would he care about me?"

Li Zhouwei merely replied, "I have my own methods."

Even as the two divine abilities continued their work, Si Yuanli still looked puzzled.

Li Zhouwei glanced at him, sighed inwardly, and said, "You really do keep a careful account of everything, fellow Daoist."

Looking slightly embarrassed, Si Yuanli shook his head. Li Zhouwei casually unfastened the dark golden battle axe hanging from his waist and said, "My Dao lineage has never been compatible with Majestic Earth, nor do we have any use for it. If you truly want this opportunity, you're welcome to keep it. I ask only for [Hundred-Ridge Profound Stone Umbrella]."

Even if Li Zhouwei had said nothing, [Hundred-Ridge Profound Stone Umbrella] would almost certainly have gone to him anyway. He simply used the opportunity to do Si Yuanli a favor.

Si Yuanli nodded repeatedly, showing not the slightest embarrassment at having his thoughts exposed. "Then I'll have to trouble you, fellow Daoist!"

The golden-eyed youth raised the battle axe, and glanced at the divine ability beneath his feet. After many years, [Brilliant Yang King's Axe] shone once more. Its countless profound patterns trembled before erupting with brilliant light!

[Light Splitting]!

The heavenly gate suddenly rose, unleashing boundless radiance in a single instant. A mountain-sized mass of golden light burst through the clouds, descending amid rolling clouds of color.

Chengyan's voice, filled with terror and fury, rang across the night sky. "Li Zhouwei... You!"

Yet the Majestic Earth radiance, long since weakened, was utterly frail before that dazzling brilliance. The instant it met the light of the battle axe, it faltered, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Boom!

An even vaster radiance erupted from within the raging storm of lightning. A tremendous aura surged into the heavens, scattering every dark cloud from the sky and revealing a dazzling expanse of Heavenly Glow that stretched for thousands of meters!

Countless streams of dark light converged at a single point before spreading rapidly across the sky. Dense mist billowed outward, with radiant clouds above and fog below, from which specks of black earth drifted down like rain.

The earth below responded in kind. The ground roared as one chasm after another split open. Baleful Qi buried deep underground surged upward in violent torrents, carrying with it metal, stone, fire, and earth as it spread across the land.

The black flames within Li Zhouwei's eyes burned ever more intensely. The Brilliant Yang King's Axe in his hand pulsed with light like a living thing, brightening and dimming in eager anticipation.

The earth has collapsed into emptiness. Above, clouds and mist, while below, springs of Baleful Qi... Chengyan is finished.

Si Yuanli lowered his gaze without a word. None of this surprised him.

He and Li Zhouwei had discussed this long ago. Si Yuanli now served the new dynasty, making it impossible for him to intervene openly. Even lending a spirit treasure carried considerable risk. It was only because his ties with the Li Family had grown exceptionally close in recent years, and because he coveted this immortal mountain, that he had agreed to lend it.

His relentless pressure within the divine ability had never been driven by emotion or pride. It had all been deliberate. He wanted Chengyan to die right then and there. The Majestic Earth radiance left behind would descend upon this place, adding yet another blessing to the mountain gate he intended to establish in the future!

Naturally, Li Zhouwei had seen through his intentions. With the two of them present and several spirit treasures suppressing the battlefield, Chengyan could not cause much trouble even if he chose to take his own life. But that was precisely what Li Zhouwei could not allow!

He had come here intending from the very beginning to destroy the mountain and crush the gate, using the campaign to temper the [Armor Cycle Soul-Refining Halberd Art]. Changxiao Gate had once stood at the height of its fame. Though its history was not especially long, its foundations were profound and its reputation far-reaching.

It was the perfect fuel for refining his art. After being tempered through such a feat, the [Armor Cycle Soul-Refining Halberd Art] would no longer be a mere minor spell art that looked impressive but accomplished little!

Everything he had done was to ensure that the world witnessed Chengyan captured alive and then executed before his own mountain gate, with the slaying of the gate master and the destruction of the gate unfolding as a single event. Had Chengyan killed himself first, the spectacle would have been ruined. That was why Li Zhouwei had deliberately soothed him. He had intended to deliver the final blow himself!

Besides... If he truly practiced Devil Dao arts as they claim, killing him might even earn me immortal merits.

Li Zhouwei stood amidst the boundless Heavenly Glow, watching the Baleful Qi rolling through the mountain range and the beasts fleeing in panic. Yet his thoughts were on something else entirely.

He knew that one day he would inevitably face other Majestic Earth cultivators. He had quietly been analyzing throughout his battle with Chengyan, and his gains had been considerable.

Majestic Earth truly lives up to its reputation for being flawless. Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light fares reasonably well against it, but Imperial Divergence Light, as a Guest Position of Bright Yang, loses a tremendous amount of its power against Majestic Earth. It's weakened even more severely!

The moment Chengyan used his divine ability to receive [Imperial Divergence Light], Li Zhouwei sensed something was wrong and had immediately grown wary. Even so, he understood that timing was everything.

He had simply poured mana into the attack without restraint, overwhelming his opponent's divine ability through sheer force. Fortunately, Chengyan's resolve had already collapsed. Otherwise, given enough time, [Imperial Divergence Light] might not actually have been able to suppress his Majestic Earth divine ability.

After everything the Emperor of Wei has endured over the years, Bright Yang has unquestionably suffered damage. He simply hasn't been cast down from his position yet, so the loss remains internal rather than outwardly visible...

However, that damage is especially evident in the Guest Position. The day he is truly dragged down... both the Principal Position and the Guest Position of Bright Yang will be suppressed by the Heavenly Glow of Majestic Earth.

As he pondered the matter, he sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy throughout the world, accompanied by a faint rumble. The black flames within him suddenly flared, and he knew Changxiao Gate below had reached its limit.

Sure enough, Si Yuanli made a sound. "Hm?"

Li Zhouwei glanced downward and casually raised a hand. [Deadly Thunder Formation Destroyer] obediently dissolved back into a stream of silver light and returned to his palm.

Si Yuanli congratulated him, "Congratulations, Your Highness!"

"My congratulations to you as well, fellow Daoist."

Li Zhouwei closed his eyes briefly but made no move to descend. Black flames roared around him as he let out a long breath, savoring the feedback from the [Armor Cycle Soul-Refining Halberd Art]. He raised [Da Sheng] and casually tossed it into the air.

The halberd hovered above the mountain gate, pouring forth stream after stream of black flame. Only then did Li Zhouwei step into the great void and descend at a leisurely pace, arriving within Changxiao Gate.

The violent storm of lightning gradually subsided, and the silver radiance blanketing Changxiao Mountain slowly faded, revealing the immortal mountain once more. Its once magnificent palaces and elegant pavilions, vibrant with color, now seemed veiled beneath a layer of ash. Among the buildings and stairways, some cultivators shrank to their knees, too terrified to move. Others took flight in desperate attempts to escape, while still others raised their dharma artifacts to fight the Li Family cultivators descending from the sky.

At the jade gate at the foot of the mountain, the golden words [Western Rite Changxiao], once radiant with light, had grown dull and lifeless. The golden-eyed youth came to a halt before the gate. Billowing black flames immediately materialized from thin air and surged up the stone steps.

Step by step, he ascended the mountain. Wherever he passed, heavenly light blazed and black flames surged skyward. The surrounding trees remained untouched, yet one pavilion after another crumbled into ruin. The cultivators who continued to resist were engulfed by the black flames one after another, detonating like talismans and exploding into pieces.

Rows of white-armored soldiers marched into the sect in perfect order, weaving through terraces and pavilions as they escorted one bewildered Changxiao Gate disciple after another, their faces ashen with despair, away. Throughout the mountains, the only sounds were the clatter of armor and muffled sobs.

By the time the young man reached the summit, the entire mountain gate had been pacified. Ruins lay everywhere, while torrents of invisible black flames soared into the heavens. Li Minggong stood quietly at his side, casting a cold gaze over those gathered atop the mountain.

"We pay our respects, my lord!"

The summit was still somewhat chaotic, but the Changxiao Gate cultivators who had opened the grand formation had already brought the situation under control. Master Baibin was being held down by two peak Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, forced to kneel before Li Zhouwei.

A man in black robes dared not meet his eyes. Shuffling forward on his knees, he bowed respectfully and said, "My lord... The chief culprit of Changxiao Gate, Master Baibin, is here!"

Li Zhouwei's gaze fell upon him, and he recognized the old man at first glance. Before he could speak, the man in black hurriedly looked up and ordered the great hall behind him to be opened. "Master Baibin's secular family is in the prefecture. All of the disciples who cultivated under him on the mountain are here as well!"

Inside the hall, five cultivators lay bound upon the floor. Their six senses had all been sealed, leaving them motionless like corpses. They were then dragged forward and thrown onto the ground.

"Helin Prefecture has already pledged itself to the Orthodox Dao. However, he still has clansmen within the prefecture. We beg you, my lord, grant us the chance to identify them one by one. We will ensure every last one is eliminated, so that these villains receive the punishment they deserve!"

At those words, Master Baibin broke into muffled sobs. He looked up in fury, only to meet those golden eyes directly. Before a single curse could leave his lips, black flames burst from his ears and nostrils. He rolled across the ground in agony, his body smoking with charred embers, yet the divine ability kept him alive, denying him even the release of death.

His agonized screams echoed throughout the mountains. Everyone lowered their heads in terror, while the crackling of the flames seemed to grow even louder.

Li Zhouwei said calmly, "There are more."

Back when he had been surrounded at Lake Xian, there had been six of them in total. Master Yunan had died by his hand; Daoist Zhuang had just been slain by a single glance in the marketplace; and Master Baibin was now before him. That still left three.

But the man in black had long since prepared for this eventuality. Another old man was immediately dragged out from the crowd and thrown before Li Zhouwei.

Keeping his head lowered, the man hurriedly said, "My lord, there were three others that day. One was killed in the outer-sea, and another died attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion Realm. Only this old wretch failed to make any further progress... and still clings to life here!"

Despair filled the old man's eyes. Before he could utter a single word, Li Zhouwei parted his lips slightly and exhaled a breath of purple flame, reducing him to ashes on the spot. Amid Master Baibin's agonized screams, he stepped forward and turned to Li Minggong.

Li Zhouwei’s voice was slightly hoarse as he spoke, "That day, I borrowed our forebear's treasured sword. Yet though I drew the blade, I claimed no life with it. I have long regretted that disrespect. Take Master Baibin back to the lake and execute him before the sword, so that our forebear's spirit may be honored."

"Yes!"

Li Minggong bowed in acknowledgment, a trace of satisfaction appearing at the corner of her mouth. Yet her eyes still held unconcealed shock and disbelief. Like everyone else, she did not dare meet Li Zhouwei's gaze.

Li Zhouwei then turned his eyes toward the man in black.

The man immediately began kowtowing, tears streaming down his face as he said respectfully, "My lord... My lord... I am Wu Fan, originally from Jingchuan. I was brought here to cultivate when I was still a child. Even back then, I had already heard of your great reputation!"

He raised both hands, and presented a pale gray command token roughly thirty centimeters long, its surface engraved with swirling cloud patterns, as he called out loudly, "This is the gate master's secret command token... a treasure for transmitting the Dao. I offer it to you, my lord!"

He was both terrified and overflowing with greedy delight. Feeling the token suddenly vanish from his palms, he waited anxiously. When no response came after a long moment, he cautiously lifted his head.

The man before him stood amid surging black flames. Perhaps it was only an illusion, but this lord seemed even taller than before. Towering over him like a colossal statue, his face, covered in intricate golden markings, looked down from above. Prostrate upon the ground, Wu Fan felt as though he could not even reach the man's knees.

Those golden eyes narrowed as black flames raged within them. His claw-like hand slowly tightened around the command token, silver dust trickling from between his fingers. The shadow he cast swallowed everyone below.

"Where are the gate's spirit treasury and Dao Collection?"

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