Though the sword light was fierce and forced countless fractures to appear on his dharma body, it was not aimed at him!
Instead it was Pi Jia, who had just risen to leave, whose expression had no time to change. He had no time to defend. He stared at the terrifying sword light rapidly enlarging before him, locking both his soul and dharma body in place. Terror pierced his heart.
"Ah?"
Thunder rolled through wind and clouds in the sky. After the sword fell, the Mahas and the demonic cultivator finally managed to connect with the great void. The thousand-eyed Maha on the mountain had barely gained a chance to live. How could he help anyone now? He followed the rule that better the other monk die than oneself. He immediately released endless illusionary light and fled.
The sword intent moved like light. The Merciful Ones unlucky enough to stand in the path of the sword qi died instantly and were reduced to ash.
Crack...
Next came the shattering of whatever trump cards and treasure artifacts the Maha possessed. The sound of glazed crystal breaking echoed through the great void, rising and falling in violent tremors.
The pink light and sword light vanished together. The cold moonlight withdrew. The Maha's true body disappeared, and the sword immortal was nowhere to be seen. Brilliant light fell from the sky like pink rain. Three enormous heads preceded rolling clouds of dust as they crashed toward the ground under the flashing light of Prime Magnetism, blotting out the sky. Treasure radiance shone like stars and black qi spread like night.
More than ten Merciful Ones nearby had not yet reacted. Suppressed by the falling snow, they remained frozen in place. The descending heads looked like blazing meteors against them. Li Ximing rode light forward as he heard Kuiqi shout sharply, "Seize this opportunity!"
Although the Mahas had fled, Merciful Ones still remained in the sky, suppressed by the sword light and unable to escape!
Although Li Ximing did not know where Pi Jia and that sword immortal had gone, Pi Jia had already lost half his life and the favorable situation before him was obvious. Louxing had not swung that sword merely to kill someone. The power of that strike had not been concentrated at a single point but dispersed. The momentum had suppressed the entirety of Mount Tangdao. Was it not precisely for a situation like this?!
He felt great joy in his heart, Every one we kill now reduces the pressure in the future.
Almost as soon as that thought ended, Tinglan's incarnation in the sky dissipated. Instead, her true body appeared at the highest point of the heavens, her robes fluttering as she held a gray-white small vessel.
It was the Upper-Minister Vessel!
The lid had long been opened. A gout of radiant flame leapt from within, shimmering in the dual colors of deep indigo and bright blue. The long-prepared Boundless Water-Fire poured down, turning into a rain of flames across the sky.
Boundless Water-Fire was a special spiritual flame that severed the great void! Empowered by the Upper-Minister Vessel, it had accumulated within the great void for who knew how long. Hundreds of streams of flame burst forth in an instant, almost falling upon every Merciful One.
Yet Boundless Water-Fire was still a spiritual flame and could not achieve quick victory. Even empowered by a spirit artifact it was still a step slower than Purple Mansion Realm speed. Yet the shattered region of the great void expanded rapidly. At that moment, the four direct heirs of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage acted as one. Purple pavilions rose into the air, white snow scattered, black cords bound their targets, and radiance descended!
Boom!
Li Ximing's Heaven-Venerating Gate descended from the sky amid surging brilliance. Seizing the opportunity, it crashed down upon a golden pavilion at the foot of Mount Tangdao!
Three Merciful Ones had been sitting cross-legged inside. Suppressed by the terrifying force of the Frosty Absolute Sword, they had only just managed to fly up. Only one of them, with four arms and two heads and somewhat stronger, was farther away and barely managed to shift aside.
Boom!
Purple flames and heavenly light flashed together. The other two had no time to move and were simultaneously suppressed beneath the heavenly gate. Brilliant energy burst upward, splitting the ground and causing the cliffs on both sides to crumble and slide down.
The four-armed, two-headed Merciful One nearby had only just reacted to the lightning-fast changes. He barely avoided the heavenly gate and a chill surged through his entire body, If he suppresses me now, my dharma body would certainly be lost!
Yet matters were far worse than that. He had barely avoided the heavenly gate, but he had no time to enter the great void. The indigo and blue dual-colored flames had already reached him.
Senior Brother Huakong.
With a shout of warning from two junior brothers within the formation, all traces of the great void within the Merciful One's spiritual sense vanished as the flames arrived...
Damn it. Boundless Water-Fire again!
The power of Boundless Water-Fire had been spread too widely and most of its force was spent during flight. It was no longer a serious threat to Huakong. The real problem was that it severed the great void, which made it extremely troublesome.
Fortunately Huakong still knew two spell arts. Pressing both palms urgently to his chest, he instantly transformed into three golden body phantoms. Each was lifelike, moving identically yet occupying different positions.
The Upper-Minister Vessel did have the ability to distinguish the true body, but it was too far away and the affected area too wide. It could no longer reach Huakong effectively. Influenced by the two bodies on either side, the flames could only slip through the gap in the middle and drift away.
Huakong felt heat on his face, but there was not a trace of relief in his heart. He raised his head in despair. The man in the golden white Daoist robe had abandoned the heavenly gate and stepped through light to stand before him. Green and yellow radiance rippled like water as his once perfect dharma body suddenly sank as if falling into a swamp.
The pattern of mountains and rivers covered an enormous range. It not only bound him but also entangled the two junior brothers within Radiant Light!
Daoist Master Zhaojing!
The radiance of the Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers rippled in the air. The Merciful One grew anxious but sensed a mysterious response.
Sovereign Weighing!
The green-yellow radiance of the Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers paused briefly as the spirit ruler halted in the air. The Merciful One's two clones vanished like leftover snow beneath the blazing sun.
Huakong nearly spat blood. Bringing two hands together before his chest, he summoned two golden hammers with the other pair and smashed them toward the Daoist. The Daoist Master in golden white garments moved his lips slightly. A flame interwoven with red and white surged from his mouth, slipping between the two hammers before falling down as brilliant golden fire.
It was the Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard!
At the same time, Li Ximing’s hands formed seals of bright Radiant Fire white light. The Supreme Yang Resonance Radiant Art operated and clung to his palms. He raised both hands and caught the incoming golden hammers.
Clang!
With the Heaven-Venerating Gate empowering Li Ximing's dharma body and the Supreme Yang Resonance Radiant Art echoing with it, along with the support of the Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers, the two hastily swung golden hammers burst into Radiant Fire white light in his palms. Their momentum slowed, until they were held firmly in his hands.
But the Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard had already poured down like scorching lava, flowing along the cheeks of the Merciful One Huakong. The heat forced a scream from him as streams like molten golden lacquer ran down his chest.
Buzz...
The gray-white Upper-Minister Vessel in the sky finally stopped spewing flames. This rather intelligent spirit artifact had faithfully carried out its master's orders. After scanning the mountain range once, whether out of anger or lingering recognition of Li Ximing, its mouth turned again toward the four-armed Merciful One who had avoided the flames but failed to escape into the great void.
The four-armed Merciful One felt a chill rush to his head, Damn it!
Li Ximing naturally seized the opportunity. A flash of light shot from between his brows as Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light erupted violently toward the man's face at point-blank range.
Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light followed the path of Bright Light. Facing the enemy directly in this open manner only increased its power. The Merciful One before him could only cry out in despair, "This is bitter. I have fallen into his trap!"
The vast surge of Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light passed straight through the brilliant light the Merciful One urgently spat from his mouth, landing squarely upon the center of his brows that had already been scorched by Purple Mansion Realm True Fire.
Pfft!
His skull was pierced with a dull sound. A chill filled his heart and only one thought remained in his mind, Self-destruction.
He had already taken two spiritual flames and a beam of Hidden Light, each striking where he could not defend. Boundless Water-Fire had severed the great void and prevented him from connecting to the Buddhist land. If he took another hit from the fire, he would certainly perish completely.
Boom!
He acted decisively. Almost at the same moment as the Hidden Light struck, intense golden light exploded. The blue dual-colored flames streaked across several kilometers and landed a moment later upon the dharma body he had left behind.
Li Ximing sighed inwardly.
This was what made Buddhist cultivators so troublesome. Unless they were ambushed beforehand, even with strange spirit artifacts like the Upper-Minister Vessel and Boundless Water-Fire, it was difficult to kill them if they were determined to sever themselves. At most they would lose a dharma body.
What a pity!
Crash.
As Huakong's body fell, pink radiance mixed with brilliant light surged into the sky, turning into drifting pink petals that rained down before burning away completely in dazzling flames, leaving not the slightest trace.
Li Ximing glanced once at the falling flower rain before withdrawing and returning atop the heavenly gate. When his boots touched the gate, divine ability and mana poured into it, stabilizing the Heaven-Venerating Gate that had begun to waver. Then he brought two fingers together and directed the Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard beneath the gate.
Li Ximing did not personally wield divine ability but instead split his focus to suppress them. These two Merciful Ones were not entirely without the chance to break free. If the four-armed Merciful One had not been so unlucky and fallen so quickly, Li Ximing would have had to return to suppress him as well.
Just as the two Merciful Ones finally began to stir, they suddenly felt a heavy weight on their shoulders and their hearts turned cold as streams of red-white flames transforming into gold poured down upon them.
He has already slain Senior Brother Huakong!
1. Referring to Yuansu, Yuanxiu, and Yuanwu. ☜
2. Referring to Zipei and Zimu. ☜