Chapter 1621: Karmic Fire (I)

Daisi knew that Li Ximing had inherited quite a few treasures from the Supreme Yang Dao lineage, and he also knew that Li Zhouwei had reaped substantial gains within the grotto heaven. That was why the appearance of spirit treasures had only stirred some jealousy in him. How could he possibly have expected three spiritual flames?

This is extravagance taken to absurd extremes!

Jealousy and resentment churned within him. Yet seeing how harmoniously the three spiritual flames coexisted despite their overwhelming ferocity, he immediately became wary and cautious. He rose, drawing the dazzling Buddhist land divine ability that had been radiating boundless light back into his dharma body. Taking a step backward, he flicked his eyes and summoned a bowl from the great void.

The bowl was entirely purple, ringed with a metallic black rim. Its mouth was pitch-black, devoid of even the slightest glimmer, as though it opened directly into an endless void. It was none other than the famed [Kongsijiang Demon Bowl]!

Although Daisi was not particularly senior in the Emptiness Dao, he had spent many years refining treasures. He had begun refining this bowl long before converting to Buddhism, and it excelled at containing elemental substances such as water and fire.

Yet the radiance formed by the three spiritual flames suddenly split apart. The Radiant Fire leaped forth first and exploded before the treasure artifact, transforming into roaring apricot-red flames that surged into the bowl.

It was the [Red Pheasant Surging Radiant Flame].

Among all forms of Radiant Fire, the Red Pheasant was the most nimble and responsive. The [Red Pheasant Surging Radiant Flame] possessed the ability to harmonize and stir the Profound Insight Qi. As an Orthodox Position Radiant Fire, it surged forth in endless coils and spirals, temporarily suppressing the [Kongsijiang Demon Bowl]. Meanwhile, the other two spiritual flames swept past it and hurtled forward!

This... Daisi was in the midst of activating his mystic when he witnessed the scene. His face instantly darkened as he stared in disbelief. He split them apart... just like that?

Li Ximing's method of countering the [Kongsijiang Demon Bowl] looked effortless, but Daisi himself had studied fire arts. The profundities involved were terrifyingly deep!

Blending spiritual flames into a single stream with ease, then separating and controlling them individually without the slightest interference... This is absurd...

One had to remember that Li Ximing was simultaneously controlling a True Fire, a Radiant Fire, and a Merging Fire!

Each was a spiritual flame, more domineering and violent than the last. Spiritual flames rarely coexisted peacefully. A Daoist Master's spiritual sense was limited, as was the number of spirit artifacts or spiritual flames he could effectively control. How could anyone withstand such internal strain? Even a Daoist Master who cultivated Fire Virtue would at most control two or three spiritual flames from the same Dao lineage in actual combat.

Daisi understood this difficulty all too well. Back when he had refined the [Kongsijiang Demon Bowl], he had lacked spiritual flames and spent a full five years blending True, Merging, and Virile Fires within it to produce a single flame. The result had been so unimpressive that even with his notoriously thick skin, he had been too embarrassed to give it a proper name, merely calling it Karmic Fire.

Li Ximing isn't even a Fire Virtue cultivator. At most, he's naturally more compatible with Radiant Fire and Bright Yang. Yet he's controlling three Purple Mansion Realm flames from entirely different Dao lineages, merging them whenever he pleases and separating them just as easily. How is that possible? Even Gao Fu couldn't have done much better!

With the [Kongsijiang Demon Bowl] occupied and unable to counter the fire arts as intended, Daisi could only unleash torrents of brilliant light from his eyes. Yet a streak of white radiance was already rushing toward him. It was [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light]!

Although Li Ximing's [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] was inferior to Li Zhouwei's, he had cultivated it for decades. It firmly intercepted the brilliant light. In the next instant, the flickering [Three-Phase Garrison Profound Fire] burst forth once more, its golden-red brilliance shattering the golden light radiating from the lotus beneath Daisi.

Daisi pressed his palms together before his chest and urgently recalled his dharma artifact, yet no response came from the great void.

What?

Li Ximing's gaze was icy. The five golden strands that had encircled the [Two Bright Rites of Layered Fire] had vanished and were now roaming within the distant Radiant Light. [Profound Seizure] was in full operation, binding the treasure artifact securely and severing Daisi's connection to the treasure lamp he had hidden away for protection!

The Maha's expression changed drastically, and the whites of his eyes grew in alarm.

Boom!

The [Heavenly Crow Merging Fire], so brilliantly white that it hurt the eyes to behold, crashed down without warning and exploded against Daisi's arm. Pale gray, nearly invisible flames surged skyward, forcing back the Radiant Light and burning away the rainbow clouds and drifting radiance.

As the intense white light faded, the Maha howled in agony, "Raaagh..."

The arm he had used to block the attack had turned brilliant white. Merging Fire blazed across it, melting away the golden surface and revealing a cross-section that resembled jade and colored glaze.

Countless specks of Merging Fire had splashed across his golden body. Bright flames flickered everywhere like a disease clinging to the bone. They writhed continuously, spreading rings of gray fire that spiraled around the luminous points while steadily growing brighter.

Caught completely off guard, Daisi suffered a tremendous loss. The pain was unbearable. Hatred, fear, and shock mingled in his eyes, yet the corner of his mouth twisted with envy as he inhaled sharply and cursed inwardly, Heavenly Crow Merging Fire!

The Heavenly Crow Merging Fire enjoyed a fearsome reputation among all Merging Fires. It was said to burn away vitality while bringing forth the utmost brilliance. Possessing a nature that clung to and fed upon power, it could refine both metal and water. These claims were no exaggeration. Once it landed upon a body, it would generate this pale gray [Pursuing Flame Merging Fire].

If left unchecked, the [Pursuing Flame Merging Fire] would feed upon mana and divine abilities. Once nourished, it would allow the original [Heavenly Crow Merging Fire] to continue spreading its mystical flames. It was vicious beyond measure. This was normally a treasure that was easy to recognize, yet Daisi had never imagined Li Ximing would possess something of this caliber.

[Heavenly Crow Merging Fire]... How could it be [Heavenly Crow Merging Fire]? Even if Li Ximing sold himself, he couldn't possibly afford something like this!

The other two spiritual flames had already been separated, leaving only the pure power of the Heavenly Crow Merging Fire. Even so, it still burned Daisi from head to toe. His pupils widened from the excruciating pain, the glass-like irises nearly swallowing his entire eyes. The Lotus Seat beneath his feet retreated rapidly while torrents of brilliant light crawled across his body, suppressing his injuries before the flames could spread further.

I'm already doing the Great Desire Dao's dirty work for him, and now he's standing by and doing nothing while I get injured? This is outrageous!

His towering anger seeped into the brilliant light itself, weighing heavily upon it. The three Merciful Ones who had been lingering within the Radiant Light all felt a chill run through their hearts, and inwardly lamented their situation.

Nuxiao, who had no one to rely upon, felt especially miserable and could only curse inwardly, Being delayed by the Radiant Light is perfectly normal. It's not as though we're slacking off. Li Ximing's divine ability is the [Heaven-Venerating Gate]. If reinforcements suddenly appear, whoever rushes forward first will be the first to die. Having an excuse to linger for a bit is the best outcome possible... Who could have guessed that a three-incarnation Maha like you would be injured after only a few exchanges?!

Despite her complaints, Nuxiao and the other two Merciful Ones were drenched in cold sweat as they finally broke free of the Radiant Light. Led by the strongest among them, Nuxiao, they surged forward on streams of brilliant light. Yet the Supreme Yang Dao lineage's desperate resistance back then had not been without effect.

Daisi's Merciful Ones had suffered severe losses back then. The three before Li Ximing now were all mediocre. Let alone a Golden Lotus Throne, even the strongest among them, Nuxiao, held only an Enlightened Wisdom Seat!

Li Ximing rose within the Radiant Light. The [Heaven-Venerating Gate], which had remained unused until now, had been waiting precisely for this moment. Without hesitation, it slammed down upon Nuxiao. The spirit treasure hovering before the center of his eyebrows suddenly blazed with light. The tremendous expenditure caused his face to pale.

[Myriad Lights]!

The spirit treasure's ability to suppress foreign paths manifested. The two Merciful Ones charging from opposite sides to avoid being suppressed together by a single divine ability both faltered. The fourth mystic, [Layered Radiance], appeared as crimson light swept across the battlefield. Together with [Myriad Lights], it locked both of them firmly in place.

A spirit treasure is still a spirit treasure!

The two Merciful Ones at either side were completely cut off and immediately felt their hearts tighten.

Meanwhile, Daisi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Temporarily stabilizing his dharma body, he anchored the Kongsijiang Demon Bowl to it, using the bowl to contain and suppress the spiritual flames. Then, gritting his teeth, he finally yanked something out from the Radiant Light.

It was none other than the treasure artifact lamp that had been immobilized by [Profound Seizure]!

This treasure lamp, which he had only recently acquired through trade, had been trapped within the Radiant Light by a single mystic for more than ten exchanges. Had he not freed it personally, Daisi suspected it might have remained trapped until the battle ended. Though this spoke to the power of the opponent's spirit treasure, it still disappointed him immensely. He was so exasperated he nearly laughed. Silently, he blew upon the lamp flame and unleashed a beam of brilliant light.

This brilliant light possessed genuine mystical profundity and moved with astonishing speed. Li Ximing was simultaneously maintaining several mystics and suppressing multiple opponents. His mana and divine ability were already strained to their limits. The sudden pull nearly caused his techniques to collapse. Delayed by a fraction of a moment, the Supreme Yang Radiant Light around him failed to defend in time and was instantly extinguished by the incoming beam!

A mistake...

Li Ximing felt his chest sink as light and flame swept inward, scorching his heart. Fortunately, he reacted instantly. The [Supplementary Court Verdant Profound Cauldron] sprang forth beside him. Green light flowed from it like water, swallowing the brilliant light stream by stream.

He coughed twice and looked down. Through the Immortal Artifact, he sensed another golden body still watching the battle from within the great void. Yet he showed no surprise and merely sneered inwardly. Sheltered by the [Two Bright Rites of Layered Fire], he closed his eyes in complete concentration. The radiance around him contracted to the utmost limit, while the golden-red True Fire flickered beside him before suddenly diving into his qihai.

Daisi had only just formed another brilliant light spell when the Merging Fire raging within him interfered. The breath had barely reached his throat when the vast field of [Myriad Lights] descended. Together with rippling mountain-and-river patterns that flowed like water, it struck at exactly the right moment and interrupted his spell!

Yet before Daisi could even grow angry, a sense of danger surged through him. A talisman suddenly appeared in midair. Complex shamanic patterns covered its surface as bright colors gathered into profound light and poured downward.

The [Mountain-Supervising Spirit-Pointing Talisman]!

Li Ximing was currently fighting above the lake itself. The [Mountain-Supervising Spirit-Pointing Talisman] had long since established a connection with Moongaze Lake. Benefiting from the foremost lake of Yue State, its power was anything but trivial. Moreover, because the connection had been maintained for so long without interruption, it could be activated instantly. The talisman struck Daisi through the void, exploding into shattered streams of light that anchored him firmly within the present world and prevented his escape.

He still has another killing move!

Daisi was an experienced veteran. How could he fail to see his opponent's intentions? Yet the treasure ring he had painstakingly refined in recent years had been used to bind Li Zhouwei at the Turbid Slaughter Mausoleum, only to be lost after Suiguan's sudden intervention. The treasure lamp he had acquired afterward was already inferior by comparison, and now it was being suppressed by the opponent's Profound Cauldron.

Left with few options, he could only glare furiously as divine ability surged through him and he bellowed inwardly, Nuzi!

Li Ximing had already opened his eyes again. His hands, forming seals before him, opened to push an object forward.

The object was only the size of a thumb, a mote of golden illusionary radiance covered in dense runes. It spun and danced with extraordinary agility, no longer as hazy and heavy with crimson light as it had been back then, but bright and rising.

[Great Radiance Golden Light][1]!

Over the past five years, Li Ximing had advanced diligently in his cultivation and condensed his spell art, forming the ninth crimson radiance. Now that the [Three-Phase Garrison Profound Fire] had returned, it supplied the final and most difficult radiance. With all ten gathered together, they transformed into the golden radiance.

The golden illusionary light shone out at once, and the great void rang hollowly. The golden body with six arms and four legs finally revealed itself. Maha Nuzi descended amid waves of beautiful music, lowering a golden bell to block the [Mountain-Supervising Spirit-Pointing Talisman] for Daisi while using another hand to cast light in defense.

His voice was majestic as he said, "Benefactor... Lay down your butcher's blade!"

Yet the instant the bright light descended, purple-gold radiance suddenly rose from the dim Radiant Light. Thirty-two beams of spirit light, long prepared, merged as one and gathered together, forming a dense pillar of light in the air that descended upon Maha Nuzi.

The Buddhist cultivators had advanced deep over the lake and had already fallen within the range of the lake's grand formation, the [Zhaoguang Profound Purple Spirit Formation]!

Nuzi instantly froze. Purple light shone across his face, and his expression changed.

1. Previously known as Great Li Golden Radiance. ☜

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