Chapter 1704: After The Battle (II)

The [Secret Technique of Boundless Delusion Rebirth] was a life-preserving art of the Emptiness Dao. By relying on the connections of fate, it kept one's spiritual sense and true spirit within the ruined body, preventing them from departing. It was originally meant to carry one through calamity, allowing one to be reborn from the remains afterward and greatly reduce the cost of reincarnation.

Yet Daisi understood that not one of his fellow Buddhist cultivators in the sky wished him well. Otherwise, how could he have fallen into such a state today? Who among them would bother safeguarding his remains afterward?

Since reincarnation was no longer an option, even greater malice arose in his heart, Then I will detonate these remains with a sacred art and damage your divine ability!

Yet the moment this thought arose, an immense terror welled up within his true spirit. A hazy vision appeared, and he saw the stars in the sky gazing coldly down at him. Only then did realization strike.

The two sides are battling beside the river, where mortals and low-level cultivators are everywhere. There is a reason Li Zhouwei suppressed me here by the river... He is waiting for me to destroy my own remains and harm countless mortals, so the Star of Cultivation and Martiality will strike me down!

The lingering fear rising in his heart could not suppress the venom in his chest. Believing he had seen through his opponent's plans, Daisi instead began to rejoice and watched coldly.

He definitely does not know that I possess the [Secret Technique of Boundless Delusion Rebirth]. With Mingxiang and Gongsun Bei attacking him, he will have to withdraw [Heaven-Venerating Gate]! When that happens, whether I harm him or save myself will be entirely up to me!

Countless thoughts raced through the mind of the remnant on the ground while Li Zhouwei merely endured his discomfort and formed a seal before himself. Radiance poured from between his eyebrows like a flood, only to be swiftly cleaved apart by the crimson axe protected by the [Radiant Essence] divine ability, delaying it for no more than an instant!

He had no idea what Daisi was scheming on the ground. However, every detail was laid bare under the scrutiny of the Immortal Artifact. Since the man still refused to leave his body, perhaps he had grown tired of living and was simply waiting to die.

Whatever scheme the other man harbored, Li Zhouwei had only one response!

At that instant, a hurried yet commanding voice exploded in Sima Yuanli’s ears. "Fellow Daoist Sima! Lend me the [Huai River Map]!"

At the sound of this shout, the middle-aged man in green robes suddenly understood. At the same time, his expression tightened. Despite battling two Buddhist cultivators, he pressed one hand to the spirit treasure at his waist and removed it.

The tiny movement was hardly conspicuous, but how keen were the senses of Buddhist cultivators under their divine abilities? Daisi, whose consciousness still clung to his ruined body, abruptly realized what was happening, and his mind erupted as though mountains were collapsing and ghosts were wailing.

Oh, damn it all!

Wait? What was there left to wait for? If he waited any longer, he would lose his life!

Nuxiao's fate was right before his eyes. Daisi was terrified out of his wits and no longer cared about anything else. He could neither preserve this dharma body nor destroy it, and no amount of hatred mattered in the choice between life and death. He decisively released the [Secret Technique of Boundless Delusion Rebirth] and returned to the Buddhist land!

Yet at precisely that instant, in that split second, Sima Yuanli unexpectedly hesitated for the briefest moment!

He paused slightly, and the scroll at his waist finally flew up, transforming into a vast city tower that stretched across the sky and shone with myriad rays of light as it blocked the jade green bottle.

But it was too late; Daisi's twisted body had already collapsed completely. That speck of true spirit flashed through the great void as though gliding through a mirror, then drifted away into the boundless darkness.

On the other side, Gongsun Bei was a veteran of countless battles. How could he allow such hesitation to pass? He stepped forward and completely abandoned the jade green bottle in the sky. The [Radiant Light Separate Rite Treasure Platform], which had remained unused, immediately surged forward, filling the entire battlefield with rolling waves of Radiant Light!

Li Zhouwei's expression remained calm, but he heaved a deep sigh inwardly, Sima Yuanli! You have too many conflicting thoughts... You have ruined my great plan!!

Li Zhouwei's shout had carried more than one intention, and he had even guessed most of what was going through Sima Yuanli's mind. The [Huai River Map] was an exceedingly important treasure, but once it fell into Li Zhouwei's hands, even if it had only been lent to him, the workings of fate might make its true ownership difficult to determine!

Li Zhouwei would never have kept another man's possession for himself, but the situation on the battlefield had deteriorated badly. Even with Daisi gone, the lakeside forces were still at a disadvantage. Gongsun Bei wielded a suppression treasure of Radiant Essence, and even if Li Zhouwei ultimately managed to escape, he would certainly have to pay a price. A spirit treasure such as the [Huai River Map] would have made an excellent sacrifice to secure his retreat...

If control of the [Huai River Map] had remained with Si Yuanli, he naturally would not have hesitated to use it. At worst, he could withdraw the [Huai River Map] ahead of time. But once the possibility of Bright Yang wresting control of it was taken into account, Sima Yuanli truly had hesitated for an instant. In the end, he chose to use the [Huai River Map] to block the spirit artifact and support Li Zhouwei.

This barely fulfilled the request to "lend the [Huai River Map] for a moment," but it undoubtedly caused the situation on the battlefield to deteriorate even further!

Sima Yuanli is not normally so indecisive. Otherwise, he would not have rushed here without waiting for an edict from the Song court, never once stopping to rest along the way... He simply lacks boldness and is far too petty...

At least Daisi has been frightened away, so I no longer need to guard against that!

Li Zhouwei endured the intense dizziness, regretting the lost opportunity but not blaming him. He merely forced himself backward and raised Da Sheng to defend. Axe and halberd collided, unleashing a brilliant burst of brilliance that swiftly dimmed again.

Gongsun Bei was no ordinary opponent. Li Zhouwei still had to defend against Mingxiang, and now that he had lost his support, he could only hurriedly raise his halberd. With the enemy holding the advantage and his own side at a disadvantage, he finally failed to withstand the attack. The crimson axe swept Da Sheng aside and struck him across the chest!

The first thing to flare was the surging black flame. Unexpectedly, the dense hue of Boundless Essence within the Black Soul Mara Dharma Body proved remarkably effective, blocking most of the divine ability's radiance upon the axe. Only afterward did the light of his armor ignite!

The [Yuan'e] armor had now been completely transformed. Its second mystic, following [Pivot Illumination], began to circulate, causing Li Zhouwei's entire body to shimmer with the light of Yang Apex.

[Primal Shedding]!

Li Zhouwei's face flushed crimson as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The light of Yang Apex flickered faintly across his armor, yet it greatly weakened the surging divine ability bearing down on him. Using that same light, he slipped free and escaped, throwing the [Radiant Light Separate Rite Treasure Platform] into disarray and preventing it from locking onto his position!

Again?

Nevertheless, Gongsun Bei was already prepared. He pressed two fingers to the center of his brows once more, and the cold, clear radiance of [Invocation to Replace the Night] shone down, instantly dissolving the great swathes of Yang Apex light covering Li Zhouwei's body.

Yet in the instant [Primal Shedding] responded, Li Zhouwei had already charged forward. Together with [Sovereign In Peril], which answered him at once, he shattered every shackle around him and rushed straight toward Mingxiang!

Mingxiang raised a hand, but something stirred faintly in his heart, as though he were listening to something. In that moment, the seal of the art in his hand changed naturally. His brows lifted, and he suddenly saw the distant Gongsun Bei calmly shake a talisman from his sleeve.

The [Vast Night Pacifying Frontier Talisman]!

A cold, clear radiance poured down across heaven and earth, but it was not aimed at Li Zhouwei. Instead, it surged into the [Radiant Light Separate Rite Treasure Platform], causing its brilliance to blaze without end. Though far away, it locked firmly onto Li Zhouwei and descended close behind him!

The sky erupted with light as the pale-gold platform covered the heavens. Two short halberds soared forth like wild geese, seeming slow yet moving with astonishing speed. After pressing hard to catch up, they finally crossed beneath the edge of the platform and caught the long halberd between them!

Clang!

Li Zhouwei gripped his long halberd tightly and watched the Radiant Essence rapidly engulf the sky. At last, he let out a sigh. The Black Soul Mara Dharma Body swelled at once, transforming into a pitch-black fiend wreathed in raging black flames. It braced against the layers of golden chains descending from above as his voice rang out faintly.

"You northern cultivators and northern Buddhists have truly gone to great lengths. Let this king see just how capable General Gongsun really is!"

Gongsun Bei's gaze remained calm as he said softly, "With a mission to fulfill, I have no choice but to go to such lengths!"

The platform in the sky became a unified body of color. A pale-yellow curtain of light enveloped all the heavenly light, swallowing both Gongsun Bei and Li Zhouwei within it. Mingxiang sighed inwardly and rode his lotus into the curtain as well. All color and movement vanished together.

Sima Yuanli saw all this and grew increasingly suspicious, sensing that something was wrong. His attacks became fiercer, and he brought out treasure after treasure. Yet both Minghui and Five-Eyed seemed distracted, allowing him alone to press them back until danger arose on every side!

Only when the [Huai River Map] came crashing down did Five-Eyed suddenly snap back to his senses. The profound umbrella he had been gripping tightly abruptly loosened, bound by a rope that had appeared from nowhere. With one violent tug, it was torn straight from his hand!

Sima Yuanli pulled and dragged it toward himself, drenched in cold sweat yet inwardly relieved, At least this makes up for my lapse...

Yet while the Merciful One looked furious on the outside, he was equally relieved within and began wailing inwardly, Exalted Immortal above... I truly did not do it on purpose!

At that very moment, white qi streaked across the sky amid streams of flowing light. A white golden body swept through the air, bringing with it myriad beams of white radiance. Every gaze turned toward it at once, and everyone felt a jolt of alarm!

The Maha arrived riding the wind, his expression stern and imposing. He declared coldly, "Fellow Daoists, Yanbai has come to assist you!"

Yet when this Maha of the Great Mahayana Dharma Realm looked around, he saw Five-Eyed gnashing his teeth at Sima Yuanli and Minghui chanting sutras with lowered eyes and clenched fists. Each of them appeared utterly focused, as though none had time to acknowledge him.

A strange feeling suddenly arose in Yanbai's heart, and he thought to himself, How strange. Why does the atmosphere here feel so odd...

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