Chapter 1839: Silver Drum (I)

Golden flames soared into the sky, and baleful light surged forth. Billowing wind and sand flickered in and out of view, sending ripples through the great void as well. As the long saber returned to its sheath, scattered flecks of blood-red radiance lingered in the air, striking dread into the heart.

On the ground, solemn ranks of troops surrounded the mountain gate, their white-jade armor gleaming as each soldier held a hiltless silver blade. The three Profound Holders stood at separate positions, channeling divine abilities and activating treasures. Thousands upon thousands of silver streaks leaped from the troops below, filling the sky with densely woven silver lightning that swirled relentlessly and battered the great formation!

It was the [Deadly Thunder Formation Destroyer]!

Although the [Deadly Thunder Formation Destroyer] was a spirit artifact, its ingenuity lay in its ability to split into thousands upon thousands of small, hiltless wedges. Even groups of three or five could be used together, allowing disciples to take them along when venturing out for experience. In a battle like this, thousands of troops could each wield one and break the formation together!

At the same time, the great void was dark and silent. A young man stood within it, wearing a tall crown and black-and-silver Daoist robes adorned with profound patterns. The purple silk sash at his waist emitted flecks of colored light, faintly concealing his figure.

Watching the Baleful Qi being driven back again and again, its wielder suffering terribly and saved from damage to his cultivation foundation only by a life-preserving divine ability, the youth showed no change in expression. He seemed unsurprised.

Situ Huo... Judging by this, he cultivates the [Heavenly Lustrous Gold Sutra], the Dao lineage of True Monarch Xuhua, who entered [Whole Pill] through the transformation of Origin Gold into magnetism... It seems Situ Tang was indeed the Golden Feather Sect's work. That Dao lineage must have fallen into the Golden Feather Sect's hands.

In other words... This lord's designs on [Whole Pill] go back far more than a few centuries. He used Situ Tang to unlock the Dao lineage, then secretly seized it... But the dragons lost patience and intervened personally to cripple Situ Tang.

He watched coldly as Helian Wujiang fled for his life.

The two unorthodox Dao tracks of [Whole Pill]... have actually collided in this fashion.

Ch'i Lanyan had naturally come to assist the two men's withdrawal, but that was not his only purpose. He could no longer contain his curiosity and had to see for himself.

[Severed Crimson Arrowhead].

His gaze was icy as he studied the vast desert and heavenly platform stretching above the mountain gate. The hand resting on his sleeve twitched twice.

A boundless desert, crimson light like blood. Bright by day, dark by night, heavy and somber as Yin...

What did this signify?

This is a supreme imperial scripture, on the level of the secret transmissions within the Wei palace. Where did he obtain it?

This was no ordinary inheritance. Unlike the Scripture of the Body Guarding Tiger Pass, it could never have been obtained from the Li Family's former retainers!

The surviving remnants must have given it to him...

Whether Xuan'an possessed a true transmission of Bright Yang had already been open to question, and the loss of [Severed Crimson Arrowhead]'s transmission had been deliberate. Seeing Li Zhouwei standing here wielding that very divine ability inevitably aroused suspicion.

After considering it for a long time, Ch'i Lanyan finally made up his mind. "He has the imperial scripture for [Severed Crimson Arrowhead] now. Who knows whether next time he will reveal the [Imperial Scripture of the Great Illumination Imperial Monarch] and [Guanyuan's Profound Scripture of Manifestation][1]? This cannot be taken lightly. I must report it to those above."

Most divine abilities attained by Purple Mansion Realm cultivators derived from fourth- or fifth-grade cultivation techniques. What truly determined a divine ability's strength and scope was one's Dao conduct and skill, but that did not mean cultivation techniques had no influence. Obtaining those few true transmissions of the Wei palace would confer a substantial advantage!

Although Fan Kang could foresee the future, he clearly could not know the details of Li Zhouwei's cultivation technique. What troubled Ch'i Lanyan even more, however... was that Mount Luoxia might genuinely care nothing about Li Zhouwei's techniques or divine abilities!

The more powerful Li Zhouwei's divine abilities become, the more formidable he will be in overthrowing the Wei Emperor... Both the Underworld's judiciary and Luoxia are quite willing to accommodate his future. To resolve these doubts, or even place some restrictions on him, I must consult a great figure in the mountains who would rather his divine abilities did not become too powerful...

After a moment of thought, he had someone in mind.

Once matters here are settled, I should return to Longdi.

The silver light beneath him was breaking apart ever more rapidly. Having watched coldly for long enough, Ch'i Lanyan finally acted, taking a pair of objects from his sleeve.

One was an exquisitely crafted silver drum, the size of a fist and white as snow, engraved with profound runes. Long golden threads hung from either side, with three round sticks of different colors attached.

Ch'i Lanyan drew out the silver stick and carefully regulated the output of his divine ability. Then he lightly struck the silver drum.

Boom!

Small though it was, the drum stirred up a terrifying silver storm tinged with gold. It blasted out of the great void and spread across the entire sky in an instant at a fearsome speed!

Rumble!

The vast desert and heavenly platform of [Severed Crimson Arrowhead] should have borne the brunt of it. Yet Li Zhouwei happened to withdraw his divine ability and shift his position at that very moment, leaving Situ Huo's billowing golden wind at the forefront instead.

The golden-wind divine ability visibly dissolved before the lightning, and Situ Huo was immediately knocked out of it. The cautious old schemer's expression changed drastically. He sheathed his long saber and activated [Monarch's Lost Sheep] at full power, attempting to escape.

Yet the golden light carried within the flowing lightning pinned him in place, leaving him unable to move!

It was not just Situ Huo. The faint golden light within the lightning seemed to suppress the entire sky. Helian Wujiang was likewise struck out of his divine ability and coughed up blood. Murong Yan, whose face had suddenly turned pale, and even Li Zhouwei... were all immobilized.

The man in the great void showed no surprise. He had already untied his purple sash and wound it around his wrist. With a hooking motion and a pull of his other hand, Murong Yan and Helian Wujiang vanished simultaneously from the manifest world!

Crack.

The faint golden light broke apart at once, and the lightning between heaven and earth rapidly dispersed. Li Zhouwei withdrew his gaze and turned toward Situ Huo. The old man's expression was grim, and he said nothing. Only after a considerable while did he spit out a little lightning, silver light flashing around his lips and teeth.

That was Ch'i Lanyan's treasure.

Li Zhouwei had seen everything most clearly with the Immortal Mirror. The deployment and withdrawal of [Severed Crimson Arrowhead] might have seemed coincidental, but he had deliberately maneuvered events during the battle...

This silver lightning specifically attacks radiance and baleful energy. It should be designed to counter wide-ranging Spell Divine Abilities, along with certain Body Divine Abilities that manifest in dispersed forms...

Apart from him, Situ Huo's billowing golden wind, the baleful wind into which Helian Wujiang had transformed, and Murong Yan's Valley Water divine ability had all been struck by the lightning. All three seemed to have suffered badly.

As for this golden lightning, a charge with [Sovereign In Peril] could break through it, but he would not be foolish enough to deploy it carelessly. Used by surprise, it could turn a battle around. The only consolation is that its direct offensive power is limited... But perhaps he simply has not shown that yet.

Ch'i Lanyan often scorned southern cultivators, but Li Zhouwei knew well how dangerous the man was. Finally witnessing some of his mystics was an unexpected gain.

He turned his gaze and pointedly asked, "General Situ, could even [Monarch's Lost Sheep] not evade it?"

Situ Huo's expression had yet to recover. He shook his head gravely. "He is an eminent northern cultivator from the Pavilion of Profound Order, wielding a supreme treasure. How could I withstand him?"

Despite his words, having his life-saving trump card overcome by a single casual move had plainly subdued Situ Huo. Neither man intended to pursue, and both stayed where they were.

1. Guanyuan here is the dharma title of the Emperor of Wei, Li Qianyuan. ☜

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