Li Wei sighed softly. However, his thoughts also turned grave. "If three people from the same Nangong clan can descend into such madness against each other," he considered, "then I fear the sealing of this Tian Xing Abode will turn the entire place into utter chaos. Don't forget, there are over ten thousand cultivators trapped in here now, with strengths ranging all the way from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul!"
"Realistically, cultivators like these have all fought and struggled to get where they are. Whose hands among them aren't stained with blood? How many could truly be called virtuous?" he thought grimly. "Imagine locking a horde of criminals inside a small town with absolutely no external oversight – what kind of utter chaos would erupt?"
As he contemplated this grim possibility,
In the blink of an eye, Nangong Yazhi was already locked in a fierce battle against the two clan Elders. As expected of experts from the Nangong family, the techniques unleashed by all three were anything but ordinary. Especially Nangong Yazhi herself — despite her name suggesting elegance and refinement ("Yazhi" meaning graceful), the Life-Bound Spirit Artifact she summoned was anything but elegant: it was a massive, glaringly vulgar golden coin.
Even more astonishing, as soon as Nangong Yazhi entered the fight, she revealed two more supreme-grade spirit artifacts — treasures that would be considered ultimate prizes by any major faction in the Azure Cloud region.
The first was a set of Golden Thread Jade Clothing, which instantly cloaked her in a brilliant golden glow. Drawing upon the surrounding Spirit Qi, the artifact conjured a rain of golden coins from the heavens, shielding her from incoming attacks. The second was a legendary Treasure Gathering Pot. Much like the Wine Maniac's set of artifacts, Nangong Yazhi's supreme-grade artifacts clearly formed a complete suite. As the rain of golden coins poured into the Treasure Gathering Pot, the surrounding Spirit Qi surged and condensed, causing Nangong Yazhi's aura to rise steadily and rapidly.
Then, her Dharma Body manifested, unexpectedly taking the form of a colossal millstone! As more golden coins rained into the Treasure Gathering Pot, phantom figures materialized, pushing the immense millstone as it turned. This actually suppressed the two opposing Nangong Elders to such an extent that they found it difficult even to mobilize the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi!
"This little minx," Li Wei mused, observing Nangong Yazhi's power, "she's also one of those types who deliberately conceals her true abilities. Such combat prowess... It's already nearly on par with Apostle Lei Dong's." Li Wei murmured softly. Lei Dong and Ye Xiu had clashed numerous times without either gaining a clear upper hand; that level of power was what it took to earn a spot on the Nascent Divinity List.
Watching the fierce clash between Nangong Yazhi and her two clan Elders, Li Yunlin also frowned. His purpose on this expedition had been to gauge who truly held sway among Eternal Sun Prefecture's elite talents. Now, witnessing Nangong Yazhi's displayed power firsthand, he felt profoundly shaken. He couldn't help murmuring to himself, "I wonder... after I completely absorb the Tian Xing Tear... how will I compare?"
"It's a pity," he thought, "this Tian Xing Abode forms its own independent realm; I cannot sense the impending lightning tribulation while inside... However..."
As he thought this, Li Yunlin lowered his gaze to glance at his Skyveil Hall. Recalling the Old Ancestor's earlier message, a faint, perhaps determined, smile touched his lips.
"'This is enough," Li Yunlin resolved. "This time, I will shield our clansmen!"
...
Within the span of two cups of tea, the battle was over. The sky-filling golden rain had vanished. Nangong Yazhi stood clad in the Golden Thread Clothing, the phantom millstone Dharma Body hovering behind her. In her left hand rested the Treasure Gathering Pot, now shrunk to a smaller size, while the golden coin artifact revolved in her right. Of the two opposing Nangong Elders, one lay dead, the other severely injured.
The surviving Nangong Elder tilted his head back, looking up at Nangong Yazhi, who regarded him from above, her gaze as detached as an immortal's. "A hundred years ago..." the elder stammered in terror, "you were only mid-stage Nascent Soul! All these years, whenever you deigned to fight, you never showed more than mid-stage power! You... how can you possibly be..."
Pfft!
A spray of fresh blood erupted. In the elder's dying eyes, only absolute terror remained. Year after year... the power Nangong Yazhi had publicly shown had been less than even a tenth of her true strength revealed today!
"Hmph." Nangong Yazhi paid the surviving elder no further mind. If not for the fact that she still actually required assistants, she would have finished off this clan elder already.
She then turned back to face Li Yunlin. Seeing him still perfectly composed, her earlier wariness spiked. "You're not attempting to flee?" she asked, surprised.
"If I fled now, wouldn't I miss this excellent drama?" Li Yunlin's expression turned mocking. Then, in the brief moment it took to exchange these few words, he suddenly... holding the Skyveil Hall, charged straight at Nangong Yazhi!
It was but a subtle shift in the spiritual power emanating from him, yet it caused Nangong Yazhi's expression to change drastically. "You..." she gasped, "You've already achieved your breakthrough?!"
Indeed, Li Yunlin could now openly command the Spirit Qi of Heaven and Earth! If not for this Tian Xing Abode interfering with heavenly Tribulation, Li Yunlin's lightning tribulation would likely already have descended upon him. One could see Li Yunlin's transcendent form surrounded by nine orbiting fire lotuses, giving him the appearance of a veritable God of Fire. Behind him, the Skyveil Hall itself had transformed, surprisingly becoming his Dharma Manifestation – resembling a vast scroll painting depicting the starry universe.
From the Skyveil Hall Manifestation, the 'Azure Mist Branch' (previously taken inside) now extended as innumerable, writhing vines. The Tian Xing Tear transformed into a vast ocean, out of which erupted an over 1000 feet tall Asura! This colossal figure flew forth from the Hall, its terrifying Ferocious face turned towards Nangong Yazhi, letting loose a furious roar! Even the horsetail Brush Li Yunlin carried revealed itself as an extraordinary artifact. Its fine hairs were instantly consumed by the flames now surrounding Li Yunlin's form, while the handle rapidly became longer, morphing into a devastating Blazing Flame Spear!
Ultimately, Li Yunlin truly inherited Li Yaozu's nature. In this moment, he regained the fearsome bearing he'd displayed years ago within the Skyveil Sect when, before the eyes of tens of thousands, he had wielded his spear, transformed into a Flame God, and taken his enemy's head! And now, he was far more powerful!
"You kept presenting me with choices," Li Yunlin sneered, "Prattling on about life being steps, and how one misstep means eternal damnation!"
Li Yunlin thrust the Blazing Flame Spear forward; its fire ignited the very air, filling the sky with swirling, burning clouds. His own eyes blazed with the heat radiating from his body.
"Well then," he declared, "Now I offer you a choice: Submit to my Li family... or..."
"I will send you to eternal damnation!!!"
As his declaration echoed, the flames around him surged violently. The colossal Asura giant formed from the Tian Xing Tear roared and lunged forward, while innumerable vines, birthed from the Azure Mist Branch, erupted around Li Yunlin, advancing wreathed in fire!
Witnessing this spectacle, Nangong Yazhi herself was profoundly shaken by the sheer power Li Yunlin displayed, incredible for someone who had only just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage. She finally understood.
"If they weren't trapped inside this Tianxing Abode," Nangong Yazhi realized with dread, "this Li Yunlin... he would likely already be facing the legendary Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation itself!"
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