Chapter 176: Today, I'll Need Your Support

Chapter 176: Today, I'll Need Your Support

Within the purple lightning, brilliant lights shone, revealing countless talisman seals.

Among them was a divine sword, its blade glowing brightly, rumbling with thunder as it vibrated.

It was one of the Three Heavenly Master treasures—the Heavenly Master Sword!

The divine treasure seemed to have a consciousness of its own, influenced by the battle at Dragon and Tiger Mountain. Just like the Heavenly Master Seal that day, the Heavenly Master Sword had returned to the vicinity of Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

Unlike the previous incident with the Heavenly Master Seal, Lei Jun did not have any clues or spiritual objects related to the Heavenly Master Sword, so he had not sensed its presence until now, relying only on guesswork.

Holding crucial clues and just a step away from success, Tang Xiaotang had clearly sensed the presence of the Heavenly Master Sword earlier and had now successfully summoned it back!

"What was sought after with great difficulty comes with unexpected ease." Tang Xiaotang laughed, "Come to me now!"

In the palm of Tang Xiaotang's hand, lightning flashed, as if establishing a connection with the divine sword.

A grand scholar from the Chu family outside the mountain intended to block it, but as he approached, purple lightning on the sword transformed into sword lights, sweeping across the four directions.

While the scholar from the Chu family was not injured by the sword lights, the boundless sword intent was like a vast ocean, stopping the sword lights in their tracks.

However, he was forced to halt, and could only watch helplessly as the divine sword flew towards the sky above Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

Just then, a figure flashed in the distance.

Someone was approaching Dragon and Tiger Mountain from the outside.

The giant altar that enveloped the mountain did not seem to have much effect on this person.

With a wave of their hand, they threw out a huge boulder, as if the top of a small mountain had been sliced off and transported here.

On the boulder was a clear sword mark, and within it, purple lightning danced and crackled incessantly in the air.

Affected by this, the speed of the sky above the divine sword suddenly slowed down.

Tang Xiaotang's eyes widened, "How did the Heavenly Master Sword get lost in the first place? How dare you come and pick up the bargain?"

The person who appeared was surprisingly Li Zhengxuan, who had also been away from the mountain for a long time and had not returned until now.

"Get back up where you fell," Li Zhengxuan replied calmly, "It's true that I lost the Heavenly Master Sword before, but now it's right that I retrieve it to console the ancestors."

Ignoring Tang Xiaotang, he rushed towards the Heavenly Master Sword without hesitation.

Li Hongyu's expression was slightly complex as she glanced at the Heavenly Master Sword, but she soon averted her gaze and moved to block Tang Xiaotang's path.

Earlier, she had exchanged two moves for every one of Tang Xiaotang's, and with her inferior skills, she had been injured by Tang Xiaotang.

Fortunately, she now had the Heavenly Master Robe to stabilize her injuries temporarily.

With the radiance of the divine treasure shining upon her, it also helped her withstand Tang Xiaotang's subsequent attacks.

Around Tang Xiaotang's body, golden flames blazed fiercely, with dragons and tigers intertwining, making her seem like a falling sun as she crashed into Li Hongyu.

Li Hongyu, clad in the Heavenly Master Robe, managed to withstand this attack.

The golden rain that filled the sky exploded violently, like countless golden hairsprings shooting out in all directions.

The grand scholar from the Chu family, relying solely on his sword intent, found it difficult to block all the golden lights.

His expression turned solemn as he took the initiative to unsheathe his sword, and his sword intent surged like a tsunami, seemingly containing the golden lights within its boundaries.

When the golden lights came into contact with the sword intent, they instantly transformed into golden chain lightning and flames, exploding continuously.

Had he already reached such a level after attaining the Eighth Heaven? The grand scholar from the Chu family frowned inwardly.

On the other side, Li Hongyu, who had just entered the Eighth Heaven realm, had also initially refined the Law of the Nine Abyss Flame Ancestor.

But her talent was extraordinary, and she had truly cultivated the Dragon and Tiger Combination Strike of Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

With just this move, Li Hongyu, who had just entered the Eighth Heaven, could defeat Li Song and become the number one expert in the Li family.

Even so, she was still defeated by Tang Xiaotang.

This scene caught the attention of the Seventh Heaven grand scholar from the Chu family in Suzhou, who couldn't help but turn his eyes towards them.

He had known about the proud daughter of heaven from Dragon and Tiger Mountain, but her battle today would make her even more famous throughout the world.

However, although Tang Xiaotang was powerful, Li Hongyu currently had the Heavenly Master Robe.

Even though Li Hongyu was injured, she was able to turn the tables and even try to regain the upper hand!

More importantly, Li Zhengxuan had already reached the Heavenly Master Sword.

... Wait a minute.

Something's not right!

This is very wrong!

Elder Li Song of the Li family looked at Yuan Mobai, who remained calm and unhurried, and suddenly felt a shudder in his heart.

He raised his head to look at Li Zhengxuan and the Heavenly Master Sword, then at Li Hongyu and the Heavenly Master Robe.

And then at Tang Xiaotang.

Tang Xiaotang's expression was one of dissatisfaction.

"Xiaotang, the situation is special, we must not hesitate," Yuan Mobai said in a soft and gentle tone, sounding out of place in the midst of the intense battle, yet also like a startling revelation.

Tang Xiaotang turned her face away, "When Senior Sister comes back, she'll laugh at me."

As she spoke, she finally threw out an object.

It was a stone slab with a sword mark on it.

The stone slab that Xu Yuanzhen had brought back, refined in the Wanfa Zongtan for a long time, and later given to Tang Xiaotang.

This stone slab had played a part in Tang Xiaotang's successful summoning of the Heavenly Master Sword.

And its contribution did not end there.

The stone slab fell back into the Wanfa Zongtan.

Although Li Song did not understand the specifics of the situation, his unease escalated to the extreme, and he immediately stepped forward.

However, Yuan Mobai, who stood up to face him, also took a step forward.

Countless talismans flew about, encircling them like a starry river, and their similarly powerful natal stars seemed to transform into two giants, colliding in the Wanfa Zongtan.

Li Song grunted and retreated!

He looked up at Yuan Mobai in surprise.

Even though he was injured, elderly, and facing an opponent in the Eighth Heaven realm who had cultivated the Life Law of Talisman Paths for many years, he did not think he would lose in a direct confrontation.

However, he had just been bested by Yuan Mobai.

Of course, he knew that this special junior had a different foundation from ordinary people, and after spending so many years together, they were quite familiar with each other's strengths.

But the outcome still took Li Song by surprise.

Li Song was stopped by Yuan Mobai, and over there, although Li Ziyang managed to suppress Yao Yuan, he couldn't make it in time to help.

The stone slab with the sword mark fell into the Wanfa Zongtan.

In the ancestral court of the Daoist Fulu School, brilliant light erupted, illuminating the entire place.

A majestic pillar of light struck the center of the Heavenly Master Sword!

The Heavenly Master Sword remained intact, immobilized in mid-air.

Li Zhengxuan, standing nearby, was also unharmed.

However, he was sent flying by the impact, crashing into the distance.

The giant boulder with the sword mark, on the other hand, was reduced to nothingness by the radiant light!

Tang Xiaotang's expression turned from triumphant to conflicted as she waved her hand again.

The pillar of light immediately dissipated.

The Heavenly Master Sword soared once more, landing directly in front of Tang Xiaotang!

Li Hongyu panicked and, with the help of the Heavenly Master Robe, attempted to intercept it.

But Tang Xiaotang was quicker, grasping the Heavenly Master Sword first.

With her foundation in refinement, she had already laid the groundwork before taking hold of the sword, needing only to pierce through this last layer.

Although it was only preliminary refinement, it could still be of use in the current situation.

Tang Xiaotang brandished the Heavenly Master Sword with one hand, sending sword lights transforming into rolling purple thunder in all directions.

Li Hongyu had no choice but to halt, and with the enhancement of the nine-colored radiance, the purple sun thunder dragon reappeared in the thundercloud, resisting this formidable sword move that could even daunt demons.

On the majestic and awe-inspiring giant dragon head, a wound appeared, marring its countenance, and electricity scattered, as if dripping blood!

Among the Three Heavenly Master treasures, there was no doubt that the Heavenly Master Sword was the most powerful in battle.

Tang Xiaotang struck again, and Li Hongyu, instead of taking the blow head-on, dodged immediately.

"Ziyang, Zhengxuan!" Li Song, old but resilient, shouted sternly as he rushed towards Yuan Mobai once more.

The Heavenly Master Sword finally returned to the mountain.

However, it did not end up back in the hands of the Li family.

Instead, it had become an even greater threat!

Fortunately, Li Hongyu had the Heavenly Master Robe, which allowed her to switch from a direct confrontation to a more evasive style of fighting, giving her some room to maneuver.

If Li Song had been in perfect condition without any injuries, he could have joined the fight. But now, like Li Ziyang and Li Zhengxuan, he had to avoid facing the combined might of Tang Xiaotang and the Heavenly Master Sword.

To turn the tide, there was only one last chance...

The Wanfa Zongtan!

Thus, disregarding his injuries, Li Song charged towards Yuan Mobai once again.

Furthermore, he boldly took the lead, once more manifesting the Doumu Star God's magic image, achieved through his mastery of the Lifeblood Art and Fulu techniques. With the galaxy trailing behind him, he closed in on Yuan Mobai at close range.

His goal was to create an opportunity for Li Zhengxuan and Li Ziyang.

Li Ziyang, using the Nine-Heaven Thunder Ancestor's magic image to suppress Yao Yuan's Nine Abyss Flame Ancestor's magic image, also rushed towards the Wanfa Zongtan.

Li Zhengxuan paid no heed to his missed opportunity with the Heavenly Master Sword.

As soon as Li Song opened his mouth, he, too, rushed towards the Wanfa Zongtan.

Yuan Mobai's expression remained unchanged, his movements as swift as lightning.

He unleashed the Doumu Star God's magic image, identical to Li Song's, not only possessing tremendous power but also exhibiting remarkable agility. His speed was so fast that it seemed like he was everywhere at once, making it appear as if the three high-achieving Li family cultivators were the ones being besieged.

His agility was truly remarkable, resembling more of a martial arts master than a Daoist Fulu School cultivator.

Not only did Li Song, Li Ziyang, and Li Zhengxuan feel the pressure, but even Yao Yuan, who was watching from the sidelines, was secretly astonished.

He, like Li Song, had exchanged and practiced with Yuan Mobai many times, but he had rarely witnessed his junior brother fighting against external enemies.

At this moment, as he observed carefully, he realized that in terms of mastery over the Lifeblood Art and Fulu techniques, this peculiar junior brother of his might actually be the best in Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

Even if Li Song were uninjured and only used the Lifeblood Star God to fight against Yuan Mobai's Lifeblood Star God, he might not have been able to defeat him.

However, the Li family had no other choices left.

They were unwilling to admit defeat and leave Dragon and Tiger Mountain just yet.

The outcome of this battle was still uncertain!

Li Song and the others temporarily ignored the Wanfa Zongtan, focusing all their attention on Yuan Mobai.

After a brief rest to recover his spiritual power, Yao Yuan also rejoined the battle.

The fierce fighting shifted from the sky to the mountain gate ancestral court.

As the battle intensified, both sides gradually cast aside their previous concerns.

Lei Jun gazed at the peak of Dragon and Tiger Mountain from a distance.

The situation could not be considered entirely clear yet.

Overall, it wasn't too bad, but it was too early to celebrate.

In the grand scheme of things, everything happened for a reason.

If Li Song hadn't been injured when he went to look for Tang Xiaotang during her seclusion, and if his injury had healed, the current situation would have been more intriguing.

From Tang Xiaotang's perspective, if she had remained hidden after achieving the Eighth Heaven realm and waited for Xu Yuanzhen to return to make a final decision, the outcome might have been more certain.

But if she had done that, she wouldn't have been the Tang Xiaotang that she was.

Moreover, if such a situation had truly occurred, the Li family, despite their reluctance, might not have been as determined to fight to the bitter end as they were now.

It would have been easier to drive them away, but trying to keep them here or pursuing them if they left would have been much more difficult.

Even today, if they had judged the situation to be hopeless and decided to leave Dragon and Tiger Mountain, Tang Xiaotang would have had to focus on pursuing a single target while also being wary of their potential ambush outside the mountain.

For now, let's set aside the others.

Li Song and Li Ziyang...

Lei Jun stared expressionlessly at Dragon and Tiger Mountain for a while before turning his gaze to the surrounding mountains.

He took out an object that was as soft as silk, thin as a cicada's wing, filled with spirituality, yet restrained.

It was the Lingmu, or Spirit Veil, a spiritual object he had obtained from Blood River Sect disciples Bo Hong and Shui Ying.

Lei Jun examined the Spirit Veil and then looked back at Dragon and Tiger Mountain, deep in thought.

With the Spirit Veil and the Xi Yang banner in his possession, Lei Jun now had highly ingenious means of protecting himself from danger.

With prior preparation, even a solitary Upper Realm expert might not be able to threaten him.

Under the assault of the Upper Realm elders from Jin Cheng Zhai, the holy land of the Ghost Dao lineage of the South Wild Witch Gate, Li Kong and the others had suffered heavy casualties.

But fate differs for each person.

Lei Jun's lottery draw indicated a mixed blessing with limited danger—a mediocre result.

The reason for this lies therein.

It's just a pity that the Lingmu is a consumable item and can only be used once.

Lei Jun is now considering how to make the most of this opportunity.

For the first time since he crossed over to this world, Lei Jun hopes that the light ball will give him an unfavorable sign today.

Of course, he doesn't intend to take this path himself.

But on this special day, Daoist Lei is eager to help others on their journey, pushing them onto the horse and seeing them off.

The other party is also special, and it's not easy to send someone on their way.

"Forced flowers won't bloom, but accidental lilacs will flourish."

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows: "The old way, go with the flow, take it as it comes, and let's see how everyone fares."

He descended the mountain, concealed his whereabouts, and stealthily made his way closer to Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

While staying vigilant of his surroundings, he kept a constant eye on the movements of the light ball in his mind.

It was hard to say if it was good luck or bad luck.

As Lei Jun approached the Jinque Creek area at the foot of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, following the stream upstream, the light ball in his mind suddenly began to flash, and words appeared:

[Disaster arises from within, calamity arises from division, a deadly kill from both inside and out, meeting danger and turning safe.]



It really gave him three fortune-telling results:

[Upper-middle fortune: Passing through Jinque Creek Ferry and heading towards Dragon and Tiger Mountain, you will gain a fourth-grade opportunity, with minimal risk, be cautious, and there will be no aftermath, auspicious.]



[Middle-middle fortune: Along Jinque Creek, go with the flow, act low-key, no extra gains, no losses, fair.]



[Middle-middle fortune: Along Jinque Creek, go against the flow, there is a chance to obtain a sixth-grade opportunity, but there may be dangers, be cautious, fair.]



Speaking of which, one upper-middle and two middle-middles are indeed not bad fortunes.

But for Lei Jun at the moment, it was not the fortune he had hoped for.

Well, this is a case of getting a bargain and still complaining... Lei Jun shook his head and smiled wryly.

A fourth-grade opportunity is already quite impressive.

Since there is such a fortuitous method, it should not be missed.

However...

Disaster arises from within, calamity arises from division, a deadly kill from both inside and out.

Lei Jun already had a vague guess in his mind.

It was either related to the Li family or the Yellow Heavenly Dao.

Master Yuan Mobai had finally revealed his true identity on Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

As a result, as his disciple, Little Lei Daoist could no longer play the role of a peacekeeper with the Li family.

Moreover, the other party might also be looking for him?

Lei Jun remained calm, his figure as stealthy as the night wind, quietly making his way across Jinque Creek, crossing the mountain stream, and heading towards Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

The mountain gate was currently enveloped by a giant altar.

Lei Jun was neither anxious nor impatient, searching the area for a moment.

He twitched his ear, suddenly sensing that someone was approaching.

Lei Jun used the Xi Yang banner to carefully conceal his figure.

Soon enough, someone indeed drew near.

The newcomer was also trying to hide their presence.

If not for Lei Jun's expertise in this area, he might have been deceived.

"This is the designated location." A group of people stopped in this area.

Although they carefully checked their surroundings, it was not enough to see through the concealment of the Xi Yang banner.

On the other hand, Lei Jun observed this group of people.

In terms of clothing, the other party did not reveal any distinctive features.

From their movements, they seemed to be Confucian cultivators.

As for their appearance...

Lei Jun's heart stirred as he glanced at two somewhat familiar faces.

He had never met them in person but had only seen their portraits.

They seemed to be from the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.

"Seventh Uncle, the number of people we brought over this time is still lacking." One of them, a middle-aged man whom Lei Jun found familiar, replied.

"The north has already made a move, and the clan's main attention is temporarily focused there. So, we must be more careful in choosing our targets."

Someone laughed, "With the Li family as the local snake to cooperate with, it shouldn't be difficult."

"Speaking of the Li family, Seventh Uncle, how do they seem to be unable to hold on?"

Ye Clan Elder: "This time, they can only rely on themselves, and it all depends on whether they can seize the Wanfa Zongtan or not."

Ye Clan youth: "The Li family has really been going downhill in recent years, and they're not making much progress despite their newfound wealth."

Ye Clan Elder: "There's no use talking about these things. What's important is what we can gain from this.

We must also make more predictions and prepare for the future.

If the Li family really can't hold on to Dragon and Tiger Mountain and evacuate, we'll have to make other arrangements."

Someone asked in a low voice, "Seventh Uncle, if the four high-achieving cultivators of the Li family all withdraw, it will indeed preserve their strength to counter the Celestial Master's Mansion. But for our clan, it may not be a good thing, right?"

The group remained silent, but they all shared similar thoughts. The more strength the Li family retained, the easier it would be for them to stick together, and the more likely they would create variables in the future.

"It's not impossible for them to evacuate Dragon and Tiger Mountain safely."

The Ye Clan elder said, "However, we will prioritize contacting and assisting Li Zhengxuan and Li Ziyang's branches."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Someone whispered, "It would be even better if we could get our hands on the Taoist Talisman Sect's Thunder Law Heavenly Script..."

The Ye Clan, a Confucian family that has been passing down their lineage for countless generations, did not covet other schools' legacies, especially since Confucianism and Taoism are distinct.

However, possessing the Thunder Law Heavenly Script would provide leverage, allowing them to manipulate the Yellow Heavenly Dao and hinder the Celestial Master's Mansion.

"The most important thing is people."

The Ye Clan elder said, "It doesn't matter if the Li family truly loses this battle, as long as there are people who can continue to entangle with the Celestial Master's Mansion. That will be enough for our clan."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this moment, someone responsible for vigilance reminded, "Seventh Uncle, the people from the other side are here."

The Ye Clan elder looked into the distance.

Lei Jun, who was quietly hiding nearby, also looked in the same direction.

In the forest over there, several figures were approaching stealthily, signaling with hand gestures to meet up with the Ye Clan members.

They were all from the Li family.

Lei Jun recognized the leader.

It was Li Ziyang's son, Li Xuan.

PS: 5k chapter.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end