The moment Murong Yan opened his mouth, a hollow darkness stirred, accompanied by the sound of wind. Layer upon layer of shadow coiled like serpents, accompanied by the drip of water. The light in the sky dimmed once again, leaving only the darkness within his mouth growing ever deeper.

Yet the brightness in the world was not limited to those golden eyes, but also the radiance igniting between Li Zhouwei's eyebrows!

[Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light].

Murong Yan's spirit artifact struck the [Dry Yang Bangles], dispersing its force. After a brief delay, Li Zhouwei's divine ability instantly surged toward the point between his eyebrows. He immediately reinforced it with [Hidden Plunder Gold], unleashing the most refined Bright Yang art he had cultivated.

Brilliant golden light burst forth, forming an inverted cone-shaped halo of divine ability at the center of his eyebrows. It expanded to the size of a basin, then condensed into a golden beam that crashed downward.

Murong Yan had been prepared. His eyes turned completely violet-black, and his mouth swelled instantly, splitting open to the edges of his ears. He accepted everything that came, devouring all the Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light.

The purple-black swirl within his mouth churned like a raging vortex, plunging deep into the strait. It continuously disrupted the beam released from his opponent's brow, trying to twist and shatter it to interrupt the casting.

Boom!

In an instant, the cultivators stationed along the shore raised their hands to shield their eyes. Their faces were bathed in blinding light. The sky split into two clear halves that spread along the riverbanks, one dazzling with brilliance, while the other was dim and lightless.

Buzz...

The intense light vanished in a flash. All eyes on both shores focused on the dazzling beam in the sky. The shifting radiance at Li Zhouwei's brow remained steady, flickering as it resisted the twisting force from the vortex. He was displaying exceptional control over his Daoist art.

Murong Yan neither dodged nor retreated. His gaping mouth was like a bottomless pit, continuing to swallow every strand of incoming Hidden Light. Blazing Radiant Light and flames streamed from the corners of his mouth, which had split to his ears. They stretched into two long, silk-like cascades in the air, turning into a rain of fiery meteors that fell downward.

The very first exchange between these two Purple Mansion Realm cultivators had already become a contest of divine abilities and mana.

The cultivators on both shores held their breath. The man on the flaming arch bridge suddenly stood, gazing silently into the sky.

Bang! Buzz...

The sound of intense burning echoed through the air. Li Zhouwei's entire face was illuminated by the Hidden Light at his brow. His golden eyes remained sharp, growing brighter as his pupils shifted from dark gold to a radiant gold.

As he poured more of his divine ability into it, the beam at his brow expanded little by little.

A harsh, grating creak started to ring out continuously. The smoke-wreathed fiend in midair showed no change in expression, yet his massive body was being forced backward inch by inch as he constantly dissolved the surging waves of divine light.

Although [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] was only a fourth-grade art, once it was reinforced by [Hidden Plunder Gold], it was no weaker than ordinary fifth-grade arts. Moreover, Li Zhouwei had cultivated it for many years.

More deadly still, [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] was inherently a Bright Yang light art. The more direct the clash, the stronger it would become. As time dragged on, its strength continued to rise.

Murong Yan's divine ability art was far from simple, and he still appeared at ease. But he could not simply remain passive as his opponent's power steadily increased. While allowing himself to be pushed back over three feet along with the force to dissipate its strength, his eyes suddenly lit up.

But Li Zhouwei's hands had already loosened. He stretched them out to either side, fingers spread, as strands of golden, silk-like radiance emerged simultaneously in both palms!

[Bright Light Heavenly Surge]!

These silken strands moved like agile serpents, swiftly climbing onto Murong Yan's body, binding him tightly, and dragging him closer. At the same time, Li Zhouwei's divine ability surged to its peak. A faint heavenly gate even appeared behind him as [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] was pushed to its absolute limit.

Murong Yan's expression shifted slightly. Thick demonic qi rose from his body, transforming into patches of silvery light that clung to him like viper-like armor. It was clearly a spirit garment!

It is a spirit embryo...

[Bright Light Heavenly Surge] was not of a high grade to begin with. Even with a spirit embryo and mystic abilities, the hastily formed technique could not hold. It shattered into flickering fragments of light in an instant.

What a pity...

A trace of regret flashed through Li Zhouwei's eyes. The fiend before him had finally gained a moment to breathe. A crescent of silver light blocked [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light], vanishing in a flash. Thunder boomed across the sky as purple flames of heavenly light surged in, pushing the boundary between the two phenomena forward several feet, extending the Radiant Light all the way across the great river.

Murong Yan himself had already vanished.

Whoosh!

A chorus of howling sounds filled the world. A vast, illusory mouth seemed to open along the riverbank, from which bursts of crimson, blazing meteoric rain erupted, glowing with Bright Yang colored light. In an instant, it turned into a downpour falling from the sky.

What a fine spell art!

These meteoric streams of light were the same [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] Murong Yan had swallowed earlier. After being transformed, the technique fell as a sky full of radiant brilliance, carrying surging flames and flooding everything with Bright Light.

The cultivators and monks on both shores were struck with alarm and scattered to evade it. Li Zhouwei remained standing among the mountains as the rain of light streaked past him. He calmly raised a hand. A point of golden brilliance mixed with dark flames rose rapidly in his palm, forming from nothing into a golden-black colored halberd.

Huff...

Li Zhouwei extended his arm with ease. The halberd reversed in his grip, angled toward the ground as he looked again at the opponent who had reappeared in the distance.

This was undoubtedly an awkward moment. His weapon was still being refined at the [Viewing Pavilion]. Even with a valuable spiritual essence added, the process was one measured in years. Even if it had not been used for refinement, after the battle with Helian Wumeng, he would not casually take it out to waste its power.

As for the scale armor on his body, though he had found a path forward, its completion was still far in the future! The [Brilliant Yang King's Axe] at his waist was too special. Not only was it heavy, but if it failed to strike, its strength would diminish. It could only be used as a trump card, not as a casual weapon.

At this moment, his hands were empty. Even a temporary weapon could only be formed by combining the Supreme Yang Resonance Radiant Art, Bright Yang divine ability, and the [Armor Cycle Soul-Refining Halberd Art] into a single improvised construct.

Murong Yan's insight was keen. He saw through the situation at a glance. It was not that he did not want to press the advantage, but he could only exhale deeply, coughing out two specks of golden light.

The power of Supreme Yang... This radiance may seem low in grade, but it carries real force...

But he cultivated [Valley Water], so he was not as suppressed by Supreme Yang as Helian Wumeng who cultivated [Baleful Essence]. His technique was of a high grade and had not been broken. The coughing was nothing serious. What truly made him wary was the faint demon-breaking divine ability hidden within his opponent's divine ability.

If not for that, [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] would not have affected him so strongly. It had forced him to pause for a breath, giving the opponent time to gather his divine ability!

His foundation is solid. There is something extraordinary about it.

His mana circulated, quickly dispersing the Supreme Yang force within his body. Murong Yan's pupils widened as his opponent did not retreat or dodge. The halberd thrust straight at him.

"Good!"

The [River Rampart Staff] in his hand shot upward, infused with dense [Valley Water] energy that blended with its metallic radiance, intercepting the incoming halberd just in time.

Creak...

Heavenly light and purple flames burst forth as the halberd mixed with dark fire collided with the spirit artifact. It bent slightly under the strain, yet endured the impact. Li Zhouwei's expression did not change. He shifted the halberd slightly. Its blade scraped out a trail of purple sparks as it slid past the staff. The shaft snapped straight again and rebounded toward the fiend's face. Its divine power did not weaken. In fact, it was even stronger than the previous strike.

With just that single strike, Murong Yan's interest surged. This was no ordinary weapon, and it had just clashed with a spirit artifact. The motion looked simple, yet it demanded both deep cultivation and refined weapon skill. His thoughts raced like lightning, It is not just his Bright Yang technique! His weapon skill is strong as well!

Facing the gleaming halberd tip thrust toward him, Muron Yan lifted his head slightly, exposing his thick neck, as wide as his head. His throat convulsed and tore open like lightning. From within emerged the face of a disheveled yet pale and beautiful woman.

The woman smiled faintly. Facing the incoming divine ability, her red lips parted, revealing eight teeth. With lightning speed, she bit down firmly on the halberd's blade.

Boom!

Purple flames surged and black qi spread. Li Zhouwei's halberd felt as though it had sunk into water or been wedged into a crack in steel. It would not budge. The woman extended her jade-like arms from beneath Murong Yan's armpits and gripped the blade tightly.

Murong Yan's barrel-like waist shrank. His coarse outer skin hung loosely on the woman like an ill-fitting garment, revealing her graceful figure beneath. Her beautiful eyes turned pale, yet carried a chilling intent.