Chapter 364 - 195: Li Changfeng Wu Hengguang

Time waits for no one, and the seasons flow by like a river.

The Tai Su Orthodox Sect's Golden Core ceremony was finally approaching, and countless cultivators were converging on Yunmeng Marsh.

Ten thousand li west of the marsh, downstream along a great river, a middle-aged Daoist who appeared to be in his thirties and was dressed in simple robes rode upon a wisp of mist, traveling upstream at a considerable pace.

Beside the Daoist was a woman who, despite appearing to be in the bloom of her youth, was dressed in an elegant palace gown. Her hair was coiled in a bun and held with a pin, her dark eyebrows were artfully drawn, her fair cheeks were evenly rouged, and her cherry-red lips were perfectly painted. She leaned quietly on his shoulder and asked with curiosity:

"Li Lang, neither of us has an invitation. Even if we make it to the Tai Su Orthodox Sect, we won't be able to enter and observe the ceremony. Don't tell me we're going just to claim one of those complimentary gifts." At this, the woman covered her mouth and let out a soft giggle.

And why did the Tai Su Orthodox Sect's Golden Core ceremony attract cultivators from all over the world? It wasn't just because this was the first time in a millennium that the sect had held such an event.

Months ago, the Tai Su Orthodox Sect had announced that any cultivator of the righteous path, even those without an invitation, could come to Yunmeng Marsh to offer their congratulations. In return, the Tai Su Orthodox Sect would present them with a gift containing a random cultivation item of extraordinary value. There was no limit; all who came would be received.

But that being said, the woman knew Li Lang wasn't one to covet such petty gains. She was only joking.

Li Lang merely offered a faint smile at her words, but before he could respond, he saw his lovely companion's expression suddenly grow tense.

A flicker of unease went through him. He raised his eyes and scanned the surroundings, his gaze finally landing on a mountaintop at a bend in the river ahead. Upon it stood a peculiar Daoist with hair barely reaching his ears, a large cauldron strapped to his back.

Seeing Li Changfeng's gaze fall upon him, the peculiar Daoist calmly met it. He took the initiative, raising his hands in a formal salute as his voice carried on the wind. "Li Changfeng. Fellow Daoist Li. For a man of your stature, you certainly keep a low profile. You've made me work hard to find you."

The newcomer was none other than Hou Shengyun of the Celestial Fire Sect, and the Daoist in his thirties was indeed Li Changfeng, the very man Hou Shengyun had spent so long painstakingly trying to find.

Li Changfeng's face had grown more weathered since his time on Li Mountain, and his aura was clearly far more composed. He simply responded with a level voice, "I am but a mere Refining Cultivator. What status is there to speak of?"

"I have to ask, Fellow Daoist, for what reason were you looking for me?"

Hou Shengyun gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I was asked by someone to…"

Before he could finish, he saw Li Changfeng calmly raise two fingers and form a sword seal.

'Those who show up unannounced rarely come in peace.' Having roamed the Profound Yellow World for twenty or thirty years, Li Changfeng had witnessed all the twists and turns of the human heart. How could he fail to discern Hou Shengyun's intentions?

He was a Sword Cultivator, after all, and not one to lack decisiveness. So, before another word could be spoken, he launched a preemptive strike.

With a sudden, sharp ringing, the Moon Shadow Sword unleashed a thirty-foot-long blast of Sword Qi. It was so fast it seemed to be on the verge of breaking the sound barrier, creating a thunderous boom as it closed in on Hou Shengyun in the blink of an eye.

Hou Shengyun's brow twitched. 'This Li Changfeng isn't half bad. For a Refining Cultivator, his abilities are quite polished. But compared to a Golden Core Cultivator… he's still sorely lacking.'

Sighing softly, Hou Shengyun looked up, and two beams of fire suddenly shot from his eyes, striking the Moon Shadow Sword and instantly sending it flying. He then raised a hand to form a Dharma Seal, and a deafening CRACKLE and POP immediately followed!

Sparks flew from the great cauldron on Hou Shengyun's back amid billowing black smoke. Then, balls of bright flame shot into the air, coalescing into fiery, humanoid figures that swooped down to attack!

'A Golden Core Cultivator! Are those the Five Fire Magical Soldiers?' Li Changfeng's gaze hardened. Though his mind was racing, his hands moved without a hint of hesitation. He directed the Moon Shadow Sword to circle once in the air, and with a slight shimmer, its light split into four copies, each one flying toward a different Five Fire Magical Soldier.

This wasn't his Separation and Reunion Swordsmanship, but a genuine light-splitting technique he had finally comprehended after years of arduous practice. Even so, against the arts of a Golden Core Cultivator, he was struggling to hold his ground. Several of the Five Fire Magical Soldiers were not intercepted by his flying swords and continued their deadly descent.

He frowned, preparing to draw a Magical Artifact to deal with them, when the woman behind him suddenly spoke in a soft voice, "Li Lang, why don't you let me handle this?"

Li Changfeng didn't hesitate. "Jin'Er, this man is powerful. We'll fight him together."

Hearing this, Jin'Er gave a sweet smile. She raised a sleeve, and with her fair hand, she seemed to pluck a single drop of water from the air before flicking it forward.

POOF!

The droplet struck one of the Five Fire Magical Soldiers, and it was as if a torrential downpour had been unleashed. A plume of dense smoke erupted as the flames were instantly doused, and the magical soldier was destroyed.

"What?" Hou Shengyun's brow furrowed slightly. 'I can't believe it. My Five Fire Magical Soldiers, which I worked so hard to refine, are this fragile?'

What he hadn't expected was that Jin'Er could conjure these droplets so effortlessly. With a continuous series of flicks, she destroyed half of his magical soldiers in the blink of an eye. Hou Shengyun had no time to feel the sting of his loss; he hurriedly invoked the magic formula to recall them.

"Well done, Jin'Er!" Li Changfeng was overjoyed to see her accomplish so much with her first move. With a great shout, he merged the four sword lights back into one, directing a massive beam of light, now dozens of feet long, to slash mercilessly at Hou Shengyun.

Jin'Er followed suit, shifting the aim of her fair hand. No longer pursuing the Five Fire Magical Soldiers, she sent a handful of water droplets raining down upon Hou Shengyun.

With a mere thought, Hou Shengyun sent his remaining Five Fire Magical Soldiers to intercept Li Changfeng's sword light and paid them no further mind. He fixed his gaze on the handful of water droplets, grabbed a fistful of Fire Talismans, and stuffed them into his mouth. He chewed them once, then spat, unleashing a Fire Dragon.

Though he had performed this art in haste, the Fire Talismans had bolstered it, making its flames far more intense than those of his Five Fire Magical Soldiers. But when the water droplets struck it, the result was exactly the same.