"Xinghuo, take your men and fall back!"
It was his Great-Uncle, Li Kuangren!
This Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars Formation was a Profound-rank technique that Feng Qingyang had gifted to Li Kuangren many years ago in the Azure Cloud Region.
Back then, he had used it to slaughter all before him in the Azure Cloud Martial Pavilion. Now, his mastery of the formation had reached a transcendent level.
As the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars Formation, another formation arose. Fiend Qi rose from the earth and poured into the bodies of the thirty-six swords, actually managing to block a strike from the Green Lotus Supreme Elder!
Pfft!
And there, one could see him: the Li Kuangren of this moment, now sitting upon the throne formed of iron swords!
But as his formations fully manifested, the Green Lotus Supreme Elder's single sword strike shattered them all.
Li Kuangren, still on his iron throne, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. He clenched his jaw, not daring to remain within the Divinity Transformation Domain a moment longer.
"Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars Formation, swords out—detonate!"
Dharma Treasures and Spirit Artifacts flew from his storage ring, reforming the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars Sword Formation, only to self-destruct within the Supreme Elder's Domain.
Riding the force of the blast, the iron throne shot backward, and Li Kuangren escaped the Divinity Transformation Domain!
But even so, he had more than enough to be proud of. How many other Nascent Soul cultivators in the world could break into a Divinity Transformation Domain, block a strike from the expert within, and save someone in the process?
As Li Kuangren and Li Xinghuo made their escape, the rotting corpse began to frantically bombard the Supreme Elder's formation.
Having escaped with his life, Li Xinghuo led the battered remnants of his army—now numbering less than a hundred—and retreated to a dark house one mile away.
When Li Xinghuo looked at his Great-Uncle, he was stunned.
"Great-Uncle, you…"
The two of them, grand-uncle and grand-nephew, were in a wretched state.
Li Xinghuo's left arm had been severed by the aftershocks of the sword Qi, and though he had sealed the wound, he was still covered in blood.
Li Kuangren had exhausted ninety percent of his spiritual power; his face was pale, and he was still coughing up blood as he sat on his throne.
In truth, they rarely saw each other within the family.
Li Xinghuo spent his years on the battlefields of the Northern Border, while Li Kuangren was busy managing the affairs of Hundred Treasures Mountain.
Both were overwhelmingly busy, and even when they did meet, it was only to ask after each other's well-being.
Li Xinghuo, in particular, accustomed to killing on the battlefield, had become very taciturn. And Li Kuangren, after the 'Caged Bird' incident, had simply become melancholic.
Now, Li Kuangren saw Li Xinghuo pointing at him.
He wiped the blood from his mouth and asked in confusion, "What is it? This is all your Great-Uncle is capable of. Trying to charge back into that sword cultivator's Domain is impossible now. With that rotting corpse keeping him busy, we can just let our Azure Cloud forces grind him down."
As he spoke, Li Kuangren gave a bitter smile.
"You kid, you really have a death wish. You should have pulled back the moment you broke the formation. I know you're used to killing enemies on the battlefield, but it's different on our home turf.
We have plenty of people to deal with these opponents.
Gu Yinming can handle that Divinity Transformation expert, and I can fight the Green Lotus Sect disciples. It wouldn't have mattered if it took more time…"
But Li Xinghuo ignored Li Kuangren's lecture. He pointed at his Great-Uncle's throne. "Great-Uncle, you… You're sitting on the throne again. And in your hand… you're holding a sword!"
"And…"
"Look around you!"
Upon hearing this, Li Kuangren was also stunned for a moment. As if hit by a Body-Freezing technique, he moved his head with difficulty, staring in astonishment at the sword in his hand.
A cold sensation spread from his palm up his arm. He sat upon the iron throne, and it felt as if metal was pulsing in his very blood.
The surroundings felt dim and confining.
It was just like the endless night on Qilin Mountain, trapped in a cold cage where the darkness and the fear seemed to have no end.
He had never dared to face these feelings again.
But now…
After a long, long moment, Li Kuangren finally snapped out of his daze. His body trembled, yet he gripped the sword in his hand with all his might. His left hand caressed the cold throne.
His eyes grew brighter and brighter.
The endless night was passing.
In Lin Wudao's courtyard on Qilin Mountain, the first light of dawn seemed to rise. A terrified caged bird poked its head through a gap in its bars and, with great difficulty, pecked open the lock.
Facing the rising sun, it soared clumsily into the air and let out a cry of pure joy.
What it saw was no longer the night; what it touched was no longer the cold cage.
It flew over high mountains, wove through the branches of the jungle, and stopped to drink by a ceaselessly flowing river before soaring off to parts unknown!
At this moment, the shackles on Li Kuangren's body were dissipating, bit by bit.
He could clearly feel everything before his eyes, becoming sharper and clearer.
Huu.
Li Kuangren let out a long breath and looked at Li Xinghuo.
"Great-Uncle!"
Li Xinghuo was overjoyed for Li Kuangren.
The clansmen had never spoken of it over the years, but every one of them knew about their Great-Uncle's affliction.
He had always been cold and distant, but they all knew that he would light bright lamps before night had even fallen, that all the furniture in his home was made of wood, and that he had never again held his longsword.
But now, he had finally seen him—the powerful Great-Uncle his Great-Aunt had always spoken of!
Just as Li Xinghuo was about to celebrate, Li Kuangren's expression turned stern.
He silently sheathed the iron sword and continued his reprimand.
"You brat, you listen to me and remember this clearly. I don't want you making this kind of mistake ever again! You are a general on the battlefield and an assassin. You must remain vigilant at all times. Your life is always the most important thing, you remember that…"
The nagging went on and on.
Li Xinghuo's face darkened as he lowered his head to endure the scolding.
Here he was, a man over two hundred years old, being lectured like a grandson… though he was indeed of the grandson generation.
Oh, heavens above, Old Ancestor, please save me!
After a moment's thought, Li Xinghuo simply clutched the wound on his severed arm, closed his eyes, and fell back stiffly onto the ground.
"Xinghuo!"
Li Kuangren's expression changed. He hurriedly descended from his throne and sensed that while Li Xinghuo's aura was in disarray, his life was not in danger.
Finally breathing a sigh of relief, he quickly picked up his grand-nephew and went to find a physician.
All around them, the Azure Cloud forces were still locked in a bitter battle with the Green Lotus disciples, while Gu Yinming's thousands of vengeful spirits, his Myriad Demon Tongues, and his rotting corpse engaged the enemy.
The sky was filled with the bombardment of spiritual power, as brilliant as fireworks.
Carrying the unconscious Li Xinghuo, Li Kuangren walked out of the Green Lotus Sect.
He raised his head to the sky and took a deep breath of fresh air, a sensation he hadn't felt in many, many years.
---
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