Minglong

Chapter 246 As if Divinely Assisted (Revised)
Bu Yuehua didn't know what kind of spell it was, but she knew that it was not a power she could control. Even if she used the vast power of her soul to cast it, she was just being carried along. Her already injured little brain was almost blown up by the minute yet enormous details of the manipulation, which were comparable to the Milky Way. In the end, she could only give up and let her body carry her along.

Xie Jinhuan, unable to control the power of heaven and earth, naturally could not sense the strange changes in the power of heaven and earth. He only felt that the wind and snow were a bit chaotic. He did not respond to the sound, but instead, holding his spear, he suddenly transformed into a bolt of lightning and rushed towards Lü Yan in the center of the scorched earth, like a runaway dragon tearing through the snowfield!
Boom——

Lu Yan sensed the disorder in the power of heaven and earth and felt something was wrong, but he didn't retreat. He formed a fire seal with his left hand, and the Fire Command Token emitted a dazzling stream of light, condensing into over a hundred points of light in front of him. Then:
shhhhh--

The golden-red flames resembled shooting stars, leaving behind hundreds of trails of fire. From a distance, they looked like a rain of arrows fired from an arrow formation, but at a speed several times faster.

Whether it's lightning or fire magic, once a cultivator locks their position, it's almost impossible to avoid. Martial Demon Buddha can mostly only rely on protective supernatural powers to withstand it, but with Xie Jinhuan's cultivation level, he simply can't withstand the impact of his fire magic.

But as Lü Yan had expected, after the fireballs shot out several feet, he tried to control Xie Jinhuan, who was chasing and dodging. The fireballs, which were originally as dense as a rainstorm, instantly turned into a shower of flowers, scattering wildly in all directions, creating a series of booming sounds in the mountains and fields.
Boom boom boom boom——

The rocks shattered, and the pine wood turned to ashes.

Xie Jinhuan charged forward with his gun. Facing the flying stars, he initially wanted to dodge, but he found that the flying stars turned into Brownian motion bullets sweeping across the surrounding land, making it impossible to track their trajectory. He then switched to a full-speed thrust, with sparks flying around him. The closest bullets were only a few feet away, and he felt as if he were walking through a hail of bullets, but he was unstoppable!

Although Bu Yuehua seemed to have divine assistance, her current cultivation level was indeed lacking. Her Qi Sea was quickly drained, and she even felt a stinging sensation in her Qi Meridians. She could only interfere with the trajectory of Lü Yan's incantation and could not directly suppress the demon. At that moment, she maintained the incantation with her right hand and held a slender waist knife in her left hand, advancing alongside Xie Jinhuan.

Boom boom...

In the blink of an eye, two huge waves of snow-white light appeared in the raging fire-scorched mountains, like dragons and pythons wreaking havoc on the snow slopes, converging on the people below.

Lu Yan couldn't understand this supernatural power at all. Faced with the combined attack of the two, fearing that the Thousand-Mile Travel Spell might advance instead of retreating and flash right in their faces, he simply stood still. The Fire-Controlling Token in his hand manifested a phantom of a firebird circling around him, and then he formed hand seals:

"rise!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the surrounding snow melted instantly, and the deciduous forest that was revealed was scorched black in an instant, revealing eight golden-red fire lines that connected end to end and then rose up:

Huhu——

Xie Jinhuan charged forward with his spear, but before he could get close, he discovered a six-zhang-high wall of fire rising from the forest. Its scale was so large that it resembled a crimson city wall that stretched across the mountains and fields!
Then came the second page, the third page...

Boom boom boom...

In an instant, a giant octagonal cage formed around Lü Yan, turning the entire mountain area crimson.

Before the snowflakes and fallen leaves could even get close to the wall of fire, they turned into water vapor and ashes under the intense heat.

Xie Jinhuan was still dozens of feet away when he felt suffocated by the overwhelming heat wave. His eyes were filled with surprise and doubt. He did not expect that even though Lü Yan was seriously injured and interfered with, he could still show such exaggerated power with just his own Qi Sea.

Seeing that there was no way to advance any further, he dragged his spear and circled the octagonal cage at lightning speed, only to find that there was no opening at all.

Lü Yan harnessed the ever-changing power of heaven and earth around him, choosing to defend and wait for the two to approach. Upon discovering that Xie Jinhuan dared not charge, he couldn't help but sneer.
"You think a mere unorthodox spell can contend with me? Now let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve!"

Boom boom boom——

As he spoke, Lü Yan cast a fire spell, and the Fire Command once again unleashed countless flying stars, covering the surrounding mountains and fields like a swarm of locusts.

Although it was darting around wildly and couldn't hit anything accurately, Lü Yan transformed into a human cannon machine, relying on his Qi Sea to indiscriminately unleash firepower. Without the protection of the Yin-Yang Ruler, Xie Jinhuan would have his body burned by the blazing true fire with just a graze, which also brought unparalleled suppression.

Xie Jinhuan frantically searched outside the Eight Gates Burning Formation, unable to find a way to break through, and finally understood why Xu Guanfu and Yan Lang had been killed.

The blazing true fire is inherently unreasonable, and the Fire Commander's name alone suggests it's a fire-controlling artifact with a range bonus. Combined with the Taoist cultivation of Lü Yan, the second-in-command of the Daoist sect, the combination creates an invincible fire hedgehog. Martial artists can only take hits from a distance, and those who want to get close must first cross the sea of ​​fire.

If he could still use the Thousand Mile Divine Travel Spell, then no one could stop him.

Is this the power of the second-in-command of the divination faction...?

Xie Jinhuan realized he couldn't get in, and glanced out of the corner of his eye at someone who was also circling around, searching for a way to break through the defenses.

Bu Yuehua was a seasoned veteran of the martial world, having heard of the most powerful secret techniques of various schools. She knew that the Eight Gates Burning Formation had a gate of life, allowing teammates to enter or the practitioner to retreat. Moreover, the Eight Gates Burning Formation did not move with the cultivator.

Therefore, the simplest way to break this is to feign defeat and flee, lure Lü Yan out, and then leave directly if he doesn't come out.

Bu Yuehua originally intended to retreat with Xie Jinhuan, but her mind and body seemed to have other ideas. For some reason, a piece of information she had seen somewhere flashed through her mind, and she blurted out a question:

"Is your father Lü Baoqing?"

"?"

Lu Yan is the head of the Five Spirits Mountain Sect. His master is the previous head of the sect. His biological father was a sword-bearing young Taoist boy who served Huang Lin, one of the "Three Immortals of the Northern Territory." He was unknown in terms of both his Taoist cultivation and reputation, and had been dead for fifty or sixty years. His memory of him was already very vague.

Upon suddenly hearing his biological father's name, Lü Yan was taken aback. He subconsciously looked at the woman's face as she sped away, trying to see if she was someone he knew. As a result, he made a grave mistake!

The moment their eyes met, the witch with the sword flashed a strange red light in her peach-red eyes!
Then, an indescribable shock to the soul struck deep into the mind through the eyes, causing the surrounding world to turn into polar night instantly, and the body plummeted into the deepest abyss, where it saw the scene of learning martial arts with its parents on Mount Wuling when it was young...

hiss--?!

Lu Yan realized he had been hit by the Chaotic Illusion Spell, and his expression changed drastically. He immediately used the Tranquility Mantra to dispel it, but it was too late!
Xie Jinhuan and Bu Yuehua advanced side by side. As Lü Yan was stunned, the surrounding fire wall collapsed instantly, and even the Fire Edict Token hanging beside him fell from the sky.

Boom boom——

Xie Jinhuan seized the opportunity and launched two consecutive Black Dragon Strike Pillar attacks, shattering the still-burning flames. His second attack was already in front of Lü Yan!
Lu Yan was momentarily distracted, and two peak martial artists had already closed to within seven steps. He was terrified, but his combat skills were astonishing. He pulled up the fallen Fire Edict Token again and used it to block the indestructible spearhead, while his whole body trembled violently.

"Leave!"

Boom——

A monstrous heatwave erupted from the yellow and black Taoist robe, as if a thunderbolt had exploded inside the body.

The ring of fire blasted across the area, instantly creating a crater two zhang in diameter around it!

Xie Jinhuan thrust his spear with all his might into the Fire Order, but it failed to penetrate even a fraction of the way. The burst of energy was also shattered by the backlash from the Flame Sparrow, and the force returned, tearing his robes and cloak to shreds and burning them through. However, his figure remained as solid as a dragon rooted to the ground, unmoving!

Bu Yuehua initially thought the 'Flaming Sparrow Counterattack' move was flawless, but then she had a sudden inspiration and used the 'Neurotic Blade' move. Her body moved like a fish swimming close to the ground, and she slid through the counterattack fire ring with a single blade, then slashed at Lü Yan's waist and abdomen. Her movements were so smooth that she didn't even have time to react.

Sa——

Lu Yan had no idea that this witch not only knew who his father was, but also knew how to break the secret divine power of the Five Spirits Mountain, and that her methods were so swift. Faced with the situation where he was already surrounded by swords and spears, he could only use the Ten Thousand Mile Divine Travel Spell to create distance.

Sa——

However, the surrounding world was in chaos. Lü Yan made a hand seal and moved backward. As soon as he flashed out, he began to spin in mid-air and was no longer under control.

The witch wielding the knife seemed to be able to discern the trajectory of the chaotic world, following him like a shadow until she caught up to his side, slashing his neck with a backhand strike, with Xie Jinhuan close behind.

Seeing that he was completely on the defensive, Lü Yan knew he was really in trouble. He immediately gritted his teeth, made a hand seal, gathered his energy, and his Taoist robe bulged. All the surrounding energy was drawn back to the Fire Command.

call--

In an instant, the Fire Order surrounding him turned a dazzling golden-red, and the phantom of the firebird expanded, cracking into patterns!
? !
Bu Yuehua's expression changed drastically, and almost before Lü Yan could make a move, she had already pulled back her sword at full speed and grabbed Xie Jinhuan, who was advancing alongside her.

Xie Jinhuan was startled to discover that this mad Taoist priest had unleashed a deadly move called "Heaven and Earth Coexisting" without a word. He immediately used the "Panlong Henggang" technique to protect his limbs and bones, and the next instant was:
Boom——

Blinding flames erupted in the mountains and fields, rising directly into a fiery red mushroom cloud!

Xie Jinhuan felt the whole world turn blazing white. The ground beneath his feet was torn into pieces by the irresistible impact. His body's energy was scattered, his lungs trembled violently, his heart stopped for a moment, and even his soul seemed to be shaken out of his body by the roar. He turned into a black line and flew into the depths of the mountains with the shock wave.

Lu Yan forced the two back and did not increase the destructive power, but this move was used to fight to the death, and he was not unharmed. With a roar, he was also sent flying in the opposite direction, crashed on the snow, bounced twice, and then flipped up again.

Rumbling--

The mushroom cloud billowed upwards, and the shockwave instantly tore away the snow cover for two miles around.

He Can and the others, who were far away on the mountain ridge, could see a shockwave that appeared in the mountains and fields, sweeping away the surrounding snow and forests. A moment later, the roar exploded in their ears. The power of the shockwave made the seven of them tremble with fear!

After the smoke and fire subsided, a sinkhole with a diameter of more than ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) appeared on the snow-capped mountain.

The three people who were fighting had disappeared without a trace.

Lu Yan forced the two back, and the old injuries he suffered in Fire Phoenix Valley could no longer be suppressed, his face turning red.

Realizing that Xie Jinhuan was too strange and that he wouldn't gain much advantage under the woman's interference, and might even perish here, Lü Yan got up and flew away, while quickly scanning the snowfield behind him to avoid being ambushed by these two strange martial artists.

But amidst the devastation of the snow-covered mountains, there was no trace of the two figures; only the blizzard gradually subsided. "They escaped?"

Lu Yan was taken aback, but upon reflection, it made sense. Xie Jinhuan wouldn't gain anything from beating him, and he might even be besieged by the reinforcements from other states. Since he had managed to escape, he would definitely flee back to the Southern Dynasty quickly, rather than chasing after him to the death.

Thinking of this, Lü Yan considered giving chase, but the 'Chaos of Heaven and Earth Curse' he had just witnessed was truly bizarre, and the woman had thoroughly mastered all the techniques of Five Spirit Mountain. Chasing her alone would be too risky. Therefore, he raised his hand to retract the Fire-Controlling Token, preparing to flee immediately, but…

Lu Yan raised his hand to control it, but found nothing flew back into his hand. He looked around, then looked behind him...

Where is the imperial edict for the fire?!
Lu Yan had always used the art of manipulating objects to keep the Fire Order Token hovering three feet around him. Just now, he channeled all his energy into the Fire Order Token to create an impact. Although he was also blasted away, having lived for eighty years, even if he were knocked unconscious, he would have pulled the Fire Order Token back at the same time. How could it not be in front of him...

Could it be that the chaotic power of heaven and earth interfered with the pull back, and the pull back failed...?

All three were blasted away, and the Fire Order remained uncontrolled at the epicenter of the explosion...

Thinking of this, Lü Yan flew back like a madman. With just one Thousand Mile Divine Speed ​​Spell, he flashed to the center of the sinkhole. He looked around carefully, dug at the soil, and looked up at the sky. But the family heirloom that he had kept with him for many years was completely gone...

Could he have been blown away...?

That's impossible. The impact is centered around the Fire Edict; it won't move without external intervention...

Lu Yan's face paled, and disregarding his injuries, he leaped into the air and searched everywhere on the snowy mountain, trying to find the family heirloom. He even disregarded the ambush he was being ambushed by Xie Jinhuan.

But there was nothing on the snow-capped mountain. It seemed that when the explosion occurred, he instinctively drew the Fire Order, but the other party was not stunned by the explosion. Instead, they used a secret technique to sever the connection between him and the Fire Order, thus taking the initiative and moving the Fire Order away...

How can this be? !
Lu Yan himself was stunned for a moment by the explosion, completely unable to believe that two opponents whose cultivation was inferior to his could have such powerful souls that they could still manipulate the power of heaven and earth to unravel his magic weapon without anyone noticing under such an impact. Even his senior brother, the sect leader, didn't have this ability...

Could it be a ghost...?

Lu Yan frantically searched the soil, but found no trace of the Fire Edict Token. His face gradually turned pale. After a moment's thought, he sped off southward like a whirlwind.

"You cunning brat! Stop right there!"

The reason for chasing south was that Xie Jinhuan had just killed the leader of the Lishan Sect, resisted law enforcement and beat him, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and also stole the Taoist inheritance. This was equivalent to slapping the righteous path in the north three times!

If he doesn't run back now, and the heroes of the Divination Sect and even the righteous warriors of the martial world arrive after hearing the news, Xie Jinhuan will surely be torn to pieces by the enraged northern cultivators.

If the Imperial Edict for Fire were to fall into the hands of the Southern Dynasty, it would be impossible to get it back.

Therefore, Lü Yan risked his life to pursue Xie Jinhuan southward. Even if he didn't catch him, he had to stop Xie Jinhuan outside Shanhe Pass...

……

Meanwhile, on a distant mountain ridge.

He Can carefully observed with his telescope, and only when the earth-shattering dust gradually dissipated and a fiery meteor flew south did his tense heartstrings relax a little:
"it's over?"

Zhang Chu had no idea what had happened, and now he frowned as he examined the situation:

"It looks like the fight is over."

Seeing the scene of Xie Laomo chasing and beating Lü Yan, He Canguang felt that Xie Laomo shouldn't die so easily, so he asked again:
What other tricks do they have up their sleeves?

Chu Xing never imagined that Xie Jinhuan and a wizard could escape unscathed from such a series of deadly traps. Even Lü Yan couldn't handle the situation, so he couldn't expect the sect leader to come personally. He could only look at He Can with suspicion in his eyes.
"Are you sure you survived two of Xie Jinhuan's deadly attacks and were chased to his lair several times?"

He Can shrugged slightly: "Is there a problem?"

"This is a big problem!"

Chu Xing gestured towards the distant battlefield:
"Look at yourself. With your meager skills, do you think you can survive even one move from this kid? Now that you're fully healthy, either you're just making things up and haven't explained your past clearly, or you're a spy deliberately planted by Xie Jinhuan to provide him with intelligence..."

He Can's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this:

“I was orphaned after being killed by the gang's young master. Everyone I knew and didn't know died at his hands. Only that damned Zhang Chu survived. You suspect me of colluding with the righteous path?”

Zhang Chu felt he was about to be interrogated using ancient methods again, and quickly said:

"We're really lucky, and Xie Jinhuan is fast; his cultivation level isn't that high in Luoyang yet..."

Chu Xing didn't believe a word of it, but this failure really had nothing to do with those two jinxes. His only response was:

"Keep these things and explain them to the higher-ups, see if they believe you. As for Xie Jinhuan, the higher-ups have already calculated the possibility of him making a mistake. Now that he has killed Li Huaichuan for no reason and refused to be arrested and injured the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, he has no way to survive in Northern Zhou and can only flee south. Lü Yan has already gone south to chase after him, and the Divination Faction and even the heroes from all directions will surely go to Shanhe Pass to intercept him. There is no way he can return to the Southern Dynasty alive."

He Can felt that the northerners were quite capable; even if they couldn't kill Xie Jinhuan, they would make sure Xie Jinhuan incurred public wrath, making it impossible for him to move an inch and establish himself in the north. He nodded slightly.

"I heard that Xie Jinhuan is Empress Guo's favorite. If Xie Jinhuan does the opposite and runs to Yanjing..."

Chu Xing shook his head: "You believe this rumor? Xie Jinhuan is a quintessential loyalist of the Southern Dynasty. To say he's a spy for the Northern Zhou and a confidant of Empress Dowager Guo is less accurate than saying I'm a righteous undercover agent. Even if he really did run to Yanjing and resolved the situation, it doesn't matter. I left some 'clues' in the mine that are closely related to that witch from earlier. They will definitely investigate Empress Dowager Guo. This can be considered as using one tiger to devour another."

He Can frowned: "Aren't you afraid that Xie Jinhuan is really Empress Guo's lover?"

"If that's true, then it's going to be a huge mess. Xie Jinhuan is regarded as half a son-in-law by the Southern Dynasty emperor and as the future successor by the Daoist sect, but it turns out he's actually a confidant of the Northern Zhou Empress Dowager. This is enough to make the Southern Dynasty break down its defenses. If the Northern Zhou doesn't kill Xie Jinhuan then, the Southern Dynasty won't be able to tolerate him either. In any case, Xie Jinhuan will have to offend one side, so he won't have an easy time either way."

"..."

He Can pondered it carefully and realized that it was indeed the case. He was now genuinely curious about how Xie Jinhuan would break this deadlock.

Seeing that the ambush had completely failed, Chu Xing dared not linger any longer. He pulled the two Southern Dynasty spies, who were bound by chains, and slid down the ridge.

……

The commotion in Jianchuan was so great that there were actually more than just one group of people watching from afar.

Dozens of miles away, on another mountain peak.

Three constables dressed in green robes carefully lay prone in the snow, using binoculars to observe the movements in the snow-covered mountains.

Shen Cang, a renowned constable in the Ministry of Justice with a gold badge at his waist, had seen his share of storms in his twenty years of service, but this level of confrontation was truly unprecedented for him. Fearing being caught in the crossfire, he didn't dare to breathe loudly from beginning to end. Only after the roaring sound subsided did he whisper:

"These two thieves are of unknown origin and possess extraordinary abilities. We would die if we encountered them; we have no way to deal with them. We must immediately notify the capital and have the High Priest handle the matter..."

Beside her, a spirited female constable with her hair in many small braids, a horse-slaying sword lay beside her, her eyes gleaming with a thirst for battle:

"This man just killed Li Huaichuan, who was in charge of Lizhou, and severely injured the old immortal Lü of Wuling Mountain. If we can capture him, won't we be promoted three ranks?"

"Huh? Us?"

Upon hearing this, the deputy, Old Wang, was at a loss for words and helplessly said:

"Judging from the fight just now, one of the two bandits is definitely a top-ranking officer, and the other is also an incredibly powerful bandit. If the three of us in blue-robed detectives can capture and bring these two to justice, we won't just get promoted three ranks. Lord Shen can directly become a commander, and I, Old Wang, will become the deputy commander. As for you, you can forget about joining the Phoenix Guard; you'll be promoted in one step and become the Empress Dowager's right-hand man, a double-flowered red stick of the Heavenly Pavilion..."

Jiang Xian's eyes lit up, sparkling with excitement: "Really?!"

Shen Cang sighed softly, "If I could catch a top-ranking bandit, even being the Commander of the Ministry of Justice would be a waste of my talent. I should be the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, on par with Lü Yan. But the difference between first-rank and top-rank is like the difference between immortals and mortals. Without that ability, thinking about such things is tantamount to courting death. Xiao Biao, you are still young. In the future, remember to be steady and restrained in your actions. If I had let you search Jianchuan alone today, something would definitely have gone wrong... Eh?"

As Shen Cang spoke, he put away his binoculars and looked to his side, only to find a snow pit nearby, with no trace of the little girl with braids. Meanwhile, he heard a sound from the other side:

"Hey?! My goodness, Xiao Biao! Come back here!"

Looking over, he saw that his deputy, Old Wang, was pale-faced and jumped up to chase after them down the hillside. Half a mile away, a girl with the body of a snow leopard was galloping at full speed with a horse-slaying saber in her hand. Her eyes were filled with only the desire for merit, and she did not hear the dissuasion from behind.

"Oh my god..."

Shen Cang was stunned. He hadn't expected this little tiger cub to dare chase even a top-tier bandit. He immediately drew his knife and gave chase, but afraid of alerting the bandits, he didn't dare to make a loud noise. He could only shout in a low voice, his neck veins bulging.

"Xiao Biao~ Are you crazy...?"

Wow…

In the blink of an eye, the three of them had already rushed to the mountaintop and were chasing after Lizhou City...

(End of this chapter)