Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 748 Sweeping Through the Merfolk, Crippled Wei Henian (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
With a crisp "crack," the barrier shattered, but the sword's momentum remained undiminished, heading straight for Wei Henian's back.

"Li Yunjing, do you intend to exterminate them all?"

Wei Henian was startled to feel a sharp, bone-chilling wind behind him. In a hurry, he turned around and slapped the spine of the sword with his palm.

The moment his palm collided with the sword's spine, he felt a surge of violent Five Elements power explode through his arm. As his blood and qi surged, the trajectory of his "Blood Escape Technique" was abruptly interrupted. He staggered out of the black mist and landed on another coral reef a hundred feet away.

"Nine Netherworld Immortal, deal with those merfolk!"

Before Li Yunjing could finish speaking, he had already transformed into a streak of purple lightning and chased after him.

"Just leave it to me."

Nine Netherworld True Man sneered, and the ghostly shadows on the bone banner surged once more, like an inky tide rushing towards the Merfolk.

Those ghostly figures devoured the essence of living beings, which was perfect for suppressing the mermaids' supernatural powers based on blood and qi. In just a short while, dozens of mermaids were devoured by the ghostly figures, and screams of agony rose and fell.

"Yunyi, Ruoxi, Qi'er, hurry and heal the Supreme Elder Lei Jie!"

Li Yunjing shouted as he chased after Wei Henian.

"understand!"

Yu Yunyi and the other two responded to the call and moved like swallows, skimming across the battlefield and landing next to Elder Lei Jie.

At this moment, the Supreme Elder of Thunder Tribulation was completely exhausted. The Purple Lightning Barrier had completely dissipated, and his Taoist robe was tattered and corroded by the blood mist. His primordial spirit was extremely weak.

Lu Ruoxi hurriedly took out healing pills and fed them to him to stabilize the injuries of this Supreme Elder.

Meanwhile, Li Yunjing was only a few dozen miles away from Wei Henian.

"Li Yunjing!"

"You beast! I never thought you'd actually come out alive after going to the 'Nine Netherworlds'!"

Holding the "White Bone Banner," Wei Henian's black and red mist condensed into countless sharp claws around him, frantically grabbing at Li Yunjing.

He had no way out at this moment, and a hint of madness ignited in his eyes.

In recent years, since obtaining a demonic inheritance in the "Endless Mountains", Wei Henian has cultivated both the Dao and the demonic paths, making great progress in his cultivation. He is now a master at the seventh level of the Golden Core realm.

Moreover, the cultivation technique he practiced was extremely powerful, coupled with his outstanding talent, he was at the peak of the Golden Core realm, and even those half-step Nascent Soul realm experts might not be able to defeat him.

During Li Yunjing's absence, Wei Henian regained his footing in the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" through his own strength.

However, when news of Li Yunjing's return spread, Wei Henian's heart sank completely.

He knew that there was no hope of development within the "Shenxiao Dao Sect".

They then contacted the Merfolk and plotted in the South China Sea to kill some experts of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect," plunder their wealth, and prepare for their future cultivation.

Little did they expect that Li Yunjing would arrive before Lei Jie Zhenren was even dead.

This dashed all hope, and Wei Henian had only one thought at that moment: to flee.

"Wei Henian, you actually practiced demonic arts and betrayed your sect?"

Li Yunjing's swordplay became increasingly fierce, his golden aura cleaving through the sky, while his wood-attribute spiritual power transformed into vines that coiled around Wei Henian, sealing off his retreat route layer by layer. "Today is the day you atone for your sins!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly pointed his sword at the sky and chanted an ancient incantation.

In an instant, the dark clouds in the sky churned violently, and countless purple lightning bolts danced wildly like dragons and snakes, eventually condensing into a huge phantom of the Thunder Emperor behind him.

"Nine Heavens Thunderous Force, vanquishing evil!"

The phantom of the Thunder Emperor raised his hand and pointed, and a bolt of purple lightning that pierced through the heavens and earth crashed down, striking precisely the "White Bone Banner" in Wei Henian's hand.

The banner trembled violently, and the living souls on it roared as they turned to ashes. The aura of the "White Bone Banner" weakened at a visible speed.

"Do not……"

Wei Henian's eyes were bloodshot with rage. This "White Bone Banner" was an evil artifact that he had painstakingly repaired. Now that it was damaged, it was equivalent to the destruction of half of his cultivation.

"puff……"

Wei Henian suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood essence. The foul-smelling blood splashed onto the coral reef, but was instantly absorbed by the rocks, giving off an eerie red glow.

At this moment, he had no time to worry about the "White Bone Banner." He pressed his left hand firmly against his bleeding chest, grabbed the banner pole with his right hand, and poured the remaining spiritual power and blood essence into it.

"Blood Skull Secret Technique, Devour Ten Thousand Souls!"

He roared hoarsely, and the damaged "White Bone Banner" suddenly burst out with a blinding black light. The hundreds of remaining souls on the banner were forcibly activated, turning into twisted black shadows that pounced on Li Yunjing like maggots clinging to bones.

Although these living souls were not as ferocious as they were at their peak, their sheer number and their madness of mutual destruction temporarily slowed down Li Yunjing's pursuit.

"idiot."

Li Yunjing's eyes were icy cold as he formed hand seals, summoning the four guardian deities—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—around his body.

The dark figures crashed into the barrier like moths to a flame, and were instantly pulverized by the four guardian deities.

With that slight delay, Wei Henian had already used the "Blood Escape Technique" to travel three hundred miles.

Without even looking behind him, he threw the "white bone flagpole" towards a larger coral reef to the side.

There were still dozens of remaining merfolk there, being relentlessly pursued and driven back by the ghostly figure of the Nine Nether Immortal.

"Block them for me!"

Wei Henian's voice carried a hint of madness, "Stop him, and I'll grant you the cultivation methods of 'Blood Skull Island'!"

Those merfolk were already on the verge of despair, and upon hearing the words "Blood Skull Island Method," a hint of greed flashed in their eyes.

"Wei Henian, you'd better keep your word, or I'll haunt you even in death!"

The leading merman priest roared and raised his bone staff. The remaining members of his tribe rushed towards the white bone banner, using their own blood and essence as a catalyst to temporarily activate this evil artifact.

The dark red mist rose again, forming an even thicker barrier that stood in front of Li Yunjing.

"You're courting death." Li Yunjing snorted coldly, his figure not stopping. The "Yin Yang Five Elements Heavenly Evolution Sword" drew an arc in the air, the golden sharpness and the power of fire intertwined to form a blazing sun, which slammed fiercely into the barrier.

"Boom..."

The barrier shattered instantly, and the merfolk, along with the coral reef, were engulfed by the sea of ​​fire. Their screams abruptly ceased.

What Nascent Soul Realm cultivators are they? They have almost no power to resist Li Yunjing!
"Mom!"

Wei Henian was startled. Taking advantage of this brief respite, he spat out another mouthful of blood essence and fled nearly a thousand miles away, his figure almost merging into the blood-red twilight of the South China Sea.

He even went so far as to burn his lifespan, causing his originally jet-black hair to turn gray at a visible speed, and fine wrinkles to appear on his face, at an even faster pace.

"That beast Li Yunjing is too amazing."

Terrified, Wei Henian trembled with fear, his face filled with desperate madness. "I have spread the Blood Skull Island secret technique to the East Sea, the South Sea, the 'Endless Mountains,' and even the 'Nether Moon Kingdom.' Within a hundred years, the world will be in chaos! Even the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect' will not be able to protect this righteous glory!"

As he fled, he pulled out several black pills from his pocket and swallowed them without hesitation.

As soon as the pill entered his throat, his aura surged dramatically, his blood vessels bulged, and his skin turned a strange bluish-black. He had actually used a forbidden technique to forcibly enhance his cultivation.

"sucker Punch."

Li Yunjing's eyes grew increasingly fierce, lightning patterns flashed beneath his feet, and his speed suddenly increased. The merfolk cultivators blocking his way were almost swept away like dry leaves.

Before him, corpses rained down from mid-air and fell into the sea.

On the other side, Master Jiuyou was initially worried about Li Yunjing and wanted to come over to provide support.

However, after seeing Li Yunjing's performance, even this senior master was shocked and lost the will to provide assistance.

"Wei Henian, no matter how much trouble you wreak havoc on the world, I will quell it all."

Li Yunjing sneered, and with a swift movement, chased after the direction where Wei Henian had disappeared.

Wei Henian's figure staggered and flickered in the blood-red twilight, a metallic taste rising in his throat.

Those black pills were called "Blood Burning Pills." Although they could instantly boost one's cultivation level, the price was the gradual rupture of one's meridians.

At this moment, his skin was covered with spiderweb-like bloodstains, and each teleportation felt like countless steel needles were churning in his bone marrow. Yet, the purple lightning-like figure behind him followed him like a shadow, and even the sea breeze carried a suffocating pressure.

"Almost there...almost there..."

He gritted his teeth, his gaze fixed on a black island shrouded in thick fog ahead.

That was a remnant entrance to a secret realm on "Blood Skull Island," sealed by the righteous alliance three hundred years ago, but it was the last escape route recorded in the inheritance he accidentally obtained.

Once inside the secret realm, given the spatial turbulence within, even Li Yunjing wouldn't be able to find him easily!

When they were still fifty miles from the island, Wei Henian suddenly heard a sharp, tearing sound behind him.

He turned around abruptly and saw a five-colored sword aura tearing through the clouds, splitting even the dark red seawater in two. The azure dragon phantom within the sword aura roared and directly pierced through the last layer of defense he had laid with his blood essence.

"Pfft!"

The sword energy grazed his left shoulder, leaving a bloody mess.

Wei Henian screamed as he fell into the sea, the splashing water instantly frozen into ice by the violent demonic energy surrounding him.

Using the momentum of his fall, he slammed his right hand down onto the seabed, and a black and red array of patterns emerged from the sand.

This was a "bone-corroding array" he had set up in advance, based on the skeletons of ten thousand sea serpents, specifically designed to devour the primordial spirit of cultivators.

"Li Yunjing! Try this!"

He grinned maliciously as he activated the formation, and countless white bone snake shadows sprang out of the seawater, baring their fangs to bite at the pursuing Zidian.

"The mantis' arms are like a chariot!"

Li Yunjing frowned slightly, made a hand seal with his left hand, and the phantom of the Vermilion Bird behind him flapped its wings and flew high. Flames fell like a meteor shower, burning the white bone snake shadow to ashes.

But in that instant of pause, Wei Henian had already shot towards the black island like an arrow released from a bow, his fingertips even touching the cold rock wall at the entrance to the secret realm.

"Hahaha! You can't catch me!"

Wei Henian burst into wild laughter, but his laughter abruptly stopped!

His ankle was suddenly wrapped by a golden vine, and the lightning patterns flashing on the vine instantly spread all over his body, making him unable to move.

"what……"

Wei Henian let out a heart-wrenching scream. The golden vines around his ankles suddenly tightened, and lightning patterns shot up his calves like venomous snakes, leaving charred marks on his skin.

The vines were formed by Li Yunjing using wood-attribute spiritual power and infused with the domineering power of the Nine Heavens Thunder Gang. At this moment, they were locking his life force like steel clamps, making even the flow of his blood stagnate.

"Go away!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and his remaining rationality was completely shattered by his will to survive. His left hand suddenly transformed into a chop, slashing towards his right knee, severing half of his leg!

"Pfft..."

The veins there bulged like a spider web, and fresh blood gushed out, colliding violently with the lightning patterns on the vines, producing a sizzling burning sound.

"Blood Skull Island... Forbidden Technique... Body Severing!"

Taking advantage of this moment of loosening, Wei Henian mustered his last bit of strength. He was in so much pain that his vision went black, but he didn't even have time to groan. Using the recoil, he staggered forward and lunged toward the island.

"what?"

Li Yunjing, standing a hundred feet away, narrowed his eyes and made a hand seal again. Five beams of spiritual light condensed into a giant hand in front of him, ready to completely suppress and kill the traitor who was struggling in his death throes.

Looking at Wei Henian's miserable appearance with missing limbs, he felt a genuine sense of admiration.

Wei Henian is a real man!
Unfortunately, he went down the wrong path and became an enemy of himself and the "Shenxiao Dao Sect," which led to his death.

Li Yunjing had no intention of sparing his life out of pity.

But at that moment, Wei Henian had already pounced on the rock wall of the black island.

He stared at the crack in the rock face covered with skull runes.

The entrance to the secret realm is so close, yet it feels like a chasm of life and death separates us.

The giant hand behind him pressed down with the force to shatter mountains and split rocks, tearing his clothes to shreds and revealing his bloodied and mangled back.

"I can't die!"

Wei Henian let out a beast-like roar. Blood vessels burst throughout his body, spraying blood and turning him into a blood-soaked figure.

The splattered blood resonated with the runes on the rock wall, instantly widening the crack to over ten feet wide, from which a chilling suction force emanated.

"puff……"

The giant hand grazed his shoulder and fell, smashing half of the coral reef into dust.

Using the force of the impact, Wei Henian rolled into the crevice like a lump of mud.

The moment his body disappeared, the runes at the edge of the crack suddenly lit up and closed again, leaving only a faint bloodstain on the rock wall.

"Ok?"

Li Yunjing landed on the island, his brows furrowed as he looked at the tightly closed entrance to the secret realm.

As you run your fingertips across the rock wall, you can feel the chaotic spatial fluctuations within, as well as Wei Henian's faint but persistent aura.

"You think hiding in a secret realm will allow you to escape this calamity?"

He slowly tightened his grip on the "Yin Yang Five Elements Heavenly Evolution Sword," the blade flashing a cold light in the twilight: "The secret realm of Blood Skull Island... those that weren't completely wiped out before, I'll settle them all today."

The skull runes on the rock wall glowed with an eerie red light in the twilight. The lightning patterns on Li Yunjing's fingertips collided with the runes, sparking bursts of tiny electric lightning.

He could clearly feel that the space inside the secret realm was trembling at an extremely unstable frequency, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

That was the chaos caused by Wei Henian's forced intrusion while he was on the verge of death.

"Vice Sect Leader Li!"

The voice of True Person Jiuyou came from behind. She landed on the island with Yu Yunyi and the other two. Her gaze swept over the ravaged coral reef and finally settled on the closed crack. "Fellow Daoist Lei Jie is not in immediate danger, but his primordial spirit is severely damaged. He needs to return to the sect as soon as possible to recuperate."

Yu Yunyi stepped forward, her jade-like fingers lightly touching the rock wall, her brows slightly furrowed: "The spatial barrier of this secret realm is very peculiar, a mixture of the evil spells and restrictions of Blood Skull Island and natural spatial turbulence. Forcibly breaking through it may trigger a chain reaction."

"chain reaction?"

Li Yunjing glanced back at the direction where Elder Lei Jie was. The purple lightning aura there was weak but steadily rising. "Perfect, let the things inside taste the feeling of earth-shattering chaos."

He raised his hand and summoned back the "Yin Yang Five Elements Heavenly Evolution Sword". The tip of the sword drew a complex trajectory in front of the rock wall, and the five spiritual lights of metal, wood, water, fire and earth were injected into the gaps of the runes in turn.

The skull runes seemed to come alive, writhing wildly as they tried to devour the incoming spiritual energy, only to be scorched and crackled by the lightning power contained within the spiritual light.

"Even if we break through the secret realm, we probably won't have a chance to kill Wei Henian."

Nine Netherworld True Man suddenly spoke up, “I sense the power of spatial turbulence. Perhaps if we enter the secret realm, we will be randomly teleported away, and no one can stay here.”

"That'll be troublesome!"

In fact, Li Yunjing also sensed this spatial turbulence, and he knew that what Jiuyou Zhenren said was right.

But Li Yunjing was really unwilling to give up!
"Even if you're unwilling, you have to take a break."

Looking at the constantly flowing runes on the rock wall, True Man Jiuyou said in a solemn tone, "This secret realm is very strange. Back then, a True Monarch at the Nascent Soul stage said that there would be no opportunities here, but rather great trouble. That's why it was specially sealed to prevent anyone from entering."

The lightning at Li Yunjing's fingertips gradually subsided; he was well aware of the underlying reasons.

Wei Henian was already at his limit. Even if he survived in the secret realm by chance, he would only be barely clinging to life. However, Li Yunjing had a feeling that Wei Henian was not so easy to die. Once he saw the light of day again, the South China Sea and even the entire cultivation world would be engulfed in bloodshed.

"In that case, let's add a 'lock' to this secret realm."

He suddenly raised his hand and placed the Yin-Yang Five Elements Heavenly Evolution Sword horizontally in front of the rock wall. As the sword hummed, five rays of spiritual light seeped into the gaps in the runes along the blade. "This is the 'Five Elements Evil-Suppressing Talisman' of the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect'. It can monitor the movements of the secret realm and also temporarily suppress the evil energy inside."

As the last burst of spiritual energy fell, the skull runes on the rock wall were enveloped in a pale golden halo, and the eerie red light dimmed considerably, even slowing down the frequency of spatial tremors.

"Vice Sect Leader Li's skill in 'simultaneous cultivation of sword and talisman' has become increasingly refined."

A hint of approval flashed in the eyes of the Dan Ding Peak Master.

It turns out that the battle underwater had ended, and the six Nascent Soul Realm cultivators had returned safely.

Everyone gathered around to check on the island.

"The claim that Wei Henian spread evil arts and secret techniques is by no means untrue."

"Xuanwu Army, heed my command!"

Li Changfeng, you shall immediately lead thirty elite soldiers to make one hundred copies of the charges against Wei Henian for treason and colluding with the enemy, and for practicing demonic arts, and post them throughout the islands of the South China Sea and Wanghai City.

Li Yunjing's voice echoed across the sea, carrying an undeniable authority: "Anyone who can provide clues to its whereabouts will be rewarded with a thousand top-grade spirit stones; the one who captures it will be directly supported as an affiliated sect and family of the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect,' receiving all necessary support!"

"The last general takes command!"

Li Changfeng knelt on one knee, the black armor clanging together with a resounding clang.

A burning passion instantly ignited in the eyes of the Xuanwu Army soldiers.

To establish one's own sect, and with the support of the sect itself, is an immense reward.

Once this news gets out, it will probably shake the entire cultivation world.

I wonder how many people are trying to find Wei Henian's whereabouts and kick him while he's down.

Even those rogue cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage couldn't resist this temptation.

“Fellow Daoist Hailong, we will need to trouble your city to mobilize the navy to blockade all sea areas from Misty Bay to Black Reef Island.”

Li Yunjing then looked at the three True Immortals of Wanghai City. Although they looked tired, there was no sign of slackness in their eyes: "Wei Henian's body is too weak to stand. If he wants to escape from the secret realm, he will have to rely on a boat. This is our first line of defense."

"Don't worry, Vice Sect Leader Li."

Master Hailong cupped his hands in response, "Although the Wanghai City navy is not as elite as the 'Shenxiao Warship,' it is familiar with the South China Sea currents and will certainly not allow Wei Henian to set foot on land."

After arranging the external affairs, Li Yunjing's gaze returned to the closed secret realm rift.

The pale golden halo on the rock wall still swirled, yet one could faintly sense a chilling tremor emanating from below, as if something was awakening deep within the secret realm.

"Nine Netherworld Immortal!"

"Please stay here with Xiao Chenyu and Zhiqiao Zhenren to reinforce the seal with the 'Three Talents Exterminating Evil Formation'."

He said in a deep voice, "This formation requires three people to take turns presiding over it. If the halo changes color or the spatial tremors intensify, there is no need to ask for instructions. We must bombard it with thunderous force. We would rather collapse the secret realm than let anything inside come out."

"clear."

The Nine Netherworld Immortal nodded, and the bone banner spun gently in her hand. "The evil spirits that were not completely eradicated three hundred years ago can be buried here with this opportunity."

"The others escorted Master Lei Jie back to 'Wanghai City' to recuperate."

Li Yunjing continued to issue orders.

After everyone had received their orders and dispersed, only Li Yunjing, Jiuyou Zhenren, Xiao Chenyu, Zhiqiao Zhenren, and the silent black island remained on the sea.

Wei Henian's escape left him feeling resentful.

Li Yunjing stared at the entrance to the secret realm, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“Vice Sect Leader Li, Wei Henian is a minor matter. We can keep watch here. You should go back to the sect and attend to more important matters.”

Seeing that Li Yunjing was not leaving, Master Jiuyou laughed.

"I'm still truly resentful!"

Li Yunjing didn't mince words. Looking at the rock wall, he said coldly, "I feel that Wei Henian is a huge hidden danger."

"No way?"

Xiao Chenyu looked at Li Yunjing with surprise, seemingly not understanding why the seemingly invincible Li Yunjing would attach so much importance to Wei Henian.

“I am not being overly pessimistic, nor am I intolerant of Wei Henian.”

Li Yunjing scanned the three people and said seriously, "This person is not simple. Back then, Mo Wentian, the young master of the 'Heavenly Demon Sect,' plotted against me, helped Wei Henian defy fate, and stole my luck."

"what!"

Upon hearing this, Jiuyou Zhenren, Xiao Chenyu, and Zhiqiao Zhenren were all greatly surprised, their faces showing horror.

"Vice Sect Leader Li, will this matter affect you?"

Zhiqiao Zhenren was the first to express her concern.

"Yes!"

The other two also looked at Li Yunjing with concern.

This is the future hope of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect"!
If we are really tricked by that beast Wei Henian, then we really have to kill that beast!
"I'm fine!"

Li Yunjing shook his head and explained, "Fortunately, I discovered that my luck was dwindling. After some calculation, I realized that Mo Wentian had plotted against me."

"As long as it doesn't affect me, that's good!"

The three—Nine Netherworld Immortal, Xiao Chenyu, and Zhi Qiao Immortal—finally breathed a sigh of relief.

(End of this chapter)