A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 231 Entering the City

A sharp, powerful magical force emanated from Liu Yongxi's fingers, instantly turning his rosy fingertips snow-white, his nails gleaming silver, leaving a trail of silvery-white afterimages in the air as he reached out to grab something.

Before Dai Zong could dodge, Shi Xiu, who was carrying him on his back, suddenly punched him.

This punch was delivered with force at close range, and there were several old scars on the fist, traces left by Shi Xiu in the battles of yesteryear. His body, still recovering from serious injuries, only added to the heroic and cruel aura of this punch!

The turbid air, like a dark red flame, enveloped the fist and struck Liu Yongxi's palm with a loud bang.

Liu Yongxi's arm swayed slightly, and a few carefully groomed strands of his beard were blown by the wind from his punch, causing his crane cloak to flutter.

Dai Zong and Shi Xiu were thrown backward and tumbled out in mid-air.

Their bodies left a long trail in the vast fog. Dai Zong straightened his back, his legs churning in the mist to steady himself, and then, carrying Shi Xiu on his back, fled in the exact opposite direction.

But they hadn't gone far when they saw Liu Yongxi's figure again at the end of the fog.

This Liu Yongxi, known as the True Man Who Guides the Cool Dharma Realm, possesses pure immortal cultivation. His knowledge of Taoist formations, such as the Eight Gates of Life and Death, the Nine Palaces Flying Stars, and the Qimen Dunjia, complements his skills. Those stalagmites are the stakes he uses to set up his formations.

Once the stalagmite formation is set up, even a charge of thousands of elite cavalry will be unknowingly disoriented and lose their way.

Although Dai Zong's Divine Speed ​​Technique is powerful, once his surroundings have been subtly altered, no matter how fast he runs, he is simply handing himself over to the enemy.

Shi Xiu, leaning on Dai Zong's shoulder, his mouth and nose dripping blood that soaked Dai Zong's right shoulder, mumbled, "Didn't the chief give you a small drum?"

"In my arms."

Dai Zong said hurriedly, "But last time we escaped with the help of a sword, at least we knew the direction. This time, no matter where we go, it's like we're getting closer to that Taoist Liu. Xiao Gu only has one chance. If we use it at the wrong time, we'll be completely doomed."

Shi Xiu's voice was low but her tone was very calm as she said, "If you don't use it now, you'll never have another chance. This time, don't change direction; just go straight forward."

"The saying goes, 'Though snake venom is potent and can kill easily, there is always an antidote within ten steps.' I've heard that Taoist magic must follow the laws of nature. The place where Liu Yongxi is might be a flaw in the formation. Let's try to sneak past Liu the Taoist when the drum sounds!"

Dai Zong's heart skipped a beat. How fierce was that Taoist Liu? Just look at that grab just now, even a scratch on the neck from his fingernail would probably kill him, yet he was trying to get past him...

But after Shi Xiu finished speaking, he fell silent. Dai Zong noticed that the area of ​​bloodstains on his shoulder was getting larger and larger, and finally dared not delay any longer. He gritted his teeth, took out the small drum, silently recited the incantation, and accelerated the speed of the Divine Travel Technique again.

The small drum, originally only the size of a baby's fist, seemed to be stimulated by the magical power of the immortals in the mist after he took it out of his pocket. It grew in the wind and transformed into a waist drum that only a strong man could beat.

With a tremor, the Eight Winds Bronze Drum accelerated dramatically, flying from Dai Zong's hand. Layers of sound waves piled up around the drum, carrying a transformation like a mayfly dragon, and with unparalleled force, it crashed into Liu Yongxi.

Liu Yongxi hadn't actually experienced the blow yet when he heard the drumbeat. He felt his mind was disturbed, his brows furrowed, and he suddenly flipped the flowerpot in his hand outwards.

His flowerpot is a celadon square basin, only the size of a palm, square in shape, with images of immortal figures inlaid with gold and copper wire on all four sides. The mud inside is black and has a moist sheen, with a smooth surface, except for a stalagmite growing from the center.

Just as Liu Yongxi turned the flowerpot over, the stalagmite suddenly split open, turning into many smaller, shorter, and thinner shoots that filled the flowerpot, while the flowerpot itself seemed to be rapidly enlarging.

Dai Zong felt a blur before his eyes, and the surrounding mist disappeared, leaving him face down, rushing towards a dark expanse of earth.

The Eight Winds Bronze Drum flew ahead of him, crashing into the land first. The black soil churned, rocks surged, and stone pillars of varying thickness and strange shapes were scattered in all directions.

Dai Zong adjusted his posture in mid-air, and after falling, he landed firmly on his feet. He could still feel the soil beneath his feet slightly warm, and the power of the bronze drum's trembling had not yet dissipated, still undulating beneath the soil.

He looked around and found that although the stone pillars varied in size, with the tallest pillar being dozens of times taller than him, they were all divided into sections, some resembling old bamboo shoots.

"This..." Dai Zong had already guessed a bit of what was going on, and slowly looked up at the sky.

A gigantic face, occupying the entire sky, with eyes gleaming with azure light, was looking down upon the area.

Soft, silky hair fell from the edge of that giant face, connecting heaven and earth. To Dai Zong at that moment, each strand of hair was as thick as his waist.

When that strand of hair fluttered, it left deep furrows in the ground, knocking the stone pillars to the side, with a force as great as thunder.

Dai Zong used all his strength to escape the swarm of hair, his heart filled with despair, his face contorted in pain. He thought to himself with a bitter irony, "I'm probably the first person in the world to be chased by hair this thick."

He then saw Liu Yongxi's face in the sky with its mouth slightly open, as if it were about to blow air towards him.

This breath, once it blows down, will inevitably sweep across the flowerpot-covered land, forming a violent storm that will leave Dai Zong with no way to escape.

"Damn it!"

Dai Zong blurted out a curse, his face changing drastically, "If Liangshan erects a monument for us in the future, are they going to write on it, 'A hero throughout his life, toiling day and night, only to be blown to death by a mouthful of air'?"

As he broke out in a cold sweat, he saw Liu Yongxi's face in the sky suddenly lift up, as if gazing into the distance.

Immediately afterwards, the flowerpot tilted to the ground, turning outwards once more.

The raging torrent of green energy, accompanied by lightning and thunder, swept away a large section of the mist and arrived with unstoppable force, crashing headlong into the flowerpot.

On the black earth, Guan Luoyang hovered three inches off the ground, his toes hovering, his green aura swirling around him. Then, he silently stepped onto the ground, came to Dai Zong's side, helped Shi Xiu down, and placed a palm on Shi Xiu's back.

The vast and boundless energy transformed into the gentlest and most effortless true energy, permeating deep into Shi Xiu's limbs and bones.

Dai Zong stood there stunned for a moment, then jumped up and down in a panic, saying, "Oh dear, Daoist Master, how did you end up here too?"

Guan Luoyang said calmly, "If I don't come soon, I'm afraid Shi Xiu's injuries will become too severe to recover from."

Dai Zong said, "But this is Liu Daoren's magic treasure. It's easy to get in, but it will be extremely difficult to get out. Moreover, Liu Daoren relies on the wonder of his magic treasure. He can turn this place upside down just by blowing his breath in this direction."

As they were talking, Liu Yongxi's face appeared in the sky again, laughing heartily.

"So you're Guan Luoyang? How could you be so foolish?"

"It seems we don't need to worry too much about Yun Tianbiao. Even if he falls into your trap for a moment, just by looking at your style, we can tell that you Liangshan bandits will never amount to anything."

Liu Yongxi's eyes dimmed, and he said, "Considering your skill is indeed extraordinary, I'll let you know that what blew you away today was not an ordinary wind, but the cool, refreshing magic power I have cultivated."

Just as he was about to unleash his vital energy, a sudden gust of wind rushed towards him, and he quickly looked up to avoid it.

Even though he dodged quickly, a streak of green light still flew out, leaving a long, narrow wound on his cheek.

Liu Yongxi wiped the wound with his finger, and it healed. It was no longer visible on the outside, but it couldn't be truly healed, which made his eyelids twitch.

Guan Luoyang's sword intent was able to break through the limits of this magical treasure maze, which greatly surprised Liu Yongxi. Holding the flowerpot, he channeled his magic power into it, attempting to directly use the corrosive force within the maze to refine Guan Luoyang and the others into pus.

He practiced for a while, and hearing no sound from the flowerpot, he muttered to himself, "It seems I can't kill it this way."

"Who said that?"

A voice came from inside the flowerpot, "Why don't you stick your head out and take a look? I might be dying soon."

Liu Yongxi's eyelids twitched again, and he sneered, "You've prepared all your strength, waiting for me to pry my eyes out, haven't you?"

With a wave of his sleeve, he dispelled the fog from the outside world. The stalagmites that had sprung up out of nowhere in the wilderness transformed into streaks of white light and formed a porcelain lid in his right palm.

despair!

Liu Yongxi deftly put the lid on, pressing the flowerpot down with both palms, one above the other, until it was completely sealed, and continuously channeled his magic power to reinforce the seal.

His magical artifact, which appears to be a flowerpot, is actually called the "Cool Dharma Realm Bowl". Relatively speaking, it is not good at killing, and it is not as good as the Celestial Master's Sword in Chen Xizhen's hands, nor as good as Wang Laozhi's bare-handed supernatural power that he treasures with his own body - the "Fire Dragon Stove Cauldron Great Method". However, it is extremely good at containing and suppressing.

Even though Guan Luoyang's sword intent could be seen through, his true form was not so easy to escape.

Liu Yongxi made a decision and ordered the cavalry to wait on the plains for the time being. He then returned directly to Quancheng and issued orders from the city wall, summoning Deng Zongbi, Xin Congzhong, and other generals in charge of guarding Quancheng.

"Grand Commandant Yun may have been ambushed, and the battle situation is still unclear. However, I have suppressed the bandit leader Guan Luoyang, so I have specially invited General Deng to give it a try."

Liu Yongxi said, "This bandit is stubborn and I cannot easily deal with him. If General Deng can kill him, we can eliminate this major hidden danger and then advance at our leisure to join forces with Grand Commandant Yun."

Deng Zongbi was a meticulous person. He could tell from Liu Yongxi's casual words that the situation had changed and was quite urgent. His face couldn't help but show a solemn expression.

"This humble general will give it his all."

This person wore a black helmet and iron armor. His face was like that of a goat, and the pupils in his eyes were quite different from those of ordinary people. They were not round like beans, but angular and hexagonal, with a faint purple tinge.

His pair of spiritual eyes were not only a gift, but he also received instruction in techniques from a mysterious person, which enabled him to develop supernatural powers. Wherever his eyes looked, ghosts and monsters would be terrified and spirits would flee. With his spiritual eyes and the Frostblade Twin Swords in his hands, he could ignore the defenses of armor and weapons and directly slay souls with his swords.

In the past, Yun Tianbiao was able to overpower Deng Zongbi because he relied on his bold sword aura and profound cultivation, which forced Deng Zongbi to stay away and dared not let Deng Zongbi come within six feet of him to fight.

When dividing the troops, Yun Tianbiao believed that as long as Liu Yongxi joined forces with Deng Zongbi and others who remained in the city, they would be able to keep Guan Luoyang and Lin Lingsu occupied. This was not without reason.

With Liu Yongxi's magic weapon suppressing the great enemy, Deng Zongbi's longsword pierced through it. No matter where he wanted to stab the Qingliang Dharma Realm Bowl, it was within the scope of "sword severing the soul".

choke!

Deng Zongbi drew his twin swords, his fingers loose and limp, merely hooking the hilts lightly. But as his spiritual eyes locked onto the cool Dharma Realm Bowl, the essence of his entire body seemed to transform into wisps of green smoke, thinly covering his skin and armor, waiting to completely burst forth and strike with the Smoke Cloud Sword.

Liu Yongxi slowly opened the Cool Dharma Realm Bowl a crack.

At this moment, inside the Dharma Realm Bowl, on the black earth, Guan Luoyang had already retrieved the Eight Winds Bronze Drum.

Dai Zong carried Shi Xiu, whose injuries had stabilized, back on his back, and watched Guan Luoyang calmly regulate his breathing.

His expression showed no sign of being trapped in the enemy's magic weapon; rather, it seemed as if he had simply taken advantage of the situation and was enjoying the tranquility of the place.

This is the case.

After Guan Luoyang fought a great battle and seized some of Yun Tianbiao's power, he rushed over at full speed. He hadn't had time to properly refine and recover his energy, and the fact that the wound on his right shoulder hadn't healed yet was proof of that.

For Liu Yongxi, the magic weapon was an excellent place for seclusion. The constant pressure from the outside world actually helped him adjust his state, making each second feel like ten, and efficiently operating the Heavenly Demon Heart Technique.

Dai Zong waited anxiously by his side, fearing that Guan Luoyang might be suddenly attacked by Liu Yongxi and his group's magic at this crucial moment of recuperating from his injuries.

But that's often how things are in this world; what you fear most is what often comes to pass.

Suddenly, a sliver of light appeared in the dim sky.

A giant sword, traversing the sky, slid down from the light, pressing down on Guan Luoyang as if attacking an ant.

This sword strike was so fast that even Dai Zong couldn't warn him.

A huge crater had been pierced into the black ground, and Guan Luoyang was pressed to the bottom of the crater by the giant sword, his shadow completely obscured.

Within a visible radius, all the soil and stone pillars were affected by the force of the sword, causing them to ripple.

Dai Zong moved in an instant, stepping on the waves of earth and air, and retreated. Although he was worried about Guan Luoyang's situation, he knew even more that in this situation, protecting himself and staying far away was the only useful option.

To his slight relief, he saw streaks of blue lightning flashing beneath the giant sword.

On the city wall of Quancheng, many soldiers and generals stared intently at the small, cool Dharma bowl.

Deng Zongbi thrust his sword in, his eyes slightly relaxed.

Seeing the change in his expression, Xin Congzhong and the others immediately shouted, "You've hit him!"

Liu Yongxi also laughed and said, "Okay... no, that's not right!!"

boom----

Azure lightning roared out from the sword, the electric light boiling and flashing, expanding and forcibly pushing open a larger gap in the already narrow opening of the Cool Dharma Realm Bowl.

A hand emerged from the Dharma Realm Bowl and grasped the edge of the flowerpot.

Before the soldiers could react, tiny sparks of electricity had already traveled through the air and spread across the entire city wall, filling everyone with an indescribable sense of panic and trepidation.

The hand that reached out from the flowerpot was already the size of a normal person's palm.

When the second hand reached out, Liu Yongxi shouted and flicked his sleeves to cast a spell, throwing the Cool Dharma Realm Bowl far out of the city.

The flowerpot had just flown off the city wall when it exploded in mid-air.

Guan Luoyang's figure appeared amidst hundreds of fierce bolts of lightning. Long and short bolts of lightning all erupted from his body, blasting across this section of the city wall in an indiscriminate manner.

The soldiers guarding the city wall of Quancheng were all blown away by the shockwave from the lightning bombardment and fell into and out of the city.

Beside them, Dai Zong carried Shi Xiu on his back, silently stepping on the air to make way for the city.

Deng Zongbi's right side was still numb from the explosion, but he suddenly took a step forward and thrust his five-foot-long sword at Guan Luoyang with his left hand.

The sword, like a phantom, pierced through numerous solid objects and plunged straight into Guan Luoyang's chest.

In the cultivation of both the immortal and demonic paths, the emphasis is on protecting the soul with the physical body. Deng Zongbi's Spirit Sword can be said to have perfectly bypassed the enemy's strengths and struck the vital point directly.

He thought he had missed with his previous sword strike, but this time, the sword should have truly hit its target. However, the tip of the sword froze after penetrating half an inch into the body.

Even Deng Zongbi's piercing eyes trembled with shock, and he exclaimed, "Your soul..."

Among the people he had killed before, the most resilient souls were like a hundred-times-forged steel blade or a golden seal. The souls of ordinary soldiers on the battlefield were as fragile as tender grass. No one's soul had ever been completely unharmed after being struck by his sword.

However, today, the Spirit Sword seems to have... breached the dam and angered a powerful force!

An even more violent bolt of lightning erupted from the spot where Guan Luoyang had been stabbed in the chest, blasting Deng Zongbi so badly that he was covered in smoke and emitted a foul odor of burnt coals, sending him flying backward.

"Stop your arrogance!"

Xin Congzhong charged forward wielding his eighteen-foot spear. He was a brave general, and in addition to his spear, he also possessed the skill of throwing darts, which proved effective every time on the battlefield.

Guan Luoyang raised his palm to receive the spear thrust, his wrist trembled slightly, and he flipped his palm to press down from a distance.

Xin Congzhong felt an immense increase in gravity, causing his armor, facial features, and hair to tremble and become blurred. The bricks and stones of the city wall beneath his feet collapsed like tofu under his weight, sinking directly to the base of the wall.

Liu Yongxi's magic weapon had just exploded, and he didn't have time to cast a spell. Relying solely on his foundation in immortality, he clashed head-on with Guan Luoyang.

The clash of their palms sent shockwaves soaring to the heavens, their roar halting the clouds. Beneath their feet, half of the city wall collapsed, sending up a massive wave of smoke and dust that poured out of the city.

Guan Luoyang drifted back a distance in the air.

Liu Yongxi felt as if half of his body was about to fall apart, and he was so frightened that he had the urge to retreat.

He was of noble birth, one of the four most renowned Daoist officials in Bianliang. Even if the entire city of Quancheng were occupied, let alone a single defeat, it wouldn't be worth his desperate fight here.

The primordial energy of immortality surged like clouds, and Liu Yongxi rode the clouds and mist, soaring straight into the sky.

Blue lightning also shot from the ground into the clouds, causing the clouds to churn and blue lightning to streak across the sky.

"You've already rescued him, and the troops attacking Liangshan are probably unable to proceed. Quancheng is yours for the taking; why pursue him so relentlessly?"

"I've heard that Bianliang is teeming with officials and fierce generals. I'm so afraid that I'll get tired of killing them all, so I'd better ask you to die first."

"Do you think I've truly run out of ideas?"

The immortal essence that soared through the clouds became murky, and a dark color spread between the snow-white, piled-up clouds.

Dark and white clouds intertwined, forming pillar-like cloud shoots in the sky.

With his formation arranged in the sky, Liu Yongxi's momentum surged.

The clouds, both dark and white, shifted and changed mysteriously for a full quarter of an hour, alarming countless people in Jinan.

Guo Jing gazed at the distant sky from Liu's residence, his hand resting on the brocade box containing three Dragon Tiger Pills, hesitating for a long time.

The clouds suddenly parted, and a bolt of blue lightning roared out.

Amidst the deep blue lightning, it seemed as if someone glanced in their direction. Guo Jing, like a startled bird, flicked his whisk and vanished from his spot.

When Guan Luoyang reappeared, he was holding Liu Yongxi's corpse in his hand, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and his footsteps were already in front of Liu's mansion.

As he took a step forward, everything in his path—whether it was a courtyard wall, a high gate, or a house—was twisted and collapsed like sand by gravity.

Half of the Liu mansion was reduced to dust and sand.

Liu Guang, gripping his sword, stood trembling in the half-finished study, his face a mixture of shock and rage, bloodshot and glistening.

"You...you're the leader of the Liangshan bandits?!"

"The Prefect of Jinan?"

Guan Luoyang threw away the corpse in his hand. "Quancheng, it no longer belongs to you today."

On the horizon outside the city, the Liangshan army, along with the routed government troops, surged in like a dark, raging mass.

(End of this chapter)