Chapter 1679: Who Truly Is Bright Yang? (I)
Chapter 1679: Who Truly Is Bright Yang? (I)
Silence fell over the pavilion. Maha Minghui no longer dared remain seated as he sprang to his feet and stood off to one side, inwardly cursing without restraint, What is that devil Pingyan trying to pull? Everyone knows this lord is a close friend of the White Dragon Crown Prince... The various dragon successions have never gotten along, but is Pingyan trying to get himself killed?!
Pingyan was hardly an important figure within Yinzhou's dragon succession. By stirring up trouble like this, even if he succeeded in currying favor with the Black Dragon Guang Fou, there was no way Dingjiao would let him off lightly. It was a spectacularly foolish move.
Although Maha Minghui was cursing him a thousand times over and wrestling with countless doubts, he remained silent and simply stood to the side.
There was no other reason. Though Minghui held a high position, he still dared not offend the dragons, especially here in Yinzhou. Even if one of them slapped him to death on the spot, Jinlian would have nowhere to seek justice. Would Dayang Mountain stand up for him? Impossible. It would be fortunate enough if they did not applaud his death and instead turned around to punish Jinlian.
Cowed, the monk could only lower his head and stand there. Yet the unease in his heart only grew, and he silently muttered to himself, It's not that this humble monk doesn't dare help. I simply don't know where I stand. I'm afraid of ruining the lord's greater plans!
As Minghui's thoughts raced, Li Zhouwei's golden eyes gradually brightened. Sensing the overwhelming killing intent radiating from the dragon, his gaze turned icy. He quietly watched him stride into the pavilion garden and stop only a short distance away.
That Master Pingyan, a devil who had remained in the mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm for many years, kept his forehead pressed against the ground, not daring to raise his head.
Though the dragon Guang Fou had assumed human form, he was still enormous. His colossal shadow fell over the pavilion, making the entire courtyard feel oppressively cramped. Surging demonic qi condensed into visible form with every breath he took, rushing past him on both sides like torrents of flowing water.
"Li Zhouwei..." His voice was slightly hoarse, yet his tone remained calm. "So you're the immortal cultivator who has been falsely claiming the White Qilin's name. Where are the Dry Yang Bangles?"
The moment those words fell, Minghui felt his heart turn cold, This... is a refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of Bright Yang.
That was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous sign!
The dragons and Wei's Li shared deep ties. Their relationship had once grown so close that the dragon's eldest princess, the dragon maiden Zhaohe, entered the Wei Palace to cultivate, while the Bei Sea Dragon King accompanied Dongfang You into the palace and even addressed Emperor Gong of Wei as 'uncle.'
No matter how desperately the dragons wished to prevent Luoxia from shaking the Bright Yang Fruition Attainment, they could not casually cast aside all decorum when dealing with a descendant of the White Qilin unless they had no other choice! Yet they also could not simply sit back and watch Li Zhouwei continue to grow. Thus, the one crude and straightforward way to eliminate him without restraint was simply to deny that he was the White Qilin's descendant in the first place!
If Li Zhouwei had nothing to do with Minghui, the latter would have been delighted to see the situation spiral further out of control. But his own conscience was already uneasy, and the calm on his face was nothing but a facade. In that instant, he reached a decision.
I'm willing to fight for him. Even losing this dharma body would be acceptable... But I, this humble monk, simply has no grounds to intervene!
While endless hesitation churned within Minghui's heart, the golden-eyed youth merely raised a brow. Intricate golden patterns crept across his neck as he said calmly, "I don't know whether the Dragon King despises Wei's Li Bright Yang, or whether you've simply gone blind. Fate has made it so plain for all to see, yet you still cannot recognize it and resort to such mockery."
The young man had already risen to his feet. Meeting the eerie gaze in Guang Fou's dark green eyes head-on, he gathered golden light in his hand. Section by section, a gleaming white halberd took shape, while brilliant streams of multicolored radiance surged upward behind him.
The halberd planted itself before him. Surging demonic qi engulfed the entire mountain range as the dragon's silhouette expanded endlessly within the black mist. Guang Fou's cold laughter echoed across the heavens with the darkness, plunging the mountains into pitch blackness.
However, a pair of golden eyes, shining like beacons in the darkness, remained visible, along with one icy declaration. "The [Dry Yang Bangles]? Then I'll let the Dragon King have a good look."
Guang Fou's laughter rolled across the sky like thunder, cold and carrying the strange rasp unique to a dragon. "You've got some nerve!"
The crescent-shaped halberd hung in the air as black qi poured down from the sky like a waterfall. A mountain-like saber aura, brilliant and overwhelming, crashed onto the halberd with crushing force, driving it violently into the ground and detonating a dazzling burst of golden light.
The Dragon King clearly had no intention of playing by the rules. The saber aura and demonic qi gathered at his waist had clearly been building for who knew how long!
Boom!
The dazzling golden radiance exploded in an instant. Driven down as if crushed by an enormous warhammer, it pierced straight through the mountain and deep into the earth. At the same time, every strand of black qi peeled away from the mountainside and surged into the sky, coalescing into a colossal cloud dragon circling overhead. As Guang Fou sheathed his saber, the dragon unleashed a world-shaking roar.
The surging demonic qi forced Minghui back three steps, his heart turning ice-cold, They've really come to blows! A Dragon King with two divine abilities...
Dragons, rulers of the Eastern Sea, descendants of the Dao Embryo and the Great Sage, possessed an utterly pure bloodline unmarred by the slightest impurity. They stood at the pinnacle of all demonic creatures in terms of lineage!
Throughout history, there had only ever been a handful of Great Sages among the demonic creatures. At the moment, the Bin Crow bloodline was all but extinct. Even peacocks, whose lineage was not considered truly orthodox, commanded the utmost respect from cultivators after joining the Buddhist sect. How much more so would a dragon command?!
Moreover, what kind of demonic creature was Guang Fou? He was the exalted Dragon Son of the Black Dragon Succession. Even with only two divine abilities, he left Minghui completely at a loss. Setting aside Guang Fou's divine abilities, the spirit treasures he carried alone were enough to ensure Minghui's complete demise!
In the brief instant those thoughts flashed through Minghui’s mind, a brilliant golden light shot up from the ground, transforming into a golden meteor that rode a roaring shockwave straight up into the heavens.
Roar!
The black-robed Demon King in the sky merely opened his mouth. Jagged scales and razor-sharp fangs filled his enormous maw as he unleashed a jet of pure black radiance as thick as a mountain peak!
Whoosh...
The golden radiance was swallowed in an instant, yet vibrant clouds of multicolored light continued to gather in the sky. Guang Fou's draconic eyes only shone brighter, and a faint smile crossed his savage face.
[Sovereign In Peril]...
His hand shot up before him. A thunderous crash rang out as he caught the incoming punch head-on. Li Zhouwei had already broken free from the black radiance. His brilliant golden eyes were now only inches away.
The opposing divine ability mana collided between their palms in a blazing struggle. Guang Fou immediately ceased the stream of black radiance from his mouth, his face returning to its imposing, regal expression. Behind him, the colossal dragon formed from divine ability mana raised its head high and opened its jaws once more, exhaling another burst of flame!
The demonic flames, carrying torrents of demonic qi, poured down upon him. Yet the patterns across Li Zhouwei's face only grew brighter. His [Bright Yang] mana and [Illuminating Sun and Moon] operated in unison, refining every trace of demonic qi before him. Even so, the overwhelming divine ability mana continued to surge against him, threatening to melt away his dharma body.
"'Despise Wei's Li Bright Yang?'"
Guang Fou fixed him with his dark green eyes and let out a cold laugh, his hoarse voice echoing through the air.
"When Emperor Gong still reigned, my grandfather entered the palace three times. Li Guangheng was my father's sworn brother. The Dry Yang was personally retrieved by my family. Through the rise and fall of the Wei's Li, my father was the only one willing to stand by them. In the end, his dragon sinews were torn from him, and he died. Trapped Dragon Ridge in Longdi remains a grotto heaven and blessed land of Chen State to this day... And you would lecture me about Wei's Li?
"Who is it that truly despises Wei's Li Bright Yang? Dingjiao, or me? Li Zhouwei... Think very carefully before you answer."
The demon dragon seemed to be hinting at something deeper. He shot Li Zhouwei a meaningful glance as his lips split into a grin, and exhaled streams of demonic qi through his nostrils.
"Are you Wei's Li Bright Yang... or is the Emperor of Wei the Wei's Li Bright Yang?"
Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile spreading across his face as well. Brilliant light flared from between his eyebrows, and [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] poured forth, dissolving the surging demonic flames. At the same time, a deep, roaring laugh rumbled from his throat.
"You speak of Wei's Li? Heavenly Glow now herds the Emperor of Wei like livestock, while Radiant Essence binds the Qilin in chains. What is there left to discuss? If you truly had a way to save the Emperor of Wei, why would I need to stand here today?"
The radiance at the center of his eyebrows instantly transformed into a bottomless darkness. [Imperial Divergence Light] burst forth, and countless streams of black and gold spread across the heavens, swallowing every trace of demonic qi.
The White Qilin’s frigid voice rang out amid that sea of light.
"Who is Wei's Li's Bright Yang? Filial reverence is Bright Yang, and patricide is also Bright Yang. The Emperor of Wei occupies the Exalted Position, but where is that exalted dignity today? Bright Yang's mandate has descended upon me. It calls me to the station of defiance, to slay my lord father and seize authority. I stand in the position of Yang Apex. If I have truly been favored by the Bright Yang Fruition Attainment, then I am meant to rebel against the emperor. The moment I ascend the throne, I become Bright Yang itself!"
He burst into laughter, his voice dripping with mockery. "If I truly become Wei's Li Bright Yang, will you kill me... Or will you help me?"
The demonic qi surging from Guang Fou's eyes grew ever more violent. For a moment, he found himself unable to reply. The flesh on his face twitched and split apart as jagged black horns pushed through his skin. Two long draconic whiskers unfurled from the corners of his mouth, swaying amidst the demonic flames.
Li Zhouwei's words were not without merit. A son honoring his father was Bright Yang, yet a son slaying his father was equally Bright Yang. Guang Fou claimed to uphold Wei's Li Bright Yang and sought to kill Li Zhouwei in order to aid Li Qianyuan. However, Li Qianyuan sat upon the Fruition Attainment with neither an empire nor an imperial throne. He could no longer serve as Bright Yang's lord father.
Li Zhouwei, on the other hand, remained beneath the Fruition Attainment. If an exalted Fruition Attainment such as Bright Yang chose to bestow its favor upon someone outside the Fruition Attainment, there was only one possible reason: to have him slay his father.
If Li Zhouwei truly acted under the command of the exalted Fruition Attainment, then he perfectly embodied Bright Yang's inverted position of rebellion, Yang Apex. In that case, he, and he alone, represented Bright Yang!
Mist-like darkness churned within Guang Fou's eyes. Even as Li Zhouwei rebutted his words, the dragon's body continued to unfurl. His great hands had already transformed into enormous, savage dragon claws, from which torrents of demonic flames rained down.
The sky was shrouded in dense clouds, revealing only fragments of the dragon within. Long horns, gleaming white fangs, and deep black dragon eyes, vast as dark ponds amidst the black mist, filled the sky.
Inky mist blanketed everything. Guang Fou's enormous, savage dragon head slowly lowered to look down at the tiny speck of golden light, the Dragon King's voice carrying both amusement and madness. "Do you dare ascend the throne?"
Standing within endless darkness, Li Zhouwei raised his halberd, its point aimed directly at Guang Fou's true body. Black flames surged from his form, and the blade shimmered with a piercing, icy brilliance.
He smiled calmly as he replied, "I dare kill an emperor."
The black clouds dispersed like mist, and Guang Fou vanished. In his place stood a burly, gray-haired man. A deep crimson glow shone from his eyes, while gray-white fur protruded through the gaps in his armor. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, he seemed as immovable as a mountain.
Another figure stood behind him, clad head to toe in armor that emitted a dim blue radiance. His face was hidden beneath a helmet, making his features impossible to discern.
Li Zhouwei released his grip, and the halberd dissolved from his hand. He cupped his hands in greeting. "Greetings, Dragon King of the Bei Sea."
Dongfang Lieyun gazed into the distance with a somber expression before replying, "You are too courteous, White Qilin."
His eyes met Li Zhouwei's as he continued, "I failed to keep Yinzhou in proper order and have made a spectacle of it before the White Qilin. Fortunately, I was already at sea. When I sensed the Qilin's cry and the dragon's roar rising from Yinzhou, I came at once from the Bei Sea. At least I was not too late.
"There are too many eyes watching at the moment. Let us speak inside the mountain."
Dongfang Lieyun's expression was grim, tinged even with embarrassment, as he led Li Zhouwei deeper into the island. Offering no comment, Li Zhouwei descended on a ray of light, inwardly sneering, How conveniently timed.