Read Novel Full Chapter 1258: Chapter 1252: Those Three Can't Leave
Chapter 1258: Chapter 1252: Those Three Can’t Leave
“Eat us? Such arrogant boasting!”
The Second Master was furious, yet her heart pounded with apprehension.
For some unknown reason, despite having cultivated under the Red Dust Immortal for tens of thousands of years, she still felt a lingering dread originating from Li Zhiheng.
When Li Zhiheng said ‘eat them,’ he didn’t just mean her or the Martial Academy, but the entirety of Grandhaven Prefecture!
The arrival of the Third and Sixth Masters behind her brought her significant relief.
Li Zhiheng merely glanced at the two newly arrived masters, making no move.
He continued his standoff with the Second Master, uttering not a single word.
In an instant.
Dust and sand swirled through Grandhaven City, and the earth, previously cracked by Li Tianming’s talismans, began to tremble violently.
Banshu Qingping’s expression instantly turned grave. His white bead Dharma Treasure glowed brilliantly. Staring at the two approaching masters, his hair stood on end.
“What are you panicking for?”
As the sky changed color within the city, dust billowed, and shattered stones floated in the air, Li Tianming frowned slightly.
The numerous personalities within him were eager to fight, incredibly interested in the rule power the three masters were exuding at this moment.
But to Banshu Qingping, coercive pressure radiated from all directions.
He looked at the two approaching masters in horror and exclaimed, “The Martial Academy has an ancient inheritance, educating Grandhaven Prefecture for tens of thousands of years to achieve its current glory.
Jade Mist Valley’s reputation precedes the Martial Academy, but when it comes to the true inheritance of Grandhaven Prefecture, they fall far behind the Martial Academy!”
“The six Masters of the Martial Academy never make a move; they exist only in legends. They are the most mysterious entities in Grandhaven Prefecture.”
“The First Master imparted the Dao to Grandhaven; zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting all originated from him.
With over four thousand seven hundred classical texts, his mastery of the Scholarly Dao is unparalleled in the world.”
“The Second Master educates on propriety and music, imparting the rules and boundaries of Grandhaven, ensuring everyone in the prefecture strictly abides by the rules.
The Third Master imparts martial arts, allowing the common people of Grandhaven to strengthen their bodies and prolong their lives.”
“The Fourth Master upholds integrity and morality, and establishes the boundaries of hierarchy and respect.
The Fifth Master teaches and resolves doubts, enlightening the minds of the people.
The Sixth Master imparts the cultivation methods and techniques of Grandhaven; he is the ancient preacher of Grandhaven!”
Li Tianming stared intently at the trio that had gathered.
One was a fierce, nine-foot-tall brute, a physique even more imposing than the elders back home; this was the Third Master.
The other was an old man with white hair but a youthful, compassionate face.
The aura of these three was far beyond that of ordinary Void Refinement cultivators.
Now floating side-by-side in the air, they exuded an awe-inspiring, righteous aura.
Banshu Qingping’s face turned pale.
He said resolutely, “In all my years as Prefecture Lord of Grandhaven, this is the first time I have seen them make a move, and three have come at once.
My young friend, call for reinforcements. Let us just hope the three of us can hold out until they arrive. Do not hold back your trump cards.”
Hearing this, Li Tianming was actually surprised. “You still have trump cards?”
For this guy, who had just been trailing behind him to survive, to actually know about ‘trump cards’—he truly wasn’t simple.
“At a time like this, stop joking around, my young friend.” Banshu Qingping glared dissatisfiedly at Li Tianming, preparing himself for a desperate fight.
His divine soul was vigilant to the extreme, observing the enemy’s movements while saying,
“Based on what young friend Zhiheng said, the Martial Academy has an immortal. I’m afraid these six rely on the immortal to educate Grandhaven.”
“They are Grandhaven itself!”
Boom!
As Banshu Qingping’s words fell, the spiritual power of the three masters linked together.
The world mutated, and within an instant, the entire surrounding area was engulfed in a Void Refinement space.
The rule power was monstrous.
The ruined Grandhaven Prefecture suddenly manifested scenes of the mortal world:
The smoke of cooking fires within the city, bustling streets filled with people, and the scent of incense from countless homes.
This instantaneous move, gathering rules from all directions, seemingly formed an independent world within the Void Refinement space.
“Old Ancestor Banshu Ao’s Void Refinement rules…”
Banshu Qingping’s eyes widened perfectly round, finding it utterly unbelievable.
After a brief observation, he exclaimed in shock,
“No, it’s even more profound than my Old Ancestor’s ‘World’ rules.
My Old Ancestor’s rules contained no living people, but the rules of these three can already allow a piece of heaven and earth to operate on its own!”
How could Banshu Qingping not despair? His Old Ancestor Banshu Ao’s ‘World’ rules had made him the absolute number one below the Body Integration realm.
Yet, compared to this Spiritual power that formed its own heaven and earth, his Old Ancestor’s abilities were merely scratching the surface!
“It’s over. Now it’s truly over.”
Banshu Qingping quickly went through his trump cards.
They were items left behind by Old Ancestor Banshu Ao when he headed for Azure Cloud Prefecture.
But if even the Old Ancestor was inferior, what use were the trump cards he left behind?
He looked at Li Tianming.
Even if this bizarre young friend exhausted all his talismans and fought with the same power he used against the Lord of Thunder, they had absolutely no chance of winning.
Unexpectedly, Li Tianming still maintained his cynical and playful posture, merely saying, “No matter how powerful they are, it has nothing to do with you or me.”
“Hm?”
Before he could process this, Banshu Qingping found himself hoisted by his back collar once again.
As Li Tianming formed hand seals, talisman papers swirled around the two of them, and in an instant, they arrived at the very edge of the Void Refinement space.
Looking back, the three masters of the Martial Academy frowned at them, making no move to stop them; their expressions were filled mostly with confusion.
In the distance, the slightly lonely young Daoist within this Void Refinement space exchanged a glance with Li Tianming, then nodded in understanding.
It seemed everything was under control.
It was just that…
“Are we… are we fleeing? What about him?” Banshu Qingping was utterly stunned.
Fleeing made sense, but Li Zhiheng was still engaged in a standoff with the three masters.
No matter how you looked at it, he seemed prepared to fight them to the death, which was completely unrealistic.
Given the posture of the three masters, even someone at the Dao-Glimpsing realm could only stall them for a while, or at best, remain undefeated.
“What do you think?” Li Tianming retorted.
Looking at the three silent masters, he suddenly recalled the noisy banter of his own three brothers.
Lowering his eyes for a moment, he took advantage of the enemy ignoring them and led Banshu Qingping away. “You and I are ill-suited for this kind of battle.”
“Ill-suited?” Banshu Qingping was still confused.
As the ruined Grandhaven Prefecture reappeared, and they moved further and further away from the fluctuating rules in the cloudy sky, he was filled with doubts and asked apprehensively,
“Are we really just abandoning young friend Zhiheng like this? And those three masters came so aggressively; are they really just letting us leave?”
Li Tianming didn’t turn his head, smiling faintly into the wind. “It’s not that they’re letting us leave. It’s that those three…”
“Can’t leave.”
Banshu Qingping was stunned. His heart skipped a beat, causing him to stutter, “C-can’t leave? Im… Impossible, right?”
The image of young friend Zhiheng resurfaced in his mind; since appearing, apart from being handsome, he had shown no other extraordinary traits.
Furthermore…
How old was he? Stopping three masters all by himself, without making a sound?!!
The young man in white, holding the Soul Lamp.
Looking down, he saw the red dust of Grandhaven constructed from the spiritual power of the three Masters.
The flame of the oil lamp in his hand flickered in the sunlight, just like Li Zhiheng’s fluttering robes.
His eyes, gazing at the three Masters who educated Grandhaven under the Red Dust Immortal, remained perfectly pure.
Below was the bustling red dust; above in the cloudy sky was the profound stillness of a standoff between immortals.
The arrival of the other two Masters also brought no movement.
Just like the Second Master, the moment they laid eyes on Li Zhiheng, a deep pounding stirred within their souls, leaving them no choice but to let Li Tianming and Banshu Qingping leave.
“Thump… thump…”
The sound of a beating heart, originating from an unknown source, drowned out the wind and the clamor of the mortal realm below.
“Daoist friend, our Sage Master Martial Academy educates Grandhaven Prefecture and is inextricably linked to it.
The affairs of this place will naturally be handled by my Martial Academy.”
Amidst the tense standoff, a trace of dread flashed through the Third Master’s eyes. His voice was deep and resonant.
“The Li Clan is the guardian of the Southern Frontier. If you wish to lead cultivators away, that is your decision to make.
If you wish to investigate something, feel free to do so. But if there is nothing else, I will be taking the Second Master with me.”
As these words fell, the Second Master and the Sixth Master remained silent.
The Red Dust Immortal had sent them to let the chaotic factions of Grandhaven Prefecture know that this prefecture was their territory, completely forbidding anyone else from coveting it.
The Third Master believed exactly this as well.
Cultivating under the Red Dust Immortal, they practiced immortal arts and had never truly fought.
Banshu Ao’s so-called title of the number one person below the Body Integration realm was merely a joke to the six Masters.
How laughable was Banshu Ao’s ‘World’? It was nothing more than a tiny glimpse of the rules spied under the Red Dust Immortal’s teachings.
And they, the six Masters, were the ones closest to the Red Dust Immortal!
They had always believed they were invincible under the methods of the Red Dust Immortal.
Yet, upon laying eyes on Li Zhiheng, the dread the three of them felt clung to them like maggots on a bone.
Their intuition screamed at them to stay as far away from Li Zhiheng as possible.
As long as Li Zhiheng didn’t speak, they didn’t dare to leave.
Beneath the Sixth Master’s white hair, a bead of cold sweat trickled down.
He stared intently at the young man, who was currently looking down at the red dust, seemingly searching for something.
“Thump… thump…”
The fear beneath the sound of this heartbeat grew increasingly intense.
The Sixth Master acutely sensed that if he made even the slightest wrong move, the young man opposite him would strike!
Seeing Li Zhiheng remain motionless, the Second Master’s expression was grave as she transmitted her voice: “I cannot see through this person’s foundation.”
“What?” The Third Master’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Cultivating under the Red Dust Immortal, the Second Master had gained enlightenment, peered into the very shape of the heavens and the earth, and managed the rules of the red dust.
Within the Red Dust Domain created by the three of them, absolutely nothing should have been able to hide from the Second Master’s gaze!
“The dread we feel from this person is definitely not wrong. It shows his abilities are not small. However… he is overconfident.”
The Second Master took a deep breath.
“He has underestimated us. Within the Red Dust Domain, this is our territory.
Third Master, you are in charge of the lifespan, vital essence, and blood qi of the commoners in the Red Dust Domain; absorb them all into yourself.
Sixth Master, you control the spiritual power of the red dust; I want you to completely withdraw the spiritual power methods of the Red Dust Domain.”
“Since we must fight, we must use our full strength instantly. Do not give him a single chance; make him die here with endless regrets.”
The two Masters nodded.
Having finalized their plan, with Li Zhiheng remaining motionless, they waited quietly for the perfect opportunity, ready to unleash their true power in a moment’s clash!
Until…
The Second Master saw Li Zhiheng extend his hand and wave it within the Red Dust Domain.
A piece of land was severed and drawn into Li Zhiheng’s palm.
This action caused a flash of surprise in the Second Master’s eyes.
The entire Red Dust Domain was formed by the Spiritual power borrowed from the Red Dust Immortal and the rules they controlled, yet it was actually snatched away by Li Zhiheng.
But now was not the time to ponder so much. When experts clash, every single move calculates gains and losses.
“Strike!”
Following the Second Master’s stern shout, the entire Red Dust Domain trembled violently.
The bustling crowds within the Red Dust Domain surprisingly all stood completely still.
White mist emanated from their bodies.
The spiritual power of these countless people was sucked away by the Sixth Master like a tornado.
Silhouettes within the Red Dust Domain turned into streams of light and entered the Third Master’s body.
Within this Red Dust Domain, their spiritual power and physical bodies were continuously elevated, reaching the Half-Step Body Integration realm in the blink of an eye.
Their spiritual power was boundless!
The Second Master managed the rules; the entire Red Dust Domain was practically within the palm of her hand.
“Boom!”
As the three Masters absorbed the spiritual power of the entire Red Dust Domain, the Soul Lamp flickered.
Array after array, radiating the luster and rhythm of profound rules, overwhelmingly surrounded Li Zhiheng.
He held the Soul Lamp in one hand, its flame flickering.
His robes and hair blew backward under the oppressive weight of the spiritual power, making him look exactly like a feather tossed in the wind and waves.
Yet he was still staring at the piece of land he had grabbed from the Red Dust Domain in his other hand.
Amidst this catastrophe formed by rules and the full-force lethal techniques of the three Masters, he continued to gaze intently at that piece of land, softly murmuring with the lightness of a passing cloud, “Found you.”
At the exact same time, the Second Master’s ferocious, stern shout echoed, “Kill him!”
Arrays and techniques rained down like a torrential downpour.
An apocalyptic roar, carrying the power to flatten everything, annihilated the city of Grandhaven within the Red Dust Domain.
The bustling crowds dispersed entirely.
A moment later, all that remained was an endless expanse of leveled yellow earth.
The three Masters floated in the air, gazing at their masterpiece, yet feeling not the slightest bit of joy.
They exchanged a glance.
“No resistance, not even an attempt to block?” The Third Master was taciturn; it seemed everyone from the Martial Academy was like this.
“Perhaps he knew he couldn’t block it. We used the immortal arts of the Red Dust Immortal.”
The Sixth Master wiped cold sweat from his forehead and smiled at the Second Master.
“Or perhaps our intuition was simply wrong, and this person is just an ordinary Void Refinement cultivator.
Li Zhiheng, young as he is, might be considered outstanding among the Void Refinement cultivators of Azure Cloud Prefecture, but facing us… let alone him, even his elders are absolutely no match for us.”
“No… listen.”
The Second Master’s face was rigidly stiff.
The three of them exchanged a glance, and as they looked in a single direction simultaneously, the terror in their pupils practically oozed out of their eye sockets.
“Thump… thump… thump!”
The sound of a heartbeat rang out.
On the leveled ground, radiating a captivating, eerie red glow, was a massive heart.
“Rip! Rip! Rip!”
The sounds of flesh being torn open echoed continuously. The heart was squirming.
The blood-red fleshy membrane tore open, revealing numerous physical bodies.
They were a mangled mess of blood and flesh, covered entirely in bloody mucus.
In an incredibly disgusting posture, they stretched their hands out from the flesh, pushing against the heart and twisting their bodies to crawl out!
If any member of the Li Clan were here, they would definitely recognize these people.
The Zhao Clan’s saber cultivator Zhao Tingyu, the Zhao Clan’s Imperial Consort Zhao Wan, the Zhao Clan’s Zhao Feimeng…
as well as the several experts who had invaded the Azure Cloud Li Clan on that rainy night, Banshu Ao of the Banshu family…
“What is this thing… what the hell is this thing?!!”
The Second Master stared at that massive heart with a twisted expression.
Having cultivated beneath the Red Dust Immortal for tens of thousands of years, this was the first time she felt such heartfelt, absolute terror.
It was as if her own heart was being slowly torn apart in rhythm with that massive, glowing red, disgusting heart.
On that heart, she saw Li Zhiheng, who should have been dead, revealing the upper half of his body at the very top of the heart.
Within the Red Dust Domain that belonged to the Red Dust Immortal, a hair-raising sound echoed.
“You’re finally using me.”
“I’m hungry!!!”
“I’m so hungry!!!”
The three Masters stared at this terrifying scene.
Fear crawled over every inch of their skin like ants, as mangled, bloody figures flew toward them.
The Second Master let out a trembling cry of alarm.
“Flee! He is an immortal… a… true immortal!!!”
—
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