This sudden pattern was unlike anything Li Yun had ever seen. How could it possess such power to so easily neutralize his full-force strike?
*Hum~~*
*Rumble~~*
*Rumble~~*
Thunder erupted above the royal palace, and fierce winds howled. A celestial sea of lightning instantly appeared, with streaks of lightning racing across it. A Bagua Yin-Yang diagram faintly shimmered, emitting a soft blue glow.
"Who is it? Show yourself, you coward!!"
Li Yun shouted towards the celestial sea of lightning above the palace, his eyes scanning it with tension. For it to so effortlessly nullify his powerful attack, the cultivator's power must be no less than his own. Layers of his primal energy continuously gathered in his palm.
*Hum~~*
An irregular rift suddenly appeared in the center of the celestial sea of lightning, splitting it in two. The rift pulsed with golden light.
As the rift's golden light intensified, it grew wider. A pair of eyes, capable of surveying all under heaven, appeared in the center. They fixed coldly upon Li Hai, devoid of any emotion, radiating only coldness and authority. Instantly, thunder roared and lightning struck!
This was Yuan Tiangang's Taoist Heavenly Eye. Once opened, it governed the heavens, overseeing all nations with immeasurable divine power. All living beings dared not challenge its might!
*Whoosh!*
A figure appeared beneath the Heavenly Eye of the celestial sea of lightning.
He wore a gray Taoist robe, his long black hair flowing gently behind him. A smile played on his lips, his eyes closed, save for a golden pupil in the center of his brow that opened and closed gently, surveying the crowd.
"Who are you?"
Li Yun retracted his primal energy, concentrating it in his palm. He stared at the middle-aged Taoist man who had suddenly appeared, his primal energy converging to its peak, fixing Li Hai with an intense gaze.
"This humble Taoist is merely an outsider in the King of Han's camp, not worth mentioning!"
Yuan Tiangang held a whisk and said with a soft smile.
"Yuan Tiangang!!"
Fang Xuanling and the others hastily bowed their heads slightly towards Yuan Tiangang, realizing he had emerged!
This person's fame had already shaken the world in his past life. His divination skills were extraordinary, and he had even recognized the imperial destiny of Wu Zetian, the empress who would rule for ages.
"Your Majesty!"
Yuan Tiangang offered a Taoist salute to Yang Hao.
"Yuan Tiangang, capture this Li Hai alive! I want him to wish for life but have no life, and wish for death but have no death!"
Yang Hao's eyes glittered with starlight and murderous intent. He pointed his right hand directly at Li Hai in the void.
*Bang!!*
Li Yun clenched his fists. "Ahahaha, a mere bumpkin from the mountains dares to speak such arrogance!"
His fists clenched, and with sharp cracking sounds, hundreds of fist shadows simultaneously shot towards the sky.
*Ching ching ching~~*
Sharp blades were hidden amongst the interweaving fist shadows, like the might of a vast army!!
The Heavenly Eye in the center of Yuan Tiangang's brow opened and closed gently. "Interesting!"
"By order of His Majesty the King, you shall immediately surrender!"
He clenched his right hand forward, and a world condensed layer by layer in his palm, rapidly taking shape!
"Buddha's Palm in the Hand?"
Yang Hao looked at the small world and couldn't help but recall Buddhism in his past life. The Tathagata's palm stretched out, capturing the invincible Monkey King, Sun Wukong, beneath the Five Elements Mountain.
*Boom~~*
The world in his palm instantly expanded outwards. Layers of blue afterimages directly seized Li Yun within a phantom space.
Li Yun's eyelids twitched violently. What was this? He was instantly surrounded by a small space. This situation was similar to sword cultivators' sword qi domains.
However, this space was extremely similar to the outside world. Birds, flowers, fish, insects, houses – everything was present.
No!
*Boom!*
Hundreds of fist shadows furiously smashed against the blue afterimages, stirring up ripples. As the hundreds of fist shadows rose, more blades intertwined, and the blue phantom space was instantly filled with killing intent, obscuring everything.
Within the phantom world, the fist shadows dissipated, the blades shattered, houses collapsed, and the earth sank. The world within several miles of Li Yun was completely pulverized by his attack, turning into ruins.
But the blue phantom light shield remained as strong as ever. Like seawater, it smoothly converted Li Yun's attacks into its own power.
As the dust settled, the houses, trees, and creatures that Li Yun had destroyed were restored in the next moment, as if nothing had happened!
The visible restorative power caused Li Yun's face to change drastically. He retreated. At this moment, he realized that if he could not break this world, he would be forever captured here, never to know peace!
"Ah!!"
"Dare you come out and fight!!"
Li Yun roared madly, his fist shadows once again sweeping through this world, dense and chaotic, with rocks flying and earth splashing.
"Universe in the Palm, condense!"
Yuan Tiangang's eyes opened, starlight flashing. He roared towards the blue phantom world, and it suddenly condensed onto Yuan Tiangang's palm.
Inside, Li Yun's eyes widened in horror. His hair flew wildly as he relentlessly bombarded the world within.
Yuan Tiangang lightly tapped the world in his palm. Instantly, the world within erupted as if heaven and earth were collapsing. Gales like blades slashed outwards, causing mountains to crumble and everything to sink. A single blade-like attack tore Li Yun's left arm open.
At this moment, Li Yun's eyes were vacant. While it might have been but a blink of an eye for Yang Hao and the others, for him trapped in the virtual world, a year had passed. Yuan Tiangang's gentle tap and the year of time within the palm world had flown by in an instant.
Imagine, every day was filled with gales like blades and collapsing heavens and earth. These repeated bombardments completely broke Li Yun. Realizing escape was hopeless, his body floated in the void, abandoning all struggle and resistance, letting the knife-like winds ravage him.
All of this was under Yuan Tiangang's control. The winds slashed, but they did not attack his vital points, only gradually crushing his will.
"Yuan Tiangang, hand him over to the Eastern Depot for handling. I want a detailed account of the overseas three islands, the Abyss of Soul Imprisonment, and the fall of the Xuanyuan Dynasty!"
The Lingyin Sect had a heritage spanning ten thousand years, and Li Yun, as a high-ranking member, was bound to possess a wealth of detailed information that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot could not access. Some information might have been lost to time, or deliberately obscured, rendering it unrecognizable or even completely gone.
"Yes!"
Yuan Tiangang directly handed over the world in his palm to Wei Zhongxian, who was bowing respectfully beside him.
"Since this matter is settled, Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, the three of you shall immediately depart for the front lines. I want the Liao Kingdom annihilated within a week, to vanish completely from this land!"
Yang Hao's voice was solemn, his pupils narrowing slightly, filled with murderous intent. How dare the Liao Kingdom attempt a surprise attack on the royal palace through the Lingyin Sect? The Liao Kingdom no longer had any reason to exist in this world. They would go and accompany Langya.