The Post Sky Tipping Era
Chapter 799 - 580 Gathering at Taihu

Chapter 799: Chapter 580 Gathering at Taihu

After slicing off Qiu Baishui’s head with the Emperor’s Sword, something astonishing happened. Cracks appeared on Qiu Baishui’s incense-formed body, quickly spreading all over, and a large amount of Power of Incense began to dissipate.

Qiu Baishui could no longer gather incense to reshape her body, which was quite unusual since the main trait of an Incense Fire God is quick Cultivation and being particularly hard to kill. Earlier, even after Li Yi killed her several times, she revived with the Power of Incense, almost without any impact on her strength.

However, after being struck by the Emperor’s Sword, Qiu Baishui did not recover. Instead, her cracked body shattered rapidly, turning into a pile of sludge, dispersing into Taihu.

Li Yi sensed the aura but did not find Qiu Baishui’s presence reappearing.

Could she be dead?

He was a bit puzzled because the Emperor’s Sword was just an ordinary iron treasure sword, not some powerful Dao Artifact. Its only peculiarity was being refined with the Power of Incense, making it a bane to Incense Fire Gods? With one sword stroke, the White Water Lady was defeated?

"She might not be dead, but at the very least suffering unimaginable trauma. The Emperor’s Sword seems to disperse the Power of Incense, destroying a century of accumulation in a single day for an Incense Fire God," Li Yi thought pensively.

Unfortunately, his position as State Preceptor had been stripped, and much of the Power of Incense had dissipated, causing Xiang Xiangzi’s Primordial Spirit to fall back asleep. Otherwise, he could ask this Tri-Floral Realm Immortal, who is well-informed and experienced, for any insight.

Nonetheless, he remained vigilant, continuing to stand on Xiangyun over Taihu.

Strangely enough.

In the ensuing hour or two, Li Yi sensed no trace of Qiu Baishui nor faced any sudden attacks. Obviously, after Li Yi decapitated her with that sword, the White Water Lady had withdrawn from the scene—perhaps dead or hiding in a corner, barely clinging to life. Either way, she dared not show herself again.

Meanwhile, Li Yi received news from the Golden Eyes Guard.

It was said that in some villages and towns near Hu Guang City, the divine statues of the White Water Lady inexplicably cracked and collapsed, without any destruction by people, as if the statues had self-destructed.

This situation indicated one thing—the Incense Fire God being worshiped had died.

"It seems that this White Water Lady is no longer a threat," Li Yi understood upon hearing this and paid it no more attention.

Yet he did not leave Taihu’s shore but sat directly on the golden Xiangyun, quietly waiting for other experts to appear. The letter mentioned experts not limited to this White Water Lady; she was merely the impatient one who exposed herself. Surely, other experts would come together; a one-on-one fight was unlikely.

Through this exchange, Li Yi began to understand the strength of these Incense Fire Gods.

They were very strong but struggled to unleash the true power of incense. If they understood some Cultivation methods, comprehending some Spells, it would be entirely different.

It’s uncertain whether any other experts have embarked on Cultivation and studied Spells during their time of becoming deities.

Li Yi waited from day to dusk.

At this moment, as the sun set and the lake reflected red,

suddenly, Li Yi, sitting on the golden Xiangyun, detected something and looked towards the north.

He saw an abnormal cloud formation moving in, the color unusually white tinged with green, condensing without dispersing, gathering Power of Incense, and within the clouds, he vaguely perceived some humanoid outlines—each towering figure appeared massive, the shorter ones being several yards tall, the taller ones at least a dozen yards high.

As the clouds approached, deep rumbling sounds echoed from the sky.

The sounds were like rolling thunder, or perhaps war drums.

When closer, the sound grew louder, shaking the heavens and triggering resonant thunder.

Li Yi followed the sound with his eyes.

He saw, within the bluish-white clouds, two figures, each six yards tall, garbed in armor, holding great hammers, striking a giant drum. Each beat shattered the air, and the powerful force unleashed created ripples of airwaves. Moreover, the intersecting drum sounds sparked bolts of lightning out of thin air.

"Creating such a grand spectacle, are they afraid no one will notice?" Li Yi remained calm, realizing the enemy had arrived.

But the excursions of Incense Fire Gods were always like this.

The ceremonial array was complete and imposing, symbolizing their status and position.

Because only in this way, when seen by mortals, would they kneel more devotedly, aiding the spread of Incense Fire God’s fame and the consolidation of belief. If every Incense Fire God kept a low profile and did not show themselves, how would the common people know the presence of gods in the world, and how would they voluntarily build temples and establish divine statues?

Manifestation is itself a way to spread faith.

The drumbeats became faster, as if a general were about to lead the charge into battle, the drums encouraging courage.

"Where is the Taiyi Demon Path?"

From within the clouds came a majestic shout, spreading instantly across dozens of miles, covering the whole of Hu Guang City, clearly intending to make the city’s residents aware that Master Taiyi was not the State Preceptor but merely a demon path. Tolerant of divinity, today they were coming to execute the demon path and purify the human world.

The purpose of doing so was to undermine his Power of Incense, causing the nearby people not to trust Taiyi, not just a simple challenge.

"Really noisy."

Li Yi’s gaze darkened, but he remained unyielding. He stood up from the golden Xiangyun, then a stream of Red Cloud Qi surged into the sky, releasing a powerful aura that instantly heated the surrounding air. The previously dim sky brightened once more. In addition, he activated the Wood Qi.

The Five Elements support each other; Liver Wood aids Heart Fire. Coupled with the Mana of twelve acupoints, this original Red Cloud Qi became even more terrifying, instantly transforming into a vast expanse of red light, scattering in all directions.

But that was not all.

Li Yi let out a long howl, swallowing the vast glow in one gulp, and then activated his Daoist Skill.

Call Wind!

As the fierce wind rose, it instantly turned into raging fire, ferocious and unstoppable, engulfing the skies over three hundred Baili in a blink of an eye. The drifting cyan-white clouds were instantly covered by this fierce wind and fire.

The cloud layer immediately turned a fiery red, resembling a layer of burning clouds.

The deafening drumbeat that had been heard suddenly ceased at this moment, followed by the continuous sound of miserable cries from within the clouds. Each figure was unable to withstand the Wind Summoning Technique; as their bodies were scattered by the wind, their souls were ignited by Heart Fire Qi, leaving them no room to resist before they vanished between the heavens and earth.

Some spirit monsters, engulfed in flames, plummeted from the clouds but turned to charcoal in mid-air before even hitting Taihu, leaving behind only some remnants as the wind blew past.

"Small fry shouldn’t have gotten involved; just back down quietly." Li Yi watched this scene calmly, feeling that his ears were much quieter now.

The Heart Fire Qi was still burning, and the wild winds were still sweeping.

The cyan-white clouds began to dissipate, revealing the chaotic scene. This fire had them shedding their armor and suffering heavy casualties.

Yet amid this, a few figures forcibly broke through the fiery enclosure, emerging from the sky above Taihu. Even so, each was covered in ash, emitting a scorched stench. Some even had lingering flames that could not be extinguished, forcing them to cut away parts of their bodies to escape the roasting and gain relief.

"Is this the same fire that once burned the National Guardian General Wang Qijun above the Capital? I didn’t think much of it before, but seeing it today, I finally realized its power. The elite force I brought has all perished in this sea of flames, even the pillar giants who followed me on countless campaigns..."

A man, covered in ash but visibly valiant, holding a Coiling Dragon Spear, showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

This man was none other than the Champion Marquis appointed by the founding emperor, named Zhao Zhen Shan, though he did not bear the Zhao surname; it was granted to him for his great merits.

"This fire is beyond formidable; it’s terrifying. This blaze stretches over three hundred Baili; who in the world can withstand it? I nearly perished in the sea of flames, thankfully, Master Taiyi’s Spell wasn’t aimed at me, or it might have been uncertain." A middle-aged man in a blue robe, with a scorched beard, spoke, his body damaged.

Seemingly, he had to forfeit a portion of his body to resist the fire, yet his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This person wasn’t simple either—a thousand-year-old pine tree had attained the Dao, known as Qing Song, titled as Shoushan Mountain God, receiving earthly incense.

A spirit monster became a True God after achieving enlightenment, with a thousand years of Cultivation—a rarity in the world.

"I knew it; anyone that requires us to join forces against can’t be simple. Where’s the White Water Lady? This is Taihu, her domain; why hasn’t she appeared to quell this fire?" A majestic general, clad in armor and wielding a long blade, scanned the surroundings with fierce eyes.

Apart from Li Yi, there was no sign of the White Water Lady.

"She’s probably been killed. Didn’t you see the Emperor’s Sword in Master Taiyi’s hand? I recognize that sword; it’s called the Mountain Sparrow, the sword of Emperor Yingzong. He once lost a bet with the White Water Lady while sailing Taihu and reluctantly threw his sword into the lake. Now that the Mountain Sparrow Sword is in Master Taiyi’s hand, the situation is evident."

The speaker was a young man in black brocade, named Lord Black Mountain, a tiger spirit who gained enlightenment. But looking at Li Yi, he showed no hostility, only respect and admiration.

"The White Water Lady is dead?" The Champion Marquis Zhao Zhen Shan’s face darkened: "Wasn’t she supposed to wait for us here in Taihu?"

"Probably couldn’t wait, trying to protect her temple. Who would have thought the White Water Lady would be killed even after drawing the Emperor’s Sword? This Master Taiyi is truly unfathomable." Daoist Qing Song’s tone was grave.

Not only him.

The others were the same.

After all, they were incinerated without a chance to show themselves, and they barely escaped the sea of fire at the cost.

Such means are truly rare in the world.

"Are you not leaving, seeking death too?" On the golden Xiangyun, Li Yi’s demeanor towards the group remained indifferent.

Unexpectedly, his father planted a traitor among them.

That Lord Black Mountain was clearly the black tiger beside the Emperor, now humanized and partaking in this battle, obviously intending to betray at a crucial moment, stabbing allies in the back.

Pity the others still remain in the dark.

Moreover, with the White Water Lady bowing out early, the remaining three had slim chances before the fight even began.

Clearly, this was a near-hopeless battle, and once these few died, the world would be shaken. No Incense Fire God would dare openly oppose Li Yi again unless the Yin Emperor personally got involved.

But the Yin Emperor rests with the nation; how could he easily risk himself?