Chapter 95: The Strange Li Donglai

The power of self-destructing magic treasures far exceeded that of ordinary magical artifacts, and superior-grade Law Manifestation treasures were especially formidable.

With three such treasures exploding simultaneously, and Li Donglai unable to fully utilize the power of the Palace of All Things, the barrier was at risk of being breached and harm to him.

“Dream on!” Li Donglai roared. 

This kind of attack was beyond his expectations. Who could have imagined that the person hiding in the shadows would be so wealthy, willing to sacrifice even superior-grade Law Manifestation treasures for a self-destructive attack?

It was worth noting that many impoverished demigods, upon first ascending, still used superior-grade Law Manifestation treasures.

At the critical moment, the barrier’s coverage shrank, focusing all its defensive power in front of Li Donglai, shielding him from the explosion of the three treasures.

The deafening roar of the explosion reverberated through the entire Dragon Cave Valley.

Mountains crumbled, the terrain altered, and those precious spiritual flowers and herbs were destroyed in an instant.

The ten major forces’ True Core experts, who were either enthusiastically harvesting or preparing to attack the True Core cultivators of Zhong Chun’s Blessed Land, were caught off guard by the blast.

They were thrown back, vomiting blood, and severely injured in an instant.

Amid the terrifying explosion, a barely noticeable streak of light flashed.

It was a demon-subduing pestle.

Before Li Donglai could react, the pestle embedded itself in the door of the Palace of All Things.

The immense Buddhist power it carried brought a powerful penetrating and destructive force, intent on forcing the palace doors open.

Li Donglai immediately realized that the three superior-grade Law Manifestation treasures were just bait. The hidden person’s true aim was the Palace of All Things.

“Damn it!” 

Li Donglai’s rage flared. Someone had the audacity to play such tricks right under his nose. Once he had a free hand, he vowed to find this person and tear them to pieces. However, he couldn’t afford to focus on that now.

The demon-subduing pestle was also of superior-grade Law Manifestation level.

The sheer penetrating force it unleashed without regard for its own damage was truly frightening.

Of course, there was a clear disparity in their grades. The demon-subduing pestle could only scratch the surface of the Palace of All Things, far from causing any significant damage to the demigod artifact.

However, what alarmed Li Donglai was not the damage to the palace, but the pestle’s real purpose—pushing open the palace doors.

Opening the palace doors was not frightening in itself. The terrifying part was the release of the dozen or so Law Manifestation cultivators trapped inside.

Li Donglai had only just begun refining the Law Manifestation cultivators within the palace and had not yet completed the process. If the doors were to open now, those cultivators would all be freed. Even with the Palace of All Things for protection, Li Donglai wouldn’t come out unscathed.

With his hands pressed against the palace walls, Li Donglai exerted all his strength to control the palace and resist the power of the demon-subduing pestle.

Unfortunately, his innate true qi was insignificant in this level of confrontation.

Its primary role was merely to channel the palace’s power for resistance.

The Buddhist light from the pestle grew increasingly radiant, but the pestle itself began to crack. Yet, the palace doors only trembled slightly and remained firmly closed.

A flash of joy appeared on Li Donglai’s face, but a frown soon replaced it.

In the distance, Lin Fanyun, who was controlling the demon-subduing pestle, smirked.

“Not too stupid, my barrage of treasures wasn’t wasted after all.”

Thinking about this, Lin Fanyun felt a pang of heartache.

When he was being pursued by Yang Hao and ventured deep into the unexplored regions, he hadn’t been willing to expend his resources like this.

Of course, back then, there was no need at first, and later, there was no opportunity.

“But no matter what, I better not lose out here,” Lin Fanyun gritted his teeth. This wave of attacks had consumed more than half of the top-tier treasures in his storage bag. If he came out of this empty-handed, it would be a severe loss.

Li Donglai’s face grew increasingly grim.

He had blocked the demon-subduing pestle’s assault, but the Law Manifestation cultivators inside the palace had seized the momentary disturbance to launch a frenzied attack.

With a creak, the palace doors were pushed open.

A dozen beams of light shot out from within.

It was the Law Manifestation cultivators from the True Martial Continent.

However, they no longer appeared as their usual dignified and magnificent selves. They were disheveled, their auras weak, and their bodies riddled with wounds where their flesh had been melted away.

They had nearly been turned into liquid.

The group of Law Manifestation cultivators was furious. They weren’t fools. By now, they realized that the Palace of All Things was a trap.

A glance at the situation outside made it clear that the person enveloped in the palace’s glow was the mastermind.

“You deserve to die!” roared the dozen or so Law Manifestation cultivators. 

In an instant, they discerned Li Donglai’s cultivation level—merely at the Innate stage.

They had almost been killed by an Innate stage cultivator?

Especially those who had been reduced to human swine, with their limbs partially melted, were seething with murderous intent.

Li Donglai was also extremely annoyed. What should have been a simple task had become so troublesome. He offered no explanations, nor did he plead for mercy. Given the current situation, a battle was inevitable.

After their initial anger, the group of Law Manifestation cultivators’ greed rekindled as they eyed the Palace of All Things. A trap it might be, but the treasure was real. Moreover, the coveted inheritance could very well be on that Innate stage cultivator.

“Everyone, this person dared to scheme against us relying on a treasure. He must pay the price!”

“Exactly, he must be crushed to dust!”

Had it been just one of them, they might have feared the palace a bit.

But with a dozen of them present, what was there to fear?

An Innate stage cultivator, how much of the demi-god artifact’s power could he possibly wield?

Cautious after their ordeal inside the palace, the Law Manifestation cultivators summoned their avatars, ready to confront the Palace of All Things head-on.

Li Donglai took a deep breath, focusing his mind.

“If it weren’t for the puppets and artifacts within the palace decaying over the long years, a mere dozen Law Manifestation cultivators would be as insignificant as ants.”

But now, Li Donglai could only prepare himself for a fierce battle.

“Fortunately, the Palace of All Things is brimming with power, still capable to fight. Still, the one hiding in the shadows has yet to reveal themselves. I need to be cautious.”

The power of the Palace of All Things infused Li Donglai, granting him the strength to contend with the Law Manifestation cultivators. He quickly scanned his surroundings but found nothing. He frowned.

“You’re hiding very well!”

The battle between the two sides was on the brink of eruption.

The dozen Law Manifestation cultivators each unleashed their abilities, with their avatars and divine powers obscuring the sky as they attacked the Palace of All Things.

Li Donglai stood at the palace entrance, the doors wide open. Rays of divine light emanated and enveloped him, engaging in a fierce clash with the Law Manifestation cultivators.

The thunderous roars shook the heavens, whipping up fierce winds, and the resulting shockwaves reverberated for miles.

The entire Blessed Land of Zhong Chun trembled slightly from the impact.

Lin Fanyun led Ye Xiaoshu away to avoid the fray.

In such an aftermath, it would be difficult for him to continue hiding without revealing himself.

Luckily, he had numerous artifacts and treasures for concealing his presence, which were perfect for this moment.

Though not as effective as his self-developed Shadowless technique, they sufficed.

Neither Li Donglai nor the elders like Patriarch Jinghun and Chonglang had the time or the mental bandwidth to search for him amidst the heated battle.

“Donglai, have you become this powerful?” Ye Xiaoshu’s long hair was disheveled by the raging winds, but he ignored it. His eyes were wide with shock as he watched his friend hold his own against the dozen Law Manifestation cultivators.

Though Li Donglai borrowed the power of a demigod artifact, holding his ground was still impressive.

They were both from the Blessed Land, yet how had Donglai suddenly become so exceptional?

Unlike Ye Xiaoshu, who marveled at the power of the Palace of All Things, and the other elders like Patriarch Jinghun and Chonglang, Lin Fanyun was filled with suspicion.

“Receiving the power of a semi-divine artifact isn’t unusual, but wielding it so skillfully? An Innate stage cultivator able to perfectly harness the power of a semi-divine artifact? And the techniques he’s using… These aren’t something an Innate stage cultivator should be capable of.”

Having never known, trained, or mastered these skills, how could someone simply receiving the power of a semi-divine artifact use it so adeptly?

Lin Fanyun thought of something, his expression turning serious.

On the battlefield, Li Donglai and the dozen Law Manifestation cultivators fought back and forth.

Seeing that their prolonged assault was ineffective, the Law Manifestation cultivators spread out and attacked from different directions. The two elders from the Jianyue Sect, whose avatars took the form of various swords, wielded their avatars with unparalleled offensive power.

The patriarch of the Langtao Sect conjured an immense ocean behind him, each wave imbued with mystical powers.

The other patriarchs’ avatars were equally unique and potent, each with its own extraordinary abilities.

In no time, torrents of yellow water flooded the sky, sword energy wreaked havoc in all directions, underwater flames incinerated everything, and a massive giant and a swift white crane, both empowered by water and fire, crashed into the Palace of All Things.

Amid the yellow water, sparkling stardust added to Li Donglai’s vigilance.

Yet, the Palace of All Things lived up to its reputation as a semi-divine artifact. Despite Li Donglai being unable to harness its full power, he managed to block these relentless attacks with its barrier.

Rays of divine light shot out, targeting the dispersed avatars.

The dense rays pierced through everything, leaving the yellow water riddled with holes.

“Hmm?” Li Donglai squinted as the rays passed through several avatars without inflicting damage.

“A divine ability of someone’s avatar, or perhaps their actual avatar?” Li Donglai instantly grasped the issue.

So far, he had seen only a few avatars in action, while others remained hidden. It was clear these avatars had already revealed themselves.

“Is this… fog?”

Suddenly, Li Donglai noticed something concealed within the yellow water.

“White mist, using the yellow water as cover, it evaded my sight. And it’s not just that. This mist itself has the ability to interfere with sensory perception and spiritual awareness. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have missed it. Unexpectedly, these flawed Law Manifestation cultivators have managed to produce some avatars with remarkable uses.”

Having seen through their ploy, Li Donglai remained expressionless.

With the Palace of All Things enhancing his senses, he immediately detected all the hidden avatars.

In an instant, a strategy formed in Li Donglai’s mind.

Simultaneously, the Demi-God power stored within the Palace of All Things began to deplete rapidly.

A constant sizzling sound was heard as the dozen Law Manifestation experts suddenly noticed that the barrier protecting Li Donglai was weakening. Their spirits soared, and they intensified their efforts to corrode the barrier.

The most significant effect came from the bubbles within the yellow water. Wherever these bubbles touched the barrier, it weakened significantly, becoming extremely fragile.

As the barrier thinned, the Law Manifestation experts became both more excited and more cautious. They had seen many desperate counterattacks in their time and didn’t want to be dragged down with him.

Sure enough, in their eyes, Li Donglai’s expression grew increasingly anxious. Finally, he glared at them with a look of bitter despair.

Overjoyed, they secretly reinforced their defenses.

“Damn it! You won’t kill me!” Li Donglai screamed with intense emotion.

In an instant, the Palace of All Things emitted a brilliant light. Unlike before, this light was filled with a cold, destructive aura that annihilated everything it touched.

The dozen Law Manifestation experts, their expressions serious, bolstered their defenses and kept a wary eye on Li Donglai, anticipating his escape.

Meanwhile, Lin Fanyun, realizing something, quickly threw down an object and hurriedly fled with Ye Xiaoshu. In his haste, he didn’t bother to conceal his aura, moving with astonishing speed.

The dozen Law Manifestation experts noticed this and frowned.

They weren’t foolish. They had always known someone was hiding in the shadows. Otherwise, how else could they have escaped from the Palace of All Things? They had felt the disturbance in the palace quite clearly.

They just hadn’t been able to pinpoint Lin Fanyun’s location.

Though puzzled by Lin Fanyun’s sudden lack of concealment and his rapid departure, they didn’t have the time or energy to ponder the reason.

Only Li Donglai glanced at Lin Fanyun, a hint of regret in his eyes.