Chapter 444: Ali

If Lord Lan were still alive, the Water Mink Immortal, even with ten times its courage, would not dare to intercept the Nether Soldiers bearing the "Lan" banner.

The skeletal jiao under the feet of the Nether Ghost Commander had two bone claws several meters long, with distinct bone joints, indicating it was a jiao-python when alive.

An adult jiao-python possessed combat power comparable to a Longevity Realm martial cultivator. It could conjure clouds and rain, summon wind and thunder.

A four-clawed jiao-dragon, on the other hand, was a formidable existence no less powerful than a transcendent being.

Even though this jiao-python had died many years ago and transformed into a skeletal jiao, a wisp of aura comparable to a Longevity Realm giant still lingered on it, capable of making ordinary Dao Seed Realm beings weak in the knees.

Netherfire burned in its two claws, eye sockets, and abdominal cavity.

The Nether Ghost Commander and his skeletal jiao mount stood as towering as a mountain, emanating a powerful aura that made the Water Mink Immortal quite wary, secretly pondering countermeasures.

On the other side of the sand dune.

Li Weiyi bit his right index finger, then drew the ancient character "Lin" from the Six Jia Secret Incantation on the forehead of the Longevity Corpse.

He intended to awaken the corpse with his blood.

To awaken a Longevity Corpse with his Dao Seed Realm blood essence, ordinary blood would not suffice.

He needed to condense essence blood, infused with intent and soul power. Each drop of essence blood condensed consumed dozens of drops of ordinary blood.

The higher the cultivation of the corpse to be awakened in life, the greater the price paid.

Whoosh!

The Longevity Corpse absorbed the blood from its forehead into its body.

Immediately, a blood-red light appeared in its decaying eyes, and it murmured, "Such muddled memories, as if I've slept for a thousand years. I remember, yet I can't recall clearly... Who has awakened me..."

Its soul had not returned; it had long since dissipated.

Rather, it was residual memories within the corpse, awakened by Li Weiyi's mysterious and ancient bloodline power.

The Longevity Corpse on the ground propped itself up with its arms, sat up, and then knelt on one knee before Li Weiyi.

Nearby, Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan's beautiful eyes widened in utter shock. They knew that Spirit-Mind Masters had methods to control puppets and manipulate corpses, but how could he awaken the memories of a corpse that had been dead for countless years?

Especially Yang Qingchan.

The departed spirit within her body suddenly thought of many things.

The Water Mink Immortal looked up, sensing the fluctuations of aura behind the sand dune, and shouted, "You human brats who tried to scare me, and that overly watery woman, what are you sneaking around for? Do you intend to take advantage of the chaos? You're audacious!"

The Water Mink Immortal dispatched the Sand Demon leader, along with over twenty formidable white-furred sand demons, to burrow through the sand towards the top of the dune.

Li Weiyi, carrying Yuer on his back, appeared at the top of the sand dune, holding the Myriad Objects Staff-Spear, exuding a heroic aura. He let out a long laugh, "Who scared you? You scared yourself."

Boom!

Li Weiyi released magical energy from beneath his feet.

A violent shockwave surged into the ground and spread out, centered on the sand dune.

Bang! Bang...

Halfway down the sand dune beneath Li Weiyi, white-furred sand demons that were burrowing were flung out by the force. They tumbled down the dune, letting out cries.

The Nether Ghost Commander, standing on the skeletal jiao's back, was over five meters tall.

His battle blade was covered with densely packed scriptures. His aura was powerful as he turned his head to stare at Li Weiyi on the hilltop.

The Water Mink Immortal's golden eyes swiveled. "You scrawny human brat, you tell him, did Lord Lan die in your Soaring Heaven Realm?"

"That's true, otherwise how would I dare to trespass into the Netherworld of the Departed?" Li Weiyi replied.

The Nether Ghost Commander had largely believed it. He let out a mournful long howl, and blue flames surged on his body. The skeletal jiao beneath him slammed its claws onto the ground, causing the surrounding sand sea to tremble.

Li Weiyi glanced at the seven-story bone tower, narrowing his eyes. "Water Mink Immortal, you're a cunning demon with a wise mind. How about we team up to take him down first, and then settle our grievances?"

"I was just thinking the same thing," the Immortal replied.

The Water Mink Immortal was worried that Li Weiyi and Yang Qingxi would slip away during this opportunity, so it was pondering how to trick them into staying.

To its surprise, the other party was so greedy that they were also tempted by the treasures in the bone tower.

This was excellent.

The Water Mink Immortal mentally instructed the Sand Snake leader on the ground and the Bone Vulture leader in the sky to find an opportune moment to go behind the sand dune and capture the two women.

"Move!"

Li Weiyi's brow lit up, and he thrust the Myriad Objects Staff-Spear through the air.

A bright beam of flame flew towards the distant Nether Ghost Commander.

The Nether Ghost Commander had been wary of the Water Mink Immortal all along and hadn't paid much attention to Li Weiyi.

Boom!

The skeletal jiao spat out a mouthful of netherfire, which collided with the incoming Golden Crow flame beam. The air in that area boiled with combustion.

The Water Mink Immortal darted straight towards the seven-story bone tower, incredibly agile, dodging the skeletal jiao's tail lash. It bounced onto the skeletal jiao's back like a ball of fur.

It exhaled a dark red mist from its mouth, enveloping the bone tower, attempting to swallow it whole.

Whoosh!

The Nether Ghost Commander brought his blade down, and the magical artifact's power erupted.

The blade light tore through the Water Mink Immortal's defenses.

The Water Mink Immortal was truly formidable; the golden halberd in its hand spun like a windmill, clashing with the five to six-meter-long giant blade.

With a bang, magical energy and scriptures exploded from between the two weapons, sending a large number of Nether Soldiers and Sand Snakes on the ground flying.

The Water Mink Immortal showed no sign of falling behind, engaging in fierce back-and-forth combat with the Nether Ghost Commander on the skeletal jiao's back.

It shouted, "Human brat, aren't you going to make a move? Do you really think that with Lord Lan's demise, you can rest easy in the Netherworld of the Departed? The Netherworld of the Departed is always the territory of departed spirits. We must finish this quickly, or we'll attract some powerful corpse ghouls."

Li Weiyi secretly marveled, the Water Mink Immortal was not simple; its combat power would not be inferior to either Huang Xu or Kong Xu. No wonder it could take his Myriad Objects Staff-Spear with its bare hands.

"I'm coming!"

Li Weiyi executed his footwork, treading on magical energy, moving through the air with great speed towards the seven-story bone tower.

He didn't approach immediately.

From twenty zhang away, he launched a magical artifact chain, wrapping it around the third level of the bone tower.

Rumble.

The Nether Ghost Commander struck the Water Mink Immortal off the jiao's back, then spun his blade and unleashed a strike through the air.

With a bang, the magical artifact chain snapped.

Then he rode the skeletal jiao, fleeing rapidly to the west, kicking up endless sand and dust.

"Again! This fight is truly exhilarating today!"

The Water Mink Immortal chased behind the skeletal jiao's massive body, leaping up and landing back on the jiao's back, near its tail.

The Nether Ghost Commander glanced at Li Weiyi, who was getting further and further away, then strode towards the jiao's tail and swung his blade horizontally.

Whoosh!

A ball of purple misty light appeared next to the seven-story bone tower.

The human youth, who had originally been thrown two li away, had actually crossed space directly to appear next to the seven-story bone tower, which was about a zhang high.

Li Weiyi used his realm bag, intending to collect the seven-story bone tower.

However, he found that the bone tower was actually grown together with the skeletal jiao and could not be moved.

Bang!

He swung the Myriad Objects Staff-Spear, chopping down the seven-story bone tower, which fell towards the nearby white desert.

Roar!

The skeletal jiao roared in fury, immediately turned around, and charged towards the bone tower.

At the same time, Li Weiyi, the Nether Ghost Commander, and the Water Mink Immortal all leaped off the jiao's back, rushing towards it at maximum speed. The distance was so close that activating the speed-enhancing power of the Provincial Governor's Robe was even faster than activating space jumps.

"Haha, the treasures in the bone tower are mine now... Ah, how is there another master..."

The Water Mink Immortal arrived at the bone tower before Li Weiyi and the Nether Ghost Commander, just about to seize it. A Longevity Corpse, radiating four-colored immortal light, burst out of the sand and struck its furry, plump belly with a palm, sending it flying.

The Longevity Corpse possessed strong combat power, capable of activating residual power within its cadaver and employing some of its martial arts and Daoist spells from when it was alive.

Moreover, this Longevity Corpse was very different.

When it was ambushed with Luan Sheng Qilin You, a new spirit had already been nurtured within it, and it had cultivated a Yin Corpse Dao Fruit in its body.

The Longevity Corpse and the Nether Ghost Commander began to fight.

The latter's cultivation was formidable, possessing combat power no less than a Dao Seed Realm Ninth Heaven martial cultivator. The Longevity Corpse could only restrain him, not defeat him.

Li Weiyi seized this opportunity to collect the bone tower.

Then, he activated the spatial power of the Provincial Governor's Robe and teleported several li away.

The Water Mink Immortal flipped out of the sand and gave chase, howling in rage, "Human brat, don't run! Your two women have already been captured by masters under my command!"

In the distance, at the top of the sand dune.

The Sand Snake leader and the Bone Vulture leader were flung away by Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan. Afterward, they and the Seven Little Ones activated the Jade Boat and went to rendezvous with Li Weiyi.

"Ah Li, it seems you miscalculated. You lost the bone tower and suffered a loss of troops," Li Weiyi deliberately provoked it, intending to infuriate it.

If he didn't deal with it, his journey to Yuzhou would not be peaceful.

"I'll fight you to the death, human!"

The Water Mink Immortal hurled its golden halberd from afar, disrupting Li Weiyi's movement speed.

Then, it unleashed a profound escape technique, rolling like a glowing orb, accelerating as it pursued. After several breaths, just before Li Weiyi rendezvoused with the Jade Boat, it finally caught up.

Bang!

A single clash.

Li Weiyi rapidly retreated, continuing until he reached the Jade Boat.

Stabilizing himself, he thrust the Myriad Objects Staff-Spear heavily into the sand. Streaks of star-orbit patterns surged out from within the staff-spear, swirling around his body.

"Formation!"

Li Weiyi formed a hand seal, releasing his mental power's spiritual light.

Immediately, the formation plates of the Twin-Rice Sect's Sun-Moon-Star Great Formation interwove and took shape beneath his feet and above his head, spreading outwards.

Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan flew into the formation, positioning themselves on the left and right, transforming into the twin moons within the array.

They had already practiced this two days prior.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors flew like seven stars at the edge of the formation.

The pursuing Water Mink Immortal, unable to stop itself in time, crashed headlong into the formation.

It was immediately besieged.

All kinds of powers and magical artifacts rained down upon it.

"How despicable! Is winning by numbers what makes a hero? If you're so capable, fight me one-on-one! One against one, no one breaks the rules!"

The Water Mink Immortal's physical body was incredibly strong; its seemingly soft and fluffy fur was tougher than magical artifact armor.

The dark red mist enveloping its body was a protective treasure called "Everlasting Undying Smoke." It was refined by burning the corpses of Longevity cultivators, making its defense immensely powerful.

Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan's swords, and the Seven Little Ones' innate Daoist spells, could not break its defense; they could only restrict and harass it, limiting its movement space.

The only one who could pose a lethal threat to the Water Mink Immortal was Li Weiyi.

The Sun-Moon-Star Great Formation could transfer part of the Two Yangs' and the Seven Little Ones' power to him, significantly boosting his unleashed strength.

This was the function of a combined attack formation!

Every thrust of the Myriad Objects Staff-Spear in Li Weiyi's hand made the Water Mink Immortal yelp repeatedly and respond in a flustered manner.

"You human brat, you're so treacherous! First, you tricked me into teaming up with you against the Nether Ghost Commander of Golden Orchid Plains, then you secretly took the bone tower. Then you feigned weakness to trick me into throwing my magical artifact, and now, with my claws empty, I'm being beaten by all ten of you! I refuse to accept this!"

"Ah Li, stop feigning pity! Didn't you gather so many departed malevolent spirits and demons just to deal with us?"

Croaking sounds came, and Li Weiyi noticed a large number of bone vultures rapidly approaching in the sky. "This fellow's defense is too strong, hard to break through. Help me activate the Purple Heaven Thunder Seal together."

Under the activation of Li Weiyi, Yang Qingxi, and Yang Qingchan's magical energy, the Purple Heaven Thunder Seal transformed into the size of a millstone, unleashing dazzling power.

Thunder roared, and the seal hovered above the Water Mink Immortal's head, with bolts of lightning continuously striking down.