The Lihuo of That Year

The battlefield for mortals had long since ended. The two sides faced each other at a distance, neither willing to fight, their minds preoccupied with the air.

Even if no one can see it.

High in the sky, far away, Qing Wei and Mangshan are engaged in a battle of wits.

Not to mention ordinary people, even Qin Yi and Li Qingjun dared not approach to watch. The battle between two Qian Yuan cultivators was too dangerous, and they were too easy to be discovered. They didn't even dare to probe with their Divine Sense.

All that could be heard was a muffled rumble in the sky, as if the earth itself was shaking.

A faint flash of thunder streaked across the sky, dark clouds loomed overhead, obscuring the sun and plunging the entire environment into gloom. Then, a torrential downpour swept across the plains.

It's no longer surprising that the Battle of Qianyuan could influence the timing of events in a region; in fact, the Battle of Huiyang could do the same.

It's easy to imagine that this battle wouldn't be a friendly spar, but rather a fight to the death from the start, because they are sworn enemies, and their two families have been fighting fiercely for years.

Qin Yi could feel the surge of energy from a great distance; the sky above this plain was already filled with an extremely dense energy diffusion.

Others might not have noticed, but Qin Yi, through careful observation of his cultivation, vaguely sensed something strange.

It seems that all this overflowing energy, along with the tension and fighting spirit of their clashes, and the bloodshed and ferocity of the war here, are being guided in some way toward a distant target.

Qin Yi's heart stirred slightly as he recalled a familiar scene.

Back then, Burning Heaven Island borrowed the energy from their battles on the clouds, as well as the fire and Blood Qi of their fighting, to open the gate.

The way to enter different dimensional fragments is obviously different. Not every place has a direct passage to go through. Rather, most passages are hidden and require some kind of method to open.

So, could this be...?

Taotie Altar?

Qin Yi pulled Li Qingjun along, quietly approaching the direction the aura was guiding them.

Sure enough, not long after, at the bottom of a valley in the vast Liang Mountain, several Witcher were seen casting spells around a Red Door. All sorts of auras entered the Red Door, making its Red Door color even more vivid.

It really is opening the door!

The power to open the Heaven-Severing Door with this level of energy is the power of the Qian Yuan Level. If one can offer sacrifices to summon the Taotie inside, then one will be at the peak of the Qian Yuan level, or even a formless evil spirit!

Qin Yi finally understood the deal between Li Wuxian and the Witch God Sect: they were actually working together to set up the Taotie Altar. And this Qing Wei was not only the key to opening the door, but might also become a sacrifice!

There are definitely more than just Mount Mang Venerable here; the main force of the Witch God Sect is all here, and perhaps even No Form Sect has come, because this must be the most important top priority for the Witch God Sect in the near future!

This is something they can't get involved in at all. Qin Yi and Li Qingjun are just cannon fodder here. Even Li Duanxuan would have a hard time getting away unscathed. Where did Wu Xian get the guts to negotiate with a tiger and set up such a serious trap?

Was the altar in the capital a cover-up, or did it have some other value?

Just as he was thinking this, the crimson color of the Red Door completely solidified.

The Heaven-Severing Door has been completed.

Almost simultaneously, the dark clouds in the sky transformed into a gigantic, overwhelming hand. With a scream from Qing Wei, the hand grabbed Qing Wei and flung her away violently.

Qing Wei, like a child, had no power to resist and was accurately thrown into the Red Door.

This must be the sect leader of the Witch God Sect making a remote attack!

The Witcher who were casting spells around the Red Door chuckled a few times and went inside. Mount Mang Venerable also shot down from the sky and entered the gate.

It's done.

It must be that the Taotie was summoned inside, and Qing Wei was the sacrifice.

Qin Yi and Li Qingjun exchanged glances, they dared not get involved in such a matter! This was Wu Xiang's involvement, and several Qian Yuan's operations were the top priority of the Witch God Sect. If it weren't for the protection of the Profound Yin Sect's Chaotic Compass, they might have been discovered by the No Form Sect.

"Let's go back and see what's going on with Wu Xian. How dare he interfere in this? Luck isn't everything. Trying to provoke Wu Xian is like summoning a vicious Wu Xian spirit. Is he courting death?"

Upon returning to the city outskirts, they found the city gates wide open, and the Da Qian Army, covering the entire mountainside, was already charging towards the Xiliang camp.

Li Wuxian stood on the city wall, watching quietly, her gaze utterly calm.

Just as Qin Yi was about to step forward, he saw another streak of light shooting down from the sky.

Another old Daoist priest floated in front of Li Wuxian, staring at her with a complicated expression for a while before asking, "This humble Daoist is Qing Xuanzi, the Taiyi Sect of Taiyi Sect. Does Your Highness know what I'm about to say?"

Li Wuxian looked at him calmly. "Daoist Master, to tell you the truth, I had no control over this matter at all."

Qing Xuanzi took a deep breath. "This humble Daoist is not here to settle accounts with Your Highness. I only want to know, with the emergence of the Formless Fiend, the Witch God Sect itself is extremely vulnerable to backlash. Zuo Qingtian himself cannot enter the Heaven-Severing Door and has no grasp of the situation inside. On what basis does he dare to carry out such a plan?"

Li Wuxian, "I will borrow the Da Qian Kingdom Dynasty to suppress it."

"Understood." Qing Xuanzi vanished in an instant, already speeding towards Dragon Abyss City.

The altar in Dragon Abyss City is meant to share the fortune of the Great Qian Dynasty with the Witch God Sect. By taking advantage of this prosperous founding period, their summoning will at least be free from unpredictable accidents—unexpected mutations of the Taotie, breaking free of control spells, or unexpected dimensional collapses—as long as they don't act recklessly, their chances of success are much higher. Furthermore, the Witch God Sect possesses witchcraft that can materialize this fortune through the altar, specifically targeting the successful summoning of the Taotie, making it virtually foolproof.

Even if Qing Xuanzi were to directly enter the Heaven-Severing Door to stop this matter, he wouldn't dare.

However, it is still possible to disrupt the fortune of the Witch God Sect, causing them to suffer the backlash of the Taotie and reap the bitter consequences.

Li Wuxian looked at the sky and said softly, "Sect Leader Zuo, according to the agreement, I can say these things to them. After that, it's up to you immortals to fight for it yourselves; it has nothing to do with me, a mortal. Right?"

The sky did not respond, but the old woman behind him did. "The sect leader knows what he's doing."

This was an agreement. If the Taiyi Sect were truly enraged, Qing Xuanzi would risk his own life and the destruction of his sect to kill you, the Human Emperor, and you would be powerless to stop him. If the Human Emperor died, the National Luck would be extinguished, and the fortune the Witch God Sect hoped to borrow would also be gone. Therefore, no matter how arrogant the Witch God Sect was, it would still allow Li Wuxian to play both sides superficially, at least allowing her not to offend the Taiyi Sect to the point of no return.

When Qing Xuanzi arrived in Dragon Abyss City, he immediately saw an old man in a blood-red robe standing with his hands behind his back on the altar that had already been built.

The sect leader of the Witch God Sect Zuo Qingtian, personally guarded the area.

Qing Xuanzi's heart sank.

"Get out of here, Qing Xuanzi." Zuo Qingtian said slowly, "This is the sect strategy of my Witch God Sect to summon Taotie. It has nothing to do with your Taiyi Sect. As long as you get out of here, I will not kill you."

Qing Xuanzi trembled with rage. "You used my junior brother as a sacrifice, and you say it has nothing to do with my Taiyi Sect?"

"This is the consequence of your meddlesome involvement in worldly affairs. Did anyone force Qing Wei to go to the battlefield in Xiliang?" Zuo Qingtian's expression turned sarcastic. "The Qianyuan Sect is fighting for its territory. How could you do such a thing? It's truly laughable."

Qing Xuanzi angrily said, "Your summoning of evil spirits will surely bring calamity to the Immortal Dao. You, Zuo Qingtian, have even appeared in the world without form. Do you really think the Celestial Pivot Divine Palace will sit idly by?"

"This matter involves mortal power struggles, and Celestial Pivot Divine Palace, being self-righteous, finds it utterly despicable and has never bothered with it." Zuo Qingtian smiled. "Moreover, the unexpected events I need to guard against using this altar of destiny already involve Celestial Pivot Divine Palace. If they were to calculate this matter, they would likely find it vague and unclear."

Qing Xuanzi remained silent.

"Are you done talking?" Zuo Qingtian smiled kindly. "If you're not leaving, then you're going to die."

A giant, blood-red hand descended from the sky.

Qing Xuanzi unleashed his Law Treasure, intending to resist with all his might.

To their surprise, a dazzling flame suddenly erupted between the giant hand and Qing Xuanzi, soaring like a phoenix through the heavens and piercing straight through the blood hand.

"The Lihuo Divine Skill?" The blood-red hand retracted, Zuo Qingtian's previously leisurely expression turned serious. "Xi Yue, what are you doing here?"

A languid female voice drifted over. "A thousand years ago, I foresaw keywords like the Li Dynasty and the Witch God Sect... Now that everything fits together, I came here specifically to see if there's anything strange?"

In the distance, Li Duanxuan, carrying a long sword, watched the changes unfold and sighed softly.

The fire that year.

He was actually the master of the Tianshu Divine Palace First Hall, and the teacher of Minghe.