Battle!

The deep blue light in her eyes rapidly faded.

Jin Ming immediately noticed the change from beside her and asked with concern:

"Fairy Zimo, are you all right?"

"What happened?"

Li Dao waved his hand, and the Black-and-Yellow Furnace around him dispersed like the wind.

Golden Dao patterns flickered across his skin. Watching Yu Zimo inexplicably grow weak, he fell into thought.

The flesh Dao seed was stirred. Did she glimpse a corner of the future and suffer a backlash?

Li Dao had no way of knowing, but seeing one of them fall before they had even faced off put him in a rather good mood.

Yu Zimo waved a hand, her brows tightly knitted on her delicate little face.

Who did that hand belong to? And what was that seed?

Questions filled her mind. Had she not suffered the backlash, she would have thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

The many cultivators who had come to watch the spectacle did not know what had happened, but the commotion only heightened their anticipation of what would follow.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-

Just as the cultivators landed outside Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain and settled in to watch the show,

the valiant War Goddess, clad in battle robes, ignored the crowd and rode a flying Ferocious Beast straight up to Li Dao.

"Little brother, you've certainly stirred up quite a commotion."

The War Goddess spoke with a light laugh.

Looking around, she saw that his enemies had already surrounded the entire area within ten miles of the peak where Li Dao stood.

The Ferocious Beasts of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain had fled without a trace.

Li Dao looked surprised at her arrival. He had not expected anyone to dare approach him under so many watchful eyes.

"I'm the War Goddess of the Deer-Chasing Academy. Would you consider joining us?"

"As long as you join the Deer-Chasing Academy, I can guarantee your safety!"

Jin Ming, who had already arranged the battle lines and was preparing to kill Li Dao, was irritated by the War Goddess's actions. Her words in particular prompted him to speak at once:

"Even the Deer-Chasing Academy cannot protect this scoundrel!"

"Does your Deer-Chasing Academy intend to go to war with our Demon Spirit Lake?"

The War Goddess merely glanced at him. Her smile faded slightly, and she replied in an even tone:

"That would suit us perfectly."

"If Demon Spirit Lake wishes to go to war with the Deer-Chasing Academy, we will oblige."

"But can you speak for Demon Spirit Lake?"

"You!..." Jin Ming choked on her words. His face filled with anger, but he said nothing more.

He truly could not speak for Demon Spirit Lake. He could only glare venomously at Li Dao.

Li Dao paid him no mind whatsoever and instead looked at the War Goddess.

"The Deer-Chasing Academy certainly makes generous offers."

The War Goddess offered no comment, waiting for Li Dao's decision.

A prodigy like him would receive special attention wherever he went. She did not want to see him die here, his path of cultivation extinguished.

Nevertheless, Li Dao shook his head. The situation before him was precisely what he had wanted.

Had he not deliberately exposed his whereabouts, how could they possibly have found him?

"Thank you for your kindness, but let's discuss this once the dust has settled."

Seeing the confidence in Li Dao's eyes, a trace of surprise flashed through the War Goddess's gaze.

Even she might not escape being surrounded and attacked by so many people. She did not quite believe Li Dao was capable of it.

But seeing his firm resolve, the War Goddess said nothing more. She nodded and departed.

When the other factions saw Li Dao turn down the Deer-Chasing Academy's offer, they suppressed their own intentions to recruit him.

"What a shame. Is this peerless prodigy destined to flash past like a comet?"

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west-fortunes turn. He's still too young and hotheaded to be patient."

"What a pity. Alas."

"To witness a prodigy's fall makes this trip worthwhile!"

After seeing Li Dao reject the War Goddess, the many cultivators already foresaw his death.

As for whether he could escape alive, they hardly entertained the thought.

The cultivators of the Rain Clan and Demon Spirit Lake had already woven a heavenly net around Li Dao. Who in the Cave Heaven Realm could escape it?

As the War Goddess withdrew, Jin Ming, whose face had long since darkened enough to drip water, called out from the side:

"Form the array! Slay the enemy!"

Then he turned to Yu Zimo and said:

"Fairy, please return and recuperate without worry. We will surely take this scoundrel's head!"

Yu Zimo was about to refuse, but when she felt the faint pain coming from within her body, she nodded instead.

Having suffered a backlash, she could offer little help even if she joined the battle. She turned to leave.

Although she had not seen Li Dao lose his head, she still had complete confidence in Jin Ming and the others.

At her instruction, everyone from the Rain Clan obeyed Jin Ming's command.

Once she had finished making the arrangements, she gave Li Dao a long look, then turned and left.

At Jin Ming's command, the cultivators surrounding Li Dao all stepped forward together, their fingers forming hand seals.

Strange runes rose beneath their feet. Linking together, they instantly formed a brilliant golden formation that trapped Li Dao within.

Jin Ming leaped into the air and looked down imperiously at Li Dao, speaking in an icy voice:

"Impudent little thief! Today, let's see how you escape this heavenly net!"

An intense murderous aura erupted from his eyes. The next moment, streaks of brilliant golden light poured directly into his body.

Hum, hum, hum-

Amid flickering divine light, six radiant Cave Heavens appeared behind him, magma surging within them.

Profound runes drifted from his body and linked together behind him, forming a dark golden spider with an exceptionally ferocious aura.

-Roar!

A terrifying beast's roar erupted from the Golden Spider, and rings of strange ripples swept toward Li Dao.

Rumble-

In an instant, the mountain beneath Li Dao's feet was shattered by the blow, broken rock scattering through the air.

-Whoosh!

The Black-and-Yellow Furnace revolved around Li Dao, radiating an undying aura. His lifelike golden wings spread wide, and he came to a stop before Jin Ming.

He stared directly at the Golden Spider behind Jin Ming as it wantonly unleashed its ferocious aura, his expression utterly calm.

"You have some tricks, but thinking

you can suppress me with a formation is nothing but a wild fantasy."

"Hmph! You'll soon find out whether it's a wild fantasy!" Jin Ming said coldly, his voice brimming with murderous intent.

He pointed the longsword in his hand straight at Li Dao. The next instant, the Golden Spider behind him pounced.

Runes flowed across its eight legs as they stabbed at Li Dao like sharp, exceptionally sturdy spears.

Clang, clang, clang-

Facing the incoming spider legs, Li Dao showed no intention of retreating. He clenched his fists and charged fearlessly forward.

In a single instant, the two exchanged more than a hundred blows, dull metallic clashes resounding through the air.

He used no Treasure Arts, only fist after fist striking flesh.

Lotus Dao patterns flickered with an uncanny light in Li Dao's eyes. None of the Golden Spider's attacks could escape his sight.

Each punch slammed into the Golden Spider with more than a hundred thousand jin of force. Even the spider, larger than a mountain, was driven back again and again.