Li Yundong, facing an attack from two sides, remained utterly composed. He formed the Vajra Fist with both hands. His left index finger pointed straight up, while his right pinky wrapped around the first segment of that index finger, and the tip of the left index finger braced against the first segment of the right thumb—this was precisely the Wisdom Fist, derived from the Great Sun Tathagata Mudra, capable of extinguishing all ignorance and darkness!

Holding the Great Sun Tathagata Mudra, Li Yundong began chanting the mantra. The Wisdom Fist, within the Great Sun Tathagata Mudra lineage, was known for having one of the shortest incantations, consisting of only three short segments. Li Yundong recited them rapidly, finishing the mantra in the blink of an eye: "Om! Vajra-Dhatu! Hūm!"

The instant the chanting ceased, his entire True Essence erupted forth like a volcanic explosion. A boundless power instantly coalesced in his hands. With a thunderous boom, the Wisdom Fist shot out like a cannonball directly toward the rushing figure of Daoist Xuling.

The might of this Great Hand Seal far surpassed the power of the Great Hand Seal Li Yundong had conjured when chanting the Six-Syllable Mantra previously. In the past, when Li Yundong cast a Great Hand Seal, it shimmered with golden light, resembling a palm striking out, yet one could discern it was illusory and transparent. But this time, as he unleashed it, his entire True Essence seemed to condense into this single technique. At a glance, it appeared as solid as a real hand, one that even light and air could not penetrate!

Xuling felt the Great Hand Seal rushing toward him in an instant, as if a Vajra deity had suddenly materialized before him to strike him down!

This fierce and domineering surge of astral wind caused every hair on his body to stand on end. He immediately let out a sharp cry and vanished from his spot.

Li Yundong’s Great Hand Seal instantly forced the aggressively charging Xuling to retreat, but the figure of Xukong materialized beside Li Yundong in the next breath. Xukong snapped his whisk, whipping it toward Li Yundong’s face like a steel whip.

At a nearby distance, Duoji Dānzeng and Meiduo heard the terrifying sound of air tearing apart and felt a chill creep down their spines. They knew that if that strike landed cleanly, even solid ice would shatter into pieces, let alone the physical body of a man.

They watched in horror as Li Yundong, having just dispelled Xukong with the mudra, was ambushed by Xukong, and they gasped aloud.

Yet, Li Yundong didn't even turn his head. A white light suddenly shot out from behind him—it was the Six Harmonies Sword, instinctively defending its master, savagely and sharply cleaving toward the tip of the whisk Xukong held.

Xukong frowned immediately and swiftly turned his wrist. The whisk he had thrown instantly retracted. He pivoted his body, and the whisk, naturally pliable, deftly avoided the fierce chop of the Six Harmonies Sword. Then, utilizing the momentum of his spin, the whisk seemed to coil like a vine around the hilt of the Six Harmonies Sword. Following this, Xuling used the momentum of his own turn to launch a sword strike. His black longsword flashed out from his waist in an instant, aimed directly at Li Yundong’s midriff.

This move was both a defense and an attack, impossible to guard against. Li Yundong's Six Harmonies Sword was now entangled by Xukong's whisk. Had it been anyone else, or someone with insufficient magical artifacts, certain death would have been the result.

But Li Yundong’s hand shot out, quickly grasping a multicolored silk pouch, from which the Seven Treasures Spiritual Fan instantly sprang forth.

Each leaf of the treasured fan whirred with a sound like grinding gears, slamming fiercely toward the black longsword held by Xukong.

Xukong was momentarily stunned. He had not anticipated Li Yundong possessing another magical artifact, and as he watched the fan leaves spin rapidly, glimpses of golden Sanskrit characters flickered across them. The edges of the leaves cut the air with a piercing sound. A direct collision with his own treasured sword might result in damage.

Daring not to pit his artifact against the spinning Seven Treasures Spiritual Fan, he immediately flipped his wrist. The whisk instantly released the Six Harmonies Sword and lunged toward the tail end of the Seven Treasures Spiritual Fan, coiling around it like a nest of vipers.

In an instant, the whisk tightly wrapped around the base of the fan, resembling thick vines. The rapidly spinning leaves abruptly halted. Xukong let out a loud roar, violently shaking his wrist and flinging the whisk into the air, dragging the Seven Treasures Spiritual Fan up with it.

The two artifacts hung in the air, suspended, locked in a silent struggle like two mighty champions. The Seven Treasures Spiritual Fan strained furiously, attempting to break free from the whisk’s embrace, while the whisk tightened its hold, striving to bind the fan ever more securely.

Seeing his artifact locked with the opponent’s, Li Yundong’s mind shifted, and he immediately commanded the Six Harmonies Sword to launch a ferocious assault against the other.

The exchange between the two had been as swift as lightning and as fierce as a sudden gust; mere moments had passed between Xuling being driven back by the mudra and the completion of several exchanges.

When Xuling reappeared, his eyes suddenly widened in shock. "The Seven Treasures Spiritual Fan? Little brat, you have quite the treasure! What connection do you have with the Fox Zen Sect?"

But before he could dwell on his surprise, he noticed the sword fiercely attacking Xukong suddenly split in two, becoming two blades that simultaneously lunged at him.

Xuling startled again. "The Six Harmonies Sword? You... what connection do you have with the Spirit Palace Sect?"

As he spoke, the Six Harmonies Sword struck toward him like a flash of lightning. Xuling, his observation precise, extended a finger and sharply flicked the body of the sword. With a sharp clang, the longsword was sent flying far away.

Seeing Li Yundong remain silent with a grim expression, Xuling looked at the Six Harmonies Sword and the Seven Treasures Spiritual Fan, his eyes suddenly gleaming with intense avarice. He laughed heartily, "You won't tell me? That's fine. Once I seize them, they will belong to this Daoist!"

With that, he suddenly thrust both hands out from his sleeves, holding a black jade tablet.

Xuling tossed the jade tablet into the air, where it instantly hung suspended. Simultaneously, the Six Harmonies Sword froze before him, unable to advance another step.

Li Yundong glanced at it and recognized it as the court tablet traditionally held by ancient nobles and officials during imperial audiences. When this tablet was held upright in the air, it seemed as if an unseen deity wielded the jade, intimidating the Six Harmonies Sword into complete stillness.

Li Yundong’s heart tightened, and his brow furrowed. He thought: What kind of artifact is this, that merely tossing it into the air renders the Six Harmonies Sword immobile? I even feel my connection to the sword has been severed!

As if reading Li Yundong’s thoughts, Xuling sneered triumphantly, "Hmph, no matter how fierce your Six Harmonies Sword is, when faced with my Jade Tablet of the Immortal Court, it becomes useless! Tell you what, my Jade Tablet of the Immortal Court specializes in neutralizing all artifacts under heaven. No matter how powerful the treasure, it will be immobilized upon meeting my Jade Tablet!"

Li Yundong understood a bit more then, thinking: This Jade Tablet of the Immortal must be an exchange-type artifact, trading one for one. It might not possess great offensive power itself, but it can cancel out an opponent's potent artifact. Used correctly, this item is truly outrageous. If I had such a thing, I wouldn't need to fear Zheng Yuan's Netherworld Five-Zhang Soul-Hooking Jade.

Seeing Li Yundong remain silent, Xuling laughed maniacally, "Brat, you refuse the path to heaven and insist on the gateway to hell! I offered you a chance to live, and you scorned it! Hmph, I want to see what other artifacts you have now!"

Saying this, he let out a sharp cry and pulled another artifact from his sleeve—a jade seal.

Gripping the jade seal, Xuling pressed it downward toward the air before him. Instantly, two black characters were clearly stamped in the void, rendered in ancient seal script: "Five Ghosts."

These two black characters, "Five Ghosts," hung in the air for a moment before slowly twisting and dispersing, resembling concentrated ink being dissolved by an inkstone.

This black mist gradually coalesced into five humanoid forms. Each figure wore robes of a different color and held a distinct item: one held a hook and a jar; one held a leather pouch and a sword; one held a fan; one held a hammer; and one held a fire kettle. Their faces were ashen, their eyes vacant, and their entire being exuded the black aura of death.

Li Yundong was instantly shocked upon the briefest glance. He recognized them immediately as the Five Great Plague Ghosts, known in heaven as the Five Ghosts and on earth as the Five Plagues: Spring Plague Zhang Yuanbo, Summer Plague Liu Yuanda, Autumn Plague Zhao Gongming, Winter Plague Zhong Rengui, and the overall controller, Central Plague Shi Wenye!

Normally, the manifestation of even one of these ghosts would herald a terrible plague upon the mortal world. Now, all five manifested together—the consequences were simply unimaginable!

Li Yundong was filled with anger and shock: "These are the Five Ghosts? How—how can you summon such vicious spirits?"

Xuling roared with laughter, "Vicious? What nonsense are you speaking! These are celestial deities ranked among the immortals! Didn't you know that Emperor Wen of Sui once enfeoffed them as generals? Look, the one in the green robe was named Manifested Virtue General, the one in red was Manifested Response General, the one in white was Response General, the one in black was Accomplished Response General, and the one in yellow was Manifested Might General! A presumptuous brat like you, seeing the Five Ghost Generals, should surrender immediately!"

With a wave of his voluminous sleeve, the five ghosts simultaneously brandished their respective artifacts. The one holding the hook opened the jar’s lid, instantly releasing a plume of cyan smoke. The one holding the leather pouch and sword slashed the pouch open with his blade, releasing a cloud of red smoke.

The plague ghost holding the hammer smashed the ground forcefully. With a crack, a fissure opened, from which strands of black, misty vapor ascended. The ghost holding the fire kettle took a deep breath into it and then blasted a stream of yellow smoke toward Li Yundong.

These four plumes of smoke churned in the air. Initially slow-moving, they crept like four giant, multi-colored serpents winding through the sky. Then, the plague ghost holding the fan suddenly began to wave it vigorously. In an instant, a furious gale howled across the mountainside of Mount Kǎrì.

In the next moment, the four plumes of smoke transformed into frenzied, dancing serpents, becoming a massive vortex that lunged at Li Yundong from all directions.

Li Yundong’s heart clenched. He knew those four auras represented the four most terrifying forms of death energy in this world: Pestilence Qi, Plague Qi, Ghost Qi, and Poison Qi. An ordinary person touching even a speck would instantly dissolve into putrid fluid, rotting until not even bone fragments remained.

Even for a master of his level, the pinnacle of the Yang Spirit Realm, merely inhaling a tiny amount—let alone direct contact—would lead to complete bodily decay and death!

Li Yundong knew Xuling was ruthless, but he had never imagined this Daoist was so utterly malicious—it was unheard of!

Furious, he roared, "Using such a Heaven-defying artifact and spell, are you not afraid of the Heavenly Tribulation?"

Xuling laughed heartily, "Worry about yourself first!" Then, he pointed a finger at Li Yundong and cackled, "This is the consequence of opposing me!"