The Moment of Decisive Battle Between Brothers (3)

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Hearing Mi Xingzhe's cries, Li Luoning flew forward, trying to pull him away from Li Minghan's grip. Despite his efforts, Mi Xingzhe didn't budge an inch, and the demonic fire gradually engulfed Li Luoning's arm, causing searing pain.

Li Luoning quickly channeled all his spiritual power to counter Li Minghan's cold fire. As his spiritual power clashed with the demonic fire, a powerful explosion forced the three apart, sending them crashing to the ground.

Li Minghan was clearly injured, coughing twice as he struggled to his feet. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, and with a slight activation of the Moon Shadow Pill within him, his complexion returned to a healthy color.

"Finally awakened." Li Minghan's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he looked at Li Luoning.

Li Luoning felt his inner core, which was once calm and serene, now burning with an intense heat. Unfamiliar memories flooded his mind—images of controlling flames as a child, testing fire with his body, the great fire at the Li residence, and the blurry scene of being found by Mu Han in the wilderness, followed by his induction into the Liao Yin Immortal Realm and his master's sealing of his memories.

"The seal by the Liao Yin Immortal God was indeed formidable, but thanks to your little disciple's use of the Spirit Meridian Technique, I found a way to break it," Li Minghan said smugly.

Li Luoning felt the warmth within him, but it was no longer an unbearable burn. Instead, it was something he could control. He flicked his fingers, and the originally golden spells now carried a fiery red hue. The energy he had expended to quell the battle's flames quickly replenished. He suddenly recalled his master's words from his training:

"Luoning, calm your mind and spirit, transform the void, and traverse the three thousand worlds. In the Red Land, a thousand miles of fire reign."

Li Luoning glanced at Mi Xingzhe, then formed a seal with his hands, channeling power into the back of Mi Xingzhe's neck. As the power flowed in, a golden seal mark appeared on Mi Xingzhe's forehead, awakening the Five Element Gold Core within him.

Li Minghan watched their transformation with a wicked smile. "Now, this is getting interesting." He sprinted forward, leaping into the air, and pounded the ground with his feet, propelling himself towards the master and disciple duo.

Activating the power of the Moon Shadow Pill within him, Li Minghan absorbed the bone short sword into his body, summoning the Yunyi Maojie once more.

"How could you? Master's sword!" Mi Xingzhe exclaimed, seeing Li Minghan absorb the bone short sword into his body.

"What's so strange about it? That bone belongs to me," Li Minghan replied disdainfully, flying towards Li Luoning with renewed aggression.

With the awakening of the Blaze Core, Li Luoning remained calm and expressionless as he effortlessly countered Li Minghan's attacks. Despite Li Minghan's ferocity, he couldn't get close to Li Luoning.

After several exchanges, Li Minghan attempted to unleash the full power of the Moon Shadow Pill again. As he did, a blue water light emanated from his left side, blocking his internal energy flow. Li Minghan stared in shock at the blue light.

"Father!" 

Li Minghan recognized the source of the blue energy, stunned as it gradually immobilized his inner strength.

Seeing the opportunity, Li Luoning channeled the power of the Blaze Core into his sword and thrust it into Li Minghan's chest. Blood sprayed from Li Minghan's mouth as he lost balance, falling back into the pit.

Li Minghan struggled to stand, but his strength failed him, and he collapsed back to the ground.

Li Minghan laughed maniacally as Li Luoning approached. "Do you think killing me will end all of this?" he rasped, his voice low and rough.

"What else?" Li Luoning's voice was cold and calm.

Li Minghan raised a blood-stained hand, pointing to Shentu Zhajia. "If I die, he and the demon realm will perish together. Life and death intertwined, sealed by blood," Li Minghan laughed crazily.

The Shentu clan's bloodline was intricately connected to the protection of the demon realm. If the Shentu bloodline were to vanish, the barriers protecting the demon realm would collapse, and the demon inhabitants would be left vulnerable, their powers drained, becoming easy prey for the three realms.

Li Minghan had counted on Li Luoning's reluctance to kill him. Even in defeat, Li Minghan's plan ensured that Li Luoning could not take his life without devastating consequences.

Li Luoning had no intention of killing him. After a moment of thought, his eyes cold, he turned to Shentu Zhajia. "Lord Shentu, since he still holds a connection to your demon realm, I'll leave him to you. I will take back what belongs to my Li family," Li Luoning said evenly, his gaze devoid of emotion.

Before Shentu Zhajia could respond, Li Minghan was lifted into the air. Li Luoning clawed at Li Minghan's chest, extracting the Moon Shadow Pill, and with his other hand, he ruthlessly pulled out the bone short sword.

The extraction of the pill caused excruciating pain, as the searing heat of Li Luoning's energy burned through Li Minghan. His final scream echoed as the Moon Shadow Pill was removed.

With the pill gone, Li Minghan's demonic energy dissipated, leaving him limp and defeated on the ground, resembling a fallen beast.

As Li Luoning passed Shentu Zhajia, he handed him a bottle of medicine, saying, "Tongue of the scarlet peony, neither dead nor alive, neither decayed nor injured."

He walked to Yun Qingyi's body, gently lifted him, and left without a backward glance.

"Master~" Mi Xingzhe started to follow but was stopped by Yue Ruling, who shook his head.

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In The Flatland, at Nan Zhe's residence,

"Let me go out and find Qingping. He's been alone out there for many days. I'm really worried about him. I promise I'll come back as soon as I find him," Hua Ruoying pleaded with Nan Zhe for several days, but Nan Zhe still refused to let her leave the residence.

"Qingping wants to leave, so he doesn't want you to find him. If he wants to come back, he knows where to find you. If he doesn't want to see you, why bother? Besides, Wuming Demon Mountain is at war right now. It's not safe for you to go out alone," Nan Zhe refused.

"War? With whom?" Hua Ruoying seemed unaware of the situation.

"Li Minghan and Li Luoning," Nan Zhe replied indifferently.

"I know Li Luoning. He's Yun Gongzi's master. Who is Li Minghan?" Hua Ruoying asked.

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Seeing Li Luoning kneeling on the ground, Li Minghan casually floated down, slowly walking forward. Looking down at Li Luoning with disdain, he said, "Still not awakened? I'm running out of patience."

Qingyuan and Yue Ruling attacked from behind, but Li Minghan easily dodged with a simple flash of movement. "Save your strength. You may be the war god of the Liao Yin Immortal Realm, but you're just a guard dog for SiTu Fanzhi. Do you really think you can gain any advantage here?" Li Minghan's tone was arrogant.

"And what if I join in?" A deep, powerful voice came from behind Li Minghan.

Hearing the familiar voice, Li Minghan's pupils dilated, and his movements paused. He stiffly turned around to face Shentu Zhajia, who had just been rescued from the secret chamber by Hua Qiuyuan.

"Brother, what are you doing here?" Li Minghan wiped the blood from his mouth and asked.

"You killed my father, took over my mountain, and now, for your selfish desires, you've started this war. You've led our soldiers to their deaths, treating our people like dirt. As the Demon Lord, how could I stand idly by? Though we are sworn brothers, your actions have shown no regard for our bond. Today, I sever all ties with you. We are no longer brothers." Shentu Zhajia's voice was cold and fierce.

Hearing these words, Li Minghan felt a pang of sadness. For him, Shentu Zhajia was the softest spot in his heart. He had thought of punishing everyone who had wronged him, but he never intended to harm Shentu Zhajia. His brother's words left a gaping wound in his heart, causing him to tremble slightly before asking, "Are you really willing to turn against me for outsiders?"

"Since the day you killed my father and absorbed his demonic power, I have ceased to be your brother," Shentu Zhajia replied angrily.

Li Minghan's face, which had shown a hint of a smile, turned icy. His eyes grew cold, and he spoke in a chilling tone, "If that's the case, then I'll take you all to hell with me today." As he finished speaking, he raised his arms, and the surroundings changed drastically. Winds whipped up, making it hard for anyone to keep their eyes open. Dark clouds gathered above, filled with deafening thunder.

Li Minghan's expression turned grim, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He raised his hands high, controlling the demonic energy above, and brought it crashing down on everyone below, laughing maniacally.

None had anticipated that Li Minghan could muster such immense power. As the protective barriers strained under the pressure, cracks began to appear.

Li Minghan's eyes widened in crazed laughter, his bloodstained teeth gleaming eerily. He increased the force, pressing the barrier down even further.

Li Luoning suddenly noticed a figure dart in front of him. Mi Xingzhe had regained consciousness and was now standing before him, using all his strength to counter Li Minghan's power. A powerful golden seal exploded, dispersing the dark energy above.

Li Minghan staggered back, clearly injured, and spat out a mouthful of blood. "Annoying pest, still not dead," he muttered, flinging the Yunyi Maojie filled with dark energy towards Mi Xingzhe.

"Watch out!" 

Li Luoning instinctively shielded Mi Xingzhe, taking the full force of the strike. The whip tore through his back, causing blood to spray.

"Master!" 

Mi Xingzhe cried out, rushing to catch Li Luoning.

Li Luoning felt the cold burn of the whip's energy seeping into his body. Sitting on the ground, he began to channel his energy for healing. As Mi Xingzhe helped him, he noticed the bone short sword lying on the ground.

"You've harmed my master and killed my brother. I'll take your life!" Mi Xingzhe picked up the short sword and charged at Li Minghan.

"Xingzhe!" Li Luoning tried to stop him.

Li Minghan's demonic cultivation was profound, but Mi Xingzhe's Floating Light Golden Seal offered protection. The two seemed evenly matched, not because Mi Xingzhe was skilled, but because the seal naturally countered the Moon Shadow Pill's power. Even though Mi Xingzhe couldn't land a blow on Li Minghan, the latter's attacks couldn't harm him either.

As Li Luoning attempted to heal himself, he felt the cold energy from the whip being absorbed by his inner core, turning into a burning sensation. 

**You and I, our dual cores are destined to clash.** Li Luoning recalled Li Minghan's words and realized the truth. His eyes brightened as he leapt forward to join the fight.

Seeing this, Shentu Zhajia followed. Qingyuan was about to join but was stopped by Hua Qiuyuan. "This is their matter. If you don't want to drag the Liao Yin Immortal Realm into this, you'd better stay out."

Even with three against one, they could only hold Li Minghan to a draw. But Li Luoning had discovered the key. Each time he absorbed the Moon Shadow Pill's energy, his inner core's heat grew stronger.

During the battle, Mi Xingzhe's accidental strike with the bone short sword grazed Li Minghan's neck. Li Minghan, usually unbothered by such wounds, was shocked by the searing pain.

"Where did you get this short sword?" Li Minghan asked, clutching his wound.

Seeing that the short sword could hurt Li Minghan, Mi Xingzhe intensified his attack. "Master, use this sword against him," Mi Xingzhe said, throwing the sword to Li Luoning.

Catching the sword, Li Luoning and Mi Xingzhe coordinated their attacks, with Shentu Zhajia assisting. Soon, Li Minghan was covered in wounds.

After dozens of exchanges, Mi Xingzhe seized an opportunity and stabbed Li Minghan's left side. Li Minghan caught the sword, but Li Luoning's follow-up strike drove it deep into his side.

Seeing Mi Xingzhe's determined face, Li Minghan knew the Floating Light Golden Seal needed a certain distance to function. He tightened his grip on Mi Xingzhe's arms, his eyes filled with malicious intent.

"It seems your master never taught you how to use that seal properly," Li Minghan sneered, his hands glowing with black-green fire that spread over Mi Xingzhe's arms.

Mi Xingzhe felt unbearable pain, screaming as the fire consumed him. Li Minghan's grip held him fast, leaving him unable to escape the spreading flames.

Li Luoning, hearing Mi Xingzhe's cries, flew forward, trying to pull him away from Li Minghan's grasp. Despite his efforts, Mi Xingzhe didn't budge an inch, and the demonic fire gradually engulfed Li Luoning's arm, causing searing pain.

Li Luoning quickly channeled all his spiritual power to counter Li Minghan's cold fire. As his spiritual power clashed with the demonic fire, a powerful explosion forced the three apart, sending them crashing to the ground.

Li Minghan was clearly injured, coughing twice as he struggled to his feet. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, and with a slight activation of the Moon Shadow Pill within him, his complexion returned to a healthy color.

"Finally awakened." Li Minghan's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he looked at Li Luoning.

Li Luoning felt his inner core, which was once calm and serene, now burning with an intense heat. Unfamiliar memories flooded his mind—images of controlling flames as a child, testing fire with his body, the great fire at the Li residence, and the blurry scene of being found by Mu Han in the wilderness, followed by his induction into the Liao Yin Immortal Realm and his master's sealing of his memories.

"The seal by the Liao Yin Immortal God was indeed formidable, but thanks to your little disciple's use of the Spirit Meridian Technique, I found a way to break it," Li Minghan said smugly.

Li Luoning felt the warmth within him, but it was no longer an unbearable burn. Instead, it was something he could control. He flicked his fingers, and the originally golden spells now carried a fiery red hue. The energy he had expended to quell the battle's flames quickly replenished. He suddenly recalled his master's words from his training:

"Luoning, calm your mind and spirit, transform the void, and traverse the three thousand worlds. In the Red Land, a thousand miles of fire reign."

Li Luoning glanced at Mi Xingzhe, then formed a seal with his hands, channeling power into the back of Mi Xingzhe's neck. As the power flowed in, a golden seal mark appeared on Mi Xingzhe's forehead, awakening the Five Element Gold Core within him.

Li Minghan watched their transformation with a wicked smile. "Now, this is getting interesting." He sprinted forward, leaping into the air, and pounded the ground with his feet, propelling himself towards the master and disciple duo.

Activating the power of the Moon Shadow Pill within him, Li Minghan absorbed the bone short sword into his body, summoning the Yunyi Maojie once more.

"How could you? Master's sword!" Mi Xingzhe exclaimed, seeing Li Minghan absorb the bone short sword into his body.

"What's so strange about it? That bone belongs to me," Li Minghan replied disdainfully, flying towards Li Luoning with renewed aggression.

With the awakening of the Blaze Core, Li Luoning remained calm and expressionless as he effortlessly countered Li Minghan