Chapter 117: Breakthrough, Mid-Stage of the Third Layer of the Hunyuan Dao Classic

Thunder? How could there be thunder in the middle of the night?

Something must have happened on Longshe Shan—damn it, how could that happen on that mountain?

After hearing the explosion, Li Shenghong steeled himself, ready to enter Longshe Shan; he knew the battle had begun—the night demon aura of Jiangming Dharma Protector, unmistakable—and the burst and leaking qi from that instant were exactly that aura, a ghostly qi so familiar it could not be more so.

Chen Chuyang and Jiangming Dharma Protector faced off, while he could take the opportunity to go up the mountain and act as a fisherman.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to approach, thunder struck.

That thunder was obscure; thunder at midnight rarely happens, tonight there was no rain, tomorrow even less, that clap of thunder was not for no reason, but…

At that moment, Li Shenghong didn't dare think further; he turned and ran at his fastest speed ever, leaving Longshe Shan's range in the blink of an eye, not daring to catch his breath or look back.

He had long forgotten about the mission; staying alive was what mattered most.

After running far and far, Li Shenghong finally dared to stop, feeling safe; he weakly glanced back—Longshe Shan remained as before, silent and quiet, the thunderclaps gone, after two sounds there was no further movement.

"Pant, pant, pant, I was scared to death—how could Longshe Shan have thunder, and only two claps at that?"

"There's a problem; Longshe Shan definitely has a problem—maybe Jiangming Dharma Protector is involved."

Li Shenghong hid in the distance, waiting until dawn, but no one came down the mountain; Jiangming Dharma Protector's aura seemed to have vanished too, blocked by the formation, so he could no longer sense it and dared not approach Longshe Shan, a very dangerous place.

After waiting longer, the sun hung high; Li Shenghong looked at that blazing, radiant sun.

"I need to report back to the Holy Maiden—Longshe Shan is no simple place."

Li Shenghong didn't want to stay here; it was too dangerous.

He turned and left.

Somewhere.

Li Shenghong met Holy Maiden Zhuge Ruolan and reported what he had seen.

Those two thunderclaps terrified him.

Zhuge Ruolan frowned: "You mean Jiangming Dharma Protector went up Longshe Shan?"

"Yes, Longshe Shan is guarded by a formation I don't recognize; I'd estimate it's not low—at least third rank."

"I had originally wanted to act as a fisherman, but just as I was about to enter the formation, thunder sounded, and I…"

Li Shenghong felt too embarrassed to speak.

Zhuge Ruolan pondered a moment—the explosion, the leaking ghostly qi, the night demon blast—and many thoughts came to her.

Being able to make Jiangming Dharma Protector self-destruct his night demon without escaping shows… this matter is becoming ever more interesting.

"Longshe Shan?"

"Chen Clan's Chen Chuyang—this person isn't simple either, daring to live alone on Longshe Shan with no one to rely on; his strength won't be weak."

"Besides, those formations—I'll go to Longshe Shan to meet this Chen Chuyang."

Zhuge Ruolan thought to herself, Longshe Shan—I must go there at least once.

Chen Chuyang, too, should meet.

How could one not meet such an interesting person?

Perhaps there will be an unexpected gain.

"Holy Maiden, are we still going to capture Chen Chuyang?"

"Don't worry about this; you can't catch him. Your current task is to control Jiangming's people and his power."

"Yes, Holy Maiden." Li Shenghong breathed a sigh of relief; this task wasn't simple, and compared to Longshe Shan, he'd rather do this one.

At least this task offers hope.

"Anyone who disobeys orders will be killed without mercy."

"Yes, Holy Maiden."

With those words, Li Shenghong could work with peace of mind.

With the mountain at his back, Jiangming dead, his people and his forces all became his.

Li Shenghong excelled at such things.

……

Two days passed quietly.

Inside Longshe Cheng, all fell calm.

Chen Clan's Chen Yuan looked at his wife, somewhat weary.

"Recently the Yin Gui Sect has been very active, already beginning to gradually devour Longshe Cheng."

"Many Chen Clan disciples have been killed or wounded; if this continues, …"

Long Ming looked at her husband and said, "You're not thinking of breaking through, are you?"

Chen Yuan didn't hide it, nodding: "I have that idea; without breaking through, I fear I won't be able to suppress what comes next. As far as I know, the Yin Gui Sect's moves are growing larger, Jiangming's whereabouts are unknown, and the Yin Gui Sect Holy Maiden Zhuge Ruolan has also arrived, her whereabouts uncertain—I don't know what she intends."

"Also, the Monster Race is making moves; the Chen and Shang Clans have suffered casualties, and others inside Longshe Cheng have their own ideas—I don't know how many are watching us."

"The Black Dragon Guard shows no movement; it seems they don't want to get involved in this."

"Moreover, they intend to withdraw from Longshe Cheng."

The Black Dragon Guard withdrawing from here means they have abandoned this place.

That is, the dynasty has abandoned Longshe Cheng, which is not a good omen.

They can leave, but Chen Yuan cannot, nor can the Chen Clan.

Elsewhere, the Chen Clan has no foothold.

"Wait a bit longer; now condensing the elixir is unsafe, and you haven't adjusted to your best state—condensing the elixir most fears haste, and haste leads to failure."

Long Ming soothed his heart, telling him not to be hasty or impulsive.

Impulsiveness is the devil.

Breakthrough, the biggest taboo is this.

Originally there was a fifty percent success rate; if rushed, it would be reduced by twenty percent.

I know.

Chen Yuan sighed; he hadn't fully prepared yet, but the Yin Gui Sect wouldn't give him time to prepare.

Recently, the situation has become increasingly tense.

Don't rush; if your strength is insufficient, make up for it with weapons—I'll urge your son.

If strength cannot be raised immediately, then think of other ways.

Spiritual Artifact, undoubtedly is the quickest method.

Long Ming thought of his son; many days have passed, and his son has shown no movement.

She will go up the mountain to urge him, and meanwhile gather some materials for her son to forge; waiting for her daughter to collect the materials, it cannot be gathered in just a few months.

Fine, you go get the materials yourself.

Okay.

Another three days.

On Longshe Shan.

Spiritual energy trembled; the spiritual spring water rose to midair, enveloping the sky over Longshe Shan.

Afterward, all the spiritual spring water gathered toward Chen Chuyang's residence.

After all the spiritual spring water was swallowed, a powerful surge erupted.

A terrifying pressure, Protector the whole mountain.

Longshe Shan fell silent.

This pressure came quickly and vanished just as fast.

In an instant, Chen Chuyang opened his eyes, delighted: 'I've broken through.'

An unexpected gain—I didn't expect the 'Night Devil Scripture' to have such an effect; this cultivation method indeed has merit, but unfortunately it's not suitable for me.

In the middle stage of the third layer of the Hunyuan Dao Scripture, ghostly qi merges with the Golden Core, becoming the Golden Core's energy; my Golden Core is wondrous, with many mysteries awaiting my exploration.

That Golden Core is profoundly mysterious.

It can swallow flames, granting insight into fire techniques.

It can swallow Technique, granting insight into the sword way.

It can swallow lightning, granting insight into lightning techniques.

Now it can also swallow ghostly qi, taking ghostly qi as its basis, merging within, giving rise to the Ghost Dao.

A hodgepodge?

Hunyuan Golden Core? Hunyuan, hunyuan—only when myriad Dao methods fuse into one is it truly Hunyuan?