Chapter 120: Dragon Coils Around the Pearl, Sinews and Bones Perfected

The dragon formed from Xuan Qing Qi coiled around the chaotic sphere.

At first.

The two forms repelled each other, but gradually the dragon’s body tightened its grip until it became like a bas-relief embedded on the chaotic sphere, merging into one.

“It’s done!”

“The orthodox and deviant have united!”

Li Rui’s eyes flashed with delight.

According to ancient texts, most people with both orthodox and deviant forms train them separately, but a rare few geniuses can fuse the two forms, allowing them to coexist and complement each other, multiplying their power manyfold compared to a single form.

“It is said that a thousand years ago, a grand master possessed both the Sea form and the Moon form; when united, he awakened the unparalleled ‘Moon Rising Over the Sea,’ dominating the martial world for over a hundred years and becoming legend.”

The scene within his dantian now matched the description of orthodox-deviant unity exactly.

“The dragon coils around the pearl.”

In the next instant!

A clear stream surged from his dantian, flowing through the extraordinary meridians and coursing through his entire body; his blood and qi began to burn and boil uncontrollably.

The Yuquan point, the Taiyang point, and the Taiyin point swelled.

Li Rui’s entire body flushed crimson in an instant.

Muscles rose like coiled dragons.

With a loud bang.

His clothes could no longer hold, exploding into tattered shreds.

Li Rui felt boundless strength demanding release, forcing himself to suppress the urge to roar.

He sat motionless all night.

When he opened his eyes again, a faint blue glow flickered through them.

He opened and closed his palms.

“This is the Willow Sinew?”

Indeed, the fusion of the two forms, combined with the potent power of the Spirit Soil, had shattered his bottleneck and propelled him into the Seventh Rank.

Seventh Rank

This was the endpoint for most martial cultivators in their lifetime.

Beyond that lay the Primordial Realm.

As his knowledge grew, Li Rui gradually understood the realms above the Seventh Rank: Sixth Rank Dragon Gate, Fifth Rank Ocean Observation, and Fourth Rank as the Primordial Realm.

Seventh Rank, in a county town, was a figure of supreme authority.

Even the County Magistrate would fear him sevenfold.

The Heavenly Alliance had seven vice-chairmen; only Tang Sheng and one other were Seventh Rank, the rest were merely Eighth Rank perfected.

This reveals the true value of Seventh Rank.

“This is what it feels like to be a genius?”

Age may wither the body, but not the spirit—no one can deny it.

From the day Li Rui began training until now, barely two years had passed, yet he had already broken through to Seventh Rank.

He had walked the path others took twenty years to complete!

If the prodigies painstakingly nurtured by the sects learned of this, they would surely spit blood in rage.

He rose from bed, stretched his limbs, and pushed open the door.

Li Rui felt refreshingly clear-headed; he washed his face with cold water in the courtyard.

“Come on, Old Li, dumplings are ready!”

Yang Yong saw Li Rui wake up.

He carried out a steaming bowl of dumplings from the kitchen.

Li Rui took the large bowl and chuckled: “Old Yang, why the dumplings today?”

Yang Yong grinned: “The New Year’s approaching, right? Back when we were with the Zhu family, we dreamed of eating dumplings during the festival. Now that we’re well-off, I thought I’d make up for lost time.”

Li Rui fell into a daze.

In the blink of an eye, the New Year was upon them again—time truly flew.

But these days grew brighter with each passing day, filling him with cheer:

“Get more money—let’s make this year a grand celebration.”

“Alright.”

Yang Yong nodded vigorously.

Although Li Rui had been freed from servitude two years ago, last year he had been alone, and with daily training, there had been no trace of festival spirit; now both Yang Yong and Wang Zhao were here.

Perfect—let’s make it lively, for good fortune.

Li Rui finished the dumplings and drank the broth; warmth spread through his entire body.

Only then did he step out of the house.

His residence was not far from the Ding-shaped martial arsenal; after walking only half a quarter-hour, he saw the sharp peak of the seven-story arsenal.

Suddenly.

Li Rui halted.

“Jiang Lin?”

Not far away, Ning Zhongtian and Lu Jun followed behind Jiang Lin, heading in the direction of the General’s residence—as if they had just left.

Li Rui showed no sign of disturbance, pausing for less than half a breath.

His steps continued forward.

Jiang Lin had finally arrived in Qinghe.

But Li Rui did not feel emboldened by Jiang Lin’s backing to slack off.

Put it this way:

Before Jiang Lin arrived, Cao Wei might have been indifferent; now that the dragon and tiger face off, tensions will only tighten—and the more tense it becomes, the more cautious one must be.

At the other end:

Inside the General’s residence.

Cao Wei’s face was grim, bruised purple and blue—not from anger, but from blows.

“Jiang Lin!”

Jiang Lin had come to his residence early this morning.

Without a word, he attacked.

Cao Wei was caught off guard, but more importantly, he was outmatched; Jiang Lin’s small sword had struck his face multiple times.

After beating him,

Jiang Lin casually dropped these words:

“Kill the Ghost Ming Cult’s demons properly—don’t entertain other schemes.”

Then he left.

How could Cao Wei not rage!

But soon, he calmed down.

Would Jiang Lin dare act so brazenly?

Clearly not.

He had studied Jiang Lin—he appeared reckless on the surface, but in truth, he always adhered to the rules and valued reason.

Therefore, Jiang Lin’s actions were not his own—they were the Emperor’s.

Cao Wei’s heart turned cold.

This was clearly the Emperor using Jiang Lin to rebuke him—no, to rebuke the Fifth Prince.

The Emperor’s art of statecraft!

Cao Wei’s expression gradually grew calm.

If it was the Emperor’s will, he could accept it entirely—these few slaps were no different from kneeling when receiving an imperial decree.

He knelt before the eunuch.

No.

He knelt before the Emperor’s majesty.

Both thunder and dew are the sovereign’s grace.

At this moment,

A servant entered the door: “Cao—”

The servant froze upon seeing Cao Wei’s battered state, then immediately lowered his head, daring not to look again:

“General Cao, Zhang Hao of the Zhang family requests an audience.”

“Let him in.”

Moments later, Zhang Hao entered the General’s residence; he glanced at Cao Wei as if he noticed nothing amiss:

“General Cao.”

Cao Wei’s hands were clasped behind his back: “What is it?”

Zhang Hao: “The matter you entrusted me with is completed—the Ghost Ming Cult’s demon has been imprisoned outside the city.”

“Alive.”

Cao Wei’s eyes flickered with a hint of delight.

“Good.”

He then turned to Zhang Hao and said, “You’ve done well.”

Satisfied with Cao Wei’s approval, Zhang Hao departed.

In the main hall.

Soon, only Cao Wei remained.

He slightly narrowed his eyes.

Having come to Qinghe County, the Ghost Ming Sect must be eliminated—that was his duty. Even if Jiang Lin didn’t mention it, he would have done his utmost.

But the matter of the Fifth Prince must also be handled.

“Immortal treasure—difficult indeed.”

This matter had once stirred such uproar that even the capital had heard of it; in the end, Jiang Lin obtained the Immortal Treasure and surrendered it all to the Dragon Court.

Did His Majesty take an interest in the Spirit Guide?

Of course not.

Though the Spirit Guide was precious, it was not valuable enough for the lord of Chixianshenzhou to intervene personally.

According to the Fifth Prince’s account,

the Spirit Guide was merely an ordinary Tai Sui herb three years ago—it was someone who transformed it into the Spirit Guide.

The Emperor wanted the immortal art that turned stones to gold.

Otherwise, how could a mere Spirit Guide be called an Immortal Treasure?

The barracks.

On the training ground.

“Right side—attack his right!”

“Incredible sword technique.”

“My brother Zhang Fu is unbeatable in the barracks!” Shouts rose in waves.

Dozens of soldiers formed a circle, with two men sparring in the center.

One of them was Liang He.

A young man dressed in brocade and silk, like a noble youth, launched a furious assault upon him.

Seeing Zhang Fu fight like a rabid dog, refusing to relent,

Liang He frowned deeply.

This morning, as usual, he had gone to the weapons depot for roll call, but on the way, Zhang Fu intercepted him, directly challenging him and attacking without warning.

He likely understood.

Zhang Fu was the second son of the Zhang family, Zhang Hao’s sixth son; all the disciples who joined the Zhang family followed him, and it was they who had beaten up Ge Hong’s former subordinates.

Clearly, they intended to repeat the same incident on Liang He.

The military revered strength.

=9+ Shu _ Ba

If the opponent wins by pure power, you can only grit your teeth and swallow your humiliation.

Under Li Rui’s guidance,

his Wu Gong had improved greatly in recent times, but his opponent was a direct heir of the Zhang family, the son of the Zhang family’s second master—his cultivation techniques and spirit pills far surpassed Liang He’s.

Zhang Fu’s elegant swordplay was truly unmatched.

A decade’s accumulation could not be matched by a few short years.

The gap in strength was irreparable.

Just as Zhang Fu believed victory was certain,

suddenly!

Liang He seized a handful of yellow earth from the ground and flung it into Zhang Fu’s eyes.

His vision instantly turned a blinding yellow.

Zhang Fu instinctively shut his eyes and retreated hastily.

In that instant, a tremendous force struck his abdomen.

A cry of agony.

Zhang Fu collapsed to the ground, and in the same moment, Liang He leapt forward, straddling him, and began raining punches and kicks upon his face.

“Fuck, little brat’s playing dirty!”

“All of you, attack! Don’t bother with martial virtue!”

“Brothers, strike together!”

Several Zhang family onlookers, sensing the tide turning, rushed forward.

They kicked furiously at Liang He, who was still atop Zhang Fu.

But Liang He, as if fixated solely on Zhang Fu, ignored all other attacks and kept hammering Zhang Fu’s face.

“Is this kid insane?”

One Zhang family disciple stared in shock.

This was the Anning Guard—not the Zhang family compound. They hadn’t been foolish enough to draw weapons.

But without weapons,

they truly had no way to separate Liang He from Zhang Fu.

For a full incense stick’s time,

Zhang Fu finally fell unconscious under Liang He’s blows.

Liang He, too, could no longer endure.

He covered his head with his arms and took the Zhang family’s furious kicks without resistance.

Only when a Platoon Leader happened to pass by did the Zhang family cease—unwilling to escalate the matter further.

Watching the Zhang family carry Zhang Fu away,

Liang He lay back on the ground, face streaked with blood, grinning faintly.

“Madman.”

All onlookers felt a chill run through them.

They resolved firmly: never provoke this seemingly mild-mannered depot soldier again.

The Ding-shaped weapons depot.

Li Rui, as usual, held a ledger and patrolled, checking for any missing items.

At that moment,

a stumbling footstep sounded at the entrance.

He turned his head.

There staggered toward him Liang He, battered and bloodied, leaning against the wall.

Li Rui paused his hand on the book, frowning: “What happened?”

Liang He tried to force a smile, but his lips throbbed painfully.

After a few weak twitches, he stammered:

“It was the Zhang family—Zhang Fu and others thought I was easy to bully and ambushed me.”

“But I didn’t bring shame upon the Hall Master.”

“Zhang Fu is worse off than I am.”

At once, Li Rui guessed the full story.

The Zhang family served Feng Garrison Commander; they were naturally at odds with them. Previously, it was Zhang Fu who led the attack on Ge Hong’s men.

Of course,

these people always held back—they could only blame their own inferior skill.

But now they had finally struck at Liang He.

Li Rui’s tone grew stern: “I’m just an old man—I don’t care about face. Don’t worry about bringing shame to me. Next time you meet them, run.”

Fists have no eyes.

If one of the Zhangs is a fool and delivers a fatal blow,

even if they’re punished later, your life is gone.

Not worth it.

Liang He’s heart warmed: “Understood, Hall Master.”

Li Rui then smiled, helped Liang He into the depot, and patted his shoulder: “You did well.”

He had seen Zhang Fu fight.

Zhang Fu was among the strongest below the ranked warrior level; no matter what method Liang He used, defeating Zhang Fu proved his ability.

He briefly treated Liang He’s wounds and handed him a pill from his personal supply.

After resting awhile, seeing Liang He had recovered sufficiently, he asked: “Can you walk?”

Liang He: “Yes, Hall Master.”

“Then let’s go.”

Seeing Li Rui prepare to step out the door.

Liang He froze: “Chief, where are we going?”

“Anyone who hits me must answer for it.”

Liang He’s heart warmed, and he hurried to follow.

At the other end.

The military camp.

The Zhang family residence.

Zhang Yi was just about to step out when he encountered a group carrying Zhang Fu back.

“What happened?”

Seeing this, Zhang Yi stepped forward two paces, frowned at Zhang Fu’s bruised and swollen face—still unconscious—and said:

One Zhang family disciple stammered: “Fifth Uncle, this morning we went to the Ding-character arms depot to find that Liang boy. Brother Fu was ambushed by him.”

Zhang Yi snorted coldly: “Useless!”

He had only just arrived at Anning Guard, and already this had happened—he felt his face was ruined.

Zhang Hao had accomplished the task for Cao Wei.

Cao Wei, pleased, granted the Zhang family a squad leader position.

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

At this reprimand, the Zhang disciples finally recounted everything that had occurred this morning.

Zhang Yi pointed a trembling finger, his face filled with disgust:

“You struck first—and still got beaten? You’ve shamed the entire Zhang family!”

One Zhang disciple whispered in protest: “That boy used dirty tricks.”

Zhang Yi laughed bitterly: “Dirty tricks?”

“Warriors care only for results. Lose, and you lose. You outnumbered him—and still got surrounded and watched by onlookers? Shameful! Utterly shameful!”

For a moment,

the Zhang disciples fell silent, meekly taking the scolding.

Zhang Yi’s throat grew dry from yelling.

Only then did he wave his hand: “Get out, get out, get out.”

But just as the Zhang disciples were about to carry the unconscious Zhang Fu away—

a young man rushed over, frantic.

“Fifth Uncle, something’s happened.”

Zhang Yi felt only irritation.

Zhang Fu had just humiliated him, and now this again.

“Speak!”

Zhang Yi snapped irritably.

“Fifth Uncle, it’s Li Rui, the grain supervisor at the Ding-character arms depot. He’s here. He says… he says…”

The young man hesitated, unable to finish.

Zhang Yi was about to roar when a strong, resonant voice came from the doorway:

“Old man Li Rui, here to ask for a boxing match.”

(End of Chapter)