Chapter 408: The Secret of Tong Xuan (Combined, Bonus for Monthly Votes)

"Little thief!"

The Blood Shadow Patriarch, mid-battle in the air, suddenly felt something and sharply turned his head toward his cave.

His connection to the Thousand Souls Banner had been completely severed.

Years of effort turned to smoke in an instant!

Clearly, just now, while he was fighting Zhou Dinghai, someone had slipped into his cave and stolen the Thousand Souls Banner.

Yet he had clearly used a secret technique to conceal the Thousand Souls Banner.

Even a Heaven Pattern cultivator would find it nearly impossible to locate.

Losing the Thousand Souls Banner sent rage surging through him; his eyes instantly turned blood-red.

"Deserve to die!"

"Who the hell is it?!"

He swept his spiritual sense across the area.

There he saw the Tian Niu Zhu Ha, grinning at him inside the cave.

Enraged!

"Damn it!"

The Blood Shadow Patriarch realized that everything tonight was the work of that damned toad—inside and out—and worse, it had coveted his treasure.

"Ahh!"

Overcome with fury, he let out a long roar.

Opposite him, Zhou Dinghai glanced downward.

Though he didn't understand what had happened, it was clear the Tian Niu Zhu Ha had done something again, enraging the Blood Shadow Patriarch.

The principle was simple: the more the enemy wanted, the more you must deny them.

Seeing the Blood Shadow Patriarch attempt to flee,

he sneered: "Die now—everything will vanish in time."

With that,

his spear lunged straight for the Blood Shadow Patriarch's third eye.

The Blood Shadow Patriarch had no choice but to abandon the Thousand Souls Banner entirely and fight seriously.

Yet as the two clashed,

a crimson-golden fishing rod swept toward him horizontally.

Looking again,

the middle-aged man, Xuan Yu Daoist, had temporarily sealed the Three-Eyed Ghost Elephant in place using a sealing technique.

He now manipulated his magic treasure, joining Zhou Dinghai to encircle the Blood Shadow Patriarch.

Seeing the Three-Eyed Ghost Elephant could not break free in the short term,

the Blood Shadow Patriarch, fighting two at once, quickly fell, struck hard on the back by the fishing rod, and was flung a hundred zhang through the air, eyes bulging with rage.

Utter defeat.

How could one man stand against two peers of equal strength?

Yet just as Zhou Dinghai's spear swelled dozens of times in size, ready to deliver the killing blow—

a white-robed youth suddenly appeared before the Blood Shadow Patriarch.

He gave Zhou Dinghai and the others a strange smile.

Then he crushed the talisman in his hand.

In an instant,

he and the Blood Shadow Patriarch vanished from sight.

Xuan Yu Daoist gasped:

"Great Teleportation Talisman!"

Li Rui had exited the cave via Earth Submersion.

By the time he appeared,

the battle was over.

The soldiers of An Nan Town, who had been waiting outside for orders, surged forward, clearing the battlefield.

The Tian Niu Zhu Ha had also received his message and left the cave.

Nie Siming and Yuan Xiong spotted Li Rui approaching.

"Brother Li."

Both hurried forward to meet him.

Nie Siming laughed heartily: "My mind is clear—long hated these remnants of the Purple Gold Palace; today, I've finally vented my anger."

A tiger may be fearsome,

but if you're talking about sheer annoyance, it's the fleas.

The Purple Gold Palace remnants were those bloodsucking fleas.

Many in Qinghe had died at their hands; he had long despised them.

Yuan Xiong smiled and spoke: "Pity the Blood Shadow Patriarch got away."

Li Rui was surprised.

Tonight, two second-rank experts had acted.

And Zhou Dinghai and Xuan Yu Daoist were both exceptionally strong within the Heaven Pattern realm.

Yet the Blood Shadow Patriarch still escaped.

Nie Siming continued: "A mysterious white-robed youth—he had a Great Teleportation Talisman."

Li Rui understood.

The Great Teleportation Talisman was a top-tier talisman.

Top-tier talismans were immensely useful even against third-rank cultivators; the Great Teleportation Talisman was a lifesaving artifact, capable of teleporting thousands of miles in an instant, leaving no trace.

Of course, it was exceedingly rare.

Few in the world could draw a Great Teleportation Talisman.

Li Rui knew much about talismans, so he understood better than most how precious it was.

A pity.

This was a killing trap he had specifically laid for the Blood Shadow Patriarch.

Yet the bastard still escaped.

Li Rui felt no great anger.

It simply meant the Blood Shadow Patriarch's time had not yet come.

He had reclaimed the Thousand Souls Banner; after this battle, the Blood Shadow Patriarch would need a long time to recover his strength.

Li Rui's lips curled slightly upward.

Ten years ago, the Blood Shadow Patriarch was an unreachable figure—he never dared dream of revenge.

Now, he dared to scheme against him.

This was the change brought by strength.

As Li Rui spoke with Nie Siming and Yuan Xiong,

Zhou Dinghai and Xuan Yu Daoist arrived together.

From afar, Zhou Dinghai's hearty laugh rang out: "Master Li, you deserve top credit for this victory—I'll report it to His Majesty."

Li Rui bowed humbly: "The credit belongs to General Zhou and Daoist Xuan Yu—I merely provided intelligence."

"Master Li, don't be so modest."

Zhou Dinghai waved his hand.

Meanwhile, Daoist Xuan Yu also bowed respectfully to Li Rui and smiled: "Master Li."

Li Rui returned the bow: "Daoist Xuan Yu."

Two top experts treated him with such respect.

He seized the opportunity: "Daoist Xuan Yu, there are still some follow-up matters to handle. For now, I won't stay at your sect—please help me watch over Changqing Peak."

Though the sect master of Qingwei Sect was True Person Qingding,

that True Person spent over ninety percent of his time in seclusion and rarely appeared.

Sect affairs were always managed by his first and second disciples.

Daoist Xuan Yu held great weight in Qingwei Sect.

"Master Li, rest assured."

Daoist Xuan Yu didn't hesitate—he agreed immediately.

Li Rui then smiled and bowed again.

Afterwards,

the three from Qingwei Sect returned to their sect first.

Once the battlefield was cleared,

Zhou Dinghai led everyone back to Qinghe, and Li Rui went with them.

Along with them to Qinghe was the Tian Niu Zhu Ha.

In the back courtyard of the General's Mansion in An Nan Town, a vast pond.

A giant crimson toad was lying on its back, basking in the sun.

The servants in the mansion saw this sight.

Each one looked as if they had seen a demon.

Li Rui sat beside the pond.

The Ox-Head Crimson Toad spoke: "Little Brother Li, you must keep a close eye on my affairs. Once I become the God of the Chijiang River, I'll shield you from anyone in Yunzhou except Marquis Yuan."

Indeed.

Ever since descending from the Ten Thousand Mountains, the Ox-Head Crimson Toad had stayed at Li Rui's mansion.

Since he was the one who pacified the demon, naturally he was responsible for it.

After spending some time together,

he had successfully become the Ox-Head Crimson Toad's little brother.

The Ox-Head Crimson Toad was a second-rank demon. Normally, he should have been the one kowtowing to it—but now, given the unusual circumstances, he'd managed to find such a big brother.

Others didn't know.

Li Rui understood perfectly well.

The Ox-Head Crimson Toad was already a done deal as the God of the Chijiang River.

But the Ministry of Rites' procedures were too slow; it would still take some time.

The God of the Chijiang River? One must curry favor well.

"Big Brother, rest assured—I've been pressing for this all along."

Li Rui chuckled.

It wasn't that he lacked sincerity; it was that the appointment of the God of the Chijiang River wasn't up to him. Even if it seemed certain, unforeseen twists could still arise.

If he now patted his chest and made promises,

and something went wrong later,

he'd be foolishly making an enemy of a Celestial Demon—far too risky.

Li Rui would never make enemies for no reason.

"Big Brother Frog, tell me again about that True Passage and Spirit-Attracting method."

Li Rui hadn't expected it.

The Ox-Head Crimson Toad, a great demon, had a surprisingly deep understanding of human cultivation.

Though it was said that after the top three ranks, all paths converged,

rumors even spoke of demons cultivating in the north.

Still, it genuinely surprised Li Rui.

With such a rare opportunity, he naturally seized the chance to learn as much as he could.

Among the people he knew, Nie Siming and Yuan Xiong had just entered True Passage; He Qian Nian had lingered there for a century—but his path was too unique to guide Li Rui.

The Ox-Head Crimson Toad was just right.

The Ox-Head Crimson Toad spoke lazily:

"True Passage centers on nurturing the spirit, linking one's spiritual energy with heaven and earth, divided into three stages."

"Simply divide them into early, middle, and late phases."

"Early stage: drawing heaven's power within ten zhang; middle stage: one li; late stage: ten li."

"If you can reach a hundred li, you've entered Celestial Phenomenon."

To seize the creative forces of a hundred li!

Li Rui's heart trembled.

He had once seen a Celestial Phenomenon-level master unleash power—every movement brimming with marvels.

Truly divine in bearing.

Ten zhang, one li, ten li.

He'd heard this before, but once thought it mere legend—now he himself had reached that stage.

The Ox-Head Crimson Toad continued: "Whether demon or human, once you reach this stage, your cultivation is nearly identical—it's all about using your own spiritual energy to harness heaven's power. The only difference is the form it takes."

It spoke fluently.

It understood the top three ranks thoroughly.

Not merely because the paths converge after the top three ranks,

but due to its own bizarre past.

Li Rui had learned from the Ox-Head Crimson Toad's own tale: it had once been the pet of Yu Kingdom's former number one, the Sword Saint Liu Taibai.

Calling it a "pet" wasn't quite accurate.

In its youth, Liu Taibai had taken it in and kept it by his side.

Only after Liu Taibai's transcendence did the Ox-Head Crimson Toad depart for Wu Kingdom.

Having been steeped in the teachings of the former number one, it understood human cultivation deeply.

The Ox-Head Crimson Toad: "Little Brother Li, I once heard Master Liu say that True Passage is called Miao Xuan in the higher realms—profound beyond profundity, the gate of all wonders. This realm is the key to awakening the Dao."

"The word 'Dao' sounds mysterious, but it's not so complicated."

"Heaven and earth are composed of countless great Dao paths. To glimpse even one grants lifelong benefit."

"Take your good brother Jiang Linxian—he's a natural-born sword embryo."

"Usually, one only gains the right to contemplate the Dao at the peak of True Passage. Choosing a Dao must be done with extreme caution, or you risk falling into Dao conflict."

"All this was told to me by Master Liu."

Li Rui's eyes lit up.

He'd heard similar views on Dao from Jiang Linxian and others.

The Dao cultivated in the top three ranks mostly relates to the previous forms of qi.

Sword-form true qi leads to the Sword Dao.

Like Jiang Linxian.

Spear-form true qi leads to the Spear Dao.

Like Yuan Dingting, Nie Siming, and Yuan Xiong.

He'd also heard Wu De say that most cultivators in the immortal world cultivate the Five Elements Dao, which is why spiritual roots are so vital: mixed roots are the lowest, triple roots are average, single roots are superior, and unique roots are Jipin.

Because the purer the spiritual root, the easier it is to comprehend the Dao.

They hold a great innate advantage.

That's why all major immortal sects revere them most.

Li Rui likely had a Dragon-form true qi, meaning he was a Water spiritual root—a superior root.

Best suited to contemplate the Water Five-Element Dao.

Of course, this wasn't absolute.

And the distance was still vast.

On the National Martial Rankings, there were over five hundred names, yet only about eighty reached the second rank by comprehending the Dao.

That meant only two in ten third-rank cultivators became second rank.

As for first rank, even fewer.

The reason third rank to second rank is so difficult is precisely because of Dao comprehension.

Only by awakening even a thread of Dao can one break through to Celestial Phenomenon.

But those who can comprehend Dao are exceedingly rare.

As for Dao conflict, as the Ox-Head Crimson Toad mentioned, he'd never heard of it before.

Li Rui: "Big Brother Frog, what do you mean by Dao conflict?"

Hearing this,

the Ox-Head Crimson Toad realized it had spoken too much and laughed it off: "This concerns heavenly secrets—I can't say more. Just know this: be extremely cautious when choosing your Dao. Avoid clashing with others, especially those among the first rank."

Li Rui: "Thank you, Big Brother Frog, for the advice."

Though he was still far from comprehending Dao, learning more in advance was always better.

He asked many more questions.

Only then did he leave satisfied.

Back in his room,

Li Rui resumed studying talismans.

What the Ox-Head Crimson Toad had just described was Dao; techniques like talismans were merely "shu"—all martial techniques were also shu.

Dao is lofty indeed.

But shu cannot be ignored.

During the pursuit of Dao, most of life is spent in mundane matters.

In these times, shu proves immensely useful.

At best, it affects resource acquisition; at worst, it determines life or death.

In this regard, cultivators are far superior to pure martial artists—which explains why body cultivators struggle so much in the immortal world.

After all, fighting and killing aren't daily occurrences.

Li Rui thought the same.

More skills never weigh you down.

Learn more—it's always better.

His talisman arts have now reached a respectable level; he can craft mid-grade talismans and is no longer as weak as before, able to play a significant role even in battle.

With a thought.

A yellow talisman transformed into a middle-aged man.

Judging by his aura, he clearly possessed fifth-rank strength!

Li Rui's lips curled slightly upward.

Finally, this clone talisman had yielded some real results.

"Alright, from now on, stay in the mansion as a patron."

The middle-aged man bowed deeply: "Yes, Master."

Li Rui's smile widened.

In truth, he had just been putting on a show for himself.

The middle-aged man born from the talisman was entirely under his control—a strange sensation.

But it was merely a whim.

The middle-aged man reverted into a talisman.

A small white flag flew out from Li Rui's sleeve, instantly swelling into a banner one man tall.

It was the Thousand Souls Banner, reclaimed from the Blood Shadow Ancestor.

After days of consecration, the Blood Shadow Ancestor's traces had been entirely erased.

With Li Rui's current Tongxuan realm cultivation base, he wielded the Thousand Souls Banner.

Its power was truly formidable.

It carried the aura of an ancient demon.

Li Rui would never display it openly, but as a hidden trump card, it was perfect.

He exhaled the Evergreen Qi.

He began consecrating the Thousand Souls Banner again, following the demonic incantation.

Cultivation was like this.

Not a moment of peace.

Li Rui often trained for a full day and night; time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

A grand, luxurious carriage, escorted by Annan Town cavalry, slowly entered the Annan Town encampment.

Led by Zhou Dinghai.

Xue Gui, Nie Siming, Yuan Xiong, and Li Rui all stepped forward together.

In addition,

there was Tian Niu Zhu Ha.

This was Tian Niu Zhu Ha's first public appearance since arriving in Qinghe; previously, he had remained inside Li Rui's mansion without ever stepping out.

Today's showiness,

was naturally because the carriage had come from the capital.

The carriage halted before them.

The curtain was drawn aside.

Out stepped an elderly eunuch with a kind face and white hair and eyebrows; beside him descended Minister Wang of the Ministry of Rites.

Minister Wang stepped down and smiled warmly, bowing to Zhou Dinghai and the others:

"Gentlemen, it's been a long time."

He had previously been dispatched to Wu Country and had developed good relations with these men.

As he spoke, he glanced toward Tian Niu Zhu Ha, who stood at the rear of the group, towering a full ten feet tall.

He was secretly startled.

Enthroning the gods of land and river fell under the Ministry of Rites' duty.

That was why he had come to Qinghe.

But a third-rank vice minister alone could not enshrine a great deity like the Chijiang River God—hence why this old eunuch had been personally selected by His Majesty to come from the capital.

After greetings were exchanged,

Minister Wang introduced: "This is Eunuch Hong from the palace."

Upon hearing "Eunuch Hong,"

Li Rui's pupils contracted slightly.

In the palace, the only eunuch treated with such respect by a high-ranking official like Minister Wang was the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Hong Huang!

A eunuch granted the crimson python robe!

Eunuch Hong chuckled: "Old servant has been sent by His Majesty to proclaim the imperial decree."

His benevolent demeanor

stood in stark contrast to the rumors of him having slaughtered two second-rank Heaven Phenomenon cultivators!

(End of Chapter)