Chapter 187

"Oh... what is it?"

Li Yan frowned slightly, his eyes full of curiosity.

He really had no interaction with this Daoist; the other party was merely following orders to lead the way. Could it be that he was also looking for trouble?

Master Yufeng looked down the mountain, first let out a long sigh, then his expression turned solemn, and he cupped his hands: "I must thank Lay Practitioner Li for showing mercy."

"To tell you the truth, the Daoist you saw at the foot of the mountain earlier, whose Daoist name is Yuchen, is my junior brother. He is actually a good person, but his background is humble, and he has read some Confucian classics, so he is extremely focused on hierarchy and status."

"He made a mistake a few months ago, displeasing the master, and was punished to guard the gate at the foot of the mountain. He was ordered to patrol the mountain and didn't even notice the appearance of the Fei Yi on the mountain, and even clashed with guests coming up... sigh~"

"If it weren't for Lay Practitioner Li's magnanimity, I fear a great disaster would have been caused."

"It was just a small effort."

Li Yan shook his head lightly, his expression calm: "Everyone is born differently, and their concepts are different. I didn't take it to heart."

To tell the truth, that incident at the foot of the mountain actually allowed him to experience a tempering of the heart, and coupled with the steepness and magnificence of Mount Huashan, it made his heart and mind much broader.

Naturally, he wouldn't take such a small matter to heart.

"Lay Practitioner Li has a broad mind, but I cannot fail to express my gratitude."

A trace of appreciation appeared in Master Yufeng's eyes, and he looked sincere: "There is one more thing, I hope the lay practitioner won't blame me. This poor Daoist's supernatural ability is the 'Ear Ability', and I have heard all of your previous conversations."

"Is Lay Practitioner Li planning to forge a weapon Dharma artifact?"

Hearing this, Li Yan's expression didn't change, and he wasn't surprised.

After all, supernatural abilities are good at probing. On this Mount Huashan, there are many Mystic Sect cultivators, so it's not strange to hear some words.

Since he dared to speak freely, naturally he wasn't afraid of being known.

Thinking of this, Li Yan nodded: "I do have this intention. I originally planned to ask someone to follow me up the mountain, and after purchasing spiritual materials, find a place nearby to forge the saber. But I didn't expect the craftsman to fall ill, so I have to think of another way."

Master Yufeng raised an eyebrow and blinked: "Our West Peak is a treasure land of Geng Metal. This time, besides spending money, most of the vault opening is also metal spiritual materials. Pure Yang Palace disciples practicing swordplay cannot do without craftsmen."

"Lay Practitioner Li came to Mount Huashan, yet you are looking for a side-door craftsman to forge a sword. Isn't that doing things the hard way?"

"This poor Daoist has already asked Junior Brother Yuhan to beg a senior. If the lay practitioner wants to forge a sword, just follow me."

"Oh? Then I will trouble you. Thank you, Daoist!"

Li Yan's eyes were full of pleasant surprise, and he hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks.

"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me."

Master Yufeng frowned slightly and shook his head: "To tell you the truth, this senior I'm helping you find is only temporarily staying on Mount Huashan. Whether he can be persuaded to act depends on fate. If it doesn't work, we can only find a sword-forging master within the palace."

"Remember, after you go in, don't ask too much and don't say too much. Whatever the senior asks, you answer honestly."

"Whether it can be done depends entirely on fate."

Such a temper?

Li Yan was surprised in his heart and became even more curious.

What kind of craftsman is it that even the Pure Yang Palace has to be so respectful?

Master Yufeng didn't say anything more and led him on a fast journey to the South Peak, then down the mountain for several hundred meters, arriving at a mountain hollow.

He saw flowing waterfalls here, with rapid water pouring down from a high place, splashing and forming mist, emitting bursts of roaring sounds.

The surrounding tall pines and cypresses were lush and green, their branches intertwined to form a green canopy. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the leaves, creating dappled light and shadow, like a beautiful landscape painting.

By the side of a cold pool, there was a thatched hut and a high furnace. It looked ordinary, but Li Yan keenly sensed its extraordinariness.

The cold pool is water, the forging furnace is fire, the thatched hut is wood, and the ground is covered with five-colored soil. If you add the metal used during forging, it is the complete Five Elements.

Moreover, its layout was quite particular. Although he couldn't see the key to it, he could smell the flow of Gang Qi, forming a situation of its own.

Li Yan's eyes revealed shock.

This place is actually the location of Mount Huashan's cave heaven spiritual aperture!

Being able to occupy a spiritual aperture, build a hut, and live there—and according to Master Yufeng, not being a person of the Pure Yang Palace—the identity must be extraordinary.

Beside the thatched hut, the short and fat Master Yuhan was waiting anxiously.

Seeing the two of them arrive, he hurriedly ran over with small steps, lowered his voice, and said urgently: "The senior has already agreed, but he said he still wants to see the person. After Lay Practitioner Li goes in, you must not ask questions randomly."

In his words, his expression was full of caution.

This mysterious behavior made Li Yan even more curious.

He cupped his hands slightly to the two of them and stepped into the thatched hall.

Inside the thatched hut, the light was dim.

Li Yan initially felt nothing, but just as he crossed the threshold, the hair all over his body exploded. He suddenly felt a blade of light coming from the darkness, piercing straight toward his brow.

This blade of light was filled with a murderous aura, as if it wanted to take his life.

Clang!

Li Yan couldn't help but swing his saber to block.

However, when the long saber blocked, it met nothing.

Sweat broke out on his forehead. He looked closely, but where was there any blade of light?

Just now, it was all his own illusion!

He saw that the room was dim and murky, with an oil lamp placed on the earthen bed, and an old man sitting on the bed.

Although the light was dim, Li Yan saw clearly.

This old man had a tall figure. The mountain was freezing, but he only wore a coarse cloth jacket. His muscles were knotted, and his bones were prominent.

His physique was strange, like a Vajra statue in a temple.

His features were sharp, his beard and hair were all white, and no one knew his age. His face was full of wrinkles like gullies, and his white hair hung down to his waist.

Just now, where was there any blade of light? It was just caused by the other party's gaze!

What kind of old monster is this?!

Li Yan was horrified in his heart, feeling his mouth dry.

With just a gaze, he could make people have hallucinations. This kind of method, even a Dan-realm expert couldn't do it. Could it be Gang-realm?

Li Yan couldn't help but secretly pinch the Yang formula.

Sure enough, just like when he saw Master Jingxu before, he couldn't smell any scent on the old man either.

Li Yan didn't dare to be presumptuous. He pursed his lips tightly and cupped his hands respectfully.

But just as he was about to speak, the old man on the bed made a hoarse and indifferent sound: "Stop talking nonsense. Practice a set of saber moves and a set of fist moves. Let me see."

"Yes."

Li Yan didn't dare to say more and immediately took a deep breath to stabilize his mind.

Swish!

He suddenly drew his saber and swung it, his movements flowing like clouds and water.

What he practiced was the Guanzhong Quick Saber, combined with the military saber techniques passed down by his grandfather. The saber momentum was sharp, emphasizing striking fast with fast.

He saw his figure flash, the saber light like snow, whistling with the wind.

After the saber technique practice ended, Li Yan practiced the Pigua and Hong Fist again. His fists and palms flew, sometimes extending to strike from afar, sometimes close-in and tricky. There was a faint sound of thunder, his posture was agile, and his momentum was like a rainbow.

Whether it was saber technique or fist technique, Li Yan gave it his all.

He had heard a legend that those great weapon-forging masters all forged weapons according to an individual's martial arts habits and personality.

Weapons forged by such masters make it easier to reach the realm of "man and saber as one" during practice.

Now it seems, this one is mostly the same.

After a set of saber and fist techniques were practiced, the old man narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and said hoarsely: "For your age, it's barely acceptable. It doesn't disgrace my craftsmanship."

"Come forward. Let me see your arms." "Yes, senior."

Li Yan's expression was respectful, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent, and he walked forward in two or three steps.

Just as he approached the earthen bed, his shoulders were instantly gripped tightly by a pair of large hands. The movement was as fast as lightning, and he hadn't noticed it at all.

Before he could react, the old man's large hands began to pinch and measure. His palms kept changing, from shoulders to arms, wrists, and even palms and finger joints, all pressed one by one.

After doing this, the old man nodded slightly and asked: "What is your inheritance?"

"This... it can be considered a Living Yin Messenger."

Li Yan was somewhat helpless. He demonstrated the Northern Emperor Yin Thunder Palm and shook his head: "I just obtained the inheritance occasionally and don't know its origin."

His inheritance was too terrifying, involving the God-Ascender. With this old man's realm, he might know it. Even if he couldn't forge the saber, he couldn't reveal it.

The old man looked at it and didn't say anything more, just nodded lightly, and then looked at the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin saber tassel on his saber hilt.

"Where did this item come from?"

"Bestowed by the imperial court, a family heirloom."

!.

Seeing Li Yan's surprise, a trace of nostalgia flashed in the old man's eyes: "This thing was forged by my master's master. Thinking about it, so many years have passed..."

"Seeing it again now, perhaps it is fate."

"You practice Yin Thunder, and your saber technique is full of murderous aura and possesses a fierce nature. After the vault opens tomorrow, there is a heavenly spiritual treasure inside, which is the Head Mountain Copper Essence. It suffered a hundred years of lightning strikes, turned into a heavenly spiritual treasure, and was offered incense in the vault. You can take it to forge the saber."

"Also, there is a set of flower coins in the vault, called the Twelve Yuan Chen. If you can get them, I can also help you remake this saber tassel."

After saying this, he waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

It seemed he was too lazy to even speak anymore.

Li Yan didn't dare to ask more and turned to exit the thatched hut.

After coming out, he suddenly felt the air was refreshing. Comparing the two, he realized how heavy the oppressive atmosphere inside was. His back was already inexplicably soaked.

With a signal from Master Yufeng, the three of them didn't say anything. They walked for a long time until they returned to the South Peak. Only then did Master Yufeng speak: "Don't ask more, and don't tell others you've seen me."

Li Yan cupped his hands respectfully: "Thank you, two Daoists."

Master Yufeng blinked and said meaningfully: "You helped Mount Huashan solve a great disaster. In fact, if you just asked, the master would definitely have agreed. This poor Daoist was just reminding you."

Li Yan understood instantly and thanked the two again.

The subsequent journey was much faster. Li Yan followed the two Daoists closely and traveled all the way to the West Peak.

This is where Lotus Peak is located. Because there is a giant rock on the peak, its shape resembles a lotus petal, hence the name Lotus Peak.

On the mountain, there is an axe-split stone, rumored to be left behind when Chenxiang saved his mother...

And there is the Jade Maiden Shrine, legend has it that Xiao Shi and Duke Mu of Qin's daughter, Princess Nongyu, tied the knot here, which is called the number one bridal chamber in the world...

Of course, more importantly, the Chongyang Palace stands here, which is the place to buy treasures when the vault opens tomorrow, and it enshrines the West Peak Great Emperor.

When Li Yan arrived, the Dharma ritual on the mountain was still in progress.

Many Pure Yang Palace Daoists were solemnly ascending the altar to pray, and there were many cultivators watching from the sidelines, including both orthodox sect members and Dharma lineage experts.

Many of them had auras as deep as the sea, and their clothing was different.

The whole scene was solemn and majestic, making one feel awe.

Li Yan frowned slightly, not wanting to cause trouble, and coupled with his concern for other matters, he walked back in a hurry. After reuniting with Wang Daoxuan and the others, they returned to the Wangxian Temple together.

"Brother Yan, why so long?" Sha Lifei asked curiously: "Did you run into something fun?"

"Just walked around..."

Since he had promised Master Yufeng, at least on the mountain, he couldn't speak randomly. Li Yan had to be vague.

He blinked, giving a hint with his eyes. Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei understood instantly and didn't ask more.

Back in the room, Li Yan couldn't wait to take out paper and pen and began to write and draw, planning what to buy tomorrow.

First is the flower coins.

At first, he had no clue about the requirements for these flower coins.

Wang Daoxuan had a plan early on, needing a set of Ghost-Killing and Essence-Descending Coins, Evil-Expelling and Blessing-Bestowing Coins, and a set of Fifth-Day Noon Coins.

Some are used to make money swords, others are used to cast spells to suppress evil. Counting them all up, there must be at least a hundred.

At first, Wang Daoxuan suggested he also get a set of Ghost-Killing and Demon-Slaying Coins. Although they couldn't compare to the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coins, the two auras were compatible, which could also increase the power of the saber tassel.

But with the old man's guidance, Li Yan naturally had already set a goal, which was that set of Twelve Yuan Chen Coins.

However, thinking that it could be favored by the old man, it must be worth a lot.

Then there is the metal.

For him, it is mainly the Head Mountain Copper Essence pointed out by the old man, and the fifty jin of white copper needed by Quan Wanzhong and Yuan Ba's master and disciple.

Besides this, Sha Lifei also wanted to get a little bit.

This old rascal saw Lu San's mace and was itching to forge a flintlock firearm that could use new gunpowder.

It's just that he had no clue and wanted to prepare some materials first.

As for the rest, it was relatively simple—all common Dharma artifacts like yellow paper, red rope, incense ash, and precious candles.

Li Yan also planned that if he could run into something like the Divine Tiger Order, he would buy one for Wang Daoxuan, so he wouldn't always have to use one-time yarrow stalks in the future, and the power could be greater.

Before he knew it, he had written a full page.

This didn't even include the Dharma artifacts he used to build the tower and temple.

Seeing this, even with one hundred thousand silver in his pocket, Li Yan only felt his head grow large, not knowing if this money would be enough.

The next day, before dawn, everyone got up early.

Of course, because there were many people, the Pure Yang Palace stipulated that each team could only send one person to participate in the vault-opening ceremony at the South Peak.

Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei waited at Morning Sun Peak, while Li Yan filled his pockets with silver notes and followed Master Yufeng to Lotus Peak.

Compared to yesterday, there were significantly fewer people today.

The Dharma ritual was still being held. At this moment, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and the top of Lotus Peak was hazy. The morning wind whistled, and the surrounding sea of clouds was somewhat black, dim and dark, actually making one feel as if they had reached the Netherworld Luo Feng.

On the majestic Dharma altar, Dharma flags were fluttering.

Many Daoists wearing gorgeous Dharma robes were chanting scriptures, and the incense smoke seemed unaffected by the wind, swirling and flying straight up.

Just at this moment, the sun poked its head out in the distance, as if a streak of brilliant light tore through the dark night, shining toward heaven and earth.

Many Daoists stood up instantly, waving their Dharma swords and chanting spells in unison.

Li Yan only felt his heart shake. He could smell that by borrowing this pure Yang aura, with the Dharma altar as a guide, the innate Gang Qi on the top of Mount Huashan flowed along with it, gathering on the side wall of the mountain.

He looked up and saw that on the mountain wall, there were many holes densely packed, all sealed with mud, vaguely arranged in an Eight Trigrams shape.

Below, the incense burner was surrounded by green smoke, and the incense ash had piled up into a mountain, just facing the first ray of morning light.

Finally, when the sun had completely risen, the Dharma ritual ended completely, and the innate Gang Qi on the top of Mount Huashan stabilized accordingly.

At the top of the Dharma altar, a high Daoist had a solemn expression and said loudly:

"The auspicious time has arrived, open the vault!"

Third update in half an hour

(End of chapter)