Chapter 228: Enlightenment in Xiling

Rumble!

Thunder roared, and the rain became heavier.

It was as if the sky had broken a big hole, and the rain poured down, rolling in the gorge, and it was impossible to distinguish between waves and rain mist.

"Be careful, get in quickly!"

Li Yan reached out and grabbed a boatman, exerted a little force, lifted the person into the air, and landed on the plank road.

The plank road was slippery, plus the rolling rain mist, the boatman, even if he was used to big winds and waves, had to bend his waist and lower his head, supporting the stone wall and drilling into the cave.

Li Yan looked at the hillside below again, determined that no one was left behind, and then turned around and followed into the stone cave.

The stone cave rock walls were all kinds of inscriptions by literati and ink guests, from all dynasties, and there were many familiar names, but unfortunately they were already mottled.

This is exactly the Three-Travel Cave.

They waited for a while below, and were not attacked by the river monster again, but the passing boats also disappeared completely, plus the rain became heavier, so they could only climb up the steep hillside.

Fortunately, above is the famous Three-Travel Cave.

The rain was too heavy, so they had to enter to hide.

After entering the cave, Li Yan was already soaked, and every step he took, there was a watermark.

Inside the cave, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

Sha Lifei was checking the luggage. Even if wrapped in oilcloth, some things had been soaked by water, especially the bag containing firearms.

Looking at the mouth of the oilcloth cut by the reef, Sha Lifei's face was ugly, but because Company Commander Yuan was there, it was not easy to take it out for inspection...

Company Commander Yuan was also gloomy, and no longer had the smile from before. He looked at the boat head beside him and said coldly: "Before in Xiling Gorge, has there ever been a water monster making trouble?"

Although the boat head saved his life, his livelihood, the wooden boat, was destroyed, so his mood was very low. He trembled and said: "Last summer, there was a water monster making trouble, and the Tai Xuan Zheng Jiao performed a ritual to suppress and kill it. Since then, there has been no trouble."

"If I had known there was this thing, how would I dare to cross the gorge."

"Daoist, give it to me."

Li Yan took out the gold coin sword from his arms and handed it to Wang Daoxuan.

Wang Daoxuan breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly took it. This thing is his most expensive magic artifact, and he didn't expect to get it back.

Li Yan looked at Company Commander Yuan again and said in a deep voice: "This water monster appeared strangely, without any warning, and there is a copper chain behind its tail."

Company Commander Yuan's eyes narrowed. "Li Li Shaoxia means that someone is manipulating the water monster to make trouble?"

"Not necessarily."

Wang Daoxuan took out the compass again, looking at the swaying pointer, "The earth energy here is suddenly chaotic. The Yangtze River is one of the dragon veins. To do something, it is not a small matter, and the movement must be quite large."

"And that chain, it is ancient and integrated with the fish tail. I am afraid this river monster has not existed for a short time, it just broke free from the chain recently."

Li Yan remembered one thing and nodded in agreement: "Daoist's words are reasonable. I also found that the river monster has iron spears embedded in it, which have already decayed and rusted. It is estimated that it was suppressed."

"What puzzles me is, since there is the ability to suppress, why not kill it?"

Many things cannot be killed, only suppressed.

For example, the Drought Demon dug out by the Tai Xuan Zheng Jiao on Mount Qin Ling absorbed too much Yin Sha Qi. Once killed, it would surely flow poison for thousands of miles, so it could only be suppressed, and rely on earth energy or innate Gang Qi to grind it away bit by bit.

The corpse soldiers of Zhujia Fort are also the same. After being suppressed for many years, they only turned into a strand of Yin Sha turbid Qi, and just find a way to vent it.

But this river monster is definitely not among them.

This kind of monster with cultivation, after killing it, not only can fish bones and fish scales be used to make magic artifacts, but the monster soul can also be subdued and refined into soldiers and horses.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "I don't know either."

As he spoke, he looked at the compass in his hand. "Perhaps, it is related to this abnormal earth energy chaos. Find the source, and you can find the answer."

Company Commander Yuan on the side was silent.

He was really unlucky this time. Originally, his subordinates were damaged, and he thought about making a great contribution to give his subordinates more pensions.

I didn't expect that the teacher would be unfavorable, and encountered this kind of thing again.

Li Yan was thoughtful and asked: "Company Commander, what do you think we should do now?"

Company Commander Yuan sighed. "Right now the river monster is rampant, I am afraid Xiling Gorge will be difficult to pass for a short time. If you want to continue to Zigui County, you can wait for the rain to stop and go along the mountain road."

Li Yan's eyes narrowed. "Company Commander is not going?"

"Not going."

Company Commander Yuan looked at the rain mist outside the cave, his eyes somewhat blank. "This time many subordinates died, and even the fire guns were lost. After the rain stops, I will return to Unlike Yichang City to plead guilty."

It is clear that he is somewhat disheartened.

Li Yan didn't say much.

Who would have thought that he would encounter a water monster making trouble, it can only be said to be unlucky.

Of course, they still have to move forward.

If the matter of Erbeiwan is not handled well, then Unlike Yichang will have no face to stay, let alone get resources from the City God Temple.

Thinking of this, Li Yan said: "Old Uncle Sha, Brother Lu San, Daoist, you go to sleep early, we will leave after the rain clears."

"Okay, I'll go make a fire."

Sha Lifei nodded and called Lu San to help.

This "Three-Travel Cave" is visited by many literati and ink guests, but it is not like Li Yan's previous life, developed into a tourist area.

There are many dead branches blown down by mountain winds in the cave, and firewood left by those tourists.

The boatmen also got up to help, soon lit a bonfire, and everyone sat around the fire to roast their clothes, and Sha Lifei also distributed dry food from the luggage to them.

At this moment, the sky was somewhat dark, and on the dark mountain cliff, the bonfire flickered, giving everyone a little warmth.

As for Li Yan, after propping his clothes by the fire, he came to the edge of the cave entrance with his upper body naked. 【22

Li Yan watched the rain and mist outside quietly, lost in thought.

The mountain wind and rain roared, yet they vaguely sparked some inspiration in him.

During this period, he had been studying the Art of Escape.

In the "Northern Emperor Divine Travel Art," besides the Paper Horses, there was also the Art of Venturing into Danger, which relied on Paper Horses to traverse hazardous areas.

One of the keys to this was borrowing the momentum of the Five Elements.

Originally, he hadn't fully understood it, but his escape on the water earlier using a Paper Horse had suddenly enlightened him.

The so-called borrowing of the Five Elements' momentum was not about utilizing the Five Elements themselves, but their momentum.

All things under heaven can be divided into Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, especially the situations formed by the Qi of Geng and Sha; Geng and Sha can be divided into Yin and Yang, and the changes in their momentum can further be divided into the Five Elements.

The crux lies in the "borrowing," in going with the flow, not in suppression.

The surging waves in the river were themselves a form of momentum; his use of hidden force to borrow strength and leap from the water's surface was merely the clumsiest method.

If he could utilize this momentum, it would be far more effortless.

"Paper Horses" were originally for sacrificial purposes, with divine images painted on them, symbolizing the Northern Ghost Emperor, clad in armor and riding a horse, traveling by borrowing this divine power.

Likewise, was this not also a form of the Art of Escape?

The deity acts as the armor, borrowing the momentum to escape—this is the Divine Travel Art of Venturing into Danger.

This is the true power of the "Northern Emperor Divine Travel Art"; not only can it stack hidden force, but it can also borrow momentum to escape.

And the "Northern Emperor Divine Travel Art" is also the foundation of escape techniques.

Thinking of this, Li Yan pinched the Yang seal, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

Sure enough, the Yangtze River is a dragon vein, especially here in the Xiling Gorge, where the rolling giant waves carry their own Geng Qi, surging and galloping.

Of course, it hadn't formed a "situation," but rather a "momentum."

As the saying goes, when the momentum is exhausted, it dissipates.

If he could integrate a Paper Horse into this momentum, he might not even need to use hidden force to walk upon the waves at high speed.

Of course, his Paper Horse was only made of ordinary yellow silk, unable to withstand such high-level usage; it might collapse and burn the moment he tried to borrow the momentum. But this technique was now beyond doubt; he only needed to find some good materials to craft powerful Paper Horses to practice and deploy it.

Not only that, the "Northern Emperor Divine Travel Art" is the foundation of the "Northern Emperor Profound Xuan Xuan Shui Dun," and he had also gained some insight into the Profound Xuan Xuan Shui Dun technique.

Likewise, this method lies not in control, but in borrowing momentum.

Human strength is limited; how could a mortal body control the Five Elements?

All techniques are nothing but borrowing momentum; for instance, the Thunder Technique, which claims to command the Nine Heavens—how could it truly control the secrets of heaven? It is merely borrowing existing momentum, communicating with heaven and earth to bring down lightning.

It is just like an ordinary person using a lever.

The so-called Art of Escape uses the power of stored spirit as a fulcrum, and the surrounding terrain as a lever, to pry open the changes of the Five Elements and thereby vanish!

In an instant, a flash of inspiration flooded his mind.

Li Yan didn't say a word and walked out of the cave.

Mountain winds whistled through the gorge, and water mist surged toward him, quickly soaking him through.

Li Yan ignored it, closed his eyes, pinched the Yang seal, and carefully felt the flow of the surrounding Geng and Sha Qi.

He could feel the water mist being light and moist, the Geng wind forming momentum, wind rising and water surging, constantly churning in the air.

!.

Li Yan's hands began to change; first, his left hand's five fingers pointed upward, then his middle and ring fingers curled into his palm, while his thumb, index, and little fingers each pointed upward.

This was the Three Pure Ones Seal, a hand seal used for water purification or talisman water techniques; it was also used when performing the Profound Xuan Xuan Shui Dun.

Once the hand seal was formed, Li Yan began to pace the stars and tread the Dipper, then chanted: "Nuogao! Heaven's truth is supreme, the essence of Ren and Gui. Internally corresponding to the kidneys, externally corresponding to the Water Star. I now practice transformation, all things following the form. Whether hidden or revealed, it is accomplished by intent; act quickly as the law commands!"

Whoosh~

In an instant, a mass of water mist surged over.

This water mist was extremely dense, almost turning white, and Li Yan's figure was completely submerged by it.

This strange phenomenon immediately caught the attention of everyone in the cave.

Wang Daoxuan saw this, his eyes filled with surprise, "An escape technique!"

Before he could finish, he hurriedly covered his mouth.

He knew how important escape techniques were to a practitioner; he hadn't expected Li Yan, with a cultivation of only the Second Floor, to have already begun to master one.

It was likely realized because of this special weather.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly signaled for everyone to keep quiet, so as not to disturb Li Yan's cultivation.

Sha Lifei and Lu San naturally wouldn't make a sound, and even the boatmen widened their eyes, not daring to breathe loudly.

They could only see Li Yan shrouded in white mist, unable to see what he was doing at all.

However, this mass of white mist seemed to have a life of its own, rising and falling, shifting left and right, changing unpredictably.

Whoosh~

Immediately after, wind suddenly rose in the surroundings, and the campfire flickered unsteadily.

The white mist instantly expanded, flooding the entire cave in a moment; everyone felt as if everything before them was a vast whiteness, with only the whistling of the wind and the mist surging along with it.

Within the dense fog, a hint of surprise appeared in Li Yan's eyes.

No wonder escape techniques are important to practitioners.

By borrowing the changes in the Geng and Sha Qi within the fog, he could actually hide his own aura; even if another practitioner came, unless their cultivation and divine abilities were higher, they would never find his tracks.

With this method, he could not only escape but also use it to kill enemies!

Of course, he had only grasped the fur of the "Northern Emperor Profound Xuan Xuan Shui Dun," and this escape technique consumed an astonishing amount of energy.

He could clearly feel the power of his stored spirit weakening bit by bit.

Subsequently, a realization arose in Li Yan's heart.

This was no different from creating fog; although he had borrowed the special weather of the gorge, it was extremely strenuous, and with his current cultivation, he could not sustain it for long.

As she spoke, a flash of fear crossed her eyes.

However, this time it was somewhat thin, and merged with the surrounding water mist, so everyone could only see a faint figure.

Especially since the sky had already darkened, it looked even more blurred.

Finally, Li Yan withdrew his hand seal, his face full of joy.

"Brother Yan, congratulations."

Sha Lifei beamed, hurriedly offering his congratulations.

Although he didn't understand what the escape technique meant, he knew Li Yan's strength had increased once again.

Wang Daoxuan and Lu San on the side also showed joy, while the boatmen were dumbfounded, looking at Li Yan with eyes full of awe.

"Congratulations, Li Li Shaoxia."

Yuan Baihu's expression was somewhat complex.

Under normal circumstances, he would certainly have said some pleasantries to have an ally while carrying out his mission, but now he was in no mood at all.

"Just a stroke of luck."

Li Yan also wore a smile as he sat down by the campfire.

In fact, his gains were far more than this.

After reaching the peak of hidden force, he practiced the Hua Jin force every day; in truth, he had already stepped one foot into the door, only needing long-term practice.

After all, the application of Hua Jin resides in the heart; wanting to master it completely, to achieve "without intent, collapsing upon touch," requires years of accumulated experience, similar to practice making perfect.

Mastering it completely was just a matter of time.

And now, Li Yan had gained new inspiration.

The so-called Hua Jin is also a form of borrowing momentum; momentum is divided into Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, and different forces are different momentums.

As long as one masters the key to borrowing momentum, one can not only neutralize.

One can even borrow momentum to attack!

It's somewhat similar to Taiji Quan, but not by neutralizing with moves; rather, after the force enters the body, one twists the momentum to launch an attack.

This sounds like a fantasy.

After all, traditional Hua Jin training is practiced over years and months, reaching a level similar to muscle memory, so that no matter what kind of force the opponent attacks with, one can offset it with the opposite force.

But Li Yan wants to borrow it, to strike out with both sides' power combined.

This method is more like a technique in his memory:

The Undying Seal!

In this world, no one would be so crazy.

After all, hidden force is dangerous; introducing it into the body, one would likely be severely injured before even figuring out the method of borrowing momentum.

A martial artist's body is as precious as gold; once a mistake is made, one might end up bedridden for a long time to recover, or even have their martial path interrupted.

But he has the assistance of the Great Luo Dharma Body.

He had reached his current level precisely by getting injured time and time again.

It's just that to borrow momentum, he likely needs even stronger hidden force.

Looking at the campfire before him, Li Yan fell into deep thought.

And on the bank on the other side of the cliff where they were, a boat was slowly sailing on the river under the cover of night.

On the water in the distance, a water line streaked across.

Splash!

The black-clad men on the boat were terrified, pouring basins of medicinal powder into the water; accompanied by a pungent, fishy stench, toxic smoke immediately rose from the water.

That water line was the river monster; seemingly wary of the poison, it flicked its tail and avoided them from afar, yet refused to leave, merely following behind.

Once the poison was diluted by the river water, it would quickly rush over again.

The black-clad men on the boat were helpless and had to pour the medicinal powder again to drive it away.

And at the bow of the boat, an old beggar sat cross-legged; it was precisely that remnant of the Longxiang Army who had attacked Li Yan...

(End of chapter)