Chapter 397: Heaven Beyond Heaven on Huishan (A Grand Chapter of 4,000 Words)

Yu Liancheng swept away the dust of Huishan and took control of Guniujiang.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng was a direct descendant of the main branch, so naturally, he was unwilling to hand over the foundation of Huishan, which had stood for hundreds of years, to someone else.

He was overflowing with talent and well-versed in persuasion and debate, but after a conversation, he discovered that Yu Liancheng was absolutely not a person who could be swayed by words.

If one wanted to snatch food from his mouth, one had to bring out real ability.

Back when he learned that Xuanyuan Dapan intended to use Xuanyuan Qingfeng as a furnace, Xuanyuan Jingcheng had boosted his strength in a way that was tantamount to seeking his own death.

He could briefly elevate his realm to the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm or even the Land Immortal Realm, but he would have to pay a huge price for this, even losing his life.

After elevating to the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, Xuanyuan Jingcheng unleashed Three Dragons Drawing Water to test his opponent.

But Yu Liancheng was far more formidable than imagined, breaking his Three Dragons Drawing Water with lighthearted ease.

Fortunately, Xuanyuan Jingcheng had also made preparations long ago.

The moment the third tornado was torn apart by Yu Liancheng, he tapped his toes, his body like a long rainbow, instantly appearing before Yu Liancheng. He pushed out a palm, returning to simplicity, without any feints or follow-up variations.

"This guy, competing with me in palm power, isn't that just seeking his own death?" Yu Liancheng's thoughts stirred, and he likewise pushed out a palm, the force vast and enduring.

The two palms collided, yet there was no earth-shattering sound; it was as if everything vanished into nothingness in an instant.

Yu Liancheng immediately sensed that something was wrong; the opponent's palm power was empty and powerless, as if striking against cotton.

And just as Yu Liancheng's palm power was about to be exhausted, Xuanyuan Jingcheng's Qi surged wildly, his palm power pouring down like a celestial river, making Yu Liancheng feel as if he were at the center of wind and thunder.

"Interesting." Yu Liancheng raised an eyebrow; if it were an ordinary expert, they would likely have been defeated at this moment when the old force was spent and the new force had not yet been born.

But the "Ten Thousand Phenomena Returning to Origin Art" that Yu Liancheng cultivated absorbed the essence of various divine arts, and his recovery ability was astonishing, absorbing the power of heaven and earth at every moment. In an instant, he condensed vast and vigorous True Qi again and struck back.

Bang!!

Xuanyuan Jingcheng could not help but take two steps back, his face turning deathly pale in a flash.

He suppressed his boiling Qi and Blood and pressed forward again.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng's arms moved like clear wind and flowing clouds, his palms striking out with vigorous and surging power, stirring the airflow, faintly carrying the power of heaven and earth, with trails of thunderous sounds lingering and entangling, constantly exploding.

Yu Liancheng rolled his sleeves and flicked his palms, neutralizing the opponent's moves into nothingness, for a moment both wind and thunder were cultivated, the sky high and the clouds vast.

The two fought with speed, and in just a moment, they had exchanged seven moves.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng had high talent and excellent comprehension; he learned any martial art faster than ordinary people and found it easier to grasp the essence, not constrained by form.

Although he had little experience in fighting others, his moves were extremely proficient and contained the essence and mysteries of various schools, nearly returning to simplicity; he was indeed a difficult character to deal with.

It was just a pity that he had encountered Yu Liancheng.

If Xuanyuan Jingcheng's attacks were likened to the surging giant waves constantly crashing down, then Yu Liancheng was a dam as high as the sky.

No matter how the waves crashed, they could not shake the dam by even half a point, let alone break through it.

"Sure enough, the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm is still far from enough."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng let out a long sigh, suddenly turning his head to look at his daughter from afar, his face full of open-minded smiles, as if he had made a certain resolution.

Cultivating oneself lies in rectifying one's heart.

His heart was always meant to sweep away the dust of the Xuanyuan Family.

And now, Yu Liancheng was the dark cloud hanging over the Xuanyuan Family.

Do not say a scholar has no courage, he dares to make the heavens sink into the sea.

Those who accomplish great things not only have transcendent talent but must also have an unyielding will.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng was terrified in her heart, scenes flashing through her mind like a horse passing a window, the poems and essays she had recited in the past appearing one by one. How could this father of hers be a useless scholar? He was clearly already a Confucian Sage.

"I have entered the Land Immortal Realm."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng closed his eyes, and blood began to flow from his seven orifices, yet his expression remained calm and composed. He spread his hands as if wanting to embrace the entire world, his aura ethereal and almost non-existent in the world.

With him as the center, the accumulated water on Daxueping exploded outward in layers, and the ground was lifted toward the sky in layers, the momentum terrifying to the extreme.

"You've entered a hammer's Land Immortal Realm."

Yu Liancheng's eyes widened, his hair standing on end in anger.

What he wanted was a Xuanyuan Jingcheng who could manage the affairs of Huishan, not a half-dead piece of trash.

This guy forcibly entering the Land Immortal Realm was undoubtedly overdrawing his life.

Furthermore, the opponent seemed to be inciting the power of a thunderous heavenly tribulation to shake Yu Liancheng's stance.

This was an even more suicidal move; even if he could survive, it would be no different from being dead.

"You cannot attack me, and you cannot move your stance, otherwise you still lose."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng smiled slightly, causing Yu Liancheng, who had wanted to strike directly to crush his opponent, to freeze his stance: "There are two moves left."

Boom!!

He condensed his fingers, and a massive bolt of thunder struck down straight from the clouds, the violent roaring sound continuous, the void trembling, the momentum awe-inspiring, capable of stealing the brilliance of the sun and moon.

Yu Liancheng could not dodge; he looked up, his fighting spirit erupting. Behind him appeared the phantom of a golden-armored War God, feet treading on the six directions, head supporting the blue sky, waving the War God's fist at the same time as him, the airflow whistling like the sea.

The power of the God of War Record was revealed without doubt. Under this strike, the space emitted cracking sounds, cracks spreading rapidly, and the fist finally intertwined with the thunder.

For a time, the earth shook and the mountains swayed, and a chaotic, web-like flame light appeared on Daxueping.

Yu Liancheng stood as immovable as a mountain, his whole body seemingly shrouded in electric light, like a peerless War God, using human strength to resist the might of heaven.

And except for the three feet of ground beneath his feet, for several dozen zhang around, it was as if a meteorite had crashed into the earth; the ground surged like waves, and layers of soil waves were lifted to the sky.

Boom!

This purple thunder was finally crushed.

The three-foot area of land where Yu Liancheng stood had no abnormalities, but beyond those three feet, large chunks of land collapsed.

Seen from afar, he looked as if he were standing on a half-cut pillar of earth.

"The last move."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng opened his arms, his face bleeding from the seven orifices looking up at the sky.

Dark clouds gathered in mid-air, and the "Boom" sound was endless.

Thunder and lightning flickered in and out of existence, as if countless bolts of lightning were gestating within; once they poured down, I fear the entire Daxueping would suffer a devastating blow.

"This bastard."

Yu Liancheng's expression was gloomy; after this strike, I fear Xuanyuan Jingcheng would also die on the spot. Even if he won this bout, it would have no meaning.

"This round, I have won."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng grinned, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

And in mid-air, the thunder was about to strike; this would also be the final blossoming of Xuanyuan Jingcheng's life.

"You won my ass."

However, in a situation of near-certain defeat, Yu Liancheng suddenly revealed a cold smile, his gaze suddenly looking toward Xuanyuan Qingfeng in front of Guniujiang.

Accompanied by these words tinged with killing intent, a strand of Sword Qi condensed, filled with a domineering and fierce quality.

Whoosh!!

The air was split in two directly by the Sword Qi, whipping up a massive gale and dust as it swept toward Xuanyuan Qingfeng. Such a fierce Sword Qi left no doubt that even a city wall would be pierced through by it.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng was captured by the sword momentum, feeling a chill rise from her heart; her entire person seemed frozen by ten-thousand-year black ice, unable to move even a single finger.

"I... I am going to die here..."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng could not help but feel a sense of despair.

"Qingfeng, do not fear, Father is here."

However, at this very moment, a figure that was not particularly tall blocked in front of her, as if it could shield her from all wind and rain.

Chi!!

The Sword Qi was shattered.

The scattered Sword Qi carved countless sword marks in every direction.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng's figure swayed, a mouthful of blood was vomited out, his body tottered, and he finally collapsed.

The dark clouds in the sky also dissipated along with it, and golden radiance spilled down.

"Idiot, if I can't do anything to you, can't I do anything to your daughter?"

Yu Liancheng looked at the fallen Xuanyuan Jingcheng: "This wasn't me attacking you proactively; you ran into it yourself. You didn't have the strength to execute the tenth move, so I won."

"You fellow... are even more of a bastard than me..." This was the last sentence Xuanyuan Jingcheng said before losing consciousness.

"This is clearly called being resourceful." Yu Liancheng looked at Xuanyuan Qingfeng again and waved his hand: "Take your father down; he is not in any major trouble, at most he only has a few years of life left. Who told this fellow to be so stubborn."

"Oh, oh..." Xuanyuan Qingfeng's beautiful eyes were unfocused; it took a long time for her to react, then she helped Xuanyuan Jingcheng up and slowly left Daxueping.

Yu Liancheng watched the backs of the two as they left: "After today's events, the relationship between this father and daughter should improve quite a bit. This still depends on me; I am truly kind."

Under the eaves, the wind chimes tinkled; Yu Liancheng turned and walked back to Guniujiang, passing through the courtyard corridor and stepping into the courtyard, where he saw Murong Wuzhu slumped over the table.

He could not help but smile slightly, picked up the black garment draped over her, and scooped her up by the waist.

Murong Wuzhu's body was soft and boneless, her moist cherry lips exhaling sweet, scorching breath.

She squirmed in Yu Liancheng's arms, her delicate body burning hot, searching for a comfortable position, then curled up in his arms like a kitten. A sweet smile was on her face, as if she were having a beautiful dream.

"It seems I can't let you drink casually in the future..."

Carrying Murong Wuzhu back to the bed and covering her with the quilt, Yu Liancheng looked at her naive and adorable appearance and could not help but pinch her delicate nose.

Two days later.

Wending Pavilion.

The Xuanyuan family's collection of books was extremely rich; secret manuals and texts that other sects regarded as treasures were countless in the Wending Pavilion on Guniu Dagang of Huishan.

In terms of the number of books, it was only inferior to the Tingchao Pavilion in the Beiliang arsenal. Of course, the quality was still quite a bit worse.

Yu Liancheng was currently walking through the Wending Pavilion, bookshelves standing on both sides, a crystal-clear and slender hand slowly brushing over the secret manuals arranged by the pronunciation of their titles.

These antique books were all martial arts manuals that the Edo dreamed of. Any one of them, if placed in the Edo, could incite a storm of blood.

And the reason the Xuanyuan family was able to recruit so many Guest Ministers was also closely related to these manuals.

Yu Liancheng would take one down to read from time to time; his reading speed was extremely fast, taking in dozens of lines at a glance, and the rustling sound of pages turning sounded incessantly.

Thump, thump.

A burst of footsteps sounded, but they carried a sense of instability, as if the person coming was suffering from a serious illness.

When Yu Liancheng looked up, he saw the pale-faced Xuanyuan Jingcheng, who was coughing incessantly, bowing to him: "Xuanyuan Jingcheng greets Young Master Murong."

Yu Liancheng closed the book and nodded with a smile: "How is your health?"

Xuanyuan Jingcheng's face was pale, and he coughed twice: "Thank you for your concern, I still have a few years left to live."

Yu Liancheng looked Xuanyuan Jingcheng up and down a few times, shook his head, and sighed: "You could have lingered on for another dozen years or so, but now you truly only have a few years left. Who told you to be so stubborn."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng revealed a faint smile: "I have taken a wrong path; I do not fear death. First, I seek the safety of my wife and daughter; second, I seek to have a clear conscience."

Yu Liancheng asked: "How much do you know about the manuals in this Wending Pavilion?"

Xuanyuan Jingcheng said indifferently: "In twenty years, I have learned all the manuals and techniques of the Huishan Wending Pavilion."

Yu Liancheng was not surprised: "I happen to have a few questions to ask you."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng said: "Please speak."

Yu Liancheng then posed his questions one by one.

No matter how difficult the questions were, Xuanyuan Jingcheng would think for a moment and could quickly provide the answer.

After asking seven or eight questions, Yu Liancheng fell into deep thought.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng, however, had a doubt: "The Young Master's questions are all related to the Vajra Realm; could it be that the Young Master has not yet stepped into the Vajra Realm?"

Yu Liancheng raised an eyebrow and looked at him, smiling: "What do you think?"

Xuanyuan Jingcheng shook his head and said: "Jingcheng cannot tell."

"If you cannot tell, then forget it. I will leave the management of Huishan to you for now. Regardless of those who leave, those who stay must be carefully vetted. Do not keep those with wicked characters, and reorganize the remainder into a force."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng asked, "I wonder what the name of this force is?"

Yu Liancheng pondered for a moment and said, "Let's call it 'Heaven Beyond Heaven'. You may address me as Heavenly Venerable, or as the Master of Huishan."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng cupped his hands: "... Greetings, Heavenly Venerable."

"You are certainly quick to adapt. Now that the Xuanyuan Family no longer exists, do you not harbor any resentment toward me?"

Xuanyuan Jingcheng said calmly, "What I owed the Xuanyuan Family was paid off yesterday. Furthermore, the blooming and falling of flowers, the cycle of formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness, are but the most ordinary truths in this world."

"If only everyone in the world could be as open-minded as you," Yu Liancheng chuckled.

As if remembering something, Xuanyuan Jingcheng said, "Right, there is a treasure vault in Guniujiang, and several treasures inside are of great benefit for advancing to the First-Rank Vajra Realm. However..."

Yu Liancheng raised an eyebrow and asked, "However what?"

Xuanyuan Jingcheng weighed his words and said, "The vault door was forged by the Mohist Giant of Shangyin Academy and is indestructible. It uses a pair of male and female Flood Dragons as the inner and outer ring-heads. To enter, one must drip the blood of a direct descendant of the Xuanyuan Family into the mouth of the male Flood Dragon. The male Flood Dragon will then drill through the door, navigate the mechanisms, and reunite with the female Flood Dragon. The male Flood Dragon raised by the Xuanyuan family is already aged; I fear it lacks the strength to navigate the mechanisms."

Yu Liancheng asked, "Where can one obtain Flood Dragons?"

"I have heard that several Flood Dragons are kept in the Dragon Pool of the Celestial Master Mansion. One could request one to be gifted to Huishan, but Flood Dragons are precious, and the Celestial Master Mansion may not be willing to give one away; it would require treasures for an exchange. It is said that Yunjin Mountain also has Flood Dragons, and there is a Daoist who fishes there all year round."

"Celestial Master Mansion? Yunjin Mountain? It seems I shall have to make a trip." Yu Liancheng's gaze turned toward the window.