Chapter 186: Aftermath

Boom!

The earth cracked, the sky shattered, mountains and rivers turned to smoke.

Bone-chilling cold pool water and scorching magma poured in together, completely submerging the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing.

"Run!"

Gong Gong Yangyu's expression tightened; he grabbed Shi Hong's corpse, barely raised his true qi shield before being submerged and swept away.

Jing Jing Shuhu and Lei Lei Jingchuan followed closely behind, also swallowed by the undercurrent.

"Has the Shan Xuan Jing Hammer recognized its master?!"

Han Han Chuijun stood rooted in place, flames surging around him, layers of dragon scales covering his body, yet his gaze locked fixedly upward.

Through the drifting mist, he sharply caught sight of a figure falling from extreme height, then shot upward:

"Stay!"

Boom!

As he fell from above, Li Yuan saw the sea of clouds churn and split open, cold pool water surging downward, the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing cracking at incredible speed.

Before he even reached the ground, cold pool water rushing from all directions completely submerged him.

"Puff!"

Tens of thousands of tons of pool water poured in; with a single impact, Li Yuan's vision went black, and even with multiple armors reinforcing him, he nearly fainted.

"Ribs are broken..."

Li Yuan gritted his teeth against the agony, struggling fiercely in the undercurrent toward the nearest cave.

Suddenly, a chill gripped his heart—he sensed immense danger.

He spun around instantly and saw a crimson light piercing through layer upon layer of undercurrents from the depths of the pool, faster than he was.

The crimson light, like an arrow, pierced through every fish and boulder swept up by the undercurrent in its path.

Hundreds of meters away, Li Yuan already felt the bone-deep killing intent.

Expert!

Grand expert!

Li Yuan's heart pounded—he never expected someone to target him the instant the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing shattered.

And faster than him.

Fish or turtle that achieved enlightenment?

Li Yuan was stunned, forced himself to accelerate despite the agony—he was running for his life.

"Just an Inner Strengthening? How can he move so fast?"

Amidst the swirling crimson light, Han Han Chuijun endured the searing heat of the Crimson Flame Dragon Armor, equally shocked.

He wore a divine armor, moving several times faster than normal—even the Crimson Dragon Fish King, which lived its whole life in the cold pool, couldn't compare.

Is this kid really just Inner Strengthening?!

Crash!

Li Yuan burst from the water, leapt out of the deep pit, snatched up the squealing little rat, and raced toward the tunnel he'd come through.

The tunnel entrance was that iron door with the spear stuck in it; Li Yuan swiftly retracted it, passed through, then hurled it behind him.

He kept running without looking back.

Boom!

Li Yuan turned in horror and saw the iron door—several meters thick, forged with various refined irons—bent and deformed by a single blow.

"So brutal?!"

Li Yuan's scalp prickled; the little rat in his hand nearly pissed itself.

Just a few steps into their frantic run, a thunderous "Boom!" shook the tunnel, causing it to collapse.

"Internal Organ Cultivation?"

Li Yuan's hair stood on end—let alone in his current state, even at full strength he couldn't possibly fight an expert of this caliber.

Run!

Li Yuan sprinted, relying on his familiarity with the nearby tunnels, twisting left and right, dodging constantly.

Yet the coldness behind him didn't recede—it drew closer and closer...

"That's not right?!"

Suddenly, Li Yuan shuddered—through three tunnels, he still saw the dazzling golden light, emanating from the Crimson Flame Dragon Armor.

But besides that, there was also the familiar "Wind-Thunder Ruyi Club!"

"Old Han!"

Recognizing the person, Li Yuan collapsed onto the ground, barely managing to retract his mask and human-skin disguise before collapsing from exhaustion.

Crash!

The mountain wall, as hard as refined iron,

was pierced through in one blow; as dust flew, Han Han Chuijun retracted his hammer just in time, squinting:

"Li Yuan? You..."

"Master! You've finally returned!"

Li Yuan struggled to rise, saw his uncertain gaze, staggered, and fainted outright.

"..."

Han Han Chuijun caught Li Yuan, the dragon scales on his body dissolving; he stared deeply at Li Yuan, then suddenly smiled:

"Brat."

"Puff!"

In a tunnel, Wan Chuan spat out a mouthful of icy, blood-tinged water, his face pale.

After the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing vanished, the sudden backflow of pool water nearly crushed him against the bottom of the cold pool; he barely managed to recover.

"The Shan Xuan Whale Hammer has recognized its master!"

Wan Chuan rubbed his temples, shock, doubt, and resentment churning violently within him.

"How is this possible?"

Wan Chuan murmured.

He understood the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing deeply, even having met the Zhenwu King who wielded the 'Fumo Longshen Dao.'

As far as he knew, Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing mysteriously aligned with the will of heaven and earth; even with destiny, one must endure countless trials.

This Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing had only opened five days ago—how could anyone have passed all trials in such a short time?

"Who the hell is Li Li Yuanba?!"

After slowly regulating his breath for a long while, Wan Chuan's expression was solemn; upon hearing footsteps approaching from afar, it grew even more solemn.

That was Han Han Chuijun's footsteps.

"Han Han Chuijun?"

Wan Chuan stood up, gripping his forging hammer as if facing a deadly enemy.

Among the Eight Prefectures of Huizhou, including the Eight Elders of Huilong Palace, the one he feared most was Han Han Chuijun.

Not because his Wu Gong surpassed all others in Huizhou, but because this man was too ruthless, too merciless, too poisonous.

"Brother Wan, it's been a long time."

Han Han Chuijun walked forward slowly, completely ignoring that they had met inside the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing.

"Brother Han, did you catch Li Li Yuanba?"

Wan Chuan scanned both sides—Gong Gong Yangyu and Jing Jing Shuhu, their faces grim, along with Lei Lei Jingchuan, all arrived holding hammers and blades.

They said nothing, but surrounded him in the center.

"The currents shifted—I lost him."

Han Han Chuijun's tone was harsh, as if suppressing fury and murderous intent.

"This…"

Wan Chuan's heart tightened, a prickling sensation crawling over his scalp.

He knew well Han Han Chuijun's obsession with the Shan Xuan Whale Liehai Hammer.

"Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing cannot be seen without destiny—I suppose this old man has no such fortune."

Han Han Chuijun sighed, a tone of desolation in his voice, spinning a hand hammer in his grip.

Wan Chuan's skin crawled; he had to shift his gaze to Gong Gong Yangyu, whose face was extremely pale:

"Brother Master Gongyang, what is this?"

Gong Gong Yangyu's expression was blank, silent; it was Jing Jing Shuhu who cleared his throat: "We need to discuss something with Brother Wan."

"What is it?"

"The Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing has shattered, the Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing recognized its master—this will shake the world and draw countless eyes…"

Jing Jing Shuhu paused slightly, then asked: "What do you suggest, Brother Wan?"

"Hm?"

Wan Chuan finally understood.

The Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing had shattered, the Shan Xuan Whale Hammer had recognized 'Li Li Yuanba'—this was secret knowledge known only to the five of them.

But even if they revealed it, no one would believe it.

Who was Li Li Yuanba? No one had ever heard the name, and no one would think a mere Neizhuang cultivator could snatch the Shan Xuan Whale Hammer from among so many experts.

"What do you suggest?"

Wan Chuan's palms sweated; though he held a divine weapon, he was not skilled in combat, let alone against Han Han Chuijun clad in the Jiaolong Armor.

"Of all those present, only the five of us know of this matter—if we say nothing, who would ever know the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing ever appeared?"

Jing Jing Shuhu spoke in a low tone.

If they had obtained the Shan Xuan Whale Hammer, fine—but they hadn't even seen a single hair of it, and now they were expected to bear such a heavy burden? He refused a thousand times over.

If word of the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing's emergence spread, who knew if someone might come knocking at Shenbing Valley?

"Can we hide it?"

Wan Chuan frowned: "What if Master Master Baili Lei Jingchuan already leaked the news?"

"He didn't even want to notify his own fleet masters—how could he have leaked news of the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan snorted coldly: "His earlier message was only meant to attract enough Offerings."

His mood was equally foul.

The Ancestors had sought it for a thousand years; he had finally had the fortune to enter—only to have it snatched away before he even saw it.

Just thinking of it made his heart ache sharply.

"Master Master Baili Lei Jingchuan, as head of the Xieshen Sect's branch temple, must have a Shengren Bei…"

Wan Chuan hesitated.

"The Shengren Bei is merely Xie Fa, not true rebirth—how could it possibly know what happened inside the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing?"

"But what of the Chiyan Long Wang?"

"A single qi was extinguished before it could even manifest—could it possibly sense things a thousand miles away?"

"What about the Xieshen Sect Lord…"

"Enough!"

Wan Chuan still wanted to say something, but Han Han Chuijun raised a hand to cut him off; the hand hammer in his palm glowed with a faint light, his eyes cold and fierce:

"Brother Wan, forgive my rudeness."

"Wait, wait!"

Hearing those familiar words, Wan Chuan's eyelids twitched wildly, cold sweat seeping out: "Agreed, I, this old man, agree!"

"Thank you, Brother Wan."

Gong Gong Yangyu stopped Han Han Chuijun, glared fiercely at the latter, then bowed slightly:

"But as the saying goes, words alone are no proof. This concerns our safety. If Brother Wan has no objection, then..."

Wan Chuan's face looked very ugly.

Gong Gong Yangyu then pulled a snake-faced mask from his robes and tossed it over.

"Star Gazing Tower!"

Wan Chuan's color changed; he felt the mask burning his hand, his heart turning ice cold: "You, you all..."

Gong Gong Yangyu glanced at Jing Jing Shuhu and Lei Lei Jingchuan; the three of them put on masks simultaneously.

"You, you have actually, actually all joined the Star Gazing Tower?!"

Wan Chuan broke out in a cold sweat; in his shock, he felt nothing but regret, wishing he had never waded into this muddy water.

These madmen, did they not know that joining the Star Gazing Tower, once discovered, would lead to the extermination of one's entire clan?

"My Divine Weapon Valley is on its last legs, we have some grievances with the Huai Dragon Palace, and we are being targeted by the Xieshen Sect; in the end, we must seek some backroads."

Gong Gong Yangyu sighed.

Back then in the main hall, the moment he saw all the elders wearing masks, he had been ten times more shocked than Wan Chuan.

In the end, he too had to wear a mask.

"Brother Wan, whether you wear it or not is up to you."

Han Han Chuijun wiped his hand hammer, appearing eager to try it out.

Lei Lei Jingchuan rubbed his hands with a sinister grin, Jing Jing Shuhu weighed his hammer in his hand, staring like a tiger, while Gong Gong Yangyu sighed and drew his blade...

"I, I..."

Wan Chuan was on the verge of tears; he slammed the mask onto his face, grinding his teeth:

"A bunch of f***ing old Wang Ba's, I, this old man, admit defeat!"

Huizhou City sits upon a plain; before the city lies the Pingjiang Grand Canal, and for thousands of li nearby, there is nothing but fertile fields.

Hush~

The night wind blew through the grass and trees.

Inside a thatched cottage situated among the field ridges, an old farmer with a sallow complexion was puffing on a dry tobacco pipe, 'puff, puff'.

Suddenly, his heart trembled; he stood up as if his backside were on fire and knelt before a half copper mirror hanging on the earthen wall:

"Huizhoufentang Deputy Tangfutang, Huang Fu Kun, pays respects to the Dragon King!"

Buzz!

Upon the broken half copper mirror, wisps of red light floated up, forming a line of large characters:

"Master Master Baili Lei Jingchuan is dead. Go quickly to the Divine Weapon Valley. Kill all who see this! Find the Dragon Spine Bone Stele and the Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer!"

Soldier Valley—anyone who sees it, kill them all! Find the Dragon Spine Bone Stele and the Sea-Splitting Mysterious Whale Hammer!"

"Master Master Baili Lei Jingchuan is dead?!"

After respectfully waiting for the red light to disperse, joy immediately surged onto Huang Fu Kun's face: "Good, good, good, he died well, he died well!"

He shook his sleeve, tucked the half copper mirror away, and walked quickly into the night.

With a flick of his sleeve, he tucked away the half-faced bronze mirror and strode quickly into the night.

This sleep, Li Yuan slept incredibly deeply, as if to make up for all the previous times.

He did not know how long had passed before Li Yuan slowly woke, his eyelids fluttering slightly, not opening his eyes.

He didn't know how long had passed before Li Yuan slowly came to. His eyelids twitched slightly, but he didn't open them.

The next moment, he took a hit on his forehead.

The next instant, he got a smack on the forehead.

Li Yuan rolled over and sat up, baring his teeth in a grimace: "You really struck me, old master?"

His peripheral vision quickly swept the room; the room's decoration was very simple, and it was swaying somewhat. Was this a boat?

A sweep of his peripheral vision quickly took in the room. The furnishings were very simple, and the place was swaying—this was a ship?

At this moment, a chattering little mouse scurried over, eyes brimming with tears, as if it had suffered a great grievance.

"You slept for three days and two nights; if you hadn't woken up, I, this old man, would have prepared to bury you!"

At the room's entrance, Han Han Chuijun lay on a rocking chair, seemingly flipping through a book.

"Isn't it because I knew you, old master, had returned, that my heart felt so secure!"

Li Yuan stretched and stood up, discovering that his broken ribs had long since knitted together, and both his hidden and visible injuries had improved significantly.

He walked out the door and realized he was on a Five-Toothed Great Warship; before his eyes lay the Pingjiang Grand Canal.

He looked around but saw neither the Divine Weapon Mountain Range nor the Zhe Long Fucheng, nor did he see any other brothers and sisters.

Was this still a merchant ship?

Glancing at the large yellow flag with the character 'Huang' on the mast, Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly; had they scattered and departed?

Glancing at the large "Huang" character banner on the mast, Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly—had they split up?

"Steady?"

Han Han Chuijun closed his book and gave a cold laugh: "It seems that in the days this old man was away, you've been up to quite a few guilty deeds?"

One sentence nearly choked Li Yuan to death. He keenly detected the displeasure and anger in Old Han's tone, and sensibly shut his mouth at once.

"Hmph hmph!"

Han Han Chuijun was quite annoyed, but had nowhere to vent it. He glared fiercely at him:

"Why aren't you speaking?"

"..."

Not speaking is also a crime?

Li Yuan said helplessly: "If you want to hit me, just hit me — why look for an excuse?"

"Hmph!"

Han Han Chuijun had been stewing over this grievance for several days, but by now he wasn't really that angry anymore. He rose and went back inside.

Li Yuan, very perceptive, tidied things up a bit, then lowered his head and went back inside, looking like someone ready to take any beating or scolding.

"Li Li Yuanba?"

Suddenly, Han Han Chuijun spoke, his face expressionless.

Li Yuan turned his head: "Who?"

"..."

The kid really can put on an act, can't he?!

Han Han Chuijun almost laughed from sheer exasperation. Of all his disciples, he'd taught this one the least, yet somehow the boy was the most like him — that look on his face, he truly wished he could give him a slap.

"Who is Li Li Yuanba?"

Li Yuan's face was blank with confusion.

"This Li Li Yuanba... hmm, a lucky one, but unfortunately a kid whose days are numbered."

Han Han Chuijun tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Huh?"

Li Yuan's heart tightened slightly.

"It has nothing to do with you — why so nervous?"

Han Han Chuijun shot him a glance: "Still going to keep acting?"

Li Yuan gave a wry smile: "What would you have your disciple say?"

"You little rascal..."

Han Han Chuijun was left speechless, and most of his pent-up frustration dissipated.

He turned and sat down. Li Yuan hurriedly poured tea, saying nothing, simply attending him at his side.

"Tell me about it?"

Han Han Chuijun took a sip of tea and set down the teacup.