Chapter 190: Ten Thousand Beasts Dragon Demon (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

"Wan Xing Dao Ren?"

Li Yuan was first stunned, then couldn't help but recall the book Old Han had left in the library.

"This Wan Xing Dao Ren—is he the Wan Shou Dao Ren of Star-Plucking Tower?"

Li Yuan's thoughts turned, but Fang Fang Bao Luo had already spoken up directly to ask: "Master means the Long Mo Dao Ren, right?"

"That's right, precisely Long Mo Dao Ren."

Han Han Chuijun glanced at Li Yuan: "You've borrowed the treatise on root-bones I left behind, so you should know too, yes?"

Li Yuan casually added some firewood; oil was already seeping from the bear paw, sizzling—"Sizzle!"—as it cooked:

"This disciple has some impression. They say the man could take on the forms of ten thousand beasts, transcending the mundane, no longer an ordinary person—hence the title 'Long Mo'?"

"Mm."

Han Han Chuijun nodded: "Back in the day, when I roamed the world, someone put up a bounty on me for assassination for no reason. In a rage, I wiped out that Star-Plucking Tower outpost…"

"Cough, cough!"

Fang Fang Bao Luo coughed repeatedly.

"For no reason?"

Li Yuan's expression turned subtle.

"What are you two trying to say?"

Han Han Chuijun's gaze turned unfriendly.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing!"

The two shook their heads vigorously, gesturing for the old man to continue.

"By a twist of fate, I obtained a fragment of that Wan Xing Dao Ren's legacy. Over the following decades of bitter cultivation, I finally achieved Yi Bai Xing."

Han Han Chuijun stroked his beard, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "It's laughable that Jing Jing Shuhu, finding this path too arduous, now regrets it endlessly."

Recalling the way that tiger had been thumping its chest and stomping its feet earlier, Han Han Chuijun nearly burst out laughing.

"Master has achieved Yi Bai Xing?"

Li Yuan and the other exchanged a glance, then hurriedly rose to offer congratulations.

"This path is truly difficult, but once achieved, the flavor within is inexpressibly wonderful."

Han Han Chuijun savored the memory briefly before continuing:

"From Qi and blood to Yi Xing, one must break through the three human bodily limits in total. Only after these three limits are broken does the foundation for 'drawing upon external forms to supplement oneself' emerge."

By the bonfire, Li Yuan and Fang Fang Bao Luo listened with rapt attention, not even noticing the bear paw was nearly burnt—until Han Han Chuijun reached out and adjusted it.

"Master, will reaching Cheng Wu Gong affect Yi Xing?"

Li Yuan had long wanted to ask this.

"It does not."

Han Han Chuijun replied: "Yi Xing runs through martial arts from start to finish. Even martial artists at the Zang-Refining or Marrow-Refining stages will still practice Cheng Wu Gong on the side, seeking to push their limits and dominate those of the same rank."

"Then you, Master?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred.

Whether Old Han had entered the Shan Xuan Gong Mi Jing or not, Yi Bai Xing was indeed one of the mastery conditions for the Rift Sea Shan Xuan Jing Hammer.

But on second thought, it didn't seem right—the Rift Sea Shan Xuan Jing Hammer only required Yi Bai Xing, not that one had to achieve it before Cheng Wu Gong.

"The Long Mo Heart Scripture?"

"Just a passing thought. The Long Mo Heart Scripture is Star-Plucking Tower's most closely guarded secret. I'm no assassin of theirs—how could I possibly access it?"

Glancing at Li Yuan, Han Han Chuijun touched the mask on his face and said lightly: "Fang Bao Luo, you need not be fixated on this. Break through when you should. As for Li Yuan…"

He paused briefly: "Your comprehension and talent are no less than mine. If you don't fixate on inner Qi or Cheng Wu Gong, you could settle in and accumulate for a few more years."

Fang Fang Bao Luo's face went blank. He shouldn't have come. What was this about him not needing to be fixated?

Li Yuan gave a wry smile: "A few years? A few decades, more like?"

"A martial artist, free of illness and disaster, lives at least a hundred and fifty years. You're not yet twenty—are a few decades really that long?"

Han Han Chuijun was quite calm. He was nearly a hundred himself, but he felt his age wasn't all that great.

If he could live to two hundred, he'd at most count as a youth now. And if he lived four or five hundred years like Pang Pang Wenlong, he'd still be a greenhorn.

"…You're right, Master."

What else could Li Yuan say?

His two lives combined barely amounted to several decades. To him, several decades was already long enough.

"I spoke offhandedly. How you choose is your own affair."

Han Han Chuijun shifted the topic back to Yi Xing itself:

"Yi Xing has a primary and secondary distinction. Choose one form as the primary; thereafter, the other forms follow, echoing and complementing one another—that is the true way."

After that, Han Han Chuijun explained in detail the choices in Yi Xing, and the pros and cons of each.

Common forms, spiritual forms, forms of heaven and earth, and so on.

Once he started talking, it went on until the sky was fully bright.

"That's all my insights on Yi Xing. If you find them useful, learn them; if not, discard them."

Han Han Chuijun cut off a piece of bear paw and slowly chewed and swallowed it.

After Yi Bai Xing, his mindset had also changed; he felt disciples need not necessarily follow his path.

Except for Li Yuan…

"This disciple will bear it in mind. Many thanks to Master for clearing our doubts!"

Li Yuan and Fang Fang Bao Luo bowed deeply.

"Eat."

Han Han Chuijun waved his hand: "Roast it a bit longer; the meat is all dried out."

Of the bear, apart from the internal organs, the master and two disciples ate most of it.

"Huang Fu Kun, that man, is lustful and treacherous; he was only scared off by my life-risking posture due to his cowardice, but he will return later."

Han Han Chuijun wiped his hands: "After eating, you two take a detour through Yunjing; Li Yuan, you should also go back and see your second brother."

"Disciple understands."

Li Yuan nodded.

He had originally planned to return to Gao Liu County; setting aside other matters, he must at least meet that Master Wang.

Otherwise, with his second brother in Gao Liu, he felt uneasy in his heart.

"Master, that Xieshen Sect..."

Fang Fang Bao Luo felt some worry in his heart: "We have already abandoned our mountain gate; will they still be so aggressive?"

"Master Master Baili was killed by someone within the mountain gate; naturally, the Xieshen Sect will not let this go."

Han Han Chuijun sighed: "I too suffered an undeserved disaster; that Huang Fu Kun is also a fool. I had just barely opened my meridians; how could I kill Master Master Baili?"

"Master Master Baili is dead?"

Li Yuan was startled in his heart; he truly did not know.

"Yes, killed by someone unknown; I heard someone even went to the prefectural government office to claim the bounty."

"No wonder the Xieshen Sect is chasing us like madmen."

Fang Fang Bao Luo felt somewhat enlightened, yet also alarmed.

The Xieshen Sect is the leader of the Great Yun's evil path; its sect is filled with powerful experts, but no matter what, it is a sect that cannot see the light.

If it cannot see the light, it has no solid territory and cannot openly accept disciples; with a direct disciple like Master Master Baili, cultivated since childhood, dead, it will likely alarm the Xieshen Sect's main headquarters.

"The pure remain pure, the turbid remain turbid. If the Xieshen Sect wants to chase and kill, let them."

Han Han Chuijun rose to his full height:

"Fang Bao Luo, you follow Li Yuan and escort him to Qianjun Mountain; on the road, do not cause trouble, do not show off, and do not contact Eight Ba Wanli."

"Yes, disciple understands."

Fang Fang Bao Luo bowed and agreed; he naturally knew the importance of a Divine Artificer to the sect.

He also knew that if Eight Ba Wanli arrived, the target on this journey would be huge; therefore, when he came earlier, he deliberately shed that foolish, big, black, and rough oaf.

"Li Yuan."

"Disciple is here."

Li Yuan bowed.

"These two booklets are a few of my insights on practicing martial arts to change form; take them and flip through them on the road."

Han Han Chuijun tossed over two booklets: "When you reach Qianjun Mountain, I have other instructions for you..."

"Thank you, Master!"

Li Yuan took the two booklets; the insights of a Yi Bai Xing expert were extremely precious to him.

"Let's go."

Han Han Chuijun waved his hand and vanished with the wind; within a few breaths, he was gone without a trace, leaving only his voice drifting:

"Remember to extinguish the fire!"

The two disciples watched his back disappear.

The Divine Weapon Valley is not skilled in lightness techniques; even the mid-grade lightness footwork, the Rising and Falling Art, is pitifully scarce.

But Han Han Chuijun's lightness technique is extremely good.

He is Yi Bai Xing; among them are many related to body-lightening methods; stacked together, whether for shifting, rising and falling, or traveling, all are first-class fast.

But...

"Junior brother."

Fang Fang Bao Luo smacked his lips, looking at Li Yuan: "How do I feel your lightness technique is even better than Master's?"

"It's different; mine was for escaping; Master was just traveling."

Li Yuan also came to his senses, tucked the two booklets into his chest, changed the subject, and asked about the events that had occurred during this time.

Mainly regarding Jing Jing Shuhu, Lei Lei Jingchuan, and others.

Especially Jing Jing Shuhu; that old man is still holding that One superior-grade piece, a famous artifact-level bow of his.

Fang Fang Bao Luo shook his head; after that day, disciples from all halls went their separate ways, with no contact between them.

At least, he did not.

"Sigh, the Zhelong Prefecture is in considerable turmoil."

Fang Fang Bao Luo sighed.

The second day after the Xieshen Sect successfully held the Thousand Spirit Ritual, news that the Divine Weapon was about to emerge reached many counties in Zhelong Prefecture, attracting countless martial artists.

Within a few days, rumors even spread that the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing had already emerged; various news flew everywhere.

As time passed, more and more experts gathered at the Divine Weapon Valley; alone, dozens of martial arts feuds erupted.

"Three days ago, three true disciples of the Huailong Palace appeared in Zhelong Prefecture, suspected to be accompanying disciples from the Dragon and Tiger Temple..."

Fang Fang Bao Luo kicked away the firewood, covered the ground with soil to extinguish the fire: "The Dragon and Tiger Temple is one of the Wudadao Sect, holding Hengshandao for one thousand four hundred years; its strength is even greater than that of the Xieshen Sect.

That Huang Fu Kun reportedly suffered a great defeat, only then turning to chase and kill us."

"The Dragon and Tiger Temple is even stronger than the Xieshen Sect?"

Li Yuan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The Dragon and Tiger Temple is the Hengshandao Sect, ranked among the world's five great Dao Sects, with imposing prestige, but the Xieshen Sect claims to be the number one sect under heaven; is it not even as good as one of the five great Dao Sects?

"How can a heretical sect compare to a Dao Sect?"

Fang Fang Bao Luo laughed and said, "Dragon Tiger Temple oversees the Dao of Mount Hengshan, fed by hundreds of millions of people, with countless genius disciples—how many people does the Xieshen Sect have feeding it?"

"That's true enough."

Li Yuan fell into thought.

"However, the true strength of the Xieshen Sect lies not at the bottom, but at the top. The Xieshen Sect has one chief and two vice Sect Masters, two Grand Elders, four Dharma Kings who protect the faith, and eight Protectors…"

"All of these were once supreme figures from the various Zhou Sects and Dao Sects…"

Fang Fang Bao Luo's expression turned subtly odd: "Fortunately, once these experts show themselves, their former sects will mobilize to hunt them down, so they actually have no impact."

"Because their lifespans are nearly spent?"

Li Yuan felt he understood somewhat.

When it came to cultivating disciples and raising armies, the Xieshen Sect was far from comparable to a Dao Sect, but with the Bai Shen Fa in hand—an art for extending lifespan and achieving longevity—it could naturally attract those supreme experts whose lifespans were nearing their end.

On the surface, there are already this many—how many more must there be in the shadows?

Li Yuan thought of the Star-Plucking Tower, that legendary number-one assassin organization. On the surface it only has Lu Lu Bailing assassins—how many more must there be in the shadows?

"Junior brother need not worry. Since Dragon Tiger Temple has sent disciples, the calamity of the Xieshen Sect will surely be quelled soon."

Fang Fang Bao Luo spoke with absolute certainty. He too held a mysterious reverence for Dragon Tiger Temple, as did countless other martial world folk.

Dao Sect refers both to one who presides over a Dao, and to the martial Dao itself.

"Let's hope so."