Chapter 213: An Autumn Rain Brings Cold (Part 2)

Hoo~

On the Upside-Down Mountain, a gentle breeze blows slowly, strange rocks jut out, grass and trees flourish, everything vivid and lifelike.

Although he has entered and exited many times, each time he comes here, Li Yuan is still somewhat amazed.

"To apply true qi to this extent, the word 'divine' is truly deserved."

Li Yuan sat cross-legged, pulled a weed from a crack in the stone, watched it turn into qi and vanish, while in the crack, new weeds grew forth, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Having cultivated the Thousand-Quintal Qi Art and touched upon internal strength transforming into qi, seeing this scene, Li Yuan felt a great sense of awe, like looking up at a high mountain.

"Internal strength transforming into qi, using internal qi to connect all forms; this is the great completion of the Form-Shifting realm. For me, this step is merely a matter of patient grinding, sooner or later."

Li Yuan sorted this out in his mind.

Inside and outside the Library Tower, there were no supreme martial arts, but there was no lack of predecessors' insights and experiences regarding martial arts; he had read books for years, and his martial arts foundation was no longer as shallow as before.

When a martial artist shifts forms, it is called entering the hall and stepping into the room.

At this stage, no matter where in the world, one could be called a master.

The vast majority of martial artists in the world reach this stage as their limit; to achieve great completion in Form-Shifting, one must first transform internal strength into qi, which requires supreme martial arts and qi arts.

Without supreme martial arts, those who achieve great completion in Form-Shifting exist only in legends.

Those are extraordinary talents capable of elevating originally medium-grade or low-grade martial arts to supreme grade.

"After transforming internal strength into qi, the Form-Shifting realm is considered complete, and as for opening the meridians..."

Li Yuan lowered his head, looking at this body completely formed of true qi; faintly visible beneath the surface were countless meridians interwoven into a net.

The great circulation of blood and qi, the great circulation of internal strength, are both preparations for opening the meridians.

Human meridians have no blockages; where there is blockage, there is pain. The so-called opening of meridians does not mean breaking open some meridian within the body.

Rather, through the great circulation of blood and qi and internal strength, using internal qi deep within the physique, between bones, tendons, skin, and flesh, among the four limbs and hundred bones, to outline a complex, incomparable network of meridians!

The process of constructing the meridian network is called opening the meridians; if the construction succeeds, it is the great completion of opening the meridians.

Before transforming strength into qi, the distinction between medium-grade and supreme martial arts was not obvious, but once a qi art is established, the gap between the two instantly widens.

"Hoo!"

Li Yuan sat quietly for a long while before rising, then walked slowly toward the mountain peak.

Since cultivating the Thousand-Quintal Qi Art, relying on the enhancement of the Weapon Command Talisman, his progress in the second mountain-climbing attempt could be described as rapid advancement; seven or eight days ago, he had already reached the final step.

After that, he was blocked here by this ghost-masked person, suspected to be Han Han Chuijun, unable to advance an inch.

"Ghost Mask, Yi Duo Xing, climbing six thousand ren."

Li Yuan stopped before the last stone tablet, on which were listed all who had climbed the mountain over the past thousand-plus years.

Among them, this ghost-masked person's Wu Gong was not particularly high, only Form-Shifting, far unable to compare with Liu Liu Qingtian, who had achieved great completion in Marrow Refining.

But this person's progress was the highest, aside from himself.

"Even without Yi Bai Xing, he has at least shifted dozens of forms, including forms of spiritual beasts and forms of heaven and earth."

From ten zhang away, Li Yuan sized up this ghost-masked person.

Over the past seven or eight days, he had climbed the mountain many times, using every possible means, yet still could not cross this final step; even when he activated the enhancement of the Weapon Command Talisman, it failed.

Even mutual destruction was impossible.

"Even with the enhancement of the Weapon Command Talisman, to defeat this person, I fear it will be very difficult to accomplish in a short time."

Li Yuan understood in his heart.

In the Form-Shifting realm alone, the ghost-masked person far surpassed all mountain climbers; even Liu Liu Qingtian, who had achieved great completion in Marrow Refining, was vastly inferior.

"Try again!"

Li Yuan paced back and forth, simultaneously sensing the Weapon Command Talisman, commanding one by one the 'Supreme Six-Heaven Boots', 'Supreme Nine-Heaven Boots', 'Spirit Ox Boots', and 'Supreme Spirit-Heaven Boots'.

Voom~

Feeling the command-enhancement of the four pairs of third-tier boots, Li Yuan felt his body float as if weightless, as though a gust of wind could blow him away.

"Boots of the first and second tiers are of little use; hmm, command the Handle-heavy Chen Shan Zhong hammer, the Mixed-Great-Huxi Hammer..."

On the steps, Li Yuan paced back and forth.

The reason he immediately came to the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing after forging the fourth pair of third-tier boots was certainly not without cause.

"But I cannot defeat him; however, going around him should work, right?"

With a mere thought, Li Yuan suddenly exerted force beneath his feet, all manner of command-enhancements upon his body.

Bang!

A visible wave of qi was knocked aside in an instant.

Under the enhancement of the four pairs of third-tier boots, Li Yuan felt a flash before his eyes; he had already seen the shadow of the Split-Sea Shan Xuan Whale Hammer floating in the air atop the mountain.

"It worked!"

Li Yuan felt a surge of joy in his heart, followed immediately by a chill.

Wooo~

Without hesitation, he stopped, twisted his body, and unleashed a burst of qi energy; a long-handled heavy hammer, the same color as his body, 'Voom'ed as it struck toward his back.

Crack!

In the next instant, Li Yuan felt a pain in his arm; the heavy hammer and his arm broke off together.

Then, a cold tide, like a wave, engulfed him completely.

"Damn!"

In the room, Li Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, feeling the chill on his back had not yet dissipated, but his eyes were very bright.

"There's hope!"

Under the enhancement of the four pairs of third-tier boots, his speed surpassed all in Zhe Long and Shunde; even those who had achieved great completion in opening the meridians could not catch up, let alone the ghost-masked person, who was also in the Form-Shifting realm.

"A bit faster, dodge one strike; as long as I dodge one strike, he will absolutely have no chance to launch a second!"

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Li Yuan closed his eyes and reentered the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing.

This time, he made no hesitation, powering forward with his feet and charging toward the peak from a new angle.

Once, twice…

Boom!

Like thunder exploding.

A tangible wave of qi rolled outward in all directions.

Li Yuan's outstretched arm and the heavy hammer had vanished; instead, a bone-chilling cold surged back…

"Just a little more!"

Li Yuan lunged forward, his remaining palm splayed wide, grasping the trembling, humming, seemingly resentful shadow of the Liehai Yu Xuanjing Hammer.

"Puff!"

His body shattered, dissolving entirely into smoke.

"Did I make it?"

In the room, Li Yuan panted heavily; the sensations from the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing flooded his mind with perfect clarity, leaving him as exhausted as if he'd fought countless battles.

After catching his breath for a moment, he closed his eyes again.

Wuuu~

The inverted peak, a gentle breeze Xu Xu.

Roar!

In a daze, Li Yuan heard the whale's cry once more.

He seemed to see again that magnificent "planet" shrouded in Wang Yang.

One after another, inverted mountains reached the clouds…

Moments later, Li Yuan snapped back to awareness, glancing around to find all the qi-formed experts had vanished—the peak was exactly as it had been when he first climbed it.

Beyond the empty square lay jagged rocks and lush vegetation.

After the mist cleared, the palace complex, barely visible during his first ascent, now came clearly into view.

A sense of desolation and antiquity washed over him.

"This… resembles the gate of a great sect?"

Li Yuan squinted slightly.

The inverted mountain was narrow below and broad above; its peak stretched wide as a plain, with palaces stretching over a hundred li—like a city suspended in the clouds.

"Where's the hammer?"

Li Yuan scanned the surroundings—the square was empty, the shadow of the Liehai Yu Xuanjing Hammer nowhere to be seen, only a stone stele standing nearby.

"Third step?"

Li Yuan gritted his teeth, yet he could only step closer.

The characters on the stele flowed like water, shifting endlessly, until finally transforming into Da Yun script he could understand.

【To enter Liehai Palace, first become the Yu Xuanjing form.】

"The Yu Xuanjing form?"

Li Yuan's mind stirred—the characters on the stele vanished entirely, replaced by a single painting.

In the painting was precisely the "planet" he had glimpsed earlier, shrouded in Wang Yang, with swirling mist revealing a Yu Xuanjing whale swimming through it.

"The third trial requires me to transform into the Yu Xuanjing form?"

Li Yuan waited a long while—the stele changed no further, and no new steles or objects appeared around him.

He understood: the hammer's intent was this painting—it was both a reward for passing the second trial and the third trial itself.

"Is this painting supposed to let me transform into the Yu Xuanjing form?"

Li Yuan reached out, touched it, and sensed the Qibing Lu—clearly, the essence within the Yu Xuanjing Hammer was already contained within the hammer itself.

This painting was not a physical form diagram.

"So troublesome."

Although he had previously considered transforming into the Yu Xuanjing form, Li Yuan still felt a headache coming—trying to achieve such a transformation from just this painting was no easier than inventing a supreme martial art.

Perhaps this was the point of the trials?

Li Yuan pondered, a flicker of understanding dawning in his mind.

The first two trials tested physical constitution and structure; the third tests comprehension?

"This hammer doesn't seem to be seeking a master—it's seeking a disciple…"

After pondering for a long while, Li Yuan walked toward the hundred-li-long palace complex, recalling the painting's "planet" shrouded in Wang Yang, his mind speculating.

The peak was vast, and Li Yuan moved quickly.

Soon, he reached the palace—or rather, the gate.

Big!

Enormous!

From afar, the palace complex had already seemed magnificent; only upon approaching did he realize it was far larger than he'd imagined.

The gate before the palaces stood a hundred meters tall, covered in patterns he couldn't decipher—were they characters?

"What script is this?"

Li Yuan waited, received no response; when he tried to approach further, an invisible barrier halted him.

"Could this be the fourth trial?"

Li Yuan studied the scene—beyond the gate, nearby palaces were faintly visible, all inscribed with characters he couldn't read.

"Star core… Liehai Star Core… Yu Xuanjing Spirit… If the Liehai Yu Xuanjing Hammer truly is the star core of a planet, then this Mi Jing must be depicting the 'Liehai Star'?"

Li Yuan pondered in his heart.

The cognition of weapon items granted by the Martial Register came from himself; he dared not be certain whether the Star Core and the Sea-Splitting Star were as he understood them.

Lingering before the mountain gate for a long while, Li Yuan finally returned to where the stone stele stood and examined the painting closely.

At the same time, he sensed the benefits of having cleared the second trial.

This image of the Black Whale was a benefit of clearing the second trial, but it was only one of them.

Buzz!

Li Yuan reached out and touched the stone stele, feeling his mind suddenly elevate greatly, and this Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing before his eyes also changed its appearance.

In a trance, he saw 'True Qi' as vast as the sea, and within it, countless 'light points' of varying brilliance.

Whoosh!

When Li Yuan opened his eyes again, he saw before the stone stele wisps of True Qi flowing and intertwining; soon, they had formed a refined old man holding a long sword—none other than Liu Liu Qingtian.

After clearing the second trial, relying on this stone stele, he could to a certain extent wield the True Qi near the stele.

"Pfft!"

The refined swordsman dissipated into green smoke.

Li Yuan had no intention of finding a sparring partner; he was still pondering the changes after clearing the second trial.

It seemed that because he had not cleared the trial normally, the hammer appeared very angry, yet it was not as hostile as before.

Wuu~

Li Yuan pressed his hand against the stone stele, manipulating the nearby True Qi, having a wonderful time.

"Not bad; this counts as an early encounter with True Qi taking form."

Moments later, Li Yuan released his hand; channeling True Qi seemed to consume considerable mental effort, and he felt extremely drowsy.

"Hmm, perhaps this hammer wants me to 'paint' this image using the True Qi here?"

Li Yuan let his thoughts wander.

Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing possess spirit, but this spirit did not seem to be the intelligence he imagined; at least for now, there was no way to communicate, and it only rigidly made him clear trials.

Hah~

Inside the room, Li Yuan opened his eyes, then quickly closed them again; drowsiness surged up, catching him off guard, and he let out a yawn before falling into a deep sleep.

When he woke again, the daylight was already bright.

"Eh?"

Li Yuan stretched, then suddenly froze: "This..."

He rubbed his eyes, feeling that the tables, chairs, benches, tea bowls, and oil lamps in the room all seemed to have come alive, as if a layer of gauze had been covering them before.

"Like... severe nearsightedness cured by putting on glasses?"

Li Yuan saw a small mouse in the corner; from several meters away, he could clearly see the mouse's smooth fur, even the dust between the hairs.

"I'm not nearsighted."

Seeming to recall something, Li Yuan sat up cross-legged and closed his eyes to visualize.

Buzz~

In the darkness, Li Yuan visualized a 'stick figure'.

The stick figure was himself; because he had not yet mastered the visualization method, it appeared extremely crude.

But now, with his thought moving, a light seemed to ignite in the darkness; the rough, crude stick figure gained color, and compared to before, it was not only larger but its limbs and torso were now discernible.

"Mental power!"

This thought popped into Li Yuan's mind; was this also a benefit of clearing the second trial?

He sensed carefully and discovered the faint Black Whale Qi within his body; every time he entered or exited the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing, a wisp of Black Whale Qi would come out with him.

Relying on this Qi, he had attempted the Form-Shifting Black Whale technique and gained some small results, but that was all; it had no further use.

"My mental power has suddenly surged greatly; perhaps it is related to this Black Whale Qi... Hmm, I'll test it later."

Li Yuan's visualization method advanced by leaps and bounds; after some attempts, he even visualized facial features, and with his eyes closed, it was as if a miniature version of himself was practicing boxing before his eyes.

"Hmm... bring the hammer!"

At Li Yuan's thought, the hammer in the visualization's hand truly appeared, black and dull; afterward, under his perception, he slowly began practicing the Ancient Elephant Six Forms Hammer.

"Bai Shen Fa truly is a supreme Qi Gong under heaven!"

After a long while, Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes; his face showed some fatigue, but his spirit was somewhat excited:

"A divine art!"

After mastering the visualization method, channeling the visualized figure to practice boxing gave him even the illusion that he was practicing martial arts himself; though it was an illusion, it felt very real.

"However, the fatigue is also real; it's not as cost-effective as practicing martial arts myself..."

Li Yuan let out a yawn; he had just woken up, yet he was sleepy again; practicing the visualization method for such a short while was far more tiring than forging iron all day.

"With the visualization method mastered, Bai Shen Fa is not far off."