Chapter 223: Dao Robe and Handle-heavy Mallet — Combined

Outside, the wind howled and snow fell heavily.

Li Yuan stood by the window, gazing down at the Huoyan Estate—a three-layered compound with artificial hills, bamboo groves; now, numerous retainers and maids rushed back and forth, preparing the Dragon-Tiger Banquet.

Wind and snow mingled with smoke from cooking fires; faintly, the clashing of weapons could be heard.

"Li… Master asks you to come down!"

Li Yuan turned around; at the door stood Yu Yu Xuanji, expressionless.

This delicate daughter of the Dragon-Tiger Temple's great family couldn't help but twitch her lips—she hadn't seen him overnight, yet this boy had already changed his attire?

Straight collar, overlapping front, long sleeves with hidden flares, entirely blue-green.

This was a robe of exceptional craftsmanship.

"Thank you, senior niece."

Li Yuan adopted a composed posture, giving a slight nod—pleasing himself by making those who disliked him feel annoyed.

He gave his long robe a light shake, feeling quite pleased.

This robe had been custom-made during his time at the Zhe Long Mansion, but he'd never worn it—before, he'd either been forging iron or traveling.

"… "

Yu Yu Xuanji's chest rose and fell once; she turned away decisively, silently exasperated.

Already changed into a Dao robe—next, will he shave his head bald?

Li Yuan glanced back out the window, then followed her downstairs.

Huh!

Below the Huoyan Tower, Gong Gong Jiuchuan stood with his hands behind his back; before him in the snow stood over a dozen Dragon-Tiger Temple disciples.

These disciples were young, yet each radiated full vigor, possessed strong physiques, wielded top-grade blades, and wore inner armor.

"All of them are elites!"

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Dragon-Tiger Temple dominated the entire Dao realm, drawing in talent from all provinces and prefectures; its halls never lacked prodigies, and none who traveled outside were mere nobodies.

These dozen figures in the snow had all achieved Yi Bai Xing—especially the young man and woman at the front, their swords and knives on their backs, untouched by wind and snow; they were likely already accomplished in Tong Mai.

Seeing him descend, the disciples kept their gazes straight ahead, but Li Yuan's sharp eyes sensed they were secretly sizing him up—with surprise, suspicion, and faint hostility.

"Go."

As Li Yuan descended, Gong Gong Jiuchuan had already given orders; with a wave of his hand, the dozen disciples dispersed, each taking position atop a simple wooden platform.

"Senior Brother Gong."

Li Yuan bowed respectfully; he knew little of Gong Gong Jiuchuan, but anyone who had earned a divine weapon's recognition was no ordinary person.

Of all the experts he'd ever met, only three had earned divine weapon recognition: Old Han of Yi Bai Xing, of course, and Wan Chuan—also a famed divine smith.

"... Mm."

Seeing Li Yuan's brand-new Dao robe, Gong Gong Jiuchuan's eye twitched; he reluctantly replied:

"Li… Li younger brother, you're also among those invited to this banquet. Though you needn't pass trials, by custom, you must appear."

"As you command, Senior Brother."

Li Yuan had no objections.

"This Dragon-Tiger Banquet has eighteen tables—nine outer, nine inner—to host uninvited martial artists, so they don't make the journey in vain."

Said Gong Gong Jiuchuan.

Li Yuan nodded; previous Dragon-Tiger Banquets had mostly followed this pattern.

As the foremost sect of the Dao realm, the Dragon-Tiger Temple always acted with grandeur: it hosted extra banquets, and every guest received at least one Cun Shen Xiao Fa Huan Dan.

One Xiao Fa Huan Dan was worth nine hundred taels; eighteen banquets, at least a hundred guests—that's ninety thousand taels of silver.

Li Yuan had been stunned when he first heard this—until he learned the Dragon-Tiger Temple was the number-one "Dan Sect" in the world…

"This Dragon-Tiger Banquet is divided into three feasts; my intention is…"

Gong Gong Jiuchuan pointed to the eighteen wooden platforms in the wind and snow; the meaning was obvious.

"Guard the trials?"

Li Yuan knew the Dragon-Tiger Banquet's procedure well: only after breaking all three trials could one enter the banquet.

"Correct."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan glanced at Yu Yu Xuanji; she bowed slightly.

"Yu Xuanji, Gu Yang, Hua Hong will guard the third trial."

Li Yuan looked over; "Gu Yang" and "Hua Hong" were the two young men and woman who had already achieved Tong Mai.

As Li Yuan looked, they turned their gazes toward him.

"Senior Brother means I'm to guard the third trial too?"

"Mm."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan looked up; someone had already breached the outer courtyard—a man clutching a long sword, his aura cold and sharp: Wu Wang Sword, Lin Lin Dongping.

"Not slow."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan glanced once, then ordered: "Yu Xuanji, go to the armory and fetch a Handle-heavy mallet—weight appropriate, six hundred jin?"

He turned the last half-sentence to Li Yuan.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Gong; any weight is fine."

Li Yuan had no objections; with his current mallet mastery, lighter or heavier made no difference.

"Yes."

Yu Yu Xuanji responded and turned away.

"Senior Brother Gong, are there any special rules for guarding the trials?"

Li Yuan asked.

He had studied the Dragon-Tiger Banquet; as far as he knew, previous Dragon-Tiger Banquets had featured similar trials, but the specifics were best confirmed by asking.

Having secured his own entry into the Sect, he had no desire to block others; it served no purpose and might only incur offense.

"Mm, stopping at the point is sufficient."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan glanced at him: "Most of those invited to the banquet are true disciples of various Sects; we must leave some face for them. As long as it passes, that is enough. As for the others, I assume they will not force their way in."

So it really is just a formality?

Li Yuan felt a silent irony; for information on the Dragon-Tiger Banquet, he had spent over a thousand taels of silver, while the other attendees would surely spend even more.

"In any case, it is merely a banquet."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan spoke lightly; to him, it was just a banquet. Whether two more people or two fewer attended was ultimately irrelevant.

However, his brows furrowed slightly as he thought of Ba Ba Wanli.

Historically, the Dragon-Tiger Banquet did not deliberately make things difficult for those invited, yet it would still filter out one or two individuals. Previously, when Yan Yan Sanxing selected Ba Ba Wanli, he had not cared much.

But now...

"A mere banquet."

Li Yuan chewed on his words, feeling a certain emotion arise in his heart.

A single Dragon-Tiger Banquet had stirred up nearly half of Huizhou; tens of thousands of martial artists flocked in, making the Dechang Prefecture lively for a month or two even in the dead of winter.

Based on this banquet, people had even opened betting pools.

Yet for the major events of the various Prefecture Sects, to the elders of the Dragon-Tiger Temple, it was merely a casually mentioned 'mere banquet'...

"Tsk."

Li Yuan tucked his hands into his sleeves.

The wind and snow grew heavier. Gong Gong Jiuchuan stood with his hands behind his back; the wind and snow could not approach him, and he merely watched the fights on the wooden platforms from a distance.

He maintained a cold demeanor, so Li Yuan naturally did not approach him.

After waiting a while and seeing no sign of Yu Yu Xuanji returning, nor any intention of Gong Gong Jiuchuan to show a cold face, he wandered off to watch the crowd attempt the trials.

Outside the courtyard, the sounds of weapon clashes never ceased. Many attempted the trials; some retreated in gloom, while others successfully entered the courtyard to attempt the second trial.

Li Yuan took a look; among these people were not a few renowned masters.

The Dragon-Tiger Banquet invited vigorous masters under sixty years of age. Although the short timeframe meant many could not arrive in time, there were still no lack of experts.

Of course, there were even more who came merely to make a scene.

Li Yuan did not know the difficulty of the first trial, but the second trial was obviously a sudden spike in difficulty. The disciples of the Dragon-Tiger Temple were no weaklings, and people were frequently kicked off the wooden platforms.

Almost all who came merely to make a scene were filtered out.

"Mm, Fierce Wind Blade Technique, Chaotic Cloud Sword Technique, eh? Green Snake Spear Technique?"

Li Yuan watched with great interest. He was proficient in many Wu Gong and had a broad range of knowledge; from the techniques used in the clashes, he could guess their Wu Gong and even their Sect of origin.

"The disciples of this Dragon-Tiger Temple possess high Wu Gong."

After watching for a while, Li Yuan had a clear idea: the martial artists attempting the trials were of mixed quality, but the Dragon-Tiger Temple disciples guarding the trials were all top-tier experts.

Not only was their vital energy vigorous and their physiques strong, but they had all cultivated internal Qi, casually knocking the trial-seekers off the wooden platforms.

"That makes sense. The Dragon-Tiger Banquet ultimately concerns the face of the Dragon-Tiger Temple; even for the Inner and Outer Banquets, not everyone is qualified to participate..."

Li Yuan murmured to himself.

The Dragon-Tiger Temple dominates a Circuit, sucking in talent from various Prefectures and States. Its ranks include no lack of disciples with outstanding talent, but there will always be some fish that slip through the net, such as geniuses with the Dragon-Form Root Bone like Yue Yue Zhongtian.

The Dragon-Tiger Banquet, in a sense, is 'filling in the gaps'?

A method to weaken subordinate Sects by taking advantage of the situation?

Scanning the various wooden platforms, Li Yuan also spotted Ba Ba Wanli. His height of two meters and thirty-something centimeters still made him stand out like a crane among chickens, and the heavy hammer, resembling a water vat, was particularly conspicuous.

"Senior Brother Fang."

Li Yuan approached. Below the wooden platform, Fang Fang Bao Luo was also present. He glanced around and spotted Qiu Qiu Changying in the crowd.

"Junior Brother, why have you only just arrived?"

Seeing Li Yuan, Fang Fang Bao Luo breathed a sigh of relief: "I saw you were not here this morning, so I sent people to look for you."

Boom!!

Li Yuan had just wanted to reply when a tremendous crash rang out. The wooden platform before them collapsed with a roar; wood shavings and snowflakes were scattered by the shockwave, and the onlookers dispersed.

"Good lad, come again!"

Amidst the wind and snow, Ba Ba Wanli laughed loudly. He swung his massive hammer, emitting a sharp, chilling sound, forcing the Dragon-Tiger Temple disciple holding a long sword to retreat repeatedly.

"Senior Brother's hammer technique has improved significantly."

Li Yuan's eyes gleamed slightly.

Ba Ba Wanli possessed true extraordinary talent; he bore the form of a bear and tiger, was born with divine strength, and had undergone multiple transformations, all taking the form of a bear or tiger. Although he lacked agility, his strength far surpassed that of his peers. Furthermore, he possessed an impressive body-hardening cultivation.

The Weapon Dao Battle-Killing Hammer in his hands was truly peerless in its ferocity.

The Dragon-Tiger Temple disciple, though also possessing superior martial arts and having achieved success in transformation, dared not meet it head-on. After retreating several steps, he took the opportunity to sheath his sword.

Hoo~

Ba Ba Wanli retracted his hammer at the appropriate moment, still unsatisfied: "Is that passing the trial?"

"Next!"

The Dragon-Tiger Temple disciple did not even look at him. He glanced at the nearby wooden platforms and discovered that he was actually the first to have his trial successfully breached...

"Excellent!"

"The Eight Great Hero's hammer technique is peerless in its ferocity!"

"The Eight Great Hero..."

The onlookers instantly erupted into a frenzy, drawing the sidelong glances of martial arts experts from the wooden platform in the distance.

"I'll go!"

From within the crowd, a burly swordsman suddenly leaped up, as if he had been preparing for some time, his strike vicious and ruthless.

"Sss!"

That disciple casually blocked the blade's light with a sword, then struck out with his left palm, exhaling his internal Qi to send the swordsman flying off the ground, rolling several times across the snow:

"Next!"

Seeing Ba Ba Wanli pass the trial here, those who had been eager to try were instantly doused as if by cold water.

【127】 "Junior brother, when did you arrive?"

"Junior Brother, when did you arrive?"

Ba Ba Wanli was in high spirits, walking with the wind, and all the onlookers parted ways wherever he passed.

"Did Senior brother also learn the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon?"

Within Ba Ba Wanli's hammer technique, Li Yuan saw something familiar.

"I haven't mastered it."

Ba Ba Wanli set down his hammer: "I lack the form of the Flood Dragon; I must perfect the Shadow Dragon Bone-Contracting Art before I can master it."

"Junior brother, you..."

Ba Ba Wanli realized it belatedly, but Fang Fang Bao Luo reacted quickly, his eyes widening in shock: "You have mastered the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon?!"

He naturally knew of the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon; when Han Han Chuijun created the art, he had even participated, yet this supreme learning was merely in its embryonic form with an extremely high threshold, and he could never enter its gate.

"Barely entered the gate."

Li Yuan did not hide it and nodded.

"You brat..."

Ba Ba Wanli also came to his senses, somewhat surprised and envious: "No wonder the old man values you so highly; with this talent of yours, I am utterly unable to compare."

Ba Ba Wanli had a bold personality; he felt some emotion but quickly let it go, whereas Fang Fang Bao Luo's mood was somewhat complex.

"Have you attempted the trial? The one I chose is easier..."

Ba Ba Wanli lowered his voice, but he still underestimated his volume; Li Yuan keenly noticed the Longhu Temple disciple nearby whose face turned black.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Fang Fang Bao Luo slapped him with a bad temper, glanced back, and saw the swordsman attempting the trial struck by a sword, blood splattering everywhere.

"Bang!"

At that moment, another dull thud sounded.

Li Yuan turned his head and saw another wooden platform nearby collapse with a crash.

Two figures wielding swords and blades fought fast against fast amidst the wind and snow.

Clang clang clang~~~

Amidst the howling wind and snow, the sound of metal clashing merged into one, sword lights crisscrossed, sparks flew everywhere, drawing the attention of a crowd of Wu Lin experts.

"Boom!"

Not long after, a clap of thunder resounded; where the sound waves spread, the air currents suddenly expanded, sweeping away a large pile of snow, and all the onlookers retreated.

"Sword Sound, Thunder Moves!"

After the air waves dispersed, the scene within was revealed.

"It's Hero Lin!"

Some of the onlookers cried out in surprise, recognizing the person among them; the rest turned their heads in shock.

Lin Lin Dongping, known as the Unfettered Sword, hailed from Changlin Prefecture and was the foremost true disciple of the Five Swords Gate of the current generation; his reputation was great, yet that obscure Longhu Temple disciple actually managed to force him to such a state.

"Huff!"

Lin Lin Dongping held his sword and clasped his hands, his expression solemn: "Thank you, Senior brother, for holding back!"

That disciple was around thirty, with two small mustaches; after nodding, he pressed his hand to his sword and surveyed the surroundings:

"Next!"

With a single glance, the crowd of martial artists watching shifted their gaze; seeing his formidable momentum, who would dare to choose him?

"Lin Lin Dongping."

Li Yuan took a distant look; the one Lin Lin Dongping chose was one of the three strongest among the dozen or so Longhu disciples.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

After Ba Ba Wanli and Lin Lin Dongping passed the trials in succession, the others also sped up; soon, the dozen or so invited guests had all passed the trial.

Afterwards, Li Yuan keenly noticed that the closing disciples began to let people through; successively, another twenty or thirty people were allowed to pass.

"Even letting people through has its rules."

Li Yuan had been observing.

He discovered that those allowed through afterwards were all famous experts from various prefectures; these experts also, with tacit understanding, chose to attempt the trial after the invited guests had passed.

An unwritten rule?

Li Yuan stroked his chin.

At this time, Fang Fang Bao Luo finally walked toward the wooden platform, chose one person, made a huge scene, but after only a few exchanges, he was also conveniently let through and passed the trial.

"You..."

Li Yuan saw it, but Ba Ba Wanli did not; looking at Fang Fang Bao Luo who passed easily without even sweating, he was somewhat shocked.

"Don't look at me; your opponent is over there."

Fang Fang Bao Luo put away his hand hammer and looked down toward the Huiyan Tower.

Lin Lin Dongping, Yue Chongtian, and others had already gathered there; martial artists who had passed the trial and those who had not all crowded over.

"Longhu Temple is far too stingy; it's just a banquet, yet they've made it so complicated and tedious."

Ba Ba Wanli raised his massive hammer; this time he lowered his voice so only Li Yuan and the other could hear.

"After all, it is Longhu Temple, and do not forget the Spirit-Preserving Small Return Pill."

Fang Baolao glared at him; he had no objection, and most people in the arena had no objection either.

After all, those who reached the Inner Courtyard each received one Spirit-Preserving Small Return Pill; such generosity naturally implies certain thresholds.

"True."

Ba Ba Wanli grinned; he had no intention of joining Longhu Temple, but the Spirit-Preserving Small Return Pill was indeed a fine treasure.

"Speak carefully and act cautiously; how many times have I said it?"

Fang Baolao was still reprimanding while Ba Ba Wanli perfunctorily agreed, then hurried toward Huiyan Tower.

Li Yuan moved unhurriedly; he was still recalling what he had just seen. Lin Lin Dongping and the others' Wu Gong was no inferior to the Longhu Temple disciples guarding the trials, even subtly superior.

However, after watching for a long time, he had not found that direct disciple of Huai Long Palace, Yan Yan Qingyuan.

"Although Yu Yu Xuanji has not opened her meridians, in terms of Wu Gong, she is likely superior to the Eldest Senior Brother; as for those two Meridian-Opening experts..."

Li Yuan pondered in his heart.

Regarding Yu Yu Xuanji, his impression was deep, not only because of her Wu Gong.

This noble young lady from a great family was laden with treasures; upon first meeting her, he had been startled. Except for lacking a divine weapon, she was even more lavish than Gong Gong Jiuchuan.

Especially those name-artifact-grade boots, which made him feel somewhat envious.

"Eldest Senior Brother."

With a thought stirring in his heart, Li Yuan tugged Ba Ba Wanli and whispered, "Do not lead the charge; wait a while before going up..."

"Hmm?"

As Ba Ba Wanli was slightly startled, a voice came from below Huiyan Tower, suppressing all other noise.

"I am Gong Gong Jiuchuan of Longhu Temple, the Jin Yu Division Leader."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan stood with his hands behind his back; his voice was not particularly loud, yet everyone around heard it clearly:

"This Longhu Banquet is organized by myself and Junior Brother Yan. Fellow Daoists, whether invited or not, since you have come today, all may enter the banquet. Afterward, fine gifts will be presented, ensuring no one leaves empty-handed."

"Division Leader Gong is too polite!"

"Longhu Temple truly lives up to its reputation as a sacred land of Wu Gong..."

"Thank you, Division Leader Gong!"

The surrounding crowd stirred slightly; many voiced their thanks loudly. Aside from those merely watching the spectacle, most had come to this Longhu Banquet for this very gift.

"Everyone, please remain calm!"

Gong Gong Jiuchuan coughed lightly; Yu Yu Xuanji and the other two had already walked out slowly, bowing with clasped hands before the crowd in front of the tower.

"In the Jianghu, friends are judged by Wu Gong. Today, so many Jianghu friends have gathered; my four juniors and disciples also wish to spar a bit with the heroes of Huizhou."

The crowd instantly fell silent; everyone's gaze fell upon Yu Yu Xuanji and the other two.

"Meridian-Opening!"

Someone whispered in shock, after which it grew even quieter.

A Meridian-Opening martial artist; let alone in Dechang Prefecture, even across the entire Huizhou, such a person is a great expert, worthy of being called an Elder among the various sects.

Experts of this caliber were enough to scare away most people present.

"Young Lady Yu."

Yue Chongtian's eyes flickered; he exchanged glances with Lin Lin Dongping, Yan Xiong, and others, his gaze drifting among Yu Yu Xuanji and the other two before finally settling on that young male swordsman.

Meanwhile, the other invited and uninvited individuals who had passed the second trial within the crowd were also sizing up these three.

Yu Yu Xuanji's face darkened slightly; she felt numerous gazes fixed upon her. Were they treating her as a soft persimmon?

Hush~

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Senior Brother, wait."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan raised an eyebrow slightly, then saw a group approaching slowly. Yan Yan Sanxing's voice came from afar, and beside him was a handsome middle-aged man in black brocade embroidered with gold, wearing a long sword at his waist.

"Huai Long Palace, Yan Yan Qingyuan!"

"Young Master Yan has arrived!"

"Young Master Yan..."

Upon seeing that handsome swordsman, the onlookers stirred immediately, quickly clearing a path.

As the nominal Zhou Sect of Huizhou, Huai Long Palace's name carried more weight in many people's hearts than the distant Longhu Temple.

"Yan Yan Qingyuan, a true disciple of Huai Long Palace; this aura is no less than Feng Feng Yuanqing's... Hmm?"

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, noticing blood on this true disciple of Huai Long Palace. Had he been ambushed?

Could it be Old Han?

He instinctively glanced at Fang Baolao; Ba Ba Wanli's gaze also squeezed over, and the three brothers' eyes aligned.

"It should not be."

It was only a glance, yet all three shook their heads inwardly.

If Old Han had struck, Yan Yan Qingyuan would not have suffered merely these injuries...

"Yan Yan Qingyuan greets Elder Gong!"

Amidst everyone's gaze, Yan Yan Qingyuan walked forward slowly, clasping his hands to bow: "This junior was delayed by matters on the road; I hope Elder Gong does not take offense."

"Young Master Yan is injured?"

Gong Gong Jiuchuan's expression darkened: "Were you ambushed?"

"This..."

Only then did the onlookers see the bloodstains on Yan Yan Qingyuan's body, and their expressions tightened slightly.

Assassinating an invitee to the Dragon and Tiger Banquet is equivalent to assassinating a Dragon and Tiger disciple.

"They are merely a few petty thieves. Thank you, Elder Gong, for your concern; this junior is not seriously harmed."

After paying his respects, Yan Yan Qingyuan stepped back several paces, not usurping the host's role:

"Elder, please continue."

"It is good that Young Master Yan is unharmed."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan glanced at Yan Yan Sanxing; seeing the latter nod, he temporarily suppressed the anger in his heart and said in a deep voice:

"Regardless of whether you were invited, as long as you pass the test of these four juniors and disciples of mine, you may directly enter the Dragon and Tiger Banquet..."

"Four?"

Glancing at Yu Yu Xuanji and the other two, someone asked in confusion: "May I ask, Elder Gong, who is the fourth?"

"Hmm..."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan let his eyelids droop and said nothing.

"Junior Brother Li, you..."

Ba Ba Wanli could not suppress his voice; it rang like a great bell, and he was somewhat shocked.

"Junior Brother, you?!"

The crowd parted, and Li Yuan walked out slowly; he could feel the surprised and shocked gazes coming from behind him.

"Li Yuan?!"

"Is this person Li Yuan? He, he..."

"Could it be that he has already taken refuge in the Dragon and Tiger Temple?"

Yue Yue Zhongtian, Lin Lin Dongping, and others were first shocked, then Yu Yu Xuanji thought of something; their expressions changed, filled with sudden fear and rage.

"Not low-profile enough."

Li Yuan muttered to himself; he was not very accustomed to being stared at by so many people, but his heart remained undisturbed.

He walked slowly through the crowd, lifted the heavy hammer weighing over six hundred jin and measuring more than two meters and two in length from the corner, and weighed it lightly in his hand.

Hush~

A gentle breeze stirred his Dao robe; Li Yuan turned, holding the hammer and clasping his hands in a bow.