Chapter 258: The Divine Hammer of Heaven (Part 1)

"Screech!"

The white crane spread its wings, slicing through the night sky.

On the crane's back, Xin Xin Wenhua stood with hands behind his back, quite enjoying Li Yuan's astonishment; among all spiritual beasts, spiritual birds are relatively numerous, yet the hardest to tame.

Taming this white crane took a full six generations; only in his time was it finally accomplished.

"This white crane is even faster than Qiu Qiu Zhengxiong's golden eagle."

Feeling the strong wind strike his face, Li Yuan felt both novelty and envy; in his past life he had ridden an airplane, but this feeling was completely different.

Stretching out a hand to feel the strong wind slice past, Li Yuan felt even more envious; in pure speed, a supreme dragon horse might not be inferior, but ignoring mountains and rivers was something far beyond comparison.

Spiritual birds are universally recognized as top-tier mounts; if one is truly tamed, a single bird is worth three or five spiritual beast kings, a true priceless treasure.

"That little tiger cub..."

Li Yuan thought of the 'cat ancestor' in the room that hadn't grown in over half a year; growing so slowly, when in the monkey year or horse month would he be able to ride it through the sky?

The wind on the crane's back was fierce, yet communication remained unchanged; Xin Xin Wenhua stood with hands behind his back, while Li Yuan looked down upon the mountain ranges and Hengshan City.

Hengshan City is surrounded by water on three sides and backed by mountains on one.

The mountain ranges are towering and stretch for thousands of li; because some peaks within resemble a dragon and a tiger, they are named Longhu Mountain.

"A dragon coiled and a tiger crouching; was this mountain formed naturally?"

Mountains shaped like beasts are not rare; in his past life Li Yuan had seen many similar mountain pictures, but looking down from above, this truly resembled them too much.

Long Mountain is like a dragon, Hushan is like a tiger; at first glance, the similarity is fully seventy percent.

"Roughly so; there are some traces of later excavation, but the last time the mountains were excavated was over a thousand years ago, so naturally you cannot tell."

Hearing the transmitted voice, Xin Xin Wenhua responded softly:

"We've arrived; steady yourself."

"Screech!"

The white crane dove downward.

Li Yuan was naturally able to steady himself; having cultivated so many foundations, his lower body was as stable as an old tree's roots, and he could even take the opportunity to survey Hushan.

Long Mountain is much larger than Hushan; the three halls of the Tiger Gate are relatively smaller, yet the temples are no fewer; Li Yuan glanced roughly and saw a sea of lights.

All incense offerings...

The sky had just darkened when the two landed before the Jingtao Hall.

"Go ahead."

Xin Xin Wenhua flicked out a pill; the white crane caught it in its beak, then let out a dissatisfied cry. Xin Xin Wenhua scolded with a smile and flicked out another pill.

Only then did the white crane nod in satisfaction, then spread its wings and fly away, moving quickly with graceful motions.

"This white crane requires thirty jin of meat daily, ten Zeng Xue Dan pills, and additionally, every time it is ridden, one extra Zeng Xue Dan is required."

Seeing Li Yuan looking at the white crane, Xin Xin Wenhua explained:

"In my family, it took six generations to tame one white crane; my elder cherishes it greatly and set this rule; I cannot break with custom."

"Everything is hardest at the start; once the first one is tamed, shouldn't the rest be easier to tame?"

Li Yuan straightened the wrinkles on his Dao robe, his heart stirring slightly.

"How could it be that easy? If taming one allowed taming for generations, then spiritual birds would be everywhere in the world by now."

Xin Xin Wenhua was speechless but said no more.

Li Yuan also tactfully asked no further questions and followed him toward the Jingtao Hall.

In Jingtao Mountain, there is a waterfall over one hundred meters high; now that the weather is freezing, the waterfall is frozen, which at first glance possesses a certain beauty.

The main hall of Jingtao Hall sits beside the waterfall.

"The choice of this place is cold in winter, and noisy and damp in summer..."

Li Yuan inwardly criticized.

From afar, he saw many familiar faces outside the main hall: Yue Chongtian, Lin Lin Dongping, Yan Xiong, and Hua Hua Qingwu; these were the four who had passed the Dragon and Tiger Banquet.

Seeing Li Yuan approach, the four had complex expressions.

"Senior Uncle Xin, Senior Uncle Li, Senior Uncle Li."

Yue Chongtian reacted quickly, stepping forward two paces to greet, bowing deeply; the others also composed themselves.

Stepping forward to pay their respects.

Li Yuan nodded and responded to each in turn.

"Mm."

Xin Xin Wenhua responded lightly, then smiled:

"The Eldest Senior Sister is very kind, with a gentle personality; she also instructed me to set a banquet tomorrow to invite you to Jingtao Hall for a few cups."

"Senior Sister Nie is too polite."

Having attended many banquets, Li Yuan was no longer intimidated; he smiled and followed him into the hall.

Yue Chongtian and the other three exchanged glances; they did not have the qualification to enter the hall directly...

Inside the main hall, the lights were bright; two rows of tables and chairs extended from the entrance to the steps, about two hundred meters long, quite spacious.

Li Yuan's peripheral vision swept around, and his gaze immediately fell on the wall directly behind the high platform, where a huge mural was painted: high mountains, waterfalls, a Daoist, and a fierce tiger.

The painter's skill was extremely high; even from over a hundred meters away, one could feel that mighty and heroic momentum.

And as he drew closer, Li Yuan's eyes suddenly tightened, spotting a streak of Jin Guang.

【Jingtao Zhang Fa Form Diagram, Sixth Stage】

... Made with superior cyan stone as paper, blood of a hundred spiritual beasts as ink, a fundamental diagram created by the hand of a Wudaoda Sect grandmaster, containing various mysteries; those with supreme talent may gain some understanding...

Zhang Fa conditions: Form of the spiritual tiger, water form, perfection of Jingtao Zhang Fa

Zhang Fa effects: Seventh Stage pale gold: Bai Hu Jingtao, Pure Yang finger intent

Sixth-Rank Yellow: Bai Hu Thirteen Forms, Seven Major Perfection of the Surging Waves Zhang Fa.

Fifth-Rank Pale Yellow: Hardening Talent】

The fundamental diagram of the Sixth Rank, and two of the enhancement effects reach as high as the Seventh Rank?

A mural of quasi-Divine Weapon grade!

This mural's grade is actually higher than the Fire Dragon Sword; one could even say it is only a hair's breadth away from a Divine Weapon.

Moreover, besides the Surging Waves Zhang Fa, there is actually a finger technique; this finger technique does not seem to be among the supreme arts of the Dragon and Tiger Temple?

"No, this painting IS of Divine Weapon grade!"

Li Yuan's heart gave a jolt; his spiritual power was extremely strong, and with a rough sweep, he had already sensed traces of a second person within this mural.

Was it precisely this superfluous addition that caused this mural, which might once have been of Divine Weapon grade, to drop in rank?

"Li Yuan?"

Hearing the voice, Li Yuan returned to his senses and only then saw a cold-looking female Daoist standing before the mural; at this moment, that female Daoist was also sizing him up:

"What did you see within this mural?"

"The Surging Waves Zhang Fa."

Li Yuan bowed slightly and answered.

"Nonsense!"

The female Daoist raised her long eyebrows, pointing her whisk at the highest part of the mural; there, the seven large characters 'Surging Waves Zhang Fa Form Diagram' were clearly visible.

"Uh."

Li Yuan almost choked; he had only taken a rough glance and truly had not seen those large characters.

"Ahem."

Xin Xin Wenhua coughed lightly at the right moment and inquired:

"Has Junior Brother Li gained any realization?"

"

"Shut up!"

Nie Ying glared over with a single look; Xin Xin Wenhua immediately shut his mouth, giving Li Yuan only a look of 'I cannot help you'.

Is this the gentle eldest senior sister?

Li Yuan was somewhat flustered; coaxing an old man was something he could do, but with women, he had truly never dealt with them...

"You only saw the Surging Waves Zhang Fa?"

Nie Ying looked down from above, her tone cold and hard; whether it was an illusion or not, Li Yuan always felt that this eldest senior sister seemed to harbor some resentment.

Where had she taken some grievance?

Li Yuan secretly cursed his bad luck and could only answer:

"This junior brother is dull; besides the Surging Waves Zhang Fa, I also saw traces of another Wu Gong..."

"Hmm?"

"Eh?"

Before Li Yuan's words had finished, Nie Ying and Xin Xin Wenhua's expressions both shifted:

"What Wu Gong?"

Good heavens, no wonder they insisted on seeing me in the main hall; they intend to test me?

Seeing their reactions were so strong, Li Yuan had some guesses in his heart and bowed to answer:

:

"A finger technique."

The Dragon and Tiger Temple possesses many supreme arts, but the Pure Yang Finger Technique is not among them; naturally, Li Yuan would not be foolish enough to speak the name 'Pure Yang Finger Technique'.

"Did you truly see it?"

Xin Xin Wenhua could not help but inquire.

"Shut up!"

Before his words had even landed, he was pushed into a stumble; looking up again, Li Yuan was already on the high platform.

"This woman is truly domineering."

Li Yuan was somewhat speechless; if he had not reacted quickly, he would have been 'dragged' up; the daughter of the Head of the Tiger Gate is truly fierce.

"Did you truly see the finger technique?"

Nie Ying was also somewhat surprised and doubtful, but surprise outweighed doubt; the fact that the fundamental diagram of the Surging Waves Zhang Fa contained a finger technique was known only to a few people; this newcomer could not possibly know.

The only possibility is...

"He is actually the destined one?"

Below the high platform, Xin Xin Wenhua suddenly felt somewhat depressed; when he entered the sect, he had heard his master speak of a supreme art left by the Patriarch contained within the diagram.

But he had looked at this painting for decades and seen nothing, yet this young man just arrived...

"Hmm, very vague."

Li Yuan spoke very vaguely.

As for seeing it, of course he had not seen it; that name was seen via the Commanding Talisman.

"The Azure Dragon's shadow appears, a talent of peerless quality."

Nie Ying's eyes were slightly complex, and also somewhat regretful.

Contained within the Patriarch's stone tablet was not only the will of Patriarch Dragon Seal, but also Patriarch Pure Yang of the Tiger Gate; alas, over these several hundred years, the Azure Dragon has appeared many times, but the Bai Hu has appeared only once.

"This finger technique should have been left by Patriarch Pure Yang; it is just that very few people can comprehend it."

Nie Ying's tone calmed down.

Li Yuan heaved a sigh of relief, only then noticing that on one side of the high platform, the senior sister had indeed prepared a banquet, though there were only three seats.

"The finger technique left by the Ancestor?"

"It should be, but it's hard to say..."

Xin Xin Wenhua stepped onto the high platform, coughed lightly, and interrupted the two:

"Senior Sister, Junior Brother Li, shall we sit and talk at our leisure?"

"Mm."

Nie Ying nodded, and the three took their seats.

"This mural has been passed down for so many years; has no one been able to comprehend it?"

Li Yuan voiced his confusion.

Longhu Temple was no small sect; for over two thousand years, Grand Masters and Great Grand Masters had never been lacking. Could masters of such caliber fail to detect the intent of Pure Yang?

"Perhaps there were, perhaps there weren't, but this finger technique was never passed down..."

Xin Xin Wenhua raised his wine cup: "Even our Master, may he rest in peace, did not comprehend it back then, ahem."

Nie Ying glared at him and also raised her wine cup:

"My father said the stone tablet left by the Ancestor is nearly a divine weapon; it already possesses a spirit. If one forcibly attempts to comprehend it, it might obliterate that faint spiritual essence..."

"Nearly a divine weapon?"

Li Yuan's face wore an expression of 'shock'.

Xin Xin Wenhua had already drunk three cups of wine: "Was this the reason for the other Ancestors as well?"

"Perhaps Junior Brother Li is the one destined for this?"

Nie Ying's gaze grew slightly complex; it was upon hearing of this matter that she had decided to join the Surging Waves Hall.

"Ahem."

Feeling the gazes of the two, Li Yuan suddenly felt somewhat uncomfortable. He drank a cup of wine and changed the subject:

"I wonder, Senior Sister, for what purpose did you summon this junior brother?"

Along the way, Li Yuan had been somewhat worried; he knew well that the Xieshen Sect had never given up its pursuit of the Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer...

"It is not a major matter."

Nie Ying composed herself and said: "A few days ago, a rumor was released from the Xieshen Sect's main hall, claiming that Li Li Yuanba, the master of the Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer born in Huizhou, is in Hengshan City..."

"This?"

Li Yuan's face wore an expression of 'shock', and his heart sank.

How exactly

was this calculated?

For over a year, he had not even dared to let 'Li Li Yuanba' appear, believing himself to be extremely cautious.

"The Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer?"

Xin Xin Wenhua sneered:

"The people of Zhenwu Hall and Jingping Bureau were just blocked by us outside; this rumor appeared immediately. How could such a coincidence exist in the world?"

Did Longhu Temple and Zhenwu Hall clash?

Li Yuan's eyes flickered, recalling the incident where the Master of the Star-Picking Tower assassinated the king and attempted regicide. Was the aftershock of this major event still spreading?

"Rumors are naturally just rumors, but one must fear that some fools will believe them..."

As Nie Ying spoke, she shifted her tone and looked at Li Yuan:

"The rumor states that the master of the Black Whale Hammer, Li Li Yuanba, hails from the Divine Weapon Valley and only arrived in Hengshan City within the last year or so."

"I heard that Li Li Yuanba is actually Shi Hong, the former young master of the Divine Weapon Valley?"

Xin Xin Wenhua, having unknowingly drunk three pots of wine, was slightly tipsy: "However, Hengshan City is too large; finding someone in disguise and hiding is not easy."

"To answer Senior Sister, I do not know Li Li Yuanba."

Li Yuan felt quite vexed and pressured in his heart.

He did not know how the Xieshen Sect calculated it, but it was obvious that Shi Hong could not bear this blame for much longer.

"What a pity."

Nie Ying expressed some regret: "That Shi Hong is also foolish; hiding all the time. If he had joined the temple, what would he fear from the Xieshen Sect's pursuit?"

"That is not necessarily true."

Xin Xin Wenhua shook his head: "If he escapes this calamity, as the master of a Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, he will surely soar to great heights; a Great Grand Master is within reach. Joining the temple is not necessarily..."

"Nonsense!"

Nie Ying refuted: "A Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing possesses a spirit; once it recognizes a master, who could take it away? Even if they could, the Dao Master would not allow it."

"Senior Sister, your background is too good..."

Perhaps due to the alcohol, the senior sister and junior brother began to argue.

Li Yuan silently drank his wine.