Chapter 282: Winter Thunder Roars, Finally Comprehending the Thunder Dragon

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Feeling that murky, cold gaze, Li Yuan's heart grew chill; this old rascal had likely truly defected from the Sect.

As far as he knew, the major Dao Sects turned a blind eye to their disciples and elders practicing the Bai Shen Zheng Fa, but worshipping the Evil God was an absolute taboo.

Let alone that this old fellow was carrying an 'Evil God' on his very person.

'Reporting him is likely impossible... since he dares to bring it into the Inner Sect so brazenly, he must possess a means to evade others' investigations; perhaps it would only startle the snake.'

Li Yuan felt some trepidation in his heart.

He could only glimpse that so-called Thousand Spirit Deliverance Stele by virtue of the Military Register; the Longhu Temple might not possess such a means, especially with an 'Evil God' present.

"Senior Brother Chu's injuries are not yet healed; it is better not to drink alcohol."

With thoughts flashing like lightning, Li Yuan smiled and politely declined; without waiting for an invitation, he found a table to sit at, where Lin Tianhe and Pure Gang Helmsman Lin Tingfeng were seated.

"Junior Brother Li speaks the truth."

Chu Shan Xuan Kong did not press the matter, merely casting a deep glance at Li Yuan before turning to return to the rear courtyard.

"Junior Brother Li, come, drink."

Lin Tingfeng was quite enthusiastic; ever since Li Yuan forged the supreme-grade famous sword, his attitude had become very cordial, showing great interest in the Sword-Refining Art of the Divine Weapon Valley.

"Come."

Li Yuan raised his cup and drank with everyone, while his mind constantly turned over calculations.

Regarding the 'Evil God', he knew little; at least the Outer Library of Books held no similar records, having only gathered some intelligence from Long Xi Xiang's mouth.

Old Dragon Head did not state it explicitly, but Li Yuan could vaguely discern some meaning: the gods officially conferred by the imperial court were very likely related to Earthly Immortals.

Yet even a Grand Master only lives two hundred years.

Therefore, he guessed that the gods conferred by the imperial court were likely similar to the will of the Ancestral Master within the stone plaque of Longhu Mountain...

"Junior Brother Li, it has been many days; your Wu Gong has grown even more refined."

Lin Tianhe raised his wine cup, his smile warm and gentle: "I heard your Sword-Refining Art has reached perfection, and you even forged a supreme-grade famous artifact; yet I wonder, do you have any insights regarding Divine Weapons?"

The table instantly fell silent.

More than a dozen helmsmen and elders, whether they knew him or not, all turned to look at Li Yuan, their eyes filled with considerable eagerness.

Divine Weapons choose their masters; those without affinity cannot obtain them. Although they were Dao Sect elders, the weapons they carried were merely supreme-grade famous artifacts, not even approaching Divine Weapons.

In fact, even Vice Hall Master Chu Shan Xuan Kong and Monk Dou Yue did not possess any.

"Insights naturally exist; after all, my origin, the Divine Weapon Valley, once produced many Divine Artisans. However, the heavenly treasures and earthly gems required to forge a single Divine Weapon are truly difficult to gather."

Hearing mention of Divine Weapons, Li Yuan immediately reined in his thoughts and began conversing with the crowd.

Just as he said, Divine Weapons are rare, and the heavenly talents and earthly treasures needed to forge them are also hard to assemble; however, these Dao Sect elders and helmsmen are all immensely wealthy; perhaps they could gather a few sets for him to practice on?

At this moment, Daoist Li was not modest; with his current sword-refining attainment, calling himself a Master was slightly forced, but he considered himself a great master of sword-refining.

"If any of you Senior Brothers have the intention, this Junior Brother is willing to give it a try."

In the front courtyard, cups clinked and toasts were exchanged, but in the rear courtyard, Chu Shan Xuan Kong sighed with considerable regret:

"It is not him either?"

Fiddling with a few copper coins bearing the marks of time, Chu Shan Xuan Kong frowned tightly; regarding Li Yuan, he harbored some suspicion, but regarding that wisp of will within the Thousand Spirit Deliverance Stele, he placed considerable trust.

"Truly not him?"

"No."

A voice came from the stele:

"However..."

"What?"

Chu Shan Xuan Kong was slightly stunned.

"This person possesses excellent aptitude; he is an extremely superior dwelling."

"Dwelling?"

Chu Shan Xuan Kong's gaze sharpened slightly; he had heard that the Xieshen Sect possessed various Mi Fa, some even involving resurrection from the dead, and he had also heard whispers of this 'dwelling' concept.

It was just...

"Can a dwelling be exchanged?"

"You cannot."

The voice within the stele fell silent:

"Continue searching; when you depart, you may consider taking him along; this person is worth exchanging for one Bu Shen Gong and two 'Shen Yuan Longhu Dadan'."

"Hah!"

Chu Shan Xuan Kong exhaled a cloud of turbid breath; as he was pondering, Gao Gao Wanyong approached quickly, his face full of anger.

"What?"

"That Li Yuan has left."

Gao Gao Wanyong's face was gloomy: "Lin Tianhe, Lin Tingfeng, and others all left with him!"

"Heh."

Chu Shan Xuan Kong tugged at the corner of his mouth; although this banquet was set up solely to find the owner of the Shan Xuan Whale Hammer, his heart could not help but feel somewhat stifled.

He hadn't even left yet, and the tea had already gone cold?

"Where is Shan Hong?"

Chu Shan Xuan Kong asked.

"Shan Hong? He is still here."

Gao Gao Wanyong reacted: "Do you wish to see him?"

"Mm, ask him to come in."

Chu Shan Xuan Kong took a deep breath, his waist and back slumped again, his old eyes clouded, looking as if he were on his deathbed.

The atmosphere inside the Chu residence was lively.

As Li Li Daoye was about to leave, Lin Tianhe and the others, thinking of the Divine Weapon, all followed him. Before nightfall, Li Li Daoye set up another table in his own courtyard.

At the small banquet, it was still Lin Tianhe, Lin Tingfeng, and others; Gong Gong Jiuchuan and Yan Yan Sanxing, having heard the news from somewhere, also came over.

"Bai Cao Nang becomes fierce when heated; it still needs to be warmed."

Gong Gong Jiuchuan was an expert in drinking; he ordered Yu Yu Xuanfeng, who was serving nearby, to bring over a few small stoves to warm the wine, and instructed Yu Yu Xuanji to stir-fry a few small dishes.

Bai Cao Nang tastes sweet upon entry but has a strong afterkick; Li Li Daoye intended to flatter them, and soon everyone was somewhat drunk, no longer as reserved as before, and somewhat more open.

At first, everyone's conversation revolved around the Divine Weapon.

Including Gong Gong Jiuchuan, a group of elders held Li Li Daoye in high regard; being able to forge an exquisite famous artifact in one's early twenties, and possessing the inheritance of a Divine Artisan Sect, made him a quasi-Divine Artisan very likely to forge a Divine Weapon in the future.

Li Li Daoye was initially very enthusiastic, but upon realizing this group had no intention of providing heavenly treasures and earthly gems, he smoothly shifted the topic and began discussing matters concerning the Xieshen Sect.

Those present were either elders or helmsmen, including several helmsmen from the Long Yin Hall who searched for intelligence, and they knew quite a lot about the Xieshen Sect.

After a round of conversation, Li Li Daoye gained a great deal.

"Come, fellow senior brothers, have a drink."

Bai Cao Nang becomes fierce when heated, and no one at the table could dispel the drunkenness; Li Li Daoye toasted cup after cup until night fell, and seeing the timing was about right, he asked:

"May I ask, fellow senior brothers, what exactly are the Evil God worshipped by the Xieshen Sect and the various gods officially appointed by the imperial court?"

Regarding such things he did not understand, Daoist Li was very wary.

"This?"

Lin Tianhe let out a drunken burp; the few people at the table all turned to look at the old man on the left side of Gong Gong Jiuchuan:

"Senior Brother Wei, you speak."

This old man was named Wei Guang, a helmsman of the Tingfeng Helms under the Long Yin Hall.

Wei Guang was thin and gaunt, wearing a black long robe; he had been silent throughout the drinking table, but now, seeing everyone look at him, he calmly drank the cup in his hand:

"What gods? They are merely a group of lonely ghosts and wild spirits that only do not die because they are sustained by incense offerings, and can only briefly manifest through flesh and blood sacrifices; do they deserve to be called gods?"

An expert!

Li Li Daoye's eyes lit up; he hurriedly poured him a cup of hot wine: "Senior Brother Wei, drink."

"That my junior brother Li asked me means he asked the right person."

Wei Guang smiled slightly: "In these years, I have killed countless evil people of the Xieshen Sect; regarding these matters, I still have some understanding."

"Please speak."

Li Li Daoye poured him another cup.

"The various gods officially appointed by the imperial court actually have origins much older; one could say, since when the Bai Shen Fa appeared, these so-called 'gods' appeared at that same time."

Wei Guang greatly enjoyed everyone's gaze; he tugged at his collar and spoke lightly:

"According to the internal sayings of the Xieshen Sect, all ten thousand gods are made by humans; to become a god, one must first worship gods; the more one resembles a god, the greater the chance of becoming a god."

Wei Guang knew quite a lot about the Xieshen Sect; the Bai Shen Fa, the split of the Baishen Sect, the relationship between the imperial court and the Xieshen Sect, and the traitors of various sects—he spoke at length for over an hour.

Li Li Daoye listened while pouring wine.

Wei Guang's words overlapped somewhat with his previous guesses; the difference was that those 'gods' were not all left behind by Earth Immortals, and furthermore, these 'gods' had huge flaws.

"Gods are not worth worrying about; regarding danger, the Xieshen Sect disciples are more dangerous. Without the blood sacrifices of these evil people, even if all the temples were toppled, there would be no heavenly punishment; ultimately, they are just a group of lonely ghosts and wild spirits."

Wei Guang sneered; with the wine rising, he immediately stood up, intending to topple all those temples in Hengshan City; everyone hurriedly stopped him.

"Crack!"

Having heard what he wanted to know, Daoist Li immediately passed out drunk, ending this banquet.

Yu Yu Xuanfeng and other inner sect disciples sighed as they helped their respective masters back; only after Li Li Daoye was sent to the bed in the room did his snoring stop, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hah!"

Pushing open the window, Li Li Daoye exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, blowing all the wine scent from his body out; he looked up at the sky; the night was very dark, clouds and mist obscured the moon, and the wind was loud.

Faintly, he heard a winter thunderclap explode, coming from far and moving closer.

The Longhu Mountain Range is less than a thousand li from the river mouth; although it snows in winter, sometimes when the sea breeze blows, it also brings a winter rain.

"This thunder strikes at just the right time."

Li Li Daoye had some experience in reading the sky; he estimated rain would come soon, but it was only an estimate; whether it would rain was known only to heaven, after all, it was already the eleventh month.

"Heaven is being kind!"

With the wine scent completely gone, Li Li Daoye narrowed his eyes; after this banquet, his wariness towards 'gods' in his heart decreased significantly.

Gods with such low prestige indeed need not be feared.

"Let alone the severely injured Chu Shan Xuan Kong, even an Earth Immortal could not perform a ritual silently within the Longhu inner sect, could they?"

Li Li Daoye's heart settled; he closed the door.

Hemp clothes, cloth shoes, a human-skin mask, a ghost-face iron mask...

Facing the mirror, Li Li Daoye changed into his night-out attire; pressing the iron mask on his face, a certain restlessness inevitably rose in his heart.

He felt he was not wearing a mask, but rather liberating himself?

"Mm."

Li Li Daoye changed clothes quickly; he glanced at himself in the mirror and quietly left the room.

Vroom~

Moving silently in the shadows, Li Li Daoye slightly closed his eyes; on the star map formed by the Bing Lu, seven great stars shone brilliantly.

"Mm..."

Li Yuan thought for a moment, swapped out one of the 'Thunder Dragon Jun Tian Hammers', and put on the 【Divine Fire Spirit Leather Boots】.

Hiss~

He spread his five fingers, and that nine-foot-long, fearsome, ferocious heavy hammer was clenched in his palm, then vanished again.

He had already decided to activate the Black Whale Sea-Splitting Hammer; naturally, this third Thunder Dragon Jun Tian Hammer could serve as a weapon.

For a martial artist, a single divine hammer is itself a massive amplification, just like Old Han clad in divine armor.

Li Yuan had tried before; with this Jun Tian Hammer in his hand, his hammer techniques and the Thousand-Weight Internal Qi could multiply their power several times over, though it equally harmed the body.

"Hiss!"

In the shadows, Li Yuan moved swiftly, yet his mind couldn't help but recall Old Dragon Head.

"Old Dragon Head's normal travel speed is a bit faster than me controlling seven pairs of boots; if he unleashes his full power..."

Regarding Grand Masters, Li Yuan felt reverence; setting aside such incredible methods as Thousand-Mile Soul-Locking and True Qi taking form, merely displaying a corner of lightness skill was already beyond ordinary people.

At least, he, with only a pair of Tier Five boots, was not up to it.

"If I could fuse several pairs of Tier Seven boots, then the vast world would have no place I couldn't go. Is the hundred years of incense in the Soul-Guiding Stele enough for that?"

In the night wind, Li Yuan drifted to a stop; in the shadows, he looked at the Chu Residence, still lit by lamps, and the churning dark clouds in the night sky, waiting patiently for the curfew and the thunderstorm to arrive.

"A starving camel is bigger than a horse; after all, he is a Zhun Sect Grand Master who has fully completed Blood Refinement. If one strike doesn't kill him, immediately switch control and flee far away."

Li Yuan closed his eyes slightly, reined in his aura, and recalled the layout inside the Chu Residence; attending the banquet during the day was naturally for reconnaissance.

Assassins who started late in life are often more cautious.

Crack!

In the night, winter thunder exploded.

In the back courtyard of the Chu Residence, Chu Shan Xuan Kong, sitting cross-legged, looked at the scattered copper coins on the ground, feeling somewhat unsettled.

Since accepting that Thousand-Spirit Soul-Guiding Stele, he had been unable to sleep at night, remaining in anxiety for days; as the Tangfutang of the Dragon Chant Hall, he knew the sect's methods all too well.

Unless he could prepare a ritual, once discovered by others, death would be inevitable.

He very much wanted to just leave, but...

"It's been so long and still no sign."

Chu Shan Xuan Kong spoke to himself; he cast another divination, and the hexagram remained utterly chaotic.

"Find it!"

The voice from the stele sounded at the right moment.

"Long Long Yingchan is about to return; I must leave!"

This time, Chu Shan Xuan Kong refused decisively: "If you use this to blackmail me again, I will risk punishment and hand you over!"

"You..."

The voice from the stele paused.

"I can take along that hut you fancy!"

Chu Shan Xuan Kong gave his final condition; he closed his eyes and waited for a long while; upon hearing that 'Yes', he rose to his full height and picked up the travel bag he had prepared long ago.

He slipped out the door quietly.

Boom!

In the night, winter thunder exploded.

In a shadow outside the Chu Residence, Li Yuan suddenly looked up, a flash of surprise and hesitation passing through his eyes:

"What a coincidence?!"

In the past two years, he had heard thunder countless times, yet had no clue regarding the Thunder Form.

But now, having heard just this single thunder sound, his mind suddenly cleared; regarding the Thunder Form, and even gathering the true Hundred-Beast Thunder Dragon, he had no more confusion.

"Truly an Eleven-Tier talent!"

Glancing at the silent Chu Residence, Li Yuan was hesitating whether to gather the Thunder Dragon now when he suddenly saw a figure drift out from the Chu Residence.

And coincidentally moving stealthily toward his direction.

"Who is this now?"

Li Yuan crouched low, reining in his aura in the thunderstorm, but as that black shadow approached within eighty meters, a familiar blood-red light suddenly surged in his eyes.

"What a coincidence?!"