Chapter 292: Li Yuan's Striving for Strength

"Damn!"

Inside the room, Li Yuan struggled to open his eyes.

Lying on his back, his bones and muscles twitched uncontrollably; cold sweat soaked through his clothes and bedding, and his gaze remained unfocused for quite a while.

High!

So high!

Li Yuan, trembling, reached out and shoved a Spirit-Returning Pill into his mouth, finding even swallowing difficult; after being 'killed' more than thirty times, his entire body's muscles were spasming.

"Too fierce, too fierce!"

After a long while, Li Yuan propped himself up into a sitting position, the scene within the Bronze Tower still seeming to linger in his eyes.

The blade qi surged like a tide, rolling and churning; over thirty times, he had only managed to glimpse the hazy figure within the river of blade qi two or three times at most.

After that, he was instantly killed.

"Is this truly the level of Unblocking the Meridians?"

Daoist Li was beginning to doubt life itself; he felt that even if he activated the Split-Sea Black Whale Hammer, he would not be a match for that Blade Master.

Perhaps he could withstand a few moves, but only a few; at his current realm, it would be difficult to endure the backlash of activating the Split-Sea Black Whale Hammer for long.

"The Black Whale Hammer cannot be revealed; besides, there's no way to ambush inside that tower."

Li Yuan rubbed his temples, digesting the medicinal power of the Spirit-Returning Pill before finally recovering; he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes once more.

If he didn't even earn a single spiritual pill, wouldn't Daoist have 'died in vain' more than thirty times?

"Mmm~"

The little tiger cub pretending to sleep by the bedside opened its eyes, looking at Li Yuan with growing suspicion.

Let alone an Eternal Grade, with this performance, it was likely even inferior to a peerless genius; had this young man truly never fought anyone since he started practicing martial arts?

Buzz!

Before the Bronze Tower, Li Yuan stood holding the hammer; he narrowed his eyes slightly and selectively activated the six heavy hammers, excluding the Split-Sea Black Whale Hammer.

Feeling the surging immense power, he took a deep breath and pushed the door open to enter.

Rustle-rustle~

Blade light surged like a tide, coming down to cover the sky and earth.

Truly fierce.

Even though he had seen it many times, Li Yuan still felt a chill in his heart, but compared to before, he was naturally much more composed; he exerted force beneath his feet to leap up, internal qi exploded, and a thunder dragon manifested around him, fierce and violent.

The heavy hammers swept from behind to the front, and the enhancement of the six heavy hammers exploded forth accordingly.

Whoosh!

In that instant, Li Yuan felt as though he had turned into a reef, parting the crashing waves that struck the shore.

Finally, before the clash of weapons, he saw the figure wreathed in divine light, tall and majestic, like a god or demon.

Boom!

Blade met hammer.

Li Yuan felt the weight of that blade edge like a mountain; its sharpness was extreme, and even through the two-meter-long heavy hammer, it pierced his mind and heart with pain.

In less than an instant, his whole body was sent flying backward.

But instead of fear, he smiled:

"Blocked it!"

Sss!

Before that thought could fully form in Li Yuan's mind, a streak of blade light already reflected in his eyes, extremely sharp, moving so fast he could barely react.

Bang!

Li Yuan's mind hadn't caught up, but the thunder dragon swirling around him had already shot forth, crashing into that streak of blade light and shattering.

The blade light pierced through the thunder dragon with only a barely perceptible pause, yet Li Yuan had already reacted; the heavy hammers danced wildly, wrapping up a vast torrent of qi energy, meeting force with force!

Boom!

Boom!

Three consecutive strikes; Li Yuan retreated again and again. In the next instant, a streak of blade light swept horizontally, and compared to the massive momentum before, this strike was almost inaudible.

Yet it was fast to the extreme.

"Pfft!"

As his consciousness drifted away, Li Yuan only saw a 'headless corpse' shredded by the tide-like blade light, while the god-demon-like, cruel figure slowly vanished.

This time, Li Yuan simply lay down.

"Invincible within the same realm."

That thought popped into Li Yuan's mind; this was a terrifyingly strong person, even more so than Old Han.

Grandmaster?

This must be a Land Immortal, right?

"I have already mastered three Thunder Dragon Hammers."

Daoist Li felt his teeth ache; if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he truly couldn't imagine anyone in the same realm could instantly kill him.

Whether one couldn't block a single strike or block four or five strikes seemed to make little difference.

"Truly, one cannot underestimate the heroes of the world; this person's strength is beyond the syllabus..."

Exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, Li Yuan fell straight to sleep.

Just before dawn, he regained his spirits and once again followed that faint, almost imperceptible guidance to enter the divine realm of the Bronze Tower.

"You..."

On the stone stele, there was only one character.

Elder Li Dao felt his face grow quite hot; with such a record, even his deep reserve found it hard to keep his composure.

"Not bad."

Huh?

Li Li Yuanzhong was stunned; he suspected the master of this stone tablet was mocking him, calling this "not bad"?

"Beneath the same realm, few in the world can withstand five of his blade strikes."

The words on the stone tablet were very concise.

Li Li Yuanzhong intended to inquire about the identity and information of the master of this blade intent, but was directly expelled from the Fang Shen Jing realm; only upon exiting did he see a flash on the stone tablet:

"Walk west from the main gate of Hundred Beasts Mountain for sixteen hundred and forty meters; beneath a century-old ironwood tree lies a 'Jade Glory' herb; consuming it can increase internal Qi by three years."

Watching Li Li Yuanzhong depart, the white-robed woman on the bronze tower let out a long sigh of relief.

This young man was truly too cautious; he was forced to be killed more than thirty times before he responded with full strength.

"Five strikes?"

She pondered for a moment and felt there was still hope.

This young man is young, has never fought anyone, possesses several supreme arts that are not yet perfected, and has no Zhun Shen Gong to back him; with such a record, it is already terrifying.

To know that the blade intent manifested within the bronze tower was not Wan Wan Zhuliu of the past who only possessed Tong Mai, but the Zhen Wu Wang in his peak state, merely suppressed to the Tong Mai realm.

These two cannot be compared on the same day.

Thinking thus, she dissipated and vanished.

After she departed, the bronze tower emitted a 'Crack!' sound, and a ferocious crack spread downward from the tower's peak.

For a full day, Li Li Yuanzhong had little spirit; he simply did not go to forge iron, brewed a large pot of spirit rice, and began practicing his arts.

However, he devoted a little attention to the three Zhan Gong arts obtained from the Liu Yunwu Mountain Fang Shen Jing; in the evening, he closed his eyes to digest the contents of those ten books.

When night fell, he closed his eyes to visualize and contemplate the Lie Hai Shan Xuan Wei Tu.

"That Blade Master has no form; or rather, that river of blade Qi is his 'form'; the blade Qi is like a tide, containing the essence of countless blade techniques, terrifying and fearsome."

Recalling that river of blade Qi within the bronze tower, Li Li Yuanzhong's heart was filled with thought.

Although he does not know who that Blade Master is, he is currently the person who has traveled furthest on the path of 'Yi Bai Xing, using one form to govern all forms' that he has ever seen.

He has gone so far that Li Li Yuanzhong cannot even comprehend it.

"Old Han, with his Thunder Dragon and Hundred Forms, is far from being this fierce; how many forms has this person transformed? What internal Qi does he cultivate, and what forms does he transform?"

Li Li Yuanzhong was immersed in the shock brought by that Blade Master.

With a Tong Mai body, he forcefully clashed against a He Lian Sui martial artist; Old Han was once his guiding light, a record rare in the world, but this person...

"There are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens."

Elder Li Dao felt some emotion in his heart; fortunately, his desire to compete was not strong, so he immediately turned his thoughts to calculating how he could hammer that Blade Master to death.

Without the possibility of a sneak attack, he had no choice but to consider fighting a hard battle.

"After gathering Hundred Forms, the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon can be perfected; only needing internal Qi to transform into true Qi, it would reach the seventh realm's perfection. But it is still not enough; without using the Lie Hai Shan Xuan Wei Hammer, seven divine weapon-grade heavy hammers should be enough, I suppose?"

Sitting cross-legged, Li Li Yuanzhong pondered.

There are many things he can learn currently, but few that can allow his strength to surge significantly before breaking through to He Lian Zang, enabling him to contend with that Blade Master.

Yi Bai Xing, Bai Shen Fa, Long Chan Jin Gang, Long Hu Hun Tian.

"And Long Xiang Heliu, and the Lie Hai Shan Xuan Wei Tu!"

That night passed without incident; neither of those two Fang Shen Jing realms appeared; Li Li Yuanzhong did not sleep all night, pondering Long Xiang Heliu.

This art, passed down by Long Xi Xiang, emphasizes the 'Yi Xing Combination' being supremely yang and supremely rigid, focusing on one force breaking ten thousand methods, one momentum suppressing all heroes.

But the threshold is extremely high; one must cultivate Long Hu Hun Tian Hammer to at least the sixth realm to qualify for entry.

Li Li Yuanzhong felt this method was at least of the Zhun Shen Gong level.

"Long Hu Temple has at least four Shen Gong arts; apart from the Dao Zhu's lineage secret that is never transmitted, the remaining three are all in the main lineage's three halls: Long Hu, Yang Sheng, and Shen Xiang..."

Until he lay down to sleep, Li Li Yuanzhong was still pondering; even in his dreams, he was fighting fiercely with that Blade Master. For the following ten days, Li Li Yuanzhong did not leave his room, adopting the posture of seclusion.

Except for necessary sleep, Elder Li Dao, who was somewhat obsessive-compulsive, worked several times harder than before.

"Huff!"

In the small courtyard, Li Li Yuanzhong stood holding a hammer, closed his eyes to regulate his breath; after a long time, he took out the last two Jin Shendan and one Yu Shen Dan.

"My previous calculation was wrong, but it is roughly enough for me to push Wan Renling Long Thirteen Forms to the seventh realm's perfection!"

In the night, Li Li Yuanzhong's eyes were very bright.

Perfecting any supreme art is considered a transformation for a martial artist; for him, naturally, it is the same.

Not only is he one step closer to gathering Hundred Forms, but Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon can also break through to the fourth realm.

"Hmm..."

To be safe, Li Li Yuanzhong took out that spirit herb 'Jade Glory' and placed it aside, ready for immediate use.

"Here it comes!"

Li Li Yuanzhong suddenly opened his eyes; a flash of firelight passed through his gaze.

Scorching flames spread from his chest to his entire body; under the combined potency of the two Jin Shendan, it was extremely violent; in an instant, he felt as if he had been ignited by fire.

Intense pain surged from within outward, and from outside inward, overwhelmingly strong.

Visible to the naked eye, his bare upper body turned completely red, like a braised, boiled giant shrimp, with steam rising.

Pain does not decrease because one's Wu Gong is high; rather, as his five senses improved, this pain was far more intense than before.

"Huff!"

Enduring the pain, Li Li Yuanzhong assumed a stance and began pushing the Zhan Gong and hammer techniques.

Under the support of a Qian Gu-level talent, the three Zhan Gong arts learned over ten days ago had all reached the edge of perfection; naturally, he had to use the power of the spirit pills to break through them all together.

Counting Wan Renling Long, this makes sixteen forms!

Whoosh~

The sound of blood flowing out of his body echoed throughout the courtyard.

In the night, a small tiger cub like a lynx crouched on the treetop, as if sleeping, or perhaps staring at Li Yuan.

"Hah!"

"Hah!"

Li Yuan's movements grew faster and faster, the red light on his body grew brighter and brighter, hot qi radiated from him, and the temperature of the entire courtyard rose significantly.

"Mmm~"

The small tiger cub opened its eyes, seeing countless scars from sword and blade chops appearing on his bare, muscular upper body, densely packed like a set of dragon scale armor, wrapping him tightly from head to toe.

From far away, she seemed to hear the clanging of swords and blades, the sound produced by Li Yuan's bones and tendons rubbing together.

Mmm~

In the night, Li Yuan practiced the stake hammer technique again and again, accompanied by a tiger roar, bringing the Tiger Form Stake to great perfection.

"Roar!"

"Hiss!"

After the tiger roar, it seemed as if a python was flicking its tongue.

Scales covering Li Yuan's body obscured his red form; at one moment, a sound of thunder exploding came from within his body.

The small tiger cub widened its eyes.

Inside the courtyard, the dragon scales on Li Yuan's body scattered; he opened his mouth, smoke rising from every part of him, looking exactly like a tree struck by lightning, falling straight down to the ground.

"Hmm?"

The small tiger cub's eyes trembled.

In her eyes, Li Yuan was like a Jin Dan thrown into a furnace for forging, its light dazzling.

His body trembled uncontrollably, the sound of bones and tendons rubbing together filling the air, as if he were undergoing bone breaking and regeneration, breaking again, regenerating again...

Over and over, he did not know how many times the sound rang out.

"Ten Thousand Blades Spirit Dragon!"

Li Yuan rolled over and sat up, without hesitation shoving the spiritual herb 'Jade Glory' into his mouth to chew and swallow raw.

Buzz!

The replenished internal qi surged out from every pore of his body, vibrating and interacting with each other, transforming into a spirit dragon over ten meters long.

This spirit dragon was extraordinary; no dragon scales were visible on its body, only swords, spears, and halberds piercing through its entire form.

"Roar!"

Was there a sense of satisfaction in watching a pet grow up bit by bit?

She turned the thought in her mind, and just as she intended to activate the Divine Realm, she 'plop' fell onto the bed.

The old show-off donkey is here again?!

Watching wisps of cloud qi drift over, the small tiger cub fell into a deep sleep, filled with rage.

Snap!

The room closed, the room was quiet, with only the alternating snoring sounds of two figures, one large and one small.

Whimper~

Clouds and mist churned, mountains appearing and disappearing.

Outside the bamboo fence courtyard, Long Yunchan stood with hands behind his back, looking at the dazed Li Yuan, feeling somewhat surprised in his heart.

"Body and spirit complete, Mu Mu Xiantian unbroken... such a thousand-generation talent is truly terrifying, no wonder that Wan Wan Zhuliu..."

His muttering voice vanished into the wind and clouds.

"Why have you come here?"

Li Yuan, who had been rubbing his fists in anticipation, was stunned; was it really his turn now?

"Is anyone there?"

Li Yuan shouted loudly: "Senior, are you there?"

The clouds and mist were thick, with no response.

Only on the stone tablet inside the bamboo fence courtyard did familiar words appear:

"Three Stake Techniques, Ten Ancient Books."