Chapter 313: The Daoist Priest is Like a Dragon

The celestial staircase spiraled upward to the furnace peak, where shadows piled thick; faintly visible atop the heights, a dragon and a tiger coiled, and merely gazing upon them pressed heavily on the mind.

The distinction between a wild Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing and a domesticated Yangsheng Furnace gave Daoist Priest Li a small shock.

"This celestial staircase and the Dragon-Tiger Tower seem somewhat different..."

A slight stirring arose in Li Yuan's heart as he attempted to ascend the celestial steps.

Vmm~

With one step onto the stair, Li Yuan's view was blocked; he could no longer see the full celestial staircase. Instead, amidst churning clouds and mist, this single step had become far wider.

Tap-tap~

Amidst footsteps neither loud nor soft, Li Yuan saw the first guardian.

"Pei Jiu?"

Li Yuan sized him up from head to toe, recognized the cold swordsmen, and could not help but feel some astonishment.

This furnace is indiscriminate; it has even included someone from the Changhong Sword Sect within the celestial staircase?

"True enough. The name Dragon-Tiger Temple comes from the Dragon-Tiger Yangsheng Furnace, yet this furnace does not consider itself part of the Dragon-Tiger Temple."

Li Yuan extended a hand, and wisps of Yangsheng True Qi followed, shaping themselves into a crimson long sword according to his will.

Having entered and exited the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing Mi Jing many times, Li Yuan possessed some understanding of the mechanisms governing these Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing.

By skipping the familiarization time, this became one of the reasons he could push through to the sixth level at such extreme speed; otherwise, even with supreme talent in Wu Gong, familiarization would consume vast amounts of time.

"A Daoist Priest must carry a sword."

A gentle breeze stirred his Daoist robe; with a sword in hand, Daoist Priest Li felt his appearance had improved greatly. At the same time, he effortlessly took control of several named master swords, including the Fire Dragon Sword.

Mainly to bolster the effect of "Sword Heart Clarity."

"Sword Heart Clarity is standard equipment for sword genius; both Pei Jiu and Shan Hong possess it."

Flicking the long sword lightly, Li Yuan issued a challenge. As the Master of Weapons, he was not bound to any single weapon; he commonly used a hammer only because the hammer was strongest.

This was not a life-or-death struggle; he was more willing to use this to temper his own Wu Gong, solidify his foundation, and expand his reserves.

"Eh?"

As Li Yuan pondered, he suddenly sensed something amiss; the Pei Jiu formed from Yangsheng True Qi opposite him was also sizing him up.

'The sense of reality is even higher?'

As the thought crossed Li Yuan's mind, he heard a clang; the sword sound resembled a dragon's roar, and a swift, sharp sword light seemed to fly in from beyond the heavens.

The sword swept out like lightning cleaving the night, like morning light splitting the sky, dividing yin and yang, black and white; it was precisely one of the nine supreme arts of the Changhong Sword Sect, the Changbai Sword Art.

"The sword arts of the Changhong Sword Sect are indeed peerlessly sharp."

From nearly a hundred meters away, when that sword light suddenly rose, Li Yuan felt a stinging pain in his brow, but as a veteran of countless battles in peak condition, he vibrated his long sword and surged forward to meet it.

Among the sword arts he had learned thus far, the highest was merely mid-grade, and his attainment was far inferior to his hammer techniques; yet with his monstrous, inhuman physique and the support of the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon, the sharpness of this strike might not match the opponent's, but its speed and power far surpassed it.

Focusing on wide, sweeping movements, domineering and yang, like a blade, like a hammer.

Zing~

The sound of the sword rang out across the area.

Amidst the tide of sword light, Pei Jiu's figure moved like a dragon; in his twists and turns, his sword attainment shone forth, like a tide, like a wave, destroying all.

Li Yuan stood rooted to the spot, meeting speed with speed, striking weakness with strength; like a rock in the stream, he parted the tide, allowing Pei Jiu to unleash various exquisite supreme arts while remaining utterly unmoved.

In the midst of combat, Li Yuan appeared calm and unhurried; he gradually came to understand the feeling the opponent had felt when he clashed with Long Long Daozhu.

Handling it with one hand, he could still ponder:

"Pei Jiu's sword arts are a notch stronger than Shan Hong's, but not as strong as Senior Brother Dou Yue; they are at the level between the fifth and sixth floors of the Dragon-Tiger Tower."

Roar!

After allowing Pei Jiu to perform several full sets of sword arts front and back, Li Yuan finally counterattacked; his long sword vibrated like a thunder dragon rising, and in an instant, he shattered Pei Jiu's sword circle, ending the battle.

"Huff~"

Li Yuan released his grip; the long sword in his palm dissolved into True Qi. Having defeated Pei Jiu, Li Yuan felt no ripple in his heart; he merely looked at the reappearing celestial staircase.

"This road is far too long."

Li Yuan sighed lightly.

Pei Jiu, the second true disciple of the Changhong Sword Sect in this generation, and such temporary geniuses—how many were there on this celestial staircase?

The path to recognition for a Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing supported by others was so long it gave him a headache.

"There is no reason for it to be this difficult; there must be another path within the temple."

Before the second person appeared, Li Yuan decisively retreated; his physique could still endure, but his spirit was truly somewhat weary; having gained so much, he needed time to digest it.

Vmm~

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If he hadn't sternly refused Chu Shan Xuan Kong earlier, now he himself would probably be in a very awkward spot...

"Li Yuan."

In a corner, Yan Xiong stood with his hands at his sides, muttering, also waiting.

The crushing defeat at the Dragon Tiger Banquet had always weighed on him, but now, that grudge had long since vanished.

How heavy is the weight of being second on the Dragon Ranking?

He had certainly lost, but those who were inferior to him—were they only himself?

Thinking this, he suddenly felt relieved.

"He's coming out!"

Suddenly, a startled cry rang out, and the watching crowd turned in unison toward the tower gate.

'That Pei Jiu's talent is too good; if not for his slightly younger age, he'd probably be another Junior Brother Long... He should have been held back. This way, even if Junior Brother Li loses some face, it doesn't really count for much.'

'The sect's reputation is still intact.'

At the slowly opening tower gate, Monk Dou Yue gave his kasaya a light shake, deliberated as he walked out of the tower gate, looked up, and saw only silence outside the tower—hundreds, thousands of gazes turning toward him in unison.

"?!"

Even having seen great storms, under such a stare, Monk Dou Yue's heart gave a jolt, and every hair on his body stood on end.

What's going on?

Monk Dou Yue's body trembled, and his heart went "thump": 'That Pei Jiu couldn't have killed his way up to me, could he?!'

"No..."

"Uncle-Master Dou Yue."

"Strange, the name's gone out, so why hasn't the person come out?"

Hearing the hisses and whispers from the crowd, Monk Dou Yue's head was full of question marks. He quickly walked out of the tower and looked at the giant stele beside it:

"Pei Jiu, five levels climbed on the tower, that doesn't exceed..."

Dou Yue's mind turned, and suddenly he heard a great clamor erupt beside him. He looked back and saw someone walking out slowly from the tower gate.

"J-Junior Brother Li?"

Dou Yue froze, then from within the clamor caught something, his eyelids twitching wildly, stunned and shocked:

"Sixth level of the Dragon Tiger Tower?"

"Second on the Dragon Ranking?!"

Good heavens, what a grand spectacle!

The afternoon sunlight fell on the tower gate. Li Yuan had just picked up his hammer weapon from the corner when he heard an uproar; the crowd was in a frenzy.

His perception was astonishing; even through the sunlight he felt the gazes around him, dense as if substantial.

Shock, doubt, admiration, envy...

All manner of gazes converged on him. Even though Li Yuan had prepared himself somewhat before exiting the tower, he still nearly couldn't hold up under it.

"So this is showing off in front of everyone? It's a bit... exhilarating."

Li Yuan muttered.

Surrounded by such a wall of gazes, every hair on his body stood on end, yet there was also an indescribable feeling—his mental fatigue swept away entirely. Moreover, he sensed a subtle change in his spirit.

"Roar!"

In a momentary daze, Li Yuan felt that in his place of spiritual light, the thunder dragon formed by his visualized spirit-self was letting out a joyful long cry, becoming nimble and lively.

"The dragon's transformations—can grow, can shrink; shrunk, it hides its form. Grown, it soars through the cosmos..."

This thought suddenly leapt into Li Yuan's mind. Vaguely, he felt he had perhaps grasped the true meaning of the Shape-Changing combination, or rather, the 'Spirit Form.'

He had altered into dragon form many times; the Hundred Beast Thunder Dragon had even incorporated eighty-seven forms, but it seemed he truly had never pondered what dragon form really was.

"After resemblance of form, is it resemblance of spirit? Then, after shape-changing, is there such a thing as spirit-changing?"

Li Yuan pondered, and felt that there was.

At least, at this moment he felt the change in his own dragon form.

Hiding its traces is the dragon; delighting in thunderstorms is the dragon; soaring through the clouds and heavens, bathed in the gazes of the world—is that not also the dragon?

However, Li Yuan didn't ponder further, because after exiting the tower, he was swamped by a crowd—cheers, exclamations, and invitations came in an endless stream.

"Young people should be lively and bustling; holed up in a room all day grinding away at cultivation—what kind of behavior is that?"

The commotion beneath the Dragon Tiger Tower carried far. On a distant mountain path, beside the Dragon Ranking, Long Long Yingchan stood with his hands behind his back, flanked by Long Xi Xiang and Jin Jin Shengwu.

Hearing the lively discussion from afar, the three old fellows' faces all shifted somewhat. Many years ago, they too had been this lively, just like Li Yuan today, the focus of all eyes.

"Form without spirit is like a painted dragon without eyes dotted on! This boy's talent is not bad; perhaps he'll gain some insight."

Long Long Yingchan watched with a smile, his two long white brows trembling—rising at times, falling at others, as nimble as two little dragons.

"Only after entering the Dao does one see the spirit. This boy's talent is certainly top-notch, but speaking of this now—isn't it a bit early?"

Jin Jin Shengwu was also quite shaken inwardly.

Not yet twenty-two, yet already second on the Dragon Ranking—this speed was faster, fiercer, than Long Long Yingchan's or Long Xi Xiang's back in the day.

"Sooner or later, it's all a kind of accumulation. Practicing martial arts isn't idle fancy."

Long Xi Xiang, on the contrary, calmed down. Using the Thousand-Li Soul-Locking technique on the few wisps of aura Brother Helian Feng had given him, he had seen Li Yuan's entire run through the tower.

Afterwards, he stopped Jin Jin Shengwu.

"But this boy, just grinding away at martial arts on his own, has cultivated to such a degree—it truly puzzles even this old man. Bone structure can be innate, comprehension can be innate, but can the Way of battle and killing also be innate?"

Jin Jin Shengwu wished he could grab that boy right then and interrogate him — this was rather hard to believe.

"It has always been through bloody battles that one can hone killing intent…"

Long Xi Xiang suddenly turned his head, glanced at Long Long Yingchan, somewhat suspicious: "Senior brother, could it be that you…"

"The world is vast, with myriad forms and billions of people; there are always physiques and prodigies beyond common sense, just like Pang Pang Wenlong and Dragon Demon Daoist back in the day, or Wan Wan Zhuliu for that matter… Li Yuan may stand out a bit, but how does he compare to those people?"

Long Long Yingchan pinched his own two white brows, his expression calm: "Since this old man has said he won't take disciples, could I possibly go back on my word?"

"You…"

Long Xi Xiang was still somewhat suspicious, but Jin Jin Shengwu was already getting a little impatient:

"Even if Brother Long stepped in to give some pointers and teachings, so what? In the end, it's still you getting the advantage — don't fail to recognize a good thing!"

After this scolding, Long Xi Xiang was left rather speechless.

Long Long Yingchan nodded inwardly, his face naturally betraying nothing. He glanced at Long Xi Xiang:

"Li Yuan's innate talent is excellent, and what's especially rare is how fast he progresses. If cultivated a bit more, he may well be able to pull out that blade stuck in your heart!"

"His foundation is solid enough, but pulling out the blade…"

Recalling what he had just seen, Long Xi Xiang was somewhat moved. He estimated Li Yuan could withstand at least sixty or seventy blades — at that age, with that Wu Gong, even he himself back then was not as good.

"If it doesn't work…"

"Continue refining the Dragon Tiger Nurturing Pill. If it doesn't work, you'll make one final attempt yourself. If it does work, give this pill to Li Yuan to help him solidify his foundation!"

Long Long Yingchan spoke in a deep voice.

The first time he noticed Li Yuan's extraordinariness, this was exactly what he had been planning. Otherwise, he would not have tolerated that Qin Picking Louzhu freely hunting for food on Hundred Beasts Mountain.

Using some spiritual herbs and spirit beasts to exchange for an Earth Immortal to step in and cultivate one's own disciple — this deal was naturally worthwhile.

"Then?"

Long Xi Xiang nodded: "If that's the case, this old man will pass on to him the 'Dragon Elephant Vajra Heaven'."

"Second on the Dragon Ranking — he deserves such treatment."

Long Long Yingchan naturally would not refuse: "In addition, all spiritual pills, as well as Shenbingtang, shall be treated according to True Person standards. As for the True Person status, we'll discuss it after the sect's assessment."

Each of the six True Persons of Dragon Tiger Temple had deep, tangled roots, but to him, they were hardly any constraint.

"Brother Long, generous!"

Jin Jin Shengwu clapped his hands in admiration. According to Yizhudao Sect rules, one without True Person status could not enjoy True Person treatment — this was clearly preferential treatment.

Spiritual pills and divine weapons were the very foundation of the sect, not lightly granted to anyone.

"If that's the case, this old man must also do his part."

"Brother Jin…"

Long Xi Xiang had something he wanted to say, but Jin Jin Shengwu ignored him. He paced back and forth pondering for a while, then recalled:

"Speaking of which, back in the day this old man obtained a strange stone in Wind Thunder Valley. This thing, rather coincidentally, matches that boy's true qi and spirit image quite well…"

"Wan Wan Leishi?"

Long Long Yingchan was somewhat moved — this was far more than just a rare treasure of heaven and earth: "I recall a few years ago, True Person Feng Yuanqing came to ask for it. Is it this one?"

"Just a stone, that's all."

Jin Jin Shengwu waved his hand. Seeing Long Xi Xiang wanting to thank him, he impatiently cut him off: "Speaking of this, you must first coordinate with your disciple, tell him to temporarily not refine his viscera, otherwise all your efforts will be wasted."

In the Tongmai realm, Li Yuan had walked an extremely steady path, but once he crossed into viscera refining, this advantage would shrink extremely quickly.

"Viscera refining isn't that simple either."

Long Xi Xiang nodded in agreement, while inwardly pondering how to bring it up.

"Let it be so for now."

Having made his decision, Long Long Yingchan said no more. With a sweep of his sleeves, he had already drifted away.

Jin Jin Shengwu and Long Xi Xiang stood for a moment longer before returning to the main peak of the Dragon Vein.

……

"Finally, fought my way to the fifth floor!"

As the sun set and the moon rose, inside the Dragon Tiger Pagoda, Shi Shi Yu Shu let out a long breath. He forced himself to stay alert as he exited the pagoda, pushed open the door, and saw the moon bright and stars sparse — outside the pagoda, not a soul.

"Where is everyone?"