Chapter 338: Li Yuan Draws His Blade! (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

At the mountain gate of Longhu Temple, there were quite a few people coming and going.

Pei Jiu stood with his arms folded, watching a bunch of jianghu martial artists shuttling back and forth through that archway gate-tower, sneering coldly in his heart.

Ever since he had drawn forth the manifestation of Bai Hu, every day disciples from various sects and factions—even jianghu wanderers—came here, hoping to make a name for themselves by passing through that archway.

"Little Jiu."

Pei Jiu didn't have to wait long before he heard a familiar voice; he hurried forward, bowed, and paid his respects:

"Master."

Xie Xie Tongzhi acknowledged him with a sound, then glanced at the great monk Douyue, whose face was dark as water, smiled, cupped his hands in farewell, and took his leave.

Douyue didn't even raise a hand; he flicked his sleeve and left.

"That great monk has no manners at all!"

A group of Changhong Sword Sect disciples were quite displeased at the sight.

"Enough."

Xie Xie Tongzhi didn't mind at all; he was in an excellent mood at the moment. He ordered the other disciples to go to the lodging guild hall, while he himself pulled Pei Jiu along to find a nearby restaurant.

"Hurry up and serve the dishes, bring the good wine first!"

In a sixth-floor private room, Xie Xie Tongzhi ordered a table of fine wine and dishes; the restaurant waiter, all smiles, left to hurry things along.

"You seem to be in a very good mood, Elder?"

Pei Jiu was somewhat surprised; over the years, he had never seen his own master in such a good mood.

"Did you go to see Long Xi Xiang?"

In a flash of thought, Pei Jiu had already figured it out.

"Indeed!"

Xie Xie Tongzhi stroked his long beard:

"That old bald donkey's life won't last much longer—at most two years, at least a year or so—and his divine realm will collapse, body and spirit both scattering!"

"Long Xi Xiang is going to die?"

Pei Jiu's heart gave a jolt.

Rumors of Long Xi Xiang's impending death had circulated countless times over the past forty years, but coming from his own master's mouth, there was clearly no mistake.

"Longhu Temple truly lives up to its name as the Tianxiadan Sect; the injuries that should have killed Long Xi Xiang have been forcibly sustained for forty years. Pity, the collapse of the divine realm cannot be reversed."

Xie Xie Tongzhi raised his wine cup; even the sharp, burning taste at the entrance felt sweet to him:

"Fine wine!"

Pei Jiu poured wine for him, his expression subtle:

"If Long Xi Xiang dies, Longhu Temple will be down another Zun Sect master."

"It won't be short."

Xie Xie Tongzhi shook his head: "You underestimate Longhu Temple, and you underestimate the Dao Sect's foundation."

"Mm?"

Pei Jiu was slightly taken aback.

"In your view, what is the greatest difference between breaking through to the Ru Dao Jing Fa Jie and the Qi Xia Jing Fa Jie below it?"

Xie Xie Tongzhi asked.

"Mm... the difficulty of entering the Dao is like ascending the blue heavens, like leaping the Dragon Gate."

Pei Jiu answered.

"The blue heavens are hard to ascend, but with an eagle one can ascend; the Dragon Gate is hard to leap, but it is not impossible to leap. The greatest difference between entering the Dao and breaking through the realms below it is danger."

Xie Xie Tongzhi set down his wine cup.

"Danger?"

Pei Jiu was startled.

"You are still young, in the prime of bold advancement, so naturally you do not fear the peril of breakthrough. But when you are old and your spirit is failing, with a host of wives, concubines, and children, high in rank and power, will you still be unafraid?"

Pei Jiu instinctively wanted to retort, but Xie Xie Tongzhi wasn't asking for his answer; he said lightly: "Entering the Dao is like the Dragon Gate—once crossed, one stands at the absolute pinnacle beneath the heavens. But once one fails, the lightest outcome is grievous injury near death, the heaviest is instant death. For many a Zhun Sect master, this is a heaven-shaking, all-or-nothing gamble."

"This…"

Pei Jiu frowned; he wanted to retort, but thinking of the hall masters within the sect, he promptly held his tongue.

"Your talent is peerless; in your thirties you have already reached Marrow Refining. But like most of the elders within the sect, each of them needs at least a hundred or eighty years to reach Marrow Refining, and most only reach Blood Exchange past the age of a hundred. However…"

Xie Xie Tongzhi shifted the topic:

"If that old bald donkey dies, things will be different. Even if the odds are nine deaths in one life, there will still be people willing to risk it to fill the vacancy—like that great monk Douyue."

"Douyue? Didn't he only recently achieve great completion of Blood Exchange?"

Pei Jiu was shocked inwardly; a dozen or so years was truly not long for the Blood Exchange hurdle.

"The Long Hu Longhu Dadan is a top-grade item."

Xie Xie Tongzhi was rather wistful, but it wasn't for sale, and it wasn't available at the Dan Assembly either. He shook his head and began inquiring about matters in the city.

Pei Jiu didn't hide anything either, reporting everything he knew one by one, including Brother Zhongli Wang Luan.

"An elder of Sanmai Cave, running to Mount Hengshan to catch a thief on someone's behalf?"

Xie Xie Tongzhi couldn't help but laugh, but he wasn't too surprised—Brother Zhongli Wang Luan had always acted this way; over the years he had suffered plenty of losses for it, yet never changed.

"Right."

After laughing about Brother Zhongli Wang Luan, Xie Xie Tongzhi's thoughts stirred slightly:

"You said the Jingping Bureau also sent people, to catch that divine thief Brother Brother Sikong. Do you know who came?"

"This… this disciple doesn't know."

Pei Jiu shook his head.

"The theft of incense offerings is no small matter, and it's happening right before the various Dao martial gatherings—I'd wager it's at least one of the Eight Great Constables?"

Xie Xie Tongzhi only turned the thought over in his mind; seeing the wine and dishes arrive, he dropped the subject and raised his cup on his own initiative:

"Come, it's a fine day—keep your master company for a few cups."

……

……

"That old fellow has some old grudges with me."

Li Yuan watched Xie Xie Tongzhi and the others depart, closed the temple gates, and before he could ask, Long Xi Xiang had already brought it up himself.

"I don't remember the details clearly—basically I beat him once, seems I hit a bit too hard, made him lie down for over ten years?"

Lie down for over ten years?

Li Yuan's mouth twitched. Wouldn't that mean he'd beaten the man into a vegetable?

"That old fellow has a poor temperament. I've forgotten what I beat him over, and it doesn't matter anyway. Good thing he came, otherwise I wouldn't have remembered at all."

Long Xi Xiang yawned, fetched paper and brush from the side, wrote the name 'Xie Xie Tongzhi' on the paper, drew a big × through it, and then tucked it into his robes.

He was forgetful, and he held grudges.

"……"

Li Yuan stole a glance—good heavens, a thick stack in his robes?

"When I was young, I didn't handle things steadily. Some grudges were never settled, and they've dragged on till now."

Seeing Li Yuan somewhat dazed, Long Xi Xiang took the chance to teach his disciple:

"You saw it yourself just now—if you truly leave a grudge unsettled, even after death you'll find no peace. This is the lesson of my own poor handling of affairs. You must remember it."

"This disciple will remember it."

Li Yuan nodded solemnly, deeply in agreement.

"Enough about him."

Long Xi Xiang pulled a few pills from his robes and popped them into his mouth; only then did his drowsiness lessen by a fraction:

"You came at just the right time—I was just saying I wanted to summon you over."

Hum~

As he spoke, he beckoned toward the interior of the room. A flash of lightning streaked past, and a fist-sized, jet-black, irregular stone landed before Li Yuan.

"This is?"

Li Yuan's spirit jolted.

"This thing is called Wan Wan Leishi. It's a rare treasure your Senior Martial Brother Jin obtained in his early years—a meteorite from beyond the heavens, baptized by countless bolts of Lei Ting."

Long Xi Xiang wrapped the object in true qi:

"This stone is excellent for forging weapons. Carrying it year-round lets one comprehend the form of thunder, nourish the body, and purify true qi. But its greatest use is for condensing a spirit phase—a thunder-aspected spirit phase."

"Condense a spirit phase?"

Li Yuan imitated the old dragon-head, covering his palm in true qi. The moment it touched, his arm went numb and tingling, as if struck by lightning, the sensation spreading through his whole body.

Before he had even truly touched it, he found his own true qi had grown several times more active.

"Thank you, Master."

Li Yuan hurriedly bowed in thanks. For him, the uses of this Wan Wan Leishi were no small matter.

"If you want to thank someone, thank your Senior Martial Brother Jin."

Long Xi Xiang waved a hand and asked: "How is your cultivation of Long Xiang Heliu progressing?"

"Still far off."

Li Yuan answered.

These past days he really had been too busy, and that Long Xiang Heliu was, after all, a secret transmission at the quasi-divine grade. Though he had picked it up quickly, he was still quite a distance from perfection.

"Be diligent. Only after Long Xiang Heliu is cultivated to perfection will you have the qualification to cultivate the 'Dragon Elephant Vajra Heaven.'"

Long Xi Xiang did not press him; Li Yuan's hard work, he had seen with his own eyes.

"This disciple will keep it firmly in mind."

Li Yuan bowed in acknowledgment.

Afterward, Long Xi Xiang asked whether he had any doubts while practicing his Wu Gong. After answering each one in turn, he took the Cang Long Kasaya Li Yuan handed over.

"Though this kasaya is in my keeping, it belongs to the sect. After I die, it must be sent back to Shenbingtang."

Long Xi Xiang casually tossed the kasaya into the room and added an explanation.

"This disciple understands."

Li Yuan naturally knew this rule. After returning the Cang Long Kasaya, he then stated his purpose for coming.

"You want to try again?"

Long Xi Xiang thought it over, but still did not refuse. He swallowed two pills and had Li Yuan come under the tree as well.

Hum~

Li Yuan drew a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and a pure Bai Guang flared up, enveloping him within.

……

Whine~

On the lonely mountain's sheer peak, beneath the old pine, Long Xi Xiang slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Li Yuan standing at the cliff's edge rubbing his fists and palms, clearly itching to try, he could only clear his throat lightly and advise:

"Don't push yourself, and don't fixate on how many blades you took. Tempering your Wu Gong is the main thing."

"This disciple understands."

Gazing at the great blade at the other end of the iron chain, Li Yuan pressed down the pounding in his heart and asked some questions about the Divine Realm.

It was still drawing a blade, but when it came to the old dragon-head, he was more cautious at heart.

"The divine realm is where the heart-spirit resides. If this place is injured, the spirit is wounded, the body declines, and the breath grows short. If this place collapses, the body dies and the soul is extinguished. Only a peerless great medicine can mend it."

Long Xi Xiang had nothing to hide:

"This old man was wounded by Wan Wan Zhuliu's blade intent, and for many years has relied on spiritual pills to keep himself alive."

"After this blade is pulled out, then what?"

Li Yuan was very concerned about this.

"Pulled out?"

Long Xi Xiang glanced at him, his expression shifting somewhat:

"For over forty years, this old man has suffered this blade intent's torment day after day, but some of it has also settled down. If this blade is pulled out... this old man may perhaps break through the Heavenly Gang and recast the divine realm!"

Long Xi Xiang's heart stirred with some ripples.

This blade intent was sharper and fiercer than any Earthly Sha or Heavenly Gang qi. Though he was at death's door, this was also the moment of his highest realm in his entire life.

"Break through the Heavenly Gang?!"

Li Yuan's eyes lit up. Old Long wasn't one to make idle boasts—if he said 'perhaps,' then he must have tremendous confidence.

"Perhaps I can, and perhaps not."

Gazing at the great blade at the other end of the iron chain, Long Xi Xiang sighed inwardly, yet still advised:

"As for how to pull out the blade intent, this old man has given it some thought. You need not be overly anxious—just treat it as tempering your Wu Gong through this. As for the rest, there's no need to overthink."

Long Xi Xiang's voice was somewhat heavy, fearing somewhat that Li Yuan would be greedy for merit and rush in recklessly.

Li Yuan did not argue back. He spread his five fingers and gripped a long-handled heavy hammer before the cliff face:

"Then, please prepare yourself."

"Prepare for what?"

Long Xi Xiang was startled. Before he could ponder the meaning behind Li Yuan's words, he heard a thunderous dragon roar.

"Hm?!"

Long Xi Xiang sprang to his feet abruptly.

He saw the iron chain shaking violently, the clouds and mist torn apart by Lei Guang, and a violent, unbridled thunder dragon piercing through the rolling tide of blade light—

With an imposing, righteous momentum, it thunderously snuffed out that divine radiance, and that Long Long Daozhu was actually sent flying off the ground by a single hammer strike.

Boom!

The sound of the thunderstorm rolled outward and spread.

Li Yuan strode through the gale, without a single move or stance of contest. He fiercely drove three Thunder Dragon Heaven-Shaking Hammers, and the moment he struck, he erupted with full force.

"?!"

Long Xi Xiang instinctively rubbed his eyes, almost thinking he hadn't slept in a long time, his gaze somewhat dazed.

Only when another dragon's roar exploded and that Demon-Subduing Dragon God Image let out a hissing sound within the gloomy blade intent did he suddenly come back to his senses.

He understood what Li Yuan meant by 'prepare.'

"This boy couldn't possibly be planning to..."

The instant this thought arose, Long Xi Xiang only felt his mouth go dry and his heart twitch violently.

He strode forward quickly a few steps, and saw the gale blowing the clouds rolling. Li Yuan strode among them, a hammer in hand, as if holding up a thunder dragon.

The force of his momentum was already no less than Wan Wan Zhuliu's, and even surpassed it by a fraction in fierce might!

"This, this..."

Long Xi Xiang's heart shook. Seeing that Lei Guang rolling and drowning the blade light, he could not help but feel A hint of anticipation rising in his heart.

'Perhaps...'

"Roar!"

Striding like Rushan crashing forward, with the first hammer Li Yuan broke open Wan Wan Zhuliu's opening blade sea, and with the second hammer he had already forced out that Demon-Subduing Dragon God Image.

He was already far too familiar with these blade moves, and had no desire at all to clash and dismantle them move by move. Instead, he chose to use force to break through technique.

"Again!"

A single hammer shattered that blade move that obscured the five senses. Li Yuan let out a long, soaring cry, and stomped down violently with his foot. That iron chain was stomped taut by him in an instant, like a bowstring drawn to the full.

Snap!

Only a thunderous explosion was heard. Li Yuan smashed through the blade light and clouds, leaping hundreds of meters high in a single bound, then the heavy hammer pressed down, the thunder dragon cloaking his body.

"Whoosh!"

On the lonely mountain, watching Li Yuan—who trailed fiercely burning tail flames, like a comet falling from beyond Zi Jiu Chong—a momentary daze came over him.

'This is the disciple I taught?!'

Long Xi Xiang once again suspected he had forgotten something.

But his reaction was quick. The moment the thought turned, he had already sat down cross-legged beneath the old pine.

Wooo!

At the other end of the iron chain, there seemed to be a momentary stillness.

Having erupted with all his might, Li Yuan, falling from the heavens, once again felt a bone-piercing chill.

"Demon-Subduing Dragon God..."

This time, Li Yuan saw it clearly. The divine radiance on that Long Long Daozhu scattered, and Wan Wan Zhuliu raised—

Dragon transformed into blade, and with a casual slash, the void before him seemed to be split in two!

"Fierce!"

Even facing this move for the second time, Li Yuan simply could not think of a way to break it. He suspected that, at the level of Tongmai, there might simply be no one in the world who could break this move.

But fortunately, he had never once thought of breaking the move.

"Control—Rift Sea Mysterious Whale Hammer!"

The instant that bone-piercing cold descended, Li Yuan without a second thought drove the Mystic Whale Hammer.

A monstrous force, vast beyond all imagining, descended in an instant—this was the most outstanding of the four epoch-grade enhancements of the Mystic Whale Hammer, the Power of Star-Shifting!

"Slaash—!"

Beneath the pine tree, Long Xi Xiang saw Li Yuan, cleaved clean in two.

Then,

Wan Wan Zhuliu, struck by the heavy hammer, his body bursting into shards!

Author here

Good evening everyone, recommending a book: "My Abnormal Blind Date Came True"—Yang Jian Tian Yi

Daoist Chu Jiang of the Guan Monastery, having missed his blind date, picked up a pouch containing red beans.

From then on, he began blind dates in his dreams:

"Actually, this poor Daoist's health is poor. I've cultivated the Dao for twenty-two years, but really I've just been sleeping for twenty-two years..."

"That's wonderful. Every year when I hibernate I don't want to wake up—we can sleep together."

"I don't have a job..."

"I'll hunt to provide for you."