Chapter 349: Lightning Form, Nie Xianshan's Stir

Inside the room, Li Yuan cradled the Illusion Dragon Whip, soaking the long whip through with his own blood.

Whirr~

This top-grade divine whip writhed like a living thing, absorbing the blood.

With his eyes closed, Li Yuan could feel the divine whip's excitement, as well as its resonance with his own true Qi.

The nurturing and refining of a divine weapon is a technical task.

In the library of Huntian Hall, there were several dozen methods for refining and nurturing, but they were all more or less the same; Li Yuan had exchanged for a few and used them in combination.

Sizzle~

Li Yuan gripped the whip's body and gave a light pull; his palm instantly split open, flesh torn, and every drop of blood that welled out was absorbed by the Illusion Dragon Whip without a drop wasted.

After a dozen or so repetitions, Li Yuan finally stopped, wound the whip around his waist, and let the true Qi within his body seep out from his waist to interact with the divine whip.

A blue-black light flickered on and off.

"Refining with blood and nurturing with true Qi—both aim to raise the compatibility between the divine weapon and oneself. Which method you use doesn't matter; this is the essence."

Li Yuan turned his palm over; the palm was smooth, where was the slightest trace of a wound?

Under the nourishment of the Dragon Tiger Great Pill, his injuries could heal at several times, even a dozen or more times the normal speed; the injuries he had sustained during the trial at the Yangsheng Sect had already healed before he even returned to his room.

"They say the Baishen Sect has a sinister ritual that can scour a divine weapon with someone else's flesh and blood, forcibly reaching the realm of weapon-person unity..."

Li Yuan slowly closed his eyes.

His speed of nurturing and refining was very fast—this had nothing to do with talent; it was purely because this Illusion Dragon Whip bore no trace of its previous owner, so naturally his refining proceeded quickly.

In just over a month, his Qi, blood, and true Qi had gradually merged with the Illusion Dragon Whip, allowing him to proceed to the third step: concentrating the spirit and visualizing.

"Hum~"

Li Yuan closed his eyes and concentrated his spirit.

In the place of spiritual light, myriad lights flickered; a thunder dragon rose and fell in the dim and shadowy space, chasing after that one Wan Wan Leishi, and on its body arcs of electricity flickered from time to time, merging with the Lei Guang.

"Progress is fast."

Li Yuan sensed briefly; the electric light flickering from time to time on the thunder dragon's body was the sign that the lightning form was about to take shape.

In just six or seven days, the lightning form was about to take shape—this was naturally the benefit brought by the Wan Wan Leishi; and apart from the lightning form, the true Qi within his body had also gradually begun to change.

"Old man Jin really is particular."

With a word of praise in his heart, Li Yuan split his attention to visualize; soon, the Illusion Dragon Whip slowly materialized, writhed a few times like a living thing, and then, attracted by the roaming thunder dragon, gradually drew near.

"The Yi Bai Xing is the Illusion Dragon, and the thunder dragon possesses the Yi Bai Xing—there is indeed some resonance between them."

Li Yuan nodded inwardly; this was faster than he had expected.

"Roar, ~"

In the dim space, the thunder dragon let out a long cry; the flickering electric light added even more to its imposing presence, making it more rounded, fluid, and agile.

The small Illusion Dragon Whip, the moment it drew near, was pinned by the dragon's claw and joined the thunder dragon in chasing the Wan Wan Leishi.

"Refining a divine weapon really is a technical task—essence, Qi, and spirit, none can be lacking."

Watching this scene, Li Yuan's understanding of divine weapons deepened; what kind of weapon is best to use? Nothing else—just one that fits the hand and answers the will.

"To bring this whip into the Yu Xuanjing Mi Jing, it'll take at least three to five months; at worst, probably a full year."

Li Yuan calculated in his heart; this was still because he had swallowed the Long Hu Longhu Dadan, whose medicinal strength was enough for him to keep at it—otherwise it would have taken even longer.

In fact, there were no lack of martial artists in the jianghu who nurtured their whole lives yet never reached the He Yi Jing Fa Jie of weapon-person unity.

"I still have one chance to pick a divine weapon—best to choose an inner armor; pity, there are no divine weapon-grade boots..."

Every night before sleep, Li Yuan would always take stock and plan, which made him feel fulfilled and satisfied.

A moment later, the sky was almost bright, and only then did Li Yuan lie down clothed, preparing to nap for a while; he did not fall into a deep sleep, but kept a portion of his spirit to maintain the visualization in the place of spiritual light.

Crackle~

In his sleep, Li Yuan could from time to time hear the static of electric currents passing by.

"Whirr~"

Window

On the windowsill, the little tiger cub was feigning sleep, occasionally glancing at Li Yuan from the corner of her eye; watching the arcs of electricity that from time to time sprang from his body, she was truly quite anxious inside.

'He's already at the edge of refining the viscera!

She gnashed her teeth; knowing perfectly well that this kid was using the chance to toy with her, she still couldn't help feeling a bit anxious, her black-and-white tail swaying ceaselessly.

In the corner of the wall, the little mouse seemed to sense something, warily glanced at the cat ancestor on the windowsill, ended its moonlit bathing, and in a flash darted into its hole.

When the spirit-feet are vigorous, one does not crave sleep.

Under the nourishment of his vigorous Qi and blood, Li Yuan's physique grew day by day, his energy was too abundant, and his daily sleep could be kept to one or two hours.

While the little tiger cub was still tangled in anxiety, Li Yuan had already stretched, getting up amid a series of crackling sounds.

"Crackle~"

Li Yuan stretched out his palm; true Qi surged from between his five fingers, he lightly snapped his fingers, and a visible bolt of electricity swept past his eyes and dissipated into the air.

"About done."

Li Yuan felt a slight joy in his heart; he kept snapping his fingers, feeling the benefits after the lightning form had transformed.

After the Yi Bai Xing was complete, a single form—even a form of heaven and earth—did not add much growth for him, but after the lightning form was achieved, he still sensed a change.

First, there was the thunder dragon true Qi.

With the addition of the lightning form, the true Qi was more nimble and lively than before; as it circulated through his body, there was also a tingling numbness—this was the effect of stimulating the viscera, sinews, and bones, greatly increasing the strengthening of his physique.

But the greatest benefit, naturally, was the thunder dragon.

"Once the lightning form is complete, the Hundred Beast Thunder Dragon gains at least thirty percent more power! Such a great benefit—why didn't Old Han mention it? Could he also have thought thunder and lightning were one thing?"

Li Yuan flexed his five fingers; thunder and lightning radiance interlaced in his palm, and a thunder dragon the size of a fingertip roamed between his five fingers, its movements agile, its speed faster than before.

"Hiss!"

Li Yuan flicked his finger, and the thunder dragon instantly transformed into a streak of lightning that circled around him. The thunder dragon moved so fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, leaving faint traces in the air.

Sizzle sizzle~

After circling dozens of times, the thunder dragon returned to Li Yuan's hall. After completing one refinement, the condensation of his true Qi greatly increased as well; after this large circuit, the true Qi had barely been consumed.

"Next time I see Old Han, I'll have to enlighten him."

Having felt the benefits of the electric form, Li Yuan couldn't help but think of Han Han Chuijun, but unfortunately he couldn't get in touch with him, unable to exchange insights on the thunder dragon.

"Where is Star-Plucking Tower?"

Li Yuan shook his head inwardly — this was something he simply couldn't inquire about.

After pondering for a while, Li Yuan got up to eat. He stewed a big pot of spirit rice, fried two Wrath-Sun Eggs, paired with a pot of Hundred Grass Brew, and ate a leisurely meal.

The little mouse ate with great relish, its appetite much larger than before; the little tiger cub, on the other hand, was listless, looking Burdened with worries.

Ju Yuan didn't mind — this little cub went crazy every now and then, and he was used to it.

After eating, Li Yuan picked up his hammer and went out. He first went to the small temple across the way to take a look. Seven days had passed, and Old Longtou was still in seclusion. Not daring to disturb him, Li Yuan took his hammer and headed to Jingtao Hall.

Four days ago, after many heated discussions, Nie Xianshan's Pure Yang Sword finally began to be forged. He had to go take a look.

Along the way, he would also go to Shenbingtang to pick out a divine weapon.

"Sigh!"

In Jingtao Mountain, before a great waterfall, on a reclining-ox rock, listening to the sounds of forging coming from all around and the occasional arguments, Xin Xin Wenhua let out a deep sigh.

Nie Xianshan's forging was very simple — he himself went into seclusion, and threw all the miscellaneous affairs to him.

The allocation of various ores, the dispatch of personnel, the arguments among the four great master smiths......

Xin Xin Wenhua felt a bit overwhelmed. The forging of a divine weapon was far more complicated than he had imagined. He gently touched the broken sword at his waist, feeling somewhat troubled.

The repair of his damaged weapon was, at present, a distant prospect.

"Xin Wenhua."

Xin Xin Wenhua snapped back to attention, stood up, and bowed:

"Master, you've finally come out of seclusion."

"Mm."

Nie Xianshan pushed open the door and stepped out. He was in a good mood — his Si Hu Wu Gong seemed to have advanced again — and he inquired about the progress of the divine weapon's forging.

"The several master smiths only finalized their discussions the day before yesterday, and only began preparations yesterday. However, the tempering of the various iron materials has already been completed; we're only short of the few main materials on your end."

Xin Xin Wenhua reported, secretly relieved — with Master out of seclusion, he should be able to get free.

"A bit slow."

Nie Xianshan slightly furrowed his brow: "At this rate, we may not be able to forge even the rough shape this year."

Xin Xin Wenhua sighed: "After all, it's a top-grade divine weapon — we can't be careless. You'd better be patient, Master."

"Very well. I've already waited several decades; a couple more years won't matter."

Nie Xianshan smoothed his brow: "Right, in the past few days, has anything happened in the sect?"

Although the Dao Martial Arts Assembly is still a year away, the Long Hu Dan has already held two sessions. Counting the time, those few families should have arrived by now.

"Nothing much, really."

Xin Xin Wenhua thought for a moment, then answered:

"The preliminary selection is set for the sixth of June, still over ten days away...... Brother Zhongli Wang Luan of Sanmei Cave has arrived and is staying in the city. Also, Xie Xie Tongzhi of Changhong Sword Sect visited Uncle Long a few days ago......"

"Mm?"

Nie Xianshan's gaze sharpened, his tone unfriendly: "Xie Xie Tongzhi came, and even visited your Uncle Long?"

"That's right."

Sensing his master's tone, Xin Xin Wenhua lowered his head slightly.

He was well aware of the relationship between his master and Uncle Long. For years, the two peaks of Dragon and Tiger had seemed to have some friction, but in truth these two had a very good relationship — they simply had incompatible temperaments.

"That surnamed Xie has gone too far!"

Nie Xianshan's tone was quite cold. He naturally knew very well about the grudge between Xie Xie Tongzhi and Long Xi Xiang.

But he knew Long Xi Xiang's temperament even better — this surnamed Xie was probably seeking death.......

"Where is your Uncle Long?"

"Uncle Long is in seclusion."

Xin Xin Wenhua answered.

"In seclusion?"

Nie Xianshan was slightly surprised: "What about that surnamed Xie?"

"Still at the guild hall in the city."

"Oh."

Nie Xianshan's heart tightened slightly — Long Xi Xiang was probably using seclusion as a pretext and had already prepared to go kill that Xie Xie Tongzhi?

"Any movement from the Sect Master?"

He didn't care whether Xie Xie Tongzhi lived or died, but the timing was wrong. Killing Xie Xie Tongzhi at this juncture would likely cause a major incident.

"The Sect Master, these past few days, aside from entertaining a few old friends and confirming the date for the preliminary selection, has had no other matters."

Xin Xin Wenhua said.

"Strange, strange......"

Nie Xianshan furrowed his brow — this wasn't what he had expected. Could Long Xi Xiang have actually learned to consider the bigger picture?

"Oh, right."

Xin Xin Wenhua only now recalled something:

"Master, the day before Uncle Long went into seclusion, a thick fog rose over Dragon Gate Main Peak. The fog was very dense, not even the wind could disperse it. It's said some disciples heard dragon roars and elephant cries coming from within the fog......

"What?!"

Nie Xianshan's face changed drastically. He grabbed Xin Xin Wenhua's arm in one motion, and the latter groaned as his hip bone broke.

"Master......"

Xin Xin Wenhua wanted to cry but had no tears.

Crack! With a single sound he reconnected the broken bone. Nie Xianshan's body trembled, as if he had heard something, and his expression instantly became extraordinarily colorful.

"Master?"

Xin Xin Wenhua was badly startled; he had never seen his own master wear such an expression: "What is it with you?"

"I'm, I'm fine."

Nie Xianshan's chest heaved, feeling as if he had been struck head-on by a hammer, his heart aching in waves.

"You......"

Xin Xin Wenhua didn't even dare to breathe heavily.

"How could it be? How could it be?!"

Before the Surging Wave Hall, Nie Xianshan paced back and forth, his heart seemingly—

echoing Long Xi Xiang's transmitted message from earlier, his mind buzzing.

He and Long Xi Xiang had entered the sect only a few years apart; they were True Inheritances of the same generation. In their youth they had been at daggers drawn, competing for first place on the Dragon Ranking, and had come to blows dozens of times.

They were fellow disciples under the same master, and also each other's rivals for most of their lives.

"He, he actually broke through the Celestial Balance?!"

Nie Xianshan only felt his mouth dry and his tongue parched, unable to believe it for a moment. Just a few years ago, the sect had already begun preparing Long Xi Xiang's funeral arrangements.

At the time he had even felt secretly sorrowful a few times, but who would have known......

His face alternated between green and white. Xin Xin Wenhua watched, his scalp tingling, and quietly retreated. Although he didn't know why, it was best to keep his distance.

After quite a while, Nie Xianshan barely managed to calm his emotions:

"Li Yuan!"

"Uncle-Master, you called for me?"

Li Yuan had just stepped onto the stairs when he heard the voice. He glanced over and saw Nie Xianshan's face looking terrible, staring blankly in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking about.

"You......"

Looking at Li Yuan bowing in greeting, Nie Xianshan's gaze shifted several times, and he responded with a muffled sound.

"Did something happen?"

Seeing his face so unsightly, Li Yuan immediately sensed something was off. Could it be that the divine weapon forging had failed?

"Nothing."

Nie Xianshan flicked his sleeve and turned. In a flash, he had transformed into a streak of flowing light and vanished on the spot. Judging by the direction, was he heading for Dragon Gate Main Peak?

"Senior Brother Xin, what's going on with Uncle-Master?"

Li Yuan looked at Xin Xin Wenhua, and the latter gave a bitter smile:

"I don't know either. When Master asked about sect matters, I mentioned that before Uncle-Master went into closed-door cultivation, Xie Xie Tongzhi had come to pay a visit......"

"So that's how it is."

Watching Nie Xianshan's retreating figure, Li Yuan suddenly understood:

"Deep brotherly affection."

"Is that so?"

Xin Xin Wenhua always felt something was a bit off, but he didn't say anything. After exchanging a few words with Li Yuan, the two of them came together to beneath the great waterfall.

Beneath the waterfall, on the riverbank.

A dozen or so large furnaces burned fiercely. Under the effect of various spirit-wood charcoals, these furnaces' temperatures were extremely high. From dozens of meters away, Li Yuan had already detected the rolling waves of heat.

Several dozen Surging Wave Hall disciples attended on the side, some hauling iron materials, some adding spirit-wood charcoal.

Wan Chuan and the others each occupied a furnace, all hammering iron ingots.

Bang!

Bang!

Heavy hammers struck, sparks flying in all directions.

Wan Chuan glanced at Li Yuan, paid him no mind, and immersed himself in the ironwork. The other three Divine Artisans were likewise single-mindedly focused. The forging hammers rose and fell in a well-ordered rhythm, sparks dancing—quite a sight to behold.

"Those are all Absolute-Learning-level iron-hammering techniques!"

Li Yuan's eyes lit up at the sight. He picked up his hammer and walked toward his own furnace and forging platform. As his heavy hammer struck the iron, he also observed the other four Divine Artisans.

It had taken this long for him to have his first chance to observe.

Free reading.