Chapter 354: Changes in the Viscera (Begging for Bottom-of-the-Month Tickets)

"Mm?"

In the shadows, Ying Xin was startled, then immediately calmed down, a cold laugh tinged with a hint of wariness:

"Nearly dead, yet your perception is still this sharp — worthy of the former fifth on the Heroes List. If not for the Prince's single blade strike, you'd likely have a chance today to break through the Tiangang!"

A breeze drifted in, Xu Xu, into the temple. Long Xi Xiang studied the figure in the shadows — at once solid and insubstantial:

"I heard the Dragon Shadow Guards all died by Wan Wan Zhuliu's blade. Might I ask which one you were in life? Oh, you probably can't remember. Pity, pity."

"Hmph!"

Ying Xin gave a cold laugh: "How many more years can you hold on? There'll be a place for you among the Dragon Shadow Guards. I'll see then whether you remember who you are!"

"Is that so?"

Long Xi Xiang smiled and asked:

"The Dragon Shadow Guards don't mobilize lightly. You risked sneaking in today — did you come to see this old man, or to rescue that Yan Yan Chunyang?"

In the shadows, Ying Xin's eyes flickered, faintly sensing something amiss:

"The jianghu rumors say your divine soul is damaged, that you've grown forgetful. Now it seems those rumors were indeed false..."

"Rumors, of course, are always a mix of true and false."

Long Xi Xiang paid it no mind and pressed his question: "You still haven't answered this old man."

"What kind of thing are you, to think yourself fit to question me?"

Ying Xin gave a cold snort. Without any visible movement, he had already vanished from the spot.

He was born from the Subduing-Demon Dragon Shadow, and beneath this night sky, even with a Ranshi Sect master lying in ambush, he could withdraw with ease.

'What exactly did the Prince want me to see?'

In the night, Ying Xin drifted away. He looked back and saw that in the small temple, Long Xi Xiang sat cross-legged, merely watching calmly, showing not the slightest sign of making a move.

Clearly he knew he couldn't take Ying Xin down.

"Long Xi Xiang..."

Ying Xin frowned inwardly and was about to go search for Yan Yan Chunyang.

Whine~

Suddenly, he caught a thread of wind.

"Mm?!"

The wind was very faint, yet Ying Xin was startled all at once — that trace of unease in his heart exploded without warning.

"Roar!"

A dragon's cry seemed to come from the edge of the sky.

Ying Xin retreated explosively without thinking, only to find the surrounding night vanish in an instant. No — not vanish, but be covered over by another Ling Yi Zhong of heaven and earth!

"This is?!"

Ying Xin's expression changed drastically. He saw the light before him flare suddenly bright; among the sea of clouds, a azure dragon soared, and across the mountains and rivers of the earth, a giant elephant trumpeted long.

"You?!"

Ying Xin cried out in horror.

The next moment, the surrounding scenery flashed and was gone. He felt only the light and shadow before his eyes shift; when he opened them again, all that remained in his sight was the faint smile on Long Xi Xiang's face.

He had not moved from where he stood, while Ying Xin himself stood within his palm.

"You — you actually broke through the Tiangang!"

A Land Immortal!

Terror and disbelief warred in Ying Xin's heart: "You — you pulled out the Prince's blade intent?!"

To him, the latter was far more terrifying than Long Xi Xiang breaking through the Tiangang and ascending to Land Immortal. It meant someone of the same realm had shaken his own Prince!

"Who was it?!"

At this moment, Ying Xin finally understood the purpose behind his Prince's sending him here.

"Pfft!"

Long Xi Xiang closed his palm and snuffed out that wisp of shadow. The Dragon Shadow Guards, being born of the Subduing-Demon Dragon God Aspect, were not truly people to begin with — naturally there was no question of forcing a confession.

"It seems that after the blade intent was pulled out, Wan Wan Zhuliu did sense something — but only sensed a little. That's why he would send a Qian Sect of Dragon Shadow Guards to test the waters."

Though he hadn't pried much from this Dragon Shadow Guard's mouth, Long Xi Xiang still managed to deduce a few things. With a casual wave he dispersed the lingering mist, then rose to his full height.

He glanced at the small courtyard opposite, then vanished from the temple.

"Dragon Elephant Vajra Heaven!"

The ripple in the small temple flashed and was gone. In the courtyard opposite, the little tiger cub

still keenly sensed it.

Breaking through the Tiangang — only at the Divine Realm can one first begin to touch the present world. With every gesture, wondrous phenomena accompany one, as though the very heavens shift. This is the origin of the title Land Immortal.

"Over forty years of bitter endurance — his foundation is already sufficient..."

The little tiger cub shrank back. In her current state, if she were truly discovered, there'd be nowhere to hide.

Long Xi Xiang's move stirred her deeply. She had already made up her mind: once that boy returned, she would urge him at once to pull out the blade intent, even if the price were steep — she could wait no longer.

She looked toward San Yuan Wai, a touch anxious:

"Why isn't he back yet?"

Splash splash splash~

True Qi flowed like water into the viscera.

It was only while refining the viscera that Li Yuan truly felt the benefit of abundant true Qi. The tempering of the viscera was not done by force-stimulating them, but by washing over them again and again, refining them.

Like a long river rolling on, scouring the stones tumbled down from the mountain, slowly grinding away their edges until they became river pebbles.

This was a long, patient grind of a craft — one had to control the true Qi so it did not damage the viscera, and it required long, unbroken washing and refining.

The richer and purer the true Qi, the faster the tempering.

"Yang Jian Tian Yi's Nine Refinements can truly be called a divine art!"

Li Yuan felt the benefits.

He had only completed one refinement, yet his true Qi was already twice as abundant as before, and far purer — a great boon for tempering the viscera.

And with the medicinal power of Long Hu Longhu Dadan sustaining him, that speed climbed further — climbed enormously.

"In at most three-odd months, my viscera-tempering will reach Great Completion, and I can ride the momentum into marrow tempering! After marrow tempering, the medicinal power of Long Hu Longhu Dadan will probably still have plenty left..."

This was utterly astonishing.

Li Yuan did some quick calculating in his heart and could not help feeling a tremor of shock.

Normally, going from channel-opening to viscera-tempering required at least half a set of Absolute Arts — only then could inner Qi transform into true Qi. Even after passing this hurdle, another eleven or twelve years would be needed to reach Great Completion in viscera-tempering.

And then another eleven or twelve years to reach Great Completion in marrow-tempering.

And that was assuming no shortage of medicinal ingredients and pills. Without a steady, ample supply, the time required might double!

For someone of Lord Master Gongyang Yu's talent and status, from first nurturing qi and blood to marrow-tempering, it took a full century — and the medicinal ingredients and pills consumed in that time were simply incalculable.

This one Long Hu Longhu Dadan alone could equal a hundred years' worth of pills for him!

"No wonder Long Hu Longhu Dadan is never allowed to leave the sect. Even someone of the Old Dragon Head's status only gets one every fifteen years — this is a supreme treasure!"

Only now did Li Yuan truly understand the value of Long Hu Longhu Dadan, and he could not help feeling a touch of fortune in his heart.

Had he not chosen to show his talent, but instead chosen to lie low and cultivate quietly within the Inner and Outer Gates, getting his hands on this one Long Hu Longhu Dadan would have been virtually impossible.

"The treatment and circumstances of a genius versus an ordinary disciple — truly worlds apart."

As this thought turned in his mind, Li Yuan's body gave a jolt; his viscera stirred, emitting the sound of Jin Yu clashing — a sign that he had already stepped into viscera-tempering.

"Thump! ~

"Thump~"

In his ears came a low, powerful heartbeat, the Jin Yu sound of his organs jolting. The instant he stepped into viscera-tempering, Li Yuan felt as if his various organs had cast off Yi Yang Jian Chen Zhong's iron coat — far lighter and more agile than before.

"The speed of digesting the medicinal power has increased by at least thirty percent!"

As his viscera stirred, the medicinal power of Long Hu Longhu Dadan was digested at flying speed, and the true Qi throughout his body rapidly bottomed out. Li Yuan's heart surged with excitement.

The better the digestion, the stronger the physique, the better the spirit, the faster martial arts training goes. The benefits of viscera-tempering are not immediately apparent, but they affect every aspect.

"Huff!"

Li Yuan exhaled a long breath and opened his eyes, only to see Nie Xianshan's weathered face.

"Whoosh!"

Nie Xianshan stepped back, nodded as if nothing had happened:

"You've achieved something in viscera-tempering — not bad. This Long Hu Longhu Dadan wasn't wasted."

"Uncle-Master Nie."

Li Yuan rose and greeted him with a salute. His viscera were strong, his spirit accordingly radiant, his qi and blood excellent.

"Full of vigor and promise."

Nie Xianshan stroked his long beard, quite wistful.

Once, he too had been as full of youthful vigor as Li Yuan, pushing through realm after realm — but in a blink, fifty or sixty years had already passed.

"Regarding viscera-tempering, your Uncle-Master Nie has a secret art. If you're interested, you may seek his guidance."

On the Ox-Lying Stone by the stream, Long Long Yingchan sat cross-legged.

"If you're interested, come find me at the Surging Wave Hall."

At this moment, Nie Xianshan naturally had none of the fierceness he wore by day; stroking his long beard, his expression was mild.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master Nie."

Li Yuan cupped his hands in thanks, still wanting to ask what secret art it was, when Nie Xianshan's next words startled him:

"Speaking of which, Nephew Li is already twenty-four — it's time to consider matters of marriage."

?!"

Li Yuan instantly thought of the master of the Surging Wave Hall, Nie Ying — in a Daoist robe, dashing and spirited — but she was already over seventy...

"Ox-Nose, what are you trying to do?!"

Before Li Yuan could even reply, Long Xi Xiang's furious rebuke had already exploded out — the voice arrived first, the man after.

"......

Nie Xianshan gave a light cough: "Our Dragon Tiger Temple does not forbid marriage. As an elder of the sect, caring for the disciples beneath me — what's wrong with that?"

"Nonsense!"

Long Xi Xiang was rather annoyed: "At his age, he's in the phase of rapid breakthrough — what talk of marriage?"

"What, you want him to be like you, over a hundred years old, sitting all day in a little temple?"

"You—!"

"You what you?"

Nie Xianshan was not the least bit afraid; the fury he had been holding in all day from being shown up by Long Xi Xiang burst out at once: "Don't think that just because you've broken through the Heavenly Gang, this poor Daoist fears you!"

"Come, come, come! This old man will let you see just what a Land Immortal is!"

Long Xi Xiang rolled up his sleeves and rubbed his fists, having held it in for over forty years — he was practically unable to wait.

"Enough!"

Seeing the two about to come to blows, Li Yuan could only silently retreat. It was Long Long Yingchan who gave a great shout and stopped them both.

His face was quite helpless: "Adding up to nearly three hundred years old between you, and you're not afraid of the disciples laughing!"

Glancing at Li Yuan, the two snorted coldly, but did disperse their auras.

Having stopped the two, Long Long Yingchan then looked toward Li Yuan and said:

"Refining the viscera continuously is fine, but there's no need to rush. If you damage the organs, the medicinal power of the Long Hu Longhu Dadan will be wasted for nothing."

"This disciple understands."

Li Yuan knew this was a dismissal. He bowed and replied, then prepared to withdraw.

"Listening won't hurt."

Long Xi Xiang spoke up at this moment, calling Li Yuan to stay.

"Mm."

Nie Xianshan had no objections either. He casually pulled a booklet from his bosom and tossed it to Long Long Yingchan:

"This is the record from before and after Brother Zhongli Wang Luan entered the city. After entering, he ran into the former government office runner Liu San. Given his temperament, he likely wasn't directed by anyone else."

Long Long Yingchan casually flipped through it and handed it to Long Xi Xiang. The latter had no interest, so he casually passed it to Li Yuan.

Li Yuan flipped through it. The records above were concise yet fairly detailed—when Brother Zhongli Wang Luan entered the city, which road he took, what happened before and after his entry—all were recorded.

Among them, he also saw himself mentioned: it said when Brother Zhongli Wang Luan made his move on Brother Brother Sikong, the latter was rescued by a mysterious person. This person's lightness skill was extremely high, and they didn't reveal their true Gang, so they should be a renowned expert of the jianghu.

"Tch, a renowned expert."

Regarding Long Yintang's evaluation of himself, Daoist Li was very much in agreement.

"Several cases of women being raped and murdered have occurred in the city, mostly in the east of the city, where the Dao government office is located. Long Yintang has sent people to investigate several times and even arrested a few people. Now it seems, someone really is sheltering 【the culprit】."

Nie Xianshan said in a heavy voice.

"Have any evidence been found?"

Long Long Yingchan asked.

"All traces of Qi were cleaned up. In less than half a day, dozens of people in the Wutang died. Those who knew the truth should all have been silenced."

Nie Xianshan's gaze turned slightly cold:

"That Ding Xiu is also a tough nut. I nearly flayed him alive, yet he still wouldn't leak a single word."

"If it really is Yan Yan Chunyang, then even in death, he wouldn't dare speak."

Long Long Yingchan wasn't surprised either. The Dao government office and Zhenwutang were originally experts at catching criminals and arresting people. If they truly wanted to cover things up, they certainly wouldn't leave traces.

The two asked and answered, discussing.

Master and disciple Li Yuan stood by, listening silently.

"What about Zhu Zhu Zhongying and Ouyang Ying?"

"Also bound."

Good heavens, Zhenfu arrests whoever they want?

Li Yuan's eyelid twitched. Speaking of status, a Dao Zhenfu was much higher than Ding Xiu.

"Once caught, that's enough. With the Yangsheng Furnace here, whether they talk or not doesn't matter much."

Long Long Yingchan stood up:

"Keep them detained for now, wait for the imperial court to send people!"

Whoo whoo~

Gang wind howled.

The Dun Tian Zhou tore through the sea of clouds like a meteor.

On the deck, Wan Wan Zhuliu leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance, looking down at the sea of clouds and the boundless ocean below.

"It's been this long, still no gains."

A middle-aged man in black armor was also looking down at the East Sea, his brow slightly furrowed: "Wang Ye, that old turtle is probably no longer in the East Sea."

His name was Wang Jin, the commander of the Dayun Imperial Guards. The Dun Tian Zhou was usually controlled and nurtured by him.

"Keep looking."

Wan Wan Zhuliu's eyes reflected the vast ocean.

"The East Sea is vast. That old turtle has the ability to shrink and enlarge at will. Finding it is no different than fishing for a needle in the ocean."

The middle-aged man sighed: "The Dun Tian Zhou consumes a year's worth of incense offerings from a prefecture in a single day. We can't keep searching aimlessly, can we?"

"Search for seven more days."

Wan Wan Zhuliu's brow suddenly furrowed. He vanished from the spot, and in the next instant, he was already in the study.

Clang clang clang~

In the study, ten thousand weapons trembled, emitting the sound of clashing metal, as if in fear and trembling.

"A Shadow Guard died."

Wan Wan Zhuliu's face was expressionless. After muttering to himself, he flicked his finger. A light chime was heard, and hundreds or thousands of blades wailed and fell to the ground.

A black mist flowed from his fingertip, then spread, shrouding the entire study.

"Roar~"

In the darkness, there seemed to be a dragon's cry.

After several breaths, a figure almost the same color as the darkness walked out, kneeling on the ground, trembling all over. It was precisely Ying Xin.

Fear gripped his heart:

"Wang Ye, that Long Xi Xiang has already broken through the Tian Gang. Someone, someone extracted the blade intent you left on his body..."

"Mm."

Wan Wan Zhuliu didn't care. He had sent Ying Xin there merely to verify.

"Longhu Temple..."

Kneeling on the ground, Ying Xin didn't dare to breathe loudly.

But Wan Wan Zhuliu didn't care. Instead, he raised his hand and grabbed the Demon-Slaying Dragon God Blade, gently stroking the blade edge. A wisp of black pattern rose, transforming into a light screen, within which a green-steel pagoda could faintly be seen.

"Wang Ye..."

Ying Xin then answered cautiously:

"Your Excellency has been detained by Longhu Temple...

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