Chapter 358: Body of the Red Dragon

"Perhaps the disciple is just lucky?"

Compared to the caution he showed when dealing with Daoist Long, Li Yuan appeared much more relaxed and casual before Old Dragon Head.

"Senior, please take a look first?"

Long Xi Xiang didn't care much, flipping through it casually:

"This Divine Palm Sutra is very complete and can be practiced. The Xieshen Sect is no good, but the Bai Shen Zheng Fa is indeed a peerless divine skill rare in the world."

Long Xi Xiang held the Bai Shen Fa in high regard. Aside from being difficult to cultivate and prone to deviation, this divine skill, judged throughout history, deserves a place in the top three.

Of course, that assumes it is the complete Bai Shen Zheng Fa.

Inside the small temple, Long Xi Xiang explained the Divine Palm and Divine Organ Sutra to Li Yuan. Although he had never practiced these two Wu Gong, his martial arts attainment was so profound that after his explanation, Li Yuan felt he had gained much.

The master and disciple were immersed in it, and when they came to their senses, it was already noon.

Li Yuan got up to brew a pot of spirit rice. Although Old Dragon Head's temple was small, it had everything needed, with a stove, fire, and no lack of various ingredients.

After stir-frying a few small dishes and eating a meal with Old Dragon Head, Li Yuan cleared the bowls and chopsticks before leaving the temple gate.

"First, to the Shenbingtang."

Li Yuan didn't return to his room; instead, he turned his foot and headed toward the Shenbingtang.

He had wanted to go get the divine weapon promised by Daoist Long yesterday, but had only been delayed. Now that he had free time, he naturally had to secure it first.

"Originally, I thought of taking a piece of Green Armor, but now I think a divine weapon like the Mirage Dragon Whip is the top choice."

Li Yuan pondered in his heart.

With the blessing of the Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer, his talent was unmatched in the Longhu Temple, but his own talent still had huge room for improvement, so he naturally would not waste it.

"The more forms one has, the more perfect the comprehension of the Sea-Splitting Black Whale Diagram will be later."

Having made his decision, Li Yuan quickened his pace.

When descending from the main peak of Longmen, a light rain began to fall from the sky, drizzling over the mountains and forests. Li Yuan walked in the rain, glancing from afar at the Longhu Tower.

Through the rain curtain, one could also see a dark, dense mass of people.

With the preliminary selection approaching, the number of martial sects coming to Mount Hengshan City increased, and the Longhu Tower, which had been quiet for only a few days, welcomed another large crowd.

For disciples of Zhou and prefecture-level sects, this was an excellent place for trial; not only could it hone their martial arts, but if they were lucky enough to reach the first or second floor, they could become famous for a time and elevate their status within their sect.

"Junior Uncle Li?"

Li Yuan turned around and saw that the person approaching was Yue's weight, the genius disciple of the Fire Dragon Temple in days past, who now appeared somewhat restrained before him.

There were actually many rules within the Longhu Temple; aside from the true transmission disciples, the other disciples still had to observe seniority.

"Junior Nephew Yue, is there something you need?"

Li Yuan looked at him; more than a year had passed, and Yue's weight was a bit more steady than before, and it seemed his Wu Gong had also improved considerably.

This was not an exception.

Historically, disciples coming from the Zhou and prefectures would undergo a process of rapid improvement after entering the sect; the guidance of the Sidadao Sect elders was one aspect, and the pills were another.

Aside from spirit pills, the various pills of the Longhu Temple were also quite excellent; the Small Spirit-Returning Pill of the Small Pill King in the Zhe Long Mansion was just an ordinary pill here.

"Young Master Yan has come to Mount Hengshan City today and wishes to host a banquet for us disciples from Huizhou. This is the invitation..."

Yue's weight took out the invitation and bowed his head slightly.

The more than a year since entering the temple had been a huge shock for him. Before coming to the Longhu Temple, he was the number one talent of the Fire Dragon Temple in his generation, but upon arriving at the Longhu Temple, he had once blended into the crowd.

And Li Yuan was even more dazzling than he had been in Dechang Prefecture.

Direct disciple of a Grandmaster, second on the Dragon List, sixth floor of the Longhu Tower...

"Is it Yan Yan Qingyuan?"

Li Yuan did not take the invitation and politely declined: "I have important matters today and cannot attend the banquet. When I am free another day, I will host and invite the various disciples of Huizhou for a small gathering."

"Then I will not disturb Junior Uncle Li."

Yue's weight naturally knew this was an excuse, said no more, bowed slightly, and took his leave.

"The Huai Dragon Palace has also come."

"."

Watching Yue's weight depart, Li Yuan felt a slight movement in his heart, but was not too surprised.

The Martial Arts Tournament of the Various Dao Sects is a grand event held once every thirty years; let alone the Huai Dragon Palace being right in the Mount Hengshan Dao, even if it were in the Long Yin Dao, it would not be strange for them to come.

Of the nineteen Zhou Sects in the world, as far as he knew, seven or eight have already arrived, and the rest will arrive one after another.

There are also the other four Sidadao Sects.

"It is indeed lively."

Hearing the faint discussion coming from below the Longhu Tower, Li Yuan did not go to join the fun; instead, he quickened his pace and arrived at the Shenbingtang.

This treatment was much better than last time.

Li Yuan came alone, and before even entering the mountain, the master of the Shenbingtang, Shan Qing Song, was already walking briskly to welcome him with a hearty laugh.

"Senior Brother Shan."

Li Yuan bowed in greeting.

"Why so much formality?"

Shan Qing Song smiled; he knew Li Yuan's purpose and was just saying hello, but the smile was from the heart:

"Junior Brother, enter the mountain first. Once you have chosen your divine weapon and come out, accompany your senior brother for a couple of drinks."

"Good."

Li Yuan was somewhat taken aback by Shan Qing Song's enthusiasm; was this someone who acted like an old friend?

"Then, your senior brother will not disturb you."

Shan Qing Song wore a face full of smiles, his attitude so good that it made the disciples guarding the mountain somewhat shocked.

Li Yuan nodded and walked slowly into the mountain.

"According to Old Longtou, there are still three top-grade divine weapons in the mountain... let's take a look first. The one that can alter one's innate bone structure is the top priority; the rest can be set aside for now."

In the pattering drizzle, Li Yuan kept moving, scanning the weapon lights rising around him, carefully selecting.

"This kid doesn't even sleep?!"

In the small house across the way, the little tiger cub who had waited the whole night was grinding her teeth. She'd barely managed to catch a glimpse of Li Yuan, and now this kid actually wasn't coming back?

"Where did he go again?"

From a great distance, the little tiger cub wanted to follow, but she dreaded Long Xi Xiang across the way. She paced back and forth, feeling that this kid was deliberately stringing her along.

"This kid is way too greedy!"

Watching Li Yuan's retreating back, the little tiger cub clenched her teeth secretly, feeling a bit irritated.

After a good while, she seemed to have an idea. Her figure flashed, and she vanished from the small courtyard, darting into the mountain forest. Soon, in the pattering drizzle, she was heading down the mountain into the city.

Whoosh~

She moved very fast, weaving through the alleys. Even when people occasionally caught sight of her, no one paid any attention to a cat.

"The outpost has been abandoned."

Passing by a certain residence, the little tiger cub paused on the wall, glanced at the courtyard thick with dust, and hurried off.

Star-Plucking Tower had no branch strongholds, only temporary outposts—the whole point being they could pull out at any moment.

But aside from that, Star-Plucking Tower wasn't entirely without people in the various great cities.

"Hup!"

The little tiger cub hurried to the back door of a residence. She flipped over the wall, took a look to confirm, then sought out a remote silk shop.

"I've been raising it this long, should be ready to try, right?"

Avoiding the silk shop's clerk, the little tiger cub muttered to herself. From somewhere she produced two spiritual pills and swallowed them in one gulp.

Crack!

The spiritual pills went down, and the little tiger cub let out a muffled groan. She felt as if her sinews and bones were being pierced by a divine blade—this came from the sword intent that had pierced her divine realm.

Crack crack crack~

Enduring the agony as if being flayed alive by ten thousand blades, the little tiger cub transformed into human form, put on the clothes she'd picked out, tossed down a few scattered silver bits she'd pilfered from who-knows-where, and quietly left the silk shop.

"Damned Liu De, you actually brought that bastard of yours home!"

"Enough!"

"Throw that bastard out!"

"Slap!"

When the little tiger cub quietly slipped into the inner residence, she saw an old woman covering her face, wailing, and fleeing in tears. A burly old man stood in the courtyard, his face full of helplessness.

"Sigh."

Liu De let out a long sigh and looked toward the eaves:

"These days, even trespassing into someone's home is done so brazenly?"

A person stood on the eaves, wearing an iron mask, dressed in silk brocade—impossible to tell male or female.

Whoosh!

A streak of light came cutting through the wind. Liu De reached out and caught it. He only glanced once, and his face had already changed drastically:

"You......"

Suppressing the pounding in his heart, Liu De pushed open the door. Once the masked person entered, he hurriedly bowed:

"Liu De, paying respects to the Cult Master!"

"Do you have intelligence on the Tower from these past two years?"

The masked person's voice was low.

"I do."

Liu De hurriedly turned, went into the secret chamber, took out a Juan Sect, and handed it to the masked person. His heart was greatly shaken, but he still pressed down his doubts and began recounting the major events that had occurred in the Tower over the past two years.

"Chi Chi Zhuiyang and Murong Qing led the elders down the mountain, suddenly erupted, and broke into the Eight Directions Pagoda... Fortunately, Wang Fuzi returned in time and only then drove the two back."

"And then?"

The masked person flipped through the Juan Sect, eyes cold.

"That Murong Qing, seeing she couldn't break in, actually colluded with the imperial court! Large numbers of experts from the Wutang and the Jingping Bureau came to attack. Wang Fuzi had no choice but to use the contingency you left behind, activating the Eight Directions Pagoda to depart......"

"After that?"

The masked person's brow furrowed tightly. She had anticipated that traitors would appear while she was away from the Tower, but she hadn't expected it to be Chi Chi Zhuiyang and Murong Qing......

These two were nominally elders, but in truth disciples personally cultivated by her grandfather.

"After that, there was no more news from the Tower. They must have severed contact with the outside......"

Liu De's expression was grim.

"I understand."

The masked person's voice was very cold, as if forcibly suppressing fury. She glanced at Liu De:

"Do you have Soul-Disordering Pills on you?"

Liu De reached in and pulled out several Soul-Disordering Pills, and under the masked person's gaze, swallowed them. Only then did the latter turn and leave.

Whoosh~

In the drizzle, the little tiger cub stood atop the roof ridge, looking back toward where Star-Plucking Tower was, her brow tightly furrowed:

"Chi Chi Zhuiyang and Murong Qing would never have the guts to rebel on their own. Is it Shen Shen Qisheng, or Wan Wan Zhuliu?"

【Crimson Blood Dragon Armor (Eighth Grade)】

【... Forged from the spine bones of nine flood dragons of different species, mixed with the blood of a thousand beasts, tempered by a divine craftsman, ritually blood-sacrificed, and nurtured by a Grand Master. Its spirituality has awakened, savage blood......】

【Control Requirements: Absolute-Grade Horizontal Training at Great Completion, Spirit Dragon Form, Flood-Serpent Transformation】

【Control Effect: Eighth-Tier (Gold): Dragon Body

Seventh-Tier (Pale Gold): Body Tempering Talent, Fearless of Blade and Weapon】

There were quite a few divine weapons within Shenbingtang. Li Yuan wandered around for half a day, and only in the end selected this upper-grade divine-weapon-tier armor.

"Those three top-grade divine weapons are indeed excellent, but for now, this armor is still the most suitable."

Reaching out to grab this suit of armor, Li Yuan was fairly satisfied.

The six forms are the flood dragon, and this Dragon Body encompasses the form of the nine-worm.