Chapter 369: All Rules Are Not Rules (Part Two)

"A dragon among men, a peerless talent, unmatched through the ages…"

Li Yuan kept his eyes closed, recalling in his heart the muttering of the Dragon Demon Daoist inside the hut when he had listened earlier,

The Dragon Demon Daoist had used blood to create a person, searching for the Eight Directions Temple, clearly distinguishing by talent. Then, above "unmatched through the ages," should come "world-shaking"?

Hum—

Within his sea of consciousness, the Command Soldier blazed with light, eight great stars shining brilliantly, and all manner of enhancements descended upon him in an instant.

Li Yuan had long grown accustomed to the enhancements of his talent, but this time he still noticed a change — it was as if a gust of wind rose from within his body, blowing away the dust and mist from his heart, leaving it clear and limpid.

A faint joy rose from within him, like a prisoner long confined suddenly breaking free of his shackles; the intense pleasure left Li Yuan somewhat dazed.

Hum~

Behind the memorial arch, mist billowed, and a stone tablet rose up from the ground. Unlike any previous time, this stone tablet now blazed with dazzling golden light, like a golden stele:

【Trial-taker: Profound Whale Gate inner disciple Li Yuan】

A wisp of profound-colored light also instantly rose up before my eyes

Profound Whale was speechless. I must Command Li Yuan's Heart Hammer to have world-shaking talent; that hammer clearly cannot sense it. Have we fallen into a vicious circle again?

"After that, it should add 'talent.'

Li Yuan's long cry was filled with shock and incomprehension.

After pondering for a while, Niu Lu Lun was relieved below, and with a shift of his gaze, it fell upon the Command Soldier effects

I underestimated him.

That condition is truly somewhat exaggerated.

Glancing at the passage formed by the mist, Profound Whale asked again:

【…If a disciple with world-shaking talent comes here for trial, then all rules may be disregarded… and may directly advance to True Transmission!】

Profound Whale frowned below; the opponents in this True Transmission trial are still Grandmasters with "unmatched through the ages" talent.

Before, even when the Command Soldier was Commanded for the first time, the Sea Profound Whale Spirit's obedience was only out of fear. But now, in my perception, it is unmistakably a little dog wagging its tail into a windmill.

"You didn't know this either?"

First-tier (Profound-colored): Sea Profound Whale Form, Rending Sea Form】

"World-shaking?"

Profound Whale clicked his tongue somewhat; he didn't even dare imagine how the other Weapon Masters had satisfied this condition.

At this close distance, it also hadn't sensed any world-shaking aura…

【You… world-shaking… no, that's not right, no… no… no, that's right…】

Shaking his head, Profound Whale began asking about things it might know

World-shaking talent would be one thing, but it also requires a Thousand-Form Body

【Trial-taker: Profound Whale

Dao Child trial.

What about Xing Xing Tongyou?

Lu Lun snorted coldly, feeling somewhat emotional in his heart.

Profound-colored light rose like a curtain before his eyes, within which characters flowed like a waterfall.

"It really is world-shaking!

Glancing at the Niu Lu Lun Spirit behind him, that little thing had appeared before him for the first time. Before, it was either a phantom larger than a mountain, or the form of a crimson hand-hammer.

Li Yuan's long cry was filled with shock, and he translated out the last sentence

【Command Soldier Condition Seven: World-shaking talent, Thousand-Form Body, Li Yuan Dao Child, Yang Bing Jing Di Qi Zhong】

"Xing Xing Tongyou…

The trembling Li Yuan translated out the last sentence

Li Yuan was still translating, the rules of Li Yuan Gate, and the next sentence took a turn:

【…True Transmission trial, those without "unmatched through the ages" talent may not enter; eight consecutive victories are required to advance to True Transmission, and even the Sect Master's personal disciples may not make exceptions…】

So this is True Transmission?

It was puzzled and uncomprehending, yet did not dare ask

Profound Whale chewed on those two Command Soldier effects, mulling over many things from them. When Li Yuan Gate was at its peak, it must have been far stronger than the present-day Longhu Temple

From just that one sentence, Profound Whale truly could not mull out anything, but those seven characters of Xing Xing Tongyou inevitably made him think of gray

The "Xing Tongyou Corridor" beneath Dingxin Dingxin Shitai.

"Roar!

Wooo~

At this thought, Niu Lu felt that his distance from the Dragon Demon Daoist's Ten Thousand Forms was not so far after all?

Profound Whale made up his mind below; the transformation of his own talent, combined with the talent enhancements of Rending Li Yuan's Heart and Thunder Dragon Jun Tian, had clearly broken beyond the scope of "unmatched through the ages"!

"There's also a Dao Child trial?"

My original root bone was only middling. If I hadn't answered the Heaven's Calculation, I might still be an apprentice in a weapon-forging shop now. How could I have ever imagined the treatment geniuses receive?

"Hundred-Form Mirage Dragon, Thousand-Form Celestial Dragon… Sea Profound Whale Form, Rending Sea Form…

This time, Sea Profound Whale did not answer "I don't know":

Profound Whale leaned against the memorial arch, pondering. The breeze blew gently, and the Sea Profound Whale Spirit stole a glance at him, its eyes filled with thick puzzlement.

"What are the benefits of becoming a True Transmission disciple of Li Yuan Gate?

"Talent — it still has to be stacked!"

【Sea Profound Whale Hammer, recognized its master】

【If there is a Dao Child, one may enter the Dao Child trial】

Master Li was flung far away, the mournful wail he emitted clearly carrying a flavor of grievance.

【Form of the Rending Sea: Wind, Thunder, Rain, Lightning, Grass, Trees, Rivers, and Mountains are the Forms of Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth are vast; even the stars have forms. Comprehending one part of them makes one comparable to the Heavenly Dragon.】

The translation by the Sea Dark Whale Spirit was far more fluent than before. A short passage explained the rules of the Li Yuan Sect's True Disciple trial: eight victories, and consecutive victories, allowing no interference from any force, and so on.

"No wonder, over thousands of years, there are only the Seven Minor Dao Sects. To completely master the Profound Heaven Mystic Weapon, the difficulty is too great..."

The difficulty of altering one's innate nature is extremely high. I gathered one hundred and eighty forms and only barely reached the realm of peerless talent. By this logic, pushing one's innate nature to cover the world would require ten thousand forms.

"... Too rigid."

【Talent: Covering the World】

Niu Lu's spirit perked up; that was indeed a joyous surprise. But Yu Yu Xuanji immediately felt it was improper. If I directly become a True Disciple, how can I return to grind the trials later?

【Unknown】

Niu Lu didn't even reach out; he just opened his seven fingers, and that hand hammer automatically flew into his hand for him to hold.

This Xuanjing Daozi trial in this world is so snobbish that even a hammer treats a stranger with such disdain. Alas.

"After becoming a True Disciple, can I still return to participate in the True Disciple trial?"

【Allowed: True Disciple Trial】

【Spirit: Mid-Low】

【???】

"Shut up!"

【Niu Lu's Form: One Hundred Forms make a Mirage Dragon, One Thousand Forms make a Heavenly Dragon. Li Yuan, born in the Ruins of Profound Water, surpasses even the Heavenly Dragon.】

"Crack, crack"—several sounds rang out. Another stone tablet rose behind the Sea Dark Whale. The text below was chaotic, but the Sea Dark Whale Spirit spoke with order:

Li Yuan's long cry echoed beneath the Inverted Hanging Mountain. A red light tore through the sky curtain and landed behind the archway.

Divine Weapon Valley, Dragon Tiger Temple, Li Yuan Sect, even Niu Lun of that era, and the spirits of weapons with boundless intelligence.

"That makes sense. The Life-Nourishing Sect has the 'Hundred Form Pill'. That standard might not be difficult for those ruined sects. What is truly difficult is the talent to Cover the World."

Looking at the Sea Dark Whale Spirit crouching behind him, making "wu wu" mournful sounds, the Sea Dark Whale suddenly had a true understanding of the text beneath this stone tablet: "All rules are not rules..."

【Unknown, Unknown】

【... Covering the World, is not...】

【Xing Xing Tongyou: Can walk within the 'You Jing'.】

"That attitude change..."

Niu Lun's spirit can only transmit information through the stone tablet.

This crimson hand hammer fell from the sky, landing extremely gently behind him, emitting a heavy mournful wail.

Wu wu~

Wu wu~

"Translate."

Beneath the Inverted Hanging Mountain, roars echoed in waves.

It's just that the time required is far too long.

"What is the You Jing?"

"If you wield weapons like the Mirage Dragon Whip or the Crimson Blood Pattern Dragon Armor, relying solely on your own cultivation to gather a thousand forms, with your

current cultivation speed, I'm afraid it would take seventy or eighty years?"

Are these two 'Xing Xing Tongyou' the same thing?

"If you don't recognize the master, get lost. This Dao-Grandpa is going to find the Dragon Tiger Life-Nourishing Furnace..."

Then, under the gaze of the Sea Dark Whale, the hand hammer wailed lightly, shrinking to the size of a fist, taking the form of a beast that was like a whale but not a whale, and crouched respectfully behind him.

Weng~

The Sea Dark Whale gritted his teeth, then focused his mind on the black light curtain, lingering slightly on the seven conditions for mastery.

【Spirit Ticket: Mid-High】

"Fortunately, this Dao-Grandpa possesses the Weapon Mastery Talisman."

Looking at the Sea Dark Whale Spirit, as gentle as a little rat, although knowing this was surely due to the 'Covering the World' level talent, Niu Lu still felt somewhat dazed.

"The disparity of the world."

Weng~

The Sea Dark Whale didn't care much. The Seven Minor Dao Sects all have the concept of a 'Xuanjing Daozi'. Clearly, that also comes from those ruined sects.

【Talent:? World】

The Sea Dark Whale bit his lip.

The Sea Dark Whale couldn't help but scold once, preparing to first toss that hammer into the Army of Weapons to cool down. But he had only scolded once when the roaring sounds in the sky vanished without a trace.

【Mastery Condition One: None】

【Condi】

On the stone tablet, Jin Guang wove like water. Many characters were jumping. Li Yuan distinguished them for a moment but could only recognize the majority; some other words were ones he did not know.

Although some characters were not recognized, Li Yuan was extremely certain in his heart. But he did not guess wildly; instead, he swapped out the Rending Sea Dark Whale Hammer.

【Unknown, Unknown...】

Next, the Sea Dark Whale heard a "Boom" sound. The Inverted Hanging Mountain seemed to be shaken by immense force, flying high into the air, with large patches of earth, stone, mud, and sand rolling down.

But thinking about it, he felt it was not impossible. A genius of Covering the World level would likely cultivate even faster than I did before. Although a thousand forms are difficult, they are not impossible to achieve.

【True Disciples can only enter the Xuanjing Daozi Trial】

【Mastery Effect Seven: Seventeenth Tier (White): Xing Xing Tongyou】

The long cry vanished instantly. Heaven and Earth seemed to quiet down for a moment.

I exhausted every method to make that hammer acknowledge me, but now, with just one word, it cowered to the ground and truly recognized me as its master.

【Control Effect One: Hammering Talent, Physical Talent, Cultivation Talent, Star-Moving Power】

Niu Xu Lu Lun pondered within.

Long ago, Yu Xuanjing had looked at Li Li Daoye's only seventeenth-rank Control Effect; it bore only eight characters, and upon focused perception, it seemed vaguely familiar.

"If you gather a thousand forms, then take control of the Lie Niu Xu Lu Lun Hammer, can this at most alter eight thousand forms?"

Yu Xuanjing understood, yet inexplicably felt a pang of sorrow.

【Eligible for: True Disciple Trial】

That sea Yu Xuanjing spirit seemed plunged into profound self-doubt, emitting a long wail; the characters on the stone tablet flashed like a waterfall—entirely Liehai Divine Script—leaving Yu Xuanjing, who had only just begun learning, with a head spinning like a bucket.