Chapter 385

"Hm?"

Hearing Long Long Yingchan's concession, Yan Yan Chunyang's eyes instantly brightened, while Mo Long's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of suspicion passing through his gaze.

When something defies normalcy, there's always a trick behind it.

He knew exactly who Long Long Yingchan was—this old man had gone decades without ever suffering a loss; for him to suddenly concede, it must be a trap…

"Afraid of offending the Prince… or perhaps…"

Mo Long hesitated slightly, then sent a voice-thread to Yan Yan Chunyang, who had shaken off the rain and now radiated renewed vigor:

"In these past months, have you improved?"

"In these past months, this disciple's Wu Gong has advanced greatly; even if Long Long Xinglie has also improved, he is no match for this disciple!"

Yan Yan Chunyang replied via voice-thread, his inner gloom instantly dispelled.

During these past months, though immersed in rituals, his Wu Gong had still progressed considerably—especially during his imprisonment, when he had nearly daily honed himself with the blade-qi left by his master in his heart.

"In a peer-level battle, how many cuts from the Prince could you withstand?"

"One hundred and forty cuts!"

Yan Yan Chunyang replied via voice-thread.

"Hm…"

Mo Long's brow relaxed; though something felt off, with enemies surrounding him on all sides, there seemed no other option.

"What do you say?"

Long Long Yingchan pulled out a bamboo umbrella from nowhere; raindrops fell like a curtain, his aura calm and steady, as if certain the other side would agree.

That old bastard…

Not far away, Long Xi Xiang frowned tightly—he suspected this was Long Long Yingchan's true goal.

As long as Mo Long agrees, the imperial court has no grounds to act—yet…

His peripheral vision swept to the rear, where Li Yuan seemed to sense something, his hand unconsciously fiddling with the Shell Dragon Whip at his waist.

"It shouldn't be me…"

Li Yuan muttered inwardly, thinking he was being overly sensitive—he was only at the peak of Organ Refinement, while that Yan bastard had reached the peak of Blood Transformation.

But for safety's sake, he silently slipped into the shadows, donned the Crimson Blood Patterned Dragon Armor, and checked his gear, reorganizing his palm-control combinations.

"Could a Grand Master suddenly emerge from Long Dao Master's lineage?"

After a brief silence, Mo Long spoke—he was genuinely wary of this old man now.

"I am incapable; my sect hasn't produced a Grand Master in many years."

Long Long Yingchan sighed.

"Is that so?"

Mo Long didn't care whether his words were true or false—as long as no Grand Master emerged, Yan Yan Chunyang was now unmatched within Longhu Temple.

"What other concerns do you have? Speak them out."

Long Long Yingchan remained calm and composed, his peripheral gaze flicking to Yan Yan Chunyang, whose aura surged as if he'd just digested a Spirit Pill.

"Long Dao Master seems quite confident?"

Mo Long scanned the surroundings—the rain still poured, and Longhu Temple disciples filled every direction, even elders and disciples from other sects like Qitadao Sect.

"Brother, don't waste words with him—just cut him down!"

Nie Xianshan barked coldly, swordlight blinding, as if ready to strike at any instant.

"... Fine."

Mo Long's killing intent surged, yet he held it back, resolved that once this matter was settled, he would slay this bald-headed Taoist.

"No restrictions?"

Long Long Yingchan asked.

Glancing at Yan Yan Chunyang's blade and armor, Mo Long nodded:

"No restrictions—if he loses, his death is his own fault!"

"Good!"

Long Long Yingchan had been waiting for those words; upon hearing them, he shook his bamboo umbrella, and clouds coiled behind him, instantly forming a great azure dragon.

"Roar!"

The azure dragon let out a mighty cry, surging upward like a divine blade illuminating the night mountains.

Onlookers around them gasped and looked up—the dragon vanished into the sea of clouds, and in the next instant, thunderous explosions ripped through the sky; the dark clouds shrouding the mountains were torn apart and scattered.

Huh~

The rain ceased instantly, lightning vanished, as if a divine miracle had occurred.

Instantly, all the mountains fell silent.

"Truly magnificent!"

Li Yuan marveled inwardly—Grand Masters' techniques came with omens, capable of altering weather to some degree.

"Wind Tiger, Cloud Dragon."

Mo Long's face remained expressionless, unmoved—he merely glanced coolly at Yan Yan Chunyang:

"Life and death are fate; whether you can seize it is up to you!"

"This disciple understands!"

Yan Yan Chunyang had long been meditating; upon hearing this, he bowed deeply, then gripped his blade and stepped forward, facing all, his blood and qi surging like a blazing forge:

"Who dares to challenge me?"

Yan Yan Chunyang unleashed his true qi, as if venting all the resentment of his long imprisonment in one roar.

This shout exploded like thunder, its shockwaves spreading for miles—heard ten miles away.

"Qi and blood like a blazing furnace, true qi like a beacon smoke!"

The many Dragon Tiger disciples watching all around wore solemn expressions; they had at least achieved success in Meridian Opening, and from just that single great shout they could tell this man's martial arts were extremely high.

Within the crowd, Lin Lin Fangzhui, Dan Hong, and Xin Xin Wenhua all felt their hearts skip a beat; the intensity of this aura was simply several times more ferocious than even the Senior Brother's.

"This man is only a single step away from Grandmaster!"

Li Yuan's perception was very keen; on Yan Yan Chunyang's body, he detected a familiar aura—exactly like Wan Wan Zhuliu's inside the bronze pagoda: Dragon God true qi, Fu Mo Dao Fa.

"Zhenwutang's Yan Yan Chunyang—who among you will grant me instruction?"

Yan Yan Chunyang stepped forward once more and let out another great shout; qi and blood surged, sound waves rippled, and his aura climbed several degrees higher.

"I'll do it!"

A reply came from within the crowd—a black armor suit enveloping his body, Lin Jia raised his blade and strode forward; not far away, Han Tong furrowed his brow and also stepped out from the crowd.

"Heh~"

A flash of contempt crossed Yan Yan Chunyang's eyes; he looked toward Long Long Yingchan and cupped his fists:

"Sect Master Long, this junior is about to make his move."

"Mm."

Long Long Yingchan swept his gaze over the several who had stepped out, his eyes lingering briefly on Lin Jia before already settling upon Li Yuan within the crowd.

"Huu!"

Li Yuan, who had been silently regulating his breath, let out a long exhale; beneath his Daoist robe he had already donned the Blood-Red Pattern Dragon Armor, and in his hand he gripped a long-handled heavy hammer.

"Martial Uncle Li…"

"Junior Brother Li?"

The surrounding crowd naturally saw the moment Long Long Yingchan turned his head, but upon seeing Li Yuan, every one of them was stunned.

Over the past year or more, Li Yuan's fame had been enormous—in less than a year he had fought his way to second on the Dragon Ranking, his renown so great that even elders and sect masters of other sects had heard of him.

But…

"Li Yuan? Didn't he only just complete Organ Refining not long ago?"

The crowd immediately stirred; the Divine Weapon Valley people who had come upon hearing the news had originally been watching the excitement, but now quite a few of them changed expression—Bawan Li was still marveling that Yan Yan Chunyang's voice was even louder than his own, but upon seeing Li Yuan about to take the field, he was instantly stunned.

"Li Yuan?"

Yan Yan Chunyang naturally heard the surrounding discussion and exclamations; he had originally been waiting for Long Long Xinglie, but hearing this name now, he couldn't help but be startled.

He seemed to have heard this name before…

"Mm?"

Unlike the others, the moment Li Yuan stepped out from the crowd, Mo Long's gaze sharpened and had already fallen upon the blood whip coiled at his waist.

"A top-grade divine weapon? So this is Long Long Yingchan's reliance?"

Mo Long's heart eased somewhat.

A top-grade divine weapon was certainly powerful, but how many lashes could a mere Organ Refining martial artist unleash?

If Long Long Xinglie wielded this whip, he'd still have to worry a bit or two; a mere Organ Refining…

Thoughts aside, he still impassively transmitted his voice to Yan Yan Chunyang; the latter's gaze shifted, and he already pretended not to know.

"Take it!"

Hearing the voice, Li Yuan reached out and grabbed; the weight sinking into his hand revealed it to be Long Xi Xiang's Ancient Elephant Spirit Dragon Subduing Demon Pestle. He casually weighed it and found it fit his hand perfectly.

A divine weapon that had acknowledged a master naturally could not acknowledge another, but it was still far easier to use than a famed weapon.

"Thank you, Master."

Li Yuan bowed deeply; feeling the startled gazes cast upon him from all around, his heart stirred slightly, but it quickly settled, and he stepped out from the crowd.

"Li…"

Seeing Li Yuan, Lin Jia was somewhat startled and doubtful, but still retreated several steps.

'Beating the master in dreams, beating the disciple in reality…'

Glancing at Yan Yan Chunyang, Li Yuan felt something rather strange in his heart, but compared to Yan Yan Chunyang, what he was even less accustomed to was the startled and bewildered gazes from all around.

'Yi Shen…'

Li Yuan sensed the Mysterious Whale within his visualization let out a long cry, and his heart couldn't help but stir; regarding the unity of form and spirit, he had mulled over it for a long time, but this was the second time he had detected something unusual.

'A whale when it descends into the sea, a peng when it spreads its wings—this Long Kun's spirit…'

Steadying his mind, Li Yuan looked toward Long Long Yingchan; the latter pinched his long brows, quite calm:

"Give it your all!"

Settled. Beat him to death.

Li Yuan received the signal, took stock once more of the weapons he controlled, and only then stepped forward a few paces, cupping his fists in salute:

"Dragon Tiger's Li Yuan—please grant me instruction!"

"You?"

Yan Yan Chunyang glanced at him, still looking toward Long Long Yingchan.

"One battle to decide victory and defeat."

Long Long Yingchan merely glanced at Mo Long; the latter gave a derisive smile:

"Good!"

"Huu!"

Hearing the words of the two, Yan Yan Chunyang no longer hesitated, cupped his fists, and said:

"Zhenwutang's Yan—"

"BOOM—!"

Yan Yan Chunyang hadn't even finished a few words when he felt his vision flash bright then dark; the instant his foot tapped the ground and he dodged aside, only then did he hear the sound of the air blast reverberating.

"Seeking death!"

Li Yuan's hammer missed, and he immediately retreated, while Yan Yan Chunyang drew his blade in fury, though a trace of contempt flashed through his heart:

"Is that all you've got?"

Clang~

A blade swept sideways, its speed extreme.

Li Yuan felt his vision go black, and a familiar sensation surged up in his heart—this blade was precisely the one Wan Wan Zhuliu used that could shroud the five senses.

Compared to Wan Wan Zhuliu at the Organ Refining stage, Yan Yan Chunyang, who had achieved Great Completion of Blood Exchange, used it with even greater momentum, but the various subtle variations were somewhat inferior.

"Boom!"

In the instant his thoughts turned, heat flared at Li Yuan's waist, and the Dragon Whip of the Mirage suddenly swelled, enveloping him like raging flames, as violent power instantly flooded his entire body.

In but an instant, the Mirage Armor clad his body, and within, invisible to the naked eye, the Blood-Red Pattern Dragon Armor also bloomed with blood-light, clinging to his frame beneath the Mirage Armor.

With two layers of divine armor upon him, Li Yuan felt his power surge wildly, but his true qi also poured out like floodwaters through a broken dam, and the Dragon Whip of the Mirage was further drawing his blood.

Boom!

Driving the divine armor, Li Yuan rose with a horizontal hammer, and only heard a piercing roar as Yan Yan Chunyang borrowed the force to leap into the air and evade, contempt flashing in the depths of his eyes:

"All that power, yet he doesn't know how to use it… Long Long Yingchan misjudged!"

As this thought turned in his mind, Yan Yan Chunyang flipped and landed, shattering the floor tiles beneath his feet, his body shooting sideways like a thunderbolt, the long blade in his palm letting out a long howl like a dragon.

In but one sweep, the blade-light whistled, like a long river rolling on, and wherever it passed the earth split and grass and trees turned to ash.

Scattered blade-light does not increase its power, but once it lands a strike, that person instantly becomes white bone, as if subjected to the death of a thousand cuts!