Chapter 392: Top Ten of the Ten Dao

Hum~

In the dim spiritual light realm, the spiritual self sat cross-legged, threads of gray or white light slithered like small snakes, circling the body.

"Incense!"

Though most were unranked, with only two first-rank incense threads, Li Yuan's heart was shaken beyond measure—these were incense threads born because of him.

Drawn forth by the Worship Method.

"Can incense be born without burning incense or kowtowing?"

Li Yuan's mind stirred; he immediately swapped in a set of mental-enhancing talismans, including the Divine Fire Forging Bone Ring. When another strand of incense rose in the spiritual light realm, he sensed it sharply.

"Emotion—no, it's spiritual energy!"

Li Yuan found his mind growing sharper by the day; after a moment's thought, he felt he had touched upon a true secret.

At this moment, thousands—perhaps ten thousand—merchants, travelers, and martial artists filled the long street, yet he was certain no one worshipped him as a god.

The reason these incense threads formed was that their spiritual energy focused on him, and surged violently when he appeared.

Admiration, envy, gratitude, reverence, doubt, resentment, fear…

"Intense spiritual fluctuations, combined with the Worship Method, produce 'incense'? Is this truly incense?"

The advantage of multitasking became clear now: Li Yuan's heart trembled and his mind raced, yet it did not hinder his interaction with others.

But too many people greeted him at once; he could not respond to all, so he merely bowed in return, returning to the carriage only when no new incense threads arose in the spiritual light realm.

"Young Master Li, what's going on?"

Fang Yunxiu frowned slightly; in her view, Li Yuan usually avoided drawing attention—he was acting strangely.

"So many martial artists here—it wouldn't do to ignore them."

Li Yuan deflected, his thoughts already drifting to the spiritual light realm; as the noise faded, he tallied sixty-three incense threads—twenty first-rank, and two second-rank.

One such thread could ignite the Divine Fire Combustion Furnace once.

"True."

Fang Yunxiu did not press; seeing Li Yuan distracted, she closed her eyes to rest, turning her mind to the sword art she had just learned.

The sect selection was near; she wanted to try for promotion to the inner disciples.

"This incense seems to require spiritual fluctuations—the stronger the fluctuation, the faster it condenses and the higher its rank… Does it relate to martial skill level? Probably…"

Li Yuan felt as if he had discovered a new continent; his mind had never been more active, analyzing and dissecting the origin of incense—his long-unanswered questions seemed on the verge of resolution.

"Intense spiritual fluctuations, guided by the Worship Method, can transform into incense. Whether other visualization methods can do the same remains unknown…"

"Moreover, it may relate to one's own spiritual strength—at least, one must be able to perceive the incense's presence…"

"It must be my own actions that trigger the spiritual fluctuations, and there seems to be a limited range…"

Li Yuan murmured to himself; he had unraveled much, and many old doubts suddenly cleared.

Why did every city have temples? Why were the deities' statues so fierce? Why could multiple identical temples coexist in one city?

"The emotion that triggers the fastest and strongest spiritual fluctuations is fear…"

Li Yuan exhaled, calming his agitated mind. Had it not been for Long Xinglie forcing him to kill Yan Chunyang, he might never have uncovered the secret of incense.

"If this is true, I'll need to descend the mountain more often."

Fame has its shelf life; once this period passes, the effect will fade. As Li Yuan pondered, the carriage halted.

When he lifted the curtain again, several unranked incense threads had appeared—likely because most people had dispersed after his earlier appearance.

"No wonder the Hero List has thrived for years—Yunshu Tower's rankings never drew retaliation. Now I understand why."

Li Yuan steadied himself—he was certainly not the first to know the incense secret, since the Worship Method was the most widely known and practiced divine art in history.

"Elder Lei has arrived!"

Fang Yunxiu stepped down from the carriage.

Li Yuan bowed in return to the martial artists who greeted him, then descended and walked out of the city gate tunnel.

…

"Hengshan City!"

On one carriage, Lei Jingchuan lifted the curtain and gazed afar—massive walls rose like a titan, swallowing vast streams of people.

Hengshan City's roads were wide, and not just one—yet now they were crowded; ahead and behind, crowds surged like dragons, stretching beyond sight.

"Truly bustling."

On the other side, Jing Shuhu spotted the colossal wooden bridge outside Hengshan City—hundreds, perhaps thousands of boats passed back and forth; every traveler carried sword or saber, many wielding famed weapons.

"A central hub for two thousand years—this ancient city's depth dwarfs Dechang Prefecture and Zhelong Prefecture. I should have come sooner."

Lei Jingchuan's voice rang strong; his injuries seemed greatly improved.

"All these martial artists are here for the Ten Dao Martial Assembly—normally it's never this crowded."

The speaker was a large monk, his face kind, his frame imposing; he walked outside the carriage, and passersby silently stepped aside to avoid him.

"I'd heard the Ten Dao Martial Assembly was a grand event, but now I see the rumors didn't exaggerate a bit."

Jing Shuhu sighed deeply—there were too many experts here; if he made an enemy, it would be hard to resolve.

"We're almost there."

Yin Fa spoke; the carriage crossed the wooden bridge. Ahead, heads surged, noise rose intermittently, and the line to enter the city slowed. He frowned slightly.

"Young Master Li!"

Lei Jingchuan spotted him too.

"Where?"

Jing Shuhu snapped awake, lifted the curtain, and immediately saw Li Yuan striding toward them.

Nearly two years had passed; from afar, he sensed the difference—now, Li Yuan stood tall and sturdy, clad in a finely crafted Daoist robe.

A jade belt at his waist, a ring on his finger, his shoes and hairpin—all unmistakably extraordinary.

At first glance, where was the boy who once stripped bare and hammered iron in Chirong Cave?

"Elder Lei, Grand Elder."

Li Yuan stepped forward to pay respects, his heart filled with joy—after two years apart, Jing Shuhu's aged face seemed warm and familiar.

Of course, he did not forget Yin Fa:

"Brother Yin, you've traveled far for us—I've prepared a feast; you must come."

"Hmm."

Yin Fa replied, his expression less than pleasant:

"Young Master Li's entourage is rather grand…"

Only now did Lei Jingchuan and Jing Shuhu notice that many behind Li Yuan weren't leaving the city—they were following him.

"Many experts…"

The two exchanged glances, both chilled.

Yin Fa traveling tens of thousands of miles to meet them was understandable—he was a fellow sect brother—but among those trailing him were no few experts.

A few of them felt dangerous.

This retinue might even surpass Divine Weapon Valley's—how in just over a year had this boy built such influence?

"Ladies and gentlemen, please disperse for now. I'll host a banquet for you all another day."

Li Yuan sighed and called out loudly.

He infused his voice with true qi; dozens ahead and behind heard him. The crowd bowed in return and dispersed.

Most who followed him here sought to invite him to dinner; having achieved their goal, they naturally left.

'Only a few unranked incense threads remain—these people were sent by their sects to invite me to dinner.'

With a slight thought, Li Yuan bowed:

"Brother Yin, shall we discuss this over dinner?"

"Agreed."

Yin Fa did not refuse—he'd been traveling half a year and was weary of bland food.

…

"Yan Chunyang died by his hand?"

Across from Fish Dragon Tavern, in a private room of a winehouse, Xie Tongzhi and his disciple stared at the retreating crowd and carriages, their expressions shifting.

Pei Jiu gripped his wine cup, his face grave.

Xie Tongzhi's expression was icy:

"Long Xinglie fought Yan Chunyang seven times, seven draws—even fell behind at times. This boy hasn't even refined his marrow. Even with peerless talent, how could he defeat Yan Chunyang?"

Xie Tongzhi's heart churned with doubt.

Before entering the Dao, many geniuses in the martial world had fought above their level; Yan Chunyang himself had once defeated a Blood-Exchange cultivator while still in Organ Refinement.

But his ability to transcend levels came from possessing supreme techniques and divine weapons, and from being personally trained by Wan Zhuliu. Such a genius was rare even among peers—his being slain by someone below him was truly unthinkable.

"I heard his belt is a supreme divine weapon?"

Pei Jiu was distracted; beside him lay a fresh copy of the 'Ten Dao Hero List,' the new ranking from Yunshu Tower, listing the prodigies of the Five Great Sects.

Now, Li Yuan stood firmly among the top ten.

"The Phantom Dragon Belt—a supreme divine weapon lost a millennium ago by Qiyi Manor to Long Hu Temple. This boy has fortune—this whip has never before recognized a master."

Xie Tongzhi steadied himself, his expression easing slightly:

"Good thing the Ten Dao Martial Assembly forbids divine weapons—otherwise, this boy might win the championship!"

"His talent may surpass even Long Xinglie's…"

Pei Jiu set down his cup, picked up the 'Ten Dao Hero List'—the top ten were all Blood-Exchange perfected prodigies from their sects; only Li Yuan, at Organ Refinement perfected, stood out starkly.

After Long Xi's death, this man is likely to become the next Lord of Longmen, and even has a chance to contend for the position of Longhu Dao Master!

Xie Tongzhi's eyes flickered: "If he lives… he might…"

Pei Jiu's expression changed slightly: "Master, watch your words."

"Drink."

Xie Tongzhi lifted his cup and drained it in one gulp, yet his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the direction of the Longhu Mountains:

"Long Xi should have only a few days left to live…"

……

……

Li Yuan's welcome banquet turned into a grand feast.

First came Gongyang Yu, Ba Wanli, and others, then Gong Jiu-chuan, Yan Sanxing, Lin Tingfeng, and more; even Wan Chuan, who had been immersed in blacksmithing for days, arrived with his disciples.

When the banquet ended, evening had already fallen.

Loading Lei Jingchuan and Jing Shuhu onto the carriage, Li Yuan did not let Liu Zheng follow; he drove the carriage back up the mountain himself.

"A journey down the mountain earned me nearly two hundred offerings, but the highest was only second-rank…"

The old horse knew the way; this spiritual steed needed no urging. Li Yuan mentally assessed the tally and found it acceptable—after all, offerings were normally accumulated over years.

Late July still carried some heat; after dusk cooled the air, the streets became even livelier than midday, many shops lit their lanterns, and crowds filled the roads.

"No third-rank offerings at all, let alone seventh-rank… Seventh-rank offerings must take decades to accumulate?"

A light breeze blew, dispersing Li Yuan's drunkenness; his gaze swept over a spot, then feigned disinterest, shifting elsewhere—yet a chill flickered in his heart.

"Can't shake them off!"

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly; a trace of bloodlight lingered in their depths.

The bustling market teemed with people, many of them martial artists; blades glinted in waves—but the sixth-rank bloodlight was glaringly conspicuous.

It was an old man with a goatee, pale and bloodless, his appearance obviously fake—but the blade's aura could not be faked.

"At least as strong as Huangfu Kun."

Li Yuan touched the long whip at his waist; with the Shen Dragon Whip, he was confident he could kill the man in a few strikes—but this was a crowded market. If he moved, many would die.

Glancing at the two sick men in the carriage, Li Yuan silently memorized the blade's glow and the house the old man entered, planning to report it to Old Dragon Head later.

"Can't kill them all."

Li Yuan shook his head inwardly and drove back.

……

"That boy is alarmingly perceptive!"

In a house along the street, Yu Banzhou nearly broke into a cold sweat; he had merely glanced covertly—and nearly got caught.

"Under thirty, already killed Yan Chunyang, wields a top-tier divine weapon—so long as he doesn't die prematurely, he'll rank among the top five, even top three on the Hero List, with potential to become a Grand Master."

In the main headquarters, that's an elite residence…"

Closing the courtyard gate, Yu Banzhou sighed softly inside. Infiltrating Hengshan City had already drained him; he had no desire to stir up trouble.

Zhum~

The next instant, accompanied by a hum, Yu Banzhou's face turned even paler; he swayed, lost his balance, and collapsed with a thud onto the floor.

Then, a streak of red light rose—and the Crimson Flame Dragon King stepped out from within him.

Gazing at the towering figure, Yu Banzhou felt no more of his initial terror—he sensed he was nearly dead:

"Dragon King, better to end it quickly than prolong the pain—kill me now!"

Whether true qi or internal qi, all ultimately stem from blood and qi; having been drained repeatedly, he felt his marrow hollowed out, his body chilled by the slightest breeze.

"After this matter is settled, I shall reward you with a divine elixir. What are a few drops of true qi and blood?"

The Crimson Flame Dragon King glanced at him coolly, then looked out the window: "Elite residence? That boy is Li Yuan? Long Xi traveled tens of thousands of miles to Dechang Prefecture just to take him as a disciple?"

"Yes."

Yu Banzhou's face was lifeless; he barely responded, unable to rise:

"These past days, his name has spread far. They say, last night, he killed Yan Chunyang!"

"Yan Chunyang? Him?"

The Crimson Flame Dragon King was momentarily stunned, then asked:

"Top-tier divine weapon?"

"Rumors say he possesses a top-tier divine weapon."

Yu Banzhou panted, swallowing several Blood-Enhancing Pills, yet still felt his words float unsteadily.

The Crimson Flame Dragon King's gaze sharpened, then flicked back to Yu Banzhou with a faint, mocking smile:

"Why are you so eager?"