Chapter 400: Nine Transformations: Dragon and Snake, White Tiger and Yin

"This monk Kongkong..."

Leaning against the massive stele, Long Xinglie's gaze darkened slightly; when he emerged from seclusion, he had just heard the white tiger's roar, assuming it was Pei Xingkong or Shi Qingyi, but it turned out to be Kongkong.

Last time during the All-Dao Martial Competition, this monk was swiftly defeated by me—where did he get such confidence, so certain he could claim first place?

"Li Yuan is entering the Tower!"

"Li Yuan is entering the Tower..."

As Long Xinglie was pondering, he heard someone cry out in shock, and suddenly the surrounding area erupted into chaos, deafening and frenzied, startling even him.

"Hm?"

Long Xinglie looked around and found not only Longhu Temple disciples, but also elders and disciples from other prefectures and sects—even some Dao Sect followers—were all drawn in.

Some were even calling out to friends?

"Is this kid really that famous?"

Long Xinglie was startled—this commotion was far greater than when Kongkong entered the Tower.

"Lin Kai, what's going on?"

"Huh?"

Lin Kai, who had been gazing ahead, froze at the question, then suddenly realized:

"Big Brother, have you just come out of seclusion?"

"Mm."

Long Xinglie glanced at Li Yuan's retreating back as he entered the Tower.

"Big Brother, you don't know..."

Lin Kai paused, weighed his words, then nudged the disciple beside him: "Zhang Ben, you were there that rainy night—tell him."

"What rainy night?"

The disciple was counting gold notes; upon hearing this, he first blinked, then suddenly understood:

"That rainy night when Yan Chunyang was killed..."

"Crack~"

The green stone floor suddenly split; Long Xinglie nearly lost control of his true qi:

"Who?"

His aura vanished instantly, yet Lin Kai and the others still felt a chill pierce their hearts—as if thrown into an ice pit in the dead of winter, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"Yan Chunyang is dead?!"

Long Xinglie heard it clearly, but still thought he'd misheard.

Yan Chunyang was killed?

With his status and position—who would dare kill him?

"Li Yuan?"

Big Brother Long was stunned, his scalp prickling—he reacted instantly:

"Li Yuan killed Yan Chunyang?!"

How is that possible?!

"B, Big Brother?"

Zhang Ben's scalp was also prickling; he shot Lin Kai a furious glare and answered through gritted teeth:

"That rainy night, Long Yingwei infiltrated the sect..."

The disciple spoke tersely, recounting the standoff that night, how Yan Chunyang was pierced midair and his skull crushed—he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

"Top-grade divine weapon... pierced and crushed the skull?!"

Long Xinglie clenched his fingers, trying to calm himself, yet his eyelid still twitched, his heart surging with tidal waves.

He did not possess a top-grade divine weapon.

But he knew well: even a top-grade divine weapon could at best narrow the realm gap between Li Yuan and Yan Chunyang—the latter carried two divine weapons himself.

Under such conditions, Yan Chunyang was utterly crushed...

"No wonder—no wonder Master placed him at the very top. So that's why."

Looking at the two characters "Li Yuan" on the wooden plaque, Long Xinglie suddenly realized his cultivation of composure was far from complete—he felt momentarily dazed.

The last time he instructed Xin Wenhua to look after this kid—hadn't it been less than two years ago?

In just two short years, he's reached this level?

"The one who triggered the appearance of the dragon and tiger twice—was Li Yuan! He's not merely a once-in-a-millennium talent—he's..."

"Eternal!"

Gasps erupted around him—the loudest reactions came from the Heart Sect's monks.

Long Xinglie turned to look: on the stele, two glowing names ascended from bottom to top.

Each climb of the Dragon-Tiger Tower must begin from the very bottom.

In such a short time, Kongkong had already reached the second level—while Li Yuan...

"Already the fourth level?!"

"Awesome!"

With a single hammer strike, he shattered the Tower guardian into a shower of light; Li Yuan felt utterly relaxed, every pore opening.

Unlike his grueling battle with Wan Zhuliu, he preferred this crushing, unstoppable slaughter.

"No wonder some people are naturally bloodthirsty—this feeling..."

The shattered light scattered in specks; Li Yuan savored it—being shattered by others was entirely different from shattering others.

"Boom~"

Another figure emerged from the light; Li Yuan didn't even look, raised both hammers, exhaled and released Xuanjing qi—and before him, another burst of light exploded.

"Satisfying."

Every time he reached this point, Li Yuan felt his transformation more acutely.

The first time he entered the Tower, he was cautious, fully focused; in later attempts, he trained with the intent to hone his martial arts, even switching weapons and techniques based on the Tower guardians' styles.

But now—it felt like recreation?

"Is this too fast?"

Only when he crushed the final guardian on the fourth level did he snap back to reality—he'd become too absorbed, too comfortable.

The last guardian on the fourth level was Yan Sanxing.

Hiss!

A slash of blade-light swept across.

As a Longhu Temple commander-level expert, Yan Sanxing was no ordinary man—he could dominate his prefecture or county and stood among the elite of his realm.

Yet now, no matter how dense the blade-net, Li Yuan moved through it as if strolling a garden, each slash seemingly anticipated before it formed.

He didn't need much force—just a hair's breadth faster than the blades, and every strike could be evaded.

"Using the enemy as a mirror is indeed correct. After tying with Wan Zhuliu, the first seven levels of the Dragon-Tiger Tower hold no pressure for me."

Moving carelessly through the blade-net, Li Yuan stepped in Yunlong Jiuxian, his body tensing, relaxing, soft, then fierce in turn.

Over the past half-month, he devoted himself entirely to martial training; the Dragon-Snake Nine Changes stance had reached perfect completion, granting him thirteen forms from this supreme-level stance.

And the six stances corresponding to the Yin White Tiger had also reached perfect completion.

"Dragon-Snake Nine Changes, Yin White Tiger..."

Slipping through the blade-net, Li Yuan relaxed his sinews and bones, gently guiding the stance as blade-light surged like storm and lightning—none could touch him.

"These two supreme-level stances are deeply connected; when one reaches perfect completion, the other follows swiftly—perhaps in no more than ten days?"

One supreme-level stance reaching perfect completion in ten days.

This wasn't just due to his peerless talent—it was because the Dragon Lord had dismantled these two stances and taught them to him, and Li Yuan had reassembled them himself.

"Once both stances reach perfect completion, it will be..."

"Crack!" Li Yuan shattered through the swirling blades and blade-master; he casually breached the fourth level, his aura weaving around him like dragons and tigers circling:

"Divine-level stance—Dragon-Tiger Great Stance!"

"Sixth level!"

Exhausted, Shi Yushu stepped out of the Dragon-Tiger Tower, still dazed, when a crowd of monks surged around him with murmurs like tidal waves.

"Heart Sect monks?"

Shi Yushu's heart leapt—he saw the monks were even more shocked, all staring at the massive stele below.

"Longhu Temple Li Yuan, ascended to sixth level."

"Li Shi-di came to climb the Tower?"

Hearing the murmurs and seeing Kongkong's name on the stele, Shi Yushu was deeply moved.

As the Heart Sect's young master, Kongkong was renowned—he was said to have cultivated the "Sole Buddha" technique to the sixth level, a figure comparable to the Five Great Disciples of the Dao.

Climbing simultaneously—and yet he was one level behind?

"Fifth level has fifteen guardians... Li Shi-di beat fifteen more than Kongkong!"

Shi Yushu winced.

The guardians on the fifth level were all at least Dao Sect deputy-chiefs—he himself had only reached the fifth level, and knew its difficulty all too well.

To slaughter fifteen opponents of equal realm—this gap might be even wider than his own from Long Xinglie...

No wonder these big monks look like they've seen a ghost.

Shi Yushu shook his head, his mood noticeably improved—he hadn't visited Li Yuan much these past days, mainly because every time he did, he felt weighed down.

But now, watching the monk Leokong fall far behind…

"Even the Dao Heir isn't his match."

Shi Yushu glanced at Long Xinglie.

This newly emerged Longhu Dao Heir wore a calm expression, seemingly untouched by all of it—something Shi Yushu deeply admired.

"Long Xinglie's heart is truly broad; if it were me…"

The thought of a fierce dragon emerging from among his own disciples made Shi Yushu's scalp prickle.

…

"Such a disciple—Long Daozhu has a worthy successor!"

On a nearby peak, Da Ding Chanshi clapped his hands in praise; just a few miles away, he saw everything clearly:

"My own disciple is far inferior."

"Chanshi, you flatter too much."

Nie Xianshan stroked his beard and shook his head: "Li Yuan has entered the tower multiple times, while Leokong is attempting it for the first time—the difficulty is incomparable."

"The Longhu Tower is truly a sacred trial ground."

Da Ding Chanshi praised repeatedly, his tone tinged with wistfulness, his envy plain to see.

"Merely the legacy of our ancestors—it cannot compare to your three generations of brilliance."

Nie Xianshan was humble, and in truth, he genuinely admired them.

One thousand four hundred years ago, the Xinyi Sect was nowhere near as powerful as it is today—it was Da Ding Chanshi's three generations who built it into its current peak.

Aside from lacking a Heavenly Destiny Mystic Weapon, its influence and other aspects rival those of the other great Dao sects.

"We merely manage to hold on."

Da Ding Chanshi sighed: "Not like your sect, which has the Yangsheng Furnace as its foundation—no matter how hard the wind and rain blow, you remain unmoved."

This old monk never lets a conversation go three sentences without mentioning a Heavenly Destiny Mystic Weapon.

Nie Xianshan internally shook his head, and decided to play along:

I heard the Divine Dragon's Whisker Scepter has reappeared on Yanshan Dao—your sect's ancestor once took part in the struggle for it. The martial world says it ended up in your possession. Is that true?

"Of course it's false."

Da Ding Chanshi sighed helplessly: "Even if it were true, without full mastery of a Heavenly Destiny Mystic Weapon, after the former owner's death, the divine weapon naturally vanishes."

"Is that so?"

Nie Xianshan studied him—the old monk's smile was bitter, not feigned.

"Five hundred years have passed. Do you really think my ancestor still lives?"

Da Ding Chanshi sighed, feigning casual curiosity: "Rumors say the Split-Sea Mystic Whale Hammer is also in Longhu Temple. Is that true?"

"Of course it's false."

Nie Xianshan snorted: "Those demon cultists from the Evil God Sect are spreading lies now, purely to sow discord among us. Chanshi, don't be deceived."

"Old monk will not be deceived."

Da Ding Chanshi gave a slight shake of his head; the two silently dropped the subject and turned to discussing the wagers and outstanding disciples of this Dao Gathering.

Nie Xianshan responded vaguely, glancing occasionally at the Longhu Tower.

"I heard the Mist Dragon's Sash has chosen a master?"

Da Ding Chanshi suddenly asked: "I recall your temple has repeatedly used this divine weapon as a wager, but no one ever chose it, and it always returned to your hands. This time, perhaps you can swap it for something else."

"…"

Nie Xianshan's smile faded slightly—is this old man never done?

Talking about divine weapons with him is like rubbing salt in a wound.

"I was only speaking offhand, Nie Menzhu, don't take it to heart."

Da Ding Chanshi realized belatedly.

"Just a joke—I wouldn't care."

Nie Xianshan bowed:

"Let the young ones play as they will—the vegetarian banquet is ready. Will Chanshi care to sample some?"

"Longhu Temple's vegetarian dishes are unmatched. Old monk has long been longing for them."

"Please…"

…

…

Hum~

On the eighteenth floor of the Longhu Tower, a dantian furnace trembled violently, flames roaring.

Before the furnace, Long Yingchan sat cross-legged; behind him, mist and incense intertwined, faint dragon and tiger shadows flickering, suppressing the roaring flames within the furnace.

Hum~

The flames surged and receded alternately.

Long Yingchan concentrated fiercely; after a long while, accompanied by a long, resonant hum, the trembling furnace slowly calmed.

"Done?"

He Lianfeng exhaled deeply nearby, dispersing strands of incense smoke, which drifted and settled, absorbed by the Yangsheng Furnace.

"Nearly."

Long Yingchan also exhaled in relief—by this point, this batch of Longhu Yangsheng Pills was essentially complete.

"Just wait for the flames to die out, and it's done."

"Hum~"

As he spoke, Long Yingchan flicked his finger—the furnace walls instantly turned transparent, revealing numerous radiant pills darting through the flames.

"One Jipin, five Shangpin, six Xiapin, eleven Liepin —about as expected."

He Lianfeng counted them.

"The eleven Liepin can go to the Baicao Duo for the disciples; the five Shangpin —one for Xinglie, the rest held for now."

After the pills were forged, distribution followed naturally—Long Yingchan already had his plan:

"As for this Jipin Yangsheng Pill, you keep it. Combined with the three Longmodadan you've saved, it might help restore your lost limbs."

"I only need one Shangpin as a medicinal catalyst."

He Lianfeng waved off the offer.

"I'll add you one Dahuandan."

Long Yingchan refused to accept refusal—he seized with five fingers, and with a "hum," the pills flew out.

Each plump and radiant, circling his body before sinking into a prepared porcelain bottle.

"Very well."

He Lianfeng no longer refused.

"Then this Jipin Yangsheng Pill…"

Long Yingchan casually snatched the porcelain bottle and vanished from the tower before He Lianfeng could ask.

…

Wu~

On the sixth floor of the Longhu Tower, mountains and waters mirrored the external Longhu Peaks.

By the stream, Li Yuan sat on a reclining ox stone, playing with a heavy hammer. From the distant valley emerged a familiar figure.

The eighteenth tower guardian on this floor was Long Xinglie.

He walked slowly, as if a gentle breeze stirred around him, mist drifting in.

"Wind Tiger, Cloud Dragon."