Chapter 401: Taking a Master

「Roar~」

The wind blew and the clouds shifted, the tiger's howl accompanied by the dragon's cry.

▲co

Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon, encompassing the transformations of wind and cloud, the union of dragon and tiger, possessing both yin-softness and yang-fierceness—the moment Long Long Xinglie made his move, Li Yuan's eyes lit up.

"This is the Dragon Tiger Great Stake, at the Perfection level at least!"

His Qi surged like dragon and tiger, piercing through over a dozen zhang. Li Yuan lightly tapped his feet to evade, his gaze never leaving Long Long Xinglie.

On this Senior Senior Brother's body, he saw the perfectly unified Dragon Snake Nine Transformations and the Mysterious Yin White Tiger—two world-shaking stake arts, cooperating flawlessly, complementing each other.

"Senior Senior Brother is in no way inferior to Yan Yan Chunyang, and the Wu Gong he has learned bears quite a resemblance to mine?"

Li Yuan focused on evasion, not clashing head-on, taking the opportunity to sense this Senior Senior Brother's Wu Gong.

Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon possessed both yin-softness and yang-fierceness, but when Long Long Xinglie executed it, it was broad and unrestrained, overwhelmingly fierce. As his surging energy clashed, soil and stone flew, grass and trees snapped.

Long Chan Vajra, Dragon Tiger Hun Tian, Surging Wave Palm, Great Might Heavenly Dragon…

Long Long Xinglie strode like a soaring dragon, and as his palm force drove forward, various supreme arts emerged, each coordinating with perfect harmony, without the slightest stiffness—all at the Great Perfection level.

Rather, Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon was only slightly displayed; it seemed that when refining his viscera, he had not yet cultivated this Divine Art.

"The Dragon Tiger Great Stake, combined like this?"

Using Cloud Dragon Nine Appearances to dodge and evade, Li Yuan observed Long Long Xinglie's Wu Gong, immersing himself within, faintly grasping the combination of these two supreme-arts-level stake arts.

"The dragon is the aid, the tiger is also not the main; the core of the Dragon Tiger Great Stake is union, the union of dragon and tiger…"

……

Boom!

Boom!

In the mountain forest, waves of air rolled, and the surrounding earth was like a painting being torn apart, erupting with countless spreading fissures.

In an instant, several li of mountain forest had become ruins.

Not far away, Long Long Yingchan watched calmly, pinching his long brows, his gaze never leaving the two fighting:

"Among those of the same rank, apart from Wan Wan Zhuliu, no one can defeat this boy… Is the gap in talent this obvious?"

The Dragon Dao Lord felt quite shaken within.

The superiority or inferiority of talent was not only reflected in the progress of martial training.

The understanding of Wu Gong, the application and combination of moves, even the reaction speed during combat—all were encompassed within talent.

At this moment, in his eyes, it was extremely evident.

Long Long Xinglie, at Great Completion of Viscera Refining, possessed nine supreme arts, six of which were at Great Perfection, and even had a Divine Art at Entry. In terms of Wu Gong, Li Yuan actually held no advantage.

In strength and speed, there was also no great difference.

But once they truly exchanged blows, one could immediately perceive a tremendous gap.

"No wonder the Health Preservation Sect, or any other relic sect—all trials place talent first…"

Long Long Yingchan watched calmly, while his mind ceaselessly deliberated:

"With Li Yuan's talent, a single superior Wu Gong would probably reach Great Perfection in one or two months. Practicing martial arts to alter one's innate bone can further enhance talent…"

Muttering to himself, the Dragon Dao Lord suddenly felt that although he had taught disciples for a hundred years, he lacked experience in how to guide a disciple with such talent.

"The higher the talent, the faster the martial training; the faster the martial training, the more the innate bone is altered…"

Long Long Yingchan was somewhat uncertain.

Innate bone was only one aspect of talent; the alteration of innate bone through martial training gradually diminished, and after reaching Yi Bai Xing, this was especially so.

Therefore, like him, many Sect Masters mostly entered the Dao after Yi Bai Xing. Thousand Form, Ten Thousand Form—even for them, were rather illusory and unattainable.

For him, spending over a hundred years to gather Thousand Form was truly unnecessary.

But Li Yuan…

"In a certain sense, a thousand-age-level talent possesses the qualification to alter Ten Thousand Form, but…"

His two long brows trembled ceaselessly. Long Long Yingchan suddenly realized that although he had guided countless disciples over the past century, he also lacked experience in how to train a thousand-age-level disciple.

After all, a thousand-age-level talent had not appeared in the Dragon Tiger Temple in two thousand years.

"Mm…"

Long Long Yingchan deliberated for a long time yet remained undecided. In the end, he temporarily set it aside, preparing to go back and look through the books left by the ancestors before deciding.

Hum~

At a certain moment, accompanied by a roar, the battle by the river drew to a close. Amidst large swathes of light and shadow drifting, Li Yuan stood leaning on his hammer, as if having gained some insight.

"Mm?"

Long Long Yingchan's heart stirred.

He saw wisps of mysterious-colored true Qi flowing out from Li Yuan's entire body, and soon, like fog, it enveloped an area of ten zhang in all directions.

"Roar~"

Within the fog there seemed to be a dragon's cry, followed by the sound of a tiger's howl.

"This comprehension…"

Long Long Yingchan's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. How long had it been? He had actually comprehended the Dragon Tiger Great Stake?

Hum~

Li Yuan sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed, sensing within.

Before his eyes, dragon and tiger seemed to appear, the tiger's howl and dragon's cry filling his heart.

"The Dragon Tiger Great Stake lies in union. Even if the Mysterious Yin White Tiger Stake has not reached Great Perfection, it is no hindrance, only a little slower."

After a moment, Li Yuan rose again.

He did not open his eyes either. Relying on the feeling in his heart, he slowly stretched his sinews and bones. His movements were slow, but under the gentle Xu Tui, the sounds of sinews and bones grinding rang out in a continuous chorus.

"This Dragon Tiger Stake…"

Under Xu Tui, Li Yuan felt his true Qi consumption surge dramatically. With his current vigorous stamina, after just a few pushes, he actually felt a trace of fatigue.

His movements appeared slight, unlike the exaggerated postures of Long Chan Stake that were even more extreme than yoga in his previous life, but within the calmness, the changes were even more intense.

His major tendons, skeletal frame, flesh, and even the meridians were all trembling violently.

With every gesture, it was as if he were pushing a mountain, and very soon, his stamina hit bottom; the sweat seeping out soaked his Daoist robe.

"Hoo!"

After a long while, Li Yuan opened his eyes, then with a 'shua' sound, he violently retreated, dodging the old face before him.

"…Dao Master?"

The old fellow appears and disappears like a ghost—doesn't he fear scaring people to death!

Li Yuan's heart twitched violently; he was truly startled. Even in such a state of highly concentrated spirit, he had absolutely no sense of anyone approaching.

This Cang Xing Zhi Fa…

After the shock, Li Yuan's spirit jolted. If he had this ability, wouldn't it be fine to take out the Shan Xuan Jing Hammer?

"Mm, how is the Dragon Tiger Stake?"

Long Long Yingchan pinched his long brows.

"Worthy of being a divine-grade stake art."

Li Yuan steadied himself, full of praise.

Although he had only just begun, he was genuinely quite moved. This stake art's training of the physique was far stronger than any stake art he had learned.

Moreover, it brought tremendous benefits to the tempering of true Qi.

"This stake art is the introductory stake art of the 'Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon' that I have learned."

Long Long Yingchan got straight to the point.

"Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon?"

Li Yuan had long suspected this, but at this moment he naturally wore a face full of shock, then bowed and gave thanks:

"Many thanks, Dao Master, for transmitting the art."

"…"

Far too exaggerated.

Long Long Yingchan coughed once:

"At your master's request, I transmit this stake art to you. If you want to thank someone, thank your master."

"Ah?"

Li Yuan's heart warmed, and he suddenly felt enlightened.

When Dao Master Long transmitted Wu Gong to him, wasn't it precisely when Old Long Head's injuries were at their worst?

"At that time, your master's injuries were extremely severe, but he was quite concerned about you. He came to me many times, requesting that I take you in. I could not refuse, and could only agree."

Glancing at the dazed Li Yuan, Long Long Yingchan said lightly:

"However, I never take disciples lightly, so I discussed it with him and decided to transmit several stake arts to you. If you could comprehend the Dragon Tiger Stake from them, you could enter my tutelage."

"This…"

Li Yuan had never expected Old Long Head to have considered things so thoroughly for him. Grateful in his heart, he naturally would not waste his goodwill, and immediately 'putong' dropped to his knees:

"Disciple Li Yuan, pays respects to Master."

"Mm!"

Long Long Yingchan calmly responded, his two long brows nearly unable to be pinched, stretched taut and straight:

"Rise."

"Yes."

Li Yuan felt a bit dizzy; Old Long Head was truly far too good to him.

"There are not many rules under my tutelage. You only need to remember: do not Pan Sect, and do not slaughter fellow disciples."

Long Long Yingchan said lightly.

"Disciple understands."

Li Yuan hurriedly bowed and accepted.

"This Dragon Tiger Yangsheng Pill shall serve as your master-acceptance entry gift."

Dao Master Long was very decisive, taking out that top-grade Yangsheng Pill and handing it to Li Yuan.

"Dragon Tiger Yangsheng Pill?"

Li Yuan took the porcelain bottle. Even through the bottle's body, he could feel the warm Qi transmitting into his palm, and his spirit jolted accordingly, as if he had taken a great tonic.

"The Dragon Tiger Yangsheng Pill has the effects of refining the divine soul, washing the Qi and blood, and consolidating the foundation. It is mostly used after the great completion of Blood Exchange, to knock on the door to the Grandmaster realm."

Long Long Yingchan spoke: "This pill can nourish the divine soul, can Wan Wan Zhuli Blood Exchange, and can also nourish the Spirit Phase. How to use it is up to you."

"Many thanks, Master!"

Li Yuan hurriedly bowed and gave thanks. For him, the greatest benefit of this Yangsheng Pill was that it could nourish the divine soul.

Taking this pill, even if breaking through to Grandmaster fails, one can retreat unscathed. This was far too important to him.

"Besides this Dragon Tiger Yangsheng Pill, you may also go to the Hundred Herbs Helm to choose one hundred spiritual pills of your own… As for divine weapons, you already have two, so I won't give you any."

Don't!

Stuffing the Yangsheng Pill into his bosom, Li Yuan hurriedly spoke: "Disciple already has two divine weapons and dares not crave more, but I would like to borrow a few more divine weapons to observe their characteristics…"

"Mm, that is also acceptable."

Long Long Yingchan considered it, then agreed.

After all, this lad was still a quasi-divine smith; observing divine weapons would also help his craft advance.

"Many thanks, Master."

After a bout of effort, Li Yuan thanked him several times.

"Mm."

Long Long Yingchan nodded, in a very good mood: "You must diligently practice the Dragon Tiger Stake."

"This disciple understands."

Having muddled his way into becoming a disciple, Li Yuan couldn't help feeling something was a bit odd, but no matter how he looked at it, this was a good thing, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

And seizing this rare opportunity, he inquired about a Gong Fa for concealing his form and hiding his tracks.

"Concealing form and hiding tracks?"

Long Long Yingchan smiled: "Haven't you already learned it?"

"Mm?"

Li Yuan's heart jolted: "Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon?"

"Wind has no form, clouds have no constancy; Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon, formless and inconstant, shifting without fixed pattern — naturally can conceal form and hide tracks."

Long Long Yingchan glanced at him, his words laden with meaning:

"You don't need the Seventh Layer Great Perfection. If you can cultivate to Zhi Si Zhong, as long as you don't bump into them head-on, even a Grandmaster might not detect anything amiss."

"What about the Seventh Layer?"

Li Yuan's eyes lit up brightly.

"The Seventh Layer…"

Long Long Yingchan smiled faintly: "Many years ago, when this old man went on a trip to the Divine Capital, I once brushed past the Town Martial King, and even he did not recognize me."

"That fierce?!"

Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat — this was the absolute pinnacle of assassination divine skill.

If this were cultivated to Great Perfection…