Chapter 421: The Light of Talent

"That's…"

Blood Vajra's expression shifted, Fayin Fayin Tongzi—who had been shoved stumbling—had no time to get angry, and the three of them fixed their gazes on the black carriage.

"Ink-colored dragon pattern—that's Wan Mo Long!"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi pressed against the window, a large hand suddenly clamped over his face, Bone Vajra shoved him aside, and his pure-white eyes flickered:

"Laozi told you Wan Wan Zhuliu wouldn't just sit still."

That freaking thing was my line!

Fayin Fayin Tongzi was furious inside, but there was nothing he could do—the four Vajras of Flesh, Blood, Sinew, and Bone were Dharma Protectors of the Gods, and in both killing methods and status they outranked him.

Bone Vajra in particular was a slippery customer among slippery customers.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, Bone Vajra and Blood Vajra both stepped back at once; Fayin Fayin Tongzi only felt two large hands shove him left and right to the window, and the next instant, a chill shot through his heart.

Through the wind and snow on the long street, a pair of crimson eyes landed on him.

Fayin Fayin Tongzi's body trembled; he felt as though a divine blade-tip was pressed against his brow, a bone-piercing cold descended and froze him in place.

"Fayin?"

The private room suddenly dimmed, and an indifferent voice rose at just the right moment: "Come here. See me."

"Yes."

Fayin Fayin Tongzi turned his head with difficulty—the two baldies had already shrunk into the corner.

"Those two as well—come together."

The voice spoke again. Fayin Fayin Tongzi let out a long breath, and without waiting for the two to answer, he had already sprung away.

"Go or not go?"

Inside the private room, Blood Vajra and Bone Vajra exchanged a glance.

"Afraid of him?"

Bone Vajra gave a cold snort and burst out through the window.

Blood Vajra frowned slightly, but sensing that indifferent, cold, still will, he followed along as well.

"Mo… Your Highness."

Before the carriage, Fayin Fayin Tongzi cupped his hands, choosing his form of address carefully.

Ordinary folk only knew that Mo Long served under the Town Martial King as the Grand Commander of the Dragon Shadow Guard, but he naturally knew that this one was a spirit-form incarnation the Town Martial King had split off by some means.

"Come in."

Hearing the permission, Fayin Fayin Tongzi only then entered the carriage.

The interior of the carriage was very spacious, its layout like a small study; behind the desk sat a youth with a cold, grim expression, draped in a great black cloak.

Fayin—how did you die?

Behind the desk, Mo Long looked up; his gaze was crimson yet held no bloodlust, instead carrying a mysterious, deep chill.

"I—"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi started, then said: "One thousand four hundred years ago, Gao Gao Feiqing waged war across the world… I was no match, and died beneath his coiled-dragon staff—my liver and brains both shattered."

As if recalling the scene just before his death, the skin of his face twitched uncontrollably.

"What I'm asking about is that rainy night."

Mo Long hadn't meant to ask him that, but hearing him say it, his expression shifted slightly: Mhm—your skull was smashed in by Gao Gao Feiqing back then?

"Yes."

Fayin Fayin Tongzi sighed: "Gao Gao Feiqing was a peerless overlord; apart from the Dragon Demon Daoist who had already vanished without a trace in those days, he roamed the world with virtually no one to match him, until Pang Pang Wenlong rose to prominence."

Mo Long frowned and cut him off—he knew this intelligence better than Fayin Fayin Tongzi did: I'm asking you—your skull was smashed in, wasn't it?

"Yes."

Fayin Fayin Tongzi started, then answered: "If not for the Dharma Lord saving me back then, and for my having forged a divine shrine in advance, I'm afraid my soul would have already been… utterly destroyed."

"Without the divine shrine?"

"Death would have been certain."

Fayin Fayin Tongzi answered—the Bai Shen Fa was a path to longevity, not an undying body; once the head was gone, how could one possibly survive?

"Certain death."

Mo Long's expression darkened slightly.

These past days, he had traveled to many places, meeting the Remnant God, the Headless Jialan, the half-remnant Lock-Bone Bodhisattva, and the answers he got were all much the same.

Yan Yan Chunyang's brain had been shattered too thoroughly—even performing those few

legendary great sacrificial rites of the Xieshen Sect might not be enough to bring that boy back…

Mo Long's gaze grew slightly cold, with a touch more annoyance—at Yan Yan Chunyang, that boy who had the bloodline of the King yet not a shred of brains; if only, after his heart had been pierced through, he had played dead on the spot—even if he truly died, leaving an intact corpse would not have left him so troubled.

Brother Mo Long!

Bone Vajra's voice came through!

"Mhm!"

Mo Long responded, set down the scroll in his hand, and when he lifted the carriage curtain, they had already arrived outside the mountain gate of Dragon Tiger Temple.

"Brother Mo Long!"

Blood Vajra walked at the very back and cupped his hands slightly.

That rainy night—you two were killed by Long Xi Xiang, Mo Long asked.

"Nie Xianshan."

"Long Xi Xiang."

Fayin Fayin Tongzi and the other were very cooperative.

"Long Xi Xiang has already shattered the Great Dipper and the Three Origins into one; I cannot defeat him."

Blood Vajra knew what Mo Long wanted to ask; he felt some regret now. If he had known this would happen, he should have sent a message to the imperial court back then.

Anything else?

"This..."

Fayin Fayin Tongzi shook his head: "That night, we fell into an ambush and had no chance to investigate anything; we truly do not know who removed the Prince's blade intent."

If they had known, where would they have been forced to run again? Mo Long only asked casually; seeing that neither of them knew, he stopped pressing further.

He looked up at the stone plaque hanging high, then stepped forward toward Hushan.

Whether it is that old ghost or not, one question will tell.

The bell rang several times in succession.

At the Qi-Sensing Platform, many disciples of Longhu Temple converged on the high terrace. As Li Yuan received the true transmission, as was the custom, Long Yanchan and Long Xi Xiang were to speak and offer encouragement.

Afterward, they would inquire of the several families attending as observers.

The several great Dao Sects are outwardly of one breath and connected; among peers, they even call each other senior and junior brothers. Theoretically, they could issue a challenge here to spar and exchange skills.

But until the bell sounds faded, aside from congratulations, the several Dao Sects made no move.

"Hah!"

Li Yuan sensed intense emotional fluctuations; above and below the high terrace, the gaze of the vast majority fell upon him, far more intense than during the previous duel.

In the Land of Spiritual Light, threads of incense smoke rose up, very quickly. And...

Li Yuan diverted his attention to sense the Land of Spiritual Light, that Thunder Dragon chasing Wan Wan Leishi.

At this moment, the Thunder Dragon was incredibly active, with a feeling like a fish-dragon entering the water, an indescribable liveliness.

Form and spirit both complete, the intent of the Thunder Dragon.

Li Yuan committed this feeling to his heart; for a Spiritual Resonator, form and spirit both complete is the key to achieving Spiritual Resonance.

Martial fortune is not flourishing; even the people of Changhong Sword Sect have become cautious. Pity, pity.

On a cliff, a little tiger cub squinted, sizing things up; at her ear, the old man occasionally commented, occasionally sighed!

"Sect assessments are not a gathering of all Dao for martial display; Long Yanchan invited them to observe the ceremony, not to spar and exchange skills."

Qin Li Shixian shook her head inwardly.

Jumping out at this moment, regardless of victory or defeat, it would not be worth it; Changhong Sword Sect has plenty of sword madmen, but madmen are not fools.

"Your eye is indeed good; that youth embodies multiple forms. Beyond wind and clouds, there is also thunder and lightning; the various beast forms should number around two hundred. Indeed, it is a spectacle of the ageless era."

The voice at her ear sounded again; Qin Li Shixian felt as if a swarm of flies were buzzing around her ears, but upon hearing "two hundred forms," she was startled inwardly:

"Two hundred forms?"

She focused her gaze on Li Yuan atop the high terrace, feeling some surprise and doubt in her heart.

Regarding Li Yuan's progress in Wu Gong, she knew a little; before he drew his sword for himself, he should have only just gathered the hundred forms, right?

Or did she missee it back then?

"However..."

At her ear, the old man's voice also carried a trace of doubt.

"However what?"

If my old eyes are not mistaken, this youth indeed possesses peerless talent, but truly speaking of aptitude, he is not much stronger than those few.

"Wha"

"t exactly is..."

Attached within a strand of black hair atop the little tiger cub's head, the old man looked down over the entire Qi-Sensing Platform.

Within his vision, all colors interwove across the entire Qi-Sensing Platform, and all energies rose; not only the Martial cultivation realm of the crowd, but even their aptitude, in his eyes, each possessed its own radiance.

This was the Great Sun Dharma Eye, created by him based on the Divine Eye Sutra within Bai Shen Zheng Fa, blending various methods of observation and techniques for gazing at Qi.

"That youth."

The old man muttered to himself, feeling somewhat strange.

From the perspective of the Dharma Eye, the scene reflected above and below the Qi-Sensing Platform now was indeed rare; various radiances interwove, and those with outstanding aptitude were extremely numerous.

Those possessing peerless-level aptitude exceeded ten people!

Aside from Long Yanchan, Great Master Master Dading, and other elders, among the young people there were also Long Long Xinglie, Pei Jiu, Pei Pei Xingkong, Shi Shi Qingyi, Liao Kong, and others.

The radiance of aptitude Li Yuan possessed was higher than the others, but not by much; at the very least, it was far from reaching the scope of the ageless era.

Yet he happened to embody over two hundred forms.

At this age, with this cultivation, it was far faster than even he had been back then; calculating thus, this even exceeded the scope of the ageless era.

"Strange and peculiar."

"You mean his aptitude does not reach the ageless level?"

Qin Li Shixian felt some suspicion in her heart; she had observed him for several months back then, compared his speed in practicing Wu Gong to her own back then, and deduced Li Yuan's aptitude.

Moreover, his person's body was like a Jin Dan without leakage, and his spiritual light was like a tide unceasing; this was precisely one of the characteristics of ageless-level endowment recorded in the books.

"Hard to say."

"Hard to say?"

Qin Li Shixian frowned inwardly; she was truly annoyed by this way of speaking. Why not speak plainly and quickly?

"Under my old Dharma Eye, he is indeed only of peerless-level endowment, but the characteristics of his person even exceed the scope of the ageless era."

Qin Li Shixian felt surprise and doubt, but the old man convinced himself: "Perhaps it is some special physique? My endowment back then was extremely poor; for a time I could not learn Wu Gong. If not for... seeing my special physique, perhaps..."

Perhaps what?

The old man's voice grew quieter and quieter; Qin Li Shixian didn't even hear it. As she was pressing for an answer, she suddenly heard the old man make a soft "Hm?" sound.

"Hm?"

Qin Li Shixian was half a beat slow.

On the high platform, Long Long Yingchan raised his head; Master Master Dading and the others also turned to look in that direction.

"Ao!"

"Roar!"

The tiger's roar and the dragon's cry echoed inside and outside the mountain ranges, tearing through the heavy snow and reverberating throughout Hengshan City.

"Dragon and tiger appear together?!"

Daoist Li was counting the wisps of incense smoke rising from the places of spiritual light, fell a beat behind, and only then realized.

Outside the mountain gate, a strong wind howled, carrying Feng Feng Mantian's heavy snow, swirling upward like tornadoes, and thick mist formed in its wake.

Wind and clouds gathered; Bai Hu stepped on the wind and rose, while the azure dragon coiled in the clouds.

"A talent for the ages?"

Long Long Daozhu's thoughts turned, yet he found no surprise on Long Long Daozhu's face; Old Dragon Head and the others seemed to have expected it all along.