Chapter 424: Li Yuan Subdues the Dragon! (Part One)

Supporting the shadow of the Yangsheng Furnace, Long Yingchán's kasaya billowed without wind, his two long brows rising and falling as though suppressing his fury, though his voice was calm.

"You want to fight?"

Li Yuan's heart tightened, and he silently retreated behind the old dragon head.

The Dragon Tiger Pagoda was tied to the Yangsheng Furnace; whether Mo Long dared to enter was one thing, but he also didn't believe the Dragon Dao Master would truly let him in to search.

A brawl between Land Immortals—even he wouldn't dare take part, let alone the masters of the Rudao Sect!

He noticed the high platform was full of clever people; when the mirror's light shone, quite a few had already retreated far away.

Especially the elders and true disciples of the Qitadao Sect and other sects—they were exceptionally sharp and had withdrawn early.

"Wan Wan Zhuliu really is scheming for the Dragon Tiger Yangsheng Furnace."

At one corner of the high platform, Tian Tian Yingzi's expression was subtle—the Dragon Tiger Pagoda was no ordinary place.

It was the central hub of the Yangsheng Furnace, the path of recognition. Even if Long Yingchán were close friends with the master of the Star-Plucking Tower, he would absolutely never allow him into the Dragon Tiger Pagoda.

The search for the Star-Plucking Tower master was nothing but a pretext; Mo Long's true aim was surely the Dragon Tiger Yangsheng Furnace!

His peripheral gaze swept over the elders of the other factions; their expressions had all shifted slightly, clearly seeing through Mo Long's true purpose as well.

The few exchanged a discreet glance, all raising their guard.

That Mo Long was, after all, Wan Wan Zhuliu's spirit manifestation—and the latter had consecutively subdued two Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, a fearsome figure indeed.

They didn't think Long Yingchán would truly let Mo Long into the pagoda.

"Senior Brother, we absolutely cannot let him into the Dragon Tiger Pagoda!"

Long Xi Xiang spoke out to stop him, his voice loud and burning with rage:

"The imperial court has bullied us too far—so what if we defy the decree?"

Crack!

Winds and clouds churned, thunder rolled and surged.

Up and down the Ganqi Platform, every disciple of Dragon Tiger Temple glared in fury, blades and swords drawn from their sheaths, but the reactions of the elders and true disciples of the several great Dao Sects varied.

Xie Xie Tongzhi drifted back, Tian Tian Yingzi watched from the sidelines—only Zhong Li Wang Luan gave a cold laugh and spoke:

"Your Excellency is rather overbearing. Searching the mountain isn't enough—you must also breach another sect's forbidden ground?" He glanced at Xie Xie Tongzhi and the other; their choice didn't surprise him. What did astonish him was Grand Master Master Dading.

This great master pressed his palms together in greeting; though he said nothing, he still stood at Long Yingchán's left side.

"Today you breach the Dragon Tiger Pagoda—tomorrow will you enter my Heavenly Fire Cave? And the day after, will it be the Two-Colored Pool of the Azure Dragon Pavilion's turn?"

Zhong Li Wang Luan's voice was cold.

Hearing this, the elders of the other Dao Sects all shifted in expression; Tian Tian Yingzi's brow furrowed slightly, but he still said nothing.

"This commander acts by Your Majesty's decree, to arrest the Star-Plucking rebel—there is absolutely no intention of coveting another sect's treasure."

Mo Long swept a cold glance around, his gaze still fixed on Long Yingchán: "If the Dragon Dao Master has a clear conscience, then open this pagoda. If indeed no traitor is being hidden… not only will Mo be left here, even the prince himself will come to apologize in person."

Dragon Tiger Temple naturally would not defy the imperial decree.

Long Yingchán's face was expressionless, seemingly exerting all his effort to suppress his fury, yet his voice was calm:

"Do you want this old man to make a move? Hmm?"

Mo Long's expression shifted slightly as well—he hadn't expected Long Yingchán to be so cooperative.

"Senior Brother, absolutely not."

"You can't!"

"Dao Master…"

The high platform erupted at once; the Dragon Tiger Temple disciples were in an uproar.

"Something's not right."

Li Yuan, however, sensed something off. Setting aside the others, the old dragon head's reaction was somewhat exaggerated.

"No need to trouble the Dragon Dao Master to act."

Before the words had even fallen, Mo Long had already landed on the Ganqi Platform. An invisible force suddenly spread out, and several dozen people staggered, shoved aside.

"Woo—"

Li Yuan only felt a weight on his shoulder—the little tiger cub seemed frightened—but he paid it no mind, his gaze already drawn to that dazzling streak of purple light.

Great Sun Monitoring Heaven Mirror

(Ten-Tier)

Forged from the spirit manifestation of a supreme great master as its base material, supplemented by all manner of heaven-gifted treasures, tempered by myriad slaughters as fire, with all kinds of yin shrines and evil gods as fuel—a sacrificial treasure… spirit already born.

Requirement to wield: Bai Shen Zheng Fa Di Jiu Chong, Great Sun Form.

Wielding effects: Ten-Tier (Purple): Great Sun God-Slaughter; Nine-Tier (Red): Pure Yang Body, Bai Shen Fa Shi Zhong.

Utterly firm Pure Yang, Great Sun God-Slaughter.

"A Ten-Tier divine weapon?"

"No—this should count as a Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing!"

Li Yuan's heart pounded violently; staring at that dazzling light, he could hardly look away.

"Great Sun God-Slaughter… Pang Pang Wenlong's spirit manifestation is said to be nine suns spanning the sky. If this mirror truly has nine of them…"

The thought flashing through his mind, Li Yuan felt a chill—what realm had that Pang Pang Wenlong's cultivation reached?

And besides, forging a treasure from a spirit manifestation…

"Hmm?"

Mo Long frowned slightly, sweeping his gaze around. For an instant, he felt the Great Sun Monitoring Heaven Mirror in his palm tremble—as if it had discovered something?

A thought turned in his mind, and the mirror's light suddenly flared.

The surrounding crowd was caught off guard; they only saw black before their eyes, stabbed by the light until tears streamed down.

But it lasted only an instant—the light had already faded. Mo Long's brow was tightly furrowed. The trembling of the Great Sun Monitoring Heaven Mirror was certainly real, yet when the mirror's light shone, it still found nothing.

"Strange."

He glanced around; aside from a sea of glaring eyes, nothing seemed amiss, yet a sense of oddity lingered in his heart.

The Great Sun Heaven-Viewing Mirror is a divine weapon forged by Pang Pang Wenlong with the entire nation's strength; for a thousand years it has been continuously refined, so even a Heaven-Fate Profound Weapon should be unable to hide before it.

"Is that enough?"

On the high platform, Longhu Longhu Dandan, expressionless, held back the surging crowd of elders and disciples.

"Open the tower."

Suppressing his doubts, Mo Long spoke lightly, his gaze already fixed on the Dragon-Tiger Tower radiating a faint glow, his eyes holding a subtle meaning.

This was far smoother than he had anticipated.

"Senior brother..."

Grabbing Longhu Longhu Dandan's arm, Long Xi Xiang glared in anger, somewhat aggrieved: This can't be right!

It's too exaggerated.

Longhu Longhu Dandan's eyelid twitched, shook his arm off, raised a hand, and crimson light shot skyward, exploding like fireworks, spreading layer upon layer to cover the entire Dragon-Tiger mountain range.

From the void came a long-lasting, trembling hum.

Accompanying this humming tremor, faint crimson threads wove through the air, as if a cauldron as massive as a great mountain appeared suspended in the sky.

The Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Life Furnace!

In that instant, all the mountains fell silent.

On the mountains, below the mountains, inside and outside Hengshan City, countless people looked up following the sound and saw that enormous cauldron, as if dragons and tigers coiled upon it.

Ancient and mysterious.

Li Yuan looked toward the sound and saw the light on the Dragon-Tiger Tower rise as well, outside the tower body, manifesting a giant tower woven of light and shadow, seeming both illusory and real!

The Dragon-Tiger Tower is the path of recognition for the Nourishing Life Furnace, formed from Nourishing Life Qi, capable of shifting between the illusory and the real.

This giant tower at this moment is the true form of the Dragon-Tiger Tower.

"Too magnificent!"

At this moment, countless people stood with eyes wide in shock.

The Nourishing Life Furnace stretched across the sea of clouds, the giant tower stood atop the mountain, seeming both illusory and real, seeming both false and true, its light dazzling, like a divine miracle.

Even Li Yuan, who wielded a Heaven-Fate Profound Weapon, could not help but feel his heart tremble; let alone others?

The mountains fell silent for an instant, then Yu Yu Xuanji erupted with cries of astonishment like a mountain-shaking tsunami.

A Heaven-Fate Profound Weapon!

Master Master Dading clasped his hands, a look of longing appearing on his face, yet his heart could not help but grow dim.

'Before my junior uncle passes away, we must find the next person capable of making the Divine Dragon Sumeru Staff recognize its master!'

Profound Weapons possess spirit; those without affinity cannot see them. If one cannot fully master them, then once the master of the Profound Weapon dies, the weapon vanishes immediately, unable to be passed down through generations like the Wudadao Sect.

Is this the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Life Furnace?

Pei Pei Xingkong was also gazing out; it was his first time clearly seeing a Heaven-Fate Profound Weapon, and his heart was deeply shaken as well.

On the nearby cliff face, the little tiger cub watched silently; the old man fell into silence, not knowing what he was thinking, sighing from time to time.

"The Nourishing Life Furnace."

The onlookers felt their spirits stirred; Mo Long, at the forefront, felt immense pressure, coming from Longhu Longhu Dandan and also from the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Life Furnace.

The Dragon-Tiger Tower is the place of inheritance for our Dragon-Tiger Temple, a place of trial. To enter the tower, there is only one path of trial.

Longhu Longhu Dandan spoke, silencing the commotion in the arena, his tone calm and steady:

Your Majesty's decree, the Dragon-Tiger Temple dares not refuse, but this path of trial is not something human hands can control. If you cannot walk it, or if you perish within it, it cannot be counted as us defying the decree, can it?

"That is natural."

Mo Long withdrew his gaze; he naturally understood this and possessed full confidence.

Though he was not a prince, he feared not this so-called Profound Weapon trial; for him, the greatest difficulty was actually forcing Longhu Longhu Dandan to step aside.

"Very well, enter the tower."

Longhu Longhu Dandan pinched his brow, watching Mo Long step into the Dragon-Tiger Tower, only then feeling a sense of relief in his heart.

"It is done!"

Long Xi Xiang and Nie Xianshan exchanged a glance, their hearts also settled.

Wan Wan Zhuliu was eyeing the Nourishing Life Furnace; this point, the three of them had anticipated years ago. Whether it was Yan Yan Chunyang or the Imperial Decree, they were all mere decoys.

What Mo Long's true purpose was, they knew perfectly well.

Regarding how to respond, the three had discussed it at least dozens of times.

"Just... just let him go in like that?"

Not to mention Li Yuan, even Brother Zhongli Wang Luan and others felt somewhat bewildered; this was a trial path concerning the recognition of a Profound Weapon, yet they simply let Mo Long enter?

The Daoist of the Dragon Path! He is the spiritual manifestation of Wan Wan Zhuliu!

The one speaking was Yuan Ding Daoist, the junior brother of Yuan Qing True Person from Yiqi Villa; previously he had not spoken, yet he had always stood beside Longhu Longhu Dandan.

The Imperial Decree is here; what can be done?

Longhu Longhu Dandan sighed.

Yuan Ding Daoist's face twitched; had he not known Longhu Longhu Dandan for many years, he would have thought this old fellow was truly a spineless coward.

It was Long Xi Xiang who spoke: A spiritual manifestation is merely a spiritual manifestation, not Wan Wan Zhuliu himself; moreover, it is only the spiritual manifestation he severed forty years ago.

"Several of you, please move."

Nie Xianshan swept a cold glance over; Tian Tian Yingzi, Xie Xie Tongzhi, and others changed expression; they wanted to say something, but still fell silent, bowed slightly, and descended from the high platform.

"The Wudadao Sect shares one breath and connects its branches..."

Brother Zhongli Wang Luan sneered, also finding it rather dull, yet could not help but ask:

Dragon Dao Lord, this Ink Dragon is a manifestation Wan Wan Zhuliu formed by fusing his own flesh and blood with the 'Dragon God Aspect' — aren't you afraid something will go wrong? "I do have some measure of confidence."