Chapter 425: Li Yuan Subdues the Dragon! (Part Two)

The Dragon Dao Lord's voice was neither loud nor soft; on and below the high platform, the expressions of people like Pei Jiu and Yan Jiugong all shifted somewhat — the words "Number One Under Heaven" truly stirred the hearts of these sect true inheritors and Dao Sons.

Even Pei Pei Xingkong was somewhat tempted.

Just as Long Long Yingchan had said, the chance to witness the Wu Gong of the Number One Person Under Heaven was truly rare, especially since within the Dragon Tiger Pagoda, those of the same realm would compete.

Only Liaokong and Shi Shi Qingyi showed no change in expression — thanks to their own patriarch, they had not only witnessed the Number One Under Heaven, but had witnessed it thoroughly, many times over.

But as someone walked toward the Dragon Tiger Pagoda, the others still followed one after another.

Daoist Li was adjusting the combination of weapons he wielded.

When he saw that several old fellows were putting on an act, the taste came back to him.

As the crowd walked toward the Dragon Tiger Pagoda, he sat back down in his chair, holding a cup of tea, as if deep in thought, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"I should have thought of this long ago."

Li Yuan was reflecting — he had been startled by the Grand Grandmaster's qi. If Old Dragon Head hadn't put on such an exaggerated act, he would have thought they were about to fight.

"This kid…"

Glancing at Li Yuan, who was pretending to be deep in thought, Long Long Yingchan found it amusing. While chatting with Brother Zhongli Wang Luan and the others, he also sent a transmission, concise and to the point: "Longhu Longhu Dadan."

Daoist Li couldn't hold it together.

The old fellow had him by the short hairs — the medicinal power of his Longhu Longhu Dadan was visibly running out, and he had been thinking earlier about how to get another one.

"Ten pills."

Li Yuan transmitted back with an outrageous demand: "Ahem…"

Long Long Yingchan, who was in the middle of speaking with Daoist Yuanding, nearly choked on his own saliva, his two long eyebrows fluttering wildly.

"You brat, you really dare to bare your fangs."

From the start of his martial training to now, over a hundred years, he had taken a total of only twelve Longhu Longhu Dadan in his life.

No way!

Long Long Yingchan refused irritably through transmission: "Two at most."

You brat don't bargain, do you?

Long Long Yingchan couldn't hold it together either, glaring at him — this bratty kid still wanted to get a grip on this old man?

Two at most!

"Shut it!"

Long Long Yingchan cut him off through transmission: "Three at most. One more word of nonsense — believe it or not, this old man will grab you and toss you in there, not giving you a single one?"

"Deal!"

Li Yuan knew when to quit, agreeing readily.

His actual expectation had been two — with the medicinal power of the Longhu Longhu Dadan, three would be enough for him to complete the Blood Replacement at the fastest speed, with plenty to spare!

The king of spirit pills — one alone could match several hundred ordinary spirit pills, and was far more mellow and gentle, with the added effects of nourishing the divine soul and healing wounds.

This deal, worth it!

"Go on."

Long Long Yingchan glared at him irritably, then felt a bit of a headache — the quota for Longhu Longhu Dadan wasn't much, and the extra three pills had long since been allocated; he'd have to figure out where to scrounge them up.

Those two ancestors aren't easy to talk to.

The Dragon Dao Lord felt worried in his heart?

Seeing the change in his expression, Brother Zhongli Wang Luan furrowed his brow slightly and also transmitted: "In for a penny, in for a pound — might as well refine and kill him directly. After all, he's already entered the Dragon Tiger Pagoda."

"Worried — naturally, I'm somewhat worried. After all, this concerns that Zhenwu King."

Glancing at Brother Zhongli Wang Luan, Long Long Yingchan naturally could not agree — he had gone through all these circles precisely to avoid a head-on clash with the imperial court.

At the very least, he couldn't be the first.

Otherwise, even if the other Sidadao Sect lent their full strength, the brunt would fall on them, and Dragon Tiger Temple would likely be smashed into ruins — something he absolutely would not allow.

Fighting is fine, but it cannot start from Mount Hengshan.

"That Great Solar Heaven-Surveying Mirror alone numbers nine. If this old man's guess isn't wrong, that Wan Wan Zhuliu, the imperial court, and even that Qian Emperor are all watching from afar."

The Dragon Dao Lord's gaze was deep and dark, his mind clear as a mirror.

In fact, this move of his had drawn considerable criticism — in the eyes of many disciples, several major sects, and other martial world people, he

had retreated, feared the imperial court.

Maintaining one's reputation is indeed heavy, but not dragging the disciples into the mire is even more so.

Brother Zhongli Wang Luan was inwardly startled, and the others all furrowed their brows as well.

"Even if he watches, what of it?"

Grand Master Master Dading, however, didn't care much: "Daoist Long has already retreated again and again. If the imperial court still refuses to let go, then there's only…"

He didn't finish the second half of the sentence, but the others naturally understood.

"Let's wait until True Person Feng Yuanqing arrives, then discuss further."

Long Xi Xiang spoke, and everyone agreed.

The once-in-thirty-years Dao Martial Exhibition was not just about comparing martial arts and exchanging pleasantries — the relationship with the imperial court was the top priority.

"Running a household isn't easy."

Chatting with the others as he walked toward the Dragon Tiger Pagoda, the Dragon Dao Lord sighed inwardly, yet his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

"Using the Dragon God Phase to sacrifice to my Azure Dragon — perhaps I can try to take that final step."

Henglong Dao, Divine Capital, Imperial City.

A bronze mirror hung high within the Piandian, where various lights and shadows intertwined, reflecting the Dragon Tiger mountain range beyond Qianshan.

In the image, the Ink Dragon held the bronze mirror in his palm, its radiance shrouding Dragon Tiger Temple, and all the scenes it witnessed likewise appeared before the people within the Piandian.

Long Long Xinglie, Long Long Yingchan's personally transmitted disciple, Dragon Tiger Dao Son, world-shocking talent, cultivated the three great Da Shen Gong of Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon, Dragon Tiger Mysterious Scripture, and Health-Preserving Pure Yang — limited by not yet entering the Dao, none had reached completion.

"Shi Shi Qingyi, personally transmitted by Tian Tian Shezi, Dao Child of the Green Dragon Pavilion, heaven-defying talent, cultivates the Green Dragon True Astral, Nine Transformations of the Celestial Dragon."

"Pei Pei Xingkong, personally transmitted by Daoist Feng Yuanqing, Dao Child of the One Qi Mountain Manor, heaven-defying talent, cultivates the Primordial Unity, Three-Features Return-to-Origin Sword."

Inside the Piandian, Emperor Qian, Wu Wu Yingxing, and others each took their seats, with attendants at their side, introducing them one by one as the light and shadow before their eyes flowed and shifted.

"Li Yuan, inner disciple of the Dragon Tiger Temple."

When the attendant spoke to this point, Emperor Qian frowned: "Li Yuan? If this one remembers correctly, Yan Yan Chunyang was killed by him." "Replying to Your Majesty, it is precisely this person."

The attendant bowed and said: "This person joined the Dragon Tiger Temple no more than two years ago and has not yet obtained the position of true transmission. To be able to kill the Marquis, it was by virtue of a supreme-grade divine weapon, the Scaled Dragon Sash."

"Heaven-defying talent, and a supreme-grade divine weapon?"

Emperor Qian cast a glance; in the image, a young man in a Daoist robe unobtrusively retreated behind the crowd.

"The Scaled Dragon Sash — is it the divine weapon refined from that Scaled Dragon that descended from the heavens?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, it is that Scaled Dragon."

As the light and shadow flowed, Emperor Qian asked questions from time to time. The attendant seemed well-versed in intelligence from across the world, answering each question one by one — some in detail, some briefly.

"The Scaled Dragon Sash alone could not have killed Yan Yan Chunyang."

Wu Wu Yingxing toyed with a few crystalline, jade-like coins in his hand, seemingly divining, yet also as if casually fiddling.

"Has Master Wu seen something?"

Emperor Qian inquired.

"Just a slight feeling."

Wu Wu Yingxing pinched those coins: "It's too far, not very clear. However, this boy should not be limited to this; perhaps he has other hidden depths."

"Mm."

Emperor Qian frowned: "Under the Great Sun Heaven-Surveillance Mirror, even Grand Grandmasters have nowhere to hide. Could this boy really be an exception?"

"Even when the great sun is overhead there are shadows. Though the Grand Ancestor's Wu Gong reached the pinnacle, he may not necessarily have seen through everything — for instance, certain hidden special constitutions."

Wu Wu Yingxing replied: "Much like the Grand Ancestor's constitution back in his day."

"Pang Pang Wenlong's constitution?"

A trace of coldness flashed in Emperor Qian's eyes, and he immediately asked: "Does Master Wu think this person possesses a similar constitution?"

"It's too far, hard to divine."

Wu Wu Yingxing shook his head.

Emperor Qian slightly frowned and looked to the right — there sat a refined, scholarly old man in a blue robe: "Has Mr. Shen seen anything?"

"Shen's eyesight is not as good as Brother Wu's. Your Majesty, I have not seen anything."

That old man had crane-white hair and a child's face, an exceedingly fine appearance, and spoke in a slow, gentle manner. His name was Shen Shen Qisheng, originally of the Changhong Sword Sect — though now, of course, a Grand Guest Minister of the imperial court.

He did not look at the others; his gaze remained

fixed on that Ink Dragon: "Your Majesty, I wonder how many parts of Brother Wan's skill Ink Dragon possesses." "What does Mr. Shen think?"

Emperor Qian asked with a smile.

"Hard to say, hard to say."

Shen Shen Qisheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

"This Ink Dragon originates from a strange art obtained by the Prince — an incarnation refined from flesh, blood, and spirit-image. In years past it possessed eighty or ninety percent of the Prince's skill, but its will naturally cannot compare to the Prince's."

Wu Wu Yingxing answered.

"A strange art."

Shen Shen Qisheng's gaze shifted slightly, and he asked: "Eighty or ninety percent in years past — what about now?"

"Then it's hard to say. The Prince has been in closed-door cultivation for over forty years; as for his current realm and Wu Gong, Wu does not know either."

As the few were conversing, the bronze mirror suddenly trembled. Though it was only an imperceptible instant, all of them frowned in unison.

"The Dragon Tiger Nurturing Furnace?"

"Something's not right."

Emperor Qian raised his hand and grabbed; the image reflected in the bronze mirror froze, then expanded to the same height as the Piandian, and every scene within became clearly visible.

Wu Wu Yingxing focused his gaze and swept across it, but the image contained several thousand people, with auras of various colors interweaving — for the moment he could not discern anything either.

"Perhaps it was influenced by the Dragon Tiger Nurturing Furnace?"

Emperor Qian gathered his thoughts, flicked a finger, and the bronze mirror trembled lightly as all manner of light and shadow intertwined and flowed.

In the image, the Ink Dragon walked toward the Dragon Tiger Pagoda. The few immediately fell silent, all drawn to the Dragon Tiger Pagoda.

At the place where the Dragon Tiger Pagoda stood, wind and snow both scattered. Light dozens of times more vigorous than usual spread outward in layers, like ring upon ring of halos, illuminating this mountainous land with extraordinary brightness!

At this moment, the area beneath the Dragon Tiger Pagoda was packed with people — not only those from the Qi-Sensing Platform earlier, but people from inside and outside the mountain gate had almost all surged over, and even the nearby hills were covered with people standing on them.

All manner of discussion and clamor only erupted after the Ink Dragon entered the Dragon Tiger Pagoda. Even several li away, Li Yuan found it somewhat grating to the ear.

"This Ink Dragon is Wan Wan Zhuliu's spirit-image incarnation; its Wu Gong can't possibly match the original, right?"

Li Yuan muttered to himself, yet dared not let down his guard in the slightest.

As the crowd gathered beneath the pagoda, Li Yuan unhurriedly took stock of his various mounts and steeds, while someone had already walked toward the Dragon Tiger Pagoda — clad in Qianshan Qianshan Qilin armor, it was none other than Long Long Xinglie.

The surrounding clamor ceased in an instant. Long Long Xinglie did not pause either, and walked straight into the Dragon Tiger Pagoda.

The chance to challenge the number one person under heaven was too rare. Not only the Dao Children and true transmissions of various sects, but even elders of many factions followed him in. Li Yuan even spotted Ba Ba Wanli.

Li Yuan truly felt the rallying power of the number one person under heaven. If not for people blocking the way in front of the pagoda to watch, he suspected everyone present would want to try.

There were exceptions, however.