Chapter 427: The Rules of Tian Yun Xuan Bing

In the Dragon-Tiger Furnace, the celestial ladder spirals upward, reaching the furnace's peak.

On the thousand-step staircase, Li Yuan stands gripping his hammer, overlooking below—where blood qi surges like wolf smoke, power churns and roils, and the thunderous roar echoes like rolling thunder.

Across the vast, square-like staircase, Mo Long strides forward, each movement stirring true qi like tidal waves, leaving no one standing in his path.

Dragon God True Qi, Demon Subduing Blade Art.

Li Yuan watches intently, comparing this to the blade intent he felt when drawing his sword earlier, discerning clear differences.

Compared to that blade intent, Mo Long is undeniably supreme, yet lacks a certain harmony and naturalness—but in sheer presence, the latter feels even stronger.

No other reason: Mo Long has a physical body.

Unlike Long Xi's true qi manifestation of years past, his blood qi is yang and fierce, his physique immense—even across a thousand steps, the condensed, overwhelming blood qi can be felt.

Beyond minor differences in blade technique, his physique and true qi blood qi have both reached an utterly terrifying realm, especially his physique.

Stronger than Da Ming Chan Master's Golden Immortal Body!

Gripping his hammer tightly, Li Yuan steadies his breath, fixing his gaze on the towering, dominant figure—never wasting the opportunity Long Daozhu left him.

The instant Pei Xingkong entered the Dragon-Tiger Tower, he heard a thunderous boom—a dense, tangible blood qi surged toward him as if ready to ignite him.

"Pure Yang Blood Qi!"

Pei Xingkong's expression turned grim.

Blood Replacement means replacing old blood with new; the purity of the blood reflects the martial artist's physique—Pure Yang-level blood qi is the peak recorded in ancient texts.

Only the most supreme Spirit Form bodies can achieve such condensed blood qi.

This exquisitely condensed blood qi now misted into fog, shrouding the spiraling, countless-step celestial ladder.

Amidst the swirling blood qi, Mo Long ascends like an ancient war god, shattering every figure on each step as if cutting through rotten straw.

"Brother Pei."

Only then did Pei Xingkong notice Long Xinglie—his hair wild, blood qi boiling, as if he'd just endured a brutal battle.

Nearby, Pei Jiu, Shi Qingyi, Yan Jiugong, and others were also present, many of them disheveled and battered.

"Lost?"

"Lost."

Shi Qingyi spoke frankly—this heavenly prodigy had entered slightly before Pei Xingkong, her long spear now bent beyond recognition, her hair tangled.

"The Number One Under Heaven is truly the Number One—even his Spirit Form is beyond our match."

Yan Jiugong was the most battered—clothes torn, blood smeared at mouth and nose, his whole frame listless.

"Brother Pei, it's your turn."

All others turned to look.

"Fine."

Pei Xingkong did not refuse to face such a figure—victory or defeat was a necessary consideration; Wan Zhuliu had reigned for decades without equal.

His only defeat came before his divine art reached full mastery, when he faced the previous Star-Picking Tower Master.

Whether him or the others, entering the tower was merely to test their martial arts.

With a sword's keen cry,

Pei Xingkong leapt upward like a streak of swordlight, chasing after Mo Long.

The others hurried after him.

Wherever they passed, flashes of light erupted—each one a tower guardian shattered in battle.

Pei Xingkong moved with blazing speed—he cultivated the peerless lightness technique, One Thread of Heaven—and soon, he saw Mo Long's figure, fingers drawn like blades, slicing through the tower guardians blocking his path.

Mo Long halted, glanced back at Pei Xingkong and the others ascending the steps, his impatience reaching its peak.

Why waste time fighting these brats?

Long Ying Chan!

He shifted his foot slightly—his already overwhelming blood qi surged again, like a fire dragon dancing in the sky.

The suppression of Tian Yun Xuan Bing—even a Grand Master could not resist—but he

Dared to enter—how could he lack a foundation?

Even if the inside and outside are sealed off, what then?

He still has this blood qi, this peerless physique!

If you want to stop me, come yourself!

With a roar, Mo Long's aura erupted—still at the Blood Replacement level, yet subtly surpassing it—while the tower guardians who had previously withstood dozens of strikes were now pierced through in a single breath.

His climbing speed surged tenfold—Pei Xingkong's face darkened; he was already falling behind.

Ten steps. A hundred steps. Three hundred steps.

In an instant, he had reached five hundred steps!

"This is bad!"

The elders of the Dao Sect watching from the fourteenth level all changed expression.

Mo Long's sudden surge, though still within Blood Replacement, subtly transcended it—the tower guardians on the ladder included several faces they knew, yet none could stop him.

"Wan Zhuliu's blood qi."

Long Ying Chan raised his hand, tapping the void repeatedly—the shadow of the Nourishing Furnace flickered several times; each flicker caused Mo Long's figure to hesitate, yet simultaneously, the blood qi he unleashed surged another third.

Repeated again and again, he still could not halt him.

Seeing this, Nie Xianshan and Long Xi Xiang's expressions also changed.

Can't stop him!

Nie Xianshan leapt to his feet, face dark.

On the ladder, his own figure had been shattered by Mo Long—only slightly stronger than the other guardians.

With the unification of essence, qi, and spirit—even the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Furnace cannot fully suppress them. The guardians lack flesh and blood, already three-tenths weaker; stopping him is nearly impossible."

Da Ding Chan Master's expression grew grave—he saw clearly this was not merely due to blood qi.

A Grand Master unifies essence, qi, and spirit—qi is blood, blood is spirit, spirit is qi. But Mo Long is different—he is a manifestation forged by Wan Zhuliu from blood qi and Spirit Form.

To unleash blood qi means he can activate his Spirit Form!

This Mo Long is Wan Zhuliu's body, forged from flesh and Spirit Form—his blood qi and Spirit Form are his true self; the Nourishing Furnace cannot fully suppress him.

"This is the inherent law of the Nourishing Furnace—I cannot overstep it."

Long Ying Chan tapped the void repeatedly—the Nourishing Furnace shadow emitted a low, resonant hum.

He was not surprised—after all, Mo Long dared enter the Dragon-Tiger Tower only because he had some foundation.

Unable to suppress him, Long Xi Xiang's face darkened: "Quickly open the tower and let Li Yuan out—I'll kill this old mud eel!"

Mo Long's surge startled everyone; Da Ding Chan Master narrowed his eyes, committing Long Ying Chan's words to memory.

He knew the rules of Tian Yun Xuan Bing well—hence why the Divine Dragon's Needles could never be fully mastered—but now it seemed even the Dragon-Tiger Temple could not fully control the Nourishing Furnace?

"Calm down."

Long Ying Chan was not in a hurry.

The Nourishing Furnace's rules of mastery cannot be altered—but that's all. He allowed Mo Long to enter the tower because he had his own confidence.

His calm demeanor quieted the others—only Long Xi Xiang frowned tightly; he had opposed letting Li Yuan risk himself from the start.

In his view, Li Yuan should have trained quietly in the mountains—risking his life should have been left to the old man.

Long Ying Chan glanced at him, then pointed at Li Yuan:

That boy isn't worried—why should we be?

"Hm?"

Long Xi Xiang paused slightly; all turned to look.

In the scene, Mo Long roared, blood qi swirling like a blazing rainbow piercing the sun, sweeping across hundreds of steps—while at the thousand-step mark, Li Yuan slowly raised his hammer and descended.

"This Dragon-Tiger Elixir won't be easy to claim!"

Watching the approaching figure, monstrous as a giant demon war god, Li Yuan felt a pang of headache—blood qi surging like a fire dragon in the sky, how immense must his physique be?

He thought Da Ming Chan Master's formidable physique was the human limit—yet Mo Long seemed far beyond that.

Comparing them, he felt a faint insight stirring within.

A Master harmonizes true qi with heaven and earth; a Grand Master unites mind and spirit with heaven and earth—thus unleashing power far exceeding physical strength.

But once severed from heaven and earth, combat power plummets instantly.

"Physique…"

Li Yuan's mind subtly expanded; true qi naturally flowed from his body—not the Whale True Qi, but a mist-like aura enveloping him.

This was the Form of Wind and Clouds, activated by Whale True Qi—his figure blurred; after descending several steps, he looked no different from ordinary tower guardians.

This old man is too fierce—Li Dao Ye thinks it's wiser to play it safe.

With each step, gales followed, stirring clouds of dust.

Pei Xingkong rushed forward but halted—beyond a dozen steps, Mo Long gazed coldly at him; one look, and his face paled further.

Is this still the same level?

Pei Xingkong's head throbbed. As Mo Long turned his head coldly, he flicked his finger—a thread of blood qi shot out like a spear, streaking a hundred zhang, shattering the tower guardian; then another flick—reducing him to a shower of sparks.

Pei Xingkong's scalp prickled—this was no technique a Blood Replacement martial artist could unleash; in that finger flick, he clearly sensed the glow of a Spirit Form.

"How do you fight this?"

Behind him on the steps, the others halted, sensing something was wrong.

Especially Long Xinglie—he had once challenged the peerless blade intent of the Martial King within Long Xi Xiang's spiritual realm, yet never felt such terrifying pressure.

"Even the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Furnace can't suppress him?"

Long Xinglie was slightly startled and immediately thought to retreat from the Heavenly Staircase and seek his master for answers.

Long Chan, are you not coming out yet?

He raised his hand and shattered the tower guardians blocking his path; the Black Dragon let out another roar, holding back the endless waves of invisible pressure.

His already swift speed surged further.

In just a few leaps, he shattered countless tower intruders and had drawn near the thousandth step!

Yet…

Sixty-eight thousand steps…

As he advanced, he shattered one blocker after another; even Black Dragon found his head aching—he remembered the Sea-Stabilizing Mystic Turtle Armor held no more than a hundred souls, yet this was far too many.

"No wonder Long Chan wasn't the least alarmed—even if the sword-drawer wasn't inside the tower, no ordinary person could cut through this Heavenly Path…"

Black Dragon's heart turned cold; his speed increased further, blades of light weaving around him like a dragon, repelling and slaying the countless tower guardians rushing at him.