Chapter 436: The Turtle Immortal's Great Fortune

When a martial artist reaches Great Completion of Blood Exchange, they can transform into a beast; can a spirit beast, through cultivation, also transform into a human?

Within the gray stone platform, the Listening Sound still echoed. Li Li Yuanzhong's thoughts drifted as he recorded each important Listening Sound one by one. After a while, he ended today's Listening Sound.

Advancing the Palm Sound Register required two hundred fourth-tier Listening Sounds, and he still needed to plan his weapon fusion, so naturally he couldn't do it all in one go.

"First, let me calculate how much incense offerings the weapon fusion needs, then I'll do more Listening Sound. And that Xing Xing Tongyou corridor—I need to try it too, and that also requires incense offerings.

Although he already had channels to obtain incense offerings, they were still limited after all, so Li Li Yuanzhong had to be frugal with their use.

Before going to sleep, he swapped out the Dragon-Tiger Health-Preserving Furnace, took it out and placed it by the bed. If this furnace disappeared for more than one day,

the Health-Preservation Mi Jing would run into problems.

Without the furnace's blessing, Li Li Yuanzhong felt an emptiness in his heart, an indescribable sense of loss, and his vision seemed veiled in layers of fine gauze—he was quite unaccustomed to it.

But he quickly adjusted and closed his eyes to sleep.

The next day, light snow.

When essence is full, the spirit is full; when the spirit is full, one does not feel sleepy.

In just two or three hours, Li Li Yuanzhong had slept and woken. The first thing he did upon waking was to Palm-Control the Health-Preserving Furnace.

In an instant, his already abundant vigor surged to the point of nearly bursting. The Palm-Control blessing of the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing was outstanding; he felt utterly refreshed, and even his thoughts moved faster.

Stretching his sinews and bones, Li Li Yuanzhong rose, went into the courtyard to stand in a stance, feeling the changes brought by the Body-Forging Talent blessing.

Stance arts are specific movements coordinated with breathing techniques.

The circulation of true qi, the changes in qi and blood—the methods used to temper the body are naturally closely tied to the Body-Forging Talent.

Li Li Yuanzhong slowly pushed forward, and the various stance arts naturally shifted.

Dragon-Snake Nine Transformations, Mysterious Yin White Tiger, Long Chan Stance, Pillar of Heaven, Soldier-Body Momentum… each stance art, whether at Great Completion or nearly Great Completion, flowed with practiced ease.

Every stance art had its corresponding breathing technique and true qi circulation route. Even for Li Li Yuanzhong, who had reached Great Completion in many stance arts, his breathing and movements kept shifting as he pushed the stances.

He couldn't push all stance arts simultaneously with one movement.

But at this moment, under the blessing of the Dragon-Tiger Health-Preserving Furnace, did he seem to have broken this rule?

Li Li Yuanzhong half-closed his eyes, feeling the subtle trembling rhythms within his body.

Just as the Hammer-Forging Talent had caused his hammer techniques to advance by leaps and bounds, under the eleventh-tier Body-Forging Talent blessing, Li Li Yuanzhong felt an enormous difference.

Pores dilating, joints grinding, great tendons stretching, blood flowing, heartbeat, organs.

With eyes closed, Li Li Yuanzhong seemed to hear a perfect piece performed by all his organs in concert; the coordination of his various organs had reached a level that even moved him.

The various forms altered his body, and because their focuses differed, the strengths of each organ also differed. For instance, his right hand was much stronger than his left, and his eyelids were not as thick as the skin on his feet.

He had tried adjusting before, but could only do his best.

But now, under the eleventh-tier Body-Forging Talent blessing, he could feel what seemed like an invisible great net linking all his body's organs together, tending toward balance in a manner he himself found complex.

His stomach trembled, and the medicinal power of the Long Hu Longhu Dadan naturally dispersed throughout his limbs and body—where there was more, where less, when fierce, when gentle.

My body is tempering itself.

This thought leapt into Li Li Yuanzhong's mind. Then, in a daze, he seemed to hear a tiger's furious roar, and the shadow of a fierce, vicious white tiger surfaced in his heart.

Then, he felt his body shudder, and the medicinal power of the Long Hu Longhu Dadan was violently squeezed out, delivered to his entire body. Hoo!

A moment later, Li Li Yuanzhong opened his eyes. His gaze was very bright. Stretching his sinews and bones, he let out a low tiger's roar.

Combined with the Wind Form he had already comprehended, this Mysterious Yin White Tiger stance also reached Great Completion. Now, as his sinews and bones ground and twisted, it was precisely the alteration of form—adding the thirteenth form.

However, his physique was already extremely powerful, so the alteration of the thirteenth form did not appear violent; with just a slight shudder, the new form had already merged within.

Dragon-Tiger Grand Stance!

Li Li Yuanzhong didn't savor it further. With a slight shift of his body, he had already begun pushing the Dragon-Tiger Grand Stance.

This divine-tier stance art, encompassing the Dragon-Snake Nine Transformations and Mysterious Yin White Tiger, advanced by leaps and bounds the moment he began. Accompanied by the howling wind in the courtyard, before long, he had cultivated to the fourth tier!

The Dragon-Tiger Grand Stance lies in fusion!

With the foundation of the two prerequisite stance arts, Li Li Yuanzhong picked it up quickly. And his every will—even a single shift of thought—his body responded naturally.

The most difficult movements, the most complex stance arts, all became incomparably simple for him.

Absolute control over his body!

Li Li Yuanzhong's mind divided into many uses; he truly felt as if his flesh was tempering itself—in fact, this was no illusion.

Under the furnace's blessing, his control over his physique had reached a horrifying degree. Beneath seemingly ordinary movements lurked intense changes.

Sinews, bones, organs—even the subtler parts—were all changing.

Before long, accompanied by the low sound of wind and tiger, the morning mist was swept in. As wind and clouds converged, Li Li Yuanzhong's sinews and bones ground, emitting the long chant of dragon and tiger.

The Dragon-Tiger Grand Stance had reached the fifth tier!

His heart pounded like a war drum. Even Li Li Yuanzhong's vigorous physical strength was rapidly bottoming out, and at this moment, the medicinal power of the Long Hu Longhu Dadan would be delivered to all parts of his body in time.

Li Li Yuanzhong was immersed in it. When he felt his body tire and came back to himself, the medicinal power of the Long Hu Longhu Dadan in his dantian was actually nearly exhausted!

Vast steam rose from his whole body. The accumulated snow across the courtyard had melted, then been baked dry by blood qi and evaporated. The falling light snow was blocked outside, unable to land.

The Dragon-Tiger Grand Stance was already close to the sixth tier!

Li Li Yuanzhong's eyes shone.

With the Dragon-Snake Nine Transformations and Mysterious Yin White Tiger at Great Completion, they could naturally accelerate the progress of the Dragon-Tiger Grand Stance to a certain extent—but only to a certain extent.

Divine-tier stance arts were extremely complex, even involving combinations of form alteration and even spirit manifestations.

He had previously estimated that he would need nearly half a year to cultivate to the fifth tier, but now, in just this half a day or so, he had actually cultivated to a level close to the sixth tier!

The sixth tier of the Dragon-Tiger Grand Stance required coordination with the Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon manifestation; before entering the Dao, it was very difficult to cultivate to the sixth.

His body was weary, but Li Li Yuanzhong's spirit was very excited. He loosened his sinews and bones, and relying on the medicinal power of the Long Hu Longhu Dadan, he quickly recovered.

Light snow was falling from the sky. Li Li Yuanzhong didn't want to go out. He casually fried up a plate of egg fried rice to make do with a meal, then immersed himself again. The Body-Forging Talent's blessing on stance arts was immense, but even greater was its blessing on Horizontal Training!

And not just Horizontal Training.

Marrow Refining and Blood Exchange also received tremendous blessing!

Snow drifted lightly through the air. Li Yuan pressed lightly on his lower abdomen; the medicinal power of this Long Hu Longhu Dadan was nearly spent, and with successive breakthroughs in the Long Hu Da Zhuang, he had stepped into Marrow Refining.

This was no longer a matter of things falling into place; he was so immersed in the stance work that he hadn't even noticed.

From forging bone to marrow, and then to blood.

Information about Marrow Refining and Blood Exchange surfaced in Li Yuan's mind.

With two Grand Masters of the Zunda Sect guiding him, Marrow Refining and Blood Exchange held no doubts for him; from forging bone to blood exchange, every step was clear in his heart.

Marrow generates blood, so blood exchange and marrow refining are one realm.

The Long Hu Longhu Dadan is truly a fine thing.

This was not the first time Li Yuan had such a sentiment. Just this one Longhu Dadan had supported nearly half a year of his bitter cultivation, brought several top-tier and ultimate Wu Gong to Great Completion, and altered his root bone many times over.

Three of them would be enough for me to achieve Great Completion in Blood Exchange.

Li Yuan did not hesitate. He swallowed the second Long Hu Longhu Dadan. As his stomach and intestines settled slightly, he took his stance and, using the gentlest possible horizontal training method, drew out the friction between his joints.

Marrow Refining is tied to Blood Exchange; being careful is not excessive.

As evening approached, Li Yuan slowly gathered his stance, exhaled a breath of turbid Qi, blowing away the lingering mist around him, which dispersed slowly!

Master.

Li Yuan bowed.

Long Long Yingchan still appeared and disappeared like a ghost, but he could no longer hide from him.

Marrow Refining had been called out—

Daoist Master Long was slightly unaccustomed to it. The Long Hu Health Furnace monitored all the inner-gate mountains; from now on, scaring this lad would be difficult.

All thanks to the Long Hu Longhu Dadan you bestowed, elder.

Li Yuan was radiant in spirit, showing not the slightest fatigue from martial arts training.

Not bad, not bad.

Long Long Yingchan pinched his brow; this lad's martial arts progress was getting faster and faster, giving even him some heart-stirring alarm.

Elder, you've just returned?

Li Yuan asked, though in truth he was well aware of Daoist Master Long's comings and goings.

Earlier, while practicing martial arts, he had split his attention and seen Daoist Master Long return to Huishan, bringing back a few strange-looking people who seemed to have been deep-fried.

Long Long Yingchan chose his words carefully: Marrow Refining and Blood Exchange carry certain dangers; you must not be careless.

Looking at Li Yuan, Daoist Master Long felt a bit of a headache.

He had never tutored a disciple with such talent. These past days he had pored over the books left by the ancestors, but unfortunately the ancestors had no such experience either.

Only the records left by the two ancestors, Pure Yang and Dragon Seal, mentioned some of it.

This disciple understands.

Li Yuan was calming his restless Qi and blood.

Let's go, take a look at those three tough ones.

Cold wind like blades, heavy snow in the air!

In winter, the cold was extreme; even the sea surface was covered with a thin layer of ice, which was then smashed against the rocks by the waves.

Hengliu City sat on the shores of the North Sea, less than thirty li from the coast. In the heavy snow of deep winter, the entire city seemed carved from ice.

With such cold weather, naturally few people walked the streets.

By the roadside, beneath an old tree, a giant umbrella was propped up. Under the umbrella, an old man in a brownish-yellow patterned shirt lay in a chair reading a book; on the table were placed several crystalline jade coins.

Grandpa, do you know Wu Gong?

A slightly childish voice came over—it was a child in a brocade robe, about eight or nine years old, followed by several servants.

He was now looking at the old man with great curiosity.

A little.

The old man set down his book and answered with a smile: Can you tell?

In this heavy winter snow, you're only wearing thin clothes. My grandfather told me that people who aren't afraid of the cold have very high Wu Gong.

The child answered crisply: I've passed by several times, and you, old man, always wear only one layer of clothing.

Then your grandfather was wrong. Grandpa has never been afraid of the cold since he was small.

The old man chuckled and teased him.

At this moment, a carriage came down the street. A noblewoman draped in a large white fox-fur cloak pulled back the curtain: Kang'er, we're traveling far tomorrow, don't play around outside.

Mother.

The child obediently replied, but didn't move, just staring fixedly at the old man: Grandpa, can you teach me Wu Gong?

Kang'er!

The noblewoman chided lightly and stepped down from the carriage: The child is young, please don't take it to heart, sir. Tomorrow the family is sending him to the Clear Wind Sword Sect to apprentice; he's too young and can't bear to leave home.

The noblewoman spoke politely, but emphasized her words when mentioning the Clear Wind Sword Sect.

Clear Wind Sword Sect? I hear it's a major sect?

The old man just smiled, glanced at the child: Little fellow's fortune is a bit thin, can't learn grandpa's things, but meeting is fate. How about grandpa gives you a divination? All right, all right.

The child clapped his hands.

Then I'll trouble you, sir.

The noblewoman was somewhat helpless; toward this old man who had appeared out of nowhere and was impervious to cold and heat, she was inwardly somewhat wary.

Someone who could wear only a single layer of clothing in such a fierce snowstorm must at least be an expert who had achieved Internal Hardness.

Then, let's divine your martial fortune.

He picked up the jade coins on the table and casually rolled them. The old man's fortune-telling was quite simple, which made the noblewoman frown inwardly—not even asking for a name or birth characters?

Could this be some Jianghu swindler casing her Ao family?

Mm, little one, your martial fortune follows your ancestors—it's not thin. The first twenty years were a bit bumpy; only after thirty will your fortune truly blossom, and you'll enter... the Azure Dragon Pavilion.

Hearing these three words, a smile immediately appeared on the noble lady's face. Although

she knew it was most likely empty talk, she still couldn't help feeling a bit of joy.

The Azure Dragon Pavilion is one of the Five Great Dao Sects under heaven—a hegemon dominating Long Yin Dao for a thousand years. Anyone who enters it, even as an outer disciple, brings great glory to their family.

"However, if you leave the city to take a master, there is another path you may take."

The old man shifted his tone.

The noble lady frowned, already somewhat displeased: Old Mr., you don't mean to take him as your own disciple, do you? That's not it.

The old man laughed in spite of himself, but slowly raised his head: "Brother Ao, your blood replacement was thorough indeed. To be able to bear a half-human, half-dragon offspring, there probably isn't much dragon flavor left in your blood."

Heaven and earth suddenly fell silent.

The wind and snow inside and outside Chang Street seemed to stop. The child, the noble lady, and all the servants and coachmen collapsed unconscious without so much as a peep.

The old man gave a casual flick, and the child drifted into the carriage like a stalk of straw. As for the others, they naturally fell into the snow.

Who are you?

In the wind and snow, a black-robed old man appeared soundlessly, his entire body shrouded in a cloak, his features unseen.

Now, studying the tortoise-backed, tortoise-shaped old man beneath the great black umbrella, a wariness flashed through his eyes: Has Ao somehow offended you, sir?

No.

The tortoise-shaped old man cupped his fists with a smile: "This old man's surname is Gui, given name Gui Laoxian. I have come here precisely for you."

Gui Gui Laoxian. The black-robed old man was not surprised—this old fellow was the spitting image of a tortoise; that wasn't something one could cultivate:

I've heard that by the shores of the Eastern Sea, a spirit tortoise once descended from the heavens. Could that be you?

Indeed.

Gui Gui Laoxian nodded.

A visitor from beyond the heavens.

The black-robed old man Ao Cang grew even more wary: What do you intend?

Gui harbors no hostility.