Chapter 440: Five-Grade Palm Sound Talisman

Xuan Whale Secret Realm.

Xuan Whale Sect.

Low, heavy footsteps emerged from the opposite side; a six-meter-long Fangtian Huaji dragged along the ground, emitting a sharp "screech-screech" as it split the earth.

Amid swirling mist, a towering, inhuman giant stood impassively.

"The real killer."

Two li away, Li Yuan took down a heavy hammer from the weapon rack, not rushing forward, but carefully observing.

The gap between realms is truly insurmountable.

Even with his talent pushed to this level, the divide between Entry into the Dao and Bone Refinement is utterly unbridgeable—at least not for Li Yuan now.

Li Yuan had no solution!

After completing Blood Transformation, could he defeat this one?

Li Yuan spun the heavy hammer lightly.

These past days, he had explored every corner of the Xuan Whale Sect ruins except the Dao Master's residence, and he had to admit: the finest treasures of the Xuan Whale Sect were likely all here, in this dueling ground.

That was why he had to come back to this dueling ground.

In dozens of prior battles, his best performance had been evading seventy moves with Yunlong Jiuxian—after which he was mercilessly shattered.

He had fought dozens of battles before; his best performance had only let him evade seventy moves using Cloud Dragon Nine Appearances, after which he would be mercilessly shattered by his opponent.

Li Yuan squinted slightly; among the weapons, all blades gleamed like stars.

The Liehai Xuanjing Hammer, the Longhu Yangsheng Furnace, three Lei Long Juntian Hammers, the Chi Xue Wenlong Armor—these were his newly forged three weapons.

The Eight-Grade Four-Dragon Kun Juntian Hammer, the Seven-Grade Divine Fire Thousand Beasts Boots, and the Seven-Grade Four-Thousand-Bone Ring.

Divine Fire Thousand Beasts Boots

Made from the hides of a thousand spiritual beasts, forged with divine fire, spiritual marvels have arisen.

Mastery Condition: Bloodline of the Weapon Master

Mastery Effect: Seven-Grade (Gold): Footwork Talent, Chase Wind, Catch Lightning; Six-Grade: Unmoving as a Mountain

This was Li Yuan's first pair of seven-grade boots, balancing speed and stability, enhanced by talent. But his greatest gain was not these boots—it was the final ring.

This was Li Yuan's fourth pair of seventh-rank boots, balancing speed and lower-body stability, enhanced by innate talent. But his greatest gain was not these boots—it was the ring at the end.

Bone infused with blood, a thousand spiritual beast bones refined into weapons by divine fire, imbued with myriad mysteries, spiritual marvels have arisen.

Mastery Condition: Bloodline of the Weapon Master

Mastery Effect: Eight-Grade: Combat Talent; Seven-Grade: Spiritual Beast Intuition

Nearly eight-grade bone ornament!

Li Yuan felt a surge of surprise—he had never seen such a mastery enhancement before, and the effect…

Li Yuan activated each one, sensing the effects of the various mastery enhancements.

The bone ornament's enhancement acted upon the spirit; the moment he activated it, he felt the tremors in his spiritual light, the Lei Long quivering, emitting a long, resonant howl.

The bone ornament's enhancement acted upon the spirit; even at first control, he could feel the tremors in the spiritual light—Lei Long—

In that instant, Li Yuan felt as if he had walked naked into a freezing winter snowstorm.

Even the faintest breeze made his hairs stand on end, his spirit taut, as if an enemy might strike from the shadows at any moment.

Especially from across.

Two li away, he still felt the bone-chilling cold and the overwhelming pressure, like dark clouds crushing down.

Spiritual Beast Intuition: In the mountains, danger lurks everywhere; any spiritual beast lacking sufficient awareness would never survive to be hunted.

The instinct for danger, embedded in the marrow of a thousand spiritual beasts.

Through ten li of distance, he could still feel the bone-chilling cold and the overwhelming pressure, like dark clouds crushing down.

As if time had reached its limit, while Li Yuan was still fiddling with the mastery enhancements, a thunderclap erupted—the ground beneath him rolled like ocean waves.

The massive vibration, transmitted through the earth, jolted his body.

Retreat!

Li Yuan's hairs stood on end; the instant the ground trembled, he shot away like a startled rabbit, leaping a li away, his form twisting, leaving behind multiple afterimages.

"So fast?"

His reaction speed had increased dramatically; Li Yuan's eyes brightened, feeling the surrounding chill—it tightened his spirit but also elevated his reflexes immensely.

Boom!

The Fangtian Huaji descended like a mountain, crushing the earth for miles around.

Swish—Li Yuan turned in advance, evading with Yunlong Jiuxian, then twisted again, dodging the sweeping Fangtian Huaji:

Combat Talent: Survival of the Fittest; in mountains and oceans, danger is everywhere; every spiritual beast has endured countless life-or-death crises. The marrow of a thousand beasts holds their innate talent for combat.

Spiritual Beast Intuition, Combat Talent!

At this moment, Li Yuan used only the enhancement of this one bone ring—and he dodged the Zongshi -level giant's relentless barrage, enduring over fifty strikes!

How much more than instantly effective was this boost?

Combat Talent: Survival of the Fittest. Amidst mountains and oceans teeming with deadly peril, every spirit beast must endure—

Hearing the beast's roar, Li Yuan's spirit tensed, his heart tightening—he had lost many times after this:

He's going to summon his Spirit Form again!

At this moment, Li Yuan used only the enhancement of this bone ornament and repeatedly dodged the furious barrage of this master-level giant, enduring over fifty moves!

In the training ground, the giant stood with his halberd; amid a tidal wave of golden light, a golden, monstrous bird spread its wings, emitting a metallic clang.

The bird's wings, like countless swords and knives, clashed and scraped, producing a dense, piercing screech.

Hearing the beast's roar, Li Yuan's spirit tensed sharply, his heart tightening—he had lost many times right after this moment:

Li Yuan retreated violently, shifting his form nine times, then nine more—his speed was extreme; at a glance, dozens of afterimages seemed to linger in place.

The next instant, all the afterimages were pierced through.

The monstrous bird flared its wings—just once—and it seemed to tear open the very air of the dueling ground; a deafening, shrill sonic boom erupted—the sound of air violently ripped apart.

Fast!

The giant bird's wings, like countless swords and blades, clashed and scraped, emitting a dense, piercing screech.

Li Yuan's eyelids twitched uncontrollably; without hesitation, he activated all his weapons except the Yangsheng Furnace.

Immense power and extreme speed exploded forth.

Chii!

Li Yuan heard the sound of tearing silk, almost right against his ears.

The strange bird spread its wings and moved—just once—as if tearing open the very air of the arena, a shrill, piercing explosion—

His form shot like lightning, shifting dozens of times in an instant, fleeing nearly ten li away—so fast that his Xuan Whale Qi-formed body twisted, blurred, as if about to shatter.

But he had evaded it.

Li Yuan felt a flicker of relief—then he heard a chorus of chii sounds, and his eyes widened; his hairs stood on end again.

The monstrous bird's Spirit Form, each feather like a blade, slowly detached—thousands upon thousands of flying swords, all pointing directly at him.

!

Countless feathers rained down from all directions, unavoidable, unescapable; Li Yuan weaved through them, struggling to dodge—yet was ultimately engulfed.

Li Yuan heard the sound of tearing silk, as if it were right against his ears.

Just as Li Yuan was about to give up, a furious roar echoed—the surrounding light and shadows vanished; from the stands, a voice came.

Ying Xuanpeng, the 140th-generation True Disciple of the Xuan Whale Sect.

Was this referring to the giant?

Li Yuan's heart stirred—the giant holding the Fangtian Huaji vanished from the dueling ground; then a stone stele rose from the earth, glowing with golden light:

True Disciple Trial: One Victory

Battle Earthly Demon in Bone Refinement—survive and you win; victory brings reward…

Reward: One Xuan Whale Dueling Hammer, One Xuan Whale Pill

Countless feathers rained down from all directions, impossible to dodge or evade; Li Yuan weaved through them, struggling to avoid them, yet was ultimately swallowed whole.

A heavy hammer fell from the sky, crashing before the stele, kicking up a cloud of dust; Li Yuan hurried forward—the stele also bore a black, murky spiritual pill.

Just as Li Yuan was about to give up, he heard a roar—the surrounding lights vanished. From the stands, voices came forth.

He grumbled inwardly but still reached out to claim his trial reward—the Xuan Whale Dueling Hammer was identical to the one he had received before: a seven-grade heavy hammer, yes, dug up from the earth.

Ying Xuanpeng, the 141st-generation Master of the Xuan Whale Sect, was also my Master.

From the stands, a whisper came.

Li Yuan was certain this was not meant for him—it was more like a voice from long ago, left behind in this dueling ground.

Cultivate bone marrow to battle Earthly Demons; to never lose is to win; to win deserves reward···

Reward: One Abyssal Whale Battle Hammer, one Abyssal Whale Elixir

Huh!

A heavy hammer descended from the sky, smashing before the stone tablet and kicking up a great cloud of dust; Li Yuan hurried forward—the tablet bore another blackened spiritual elixir.

Expired elixir.

Though inwardly resentful, Li Yuan still reached out to accept the reward for this trial—the Abyssal Whale Battle Hammer was much like the one he had received last time.

No, a seventh-rank heavy hammer—hmm, dug up from the earth.

Ying Xianpeng, the 141st generation Master of the Abyssal Whale, is also my Master.

From the stands, murmurs arose.

Li Yuan was certain this was not meant for him—it was more like a whisper from long ago, left behind in this dueling arena.

My master, the path to Soul Transformation... disciple, I have come to find you.

The path to Soul Transformation?

The one speaking is Canglongzi.

Li Yuan's heart stirred—the surrounding mist gradually dispersed. "Huh!"

Before the Xuanjing Gate's archway, Li Yuan's form blurred and nearly vanished; even with teleportation to evade, it was a near miss.

It's actually the Dao Master of Xuanjing Gate—no wonder he was so hard to fight...

Li Yuan remained dazed for a moment before calming his body's fluctuations; he recalled Canglongzi's murmurs, feeling a flicker of understanding.

Ah.

He had already felt Xuanjing Gate's true disciple trial was far harder than Yangsheng Sect's, and had been puzzled then; now that he knew this one's identity, it made perfect sense.

It was simply bad luck...

The path to Soul Transformation—did Canglongzi ultimately follow his master's footsteps? But did either succeed? Probably not, or else Xuanjing Gate wouldn't have been destroyed.

After the battle, Li Yuan was utterly exhausted; he had no desire to fight another round. Clutching the Xuanjing Dan, he exited the secret realm.

"Huh!"

"Inhale!"

Inside the room, Li Yuan sat with eyes closed, cultivating his breath; after a long while, his spirit recovered somewhat.

Three consecutive victories grant true disciple status. First, maintain one win and drain Xuanjing Gate's resources. The Daozi trial? Forget it—a thousand-year-level Grand Master couldn't dodge even a single strike.

Playing with the blackened elixir, Li Yuan was somewhat satisfied; though he dared not consume it, if the trial rewards could be farmed, he'd eventually uncover its formula.

There's still the Yangsheng Sect trial.

Li Yuan lay down, half-closing his eyes, entering the Commander's Space—threads of incense drifted toward the Lingyin Wood Tablet; this was his nightly ritual.

A pastime.

Jingping Bureau's famed hunter Jin Zhuofeng captured the divine thief Kong Xing after days of pursuit; the divine thief Yun Zhaoyue, severely wounded, escaped and secretly rallied fellow outlaws to plan a rescue.

Wow, a serial drama?

Months later, Li Yuan heard another Lingyin about Kong Xing.

This divine thief had lived a tumultuous year—fighting fellow thieves, battling famed hunters, traveling tens of thousands of miles, his fame skyrocketing.

Hmm, captured now? It doesn't affect me.

Li Yuan was still surprised—the divine thief Yun Zhaoyue was too loyal, still thinking of rescue at this point.

Li Yuan was still somewhat astonished—this thief, Yun Zhaoyue, was too loyal; even now, he still thought of saving him.

Li Yuan muttered to himself, conjuring scenes in his mind, but then recalled Kong Xing's appearance and thought it unlikely.

Could someone that ugly have such romantic luck?

Outlaws—hmm, river pirates, bandits—well, fits perfectly: divine thief versus famed hunter, Jingping Bureau versus outlaws.

"Outlaws" is the general term for river pirates, mountain bandits, and horse thieves; some are formidable, mostly traitors expelled from various sects, many also hired as bounty hunters, and plenty are infiltrators from demonic cults.

Li Yuan pondered briefly, then dismissed it; his connection with Kong Xing was limited to that incense-laden cauldron—he saved him from Zhongli Luan and saw him out of the city, that was the end of it.

Green Forest, a general term for river pirates, bandits, and horse thieves; among them are some formidable experts, mostly traitors from various sects.

Disciples, many of whom also worked as bounty hunters, were mixed among them, along with numerous followers of demonic cults.

Text flowed across the Lingyin Wood Tablet, one Lingyin after another sounded, but aside from this one, nothing else interested him.

Most were secrets, rumors, or incomprehensible fragments; Li Yuan silently noted them down, mentally tallying his incense.

He still had plenty of fourth-rank incense. Hmm—better to act now than wait; first, upgrade the Lingyin Tablet.

With a thought, threads of fourth-rank incense drifted toward the tablet; Li Yuan paid closer attention—this was where useful intelligence occasionally surfaced.

The Qinglong Pavilion was robbed, provoking the Sect Master Tian Shezi's fury; tens of thousands of Qinglong Soldiers were deployed, sparking a bloody purge.

In a hidden location, imperial forces scoured the mountains; a dangerous killer lay in wait, slaying dozens, forcing several Jingping Bureau famed hunters to intervene!

Beyond people stand others, beyond heaven lies more heaven—in Yanshan Dao, Jiangzhou, a young boy found a broken sword by the roadside, suspected to be from beyond the heavens!

From a dark underground palace came shouts and combat sounds; a gaunt, skeletal middle-aged man angrily carried an incense-laden cauldron out of the cave.

In a hidden place, the imperial court had scoured the mountains and forests; a dangerous killer lurked within, waiting to strike, having slain dozens and forcing several famed constables of the Jingping Bureau to act!

Li Yuan instantly perked up—this thing had no other use except holding incense.

Carrying one? How huge could it be?

Li Yuan's heart raced—he was desperate for incense. He strained to listen, but the Lingyin was unclear, offering no clue to the man's destination or whereabouts.

Still, he silently noted it down, planning to inquire—someone carrying a cauldron should be conspicuous, right? And a dark underground palace, an incense-laden cauldron—could this be the headquarters of a demonic cult?

Who was that middle-aged man?

Lingyins echoed—some useful, some not.

Li Yuan recorded each one in his mind.

Long after, as another fourth-rank Lingyin echoed, the Lingyin Wood Tablet emitted a faint You light—its upgrade conditions were met.

Upgrading the Lingyin Tablet isn't easy.

Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

At lower ranks, upgrading the Commander's Tablet was simple—no other materials needed—but as the rank rose, difficulty skyrocketed.

Upgrading from fourth to fifth rank was manageable; just thinking of seventh, eighth, or ninth rank made Li Yuan's scalp tingle—it was astronomical for him now. He had only eight eighth-rank incense threads total—barely enough for the down payment.

Advancing this palm inscription is no easy feat.

Li Yuan sat up, pushed open the door, and went to the warehouse.

As usual, he took out bottles and jars filled with spiritual beast blood; after each Commander's upgrade or Lingyin Tablet upgrade, he tried the Heaven-Granted Tablet.

The Commander's Tablet showed no reaction when upgraded to ninth rank—perhaps because the Lingyin Tablet's rank was too low?

Li Yuan pondered.

When he first received the Heaven-Granted Tablet, the Commander's Tablet was seventh rank; so for the third time, must it be the Lingyin Tablet at seventh rank?

As usual, he took out the bottles and jars filled with spirit beast blood; after each battle and every advancement of the palm inscription, he would attempt the Heavenly Bestowal of the Inscription.

Prepared, Li Yuan sat cross-legged; his spirit trembled, then surged half-out of his body—simultaneously, a thunderous crash exploded.

"Boom!"

Even prepared, Li Yuan felt his mind go blank, as if his senses were stripped away, drifting in a chasm.

The roar grew louder.

Long after, Li Yuan returned to his body, wiping the dark blood oozing from his seven orifices; his mind buzzed incessantly.

Fifth-rank Lingyin Tablet

Fifth-rank Hundred-Record Tablet

Number of Heavenly Sounds audible: once every nine months

Unlocked: Lingyin Tablet

Long after, Li Yuan regained his senses, returned to his body, wiped away the foul blood oozing from his seven orifices, and his mind continued to ring.

Fifth-Rank Palm Sound Seal

Fifth-Rank Hand Record

Can hear the Heavenly Tones: once every nine months

Unlocked: Sound Listening Seal