Chapter 459: Pang Pang Wenlong Died Because of the Great Sacrifice…

Hum—, a faint breeze rose within the hall!

From the shadows, a figure gradually grew clear, walking out slowly; it was an old man in a purple robe, tall and imposing.

Qin Yun, the old fellow truly did not die.

Longhu Longhu Dandan's gaze sharpened; though he had suspected it in his heart, seeing it with his own eyes still filled him with unexpected joy, especially at this moment!

"Little Monk, many years have passed; do you still recognize this old man?"

The old man in the purple robe stroked his long beard and smiled faintly!

Little Monk…

Looking at Longhu Longhu Dandan's wrinkled old face, Qin Li Shixian suddenly felt speechless; he jumped onto a chair, patted with his small paw, grabbed a fruit, and began to gnaw on it!

"Your senior's heroic bearing is unforgettable to this junior!"

Longhu Longhu Dandan clasped his hands in greeting; in his heart, he truly felt a sense of relief. Since this person was not dead, many matters would be much easier to handle!

"Little Monk is still so well-mannered!"

Qin Yun smiled faintly and found a chair to sit down!

Longhu Longhu Dandan stepped forward a few paces, sat beside him, exchanged a few polite greetings, and asked about the ambush back then!

"There is little to say; it was merely those nine old fellows secretly setting up a ritual. I went to the Divine Capital to gather incense, was momentarily careless, and suffered some injuries!"

Qin Yun spoke lightly and casually!

"What ritual could injure someone like you?"

Longhu Longhu Dandan was curious in his heart; the person before him was, in over a thousand years, the only one besides Pang Pang Wenlong who might have touched the Divine Palace—a near-Transcendent Grand Master!

As for an ambush, that was even more bizarre!

This person was the undisputed number one assassin under heaven; how could he be ambushed in return? "Heavenly Ritual, what is it called? Nine Sons Slaying the God!"

Qin Yun casually mentioned it; he knew the little monk's thoughts, but he was not in a hurry to ask, conversing with him at a leisurely pace!

"Nine Sons Slaying the God…"

Longhu Longhu Dandan hinted indirectly, mentioning those nine old ghosts, mentioning Wan Wan Zhuliu, but this old fellow remained unmoved like a mountain; no matter how he hinted, there was no reaction whatsoever!

It seemed he was entirely unconcerned about having been surrounded and attacked!

"This old fellow is impossible to pin down!"

Sighing inwardly, Longhu Longhu Dandan coughed lightly and said, "Since you have come, senior, you must have heard Wan Wan Zhuliu's invitation earlier."

"What invitation?"

Qin Yun was surprised: "This old man just arrived; could I have missed some major event?"

Longhu Longhu Dandan felt slightly stifled in his heart, with the illusion that he was sparring verbally with himself!

"Wan Wan Zhuliu just descended…"

After recounting what had just happened, Longhu Longhu Dandan did not wish to beat around the bush anymore: "Regarding the imperial court's broad invitation for us to observe the sacrifice, what is your opinion?"

"It seems they did not invite this old man?"

Qin Yun glanced at him with a half-smile: "Little Monk, you are slippery; do you want to trick this old man into speaking up for you?"

"The Star-Picking Tower and our Dengdao Sect have always been of one breath and one branch; how can there be any question of speaking up for anyone?"

Longhu Longhu Dandan spoke seriously: "Three years ago, when Tower Master Qin was hunted by the imperial court, our Longhu Temple mobilized the entire sect to rescue him; this old man even fought multiple fierce battles with Shen Shen Qisheng…"

On the chair, the little tiger cub glanced at him, somewhat suspicious!

"Is that so?"

Qin Yun gave no definite answer!

"Before a senior, this junior would not utter a single false word!"

Longhu Longhu Dandan pinched his two long eyebrows!

"Of one breath and one branch!"

Qin Yun chuckled helplessly, then quickly composed himself: "If we are of one breath and one branch, why could you not spare a single Longhu Longhu Dadan? Or does one Longhu Longhu Dadan truly possess medicinal power equal to ten Long Long Modadan?"

Immediate retribution…

Glancing sideways at the little tiger cub, Longhu Longhu Dandan was not startled or panicked; for this, he had long prepared a response: "Those ten Long Long Modadan were not requested by this junior, but were a promise made by Tower Master Qin to this junior's disciple when he drew his blade…"

"You are quite generous!"

Qin Yun glared at his own granddaughter and did not dwell on this further.

Speaking calmly: "Regarding the Eight Directions Temple and this Great Sacrifice, this old man does know a little…"

"I would like to hear the details!"

Longhu Longhu Dandan clasped his hands in greeting!

"The Eight Directions Temple, the Great Sacrifice—whether they existed in ancient times, this old man does not know; the only thing certain is that in former years, Great Yun's founding emperor Pang Pang Wenlong, with the strength of the entire nation, performed a Great Sacrifice at the Eight Directions Temple!"

Qin Yun coughed lightly and spoke; his voice could only be heard by the two present!

"Pang Pang Wenlong once performed a Great Sacrifice at the Eight Directions Temple?"

Longhu Longhu Dandan was slightly startled in his heart; he had never heard of this!

"About a thousand years ago!"

Qin Yun's voice grew low: "It was after that Great Sacrifice that Pang Pang Wenlong perished, and the Great Yun Divine Capital fell into turmoil…"

"Pang Pang Wenlong's death is related to the Great Sacrifice at the Eight Directions Temple?"

Longhu Longhu Dandan frowned deeply, half believing and half doubting!

The Longhu Temple's lineage spans over two thousand years; its sect history is more detailed and reliable than official histories, yet regarding the period of Pang Pang Wenlong's death, there is only one record!

Namely, "Great Yun Year 404, heavenly fire descended upon the Divine Capital; the founding emperor perished on that day"—that single sentence is all there is!

From the meaning in these words, that heavenly fire was summoned by the Great Sacrifice. "Mm, Pang Pang Wenlong died because of the Great Sacrifice!"

Qin Yun repeated calmly: "This matter, this old man can confirm as true!"

"This…"

Long Long Yingchan harbored doubts in his heart!

The true flourishing of Star-Plucking Tower came in the thousand years after Pang Pang Wenlong's death; before that, with the disappearance of Dragon Demon Daoist, Star-Plucking Tower had lain dormant for several hundred years!

On what grounds did he possess intelligence that even the Wudadao Sect lacked? Qin Yun, however, did not care whether he believed it or not, and said: "What do you think the Eight Directions Temple is?"

"Eight Directions Temple…"

Long Long Yingchan was stumped by the question!

The legend of the Eight Directions Temple had long existed, but what the Eight Directions Temple actually was, whether anyone had ever entered it, what lay within—no one could say anything definite!

"Please, senior, enlighten me!"

Long Long Yingchan shook his head!

"The Eight Directions Temple is the source of all laws. The martial arts of the present age, traced to their origin, should all stem from the Eight Directions Temple—or, indirectly, from the Eight Directions Temple!"

Qin Yun weighed his words: "Wan Wan Zhuliu said the Eight Directions Temple contains the method of prolonging life, the mysteries of longevity—this statement is not false!"

"Mm."

Long Long Yingchan raised his head, inwardly grumbling about the old fellow still claiming he had just arrived. "How so?"

"We martial artists cultivate qi and blood, nurture strength, nurture qi, transform qi into true essence, alter sinew and bone, temper body and spirit…"

"Sinew, bone, skin, flesh, organs, blood, spirit, and even the heart-mind—all surpass that of ordinary people…"

Qin Yun glanced at the little tiger cub; she also raised her head, listening with rapt attention. "He Yi, why can 【we】 only live two hundred years?"

"Mm?"

Long Long Yingchan's heart gave a jolt!

Similar doubts were not his alone; throughout the ages, who knew how many Grand Masters and Great Grand Masters had entertained similar questions!

Growing old and frail did not apply to martial artists who had achieved Blood Exchange Completion!

For martial artists who had achieved Blood Exchange Completion, their physiques were already beyond human; marrow and organs were polished anew each day, only declining sharply at the moment of death. Regarding this, within the Wudadao Sect there were countless sages' questions and experiments!

"Senior, you mean…"

"The Eight Directions Temple!"

Qin Yun's answer was very crisp: "The Eight Directions Temple is the source of all laws, and it also imprisons heaven and earth, severing the path of longevity. The lifespan of us martial artists is truly not limited to two hundred."

"This…"

Long Long Yingchan's brow furrowed tightly. "Senior, why are you so certain?"

"Then, that is not something to be told to outsiders!"

Qin Yun was very calm: "This old man has said all that should be said; believe it or not, that is up to you!"

Long Long Yingchan frowned, pondered for a long while, then still shook his head and suppressed his doubts on the matter: "Senior, will this so-called Grand Ritual pose any hindrance to us?"

"The Grand Ritual is not a blood sacrifice!"

Qin Yun looked deeply at Long Long Yingchan: "On the contrary, it is related to the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing!"

"The Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing?"

Long Long Yingchan was not surprised by this; according to ancient tradition, the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing was already connected to the Eight Directions Temple!

"

"According to your meaning, the imperial court invited us because of the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing?"

His heart tightened slightly!

"Perhaps!"

Qin Yun shook his head: "There is more than one kind of Grand Ritual; how would this old man know which ceremony the imperial court intends to use for the Grand Ritual?"

"Then, if we do not go?"

Long Long Yingchan's brow had never once relaxed!

"Since the imperial court intends to hold the Grand Ritual, whether you go or not, you cannot stop it! The Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing has its own spiritual nature; if it truly is drawn by the Grand Ritual, what could you possibly use to suppress it?"

After looking deeply at Long Long Yingchan, Qin Yun stood up: "Regardless of which kind, it has nothing to do with this old man… Little Immortal, we should be going!"

The little tiger cub tossed aside the fruit pit and followed along slowly.

"Wait!"

Long Long Yingchan sighed, rose to detain him: "Senior, if you have something to say, just say it!"

The old fellow had no good intentions; the threatening intent in these words was too heavy, but he had to admit he truly had been intimidated!

A Grand Ritual capable of causing the fall of a supreme Great Grand Master like Pang Pang Wenlong—he truly had no confidence!

Qin Yun smiled: "Li Li Yuanzhong!"

This was too direct…

Long Long Yingchan's temple pulsed wildly; he suddenly understood Long Xi Xiang's earlier feeling—this old fellow was trying to poach talent!

"Hoo!"

"Hah!"

In the small courtyard, the wind blew and the mist stirred!

Li Li Yuanzhong slowly gathered his stance; after completing several sets of stake-form practice, he immediately felt refreshed and clear-headed!

The alteration from the Bai Xing Dan was not violent, but its strength lay in being continuous and unending; before the medicinal power was exhausted, how many forms could be altered was hard to say!

But in his perception, subtle changes were brewing from deep within his hundred bones, transmitting to his limbs and whole body, giving him an indescribable sense of pleasure!

It was as if his organs were cheering and leaping…

"Thousand Forms!"

Li Li Yuanzhong let out a long breath, casually washed up, then went back to his room and lay down!

Before falling asleep, as usual, he listened to sounds!

Hum. Inside the Weapon-Storage Space, the Listening-Wood Chart's pointer glyph flickered with faint light!

"The Eight-Directions Temple should belong to the 'Treasure Sound' category."

Li Yuan muttered to himself!

The pointer glyph's direction was actually quite vague; the four categories of Life, Death, Treasure, and Loss each covered a vast scope, yet it was still far better than random Listening!

Hum. As Li Yuan shifted his thought, threads of incense smoke sank into the pointer glyph; various words floated forth, and a voice echoed back!

This is Treasure Sound!

"A wolf's howl came from the Hundred-Beast Mountain. Awakened from sleep, it was slit open from belly to chest. The Two-Winged Thunder-Dog King has not slept again since that night. It does not know it lost its Thunder-Beast Spirit Pill, yet its mood is deeply depressed…"

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing toward the corner of the gray stone platform at that fist-sized spirit pill flickering with Lei Guang!

The Thunder-Dog King was untamable and proud; he still could not resist, sneaking into the mountain at night to perform a tiny surgery on this Dog King!

"Hmm. Once I master this spirit pill and alter the 'Star-Mastiff Body,' perhaps I can try using this spirit pill to completely subdue this Dog King."