Chapter 475: Dragon Demon

"Old Han."

In the long street, the flow of people was like a weaving loom, and among them mixed a sallow-faced old man in hemp clothing, utterly unremarkable!

Compared to that group of greenwood experts, Han Han Chuijun's disguise skill was clearly of the highest grade; with Li Yuan's current eyesight, looking at the surface, he could not detect the slightest oddity!

But the gleam of a weapon could not deceive the eye!

"What does Old Han really look like?"

Li Yuan's mood instantly brightened, but he did not go up to greet him directly; instead, he calmly sat down and waited!

Old Han was very cautious—he passed the teahouse three times without entering, and only on the fourth did he wander in, just like a normal customer, ordered a pot of clear tea, and casually came to sit across from Li Yuan!

The tea set placed on the table bore precisely the mark of the Star-Picking Tower!

"This little brother, you don't mind if this old man shares your table, do you?"

"Old sir, suit yourself!"

Li Yuan pressed down hard at the corners of his mouth; he could not see through Old Han's disguise, but that was only because he had never once seen Old Han's true face!

If Old Han could not see through him, then that could only mean his own disguise skill was in place!

"Then many thanks, little brother!"

Han Han Chuijun had just sat down when Li Yuan had already smoothly poured him a cup of tea. As for himself, he pretended to listen to the music. Han Han Chuijun was even better at keeping his composure—a whole pot of clear tea was finished, and still he showed no intention of speaking!

"This person!"

"

Han Han Chuijun gently turned his teacup, appearing to listen to the music, but in truth he was also sizing up the person opposite, and his wariness grew ever deeper!

In his perception, the person opposite sat in a loose, slouching posture, with not the slightest trace of a practitioner of Wu Gong leaking out—as if he were merely an ordinary person!

But how could an ordinary person make Wang Wang Wenyuan, at this juncture, send himself out of the Mi Jing to come greet him?

"This little brother!"

Old Han still could not hold back; he had nearly finished his second pot of tea, but the moment he tried to transmit his voice, he heard the voice coming from the opposite side.

"Master, it's me!

"Mm."

With Han Han Chuijun's control over his strength, he could not help his body trembling, and ripples spread across the tea in his cup: "Li Yuan?"

This shock was no small matter!

Han Han Chuijun nearly leapt straight up; no matter how he guessed, he had never imagined that the great expert he was to receive was

Li Yuan!

And moreover, that he could see through his own disguise Cang Xing Fa?

Li Yuan poured him more tea. "It is your disciple!"

"You—how could you recognize this old man?"

Han Han Chuijun's heart was somewhat in disarray!

The Cang Xing Fa he had learned had only reached perfection in recent years, but in earlier years, when he traveled the world using this method, he had never once been seen through!

This kid…

"Please drink your tea!"

Sensing a wisp of incense rise within the place of spiritual light, Li Yuan suddenly recalled the first time he had met Old Han!

That scene seemed not much different from now!

The only difference was that the one shocked was now Old Han!

"Come with me!"

Han Han Chuijun no longer had the heart to drink tea—he set down his cup, turned, and walked out of the teahouse!

Li Yuan drained the tea in his cup, paid the bill, and only then unhurriedly followed him out. Old Han had long since vanished into the crowd, seemingly deliberately Yikao Sect-ing him!

"What a pity, I haven't dried the form yet; otherwise, today I could have let Old Han witness the Thousand Beasts Thunder Dragon!"

Li Yuan followed unhurriedly; with the gleam of the weapon guiding him, how could he possibly lose the trail, yet in his heart he felt some regret!

Whoo whoo!

In the mountain forest, the wind howled!

Sensing Li Yuan following not too close and not too far behind, Han Han Chuijun's heart was shaken greatly; he quickened his pace several times, yet still could not shake Li Yuan off!

"This kid's Wu Gong probably surpasses mine."

In the dense forest, Han Han Chuijun suddenly stopped, turned around, and at the same time raised his hand and struck out with a palm: "Ong."

A violent dragon's roar exploded!

Li Yuan strode forward, only to see that the instant Old Han raised his hand,

true Qi rose like a dragon for several zhang, and in a single flash, it actually struck ten zhang away.

"Eh?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly!

Normally, for a martial artist before entering the Dao, even if an ultimate art was cultivated to great perfection, unable to contend with heaven and earth, one could not break past the ten-zhang limit!

Yet Old Han's palm, from the very start, reached ten zhang, and its might did not wane but instead grew?

"Could it be that Old Han has mastered the Dragon Demon Heart Scripture?"

Li Yuan was somewhat astonished in his heart, but the speed of his feet did not lessen; at the instant the dragon-like true Qi came sweeping across, he raised his hand and grabbed!

"Roar."

The surging Mysterious Whale Qi suddenly erupted between his five fingers!

In an instant, Han Han Chuijun heard the sound of a dragon's roar; he looked up and saw Li Yuan's five fingers spread wide, like a dragon's claw!

With a "ka" sound, he had already severed the thunder dragon that Han Han Chuijun had sent forth!

"Marrow Refinement?"

Han Han Chuijun's tiger qi surged, as if scorched by fierce fire, and his wrist jerked back abruptly!

Ever since Li Yuan was recognized by the Sea-Splitting Profound Whale Hammer as its master, he knew Li Yuan would surpass him sooner or later; yet since their parting outside Mount Hengshan, only two or three years had passed, and this young man had already advanced from the initial stage of Yi Bai Xing to the Marrow Refinement realm?

This...

Old Han has refined his organs.

Raising his hand to intercept the thunder dragon palm force, Li Yuan also perceived Old Han's current cultivation: Great Perfection of Organ Refinement!

"Congratulations, Master, on achieving Great Perfection of Organ Refinement."

Li Yuan stepped forward, clasped his hands in salute, and felt no surprise in his heart!

Old Han's innate talent was not poor; combined with his mastery of Yi Bai Xing and nearly eighty years of foundational cultivation, the only thing binding him was the lack of a supreme art.

That was all!

When he created the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon, it already meant that, before blood replacement, the path was clear for him!

Han Han Chuijun's face twitched; had he not known Li Yuan inside out, he would have truly thought the young man was mocking him!

Truly worthy of...

After staring for quite a while, Han Han Chuijun finally snapped out of his shock and swallowed the words "master of the Profound Whale Hammer"!

Looking at Li Yuan now, he felt deeply gratified, yet could not help but feel a touch of sorrow!

This day came far too quickly!

"Why have you come to Dinglong Mountain?"

After regaining his composure, Han Han Chuijun scanned the surroundings and transmitted his voice in a low tone: "This is not a safe place..."

"That story is a long one..."

Then speak slowly!

Han Han Chuijun had originally intended to fetch the person and return swiftly to the Mi Jing, but now he was in no hurry; with a stern face, he listened as Li Yuan recounted his tale!

Regarding Old Han, Li Yuan had nothing to conceal!

Yet his own experiences over these two or three years were truly unremarkable: nothing but forging iron, practicing martial arts, and altering his bone and root structure!

Of course, he omitted the matter of drawing the blade!

"So, you cultivated all the way to Great Perfection of Marrow Refinement with just this?"

Han Han Chuijun's face went numb; recalling his own hardships over these three years, he suddenly felt a surge of bitterness!

Over three years, he fought against experts of the imperial court, battled traitors within the tower, and in the Ba Fang Tower, he even nearly perished at the hands of those two supreme grandmasters!

Only then, relying on the spirit pills bestowed by the Zhaixing Tower, did he cultivate to Great Perfection of Organ Refinement!

This...

"And you?"

Li Yuan subtly shifted the topic; he truly did not wish to discuss his own cultivation process with Old Han, as that would somewhat harm the master-disciple bond!

"I..."

Han Han Chuijun pondered for a moment, then transmitted his voice to recount his story!

Li Yuan finished describing his three years' experiences in just a few sentences, whereas once Han Han Chuijun began speaking, he talked until the second half of the night!

From his departure from Mount Hengshan City, the battles against the Xieshen Sect along the way, the rebellion at the Zhaixing Tower headquarters, the struggles with other assassins, the clashes with the Jingping Bureau, the arduous ascent of the Ba Fang Tower, and finally obtaining slightly less than half of the Dragon Demon Heart Sutra!

"Truly, a magnificent and turbulent saga!"

"

Li Yuan listened, his mind swaying; compared to his own dull and tedious journey, Old Han's three years were truly spectacular!

One could say there was not a single day spent in tranquility!

Even on the road rushing to fetch him, he casually slew several spies from the Jingping Bureau.

"Though Chi Chi Zhuiyang and Murong Qing were driven out of the Ba Fang Mi Jing, they are still lurking outside; I disguised myself to guard against these two!"

Having recounted his three years' experiences in one breath, Han Han Chuijun, comparing himself to Li Yuan, could not help but feel a touch of bitterness in his own heart!

If it were possible, who would not wish to seclude themselves quietly and cultivate to Marrow Refinement in such peaceful stillness?

"Are these two still in the mountains?"

Regarding these two supreme grandmasters, Chi Chi Zhuiyang and Murong Qing, Li Yuan also had memories of them; the first time he heard the Heavenly Sound, he had seen these two!

At that time, the scene of Chi Chi Zhuiyang transforming into a green dragon remains vivid in his memory!

"They must be here!"

Han Han Chuijun sighed: "These two are difficult to kill!"

Throughout his life, he had always repaid grudges on the very day; if he could not repay them that day, he would do so as soon as possible afterward!

As long as these two peerless grandmasters remained alive, he always felt as though something were stuck in his throat, or thorns in his back, leaving him restless day and night!

"They should be dying soon!"

Li Yuan hesitated for a moment before transmitting his voice softly; he knew Old Han too well—if he could not avenge his grudge, he probably would not even be able to sleep!

"Hmm?"

Han Han Chuijun's eyes glowed slightly; he sensed Li Yuan's hesitation, but with a shift of thought, he immediately realized: "The Tower Lord has returned?"

"Yes!"

Li Yuan nodded gently; he guessed that the Zhaixing Tower Lord was likely already targeting Chi Chi Zhuiyang and Murong Qing by now!

"After all, traitors are more hateful than enemies!"

With this thought, Han Han Chuijun figured out the flavor of the situation, but did not press further!

"Hmm, in that case, you may go and walk around the Ba Fang Mi Jing!"

Realizing the Zhaixing Tower Lord had returned, Han Han Chuijun's brow relaxed considerably; he immediately rose and headed toward the mountains!

Master and disciple moved swiftly; before dawn, they had already traveled more than eight hundred li northward!

At dawn, mist rose thickly from the mountains. From far away, Li Yuan sensed a chill; he looked up and saw a frozen pool!

The main headquarters of the Star-Picking Tower is located within the Eight Directions Mi Jing, left behind by the sect's founder, the Dragon Demon Daoist...

Han Han Chuijun transmitted his voice to explain it to Li Yuan!

"Eight Directions Tower!"

Gazing at the frozen pool, Li Yuan felt a slight stir in his heart, recalling what he had seen when he first heard the Heavenly Sound!

He remembered that the rank of that Eight Directions Tower seemed to be Tier Eleven.

At that time, he thought the Eight Directions Tower also belonged to the category of Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, and his heart was filled with terror; later, upon learning it did not belong to the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing

category, it became even more terrifying!

Not only had Pang Pang Wenlong attempted to forge Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing; the Dragon Demon Daoist had tried as well, and very likely, he had gone further than Pang Pang Wenlong!

Han Han Chuijun vigilantly observed the surroundings; after a moment, confirming safety, he took several iron masks from a corner and handed one to Li Yuan!

"Most assassins of the Star-Picking Tower wear masks; apart from us master and disciple, we remain somewhat wary of everyone!"