Chapter 481: Cultivating Within the Star-Picking Tower

"Man follows the earth, the earth follows the heavens, the heavens follow the Dao, the Dao follows nature!"

Inside the Eight Directions Pagoda, Daoist Li suddenly gained a profound understanding of this saying left behind by the founding patriarch!

The martial Dao of the Dayun Dynasty originated from the Liehai Star; the rules within this Eight Directions Pagoda were clearly also modeled after the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing!

Inside the pagoda, there were various tower-guarding cultivators, and what was tested was combat and killing among those of the same rank!

Regarding this, Li Yuan had long been well familiar with it. He was too lazy to think about Qin Yun's intentions, so once he entered the pagoda, he raised his hammer and began climbing.

First floor, tenth floor, twentieth floor…

With Li Yuan's current talent and Wu Gong, climbing the pagoda was nothing less than crushing decay and pulling rotten wood!

When he stopped for the first time, he had already climbed to the two hundred and thirty-ninth floor!

"The intensity of the Eight Directions Pagoda is far inferior to the Dragon Tiger Pagoda!"

Inside the pagoda there were dry rations and clear water. Li Yuan sat cross-legged against a corner of the wall, chewing on the dry rations!

The Dragon Tiger Pagoda required at least inner-gate elites; by comparison, the Eight Directions Pagoda seemed a chaotic mix, the good and the bad uneven!

There were certainly experts among them, but their proportion was too small, so that coming all this way, those who could make him take a second look numbered only

three or five!

For him now, battles and struggles of this intensity could not even stir a ripple in his heart!

But in these two hundred-plus battles, he did feel quite refreshed—nothing else, the hundred schools of Wu Gong!

The personnel within the Star-Picking Tower were far more complex than those of the Dragon Tiger Temple; killing his way up, he had seen an enormous variety of Wu Gong!

"Mm, slow down appropriately!"

Li Yuan showed none of the tension that should follow a fierce battle; his spirit was very relaxed. For him, this was more like leisure!

Switch to any other place, and you wouldn't see so many different Wu Gong!

At the heights of the Eight Directions Pagoda, incense smoke curled and drifted!

Qin Li Shixian drifted over. Amid the curling incense smoke, Qin Yun sat cross-legged. A small jade pagoda hovered in the air before him, emitting a faint humming tremor!

Looking closely, one could see various lights flickering on the pagoda's body; faintly, one could make out numerous human figures shuttling between the various floors!

"Hoo."

"Hee."

In a purple robe, Qin Yun sat cross-legged regulating his breath; each of his breaths matched the rhythm of the Eight Directions Pagoda!

Qin Li Shixian did not disturb him, curiously looking around!

The Eight Directions Pagoda was three thousand six hundred floors tall, and these last few floors were Qin Yun's closed-door cultivation grounds—she had never even been here!

Her gaze swept past the miniature jade pagoda and landed on the bronze mirror behind the old man, a mirror as tall as a person!

This bronze mirror was called the Heaven-Surveillance Instrument, a secret treasure forged using the imperial court's Great Sun Heaven-Surveillance Mirror as its core!

Under the worship of incense offerings, it had the ability to monitor the gale winds and clouds of the heavens.

"Visitors from beyond the heavens…"

Qin Li Shixian could see three traces on the bronze mirror, corresponding exactly to three visitors from beyond the heavens!

"Hoo."

A moment later, Qin Yun opened his eyes. There was a trace of fatigue between his brows; he exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi, and a thick smell of blood instantly filled the air!

"Your injuries haven't healed yet?"

Qin Li Shixian was somewhat worried. He couldn't even keep his qi and blood in check, yet he still insisted

on coming out of closed-door cultivation?

"Healed?"

Qin Yun steadied his breath, did not answer, only glanced at the small pagoda before him: "This kid really can keep his composure, actually climbing the pagoda!"

Qin Li Shixian glanced over. In such a short time, this kid had already climbed past the four hundredth floor: "If you don't give the word, and I don't want to meet him, I can only have Wang Lao send him here to climb the pagoda!"

"Can you hide by avoiding it? You yourself promised him ten Long Long Modadan, so you must give them!"

Qin Yun shot her a sidelong glance, not minding using this matter to teach the girl a lesson: "This pill, this old man will give it for you…"

"Ah? You'll give it…"

Qin Li Shixian felt a slight joy in her heart, but before she could thank him, Qin Yun cut her off: "Long Long Modadan—Elder Chang obtains one in twenty years, the Tower Master in ten. Ten pills will be deducted from your century's quota!"

"A, a century's quota!"

Qin Li Shixian suddenly

felt her vision go black: "You, you're far too ruthless."

"No haggling allowed."

Qin Yun glared at her, his tone brooking no refusal: "The dignified Tower Master of Star-Picking Tower—once spoken, it must be done!"

I, I wasn't trying to welch on the deal!

Qin Li Shixian felt quite vexed in her heart. If she had known this, it would have been better if the old man had just stayed in closed-door cultivation!

Qin Yun paid her no more attention. He examined the jade pagoda; in the time it took to speak these few sentences, Li Yuan's figure had climbed considerably higher again: "This

kid truly does have something strange about him!"

"Oh?"

Qin Li Shixian followed his gaze, but the Eight Directions Pagoda had no ability to monitor or see within; she could only see Li Yuan's progress in climbing the pagoda, but could not see the specific situation.

"The jianghu rumors say this kid is that Dark Whale Hammer Master Li Li Yuanba… Have you discerned anything unusual?"

Qin Li Shixian's heart stirred slightly!

"Even if he is, so what?"

The Liehai Dark Whale Hammer has no ability to alter one's innate constitution; this kid must have a special physique!

Qin Yun beckoned, and the bronze mirror behind him let out a humming tremor; by the time it fell into his hand, it was only the size of a palm!

"Then, call him up to take a look?"

Qin Li Shixian suggested; she had climbed the Eight Directions Tower herself, so she knew well that with Li Yuan's talent and Wu Gong, reaching this point was merely a matter of time!

The most difficult part of the Eight Directions Tower is the final seven floors; for many years, she had always stopped here!

"It is good to witness the martial arts of the hundred schools; seeing him later is not too late. For now..."

Qin Yun shook his head in refusal. He flicked a finger, and a faint light bloomed on the bronze mirror in his palm; within, light and shadow interlaced, transforming into a scene of a cold pool!

It was truly the cold pool where the Eight Directions Mi Jing is located now!

"First, let us see that current Head of the Jingping Bureau, and also, my two beloved disciples."

Tapping the bronze mirror lightly, Qin Yun showed neither joy nor anger, but Qin Li Shixian could not help but shiver, knowing the old man was extremely angry!

"Ahh."

The dragon's roar was fierce, and Lei Guang flashed!

Li Yuan approached holding a hammer; opposite him, a thunder dragon danced in the sky, emitting an extremely violent aura!

"Old Han has made considerable progress!"

Watching that thunder dragon roar, Li Yuan's eyes brightened slightly; he had climbed to above the thousandth floor before meeting Old Han!

"Only then did he meet Old Han!"

At this moment, amidst the flickering Lei Guang, an old man wearing a ghost mask stood holding a hammer, his momentum immense!

Li Yuan was not in a hurry to strike; instead, he took the opportunity to feel the Qi mechanism of the thunder dragon. Compared to three years ago, seeing Han Han Chuijun's Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon again now, it had changed considerably, becoming even more violent and pure!

The original form of the hundred beasts was almost invisible; only the Qi mechanism of the thunder dragon had grown even more intense!

"Is it the Dragon Demon Heart Sutra?"

Li Yuan shifted and dodged, only occasionally raising a hand to block horizontally. Although suppressed by the Eight Directions Tower to the level of refining the viscera, he remained very composed!

Han Han Chuijun, having mastered the refining of the viscera, fought with wide, sweeping movements; the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon and the Soldier Dao Dueling Hammer were perfectly fused, with shocking power!

"Old Han has not switched to cultivating the Dragon Demon Heart Sutra; he still relies on the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon... Old Han's spirit is astonishing!"

In the present world, Li Yuan naturally could not fight Han Han Chuijun to the fullest; after all, holding back or not holding back, neither is very polite!

But here, he naturally had no reservations; he simply stepped on the Nine Appearances of the Cloud Dragon, observing every change in Old Han's techniques and the transformation of the thunder dragon!

"I combined various shape-shifting methods to piece together the form of the Long Kun, encompassing the essence of many Divine Arts and supreme arts, while Old Han is even more thorough; he uses the thunder dragon to swallow other Wu Gong..."

Li Yuan's eyes were very bright!

After fighting and battling with Old Han, he gained much; after all, his foundation is also the Soldier Dao Dueling Hammer and the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon!

It is just that now, the paths the two walk are somewhat different!

Boom.

The thunder dragon roared and struck down!

Li Yuan retreated again and again; after avoiding the thunder dragon's strangulation, he held his hammer horizontally before him, and the suppressed true Qi erupted forth!

"Ahh."

The true Qi rolled, surging into the sky... and in an instant, transformed

into an even more violent thunder dragon!

"Crack."

Thunder rolled and lightning flashed; in a single instant, where Li Yuan pointed his hammer, the thunder dragon pierced through everything like destroying withered wood, drowning out all!

The thunder dragon, the Lei Guang, and the shadow of the ghost mask on the opposite side had all completely vanished into the dragon's mouth!

Hum!

Then, the thunder dragon flicked its tail, its form shrinking drastically to about a foot in length, resembling a living thunder dragon circling Li Yuan, occasionally emitting a soft cry!

"Old Han once said the essence of the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon lies in the thunder dragon, but perhaps the hundred beasts are the true essence of this supreme art!"

Li Yuan extended his hand; the thunder dragon's true Qi flowed and circulated between his five fingers; the more forms it accommodated, the more formidable the Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon became!

This was his sixth day since entering the tower!

Except for the first day, his speed climbing the tower slowed down significantly afterwards; he did not waste the opportunity to witness the martial arts of the hundred schools!

The Wu Gong he learned was already very diverse; he was proficient in knives, spears, swords, and halberds; walking this path, he had gained much!

"Once I leave the tower, I will have a deep conversation with Old Han!"

Li Yuan leaned on his hammer, his thoughts drifting!

In these two years, if Old Han hadn't been unable to find him, he would have sent a letter to communicate with him long ago!

Woosh!

The light and shadow dispersed; Li Yuan did not continue climbing the tower, but instead found a corner to sit cross-legged, resting and sorting out what he had gained these past few days!

As for the progress of climbing the tower, he actually cared little!

"Spirit pills are continuous, but in terms of efficacy, they are not as good as the Longhu Longhu Dadan; no wonder it is called the King of Spirit Pills!"

Li Yuan looked inward at his own body!

Lacking the nourishment of the Longhu Longhu Dadan's medicinal power, after breaking through the tower these six days, there were some hidden injuries within his body; these were left behind by the eruption of true Qi and blood Qi!

With the Longhu Longhu Dadan present, these hidden injuries would naturally disappear; without it, one must endure and nurture them oneself!

Repairing hidden injuries, circulating true Qi, practicing visualization methods...

Li Yuan multitasked; with the nourishment of the Black Whale Qi, his spirit soul became increasingly full, and multitasking became more and more composed!

"Bones like Jin Yu; my work of refining the marrow has reached its peak, and I can now begin changing the blood!"

Li Yuan closed his eyes; in his perception, his skeleton had turned jade-colored, yet covered by a touch of Jin Guang; this was a sign that the refining of the marrow was extremely thorough!

"After seeing that old man Qin, I can then begin changing the blood... this old man, why does he not appear yet?"

Climbing the tower was merely a diversion; most of Li Yuan's thoughts were still on refining the marrow, changing the blood, and altering his root bones!

This is his foundation; he cannot slacken!

"Wait two more days. If he doesn't appear, I'll leave the tower!"

With his plan settled, Li Yuan relaxed his muscles and bones, found a comfortable position to lie down, half-closed his eyes, and began his daily routine of listening to sounds!

He had already formed the habit: before falling asleep, no matter how exhausted, he had to listen!

Hum!

The characters flashing with faint light on the musical notes rose together with the low voice!