Chapter 482: A Deal Has Come

The great affairs of a nation are sacrifice and war alone. The imperial court of Dayun has summoned all lands to deliver incense offerings, intending to hold the Grand Sacrifice on the sixth day of the sixth month next year…

In Yanshan Dao, a land of Jiangzhou, there was a young man, cradling a broken sword he had picked up by the roadside, intending to go to Sanmei Cave to seek a master and learn the arts!

"True Person Feng Yuanqing has secretly issued a summons, intending to invite the sect masters of various sects to a mountain villa for talks, to discuss important matters…"

The divine thief Mo Mo Yinke, after decades of lying low, stole the longevity elixir pills from Qinglong Pavilion. The pavilion master Tian Tian Shezi was furious and dispatched many experts to pursue and kill him, suspected to have gone to the divine capital of Dayun…

"The quality of this listening is very high!"

Li Yuan's spirit stirred slightly: "The imperial court has already set the date for the Grand Sacrifice? In such a hurry?"

Listening to several hundred messages, Li Yuan sifted through the sand for gold, selecting important intelligence!

What he was most concerned about was naturally the imperial court's Grand Sacrifice — this was very likely to involve the Jianghudao Sect!

"The sixth of June next year — that's less than eight months away!"

Li Yuan's heart chilled slightly!

According to the records in the Ji Shen Pian, a similar Grand Sacrifice requires at minimum a decade or so of preparation, and at most even several decades or a full century!

How long has the imperial court taken?

Hum!

Li Yuan mulled it over in his heart, the listening continued!

"After a secret meeting with Chi Chi Zhuiyang, the Commander of Jingping Division has dispatched many experts to gather at Dinglong Mountain, intending to patrol the mountain…"

"The Commander of Jingping Division, Chi Chi Zhuiyang?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly: "These two people actually got together? Then won't this Mi Jing be exposed?"

Li Yuan was mildly startled, thinking of the master of Star-Plucking Tower, and Qin Yun…

"No wonder — those two are also fishing!"

Li Yuan's mind was sharp; after a moment's thought, he set his heart at ease. Although the Commander of Jingping Division was a person on the Divine Ranking, the master of Star-Plucking Tower's reputation was above his!

Not to mention there was also one who hid in the shadows — a former number one under heaven!

"Undercurrents are surging!"

Narrowing his eyes, Li Yuan felt a touch of emotion in his heart!

The jianghu has always been full of events; it was only that he himself was relatively standing aside. The struggles and frictions between the various forces had in truth never ceased!

He continued listening, but after that there was nothing worth mentioning — mostly jianghu rumors, and the boudoir secrets of so-and-so!

Such as which Grandmaster's backyard had caught fire, which Grandmaster was secretly keeping a concubine, which Grandmaster had an illegitimate child…

Listening and listening, drowsiness came over Li Yuan. Just as he was preparing to end the listening, his spirit suddenly jolted!

"After the divine thief Brother Sikong narrowly escaped death, he harbors resentment toward the imperial court and has set his sights on the Yun Xiang Ding being escorted by Jingping Division from Dinglong Mountain…"

Yun Xiang Ding.

With a start, Li Yuan's drowsiness vanished completely!

"Fat… lucky star!"

Li Yuan's spirit rose!

In recent years, he had listened almost every day, but messages concerning incense offerings could be counted on one hand. The last time, it was that bone Vajra carrying a cauldron to seek the Thousand-Eye Bodhisattva!

"Brother Sikong really is my lucky star… but is it really such a coincidence that the escort of incense offerings goes through Dinglong Mountain?"

Amid the pleasant surprise, Li Yuan was also somewhat wary in his heart. He had always harbored doubts about Brother Sikong's ability to escape!

"Could Jingping Division be fishing?"

"

"Something doesn't seem quite right… Brother Sikong alone wouldn't be worth Jingping Division using the Yun Xiang Ding as bait. Surely they can't be here to fish for me

, right?"

Li Yuan's mind was very agile; he had not forgotten why Brother Sikong was being wanted and pursued by Jingping Division!

The Yun Xiang Ding is used by prefecture- and circuit-level government office to hold incense offerings. A single one contains the incense offerings accumulated over several years, or even ten years, by an entire prefecture or circuit!

"Using it to fish for Brother Sikong is not worth it. If it's to fish for me… it may not be such a coincidence, but caution is paramount!"

Li Yuan flipped himself up to sit, his mind already falling upon the Soldier-Suppressing Space. This trip down the mountain, he had prepared very thoroughly!

Not only had he borrowed several divine weapons from Shenbingtang, the spirit boots Wang Wang Peiyao had searched for were also brought along!

"With my current attainment in lightness skill, plus a pair of sixth-tier and a pair of seventh-tier boots, even an apex Grandmaster I can engage with for a round or two. If the timing is right, advancing and retreating should not be a prob

lem!"

Taking stock of the various weapons and items on Dingxin Dingxin Shitai, Li Yuan muttered to himself!

He was not working behind closed doors. These past days, in the Yu Xuanjing Gate true disciple trials, he had fought fiercely dozens or even hundreds of times against those Grandmasters with epoch-defining talents!

Although matching them head-on was out of the question, engaging and maneuvering — he naturally had confidence!

The only concern was the Commander of Jingping Division. Although he was most likely after Star-Plucking Tower, one still had to guard against him!

Li Yuan was quite tempted, but also remained wary!

Whether it was the advancement of the Soldier-Suppressing Talisman, or the listening, or even Tan Suo You Jing — all required incense offerings!

But if it involved a Great Grandmaster…

Opening his eyes, Li Yuan felt beneath his Daoist robe for the Canglong Kasaya — Old Longtou should still be there, right?

In the Eight Directions Tower, Li Yuan lingered another two days, climbing up to around the fifteen-hundredth floor!

Neither Qin Yun nor the master of Star-Plucking Tower had shown themselves. Li Yuan couldn't be bothered to slowly climb the tower any longer, so he simply crushed his token and chose to exit!

Regarding that Yun Xiang Ding, he felt some lingering concern in his heart!

When he came out of the tower, it was already deep night. Li Yuan looked up at the sky — the moonlight was hazy, the wind slightly cold!

"There's rain in the next day or two!"

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. His ability to read the heavens now was more accurate than an old farmer who had farmed for half his life!

Of course, only when it's raining!

After nightfall, the Eight Directions Tower was very quiet, with only a few tower-guards sitting in meditation in the pavilion. Li Yuan glanced sideways and strode off to find Old Han!

He was preparing to ask about the conditions for entering and exiting this Mi Jing!

Li Yuan had only knocked once when the door opened. Han Han Chuijun stood in the courtyard!

"You're still awake?"

"What do you think?"

Han Han Chuijun glared at him: "If someone knocked on the door and I still didn't wake up, I'd have died in the mountains long ago!"

After closing the door, he frowned and asked: "How could you have left the tower after only a few days?"

"I gained a little something, and wanted to come exchange a few pointers with you, Elder!"

Li Yuan certainly couldn't say he wanted to go pull off a "black-eats-black" deal, but he wasn't just brushing it off either!

He really did have quite a few things he wanted to discuss with Old Han!

"Me?"

Han Han Chuijun's heart stirred slightly!

Hum!

Inside the room, Li Yuan extended his hand. With a single circulation, his Mysterious Whale true Qi transformed into Thunder Dragon true Qi, flowing and weaving between his five fingers, becoming a miniature Thunder Dragon: "Elder, can you perceive what's different?"

"Different?"

Han Han Chuijun's gaze sharpened; he had already detected the strangeness!

The form of true Qi wandering between Li Yuan's fingers seemed at first glance identical to his own Thunder Dragon, but in truth was utterly different!

"Thunder Dragon as skin, your form, could it be…" Han Han Chuijun stopped in time; the implication was self-evident!

Thunder Dragon as skin, Vajra as spine, Dragon-Tiger as bone, Ten Thousand Blades Spirit Dragon as sinew, all manner of forms filling in…

With Old Han, Li Yuan held nothing back. These past few days, he had also been sorting through the various Wu Gong he had learned: "This Yi Xing combination of your disciple takes Thunder Dragon as its foundation, blends in various supreme learnings, with the Sea-Splitting Mysterious Whale Diagram as its core. Your disciple calls it 'Long Kun'!"

"Long Kun?"

Han Han Chuijun paced about the room, observing!

The Long Kun form in Li Yuan's palm kept splitting apart—sinew, bone, skin, flesh separating, from outside to inside, displayed one by one!

"This isn't merely supreme learnings; there are at least two or more Divine Arts."

The more Han Han Chuijun watched, the more his heart trembled, the more he felt a chill of awe: "Yi Bai Xing, two hundred… you, you this, you this…"

"Seven hundred and fifty forms."

Li Yuan smiled. In the eight days within the Eight Directions Tower, he had altered another dozen or so forms!

If he hadn't been wary of observers and slowed the alteration of the Six Spirit Elephant's "Nine Python Body," by now it would have exceeded eight hundred!

"Seven hundred and fifty forms…"

Han Han Chuijun pressed the ghost mask on his face; his facial skin trembled, nearly shaking the mask off, the shock in his heart truly beyond description!

"At this rate, a thousand forms isn't far off, not far off at all…"

He had expectations of Li Yuan—

—a few years ago he had already felt Li Yuan had hope for a thousand forms, but he estimated that would be at least ten or twenty years from now!

Yet now, less than three years, and he was already nearly there?

"Still some ways to go!"

Li Yuan focused his spirit, demonstrating his comprehension for Old Han. From the corner of his eye he saw the old man's body tremble slightly, and felt a pang of regret in his heart!

If he had waited a few more months before seeing Old Han, what he displayed would have been the Thousand-Form Thunder Dragon!

"Hah!"

After a long while, Li Yuan withdrew his true Qi!

But before Old Han's evaluation came, and before he could ask about entering and exiting the Mi Jing… he was chased out!

"Thousand-Beast Thunder Dragon, Long Kun…"

Lei Guang flickered within the room,

Han Han Chuijun sat down cross-legged, his mind settling into stillness!

All the Wu he had seen and learned along his entire journey, added together, were not as many as what Li Yuan had just displayed!

This shook him deeply; in a daze, he sank into a deep-level meditative trance!

"Old Han should have gained some insight, right?"

Li Yuan did not disturb him, nor did he leave. He went to the side room on his own to stand guard for Old Han, and only after sensing that the old man had ended his trance did he yawn and lie down to sleep!

Fifteen hundred battles in eight days—even with his abundant stamina, he felt utterly exhausted. One didn't sleep well inside the tower!

Hum!

Li Yuan had just lain down when a wisp of purple light came silently!

Hum!

Almost at the same instant that purple light drew near, a Bai Guang rose from the Azure Dragon Kasaya draped over Li Yuan. In the blink of an eye, the purple and white had each taken human form!

"Tower Lord Qin!"

"

Long Xi Xiang was only about a chi tall. He appeared alert, coldly sweeping his gaze toward Qin Li Shixian wreathed in purple light: "Snooping on juniors in private is hardly the conduct of a Grand Master!"

"And you have the nerve to talk about me?"

Qin Li Shixian nearly laughed in spite of her anger: "What… you and your martial brothers, surely you haven't been spying on this Tower Lord?"

"Never!"

Long Xi Xiang's expression didn't change!

"Heh!"

Qin Li Shixian flicked her sleeve and turned: "My grandfather wants to see you!"

"Senior Qin Yun?"

Long Xi Xiang's frame jolted, and he immediately sobered up. He cast a hesitant glance at the sleeping Li Yuan, then followed Qin Li Shixian at a measured pace!

He had split off a strand of true Qi to come here; besides protecting Li Yuan, he also wanted to meet this person!

The two transformed into streaks of light and moved at extreme speed. In just a few rises and falls, they had already drifted up to the upper level of the Eight Directions Tower!

In the spacious room, Qin Yun held a jade tower in his palm, seemingly examining something. Only when Long Xi Xiang bowed in salute did he return to his senses!

"After a parting of sixty years, my young friend's cultivation has greatly advanced!"

Qin Yun smiled. Of course he recognized Long Xi Xiang. Back in the day, when the latter had infiltrated Star-Plucking Tower as a Heaven-rank assassin, it was he himself who had secretly given tacit consent!

"Senior has seen this junior before?"

Long Xi Xiang was slightly startled, then realized this person had probably been secretly observing him!

"When you entered the Tower back then, I caught a glimpse of you once, but at the time you didn't recognize this old man, that's all!"

"That was this junior's shallow fortune…"

The two exchanged pleasantries!

Qin Li Shixian, meanwhile, retreated to one side. As for the courtesies between old-timers, she had not the slightest interest!