Chapter 495: Wild Ox Physique?

"Hmm?"

"How..."

In the martial arts ground, the profound light suddenly blazed intensely; inside the Eight Directions Tower, Qin Yun's hand even trembled.

This brat actually received the Master's approval?!

Only a few moves...

"What is the Ancestor doing..."

Qin Li Shixian was just preparing to guide Li Yuan out when she saw this scene and was also startled, but then, that surging profound light already covered everything, drowning all sights.

"Hmm?!"

Not only Qin Yun and Qin Li Shixian, but Li Yuan, who had already begun to think of retreating, saw that light pointing straight at his brow and was just one step away from pulling out the Split-Sea Black Whale Hammer.

Amidst the interweaving profound light, his face was full of astonishment; this light came too fast and too abruptly, even he couldn't react in time.

A moment ago, this Dragon Demon Daoist's scattered hand almost smashed him to pieces; how could it suddenly...

'This is only the seventh move...'

Surprise and doubt flashed through Li Yuan's heart, but then, all his spirit was entirely drawn to that profound light.

Buzz~

In that momentary trance, Li Yuan lost all perception of the outside world, only feeling as if countless colors were interweaving and transforming within his mind, finally exploding with a 'Boom!'

"This, this is only a few moves?"

Inside the Eight Directions Tower, Qin Li Shixian's face was full of shock; she subconsciously wanted to reach out and touch that bursting profound light, but was shaken out along with the old man.

The Ancestor Hall, can't enter?

"This brat..."

Qin Yun pinched his fingers, forcing himself to calm down, but looking at the interwoven profound light before him, his brows still knitted together.

Did the Master perhaps see something?

"Wasn't it supposed to last a hundred moves?"

Qin Li Shixian couldn't help but ask.

"A hundred moves? That is what you think; the Master has never left such a rule..."

Qin Yun's heart was truly not calm: "This brat has a special physique; the Master must think he is qualified for the final trial? As for rules, where would the Master care about rules?"

"But that isn't the real Ancestor..."

Qin Li Shixian refuted; looking at the profound light before her, she couldn't help feeling a bit jealous, as she, the legitimate successor, had never reached this step.

What made her even more envious was that the profound light not only covered Li Yuan but also engulfed Han Han Chuijun at the edge of the martial arts ground.

"Who says it isn't?"

Qin Yun slowly reached out, touched that black light, and silently chanted in his heart, communicating:

"Master, allow your disciple to send one person along..."

Could this be the real Ancestor?

Qin Li Shixian's heart gave a start; she had always thought this was the spirit of the Eight Directions Tower, but now it seemed the old man had been hiding something?

As the thought flashed through, she felt truly regretful:

"If I had known, I would have taken a beating just to go in and take a look..."

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly felt her shoulder sink, and then Yu Yu Xuanji pushed her into the profound light; she turned back in shock but saw the old man's brows relax:

"Now, it is not too late."

Buzz~~

Various colored lights flowed like water.

In the trance, Li Yuan felt as if his spirit and soul had left his body while listening to the heavenly sound; that intense sensation of falling into a deep abyss made him feel so sick he wanted to vomit blood.

"Does this count as passing? Passing in seven moves... no one in the Star-Picking Pavilion's thousand years could withstand seven moves? That doesn't sound right?"

"In what form does this Dragon Demon Daoist exist? The spirit of the Eight Directions Tower? A will preserved in incense smoke? Or..."

"I don't know if Old Han can get in..."

He didn't know how long it had been; perhaps just an instant, Li Yuan's mind had wandered for a long time before he finally regained perception of the outside world.

The outside world gradually became clear; he could see this was a small room.

"This room?"

Li Yuan's eyelid jumped; he looked at the wall, where there was a mural of extremely high craftsmanship.

The painting showed rolling mountains, surging seas of clouds, and ten thousand beasts racing within them; in the sea of clouds, a green dragon hung its head, indifferent and cold.

He had an impression of this mural...

"The one I saw when I listened to the heavenly sound before!"

Li Yuan's heart gave a jolt.

The scene of the Dragon Demon Daoist dripping blood to become human, like a creator, remained vivid in his memory.

Wuu~

While Li Yuan was still shocked, he suddenly heard the sound of wind blowing and clouds moving; looking up, he saw that mural was as real as the actual world, vivid and alive.

That wind sound came directly from the mural.

Suddenly, Li Yuan subconsciously stepped back; he saw a wisp of profound light float out from the mural, and when it landed, it had transformed into the form of the Dragon Demon Daoist.

"Greetings, Master."

Li Yuan's mind was full of confusion, but it didn't stop him from bowing his head to the ground; his eyesight was very good, and he spotted the ruler the old man was holding in his hand at a glance.

Quiet!

The room was very quiet, but Li Yuan's heart was drumming a little. He could feel the Long Mo Dao Ren's gaze, as solid as substance, sizing him up and down, making his hair stand on end.

"Sit!"

A moment later, a reply came from across the room.

Li Dao Ye broke out in a cold sweat. He had never met such a stubborn old man. Only after getting a reply did he breathe a sigh of relief, and following the instruction, he sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion.

Before a strict master, one must be well-behaved.

Long Mo Dao Ren sat cross-legged opposite him, the two of them separated by no more than two meters.

"All things, all spirits, are born of Heaven and Earth. Yet Heaven and Earth are heartless, so mountains have their heights and depths, and spirits likewise have their highs and lows."

Looking at Li Yuan, Long Mo Dao Ren spoke slowly:

"Talent, as the name implies, is bestowed by Heaven. Hardship and tempering after birth can also polish one's endowment, yet Mu Mu Xiantian endowment is hard to surpass…"

Sure enough, it's still because of talent.

Li Yuan lowered his brows and obedient eyes, still pondering and analyzing in his heart.

Those seven moves, looking at it now, weren't about winning or losing, but a test, to use this to judge his 'true' talent?

"World-shaking endowment is rare through the ages, yet even rarer than that is 'physique'."

Long Mo Dao Ren's voice was calm, with a slight pause:

"This is not a school, there's no need for such stiff formality."

"…"

Li Yuan almost couldn't hold it together. With your previous behavior, old sir, who would dare not be formal?

But even as he grumbled inwardly, Li Yuan remained very obedient, lowering his head and cupping his hands, his manners thorough, not daring to overstep:

"May I ask, Master, what is 'physique'?"

"Any force, small as a household or clan, large as a sect or nation, has its rules. Those who conform and fit the rules often rise faster and more smoothly than ordinary people."

Long Mo Dao Ren spoke plainly and clearly:

"Heaven and Earth also have all manner of rules. To conform to a certain rule is physique… Of course, in the classics, this rule is called 'He Tian Di Fa'."

Mm, plain and clear.

Li Yuan nodded, indicating he understood, but he couldn't help feeling a little hollow inside. His root bone was at best middling-to-low at the start; what kind of physique that conformed to He Tian Di Fa could he possibly have?

He was afraid that the scene of him activating the Weapon Register's augmentation and instantly erupting with power far beyond himself had been misjudged by him as some kind of physique?

Thinking this, Li Yuan felt much more at ease.

He was the Master of the Weapon Register; who says that can't be a kind of physique?

He mulled it over in his heart, feeling this was a good excuse that could perfectly cover up the existence of the Weapon Register…

'From now on, that's what I'll say.'

While Li Yuan's thoughts wandered, Long Mo Dao Ren had already cited several special physiques as examples. He said many, but in truth it was only a handful of people like 'Pure Yang Ancestor' and 'Pang Pang Wenlong'.

"May I ask, Master, what is your physique?"

Li Yuan asked carefully.

"History has no record. This old man named it himself 'Dao-Comprehending Physique'."

Long Mo Dao Ren said lightly: "Since I began practicing martial arts, any Wu Gong can be cultivated to perfection within a few days, and I can push out the old and bring forth the new, surpassing the creator of the art."

Dao-Comprehending Physique?

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly, but he felt this physique didn't seem all that powerful.

After all, his current speed of practicing martial arts was pretty much the same.

"Including absolute arts and divine arts."

"This…"

Li Yuan felt his teeth ache a little. With this addition, it became somewhat terrifying.

Cultivating a divine art to a realm surpassing its creator within a few days?

That works too?

"Hiss!"

Li Yuan heard the sound of someone sucking in a cold breath. His heart jolted, and his peripheral vision swept over, but he only saw the wall and the tightly shut wooden door.

'That was Old Han's voice? He's outside the door?'

Cultivating a divine art to great perfection within a few days?

Outside the wooden door, in a long corridor, Han Han Chuijun's heart shook. What kind of talent must this be?

"No wonder Long Mo Dao Ren can easily take on the forms of ten thousand beasts. Such talent…"

As Han Han Chuijun's heart trembled unceasingly, he suddenly heard an odd sound behind him. He warily turned his head, only to see a woman in white suddenly appear behind him.

"To be able to break through to here…"

Han Han Chuijun's heart lurched. Could this be the Star-Plucking Tower Master?

"This place…"

After a momentary daze, Qin Li Shixian surveyed her surroundings. Where she was now was a long corridor. Han Han Chuijun stood before a wooden door, and from inside the door, voices came faintly.

"…a closed-door disciple?!"

Qin Li Shixian's eye twitched. Not even letting her through the door?

Though she felt a little indignant in her heart, she knew her Ancestral Master's temper all too well. Not to mention voicing an opinion, she didn't even shift a single step, just standing in the corridor listening.

"This seems to be about physique? What physique does this Li Yuan have, to catch Ancestral Master's eye…"

……

"You can erupt in an instant with power several times, even ten-plus times beyond yourself. This physique of yours is not recorded in any of the ancient texts this old man has read."

"There aren't many, are there? Where does such a record come from?"

Li Yuan inwardly scoffed. According to the old man's words, among those with documented physique in history, there were likely fewer than ten fingers could count; truly, one might not appear even once in a millennium.

"Hmm... it could be called the 'Wild Ox Physique'."

"..."

Li Yuan could only pretend he hadn't heard. This old man was good at naming things. If he was the 'Dao-Comprehending Physique', then when it came to him, it became the 'Wild Ox Physique', was that it?

"A pity, a pity..."

Li Yuan pinched his nose, daring not to speak, while the old man let out a sigh.

"Why does the Master sigh?"

Li Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"It is a pity that your Wild Ox Physique truly does not match me..."

So it's the Wild Ox Physique, is it?

Li Yuan nearly couldn't hold back, but seeing that ruler, he forced himself to restrain himself.

"What I have mastered lies in comprehension. You..."

Dragon Demon Daoist sighed, a change appearing on his face: "I severed a strand of my divine soul within this tower to await the one born of the 'Strange Scenery'. Now it seems there is no such fate for me."

Daoist Li possessed some tolerance and did not mind the old man's belittling; he simply asked:

"'Strange Scenery' birth?"

As he asked, Li Yuan suddenly realized: 'The Star-Picking Tower was seeking one born of the Strange Scenery all along, and it was because of Dragon Demon Daoist...'