Chapter 501: Preparation

"Go down the mountain?"

Li Yuan jerked his head up, his face full of astonishment: "Who goes down the mountain?"

His reaction was so extreme that even Long Long Yingchan could not help but—

twitch an eyelid. A young man, with blood and Qi in full flood, has an active mind and finds it hard to bear the loneliness of the mountain!

Whenever the topic of going down the mountain comes up, his heart usually leaps with excitement—so why is this lad—

"You want me to go down the mountain?"

Li Yuan's heart sank slightly: "But this disciple has not yet undergone Blood Exchange." He had assumed the Dragon Dao Master was going to ask about the Mystic Gate Weapon-Forging Art; hearing him inquire about his Wu Gong progress, the moment Blood Exchange was mentioned he had already sensed something was off, yet he never imagined it would be dragged all the way to going down the mountain?

"Entering the Dao involves spiritual cultivation; in the end, one must go down the mountain and move about."

Long Long Yingchan pinched his long brows: "With your talent, it's time to begin preparations. As for Blood Exchange, there's the Long Hu Longhu Dadan—it won't be delayed!"

"This…"

Li Yuan always felt something was off. The Dragon Dao Master's attitude had changed far too abruptly—earlier he had clearly told him to stay on the mountain in quiet cultivation, undergo Blood Exchange, and draw the blade!

"Then those two old seniors…"

"The matter of drawing the blade is not to be rushed!"

Long Long Yingchan was caught between laughter and tears!

This lad is fine in every way, except his courage is truly a bit small. It's only going down a mountain, yet his face is as grave as if he were going to his death!

"So you've made up your mind to have this disciple go down the mountain?"

Hearing his tone so firm, Li Yuan felt a slight headache coming on!

According to his own plan, he would at least need to undergo Blood Exchange first, then Enter the Dao, cultivate a Spirit Form, forge a Divine Realm, and only after that go down the mountain to pluck Heaven and Earth Wonders.

Such a sudden turn left him feeling a touch uneasy!

"This is a good thing!"

Seeing Li Yuan so reluctant to go down the mountain, Long Long Yingchan—who had felt a bit stifled in his heart—actually felt much better. He offered a few words of comfort: "This old man has already arranged everything properly. You just go down the mountain with peace of mind—there absolutely won't be any danger!"

As for Li Yuan's worries, Long Long Yingchan didn't think much of them. If this lad truly had the temperament of Long Xi Xiang, he wouldn't have agreed to that old fellow!

Li Yuan's heart eased slightly, yet he still felt doubtful: "Go down the mountain—where to?"

"To a hidden place. For you, this journey may well be no small fortune!"

Long Long Yingchan did not spell it out, only asking Li Yuan what he needed!

Seeing that going down the mountain was unavoidable, Li Yuan naturally opened his mouth like a lion—Long Hu Longhu Dadan, Long Hu Dan, Long Dan, Long Long Modadan…

"Enough!"

Long Long Yingchan still couldn't hold back—this lad was acting as if he wanted to carry the whole sect away with him!

After some haggling between master and disciple, in the end Li Yuan set down the Long Hu Yang Sheng Lu, picked up one Long Dan and one Long Long Modadan, and walked out the door!

Long Long Yingchan hadn't said when Li Yuan should go down the mountain, but he himself would be going down the mountain in just a few days!

'That old Monk—could he have sold me off?'

Looking back at the Dragon Residence, Li Yuan couldn't help muttering to himself, and inevitably thought of that Star-Plucking Tower Master!

In his view, the Dragon Dao Master's drastic change in attitude must have been because someone had talked him into it!

"So secretive…"

His thoughts drifting, Li Yuan's curiosity outweighed his worry. As for the Dragon Dao Master, he still trusted him in his heart!

Still, given the Dragon Dao Master's temperament, just how many benefits would it take for him to agree to let him go down the mountain?

Weighing the two porcelain bottles in his hand, Li Yuan was actually quite satisfied!

The Long Hu Dan strengthens bones, the Long Dan eases the tendons, and the Long Long Modadan boosts true Qi and nourishes the body. These two great pills, in terms of price, were only slightly inferior to the Long Hu Longhu Dadan!

But for merely going down a mountain, this deal was still a bargain!

"If it's that Star-Plucking Tower Master…"

Pocketing the pills, Li Yuan's mind churned with calculations. That Tower Master still owed him ten Long Long Modadan, as well as a top-grade divine weapon!

"And Old Han…"

By the time he returned to his small courtyard, it was already the latter half of the night!

Closing the courtyard gate, Li Yuan had no desire to sleep. He walked straight to the old tree, sat down cross-legged, and with a flick of his wrist, wisps and strands of crimson sword-light wove themselves into shape in his palm!

"Pure Yang Sword Form!"

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly!

This sword form was something he had modeled on the Pure Yang Sword Form from the Spirit-Light Land, condensed from true Qi, and the two resonated with each other.

"The Pure Yang Sword Ta Yin-ed down through the Treasure-Refining Art is identical to Old Daoist Nie… what a bargain, I've gotten the better of it by far!"

Li Yuan muttered to himself!

This Pure Yang Sword shadow encompasses all of Old Daoist Nie's lifelong cultivation, like his mantle and legacy. One could say that, as long as one's talent is not lacking, by following it step by step and copying it, one would very likely be able to cultivate—

the Pure Yang Sword Form!

As for Entering the Dao, and breaking through the Celestial Gang—

that would depend on personal fortune, and on whether one could find all manner of Heaven Materials and Earthly Treasures!

"Hmph."

That wisp of crimson sword-light, as if alive, spiraled around him—slow at first, then faster, moving as smoothly as an extension of his arm. And with a single thought, it leapt up like a flying sword of legend!

Only a few sharp 'shhh-shhh' sounds were heard, and the withered yellow leaves and excess branches on the old tree were all sliced clean off!

Zheng—Li Yuan flicked his finger, and the crimson sword-light instantly tore through—

the air, and after a moment returned, landing in his palm!

"Eighteen hundred meters—nearly four li."

Toying with that wisp of sword-light, Li Yuan's eyes shone bright. This

The Pure Yang Sword Form that was Ta Yin-ed into the Spiritual Light Land by him truly has a hint of a Spirit Form's flavor!

The sword Qi he unleashed with it bounced back and forth within four li without dispersing; its speed was extreme, and its sharpness could cleave metal and iron.

This has already far exceeded the scope of True Qi-driven techniques!

"Before entering the Dao, first cultivate a Spirit Form; refining treasure arts still has this use?"

Crushing the sword Qi, Li Yuan closed his eyes!

Hum—; in the Spiritual Light Land, thunder-fire radiance flickered and interplayed.

In just half a day, the Spiritual Light Land had split in two; the thunder-dragon transformed from the Long Kun held the Ten Thousand Layers Stone in its maw, facing off against the Pure Yang Sword from afar!

"Qi merging with Spirit gives rise to a Spirit Form; to digest this mouthful of Pure

Yang Sword, I must at least cultivate the Dragon Tiger Mysterious Scripture and the Pure Yang Nourishment—these two Divine Wu Gong to completion!"

Li Yuan muttered to himself!

Though he had not yet undergone blood exchange, his understanding of entering the Dao was already very deep—partly from his two masters, and partly from books!

How to cultivate a Spirit Form, how to forge a Divine Realm—every hurdle was crystal clear to him!

"Before entering the Dao, perhaps I can nurture a Pure Yang Sword Spirit Form?"

Li Yuan was quite stirred within; the various methods that could only be employed after cultivating a Spirit Form—he had been coveting them for a long time!

Normally, before entering the Dao, Qi and blood are Pure Yang while the Divine Soul is Yin; when the two come into contact, it only harms both body and spirit, let alone

drawing True Qi into the Spiritual Light Land!

Even Dragon Tiger Temple has no similar method; this of his counts as a fortunate accident!

Hum—; pondering within, Li Yuan split his focus—while maintaining the thunder-dragon visualization, he began to familiarize himself with this mouthful of Pure Yang Sword!

Early the next morning, Li Yuan detected a change in the aura of the Dragon Tiger Nourishment Furnace!

"Has Dragon Dao Master descended the mountain?"

Li Yuan flipped himself upright, sensed slightly, and could still detect the existence of the Nourishment Furnace!

As the master of the Nourishment Furnace, this sense was very clear; by calling through it, he could forcibly summon the furnace back!

His thoughts turned, and faintly, he could sense Dragon Dao Master's figure!

At this moment, he was seated cross-legged on the back of a golden eagle with a wingspan of over ten zhang; accompanying him were Fang Fang Sanyun, Grand Master Master Dading, and that Green Dragon Pavilion Master, Heavenly Serpent Daoist!

Four Grand Masters descended the mountain…

"Four Grand Masters, three Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing!"

Li Yuan's heart chilled; Wei Wei Tianzuo's murder had already spread throughout the world—no matter what the Wudadao Sect thought, they would surely retaliate!

Judging by these men's posture, they were likely going to retaliate viciously!

"Such a major event, that True Person Feng Yuanqing surely wouldn't miss

it; then this makes five Grand Masters, four Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing!"

Sighing within, Li Yuan rose to wash up, went to see Long Xi Xiang, obtained a waist token from the Old Dragon Head, and headed straight for Shenbingtang!

Before descending the mountain, those few Shenbingtang divine weapons with the effect of altering root-bone—he naturally had to borrow them for use!

In Shenbingtang, all was as before, except this time he did not see Shan Qing Song; upon inquiring, he learned that this Shenbingtang Master had also entered closed-door cultivation!

"The Hall Master has it hard too!"

Li Yuan felt a touch of emotion!

Shan Qing Song had not been willing to attempt entering the Dao; before, when the Old Dragon Head came out of seclusion, he had even said aloud that he'd escaped a calamity, and invited him for wine as a guest!

But Dragon Dao Master had changed his mind; not just him, but the Jiudatang Masters and the eighteen Weifutang Masters—well over half had entered closed-door cultivation!

That one furnace of Dragon-Tiger Nourishment Pills had all been distributed!

He had been somewhat surprised at the time, but looking at it now, Dragon Dao Master had probably long since sensed the brewing storm!

"Entering the Dao is hard!"

Feeling this, Li Yuan entered the mountain, followed his sense, and borrowed out the "Ancient Spirit Elephant Hammer" and the "Giant Python Whip"!

The control enhancements of these two seventh-tier Shenbingtang divine weapons were respectively "Six Spirit Elephants" and "Nine Python Bodies"—both had the effect of altering root-bone!

When about to leave the mountain, he thought for a moment, and also borrowed out the "Flesh-Blood Four Vajra Dharma Armor"!

This divine armor, obtained from the Xieshen Sect protector Fang Chao, contained the worship of the Flesh-Blood Sinew-Bone Four Vajra Dharma; at this juncture of blood exchange, he wanted to borrow it for a look!

Holding the Old Dragon Head's token, and with Dragon Dao Master's approval,

Li Yuan naturally encountered no obstruction!

Leaving Hundred Beast Mountain, he went to visit Master Master Jingxin, only to be turned away—the old Master Nun was refining pills!

Not just this Master Nun, but several of the sect's great pill-refiners were also very busy; they had set aside other pills and were doing their utmost to refine Bai Xing Dan!

After visiting several places in succession, Li Yuan did not disturb them, and turned to head to the Scripture Library!

Dragon Tiger Temple had three great Scripture Libraries; before obtaining Dragon Dao Master's approval, even true-disciple students could only enter and exit one of

them!

Li Yuan could enter and exit three Scripture Libraries, but he was still limited to the Inner and Outer Pavilions; the Secret Pavilion also required the Old Dragon Head's token!

The Scripture Library's steward was quite familiar with Li Yuan, but upon seeing him bring over a thick Wen Wen Yida of secret manuals and root maps, he was still

startled: "So many?"

"Senior Brother Lin, please register them!"

Li Yuan did not explain; he had obtained Dragon Dao Master's approval, so naturally he had to borrow everything he could use!

The steward clicked his tongue within, but still registered them one by one!

Li Yuan then went to the other two Scripture Libraries, doing the same; in total he borrowed over three hundred mid- and lower-tier Wu Gong, all of fine quality!

Among them were over a dozen upper-tier martial studies, mostly hammer techniques and lightness skills, with a small portion being horizontal training!

"Away from the mountain for a year or half a year, this should be enough!"

Back in his room, Li Yuan stored the many manuals and the Root Diagram into his Soldier-Binding Space, and began tallying up his household goods!

Divine weapons, spirit pills, martial arts manuals, and incense offerings!

"Mm, shouldn't be anything missing!"