Chapter 541: Divine Runes, Illusory and Ethereal

Six lines of eighth-rank incense, three from the Thousand Spirit Deliverance Stele and three from the Nourishing Life Great Hall—a windfall!

"Combine Armor."

After a brief pause, Li Yuan threw the newly forged Long Kun Armor into the Divine Fire Weapon-Combining Furnace, ignited it with gold and silver as fuel, and within moments, dazzling Jin Guang flickered inside the furnace!

Familiar blood was poured in and mixed with true qi; moments later, the Weapon-Combining Furnace spat out a suit of dark-red armor!

Illusory Long Kun Blood Armor (Eighth Rank)

Ignited by divine fire, forged from a foundation of a thousand suits of armor, with the blood and qi of the Weapon Master as its soul; spiritual awareness has been born...

【Command Condition: Weapon Master's Bloodline】

【Command Effect: Eighth Rank (Golden): Divine weapons cannot harm; Seventh Rank (Pale Gold): Unyielding Body, Martial Heaven】

Standard and proper, but acceptable!

Li Yuan nodded!

The standard-issue armor of the Dragon Tiger Army was not particularly exquisite, but its rank was not poor; moreover, being standard-issue, its traits were uniform, making the success rate of weapon combination extremely high!

Following the same method, he quickly combined two more identical suits of eighth-rank "Long Kun Blood Armor."

"Weapon combination does not require exquisite weapons; standard equipment is more suitable. Pity there is no ninth-rank incense..."

Li Yuan toyed with these three suits of divine armor!

The success rate for combining standard equipment is very high, with many successes and few failures; after this round of combination, his incense consumption was not great, only that low-rank weapons had been completely exhausted!

"I'll have to ask Old Dragon Head for another batch; after all, I have the Black Whale Hammer and the Nourishing Grounds as an excuse!"

"Exposing" the identity of the Black Whale Hammer Master had its benefits; for instance, the reason for gathering weapons could easily be blamed on the Black Whale Hammer. A thought flashed through Li Yuan's mind, yet he hesitated somewhat:

"The remaining three lines of eighth-rank incense..."

Previously, he had obtained two hundred lines of seventh-rank incense, which greatly raised Li Yuan's threshold, so he was no longer as reluctant to use incense as before; however, how to use it still required consideration!

"Hmm... a pair of boots is needed, and a bone ornament as well,"

"Keep one line of eighth-rank incense on hand for future weapon combination. Hmm, that's it..."

After pondering for a moment, Li Yuan began weapon combination!

The process of weapon combination was second nature to him; in no time, he had synthesized two eighth-rank items!

【Long Kun Thousand Beast Boots (Eighth Rank)】

With the Weapon Master's blood and qi as the source, combined with various spiritual beasts to form boots, forged through divine fire; spiritual awareness has been born, bearing a slight semblance of the Long Kun...

Command Condition: Weapon Master's Bloodline.

Command Effect: Eighth Rank (Golden)

A semblance of the Long Kun?

Li Yuan was slightly stunned; weapons of seventh rank or higher, even when combined, required him to pour in blood and qi, yet this "semblance of the Long Kun" was the first time he had ever seen it!

【Long Kun Speed: The Weapon Master, using the forms of various beast weapons, emulates the Split-Sea Black Whale to form the shape of the Long Kun. The Long Kun: enters water as Kun, soars skyward as Dragon, enters clouds as thunder, lands as wind...】

During divine fire weapon combination, these boots were stained with the form of the Long Kun...

"This is an unexpected joy!"

Li Yuan was quite surprised but did not rush to test it; instead, he picked up the bone ornament: Thousand Bone Pang Pang Liexue Ring (Eighth Rank)

Bones from hundreds of spiritual beasts, spiritual birds, and spiritual insects, forged through divine fire; the lingering souls of the spiritual beasts fused within the fire, giving rise to slight spiritual anomalies...

Command Condition: Weapon Master's Bloodline

Command Effect: Eighth Rank (Golden): Avoid Danger; Seventh Rank (Pale Gold): Spiritual Beast Perception

【Avoid Danger: "Move with the wind, avoid danger when encountered"】

"This is quite good!"

Weighing the earring, Li Yuan placed great importance on such enhancements; foreseeing danger allows for early avoidance or changing the command combination, which could be paired with the Suppressing Sea Black Turtle Armor!

As for Spiritual Beast Perception, that was also good; the other five bone ornaments possessed this same command enhancement, and stacked together, the effect was quite considerable!

Turning the matter over in his mind, Li Yuan was

quite satisfied with this weapon combination. After storing the final wisp of eighth-rank incense, he opened his eyes, left the storage room, and ended this session of weapon combination!

On the way back to his room, Li Yuan tested the command enhancements of the newly combined weapons; as he expected, the most immediate effect came from the Long Kun Thousand Beast Boots!

These eighth-rank spiritual boots had an extremely high compatibility with him!

Under the command enhancement, Li Yuan felt as though he had merged into the wind; without exerting much effort, he could move with the wind, leaving not a trace of worldly smoke!

"Excellent item!"

Li Yuan felt a slight joy in his heart, and Yu Yu Xuanji immediately commanded three pairs of Long Kun Hundred Beast Boots (Seventh

Rank), one "Divine Fire Thousand Beast Boots (Seventh Rank)," and four pairs of "Divine Fire Hundred Beast Boots (Sixth Rank)" onto himself!

With nine pairs of spiritual boots upon him, Li Yuan felt as light as a goose feather; this was not even an illusion, for he had not activated his true qi, and no trace remained where he passed!

With a slight exertion, he felt as though he were drifting straight up into the azure sky!

"Perhaps I can try flying!"

Li Yuan felt somewhat excited!

Martial artists who have mastered their meridians can hover in mid-air to a certain extent once their true qi is full; several years ago, he could hover for several hours and even manipulate his true qi to drift and soar

into the sky.

But that was merely hovering; one day of vigorous movement would cause him to fall, let alone engage in combat!

But now, with the enhancement of nine pairs of spiritual boots, perhaps he could achieve it!

"The benefits of stacking a single command..."

Immersed in the wonders of these various enhancements, Li Yuan was somewhat oblivious to his surroundings; fortunately, since the martial arts tournaments of the various paths, the Dragon Tiger Temple was no longer as bustling as before, and few passersby saw him!

After the spiritual boots came the Thousand Bone Pang Pang Liexue Ring!

He assembled nine bone ornaments into a set and commanded them all at once; he felt a slight coolness at his brow, a sensation of his spirit and soul leaving his body, and the scenery around him became incredibly vivid!

"What is this?"

Li Yuan suddenly froze, looking at Long Xi Xiang's small temple!

He was naturally very familiar with this small temple — he used to go there every day, saw it every day — but at this moment, under his gaze, the little temple seemed like a living thing, trembling with rhythm!

Beneath the faint white mist, one could dimly see numerous interwoven "lines"!

"Divine patterns..."

Li Yuan unconsciously stepped closer, and the crisscrossing divine patterns came alive, as if he could grab them with one hand!

"So this is, harvesting a marvel?"

A sudden understanding rose in Li Yuan's heart. Before, when he heard others talk about harvesting marvels, no matter how clearly they explained it, he still had some doubts!

But seeing it with his own eyes now, he felt an instant of clarity in his heart!

"Outwardly it manifests as a scene, inwardly as divine patterns..."

Li Yuan looked all around. Wherever his eyes reached — whether grass, trees, mountains, stones, or anything else — as long as it had not been carved by human hands, divine patterns flowed through it!

Only their colors differed, their thickness and length varied, appearing and vanishing, seeming real yet illusory!

"Mm?"

Suddenly, Li Yuan's heart jolted. He looked toward Hushan, and faintly, he could see four orbs of light, interwoven like clouds!

Within them, intricate divine patterns tangled and flowed — some like dragons and elephants, some like divine swords, dragons and tigers, some like carved dragons and golden bells...

"Is Old Long Head and Old Daoist Nie hosting those two elders?"

Li Yuan wanted to keep gazing, but felt a stabbing pain between his brows, and could not help but withdraw from this strange state. Fatigue and drowsiness came flooding in like a tide — a sign that his spirit had been overtaxed!

"Marvels, divine patterns!"

Rubbing the spot between his brows, Li Yuan was still immersed in what he had just seen. He

had seen divine patterns before too. Setting aside other things, Old Daoist Nie's Pure Yang sword form was still in the Soldier-Nurturing Ground to this day!

But to see them as direct, clear, and comprehensive as just now — this was the first time!

Beneath the mountains, stones, grass, and trees, divine patterns flowed, and for a moment he felt as if he were seeing the true heavens and earth!

But he quickly gathered his thoughts. His spirit was truly exhausted, and he had no choice but to return to his room to catch up on sleep.

After the heavy snow, the waterfall outside Jintao Hall had long frozen over!

On the open ground before the hall, Sky Silkworm Daoist Xu Tui practiced his stake-standing art. His movements were light and slow, even a little soft, yet as he pushed, the aura around him slowly rose, like a dormant volcano about to erupt!

Beside him, Scaly-Headed Monk sank his waist and lowered his hips. As he breathed in and out, a golden bell — present yet absent — materialized outside his body. The bell was covered in patterns, and at a glance, it looked like a golden dragon was swimming across it!

Before the two men, Nie Xianshan and Long Xi Xiang wore solemn expressions, with energy swirling around them and mist rising thickly!

"Huu."

A moment later, Long Xi Xiang and the other both stepped back several paces, and Sky Silkworm Daoist and the other, who had been standing with eyes closed practicing their art, slowly opened their eyes, fatigue appearing on their faces!

"The injuries of the two elders are far more severe than what I suffered back then. It is only because your cultivation is so profound that you've endured until now — if it were anyone else, they might not have held on!"

Long Xi Xiang let out a long breath, recalling the shattered Sui Shen Jing he had just seen, and felt a deep sense of empathy!

Compared to himself back then, Wan Wan Zhuliu had been several times heavier on these two. That blade intent had nearly merged with the divine realm, and the sight was shocking to behold!

"That surnamed Wan is truly vicious and ruthless!"

Nie Xianshan was quite indignant: "Killing a man is just a nod of the head, but to torment them like this — it's truly inhuman."

Scaly-Headed Monk did not respond. Sky Silkworm Daoist gave a light cough: "Dragon Lord, you sent someone to invite this old man here — for what matter? Surely not just to look at the two of us' injuries?"

"Inviting the two elders here, naturally there is important business!"

Long Xi Xiang glanced at Nie Xianshan. This old Daoist, ever since breaking through the Heavenly Crime, had changed temperament drastically — even worse than him at speaking!

"Oh?"

Sky Silkworm Daoist grew interested: "Tell us!"

"I wonder if the two elders know of the imperial court's Spirit-Peering Sacrifice?"

Long Xi Xiang inquired!

"Spirit-Peering Sacrifice?"

Sky Silkworm Daoist's gaze sharpened slightly, then he gave a cold snort: "What prophecy

— fifty years from now — is nothing but the imperial court playing tricks, deliberately trying to drive a wedge between our sects. This old man certainly won't believe it!"

Scaly-Headed Monk glanced at him and said nothing!

. ￠o

"The imperial court's intentions deserve death."

Nie Xianshan quite agreed!

"My disciple, of pure and good nature, obsessed with martial arts, never made enemies with anyone — yet was slandered by the imperial court as a patricide traitor

— truly, their intentions deserve death."

Long Xi Xiang's face was full of indignation!

You didn't say it like that in the Divine Capital...

Sky Silkworm Daoist and Scaly-Headed Monk exchanged a glance, slandering silently in their hearts. Though they had not gone to the Divine Capital, they were well aware of what had happened that day!

But they naturally would not expose it. The two, who had already noticed some clues, both nodded in agreement!