Chapter 549: The Silent Grand Masters

For the next half month, Li Yuan was unusually free!

He rose with the sun and rested at sunset; during the day he would either seek out Long Xi Xiang and Nie Xianshan to taste tea and discuss the Dao, or seek out Jing Jing Shuhu to exchange insights on treasure-refining; in the evening he would mostly be guiding the two little ones in martial arts practice!

At night, he would reshape his bone structure, visualize, and listen to sounds!

His life was regular yet leisurely, without the previous round-the-clock frantic practice!

But this was not slackness—it was preparation for breaking through the Dao Entry barrier!

All martial arts, though different in approach, seek the same goal: essence, qi, and spirit. The Dao Entry barrier lies in the "spirit"!

"A person's spirit is like the rising sun in youth, the blazing red sun at noon in middle age, and the setting sun over the western hills in old age! The sun rises and sets, the moon sets and rises; the realm of harmony between heaven and man requires closeness to heaven and earth!"

"Soothe the spirit, align with nature, and from this, sense your soul!"

At the cliff's edge in the evening, Li Yuan gazed at the setting sun on the horizon, his mind calm and still, mulling over Old Long and Old Daoist Nie's understanding of Dao Entry!

The four steps of Dao Entry—soul leaving the body, qi and blood merging, form dissolving into transformation, body and spirit uniting—Li Yuan had long memorized them by heart, yet was still sorting them out and pondering them!

"When the great sun first rises, the heart is vigorous; when night falls, the heart grows still. Observe your own heart in stillness, follow nature, and only then can you sense the soul!"

Li Yuan half-closed his eyes, his soul suddenly standing three-dimensional, looking down on the mountain scenery: "The Dao Entry barrier is not difficult for me… my talent isn't stacked for nothing; a Zhao Zhao Tianxing-grade constitution is indeed extraordinary!"

Hum!

Li Yuan closed his eyes, and his soul left his body!

Perceiving the surrounding heaven and earth through the soul's body was utterly different from the physical body—the soul was more sensitive; the cold wind, accumulated snow, the afterglow of the setting sun, even withered leaves and grass were all vividly alive!

He "looked" at his own physical body, and could see blood flowing beneath the skin, true qi, the crystalline jade-like skeleton, and the constantly trembling viscera!

Among the four Dao Entry barriers, he had already mastered the first three steps; what he had been pondering this half month was the fourth step—body and spirit uniting!

This step was also where most Zhun Sect masters failed in their Dao Entry attempt!

When body and spirit unite, the soul is inevitably scorched by blood qi and true qi—scorched by one's own qi and blood. This seems inconceivable, yet it truly exists!

"Before the three elements merge, the soul cannot leave the body for long, and will be harmed by qi and blood—like the legendary ghosts, who cannot withstand the qi and blood of the living!"

cannot withstand the qi and blood of the living!

Muttering to himself, Li Yuan's soul returned to his body!

He did not open his eyes, but focused his spirit to sense himself; within his brow, the Mud Pill Palace glowed with a faint light, nine acupoint orifices circling like stars around the soul!

Under his focused sensing!

There were all manner of lights within his body!

Qi and blood, true qi, bones, viscera, and acupoint orifices!

"Without the various Mi Fa of some divine cult, practicing the Bai Shen Fa is truly difficult—no wonder the orthodox Bai Shen Fa cannot be passed down, the threshold is too high!"

Li Yuan muttered to himself, and activated his various bone ornaments one by one; relying on his suddenly heightened perception, he saw the seemingly existent yet non-existent acupoint orifices within his body!

Grey and hazy, dark and murky!

Acupoint orifices exist in subtle places, but they are not fixed; Li Yuan had sensed them many times these past days, yet each time he sensed them, their positions would shift!

This is also why acupoint orifices are hard to find!

"Seeking the spirit, seeing the spirit, depicting the spirit, worshipping the spirit, seeking from the spirit, Soul Transformation! The one who created the Bai Shen Fa was also a peerless prodigy!"

Sensing the six orifices within his body, Li Yuan's understanding of the Bai Shen Fa reached a higher level!

Acupoint orifices hide within the body, so one must seek and see them; the process of illuminating them with qi, blood, and true qi can be called depicting, or it can be called fixing!

Among the various acupoint orifices, the Mud Pill Nine Palaces are the most important; I have first completed this step, and the other acupoint orifices can be illuminated slowly!

Li Yuan was in no hurry to illuminate the acupoint orifices; before breaking through the Dao Entry barrier, he needed to maintain the harmony and purity of his qi, blood, and true qi!

During this period, he only sensed them occasionally; the only thing he cultivated was the Mud Pill Nine Palaces!

Other acupoint orifices can store true qi,

while the Mud Pill Nine Palaces can house the soul. He had discussed this in depth with Long Xi Xiang; the essence of the Xiu Bai Shen Fa is also these nine acupoint orifices!

"It is said that those who cultivate the Xiu Bai Shen Fa to an extremely high realm can, relying on the Mud Pill Nine Palaces, cultivate nine great spiritual manifestations!"

In an instant, Li Yuan seemed to sense something; opening his eyes, he saw a purple-red stream of light rise from below the mountain, flash once, and land on the cliff—it was Qin Yun, holding the Red Practice in his hand!

"Senior Qin!"

Li Yuan rose to greet him!

With a "puff," he tossed the Red Practice onto the ground; the purple mist rising around Qin Yun had already enveloped Li Yuan!

Li Yuan glanced at the Red Practice, did not resist, and then entered

Qin Yun's divine realm!

Whoo, whoo!

In the divine realm, night had fallen deep; a bright moon hung high, surrounded by scattered stars!

"That path—I have found it!"

Qin Yun's face was dark as water, his mood extremely poor.

"That path seems within reach, yet I spent a full half month unable to set foot upon it; only when returning did I realize I had not taken a single step forward!"

Just as expected!

Li Yuan's heart also sank!

"It seems only by holding the token of the Eight Directions Temple can one set foot on the road leading to Tian Shi Yuan!"

Qin Yun frowned tightly and asked Li Yuan about the process of obtaining this token!

Li Yuan concealed the matter of his one-step Dengshan, saying only that this was the reward from the Eight Directions Temple after climbing the hundred steps of Dengshan!

"A hundred steps of Dengshan?"

Qin Yun's expression eased slightly; if it was only a hundred steps on the ten-thousand-step mountain path, it should not be difficult!

"Are you going to try it, Elder?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred, and he took out that token!

Using his own token to enter the temple and claim the reward for those who ascend the steps, he could get an extra share as well. In his view, this Senior Qin should at least be able to climb over a thousand steps, right?

"No need, I still have to bring that Chi He Lian along. This visitor from beyond the heavens wasn't easy to catch!"

Qin Yun waved his hand and refused!

He had struck twice and only caught a Chi He Lian. That old turtle's shell was extremely hard, and it could shed its shell to escape. He was half a beat too slow, couldn't catch it in time!

"Then you intend to perform the ritual?"

Li Yuan sadly put away his token!

"Everything needed for the ritual, I have already prepared!"

Qin Yun nodded: "Today I must enter the temple once!"

"So soon?"

Li Yuan could sense Qin Yun's urgency!

"Time waits for no one!"

Qin Yun sighed, took a map from his bosom — it was the one Li Yuan had drawn, but with many additional marked points added!

"I added a few marks, mainly some treacherous places. When you walk in You Jing, be careful — several of them are quite

tricky!"

"Thank you, Senior."

Li Yuan put away the map!

Hoo~

Qin Yun waved his hand and dispersed his divine domain, didn't linger, and left carrying Chi He Lian. Only when he was in the air did his voice come: "I'm leaving those two behind. Whether the tall one is killed or kept doesn't matter much — don't touch the short one."

Coming and going in such haste!

Li Yuan also sighed. He had quite a few thoughts about that Tongshi Ball — if it weren't bound to its owner, he would have asked for it to take a look no matter what!

Unfortunately, that Tongshi Ball is a sub-body of the Grand Void Divine Domain, one person one ball — even if one dies, it cannot change masters!

"My Tongshi Ball!!!"

The little mother dragon's mournful, regretful voice rang out: "How hateful! If I'd known, I would have bought a few more to store. Ah, my ball."

Ignoring the little mother dragon's complaints, Li Yuan turned and went back to his room!

It was getting dark; he was going to listen to sounds and sleep!

In a stretch of barren mountains!

Qin Li Shixian stood holding her spear, gazing at the wooden platform ahead. Chi He Lian, who was loudly announcing and performing the ritual, she was extremely wary — in a stance that said the slightest oddity would earn a spear thrust through you!

These two beasts actually belong to the same household.

Chi He Lian's shock and fury inside was almost impossible to suppress, yet she could only grit her

teeth and perform the ritual. Qin Yun's gaze fell on her — more terrifying than that spiritual treasure long spear!

Change into a different outfit!

Qin Yun had already altered his appearance; now hunchbacked, with a sallow, jaundiced face, seeing the ritual was nearly complete, he glanced at Qin Li Shixian, who then donned her human-skin mask and put away her Purple Gold Spear!

Hum~

In an instant, Chi He Lian raised her hand and smashed the several Yun Xiang Ding on the platform. A trembling cry was heard, incense and offerings interwove like mist, rising several zhang high: "The ritual is complete."

Go.

Almost at the same moment, Qin Yun moved extremely fast, grabbing Qin Li Shixian with one hand and Chi He Lian with the other. With a flash of the incense, he had already vanished into the mountain forest!

Wooo~

Gale howled, light and shadow whirled!

Chi He Lian, whose spirit manifestation and divine domain had been sealed, only felt light and shadow interweaving around her. That old beast holding her moved at a speed that made her shudder!

She only vaguely glimpsed You Jing, didn't have time to look closely, before she felt her body sink, as if it had broken through some invisible barrier. In a daze, she saw an ancient temple: "Bafang Temple."

Wooo~

Boom.

In the Bafang Temple grotto-heaven, cold wind blew and whirled, snow flew in drifts!

Boom.

Boom after boom echoed among the mountains!

"It's starting again!"

At the foot of the mountain, by a bonfire, Fang Fang Sanyun was roasting deer. Hearing the sounds, he looked up and saw on the mountain path auras clashing, a human figure struggling to advance upward: "That old fellow does have some perseverance!"

"What do you guess — how many steps can Shen Shen Qisheng climb this time?"

Watching Shen Shen Qisheng on the mountain path, who was driving his qi and blood, advancing with difficulty as if bearing a great mountain, Grand Ding Chan Master spoke!

"Perhaps he can climb to twenty steps?"

Long Long Yingchan pinched his long eyebrows, guessing!

"Before going up the mountain he took a Longhu Longhu Dadan, relying on the medicinal power — he should at least be able to climb fifty steps, right?"

Yuan Qing Fuxiu Daoren sat cross-legged, nurturing his sword, and upon hearing this also raised his head!

"Hard to say. That Prison Dragon, with heaven-defying talent and palace-level cultivation, only climbed a hundred steps. This old fellow's rating is only 'Inferior' — how could he possibly climb fifty steps?"

Fang Fang Sanyun sneered: "Inferior!"

"Enough."

Grand Ding Chan Master's face darkened — the word "Inferior" was what he least wanted to hear right now!

Why doesn't Sect Leader Fang give it a try himself?

Long Long Yingchan glanced at him. Though he had always kept joy and anger off his face, his expression also darkened somewhat — that word "Inferior" grated too harshly on the ear!

"Brother Fang has gone too far!"

Yuan Qing the Daoist frowned slightly. As the only one among the four rated 'Inferior (Upper),' he too felt this word was too unpleasant to hear!

"Fang Mou misspoke!"

Seeing he had incurred everyone's wrath, Fang Fang Sanyun did not dare say more!

"No wonder no one has been able to open the Eight Directions Temple in ten thousand years. We each considered our talent peerless, yet here we could only receive the word 'Inferior'!"

Long Long Yingchan's pinched brow kept twitching. Before entering this place, he truly had not expected that one day he himself would be

rated as Inferior!

What gave him slight comfort was that among the fifteen who entered the temple, aside from Wan Wan Zhuliu who had not yet climbed the mountain, Emperor Qian, Fang Fang Sanyun, and so on, the best of the rest was no more than Inferior Upper!

"Who told the Eight Directions Temple it doesn't like old fellows?"

Grand Master Master Dading also sighed, but the old monk took it in stride, finding joy in bitterness: "I'll be the banker. Under twenty, no payout. Twenty and above, one pays two. Thirty and above, one pays three. Forty and above, one pays five… fifty and above, one pays ten!"

"I won't bet!"

Fang Fang Sanyun instinctively refused, but after thinking, still said: "I bet he can climb twenty steps, betting two hundred fine gold!"

"Fifty steps!"

Yuan Qing the Daoist also placed his bet. He truly could not believe that a Grand Master risking his life could not even climb fifty steps!

"I won't bet!"

Long Long Yingchan waved his hand, indicating he would not join in!

"A small bet is for fun!"

Grand Master Master Dading laughed. Ever since he tried climbing the mountain once and stopped at ten steps,

he had temporarily extinguished the thought of climbing. He merely sat quietly at the foot of the mountain, feeling the surging vitality within his body!

"I won't bet!"

Long Long Yingchan simply ignored him. He had always only been the banker. Risky

business, unless absolutely necessary, he would not touch at all!

"Daoist Long is far too cautious!"

Grand Master Master Dading felt some regret, but did not press further, and instead looked toward the mountain path!

The others at the foot of the mountain were also watching. Soon, accompanied by a muffled thud, Shen Shen Qisheng halted his steps. He let out a unwilling roar, yet still retreated down!

Stopped at nineteen steps!

He actually stopped at nineteen?

"How could he not even reach twenty steps?"

"Impossible. On what grounds did Li Yuan climb to the summit?"

"A not-yet-entered-Dao climber of ten thousand steps, a Grand Master climbing nineteen? What a joke."

The foot of the mountain was in an uproar again!

Every Grand Master of Yiganda Sect changed color!

This was different from before. The climbing Shen Shen Qisheng wore divine armor, took Longhu Longhu Dadan, and climbed with an almost life-risking posture, yet he could only reach nineteen steps!

"This!"

By the bonfire, everyone fell silent. Even Long Long Yingchan, who had always been at odds with Shen Shen Qisheng, could not help but feel a chill in his heart!

Grand Master Master Dading, who had won the bet, also looked very grim!

Bone age.

Someone let out a cold laugh. The surrounding Grand Masters' expressions grew even uglier!

It seemed the Eight Directions Temple truly did not want old fellows!

Fang Fang Sanyun sighed. He did not feel schadenfreude; among the Grand Masters of Yiganda Sect, he was not the youngest either!

"It seems indeed so!"

Yuan Qing the Daoist shook his head. A sidelong glance caught Wan Wan Zhuliu's expression also not looking good, and only then did his mood improve considerably!

So what if half-step Divine Palace?

Wan Wan Zhuliu's age was not much younger than theirs.

"I wonder what rating Wan Wan Zhuliu received?"

At this moment, more than one person looked toward Wan Wan Zhuliu, but he merely glanced at Shen Shen Qisheng, who sat cross-legged with an ashen face, then slowly closed his eyes!

A stone tablet rose at the foot of the mountain. The crowd looked, and all fell silent!

Shen Shen Qisheng, bone age one hundred seventy-three!

realm: Unity

Talent: Peerless

Divine Endowment: Medium

Overall Rating: Inferior

"This mountain!"

Emperor Qian looked toward another stone tablet—the "Tablet of Li Yuan." Even though it was not the first time he had seen it, his eyelids twitched violently: "Bone age twenty-seven, Zhao Zhao Tianxing endowment, ten thousand steps climbed!"