Chapter 588: Gods and Demons? Li Yuan!

Wan Wan Zhuliu?

Li Yuan's brow rose slightly, somewhat surprised, and he immediately raised his guard within his heart.

With the precedent of the Qian Yan Fa Master still fresh, anyone daring to enter the temple to challenge him needed no further thought—Wan Wan Zhuliu must surely have some reliance to depend on.

"Is it that Incense-Fire Blood-Tempering ritual?"

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, and the information he had previously obtained through Sound-Listening surfaced in his mind.

【Within Shendu City, the incense-fire aura is thick. The Qian Emperor has mobilized the full foundation of the imperial court, lighting a furnace in some hidden place to hold the 'Incense-Fire Blood-Tempering' ritual for the Town Martial King Wan Wan Zhuliu. He is willing to spend his lifespan to burn away all mixed blood and reshape his foundation… (Eleventh Order)】

Over the years, Li Yuan rarely forged iron; occasionally he would set aside bitter cultivation and martial training to ease his mind. Fishing at the Human Tribulation Platform was also only occasional. Only his habit of Sound-Listening before sleep had never changed.

Although the vast majority of Sound-Listening yielded nothing of great use, accumulated over time, his grasp of various intelligence and information actually surpassed even the Wudadao Sect, and even the imperial court.

Wan Wan Zhuliu's bloodline tempering, the Qian Yan Fa Master's spying on Qi Qi Benchu—all were obtained by him from the vast sea of Sound-Listening, or deduced from it.

"Pure Cloud Demon bloodline?"

Li Yuan's thoughts drifted for a moment. He decisively set down his hammer and retreated back to his own meteorite, interrupting the first trial of the temple challenge.

He raised his head to look back along the path he had come. In the flickering dim light he could see Dong Dong Ershisan, his face dark as water, and the human-headed monster-bird that made no attempt to hide its gloating delight.

But his gaze only swept past in a glance. Within the light screen presented by that dim glow, he saw the howling wind and snow atop Bafang Mountain, and Grand Master Master Dading and the others below the mountain as if facing a great enemy,

and finally, Wan Wan Zhuliu, slowly walking toward the foot of Bafang Mountain.

Black robe, white hair, his hand resting on his divine saber, the dragon mark on his brow flickering with a faint silver light. As he walked slowly, an invisible pressure radiated outward in all directions.

"Divine Palace!"

In a single glance, Li Yuan had already perceived that this Town Martial King had taken that half-step from before, stepping into the realm of Pang Pang Wenlong and the Dragon Demon Daoist of years past.

It's just that…

"His aura… seems a bit off."

The screen of dim light before his eyes was vivid, as if right before him. Li Yuan frowned slightly, feeling it extremely strange.

At this moment, Wan Wan Zhuliu had undoubtedly stood at the absolute pinnacle of martial artists across ten thousand ages, his aura vast and mighty as Shenshan, inspiring awe at a glance.

But his aura was very strange.

Vast, flourishing vitality coexisted in his body with the twilight air of a setting sun…

"This feeling… both old and young? Burning his lifespan as the price, stripping away his bone age, and raising his talent?"

Li Yuan twirled the heavy hammer in his hand, feeling both strange and enlightened within:

"It seems the price of this Incense-Fire Blood-Washing ritual is very steep indeed…"

……

"Wan Wan Zhuliu!"

At the foot of Bafang Mountain, Daoist Feng Yuanqing had summoned his Three-Element One-Qi Stake, Fang Fang Sanyun had formed the Huo San Mei Yin. Every one of them wore a solemn expression, as if facing a great enemy.

A person's name, a tree's shadow.

Even the lords of the Wudadao Sect, facing this number one of the present age, could not help but feel wariness and oppression rise in their hearts.

"Divine Palace realm!"

Feeling that invisible pressure, Daoist Feng Yuanqing's expression changed several times. The One-Qi Stake in his palm trembled violently for a moment, then fell silent once more.

"You, you wish to challenge the Temple Opener?"

Dong Dong Ershisan's voice rang out at the right moment.

Wan Wan Zhuliu slowly raised his head. The clouds and mist within Bafang Mountain dispersed, revealing that seated gate puppet with an aged look upon its face:

"Yes."

Wan Wan Zhuliu spoke concisely.

"All who enter the temple may contend for the identity of Temple Opener!"

Dong Dong Ershisan sat quietly atop the mountain peak, seemingly watching Wan Wan Zhuliu, when he was suddenly interrupted.

Daoist Feng Yuanqing's voice rang out. He bowed toward the mountain peak:

"Senior once said that only one person in ten years may challenge Li Yuan. Is this not the rule of Bafang Temple?"

"According to the rules, using incense-fire as an Offering can shorten the interval between challenges."

Dong Dong Ershisan did not look at him either, merely gazing calmly at Wan Wan Zhuliu, with a hint of regret:

"A thousand years of lifespan-limit turned to emptiness in a single night—you are quite willing to part with it…"

"Madman!"

The human-headed monster-bird gave a cold snort, its gaze strange: "What a pity. After all the trouble of finding a Dao-soldier seed, it turns out to be a mad one!"

Lifespan and lifespan-limit are not the same.

When lifespan is depleted, there are great-medicine methods that can replenish it, but the lifespan-limit is fixed by Heaven. Extending the lifespan-limit is to go against the order of Heaven!

Apart from breakthroughs to greater realms, only a few of the rarest 'Cosmic Divine Medicines' in the universe can break this restriction.

And those few Cosmic Divine Medicines, even for great powers of the Upper Gods, are hard to come by…

"A pity, lamentable. This old man asks you once more—are you certain you wish to challenge Li Yuan?"

Dong Dong Ershisan asked again.

"Yes!"

Wan Wan Zhuliu answered calmly, his feet never pausing. Paying no heed to Daoist Feng Yuanqing's gaze as if facing a great enemy, he merely walked slowly toward that forest of steles.

His gaze fell upon his own stele. Even with a temperament as steady as Wan Wan Zhuliu's, a ripple could not help but rise in his heart, and his eyes shifted.

Three years and more of fire burning his body, nearly eight hundred years of lifespan burned away—all for this single moment.

……

Hum~

The thick incense-fire aura slowly dispersed beneath the Star-Watching Platform.

"Bafang Temple…"

Beneath the altar, Emperor Qian flicked his sleeve, and a bronze mirror burst forth with dazzling red light; in a single turn it transformed into a light screen several zhang long and wide.

Within it, the figure of Wan Wan Zhuliu appeared, along with that snow-and-ice-covered Bafang Mountain.

"Your Highness."

Gazing at Wan Wan Zhuliu's back, Wang Jin's expression was complex and Solemn; beneath the Star-Gazing Platform hung a stifling silence, without a single stray sound, and every gaze converged within the light screen.

"Will it work?"

Huang Huang Longzi gripped his great umbrella, watching without blinking.

Regarding this Grand Fortune Town Martial King, he harbored some wariness in his heart — a prodigy who could cultivate to the Divine Palace realm within this sealed land possessed talent far beyond his own.

Even more terrifying was his temperament; a prodigy of such innate gifts and talent was actually willing to give up the vast majority of his lifespan!

'The rumors say Bafang Temple has no taboos whatsoever, allowing those who enter to alter their talent and bone age by any means — it's just that…'

Huang Huang Longzi could not help but think of that temple-opener.

Can a fake compare to a real one?

Whooo~

The cold wind within Bafang Cave Heaven seemed to blow out through the light screen.

Emperor Qian's gaze was heavy and fixed as he stared intently at Bafang Mountain within the light screen, yet a certain restlessness stirred in his heart.

According to plan, at this moment the master of Qian Yan Fa should have already helped the Old Ancestor seize the body of that person reborn from the strange phenomenon, thereby taking Li Yuan's identity.

Yet up until now, the master of Qian Yan Fa still had no word…

Hum~

Before long, as Wan Wan Zhuliu drew near, a blindingly brilliant divine light suddenly erupted from the cluster of stone steles at the foot of the mountain.

Hum~

A deep, long, trembling hum reverberated among the mountains.

"Hm?!"

Hearing this seemingly familiar sound, the faces of Grand Master Master Dading and the others all changed drastically.

This scene was strikingly similar to Li Yuan entering the temple three years ago!

Swoooosh~

Wind stirred the snow, like surging Jianghe waves.

Dazzling divine light burst forth from the forest of steles, weaving into a curtain across the snowy sky; upon it, characters flowed and blazed brilliantly.

【Stele of Wan Wan Zhuliu】

【Bloodline: Cloud Demon Race】

【Realm: Divine Palace Newly Formed】

【Talent: Zhao Tianxing Grade】

【Divine Endowment: Supreme】

【Spirit Form: Based on the Subduing-Demon Dragon God Blade, incorporating the forms and spirits of all things… once nurtured among ten thousand waters and Qianshan, finally composed of ninety-nine divine patterns…

Dharma Form Potential: Divine Grade (Superior)】

【Extraordinary talent, outstanding comprehension… in youth achieved martial success, earning the Subduing-Demon Dragon God Blade's voluntary acknowledgment as master… battled across the world, using myriad strong ones as whetstones, forging 'First-Grade Saber Intent'…

…through the Incense-Fire Blood-Washing Rite, severed the mixed blood of the human race, reshaped the Cloud Demon body, transformed their talent, and achieved the Divine Palace…

Current Bone Age (Thirty-one)】

……

【Assessment: Talent surpasses the world, heart for the Dao rare in the world…】

【Overall Evaluation: Superior】

【Those rated 'Superior' need not Dengshan, and may proceed directly to the 'Temple Entry Trial'】

Superior!

"Good!"

When the light screen reflected it, the silence beneath the Star-Gazing Platform was instantly shattered; the floor tile beneath Emperor Qian's foot cracked with a 'crack' into powder:

"Good, good, good!"

His sleeves stirred without wind, and the oppression in Emperor Qian's heart was swept away in an instant.

Three years ago, after learning how the master of Qian Yan Fa had met his downfall, he had once abandoned the notion of contending for Bafang Temple.

If even the master of Qian Yan Fa, strong as he was, could not prevail against a three-realm gap, how could anyone else?

Even after subsequently holding this Incense-Fire Blood-Washing Rite, a great stone had always pressed upon his heart — until this very moment…

"Heaven blesses Your Majesty, heaven blesses the Prince!"

Wu Wu Yingxing and the others all exhaled long breaths, their expressions stirred.

It really worked?

Huang Huang Longzi sighed softly within.

Compared to Wan Wan Zhuliu, he had leaned more toward Li Yuan becoming the temple-opener — for no other reason than that the latter was merely a rootless, landless native, while the former stood backed not only by the Cloud Demon clan but also by the master of Qian Yan Fa.

A deity, even a fallen one, was absolutely not easy to deal with.

'What a pity.'

With some complexity stirring within, Huang Huang Longzi's face nevertheless broke into a smile:

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

The crowd bowed in unison.

"The outcome is decided!"

Emperor Qian eased his brow; the gloom of many days was entirely gone.

Li Yuan was able to defeat the Qian Yan Fa master because he fought across three realms above his own, not because he was truly so powerful that he could challenge a god. Once he lost the advantage of realm, what would he use to fight Wan Wan Zhuliu?

……

"Bone age thirty-one?!"

"How could his bone age be thirty-one? Incense-fire blood-washing? Trading lifespan to shave down bone age? What a ruthless method!"

"Has he gone mad?!"

The expressions of the crowd beneath Eight Directions Mountain all changed; their gazes at Wan Wan Zhuliu were full of shock and suspicion, and a touch of strange pity.

"Zhao Tianxing!"

Looking at the evaluation of himself on the light screen, Wan Wan Zhuliu felt neither sorrow nor joy, yet a violent flicker leapt in his eyes.

Three years of the agony of burning the divine spirit with raging fire, plus the better part of a lifespan, the full resources of the imperial court poured in, and he had still only cultivated to the Divine Palace realm — yet his evaluation was the same as that brat's?

How could this be possible?!

He could feel the wary, suspicious gazes of Grand Stabilization Chan Master and the others, but he acted as if he had not noticed, only coming back to himself when the light and shadows around him wove together into an arena.

He could vaguely sense something odd in the way Grand Stabilization Chan Master and the others were looking at him, but he had no time to think it through.

The instant he came back to himself, he had already seen, at the far end of the arena, a young Daoist walking out gripping a heavy hammer:

"Li Yuan!"

Letting out a long breath, Wan Wan Zhuliu sliced away the distracting thoughts in his heart; the Dragon God Blade in his palm let out a fierce, trembling howl, wave upon wave like a tide.

"Wan Wan Zhuliu."

Li Yuan stood leaning on his hammer, his expression calm.

Sensing that saber intent like a raging ocean tide, looking at Wan Wan Zhuliu — whom he had once regarded as a great enemy — his heart was not stirred in the slightest.

After a few glances of sizing up, he raised his head to look at Dong Dong Ershisan, and the latter's voice rang out in timely fashion:

"Wan Wan Zhuliu, innate talent Zhao Tianxing… evaluation: Excellent!"

"Li Yuan, innate talent Divine Demon… evaluation: Excellent (Upper)!"

"By the rules, victory across one realm above one's own is required to take the place!"

(End of this chapter)