Chapter 623: Mysteries of the Mystic Arms

Fang Fang Sanyun turned and left without looking back, ignoring Long Long Yingchan and the other two who came forward, and ignoring Pang Pang Wenlong as well; the latter didn't mind, merely sensing something from afar.

Upon the ruins, Li Yuan bowed to the three elders, then sat down at ease in the lotus position; in the battle just now he hadn't employed any Soldier Control augmentation, and his internal organs were shaken, qi and blood surging.

"Huu!"

"Haa!"

Li Yuan closed his eyes and sat still, adjusting his breathing while also reviewing the battle just fought.

Over the past three years, with the entire Dragon Tiger Temple's supply, even without cultivating the Spirit Phase Divine Realm, his progress had been tremendous—especially his progress on the Dragon Demon Heart Scripture, which had made his already astonishing physique increasingly formidable.

"My current horizontal-training physique is already no less than any Grandmaster of the present age; even Grand Master Da Ding, famed for horizontal training—if the Crimson Blood Demonic Ox Art advances further, facing Fang Fang Sanyun again would be even easier."

Feeling the abundant power within his body, a great sense of satisfaction welled up in Li Yuan's heart.

The increase of strength is the metamorphosis and growth of the true self; this sense of satisfaction far surpasses any desire in the mundane world, making him addicted and unable to extricate himself.

"The Crimson Blood Demonic Ox Art is barely half a Spirit Phase for me; if I could slaughter that herd of demonic oxen in the You Jing…"

Li Yuan couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.

Slaying uncanny beasts to cultivate Daoist arts progresses far too quickly; if the You Jing weren't truly perilous, and he weren't a cautious sort by nature, he likely couldn't restrain himself from going to hunt uncanny beasts.

At this point, he was merely thinking about it.

Groups of Divine Palace realm uncanny beasts—unless he dragged Pang Pang Wenlong along, he absolutely couldn't risk himself.

"With my current Wu Gong cultivation, plus the augmentation of the Soldier Control Register, even a strong Divine Palace realm expert might not be untouchable…"

Li Yuan was fairly satisfied with his progress.

An Entering-Dao body clashing head-on with the Divine Palace realm—even in Tian Shi Yuan this was rare, and those with similar battle records were all possessors of true god-and-demon-level talent, Holy Land Chosen-level peerless prodigies.

"However, this is also because Fang Fang Sanyun hadn't cultivated Daoist arts; if it were a He Yi Jing from a Holy Land great clan, I might have had to employ the Soldier Control Register…"

Li Yuan didn't regulate his breath for long; after all, with his physique, these injuries couldn't even be counted as injuries—mainly just surging qi and blood, and true qi consumption.

"Huu~"

After only a moment, Li Yuan stood up.

"This horizontal training of yours is truly astonishing; old monk Da Ding is probably no more than this."

Nie Xianshan clicked his tongue in wonder.

Horizontal-training bodies are easy to learn but hard to master; the Grandmasters of the present age all practice some horizontal-training Wu Gong to varying degrees, but those truly famed for horizontal training number only a handful—Grand Master Da Ding is a recognized strong practitioner of horizontal training.

Yet that old monk spent over a hundred years tempering his physique; how old was Li Yuan?

"You flatter me, elder."

Li Yuan was very modest; in fact, having seen those Chosen and prodigies of Tian Shi Yuan through the Universal Sphere, he truly couldn't summon any arrogance.

Tian Shi Yuan teems with strong experts and prodigies like rain, among them no shortage of Zhao Zhao Tianxing-level, even god-and-demon-level outstanding figures and prodigies—and Tian Shi Yuan is merely one domain of San Yuan Fa Jie.

And beyond San Yuan Fa Jie, there exist even vaster domain worlds.

"All's well that ends well."

Long Xi Xiang had intended to lecture him a bit—head-on clashes with Fang Fang Sanyun were too risky—but in the end merely patted his shoulder:

"Senior Pang has waited for you for some time; since you're fine, go ahead."

"Yes."

Li Yuan nodded, turned, and walked toward the distant Gaoshan.

Along the way, he finally began sensing the crimson-red small seal he had just obtained.

【Tian Huo San Mei Yin (Eleventh Order)】

【…forged from the Star Core of the Ripping Sea, the true essence of three flames including Tian Huo, mixed with the essence of myriad divine irons, baptized by incense fire and Lei Hai…thus formed; receiving divine fire baptism in the Eight Directions Temple, it gained spirit…

Thus, the Spirit of Tian Huo…??? …】

【Soldier Control Condition One: Flame-type Spirit Phase】

【Soldier Control Effect One:】

【Soldier Control Effect One: Eleventh Order (Mystic Color): San Mei Fire Essence】

【Soldier Control Condition Two:???】

【Soldier Control Effect Two:???】

The Soldier Control effects of the Tian Huo San Mei Yin were the fewest among the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing he had seen—only a single one.

"San Mei Fire Essence…"

Li Yuan guessed at the use of this small seal in his heart, striding quickly to Pang Pang Wenlong's front.

This Gaoshan was precisely where Fang Fang Sanyun had stood earlier; the accumulated snow across the mountain had melted and vaporized, and even some dryness and heat remained; Pang Pang Wenlong sat cross-legged, toying with a bronze mirror.

"In years past, I once went under an alias to join the San Mei Grotto, and as a Chosen I once wielded this San Mei Yin, gaining greatly from it, and thus left behind the Great Sun Golden Scripture…"

Before Li Yuan could speak, Pang Pang Wenlong recounted another past event.

"Only the San Mei Grotto?"

Li Yuan wasn't surprised, and countered with a question.

"Mm, that's not it."

Pang Pang Wenlong smiled: "Apart from the Divine Dragon Sumeru Staff, I've obtained all the other Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing; I've also entered Qi Zhong Mi Jing, and gained greatly."

"Obtained all of them?"

Though he had vague guesses, Li Yuan was still somewhat tongue-tied.

"I never had the fortune to wield multiple Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing at once; I obtained them, but only obtained them—nothing compared to you."

Pang Pang Wenlong casually explained, then tossed that bronze mirror over:

"The imperial court's three Great Sun Mirrors haven't been recovered yet, but with the Tian Huo San Mei Yin, it's barely enough; summon Dun Tian Zhou, and I'll teach you how to merge Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing!"

"Good!"

Li Yuan reached out to catch the bronze mirror, and summoned Dun Tian Zhou.

Hum~

Under the urging of true qi, Dun Tian Zhou swelled a thousandfold against the wind, and in the blink of an eye transformed into a tower-ship the size of a small mountain. "Go."

Pang Pang Wenlong stepped aboard, Li Yuan followed close behind. Long Long Yingchan and the other two, watching from afar, exchanged a glance and could not resist following as well.

"Hum~"

On the eighteenth floor of Dun Tian Zhou, Pang Pang Wenlong flicked a finger, and a great mass of incense fire was tossed into the massive bronze furnace before him. Accompanied by a trembling hum, raging firelight blazed up within the furnace.

Divine patterns visible to the naked eye flickered in and out of existence, centered on the bronze furnace, and the glow of the incense fire spread throughout all of Dun Tian Zhou.

"Dun Tian Zhou is not merely a vessel for riding; it is also a weapon of slaughter."

Pang Pang Wenlong kept flicking his fingers, feeding incense fire into the bronze furnace, while speaking:

"My master once dug out several strange places in You Jing that connect to the outside world. According to him, the ship-type treasures of the outside world's heavens usually contain their own universe within, not only raising puppet dao soldiers, but even generating incense fire on their own…"

Li Yuan watched without blinking, committing every technique Pang Pang Wenlong used to feed in the incense fire to memory, and his heart stirred slightly at the words.

What Pang Pang Wenlong said actually matched what he had previously seen when listening to the heavenly sound—Shan Xuan Xuanjing Daozi's Purple Cloud Chariot was precisely such a spiritual treasure, containing a cave-heaven within, raising dao soldiers and spirit puppets.

The only error was the incense fire—incense fire did not generate itself…

!

"Dun Tian Zhou has this ability as well!"

Firelight illuminated Pang Pang Wenlong's eyes: "Dun Tian Zhou has no divine realm within, but this fire furnace does possess the ability to contain and smelt divine realms. If several Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing can be merged in, it will surely nurture a small cave-heaven within the ship!"

Swoosh~

Long Long Yingchan and the other two had also arrived here, looking around curiously.

"Merging weapons?"

"A cave-heaven?"

Nie Xianshan and Long Xi Xiang exchanged a glance, only now realizing the reason Pang Pang Wenlong had asked Fang Fang Sanyun for the Huo San Mei Yin, though they could not help feeling a little uneasy in their hearts.

Once merged, can it still be taken apart?

The thought turned in their minds, but neither of them asked; they simply watched Pang Pang Wenlong's movements.

Whoo-whoo~

As the incense fire was fed in, the firelight within the bronze furnace grew ever more fierce. Later, all of Dun Tian Zhou blazed with dazzling divine light, trembling gently, as if it could break through the air and depart at any moment.

"Throw in the Great Sun Mirror!"

Pang Pang Wenlong suddenly spoke. Li Yuan reacted swiftly, tossing the bronze mirror into the bronze furnace.

Boom!

The bronze furnace let out a violent hum, and the already fierce firelight blazed even more dazzlingly. Long Long Yingchan and the other two could not help squinting, only vaguely able to see what seemed to be divine patterns flowing within the furnace.

The intricate divine patterns flowed, encircling the Great Sun Monitoring Heaven Mirror at the center, as if trying to assimilate the mirror, or perhaps to devour and dissolve it.

"Incense fire!"

Pang Pang Wenlong spoke again.

Li Yuan hurriedly took out a Yun Xiang Ding and poured the incense fire within into the bronze furnace.

After the massive amount of incense fire was added, the trembling of the bronze furnace grew even more violent, like a person on the verge of dying of thirst who has spotted an oasis pool.

"Huo San Mei Yin!"

The moment Pang Pang Wenlong spoke, Li Yuan, already prepared, tossed the Huo San Mei Yin he had just acquired into the bronze furnace.

Rumble!

Dun Tian Zhou shook violently, and the five people in the cabin all staggered at the same time.

"This is?"

Li Yuan's eyelid twitched. He felt only an invisible force spreading outward; the surroundings abruptly transformed into a chaotic void, and for a moment his five senses showed signs of being overturned.

In a daze, he actually could not tell front from back, up from down.

"Focus your spirit and steady your qi!"

At this moment, Pang Pang Wenlong's voice rang out: "Do not look directly at the divine patterns within the ship!"

Li Yuan was very obedient to advice. He decisively closed his eyes and focused his spirit, yet switched his control method; after bolstering his perception, he cautiously extended it outward.

Hum~

In his perception, Dun Tian Zhou was already filled with firelight. That bronze furnace trembled ceaselessly, emitting a humming sound that seemed both joyful and sighing.

Li Yuan focused his spirit in perception. With the support of the Weapon Control Records, he felt only a slight dizziness. Under intense focus, he saw the divine patterns flowing within Dun Tian Zhou, intricate beyond description.

Incense fire, bronze furnace, Great Sun Mirror, Huo San Mei Yin, Dun Tian Zhou…

Hum~

Extremely intricate divine patterns interwove and flowed, like a massive spider web, encompassing everything within, breathing in and out, interchanging, devouring and assimilating…

"Incense fire!"

Pang Pang Wenlong's voice came through.

Li Yuan did not open his eyes. With a reverse hand he took out a ding of incense fire, and without caring about the pain in his heart, tossed it into the bronze furnace.

Hum~

After this ding of incense fire was added, the violently trembling bronze furnace suddenly calmed down, but in only a few instants, a deep sound exploded outward.

"Dong!"

Like Hao Si Zhong striking a great drum—low yet penetrating through and through.

Hearing this sound, all five people's eyelids twitched, feeling only that their own hearts had beaten along with it.

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

The drumbeats exploded in rhythm.

None of them opened their eyes, yet the same thought rose unbidden in their minds—this sound was strikingly like a heartbeat!

"A heartbeat?"

Li Yuan couldn't help but focus his spirit to observe; the drumbeats came from that bronze furnace.

In his perception, that bronze furnace truly resembled a heart, contracting and expanding in turn, and a Mi Jing, half-real half-illusory, slowly emerged through repeated collapses and expansions.

(End of chapter)