Chapter 649: The Fortune Before Cave Mysterious Mountain (Combined Chapter)

Li Yuan stayed in Gao Liu County for three days.

On the first day, he simply chatted about daily matters with Old Zhang and answered some of his questions about weapon forging.

Daoist Li was never the type to hoard what he knew; he even prepared to leave behind the unorthodox treasure-refining art, but Zhang Ben waved him off, the latter believing it would not be a good thing to keep such a thing in Gao Liu County.

Li Yuan did not press the matter, but before nightfall, he still used his own Kun Peng true Qi to help circulate Old Zhang's blood and Qi, repairing some hard-to-detect hidden injuries left by years of labor.

Three days later, Li Yuan prepared to leave. He had wanted to bring Old Zhang to Mount Hengshan City to live out his years, but the old man had spent his whole life in Gao Liu County and could not be persuaded to leave no matter what. With no choice, Li Yuan could only take his leave of Zhang Ben.

He only left behind three life-extending pills obtained from the Azure Dragon Pavilion.

"Screech~"

The gray eagle that had been circling outside the county for three days spread its wings, caught Li Yuan as he stepped onto the air, and with a single flap, shot straight up into the clouds.

On the earth below, Gao Liu County gradually faded from view.

"Whoosh!"

A moment later, Li Yuan withdrew his gaze. He sat cross-legged, not suppressing his emotions, but sensing the faint trace of melancholy in his heart.

He was well aware that, given Old Zhang's age and martial talent, even with three life-extending pills, he would have at most forty or fifty more years.

This parting might well be a true farewell...

Li Yuan sat in stillness for a long while, letting his emotions churn. He did not know how much time had passed when he slowly opened his eyes; the trace of wistfulness remained in his heart, but it no longer clung to it:

"No wonder those seniors in the Daoist canon of my past life so often lived in seclusion—reunions bring joy, partings bring sorrow..."

"Withdrawing from the world, entering the world..."

Exhaling a breath of turbid Qi, Li Yuan lightly patted the eagle's back. With a burst of true Qi, the gray eagle let out a high, clear cry, beat its wings fiercely, and vanished into the sea of clouds in the blink of an eye.

Gao Liu County was not close to Mount Hengshan City; ordinary people, even with carriage and horses, would usually need a year or more for the round trip. But with the gray eagle's wings, they swept across in just a few days, and Li Yuan even made a trip to the Divine Weapon Valley along the way.

Since Li Yuan joined the Dragon Tiger Temple, the Divine Weapon Valley had also grown stronger day by day. It was now a behemoth dominating three prefectures, with a faint momentum of ruling an entire province.

Even though high-ranking figures like Han Han Chuijun, Lord Master Gongyang Yu, Jing Jing Shuhu, and Lei Lei Jingchuan stayed in Mount Hengshan City year-round, no one dared to act rashly.

Li Yuan only spent half a day at the Divine Weapon Valley.

The truth was there were hardly any acquaintances left in the valley. Because of him, the Divine Weapon Valley was deeply bound to the Dragon Tiger Temple, and every three years a few spots were reserved for entering the Dragon Tiger Temple. Most of the martial brothers he had known in years past were now in Mount Hengshan City.

Revisiting old haunts stirred no particular feelings in Li Yuan; he simply caught a few Red Dragon Fish from the cold pool and was off again on his eagle.

Two days later, Li Yuan returned to Mount Hengshan City.

Because he had taken detours to the Dinglong Mountain Range and Gao Liu County, Long Long Yingchan and the others had actually returned earlier. Upon hearing the gray eagle's cry from afar, they came out to greet him.

After his return, before Li Yuan could refuse, another grand banquet was held.

Li Yuan could not decline, because not only Wang Wang Peiyao, Liu Zheng and others, but also a group of old friends from the Divine Weapon Valley wanted to see him off, and elders like Lord Master Gongyang Yu and Lei Lei Jingchuan also came to join the fun.

Then there were Ba Ba Wanli, Fang Fang Yunxiu, and Qiu Qiu Changying, who had been wandering the jianghu for years, and who had specially rushed back as well.

There was also Sun Hao—this once great creditor of his had grown even rounder and more prosperous. Though he had achieved Internal Mastery under Li Yuan's guidance, he was truly not diligent enough in martial practice; to reach Body Transformation he would need another ten or so years of grinding.

Compared to that grand banquet in Shendu City, the atmosphere at this one was more subdued. No one pressed drinks on him; instead, they mostly asked Li Yuan about the Beyond, the Eight Directions Temple, the earlier heavenly calamity, and the divine light that came after.

Li Yuan had nothing to hide about it. He immediately recounted everything in order: from the great battle with the imperial court's people outside Shendu City, the appearance of the Blood Phoenix, all the way to his sacrificial worship and entry into the Great Luo Heaven, the condensation of the Kun Peng True Form, and so on.

During the banquet, he also described the various intelligence about the Beyond obtained from the Tongshi Orb, including but not limited to the Five Great Grotto-Heavens, the three essential elements for refining magic power, the True Form Diagrams, and the like.

However, due to the restrictions of the Eight Directions Temple, he could not transmit the complete Kun Peng True Form Diagram down.

But after the banquet he still sought out Pang Pang Wenlong, requesting that if his old friends were willing to cultivate, he send them into the Dao Soldier Tower for a pass. Whether they gained anything was beside the point—at the very least, after being tempered by the aura of the Eight Directions Temple, their lifespans after entering the Dao would greatly increase.

With the "guided manuals" he had tailor-made for them, at least Fang Fang Yunxiu, Ba Ba Wanli and others had a slim hope of entering the Dao. As for Sun Hao... better left unsaid.

To this, Pang Pang Wenlong naturally would not refuse.

He could not have wished for more ties left behind by Li Yuan, and immediately agreed wholeheartedly, even promising to personally guide everyone in martial cultivation. Li Yuan was overjoyed and thanked him profusely—no more need be said.

For the following half month, Li Yuan declined all visitors.

He truly could not handle the reception. Not to mention the martial brothers from the Dragon Tiger Temple, but the other major Daoist sects, the Xinyi Sect, and even many provincial-level sects he did not know at all had come to offer congratulations and gifts.

At first he met a few of them, but later, worn out by the nuisance, he simply tossed the task to Sun Hao, Liu Zheng and others to handle.

As everyone knew, Daoist Li never refused gifts.

During that half month, he gathered quite a batch of weapons.

Not only from the Dragon Tiger Temple, but also all manner of weapons forged by the Divine Weapon Valley over the past three years—he refused none. The gray stone platform, already expanded several times, was piled full by him.

But that was only incidental. During the final half month before parting, he spent most of his time actually instructing the two little ones at his second brother's house in martial arts.

The two little ones, already ten or so years old, though born with only average natural talent, had the "Hundred Beasts Pill" to make up for their lacking roots. Coupled with his instruction, their progress was quite brisk.

Of course, compared to him back in the day, they were far inferior.

Perhaps because they had heard Li Lin brag so much, the two little ones held their third uncle in boundless reverence. The first martial art they learned was Bai Yuan's Cloak Hammer, and the second was the Soldier's Path Combat Slaying Hammer. Every day they practiced the Xu Tui Soldier Body Stance with Li Yuan.

Li Yuan was happy to see this; his little nephew and niece revering him was hardly a bad thing.

In a flash, half a month passed.

That day, Li Yuan was bent over his desk in the room, writing something. Hearing his second brother call him to eat, he answered offhandedly and quickened his writing. By noon, he blew lightly on the ink and nodded in satisfaction.

"That should be about right."

Li Yuan flipped through this booklet.

It was a targeted instruction manual he had spent half a month crafting, tailored to the two little ones' innate talents and dispositions.

He had written similar things before, but those mostly stopped before Body Transformation. Now, however, with the Kun Peng True Form complete, and looking down from a great height, he had pushed this manual all the way to He Yi Jing.

"As long as they practice step by step, these two little ones might just have a chance of entering the Dao, even achieving He Yi."

Putting the manual away, Li Yuan rose and went out the door.

In the courtyard, his second sister-in-law had already prepared a great spread of food and drink. Martial practitioners had large appetites, and with those two little ones in their growing years, the Li family always had a huge table every day.

At dinner, Li Yuan handed the manual to his second sister-in-law and urged his second brother to study it as well; the latter nodded with a long face.

Li Lin practiced martial arts far more diligently than Sun Hao, but he had only taken up martial arts after turning thirty. Even with the nourishment of spirit pills, his comprehension couldn't compare with those who had trained from childhood. Even with Li Yuan's instruction, he had only reached the Great Accomplishment of Internal Strength, much like the former Weapon-Forging Shop shopkeeper Cao Yan.

Li Lin was a bit slow, but his second sister-in-law Wang Juan was sharp-minded; when she took the manual, her eyes reddened:

"Third Brother, are you leaving?"

"Can't hide it from you, sister-in-law."

Li Yuan sighed inwardly, but still smiled and nodded: "Second Brother can't be relied upon to manage things. From now on, the household and the Weapon-Forging Shop business will need you to take more trouble, sister-in-law."

"Don't worry. Your sister-in-law will certainly guard your share of this foundation well and never let anyone cheat you out of it. But this time you leave, leave…"

Wang Juan only felt her nose sting with sourness.

When she married into the family, Li Yuan wasn't even as old as the two little ones are now; she truly regarded him as her own younger brother. Now knowing he was leaving, she felt a sour ache she could hardly bear, none of her usual fiery spirit showing, and tears fell as she spoke.

"Sister-in-law…"

Li Yuan was also a bit surprised; his second sister-in-law was tough and resilient, and in the hardest years past he had never seen her shed a tear.

"Sigh, what's there to cry about? What's there to be bitter about! Third Brother is just stepping out for a bit, not that he won't come back!"

Li Lin had never seen this scene either; after coaxing a couple of lines he felt all at sixes and sevens.

"You think outside is some Hao Di Fa Jie? I've already made inquiries. Those ghostly things that once caused the heavens to collapse and the earth to crack are out there. No matter how capable Third Brother is, if he ran into something like that, what would become of him?"

As she spoke, Wang Juan couldn't help pinching her own man: "Yet you just fool around happily all day, never bothering to ask around."

"Ouch— stop, let go…"

The couple immediately started bickering. The two little ones were already used to it, but they were also reluctant to part: "Third Uncle, where are you going? When will you be back?"

"Take us with you, huh?"

"The place Third Uncle is going doesn't allow bringing people."

Watching the clamorous family, Li Yuan felt his restless heart suddenly calm. He comforted the two little ones and his second sister-in-law; seeing his calm and easy manner, the others gradually quieted down as well.

"When are you leaving?"

Li Lin helped his wife back to the room, and after a while came out carrying a large bundle: "These are things your sister-in-law prepared. Take them, they might come in handy."

"Sister-in-law is still the thoughtful one."

Li Yuan took it with a smile.

His perception was keen; one glance told him half the bundle was gold and silver, half clothing—Daoist robes, inner garments, and the like.

"You two little things, don't you know to go back to the room and see your mother?"

Li Lin shouted again, shooing the two little ones into the room.

"Don't worry, Second Brother. The road is very safe."

Seeing Li Yuan fall silent, Li Lin smiled and offered a word of comfort.

"Still trying to fool me? Ever since you came back, there's been a huge commotion in the city. Fatty Sun alone received several hundred people, and the gold and silver he'd previously sent up the mountain amounted to tens of thousands of taels, plus all kinds of spirit herbs…"

Li Lin glared at him; he seemed to have much he wanted to say, but in the end only patted his shoulder:

"Second Brother deeply regrets sending you to the Weapon-Forging Shop as an apprentice…"

"Second Brother…"

"I'll go back inside and comfort your sister-in-law. I won't see you off."

Li Lin turned and went back into the courtyard.

"Second Brother, take care of your health."

Outside the courtyard, Li Yuan stood frozen for a moment before turning around. A little creature that had been waiting a long while darted onto his shoulder—a sleek, glossy little mouse.

"You've been wrecking the temple's herb fields again this period, haven't you?"

Li Yuan stroked the little thing's fur. Perhaps from eating too many spirit herbs, it carried a faint, fresh scent of grass and trees, and its fur was extremely smooth, untainted by the slightest dust.

"Squeak squeak~"

The little mouse squeaked as if arguing back.

"Are you ready?"

Li Yuan tapped its little head: "This trip may not necessarily be safe."

"Squeak squeak!"

The little mouse stood upright on its hind legs, its tiny paw pointing toward the distant mountain forest. Li Yuan followed its gaze and saw tens of thousands of field mice gathered in the woods—the "generals" the little mouse had recruited over the years.

The little mouse waved its tiny paw proudly, drawing a great chorus of "squeak squeak."

"You want to bring them all?"

Li Yuan laughed and scolded. This little mouse had eaten many spirit pills and somehow refined true Qi; it had already awakened to human nature.

"Squeak squeak~" The little mouse squeaked noisily, meaning it should at least bring one, so there'd be a mouse to test pills when the time came.

Li Yuan laughed helplessly and ignored it.

He walked toward Long Xi Xiang's small temple. Inside the small temple, Pang Pang Wenlong and the three great leaders of Longhu Temple were all present.

"Tian Can and Yuan Qing also wanted to come see you off, but I sent them away."

Pang Pang Wenlong stood up:

"Since you're ready, let's go."

"Mm."

Li Yuan wasn't one to be indecisive. He bowed deeply to the several elders, then turned around at Yu Yu Xuanji.

Hum~

Li Yuan raised a hand and lightly tapped his brow. A long cry of a peng bird rang out, and a great peng with wings of blazing gold drilled out from his brow as if alive.

"Squeak?!"

The little mouse got a tremendous fright.

"Master, Martial Uncle, Senior Pang…"

The Golden-Winged Roc circled around him, scattering a faint golden halo, and Li Li Yuanzhong bowed once more from within it.

"Whoosh!"

The next instant, dazzling golden light shot straight up to the heavens, dazzling even the eyes of Pang Pang Wenlong and the others.

"Screech!"

The Golden-Winged Roc let out a long, piercing cry, shrill and grating, audible for thousands of li; the golden light poured down like a waterfall, clearly visible even in broad daylight.

"What a huge goshawk!"

"How is that a goshawk? That's clearly the legendary Golden-Winged Roc?!"

"There's someone on the eagle's back — looks like Junior Brother Li. In Dragon-Tiger Temple, he's the one who loves Daoist robes the most!"

"It's Senior Brother Li!"

……

In the small courtyard, Li Lin held the weeping Wang Juan in his arms, staring blankly upward.

He saw a great bird with a wingspan of over a hundred zhang suspended across the sky; its body was a blazing gold, its feathers gleaming with the sharp edge of blades and swords, and even from an immeasurable distance one could feel a bone-piercing chill.

"Screech!"

The Golden-Winged Roc circled Longhu Mountain three times, and only after Li Li Yuanzhong had gleefully harvested one last wave of incense and prayers did he finally, satisfied, urge the Kun-Peng True Form into motion.

The next instant, accompanied by a long cry that pierced the clouds, the great roc soared into the sky and vanished from everyone's gaze.

Atop Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Li Li Yuanzhong rode the roc into the heavens!

……

……

"Da Luo Heaven!"

The moment he rode the roc skyward, Li Li Yuanzhong's mind whispered the three words "Da Luo Heaven."

Boom!

In an instant, Li Li Yuanzhong felt the light and shadows around him shift and change, a bizarre and bewildering realm where for a time he could not tell up from down, nor left from right, nor south from north.

"This is…"

Li Li Yuanzhong strained to sense his surroundings; he could clearly feel countless lights and shadows flickering, yet could see nothing — all around him was chaos and inversion.

He could only grip the unconscious little mouse with one hand, forcefully urge the Kun-Peng True Form, and follow his instinct toward the "Dao-marker" that spread from somewhere unknown, guiding him forward.

Hum~

Hum~~

Chaos, inversion, bizarre and bewildering…

Li Li Yuanzhong had long since given up trying to sense his surroundings, but that chaotic, inverted aura still twisted his five senses, forcing him to grit his teeth and barely hold on.

He did not know how long it had been when, just as his consciousness was growing fuzzy and he was on the verge of passing out, he suddenly heard an ethereal, drawn-out chime of wind bells.

"Clang!"

Li Li Yuanzhong's spirit jolted, and he awoke from his stupor.

He raised his head sharply; all around was a deep, dark gloom, vast and boundless like the cosmos, with only scattered specks of light.

"Is this the universe?!"

Li Li Yuanzhong started, then immediately dismissed the thought.

For the starlight blooming within that deep gloom varied in color and brightness, and gave him an aura that was both terrifying and faintly familiar.

"The aura of a strange land!"

Li Li Yuanzhong's mind worked with extraordinary speed; the moment the thought stirred, he had already identified what those "stars" were.

This aura was somewhat similar to the strange land that old ghost Cloud Demon had summoned, but far more terrifying!

"Roar~"

Faintly, Li Li Yuanzhong heard what sounded like great beasts growling low within those "stars"; he strained his gaze into the distance and could even see something within the starlight that seemed to want to come out.

"What the hell is that!"

Li Li Yuanzhong felt every hair on his body stand on end; he had only sensed the faintest trace of aura, yet his chest ached as though an invisible great hand had reached across the void to grip his heart.

"Clang!"

At that moment, the ethereal chime rang out once more.

In an instant, the starlight all around abruptly stilled; then, under Li Li Yuanzhong's gaze, it slowly flowed back and vanished into the darkness.

"This place is far too dangerous!"

Li Li Yuanzhong drew in a sharp breath and gripped the Kun-Peng True Form beneath him tightly; after that endless starlight vanished, the only source of light was beneath him.

At this moment, he rode the roc along a "bridge of light" he could hardly describe, crossing this hair-raising abyss of darkness at a speed beyond his comprehension.

"Hum!"

He did not know how long it had been when Li Li Yuanzhong, his nerves stretched to the breaking point, finally saw "light" within a stretch of profound darkness.

It was a "mountain"!

A mountain beyond anything he could imagine!

That mountain could no longer be described as towering — so vast that one could not see its base or its peak, it stood within the boundless gloom, sacred and majestic.

More than a mountain, it was like a colossal wall, or rather, a dam stretching across left, right, above, and below!

"What an enormous mountain!"

Li Li Yuanzhong gaped in astonishment.

That great mountain radiated a light more dazzling than the sun, impossible to look at directly; it was not merely divine radiance, but contained incense and prayer-power pure to the extreme.

Wooooo~

Li Yuan could see the luminous mists ceaselessly rising from that colossal mountain, and each time they rose, all manner of visions evolved within the void.

Palaces, mountains and rivers, blue skies, Wang Yang, cities—he even saw a star domain slowly turning…

"A strange land? A blessed land? A cave heaven?!"

For a moment Li Yuan had no way to tell, yet a conclusion vaguely formed within him.

This mountain was likely countless times vaster than he had imagined; it seemed as if countless alien dimensions revolved slowly around it, like the asteroids drawn in by the great stars of the cosmos.

"Mount Mount Dongxuan!"

Not long after seeing that colossal mountain, a thought rose in Li Yuan's heart—this divine mountain called 'Mount Dongxuan' was his destination on this journey.

"The Great Luo Heaven, Mount Mount Dongxuan!"

The golden bridge ended here, and even the roc bird would not advance. Li Yuan rose to his full height, gazing afar at this mountain, feeling endless radiance flowing and turning. His heart stirred; he activated the 'Five Senses Set' and looked again—his pupils contracted sharply.

How could this be a mountain?

It was clearly a sea!

A boundless sea woven of divine patterns. Even pushing his perception to its absolute limit, he could not glimpse a single corner of it; he only felt it contained endless profound mysteries, and that comprehending even a fraction might yield a legendary Gu divine ability.

"Squeak squeak~"

The little mouse that had been unconscious the whole way slowly woke, raised its head, and saw its master with shining eyes, his thoughts flown who-knows-where.

"Creation!"

Daoist Li had long since immersed himself within.

He pushed his perception to the limit; even as his eyes stung and tears flowed, he seemed utterly unaware.

After attempting in vain to glimpse the sea's edge, his gaze fell upon one corner.

He saw divine patterns flowing within, the utmost of intricate marvels—now transforming into a thunder dragon soaring through the sky, now into a fire phoenix spreading its wings with flames that burned the heavens, now into a Wang Wang Yangdahai where colossal beasts lurked within, Xian Qi Zhong Zhong undercurrents.

Or a great roc spreading its wings, striding and looking down on all; or a single tree rising skyward, its hundreds of millions of branches and leaves upholding a sea of Qun Xing…

'Within this sea of divine patterns, every corner contains countless combinations of divine patterns—pah, divine prohibitions—and every wondrous scene they evolve is a true-form diagram…'

Enlightenment rose in Li Yuan's heart—perhaps this was the benefit given to entry-level disciples of the Great Luo Heaven?

Thoughts turning in his mind, he pushed his Five Senses to their maximum. Seeing benefit, he did not even fear the exhaustion of his spirit; his Five Senses swept broadly, wandering and choosing among the various wondrous scenes.

But this method of divine patterns was truly boundless, and the wondrous scenes evolved by the divine prohibitions were as many as the stars; even the power of a single corner was hard to glimpse in its ten-thousandth part.

After a brief attempt, Daoist Li decided to quit while he was ahead, and decisively chose the most vast and intricate wondrous scene he had currently seen.

He settled his spirit, perceiving the mysteries within.

……

……

"He's coming!"

"The one who received the divine fire guided by Lord Lord Tianyu has arrived!"

Within Mount Mount Dongxuan, Fayin Fayin Tongzi in a Daoist robe gave a start. He stretched up on tiptoe, cupped a hand over his brow like a sunshade, and gazed afar beyond the mountain.

He saw Jin Guang like a bridge come at extreme speed from the darkness, spanning before the mountain. Upon the golden bridge, a Jin Chi roc bird beat its wings and advanced, and upon it stood a young man in a Daoist robe, his expression focused.

"Tch, another sharp one, who knows the marvels of Mount Mount Dongxuan—but I wonder what method he'll choose?"

Fayin was somewhat envious, and also curious how long he could endure.

Mount Mount Dongxuan was one of the twelve mountains of the Great Luo, the Daoist site of his own Lord Lord Tianyu, containing the lifelong cultivation Zhi Gong of his own young lord. One who comprehended a ten-thousandth of it could benefit from it for a lifetime.

But even divine objects possessed the ability to conceal their own light, let alone Mount Mount Dongxuan?

Though Mount Mount Dongxuan stood mightily within the nine-layered You Jing, those without affinity could not see it. Even newly entered disciples who could see it were not all able to instantly perceive the benefit and truly obtain it.

And as for a boy like him, though he knew Mount Mount Dongxuan held endless profound benefits, being within the mountain he could not obtain them.

"One breath, ten breaths…"

Fayin counted on his fingers, until after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Yuan awoke from his meditation and walked toward the end of the golden bridge. His eyesight was excellent too; he could faintly see someone at the bridgehead—should be the boy who would guide him into the Ru Sect?

"Worthy of the Weitian Dao Sect—to gain such a great benefit before even entering!"

Li Yuan walked slowly along the golden bridge, ceaselessly savoring what he had just seen; the shock in his heart was truly beyond words. He had only stolen a single glance, and merely at one corner of this Mount Mount Dongxuan.

"Goodness, this lad who has only just entered the Dao actually held on for the time of a cup of tea?!"

At the end of the golden bridge, looking at the new disciple approaching slowly, Fayin was truly somewhat astonished—this lad's abundance of spiritual energy likely already exceeded the scope of He Yi Jing.

He was originally a strange beast from beyond the stars, personally enlightened by the young lord, born with golden eyes and fiery pupils, able to see all manner of falsehoods. With one glance he could tell this lad had not been in the Dao for long.

'This level of spiritual energy is probably enough to forge a 【Divine Furnace】.'

Muttering to himself, Fayin shook out his Daoist robe and made a Daoist salute:

"I am the boy under Daoist Lord Lord Tianyu of Mount Mount Dongxuan, and by the Daoist Lord's command I have come to welcome the new disciple!"

(End of chapter)