Chapter 664: Combat Rules, Refining the Nine-Smoke Luo Art

When Daoist Li does things, he has his own set of rules.

After choosing his gold-grabbing spot, he didn't act blindly. Instead, he exited the Combat Hall, reopened the Taixu Ten Thousand Phenomena, and studied the rules of the Combat Hall in detail.

【Combat Hall: One of the core functions of the Taixu Divine Realm, built upon a Dao-nurturing treasure as its foundation, with boundless primordial fire as its flame, forged by the hand of a great divine ability practitioner...】

【... using the Taixu Divine Realm to mirror those who enter the platform, shaping with primordial fire a Dharma Body identical to the original self; all learned spell-arts and divine abilities can be employed with full mastery...】

【... according to the regulations of the Combat Hall, on the Combat Platform no magical treasures other than one's Natal Spirit Treasure may be used; solo duels are exempt from this rule...】

【... the Combat Platform divides combatants into first through ninth ranks based on battle records; rank advancement grants primordial fire rewards...】

【... Tian Shi Yuan Combat Rankings...】

The rules of the Combat Hall weren't many; before long, Li Yuan already had a general understanding.

"Aside from solo duels, those who enter the platform cannot use any external items including magical treasures, Dao Soldiers, or spirit beasts; Natal Spirit Treasures and Natal Spirit Beasts are exceptions..."

This was a very straightforward rule. Li Yuan felt it was reasonable—if Dao Soldiers and spirit treasures could be used, the advantage of Holy Land disciples would be far too great.

Of course, this wasn't friendly to cultivators who relied mainly on Dao Soldiers, but it applied to the vast majority of cultivators.

The duel rules were simple; the rules for guided battles and spectating were even simpler—all income was subject to a fifty-percent cut by the Taixu Pavilion; beyond that, there were no restrictions.

What was slightly more complex was the Combat Rankings.

【Combat Rankings: one ranking per domain, reset every ten years, divided into three lists: 'Sun,' 'Moon,' and 'Star'...】

"The Star List ranks cultivators of Yi Er San Jing; the Moon List ranks those of the Fourth and Fifth Realms; and on the Sun List, there are only ninety-three people..."

Reciting silently to this point, Li Yuan's heart stirred. He recalled the ninety-three 'stars' he had glimpsed earlier in the Shi Yuan You Jing—these corresponded precisely to the Hundred Gods of Tian Shi Yuan.

He noted these down and continued browsing the rules.

Finally, he saw a piece of intelligence that only disciples of the Weitian Dao Sect could see.

【The Ten Thousand Domains Combat Rankings open at irregular intervals—sometimes a hundred years, sometimes several hundred... When the Weitian Martial Display opens, they open simultaneously...】

"The Ten Thousand Domains Combat Rankings?"

Seeing this, Li Yuan understood somewhat. He had previously seen at the Yanwudiantang that when the Weitian Martial Display opened, outsiders would enter it.

These outsiders likely referred to those prodigies ranked at the top of the Ten Thousand Domains Combat Rankings.

"These rules are rather interesting."

Daoist Li was a man who let his mind wander. Seeing this, he could even imagine the grand spectacle when the Weitian Martial Display opened.

Ten Thousand Domains' prodigies all vying for a single ranking!

"Once you make the list, your name will spread across ten thousand domains at once. Not to mention the rewards from the Taixu Pavilion or the Weitian Dao Sect, just being on this list alone would probably harvest an enormous amount of incense offerings..."

Li Yuan clicked his tongue inwardly, deeply moved by how strong the martial spirit was throughout the myriad heavens and domains.

In the past, he would have had many guesses, but now, having learned some secrets from deep within the Ruins, he understood in his heart that this martial spirit must have been blown down from the Weitian Dao Sect.

Not only did the Dao-Attainment Tribulation require mastery of combat and slaughter, but opening up the Ruins required the same.

"Behind this Combat Platform must surely stand the Weitian Dao Sect, but it really is a good place... Any cultivator truly skilled in slaughter and combat can obtain considerable cultivation resources on this Combat Platform."

Li Yuan reflected inwardly, then casually tapped open the Combat Rankings suspended in the starry sky of the Combat Hall.

"Whoosh~"

The next instant, three ranking lists each tens of thousands of zhang tall descended. Countless names upon them flickered and shifted—rising, falling, changing violently.

"This intense?"

Li Yuan swept his gaze across the three giant lists and made a rough calculation in his mind.

At this moment, the cultivators currently fighting on this Combat Platform numbered no less than tens of millions.

He raised his eyes and scanned, finding the Sun List hazy, shrouded in mist—he couldn't tell whether it hadn't opened yet or whether no one had issued a duel challenge yet. The remaining two lists, however, shifted violently.

With every passing instant there were changes on the order of millions or tens of millions. At the very top of the Moon List, however, three names shining with Jin Guang remained unmoved.

【Combat Moon List First: Feng Feng Qingcang...】

【Combat Moon List Second: Fa Fa Wushe...】

【Combat Moon List Third: Ying Ying Xuantian...】

The three names sat firmly atop the rankings, unmoved like Rushan despite the countless names below shifting violently in position—yet they did not reveal their learned Gong Fa or divine abilities.

"Ying Ying Xuantian, Feng Feng Qingcang, Fa Fa Wushe."

Li Yuan spotted at a glance that Martial Immortal Gate Master Feng Feng Qingcang—he knew this name well; his stone stele still stood in the Eight Directions Temple to this day.

Whoosh~

Whoosh~

The three ten-thousand-zhang giant lists fluttered in the starry sky, the names of hundreds of millions of cultivators shifting violently at a speed the naked eye could barely discern.

Yet some sat atop the rankings, unmoved like Rushan.

Even Li Yuan, seeing this scene, couldn't help but feel his heart stirred:

"The foremost person nearest to godhood."

Li Yuan had seen plenty of intelligence about Feng Feng Qingcang in the Taixu Ten Thousand Phenomena, but no intelligence was clearer than the ranking list before his eyes.

"How much incense must this harvest each day?"

Even Daoist Li watched with some envy. He felt that if his own name could hang on that top spot for a year or so, he probably wouldn't have to worry about anything.

After silently watching for a few moments, in the bamboo tower, Li Yuan put away the All-Knowledge Sphere. "The rules are clear, the path is defined. Next, it's time to refine the art!"

As if sensing something, Li Yuan rose and went out. Just as he stepped out of the bamboo tower's small courtyard, he detected a familiar presence—Shen Ying'er, travel-worn, flew into the grotto-heaven.

"Li Yuan!"

Shen Ying'er landed outside the bamboo tower, her childish face carrying a touch of grievance and a touch of joy:

"The divine patterns you wanted are all gathered!"

In the three months since joining Mount Mount Dongxuan, most of Li Yuan's time was spent swallowing spirit pills to refine magic power; the rest of the time, he was either poring over books borrowed from the Scripture Pavilion, or cultivating the White Bone Demon and the Shan Xuan Teng She.

As for the little she-dragon, it was much simpler — taking the Dun Tian Zhou, she went to Dong Shan Xuan Da Fa Jie to gather the various divine patterns needed for cultivating the spell 'Shan Xuan Gang Zhong Shui'.

"You've worked hard."

Li Yuan reached out and caught the white gourd she handed over; divine patterns gathered and dispersed formlessly, and ordinary objects simply could not bear them.

This was a second-realm Dao weapon he had spent twenty Xiao Gong to buy — the Gourd Dao weapon.

Unlike the White Bone Demon, although the Gourd Dao weapon had many uses and great power, few disciples of Mount Mount Dongxuan would actually use this type of Dao weapon.

The reason was simple — this Gourd Dao weapon greatly resembled a magic treasure; not only did it need to inhale various gang qi as food, it also required a cultivator's magic power to nurture it. For this one point alone, it was classified as an inferior Dao weapon.

But Li Yuan still bought one black and one white.

Because although the little she-dragon's realm was second-realm, her methods for gathering divine patterns were not skilled; without this Gourd Dao weapon, even another three years would not be enough to gather all the divine patterns he needed for any one spell.

"Master!"

The gourd trembled lightly, and a small pure-white figure, fist-sized, poked its way out of the gourd's mouth:

"I've had it so tough this whole trip — those divine patterns start fighting the moment you take your eyes off them!"

"You've worked hard too."

Li Yuan was dumbfounded. He flicked a finger, tapping the little gourd's brow, and a wisp of Dan Jin Se Fa magic power had already sunk into its body.

"Ah ya, what pure magic power!"

The little gourd's pure-white body was tinged with pale gold. It cried out in surprise, then knelt and kowtowed in high spirits:

"Thank Master for the reward!"

"Mm."

Li Yuan nodded. After a brief mental calculation, he understood why this Gourd Dao weapon was unpopular among Mount Mount Dongxuan's disciples.

One wisp of magic power going out, one wisp coming back — though it didn't damage the upper limit, recovering through Xing Gong still took time after all.

By comparison, the White Bone Dao weapon that only needed a meal of bones once every ten days to half a month and could then be driven day and night was simply a bargain — good and cheap.

Whine~

After kowtowing, it shrank back into the gourd. Yu Yu Xuanji immediately had wisps of green smoke puff from the gourd's mouth, which the prepared Li Yuan, who had released his magic power, guided back into the Divine Realm Sea.

The best vessel for carrying divine patterns was magic power — and there was no second choice.

"Not bad."

Sensing the various divine patterns in the Divine Realm, Li Yuan took out nine bottles of spirit pills and handed them to Yan Yan Maomao:

"These are 'Gan Fa Dan'. Take one each day — it'll help him sense the heavens and earth, and comprehend the mysteries of refining Fa. One bottle will last you three months."

"Many thanks… huh?"

Hearing 'three months', Yan Yan Maomao, who had been about to return the Dun Tian Zhou, gave a sudden start: "You don't mean you're still going to…"

"That's right, I still have some divine patterns I need to search for. Sorry to trouble you with another trip!"

Saying so, Li Yuan handed the Gourd Dao weapon back to her, and at the same time pushed the Dun Tian Zhou back into her hands: "Where to go to gather, just ask the little gourd."

"Ah… yes!"

Yan Yan Maomao answered glumly, her little face written all over with 'joy'. Without another word, she turned and flew off again.

This made Master Li feel a bit embarrassed, and he hurriedly called out: "No rush for this moment — the spirit meal will be ready soon, eating first wouldn't be too late!"

"…I'll eat when I get back!"

The little she-dragon's voice drifted away.

"Master, magic power, magic power…"

She left in a great hurry, but the little gourd hadn't reacted in time, hopping and bouncing on its feet, being dragged along willy-nilly.

"Still so impetuous."

Li Yuan watched her depart, then finally focused his perception.

He saw only blossoms of spray rising in the Divine Realm Sea, the dozens of different newly-gathered divine patterns scattered here and there, transforming into all manner of wondrous sights.

Cultivating Shan Xuan Gang Zhong Shui required condensing six Heavenly Gang divine prohibitions and twelve Earth Sha divine prohibitions — normally only thirty-six kinds of divine patterns were needed, the number roughly the same as refining Kun Peng magic power.

But the little she-dragon had gathered fifty-three kinds of divine patterns. This was naturally because Mount Mount Dongxuan had its own rules — gathering only the divine patterns needed for Shan Xuan Gang Zhong Shui would carry the suspicion of leaking Gong Fa. Reluctantly, she had mixed in some divine patterns needed for cultivating Tai Yin Sword Qi.

"Not counting this time, one more trip from the little she-dragon and we'll have nearly gathered all the divine patterns needed for cultivating these four spells."

Li Yuan had long since comprehended the many key points of cultivating Shan Xuan Gang Zhong Shui. With a single glance, he knew which divine prohibitions these divine patterns corresponded to.

Just as he was preparing to return to the bamboo tower to refine the spell, he heard another startled cry:

"Master, it's complete, it's complete!"

Li Yuan looked up.

On the Qi-Gathering Platform, a little black-skinned gourd leaped thirty to fifty zhang into the air, a black little head poked out of the gourd's mouth, waving at him nonstop:

"The divine patterns needed for refining Dong Shan Xuan Nine-Smoke Luo have been gathered!"

(End of chapter)