Chapter 556: Wind and Rain Briefly Cease

Chapter 556: Wind and Rain Briefly Cease

Heavenly Master Residence, Xuantan Hall.

Zhang Qingyu's eyes suddenly snapped open, the cold light in them making the whole room feel chill.

"Sealing his cave heaven and sinking himself into the dark sea, preferring to turn a living tomb into a dead tomb, just to ruin my plans. What a fine disciple of Wudang, what a true martial spirit, Zhao Yanlong, I will never let you die so easily!"

His voice was filled with a bone-deep hatred. Zhang Qingyu frowned tightly, his face ashen.

In his original plan, as long as he could subdue Zhao Yanlong, he could use his identity as a remnant of Wudang to win the trust of Chen Qisheng and others, and then lure them out.

As long as he could track down these demons, the rest would be as easy as taking something out of his pocket or catching turtles in a jar for Longhu Mountain.

Even if he wished, he could simply surround them without capturing them, playing a game of cat and mouse, and use this as leverage to extract more benefits from Grand Celestial Master Zhang Chongyuan.

Zhao Yanlong's usefulness was far from over.

After dealing with Li Jun and the others, he could start digging into Zhao Yanlong's secrets and legacy regarding Wudang.

Though Zhang Qingyu himself had not participated in the great war back then, he knew that the current 'Four Mountains and One Palace' had not completely looted all the ancestral artifacts and technical methods of Wudang Mountain; a small part had vanished without a trace after the war, and was very likely hidden on a living tomb like Zhao Yanlong.

Therefore, Baiyujing had always been secretly offering rewards to capture the remnants of Wudang Mountain.

Furthermore, even if he couldn't get much benefit from Zhao Yanlong himself, finding other living tombs of Wudang through him would also be a great achievement.

He could even use the Wudang spirits within Zhao Yanlong's cave heaven to cultivate old-school practitioners in the mortal world, integrating their Dao foundations into his own to survive the 'Heavenly Tribulation' that must be faced when breaking the locks and advancing in rank.

All in all, no matter how you looked at it, it was all benefit and no harm.

But now all these benefits had turned to nothing because of Zhao Yanlong's ingratitude, which made Zhang Qingyu's teeth itch with hatred.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the empty abode as Zhang Qingyu paced back and forth, trying to calm the anger in his heart.

At this point, resentment was useless.

Even if he wanted to grind Zhao Yanlong to dust and scatter his ashes, he would first have to fish his cave heaven out of the dark sea.

The key now was how to complete Zhang Chongyuan's orders; that was the urgent matter.

If he could not satisfy the Grand Celestial Master, then things like 'a seat among the Earth Immortals' or 'a disciple under his wing' were just flowers in a mirror or the moon in water.

The 'Fengdu' cave heaven that Baiyujing prepared for Daoist heretics was probably his final destination.

"Come here!"

Zhang Qingyu, who seemed to have been pacing for a long time, suddenly stopped and called out loudly.

Soon, hurried footsteps sounded outside the abode.

"Superintendent."

"Draft a letter to Grand Celestial Master Chongyuan, informing him that Xuantan Hall has discovered that Yanglong's true identity is a remnant of Wudang, secretly colluding with the traitor Chen Qisheng. During the investigation, Yanglong fled out of guilt, sealed his cave heaven, and sank into the dark sea. Xuantan Hall is trying to track him, but we have already grasped his method of contacting Chen Qisheng and will soon find his whereabouts. After obtaining the Grand Celestial Master's approval, report Yanglong's betrayal to the entire Longhu Cave Heaven!"

"Yes." The person outside replied respectfully.

"Contact the Fajuan Bureau and have them hold a ritual, sparing no expense to fish out Yanglong's cave heaven."

Zhang Qingyu paused for a moment, then said after a moment's thought, "Tell them that the Grand Celestial Master attaches great importance to this matter. If it is not handled well, there will be consequences for everyone."

"As the Superintendent commands."

"Also, inform the Wanzong Altar to hand over the traitor Yanglong's Dao registry, permissions, and physical body to Xuantan Hall. I have use for them."

Zhang Qingyu asked calmly, "By the way, is Yangzong still in Shangrao?"

"In reply to the Superintendent, he is recuperating at the Shangrao Dao Palace."

"Go down the mountain yourself and tell Yangzong that Xuantan Hall knows someone from the old Doubu secretly hid a backup body of Xuandou and built a cenotaph. Have him find it. If the job is done well, I can guarantee that he will not die at the hands of Chen Qisheng."

"I will go do it now."

After Zhang Qingyu finished his orders, the person outside walked away quickly.

Returning to the silent abode, Zhang Qingyu sat cross-legged on a cushion. But no sooner had he settled than his upper body suddenly lurched forward, spitting out a mouthful of milky white fluid.

Forcefully breaking out of Zhao Yanlong's sealed cave heaven had also damaged his soul.

"Zhao Yanlong, between us it is not just victory and defeat, but life and death."

Zhang Qingyu's gaze was dark as he wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.

"Old-school practitioners existing in this world is a great mistake. All of you deserve to die! Not one left."

"So that Longhu Mountain Daosan was just killed by Brother Jun like that? Not so impressive, huh?"

In the forested area between Yiyang and Guixi, a small temple named 'Qingping' with equally meager incense offerings.

Within the territory of Guangxin Prefecture, apart from the major cities, the wilderness was dotted with such scattered temples, serving believers who preferred seclusion.

Yuan Mingfei had already converted and taken control of the entire temple in advance, making it the rendezvous point for everyone.

In the backyard of Qingping Temple, Li Jun sat on the steps bare-chested, basking in the rare warm sun. Most of the wounds on his body had healed, except for the wounds on his abdomen and right hand cut by the third-grade Dao artifact Fumo Qinghong, which were still wrapped in bandages faintly stained with blood.

"Little Shen, I, Uncle Zou, have to criticize you. What do you mean 'not so impressive'? When you were chased by a few Daoists in Yongfeng, hopping up and down and howling like a ghost, where was your boldness then?"

Zou Sijiu leaned against a young osmanthus tree no taller than a man, exposing Shen Li's shortcomings with a sly grin.

"Mystic, if you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. Was that me howling? It was clearly an involuntary roar during a life-and-death fight! Only martial artists like us who dare to face opponents head-on can have this experience. Sequences like you who hide in the back and play dirty tricks naturally wouldn't understand."

Shen Li was wrapped up like a zongzi, his wild hair full of burn marks, crouching beside Li Jun and shouting indignantly.

"Who the hell are you calling a rat?" Zou Sijiu's face turned red as he stamped his feet and cursed.

"See, you're confessing without pressure, aren't you? If you ask me, being a big rat isn't so bad; at least you have the word 'big.' It's not easy to get fat these days."

Zou Sijiu flew into a rage: "Shen Li, don't think that just because you're wrapped in bandages I won't get rough. If you have guts, come out and fight me one-on-one!"

"What? You want to fight me?"

Shen Li's eyes widened, his mouth unconsciously forming an O, his face incredulous.

"You looking down on me? Come here, damn you!" Zou Sijiu yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Come on, come on, you think I like wrapping myself in these useless rags? I'm doing it for your own good."

Shen Li tore open the bandage on his arm, revealing disgusting wounds where granulation was still forming.

"Or do you have a taste for this stuff? No problem, I'll make sure to smear it all over your face."

"Cover it up, cover it up, it's disgusting to look at."

Li Jun looked helplessly on; whenever Shen Li and Zou Sijiu got together, there was never any peace.

The two locked eyes and snorted simultaneously.

"By the way, Brother Jun, I remember you've tempered your body with martial arts. Why is your injury healing so slowly?"

Shen Li looked at Li Jun's right hand resting on his knee and asked in confusion.

"That old man's artifact is a bit strange, but it's not a big problem."

In the battle at Yushan County, although Li Jun dodged the bombardment of 'Greedy Wolf,' he was grazed by the aftermath, and the skin on his back was almost completely burned off.

Now his back had mostly recovered, but the wound caused by Zhang Xishou seemed to have some special toxin left on the wound surface, hindering its healing.

Or to be more precise, it was as if some special ability had severed the self-healing function within Li Jun's body.

"I've heard old folks in Tianque say that some high-level Daoist methods are very sinister; not only can they cast spells without objects, but they can also inject invisible spiritual laws into our bodies. Though I can't say exactly what they are, Brother Jun, you must be very careful from now on."

"It is the Imperial Edict of Heaven."

Zou Sijiu cut in from the side, "In the eyes of those new-school cultivators, everything under heaven can be decreed, even the sequence gene falls within their scope. Old Li, you clearly fell victim to that trick. But your body is tough enough; given time, you'll heal on your own. If it were Shen Li taking this blow, he'd probably have to comfort himself with his left hand for the rest of his life."

Shen Li, thwarted in his attempt to flatter, sneered coldly through gritted teeth, "Well, well, you sure know a lot. Were you 'decreed' before too, kid?"

"I—"

A flicker of emotion crossed Zou Sijiu's face, as if painful memories had been stirred. He let out a sudden sigh, "That's right. I once had a close companion who died because..."

Shen Li's lips twitched, "Right, my ass. Bro, we can bicker all we want, but pulling that 'imaginary friend' trick is just low, isn't it?"

"I'm not lying to you. Back then, she and I—"

"Enough, enough, enough."

Caught off guard by the deep sorrow Zou Sijiu displayed, Shen Li quickly backtracked, "Master Zou, this little brother was wrong. I deserve to die. I won't spout nonsense anymore."

Li Jun asked with clear curiosity, "So, Old Zou, you actually went through such a tragic past?"

"Pah, bad luck. Don't talk nonsense like that. Old Li, you've got a tough fate, but saying such unlucky things might make them come true."

Zou Sijiu crossed his arms and snickered, "I'm just messing with the fool."

Li Jun turned to look at Shen Li, who waved a hand dismissively, his expression stern. "Just call me a fool. I'm willing to be that fool. I've walked the martial world for so many years and care about nothing, not even my life. But the word 'love'—I never treat that as a game."

A cold, elegant face materialized behind Zou Sijiu, its icy gaze like a blade stabbing into his back.

The smile on Zou Sijiu's face instantly froze. His lips moved soundlessly, cursing with extreme venom.

"Heh, that feels good."

Having gained the upper hand, Shen Li stretched contentedly and called out to Ao Hu, who stood in the corner.

The latter retrieved a palm-sized metal case from the chest of his armor and handed it to Li Jun.

"Brother Jun, while you were at Jade Mountain, Tianque sent over the remaining items."

Shen Li opened the case, revealing two martial arts injectors.

"Just as you requested, Brother Jun: one is an organ-bursting combat technique, the other a gene-suppressing inner skill."

Shen Li teased, "To get these two martial arts, Tianque practically dragged back almost all the sect defectors from over the years and squeezed them dry one by one. It's the first time I've seen those old fogies so motivated."

[Granary Technique (Fourth-Rate Combat Technique) — Learning Complete]

[Heavenly Momentum (Fourth-Rate Inner Skill) — Learning Complete]

Injecting two fourth-rate martial arts in one go left even Li Jun, with his formidable physique, feeling a surge of blood like tidal waves and a wave of dizziness in his mind.

After a moment, Li Jun exhaled a cloud of turbid air, his voice sharp as a whistling arrow.

"Help me pass along my thanks to the elders at Tianque."

And he just took it like that? That's way too savage!

Though this wasn't his first time witnessing such a scene, Shen Li still stared at Li Jun in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The longer he stayed by Li Jun's side, the more keenly he felt the gap between the sect path and the solitary path.

One was a stream trickling through a valley; the other, a great river surging forward.

As the intermediary, Shen Li had seen the solitary path ritual Li Jun exchanged with Tianque, but he hadn't even gotten through the first few lines before the term "Great Perfection" smacked him straight in the face, leaving his vision blurred.

What kind of normal person's genes could withstand so many chaotic techniques? And even if they could, where would they find the energy to push each and every one to Great Perfection?

Shen Li even suspected that within the entire solitary martial sequence, only Li Jun could be so ridiculously overpowered.

"It's a mutual benefit. Why should we thank them?"

Shen Li swallowed hard, counting on his fingers. "Adding in the previous fourth-rate inner skill 'Vital Surge' and a batch of fourth-rate mechanical tools that conceal aura, they've swapped for all the rituals from Sequence Nine to Sequence Five you had. If you ask me, they're the ones getting the deal."

Li Jun shook his head. "No matter what, Tianque did me a huge favor this time. I still need to remember that debt."

"Now that's my big brother Shen Li—always handling things with class. I'll pass the word when I get back."

Shen Li ventured cautiously, "Brother Jun, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"You've already tempered combat techniques and injected the inner skill 'Vital Surge.' Why do you still need these two types of martial arts? You're not unsatisfied with your current skills and planning to change direction, are you?"

Li Jun countered, "Can you switch away from martial arts that have already been tempered?"

"With the sect sequence, no. But you? I think anything's possible." Shen Li said seriously.

"Shen Li, what are you, a dog or something?"

Zou Sijiu, busy pleading for mercy off to the side, managed to squeeze in a curse.

"I can't be bothered with a heartless scumbag like you. For all your womanizing, you don't have an ounce of Master Ma's charm."

Shen Li rolled his eyes, landing a blow straight at Zou Sijiu's heart.

"I'm the wanderer, you're the guard—just let me explain!"

"I'm not planning to change direction. I just feel there's still room for improvement."

After continuously tempering multiple martial arts, Li Jun had developed a deep understanding of "Tempering Martial Arts."

First off, the direction of "Tempering" is actually controllable. You can choose the focus within the characteristics of the martial arts you practice.

Su Ce gifted Li Jun the fourth-rate inner skill "Quake Conqueror," whose main attribute was "Suppression." It could weaken and intimidate an opponent's genes, and against lower-level subordinates with a huge gap in strength, it could nearly achieve an "instant kill," stripping them of all ability to resist.

The second inner skill he injected, "Vital Surge," further enhanced this suppressive ability.

Of course, suppression could be directed "outward" as well as "inward."

During the battle at Jade Mountain, to shake off the "Greed Wolf's" lock, Li Jun chose "inward" suppression, sealing his aura and tempering the skill "Sky Concealment."

Now, the fourth-rate inner skill "Heavenly Momentum" he had Tianque help him find was an attempt to develop an "outward" form of suppression.

The same logic applied to the fourth-rate combat technique "Granary Technique," which stimulated the spleen's capacity, continuing the lineage of explosive combat arts like "Devour Dragon Tiger" and "Dormant Officer Method."

But this was only "the same lineage" from Li Jun's perspective.

In Shen Li's eyes, these martial arts came from different sects. Learning all of them would be suicide; mixing them carelessly would mean explosion.

"And you can still improve from here..."

Shen Li's expression had gone numb. He managed to force out the question, "So when will you advance to Sequence Three?"

"I'm not sure about that yet."

For sect martial sequences, one martial art would fulfill the prerequisite for the Sequence Four to Three advancement.

All that remained was to meet the ritual requirements, and the advancement could proceed smoothly.

But so far, Li Jun had not heard the sound of a lock breaking inside his body. Moreover, he had no idea what the solitary Sequence Three ritual even was.

Li Jun said with slight melancholy, "Maybe I need to temper a few more martial arts before I find the direction."

"Old Zou, you two lovebirds stop squabbling for a moment. Come over and help me up."

Shen Li abruptly lost the desire to keep talking with Li Jun and gestured to Zou Sijiu, who was muttering to thin air nearby.

"Can't you see Master Zou is busy here?"

"Quick," Shen Li said weakly, "I'm about to die here."

"What's the matter? Retribution comes so quickly?"

Zou Sijiu looked up with a malicious grin.

"Half a lifetime of martial arts, lost in a single day. Now I need a waste like you to help me regain my confidence."

"Get lost!"

As the two bickered, Yuan Mingfei strode in on her long legs.

"You're both in high spirits, shouting so loudly. It seems the Yongfeng matter was too easy for you. How about a trip to Yiyang?"

Zou Sijiu turned his head at this and said, "I—"

Yuan Mingfei raised an eyebrow. "Go coax your wife somewhere else."

"Sister Yuan, you scolded me well." Zou Sijiu nodded and bowed, grinning broadly.

"I—"

"You don't need to yell at me. Do you want to be a Guardian Deity? If you do, I guarantee you become a Martial Three."

Yuan Mingfei waved her hand, and Shen Li promptly and docilely shifted his seat on the step.

This scene left Li Jun utterly astonished, not understanding when Yuan Mingfei had gained such authority.

"Chen Qisheng is unconscious, and Lord Ma is still in seclusion for his update."

Yuan Mingfei smoothed her skirt and sat down beside Li Jun, speaking succinctly: "As for Yiyang and Guixi, we can't go there for now."