Pure Yang's True Legacy, Sun Sheng Emerges from Seclusion

"Changqing, keep the Psionic Stone Tablet with you until the Youth Cup finals."

Kang Tianchen looked solemn as he handed Li Changqing a perfectly sealed safe.

"After each time you study it, make sure to put the tablet back in the safe. Once it's locked, even a High-Rank Martial Artist won't be able to open it in a short time. The case also has real-time global satellite tracking. It's very safe."

"It can stop a High-Rank Martial Artist? Coach, this case looks like ordinary alloy."

Li Changqing did not believe it. Compared to a hundred years ago, humanity's materials science had not advanced much. Materials capable of blocking a High-Rank Martial Artist had probably not been manufactured yet.

"The case is indeed made of ordinary alloy." Kang Tianchen calmly patted the case.

"But it contains psionic protection specially arranged by a Psionic User."

"Oh, a Psionic User. Then that's fine."

Once psionic protection was set up, it required no maintenance. The infinite psionic energy within subspace was enough to sustain it forever.

Taking the safe from Kang Tianchen, Li Changqing casually asked, "Coach, when is this Psionic Stone Tablet from? When I studied it last time, it didn't feel like a modern carving. But I remember you saying this Psionic Stone Tablet was made by the school master's senior brother."

"Your intuition is correct." A trace of nostalgia flashed through Kang Tianchen's eyes.

"The psionic energy was indeed left behind by the school master's senior brother only recently, but this stone tablet itself is an old object."

Then he changed the subject.

"The Chengtian Tai Chi Fist you practice was developed by a group of people from Chengtian Martial Arts School back then. They studied the residual markings on the tablet and repeatedly revised them until it took shape.

"Later, the markings on its surface gradually faded away, so Hou Chengtian took it away. His senior brother then turned it into the current Psionic Stone Tablet."

"Coach, I heard Senior Brother Huang Xuan say that you led the development of Chengtian Tai Chi Fist back then?"

"That was over twenty years ago." Kang Tianchen shook his head slightly.

"When Chengtian Tai Chi Fist was being developed, I was still a researcher in the Old Arts Department at Qingzhou Psionic University."

A researcher?

Li Changqing grew interested. He knew this tablet was far from simple, and he had not expected one of the people involved to be standing right before him.

"Coach, could you tell me about it in detail?"

"What is there to tell? The research was boring—constant experiments, correcting mistakes, then more experiments. Quite a few volunteers injured their Dantians because of it back then."

Seeing that Kang Tianchen did not seem willing to say more, Li Changqing could only let it go and changed the subject.

"Then, Coach, did you ever determine who left this stone tablet behind?"

"That wasn't my responsibility at the time, but there were indeed several likely candidates." Kang Tianchen stroked his chin and thought for a moment.

"According to the Archaeology Department, the most likely one should have been that sword immortal suspected of being an Earthly Immortal."

"Pure Yang, Lü Dongbin."

"Pure Yang, Lü Dongbin."

After entering his own vital energy and blood information, Li Changqing opened the safe and took out the stone tablet.

Just like last time, the tablet's surface was obscured by a psionic barrier, making it impossible to see clearly.

Lü Dongbin was the most controversial figure in the modern psionic world. Whether he had truly existed determined whether psionic energy had existed on Blue Star in the past.

It also determined whether the ancient myths and legends were proof that Psionic Users had once fought against an alien invasion.

Now, feeling the yin-yang taiji diagram floating deep within his consciousness, Li Changqing could be certain.

In ancient Blue Star, there truly had been an Earthly Immortal who traveled with a sword in hand and slew dragons upon encountering water.

He reached out and touched the stone tablet.

Sure enough, just like last time, the swirling psionic barrier dispersed once more.

Revealing the ancient inscription beneath.

Bzz—

An intense resonance instantly connected Li Changqing's mind to the stone tablet.

It was here!

Having experienced his mental power being instantly drained dry last time, he hurriedly focused his mind and held his breath, mobilizing all his vital energy and blood toward his brain, doing his best to keep his mental power full enough to avoid reaching its limit in an instant.

At this moment, the vital energy and blood within Li Changqing's body had not yet reached the point of overflowing, so it could not fully nourish his mind.

He could only forcibly gather his vital energy and blood in his brain, passively replenishing the consumption of his mental power.

But this time, because the Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian had been taken away by Li Changqing, it seemed there was something else hidden deeper within the tablet.

The intensity of this resonance actually surpassed the previous one.

Even though he was prepared, his mental power was still instantly depleted, and a wave of faintness surged into his mind at just the right moment.

Not good!

Within his Dantian, his qi and blood embraced the core and returned strength. Yin-Yang Qi surged, erupting with qi and blood once more as he tried to replenish his depleted spiritual energy.

Still not enough!

It only held for a brief moment before the pressure Li Changqing had just alleviated doubled once again.

He swiftly sketched the Overlord's realm in his mind.

Overlord's True Intent!

Boom!

A powerful, invincible will forcibly propped up Li Changqing's tottering body.

A realm's enhancement of a martial artist was not limited to qi and blood; even mental strength could break through its limits.

The immense pressure tempered Li Changqing's mind. With the dual eruption of qi and blood and realm, he finally broke through the limit of his mental strength.

Will +3

Like timely rain after a long drought, his powerful mental strength burst through the gates like a flood, and his withered Spiritual Platform regained its vitality.

Vast mental strength filled it to the brim.

Using the recovery brought by his limit-breaking mental strength, Li Changqing gritted his teeth and stared directly at the stele inscription.

Buzz!

At last, as a great deal of mental strength dissipated, he successfully resonated with the stone stele once more!

Heaven and earth were a vast expanse of white.

The old man's clear recitation was like a breeze in the mountains, sweeping through heaven and earth; like the bright moon over rivers and mountains, illuminating the universe.

"Eight hundred autumns since I attained the Dao, yet never have I taken a head with my flying sword. The Jade Emperor has sent no heavenly summons, so I must continue to drift through this muddled mortal world."

Arrogant!

That was the first word that flashed through Li Changqing's mind.

Such arrogance, recited in a song so elegant and unrestrained—within an instant, the bearing of the legendary immortal who needed neither phoenix nor dragon to roam the world in half a day sprang vividly before his eyes.

I have attained the Dao for eight hundred years and have never used my flying sword to sever a single head. Yet you, old Jade Emperor, have not invited me to the Heavenly Palace, so I can only continue playing in the mortal world.

He seemed helpless, yet utterly free and uninhibited.

Simply because he had not used his flying sword to behead anyone for eight hundred years, this man believed the Jade Emperor should have invited him to the Heavenly Palace. Beneath that carefree air was an arrogance that regarded the Jade Emperor as nothing at all.

In the skies, the white-haired old man rode his sword. His face, with its snow-white beard and hair, possessed none of an elder's kindly warmth.

Instead, it radiated sharpness!

His beard streamed in the wind, every strand like an unparalleled divine sword, sword qi crisscrossing the air. Even if the Lord of Western Geng Metal, the White Tiger of the Four Spirits, stood before him, it would have to bow its head in submission.

The old man looked back from the heavens. His clear eyes bore not the slightest hint of cloudiness, as pure as those of a newborn infant. Within their depths, sword radiance surged as his gaze met Li Changqing's.

Earthly Immortal, Lü Dongbin!

Sword intent swept across the heavens, and a smile appeared in those clear eyes.

"Universe in a Sleeve, time eternal within the gourd; the treasured sword sings within its case, for a fellow traveler has arrived."

Sword light tore apart heaven and earth.

The sun and moon within the cave reversed at this moment, transforming into a Tai Chi Yin-Yang Fish.

"Bearing my sword, I depart a thousand li through the sky; at first watch I leave you, at second watch I return. Sir, sir, seek not outside yourself; the Dao must be passed on, and the sword must be received..."

The carefree song drifted away from Li Changqing's ears.

The Tai Chi Yin-Yang Fish in his mind spun continuously, eventually resonating with this world.

Lü Dongbin had left.

Then, the sun and moon faded, and heaven and earth collapsed.

Lü Dongbin was the sun and moon of this grotto-heaven, the pillar holding up this universe.

And the things concealed within this world poured into Li Changqing's mind along with Lü Dongbin's gaze.

The massive influx of information exceeded what he could endure, and his mind activated its self-protection mechanism, plunging into slumber.

Just before Li Changqing lost consciousness, he saw it.

Pure Yang Sword Art: The true inheritance of Earthly Immortal Lü Dongbin.

Requirements for cultivation not met

This was the first time a cultivation method had come with an annotation.

Even for the Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian he had obtained before, Li Changqing had seen no information beyond its name.

Requirements for cultivation not met?

Before he could think further, the immense information made Li Changqing lose consciousness completely, and he collapsed headfirst.

Qingzhou Capital.

Jixing Martial Hall Headquarters.

Sun Sheng stood in the center of the training hall, dressed in white. A painting hung before him.

A million Heavenly Soldiers and celestial generals, clad in golden armor, surrounded the staff-wielding monkey.

Heavenly palaces had fallen in every direction, and gods from all sides wore bitter expressions. Yet the monkey trapped in their midst looked utterly wild and arrogant.

Wielding his staff, he toyed with them as though it were nothing more than a game.

"Sun Sheng."

Behind him, a middle-aged man in white walked up.

"News just came from Rong City. I didn't expect there to be so many talents from your place. Jiang He had barely appeared when another freak named Li Changqing emerged."

"Lower-rank peak in just over a month, and we hadn't received any news about him at all before this."

"...Li Changqing." Sun Sheng slowly rolled the name around in his mouth.

"Master, I'm preparing to return."

Sun Sheng turned around. As his eyes opened and closed, dazzling golden light shot from his pupils.

"Oh?" The middle-aged man raised his brow, a rare look of surprise on his face.

"Golden light blazing from your eyes... It's been less than two weeks. You broke through?"

"Not yet." Sun Sheng shook his head and pointed to his own head.

"But I've already grasped the essence of mental power. At most, within half a month, I'll enter the Mid-Rank Martial Artist realm."

"Good, good, good! As expected of my, Liu Changfeng's, disciple."

"Then set off." Liu Changfeng looked at his disciple, whose divine radiance had withdrawn, with great satisfaction.

"Last time, you refused to tell me who defeated you. This time, go back and win it back with your own strength."

Liu Changfeng pressed a hand on Sun Sheng's shoulder and pointed at the painting on the wall.

"Remember that painting."

"You, Sun Sheng, must not merely win—you must win big!"

"Don't worry, Master." Sun Sheng straightened his back.

"This time, I'll win."

Thinking of Li Changqing's invincible bearing atop the Tuo River that day, Sun Sheng's fighting spirit burned ever hotter.

The Youth Cup finals.

I'll be waiting for you.