Nature Compelled Him, Xiangrong's Heart Stirred, Rage from Humiliation, a Sword Came from the East

Tao Xiangrong taken aback upon hearing the response. She looked in the direction of the voice and was surprised to see it coming from Li Xian. Her eyes were filled with confusion and utter surprise.

Tao Kulin awkwardly refused, and she understood his considerations and weighing of interests. However, she never expected that Li Xian would take the initiative to speak up. In the past few days, the two had spent a lot of time together, chatting and having a great time. Tao Xiangrong tried many ways to win Li Xian's heart, but she keenly sensed that Li Xian had not been seduced by her beauty.

Compared to Tao Kulin, he possessed less passion, desire, and impulsiveness, and more rationality, deliberation, and composure.

Tao Kulin, hearing Tao Xiangrong, offered to help her out of a sense of justice, thus antagonizing Sun Chengxi. Tao Xiangrong Li Xian only reluctantly agreed. In Tao Xiangrong's view, Li Xian was more adept at "considering interests," "knowing when to advance and retreat," and "seeking advantage and avoiding harm." Therefore, comparing the two, Tao Kulin was more likely to ask on her behalf.

However, the situation here was quite the opposite. When Tao Kulin heard that Tao Xiangrong had a short lifespan and that her beauty was short-lived, he sighed with regret and immediately withdrew. Li Xian, on the other hand, stepped forward to ask.

Both outcomes were unexpected.

Tao Xiangrong eyes were fixed on Li Xian, noticing his unusual appearance but unable to fathom his thoughts. She thought, "From the moment I first met him, he always deliberately avoided me. Others admire my beauty, but he finds me troublesome. Now that he knows I am beautiful but short-lived, he... well... more than others... He is not one to be impulsive because of beauty. He asked me questions not to please me. Could it be out of pity? It doesn't seem like it..."

Li Xian stepped forward a few paces and said with a smile, "Senior Sun, there's no need to look anymore, I'll ask around."

Sun Chengxi sneered, "Boy, judging from your clothes, you must be a guard. It's understandable that a young man might act impulsively and stand up for the woman he loves. However... you should think carefully about the consequences. They are beyond your ability to bear."

Although Monk Ciming was willing to help Tao Xiangrong and hoped that someone could "recite scriptures and inquire about the truth" for her, he knew that this scripture was no ordinary thing and could not be recited by ordinary people. In the end, it would be of little use and would even endanger her life, which would be a loss. Therefore, he said, "This young friend has a chivalrous heart, which is a good thing, but this scripture cannot be recited by ordinary people. It requires a person with great perseverance, great patience, and great enlightenment..." He glanced at Tao Kulin.

Tao Kulin feigned ignorance. Li Xian nodded frankly, implying understanding.

Sun Chengxi said, "Young man, in any other place, you wouldn't have the right to say a word to me. But at this moment, I'm kindly reminding you to carefully consider the pros and cons."

"Tao Xiangrong is indeed incomparably beautiful, but she's only forty years old. More than half of her life has passed; how many more years does she have left to enjoy? We martial artists live to a ripe old age. How can we let a single flower blind us, a single leaf obscure our vision? Even if you ask her questions, will she love you? Will she entrust her remaining years to you?" "I'm afraid not. And even if she did entrust them entirely to you, a mere few years of youth will pass in the blink of an eye. What is there to cherish? If you obediently leave, I'll respect you as a wise man. Perhaps I can even offer you some guidance and teach you a few tricks, enough for you to wield your power. When you're fifty, a hundred... whenever you think back on this, you'll surely be glad you made such a farsighted choice."

Li Xian laughed freely, "According to Senior Sun's thinking, there 'Wu Cuo with that. No wonder Senior Sun was able to achieve fame and become a local hero. But... I'm the kind of person who sometimes likes to nitpick and focus on small gains and losses. Other times, I just don't like to worry about these trivial matters."

"Sister Peach has treated me well, asking me to observe, but it's difficult for me to do so. Such a beautiful face, haha, although I haven't seen it, everyone says so, so it must be true. With such a beautiful face, even if I live one more day, one more year, I will still live. How can I give up on myself because of a short lifespan?" "Moreover, you stole people's treasures and took their lives, yet you speak so lightly, even teaching people how to conduct themselves and to have foresight. These words sound rather ridiculous. I'm not afraid to offend you, senior. Today, I really want to pry a few words of truth out of your mouth, this chivalrous hero, and discuss right and wrong." Purely wicked.

Sun Chengxi's face twitched. "You arrogant brat!"

The Monk Ciming praised, "I think this young hero has quite a spirit!" Tao Xiangrong eyes fixed on Li Xian, flashing with a strange light, she suddenly realized, her heart pounding, thinking, "Ah! This younger brother is neither pitying me nor admiring me. He doesn't have the same affection for me as Tao Kulin or Xu Shaoqian. This action... is entirely due to his temperament. His temperament has a quality that others don't possess. I pride myself on understanding men's hearts best, yet I don't understand this younger brother. He... he is different from others."

Li Xian said loudly, "Senior Ci Ming, please bestow your teachings."

The Monk Ciming said, "Good!" and handed over a scroll of scripture. Li Xian took the scripture and sat down on the ground. The Monk Ciming then tossed over another scroll of scripture. Sun Chengxi, his face grim, caught it, feeling trapped and unable to dismount, and also sat down on the ground.

Li Xian recited the "Questioning Scripture," Sun Chengxi recited the "Answering Scripture." The scripture was difficult to pronounce and strange, making it hard to utter. After reciting a few lines, Li Xian felt a ringing in his ears and a sharp pain in his head.

I saw double.

Tao Xiangrong clenched her fists, her heart filled with worry. She had originally hoped that Tao Kulin would help her find the truth and retrieve the Golden Lock. Seeing Li Xian appear on his own initiative, she should have been happy that someone was doing things for her, but instead, she was filled with anxiety and secretly nervousness. She wished that Li Xian's story would end there, and that she didn't need the Golden Lock. However, seeing Li Xian Li Xian scriptures with such unwavering resolve, she focused her mind. She feared that her words might disturb him and discourage him. Her thoughts were in turmoil, a jumble of emotions. When had she ever cared so much for a man, especially one who didn't even love her?

Suddenly, a bloody gash appeared on Li Xian's arm, as if he had been slashed by a sword. Tao Xiangrong exclaimed in surprise, "Ci Ming Ciming, how did my brother get cut?"

The Monk Ciming was quite surprised, muttering to himself, "Strange, strange... Although I was in excruciating pain while chanting the sutra, it truly felt as if thousands of swords were piercing my body. But it shouldn't... actually show sword wounds."

Tao Xiangrong observed for a moment longer, and Li Xian continued chanting scriptures. Fine sword marks appeared on his arms, shoulders, and torso, and his body was covered in blood, but he remained calm and his brows did not furrow at all.

At this moment, Tao Xiangrong Xiangrong's heart was entirely with Li Xian, and she felt extremely distressed. She urged, "Senior Ci Ming, Xiangrong is like this. My younger brother has never seen much of the world and did not know that Questioning Scripture could harm his body. Please save him; I don't want the Golden Lock anymore."

The Monk Ciming scrutinized Li Xian with a strange expression, remaining silent. Tao Xiangrong was anxious but dared not act rashly; her palms were sweating, and she paced back and forth. Each word Li Xian recited felt like being scraped by several knives. By the time he recited the thirteenth sutra, his clothes were completely soaked, and a pool of blood had formed beneath him. The sight was horrifying and terrifying.

Li Xian was completely unaware, uttering Brahma Sound. The voice was deep and resonant, suppressed and mysterious, like the whisper of an ancient Buddha or the soft murmur of a ghost... An invisible aura reverberated outwards, awe-inspiring and terrifying.

Sun Chengxi had finished reciting the "Answering Scripture" in one breath, smoothly and naturally. He immediately looked over and saw that Li Xian was having difficulty speaking. With each word he spoke, new marks appeared on his body. The Brahma Sound echoed in the air for a long time, and an inexplicable force enveloped everyone's hearts.

Sun Chengxi was shocked by what he saw, and felt even more strongly that the question-and-answer format of the "True-Heart Scripture" was indeed true.

The Monk Ciming suddenly came to his senses and said loudly, "Admirable, admirable. The path of Questioning Scripture scriptures is profound, and the truth is like a knife, hard to find. Ordinary people, upon reaching this point, would be covered in wounds and would naturally give up. This child remains calm, his will is very firm, which is rare. But judging from this, he will face a great calamity in the twenty-fourth Zen text. I wonder if this child can withstand it."

Tao Xiangrong asked, "What great calamity is it?" Monk Ciming Tao Xiangrong replied, "This Questioning Scripture contains one hundred and ninety-four verses. Among them, forty-three are 'sword verses,' each verse inflicting numerous sword wounds. Five are 'knife verses,' like being cleaved by a giant axe; those with weak constitutions will faint on the spot or die. Sixteen are 'fire verses,' igniting the body like being in a fiery hell. Twenty-four are 'ice verses,' freezing one to death in extreme cold, even more so..."

He Questioning Scripture in detail the profound aspects of the scriptures: sword, knife, fire, ice...

He continued, "The twenty-fourth, thirty-sixth, seventy-second, one hundred and eighty-eighth, and one hundred and fifty-fourth Zen texts are all 'knife texts.' In my opinion, when he recites them, he will inevitably suffer a knife wound."

As Li Xian was speaking, he recited the twenty-fourth Zen text when suddenly his whole body trembled, blood seeped from his back, and a horrifying knife scar appeared out of thin air, running diagonally from his left shoulder to his right waist, about half an inch thick.

The wounds were very deep.

Tao Xiangrong's heart tightened with worry; her heart was completely devoted to Li Xian. The Monk Ciming said, "I instructed Benefactor Tao to recite the ' Questioning Scripture' for the sake of safety. Benefactor Tao is already a powerful figure in this region; he must be capable and resolute enough to withstand the torment of the ' Questioning Scripture.' If it were an ordinary person... not to mention the danger to their life, they would easily lose their spirit amidst the chopping and hammering. They would inevitably think: 'Is this truth truly necessary to ask? Why should I concern myself with other people's affairs? Why should I needlessly endure such suffering?'"

Tao Xiangrong said, "I'd rather he just give up."

The thirtieth scripture, the thirty-seventh scripture, the forty-fourth scripture... But Li Xian sat upright, seemingly unmoved by the sudden attacks of swords and axes, the chaotic slashes of blades, and the burning flames of Divergent Flame...

Seeing this, Tao Kulin couldn't help but admire him. He then Questioning Scripture each and every word of the entire 194-character scripture without missing a single one. Li Xian calmly opened his eyes and gazed at Sun Chengxi.

Sun Chengxi, already a formidable figure, was startled upon meeting his gaze. He thought, "I, a dignified hero of Yunan Circuit, have been forced into such a predicament by a mere servant? If he were to ask, wouldn't everyone know that I stole someone's treasure and vehemently denied it?" He said, "Boy, you'd better think carefully before you ask! Some words, once spoken, cannot be taken back."

Li Xian said, "This was agreed upon long ago. Senior Sun, at the Peach Banquet, did you steal anything from Tao Xiangrong?" He almost shouted the last part of his question, his body covered in blood, but his aura was overwhelming. The Blood Qi surrounding him made him even more imposing.

The lingering Brahma Sound in the air had not yet dissipated when this shout silenced the ancient Buddha and caused all the immortals to flee. Sun Chengxi trembled, startled by Li Xian's sudden outburst. His face turned ashen, extremely gloomy, and his expression became grim.

He wanted to deny it, but seeing Li Xian reciting the "Questioning Scripture," he was already covered in blood. If he lied to deceive him, he would surely suffer an even more terrifying backlash. But if he admitted it frankly, how could he save face? Martial arts heroes and chivalrous figures have always cared about their ranking and the prestige of their titles. They valued their reputation highly.

He always did despicable things, but he didn't want to be mentioned to anyone's face. Li Xian's actions exposed him directly, putting Sun Chengxi's face in the mud. Sun Chengxi's jaw clenched, his face turned purplish-blue, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He was filled with lifelong hatred, and his breathing was like the wind, like the roar of a wild beast.

Sun Chengxi clenched his fists and said calmly, "I... I... didn't..."

Li Xian asked in a booming voice, "At this point, you still dare to deny it?!" Sun Chengxi, repeatedly pressed for answers, was a once-powerful figure now reduced to a pathetic and despicable state. Suddenly, Sun Chengxi calmed down and said in a gloomy voice, "Yes, that's right! I did steal Tao Xiangrong's treasure. I admit it, but you brat, you'll pay with your life!"

Enraged by being exposed, he leaped into the air and struck down from there. Tao Kulin channeled his internal energy, ready to stop him.

Sun Chengxi's angry voice boomed down from above. "Tao Kulin, if you dare to obstruct me, you will be my mortal enemy! This brat has insulted me, I will kill him!" Tao Kulin was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and withdrew his hand, watching from the side. Monk Ciming said, "Sun Chengxi, if you want to harm my young friend, you'll have to get past Ci Ming first."

He leaped forward, rising from the ground, his entire body radiating a protective golden light, like the rising sun. Sun Chengxi's move was called "The Sky-Shrouding Palm Covers the Sky." He struck down from a high place, and the palm's force could cover a very wide area, as if a thousand or ten thousand palms were falling at the same time, with great killing power and a wide range.

Ci Ming soared into the air, aiming his palm strike at Sun Chengxi technique. The Sky-Shrouding Palm strike, barely completed, landed squarely on Ci Ming's body, shattering his protective golden aura instantly. Both palms landed directly on Ci Ming's head.

Ci Ming's entire body swelled up instantly, forming a huge ball of flesh several feet high and several feet wide. He was no longer human. Sun Chengxi cursed loudly, "This ' Chaotic Heaven Grand Origin Art ' is truly the number one 'invincible skill' in the world!"

Once you master this skill, you will be invincible in the world!

Because there is no longer any need to spar with an opponent, and opponents are even less willing to spar with him. Over time, there will be no "opponents". To learn the "Chaotic Heaven Grand Origin Art", one must forget all the original offensive martial arts.

From then on... I abstained from sex, meat, fish, killing, and evil.

He must not use his hands to harm others. For decades, he cultivated his skills day after day. Only then did he achieve some success in the Chaotic Heaven Grand Origin Art. No matter what kind of fierce force his opponent used to strike, his body would swell up like a ball and then be completely digested.

He doesn't harm his enemies, and they can't harm him. Therefore, he is "invincible." Sun Chengxi's "Sky-Shrouding Palm" is already a terrifying martial art, truly powerful. Yet it was easily neutralized, how could he not be angry? He struck down with several palms in succession, but Ci Ming's body swelled up and swelled up, yet he was never injured.

Enraged, Sun Chengxi knew that leaving like this would surely make him ill with resentment. He immediately abandoned all pretense of restraint and let out three angry laughs directed at the sky. With the first laugh, the surrounding air thickened with moisture; with the second, dark clouds surged, obscuring the moonlight; and with the third, a torrential downpour began!

This was originally "[Art Path Art Path; Laughing Rain]", but due to a slight deviation in the ingestion ritual, "summoning" became "laughing". Sun Chengxi exercised the power of heaven and earth, temporarily summoning clouds and rain. He then used the abundant rain to unleash the "Myriad Transformations Palm", striking Ci Ming several times. Ci Ming's body swelled up, absorbing all the palm force. He circulated the "Chaotic Heaven Grand Origin Art" within his body, completely digesting the palm force. Seeing that Sun Chengxi, though a hero, was utterly helpless against this man, a sudden change occurred.

Li Xian suddenly dodged to the side, and the bricks beneath his feet shattered with a "bang." Despite the sudden danger, Li Xian remained calm and leaped again, dodging several feet to the side. Along his path, explosions echoed, and blue bricks crumbled into dust. Li Xian's face was grave as he observed the ground, noticing palm prints dented into the mud.

He immediately thought, "These palm prints are all coming from above. If I'm not mistaken, the secret should be hidden in the rain. I possess Perfect Aspect and keen senses. I also understand the ' Five Organs Purge-Turbidity Revive-Yang Scripture, and have comprehended the characteristics of Heavenly Union. I can distinguish subtle differences in the rain. This torrential rain, though summoned by Art Path, is still natural rain. But mixed in with this natural rain are these few drops of strange rain. This rain contains killing power, like a palm strike. If I take even half a hit, I'm sure to die."

turn out to be...

Sun Chengxi knew that "Monk Ciming" was formidable, and that relying solely on brute force would make it extremely difficult for him to gain the upper hand. However, Li Xian's exposure of his true nature had enraged him to the extreme, so how could he not kill him?

Therefore, he needed to "play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses." He summoned "heavy rain" and then unleashed the "Myriad Transformations Palm." This palm technique was created by Sun Chengxi and could transform palm force into many strange things.

For example, the palm strike can be transformed into a "pebble." Throwing the pebble at the opponent, who, caught off guard, catches it and is instantly struck by the palm strike, suffering a miserable end. Alternatively, it can be transformed into a hidden weapon, a dart, which is thrown out. What appears to be a hidden weapon is actually a palm technique.

This ingenious palm technique, while ineffective in direct combat, is unpredictable and impossible to defend against. It can subtly establish dominance. At this moment, it allows him to bypass Ci Ming and secretly kill Li Xian. He transforms his palm technique into "rain," mixing with natural rain, and drips it towards Li Xian.

Ci Ming's "Chaotic Heaven Grand Origin Art" is an "invincible skill," but not an "omnipotent skill." Naturally, there was nothing that could be done about it. Unfortunately, Ci Ming was only good at taking hits and not good at counterattacking, so he could not hinder Sun Chengxi in the slightest.

Seeing Li Xian repeatedly dodge, Sun Chengxi cursed, "You little beast, you're really hard to kill!" He unleashed several palm strikes, the force of which transformed into a large spray of rain that spread outwards.

Seeing his palm strikes mixed with the raindrops, Ci Ming was powerless to stop them and sighed, "Benefactor Sun, why are you doing this? You are, after all, a powerful figure." Seeing the dense rain, Li Xian suddenly had an idea and used the "Tangled Gripping" move from the Azure-Heavens Palm. He unleashed a series of palm strikes, disrupting the downward momentum of the raindrops and causing them to collide with each other.

Most of the rain of energy from his palm strikes collided with each other, producing a series of "crackling" sounds as they canceled each other out. A few still managed to fall, but Li Xian easily dodged them. Suddenly, a colorful silk ribbon shot towards him. Tao Xiangrong called out, "Little brother, come with your sister!"

Li Xian grabbed Cai Juan, Tao Xiangrong pulled him up with all her might, sending Li Xian flying. Tao Xiangrong far surpassed Li Xian's; relying solely on Cai Juan for support, one pulled from the front while the other fled from behind.

They quickly escaped the rain.

Li Xian asked, "It seems the Golden Lock was indeed stolen by this person. How to retrieve it depends on your abilities, sister."

Tao Xiangrong scolded, "What time is it? You're still thinking about Golden Lock. If you don't give him any face, he'll be furious and might kill you. How could you... how could you not show some consideration? You could have spoken more tactfully."

Li Xian laughed, "There's no way to be tactful. He spoke to my sister in a very unpleasant way. Why should I be tactful with him when he's with me?" Tao Xiangrong said helplessly, "Who told him to be so ruthless? Oh, little brother, does it hurt? I'll bandage it for you later."

Li Xian said, "It doesn't hurt. Although that ' Questioning Scripture' was powerful, what are ordinary knife and sword wounds compared to that?" He thought to himself, "It's far from being comparable to Madam's ' Heart-Wrenching Sword.' Madam was truly ruthless when she attacked back then."

Tao Xiangrong said worriedly, "You brat, still daring to show off. All these wounds of yours are because of me. Don't say too much, I will take care of them for you. And... you... you always find me troublesome, I know that. But why... why... yet..." Her pretty face flushed slightly, which was quite rare. Li Xian said, "Ah ha, it's not entirely for your sake, sister. I also find that old thief quite displeasing. When I'm more capable in the future, I'll go and pluck all his white hairs myself."

Tao Xiangrong chuckled and said, "You, you, I really don't know which one is the real you. But... I believe in you, one day you'll definitely be able to pluck that old thief's white hair. It's just that... I can't bear to see it, it's a bit of a regret."

Li Xian casually laughed and said, "I'll do my best to make sure you don't leave any regrets..." Before Li Xian could finish saying "leave no regrets," a sharp whistle suddenly rang out.

Sun Chengxi was truly formidable, managing to shake off Ci Ming and catch up. His first move was a simple yet powerful killing strike, swift and fierce, aimed at Li Xian's face.

This palm strike went straight in without any resistance, piercing right through Li Xian's head!

Sun Chengxi frowned, sensing something was wrong. He saw Li Xian's body shimmering with golden light, which transformed into countless points of light that scattered and coalesced into a form several palms away. Sun Chengxi exclaimed in surprise, "Golden Light Technique?" Enraged, he immediately struck again with incredible speed. Li Xian dared not be careless. In this situation, lightness skills, movement Movement Method, and defensive martial arts were all useless; only the "golden light" could be used to evade.

He immediately unleashed another burst of golden light, which shimmered and flickered before vanishing into thin air!

Sun Chengxi was taken aback. He knew that the "Golden Light Technique" could flash a certain distance, but it could not disappear into thin air. He looked around and realized that he was currently on the roof of a pavilion.

It is situated on high ground, with nothing to provide shelter.

The golden light is dazzling; its source should be immediately known.

Sun Chengxi suddenly noticed a small hole in the tile beneath his feet. It had been broken by the Inner Steam blast. Sun Chengxi thought, "Could it be that this boy used his internal energy to break the tile, then used golden light to penetrate it and hide inside the pavilion? If that's true... this boy's control over his Golden Light Technique is quite... terrifying!" He immediately used his Thousand-Kilogram Drop technique, smashing into the pavilion. It was a brothel, and he followed his trail aggressively. He was too strong after all, and soon found Li Xian's fleeing figure, immediately giving chase and striking him down with a palm.

Li Xian Flash of Golden Light and then disappeared again. Sun Chengxi was now certain that Li Xian's Golden Light Technique was extremely powerful and could be used at will, flashing in and out through any tiny gap.

He saw a hole in the ground. He immediately used the "Thousand-Kilogram Drop" technique to descend another level and searched everywhere. But he couldn't find Li Xian. He suddenly realized, "Oh no, I've fallen for his trap again!"

Knowing that the hole was deliberately left to lure people in, and that the ever-changing golden light was actually passing through the crack in the door and hiding in the next room, Sun Chengxi was furious. He jumped back upstairs and shattered the wall with his palm, and sure enough, he saw the traces left by Li Xian when he fled.

Sun Chengxi cursed, "If it weren't for the rules of Jade City, I would have torn this building down!"

He chased after him again. He caught him seven times, only to be tricked seven times. But Li Xian had been using the Golden Light Technique repeatedly, and his strength was greatly depleted; he was now drenched in sweat. Sun Chengxi found Li Xian again and cursed, "You little beast, you really can run fast! Why aren't you running now?" He strode forward. Suddenly, he tripped and stepped on the arm of a Wine Elder. The Wine Elder was utterly drunk, his clothes tattered and disheveled. Sun Chengxi felt annoyed and kicked him.

But the Wine Elder grabbed her ankle. Wine Elder groggily woke up and rubbed his eyes.