Flying Immortal Formula

At the Li residence, five days had passed since Li Ziye had been beaten severely by the bandit chief.

For those five days, aside from being put through the wringer by Qin Enuo and soaking in medicinal baths every day, Li Ziye devoted all his effort to cultivating the Flying Immortal Formula's mental method.

Just as Qin Enuo and Zhang Lata had suspected, even though Li Ziye had stumbled upon the correct way to cultivate the Flying Immortal Art and had an endless supply of potent medicinal herbs to support him, his cultivation still progressed very slowly.

Very slowly!

So slowly it made one's hair stand on end!

Even someone as transcendent and fairy-like as Qin Enuo had wanted to abandon this disciple and walk away several times.

Had Li Ziye not been thick-skinned enough to shamelessly plead with her again and again, and had her acceptance of him as a disciple not become known throughout the world and thus impossible to change, Qin Enuo really would have reached the end of her patience and left.

"Calm down. We saw this coming long ago," Zhang Lata said beside the lake, gloating over her misfortune.

"No. At this rate, he won't catch up to Huo Liner even if he cultivates for a hundred years. We must find a way to open his other meridians as soon as possible," Qin Enuo said, forcibly suppressing her anger.

"That won't be easy."

Zhang Lata said, "The Li residence certainly has no shortage of silver, and there are plenty of potent medicinal herbs, too. But you've seen it yourself. His body has already developed resistance to these herbs, and their effects are growing weaker and weaker. At this rate, even gathering every potent medicinal herb in the world wouldn't be enough to open all eight of his meridians."

He had to admit, this brat was a walking medicine jar. The potent medicinal herbs used on him these past days could probably have bought an entire city.

Only Li Residence's wealth, which rivaled a nation's, could sustain such terrifying consumption.

"If there's no other way, I'll make a trip to the capital."

Qin Enuo spoke gravely. If she could obtain the King of Medicines at the Imperial Academy and help Li Ziye open his second meridian, his cultivation would progress somewhat faster.

"We should give this more thought. That Head of the Confucians is too frightening. Besides, in the Great Shang capital, the Head of the Confucians has never been defeated. Even if you went yourself, you would have a hard time succeeding," Zhang Lata said.

"Using force to take that thousand-year-old fleeceflower from right under the Head of the Confucians' nose would indeed be the worst possible approach."

Regaining her composure, Qin Enuo said, "I'll think of another way. Perhaps the best solution would be to trade for that King of Medicines at the Imperial Academy."

"The Head of the Confucians, Kong Qiu, commands all the Confucian scholars under heaven and holds an extraordinary position. What could possibly move him?" Zhang Lata sighed softly.

Qin Enuo narrowed her eyes slightly. "That brat was right about one thing. Everyone pursues profit; the only difference lies in what they stand to gain. Though the Head of the Confucians holds a transcendent position, there must be something he wants, perhaps even something he cannot obtain."

"Speaking of that brat, where is he?"

Not wanting to dwell on the subject, Zhang Lata glanced back and asked.

"He went to the Qilian Mountains."

Qin Enuo said calmly, "He left early this morning. Judging by the time, he should be back about now."

"Fairy Master!"

Sure enough, speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives. Before Li Ziye appeared, his pig-slaughtering cry had already reached them.

Qin Enuo frowned and looked toward the entrance to the rear courtyard.

A bedraggled youth came running in from outside, his clothes in tatters and even his hair as messy as a chicken's nest, as though someone had thoroughly ravaged him.

"Oh, what a distinctive look. Brat, did you steal someone's young wife and get beaten up?" Zhang Lata mocked, his smile not reaching his eyes.

"Get lost. Old Zhang, you never wish me anything good."

Li Ziye cursed irritably, strode up with quick steps, and said furiously, "Fairy Master, those shameless bandits ambushed me. I almost didn't make it back."

"Oh."

Qin Enuo nodded indifferently.

Deeply hurt by Old Qin's cold attitude, Li Ziye asked, "Fairy Master, why don't you care about your disciple at all?"

"You go looking for trouble at their camp every few days. If I were them, I'd find a way to ambush you, too."

Qin Enuo spoke blandly, then added, "As long as you're not dead."

"..."

Li Ziye rubbed his nest-like hair, not knowing how to respond.

Why was his life so bitter?

"Your injuries seem more or less healed. Starting today, I'll teach you the moves of the Flying Immortal Formula."

Qin Enuo held out her hand. "Give me the sword."

"Here."

Hearing that he could learn the Flying Immortal Art's sword techniques, Li Ziye immediately grew excited and handed over the Azure Frost Sword.

Qin Enuo took the sword, stepped lightly, and leaped into the air. Graceful as a startled swan, her figure traced a dazzling rainbow through the courtyard. Then her sword flashed, stirring the wind and clouds.

Boom!

With a tremendous crash, the Azure Frost Sword's light sliced through the air. Wherever the Sword Qi passed, dust and sand flew, and the stone paving split in two. Its peerless edge could cleave through anything.

After that single strike, Qin Enuo ended her move, walked back, and tossed the Azure Frost Sword to him. "Practice by following the footprints on the ground. Once you can do it without the slightest deviation, I'll teach you the next move."

At her words, Li Ziye looked down at the footprints that had appeared on the ground without his noticing, his face filling with shock.

Old Qin had been far too fast. Apart from that final flash of sword light, he had seen nothing clearly. If not for the footprints, he would have thought she had been flying the entire time.

Since there were footprints, he could do it, too.

With that thought, Li Ziye walked to the nearest footprint, then pushed off and began practicing along the tracks Old Qin had left.

"Ah!"

Yet the instant Li Ziye reached the second footprint, his body flew out of control, and he slammed headfirst into a tree ahead.

Beside the lake, Zhang Lata drank from his wine jar and smiled faintly.

If the Flying Immortal Formula were so easy to learn, it would not have gone unmastered for hundreds upon thousands of years.

These moves alone would give the brat more than enough trouble.

Splash!

Before Zhang Lata had finished that thought, a cool breeze swept past behind him. Then Li Ziye hurtled straight into the lake.

"Oh, what's wrong? Feeling so hopeless you decided to jump into the lake?"

Zhang Lata brushed off the water that had splashed onto him and jeered.

"Old Zhang, stop making snide remarks. Why is this thing so hard to practice? Can't you lend a hand?"

Li Ziye clambered awkwardly out of the lake and spoke.

"The Flying Immortal Art's movement and sword techniques were never easy to practice. Especially when you use True Qi, if you haven't mastered its movement and sword techniques, you might end up hurting yourself instead, just as you're doing now."

Zhang Lata smiled. "As for helping, I can tell you with full responsibility that this old man is willing but unable. Pray for your own good fortune."

"I really chose my friends poorly!"

Li Ziye grumbled irritably, then got up and continued practicing his swordsmanship.

And so, in the Li residence's rear courtyard, the thuds of him crashing into walls and trees rang out from time to time, interspersed with the splashes of him falling into the lake.

Every servant in the rear courtyard walked about in fear and trembling, terrified that the seemingly crazed young master would catch them up in his antics and send them flying into the lake with him.

By sunset, Li Ziye still had not managed more than three steps, while Qin Enuo had left a full nine footprints.

"Off I go. Back to my room to sleep."

After night fell, Zhang Lata stood, brushed the dirt from his clothes, and walked toward his room.

Beside the lake, only Li Ziye remained, still practicing his swordsmanship, flying off his feet again and again, then climbing back up each time.

In a room not far away, Qin Enuo stood by the window, watching the persistent youth outside. A glimmer of appreciation flashed through her beautiful eyes.

At the very least, his tenacity and refusal to admit defeat were qualities many could not match.

Anyone else, never mind whether they could patiently practice the Flying Immortal Formula's moves, would not even have passed the first hurdle of opening their meridians.

Shattering the meridians, then repairing them, once every day, over and over-such pain was certainly not something an ordinary person could endure.

The reason she still remained at the Li residence was precisely that she valued this brat's unyielding resolve.

Geniuses were common, but those with great perseverance were rare.

The path of cultivation was ultimately a long tug-of-war. So many favored children of heaven began far ahead of ordinary people, only to fade into the masses later. What they lacked was this unyielding resolve.

Li Ziye was very promising. Perhaps he had not begun his martial path as well as others, but as long as she could remedy his innate deficiency, sooner or later, his brilliance would astonish the world.

The long night wore on, and the people of the Li residence fell asleep one after another. In the rear courtyard, that slender young figure still persisted in practicing his swordsmanship.

He did not want to lose to anyone, even if both Sword Immortals said he could not do it.

Splash!

Once again, Li Ziye fell into the lake, then clambered awkwardly out and lay on the grass, gasping for breath.

Sword Immortal-what an impressive title. I have to succeed!

Since there's a path ahead, I'll keep walking it. Even if it's a little hard, that's fine.

Isn't this already far better than before, when there was no path at all?

Li Ziye encouraged himself inwardly, then struggled to his feet and went back to practicing his swordsmanship.

Day broke, and a rooster's crow pierced the dawn.

By the time everyone in the Li residence awoke, the young figure was already gone from the rear courtyard.

At dawn, after cultivating the Flying Immortal Formula's mental method, Li Ziye had set off for the Qilian Mountains.

In the rear courtyard, Qin Enuo gazed at the thousands upon thousands of jumbled footprints on the ground in silence.

The fifth step!

Hard work truly could make up for a lack of talent.

Perhaps before long, he would fully master the first move of the Flying Immortal Formula.

Meanwhile, in the Great Shang capital.

When Li Youwei entered the city, the various factions began sending people to approach the Li family's eldest daughter.

The Li family of Yuzhou City had long since become a legend throughout the Great Shang Imperial Dynasty. In ten years, they had risen from an ordinary merchant family to possess wealth rivaling a nation's. Even the imperial court dared not underestimate them.

Thus, the arrival of a member of the Li family in the capital piqued many people's interest.

The officials and factions following Great Shang's four princes were particularly interested in the Li family member's arrival.

Great Shang had many princes, but only four truly had the ability to contend for the throne.

The eldest prince, Mu Yuan; the third prince, Mu Yao; the fourth prince, Mubai; and the eleventh prince, Mu Qing.

Their struggles, whether overt or covert, whether of their own choosing or beyond their control, had continued for many years.

The world called it the four princes' struggle for succession.

Yet the first member of the imperial family to request a meeting with Li Youwei was none of those four princes.

Instead, it was the Great Shang dynasty's most dazzling pearl.

Blessed with the finest essence of heaven and earth, more lovely than flowers, she had prompted even Great Shang's habitually exacting court historians to make an exception and leave a record of her in their histories.

The most beautiful woman in the Great Shang dynasty.

The ninth princess, Mu Rong!