Li Lingsu: It Was Time for Me to Show My Divinity Before Others
Xu Qi'an flew through the air for a while and found the corpse of Shura Vajra in a mountain hollow.
He lay motionless in a pool of dark gold blood, his eyes empty and lifeless.
Xu Qi'an landed lightly, wasting no time, and strode to the corpse of Shura Vajra. He used the Zhenguo Sword to sever Shura Vajra's carotid artery and inhaled deeply.
Glug glug~
His Adam's apple bobbed, and the Vajra Divine Blood flowed into his mouth in a thin stream, scalding hot like magma, burning Xu Qi'an's stomach.
The corpse of the Asura Vajra quickly withered.
As Xu Qi'an absorbed more and more of the Vajra Divine Blood, his pupils turned a fiery gold, golden veins bulged on his cheeks, and his skin was tinged with gold.
He was enveloped in a dense golden light, which rose and fell like breathing.
This process lasted for about fifteen minutes, after which the golden light gradually faded.
At this moment, Xu Qi'an's skin was dark gold, and his muscles were bulging. With a "hiss," a ring of fire ignited behind his head, and the surrounding temperature began to rise.
It is filled with an aura of extreme strength and masculinity.
He became dignified and profound, like a guardian Buddhist School.
"My internal energy hasn't changed, but my physical strength has surged. Now, even without the National Guardian Sword, I can defeat Du Nan or Du Fan Vajra in a one-on-one fight."
"Right now, I'm essentially a combination of a third-rank martial artist and a third-rank Vajra."
Feeling the changes within himself, Xu Qi'an was delighted to discover that his Vajra Divine Skill had finally caught up and entered the third-grade Vajra realm.
He possesses the physique of a third-grade Vajra and the self-healing ability of a third-grade martial artist.
In the realm of the third rank, he is undoubtedly a top-tier figure. If he can unlock the Demon-Sealing Nails and restore his cultivation, then becoming invincible in this realm is not impossible.
"I collected two dragon energies from the Martial Alliance and obtained the Vajra rank. I made a huge profit."
"I remember Zhao Shou saying that summoning a hero's spirit beyond one's level comes at a huge price, even one's life. When Duke Wei summoned the spirit of the Confucian sage, he was prepared to die. I summoned the spirit of Emperor Gaozu with my rank of third grade, and apart from the immense burden, I don't seem to have suffered any backlash."
Could it be because I bear the weight of the nation's destiny?
Having received no answer, Xu Qi'an put the question out of his mind and his attention was drawn to the bracelet on Shura Vajra's wrist.
This bracelet has the aura of a Heavenly Gu, and is a high-level magical Law Artifact with the ability to "shift stars and change constellations".
It is woven from silk and adorned with animal teeth, copper pieces, and colorful jade.
The Law Artifact of the Heavenly Gu Clan is of extremely high status. It is obvious that this is Law Artifact left behind by the Heavenly Gu Elder, a partner in the Southern Frontier.
"I'll definitely be going to the Southern Frontier someday. I'll keep this Law Artifact for now and give it to Granny Tiangu as a gift when we meet. It's my late husband's keepsake, and she'll probably appreciate it."
Xu Qi'an took out the fragment of the Earth Book, extracted the dragon energy from his body, and then put the bracelet and the corpse of the Asura Vajra into it.
Vajra's physical body is also a top-grade material for refining magical Law Artifact or elixirs, which he intends to give to Sun Xuanji as a reward.
"With Du Nan and Du Fan perishing in Jianzhou, Buddhist School is completely without any third-rank officials. I wonder how Aranya will react. Will all the Bodhisattvas come out and join forces to kill me?"
Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an grinned.
The Arhat who saves love was sealed in the Bureau of Astronomy, and the two Vajras who save both the mortal and the elusive perished—all because of him.
"Although Buddhist School and I have always had conflicts, now it seems we are locked in a life-or-death struggle. With no other options, I have no choice but to completely rely on the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox."
"Sigh, this is a difficult and extraordinary fate; consider it a pledge of loyalty."
It wasn't until Xu Qi'an flew away that the martial arts alliance members, represented by Cao Qingyang, slowly regained their sense of reality and found themselves again.
"Is it over? There won't be any more enemies, right?"
Will Buddhist School bodhisattvas descend upon the Buddhist realm again? Are there still top-tier experts from the Witch God Church who haven't arrived yet?
"Where did Xu Yinluo go? Does he have a powerful enemy to deal with?"
From the crowd, people kept raising questions, doubting that the battle was not over yet and that both sides still had trump cards up their sleeves.
From the sudden attack by a fourth-rank Buddhist School monk, to the chaotic battle among the fourth-rank monks, to the fight between eight cloaked figures and Alliance Leader Cao, then Vajra descended from the sky, and the second disciple of the Supervisor "refused entry" to Vajra. Subsequently, the Rain Master of the Witch God Sect made his move, summoning thunder to bombard the area.
Xu Yinluo makes his appearance, severely injuring the Rain Master of the Witch God Cult. The Ancestor breaks through his cultivation barrier, and the golden body with twelve arms descends. A man in white appears, and Xu Yinluo summons the Dharma image of the High Ancestor Emperor.
This seemingly endless cycle of "countering moves" has cast a deep psychological shadow on the members of the martial arts alliance.
The battle of the gods made them, mere mortals, feel as if they were walking on thin ice.
With a thud, the old scoundrel landed on the summit of South Peak, glanced at the crowd, then looked at Cao Qingyang and said:
Let's clean up the mess.
Only then did Cao Qingyang and the others confirm that the battle was over.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yes, Ancestor!"
Cao Qingyang gave the old scoundrel a few subtle glances before leading his subordinates away.
"Ancestor, where has Xu Yinluo gone?"
Xiao Yuenu did not leave, and gracefully bowed.
Everyone immediately looked at the ancestor.
"Don't worry about him."
The old scoundrel waved his hand.
The members of the martial arts alliance were finally relieved.
In a desolate mountain far from the Martial Alliance, Dongfang Wanrong landed by a mountain stream.
"Hmm~"
She clutched her chest, let out a muffled groan, and collapsed to the ground, saying urgently:
"Teacher, why did you run away? Was that white-robed Warlock you mentioned the chief disciple of the Imperial Censor?"
Nalan Tianlu hummed in agreement and said:
"He was one of the masterminds behind the Battle of Shanhai Pass."
It really was him. Dongfang Wanrong took a breath and asked in confusion:
"Then there's even less reason to run away. You said he can't be trusted, but at least he's a temporary ally."
Nalan Tianlu paused for a moment, then slowly said:
"I sensed the aura of the Blood Pill on that kid."
"Who?" Dongfang Wanrong didn't understand.
Nalan Tianlu Dao:
"That kid Ji Xuan, he carries the aura of a Blood Pill. I suspect Xu Pingfeng wants to use the power of dragon energy to help Ji Xuan advance to the third rank."
He knew that Dongfang Wanrong hadn't understood, so he patiently explained:
"Since ancient times, there have only been two paths for a martial artist to advance to the third rank. The first is to rely on one's own foundation, nurture one's physical body, shed the mortal shell, and open the door to the extraordinary."
"The second path is to collect the essence of life, form a blood pill, and refine this immense vitality to advance to the third rank. This path is very dangerous, and almost no one can succeed. However, it conforms to the Principle of heaven and earth, so there is a sliver of possibility."
"Those blessed with good fortune are protected by heaven; consuming the Blood Pill offers a glimmer of hope."
Dongfang Wanrong frowned and asked, "In accordance with the Principle of heaven and earth?"
Nalan Tianlu Dao:
Flowers, birds, fish, insects, humans, beasts, and demons—all things in the world plunder everything around them that they can plunder. Life is based on plunder. Perhaps the form of this plunder will change, but its essence remains the same.
Therefore, slaughtering living beings to refine blood pills and advance to the extraordinary realm is by no means a dead end.
Dongfang Wanrong nodded. She suddenly thought of Xu Qi'an, who rose to prominence during the Capital Evaluation and advanced all the way up. In just one year, he surpassed his peers and became an extraordinary person.
He clearly took this path as well.
Nalan Tianlu continued:
"Everyone has their own destiny. As a second-rank rain master like myself, I can even directly affect the overall combat power of the Witch God Sect. Naturally, I also have my own destiny."
"The same goes for those two Vajra beings; all the extraordinary realm experts are people with great fortune, the only difference being the amount of that fortune."
Dongfang Wanrong's expression changed slightly:
"Does the teacher mean that the chief disciple of the supervisor wants to kill you and steal your fortune?"
Nalan Tianlu laughed:
"When he appeared, I cast a divination, and the result was extremely auspicious. However, Warlock at the Transcendent Realm can shield himself from divine secrets and counter divination techniques. One must always be wary of others. If Xu Qi'an does not die, then we will be in danger."
"Given our current condition, staying there carries risks regardless of who wins. So why not retreat sooner?"
As for the final result, well, we'll find out later.
The teacher remained composed, which Dongfang Wanrong found Qi Ingestion.
High in the sky, the wind-riding boat flies above the sea of clouds.
The gale was kept out of the formation, and the ship was silent. Xu Pingfeng and Ji Xuan did not speak, and Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai did not dare to speak either.
"We've lost again. Even someone as calculating as my father has repeatedly suffered setbacks at Xu Qi'an's hands. This is the first time I've seen my father so distraught." Xu Yuanshuang pursed her thin red lips, once again feeling the terrifying power and strength of her elder brother.
In her eyes, her father was unparalleled in wisdom and resourcefulness, a man who could win against even the heavens.
There is nothing a father cannot foresee. His enemy is the Supervisor, one of the most elite groups in the Nine Provinces.
However, his elder brother, whom his father regarded as a tool and a discarded child, has now grown up and become one of the few top figures in the Nine Provinces who can rival their father.
Did her father regret abandoning Xu Qi'an? Xu Yuanshuang wondered to herself.
Seventh Brother seemed very angry and jealous. Xu Yuanhuai would sometimes ponder and sometimes glance at Ji Xuan.
He could understand Ji Xuan's feelings. As a descendant of the Ji clan, he had to watch helplessly as an outsider used the national sword to summon the spirits of his ancestors and thwart his plans.
Anyone with a sense of clan belonging and pride would be furious, envious, and jealous of this.
At this moment, Xu Pingfeng said calmly:
"The formation that traps the dragon's energy can last for seven days. Within seven days, we will return to Yunzhou."
"Remember to store the Wind-Riding Boat in the bronze cauldron to avoid being discovered by the Supervisor. Don't worry, although the Supervisor is blocking Yunzhou, his target is me."
"He wouldn't care about the comings and goings of you ants, nor could he possibly attend to them."
Ji Xuan probed:
"Are the two Vajra's fortunes sufficient?"
"Not enough!"
Xu Pingfeng shook his head, then suddenly chuckled, "I have my own way. This trip into the martial world wasn't in vain."
Ji Xuan breathed a sigh of relief; the Imperial Advisor was as reassuring as ever.
"I want to recall Baihu and the others first," Ji Xuan said.
This is his future team. Baihu and the others escaped during the duel just now and failed to return to the Wind-Riding Boat.
Xu Pingfeng nodded. "Hand over the liaison to the secret agents of Tianji Palace."
A strong wind swept over the mountaintop, and a white tiger, over ten feet long, landed carrying Liu Hongmian and the others.
The white tiger shook off the people on its back, transformed into human form, and said with lingering fear:
"This place is over a hundred li away from Quanrong Mountain; it should be safe now."
He immediately shattered a large tree beside him with a single palm strike and roared to the sky.
The tiger's roar startled countless birds into flight from the forest.
"What gives him the right to summon Emperor Gaozu? How many more trump cards does he have up his sleeve? Such a formidable enemy keeps us up at night."
The white tiger, its face contorted with rage, declared, "When my master captures him, I will drink his blood, eat his flesh, and play with his women to avenge my severed arm!"
As the leader of the White Tiger New Mansion among Xu Pingfeng's Twenty-Eight Constellations, he harbored extreme hostility towards Xu Qi'an.
In the battle outside Yongzhou City, Xu Qi'an severed his right arm, which made Baihu hate Xu Qi'an even more.
They had thought their trip to Jianzhou would allow them to avenge their grievances, but little did they expect that the boy would summon the spirit of the founding emperor, a trump card that caught them completely off guard.
The white tiger didn't even dare to look at the ending, and fled in panic with everyone on its back.
This made him feel even more ashamed.
Qi Huan Danxiang chuckled.
"That's easy. We're no match for him, but dealing with the people around him is a piece of cake."
"That Xu fellow is notorious for his womanizing; he has a lot of mistresses in the capital. We'll just ask the Heavenly Mystery Palace for a detailed report later."
Dongfang Wanqing was not one to mingle with others. She lifted her skirt and sat cross-legged on a large rock, listening expressionlessly as Baihu and Qihuan Danxiang vented their emotions.
She quickly lost interest in listening; all men are the same—when they get angry, they like to insult women's ancestors, spewing vulgarities.
Liu Hongmian looked at the two young monks, who sat cross-legged with serious expressions and remained silent, and said:
"Do either of you have a way to contact Du Nan Jingang?"
Jingyuan ignored her, and Jingxin shook her head slightly. "We can only try to contact her later."
I don't dare go back now.
Liu Hongmian said self-deprecatingly:
"Being weak has its advantages. The reason we've been able to escape time and again is because they don't take us seriously."
White Tiger sneered:
He will pay the price for his arrogance.
Liu Hongmian sighed:
"Apart from the old Daoist priest who died in Yongzhou City, our group was quite lucky; we all came out unharmed."
A fourth-rank expert is a pillar of any faction.
Qi Huan Danxiang plucked a leaf, put it in her mouth and chewed it, saying lightly:
"Because of Master Jiaoye's death, Young Master Ji Xuan regards Xu Qi'an as an enemy. If he rises to power in the future, the first person he will kill will be Xu Qi'an."
He suddenly froze, his eyes lost focus, and then he fell straight down.
Liu Hongmian and the others were shocked and sprang to their feet, then all looked towards the east.
The whistling sound arrived almost immediately.
A handsome young man, riding a flying sword and holding a broken bronze mirror, looked down with a smile at the six people in the forest.
Li Lingsu?
How did he catch up?
Baihu and the others instantly went into battle mode.
"Li Lang."
Dongfang Wanqing called out in a complicated tone.
Li Lingsu laughed and said, "Sister Qing, you may leave now. I need to deal with these guys."
"You?"
Everyone looked at him as if he were an idiot.
The white tiger licked its lips and grinned maliciously:
"We can't handle Xu Qi'an, but killing a stinking Daoist like you is a piece of cake. I'll just have you as a snack first."
Dongfang Wanqing said coldly, "You try it."
Baihu and the others immediately looked at her, their eyes sharp, already in a posture of scrutinizing an enemy.
Li Lingsu was not intimidated at all, and chuckled:
"So you think you have helpers? This Holy Son has a few henchmen under his command."
As soon as he finished speaking, the whistling sound came again.
Two sword lights flew in, one from a beautiful young woman in a Daoist robe, exuding a heroic and spirited air; the other from a swordsman in a green robe with a wisp of white hair on his forehead, displaying a calm and reserved demeanor.
Behind the swordsman was a robust middle-aged monk dressed in a white robe, his hands clasped together, with deep lines between his brows.
He looked like he had a deep-seated grievance.
The young woman stared at the mirror in the scumbag senior brother's hand for a long time, then said in a crisp voice:
"This broken mirror is really useful; it can track objects from a hundred miles away."
Flying Swallow Heroine, Li Miaozhen!
The top scholar in the imperial examination was Chu Yuanzhen.
Dexinyuan, Beijing.
Huaiqing, dressed in a plain long dress, accompanied by two palace maids, hurried to the imperial study.
She was led to a side hall by the eunuchs guarding the entrance and was not allowed to enter the imperial study.
In the side hall sat the princesses, including the three princesses, including Lin'an, as well as the county princesses.
The chattering stopped abruptly as soon as Huaiqing entered.
"Sister Huaiqing, I heard that the ancestral tablets in Yongzhen Shanhe Temple have all been broken."
The third princess came forward to greet them, and the other princesses all looked over.
Huaiqing said calmly:
"I just heard about this."
She glanced at the Third Princess and said calmly, "Now that you are married, it is not appropriate for you to inquire about this matter. Do not displease His Majesty."
The third princess felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this.
Not long ago, the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple was shaken, and all the ancestral tablets of the royal family were smashed, causing a great commotion.
Emperor Yongxing immediately blocked the news, preventing it from spreading outside the palace.
However, members of the royal family and the imperial clan learned of this through their respective channels within the palace.
At this moment, Emperor Yongxing was in the imperial study discussing matters with his uncles, elder brothers, and other relatives.
The Third Princess happened to return to the palace today and, upon learning of this, came over with her sisters.
It is perfectly reasonable for an unmarried princess or noblewoman, who is still a member of the family, to express some concern about such an important event.
Once a princess is married, she becomes almost an outsider.
"My imperial brother has no time to care about her right now!"
That sweet, coquettish voice—it must be from Lin'an.
She frowned her delicate brows and said:
"My uncles said this matter must be thoroughly investigated and clarified. Otherwise, people will say that my brother, the emperor, has failed in his duties and angered our ancestors."