182: Chapter 182

Chapter 182

“You merely eliminated the Devilish Qi from your body.”

After Li Yunshu finished speaking, he circulated his Mental Energy, and a vortex formed in his Sea of Consciousness.

The Dragon Soul on the ground felt a huge suction force pulling it up.

Having lived for over a thousand years, how could it not know what Li Yunshu intended to do? He wanted to absorb it and transform it into the power of his Sea of Consciousness.

“You, you, you, you, stop quickly! Stop! Let’s talk it over, let’s talk it over!”

The Dragon Soul, which had been so arrogant just moments before, now completely lacked the demeanor a Dragon should possess.

The Dragon Soul’s form grew smaller and smaller, struggling as it was sucked into Li Yunshu’s glabella.

“Ugh, ah, ugh, ah~” The Dragon Soul let out a series of miserable screams.

A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Although the power of this Dragon Soul had been largely worn away by Purity Tao’s Talismans, not much was left.

Facing its death throes, Li Yunshu’s Sea of Consciousness would be shattered if he was not careful.

The Dragon Soul thrashed in the Sea of Consciousness, and the vortex in the Sea of Consciousness spun faster and faster.

“No——”

With the Dragon Soul’s final, unwilling cry, it was completely absorbed by the Sea of Consciousness.

Li Yunshu let out a long breath. His Mental Energy had increased significantly, and he was very close to a Breakthrough to Rank Five.

“These one hundred Spirit Stones were well spent.”

This series of actions left the Taoist priest and the young Taoist boy behind him wide-eyed.

The Taoist priest murmured, “The Dragon Soul that the Ancestral Masters of previous generations suppressed was just absorbed by him?”

He quickly ran to Li Yunshu and extended his hand, saying,

“Benefactor, you have absorbed the Divine Dragon that our Purity Tao has kept. You need to compensate us with 1000 Spirit Stones.”

Li Yunshu couldn’t help but roll his eyes and said,

“Taoist Priest, you can’t just fleece me for Spirit Stones. Besides, the Purity Tao Ancestral Masters have suppressed this Dragon Soul for over a thousand years, precisely to completely wear it down. I have now helped them fulfill their wish. Not asking you for Spirit Stones is already being generous enough.”

The Cosmos Sack had already been returned to Li Yunshu, so the Taoist priest couldn’t bring himself to snatch it.

“Alas, so be it. Perhaps this is the Benefactor’s Opportunity.”

“That’s right, Opportunity.” Li Yunshu cupped his hands and said, “Since Taoist Priest has nothing else, I shall take my leave.”

“Benefactor, please do.”

Li Yunshu threw out the Starfall Sword and flew into the sky under the cover of night.

He opened the System and checked the second sign-in location: Tianyu Palace.

“Master’s disappearance is related to Tianyu Palace. Going there this time, I can inquire about it.”

“System, what is the sign-in mission for the second sign-in location?”

“Ding! The sign-in mission can only be activated after reaching the sign-in location.”

Is it necessary to be so mysterious?

Complaining aside, with 5000 Devilish Qi points, he still couldn’t resist opening the System Mall.

There were many items available for exchange, but he was currently only interested in improving his strength.

His eyes scanned back and forth between the options of improving his Realm and improving his Mental Energy.

Should he improve his Realm, or improve his Mental Energy?

His current strength was low, and to rapidly increase it, he had to use all his Devilish Qi points on a single option.

Li Yunshu looked at the price of the Formation diagrams and dismissed the idea of improving his Mental Energy, choosing instead to improve his Realm.

His current Mental Energy was already high enough, but Mental Energy needed powerful Formations to exert its full power.

The three Formation diagrams provided by the System were not offensive.

To improve his strength through the Dao of Formations, he would need to both improve his Mental Energy and purchase Formation diagrams, which was a double expense.

With this thought, Li Yunshu unhesitatingly clicked on 'Improve Realm'.

“Confirm spending 5000 Devilish Qi points to exchange for Xuan Ming Realm Fifth Layer?”

“Confirm.”

He felt a warm current enter his Dantian, and the power in his Dantian grew increasingly profound... As soon as Li Yunshu returned to the main peak of Lanque Pavilion, Yun Jianli came looking for him.

“I heard Elder Leng say that you jumped from ten thousand feet high during the day and even flew with your sword. Has your Realm recovered?”

Facing Yun Jianli’s string of questions, Li Yunshu smiled and said,

“My Realm has not recovered. I merely had the good fortune to obtain a Spiritual Artifact Magic Treasure that allows even a Xuan Ming Realm cultivator to fly through the air.”

Saying this, he took out the Starfall Sword and handed it to Yun Jianli.

Yun Jianli carefully examined the Starfall Sword. It was the first time he had seen a Spiritual Artifact Magic Treasure that allowed a Xuan Ming Realm cultivator to fly through the air.

Since Li Yunshu didn’t explain the sword’s origin, he didn’t ask further. Everyone has their little secrets.

“Good sword, truly a good sword.”

“Junior Martial Uncle, has Nangong Chu returned?”

This was a question Li Yunshu had always been curious about. He wanted to confirm whether the black-clad man in Mizang Forest was Nangong Chu.

Yun Jianli handed the Starfall Sword back to Li Yunshu and said,

“He hasn’t returned yet. The Elder who led his team said he ventured deep into Mizang Forest alone and hasn’t come back. He hasn’t even used his distress jade token. You know that boy is the Nangong Family’s precious treasure. Tuoba Canghai has gone mad with worry and personally went to Mizang Forest to search for him, and he hasn’t returned either.”

Hearing this, Li Yunshu knew that the black-clad man was Nangong Chu, and the one who hired the assassin must also have been him.

Seeing Li Yunshu in a daze, Yun Jianli waved his hand in front of him and asked, “Why did you suddenly think to ask about him? Did you see him?”

Li Yunshu shook his head and said, “No, I just heard he was missing, so I asked.”

Since Nangong Chu was already dealt with, he didn’t need to tell Yun Jianli these things and add to his troubles.

Yun Jianli stretched and said, “Alright, it’s getting late. You should rest early. I still have to go to Tianyu Palace tomorrow.”

“Is Junior Martial Uncle going to look for clues about Master’s disappearance?”

“On one hand, it’s to look for clues. On the other hand, Tianyu Palace sent me an invitation, inviting me to observe their Rank Appraisal Convention.”

Li Yunshu’s spirits lifted when he heard about the Rank Appraisal Convention. Although his Mental Energy had reached Rank Four, he didn’t have a token issued by Tianyu Palace.

Tianyu Palace specialized in the Dao of Formations and held a Rank Appraisal Convention once a year, where they would issue tokens of corresponding Ranks based on the abilities of the participating Formation Masters.

These tokens were widely recognized by the various Sects on Longyuan Continent. Any Advanced Formation Master would be treated as an honored guest by various Sects.

To make a Sect’s barrier Formation more robust, a good Formation Master was indispensable.

His second sign-in location was Tianyu Palace, so he wanted to participate in this Tianyu Palace Rank Appraisal Convention.

After making up his mind, Li Yunshu said, “Junior Martial Uncle, can I go with you? I want to participate in the Rank Appraisal Convention.”

“If you want to go, I can take you, but the Rank Appraisal Convention is for Formation Masters, and you are not a Formation Master.”

Li Yunshu didn’t speak but released his Mental Energy to condense Formation patterns around him.

Yun Jianli’s eyes widened instantly. He knew that Li Yunshu previously had no Mental Energy.

In a flash, the Formation patterns formed a Qingli Tortoise Shell Formation, enveloping Li Yunshu.

Yun Jianli exclaimed,

“How many benefits did you get in Mizang Forest this time, kid? Not only did you get a precious sword that allows a Xuan Ming Realm cultivator to fly through the air, but your Realm also recovered to Xuan Ming Realm Fifth Layer, and you even possess Mental Energy. Tell me, how did you open your Sea of Consciousness and gain Mental Energy?”

Li Yunshu was momentarily speechless, thinking, how should I explain this?

A flash of inspiration struck him, and he said,

“I was chased, fell off a cliff, survived a great disaster, and learned a Divine Power.”

Yun Jianli slapped the back of Li Yunshu’s head and said, “There are no cliffs in Mizang Forest. Who chased you? What Divine Power did you learn?”

“Uh, uh, no, it was when I met that white-bearded old man in Mizang Forest again, the one who gave me the antidote for 'Thousand Gold Scattered'. He helped me open my Sea of Consciousness.”

Yun Jianli asked curiously, “What Realm was that person?”

Li Yunshu rolled his eyes and said, “That old man’s Realm was unfathomably profound. I couldn’t see through him at all.”

“No one in this world will be good to you for no reason. Be careful that he might be trying to cultivate you to be powerful, and then Possess you. Yes, you didn’t have Mental Energy, so it would be difficult for you to withstand the power of his Primordial Spirit. That’s why he taught you the method to open your Sea of Consciousness, to facilitate future Possession. It must be like this.”

Li Yunshu said weakly,

“It shouldn’t be that serious, right? Wouldn’t it be better for him to Possess someone with a higher Realm? Why would he pick a Xuan Ming Realm Disciple like me?”

Yun Jianli said with a serious expression,

“You were once the number one Genius on Longyuan Continent, with limitless potential. He can only Possess a good seedling like you to potentially Break through to the Tian Yuan Realm in the future. Be careful if you encounter him again. You are still too young; one must be wary of others.”

Li Yunshu’s expression was exceptionally solemn, as if he had taken his words to heart.

In reality, he inwardly sighed, ‘Your analysis is so reasonable, I can’t even refute it.’

“Junior Martial Uncle, I’ll remember that.”

... The next day.

Li Yunshu sat on the flying ship piloted by Yun Jianli, absorbing the remaining Spirit Stones on him.

This flying ship was originally one of Lanque Pavilion’s treasured Magic Treasures, known for its incredible speed.

Ever since Yun Jianli returned from Mizang Forest, he had claimed it for his own.

In this world where strength spoke, naturally, no Elder dared to speak ill of him.

Tianyu Palace was not far from Weak Water River. Li Yunshu could have flown directly to Tianyu Palace along the Weak Water River last night.

However, he was afraid Yun Jianli would worry, so he returned to Lanque Pavilion first.

He just hadn’t expected that the next day would be Tianyu Palace’s Rank Appraisal Convention.

An hour later, the flying ship arrived at Tianyu Palace.

Many people had already gathered outside Tianyu Palace.

But in the crowd, Li Yunshu saw a familiar figure, Nangong Chu.

Nangong Chu was following an old man, who was currently conversing with Tuoba Canghai.

“Junior Martial Uncle, Tuoba Canghai is here too.”

Following Li Yunshu’s gaze, Yun Jianli saw Tuoba Canghai and the other two.

“Tuoba Canghai is also a Formation Master. The Nangong Family had Nangong Chu acknowledge him as Master precisely because they valued his identity as a Formation Master. That old man is the Nangong Family’s Old Ancestor, Nangong Nan. He should be accompanying Nangong Chu to participate in the Rank Appraisal Convention.”

Li Yunshu asked curiously, “What Rank Formation Master is Tuoba Canghai?”

Yun Jianli showed a thoughtful expression and said, “He should be a Rank Twenty Formation Master. As long as it’s not above Rank Thirty, I can break it with force.”

“What about a Formation Master above Rank Thirty then?”

Li Yunshu previously had no Mental Energy, so he didn’t know much about Formation Masters.

Now that he had Mental Energy, he wanted to learn more about Formation Masters.

“Heh heh, do you think Formation Masters above Rank Thirty are like cabbages, found everywhere on the streets? Moreover, Formation Masters generally have a weakness: their Realm is usually not very high, and condensing Formations takes time. Formation Masters who can instantly form a Formation with a thought are extremely rare, so you understand, right? Someone like Tuoba Canghai, with a cultivation of Earth Realm Seventh Layer and a Rank Twenty Formation Master, is already a rare individual. Bah, bah, bah, I actually praised him.”

“Junior Martial Uncle, they’re coming this way.”

While Yun Jianli was speaking, Tuoba Canghai also saw the two of them.

Tuoba Canghai said, “Elder Yun, I didn’t expect you to be here too.”

“If you can come, why can’t I?” He then turned and cupped his hands towards Nangong Nan, “Greetings, Senior Nangong.”

Nangong Nan waved his hand and said, “No need for such formality. I’m just accompanying my grandson here to participate in the Rank Appraisal Convention.”

Saying this, he looked at Li Yunshu and asked, “And this is?”

Yun Jianli said, “This is my brother’s Disciple. He’s also here to participate in the Rank Appraisal Convention.”

Nangong Chu’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t expected Li Yunshu to actually be here for the Rank Appraisal Convention.

In Mizang Forest, he was tricked by Li Yunshu and teleported into the underground palace.

He used the protective jade token Nangong Nan gave him, and only then was he found by Nangong Nan and Tuoba Canghai and rescued from the underground palace.

He had always been curious how Li Yunshu opened his Sea of Consciousness and gained Mental Energy.

However, he didn’t take Li Yunshu seriously. He had opened his Sea of Consciousness many years ago and was already a Rank Three Formation Master.

He didn’t believe that Li Yunshu, having just opened his Sea of Consciousness, could have very strong Mental Energy.

Tuoba Canghai feigned surprise and said, “Li Yunshu also opened his Sea of Consciousness? When did this happen?”

Nangong Nan said, “Young people, they all have their own Opportunities. I wonder what Rank appraisal Young Friend Li Yunshu is here to participate in this time.”

Tianyu Palace’s Rank Appraisal Convention had different assessments for different Ranks. Only by passing the assessment would a token of the corresponding Rank be issued.

Yun Jianli looked at Li Yunshu. He only knew that Li Yunshu was here for the appraisal, but he hadn’t asked what Rank he was appraising for.

In his opinion, Li Yunshu had just opened his Sea of Consciousness, so he would at most be participating in a Rank One or Rank Two appraisal.

Li Yunshu bowed and said, “Junior is here to participate in the Rank Four Formation Master appraisal.”

At these words, even Yun Jianli was startled.

However, in front of so many people, he didn’t immediately question Li Yunshu.

Nangong Nan laughed loudly, “As expected of Yun Chuge’s Disciple. You two go quickly; the registration for Rank Four appraisal is over there.”

Yun Jianli cupped his hands and said, “Junior will take his leave now.”

He then led Li Yunshu towards the registration area for Rank Four appraisal. After only a few steps, Yun Jianli asked in a low voice,

“Xiao Li, are you really going to participate in the Rank Four Formation Master appraisal?”

Li Yunshu asked curiously, “Is the Rank Four Formation Master appraisal very difficult?”

He just saw that the System showed his Mental Energy as Rank Four, so he thought it should be correct to sign up for the Rank Four Formation Master appraisal.

Yun Jianli looked back at Nangong Nan and the other two, then said,

“Nangong Chu has opened his Sea of Consciousness for many years. Do you know what Rank appraisal he’s here for?”

Li Yunshu asked curiously, “What Rank?”

“Rank Four.”

“This—”

Li Yunshu was now somewhat suspicious if the System’s ranking was different from reality.

However, from the perspective of Realm, the Realm displayed by the System was accurate.

Although he didn't know much about Formation Masters, he did understand cultivation Realms.