Playing against Li Yao was one of his father's guests on retainer. The guest noticed Li Yao beaming after reading the message. Knowing Li Yao's plan, he asked sharply, "How fares the investigation on the incident at the Tai Xuan Summit?"
Li Yao gently set down the jade strip bearing the message. Filled with exhilaration, he could concentrate on the game no more, and didn’t even bother hiding his excitement. "Li Ye has arrived at the Taixuan Monastery and has no idea of the fate that awaits him. I have ordered that a magical trap, the Xiaoxuan Formation, be placed outside the main hall of the monastery. He will be greatly injured when the trap is sprung."
A satisfied smile lined the guest's face. "The Xiaoxuan Formation is known to be extremely powerful. Anyone within the circle of the magical formation will hardly be able to escape unscathed. The people of the Taixuan Monastery will be able to slip away with the jade medallion during the commotion."
Li Yao said, "Everyone covets the jade medallion, the fabled bequest of Prince An. I cannot suffer being implicated in the theft of the medallion, but who would suspect Taoist priests? They will easily slip past suspicion like fish through broken nets. Instead, everyone will believe that the brazen and intrusive Li Ye suffered from of one of Celestial Master Yuan's traps. Nobody will think of blaming me for his misfortunes."
The guest could only nod with admiration at Li Yao's elaborate scheme and said, "Li Ye is nothing but a worthless fool. Not only has he failed to cultivate, he can’t even hold onto the jade medallion of Prince An. The string of misfortunes that continue to shroud over him like dark clouds will forever keep any supporters or sympathizers at arm's length. The prospects certainly look optimistic for you, Young Master!"
Li Yao sniggered and replied, " As a noble of Guanxi, I cannot allow the offspring of common blood to succeed the name of Prince An! His rise will only bring shame to the Imperial Clan!"
The Li Clan was one of the noble families who hailed from the vicinity of He Long in the Guanxi area, and it had been instrumental in helping the Tang Empire to solidify their rule across the entire country. The imperial court had bestowed the Guanxi aristocrats power and influence that eclipsed over the newer noble families of Guandong.
The guest listened, choosing to remain silent, his head bowing slightly. This was too grave an assertion for him to judge.
Li Yao sat back in his chair and smiled to himself as he imagined what was happening on the summit.
* * *
Li Ye strode toward the stone steps leading into the main hall of the monastery.
Watching him closely were Shangguan Qingcheng and the honor guard, and the three Taoist priests. Everyone observed him with unnerving angst and apprehension, their breaths held as if a strong, vice-like grip clutched at their throats. Only the eldest priest remained calm and indifferent, his eyes closed as if meditating serenely.
Li Ye stood reverently with his hands behind his back as he gazed up at the great hall, standing in its shadow while being shrouded by the overwhelming presence of the sanctum that paid homage to the Prime Celestial Ruler Zhenwu.
Legend had it that brilliant and beautiful shafts of sunlight adorned the speckled clouds in the skies and immortal acolytes and mythical dragons descended from Heaven to receive and welcome him when Zhenwu had finally attained immortality long ago at Mount Wudang. He became the patron deity of many Taoist monasteries and shrines in the Tang Empire, and, according to myth, he was charged with the duty of watching over humanity, protecting them against demons and evil while serving justice and peace. Said to be a deity with tremendous authority and power, he had no lack of worshippers paying respects to him.
In his previous life, Li Ye had walked straight into the trap on the stairs. Shangguan Qingcheng and the rest of his men had been rendered unconscious by the blast, and when they’d woken up, they discovered that the jade medallion was gone. He had been foolish enough to believe that it was a means of retribution left by Celestial Master Yuan and that he was not destined to achieve immortality. He truly thought he had angered the Heavens and was condemned to suffer judgment from Heaven, who had destroyed the jade medallion.
He couldn’t believe he’d ever been that naive.
Li Ye gave a small chuckle as he reminisced, then he stretched his arm forward and pointed a finger directly ahead of him.
His finger felt a solid, but invisible, barrier. The spot where his finger came into contact with the magical formation rippled like fretted water on a lake's surface, revealing a gargantuan shimmering screen that enclosed around the main hall, enveloping the massive building in a white, translucent glow.
The sudden appearance of the magical barrier filled Shangguang Qingcheng and her guards with awe, and they began looking at each other.
Shangguan Qingcheng watched Li Ye quietly. With such a barrier barring the way, how could the Heir Apparent advance further? With no powers or mystic arts... this was a fool’s errand.
Nobody could have been able to conjure such a magical defensive formation but a practitioner of Qi techniques, so Shangguang Qingcheng didn’t suspect the bearded priest to be the conjurer of the magical formation. He had shown himself to possess no mastery of Qi techniques or skills, being at most a person with the capabilities of a Warrior Mentor.
The same could be said for the two younger priests who were standing near the buildings beside the main hall. They were clearly as surprised about the magical formation as the guards, looking up at the curtains of white that enshrouded the great structure like a cloak.
By prodding gently with his finger, Li Ye had merely caused the trap to appear; it had not yet been triggered.
But Li Ye's behavior had filled the bearded priest with bewilderment. He frowned as he watched the Heir Apparent standing thoughtfully before the barrier. Why was he not moving up the steps? Did he know about the formation? Impossible!
But he tried his best to calm himself lest he be exposed. Although the formation had been revealed, there was no way Li Ye could reach the scripture without going through it.
The bearded priest stopped feigning his meditation and peered at Li Ye, hoping that he would step upon the stairs without further delay.
But it was a hope that was never to be.
Standing before the stone steps leading upwards, Li Ye observed the gleaming sheet of white light before him. Revealing the form of the formation hadn’t just been for show — he needed to study the properties of the magical formation before undoing its magic.
He noticed an emerald calabash gourd made of jade sitting on the altar within the keep of the main hall. Green strands of spiritual energies in the form of fumes rose sprouted from the gourd and rose lazily into the air, flowing endlessly towards the formation like never-ending sustenance.
The gourd was the instrument maintaining the Xiaoxuan Formation. Li Ye decided to keep it intact, if possible — it would be a useful tool in the future.
Given that his primary goal was to avoid being implicated in this matter, Li Ye would hardly expect Li Yao to have a practitioner of Qi techniques present to hold the formation in place. But what would have normally been considered a shrewd move on his part had instead become a boon to Li Ye.
To be fair, Li Yao had no reason to believe that Li Ye knew anything about magical formations, so the magical trinket being used against him would never have crossed his mind.
Li Ye's eyes shone with a strange glitter. The conjurer of the formation had not included any fortification to strengthen the formation, so destruction of the formation would be possible. He still couldn’t use Qi-techniques, but this was where the power of the jade medallion came into play.
Standing behind Li Ye, Shangguan Qingcheng, watched him for some time and feared that he was at a loss for what to do.
"My lord!" she screamed, not being able to hold back her apprehension any longer. She drew her sword and threw herself forward, sword raised to strike. She would gladly sacrifice herself if it would pave the way for her young master's advancement.
Shocked at Shangguan Qingcheng's sudden outburst, Li Ye quickly pulled her back. Triggering the magical formation could kill her, and him, as well.
"My lord..." Shangguan Qingcheng gasped as she staggered unsteadily after being pulled back by Li Ye. She looked at him, her eyes filled with disappointment and doubt.
But Li Ye smiled at her and said, "Be calm, General Shangguan. I will make short work of this formation — watch."
Her eyes widened with confusion and wonder. "But how do you expect to destroy the formation?"
Not far away, the bearded priest nearly laughed out loud. Clearly, the boy had gone mad.
Li Ye left Shangguang Qingcheng where he had stopped her and marched to the side of the hall where he stopped before a flowerpot.
He was sure that the site of this flowerpot was the eye of the Xiaoxuan Formation, the point where it was the weakest.
His guards watched him, perplexed.
Li Ye removed the jade medallion from its harness and thrust it toward the flowerpot.
But just when the jade medallion was about to hit the flowerpot, it could go no further! There was a brief flash of green light, and a loud screeching noise began to emit from around the flowerpot. The luminous white wall that hindered Li Ye's progress into the main hall started to tremor as the surfaces of the wall began stirring violently like thrashing waters on a river surface.
The gleaming wall of the formation shook continuously, showing no sign of crumbling; instead, it looked as if it was going to explode.
But Li Ye remained unperturbed; he just needed more power.
Even a slight misstep now would not only injure him, but likely cause instantaneous death.
Just as Li Ye was wondering if he’d made a mistake, faint wisps of spiritual energies in the form of golden dragons sprang out from his Elixir Field. The golden silhouettes, as if answering a summons, circled and coiled proudly around him after emitting a raspy roar of thunder.
As they coiled around him, the spiritual energies in the golden dragons emanated powerful currents of air that shone with a golden luster.
The currents of energies curled and slithered around Li Ye, entered his meridian channels from the Elixir Field, and gathered at his hand before concentrating around the jade medallion.
Massive waves of golden brilliance poured forth and blinded everyone.
With the jade medallion held over the flowerpot, the pot began shaking wildly. There was a loud groan, and it exploded, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions.
Cracks began to appear, spreading like spider webs upon the convulsing barriers.
Li Ye's brows sharpened with ferocity as he cried the incantation of command. "Shatter!"
As commanded, the white sheets of light shattered and crumbled like falling ashes, its fragments dissipating into nothingness.
The rest of the people assembled stared at the now empty entrance to the main hall, dumbstruck. It had happened so fast, but there was no questioning the evidence of their own eyes.
The bearded priest, aghast with fear and incomprehension, sprang to his feet and staggered backward, mumbling, "He destroyed the formation! How is this possible?"
The hand holding the Shangguan Qingcheng's saber trembled uncontrollably, and she nearly dropped her weapon. She looked at the main hall and Li Ye, not quite believing what she had just witnessed. Her cheeks were flushed and her mouth agape, unable to put her thoughts into words.
Li Ye stood up in front of the parterre and leisurely brushed the dirt from his robes. He calmly gazed at the stone tablet of Taoist scriptures on the main shrine.Shangguan Qingcheng stared at Li Ye blankly. How could he have skills rivaling that of the Qi practitioners? Was this really the Heir Apparent?After coming to their senses, the guards looked at Li Ye in disbelief, as if he was either a ghost or a god, and they weren’t sure which.Li Ye walked calmly up the stone steps. He did not stop or make a fuss. One step after another, he walked to the Taoist scriptures left by Yuan Tiangang.To the others, it was a great feat for him to break through the Xiaoxuan Formation. But for Li Ye, who was once a Great Cultivator, it was barely worthy of remembering.Seeing Li Ye walking toward the stone tablet, the bearded priest scowled. The two priests beside him were also quite anxious. "Master, what should we do now?"
The two young Taoist priests continuously kowtowed and begged for forgiveness, their voices wretched as they cried. Li Ye spared them only a glance before ignoring them. Insects like them weren't worthy of his attention. Li Ye called for Shangguan Qingcheng and handed her the Taoist priests to deal with. Considering how furious Shangguan Qingcheng looked, there was unlikely to be a good ending waiting for the two of them. Li Ye returned to the stone tablet and sat down cross-legged in front of it. Having regained his calm, he continued comprehending the inscription Yuan Tiangang left on the stone tablet. To Li Ye, the crucial tasks at hand were comprehending the Taoist scripture, obtaining the Taoist's Luck for himself, and entering the Qi-refining Stage. The wind was incessant on top of the summit, billowing scrolls and sleeves. The calm and focused Li Ye gradually immersed himself in the Taoist scripture inscribed on the stone tablet.
After drawing support from the Dragon Qi to absorb the Luck inside the Taoist scripture, Li Ye had successfully attained the Qi-refining ability. He also finally understood the function of the Dragon Qi. In a nutshell, it was meant to converge Luck for his use. "The imperial court has its Luck, as do people. The so-called Luck of the nation, Luck of the officials, and Taoist's Luck are the same thing." Li Ye, being a Great Cultivator of the Age of Dharma Decline on earth, understood this perfectly well. "A Hidden Dragon who wants to accomplish a great cause and become a True Dragon step by step must rely on the convergence of the Luck of the world. A court official obtains an official's Luck, a Taoist cultivator obtains Taoist's Luck, and the one who obtains people's loyalty will be able to converge people's Luck. The ultimate result is that 'many hands provide a great strength'. If a Hidden Dragon has as many as troops and court officials as wate
Low-level Qi-refining cultivators might not be able to travel on a flying sword, but they weren't an ordinary person either. It was a common sight to see them traveling several meters or even several tens of meters with a single leap. Li Ye estimated the person's cultivation to be higher than his. He was likely a Level 2 Qi-refining practitioner. The black-clothed cultivator was Liu Renneng, the person that Li Yao dispatched. "It must be because the Spiritual Qi fluctuated too greatly after I attained the Qi-refining ability and caught Li Yao's attention." Li Ye's heart was like a mirror. Regular cultivators wouldn't cause such a commotion when entering the Qi-refining Stage. Never mind catching the attention of people a hundred miles away, even those ten miles away would hardly notice it. "He sent a Level 2 Qi-refining practitioner just to check on the situation? Li Yao is generous indeed." Practitioners of Qi techniques were all people with
After killing Liu Renneng, the guards of Prince An's Manor inside and outside the Taoist temple withdrew their weapons and returned to their positions in the formation without any prompting. Injured guards tried their best to stand straight while getting support from their companions. The guards looked at the figure standing on the eaves in the wind with bright eyes. They roared in unison, "Heir Apparent is formidable!" Shangguan Qingcheng's eyes were burning with passion as if she was trying to melt Li Ye down. Li Ye's attack earlier shocked and excited them. He was able to severely injure a Rank 2 Qi-refining practitioner with one move after just learning Qi-refining. An expert like him was the Heir Apparent that they had been looking forward to. Moreover, Li Ye had shown no hesitation in killing Liu Renneng. Such courage and respect for them struck deep into the hearts of the guards. Finally, the hundreds of guards were truly loyal to
The furious Li Guangqian wanted to fight Li Ye yet dared not do so. After all, this was the Court of the Imperial Clan and he was an official here. Unless he didn't want his job anymore, how could he easily injure someone? Even so, the essence of bullying was using one's vicious and imposing manner to overwhelm one's target until the latter would retreat in fear. How many bullies would actually ruin and kill their targets? To his surprise, this approach was ineffective against Li Ye today. Surprised as he was, he was also sullen. His viciousness masked his weakness, after all. Even so, he was unwilling to allow Li Ye's imposing manner to overwhelm him and make him seem incompetent. He gnashed his teeth even harder and his experience turned even fiercer as he tried his best to make himself look even more vicious. "Do you really think I wouldn't dare?" Li Ye casually pushed aside Li Guangqian. He couldn't even be bothered to spare more than a few words f
Prince An's Manor A group of guards gathered together, talking. "When you step on the Tai Xuan Summit, you'll immediately realize the Warrior Mentor Realm, and you'll achieve Qi-refining as soon as you finish reading Taoist scriptures. Is there such a miracle in the world?" "What are you saying? Would I lie to you? General Shangguan said that Celestial Master Yuan left Daoism scripture and Taoist's Luck for the sake of waiting for predestined men and guiding and supporting inferiors. Now it seems obvious that Heir Apparent is the predestined man!" "Unbelievable, it's so amazing! Heir Apparent is the person that Celestial Master Yuan chose... No, he is the descendant of Celestial Master Yuan!" "That's the point. Who is Celestial Master Yuan? A hundred years ago, he had reached the Spiritual Master Realm and was the most powerful people in the Tang Empire. Now Heir Apparent is the descendant of Celestial Master, the
In Duke Xing's Manor... "Liu Renneng is a good-for-nothing! A strong Level 2 Qi-refining practitioner even couldn't beat a weaker one who has just reached Qi-refining. It's really a shame!" Li Yao threw away the messaging jade note in his hand and stared at the advisor in front of him. "What should I do now? Li Ye has returned to Chang'an, but Liu Renneng has not yet written back. Did he die?" The Confucian-looking advisor sighed. "It's reasonable that Liu Renneng wouldn't fail. But if Li Ye had my Glazed Cyan Jade Gourd and Liu Renneng overlooked the enemy, it's possible that he would fail... Now the problem is that our fellows saw in the street that those Taoist priests of Taixuan Hall were brought back to Prince An's Manor by Li Ye." "Those Taoist priests must be brought out!" Li Yao gnashed his teeth. "If those Taoist priests betrayed me, and then Li Ye goes to the Chang'an Office's Court of the Imperial Clan to sue me, after that, every