Chapter 21: Li Zang

Chapter 21: Li Zang

A short while later, Qin Guan slowly clenched his fist. Wrapped in Gang Qi, a wisp of white vapor quietly condensed around it.

Boom!

Qin Guan drove his fist into the barrier of light before him.

The moment his fist made contact, the barrier shattered almost instantaneously, dissolving into scattered points of starlight.

"Ha! I broke through it!"

Qin Guan was overcome with excitement. He quickly looked beyond where the barrier had been — and at that moment, a silver-haired elder suddenly appeared before him.

The elder looked Qin Guan up and down. "To be an eighth-gate Martial Artist at such a young age — remarkable, truly remarkable!"

"This junior greets Senior." At the sight of the elder, Qin Guan was visibly moved and quickly bowed in respect.

"No need for formalities." The elder gave a slight nod.

"May I ask, Senior — are you the venerable Yang Tianni?" Qin Guan's voice trembled faintly, his eyes filled with hopeful anticipation as he looked at the elder.

The elder shook his head slightly. "No."

No.

Hearing that single word, the hope in Qin Guan's eyes visibly dimmed, and his face was instantly written over with disappointment.

"Yang Tianni is my master," the elder added suddenly.

"What!"

Qin Guan snapped his head up to look at the elder, his voice surging with excitement. "Then, Senior, you are—?"

The elder stroked his beard with a smile. "I am called Li Zang. I am Master's third disciple. I have waited here for over twenty thousand years for someone to break the formation — and it was you who awakened me."

Over twenty thousand years!

Qin Guan was stunned. He quickly asked, "Senior Li Zang, have you Ascended?"

"Ha, you give me far too much credit. I am a Martial Artist — the Great Dao has never been within my reach in this life." Li Zang said with a touch of melancholy.

A Martial Artist?

Qin Guan frowned in puzzlement. "Senior, since you are Yang Tianni's disciple, could you not gather Spiritual Energy to walk the Sword Dao?"

Li Zang let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. "My aptitude was dull and clumsy. I could never grasp the profound essence of the martial arts our master created."

Upon hearing this, Qin Guan's expression suddenly turned urgent. "Senior, I too am a wretched, earthbound Martial Artist. I wish to learn the sword — may I try?"

Li Zang nodded.

"According to the rules our master set back then, whoever could break this Array Formation would receive the Inheritance. Since you have broken it, you are naturally entitled."

As Li Zang finished speaking, an ancient tome suddenly floated before Qin Guan.

"Many thanks, Senior!"

Qin Guan hurriedly took the tome in his hands and opened it eagerly. When he saw its contents, he immediately frowned. "The 'Yuan-Shifting Sword Art' — a fragment?"

"Back then, none of us three disciples could grasp the essence of Master's Cultivation Technique. Not wishing to see his life's work fall into obscurity, Master divided the technique into three parts and implanted a seal within each of us. After our deaths, our remnant souls would drift to various places and await a fated successor in later generations."

Upon hearing Li Zang's words, Qin Guan quickly asked, "Where might the other two Seniors be found?"

Li Zang shook his head. "None of us three disciples ever saw the complete Yuan-Shifting Sword Art."

Hearing this, Qin Guan was puzzled. "If none of you ever saw the complete technique, how could you know it was impossible to comprehend?"

Li Zang smiled. "Each scroll begins with a complete section of cultivation methods. Whether one can comprehend it becomes clear the moment one tries."

Qin Guan nodded and fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

"There is no need to be anxious. To cultivate the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art to the Grand Ascension Stage, all ten gates must be opened — and you still have two battle gates yet to unlock." Li Zang said with a smile.

Qin Guan was somewhat astonished. "That threshold is truly steep. Senior Li Zang, are you a tenth-gate Martial Artist?"

"I am." Li Zang nodded.

"Senior, you are truly formidable!"

A look of reverence immediately spread across Qin Guan's face.

For a Martial Artist to open the tenth gate — the Heaven Gate — was no easy feat. It was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. In all his years, Li Zang was the first tenth-gate Martial Artist he had ever laid eyes on.

"No need to flatter me. When I was your age, I was only a fourth-gate Martial Artist — you are far superior to what I was!" Li Zang waved his hand dismissively, then continued:

"There is one more important condition for cultivating the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art."

"What condition?" Qin Guan asked immediately.

"Sword intent. You need a sword intent — without one, cultivation is impossible." Li Zang said.

Upon hearing this, Qin Guan opened his palm. In the next moment, a golden True Dragon Sword Intent appeared in the center of his hand.

"That sword intent is quite impressive. It seems you and this Yuan-Shifting Sword Art truly share a destined bond!"

Li Zang clicked his tongue in amazement. Martial Artists could not gather Spiritual Energy to walk the Sword Dao and had no way of comprehending sword intent on their own — the only method was to subdue an existing sword intent.

But getting a sword intent to submit to a Martial Artist was extraordinarily difficult. Back in his day, it had taken him a full ten years of effort to barely subdue a single sword intent.

"Just got lucky." Qin Guan grinned. He hadn't expected that the True Dragon Sword Intent he had subdued earlier would prove so immediately useful.

At that moment, a Storage Pouch suddenly appeared in Li Zang's hand. He upended it, and its contents spilled out onto the ground.

Cultivation Techniques, Pills, martial arts techniques, spiritual materials — a great heap of all manner of things.

"Senior, what is this?" Qin Guan looked at Li Zang.

Li Zang smiled. "Nothing particularly valuable — all the good things were distributed to the clan members long ago. Help yourself to whatever you like; the rest can be given to the group outside."

"Very well, then this junior won't stand on ceremony!"

Qin Guan nodded and casually picked up a technique manual. Finding it was a Yellow-Grade intermediate leg technique, he deemed the rank too low and set it back down, then picked up another.

Yellow-Grade advanced palm technique — still too low.

Yellow-Grade advanced blade technique — no.

Earth-Grade low-level blade technique — no.

Earth-Grade intermediate spear technique — no.

Earth-Grade intermediate palm technique — no.

Earth-Grade advanced Ice Spirit Art — no.

Heaven-Grade low-level Profound Origin Art — no.

"Young man, what exactly are you looking for?" Watching Qin Guan flip through every single technique manual without taking a single one, Li Zang couldn't help but ask.

"I'm hoping to find a higher-grade sword technique." Qin Guan rubbed his nose with a slightly sheepish expression.

"The only sword-related things left are those two ordinary soul-weapon swords." Li Zang said with a wry smile.

"Very well." Qin Guan nodded.

At that moment, he suddenly recalled that the Nan Family's heirloom was a Yellow-Grade intermediate palm technique — and according to Nan Rou, her father treated that Yellow-Grade intermediate palm technique like a priceless treasure, keeping it locked away and revered.

Since he intended to develop and strengthen the Nan Family, these items would surely be treasures to them and well-suited for their use.

With that thought, Qin Guan gathered all the higher-quality technique manuals, martial arts techniques, Pills, the three soul-weapon swords, and the spiritual herbs he judged to be worth something into his Storage Pouch.

"Take that black iron piece."

Just as Qin Guan was about to announce he had finished his selection, the Little Black Pagoda's voice suddenly rang out.

Following the voice, he spotted a palm-sized chunk of black iron and reached out to grab it — only to find that the palm-sized piece weighed over a thousand pounds.

His heart gave a jolt. "Something this small weighs this much? Pagoda Lord, what is this?"

The Little Black Pagoda replied, "Black Sky Meteoric Iron. If even a small amount is mixed in when forging a weapon, it makes the blade sharper and more resilient. A chunk this size — you've struck it rich, boy."

Hearing the Little Black Pagoda's words, Qin Guan quickly stowed the Black Sky Meteoric Iron into his Storage Pouch.

"Senior Li Zang, I have finished my selection."

"You little…" Seeing that Qin Guan had essentially swept up every decent item, Li Zang let out an exasperated laugh.

"Heh heh, I'm just very poor right now."

Qin Guan gave a simple-minded grin. He couldn't help it — his master was away, and the Nan Family was completely destitute. He needed to find ways to make money.

If Li Zang hadn't told him to take some and leave the rest for the people outside, he would have absolutely taken everything off the ground.

Li Zang said nothing. With a sweep of his sleeve, the remaining items on the ground vanished, scattering into the various trial spaces.

"Young friend, my remnant soul can hold on a little longer. How about we spar?" Li Zang looked at Qin Guan — he was very curious to test the strength of this young man who had broken through their master's seal.

"Of course!"

Hearing that Li Zang wanted to spar with him, Qin Guan's interest was immediately ignited. Sparring with a Martial Artist of this caliber would surely yield tremendous gains.

Li Zang glanced around and smiled. "Let's keep it to four battle gates — otherwise, I fear this hall may not be able to withstand it."

"Agreed." Qin Guan nodded at once.

Boom!

Boom!

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously unleashed the Gang Qi within their bodies. Qin Guan's was a pale red, while Li Zang's Gang Qi was noticeably deeper in color.

"Senior, forgive my offense!" Qin Guan's figure trembled and vanished from the spot in an instant.

And at almost the very same moment, Li Zang also disappeared from where he stood.

* * *

Smack!

A Yellow-Grade advanced blade technique manual suddenly fell from the air and struck Nan Yunqi squarely in the face.

"H-high, high — mmph!"

Nan Yunqi's eyes went wide. He hurriedly clamped both hands over his mouth and swept his gaze around him.

Several Spirit Refinement Realm Cultivators nearby had already locked their eyes onto Nan Yunqi.

Without a word, Nan Yunqi turned and bolted down the mountain.

In that moment, Nan Yunqi mobilized nearly every drop of Spiritual Energy in his Dantian, fleeing for his life. To hell with fighting those wooden dummies!

The Nan Family's heirloom technique, passed down through generations, was only a Yellow-Grade intermediate manual. Now he had just received a Yellow-Grade advanced technique smacking him in the face. Don't let the single grade difference fool you — one grade apart was a world of difference!

In Luyun City, even the Xiao Family possessed only a Yellow-Grade advanced technique. Now that a Yellow-Grade advanced technique had literally fallen onto his face, he was completely beside himself with joy!

He was even willing to risk his life to protect this overwhelming windfall — to leave this Inheritance for the Nan Family and benefit generations to come!

"Nan Yunqi, stop right there!"

Having just heard Nan Yunqi stammer out two "h-high, high—" and seeing his expression of utter shock, everyone now believed he had obtained some heaven-defying advanced technique.

Earlier, out of deference to Qin Guan, they had all been polite and courteous toward Nan Yunqi, this head of a third-rate clan. But now, who could afford to hold back? If they could get their hands on the technique in his possession, they would surely rise to prominence across the Yuanyin Continent!