Chapter 487: Chapter 309: The Five Swords Alliance, Snow Mountain Hunt, Li Xian’s Stage, Astonishing the Talented Youths

Next day.

Li Xian practiced inner cultivation for his five viscera, accumulating skill level in the "Five Viscera Avoiding Dross and Gathering Yang Scripture" to [2869/24000 Great Success]. Due to his lodging in a small inn, there was no place to practice long spears, hence the "Broken Demon Spear" remained stagnant.

The Qi Lake rippled, nurturing inner qi. It circulated throughout the body, nourishing the physique and spirit.

Li Xian found some leisure, having already explored the reason behind the "Dew of Dawn," thinking of yesterday’s temple fair where the young prodigies gathered, displaying a myriad of peculiar skills and sights. He kept reminiscing about his martial arts, examining his strengths and weaknesses:

Yihetang Manor has Clear Wind Leg, Four Directions Fist, Jade Palm, Vast Leg, Daluo Saber Technique, Vertical Cloud Hand, Setting Sun Bloodsword. All belong to basic or incomplete forms, but can be freely and effortlessly executed once reaching peak mastery. The Setting Sun Bloodsword remains his trump card.

Martial arts from other factions include: Iron Copper Body, Thunderbolt Finger, Seven Stars Step, Five Viscera Avoiding Dross and Gathering Yang Scripture, Avoid Jade True Skill, Xunfeng Breath, Vomiting Blood Scripture... each martial art serves a different purpose.

The Water Altar of Flower Cage Sect has: Flying Snake Hand, Broken Demon Spear, Five Elemental Odd Escape. Li Xian diligently practiced, his foundation already deep, even if the martial arts are diverse and incomplete, their quality varies, yet he has mastered them with noteworthy achievement.

Avoid Jade True Skill and Xunfeng Breath originate from the Nangong Family. The quality of Avoid Jade True Skill is exceptionally high, its health benefits are remarkable. Li Xian has learned the first layer of "Avoid Jade True Skill," achieving beginner level; gaining mastery still requires time and effort. Xunfeng Breath has achieved minor achievement.

Li Xian thought: "My martial arts are diverse, composed of many miscellaneous factions. Compared to disciples of prominent sects, my weakness is the lack of resonance among my martial arts, failing to form a system. Even though I have many martial arts at their peak, they simply add up without synergy. If they formed a system, they could be greater than the sum of their parts. But numbers can’t compensate for quality. I shouldn’t favor one over the other, as I have many peak martial arts and my inner qi accumulation is quite abundant."

"If purely comparing inner qi... I should be no worse. This time venturing into the mountain to hunt the snow mountain spirit fox, I am uneasy without knowing why. It seems to be a tangle of debts. Now entangled with Flower Cage Sect and Candle Sect."

"In addition, the situation in Flying Dragon City is not clear. The five famous sword sects of Lishan, Jiushan, Hushan, Yangshan, Yueshan have gathered disciples here. Whether by coincidence or other reasons, I truly do not know these internal details. If they don’t interfere with my plans, I don’t need to know them." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"But ultimately... for now, it’s best not to reveal my identity as Li Xian or disguise as Hua Wuchuo. The former exposes my whereabouts, while the latter is a flower thief. If revealed, those self-proclaimed noble young heroes would certainly become irreconcilable enemies, wanting my demise. I must use another identity, calmly obtaining the Dew of Dawn, before addressing other matters."

Li Xian brewed qi, expelling clear qi. White mist enveloped, and all impurities on his face disappeared. The copper mirror reflected a handsome, flawless face. He bound his long hair with a bamboo hairpin, displaying unmatched elegance, the golden pattern around the red mole on his forehead growing more mysterious.

This face, seen once, is hard to forget.

Li Xian mused: "Flying Dragon City has many gathering factions, with hidden currents beneath. Lately, I’ve seen many wearing masks unwilling to reveal themselves. I could mimic them, using a mask to hide my appearance and conceal my true identity."

Thus he walked to the streets, searching to purchase a mask. The flow of people in Flying Dragon City is complex, with various Jianghu shops on the side, selling arrows, weapons, boots, masks, hats... all sorts of miscellaneous items.

Li Xian entered a shop and chose a "White Mask." The mask had no nose or mouth, only exposing the eyes. It was securely worn, making it hard to drop even when running or hunting.

Li Xian tried it on, feeling quite satisfied, looking into the mirror. Although the mask completely covers his features, his demeanor and charm are hard to conceal. His eyes are deep yet clear, youthful yet stable, brows raised like a sword. Perhaps naturally, or influenced by Flower Cage Sect’s bad habits, his eyes carry a hint of flirtatious charm and peach blossom allure.

The mask’s material is excellent, made of refined animal leather, capable of protecting the skin. Its value is slightly high, costing one tael of silver. Li Xian, short on money, pawned some items to compensate. Wearing the mask out on the street, he strolled around. Some occasionally glanced at him but didn’t find it strange.

Li Xian prepared everything, returned to the inn, taking out the "Peach Blossom Bow," equipping dozens of wooden arrows. Then headed towards the snow mountain.

The terrain of Flying Dragon City is higher, and the east side is a stretch of snow mountains, draped in silver, with complex topography. There are bears, wolves, wild boars, snow leopards... many wild beasts. City Lord He has loved hunting since childhood, organizing winter hunts annually in the snow mountains.

Li Xian headed east, with a "dagger" on his waist, longbow on his back, and Ghost Python Spear hidden in his sleeve. He stood tall, walking briskly, his hair orderly, exuding an impressive aura. Upon reaching the east city gate, the wind and snow were fierce today, making it unsuitable to travel.

Li Xian gently touched his mask, thinking: "Today I’ll first scout around, even if I can’t hunt the ’snow mountain spirit fox,’ I can hunt some animals to sell for money. Currently, I have no money left, can’t even stay in Flying Dragon City."

He saw a small shop selling hot food on the street side and went to ask for a bowl of hot tea, drinking it down to warm his body. He exited the city gate, following the road east, walking for over ten miles where it becomes deserted.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves echoed. Several horses rushed in, and Li Xian stepped aside to avoid them, seeing Zhou Shijie, Gu Nianjun, Yang Wentian, Wang Dezhong... among others. They rode horses with bows, dressed elegantly, and galloped with youthful vigor.

It turns out that after the banquet last night, many prodigies became friends. Hearing about the "Dew of Dawn," they were moved, thinking it rare to come here and hard to resist staying. They decided to hunt in the mountain together, showcasing their skills further.

Gu Nianjun appeared heroic, riding a reddish-brown fragrant horse, looking exceedingly splendid. Beside him was Mu Hongzhou on a white horse, riding together, stirring up snowflakes as they chatted cheerfully, similar in age with many topics. Gu Nianjun suddenly noticed the man beside the road, thinking: "This season’s hunting, he’s either a hunter or here for the Dew of Dawn." Seeing his straight posture, long hair flowing in the wind, despite wearing a mask, he emanated an impressive aura. Couldn’t help but look twice, his curiosity piqued even more after meeting his eyes.