My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 255 – Good Fortune Arrives in Pairs, the Unrivaled Temple Master - Part 3

Chapter 255 – Good Fortune Arrives in Pairs, the Unrivaled Temple Master - Part 3

On the night of the Jing Clan wedding, Li Yuan and Cui Huayin traveled by carriage through the third gate. Lifting the curtain, Li Yuan caught a glimpse of a festive scene. There were red double-happiness symbols and papercut decorations everywhere, rows of red lanterns hanging overhead.

The warm glow lit up a faint layer of mist rolling in, and in the background stood the exotic flora unique to the city stronghold. The air was thick with scents that stirred the blood—perfume and flower fragrances, the aroma of cooking meat, and even the metallic tang of fresh blood from the meat fields.

Sitting in the carriage with his eyes closed, Li Yuan could feel the pulse of the lively festivities.

Clad in loose white robes, Li Yuan’s tall, muscular frame seemed ordinary at a glance. However, that was because his physique was lean and dense rather than bulky.

Beside him, Cui Huayin commented, “So much joy and celebration inside the city while fighting rages on outside. This must mean something.”

“Yes,” Li Yuan replied quietly. “The Holy Tree Temple is striving for internal unity.”

Cui Huayin said suddenly, “I’ve broken through to sixth rank.”

Li Yuan had already sensed it; she’d made the breakthrough the previous night. Her power had jumped from seventh rank by the time she went to bed to sixth rank by morning. Thanks to her father and husband both being weaponsmiths, the moment she reached sixth rank, she acquired top-tier weapons. Her combat power nearly doubled overnight, surpassing even Yan Mu, though it was still lower than that of the ebony kinghounds.

Feigning surprise, Li Yuan exclaimed, “Really?”

Without holding back, she circulated her shadow blood in the cramped carriage, her dark hair drifting in an invisible breeze, her eyes shining bright as a full moon.

“Thank you,” she said. “You reminded me that the heart of the Cycle of Withering and Growth isn’t about withering or growth but the cycle between the two. Like a wildfire burning the plains, only for spring winds to bring life again.”

A subtle, beautiful smile touched Cui Huayin’s lips, though it faded quickly. She worried about hurting her husband’s pride.

After all, it was widely known that Li Yuan’s cultivation had reached a bottleneck at sixth rank. If he couldn’t progress to the fifth rank, his path as a martial artist was effectively capped. This was why he had branched out into weaponsmithing and beast taming.

In a rare show of tenderness, Cui Huayin leaned against him and wrapped her arm around his. “No matter what, I’m still your wife. What’s mine is yours.”

Li Yuan blinked, registering the slight note of mischievous triumph under her soft tone.

She quickly changed the subject. “Where’s Sheng'er? Why not bring her?”

“She needs to be in bed early.”

They fell silent, enjoying a rare moment of closeness.

Once they arrived, they disembarked and entered the banquet. Not long after, a discreet attendant quietly invited Li Yuan to the rear courtyard. The lively atmosphere of the front hall seemed worlds away here. The back courtyard was so still you could hear a pin drop, and the figures gathered here were anything but ordinary.

Front and center stood a man in azure robes. Tall and upright, he carried an air of righteousness. His long sleeves were embroidered with subtle white plum blossoms, giving him a transcendent, almost celestial grace.

Yet what truly made Li Yuan’s heart lurch was the flicker of numbers he spotted floating near the man—8,772~35,166! He tore his gaze away, afraid that even the slightest sign of his amazement might draw attention.

There was no question. This was Qing Hancheng, the temple master of Holy Tree Temple. According to what Cui Heng had told Li Yuan, this man had broken into fourth rank 178 years ago and had been stuck there ever since, likely at the near-peak of the realm.

That level of power could overturn the entire Holy Tree Temple if he wished. Li Yuan couldn’t fathom why someone that strong would concern himself with something like Zhu Ban’s betrayal. Couldn’t he destroy Zhu Ban with a flick of the wrist?

Concealing his true thoughts, Li Yuan glanced toward Cui Wuji, who gave him a meaningful look. Taking the hint, Li Yuan bowed and said respectfully, “Li Yuan greets the temple master.”

Qing Hancheng cast his gaze about with a hearty laugh. “Who says our Holy Tree Temple is lacking in talent? Master Li and his son are proof to the contrary!”

The other high ranking members of the Holy Tree Temple joined in with polite laughter.

With that, Qing Hancheng stepped forward, dropping all formalities, and addressed Li Yuan directly. “So, how are you finding life in the city stronghold?”

“It suits me very well,” Li Yuan replied. In truth, he was worried the temple master might ask him to move inside the third gate permanently, an invitation he wouldn’t be able to refuse.

Qing Hancheng merely brought up the Black Lotus Cult in passing and quickly set it aside. “The Black Lotus Cult has overstepped its bounds, stretching its claws to my very doorstep. I won’t tolerate that.”

“Yes, Temple Master,” Li Yuan replied respectfully.

Qing Hancheng continued, “Long ago, I obtained two secret manuals on beast taming. One has been verified to allow the taming of fifth rank demonic beasts. The other hasn’t been tested, but it makes the audacious claim of controlling even fourth rank demonic beasts. I’ve kept them for years; they’re practically gathering dust. Now, I’d like to give them to you.”

“Temple Master,” Li Yuan said, “I’m only sixth rank—”

Qing Hancheng cut him off, “Among the Four Extraordinary Arts—weaponsmith, beast taming, puppet making, and alchemy—a martial artist’s cultivation rank isn’t as strict a requirement once they’ve reached sixth rank. Beyond that, it’s all about secret arts and knowledge, rather than the skills you’d have learned at lower ranks. You should understand this.”

“I do,” Li Yuan admitted.

It reminded him of the secret arts that Zhu Ban had taught him. Metal-Spirit Resonance was a sixth rank ultimate skill, which enabled smithing of fifth rank spirit artifacts.

So, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to consider Metal-Spirit Resonance a fifth rank skill. But in truth, it was a secret art. The same applied to Heavensense, another secret art that nonetheless offered power equivalent to a fourth rank skill.

Suddenly Qing Hancheng called out, “Deputy Jing!”

A figure in snow-white robes drifted forward—Jing Baikou.

“I’m leaving Master Li in your care,” Qing Hancheng said. “I have other matters to attend to.”

“Rest assured, Temple Master,” Jing Baikou replied with a smile. “Though I’ve only just met Master Li, I can already tell we’ll get along famously.”

With that, Qing Hancheng turned and departed, heading in the direction of the Liu Clan.

Jing Baikou greeted Li Yuan warmly, chatting a bit before saying with a laugh, “I hear you can tame sixth rank demonic beasts. It so happens my clan has one locked up. It’s a top-tier specimen, wasting away in our clan’s hands. Why not let you take it with you, eh?”

At that point, Li Yuan couldn’t very well refuse outright, but he responded with a sigh, “I won’t hide it from you, Deputy Jing. I’m only able to tame canine-type demonic beasts at the sixth rank.”

Jing Baikou blinked, clearly caught off guard. Still, he pressed on. “All the same, please come have a look.”

Li Yuan nodded, and they walked side by side. As they went, Jing Baikou explained, “It’s an extremely rare, plant-based demonic beast called the eternal demon bloom. It might look like a flower, but it’s sentient. It can uproot itself and move on its own, with astounding vitality and reproductive power. Once it takes root, it becomes a colossal threat.

“Back then, our Holy Tree Temple had to mount a massive campaign to destroy it, costing us several sixth rank lives. Even a fifth rank elder was badly injured before we succeeded.

“One of these blooms needs only a single seed planted in the ground; within two hours, it’ll germinate, bloom, and produce more seeds. These spread quickly, and each new seed takes root in the same manner. Repeating this cycle, the area becomes an ocean of crimson flowers. Without containment, or the right terrain to limit them, I suspect the entire world would’ve already been blanketed in these blooms already.”

They continued conversing as they walked off.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Meanwhile, at the Liu estate, Qing Hancheng descended from the night sky. His sudden arrival startled Liu Luzi and Liu Sang, who had been discussing something in hushed tones.

Before Liu Luzi could react, a wave of power slammed into her; everything went black as she lost consciousness on the spot. Liu Sang stood there, paralyzed.

Gazing at Liu Sang, Qing Hancheng said, “Run.”

Liu Sang couldn’t believe his ears.

“Run,” Qing Hancheng repeated coldly.

That single word exploded in Liu Sang’s mind. He felt like a lone traveler in the wilderness, stumbling beneath the moon with a ferocious tiger closing in. Terror seized him, making it impossible to fight or think. He could only turn and flee at full speed.

Flee! Flee! Hurry! He tore through the twisting corridors, racing toward the ancient ghost street. If only he could reach it, he’d be safe...

The seconds dragged on like years.

Liu Sang’s heart hammered. Sweat streamed down his face; before long, he was soaked as though caught in a downpour. Meanwhile, the azure-robed man sat calmly in the moonlight some distance behind, occasionally rubbing his forehead with a slight frown, as if battling a headache.

Suddenly, Liu Sang saw his chance. A footstep more, and he would be inside the ancient ghost street. freeweɓnovel~cѳm

Safe! he thought wildly. Any composure he’d once had was shattered. In the next instant, a rush of crimson lit up the space behind him.

A scalding blood-red mist slammed into the threshold, prying open the ghostly gateway and allowing the figure in azure to streak into the ancient ghost street like a bolt of lightning.

Blood erupted from all around him like blades, creating a sword domain extending several hundred meters.

Any undying husk caught in this blood-hued sword energy screamed as their bodies dissolved like snow in hot water. Surprisingly, he was careful not to harm the street vendors.

Even here, Qing Hancheng evidently knew his way around the ancient ghost street. He pivoted in midair and sped toward the stronghold of the undying husks.

A blood debt demanded blood in return. If they had dared stretch a hand toward him, they would now pay the price.

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