Three days later.
Li Pingfu, who had already reached the peak of the first layer of Divine Calamity, after accumulating a large amount of treasure beast flesh and diligently practicing the Five Spirit Play, successfully broke through to the second layer of Divine Calamity.
Not only that, his internal strength continuously thickened and nourished his limbs and lungs, making each strand of Black Tiger internal strength robust and radiant, nearly reaching the peak of the second layer.
“Dear fool!”
Li Pingfu’s muscles and bones cracked explosively as he felt the tiger and crane internal strength within his body, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. Since he had long practiced the Black Tiger Technique, his understanding of tiger play was the deepest; the power of the black tiger had advanced another level.
The crane play was an unexpected delight. Probably because he often sparred with his father and younger brother, watching them so much, he understood it well. Now practicing the crane play himself, he advanced quickly, integrating it thoroughly.
All kinds of inspirations in his mind surged rapidly like bubbles.
“The fierce tiger lies on the mountain ridge, the white crane spreads its wings.”
His figure stood tall and upright as he contracted his internal strength.
The tiger form cultivates qi and strength; movements are heavy and powerful, commanding awe, like dragons soaring and tigers leaping; the crane form cultivates essence and spirit; the body is agile, movements nimble, graceful and ethereal.Combining the two achieves a balance of strength and flexibility, forming a move called “Tiger-Crane Dual Form”!
A smile appeared on Li Pingfu’s face. The Tiger-Crane Dual Form was agile in both offense and defense, deeply defensive amid attack, possessing the tiger’s fierce strength and the crane’s flexibility and swiftness, unlike the Black Tiger Technique’s pure brute force. It was excellent.
No wonder it was the Five Spirit Play learned from observing spirit beasts. Just practicing two plays gave him such a powerful move.
Feeling the benefits brought by the Five Spirit Play, Li Pingfu sank his internal strength and continued to cultivate the other three plays.
Until this day, Li Yuan came calling.
“Brother Pingfu, Lei Zhenshan and Lin Fengwu had arranged a duel at Lin Lake, but unexpectedly Lin Fengwu was dishonorable and ambushed on the way. Fortunately, Lei Zhenshan was equally unscrupulous and brought enough men, so they avoided a heavy defeat.”
Li Yuan’s expression was strange, and he sighed. If he were the one challenged, he definitely wouldn’t resort to such dirty tricks in public. These old veterans were cautious enough.
Li Pingfu pondered.
Between these two martial arts schools lay “Lin Xiaowu’s death.” Even dogs must look at their masters. Someone as proud as Lin Fengwu wouldn’t easily let bygones be bygones. Back in the cave, it was a desperate situation, forced by circumstances.
Now that safety was restored, the score had to be settled.
Lin Fengwu’s vengeful heart was heavy; more actions were likely in the future.
Li Pingfu recalled the old woman’s narrowed eyes when she looked at him: strike first to gain the advantage, strike later and suffer!
That night.
The moon was dark and the wind howled—a perfect time for killing.
Li Pingfu, wearing a black mask and clothes, set out from the Li Family Martial Arts School, circled several times, and quietly waited on Lin Fengwu’s unavoidable route.
Under the broken moon in the dark alley, Lin Fengwu’s expression was cold and stern as she walked with her two senior disciples, one ahead and one behind—she practiced the Flame Dance Movement Technique, confident that given reaction time, even if outmatched, she could escape immediately.
The other eight schools had people slower than her.
“Even if you attack Li Pingfu, avenging a man’s grievance, I might easily let you go. But if you strike first, you are weak.”
“Unless the heavens and earth’s net trap you, who can do anything to you?”
“Whoosh!”
A crossbow bolt suddenly broke through the darkness, coming from the east behind, with a faint mechanical sound that was startling in the night.
Lin Fengwu reacted instantly, pushing the second disciple behind her back. With a muffled shout and a burst of blood light, her phoenix-patterned red boots cracked the green bricks. Turning back toward the bolt’s direction, she threw out three poisoned needles!
Unexpectedly, the needles missed their target.
In the night sky, a pitch-black figure leapt down swiftly, almost blocking the sky, and in an instant appeared before Lin Fengwu.
“What quick movements!” Lin Fengwu was startled. Her speed did not seem much slower than the other party’s.
Where in Flat Peach Town did such a master of movement come from!?
The masked man, propelled by his dive, punched toward her neck. Lin Fengwu instinctively used her senior disciple to block, but the girl’s neck snapped like a watermelon rind.
What ferocious internal strength!
Lin Fengwu felt uneasy. In such a short time, she had lost two disciples and felt immense pressure.
Maybe today was the day she would pay the price here!
“Brother, how much did the White Tiger Martial Arts School pay you? I’m willing to pay double!”
Lin Fengwu shouted loudly, but the masked man ignored her, his fierce punches like relentless waves—truly merciless.
Lin Fengwu’s anger flared, her waist twisted oddly backward, shooting three poisoned needles again, then using her hand as a pivot, her right foot kicked upward like a fiery phoenix ascending, the sharp toe viciously striking the masked man’s waist and abdomen!
This move, Phoenix Dance Ascension, was the signature technique of the Flame Dance Movement Technique!
But the masked man neither dodged nor avoided. With the Tiger-Crane Dual Form’s balance of strength and flexibility, using a “four ounces deflects a thousand pounds” technique, he flicked Lin Fengwu’s calf aside while his internal energy rippled, causing a sudden gust of wind in the alley!
The phoenix-patterned red boots cracked instantly, releasing a hidden powder that drifted toward Lin Fengwu, causing her pupils to contract sharply.
In close combat, all the carefully prepared poison powder had stuck to her skirt.
If not for her antidote, she would now be writhing in pain.
Unable to defeat him and unable to poison him.
Lin Fengwu fought fiercely on the surface, but her eyes glanced left and right, thoughts of retreat stirring. Yet before she could act, the masked man charged again without giving her any opening. His fists, like leaping tigers, landed a direct punch on her chest armor.
“Pft!” Lin Fengwu muffled a grunt.
The masked man pressed his advantage, suddenly lunging forward, grabbing her arm with a crane claw, pinning her beneath him, twisting her back with a sickening cracking sound of bones!
Before Lin Fengwu could scream, another punch hit her face, causing her skull to collapse and several blood-stained teeth to scatter onto the green bricks’ crevices.
Lin Fengwu’s death quickly spread throughout Flat Peach Town.
It was said her bones were broken, her face destroyed, and no part of her body looked normal.
“The White Tiger Martial Arts School’s master is too ruthless! Lin’s schoolmaster is also a woman—how could she be treated so cruelly?”
“I don’t even know which expert it was, no mercy at all?”
“Could it have been a demon cultivator?”
Some spoke fearfully.
At the White Tiger Martial Arts School, Lei Zhenshan laughed heartily upon hearing Lin Fengwu’s tragic fate. Good begets good, evil begets evil; retribution comes eventually!
“Lin Fengwu, you deserved this!”
Then his expression changed as he realized he might be framed.
Everyone in town knew about the conflict between White Tiger and Vermilion Bird!
Sure enough, even the county officials sent officers to question and warn them.
Lei Zhenshan nearly strained himself holding in anger—it was a huge black pot to carry!
...........
After settling Lin Fengwu, Li Pingfu felt relaxed in body and mind.
When Lin Xiaowu slipped and fell off the cliff, he initially thought his younger brother did it, as the brother seemed to know the secret technique to soften the Mud King.
But thinking again, if his brother wanted to harm Lin Xiaowu, there were a hundred ways to make her disappear without anyone noticing.
That was truly an accident.
Unexpectedly, Lin Fengwu targeted Lei Zhenshan because of it... and with her vengeful personality, it would inevitably affect the Li Family Martial Arts School.
It was better to strike first.
With the newly learned Crane Style, even if he couldn’t defeat Lin Fengwu, he wouldn’t reveal his identity and could retreat easily.
At the White Tiger Martial Arts School, Li Pingcan came to visit.
“Uncle Lei, I’ve come to observe the White Tiger Charm Painting.”
“Glad to have you.”
Lei Zhenshan smiled, though stuck with a black pot on his head. As long as Lin Fengwu was dead and the officers couldn’t find proof he caused it, what was there to be unhappy about?
In fact, he was grateful to that righteous person who helped solve such a big problem.
From the wounds, no sect’s signature style could be identified, so it was a pity he couldn’t meet that righteous person.
With the big problem resolved, he felt refreshed, watching Li Pingcan who had saved his daughter with approval.
“Yunyun, Li’s younger brother is here.”
After a moment, Lei Yunyun stepped quickly into the reception room, surprised then understanding, “You’re here to observe the White Tiger Painting? I’ll take you.”
“Thank you, Sister Yunyun,” Li Pingcan said gratefully.
Watching his daughter and Li Pingcan leave, Lei Zhenshan suddenly smiled and felt a desire to forge ties.
Though Li Pingcan’s martial talent was ordinary, and even after eating so much treasure beast meat hadn’t broken through the Blood Qi Realm, his older brother’s talent was good!
As the saying goes, when one attains the Way, the chickens and dogs ascend. If the older brother thrives, he should help the younger brother.
Moreover, Li Pingcan, though average in martial talent, was polite, sensible, handsome, and had the proud aura of a noble family’s son.
“Peach Blossom Village isn’t far from Flat Peach Town. At worst, I’ll buy a house for the two kids in town and let them live comfortably.”
He didn’t need Lei Yunyun to reach higher; he just wanted happiness for life.
..........
In the White Tiger Martial Arts School’s quiet room,
Lei Yunyun lit a calming incense for Li Pingcan, gently closed the door, and then stood guard outside.
Observing the Charm Painting required focused mind and calm qi, free from disturbance, or the cultivation could easily fail.
“I must personally guard Brother Li,” she thought.
Inside the room, blue smoke gathered above the charcoal brazier. Li Pingcan gazed intently at the vividly lifelike White Tiger Painting.
Under the swirling brushstrokes of flying sand and rolling stones, the fierce tiger seemed ready to pounce; black ink surged between its claws and teeth. As a slant of sunlight filtered through the window gap, the tiger’s eyes suddenly brightened in the dimness, following the light’s movement. The ink stains between the white tiger’s fangs slowly spread, bleeding intense killing aura onto the rice paper.
“This white tiger is not an ordinary beast, but a spirit beast, though not as high a rank as the spotted great tiger.”
Li Pingcan immediately judged.
The White Tiger Martial Arts School’s “Charm Painting” contained some of the white tiger’s spirit essence. By transforming that into enlightenment, it could raise the proficiency of the Beast Form Intent.
After all, the charm painting contained the previous generation martial ancestor’s own insights condensed into the image, making comprehension easier than his own.
Unfortunately, the White Tiger Martial Arts School’s charm painting radiated very little spiritual light, far below Li Pingcan’s expectations.
“If I have the chance, I must collect other charm paintings.”
The Five Spirit Play was a martial technique; collecting charm paintings and comprehending their spirit essence could raise one’s ceiling.
Seeing no new spiritual light, Li Pingcan prepared to return home. As he was about to leave, Lei Zhenshan eagerly asked, “Did you gain any insights?”
Li Pingcan showed a guilty expression: “I’m foolish and shallow, not as talented as my brother, and have gained no spiritual light.”
Lei Zhenshan was somewhat regretful but not disappointed; he had expected this result.
After all, Li Pingcan did not practice the “Tiger Technique,” so it was normal he couldn’t sense it.
He thought for a moment and said, “Go back and tell your brother to come observe the White Tiger Painting.”
Since they were family, if Li Pingfu grew stronger, Li Pingcan would benefit.
Even if they couldn’t form a marriage alliance, supporting Li Pingfu’s growth was no loss.
Li Pingcan was surprised, hesitated briefly, then thanked, “Thank you, Uncle Lei.”
..........
Time passed slowly.
Li Pingcan honed himself, restrained desires, and while cultivating the Five Spirit Play, often flew to Taichang Mountain to search for the Tunneling Turtle mentioned by the Five Spirits, gathering information from small animals in the mountains.
To weak beasts, that existence seemed like a towering giant, terrifying and fierce; but to birds, the Tunneling Turtle, though enormous, allowed them to rest and was their good elder brother.
“Looks like only disturbing the Tunneling Turtle’s sleep would anger it.”
For the sake of smooth negotiations, after determining the exact location of the Tunneling Turtle, Li Pingcan refreshed [Resistance Enhancement] to prepare for using fire spirit energy, waiting for the Tunneling Turtle’s natural awakening.
Half a month passed. Seeing [Resistance Enhancement] nearing its maximum level in half a year and no sign of awakening, he planned to forcibly awaken the Tunneling Turtle after reaching the peak of the first layer of Divine Calamity.
He set numerous mushroom alarms around, had Little Black patrol the air, looked over the rocky mountain range, and quietly breathed,
“Cast ‘Earth Shaping King’!”
He transformed into Nightingale, standing atop the treetops, casting ten [Earth Shaping] spells at once, consuming a quarter of his mana.
The Dao Spirit Pills absorbed to the last had increased his “mana” manyfold.
In an instant, the land beneath him seemed to stir like an earth dragon turning over; king-quality rocks shifted and pressed, finally awakening the sleeping Tunneling Turtle.
A fierce and angry low roar echoed from underground.
“Who dares disturb my slumber?!”
The soil flowed like water to both sides, and a spirit beast with a conical armored head, skull shining like a pebble, thick limbs, a flat tail, and a surface covered with overlapping hard horn-like plates crawled out of the earth.
The Tunneling Turtle, also called Pangolin.
Now disturbed from its sweet dream, it wagged its tail erratically, stirring up dust and mud. Innocent tree trunks were smashed to splinters, knocking down the tree Li Pingcan stood on.
Li Pingcan flapped his wings and flew up. This Tunneling Turtle’s waking anger was indeed huge!
This was no good.
He took out a token of Bear Hair and Crane Feather and dropped it in front of the Tunneling Turtle, raising his voice:
“Tunneling Dao Friend, this is the Five Spirits token from Spirit Mountain. I heard you cultivate here, so I’ve come to pay respects.”
The Tunneling Turtle sneered coldly, flicked its tail, and smashed the falling crane feather into powder: “What cats and birds dare disturb my peace? I don’t care who you know! Even if you know the Heavenly King, it won’t help. You’re asking for death!”
“Tunneling Dao Friend, no need for long sleep in life, and after death you will rest forever. Disturbing you earlier was helplessness.”
Li Pingcan earnestly pleaded, “Let’s sit down and talk. I will give you an explanation.”
But the reply was a slap straight across his face!
“Crack!”
The forest fell in an unending tide. The Tunneling Turtle whipped its tail disdainfully, “Still putting on airs, little Nightingale. Ridiculous, you think you deserve an explanation? Today I’ll show you some color!”
“Sorry, Venerable Nightingale.”
After a moment, the battered Tunneling Turtle curled its front legs and trembled, kneeling before Nightingale, regretful: “I spoke too loudly earlier. I admit my mistake and repent. Please, Venerable Sir, overlook this little beast’s fault and spare me.”
The Tunneling Turtle slid on its knees at lightning speed. In fact, it had not even used its innate talent yet, but was restrained by the surging muddy sand and then slapped away by Nightingale’s two palms.
It originally thought Nightingale’s magic was harmless, but now realized that was because the spirit beast revered Nightingale.
If Nightingale got serious, even harmless earth could turn into devouring mud!
Although the Tunneling Turtle’s talent was drilling through mud, it had never encountered wave after wave of mud surging in its own domain and being completely suppressed. It immediately gave up and begged obediently.
“You were quite fierce just now, planning to show me some color?” Li Pingcan stared at the Tunneling Turtle.
“I was foolish, shortsighted, blind to your arrival, Venerable Sir.”
The Tunneling Turtle said flattering words repeatedly. If it knew how powerful this Nightingale really was, it wouldn’t have acted arrogantly!
Speaking of the Five Spirits, it was an old acquaintance; why hadn’t they given more hints or signals? That had doomed it!
Li Pingcan didn’t make things difficult for the Tunneling Turtle.
After all, he had disturbed someone’s sleep himself, and wouldn’t have been so harsh if the Tunneling Turtle hadn’t spoken so arrogantly.
He got straight to the point: “I heard you have star meteorites here?”
“Yes, yes, Venerable Sir, I do have them.”
The Tunneling Turtle relaxed, not fearing Nightingale’s request, only fearing no request at all.
Star Meteorites—this was easy.
“Venerable Nightingale, please wait a moment. I will fetch the star meteorite now.”
“Quickly, quickly.” Li Pingcan’s face brightened as he urged.
The Tunneling Turtle suddenly shrank into a stone ball, spinning like a rolling stone at high speed, burrowing into the earth.
Li Pingcan was not afraid it would run. The Earth Pulse Sense clearly detected the Tunneling Turtle’s location; if it dared flee, he could still unearth it.
Moreover, from the Tunneling Turtle’s mental state, it was completely intimidated and dared not deceive him.
Before long, the Tunneling Turtle reemerged, exposing its belly to reveal a small stone shining with starry light, wrapped inside its stomach.
“This is the star meteorite? So small?” Li Pingcan was puzzled. In his previous life, meteorite fall news always reported huge sizes.
The Tunneling Turtle nervously explained, “I dare not deceive Venerable Sir. This is the essence of the meteorite, so it is small.”
Li Pingcan nodded. A breeze blew as he collected the star meteorite in his arms.
As soon as he touched it, he sensed five strong streams of golden spiritual energy. They did not escape but were firmly locked in the meteorite’s outer shell.
A stone from beyond the heavens contained such dense golden spiritual energy—could there be a celestial cultivation world beyond?
Li Pingcan boldly speculated.
But such matters were too distant; better to grasp the current golden spiritual energy.
He closed his eyes and used [Element Gathering], instantly absorbing and refining the five streams of golden energy.