Long Hou looked at the Li Guanqi of today, unable to help feeling a wave of emotion.
The once-weak youth had, in what felt like the blink of an eye, become an indomitable powerhouse standing tall between heaven and earth...
As the eldest brother, he carried ample responsibility and grit.
Naturally, Li Guanqi possessed the formidable strength befitting his stature.
Long Hou did not dwell overly much on Li Guanqi's rapid rise in power.
Instead, his heart ached to think of how much suffering Li Guanqi must have endured in such a brief span of time.
Cultivation was like rowing against the current; to not advance was to fall back.
To possess formidable strength required an equivalent price to be paid.
Just like Li Guanqi's life-and-death clash with Xun Tian—had it not been for Li Guanqi's growth within the Nirvana Pagoda, facing the mighty Xun Tian with his Demon King Body would hardly have been so effortless.
Any slight slip would have ended in death and the dissolution of one's Dao.
Thus, being able to slay Xun Tian was by no means a matter of luck—it was entirely a matter of strength!
Long Hou spoke softly.
"Alright, I'll summon Yu Shan shortly to discuss this matter and give you an answer."
"As for the rest..."
"I may have to enter seclusion!"
A bright glint flashed in Li Guanqi's eyes; it seemed Long Hou's seclusion this time would be an all-out assault on the Tribulation Transcendence Realm!
"Understood. Then I'll head back and await your word, Uncle Long. As for anything else, I can just speak with Senior Hong Zhi."
Long Hou smiled faintly. Not long after Li Guanqi departed, a figure appeared inside the secret chamber—none other than Yu Shan!
Li Guanqi had just returned to the White Jade Tower.
At the same time, outside the palace's secret chamber, Yu Shan walked out muttering curses, sporting a black eye.
"Didn't we agree to persuade with virtue?!"
"How can you resort to fists just because you lost an argument?!"
Yu Shan curled his lip. The thought of having been stuck before that barrier for so long made him sigh eventually, and he pulled out a jade slip to contact Li Guanqi.
The very reason he maintained myriad clones was to seek a breakthrough past the law barrier through the independent efforts of each clone!
Yet now, Wu Mian—the clone who appeared to hold the greatest promise—remained stuck before it as well.
Yu Shan couldn't help sighing.
A lost, dazed look surfaced in his eyes.
When his gaze refocused, he looked down with a bitter smile.
Now, a golden opportunity lay before him, with Long Hou serving as the finest proof.
Through Li Guanqi's power, Long Hou had truly grasped the key to a breakthrough.
Rather than remaining stalled like this indefinitely, he might as well trade his technique to win Li Guanqi's goodwill.
Yu Shan took a deep breath and spoke into the jade slip.
"I'm coming to see you right now."
Having just returned to the White Jade Tower, Li Guanqi retrieved his jade slip, the corners of his mouth curling upward as he listened to the voice transmission.
With a flash, Li Guanqi entered the sword coffin space and noticed that spiritual light was still shimmering within the second layer's Nirvana Pagoda.
It seemed Meng Wanshu had returned not long after he left.
Sending a voice transmission to Gu Li, he said solemnly, "Old Sixth, come out for a moment."
At this moment, runes flickered around Gu Li; he was clearly immersed in a state of epiphany.
Yet upon hearing Li Guanqi's transmission, he felt not the slightest annoyance.
Silently committing his train of thought and newfound insights to memory, he stepped out of the pagoda.
With disheveled hair and a haggard face, Gu Li caught sight of Li Guanqi standing nearby the moment he emerged.
He hastily smoothed back his messy hair and grinned.
"Big Brother, what did you call me out for?"
Li Guanqi said nothing more, merely turning to leave the sword coffin space.
Gu Li frowned slightly, but followed behind Li Guanqi in silence.
He knew Li Guanqi would only interrupt him if something truly important had come up.
Yet the moment Gu Li stepped out of the White Jade Tower, he saw someone he had longed to meet standing right at the main entrance!
"Aaaah! Yu Shan!"
*Whoosh!*
A figure swift as wind flashed beside Yu Shan, reaching out to seize his arm.
However, what little Gu Li knew of concealment and stealth had all been learned from Wu Mian.
How could Yu Shan possibly be caught by him?
Yu Shan shifted three inches to the side and clamped a hand down on Gu Li's wrist in a reverse grip.
Yet not a flicker of panic appeared in Gu Li's eyes.
Instead, a cunning gleam sparkled within them.
Silver light flashed across an inscribed talisman in his left palm—it was an ultra-short-range teleportation!
The talisman stuck instantly onto Yu Shan's abdomen, and his face changed drastically!
With a flick of his wrist, he flung Gu Li away. Right before Li Guanqi's astounded eyes, Yu Shan's belly swelled at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Sensing this, Yu Shan's expression turned exceedingly ugly.
He looked as utterly disgusted as though he had swallowed a dead fly.
As his abdomen bulged high, Yu Shan suddenly and keenly sensed his soul power being uncontrollably siphoned away.
A spiritual aura manifested within his belly, and there was even... a trace of life force!
This truly shocked Yu Shan.
What Gu Li had just done...
clearly bore the shadow of the first layer of his own technique!
Yet in this entire world, only he knew of that ancient secret technique's existence!
Even Wu Mian was unaware of it, and Ji Yuchuan had no way of knowing.
Yu Shan snorted coldly, his immense power instantly suppressing the energy within his body.
*Pffft!*
An embarrassing sound of passing gas echoed out, lifting Yu Shan's robes in a gust.
The middle-aged-looking man felt heat rush into his face, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Yet right at that moment, Gu Li pursed his lips, rubbed his chin, and commented, "Hmm... pretty strong."
Yu Shan clenched his fists, nearly charging forward to beat Gu Li black and blue.
Yet he reined in the urge, fixing his eyes on Gu Li as he said in a low voice, "How did you do that?"
Gu Li's eyes lit up. It seemed his direction hadn't been wrong after all!
He pointed to his head.
"In here."
Yu Shan knitted his brows and asked gravely, "You're saying you figured it out on your own?"
Before Gu Li could reply, Yu Shan dismissed the thought himself.
"No... harnessing power at this level isn't something you could possibly touch..."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi stepped forward slowly.
"Nothing is impossible."
"Senior surely knows that Gu Li has fused four Daos into one on his own."
"Therefore..."
Li Guanqi did not say much more.
Yet the implication was already clear.
He had called Gu Li out specifically to let Yu Shan see for himself.
Even without Yu Shan, Gu Li developing the Forced Conception Talisman was only a matter of time.
It might take a great deal of effort, but failure was by no means inevitable.
Gu Li licked his lips, his gaze darting back and forth between the two.
He clearly understood why Yu Shan had come.
Looking at Li Guanqi, his eyes were filled with deep gratitude.
He was already obsessed with researching this talisman.
Everyone else thought he was indulging in wild fantasies.
Only Li Guanqi had believed from the very start that he could create such a heaven-defying inscribed talisman.
Furthermore, Li Guanqi had spared no effort to help him, even bringing Yu Shan over in person.
It seemed... Yu Shan had come here precisely to impart his secret to him.
Yu Shan let out a sigh, looked at Li Guanqi, and said softly, "Could the two of us have some time alone?"
Li Guanqi nodded with a smile and answered warmly, "Of course. Thank you, Senior Yu Shan!"
With that, both Li Guanqi and Gu Li bowed solemnly to Yu Shan.
Because... Yu Shan coming here this time truly was an act of great righteousness!
After all, this ancient secret technique was of immense significance.
Starting today, the Human Spirit Realm would gain another person capable of dividing into myriad forms.
Yu Shan would no longer be the one and only Yu Shan—there would now also be Gu Li.
Yu Shan and Gu Li walked toward a secret chamber within the White Jade Tower. Along the way, Gu Li looked back and winked at Li Guanqi, grinning like an idiot.
Chapter 1288