Stepping closer to the Daoist temple, Li Guanqi discovered that the place was minimalist to the extreme.
Apart from a bell tower and a drum tower, right past the entrance stood a towering memorial archway.
Further in lay the main hall of worship, followed by an ordination platform and living quarters behind it, as well as a library pavilion.
As dusk gradually fell, Li Guanqi helped the old man prepare a meal.
Truth be told, one virtue of this Daoist temple was that meat and wine were not forbidden. Aside from the four forbidden meats and the five pungent roots, everything else was fair game.
That night, after dining with the elderly priest and the young acolyte, Ling Daoran invited Li Guanqi outside to share some wine.
The old man suddenly sighed. "Is Li Nanting still in the Core Formation realm even now?"
Li Guanqi nodded slightly. In truth, he did not know what had happened to his master either.
"Oho, looks like you really don't know what happened to your master in the past?"
Li Guanqi gazed at the moonlight and murmured, "Indeed I do not. Master seemed to care deeply about the matter as well, so I never brought myself to ask."
Ling Daoran chuckled. "What else could it be? That romantic fool of a master of yours brazenly threw punches to stand up for someone."
"Years ago, during the Ruin Opening Ceremony for the disciples of the six sects, quite a few rogue cultivators came to observe."
"One of them made some lewd, insolent remarks toward Shen Lan, an elder of Tianshui Peak at the time."
"Li Nanting struck without hesitation, beating the man half to death."
"Hiss! Quite a fiery temper..."
The old man tipped his head back, downed a mouthful of wine, and continued, "In this world, rogue cultivators are the biggest headache. That fellow bided his time, nursing his wounds for several years, then suddenly resurfaced and began ruthlessly slaughtering disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect."
"He fought and ran, leaving the sect with no way to pin him down."
"In the end, to protect the disciples from harm, your master fought that cultivator for three days and three nights."
"By the end of it, his Nascent Soul was damaged and sealed, causing his realm to plummet all the way down to Foundation Establishment. The Great Xia Sword Sect expended countless heavenly treasures and spent over a decade nursing him before he finally returned to Core Formation."
The old man paused for a moment, looking at Li Guanqi. "Hearing this, do you think your master was a bit foolish?"
Li Guanqi shook his head instead and said softly, "That wasn't foolishness. That was taking responsibility."
A faint gleam flashed in the old man's eyes, and he burst into hearty laughter.
"Well said—taking responsibility!"
"If you ask me, that block of wood Li Nanting is the very reason the Great Xia Sword Sect's ethos hasn't gone crooked!"
"It is precisely because men like Li Nanting exist that a sect's disciples will never turn out rotten."
"Of course, it's also thanks to this that we have a peak Core Formation Li Nanting blessed with eight hundred years of lifespan."
"Alright, first thing tomorrow morning, I'll teach you that spirit incantation."
Li Guanqi did not sleep that night. Before entering meditation, his mind replayed everything the old man had recounted.
The corners of his mouth curved up slightly as he thought, *No wonder Peak Lord Shen is always so short-tempered around Master.*
*Shen Lan is already a Nascent Soul cultivator, while Master remains in Core Formation...*
*With Master's temperament, even if he harbors feelings for her, he would inevitably feel too embarrassed to face her.*
A night of cultivation left Li Guanqi thoroughly refreshed. Moreover, the heaven-and-earth spiritual energy on Longhou Ridge was noticeably denser than in the outside world.
Waking early, he practiced a hundred repetitions of his fist forms!
By the time the old man finally rose, the sun was already high in the sky, though the little acolyte had long since gotten up to chant scriptures.
After checking on the acolyte's recitation, the old man stretched lazily.
The young acolyte crept up beside the old man, glanced out the door at the youth practicing his fist forms, and whispered, "Master, why does a blind man like him light an oil lamp in his room?"
"He has already opened his mind's eye, so why would he need a lamp? Isn't that completely superfluous?"
Ling Daoran patted the acolyte's head and sighed softly.
"That is precisely why Li Nanting took in an extraordinary disciple..."
"A blind man lighting a lamp might seem like foolishness in the eyes of the world, but who is to say it isn't wisdom—or perhaps... magnanimity!"
The old man slowly stood and walked outside, leaving the acolyte behind in deep contemplation.
Leading Li Guanqi to a martial arts arena in the rear courtyard, the old man said, "There are three hundred spirit incantations, each with its own purpose."
"Offense, defense, and trapping are the three most straightforward categories."
"Beyond those, there are illusion, calming the mind, barrier-breaking, sealing, spirit-slaying, sky-ban, and many more."
"The spirit incantation in my possession ranks two hundred forty-sixth among the three hundred spirit incantations—a heavy assault incantation!"
"Array Breaker—Lightning Spear!"
With that, the old man lightly tapped Li Guanqi between the brows, sending an influx of profound, mystical insights rushing into the youth's mind.
Once that was done, the old man personally demonstrated it for Li Guanqi.
Weaving several hand seals with one hand, the old man stirred violent origin power that instantly changed the weather over Longhou Ridge. Gale-force winds roared to life!
In the blink of an eye, the clear sky turned pitch-black with heavy storm clouds. Rain poured down in torrents as lightning cracked and thunder roared across the heavens.
Rumble!!
The old man's eyes narrowed, and he bellowed, "Array Breaker—Lightning Spear!!"
Boom!!!
Between heaven and earth, a lightning spear spanning over a zhang suddenly pierced the sky, crashing thunderously onto the martial arts arena.
Thud!!
Plumes of dust billowed into the air. The wind gentled, and the rain ceased.
When the dust settled, a massive crater tens of zhang across had collapsed into the arena.
The ground at the center was charred pitch-black, and faint arcs of lightning continued to flicker and crackle within the pit.
Li Guanqi swallowed hard, murmuring in a low voice, "The power of this spirit incantation... isn't it a bit too terrifying?!"
Ling Daoran smiled faintly and teased, "That's only because you haven't seen the power of the top one hundred spirit incantations."
"Tsk, those truly possess the might to split mountains and cleave seas!"
"The path of spirit incantations is no less demanding than alchemy or weapon forging. You must grasp their subtleties through that ethereal resonance between heaven and man."
"Only when your state of mind aligns with the incantation's formula can you unleash its full potential."
For the next three full days, Li Guanqi devoted every moment to unblocking the meridians and acupoints required for this incantation.
After sitting motionless for three days, Li Guanqi abruptly snapped his eyes open!
"I understand!! I get it now!! It's the will to break through the array!!"
"The one who created this spirit incantation must have been trapped on a battlefield, using the power of lightning as a spear to break out!"
Gradually, Li Guanqi's eyes filled with a tragic, sorrowful killing intent and an unyielding will to fight.
As his origin energy surged, a mysterious force enveloped the entire Daoist temple.
Reclining on his rocking chair, Ling Daoran suddenly opened his eyes and snapped his gaze toward the rear courtyard.
He muttered in sheer disbelief, "Such comprehension... it stands peerless in the world!!"
Rumble!!
"Spirit incantation, two hundred forty-six!"
"Array Breaker—Lightning Spear!!"
A slightly translucent lightning spear pierced the sky and crashed down.
Thud!!!
A shallow, three-foot pit appeared in the courtyard.
Li Guanqi looked at the old man somewhat awkwardly and said, "Senior, even the phantom of my spear looks a bit weak..."
Ling Daoran could not help rolling his eyes!
He was currently at the peak of the mid Nascent Soul stage, but what about Li Guanqi??
Unless he had gone blind, he hadn't misjudged—Li Guanqi hadn't even broken through to Foundation Establishment yet!
"If you're weak, then nourish yourself more... Look how skinny you've gotten, child."
Li Guanqi grinned broadly and brought out all the fine wine and delicious dishes stored in his storage ring.
He even took out half a steamer basket of the meat buns he had saved for Yu Sui'an.
Meanwhile, in the Xuantian Dynasty—which Li Guanqi had not yet had the chance to investigate—a monumental event occurred, sending shockwaves through the entire world!!
Chapter 58