Chapter 270: Chapter 270: Melting Ice and Snow

It even made Xu Yunfan’s otherwise average features seem more and more celestial the longer he looked.

’What a prodigy!’

Now that he had spoken, Bi Sheng ignored the suspicious look on Lin Qingxuan’s face and said frankly, "What rare Martial Arts could the Celestial Craft Cave possibly have? It’s good for nothing but wasting your aptitude. With your comprehension and innate talent, smithing and Forged Soldiers is a complete waste. Come with me and pursue the Martial Dao!"

Bi Sheng’s eyes were shining brightly as he stared intently at Xu Yunfan.

"Have you heard of the Taoist Sect’s Golden Locking Jade Twelve Formulas?"

A cyan-purple glow suddenly erupted from Bi Sheng’s eyes. Beneath his Daoist Hat, his white hair moved without a breeze, and even his fingertips began to faintly shine.

"This Martial Art is a secret of the Taoist Sect. It can lead one directly to the Nine Realms Qi Cultivation and is one of the most supreme Divine Skills of our time. It is the Golden Lock and Jade Seal of the Twelve Bodies—one body for each major gate."

The old Daoist’s voice suddenly rose, vibrating the Copper Crane Incense Burner on the altar. HUMMMMM. "With your foundation of golden marrow mercury paste and the Three Jiao Sword, cultivating this will be as easy as pouring hot water on snow!"

He took a sudden step forward and couldn’t resist reaching out to squeeze Xu Yunfan’s shoulder. "If you reach the Ninth Realm within twenty years, you might even be able to use the world’s residual Spiritual Qi to break past your limits... Huh?"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Surprised and uncertain, Bi Sheng squeezed again with his fingers. ’His aptitude... seems a little off?’

When he flicked a wisp of True Qi from his fingertip, trying to send it into Xu Yunfan’s body to investigate, the Dragon Scale Armor Leaves began to vibrate wildly and forcibly shattered the wisp.

"Daoist, aren’t you going a bit too far?"

With a twitch of his shoulder, Xu Yunfan became as slippery as an eel. He retreated slightly, managing to shake off Bi Sheng’s fingers.

"Oh?"

Bi Sheng was even more astonished. He truly hadn’t expected Xu Yunfan to be able to break free from his grasp.

A glint flashed in his eyes. His right hand shot out again like an Eagle Claw, the True Qi at his fingertips condensing into a three-inch cyan blade of light aimed straight for Xu Yunfan’s shoulder acupoint.

Xu Yunfan’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. His Blood Qi Strength surged through his body, erupting from the tips of his toes in an instant. The Dragon Scale Armor provided an external push as he lightly tapped his feet on the green bricks. His body swayed backward like a willow catkin in the wind, and the cyan light grazed the tip of his nose, corroding five deep holes into the stone wall behind him.

"What an excellent Body Technique!"

Bi Sheng’s left hand suddenly flipped out from his sleeve, a Tai Chi Yin Yang Fish diagram materializing on his palm.

Xu Yunfan suddenly felt the air around him thicken like glue. As his muscles tensed and relaxed, the Dragon Scale Armor Leaves rippled like water, emitting a series of rapid, metallic chimes.

’After reaching the Nine Realms Qi Cultivation, one’s body is suffused with True Qi, and every single move is accompanied by it. It’s a state far beyond the close-quarters brawling of ordinary Martial Artists.’

’No wonder Master Zhan Yan once said that a Nine Realms Qi Cultivation Supreme Grandmaster can only be defeated by another expert of the same Realm.’

’With True Qi alone, they can suppress anyone and anything below the Ninth Realm.’

’If not for his Dragon Scale Armor and the multiple Ultimate Skills he cultivated, that single move from Bi Sheng would have been enough to force an ordinary Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm Grandmaster to their knees.’

At the very moment the Yin and Yang Fish was about to close, he bent his right knee and cleverly pivoted his left foot in the crack between the bricks. Like a fish flicking its tail, his entire body slipped through a gap in the energy lockdown.

"Shifting Stars and Changing the Dipper?" Bi Sheng’s expression finally changed.

"Just the Spiritual Ape Vertical Leap from the Flying Leg technique."

Xu Yunfan’s expression was placid. He had already cultivated the Flying Leg Kung Fu to the Perfection Realm, and many of its moves had the effect of turning the rotten into the miraculous.

"The Flying Leg..."

Bi Sheng’s expression was complicated. He was of course familiar with this Kung Fu. Though it was considered a Light Body Skill, it specialized in long-distance sprints. To use such a move within a hair’s breadth of space was proof that the young man had cultivated the Flying Leg to its absolute peak.

The more he looked at Xu Yunfan, the more he admired him, and the more he was filled with regret.

This one exchange with Xu Yunfan was enough to prove he was a man of formidable practical combat ability. Never mind his Martial Arts Realm; his combat instincts alone would absolutely crush the vast majority of the Taoist Sect’s younger generation.

The mountaintop fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Only the soft chime of a copper bell on the eaves, stirred by the wind, and the faint chirping of birds in the distance could be heard.

Bi Sheng’s gaze was as serene as a deep pool as he stared at Xu Yunfan. But Xu Yunfan did not relax; his fingers were poised, and the Dragon Scale Armor Leaves in his sleeves vibrated silently, as if ready to form a protective barrier at any moment.

Bi Sheng was struggling internally. Though his eyes were profound and deep, his heart was a sea of crashing waves.

’This man has astonishing talent, and he must have had some great fortuitous encounters...’

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

Bi Sheng looked at the young man before him. The wariness in his brow, the tense line of his shoulders, even the rhythm of his breathing—all were perfectly controlled. He clearly had not let down his guard.

He sighed to himself. ’This young man’s temperament is truly resilient. No wonder he was able to withdraw completely unscathed from my repeated probes.’

Beside them, Lin Qingxuan unconsciously held her breath, her fingertips turning slightly cold.

Having been acknowledged as the master of the Profound Celestial Mirror, her Spiritual Sense was far superior to that of an ordinary person. She could clearly perceive the emotions churning like a hidden tide beneath Bi Sheng’s placid exterior—sometimes boiling, sometimes falling silent—as if he were weighing some great decision.

She could even sense that, hidden in his sleeve, Bi Sheng’s fingers were unconsciously stroking his simple Jade Ring—a small habit of his whenever he was wavering.

A silence as heavy as a thick curtain enveloped the three of them.

Xu Yunfan’s spine was ramrod straight. The Dragon Scale Armor Leaves moved without a sound, each scale adjusting to its optimal defensive posture.

His gaze remained locked on Bi Sheng’s shoulder line—the first part of a Martial Artist’s body to move before an attack. The recent exchange had taught him that this was true even for someone at the Nine Realms Qi Cultivation.

The mountain wind swept past the ancient pines at the cliff’s edge, letting out a low moan.

In the distance, a lone eagle circled overhead, its shadow flashing fleetingly across the stone steps.

After a long silence, seeing Xu Yunfan still completely focused and on guard, Bi Sheng suddenly broke into a smile.

The smile was abrupt, but it caused the tense atmosphere to suddenly relax.

The True Qi he had secretly gathered in his sleeve quietly dispersed, and the oppressive pressure that had filled the clifftop melted away like ice and snow. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Since you have no intention of becoming my disciple, young friend, why not stay at the Taoist Sect for a few days?"

His voice was so gentle it was as if the confrontation had never happened. "Hao Miao and Mu Shan also speak of you often."

’Since Xu Yunfan knows people in the Taoist Sect and is on good terms with them, it’s best to build a good relationship. In the future, we’ll have a powerful ally.’

’Perhaps I can visit the Celestial Craft Cave later. I’ll have to place an order or two to build a closer relationship.’

Hearing this, Xu Yunfan relaxed slightly. He understood that Bi Sheng had made his decision.

During that silence, he had been preparing to unleash the Linn Character Technique at a moment’s notice. If it came to it, he would have unhesitatingly used everything at his disposal, self-destructing the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace in his hand to block his opponent and using the opportunity to jump off the cliff.

In those silent moments, he had already channeled the Linn Character Technique to its peak, ready to enter the Linn Character State at any second.

If Bi Sheng had chosen to attack, this Divine Weapon would have instantly self-destructed under the force of his Strength, and the resulting shockwave would have been powerful enough to tear off half the cliff face.

And the mist-shrouded abyss thirty paces away was his planned escape route.

The Dragon Scale Armor Leaves on his body could expand, and the Profound Steel Mechanism Box holding the Ginseng Child could extend fins, allowing him to glide an extremely long distance through the sky.

With proper control, he could probably ride the east wind for a thousand li.

(I’m a little unsure about this section. Please let me know what you think. I agonized over it for a long time, so if it doesn’t work, I’ll revise it.)