Chapter 76: Mountain Fire Technique

Lin Fanyun chose this moment to reshape Li Shuang’s true core because repairing his injuries and then rebuilding his foundation would require breaking it again, causing unnecessary suffering. 

Delaying treatment wasn’t advisable either, given Li Shuang’s precarious condition. His connection with the natural world had been shallow, a consequence of his forced breakthrough and the damage it had caused to his foundation. But Lin Fanyun forcibly harnessed the power of heaven and earth, maintaining Li Shuang in a state of slight enlightenment, extending the time to match a normal warrior’s core breakthrough.

After a month, Li Shuang’s condition significantly improved. A perfect, unblemished true core floated serenely in his dantian. Even now, he remained deep in contemplation, a divine light gestating within him.

Li Li, Li An, Wang Man, and Li Li’s secret lifelong commitment, Li Lir, approached in a disheveled state. They had been fending off the relentless harassment from the Hundred Horse Guild. 

Lin Fanyun had deliberately leaked a hint of Li Shuang’s breakthrough energy, deterring the more formidable warriors from attacking. The harassments had been carried out by less advanced warriors, which the four of them could handle.

Li Lir was the only daughter of the powerful Li Kong, a second-level True Core master. 

She and Li Li had already pledged their lives to each other, just short of an official wedding. Had it not been for the Hundred Horse Guild’s interference, their wedding would have taken place upon Li Kong’s return.

The four, tired and bedraggled, no longer bore the same panic and anxiety as before. 

Having solid backing changed their outlook. Lin Fanyun, while deliberately allowing them to gain experience, kept an eye out to prevent any mishaps, without getting overly involved.

“Go and rest,” Lin Fanyun advised. “The Hundred Horse Guild’s probing should be coming to an end soon.”

Li Li and his companions nodded and retired for rest. The series of battles had been a test of growth but had also left them utterly exhausted. Both their minds and bodies were fatigued. Without adequate rest and recovery, they wouldn’t be able to handle the looming troubles.

Li Li and Li Lir shared a room. In the quiet of the night, both had nearly fully recuperated.

Li Lir hesitated briefly before asking, “Brother Li, who exactly is Master Lin?”

She had witnessed the transformation in Li Shuang and suspected its connection to Master Lin’s unexpected arrival. She believed that Lin Fanyun must be a True Core expert, but she was curious about this enigmatic figure whom Li Li had never mentioned before.

Li Li shook his head and spoke with a sense of deep significance, “I can’t divulge the details just yet. But I can tell you that our Li family is in service to Master Lin.”

Li Lir was visibly surprised. She knew about Li Shuang’s transformation and now understood from Li Li’s words that even after achieving a flawless True Core, Li Shuang would remain devoted to Master Lin. To command such loyalty from a True Core practitioner…

Li Lir quickly grasped the implications, sharing a significant glance with Li Li and deciding not to delve further. If her assumptions were correct, then Master Lin would be aware of all their actions.

Several days later, the warriors of the Hundred Horse Guild arrived.

“Ma San, are you certain that the Li family is under the protection of a powerful figure?” Hong Lan’s resonant voice rang out, his equine ears twitching on his head. 

His muscular build, characteristic of the horse clan, was impressive. Even though he hadn’t trained in body refining arts, his physical strength was comparable to those who had.

“Hong Lan, there’s no mistake. I definitely felt the aura of a True Core that day,” Ma San asserted cautiously.

Having personally confronted Li Shuang before, exacerbating his injuries, Ma San was intimately familiar with the so-called pseudo-True Core stage. He knew that the formidable presence he had felt, which he couldn’t defeat even at his peak Innate stage, couldn’t possibly belong to Li Shuang.

Seeing Ma San’s conviction, Hong Lan grew contemplative. When they were still hundreds of meters away from the Li residence, he decided to test the waters with a powerful attack. His hands conjured a titanic palm, a hundred meters wide, that crashed down from the sky. If the Li family indeed had a True Core expert’s backing, it was too risky for him to get any closer.

What if the Li residence was booby-trapped, with arrays set to ensnare the unwary? 

Hong Lan was not one to take such risks lightly.

The fearsome power of the descending palm sent the Li family’s servants into a state of terror. But amidst the panic, a single fiery finger shot upwards, annihilating the giant palm effortlessly.

Hong Lan narrowed his eyes in surprise. Though he hadn’t used his full strength, that strike was beyond the capabilities of any Innate stage warrior. Even a pseudo-True Core master would have found it difficult to deflect with such ease.

It was clear, the Li residence was indeed under the protection of a flawless True Core master. Hong Lan heightened his vigilance, channeling his energy to its zenith. He and the members of the Hundred Horse Guild halted, keeping a distance of hundreds of meters from the Li residence.

Not long after, a vigorous middle-aged man appeared from within the Li residence. It was Li Shuang.

Hong Lan was taken aback. 

The Hundred Horse Guild had targeted Li Shuang, knowing about his unique position as a pseudo-True Core. His appearance was well-known to them.

‘How is this possible?’ Hong Lan’s mind was thrown into turmoil, quickly turning to elation.

A pseudo-True Core, whose future seemed irreparably bleak, had achieved a flawless True Core? There must be a secret behind this transformation.

“Li Shuang, very well. You’re quite impressive,” Hong Lan laughed heartily. 

So what if Li Shuang had reached the True Core stage? His aura, still unstable, clearly indicated a recent breakthrough.

How could he possibly stand a chance against Hong Lan, a third layer True Core master?

‘I’ll make your secret mine,’ he thought, greed apparent in his eyes.

“Hmph!” Li Shuang coldly snorted, his eyes piercing through Hong Lan’s blatant greed. Yet, with Lin Fanyun hidden just below, Li Shuang wasn’t the least bit flustered. His confidence was unwavering.

Mountain Fire Technique! 

In a burst of anger, Li Shuang clapped his hands together, his palms glowing red-hot as the intense heat twisted the surrounding air. 

This True Core technique, imparted by Lin Fanyun, was part of the Vanishing Mountain sect’s heritage. Though Lin Fanyun had only taught him up to the third level of the True Core, the superior quality of this high-grade technique was evident.

With anger powering his moves, clouds of fire rolled across the sky, sending down meteor-like flames toward the members of the Hundred Horse Guild.

Hong Lan, with a snort of disdain, rose into the air.

Seahorse Tidal Palm! 

He unleashed his technique, generating wave upon wave of water, extinguishing the flames and protecting his fellow guild members, all while advancing toward Li Shuang.

“HahaHaha! Li Shuang, you surely don’t believe you can match me?” Hong Lan burst out, swiftly approaching Li Shuang and engaging in a fierce clash of palms. 

The water covering his palms evaporated in the intense heat.

“You’ve got some skill,” Hong Lan exclaimed with excitement, unleashing a torrent of relentless attacks.

Li Shuang stood his ground, fiercely battling without retreating an inch.

Despite Li Shuang’s more advanced cultivation technique, he was at a disadvantage due to the difference in their cultivation levels. Particularly challenging was Hong Lan’s naturally superior physique, which far surpassed Li Shuang’s.

In just a few dozen moves, Li Shuang felt an intense pain in his arms, as though they were on the verge of breaking.

“What’s wrong? Can’t keep up?  I haven’t even started trying. Don’t fall now,’ Hong Lan taunted with a malicious laugh, clearly not using his full strength. He intended to extract the secret of Li Shuang’s remarkable transformation, not to defeat him too quickly.

Nevertheless, Li Shuang’s exhibited techniques during the battle were extraordinary, lending further credence to the notion that he harbored a significant secret.

A voice then whispered in Li Shuang’s ear, “Avoid direct confrontation. His physical prowess far exceeds yours. Fight intelligently, without reservations.”

Li Shuang’s movements transformed, becoming as elusive as a flame, dodging Hong Lan’s attacks. He took a deep breath, reinvigorating his strength. Having spent a long time at the pseudo-True Core stage, he was intimately familiar with the power of a True Core.

Divine Technique Blazing Fury!

Employing the divine technique he had mastered, Li Shuang’s fighting power dramatically increased. Hong Lan, slightly unsettled, remained undaunted. His cultivation and unrevealed divine techniques still gave him an edge.

“Kill!” Hong Lan bellowed, charging at Li Shuang. 

His massive frame, over three meters tall with bulging muscles and surrounded by swirling water currents, seemed like a beast pouncing on the less than two-meter-tall and slender Li Shuang.

Li Shuang narrowed his eyes. His fire-based techniques were potent in offense, capable of harming Hong Lan. But against Hong Lan’s immense physical resilience, a few hits were hardly impactful. They would only open him up to a crushing counterattack.

Li Shuang couldn’t endure such blows.

Fire-Control Seven Flashes!

He employed the movement technique of the Mountain Fire Technique, his movements unpredictable like dancing flames, making him difficult to catch.

Although Li Shuang wasn’t completely proficient with the Fire-Control Seven Flashes technique, a True Core technique, he was still markedly more agile, much to Hong Lan’s frustration.

“Damn, moving like a rabbit,” cursed Hong Lan, visibly annoyed.

Just as he was preparing to unleash his full might, a powerful presence rapidly approached from the distance. Li Shuang instantly recognized it, and within moments, the figure was upon them.

A streak of sword energy shot toward Hong Lan, who visibly paled at its approach.

“Waves as a Shield!”’ he invoked, forming a barrier of water-colored energy to block the incoming sword energy.

Li Shuang didn’t miss this chance, joining the attack by flicking a small flame that pierced the barrier and exploded right in front of a shocked Hong Lan.

With a loud boom, dust billowed around them.

Li Shuang didn’t pursue the attack but instead stepped aside. A middle-aged man in a plain grey robe, holding a shimmering three-foot iron sword, flew to Li Shuang’s side.

“Just in time, thankfully not too late,” panted the grey-robed man, having depleted over half his energy in his rush, looking somewhat ragged. 

Seeing Li Shuang and the Li residence safe, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He glanced at Li Shuang, noting the flawless True Core aura, and raised an eyebrow in surprise. However, this was not the time for questions.

Hong Lan, with a ferocious swipe of his hand, cleared the dust, his demeanor now even more brutal and merciless. 

“To leave a scar my body with a scar… Li Shuang! Li Kong! You’re both done for!”

An immense pressure weighed down on Li Shuang and Li Kong.

“Brother Li,” Li Shuang expressed, moved by Li Kong’s effort to rush to his aid, depleting his power in the process. Their willingness to stand together against Hong Lan was a testament to their camaraderie.

“Brother Li, let’s talk later. For now, let’s handle this brute.”

“Agreed,” Li Shuang responded, preparing to face the looming threat alongside his ally.