Medicine Master Disc Chapter 167: The Guardian Warrior of the Langhuan Pavilion

Daoist Zhang ca back out after a circuit inside and placed three jade slips in front of Li Qiuchen.

"Do you know how to use these?"

"I do."

Having already demonstrated his dicine Master's blessing in full before his master, Li Qiuchen saw no reason to hold anything back.

"Good. I had a feeling the basics wouldn't need explaining."

Daoist Zhang took up the first jade slip. "This is the officially compiled Inner Elixir Cultivation thod. Follow this when you practice, and you should be able to cultivate your Elixir Viscera from within. If it doesn't work, we can consider transplantation afterward."

"The second is Basic Technique thods, also an official text. It covers foundational principles that have been revised and refined. Even if you've had cultivation experience before, read it carefully. Many of the newer theories and concepts differ significantly from the ancient thods."

"The third is the first volu of the Changbai dical Compendium. It contains a great deal of knowledge related to pill arts. Study it thoroughly."

Li Qiuchen received them quickly and bowed. "Thank you, Master."

"Don't thank

yet. We still have to go across the way."

Directly across from the Hongwen Hall was the Langhuan Pavilion. The mont Li Qiuchen stepped through the door he was t by a thick scent of sandalwood incense.

At the very center of the tower stood a divine statue that looked like... well, like Tu Feiyun.

Fully armored, a long-handled blade in hand, carved in an imposing martial pose.

Daoist Zhang introduced it to Li Qiuchen. "This is the guardian warrior of the Langhuan Pavilion. If you ever find yourself in a situation where practicing the divine path is your only option, you can co to him for help. Don't worry about it for now."

"Let

give you a quick rundown of the rules here."

"Broadly the sa as the Hongwen Hall. Don't wander around, don't make noise, the usual."

"As an inner hall disciple of the county school, after passing the illusory realm trials, you may co to the Langhuan Pavilion each month to collect certain supplentary cultivation materials."

Daoist Zhang brought Li Qiuchen up to the second floor, which had been furnished to resemble a pawnbroker's counter, with unmanned service windows on all sides.

He raised his identity token and gave it a scan. A white light flashed past, and various objects appeared on the counter.

Common stationery, unworked jade, tals, timber, silk, dicinal herbs...

On the surface none of them appeared to be particularly valuable.

But these items had been stored within the Langhuan Pavilion for years, thoroughly saturated with the power of incense and devotion, making them excellent base materials.

If you wanted to practice drawing talismans, for instance, ordinary paper and brush would not do. Paper and brushes collected from here carried a degree of spiritual efficacy and could actually function.

In plain terms, these were materials for sect disciples to train with and develop their skill levels.

Daoist Zhang led Li Qiuchen further up to the third floor.

The mont Li Qiuchen stepped onto it, a chill ran up his back.

Flying swords bristled from the walls in dense rows, alongside magical treasures of every other conceivable variety.

"Once you've learned to command and direct magical instrunts, you may apply to borrow the treasures here. But don't go breaking any laws or harming innocent people... honestly, there's nothing too extraordinary here anyway. If any of them catch your eye, take one ho and play around with it for a day or two."

Daoist Zhang pointed upward. "The truly good things are higher up, but you'll need to reach the Foundation Establishnt realm to access them, or hold an interim position like Yang Wenping does as acting chief senior brother."

So that was why Senior Brother Yang had been in such good spirits lately.

Being chief senior brother really did co with genuine benefits.

Coming out of the Langhuan Pavilion, Daoist Zhang pointed toward the main hall in the center. "I hold a lecture on the first and fifteenth of each month. You can co and listen alongside the other senior brothers and sisters. If you run into anything you don't understand while reading, co and find

directly."

"That said, official texts only. The Hongwen Hall has a great many books and I don't claim to understand all of them."

"Once you've read through these three, you can go to the Hongwen Hall and browse on your own. But don't neglect your regular coursework. Build a solid foundation. Don't follow your ancestor's example."

"Your student understands."

Beyond the cultivation thods, Li Qiuchen had also been allocated a private courtyard.

The sa type of small yard he had used when challenging the third round of illusory realm trials.

Here he could cultivate in peace without interruption, and could also use the device that gave access to the illusory realm trials.

"Once you reach the Qi Refining realm, the genuine Qi Refining realm, you may attempt the second-grade illusory realm trials. The sa three-round structure applies, and clearing it yields a higher-grade Elixir Viscera... no rush for now. Just know that this pathway exists."

The phrase no rush was the one Daoist Zhang had used more than any other in their conversation.

For students of modest talent who lacked drive, you needed to give them a hard kick to get them moving.

But for top students like Li Qiuchen, there was no need to push. They had their own rhythm.

Standing in the courtyard that was now entirely his own, Li Qiuchen was awash with feeling.

This treatnt, this kind of place. It hadn't been for nothing, these two years of painstaking effort and endurance...

Yes, counting from fleeing Songlin Village to the present day, it genuinely rounded up to two years.

Nearly two years of stumbling and clambering before he had finally made it into a genuine cultivation institution. He had done so disservice to the reputation of transmigrators everywhere.

Still, he had been fortunate. Every person he had encountered along the way had been a good one.

The ones who weren't had been dealt with in ti.

Starting from today...

Li Qiuchen looked up abruptly, his brow creasing as he looked toward Daoist Zhang.

"Master, what is that sound outside?"

Daoist Zhang was entirely unconcerned. "An alert of so kind. Probably an external incursion into the county."

Li Qiuchen stared.

An incursion? An alert?

What was happening?

"You don't need to worry about this."

Daoist Zhang said with weight and sincerity, "Let

be clear. The most important thing for you right now is studying and cultivating. Nothing else matters. Do you understand? Even if the sky falls, it won't be on your shoulders to hold it up."

Master, if we could please have a conversation without references to my height, I would appreciate it.

"So I should just..."

Boom!

A massive explosion rolled in from the distance, sending visible tremors through the ground beneath their feet.

Li Qiuchen said nothing.

Master, are you genuinely certain everything is fine?

Please don't tell

this is a celebratory salute for my graduation.

Beyond the city's outer boundary, thick smoke billowed open to reveal a crater over twenty ters across in the ground, and the scattered remnants of countless bodies around it.

The commander hauled himself painfully to his feet, found his helt on the ground, and looked back in dazed incomprehension at the aftermath of the explosion, then turned to look at the black-armored cavalry formation already deployed in a charging line not far off.

"The Elite Vanguard! They actually used flying thunder cannons?"

"Those bastards! We're supposed to be allies!"

"Those who survive the cannon are allies. Those who don't are enemy agents disguised as allies."

Up on the high ground, Tu Feiyun lowered his visor. His cold gaze swept across the disintegrating formation below.

"Bringing troops across a border on private authority, without docuntation, to launch a surprise attack on Yun County. Given a horn warning signal and still advancing. These are no ordinary bandits."

When he saw dozens of streaks of light launch out from within the formation and co charging toward his position, a cold laugh sounded from beneath his visor.

"They actually dare to fight back? Pass the order. No survivors."

He reached back into his quiver, drew a great arrow, drew his enormous bow to full tension, and released a single shot at the oncoming lights.

Hundreds and thousands of sharp whistling arrows followed imdiately behind, the volley swallowing the incoming streaks completely.

Clusters of multicolored light detonated through the air in quick succession. That was what magical treasures looked like when they were destroyed. Over a dozen Qi Refining cultivators dropped to the ground bristling with arrows like hedgehogs.

Tu Feiyun put away his bow and rode forward.

The thunder of his cavalry's hooves swelled into a wave behind him.

The scholar, pierced through by a great arrow, struggled to stand, and scread at the top of what voice he had left. "I am of the Four Emblems Sect..."

A spear swept past. His head soared high, spinning several rotations in the air before dropping to the ground, where it was instantly crushed under hooves. Brain matter scattered across the earth.

What remained of half a face still wore an expression of complete disbelief.

The black-armored cavalry under Tu Feiyun's command moved like a cold and efficient killing chanism, carrying a bone-piercing chill as they crashed without rcy into the already-collapsing formation.

A full complent of eight hundred regular troops was smashed to pieces by fewer than a hundred cavalry.

"Stop! Everyone stop!"

The commander shouted at the top of his voice. "I am Hu Chun, colonel of the Lanshan Battalion under the Garrison Command! You are attacking friendly forces!"

No one listened to him. Instead, Tu Feiyun, who had already driven completely through the formation, heard the shouting, pulled his reins, and ca back.

Hu Chun's heart went cold with dread. What kind of killing machine was this? He had only recently taken the post and had never heard of anyone this terrifying operating in the Blackwater territory.

As Tu Feiyun ca at him with his spear moving like a dragon, Hu Chun blocked with his own weapon while shouting, "I have docuntation! I'm on official business! Spare my life, General..."

The spear drove through his chest.

The colonel's body toppled from his horse.

"A person of your caliber made it to colonel? Jiamu County must be completely rotten."

Tu Feiyun casually flicked the blood from his spear tip and turned to survey his surroundings.

The entire formation had completely dissolved. Whatever soldiers had sohow survived had lost all will to fight, or perhaps had never had any to begin with. They scattered in every direction.

And were cut down one by one by the pursuing black cavalry.

Tu Feiyun waited on horseback for a mont, then quietly let out a sigh.

Not a single capable fighter among them. Disappointing.

"Commander, the enemy forces have been eliminated!"

Tu Feiyun gave a cold look to the subordinate officer who ca to report. "Eliminated where?"

"Hm?"

"So of the enemy forces clearly escaped into the city. Consolidate the troops and follow

in."

"Ah? Ah... yes, sir!"

Li Qiuchen was in his courtyard reading a jade slip when the sound of things cutting through the air ca from overhead.

He looked up to see dozens of streaks of light crossing the sky. They carried none of the easy grace you'd associate with an immortal, and a great deal more of the frantic energy of people running for their lives.

What was happening out there? What had gone wrong?

Li Qiuchen quickly put away the jade slip and went toward the classrooms.

Whatever else, he needed to get the two young misses first. If the sky really did fall, at least they could run together.

At this point he didn't yet know that the sky over Yun County had in fact fallen.

Tu Feiyun had entered the city.

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