Chapter 380 - 219: Li Xingtuo’s Shock

Chapter 380: Chapter 219: Li Xingtuo’s Shock

"Your foundation is solid, with no sense of being superficial. It’s as if you’ve cultivated for many years—very stable, very... rare."

After his assessment, he paused for a moment before adding:

"However, I can also sense a trace of mellow inner breath within you. Is that from the Cultivation Technique you practiced before?"

Xie Yuan nodded.

"It’s the Daoist Inner Power I cultivated previously. It is balanced and mellow, and it has been of immense help to my cultivation."

Li Xingtuo nodded slowly.

"It seems your recent breakthrough was related to this technique."

He frowned in thought for a moment, then said reflectively:

"This technique is quite excellent. You may continue to practice it."

Qin Zhenyang raised his eyes, somewhat surprised.

’If Master says it’s excellent, then it must be a top-tier Cultivation Technique.’

’Where did Junior Brother Zhang get a technique like this when he was down the mountain?’

Xie Yuan acknowledged with a "yes," noting that Li Xingtuo indeed didn’t press for more details, just as he had expected.

’But he must have seen something special about the Body-Nourishing Art, even if only a trace of it remains now.’

Thinking of the technique taught to him by that mysterious Daoist, Xie Yuan felt a wave of emotion. It was this technique that had allowed him to truly set foot on the path of rapid cultivation in the first place. Even now, though he had reached the limits of the technique, he was still reaping its benefits.

Li Xingtuo composed his expression, glanced at Xie Yuan, and said lightly:

"By the way, Zhang Mountain, have you seen the latest Hidden Dragon List?"

?

Xie Yuan looked at Li Xingtuo and hesitated with a noncommittal grunt.

’Should I say I’ve seen it or not...?’

He took a breath and answered honestly:

"I have seen it."

"Oh? Quite a few impressive names of young talents have been added to it. For example, that Xie Yuan... he’s from our Yunzhou, isn’t he?"

Li Xingtuo said with a faint smile, then turned to Qin Zhenyang beside him:

"Eldest Disciple, I’m not mistaken, am I?"

Qin Zhenyang’s expression was strange. He hemmed and hawed for a moment before forcing out a reply:

"Master, you are not mistaken."

"Alas, Yunzhou produces so many talents, it’s just a shame our sect hasn’t produced many..."

Li Xingtuo sighed regretfully, then suddenly raised his voice:

"But now we have Zhang Mountain! Look at him, isn’t he prime material for the Hidden Dragon List?"

He looked at Qin Zhenyang again.

Qin Zhenyang pressed his lips together tightly and nodded.

"He reached the 4th Layer of the Sword Intent Scripture in such a short time! And he doesn’t even think it’s that hard! Just look at him. Zhang Mountain, when are you going to get on the Hidden Dragon List, hmm?"

Li Xingtuo looked at Xie Yuan out of the corner of his eye.

Xie Yuan’s face flushed red, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.

’I get the feeling the Sect Leader is a bit displeased...’

Li Xingtuo continued to tease him for a while. Seeing Xie Yuan’s embarrassed expression, he finally felt a little more satisfied.

He thought for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face:

"Zhang Mountain, cultivate well, and when it’s time to ’break through,’ just do it. I’ll be waiting for the day you get on the Hidden Dragon List. Hmm, and I look forward to you surpassing that Xie Yuan and ranking above him."

Li Xingtuo waved his hand, a smile on his face.

Seeing Li Xingtuo signal for him to leave, Xie Yuan was still a bit dazed as he turned and walked out.

’He’s just letting me go?’

’Then what did he call me here for?’

He thought about it and suddenly had a realization.

’Don’t tell me he originally just wanted to see how my Sword Intent Scripture practice was going? But it turned out there was nothing much to see, so then he just...’

Xie Yuan ground his teeth, feeling more than a little awkward.

Still, the thought that Li Xingtuo, despite being so busy, was still concerned about his cultivation made Xie Yuan exhale and clench his fists in renewed determination.

After Xie Yuan left, only the master and his disciple remained in the study.

The two were silent for a while before Qin Zhenyang spoke up:

"Master, didn’t you say before that you wanted Junior Brother Zhang to attend the ’Little Hidden Dragon Assembly’ in Jiangnan in a few months?"

Li Xingtuo put down his brush and looked out the window:

"I did have that idea before. I wanted him to get some practical experience, since the Sword Intent Scripture emphasizes real combat. But he’s cultivating so quickly, it’s no longer necessary... Besides, he’s on bad terms with the great families. If he went there and revealed his strength on stage, or worse, revealed his identity, it would be inappropriate."

Seeing how much Li Xingtuo cared about Xie Yuan’s cultivation, Qin Zhenyang said in a low voice:

"Master, I think Junior Brother Zhang’s character is excellent. We’ve observed what we need to, and you’ve been watching him for a long time. Why not let him officially join the main peak? Didn’t you have this intention before?"

"When did I ever say that?"

Li Xingtuo glanced at Qin Zhenyang.

"Are you that eager for another junior brother to help with your work? So you can go read your storybooks, is that it?"

Qin Zhenyang looked embarrassed.

"Master, that’s not what I meant at all."

Li Xingtuo shook his head and said calmly:

"There’s nothing wrong with his character or integrity. He might be a bit too decisive and doesn’t always follow the rules, but those aren’t major flaws.

"But, does he truly consider himself a disciple of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect? Or just a passerby?"

Qin Zhenyang pondered this for a moment, feeling unable to answer the question.

Li Xingtuo said lightly:

"This is something that must be determined. If he is not one of the Sword Sect’s own, I can still teach him a few techniques. We can form a positive bond, and if we meet again in the Jianghu, it will be a pleasant connection. His talent and character are worthy of such an investment. But if his heart is not with the Sword Sect, then he naturally cannot be accepted into the main peak’s lineage. That is the first reason."

"There are other reasons?"

Qin Zhenyang asked in surprise.

Li Xingtuo nodded, his expression turning somewhat grave:

"Second, the fortune on him is not normal. A glance at his past experiences shows he is no ordinary person and has had other fortuitous encounters. Only after I investigated today did I discover a few clues. I have no idea how he got involved with *that* side..."

He looked out the window, his gaze seeming to pierce through the layers of clouds to a place far, far away.

Li Xingtuo shook his head, returning his focus to the documents before him:

"We’ll observe him a while longer. Your Junior Brother Zhang is destined to be no simple character."

...

Heavy clouds drifted, never straying far from Cloud Mountain’s main peak. The sun rose and the moon set, but the green mountain remained majestic and still.

A new Hidden Dragon List was released, sparking fervent discussion that gradually died down.

Then, after some time, an updated list came out. As expected, Xie Yuan was still ranked seventy-second. More discussion ensued, and then silence fell once again.