Immortality starts from the liver proficiency

Chapter 290 Faction Struggle
His gaze shifted to the gray-robed old man with cloudy eyes. "Senior Brother Cui, Yunfan was recently studying the 'Slaying Mountain Sword' at the Langhuan Library. Why not take advantage of today's test of skill to go to the Hidden Sword Abyss..."

Before he could finish speaking, the red-faced old man on the right suddenly snorted coldly, and the wooden sword at his waist jingled without wind.

Xu Yunfan suddenly felt a sharp sword intent sweep over his body, as if it wanted to dissect and examine his very bones, causing him to subconsciously tense his muscles. He had already activated the Dragon Tiger Hibernation Technique to its limit and quickly restrained his aura.

"His internal energy is condensed but not released, which shows he has good potential, but his internal energy is too mixed... What has he been practicing?"

Cui Yu swayed and appeared like a ghost between Xu Yunfan and the red-faced old man, muttering to himself.

His wide gray robe fluttered without wind, and his aura spread silently, making his figure appear faintly glowing, completely cutting off the sharp gaze of Li Zhi, the leader of Dragon Tiger Peak.

Li Zhi frowned and let out a cold snort.

The wooden sword at his waist trembled slightly with a clang, but he ultimately made no further move. He had to give face to the head of the Punishment Hall, even if he was a Grandmaster of the Ninth Realm, let alone someone whose strength was not bad.

Xu Yunfan observed this and his heart stirred slightly. It seemed that the Dao Sect was not a monolithic entity, and this situation spoke volumes.

It seems that many people within the Dao Sect are dissatisfied with Bi Yuan accepting him as a disciple.

"Little one, you don't mind if this old man lends a hand, do you?"

The flickering candlelight inside the hall made Cui Yu's gaunt face appear even more profound.

When he grinned, his jade-colored teeth looked particularly eerie in the interplay of light and shadow.

The opponent's bones, and even his teeth, were refined to the point that they resembled jade.

Although Xu Yunfan's expression remained calm, he was on edge. The Dao Sect had complex factions, and the attitude of the head of the Punishment Hall might determine his future situation.

He glanced at Bi Yuan on the high seat and saw his master lightly tap the jade table with his fingertips and nod almost imperceptibly. He felt a little relieved, knowing that the visitor, Cui Yu, was from the sect leader's lineage.

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Chief Cui."

"My nephew is quite clever."

Cui Yu chuckled softly, and his withered hand was already on Xu Yunfan's wrist.

In an instant, a chilling yet majestic true energy burrowed into the fascia like a venomous snake, but upon touching the flesh, it suddenly transformed into a gentle spring breeze, carefully probing every inch of the tendons and bones.

It should be a true Taoist skill of the Taiyin attribute...

Xu Yunfan subconsciously activated the "Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Technique" to completely suppress the chaotic energy. However, Cui Yu's cultivation level was far beyond his imagination. The strands of true energy peeled away his disguise layer by layer, just like unraveling a cocoon.

"This Dragon Tiger Hibernation Technique was created by me..."

Cui Yu grinned, then his laughter abruptly stopped, his expression showing a hint of disbelief.

Under his perception, the Triple Burner Sword Force within Xu Yunfan's body was like a dormant dragon, its sharpness emerging from the Triple Burner meridians, while the Nine Luminaries Blood Qi surged between his flesh and blood.

Deeper still, the resonant, jade-like bones forged by the "I Ching Marrow Cleansing Technique" are laid bare under the influence of the opponent's energy...

Cui Yu's pupils contracted slightly, and a storm raged in his heart.

This young man has only just entered the Marrow Cleansing Realm, yet his body has integrated the top-level cultivation techniques of various sects of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Moreover, these techniques flow smoothly and strangely, without interfering with each other, yet they merge together, faintly showing the rudimentary form of "all techniques returning to the same source"!

He suppressed his shock, his face remaining impassive, and gave Xu Yunfan a deep look, as if he wanted to pierce through his soul.

Xu Yunfan couldn't help but return a smile.

But in return, he received a look from Cui Yu as if he were looking at a monster.

With so many martial arts techniques combined in one body, and his blood and energy trained multiple times without any problems, if it were someone else...

After a long silence, Cui Yu withdrew his hand, turned to Bi Yuan, and nodded solemnly: "With a solid foundation and abundant fortune, you are indeed qualified to enter the Burial Sword Abyss." Before he finished speaking, the red-faced old man on the right, Li Zhi, suddenly sneered: "The Burial Sword Abyss is a sacred place for disintegration; how can it be allowed to be desecrated by outsiders?"

The wooden sword at his waist rang out, its sword intent as cold as frost.

Cui Yu's gray robe billowed as he moved like a ghost, blocking Xu Yunfan's path. His cloudy eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light: "Junior Brother Li, you dare to question the Sect Master's decree?"

His aura was as deep as an abyss, which actually severed the sharp sword intent.

He then sneered, "Now that Xu Yunfan is the second-in-command of the sect leader, whether or not it's his turn is up to you, Dragon Tiger Peak."

The air inside the hall was stagnant.

Bi Yuan seemed oblivious, lightly brushing his whisk aside, and said gently to Xu Yunfan, "In that case, tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), let Cangming take you to the Burial Sword Abyss."

His tone was calm, yet it sealed the deal.

Xu Yunfan bowed in agreement, but glancing at Li Zhi's ashen face, he realized that the Daoist sect's influence was likely deeper than he had imagined...

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Li Zhi suddenly spoke.

"Wait a moment."

Before Li Zhi finished speaking, the candlelight in the hall suddenly went out, as if even the air itself had been cleaved by the sharpness in his words.

He raised his neck slightly, his gaze like a poisoned dagger piercing Bi Yuan: "The Burial Sword Abyss is a forbidden area designated by the patriarch. According to the sect rules, those who enter the abyss must have the joint approval of nearly half of the chiefs of the thirty-six peaks. This boy has just entered the Dao Sect, what merit or ability does he have to be an exception?"

Bi Yuan's whisk hovered in mid-air, a faint light seeming to flow in his eyes, making him appear extraordinary.

He stared at Li Zhi for a long time, then suddenly chuckled: "Junior Brother Li, are you trying to use the 'Mysterious Heaven Ancestral Instructions' to intimidate me?"

The voice remained gentle, yet it caused the bronze lamps hanging from the ceiling to tremble even without wind.

The gray-robed elder, Cui Yu, quietly moved forward, his withered hand already resting on Xu Yunfan's shoulder. A gentle, yin-like aura protected him, and this head of the Punishment Hall clearly sensed the undercurrent of conflict.

Xu Yunfan could clearly see that Li Zhi and Bi Yuan had obviously harbored resentment for a long time, otherwise they would never have torn off their relationship so openly.

"Don't dare."

Li Zhi sneered, and a jade slip slipped out of his sleeve. "Just a reminder to the sect leader that when Chu Cangming entered the abyss three years ago, he genuinely obtained the jade tokens of the nineteen peak leaders."

He deliberately emphasized the words "real and solid," his gaze sweeping over the silent elders in the corner of the hall.

From the moment Xu Yunfan entered the hall, these silent elders remained completely silent and composed.

Xu Yunfan immediately understood.

This is clearly an attempt to use the sect's old rules to prevent me from entering the Burial Sword Abyss, since my background is probably already known to these people.

After two years of marrow cultivation, if I were Bi Yuan's opponent, I would probably be restless and unable to eat or sleep. A genius who can break the common sense of martial arts is standing on the opposing side. Who can feel at ease?

However, the Daoist sect ultimately values ​​"fraternal bonds." While it's acceptable to argue openly and even tear off the mask of civility, one cannot actually take matters into one's own hands in private, as that would truly disrupt the rules.

So Li Zhi and the others invoked the ancestral precept, using the excuse that "half of the thirty-six peaks' chiefs approve," to force him to either reveal his hand in public or back down.

This is truly a blatant conspiracy that kills without shedding blood!
click!
Bi Yuan tapped his knuckles on the jade table, the sound like the clanging of metal.

He suddenly stood up, and the Big Dipper pattern embroidered on his Taoist robe lit up one by one: "Since Junior Brother Li wants to follow the rules... then let's set up a martial arts arena. According to the rules of the Ancestral Master, Xu Yunfan is only thirty years old. As long as he gains the approval of the Taoist disciples of the various peaks, it will be fine."

(End of this chapter)