Two Realms High Martial Arts: Gathering the Heavens to Become a Great Luo Immortal

Chapter 412 Xuanwu Venerable - Grandmaster (4.3k)

Several months later, Li Xijun stepped into the familiar star-shrouded place of the Palace of Stars again, but her state of mind was somewhat different from before.

The palaces still stand majestically, and the star-studded architectural complex is serene and mysterious under the night sky.

The disciples on night patrol were disciplined and everything was in perfect order.

However, Li Xijun deliberately concealed all his presence on this trip, even avoiding ordinary paths, and like a gentle breeze blending into the night, he silently swept past the many palaces.

The reason is simple: I feel a little guilty.

After all, he had previously married the Vermilion Bird Venerable Mu Wanqiu in front of everyone, and his position as Crown Princess was already secured.

Meanwhile, her own elder sister, the White Tiger Saintess Li Qinghan, is currently cultivating in seclusion in the palace.

At this moment, however, he had to go alone to the North Xuanwu Palace under the cover of night to meet the charming and mysterious Xuanwu Venerable Su Manniang—even if it was to fulfill his promise and help her break through, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

"It's just to help her cultivate, break through barriers, and consolidate the strength of the Star Palace, which is beneficial to the overall situation."

As Li Xijun thought this to himself, his movements became even more agile and stealthy. He quickly approached the heavy hall with a black background and carved with a pattern of tortoises and snakes, along the shadow of the corridor on the north side of the main hall.

Unlike the fiery Vermilion Bird Hall, which symbolizes the Southern Ming Dynasty's fiery spirit, and the somber White Tiger Hall, which represents the sharp metal of killing, the Black Tortoise Hall possesses a calm, profound, and seemingly timeless sense of heritage.

There were no guards outside the palace; only a few ever-burning palace lanterns emitted a dim light, illuminating the tightly closed palace doors.

Li Xijun scanned the area with his divine sense and confirmed that there were no other powerful auras nearby. Then, like a ghost, he moved swiftly and silently passed through the gap in the tightly closed palace door, entering the palace without a sound.

The interior of the Xuanwu Hall is spacious, yet it does not feel empty.

The furnishings in the hall were simple and heavy, mainly made of dark wood and some kind of cool black stone. The air was filled with a faint, damp scent, like that of a deep, cold sea pool, as well as a very subtle fragrance that belonged to Su Manniang herself.

His divine sense spread like ripples, quickly locking onto the quiet room deep within the inner hall that belonged to Su Manniang.

Approaching quietly, the interior scene comes into view through a thin veil and beaded curtain.

Su Manniang was indeed inside, but she was neither meditating nor practicing martial arts nor handling affairs.

She was lounging lazily on a large chaise lounge covered with soft brocade, with several exquisitely embroidered soft pillows under her.

At this moment, Venerable Xuanwu was wearing a moon-white silk robe, the style of which was extremely simple, and could even be described as "cool".

The robe was made of soft, smooth fabric that clung to the body's curves. The neckline revealed a patch of snow-white, delicate skin and a refined collarbone. The hem did not cover the body completely, and a pair of long, straight, plump, and fair legs were crossed, mostly exposed. Under the soft light of the indoor luminous pearl, they gleamed with a warm and alluring ivory luster.

She wasn't holding a book; instead, she had her eyes closed, as if taking a nap or resting.

Her long, black hair wasn't styled into a bun, but rather loosely tied in a knot and secured with a simple jade hairpin. A few strands of hair playfully fell beside her cheeks, adding to her languid charm.

That pretty face, which usually always carried a charming smile or a shrewd calculation, now revealed a rare purity and tranquility in its relaxed state, like a sleeping begonia.

This hardly resembles the awe-inspiring and shrewd Xuanwu Venerable; he seems more like a shrewd and complacent individual.

A "traditional-style homebody" who enjoys life.

Li Xijun's breath hitched slightly.

Su Manniang was born extremely beautiful, with a mature and voluptuous beauty like a ripe peach.

Normally, she uses glamorous clothes and makeup to wrap her beauty in charm and dignity. But now, she has shed all pretense and presents herself in the most natural and casual home style. Her amazing feminine charm is amplified to the extreme.

That cool and simple bathrobe did not diminish her charm at all; on the contrary, its casualness and "unguardedness" made her even more alluring.

Her voluptuous and shapely figure was breathtaking, even more alluring than those girl group idols in my previous life who deliberately tried to appear sexy.

Even this slight fluctuation in energy, though extremely faint, was enough to startle those inside.

Su Manniang's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her alluring eyes, which seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, suddenly opened. A sense of vigilance and sharpness flashed in her eyes, and the aura of the Xuanwu Venerable was subconsciously raised.

But when her gaze pierced through the beaded curtain and she saw the familiar yet unfamiliar tall figure outside the door, and sensed the subtle ripples of his aura caused by his momentary lapse in concentration, the wariness in Su Manniang's eyes quickly turned into understanding.

Immediately, a hint of amusement, smugness, and even a touch of provocative charm rippled outwards like waves.

Instead of panicking and trying to cover up or scold her, she let out a soft "heh," a lazy, husky sound with a nasal quality, which only added to her allure.

She didn't get up, but slightly adjusted her leaning posture, letting her already loose neckline slip down even further.

As the mature proprietress raised one of her jade-like arms, she gently covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she yawned. Her eyes darted around, precisely "locking in" on the direction of Li Xijun outside the curtain, and her red lips curled into a smile that could captivate all beings.

"Oh, who do we have here, daring to break into my boudoir at night?!"

Su Manniang's voice trailed off, carrying the familiar intimacy and teasing of an innkeeper greeting a regular customer, "So it's our Star Lord, you busy man~~ What, you finally remembered me and came to this deserted place?"

As she spoke, she actually sat up slowly from the chaise longue, her bare, delicate white feet stepping on the cool, smooth black stone floor. Without wearing shoes, she gracefully walked towards Li Xijun outside the beaded curtain.

"I've been peeking for so long—"

Su Manniang tilted her head slightly, her smile growing even more alluring, yet her eyes held a hint of cunning and an undeniable forcefulness. "Your Highness, this feast for the eyes isn't for nothing~ According to the rules of the martial world, seeing what you shouldn't will come at a price~"

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly moved with lightning speed, piercing through the beaded curtain and accurately grabbing Li Xijun's wrist.

Li Xijun instinctively tried to struggle, but felt a force and a strange pull from the other's hand. It wasn't an attack, but rather—it wouldn't let him leave.

Using the force of the grab, Su Manniang's voluptuous body almost pressed against the beaded curtain. She tilted her head back, and through the last layer of thin gauze, she breathed out a fragrant breath. Her voice was very low, but it carried a seriousness and longing that went straight to the heart: "The price is—I want you to help me cultivate."

She looked into Li Xijun's eyes and said each word clearly: "Help me break through the seventh heaven and achieve the Grandmaster realm."

"Your Highness made a promise, and now—it's time to fulfill it."

Several days later, deep within the Xuanwu Hall, in that quiet room filled with a faint fragrance and damp moisture, Li Xijun used the power of the inner universe and the sword intent of time to set up layers of isolation barriers.

Even if one possesses the Dharma Body and divine consciousness from the outside, it would be difficult to glimpse even a fraction of what lies within without a thorough investigation.

Li Xijun sat cross-legged, his body surrounded by swirling starlight. The illusory image of the Purple Star Emperor appeared and disappeared behind him. Furthermore, a trace of the Vajra Indestructible True Meaning he had recently comprehended transformed into a pale golden halo that enveloped his body, exuding a heavy aura as imposing as a mountain.

He is like an ancient, unchanging star-like mountain, or a celestial emperor who governs all things, providing vast and pure support.

Su Manniang sat opposite him, with the phantom images of a black tortoise and a spirit snake coiled around her. The tortoise and snake intertwined, their movements and stillness complementing each other, demonstrating the supreme mystery of the "Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Earth-Covering Technique".

She abandoned all her defenses and reservations, revealing her perfect cultivation at the sixth level of the Heavenly Realm, her understanding of the True Meaning of Xuanwu, and even the origin of her life to Li Xijun without reservation. At the same time, like the most greedy sponge, she absorbed and integrated the star power transmitted from Li Xijun with all her might.

The two people's aura, spiritual power, and even parts of their divine souls and thoughts slowly and steadily intertwined, resonated, and circulated through some mysterious dual cultivation method.

Li Xijun's star power brought a significant boost to Su Manniang's stagnant bottleneck.

His indestructible Vajra essence resonated with her Xuanwu's essence of "bearing" and "defense," deepening her understanding and control over the physical body.

That ripple of time, like the most exquisite catalyst, harmonizes all forces and endows them with greater vitality and breakthrough potential.

Conversely, Su Manniang's pure and profound Xuanwu spiritual power and unique "Suppressing the Sea" artistic conception also nourished...

It replenished Li Xijun's energy and even gave him a new understanding of the resilience of "water" and the bearing capacity of "earth".

This was a mutually beneficial process, but clearly, Su Manniang, as the party seeking a breakthrough, benefited more.

Time seemed to lose its meaning in the quiet room, with only two vast forces constantly merging and sublimating.

I don't know how much time passed.

"Buzz—!!!"

A powerful aura, as deep and heavy as the Northern Sea and as steady as the foundation of Mount Buzhou, suddenly erupted from the quiet room.

Even with the barrier separating them, the entire Xuanwu Palace, and even a small part of the core area of ​​the Star Palace, still trembled slightly!

Immediately afterwards, a visible phenomenon broke through part of the barrier and appeared in the night sky above the Xuanwu Hall. The starlight of the seven northern constellations of Xuanwu—Dou, Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shi, and Bi—suddenly became several times brighter, casting down a clear and vast starlight, like seven celestial rivers falling down and converging on the top of the Xuanwu Hall!

Amidst the starlight, a colossal phantom image of a Xuan Turtle and Spirit Serpent, almost enveloping half of the palace complex, slowly materialized.

The black tortoise is as heavy as a mountain, and the natural patterns on its shell evolve into rivers, lakes, seas, and the veins of the earth; the agile and nimble snake coils around the tortoise's body, and the opening and closing of its eyes seems to reveal the ebb and flow of tides and the surging undercurrents.

The resonance between the tortoise and the snake exudes a vast and profound majesty and power that is unwavering and enduring.

This strange phenomenon lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before the starlight gradually faded and the illusory image of the Dharma slowly merged into the hall.

"It's a success!"

"It's in the direction of the Xuanwu Hall! Venerable Su has broken through!"

"Grandmaster! Our Star Palace has gained another Grandmaster!"

"The Seven Constellations of Xuanwu manifest their divine power! The divine beast that stabilizes the sea appears in its form! Truly worthy of the Xuanwu lineage!"

The entire constellation was instantly alarmed.

Countless disciples, deacons, and elders emerged from their rooms, gazing towards the Xuanwu Hall, their faces filled with shock, joy, and excitement.

The birth of a new Grandmaster is a great joy for any power, signifying the enhancement of top-level combat strength and the deepening of its foundation.

The breakthrough of the Xuanwu Venerable is especially significant, signifying a more stable position for the four cardinal directions of the star palace and a more prosperous fortune.

The palace master and several reclusive elders were also alarmed. In their exchange of divine thoughts, they were all pleased and appreciative.

In a quiet room of the White Tiger Hall, Li Qinghan slowly finished her practice, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, her beautiful face showing an undisguised weariness.

In recent months, apart from handling necessary palace affairs, she has devoted almost all her time to ascetic practices.

Witnessing her younger brother Li Xijun ascend to the top of the Earth Ranking at an incredible speed and slay a Grandmaster with his sword, she felt both proud and unprecedented pressure.

She didn't want to fall too far behind; she wanted to break through to the Dharma Aspect Realm as soon as possible and truly possess the strength to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, and even provide him with assistance at times.

The intense training, coupled with her anxiety, has made her feel dizzy and heavy-headed lately, but she has been gritting her teeth and persevering.

Just as she was preparing to take a short break and continue her assault on the bottleneck—

Outside the window, the seven constellations of the Northern Black Tortoise shone brightly, and the vast and wondrous image of a tortoise and snake was clearly visible.

"This is... Su Manniang? She actually broke through to the Grandmaster level?" Li Qinghan was slightly taken aback, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

Based on her understanding of this turtle, this person shouldn't be able to make a breakthrough in the short term.

Could it really be that the opportunity has arrived and nothing can stop it?

"Even she has broken through—" Li Qinghan muttered to himself, the slight lethargy caused by exhaustion in his chest was instantly swept away!

A fighting spirit, unwilling to fall behind and determined to catch up, ignited in her heart like a raging flame.

She took a deep breath, straightened her head which had been slightly drooping due to exhaustion, and her eyes regained their sharpness, filled with determination and perseverance.

"No, I can't stop!"

She clenched her fist, her knuckles turning slightly white. "hope Jun has already gone so far—Su Manniang has also broken through—I must be faster! Dharma Aspect Realm—"

I must break through as soon as possible!

"Wait for me, Xijun—I won't let you bear all of this alone."

She gazed towards the Xuanwu Hall, and as if through the palace, she saw the figure of her younger brother, now capable of slaying a Grandmaster and renowned throughout the world. She whispered, yet with unwavering determination, encouraging herself: "I can do it!"

After saying that, she closed her eyes again, cleared her mind of distractions, and immersed herself in cultivation, becoming more focused and selfless than before.

Inside the White Tiger Hall, the chilling and sharp aura of Geng metal slowly rose once again.

Deep within the Xuanwu Hall, the protective barrier of the quiet room quietly dissipated.

Su Manniang's aura had stabilized at the seventh level of the Outer Realm, and her eyes shone brightly with a deep and unfathomable charm.

Feeling the new power surging within her body and the more harmonious and profound Xuanwu True Meaning, a sincere and charming smile appeared on her face. She bowed gracefully to Li Xijun, whose expression had returned to calm, and said, "Thank you, my husband, for your help in my cultivation."

She knew that without Li Xijun's extremely high level of primordial power and various true meanings to assist her, it would probably take her several years or even ten years of painstaking effort to break through this barrier that had blocked countless geniuses.

Li Xijun nodded slightly, accepting the gesture.

Helping Su Manniang break through her limits would also be of some benefit to him personally.

"Now that you've succeeded, focus on consolidating your cultivation. I have other matters to attend to."

Li Xijun stood up, his mind still preoccupied with the matter of the Thunder Blade and his plan to return to the main world as soon as possible.

Su Manniang's eyes flickered, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just smiled and said, "Husband, please take care. I just broke through and I was planning to go out for a walk and see Sister Zhuque along the way."

Li Xijun's face stiffened, and she said no more, quickening her pace even further as she left.

The moment he stepped out of the room, he transformed into a barely perceptible streak of light, silently leaving the Xuanwu Palace. Without stopping, he made his return journey across worlds in a secluded spot in the wilderness.

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