Li Yundong stood behind Ziyuan, looking at the Seven-Character Regulated Verse. Though a strange feeling settled in his heart, he sensed dimly that the poem spoke of him.
Especially the first line, Golden Core manifests once, worldly ties are sealed, which left a peculiar, inexpressible feeling in his chest. It was as if the cryptic words Ruan Hongling had spoken to Ziyuan long ago suddenly made a degree of sense to Li Yundong now.
Not knowing how long this stillness lasted, Li Yundong let out a soft cough.
Ziyuan instantly stiffened, crumpling the paper in front of her into a tight ball. She spun around abruptly, lowering her voice to a fierce hiss, “Who is it?”
As she turned, one hand clenched the paper wad, while the other swirled with faint azure light, looking as if a devastating spell was ready to unleash in the next second, promising a thunderous blow.
Ziyuan caught sight of Li Yundong and froze instantly. “Why is it you? What are you doing here?”
Li Yundong cleared his throat again, avoiding the question by asking one of his own, “What? You’ve been to my place so many times, can’t I visit yours just once?”
Ziyuan relaxed her tense posture, the faint azure light in her hand slowly dissipating. However, the hand still clutching the paper ball remained subconsciously tight. Her earlobes flushed slightly. Despite an evident awkwardness, she forced an indifferent air and asked, “How long have you been here?”
Li Yundong had intended to ask her about the meaning of the poem, but seeing her reaction, he felt awkward pressing the issue. He simply said, “I just arrived a little while ago.”
Ziyuan instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Without showing any change, she tucked the crumpled paper behind her back, adopting a nonchalant look, and asked calmly, “Is there something you need?”
Li Yundong hadn't come for any particular reason, driven only by curiosity, but then he witnessed that preceding scene. He paused, a thought striking him, and fabricated a reason: “Nothing much. I just had a lingering question from when I subdued the Liu’e Sword earlier tonight.”
When the topic turned to cultivation, Ziyuan gradually regained her composure and serenity. Standing gracefully, she inquired, “What question troubles you?”
Li Yundong said, “When I subdued the Liu’e Sword, I used my own blood. I recall Su Chan once telling me that my Maiden’s Primordial Yang Blood specialized in breaking all forms of Yin energy?”
Ziyuan nodded. “That’s correct.”
Li Yundong followed up, “And the Maiden’s Primordial Yin Blood should specialize in breaking all forms of Yang energy?”
Ziyuan suddenly smiled faintly, shaking her head as she laughed. “That’s not necessarily the case. Yin and Yang nurture and restrain each other. The claim that your Maiden’s Primordial Yang Blood specializes in breaking all Yin energy depends on the specific circumstances. Your Yang Blood inherently carries the incomparably mighty energy of the Golden Core, coupled with your dense, potent Inner Elixir. Therefore, your Yang Blood can breach almost any Yin energy in the world.”
“However, if the opponent’s Yin energy vastly surpasses yours, you still won't break through. The principle is like that of water and fire. Water can extinguish fire, but can a single basin of water douse the blaze consuming an entire house?”
After explaining, Ziyuan looked at Li Yundong with genuine curiosity. “Why this sudden line of questioning?”
Li Yundong replied, “Although subduing the Liu’e Sword tonight was slightly perilous, the process was far smoother than I anticipated. My Maiden’s Primordial Yang Blood barely touched the sword before it was instantly subdued and brought under my control. So I was thinking: if one day I use the Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan in a fight, and my opponent uses potent Maiden’s Primordial Yin Blood to break the Yang energy I infused into the fan, wouldn't my fan then be stolen?”
Hearing this, Ziyuan’s expression softened with admiration. “The fact that you can consider this shows you are already a qualified cultivator. Indeed, Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements interact ceaselessly. If you can discern an opponent’s cultivation attribute and tailor your attack accordingly, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort. Subduing the Liu’e Sword was an example of this very principle.”
“Precisely because of this, many cultivators embed several different attributes within their personal artifacts, making it impossible for someone to subdue the item instantly using only one method.”
Saying this, Ziyuan twisted her wrist and retrieved a purple silk ribbon, about three fingers wide, from her sleeve. She handed one end to Li Yundong and smiled. “Try to subdue this artifact of mine.”
Li Yundong glanced at Ziyuan, astonished. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your artifact?”
Ziyuan smiled lightly. “If you truly possessed such divine power, I would have to take you as my master.”
Li Yundong laughed heartily, a glint of eagerness flashing in his eyes. He gripped a corner of the ribbon, finding it smooth and supple, almost slippery to the touch.
Li Yundong attempted to channel his Primordial Yang True Qi into the ribbon, but the moment it entered, he felt a powerful surge of Yin energy recoil. This Yin energy was deep and gentle, like a vast, boundless ocean. No matter how Li Yundong mobilized his True Qi in fierce assault, it calmly and effortlessly neutralized his aggressive advance.
Li Yundong’s spirit sharpened. He paused, then suddenly mobilized every particle of True Qi within him, launching an assault like an entire nation mobilized for war.
This offensive was fierce, akin to dropping a heaven-connecting mountain into the sea, raising monstrous waves.
Seeing that the Yin energy finally showed signs of wavering, Li Yundong felt immense joy, believing he was about to conquer Ziyuan’s personal artifact. Just as he prepared to press the advantage, he suddenly felt a surge of Yang energy and a strange, indescribable force leap out from within the artifact. This Yang energy wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but it constantly tethered Li Yundong’s own strength, preventing him from focusing solely on attacking the Yin energy.
The other strange force felt hard and sharp, like a broad axe or a green edge sword, launching repeated flanking attacks against Li Yundong’s Primordial Yang True Qi.
Li Yundong’s Yang True Qi and the Yin True Qi within the ribbon canceled each other out. When he held the upper hand, his progress was unstoppable, but against this strange force and the wisp of Yang energy, he was fighting three opponents simultaneously, gaining no advantage whatsoever. After a few exchanges, Li Yundong went from decisive victory to a stalemate, and then to being pushed back decisively by the three opposing forces.
Just as he felt the backlash was about to strike his own body, Ziyuan suddenly pulled the ribbon back, smiling gently. “How was that?”
Li Yundong broke into a cold sweat, breathing shallowly. “What was that? I can understand having some Yang energy inside, given that for a cultivator like you, Supreme Yin energy breeding Supreme Yang energy is normal—Yin and Yang are endlessly renewed. But where did that other force come from? What kind of power is that?”
Ziyuan smiled and beckoned him over. “Come here and look.” She then brushed her finger across the ribbon.
Li Yundong leaned closer and saw ripples of golden light shimmering across the silk. Within this golden light, a series of mysterious and peculiar runes faintly emerged on the ribbon.
Li Yundong asked, puzzled. “What are these?”
Ziyuan looked at the ribbon with evident fondness and contemplation, her finger lightly tracing the runes. She murmured softly, “These are runes my Master etched onto it using gold dust. That is the strange force you just felt. This force is of the Metal element from the Five Phases, designed specifically to prevent anyone from using attribute counters to break my artifact.”
Li Yundong gasped in sudden understanding. “I see! Your artifact contains Yin attribute, Yang attribute, and Metal attribute. If someone manages to counter your Supreme Yin energy, they can’t touch your Supreme Yang energy, and even if they counter both, they’ll be defeated by your hidden trump card—the Metal attribute!”
Ziyuan smiled and nodded. “Exactly. Battle is like warfare! Sun Tzu’s Art of War states: Engage them with the orthodox, defeat them with the unconventional. The three forces within my artifact follow this principle. I use my primary Supreme Yin energy to hold back your main thrust, then use a burst of Yang energy for harassment and diversion, keeping you unsettled and unable to focus. Finally, I unleash the surprise force—the unconventional maneuver—to strike suddenly. You won’t be able to defend against that, and naturally, you will be routed!”
Li Yundong’s eyes shone brightly as he clapped his hands in admiration. “Brilliant! I never realized there was so much scholarship in actual combat!”
Ziyuan remarked, laughing, “Did you think combat was just about who had greater power, stronger magic, or wider divine abilities? Not at all! If that were true, you would have died when you first established your Foundation and encountered Wu Hao and Lü Fengping of the Yin-Yang Sect! Their power and abilities far outstripped yours! Yet you won. Why do you think that was?”
Li Yundong fell into deep contemplation, recalling the situation, and remained silent for a moment.
Ziyuan continued, “Part of it was their arrogance in underestimating you, but at that time, your will was far stronger than theirs, and your on-the-spot adaptability was far superior! Cultivator battles are often swift—lightning-fast engagements where victory is decided in a few exchanges, not hundreds of rounds like on television. Therefore, combat is warfare. If you lack an absolute advantage, you must devise ways: lure the weak into carelessness, confront the strong with resistance, and win with the unconventional!”
Li Yundong sighed deeply. “I understand now! Today, I finally know why Su Chan called you the foremost master among the younger generation of the cultivation world! It is fortunate that when I first established my Foundation, my enemy wasn't you; otherwise, I would surely have met a terrible end.”
Ziyuan shook her head. “Don’t belittle yourself. Your innate talent is rare in this era, and your fortunate encounters happen perhaps once in a century. You reached the Divine Ability realm in less than half a year—that progress is utterly terrifying. If you continue cultivating at this pace for a few more years, I fear I won’t even be able to hold my own against you.”
Li Yundong chuckled. “Alright, we shouldn’t keep flattering each other. Speaking of which, can my Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan have an additional attribute added? I am always worried about it being taken from me.”
Ziyuan nodded and smiled slightly. “Yes, it can!”
Li Yundong’s eyes lit up. “It can? What’s the method?”