Chapter 283: Chapter 283: The Taoist Sect’s Chief, Chu Cangming

Xu Yunfan clasped his fist in a salute and said in a clear voice, "Greetings, Senior Brother Chu! I have long heard of the great name ’Cyan Sky Sword Spirit.’ Seeing you today, you truly have an extraordinary presence!"

Chu Cangming’s expression was indifferent, as tranquil as an old well.

As the mountain wind swept past, a few strands of hair at his temples glinted with a cold, metallic light.

In an instant, his gaze swept over the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace on Xu Yunfan’s back like the edge of a sword.

The dark patterns on the mace’s body, drawn out by his energy, unexpectedly lit up with three Profound Patterns, causing the surrounding fallen leaves to spin without a breeze.

"Junior Brother Xu, you wish to go to the Langhuan Book Tower?"

His voice was like jade falling into a Cold Pool, each syllable wrapped in the "Marrow Fire Tremor" unique to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm.

Before his words had even faded, the "Golden Sound and Jade Vibration" Anomaly, triggered by the outward manifestation of his Marrow Sea’s Powerful Qi, traced fine ripples in the air. This caused the dust in the cracks of the bluestone slabs within a thirty-foot radius to suddenly float up.

Xu Yunfan’s expression didn’t change in the slightest; his eyes even held a hint of eagerness to take up the challenge.

He had heard Chu Cangming’s name many times. The head True Disciple of the Taoist Sect, who slayed Demon Fiends, crushed vicious bandits, and saved a hundred cities...

His list of heroic titles was truly endless.

He remained polite and said, "That’s right. I’m currently in need of a Mace Technique, so I’d like to visit the Langhuan Book Tower."

Chu Cangming pondered for a moment. With a light flick of his sleeve, he sent out a wisp of energy that dispersed the gathering mist. "The Langhuan Book Tower is guarded by Elders. Without a True Inheritance Order, you can’t take a single step inside..."

He glanced Xu Yunfan up and down and saw that he didn’t have a True Inheritance Waist Token hanging from his belt.

"You haven’t received your True Inheritance Order yet, have you? I’ll take you."

Before he finished speaking, he had already stepped into the air, his green robes billowing like waves in a sea of clouds. It was none other than the "Stepping on Gang and Walking the Constellation" Body Technique from the Golden Locking Jade Twelve Formulas.

Xu Yunfan’s gaze sharpened. The records about "Stepping on Gang and Walking the Constellation" from the Golden Locking Jade Twelve Formulas immediately surfaced in his mind. Having obtained the first few scrolls of the scripture, Xu Yunfan naturally recognized the technique.

This Lightweight Skill was based on the Big Dipper. Each step secretly corresponded to the changing positions of stars like the Star of Celestial Pivot and Merak.

A practitioner had to reach the Flesh Refining Realm to even begin learning it. Spiral Qi would erupt from the Yongquan Acupoint on the sole of the foot, burst forth from the arch, and condense into a ’Qi Mass’.

The anomaly of the surging cloud-like waves around Chu Cangming’s green robes was, in fact, the "Locking Vein Gangfeng" formed by the external manifestation of his Marrow Sea’s Powerful Qi. If an ordinary Martial Artist were struck by this Gang Wind, their meridians and Blood Qi would immediately stagnate, slowing their attacks as if they’d been hit with a debuff.

Xu Yunfan noticed that with every step Chu Cangming took, three wisps of golden light burst from his heels. This was precisely the "one lock every three steps, Gang Wind formed in seven" described in the Cultivation Technique’s essentials.

Legend had it that upon reaching Great Success, one could take forty-nine consecutive steps in the air without falling, with each set of seven steps adding another layer of Strength.

Xu Yunfan was about to decline, saying he had a Tongxuan Order, when he saw Chu Cangming execute the Body Technique and wordlessly turn to dash into the sea of clouds. He had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and follow closely behind.

Halfway there, Chu Cangming suddenly spoke. "Three days ago, I was at Yanmen Pass. I killed seventeen nobles of Daqian True Blood."

His voice was as cold as a quenched sword’s edge, making one’s skin break out in goosebumps.

"Only upon returning to the mountain did I learn that Master has taken a new disciple."

His pace didn’t falter, but the unsheathed Cold Chi Sword at his waist let out a clear, resonant ring. "So... I came to have a look. Master hasn’t accepted a True Inheritor for decades, so for him to take one so quietly now naturally makes me very curious."

As his last syllable fell, Chu Cangming spun around abruptly.

The pressure of a peak Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm expert surged forward like a tide. The Red Flood Dragon Mountain Coiling Strength pattern instantly appeared on Xu Yunfan’s Dragon Scale Armor, and the bluestone slab beneath his feet cracked with a "CRACK," forming a spiderweb of fissures.

"However..."

Chu Cangming’s long, slender fingers rested casually on his sword hilt. "It seems..."

His gaze held a scrutinizing quality, his expression a clear hint of doubt.

"You don’t seem all that special."

Xu Yunfan just smiled silently. ’Do I really need to spell out what makes me special?’

Lifting his gaze to look around, he saw that as the thick mist dissipated, the two of them were standing on a cloud bridge between two steep mountain peaks.

Twelve Profound Iron Chains, each as thick as an arm, spanned the void, gleaming with a cold, blue light under the setting sun.

Thick Iron Birch Wood Boards were laid between the chains. Despite being weathered by a hundred years of wind and frost, they showed no signs of decay. They were now rising and falling rhythmically with the mountain wind, emitting a grating "CREAK."

Below the bridge was a chasm ten thousand zhang deep. The churning sea of clouds was torn into wisps by the Gang Wind, and on the occasionally revealed rock faces, one could see gashes left behind by past masters of the Taoist Sect who had tested their swords there.

The Iron Birch Wood Board let out a piercing "SCREECH" as it was torn at by the Gang Wind. The entire plank suddenly tilted thirty degrees on its central rivet, revealing the churning sea of clouds below.

The leaves of Xu Yunfan’s Dragon Scale Armor flared with a crimson light in response, and he channeled Strength through the soles of his feet to stabilize his stance.

Chu Cangming’s green robes whipped about in the wind, yet he stood on the edge of the swaying board as if on solid ground. The fierce gusts made his robes flutter wildly.

"Once we cross this bridge, we’ll be at the Langhuan Book Tower."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the Sword Scabbard at Xu Yunfan’s waist.

"Does Junior Brother Xu know the sword as well?"

"Not really, no."

Xu Yunfan patted the Longsword at his waist. He had taken this from Su Zhenhe of the Profound Daoist Sect back in the Little Heaven and Earth Secret Realm. It was exceptionally sharp but very brittle; a little bit of force was enough to easily snap it.

A classic example of an unorthodox weapon.

"Then the Longsword at Junior Brother Xu’s waist is..."

Xu Yunfan grinned. "I took it from an enemy. I just thought it looked nice, so I started wearing it. It’s just a matter of tying something to my belt, anyway."

"..."

Chu Cangming fell silent for a moment, seemingly not expecting such a straightforward answer from Xu Yunfan. After a while, he asked again, "I wonder, what kind of weapon does Junior Brother Xu specialize in? Is it unarmed combat, or perhaps the Divine Long Mace you carry on your back?"

After that slightly dry opening, just as Chu Cangming was about to ask if Xu Yunfan was proficient in Mace Techniques, Xu Yunfan spoke.

Xu Yunfan made a fist, adopting the opening stance for swinging a hammer. "Actually, what I’m better with is the hammer."

"The hammer?" The other man was clearly taken aback.

"The hammer!"

The muscles in his arms suddenly tensed. Crimson light burst from the gaps between the leaves of his Dragon Scale Armor, and the intense heat that spread with his Blood Qi slightly distorted the air as his hands traced the trajectory of the Thousand-Pound Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique.

The movement looked simple, but it contained the force-generation techniques of the Thousand-Pound Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique, compressing the surrounding air to the point that visible ripples appeared.

"A Heavy Mace is good..."

Xu Yunfan tapped the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace on his back with the back of his hand. In response, three of the mace’s nine Profound Patterns lit up.

"If it weren’t for this Divine Weapon’s innate Spirituality, which allows me to unleash fierce Qi Forces with ease, I would much rather use the Thunderfire Qilin Hammer from the Celestial Craft Cave."

This subtle movement revealed a Martial Artist’s instinctual memory of his weapon, just as his unconsciously curled knuckles still held the muscle memory from gripping a hammer.

Then, Xu Yunfan added with a touch of regret, "Unfortunately, as one’s Martial Arts Realm advances, Martial Arts techniques for hammers become pitifully scarce."

It was more than just pitifully scarce. At higher levels, Powerful Qi became more prominent. Especially after Washing Marrow and Refining the Internal Organs, when Bone Marrow Power was generated and Powerful Qi churned and solidified, a casual swing of a longsword or a long saber could unleash power far exceeding that of a heavy weapon. This was even more true when one progressed further to form a Gang Wind by refining the organs.