C18 Her Master Was Able to Tell Her Own Heart in front of Her and the Pearls Gate Was Filled with De

"Damn it, I'm out of options."

Le Yang ignored the wounds that were bleeding profusely on his body. Despite having risked his life in a desperate attempt to inflict mutual damage on the shadowy figure, the result was his arm being viciously bitten, while his golden blade failed to strike as the shadow vanished once again.

However, this encounter finally allowed Ye Fan to discern the true nature of the cunning and swift shadow: a formidable leopard.

Le Yang cursed his limited knowledge of Dao Arts. If only he could use the Delaying Technique or any other art that might daze the leopard for a moment, he wouldn't be in such a sorry state.

"Roar!"

A low growl echoed from behind Le Yang. But as he spun around, a pair of blood-red eyes lunged at him from the left.

The leopard was incredibly fast, so much so that Le Yang couldn't even pinpoint its location.

This time, the leopard aimed not for Le Yang's arm or thigh, but appeared to grow tired of the torment and opened its massive maw, its razor-sharp fangs ready to pierce Le Yang's neck.

"An An!"

In an instant, Le Yang was tackled to the ground by the leopard. His movements, already sluggish compared to the leopard's, were no match, especially after the prolonged struggle had left him battered and devoid of any strength to resist.

But he wasn't alone; he had An An.

The leopard's jaws were a mere inch from Le Yang's neck, but they could not clamp down. An An slammed into the leopard with great force, sending it crashing into the trunk of a sturdy tree and startling a large flock of onlooking owls.

The owls circled overhead, not understanding why the mighty Black Cloud Leopard had fallen, yet that didn't deter them from waiting to swoop down for their feast once Le Yang and An An departed.

"I owe you my life. Without you, I would have been done for."

Le Yang gazed at An An, now covered in green fur, and felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Uncle Master, please come with me."

At that moment, the disciple who had vanished earlier emerged in front of Le Yang as if burrowing out from beneath the earth.

Le Yang was unfazed, realizing he had passed his master's test, though it was a harsh one. He pondered whether the disciple would have intervened had he truly been no match for the leopard.

Yue Yang didn't give it much thought when the disciple led him to a graveyard brimming with countless bones. The bones emanated a chilling aura, and innumerable blue ghost flames flickered atop them like flowers scattered across the vast expanse of skeletal remains.

"Master."

Yue Yang's master, the Skull Monster, was seated in the center of the bone graveyard on a throne carved from crystal in the shape of bones.

"That Black Cloud Leopard we encountered was merely at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. What are your thoughts?" The Skull Monster's voice was tinged with a sense of reflection.

"I'm aware that you're proficient in the Dao Scriptures and can even spot flaws in the cultivation methods of the Golden Core Stage. Yet, your experience in actual combat is severely lacking. The Black Cloud Leopard's advantage lies in its speed and stealth, but your only strategy against it was to trade blow for blow," the Skull Monster observed.

Yue Yang felt the urge to counter but was promptly interrupted by his master.

"I understand what you're trying to say, but have you considered how ordinary humans, devoid of any cultivation, can still slay monsters at the Qi Refining or even Foundation Building Stage with mere swords and sabers? You've mastered one of the finest sword techniques in the mortal realm. How does that resonate with you?"

Yue Yang pondered for a moment, yet his stubbornness persisted. "If I had mastered the God Trapping Technique from the Star System Dao Arts, I could have slain that Black Cloud Leopard in a single encounter. My issue is simply that I haven't learned enough cultivation techniques."

"You're still not seeing the bigger picture. The Dao Arts of this world are categorized by their systems: there are the foundational Five Elemental Dao Arts, the Ghost Dao Arts I practice, your Star System Dao Arts, and many others derived from the Five Elements through transformations of Yin and Yang, such as Darkness, Light, Ice, Thunder, Wind, Smoke, and more. These systems are comprised of thousands of Dao Arts, with new ones continually being discovered and refined by cultivators. It's impossible for one person to master them all."

The Skull Monster was fond of Yue Yang, his disciple, but his affection led him not to limit Yue Yang's cultivation. Consequently, Yue Yang had inadvertently practiced the Star System Dao Arts, which were forbidden on the Qingyun Continent, and now it was too late for regrets.

"I'm not overreaching nor am I trying to be avaricious," Yue Yang responded. "I simply wish to learn more of the Star System Dao Arts so that I won't be at a disadvantage when facing opponents in battle."

Le Yang shared the decisions he had been wrestling with over the past few days.

"Silence! The Galactic Dao Arts are forbidden. Do you wish to doom our Order of Duality? If the upper three sects catch wind of this and summon the Nascent Infant Dao Venerate, our Order's millennia of legacy could be wiped out with a mere flick of his wrist."

Old Monster Skull was livid, the ghostly flames in his eyes dancing wildly. It was as if the bones throughout the entire White Bone Graveyard could sense his fury, trembling and flickering in response.

"Master, why do I feel that you've become even more timid since achieving the Golden Core?"

Le Yang was forthright with his words. Unlike long-time cultivators, his relationship with Old Monster Skull was more akin to that of father and son, which allowed him to speak his mind freely.

"You'll understand once you've attained the Golden Core yourself."

Old Monster Skull, frustrated yet unable to vent his anger on such a disciple, was fortunate that he had long since refined his flesh into bone; otherwise, Le Yang's words might have literally blown him apart.

"Enough. Return and reflect on what you've learned from this battle. Come back after ten days."

The Skull Ancestor instructed a disciple to escort Le Yang away.

Upon returning to the Ming House, Le Yang realized that the Skull Ancestor was no longer against his practice of the Stellar Dao Arts. Elated, he threw himself into his cultivation with renewed vigor.

Over ten days, he not only perfected the Starlight Shield but also mastered three Stellar Dao Arts, including the God-Strangling Technique he had been so eager to learn.

After the ten days had passed, Le Yang descended to the base of White Bone Mountain for another bout with the Mystic Cloud Leopard. The results, however, fell short of his expectations. It took three attempts with the God-Strangling Technique to hit the leopard, which then easily broke free. In the end, it was only with An An's help that he managed to defeat the creature.

That day, as Le Yang practiced the Water Dragon's Roar, his repeated clashes with the Mystic Cloud Leopard led him to a realization: compared to Dao Arts, this sword technique was decidedly more practical. On several occasions, it was the Water Dragon's Roar that saved him from the leopard's lethal strikes.

As Le Yang was contemplating the intricate essence of the Water Dragon's Roar Saber Intent, his servant announced that his Uncle-Master Le You had arrived for a visit.

Le You was none other than Le Yang's brother, Murong Xuan, a man of wealth and elegance, yet with a demeanor that transcended the ordinary.

Cultivators are often said to be indifferent to the mortal world, meaning they should devote themselves to their practice without distraction from worldly concerns.

Yet, in the mortal realm, many cultivators are still supported by nations. Aside from independent cultivators with no sect affiliation, some sect-based cultivators acquiesce to the requests of emperors, simply because they can obtain the necessary resources for their cultivation from these rulers.

Take Murong Xuanzang, for example. He serves as the National Preceptor of the Pearl Kingdom and receives tributes from the kingdom every ten years.

"Little Junior Brother, I've heard you've been diligently honing your saber skills lately. What's the matter? Do you find the Daoist techniques of the Order of Duality unsatisfactory?" Murong Xuanzang inquired upon his visit, having observed Le Yang's exceptional mastery of the saber technique. He found it odd that someone would neglect the supreme Daoist methods in favor of the arduous and seemingly less rewarding saber practice.

"Senior Brother, your concern is appreciated. I'm merely keeping my skills sharp in my spare time," Le Yang replied, sheathing his saber and exhaling deeply, a testament to the physical benefits of his training, which had rendered him significantly more robust than the grown servants.

"If you find yourself with free time, Junior Brother, you're welcome to join me on my mountain for tea and conversation. There's no need to busy yourself with such rudimentary skills."

To Murong Xuanzang, even the most sophisticated saber techniques were elementary. His perspective was not unfounded; he had achieved the Great Perfection at the late stage of Foundation Building, rendering him impervious to common blades. And with divine weapons being no threat from mere mortals, who could possibly get close enough to harm him?

Moreover, Murong Xuanzang was on the cusp of advancing to the Golden Core Realm. Many disciples within the sect were already venerating him as if he were a Golden Core Patriarch.

After exchanging pleasantries, Murong Xuanzang cut to the chase. A demon had emerged in the Pearl Kingdom, causing harm to many of the realm's nobles and ministers. Murong Xuanzang had stationed a mid-stage Qi Refining disciple there, but his life token had shattered the day before, leaving his fate unknown.

Murong Xuanzang had just arrived from the Skull Monster, a master of ghostly Daoist arts, who had sent him to find Yueyang. "After consulting with my Martial Uncle, we concluded that confronting a late-stage Qi Refining demon myself would be overly formal. It's more fitting for you to eliminate this menace," he explained.

As Murong Xuanzang pointed out, Yueyang was a disciple of the Order of Duality. His involvement would certainly honor the Pearl Kingdom, and since his strength was also at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, his actions wouldn't be seen as overkill.

Hence, it was both appropriate and logical for Yueyang to undertake the task of vanquishing the demon. "I will heed Senior Brother's directive," Yueyang responded.

Yueyang had planned to visit the base of his master's mountain in the coming days, hoping to hunt a few demon beasts other than the Black Cloud Leopard. But now, it seemed those beasts had a stroke of luck, as some other unfortunate creature would meet its end instead.

"This artifact is known as the Demon Illumination Mirror, crafted from stones of the Kunlun Immortal Mountain. Keep it safe. With a single incantation, it will reveal the true form of any demon or specter," Murong Xuanzang advised as he handed Yueyang a palm-sized mirror, its back engraved with the fierce visage of a mythical beast.

Yueyang secured the mirror, intending to visit his master, but Murong Xuanzang pressed him to set out immediately. "Why the urgency?" Yueyang inquired.

"Any delay could mean more innocent lives lost to the demon. You must go at once," Murong Xuanzang urged.

Sensing that Murong Xuanzang might be withholding information, Yueyang nonetheless found himself hastened onto the beast-drawn carriage and descending the mountain.

"It's such a shame I can't take Sister Chu along with me; she would have been thrilled to return home."

The carriage offered ample space, yet Le Yang found himself without a conversation partner, so he turned to An An. Devoid of Le Yang's mental guidance, An An stood motionless, resembling a sculpted figure.

An An's body was now covered in green fur capable of withstanding the powers of the Dao. It was hard to watch the transformation of a beautiful young girl into this state. Both Le Yang and Chu Yunrou found it difficult to bear. To help her, Chu Yunrou crafted a mask and adorned her with a floral hat, ensuring she was fully concealed.

Cultivators are undaunted by lengthy travels. Le Yang devoted his time within the carriage to his cultivation practices. Should hunger or thirst arise, the carriage was well-stocked with provisions and fruits, leaving nothing to be desired.