Chapter 115
Chapter 115: Azure Dragon Cang Ming Scripture
Seeing Bu Cheng Yang now, Li Mu Sheng noticed the man had lost the proud pretense he once carried. They had first met as two who both concealed their true nature.
Li Mu Sheng rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes narrowing slightly. “Rest assured, I only wish to ask about the origin of this Dragon Pearl and the secrets of Azure Dragon Qi. Answer my questions honestly, and I’ll overlook your earlier disrespectful behavior.”
Hearing these words, Bu Cheng Yang relaxed somewhat. Since Li Mu Sheng needed information from him, it meant he wouldn’t attack him without cause, at least for now.
Yet, Bu Cheng Yang couldn’t help but wonder when he had offended Li Mu Sheng. The young hero’s tone clearly showed dissatisfaction. Still, he did not linger on these thoughts and simply cupped his hands politely, saying:
“Indeed, I do know a little about the matters here. I’m willing to clarify things for the young hero.”
His gaze fell upon the stone pearl in Li Mu Sheng’s hand, and he continued:
“Although this object is called a Dragon Pearl, it isn’t truly the core of an Azure Dragon. Instead, it’s formed from scattered and sealed Azure Dragon Qi that, over countless years, seeped into the underground rocks. Thus, the pearl itself as a stone holds no special significance. Its true value lies in the Azure Dragon Qi contained within, which is precisely what the Azure Dragon Elder desired.”
Li Mu Sheng’s face grew thoughtful upon hearing this. “This Azure Dragon Qi seems entirely different from martial Qi. Could the Azure Dragon Elder truly absorb it?”
Suddenly recalling something, he spoke again with realization, “Earlier you mentioned a secret scripture called Azure Dragon Cang Ming Scripture that the old man cultivated. Could it be that this scripture allowed him to absorb the Azure Dragon Qi?”
Bu Cheng Yang lightly nodded, confirming his thoughts.
“Exactly so. Azure Dragon Qi is said to originate from the Azure Dragon of the East, one of the legendary Four Divine Beasts from ancient times. It is among the most primal energies of this world. Though far less boundless compared to Heaven and Earth Qi, its strength is no weaker.”
“The Azure Dragon Elder obtained the Azure Dragon Cang Ming Scripture through a fortunate discovery at an ancient ruin when he was young. He initially lacked any martial talent, scarcely able to reach even the acquired martial dao realm. But with this extraordinary scripture alone, he quickly rose, eventually stepping into the Heavenly Union Realm, a stage countless martial artists can only dream of.”
“However,” he continued, “this scripture, though powerful, has a crucial limitation: it requires the continuous absorption of Azure Dragon Qi to advance.”
Li Mu Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, glancing at the pearl thoughtfully. “No wonder that old man coveted this item so desperately, even willing to risk his life.”
Suddenly, Li Mu Sheng turned to Bu Cheng Yang again, changing the subject abruptly.
“But something puzzles me. You haven’t cultivated this Azure Dragon Cang Ming Scripture, so why are you so interested in Azure Dragon Qi? Could it be that you can also absorb it for your own use?”
Bu Cheng Yang’s expression wavered, hesitating slightly. Finally, he spoke truthfully:
“Young hero, you misunderstand. It isn’t for my own use, but rather for a sword.”
“A sword?” Li Mu Sheng frowned slightly, then glanced at the long sword strapped behind Bu Cheng Yang. He chuckled softly. “Oh, I almost forgot. Earlier you mentioned that I wasn’t worthy of knowing your identity. Indeed, I still don’t know which Martial World sect you belong to.”
A hint of awkwardness flashed across Bu Cheng Yang’s face, realizing now how he had offended Li Mu Sheng. While his character had no grave faults, he often relied on his advanced martial cultivation, speaking condescendingly to younger martial artists. Previously, he had behaved exactly like this with Li Mu Sheng, which clearly had displeased the young hero.
Feeling remorseful, Bu Cheng Yang cupped his hands respectfully once more.
“Young hero, please forgive my earlier arrogance. I hail from the Grand Evolution Sword Sect, one of the Four Great Sects of the Great Li Martial World. I belong to the second generation of sword cultivators within the sect. As for my purpose here…”
He paused slightly, lowering his voice, “…it’s for the sake of obtaining the Imperial Dragon Divine Sword of Great Li.”
Li Mu Sheng contemplated this revelation. “So, the sword you spoke of earlier is indeed this Imperial Dragon Divine Sword?”
Bu Cheng Yang nodded firmly. “Precisely. You might not be aware, young hero, but long ago, the Great Qi Empire gathered the greatest Artifact Refiners under heaven to forge the Imperial Dragon Divine Sword. They crafted this renowned sword from meteorite iron and Azure Dragon Qi, giving it its name.”
“Intriguing,” Li Mu Sheng replied thoughtfully. “But how exactly do you intend to use Azure Dragon Qi to obtain the Imperial Dragon Divine Sword? And how much do you truly know about the Azure Dragon Qi sealed beneath this Dragon-Locking Well?”
Li Mu Sheng raised a curious eyebrow. Truthfully, he had no great interest in the legendary divine sword. However, the sword’s link to Azure Dragon Qi had piqued his interest.
Yet his true concern lay with Azure Dragon Qi itself. First, though, he needed to test whether it would enhance his power similarly to Qilin blood.
With that thought, Li Mu Sheng clenched his palm around the stone pearl.
Instantly, the pearl glowing dimly with greyish-blue light crumbled to dust, leaving only a faint trace of grayish-green qi absorbed directly into his body.
Bu Cheng Yang, who had been preparing to answer Li Mu Sheng’s earlier questions, paused, carefully observing the younger man.
As far as he knew, Azure Dragon Qi was completely different from Qilin blood. Ordinary humans couldn’t absorb it at all. Unlike the fierce yet somewhat manageable Qilin blood—which had produced legendary martial heroes—Azure Dragon Qi was even more mysterious and less widely known in the martial world.
While Bu Cheng Yang recognized Li Mu Sheng’s martial skills as extraordinarily high, he also understood clearly that absorbing Azure Dragon Qi had nothing to do with martial strength.
Thus, he watched closely, curious if Li Mu Sheng could defy common understanding and absorb the Azure Dragon Qi.
But after observing for a short time, he noticed no noticeable changes in Li Mu Sheng’s aura or appearance.
Curiosity overwhelmed him, and Bu Cheng Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Young hero, how is the Azure Dragon Qi?”
Li Mu Sheng glanced at him, casually rubbing his chin. “Too little. I can’t feel anything.”
Then, eyes suddenly brightening, he continued thoughtfully:
“If the Azure Dragon Elder could absorb it using the Azure Dragon Cang Ming Scripture, perhaps if I cultivate that scripture, the outcome would be different.”
He turned towards the spot where the Azure Dragon Elder had melted into blood moments ago, sighing softly in regret.
“Unfortunately, I acted too quickly earlier and didn’t keep him alive for questioning.”
Bu Cheng Yang, however, suddenly seemed to recall something significant.
“Young hero,” he said, “the Azure Dragon Elder had been secretly dwelling here for more than a decade, entirely dedicated to obtaining Azure Dragon Qi. Perhaps he left a copy of the Azure Dragon Cang Ming Scripture hidden somewhere nearby.”