Chapter 58 Shoulders Draped in Sunset Glow, Heart of a Viper (Please Read On! Please Vote!)

Yihezhuang, in front of Panglong Courtyard.

When Li Xian returned from his patrol, he went straight to this place and was greeted by Hua Hanying, a first-class guard.

"Greetings, Master Ying!" Li Xian greeted him with a cupped-hand salute. Although he addressed him as "Master," he did not display the obsequiousness and fawning of the other guards.

Even when others called him Master Li, he didn't feel complacent or think he was superior to others.

What are you doing here?

Hua Hanying's attitude was very bad.

"I'm seeking Commander Pang to inquire about matters concerning the Leisurely Martial Pavilion," Li Xian stated truthfully, his brows furrowing slightly, sensing that Hua Hanying was not very friendly.

However, Hua Hanying treated him to tiger meat for a while, and he initially had a rather favorable impression of him.

"snort!"

Hua Hanying flicked his sleeve, thinking to himself, "Is this just a new kid deliberately bringing this up in front of me, trying to show off?"

"Hunting may please the lady, but strength is the most important thing!"

He turned away with a stern expression and went straight into the courtyard.

"This person is inexplicable. When did I offend him? I should be careful around him in the future."

Li Xian was puzzled, but didn't care much.

Pang Long was in the courtyard, holding a large sword, practicing a set of "Eight Trigrams Sword Techniques". This sword technique is a basic sword technique named after the Eight Trigrams and is quite complex.

His swordplay was fluid and effortless; with a flick of his wrist, the blade emitted soft chimes.

He also knew that someone was looking for him.

But single-mindedly, he continued to wield the greatsword, which, despite its immense weight, moved with the lightness and grace of a fluttering feather.

Just then, a ray of sunlight shone through. Pang Long laughed loudly, "Good, good, good!" Suddenly filled with heroic spirit, he unleashed several slashes, wildly hacking at the sunlight.

Hua Hanying was shocked and took several steps back, saying in disbelief, "This is..."

Li Xian pinched her chin, greatly surprised.

What I saw before me was this strange sight:

Under the sunlight, streaks of colorful light slowly appeared on Pang Long's shoulders; though extremely faint, they were undeniably visible.

"Is it the light of the sword reflecting the sunlight, thus creating the strange phenomenon of radiant light?" Li Xian pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

Unlike…

"call!"

A moment later, Pang Long flicked his sword, and the broadsword flew straight out and plunged into the snow. The blade was completely submerged in the snow, leaving only the hilt.

The glow of the sunset on his shoulders had not yet faded.

The rosy clouds draped over his shoulders added an indescribable aura to his appearance.

“Commander Pang… you… look…” Hua Hanying exclaimed in alarm.

"What?" Pang Long was stunned, then turned his head and his face immediately lit up with joy. "Wearing the Rainbow Clouds on my shoulders! It's wearing the Rainbow Clouds on my shoulders! I've really come this far!"

The man, in his forties, was so excited that he danced with joy.

Hua Hanying was shocked, but his expression gradually darkened, as if he were secretly holding back his anger. He suddenly paused, turned to look at Li Xian, and found that Li Xian was also sizing him up.

He quickly composed himself and smiled as he complimented, "Congratulations, Commander Pang, on another step forward! You've now achieved the 'Shoulder-Wearing Rainbow' achievement!"

"Hahaha, this is indeed a joyous occasion." Pang Long's rough features seemed to have completely opened up.

Li Xian wondered to himself, "Does Hua Hanying not submit to Commander Pang?"

Unlike Pang Long, who was careless, he seized every opportunity and was quite perceptive.

But it wasn't appropriate to draw such a conclusion based solely on his expression, so I went over and asked:

"Commander Pang, what does 'shoulder draped in rainbow colors' mean?"

Pang Long shuddered, sweat beading on his skin. He glanced at Hua Hanying and Li Xian, knowing that the two had come for the Xianwu Pavilion.

"The so-called 'shrouded in rosy clouds'... well, it's a kind of symbol."

"A logo?" Li Xian asked eagerly.

“That’s right, it’s one of the signs of entering the [Essence Consumption] realm.” Pang Long put on a thin cloth robe and stretched out his right hand.

A moment later, a wisp of white smoke rose from his palm.

"This is one of the signs: the magic in the palm. When a martial artist has this sign, it means that he will have the opportunity to grasp that elusive magic."

"The strange sight just now is the second sign, called 'shoulder draped in rainbow clouds.' I just appeared with this sign, and it wasn't obvious enough yet."

Pang Long explained.

It further states: "After that, there are two more signs: 'a chest thumping like thunder' and 'a head brimming with hair.' When all four signs appear on the same person, it means..."

At this point, the voice rose in pitch, "This person has truly entered the realm of [Eating Essence], and has begun the path of transformation! This is what so many people dream of!"

"I see." Li Xian was greatly surprised and secretly made a note of it.

She was also happy for Pang Long, as he was getting closer and closer to the Essence Consumption Realm.

"I've heard that some people experience unusual changes in their bodies during this stage. I wonder if it's true or not," Pang Long said vaguely.

"Special change? What kind of change?" Hua Hanying asked in surprise.

"It's hard to say, not everyone has it." Pang Long shook his head. "This kind of change varies from person to person, it's hard to say for sure. But that's precisely what makes the martial arts world so exciting, there are all sorts of talented and extraordinary people out there, only things you can't imagine."

"However, we are afraid that we will never see such a person in our lifetime."

“Commander Pang, if you reach the Essence Consumption Realm, wouldn’t you also be considered one of them?” Li Xian said with a smile.

Pang Long said, "The eight characters are only just beginning to form; it's still a long way off."

Hua Hanying then said, "I think it's getting late. From the time you held the Immortal Machine in your palm to today's radiant glow, Commander Pang... you're actually not far from that level. Could it be that Madam is helping you..."

Pang Long shook his head and said, "My wife told me about it."

"She won't help with matters at that level. If I can obtain it, it will be my good fortune; if not, it's simply my fate that I lack such an opportunity. Everything depends on myself."

Hua Hanying breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Li Xian narrowed his eyes, sensing Hua Hanying's ill intentions. "Commander Pang, if this news gets out, I wonder how many guards will be jealous."

Intentionally reminding you.

"Hahaha."

However, Pang Long, with his rough and uncouth nature, failed to notice and continued laughing heartily. Hua Hanying glanced at Li Xian, and inexplicably began to feel some apprehension towards him.

...

...

Yihezhuang, Xianwu Pavilion.

Built in the center of a lake, it is in the shape of a tower with three floors, each floor being about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) high.

It stands tall in the center of the lake, resembling a jet-black sword.

Pang Long consulted Qiu Yue and, together with Li Xian and Hua Hanying, arrived at the outer perimeter of Xianwu Pavilion.

Qiu Yue said, "To get to Xianwu Pavilion, you need to cross a white jade bridge. There are mechanisms on the bridge, so don't blame me for not reminding you. Every step you take must be in sync with me."

"Otherwise, if you get shot by a machine gun, you'll just be unlucky."

Most of the martial arts techniques in the Leisure Martial Pavilion were created by Madam Wen in her spare time. However, Madam Wen is not without enemies. It is feared that these enemies are plotting against her, studying her martial arts to deduce her personality and fighting style from her creations.

Therefore, even the Xianwu Pavilion, which she did not value, was surrounded by traps and guards.

To prevent the secrets of martial arts from being leaked and misinterpreted by others.

After giving some more instructions, Qiuyue stepped onto the white jade bridge, each step she took peculiar, as if it contained some hidden meaning.

Hua Hanying followed closely behind Qiu Yue, followed by Li Xian. Suddenly, Hua Hanying changed his stance, intentionally shifting his position to block Li Xian's view, making it impossible for him to see Qiu Yue's steps and thus unsure of how to proceed.

Li Xian thought to himself, "They really don't have good intentions."

He felt even more disdain; Hua Hanying was narrow-minded, but not a threat. In this situation, how could he possibly fulfill all his obligations, especially since he himself needed a place to stay?

It won't work at all, and it will only expose your true intentions.

After successfully crossing the White Jade Bridge, we arrived at the Xianwu Pavilion in the center of the lake.

Pushing open the door and entering…

An elderly man came to greet us.

The old man had eyes but no ears, a mouth but no tongue, and long limbs, but the tendons in his hands had been severed.

"Ge Nu, you guide them." Qiu Yue felt extremely unlucky and didn't want to look at Ge Nu any longer. She quickly made a gesture and left.

"That lady has such ruthless methods!" Li Xian thought to himself.

Having a mouth but no tongue prevents communication. Having eyes but no ears prevents hearing. Having one's hands cut off signifies the inability to escape.

They then imprisoned the person in this lakeside pavilion.

The most poisonous heart is that of a woman. The lady may appear dignified and elegant, but her methods are surprisingly ruthless.

(End of this chapter)