The final challenge was at the Heavenly King Arena at the foot of the mountain; once that was done, he could leave.
Li Dingxun met an unexpected opponent.
Li Zhongshou, his second brother.
"Big Brother. You've finally decided to come out."
"Second Brother, long time no see."
Of the four children in the family, the second brother spent the most time with the eldest, and they would chat for a while every day until Li Zhongshou was taken away by Shi Minghua for tutelage. In contrast, the third and fourth brothers didn't have much deep affection for their eldest brother. The two younger ones still preferred their second brother more.
The two brothers stood opposite each other, their appearances quite similar, but their temperaments vastly different.
Li Dingxun, being older, was as tall as a bulwark.
Li Zhongshou was full of vigor, with an active mind, and his eyes gleamed with a chilling light that made one's heart tremble.
"Big Brother wants to leave, but he still has to pass this challenge from your younger brother. However, I won't hold back."
The rough upbringing had imbued this young man with a strong, untamed wildness. He was eager to challenge everything, craved victory, and was indifferent to emotions.
Li Dingxun shook his head, "Kid, you're still a bit lacking."
"Big Brother, you can't achieve great things by staying cooped up. Your younger brother has won a hundred consecutive matches in the Pure Land Jianghu Arena and is known as the 'Golden Palm Iron Lion' expert."
"What an awful nickname."
Li Zhongshou smiled slightly, not annoyed, and continued to use words to diminish his elder brother's momentum.
Having broken through two stages, Li Dingxun's mindset must be excellent. It was necessary to suppress this inner fire, otherwise it would be difficult to affect him later.
"I can chat with you more, younger brother, but you'd better hurry. I don't want to leave after dark."
"Since that's the case." Li Zhongshou crouched down, his pale golden palms hidden beneath his ribs, "Take this!"
Boom!
Li Zhongshou lunged forward, the thick grey-rock bricks shattering under his feet. Like a fierce lion pouncing on a lamb, he instantly charged in front of Li Dingxun and struck with his palms!
His right palm aimed for the face, and his left palm for the abdomen.
Secret Fifth Rank, Lion Appearance Golden Sand Palm. His palms were tempered like refined steel, and his palm force was mighty and surging, capable of breaking stone and cutting jade with ease. An ordinary martial artist would be torn to pieces by a single strike.
"Too slow." Li Dingxun's body swayed, and he actually appeared behind Li Zhongshou.
Zhongshou gritted his teeth, stomped with the Earth-Shaking Step, and twisted his body to lean back.
Li Dingxun gently retreated, avoiding the forceful shoulder charge, and was about to end this farce when a loud roar reached his ears.
"Roar!" Lion's Roar Skill. Li Zhongshou's tiger-like eyes widened, and a majestic lion, like a mountain, seemed to appear behind him. Its maw opened, and a mountain-collapsing roar erupted.
The observing disciples trembled, and the hall masters nodded in approval.
Spirit Strike!
Li Dingxun froze as if stunned.
Li Zhongshou grinned. Big Brother, just as Father said, you are merely a biased talent and will never amount to anything.
He struck with his palm, intending to stop just short.
Then, their eyes met.
Li Zhongshou was startled. His Big Brother was giving him a look of appreciation.
"Not bad."
A soft whisper.
Yet, it was like a thunderclap.
With one kick, Li Zhongshou flew out of the arena.
Li Piguang, who had been watching from the side, burst into laughter and stepped onto the stage to pat his son's broad shoulders. He suddenly realized that the little sprout from before was now almost as tall as he was.
"Kid, you're really good! How many of the cultivation methods I gave you have you mastered?" The Sect Master had given Li Dingxun a copy of all the Lion Appearance Sect's martial arts, but even he, as the father, wasn't quite sure how far Li Dingxun had progressed.
"Internal cultivation, unique skills, and fist techniques." Li Dingxun replied concisely.
"Hmm, not bad, that's pretty good. Take a look at the travel gear I prepared for you."
The so-called travel gear was actually a set of armor exceeding the third rank.
The helmet was the Iron Reclining Dragon, the cuirass the Victorious Abyss Robe, and the boots the Demon-Subduing Tiger Eye Wheels.
"I wore these back in my day, passed down from your Grandfather. Try them on."
Li Dingxun donned the armor. With it on, he looked majestic, like a fierce general on the battlefield.
"Good! Even Xiang Yu reborn couldn't compare to my son! Set off now, and bring back a daughter-in-law for me when you return!" Li Piguang laughed heartily and turned to leave.
Li Meizheng saw Li Dingxun off, reminding him to report his situation through the Pure Land every evening and to come home if his food, clothing, or accommodation were unsatisfactory.
Li Dingxun agreed to everything, finally asking his mother to bid farewell to his younger siblings on his behalf.
"Tell Second Brother, if he hasn't practiced enough, then don't go out looking for fights."
"You little rascal, always talking! Now get out of here!"
Waving goodbye, fifteen years on Lotus Mountain, a home as evergreen as the changing seasons.
...
The old ghost said to let epiphyllum bloom all over the mountains and rivers of the world. This was not as simple as its literal meaning.
Li Dingxun considered how to do it.
A more feasible approach was to have the people of the Pure Land help him plant lotuses. This didn't need much explanation; many places had such customs, where taking Pure Land epiphyllum for offerings was a common practice.
So, he would go to places where there were few Pure Land people—those evil sects, those deep mountains and old forests.
And, overseas.
The world overseas had no Pure Land.
Those who sailed out said that at the end of the world, there was a Lost area, and ships that entered would emerge from their original position.
The old ghost hoped that Li Dingxun would travel the world, with a sword in one hand and epiphyllum in the other, chanting the name of the Bodhisattva, suppressing all evil demons and heretics. He wanted the people of the world to prostrate themselves before his heroic stature and witness the unparalleled martial arts of the Vajra Sect.
However, one must eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time. First, he would deal with the Divine Land, and then consider going overseas.
Riding a heavy horse, Li Dingxun leisurely traveled along the mountain path. His precious armor, of course, was stored in a chest within the small Pure Land; it wouldn't be proper to wear it like he was going to war all the time.
After traveling only about ten li, dusk was approaching, so he rested in the forest that night.
The next day, he set off at dawn, and because he found the horse too slow, he dismounted and ran.
It had always been the horse carrying the person, but on this journey, a strange sight appeared: a person carrying the horse.
Supporting the horse's belly with his palm, he ran for several hundred li in this manner. As the day was about to end, he finally saw wisps of cooking smoke from a distant town, which was Lianjiang Post Station. Finding the post station, Li Dingxun inquired about the next team going to Bloodhowl Valley in Jiangbei and learned it would be in half a month. So, he rented a four-courtyard residence to stay temporarily, awaiting the caravan's departure.
There was no other meaning in going to Bloodhowl Valley; it was pretty much to exterminate the sect.
The fastest way for a Jianghu Knight to make a name for himself was to kill.
Killing people naturally brought fame.
Once Li Dingxun had wiped out the Bloodhowl Sect, the people of the world would know him. Then, when he asked people to plant epiphyllum on the mountains and by the rivers, they would obey.
Half a month later, he joined the caravan and headed to Bloodhowl Valley.
Among the dozens of people traveling together, Li Dingxun only truly noticed one person.
A scholar.
A scholar with martial arts.
"This humble scholar Su Mo greets this brave warrior."
"Sir, you are too polite."
"I dare not be called sir."
The two chatted and gradually became familiar.
The scholar was a disciple of the Shangzhen Academy in the capital. Having achieved success in his studies and read ten thousand books, he had now come to travel ten thousand li.
Shangzhen Academy was originally the Imperial College, and the essence of the world's Confucian teachings was within the academy. Later, it also absorbed Taoist and even Buddhist doctrines, making it a grand synthesis of the three teachings.
In the Pure Land, Shangzhen Academy was even more renowned, holding a status equivalent to the world's foremost educational institution.
No wonder everyone in the caravan held this Su Mo in high esteem.
Li Dingxun pondered whether to invite him to go to the Bloodhowl Sect together. A scholar was eloquent. After he flattened the evil sect, he could ask Su Mo to publicize it widely, which would surely greatly enhance his reputation.
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