Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Chapter 195 The Form of the Crane

After watching Leslie Cheung's "Farewell My Concubine," I finally understood what "heart-wrenching" truly meant.

—The following is the main text—

The giant python greedily moved towards the fiery red fruits, its body tensing even more, poised to pounce!

The crane lingered, its cries incessant, as if its home and roots were about to be destroyed. The two crystal-encrusted points on its head shone brightly, like two sharp swords formed from burning souls; its beak gleamed with an endless flow of light.

Suddenly, a long howl broke the tense atmosphere between the snake and the crane.

A snake, several cranes, and several pairs of eyes all focused on the giant tree.

Li Xingzhi stood atop a giant, sprawling tree, a few red fruits in his hand, a smile on his face as he looked at the giant python, a smile that seemed to carry a hint of provocation.

The crane saw the figure in the distance clearly, its piercing light dimmed, and it let out an anxious cry.

The python's gaze grew increasingly sinister.

He couldn't wait any longer. He spat out a mouthful of fishy odor, and his massive body, which had been gathering momentum, burst out from the bottom of the water with a deafening roar, and the air exploded continuously.

Before the blink of an eye, a gigantic black shadow, carrying overwhelming momentum, pressed down, intending to devour the creature before it!

Li Xingzhi was deeply shaken. He was completely stripped naked and still in the snow-covered landscape. He felt a chill all over his body, his hair stood on end, but his mind was more focused than ever before.

A cold blade, which he had somehow found in his hand, was not yet in motion or made any sound. Instead, a deafening roar was heard. The colossal beast stiffened in mid-air, and its fierce momentum, having lost its leverage, crashed straight into the cliff, causing rocks to tumble down with a deafening crash.

Li Xingzhi, who was the first to be hit, was still shocked and his ears went numb, even though he had his true energy protecting him. In the air, several white cranes that were already exhausted flapped their wings a few times and fell silently. On the mountaintop, the worried crowd suddenly felt the mountain shake a few times, and the stone wall of the Taoist temple cracked open in several places. A thunderous roar came from the bottom of the mountain and echoed in the distance!

Li Xingzhi watched as the white cranes fell, unable to protect them in time, and helplessly watched as several white feathers were swallowed by the silver waves. He managed to save only one that was still alive.

The two cranes swayed in the air, flapped their wings with all their might, landed on the giant tree, tilted their necks, and fell into a deep sleep.

Li Xingzhi looked at the three large cranes lying on the tree, then looked up at the top of the cliff. Dark yellow clouds obscured everything. Even with his sharp eyesight, the surrounding mountain walls were completely black. Only the cold, gurgling stream beneath the giant tree could be heard, occasionally accompanied by the sound of stones rolling into the water. It seemed he wouldn't be able to make it up today.

Several people on the cliff watched the sky grow darker and looked down, only to see a gaping, black hole that seemed to swallow people whole. Remembering the cries of cranes and the roars of beasts they had just heard, along with the earth-shaking roar, their faces grew increasingly worried. Li Linzhi frowned, her previously confident and optimistic expression vanishing; Zhou Rou'er beside her was even paler, a truly pitiful sight; the Taoist priest Yuan Yi simply sat cross-legged beside them, awaiting news.

Just then, a series of long howls came, reaching a high point before slowly falling back down.

"It's Brother Li! Brother Li is alright!"

Li Linzhi's brows relaxed, and she pulled Zhou Rou'er up to jump. Zhou Rou'er's face was still pale, but she also showed a smile. Her hand swayed as Li Linzhi pulled her, and she said, "Brother Li, you're alright."

As the howling gradually subsided, Li Linzhi suddenly opened her mouth wide and shouted at the top of her lungs towards the bottom of the cliff, "Brother Li, are you there? When are you coming up—!"

This shout unleashed all her inner strength, causing the eaves of the Taoist temple to tremble and several large rocks on the mountainside to fall down with a whoosh. The shouts of the young girl echoed throughout the mountains of Sichuan and the entire world!

The two young Taoist priests sitting close by were so shocked by Li Linzhi's shout that they fainted.

The Daoist Yuan, who had been meditating nearby, opened his eyes and stared at the girl in utter astonishment! He had been led along by Li Xingzhi, and his inner strength hadn't been fully revealed. Although Yuan knew the girl had some foundation, he hadn't expected her to surpass him by so much. It was only because of the 'monster' Li Xingzhi that he could accept it.

The Taoist priest Yuan Yi only knew about accumulating power over the years; he had no idea that there were elixirs in this world that could enhance one's skills or secret manuals that could forge a master. Li Linzhi and the other woman, on the other hand, were infused with the miraculous elixirs and divine skill manuals specially selected by Li Xingzhi, giving them an advantage many times over.

Li Xingzhi let out a long howl at the bottom of the cliff, which could be considered as letting everyone know that he was safe. Just as he was about to find a place to stay, he suddenly felt a strong wind blowing against his face. Several shadows grew larger in the dim sky, accompanied by a howling sound. Then, he heard Li Linzhi's shout that shook the entire mountain stream.

He watched the falling boulders, stomped his foot, and punched upwards with his fist, ready to smash them to pieces. Unexpectedly, the giant tree beneath his feet swayed, emitting a piercing creak. This startled him, and his taut hand, which had been aimed at the boulders, transformed into a rounded shape. The hardness of breaking metal turned into the softness of conquering water. A metallic sound arose within him, accompanied by the rushing sound of water, growing louder and louder. At its peak, the boulders landed right beside him. With this shock and push, several boulders rolled over his hand like smooth, round beads, completely unaffected by the force, and instead plunged into the water, making several muffled thuds.

Looking at his feet, which were slightly embedded in the wood, Li Xingzhi couldn't help but smile wryly and said to the big tree below, "Brother Tree, you're too fragile."

He thought of the troublemaker on the cliff again, feeling both annoyed and amused. If it weren't for his superior martial arts skills, he would have been crushed to death by the rocks in a ridiculous and pathetic way.

On the cliff, Li Linzhi saw the astonished look on Yuan Yi's face, and then saw the two unconscious young Taoists beside him. Only then did she realize that she had caused trouble, and she stuck out her little tongue apologetically.

Just then, a soft voice rang in everyone's ears: "Little girl, are you trying to murder me? Those rocks almost killed me. Keep your voice down, I can hear you." Only then did Li Xingzhi suddenly remember the technique of transmitting sound over long distances, which he hadn't practiced very well.

Hearing the voice so close to her ear, Li Linzhi assumed that Li Xingzhi had reached the top of the cliff and turned around in surprise, but saw nothing.

"Brother Li, where are you?"

“I’m still at the bottom of the cliff. I’ll come up again tomorrow. Now you take Rou’er and go to sleep quietly. If you keep shouting, your dearest Brother Li will be crushed to death by rocks sooner or later.”

Li Linzhi stuck out her tongue, unable to bear Li Xingzhi's nauseatingly sweet words brought from the future. Her face flushed red, she nodded in agreement and pulled Zhou Rou'er towards the Taoist temple.

The next day, the morning star shone brightly, and the Jade Rabbit set in the west.

The people in the Taoist temple had already gotten up and started their morning prayers. The two girls also got up and saw that it was still dark and the back cliff was empty and deserted—Li Xingzhi had not yet come up—so they simply followed the Taoists and sat down on the edge of the cliff to meditate.

At the bottom of the cliff, three cranes that Li Xingzhi had fed with the spiritual spring shook their heads, moved their necks, and stood up one after another, swaying slightly.

The two grey cranes nuzzled Li Xingzhi with their heads, letting out grateful cries; the white crane that Li Xingzhi had saved was clearly still dazed, burying its head directly in Li Xingzhi's arms, whimpering softly, its eyes filled with affection and tenderness.

A grey crane picked up a red fruit from its beak and fed it to a white crane. Then the two grey cranes each swallowed a fruit, swaying as they stood on one leg, their backs arched, necks outstretched, heads held high, wings slightly flapping and vibrating, their feathers trembling, their chests rising and falling, and emitting soft, clear cries. The white crane then began to practice as well.

Is this... Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation)? That's interesting.

Thinking this, he also assumed a one-legged stance, and with the movements of the three cranes constantly adjusting, gradually, his whole body transformed into a giant crane, his bones cracking and popping, and his outstretched neck even emitted a faint crane cry.

On the cliff, amidst the vast waters and towering trees, beneath the morning star, four cranes stood alone.