Gate of Immortality

Yang Shi's eyes narrowed as he heard Elder Lin. With a thought, h asked, " Is it Li Gong?" He remembered when he asked why Li Gong wanted to join his class. It was because he was hiding from his enemy. " How is the situation?" Yang Shi asked. " Tong Xi challenged Li Gong because a week ago, Li Gong somehow offended him. Today is the day of their duel. We should go now, else, We mighty be late." Elder Lin smiled.

They both reached the duel arena, where Tong Xi stood proudly.  He also saw Shi Kun and the party. They were surrounded Li Gong. " Brother Li, you mustn't sway by anger. You only broke through to Primordial Spirit Realm yesterday, yet you want to battle with Tong Xi? He reached the peak of second stage of the Primordial Spirit Realm." Xin Rou said impatiently. " No, I can't go back on my words. The enmity between Tong Xi and me must be solved today." Li Gong said with a determined face. " But what if he cripples you?" Shi Kun asked worriedly.

" Why don't you ask teacher Yang? I feel he must have a solution. Right! Why don't you ask a Spirit grade weapon from him?" Xin Rou slapped his thigh.  "This." Li Gong put into dillema. " No, I won't give you any Spirit grade weapon." A voice startled them. They all looked and saw Yang Shi stood there with Elder Lin. " But..." Shi Kun tried to retort but Yang Shi only glared at him. 

" I won't provide any external help. But I know, You will win nonetheless." Yang Shi smiled. " You still have the half Spirit grade weapon, right?" yang Shi asked Li Gong. It was the sword which he made to teach the students." " Yes." Li Gong nodded as passed that sword to Yang Shi. YangShi gently caressed it.

" Just remember what I have taught you. Do not waver, and charge bravely. Seize the opportunity and grab the victory." Yang Shi stopped caressing the sword as he gave it back to Li Gong. " Teacher..." Li Gong became silent but when he looked at Yang Shi's calm eyes, he nodded without hesitation. Many disciples were startled as they looked at Yang Shi. " Eh? Isn't he is the new instructor?" " I feel those six really respectful to him." Someone else muttered.

" Li Gong, come here, you coward!" Tong Xi roared from the arena. The crows cheered at Tong Xi. Li Gong snorted as he leaped on the arena, holding the half Spirit sword. " Hmph, You think you can win with that broken sword?" Tong Xi sneered as he brandished his saber. It was a beautiful saber with exquisite vermilion patterns. It was a low tier Spirit grade weapon. It's forbidden to use weapons higher tier than low Spirit grade ones. Nonetheless, one could tell with closed eyes that Tong Xi's weapon was superior to Li Gong's.

" Enough blabbering. Let's do it." Li Gong snorted as he charged at Tong Xi. Tong Xi swung his saber as he blocked Li Gong's attack. " Taste my Flamefury Saber." Tong Xi shouted as he slashed at Li Gong. His saber was enveloped by flames as it shot at Li Gong like a fiery tide. " Golden Fire Circle." Li Gong made a circular sword stance as he clashed against Tong Xi's Flamefury Saber. Li Gong felt a violent force acting on his body as he staggered backward. Looking at that, Tong Xi jumped forward as slashed at Li Gong.

*BOOM* Li Gong shot back as he crashed on the ground. But he quickly got up as he stared at Tong Xi. " Heh, I didn't think you would reach Primordial Spirit Realm. But your efforts are futile." Tong Xi laughed. Li Gong's face remained poker, but his heart was in a mess. He already knew that if he wanted to win, he had to use some trick to fool Tong Xi. " Grab the opportunity, seize victory." Li Gong thought as he looked at Yang Shi.

He grabbed his sword tightly as he shouted, " Tong Xi, you are just a cockroach! Just wait till I smash you under my toe." Tong Xi became stunned as his face turned red with anger. " Bastard! Just wait till I chop you into pieces." Tong Xi raged as he rushed at Li Gong like a mad bull. " Basic Three Fire Sword." Li Gong rapidly slashed out his sword at Tong Xi. " 

" Dazzling Saber Break." Tong Xi roared. He knew his saber was better, so he can block his attack. Li Gong snickered as he suddenly jumped sideways. His sword sent three flaming blades at Tong Xi, which got destroyed by him. But then, Li Gong smirked.

His first attack was a ruse while his true attack came afterward. Li Gong poured all of his qi in that attack. " Ember Flash Draw." Li Gong roared. This was a yellow grade technique from the Foundation of Golden Fire. Suddenly, the sword shone with golden light as it cut through Tong Xi's saber, like paper. It landed on his chest as he got blasted backward. But then, the sword of Li Gong trembled as it cracked a little. Nonetheless, it didn't break completely in the end.

Li Gong stood there bewildered. He never thought his last attack would be this powerful. What even more surprising, his sword was able to cut the Spirit grade saber of Tong Xi with such ease. " Is it really a half Spirit grade weapon?" Li Gong gulped a mouthful of saliva. Elder Lin looked at Li Gong then he looked back at Yang Shi. " I thought you said, you won't help him by external method? What's with that sword then?"

" Well, Honestly, it was just a safety measure. It was Li Gong's willpower, which he managed to use it." Yang Shi shrugged. That's right. While caressing Li Gong's sword, Yang Shi imbued it with him metal qi. After getting the embryonic Gold Devil Body, he can control his metal qi skillfully. It was very sharp and powerful. He gave a thick strand of metal qi in his sword, so it could defend him if his life got threatened. But surprisingly, Li Gong's Ember Flash Draw resonated with it and managed to release the metal qi.

The whole arena became silent as they felt their jaws hitting the ground. " Im-Impossible!" Someone muttered. " Li Gong did it!" Shi Kun and Xin Rou became ecstatic as they cheered loudly. Li Gong laughed loudly as he jumped down from the stage as he got hugged by the five. " I see. That brat has potential. Not everyone can use a basic technique like Ember Flash Draw and bring out so much power." Elder Lin muttered. To be honest, he never even heard about any of them, as they weren't even talented enough to come in the top hundred ranks of disciples. But with Yang Shi's grooming, they have laid a solid foundation, which will make their future path easier.

" It's still up to them, I can only guide them. They have to pursue their own dao. Well, I just hope you able to groom them nicely." Yang Shi shook his head. " Teacher!." They came running at Yang Shi/  Li Gong became emotional as he bowed before Yang Shi. " If it's not for you, I would have crippled by Tong Xi." He said with agitation. " That's alright. Anyway, Did you guys forged weapons which I told you yesterday?" Yang Shi asked with a smiling face.

" This..." Their smiling faces stiffened as they looked at Yang Shi.  Xin Rou proudly came forward as he said, " Teacher, I have finished them."

" This rascal!" Everyone else glared at Xin Rou. Especially Li Gong. He had spent yesterday in training, so he couldn't able to forge them. " Well, it's both punishment and reward. Now, all of you go and attend the examination of the adept blacksmith." Yang Shi's smile became even brighter.

Shi Kun's eyes became wide, not only Shi Kun's but all of them. Xin Rou and Li Gong were only apprentice blacksmiths. While the other four aren't even apprentice blacksmiths. They couldn't help but flustered.

" You think we can do it?" Shi Kun clenched his fist as he asked. " It's not about what I think. It's about what you think. Shi Kun, You always thought that your talent was worst of all. But have you ever thought, if a bucket has a hole, you can't fill it even you fill it with an ocean. With my instruction, I have closed that hole of you. Now, It depends on you how to fill the bucket." Yang Shi's tone became serious. " Moreover, I am leaving tomorrow, so I won't able to teach you all." YangShi added.

" We...We will, Teacher! We will definitely become adept blacksmiths." All of them shouted. " What adept grade, Aim to be Grandmaster blacksmiths." Yang Shi laughed as he turned to leave. " Elder Lin, I thought you are telling something about the stone tablet?" Yang Shi smirked as he asked Elder Lin. " Let s talk in my manor." Elder Lin nodded.