Chapter 217 The Source of All Things

Master Yijian's attitude made King Rongliu feel like the sky was falling.

In a short moment, his mind was filled with all kinds of distracting thoughts. As Zhou Yi glanced at him, these distracting thoughts immediately shattered and turned into sadness that filled his heart.

He will bear the heavy title of "the king who lost his country".

It is inevitable that the thought of resistance will arise during hesitation.

But he was very calm and quickly suppressed the thought.

This person is not Yang Guang. The chess and sword master admitted defeat and Goguryeo no longer had a chance.

Knowing that Zhou Yi was not a soft-hearted person, he did not have the courage to follow Gao Yuan's example and do "one thing in public and another in private" to Yang Guang. At that time, he would not be criticized as a "minister of dirt", but would most likely be beheaded and turned into dirt.

Gao Jianwu did not hide his emotions, and the expression on his face showed his helplessness, sadness and melancholy.

He then let out a long breath and asked Zhou Yi in a low voice, "Can you give me some time to think about this?"

Zhou Yi said calmly: "Of course, but I will say it differently next time."

The calm words made Gao Jianwu's eyes change, and a chill ran down his spine.

He and Fu Cailin looked at each other again, gathered his thoughts, and finally made up his mind. He bowed and said:

"Your humble servant, Gao Jianwu, wishes to enter the court to hear the announcement and obey all the orders of the Emperor."

Zhou Yi then smiled.

No matter how Guangshen summoned him, Gao Yuan refused to go to the court. He knew that once he went to the court, he might not be able to go back.

When King Rongliu said this, he made his attitude clear.

Let the Emperor of Jiuzhou know that he is not only sensible, but also dares not play tricks.

"Prince Rongliu, please sit down and have a drink."

Zhou Yi pointed to the seat beside him and said, "I haven't become emperor yet, so you don't have to be restrained."

No restrictions? Gao Jianwu just listened, knowing that polite words should not be taken seriously.

A vengeful emperor will never forget those who have offended him.

Moreover, this emperor possesses both power and military force at the pinnacle.

"yes."

Gao Jianwu responded politely. Seeing that he was in a daze, Fu Cailin kept pouring him wine. Perhaps it was because Gao Jianwu liked wine, so he accepted all the wine and drank half a jar of Sangluo wine.

People say that alcohol can relieve sorrow, and there is probably some truth to it.

After Rong Liuwang drank half a jar of wine, he suddenly felt relieved.

"Even the dragon failed, how could I fail?"

"Since they are unable to resist, as a foreign king offering my loyalty, isn't this a manifestation of my good judgment? The Turks don't have this opportunity yet."

"Goguryeo originally belonged to Kyushu. I am simply returning to my roots."

'……'

With every sip of wine he took, he found three more reasons to comfort himself.

Gradually, he began to talk to Zhou Yi about Goguryeo's political style, personnel, customs and geography.

As the night deepened, King Rongliu spoke more frequently.

He directly stated that he would present a map of Goguryeo's territory on the day of his enthronement ceremony.

At the end of the Xu hour, Fu Cailin and his group said goodbye and left.

Zhou Yi sat together with Hou Xibai, Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Song Shidao, and Ba Fenghan.

Zhou Yi looked at Ba Fenghan and asked, "Do you still have the 80-year-old Wucheng Zhiruoxiachun?"

Ba Fenghan immediately felt ashamed. Kou Xu knew about his embarrassing incident and started laughing.

"Back then, I was too blind to recognize the Heavenly Master's identity. Also, since I had just broken through the barrier, I thought my swordsmanship had greatly improved, but I ended up being a frog in a well, making the Heavenly Master laugh at me."

Ba Fenghan did not shy away from the memory of this unpleasant incident.

He saluted again and said:

"I was grateful to the Heavenly Master for showing mercy that day. Otherwise, I would have died. But I never give up. I will definitely practice sword skills diligently throughout my life, and I look forward to the day when I will be qualified to challenge you again."

Zhou Yi commented: "This is enough for you to store several jars of very old fine wine."

"good!"

Ba Fenghan knew that there was a huge gap between them: "Ba can seal the wine and hide the sword. If I get the chance in the future, I will bring wine and come to find the Heavenly Master."

Zhou Yi nodded with relief: "You make me look forward to it."

Ba Fenghan's mind raced, revealing a trace of melancholy. Back then in Mobei, he had always fought as he went, fearless, and had experienced countless life-or-death situations. He never had any sense of awe.

But the person in front of him was still an "unknown opponent" to him at that moment.

Just now, I was unable to use Master Yiqian's attack to see the other party's true strength, and I don't know what level he is at.

That deep and ethereal feeling is almost the same as the relief carvings in the Temple of War God.

It was hard to imagine before that there is such an unknown and profound martial arts realm above the martial arts grandmaster.

Zhou Yi turned around and asked Kou and Xu, and it turned out that they had also entered the Temple of War God.

Perhaps because they had practiced the Art of Immortality, their greatest gain after reading the War God Atlas was from the martial arts method left by Guangchengzi.

When Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling talked about Guangchengzi, they were all surprised by the diamond-like body in the Temple of War God that had not decayed for thousands of years.

From the Temple of War God, we talked about Wei County.

"We went to Anyang to look for Zhensao, but unfortunately, she and Yu Wenhuaji were both missing."

Speaking of this, the two were not only regretful but also very worried.

"I know where she is."

"Huh?!" Kou Xu's eyes suddenly opened, "Where is Sister Zhen? Is she okay?"

The two said in unison.

"She's doing fine. She asked me to tell you not to worry."

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, the two of them immediately looked less worried.

Xu Ziling was still worried: "I don't know if Yu Wenhuaji really loves Zhensao."

"Don't worry," Zhou Yi said, though he couldn't figure it out, he saw it with his own eyes. "They must be true love. Yu Wenzhi even risked his life to save her."

"Oh my god," Kou Zhong opened his mouth in shock, "I didn't expect Yu Wenzhi to be such a passionate person."

Compared to their embracing and committing suicide together, Zhou Yi thought this was already quite good: "She followed Yu Wenhuaji to the Japanese island. If you want to see her again, you have to cross the sea."

Kou and Xu looked towards the east and smiled in unison: "That's perfect."

"oh?"

Kou Zhong raised his eyebrows excitedly:

"After witnessing the unique space of the War God Temple, we realized that the way of martial arts is boundless, and the universe is infinite. A true man has great ambitions, and the most exciting thing is to constantly explore the unknown wonders. We have set a great ambition to travel the world. After you, Brother Zhou, unify the nine provinces, we will first follow Ba to the grasslands, and then into the vast ocean to see the world overseas."

Zhou Yi thought thoughtfully: "Just the two of you?"

"Of course not. Besides Ba brat, there are also Master Fu's apprentice, the Song brothers and sisters, and perhaps others who are interested."

After Xu Ziling finished speaking, he took out a book from his bosom, which was the "Book of Zhou Rites" that Zhou Yi had given him.

"Brother Zhou, I'll pass this book along wherever I go. What do you think?"

"Excellent." Zhou Yi praised sincerely.

Kou Zhong grinned and said, "I will expand the territory and plant the Tang Dynasty flag everywhere. Will you, Boss Zhou, appoint me a general?"

Zhou Yi said as a matter of course: "That's not difficult. I will have someone build you a large sea ship, named the Golden Ship, to help you conquer the sea."

The three of them had a very interesting chat about this topic.

Song Shidao, who was standing by, was stunned.

What about "circumnavigation of the world", "secret treasure of the sea", "king of the sea" and "age of discovery".

Is this correct?

Not only Song Shidao was stunned, Ba Fenghan was no less so. Even the wealthy young man who was very familiar with Zhou Yi did not realize until then that Zhou Yi knew so much about the overseas world.

Or maybe everyone was so used to the strange things happening to Zhou Yi that they just thought he had a profound background and broad knowledge and didn't think much about it.

We chatted until 11:30 am.

Two footsteps were heard approaching on the long street. A Taoist priest in his thirties with a righteous look on his face was leading a young Taoist priest who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old.

The two of them looked at the wine shop from a distance and immediately showed joy.

People haven't left yet!

"Uncle Master."

Master Pan was walking up, calling out "Uncle Master" loudly and clearly.

In his heart, Taoist Crow was becoming more and more right.

"Heavenly Master!" Li Chunfeng bowed respectfully.

Seeing that they had come specifically to look for him, Zhou Yi put Kou Xu and the others aside for the moment and asked, "What's the matter?"

Pan Shizheng did not dare to neglect it: "I specially invite my uncle to visit Todaiji Temple."

Speaking of the Todaiji Temple in Chang'an, Zhou Yi thought of the abbot of the temple, Master Huangshan, who was also a Buddhist master with superb Zen skills, but he had no connection with him.

"Ning Sanren is in Todaiji Temple?"

"Yes."

Master Pan Zhengdao:

"My master, Taoist Master Mu, Taoist Master Shilong, and others are also here. However, the main people who want to invite Master Uncle this time are still from the Holy Land. We happened to hear the news about Master Uncle on Suzaku Street and rushed here immediately. I guess the people from the Buddhist sect who wanted to invite Master Uncle haven't arrived yet."

Zhou Yi was originally not interested in the Buddhist invitation.

But since Daoist Mu and several old acquaintances were present, they nodded and said, "I'll go in a day or two."

"yes!"

After Master Pan finished speaking, he saw that they were drinking, so he didn't disturb them.

He took Li Chunfeng and said goodbye.

As they walked out of the long street, Master Pan was sizing up the young Taoist priest beside him. "Before you met Uncle Zhou, weren't you so eager to become his disciple? Why are you so silent now that you're here?"

Li Chunfeng showed a look of regret:

"Before meeting the Heavenly Master, I had several divinations read for myself. Each hexagram was different. The art of divination seems to have lost its effect when used on the Heavenly Master."

"Just like the other day, there were thunder and lightning, and it was going to rain but no rain at all, and in return there were a few sunny days."

"So, only by meeting the Heavenly Master in person can one know what he is thinking."

He drooped his face and sighed deeply, "Although I have some talent for cultivation, after seeing you today, I know that the Heavenly Master doesn't take me seriously."

Pan Shizheng shook his head: "Since you have something in mind, why not ask again and give it a try."

"I've already asked once at Xuanyuan Pass."

Li Chunfeng also shook his head: "Besides, things are different now. The more I understand, the less I dare to speak. It's better not to spoil my impression."

Hearing this, Pan Shizheng laughed instead.

He asked on purpose just now.

"You're right to think this way, so as not to plant demons in your heart. With my uncle's current status, he's no longer suitable to accept disciples. Who would be confident enough to be his disciple?"

"I think if you become Ning Sanren's disciple, you will probably have a chance."

“No, no, no.”

Li Chunfeng waved his hands repeatedly and said with a smile: "I want to be your junior fellow apprentice. Do you have a chance?"

The abacus beads hit Master Pan directly in the face.

If you can’t call yourself “Master”, you can always call yourself “Uncle Master”.

Master Pan Zhengdao:

"My master has a strange temper and can't guarantee whether he will accept a disciple. Why don't you become Master Mu's disciple? Master Mu has a better relationship with Uncle Zhou, and you can learn the most powerful weapon forging skills in the world. You have the opportunity to become a master swordsmith in the future."

Li Chunfeng was a little annoyed: "It's a pity that Taoist Master Mu doesn't accept disciples."

Master Pan was giving Li Chunfeng advice all the way. On the other side, Zhou Yi also separated from Kou Xu and others, and went to Hou Xibai's residence together.

"Brother Zhou, there may be someone in Chang'an that interests you."

Hou Xibai waved his folding fan lightly, looking as if he saw through Zhou Yi.

"who?"

"She's a beauty."

Zhou Yi said, "You're talking about Shang Xiufang."

"I knew it," Hou Xibai said, seeing his quick reaction. "How could someone as sentimental as Brother Zhou ignore Lady Shang? She's as famous as Junior Sister Shi. You love Junior Sister Shi's flute music, so you'll definitely appreciate her singing."

"How about this? Mr. Shang is invited to Shanglin Garden as a guest. I'd like to take you there to listen to a piece of music."

Hou Xibai noticed Zhou Yi's look and added, "Don't look at me like that. Although I often hang out with women, I stay clean and innocent. I haven't done anything to disgrace the Huajian School."

He was telling the truth.

Zhou Yi thought about it and politely declined: "Forget it, I don't feel like listening to music recently."

"Huh?" Hou Xibai was surprised. "Is this still the Brother Zhou I know?"

Seeing Zhou Yi didn't respond, he continued to test:

"Xiufang, everyone has heard of you for a long time. The last time I saw her, I mentioned your talent for painting. She was curious and admired you. We'll definitely have a great conversation this time."

Zhou Yi said unhappily:

"Love has always been full of regrets, Brother Hou."

"Hey," Hou Xibai ignored the empty talk, his eyes full of gossip, "Where's the playboy Zhou that I knew? You want to be the emperor. Brother Zhou is invincible in the world, but could he be henpecked?"

"What kind of talk is that? Being an emperor doesn't mean being a stud, and being henpecked? Don't judge others by your own standards."

Hou Xibai saw that he was serious, and although he felt something was wrong, he couldn't help but nod in admiration.

Zhou Yi thought of Dongdu, Bashu, the pasture, Nanyang and Chang'an, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he was unable to be in both places.

Even Lao Lu knows that fruit wine can only be brewed with six kinds of fruits.

Adding one more kind of fruit will make the taste richer, but it may not necessarily taste better.

The next day.

Zhou Yi ignored the Buddhists and did not go to Todai-ji Temple or Shanglinyuan.

Instead, he went secretly to Xiang's house with Hou Xibai.

Xiang Yushan's father, Xiang Gui, is the source of the crime of trafficking decent women, and he also controls large casinos such as the Chang'an Liufu Casino.

All his subordinates are like the Baling Gang.

He planned to wipe out Xiang Gui and his gang, but when he arrived at Xiang's house, he found that the huge mansion located in the north of the city near the palace had been emptied. Except for the occasional thief who sneaked in, there was no one left.

"Run away?"

"Someone knows where they are."

…

In addition to being surrounded by eight rivers, Chang'an also has the world's largest casino, Mingtangwo. The person who presides over it is the famous "Great Immortal" Hu Fu. He is the leader of the Huxian School and the most prestigious old man in the gambling world.

Hoover became rich and established a good character. Twenty years ago, he publicly offered pigs and sheep to the immortal Hu, vowing never to cheat again and guaranteeing that no one would be allowed to cheat in his casino.

Therefore, "Mingtangwo" became the most famous and grand casino in the world.

Before lunch.

The Mingtang was bustling with noise and bustle. No matter what happened outside, as long as things calmed down a bit, these gamblers would gather again.

They are constantly stimulated by the wins and losses in casinos and have become addicted.

In the inner hall of the accounting office on the third floor, there was no sound of abacus at this moment, and you could even hear a pin drop.

Inside the hall, there was a man kneeling on the ground.

He was about forty-five or forty-six years old, with thick gray hair combed straight back from his forehead into a bun, covered with a small square crown made of green jade. He had a delicate face and a long beard with five wisps of gray, the same color as his hair.

Coupled with her slender figure, she does have a strange "fox fairy"-like quality.

There is no doubt that he is the famous figure in the gambling world, the "Great God" Hoover who controls a huge amount of wealth.

With his power and influence in Guanzhong, he could communicate with a figure like Li Yuan in a dignified manner.

When the younger generations of the major families saw him, they had to call him "Great Immortal" to show their respect.

In his early years, he made his fortune through gambling and his mentality is extremely good.

No matter how important the gamble is, he can always control his emotions perfectly.

However, at this moment, Hoover was in the greatest panic of his life, with beads of cold sweat on his forehead and constantly sliding down his nose.

Occasionally he looked up and saw the man in white who was flipping through the account book in the accounting office that was not allowed to be touched by outsiders. His heart was beating fast.

I don't know why this person suddenly came to Mingtang Nest.

Hoover was famous and powerful enough.

But he didn't want to die.

In front of this person, his life or death is just a matter of his thoughts.

Gambling Lin's reputation and wealth are not worth mentioning.

"When did I owe the Heavenly Master a debt without realizing it? Otherwise, why would he check the account as soon as he came?"

When Hoover thought of this, he took a deep breath. This was fatal.

He tried to ask politely:

"The Heavenly Master is here. I wonder what you might be looking for. If I can be of any service, I will gladly go through fire and water to assist you."

Soon, he heard a reply:

"Are you currently managing the Xiang family's Liufu Casino?"

"Yes!" Hoover, fearing misunderstanding, hurriedly explained, "Xiang Gui has taken refuge. I bought the Liufu Casino at a very low price. If the Heavenly Master takes a fancy to this place, I am willing to give it to you."

"You want to protect Xianggui from disaster?"

Upon hearing this, he was immediately certain that Xianggui and the entire Xiang family were completely finished.

He felt a chill down his spine, swallowed his breath, and quickly explained:

"Hu and Xianggui have always been sworn enemies. This time, when he was in trouble, Hu took advantage of the situation and bought out his business, so that he would never be able to turn the tables. This has absolutely nothing to do with him."

After Hoover finished speaking, he heard the sound of several pages in the account book being turned.

After a while, a slow response came:

"Where did Xianggui escape to?"

Hoover said, "I don't know either, but he is related to Li Yuanji. The money used to purchase the Liufu Casino most likely went into Li Yuanji's hands."

Then, he told everything he knew about the Xiang family.

As a sworn enemy, he knew a lot.

He also revealed the specific locations of some of the Xiang family's secret small businesses.

After listening, Zhou Yi closed the several account books he was looking through.

Apart from normal gambling house lending, mortgage and collection transactions, there is no human trafficking.

He glanced at Hoover.

There are countless gambling houses in the world, but in terms of fame, Hoover's is the biggest.

"You've seen what happened to the Xiang family. When you're doing business like this, you have to know when to stop."

"yes!"

Hu Fu said solemnly: "I dare not overstep any boundaries in the court."

After he finished speaking, he was still waiting for a response.

But after a while, there was no sound, and the sound of flipping through the account books disappeared.

I plucked up the courage to look up, but there was no one in the inner hall.

He came and went silently, no different from a ghost.

Hoover was horrified, and his heavy breathing was heard clearly by a young and beautiful woman who walked in.

Seeing the 'Great Immortal' slumped on the ground without any grace, Hu Xiaoxian was shocked:

"Dad, what's wrong with you?"

She looked around but saw no one. "Who did you see? Why did you clear out all the accountants?"

When Hoover saw his daughter, he sighed: "We almost died together."

Hu Xiaoxian was shocked.

"Who is it?"

Hoover looked around. He wasn't sure if the other party was still nearby, so he said respectfully, "It's the Heavenly Master who has arrived."

"ah?!"

"Dad, you're crazy!" Hu Xiaoxian was horrified. "When did you owe the Heavenly Master a debt?"

"Do I have the guts?"

Hoover cursed, "It was all that bastard Xianggui's fault. He almost got me killed."

As he spoke, he told everything that had just happened and his own speculations.

The Xiang family is doomed, and these people need to wake up.

"The rumors are true. The Heavenly Master hates evil. From now on, we must abide by the law and never risk our lives for the sake of money."

Hoover looked terrified:

"Thank goodness the accounts are clean, otherwise I would be in great trouble today. This kind of anxiety would shorten my life by several years, and I must never let it happen again."

He looked at his daughter, who was very good-looking, and suddenly suggested:

"If the new dynasty holds a selection in the palace, how about sending you in?"

"You can feel at ease if you sell your daughter, right?"

Hu Xiaoxian was speechless, then smiled and said, "But I have no objection. His appearance suits my taste very well."

'Great Immortal' Hoover felt that he was being beaten.

He had been in the underworld for many years and was naturally not stupid, so he used his position as the leader of the gambling world and carried out a non-stop overhaul of the gambling business, starting from the Mingtang den.

The Xiang family’s case is the best negative example.

The secret businesses related to the Xiang family that he provided immediately caught Zhou Yi's attention.

That afternoon, the news was first brought by someone from the Jukun Gang.

The army coming from the south is coming soon.

Nearly a thousand vanguard troops dispersed into Chang'an City.

There were a large number of defenders in the city, but they behaved very laxly.

Combined with the information obtained from Erfeng, the temporary court in Chang'an had basically no intention of resistance. If Li Yuan had not delayed, they would have expressed their position long ago.

Zhou Yi met Cheng Yaojin and Qin Shubao who led the team.

So he handed over the tasks related to the Xiang family.

In the blink of an eye, it was dark. Zhou Yi was talking to Hou Xibai about the situation in Xijiyuan and Mobei, when they unexpectedly saw a special guest.

"Tianshi."

Looking at the man at the entrance of the Moon Cave in Yayuan in the city center, Zhou Yi echoed:

"Master Liaokong no longer practices silent meditation?"

Liaokong clasped his hands together. He looked very strange and at least twenty years older than before.

From a monk who looked very young, he became an old monk.

"I have no way to calm my mind, so I'd rather keep silent and not practice Zen."

"Is this the insight gained from the Temple of War God?"

“I have some insights, but they are not beneficial to me.”

"What do you mean?" Zhou Yi pointed to the stone bench beside him and motioned him to sit down.

Liaokong still stood, looking up at the dark sky: "From the Temple of War God, I saw a farther road ahead, as if it was guiding me to cross the sea of ​​suffering and reach the other shore."

"Unfortunately, I can see clearly that I will never have the chance to assemble a treasure raft to cross the world in this lifetime."

"How did you see clearly?"

"Senior Guangchengzi shattered the diamond before us. His immortal remains have brought us great shock. Only a body like his can save the world."

The current Buddhist practice method is somewhat similar to Guangchengzi's final destruction of the Vajra, relying on the ascension of the soul.

For example, the precious book left in the White Horse Temple, the Broken Vajrayana.

The more this happened, the more Guangchengzi's immortal body seemed like a demon to them.

Once your determination is weak and you find that it is out of reach, you will be almost like the emptiness you are in now.

Zhou Yi's eyes were fixed on his face: "Actually, you didn't see it clearly."

Liao Kong bowed eleven times and said, "Excuse me, Heavenly Master, what do you mean by this?"

"There's actually no difference between Buddhism, the devil, and Taoism. To transcend this world, one needs a heart that seeks to cultivate the Dao and the martial arts. Some people experience love, hate, and passion in the marketplace, yet remain pure. Others chant sutras and recite Buddhist scriptures in the mountains, yet their lives are filled with confusion."

"For example, your thoughts are extremely chaotic. You are not a true Buddhist martial artist. You may appear to have no desires, but in reality, you are no better than those who dwell in the mundane world."

"Breaking the Diamond and whether the body is Diamond are two completely different things."

"But a soul as complex as yours can't even break through the mortal shell, let alone break through the void."

Liaokong seemed to understand something in his astonishment and bowed again, saying, "Thank you for your guidance."

Zhou Yi didn't care: "What's the purpose of Zen Master coming here?"

"Two things."

Liao Kong said: "First, I want to invite the Heavenly Master to come to Todaiji Temple."

"I'll come early tomorrow."

After listening to this, Liaokong continued, "Secondly, I came to ask the Heavenly Master what the Jingnian Zen Temple should do."

Zhou Yi took a deep look at his regained clarity of mind and reminded him:

"There are many dedicated monks in Jingnian Zen Monastery, but there are also those who are content with pleasure. You have many temples under your jurisdiction, but you have misunderstood the purpose of Buddhist temples. There is nothing wrong with encouraging people to be kind and having compassion, but you should not use them as an opportunity to make a fortune."

"Others make wishes, and you make them come true."

"How much gold and copper is in that Immortal Bronze Palace? How many people have no food to eat when the world is in turmoil, yet you have no compassion."

"Zen Master, I want to ask you, is this how Buddhism practices meditation?"

He made it clear, and even though Hou Xibai was the only spectator around, Liaokong still felt ashamed.

Zhou Yifu asked:

"Let me ask you again, if I were in power, do you think I would allow a place that harbors filth and corruption to exist?"

Liaokong sighed softly: "I understand."

After he finished speaking, he said goodbye again and left in a very straightforward manner.

Hou Xibai tutted his words, "You taught Master Yijian how to play swordsmanship, and you taught Zen Master how to meditate and practice. Brother Zhou, what else do you want to do?"

"Follow me to Todai-ji Temple and you'll understand."

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "Mr. Ning is probably waiting for me. I will teach him what the Nanhua Sutra is."

"Hahaha!"

Hou Xibai laughed: "Great!"

He looked at Zhou Yi with anticipation, "Brother Zhou has mastered all the principles, and is even better than the War God Atlas. What do you want to teach me?"

"I taught you that a long time ago."

"What?"

"This hatred will never end."

"Change it, Brother Zhou."

"Change to someone else, then cry alone, true love is invincible"

Hou Xibai fanned himself speechlessly, "Brother Zhou's partiality towards one and neglect of the other is truly chilling."

…

Todai-ji Temple is magnificent and was a place of prayer for the royal family in its early years.

At dawn, Zhou Yi and Hou Xibai set off.

When approaching Todaiji Temple, Hou Xibai introduced him to the buildings nearby, such as the Yuhe Temple, which has a great connection with Cihang Jingzhai.

Zhou Yi smiled and guessed that Feixuan was here.

"arrive."

As the morning light breaks, Todaiji Temple is immersed in a misty humidity.

The flying eaves of the ancient temple pierce the pale blue sky, and the copper bells on the eaves are silent.

The early summer wind swept through the ancient trees, and the new leaves were covered with dew, occasionally a drop fell and shattered on the stone steps.

Just as we were approaching the temple, a man suddenly came out to greet us.

The man did not go through the main gate, but jumped down from the eaves. The sound of his landing was even quieter than the sound of dewdrops hitting the stone steps.

Zhou Yi had seen him a long time ago.

Judging from the dew on his body, he must have stayed on the roof all night.

Ning Daoqi was wearing a green robe at the moment. His tall and straight figure was like an old pine tree, blending in with the ancient temple, the morning breeze, and the dew, feeling free and unrestrained.

Against the backdrop of the dawning sky, Zhou Yi became a patch of white in front of Ning Daoqi's eyes, becoming increasingly solid in his vision.

"Friend Ning, have you been waiting for me here all night?"

"Yes."

Ning Daoqi stretched out his hand and stroked his five long beards, and the artistic conception on his body became even stronger.

Hou Xibai, who was standing by, noticed something was going on, but he didn't say anything and just quietly retreated to the side.

"It seems that Fellow Daoist Ning has a lot of feelings and is eager to find an opponent to spar with. At this time, let me try my hand at a few moves."

Zhou Yi's voice was gentle, without any worldly air.

Ning Daoqi did have such thoughts.

But it is really rude to start a discussion with someone as soon as they come to your house.

"Master, please come to the temple first and have some tea. I will come back to ask for your advice in the evening."

Taoist Ning was quite particular. Zhou Yi smiled slightly and said, "We are all from the same sect, so don't be so distant."

Ning Daoqi was about to speak when he suddenly noticed something was wrong.

Zhou Yi raised his hand slightly.

This is an extremely simple action, like brushing away the willow branches in front of your eyes, or picking up the dew on the leaves.

But at this moment, the power of nature suddenly reversed, and Ning Daoqi's artistic conception was restricted and suddenly condensed.

His aura, which coexisted harmoniously with the surrounding environment and faintly resonated with it, was silently severed when he raised his hand.

The wind seemed to have stopped, and dew condensed in the air.

It's like.

Ning Daoqi was trying to feel the power of nature, but was severely pinched by a hand.

Immediately, all the "momentum" that he could borrow, resist, and rely on was cut off.

The world remained the same, no longer of any use to him.

This was a strange kind of pressure. He wanted to speak, but Zhou Yi had already predicted it:

"Fellow Daoist Ning, there's no need to hold back."

"Master, I'm sorry."

Ning Daoqi whistled softly, clear and passionate, trying to break free from the invisible shackles.

He couldn't wait any longer, nor could he arrive first after starting later. So he summoned all his life's cultivation and swung towards Zhou Yi, as if numerous phantoms pounced out simultaneously.

Eight free-hand punches!

Millions of infinite changes are all contained in the eight essences. The moves are free to do as one wishes, without any fixed rules. They are like wild horses running freely in the sky, without any constraints or restrictions. It is like riding on clouds and controlling the air like a flying dragon, which is wonderful beyond words.

Hou Xibai, who was standing by, found it very interesting.

He just watched the two people fighting, and even chose to ignore the group of people standing at the tiled door of Todaiji Temple.

Ning Daoqi's title of the number one Taoist of the previous generation was not given randomly. When his free-hand fighting and eight-punch techniques were combined with the Nanhua Sutra, the scene was extremely mysterious.

Sometimes it is like a Kunpeng flapping its wings, stirring up the wind and clouds. Sometimes it is like a hawk catching a rabbit, fierce and unparalleled.

His body shape changed with his fists and palms, pushing towards Zhou Yi, like a crane dancing in the clear sky, suddenly changing from light to heavy like an old bear pushing a mountain, with tremendous force suddenly surging!

Eight consecutive pounces and numerous illusions fully demonstrate the exquisite and free-spirited nature of his martial arts.

Zhou Yi was surrounded by Ning Daoqi's energy, the dust on the ground was swept up, and the dew was stirred into a hazy mist.

This attack contained infinite changes. The water mist suddenly expanded and turned into countless fists, palms and hand shadows in various shapes, suddenly and swiftly attacking Zhou Yi. This was the manifestation of Ning Sanren's ultimate martial arts realm, enough to make all the masters in the world change color.

At the same time, he also tried to respond to the natural forces around him.

But the wind, dust, leaves and dew in nature were all beyond his control.

Zhou Yi remained standing motionless under the attack of the Eight Punches. The natural force that Ning Daoqi longed to activate flowed along his Qi and surrounded him.

Therefore, the attacks that came like a tide were like waves hitting the rocks.

Zhou Yi saw him finish performing the Eight Pounces and pointed his right index finger forward.

This point points to the most unlikely, least powerful, and most empty place among the countless phantoms.

It seems as if it has already predicted where Kunpeng will fly, where the hawk will land, on which branch the crane will roost, and on which tree the bear will finally lean on.

It transcends the changes in moves and the strength of energy, and truly possesses the free and ethereal meaning pursued by the Nanhua Sutra!

"puff--"

There was a soft sound like a candle going out.

All the phantoms in the sky vanished in front of this finger, as if they had never existed.

Ning Daoqi's body shook violently, and he staggered back a step, breaking several bluestone slabs.

The expression on his face turned into deep shock and confusion.

Even facing Tianren Wuji, it is impossible to defeat him so easily.

Suddenly, he understood.

His opponent saw through the flaws in his eight free-hand attacks, broke his moves and strength, and that's why he had such power!

He immediately checked his own pure Taoist Qi, and found that it was as gentle as a sleeping stream and could not be raised at all.

It’s not suppressed, but “smoothed”!

The true energy that the opponent just shot at him was the essence of freedom and inaction, which was enough to affect his true essence.

Ning Sanren even suspected that Zhou Yi was a Taoist Qigong practitioner who specialized in the Nanhua Sutra, otherwise he would not have reached such a level and could have suppressed his free-hand Eight Punches to such an extent.

"Does the Heavenly Master often study the Nanhua Sutra?"

Ning Daoqi couldn't help but ask.

“Only a little.”

Zhou Yi slowly retracted his fingers and smiled calmly:

"The essence of the Eight Strike-Outs lies in the word 'emptiness.' Because emptiness can generate energy, emptiness is infinite, and purity leads to emptiness. But Fellow Daoist Ning is overly obsessed with this, ultimately being bound by form. Whether it's eight strikes or one strike, it still lacks the artistic conception of inaction and action, of a natural and spontaneous state."

As he spoke, he looked at Ning Daoqi.

"Fellow Daoist Ning, rather than learning from many others, it would be better for you to specialize in the Daoist scriptures."

This sentence seemed to be a hint, and Ning Daoqi had a glimmer of understanding, but then he realized that it was full of admonitions.

Yes

Buddhist Zen and Cihang Sword Canon.

He wanted to be free, but was bound by constraints, so being free and doing nothing became an empty talk.

A drop of dew that had been accumulating for a long time finally fell from the highest leaf and hit him right between the eyebrows, making him feel cold.

Ning Daoqi thought about everything that had happened before, clasped his fists with a hint of guilt and said, "Master, your words make sense. I appreciate your guidance."

A ray of morning sunlight shone through the branches of the ancient trees, illuminating Zhou Yi's body. His white clothes were stained with gold, creating a brilliant scene. Looking up at the sky, he could see that the east was already bright.

…

(End of this chapter)