Such behavior was something that even the most merciful Liao Zhen would not easily forgive Taiyi Zhenren. Therefore, Liao Zhen disregarded revealing his strength and unleashed the Sword Domain he had only recently developed, concentrating most of the pressure on Taiyi Zhenren. As a result, Taiyi Zhenren's primordial spirit and body were both injured. Although he only coughed up blood, his primordial spirit was already very weak. If it weren't for the quick rescue by the Antarctic Immortal, Taiyi Zhenren's hard-won cultivation would have been destroyed again. This time was different from the previous attack with the Hunyuan Golden Bucket. This time, it was a fundamental attack that used sword intent to destroy Taiyi Zhenren's primordial spirit. If the primordial spirit was destroyed, at best, he could be reincarnated and start cultivating again; at worst, his true spirit would be completely destroyed.
Forty-eight Taiqing Taoist
At this moment, the entire battlefield had been plunged into the true sword domain, like another world. The Antarctic Immortal was drenched in sweat, his magic power had been pushed to its limit, and he was about to follow in the footsteps of the Taiyi True Man when a soft shout suddenly came from the horizon, carrying a surge of primordial energy, and instantly the true sword domain was broken open.
Liao Zhen was somewhat surprised. When he saw the newcomer, he was both shocked and angry. The newcomer had a peaceful face, white beard and hair, and wore a Taoist robe with the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. There was a Taiji pattern on his back. He had nothing in his hands. The soft shout earlier was made by the newcomer. He was Taiqing Daoist, an avatar sent into the Heavenly Court by Laozi.
When Liao Zhen saw Taiqing Daoist appear, he understood. Although Taiqing Daoist was an incarnation of Laozi, he was ultimately not a saint, thus skirting the edge of the Dao Ancestor's order that "saints should not appear lightly." He had passed through this ambiguity. Among quasi-saints, practically no one could break through Zhen's sword domain; only a non-saint, yet incredibly powerful, incarnation of a saint like Taiqing Daoist could.
When the Antarctic Immortal saw that the Taoist Taiqing had arrived, he was overjoyed and, disregarding the formalities, quickly stepped forward to pay his respects. The True Man Taiyi also hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects, but just as he was about to bow, the Taoist Taiqing waved his hand to stop the two of them from bowing.
Liao Zhen rolled his eyes and stepped forward, saying, "Disciple greets Martial Uncle, Sage Taiqing."
Liao Zhen had a good idea. Although everyone knew that Taiqing Daoren was not Taiqing Saint, but only an incarnation of Laozi, their primordial spirits were still connected. Moreover, since Liao Zhen had pointed out his identity, it wouldn't be good for Taiqing Daoren to make a move again.
The Taoist Taiqing narrowed his eyes and said, "You should not use that title. Although I am the same as him, I am not a sage."
Taiqing Daoist was a seasoned veteran, so naturally he wouldn't let Zhen get away with it so easily.
Liao Zhen's expression remained unchanged; instead, he became even more respectful and asked, "What brings you here, Uncle-Master?" He was planning to resort to shameless tactics, deciding everything upfront regardless of whether Liao Zhen admitted it or not.
Taiqing Daoist had not expected this. After hearing it, he said, "I have been appointed by the Sage to serve in the Heavenly Court. I am here to uphold the dignity of the Heavenly Court. Today, I have heard that someone is rebelling against the Heavenly Court's decree. I have come here to carry out the act of eliminating evil and obeying Heaven's will."
Liao Zhen felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected the Taiqing Daoist to be so ruthless. Although the Taiqing Daoist was merely an incarnation of Laozi, and his magical power or something else might not be as great as Liao Zhen's, this was not how one should compare them. Liao Zhen was only a Quasi-Saint by any measure. Even with his Sword Domain technique, no matter how powerful it was, he was still only a Quasi-Saint, with only decent methods. But the Taiqing Daoist was different. He was an incarnation of Laozi. Even if his magical power was not as great as some Quasi-Saints, his inner cultivation was much higher. After all, he was connected with the Saints. Whether it was his cultivation or the application of Daoist techniques, he was a level above Quasi-Saints. How could Liao Zhen compare to him?
If he were to actually make a move, I fear Penglai Island would be defeated today. Liaozhen stepped forward and asked, "May I ask who this heaven-defying person is that you speak of, Uncle-Master?"
Taiqing Daoist narrowed his eyes at the crowd present. Even the people who were fighting in the sky had come down and stood aside according to their respective camps. Clearly, judging from the fight just now, Penglai Island had gained the upper hand. Taiqing Daoist said, "Qi Jun Tian Xuan was appointed by Heaven and was destined to become the Human Emperor. Li Si held the Second Emperor of Qin hostage and, together with Wei Liao, controlled the government. The king eliminated the remnants of the Great Witch and disrupted the court. These two are acting against Heaven. I have come here for this reason. The Qin Emperor's fortune has run out and the Qin state's national lifeline is empty. It should not exist any longer."
Upon hearing this, Liao Zhen sneered, "Uncle, you are mistaken. Qin is currently at the height of its power. Its ruler is virtuous, its prime minister is wise, its generals are brave, its strategist is shrewd, its people are simple and honest, and the country is peaceful and prosperous with favorable weather. It is the will of Heaven. Qin's national fortune is at its peak. How can you talk about destroying it?"
He paused, then continued, "Although Lord Qi is under the command of the Jade Emperor, the people's hearts are not in his favor. Lord Qin, on the other hand, bears the Nine Dragons Star Crown, and is favored by both Heaven and the people. He is destined to become the Emperor. Li Si and Wei Liao's assistance is hardly an act against Heaven."
Liao Zhen was, after all, a pioneer in the field, so he should at least be able to debate.
Upon hearing this, Daoist Taiqing's expression turned cold. The Nine Dragons Star Crown—alas, it had always been a sore spot for him. The orthodox teachings of the Human Sect had been stolen by Xuantian. If not for that, why would he have needed to scheme and launch this conflict? Now that Liaozhen had brought it up, Daoist Taiqing was filled with a burning desire to possess it.
"The Nine Dragons Star is something sworn by the Three Sovereigns. Without it, the human race will not recognize the position of the Human Emperor. I presume that my master is also aware of this. Since Lord Qin possesses this, he should be the Human Emperor." Although Liao Zhen knew that these words might provoke the anger of Daoist Taiqing, he had no choice but to mention it at this moment.
Upon hearing this, the Taoist Taiqing became even more enraged and coldly snorted, "It is nothing but an inanimate object, and cannot be judged under the Heavenly Dao."
Upon hearing this, Liao Zhen understood that Taiqing Daoist was simply going to deny it and wanted to forcefully break the agreement. He stepped forward and said, "Uncle-Master, you are mistaken. The Nine Dragons Star Crown is a product of the Heavenly Dao. Since it exists, it must have its reason for being. We cultivators should act in accordance with the Heavenly Dao and support Lord Qin."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
