Chapter 224 Three Thousand Guests in Ziwei Palace
In late October of the first year of Kaiyuan, the wind from the north brought the chill of early winter.
Nine miles south of Luoyang City, on the road leading to Jingnian Zen Temple.
The originally lush and green bamboos were now covered with a layer of transparent white frost on each leaf, reflecting the cold and fragile light in the bleak morning sunlight.
When the wind blows, there is no rustling sound, but the sound of fine ice crystals colliding with each other, which makes the world seem even more desolate.
Outside the bamboo sea, a large number of people from the martial arts world were watching.
Most of them have long breaths and strong internal strength.
They were concentrating intently, with little discussion or noise, their attention drawn solely to the scene enveloped in the frosty sea of bamboo.
In the bamboo forest, two people were confronting each other.
A man wearing a wide Taoist robe, with a white beard like snow and an elegant face, seemed to blend into the frosty sky.
It was the second most important person in Taoism, the "Wanderer" Ning Daoqi.
He stood with his hands behind his back, without any trace of energy emanating from his body, yet he seemed to encompass a small world, vast and unfathomable.
The falling frost flowers quietly slid away around him a few feet, without getting a trace of it.
The other man stood as tall as a knife, his figure straight and upright, his blue shirt moving slightly in the frosty wind.
He had a handsome face and his eyes were as sharp as the unsheathed sword at his waist, which could cut through the cold wind and chop off the flying frost. It was none other than Song Que, the Heavenly Sword.
His whole body was filled with a fierce aura of severing everything. The frosty ground beneath his feet silently sank and cracked, forming smooth traces as if they were cut by a knife.
The spectators around felt the rising momentum and the expansion of the strong wind. They opened their eyes wide, not wanting to miss this rare showdown.
Looking around the world, there is no one except the mysterious existence in Ziwei Palace.
The two people in the bamboo forest are the top warriors in the eyes of the world.
Since the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty ascended the throne, many martial arts masters who once appeared in Chang'an have all studied martial arts hard and disappeared in order to achieve the ultimate in martial arts and break the void, so they rarely appear in the world.
This time, they appeared together near Luoyang for the grand event in Ziwei Palace.
It is said that there is a group of masters in the world who are outstanding in talent and virtue, enjoy a great reputation, and abide by the laws of the Tang Dynasty. They have obtained the qualification to go to Ziwei Palace and listen to the Taoist teachings from the Supreme.
There are a total of three thousand people in this group.
Everyone knows that the Zhou emperor has the power to teach the gods and men, can control the destiny of the world, travel freely through the void, and is omnipotent.
"Taiping Hongbao" written by the Zhou emperor himself has long been regarded as the number one strange book.
Now, having the opportunity to enter Ziwei Palace is an enviable first-class opportunity.
Even the contemporary martial arts master would not want to miss it.
When everyone was lost in thought, the atmosphere in the forest changed again!
No further explanation needed.
After Ning Sanren and Song Que looked at each other, their fighting spirit was as strong as a bow with a full string.
A bamboo leaf, bent by frost, could not bear the weight and quietly broke. Before it fell to the ground -
The Heavenly Sword is moving!
His body followed the sword, and there was almost no difference between him and the sword.
It was not a simple charge, but a sharp sword light that appeared out of nowhere, splitting the stagnant frosty wind and heading straight for Ning Daoqi.
Before the knife arrived, the sharp knife intent that could cut through everything had already caused pain in people's eyebrows and eyelashes.
It seems that only the charm of this sword remains between heaven and earth!
Ning Daoqi's wide sleeves fluttered out, his posture was elegant and ethereal, without any worldly airs.
This flick seemed to stir up the surrounding cold air, flying frost, and even the entire space, turning it into a chaotic and invisible cyclone, facing the unparalleled blade.
"laugh--!"
The collision between the blade's force and the cyclone produced a sharp sound like cloth being torn.
The dissipated energy was like an invisible sharp blade, shooting out in all directions and cutting off countless frost-covered bamboos, leaving the broken ends as smooth as mirrors.
Ice crystals and bamboo leaves were flying all over the sky, and were then turned into powder by even more violent air currents.
Ning Daoqi's body movements were like clouds and mist, weaving in and out of Song Que's sword force that was like a violent storm and could penetrate every gap, and he always avoided the blade that was powerful enough to cut gold and jade by a hair's breadth.
His "Eight Freehand Strikes" were not a head-on attack, but rather a method of taking advantage of the situation, either brushing, leading, or entangling, to deflect Song Que's overwhelming and unstoppable sword power and dissolve it into the surrounding world.
Huge pits kept appearing on the frosty ground, or deep furrows were plowed out.
Song Que's sword power became stronger and his eyes became brighter.
His swordsmanship had reached perfection. Each strike was simple and direct, yet imbued with the profound principles of martial arts. The sound of the blade piercing the air shifted from sharp to deep, its power becoming increasingly concentrated. Wherever the blade flashed, the cold air was slashed, even briefly creating a trail of vacuum.
"Good!" Ning Daoqi laughed and praised after seeing it. His body suddenly solidified. He clasped his palms together as if embracing Tai Chi. A powerful aura suddenly gathered and then pushed towards Song Que like a mountain torrent.
This attack was no longer an attempt to dissolve the enemy's attack, but a direct and overwhelming blow!
Song Que did not dodge or evade, divine light flashed in his eyes, he exhaled and shouted, the knife in his hand turned into a bolt of lightning and slashed straight out!
"boom--!"
Like a bolt of thunder from the blue, a terrifying aura visible to the naked eye exploded from the core of the two people and spread out in all directions like a torrent of wind and rain.
Most people around hurriedly moved away.
The entire bamboo forest shook violently, and the frost on countless bamboo branches was instantly shaken off and vaporized, forming a white mist.
The air was turbulent and white mist was everywhere.
When the fog and hail dissipated a little, two figures appeared.
There was a clear scratch on Ning Daoqi's Taoist robe, almost cutting through the sleeve.
He stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes full of admiration for the great prey.
Song Que stood with a knife in his hand. A clear palm print was clearly visible on his shoulder. Frost quickly spread around the edge, but was shattered and evaporated by the powerful knife intent in his body.
The frosty ground beneath their feet was a mess, covered in spider-web-like cracks.
The cold wind blew again, blowing away the remaining mist and hail, and lifting their hair, beards and clothes.
The two men moved in unison, both looking towards the place where the earth-shattering collision had just occurred.
It can be seen that they are not only testing each other's realm, but also making some kind of attempt.
"Sanren's eight pounces are even more unpredictable."
"I should say Brother Song's swordsmanship is more powerful."
After saying this, both Tian Dao and Ning Sanren felt a little disappointed.
Song Que said bluntly: "It's far from enough to break the space apart."
Ning Sanren nodded and said, "Brother Song still has plenty of time. Judging from your current progress, you have a good chance."
Ning Sanren was not jealous when he said this, but rather calm.
Ever since he listened to Zhou Yi's instructions on revising the Nanhua Sutra, his mentality has become more pure and free.
Song Que hasn't spoken yet.
Ning Sanren looked up at the sky and said leisurely, "A hundred years of life pass so quickly, like the blink of an eye."
Song Que felt a hint of loneliness from those calm words.
So he comforted:
"Brother Ning Dao, perhaps there is new hope in Ziwei Palace."
Ning Sanren listened to his tone and looked at Song Que's expression, and immediately realized that he had misunderstood.
He smiled calmly:
"Ning feels that this grand event is unprecedented, and being able to participate in it is an unforgettable experience in life. To have such an opportunity in my later years is beyond imagination, but I don't expect anything more."
Song Que nodded silently.
He carefully felt the north wind and suggested:
"The first snow is coming, Brother Ning, why don't we travel together?"
"That's exactly what I meant."
As soon as the two finished speaking, they flew up and disappeared from everyone's sight in a few seconds.
"What a pity, Ning Sanren and Tian Dao still haven't decided the winner."
"Wrong, Tian Dao has already won."
"How did you know that?"
"Tian Dao is young and will win in the future. If we fight again next time, I'm afraid Ning Sanren won't be his opponent."
The discussion in the crowd grew louder, and some people looked at the traces of battle left in the bamboo forest and sighed:
"The realms of these two are beyond the reach of others, but even with their combined strength, they are unable to break through the void. The gap between them and the Heavenly Master is still immeasurable."
"Let's go. I heard that the Taoist masters have arrived. Let's go to Dongdu to take a look."
"Correction, the Taoist Medicine King Senior has not left the mountain and is still living in seclusion in Zhongnan."
When talking about Sun Yaowang, everyone admired him but also felt sorry for him.
Sun Simiao was not obsessed with martial arts. He was eager to save the world and immersed himself in pharmacological research and writing medical books. He gave up the opportunity to listen to the teachings in Ziwei Palace.
…
At the end of October, the sky was leaden and the cold air was sinking.
For several days until mid-winter, the cold became more severe.
On the first day, the sky changed. Jade dust began to bloom in the sky, and then sleet and snow began to fall. Gradually, white flowers began to scatter and cover Luoyang.
The Yique Buddhist shrine suddenly lost its former grandeur.
The stone statues at Longmen look as if covered with white robes under the snow.
In a moment, the cherry trees on Tianjie Street were covered with colorful flowers on their twisted branches.
The streets and alleys of the city suddenly became quiet.
The early morning moon in Tianjin and the clear spring sky in Jingu all turned into jade steps in this heavy first snowfall.
At this moment, Ziwei Palace opened wide~!
On the Tianjie Imperial Road, amidst the heavy snow, many martial arts celebrities walked on the snow with solemn expressions, looking at the imperial city shrouded in snow with a pilgrimage mentality.
The snow gradually piled up on everyone's shoulders and hair.
With their skills, evaporating snow water is easy.
However, at this point, no one would use their strength rashly.
Although Song Que and Ning Sanren are both extremely powerful warriors in the world, they are no different here. They are both among the three thousand guests.
Ning Daoqi met many Taoists in front of the palace gate.
For example, Yuan Tiangang from Bashu, Taoist Mu, Taoist Wu Ya, Song Yinzi from Yiyang, Taoist Chen Changgong with white eyebrows, the two brothers Ji Xun and Ji Shou from Songshan, and dozens of Taoist priests who practiced in various places, are now all gathered together.
When Ning Daoqi greeted them, Song Que also saw the Evil King and the Queen, and the Five Elders of the Coffin Palace.
Fu Cailin, the chess and sword master from Goryeo County, and Lady Dongming from Ryukyu also arrived.
All the leading figures among the younger generation are present at this time.
Hou Xibai, Fan Caiqi, Erfeng, Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Ba Fenghan, Kedazhi, Shan Wanjing, Song Shidao, Song Yuzhi, Fu Jun'er, Fu Junqiang
Nowadays, there is no distinction between foreign countries. We are all citizens of the Tang Dynasty, so we are naturally treated equally.
However, young people who usually like to joke and play, when they come to this occasion, no matter how close they are to each other, will perk up and dare not overstep the boundaries in the slightest.
Ziwei Hall is located to the east of Ganyang Hall, not in the same direction as the court meeting place.
Passing through the imperial road lined with imperial guards, everyone strolled into a bluestone square.
A magnificent palace stands on the north side of the square.
Somehow, although this palace is made of ordinary wood, it looks quite strange, giving people a false sense of infinite vastness.
At this time, the palace gate opened silently.
A young man and woman walked out of the hall. They were wearing simple Taoist robes and exuded a refined aura. They looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old.
Anyone with a little bit of mental arithmetic could tell at a glance that they were the Heavenly Master's junior brothers and sisters.
They were the two little Taoist boys who were in Wuzhuang Temple.
Only they can listen to the Taoist teachings by the side of the Heavenly Master all year round.
Therefore, it is normal to have different temperaments.
Yan Qiu and Xia Shu smiled gently and gestured towards the hall.
"Everyone, please."
After hearing their words, everyone started moving forward.
From the outside, the Ziwei Palace seemed to be pitch black, enough to absorb everyone's gaze, and no sound could be heard.
But as soon as he entered.
Ning Sanren suddenly felt something was wrong when he saw Shi Zhixuan walking in front of him.
The people who entered from behind were all trembling in their hearts!
The hall is extremely spacious, the wooden floor is neat and clean, without too many gorgeous decorations.
But even those who are used to seeing splendor will feel like a frog in a well when they come here.
Therefore, the wealth and splendor of this place cannot be described by the human world.
It’s like entering a whole new world.
It is a bit like a mirage, but completely different. Everything you see has a sense of reality.
The Yin Queen's eyes reflected the inverted Milky Way, and from the eaves drooped countless lines of light, sometimes with purple lightning swirling like dragons. The innate true qi seemed to condense into a jeweled necklace, adorning the dome.
She fell into deep thought. Even if the magic of the Demon Sect was practiced to the highest level, it would not be able to create such a scene.
It is even more impossible to make others perceive it through vision while they are awake.
Everything went against her understanding of martial arts.
As soon as I entered the temple and saw it, I felt that this trip was worthwhile.
At the front of the hall, there are seven cushions with clear meaning.
Many people knew the seriousness of the matter and sat down cross-legged without getting close to the cushions, carefully feeling the magical scene in the Ziwei Hall.
Tian Dao, Ning Sanren, Xie Wang, Yin Hou, Yijian Master, and Zhou Laotan each sat on a cushion.
There was a seventh cushion, but no one dared to sit on it.
During the battle at Xiji Garden in Chang'an, there were seven great masters under the Heavenly Master. If Wu Zun had gone with the flow and not fought to the death, he should have been the one to sit on this cushion.
But Wu Zun is dead.
Logically speaking, this should have been prepared for the Medicine King Sun Simiao.
The King of Medicine devoted himself to studying medicine and lived in Zhongnan.
So, who will sit in this seat and what is so special about it? No one knows.
Including Yuan Tiangang, Song Yinzi and others, they just looked at it and did not take up this position.
After the three thousand people were seated, the seventh cushion in the front was still empty.
Finally, someone stood up.
He walked forward a few feet and sat down.
This person is Erfeng.
Many people recognized the identity of the second son of the Li family and knew that he was gifted, but when it came to martial arts skills, there were many people present who were better than him.
But
Seeing how calm he was, and considering the many wonders of Ziwei Palace, no one competed with him for a seat for a while.
When Yan Qiu and Xia Shu sat opposite each other on another yellow cushion, everyone suddenly came to their senses.
But their mentality was 10% off, and the opportunity was missed.
The palace bell rang by itself, and a dreamy white shadow appeared silently, sitting on the cushion guarded by Yan Qiuxiashu.
He was holding the Heshi Bi, his eyes were deep and mysterious, and he exuded an indescribable peculiar aura.
Everyone seemed to see a mountain that pierced through the clouds and was so high that their eyes were unknown, and it seemed as if their gaze was buried in an endless abyss with no bottom.
The top of the Ziwei Hall is even brighter and more dazzling, like stars.
Zhou Yi used his own skills as fuel to continuously release the cosmic power in the He Shi Bi. All the strange phenomena in the Ziwei Palace came from this.
But except for a very small number of people who know the secrets, most people have no way of knowing the secrets of the He Shi Bi and his true essence.
Therefore, when Zhou Yi appeared, they had a real feeling of mortals meeting a god.
"Tianshi~!"
Because it was Ziwei who was discussing Taoism, everyone bowed when they shouted.
Zhou Yi's voice then echoed in the hall: "Today we will discuss the way of destruction, the most wonderful method."
As he spoke, he immediately activated the He Shi Bi.
So, what you say becomes the law.
The cosmic illusion within the He Shi Bi unfolds before everyone's eyes.
The images felt by the rest of the people were similar, except for the few people sitting on the cushions in the front, who had a high level of martial arts and could interact with each other, resulting in a clearer perception.
The purple-gold Taoist patterns coiled around the palace pillars suddenly came alive, as if transforming into a blue dragon holding a hexagram and swimming around.
The golden lotus emerging from the ground emitted three thousand rays of light, and each ray of light showed an illusion corresponding to a different innate miraculous skill.
These illusions are directly aimed at the soul.
For everyone who enters the temple, it feels like a journey of deeper understanding than the trip to the Temple of War.
Quiet, extremely quiet.
Time flows very quickly in silence.
It was a cool morning, but dusk fell in a blink of an eye.
Luocheng lies quietly in the land of snow, with candlelight from thousands of homes piercing through the white silk, and only the rustling of the north wind can be heard.
When Zhou Yi's power was not yet fully developed, he could activate the cosmic energy in the Heshi Bi to make Kankan and Shi Feixuan immerse themselves in the cultivation of their spiritual spirits.
Using force at this moment would be a strong medicine for everyone.
Until the next day.
There were many voices of thanks and prostrations, but Zhou Yi paid no attention to them. He watched quietly as everyone in the Zixiao Palace left with their minds wavering and full of emotion.
Finally, he waited for a farewell.
When meeting Li Shimin in private, Erfeng was originally going to greet him seriously, but Zhou Yi brought her back to her old feelings with his underworld tone.
"You're leaving?"
"Yes, I plan to go out and have some experience."
"Then where are you going, Brother Li?"
Li Shimin smiled and said, "I have received the Turkic psychic harrier hawk. This hawk is very spiritual. My first stop will be to its ancestral homeland, the Tianshan Mountains near the Western Regions."
Zhou Yi naturally asked the Turks to send the harrier hawk to fulfill what he had said at Pegasus Ranch.
"That's good. Traveling around will be very helpful for your training."
Zhou Yi suggested: "By the way, do me a favor."
"Oh? What can I help you with?"
Li Shimin was curious.
Zhou Yi took the opportunity to talk about the incident when Wang Shichong was in power in the Eastern Capital, when a foreign monk stole Taoist scriptures from the library.
Li Shimin understood instantly. He was very straightforward and said with a smile: "How difficult is this? I will retrieve the scriptures for Your Majesty."
Zhou Yi praised the good news and couldn't help but smile. Thinking of Er Feng about to leave the Eastern Tang Dynasty and travel west to obtain the scriptures, the words "May I ask where the road leads?" echoed in his mind.
…
(End of this chapter)
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