Chapter 465: The Hundred-Year Battle Begins Early (5k)
At the top of Mount Luo, the sky was dark and overcast, with faint electric snakes dancing wildly, as if brewing nine-day thunder.
Xu Zhenguan was wearing a dragon robe, holding Taizu's magic weapon, and looking at Wu Xiankui with a stern look.
When this contemporary martial arts master first appeared, he was still far away, above the river. But with one step, he crossed the distance and appeared ten feet away from the empress.
"Wu Xiankui! It's you indeed."
Xu Zhenguan's voice was cold and his face was as frosty as the winter day three years ago when the Xuanmen coup took place.
There wasn't much surprise in her tone, as if she had guessed it a long time ago.
As he spoke, his eyes fell on Wu Xiankui, a tall and burly man who came alone from the East China Sea on a bamboo raft.
The latter was dressed in coarse linen clothes, with messy hair of a mixture of black and white, tied casually behind his head with a ribbon.
There was nothing unusual about the face of the man, who was about fifty years old, except for a bright red mark like a heavy date on the center of his brow, which was dazzling.
Perhaps it was because he had been sitting alone on the cliff, facing the sea for too many years, and his skin was particularly rough due to the erosion of the sea breeze.
Wu Xiankui stood with his hands behind his back. Although he was dressed in coarse linen, he had the demeanor of a master. His heavy eyes looked calmly at the angry empress, and his tone was understated:
"Your Majesty knew I was coming?"
Xu Zhenguan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, ignoring the electric snakes dancing wildly above his head, and said coldly:
"I have performed the Fengshan ceremony with great fanfare, and the whole world has come to watch. There are always those who do not want me to be satisfied. However, the dangers of Luoshan are such that even if a hundred thousand rebels came, they would not be able to reach the top of the mountain. Moreover, no martial arts expert, sorcerer, or person below the heavens can threaten me in the slightest!
I trust Master Zhang Tianshi to stay out of mortal affairs. After all, the only ones who can threaten me in the Yu Kingdom are you and Xuan Yin.
Wu Xiankui nodded and said, understandingly:
"Monk Xuanyin has sealed himself in the capital, and Zhang Yan is watching. Therefore, the only one who can stop you is me."
Xu Zhenguan suddenly sighed softly, his eyes filled with disdain and disappointment:
"I never thought that the dignified Lord of Qingshan would commit such a despicable act. What benefit did the Eighth Prince give you? Could I ask you to stop me?"
Wu Xiankui, who was wearing coarse linen clothes and had a fiery red mark on his forehead, was surprisingly calm and said:
"As long as I take action, and the royal family of Yu Kingdom changes, I will be allowed to enter the palace and observe the stele of the tower of Emperor Taizu of Yu Kingdom."
The so-called tower was the building that Zhao Duan had visited twice to comprehend the inheritance of the "God of War".
The so-called viewing stele is a promise to allow outsiders to view the five murals.
In other words, Prince Jing and others promised to allow Wu Xiankui to comprehend the royal family's secret inheritance of "God of War".
"Traitor!"
Even though he had expected this, Xu Zhenguan was still furious when he heard the answer with his own ears.
Yes, in this world, what else can impress a strong man like Wu Xiankui who has reached the pinnacle of martial arts, except this?
High position and generous salary?
Beautiful wife and concubine?
Or secular power?
To Wu Xiankui, everything is like floating clouds, and only the royal inheritance matters to him.
As long as Xu Zhenguan is there, Wu Xiankui will not be able to get what he wants.
Therefore, a group of people led by Prince Jing contacted him and asked him to take action once in exchange for this reward.
"Whether you are a traitor or not is your Xu family's own business."
Wu Xiankui looked calm:
"I won't lie to you. The century-long battle between Qingshan and the royal family wasn't far away, so I'm moving it up a few months. If you win, I'll return to the East Sea and never interfere in your royal dispute again. If you lose, the royal family's secret will be the stakes of this battle."
Xu Zhenguan's pale face showed a mocking expression, and she suddenly laughed:
"I understand. You're afraid. You're afraid that after I advance to the next level, you won't be able to win the competition next year. That's why you're coming here to take advantage of the situation."
After Wu Xiankui appeared, he frowned for the first time and said indifferently:
"I don't care what Your Majesty thinks. I've devoted my life solely to the art of martial arts. The Yu Kingdom's royal family is declining with each generation, and we can't surpass Qingshan in martial arts. So, even if I use the so-called 'Dragon Qi' technique to achieve victory, how could that be glorious?"
After saying this, Wu Xiankui seemed to have lost interest in talking nonsense. He said calmly:
"There's no point in saying more. If Your Majesty wants me to retreat, then I'll just draw my sword."
Xu Zhenguan's smile faded, and only majesty remained in her eyes. She nodded gently:
"Okay."
Be it interception or competition.
No matter how good your words are, they are not as good as a sword in the throat.
The opponent's obstruction was expected, so there was really no point in talking nonsense.
Suddenly, the embroidered golden dragon on Xu Zhenguan's dragon robe suddenly came to life, broke free from the robe, circled around the five-colored altar, and shone brightly.
The magic weapon left by Taizu is not just the Taia sword.
Xu Zhenguan thrust out a sword.
Wu Xiankui's coarse linen clothes and messy long hair danced wildly in the wind. He took a step forward, and a powerful aura rushed into the sky like smoke, even causing the dark clouds in the sky to collapse and disperse.
The spell that killed the gods was suppressed by the true meaning of martial arts that Guan Hai, the number one martial artist, had cultivated for sixty years.
The warrior throws a punch.
Even the evil gods in the sky have to retreat.
"I won't take advantage of you. Let's fight. How dare a mere evil spirit stand by and watch?"
Wu Xiankui's hair and beard trembled in the strong wind, and the mark between his eyebrows was hot like a blazing flame.
This time he came all the way west from the East China Sea, passing through the water veins of the south of the Yangtze River, nurturing a momentum of a warrior who could move forward without restraint, just like a big river, accompanied by abundant energy like a waterfall hanging from the sky, pouring down.
As fists and swords clashed, the clouds and mist above Mount Luo suddenly rolled like a raging sea.
The winding river at the foot of the mountain exploded with a roar like the collapse of the sky, and all living things within a radius of thirty miles looked at it in surprise.
…
…
Jiancheng Road, the military headquarters.
As a garrison for the imperial court to station troops in Jianchengdao, the entire military mansion is majestic and looks like an independent city from the outside.
Soldiers took turns on duty on the four sides of the city wall, and daily drills were carried out in the major camps inside in an orderly manner.
As one of the three "deputy generals" of the Jianchengdao Military Government, Ye Xin's power in the military government is second only to the commander-in-chief of the military government.
Today, the commander led a group of elite soldiers to Luoshan to escort the empress to Fengshan, and took away a deputy general. The remaining two deputy generals will jointly manage the garrison.
"General Ye!"
The officer guarding the city gate saw Ye Xin coming back from patrolling outside the city and hurriedly saluted respectfully.
Ye Xinren, who was handsome and had a short beard, said, "Yes," while riding on his horse.
"Open the door."
The officer hurriedly opened the gate of the military headquarters and let in a large group of patrol cavalry led by Ye Xin who were returning to the camp.
"Huh, why do I remember that this wasn't the group of people who went out this morning?" A soldier scratched his head and muttered to himself.
The comrade beside him laughed and scolded:
"You're confused from your sleep, aren't you? You're still asleep in broad daylight? If not these batches, which ones?"
"I just feel it looks unfamiliar." The soldier muttered, but he also had some self-doubt. Could it be that he remembered it wrong?
Ye Xin returned to the military headquarters and immediately summoned all the generals in the camp to gather in the main camp.
"What happened? Why did you suddenly call us here?"
When the generals arrived one after another, they were all surprised.
Another deputy general of the same rank as Ye Xin frowned. He saw Ye Xin sitting in the commander-in-chief's seat in a careless and utterly ungraceful manner. Facing the arrival of the crowd, he didn't even stand up.
"Ye Xin! Is that where you sit? Get up! Do you think you can act so unruly when the commander is not here?" The deputy general shouted.
Ye Xin then slowly looked at everyone, but did not stand up. Instead, he folded his hands, leaned back in the big chair, and smiled slightly:
"Let's sit down and talk. We're comrades, and I don't want to be too ruthless. If you have anything to say, sit down and talk. Yes, I've prepared paper and pen for you..."
The officers became more and more confused and felt it was strange. They became alert and no one sat down.
The second deputy general stepped forward, slammed his hand on the table, and said with wide eyes:
"Ye Xin! I'm talking to you, are you deaf and can't hear me? I told you to get up..."
Before he could finish his words, a dagger dipped in a strange-colored venom suddenly thrust out and pierced into the throat of the deputy general who was slapping the table.
The latter stared with eyes wide open, stepped back in disbelief, and covered his neck with his hands.
——His martial arts skills were not much inferior to Ye Xin's, but he was caught off guard and was suddenly attacked. He didn't even have time to react, and the poison took effect, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
"ah!"
Everyone was in an uproar and subconsciously drew their swords, but the rules of military meetings were that no one was allowed to carry weapons inside the tent. How could anyone carry weapons unintentionally?
"I wanted to give you a decent ending, but since it has come to this, I have to apologize."
Ye Xin threw the cup next to him to the ground, and it shattered with a snap. A large number of elite private soldiers who were secretly trained by Prince Jing's Mansion and were lying in ambush outside rushed into the military tent with sharp blades in hand.
Even though the generals were all very powerful, they were ultimately no match for the wolves. Soon the military tents were filled with blood and a large number of corpses fell.
Ye Xin opened the military tent and walked out, wiping his red hands with a white handkerchief. He instructed his trusted aides waiting outside, as well as the private soldiers of Prince Jing's Mansion who were disguised as military officials and brought in for him:
"According to the previous plan, kill all those on the list who refuse to obey. Then, tell our people that the prince has ordered us to raise an army immediately, capture Jianning Prefecture, and capture and eliminate all imperial forces, especially the grain transport troops!"
"yes!"
The subordinates scattered like the wind.
Soon, many corpses fell in the entire military headquarters, and the military officers who had secretly defected to Prince Jing's Mansion took control of the entire military headquarters with their confidants at the fastest speed.
Ye Xin raised his head and saw that the imperial flag on the top of the city had fallen and was replaced by the fluttering military flag of Prince Jing's Mansion.
A mixture of excitement and fear appeared on his face, and the conversation between him and the secret spy in the palace yesterday echoed in his ears.
"Raising an army now? His Majesty is in Luoshan..."
"The prince said that Luoshan is the majesty's tomb. Now that all the officials of the Jiancheng Dao court have gathered in Luoshan and the other cities are empty, it is the best time to start an uprising."
…
…
At the foot of Mount Luo.
The fight between the powerful men of the imperial court and the invading enemies continues.
In mid-air, Eunuch Hai and Duan Shuiliu were fighting fiercely. The two strongest men in the world were fighting with all their might, and outsiders could not get close at all.
Just like when those at the celestial realm fight each other, no one below the celestial realm can get close.
The palace priests and the strong men in the army were almost suppressing the magicians of the God of Law and the private army of the royal palace. At least in Zhao Duan's opinion, the two sides were not on the same level at all.
The imperial court has a solid foundation after all. Even when the empress went south this time, she left many masters in the capital to ensure the stability of the court.
But those arranged at the foot of the mountain are strong enough. If there is any lack, it is only in the "high-end combat power", and they are only supported by Eunuch Hai.
However, although the enemy also has more than one "worldly" strongman, the strongest one is only Duan Shuiliu.
If the main purpose of the imperial court was not to protect the altar, they would have only defended and not attacked, giving the invaders room to breathe and move around.
If they really started fighting without any regard for anything, Zhao Duan felt that they could hold back these enemies in a quarter of an hour at most.
“Something’s wrong!”
Zhao Duan, however, did not look happy at all. He stood guard in front of the altar with a nervous look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Lang Shiba and Ji Yue followed him and did not leave, looking at him in surprise.
Zhao Duan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes swept across the battlefield ahead, and he said:
"The leader of the Fashen Sect did not show up..."
"Perhaps it was that day when he was seriously injured by His Majesty." Lang Shiba provided a reasonable guess.
Zhao Duan shook his head and said:
"Even if the God of Law is seriously injured and unable to participate in the battle, do you think the Eight Kings will only send such a small number of people? They can't pose any threat to Fengshan, so what's the point?"
"This..." The people around looked at each other in confusion.
At this moment, a loud noise coming from the top of the mountain attracted everyone's attention.
Zhao Duan raised his head suddenly and found that the clouds on the mountain were rolling like a raging sea. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, accompanied by thunder. Strong winds were blowing around Luoshan, and the mountain was shaking slightly.
It's as if...
On the top of the mountain, gods were fighting, the sky and the earth changed color, and the earth shook.
"It's the top of the mountain! A strong man is attacking Your Majesty!" The attendant Tang Jinzhong blurted out.
Suddenly, some people wanted to rush up the mountain, but were stopped by Eunuch Hai, who had repelled Duan Shuiliu with one blow. He shouted:
"Your Majesty has ordered us to defend the foot of the mountain. Don't fall for the trick of luring the tiger away from the mountain! Besides, in a war between heaven and man, even if we get too close, we will be seriously injured if we are swept by the aftermath! Even if you go up, it will be useless!"
Suddenly, everyone calmed down. Yes, it was meaningless for them to go to a battle of this level, and it would only cause trouble.
However, at this moment, no one noticed that Zhao Duan suddenly lowered his head and his consciousness sank into his mind.
Only because Pei Niannu's voice reappeared:
"Buddhist World Honored One! It's the breath of Buddha!"
Zhao Duan was stunned, and quickly calmed down, asking in his heart:
"Senior, what do you mean? Are you saying that it was the power of the Buddha's deity that prevented you from descending that day?"
"yes."
Zhao Duan was stunned. "No, Senior, you must have made a mistake. The one who stopped you that day was a sorcerer practicing the 'Heavenly Way'. What you sensed should have been the aura of the divine 'Heavenly Way'."
He felt that Pei Niannu was confused.
The leader of the Fashen Sect, whether in the materials or in his repeated actions that day, clearly displayed the typical "Taoist" characteristics.
Even the Empress believed that he was a sorcerer who practiced the "Heavenly Way" and was a righteous god. How could it be the power of the "World Honored One"?
"The Way of Heaven is the exterior... The Buddha is the interior... Practicing Buddhism and Taoism together... one becomes a human immortal..."
Pei Niannu's intermittent and somewhat neurotic voice echoed.
Zhao Duan was stunned. "Senior... are you saying that the leader of the Dharma God Sect is cultivating both the Heavenly Dao and the World Honored One at the same time? No, or to be more precise, he is cultivating the World Honored One Buddha primarily, with the Heavenly Dao as a secondary practice?"
Yes!
A sorcerer can practice multiple gods at the same time, just like himself, whose main practice is "God of War", but by chance, he has now mastered some of the spells of "World Honored One".
But in most cases, no one would practice both the two righteous gods at the same time.
The reason why Buddhism and Taoism are clearly divided into two major camps is, to a certain extent, that the two righteous gods are too powerful.
If you want to make progress, it is best to devote yourself to one person wholeheartedly. Those who want to master multiple subjects are almost all mediocre.
Because of this, Zhao Duan formed a fixed mindset. In his opinion, a powerful being like the "God of Law" who is half a step away from becoming a god should focus on cultivating a powerful righteous god.
Even if he also studied other gods as a minor, when he fought against the empress, he would definitely only use the strongest main god to fight.
What's more, the founder of the Fashen Sect was the priest in the Tianshi Mansion.
According to Pei Niannu, the main subject of the "God of Dharma" is "Buddhist Tathagata", and the secondary subject is "Taoist Heavenly Way".
Rebellion!
Completely the opposite!
"But... how is this possible? The God of Law is a half-step celestial being. If even his secondary cultivation of Heavenly Dao is so strong, and he can withstand Zhen Bao's sword and escape unscathed, then how strong must his main cultivation of World Honored One be?
Isn’t that higher than a half-step celestial being? It’s simply ridiculous… Who in the world can…”
Zhao Duan refuted subconsciously, but suddenly, his whole body stiffened, and the fog in his mind was suddenly split by a thought!
"No! There is one person in the world who can possibly do it... The main cultivation of the World Honored One can reach the level of a Half-Step Heavenly Being or above..."
Zhao Duan suddenly turned his head and looked towards the northern capital!
The pupils suddenly contracted!
“Could it be…”
He thought of an extremely crazy possibility, what if... the true identity of the "God of Dharma" is Monk Xuanyin?
Xuan Yin has been hiding in Shenlong Temple for many years, never going out...
This second generation "God of Law" suddenly appeared and suppressed the entire God of Law sect, and his whereabouts were very rare.
Moreover, one of its abilities is to travel outside in an "external incarnation".
There was a rift between Shenlong Temple and the imperial court, especially after the "destruction of Buddhism". Xuan Yin had a self-interested motive to depose the empress and support the new emperor...
That’s right.
Zhao Duan suddenly recalled that day when the "God of Law" intercepted him in the suburbs, he said something very strange.
"We meet again..."
If the "God of Dharma" and Xuan Yin are the same person, or if there is some connection between the two, then this sentence has a reasonable explanation.
Zhao Duan had met Abbot Xuanyin at the Buddhist debate meeting in the capital.
"impossible……"
Zhao Duan's face turned pale. This guess was too absurd and too scary.
If the God of Dharma is indeed Xuan Yin, doesn't that mean that the one who took action against Zhen Bao today was this Buddhist celestial being?
Zhao Duan raised his head and looked at the top of Luoshan Mountain which was covered by clouds.
"Is it Xuan Yin who's fighting Zhen Bao up there right now? If it's him, why can't I sense any trace of Buddhist power? The Qinglian in my body doesn't even sense it?"
"If the one above isn't the Mysterious Seal, then the 'God of Law' hasn't appeared yet..."
Zhao Duan's expression kept changing. He suddenly turned around and ran towards the top of the mountain!
"Master Zhao?!"
The people protecting the altar were shocked.
Zhao Duan just said, "Guard the altar. His Majesty has given me another task. Don't worry about me!"
In order to prevent Eunuch Hai and others from stopping him or being distracted, Zhao Duan lied.
He decided to go up the mountain immediately and deliver this key information to the empress.
"With my level of cultivation, I can't possibly participate in the battle between the gods and humans, but hiding outside the aftermath of the battle and delivering a message shouldn't be a problem."
Zhao Duan ran away with an anxious look in his eyes:
"I hope...it's not too late!"
…
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(End of this chapter)
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