Chapter 68: Chapter 48: Conclusion 1
Translator: 549690339
Three days later, the world was shocked to hear.
Armed forces rose from Xuzhou, with Martial Guardians like dragons, their horses trampling mountains and rivers.
In one day, they took Luoyang, broke through Sishui, and assaulted Hangu Pass.
In two days, they secured Dongtong, stomped over Guanzhong, and surrounded Chang’an.
On the third day, they breached the fortitied city, entered Black Tortoise, and eradicated Li Tang.
Just three days, and the master of Chang’an was replaced, shaking the world!
Xuzhou, Sili, and Yongzhou were all connected.
Peng City, Luoyang, and Chang’an were linked together like a dragon.
The ruler of Li Tang, Li Yuan, led his troops, breaking out from the western gate, only to be chased down by the iron cavalry of the Martial Guardians, struck to death by an arrow through the heart. The crown prince Li Jiancheng and the fourth son Li Yuanji also died amidst the chaos of battle, and the fate of the rest was unknown.
The situation under the heavens had once again changed.
Chang’an, Heavenly Prison.
Zhu Yuyan’s face was deathly pale as she leaned against the corner of the wall, gazing powerlessly at the unharmed Dudu and the many experts of both the dark and upright paths in the surrounding cells. With a bitter smile, she said, “Tell me, why has he spared our lives? What does he really want?”
Dudu lowered her head, unable to meet her master’s eyes, and said with great guilt, “He wants the ‘Heavenly Demon Strategy’!”
“I knew it.”
Zhu Yuyan scoffed disdainfully, unsurprised, “Fine, I’ll give it to him, but I have one condition!”
Dudu looked up in surprise, ‘What condition?”
Zhu Yuyan’s eyes hardened, “I want Shi Zhixuan!”
Dudu fell silent for a moment before admitting, “He is unlikely to agree.”
“Then let the ‘Heavenly Demon Strategy’ die with me!”
Zhu Yuyan’s face twisted, and she hissed vehemently, “I would rather we both be destroyed than to let him have his way!”
“This…”
Dudu timidly raised her hand, ‘Master, I also know the ‘Secret of Heavenly
Demon’.”
With their eyes locked, both fell silent.
After a while, Zhu Yuyan finally broke into a smile as lovely as a blooming peony, “Please go back and tell Heavenly King Wu, that Yuyan was momentarily possessed by a demon. The entire collection of the Kuiyin Sect’s ‘Heavenly Demon’ will surely be handed over with both hands!”
“Master, it’s just the two of us here, please don’t do this, I’m scared…”
Tai Chi Palace, within the Tai Chi Hall, a person sat cross-legged on the floor, looking through numerous cultivation techniques and secret scrolls, one moment ecstatic, the next soullessly despondent.
“Taoist Heart Demon-Planting Great Skill, Purple Blood Punishment Escape, Shocking Heavenly Demon, Lotus Ring Demon Phase…”
“Two Sects, Six Paths — countless people from the Holy Gates have longed for the ten volumes of ‘Heavenly Demon Strategy’, which today finally have hope of being completed! ”
Having said this, he raised his head again, his eyes, filled with the weight of years, gazing at the figure standing silently above the hall.
“Four unique books of the Martial World — ‘Longevity Jue’, ‘Heavenly Demon Strategy’, ‘Mercy Sailing Sword Scroll’, ‘War God’s Atlas’ — you already possess two, still needing the ‘Mercy Sailing Sword Scroll’ and the most mysterious
‘War God’s Atlas’ of legend.”
“If all four books are complete, and one cultivates their skills together, one can surely embrace the core and co-dao, shattering the void!”
“No. the former Evil Emoeror of our Holv Gate. Xiang Yutian. merelv brought
the ‘Taoist Heart Demon-Planting Skill’ of the ‘Heavenly Demon Strategy’ to perfection and shattered the void to ascend. If one were to cultivate all four books, achieving Great Formation, then even in the Upper Realm, that person would be a formidable figure indeed.”
“No, no, no, it is impossible. How profound are these four miraculous books? With the energy of a single person, how can one cultivate them? Afraid even with a lifetime of effort, one cannot bring even one skill to perfection.”
“You gathered martial arts from all over the world and now seek these four miraculous books, what exactly is your goal? And there is also my ‘Undying Seal Technique’…”
His words grew more chaotic, his expression once again maddened, revealing a face fierce with evil: “To think that I, Shi Zhixuan, would serve as your beast of burden, such a fool’s dream… Ah!!!”
Before he could finish speaking, another scream erupted, the twisted expression gradually returned to normalcy, once again becoming that of a scholar with a face of suffering years. “I’ve given the Sect Master a good laugh.” “It’s fine. How do you feel?”
“Still the same, half good, half bad.”
“To cleanse an illness one must draw out the threads slowly, do not be anxious.”
“Sect Master, rest assured, I understand.”
Having said this, Shi Zhixuan lowered his head, “With these techniques, the ‘Heavenly Demon Strategy’ should soon be completed without mishaps. And I, the Evil King, will also be able to retire successfully, free from worries.”
Xu Yang nodded, ‘You may go.”
‘Yes!”
“Master!”
As Shi Zhixuan left with an armful of secret texts from the Demon Sect, Su
Beixuan, his senior disciple, arrived at the Tai Chi Hall, “They have come.” Xu Yang was not surprised and spoke calmly, “Then bring them in.”
‘Yes!”
Moments later, two women entered the hall behind Su Beixuan.
One in white, purer than snow; the other in a green robe, as refined as jade; both otherworldly, as if ready to ascend to immortality.
Xu Yang sat above in the hall, his gaze lingering on the woman in green.
For a moment, the atmosphere became unexplained.
Suddenly, the woman in white couldn’t stand it any longer, “Fan Qinghui, the
Sect Master of the Silent Temple from the Mercy Sailing Temple, greets
Heavenly King Wu! ”
Xu Yang, forthright, cut to the chase, “I want the Heshi Jade, ‘Mercy Sailing
Sword Scroll’, and all the sacred texts and secret techniques from the Mercy Sailing Temple and Purity Zen Sect.”
Despite her mental preparation, upon hearing these conditions, Fan Qinghui could not help but fall silent.
After a long while, she looked up and said, “As the unrivaled lord under the heavens and a Peerless Master, the collections of Mercy Sailing Temple and Purity Zen Sect are naturally open for the Heavenly King. As for the Heshi Jade, it is kept within the Purity Zen Sect, and I have already sent a message to Abbott Kong, who will send the Heshi Jade to Chang’an shortly.”
To the victors belong the spoils, there was no need for more words. Even if the other party was taking advantage of the situation, one must agree with a smile to preserve oneself.
A person wise to the current affairs is a true sage, and as the Sect Master of Mercy Sailing Temple, she was indeed among the sagest of sages.
So she agreed.
But…
Fan Qinghui glanced at the hall and hesitated before speaking out, “May I ask the Heavenly King if there is room for my Mercy Sailing Silent Temple and the incense fire of Buddhism?”
Her words were straightforward, as they should be.
In the face of such a high-level character, flowery rhetoric was meaningless. Only the most real interests held value for conversation and exchange.
“How many temples are there in the Southern Dynasty, among the numerous towers obscured by rain and mist?”
Upon hearing this, Xu Yang also smiled, “Buddhism has been introduced to the Central Plains for over four hundred years. In these four hundred years, how many temples have been established, how many believers have been developed, and how much incense offering has been collected?”
Fan Qinghui: “…”
She remained silent, and Xu Yang also didn’t pay attention, continuing on his own, “The Purity Zen Sect is situated south of Luoyang, with hundreds of structures within the temple, forming a self-contained entity, including seven great precious halls, all topped with tricolored glazed tiles. The Buddha statues in the halls are all realistically forged by skilled craftsmen from fine gold and bronze!”
Fan Qinghui: “…”
“And that’s just one Purity Zen Sect!”
“How many more are there in the world beyond the Purity Zen Sect?”
Xu Yang lowered his eyes calmly and asked, “Do you think I have room for you?”
Fan Qinghui was silent for a while before finally insisting, “We can cut back on expenses, contribute all superfluous wealth to the national treasury, just asking for a place to exist, forever accompanying the ancient Buddha and the green lantern. I beg the Heavenly King to show mercy!”
Xu Yang shook his head, his words calm but backed by unquestionable cold authority, ‘Your existence is a hindrance. I don’t have so much time to entangle with you. Thus, I am giving you one last opportunity.”
Fan Qinghui’s pupils shrank, feeling uneasy, yet having no choice but to forcefully say, “Please speak, Heavenly King.”
“Fight one more battle.”
Xu Yang smiled and said straightforwardly, “I know you have more potential than you’ve shown, and you are not willing to accept such a loss. There are also the Taoist and Confucian schools, and the noble families of the world. Go back and pass on the message, tell them that I am domineering, I respect only myself, I won’t tolerate them even the slightest, so…”
“You don’t have a choice but to fight to the death.”
“Use all your power and come fight me again.”
“The location will be set at your Mercy Sailing Silent Temple, on Emperor’s Step Peak.”
“The timing is for you to decide, whenever you’re ready, come and find me.”
“Whether it’s the Buddhist or the Taoist and Confucian teachings, those who disagree, just come, I refuse none!”
“Oh, and there’s also the Eastern Turkics and Goguryeo; tell Bi Xuan and Fu Cailin that after I unify the Central Plains, I will inevitably campaign against the whole world. If they don’t want to wait for death, let them come to the Central Plains and join forces with you for one last fight!”
After these comments, Fan Qinghui’s face had turned an iron blue, extremely unsightly.
“Heavenly King… do you really need to go to such lengths?”
“Otherwise?”
Xu Yang smiled, countering, “Do I look like I am joking with you?”
“Heavenly King!”
Fan Qinghui glared resolutely, “The law of Buddha is boundless, and has never feared blade or spear. You may have the power to reach heaven and shake the ancients, strength to dazzle the present, but you can only suppress for a moment, not forever. There will be a time for another to rule the world.” Xu Yang smiled, unconcerned, “We’ll deal with that when it happens.”
Fan Qinghui was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond.
Helplessly, she could only flick her sleeve, “Since the Heavenly King is so determined, then we too have no choice but to accompany you in this gamble to the death. At Emperor’s Step Peak, we await your grand arrival!”
“No need for an escort.”
Fan Qinghui left in a rage, her sleeve unsettling the air.
As Sect Master of the Mercy Sailing Silent Temple, she should not have lost her composure like this.
But such was the man who marched her relentlessly into a corner without room for maneuver, intent on driving them to their demise.
This overbearing nature was undeniable, rendering her ability to form alliances and manipulate circumstances completely ineffective. Naturally, it was hard for her to avoid losing her composure.
But none of this concerned Xu Yang.
“It’s time to wrap things up.”
Mumbling to himself, Xu Yang took out an object in the Tai Chi Hall.
It was a bead, yellow like a precious gem.
The Evil Emperor’s relic!
This man had always avoided uncertainties, never fighting unprepared battles.
To him, challenging the entire world was just the final process of concluding affairs, no suspense involved.
Because he intended to overwhelm with absolute power.
Where does this absolute power come from?
It comes from this Evil Emperor’s relic!
As a treasured heritage of the Demon Sect, this relic contains a vast amount of essence accumulated within, the power invested by generations of Evil Emperors, along with fortuitous additions of heaven and earth Yuan Qi and the entangled and strange evil Yin energy – it’s a tremendous source of power.
If he could absorb the essence within, his cultivation would grow rapidly, perhaps even breaking through the limits of a Condensing Spirit Martial Artist.
After all, upon achieving Grandmaster status, one’s mind and spirit are already perfected, with only the foundation of one’s power lacking.
If the foundation is strong enough, theoretically any Grandmaster has the chance to strike towards the realm of Co-Dao.
If successful, that means becoming an Upper Sect Grandmaster capable of Embracing the Core and co-dao, able to break through the void and ascend to the Upper Realm.
Although Xu Yang isn’t yet considering breaking through the void, it doesn’t stop him from absorbing the essence of the Evil Emperor’s relic and stepping into the fifth realm of the Martial Path—Embracing the Core and co-dao!
As for how to absorb the essence from the Evil Emperor’s relic, he has the answer. Zhu Yuyan, Shi Zhixuan, and a group of Demon Sect experts have all contributed their sects’ secret treasures, including the supreme Taoist Heart Demon-planting great skill from the Heavenly Demon Strategy.
Cultivating this technique allows for the absorption of the essence of the Evil
Emperor’s relic, gaining the accumulation of hundreds or even hundreds of
years in a single night..