West of Bazhou City, a hundred miles of desolate land lay still, as if the very air had frozen solid. Elderly Taoist priests and Buddhist monks stood with their qi churning, condensing into divine forms behind them, their auras swallowing mountains and rivers.
The Taoist tradition and the Great Thunderclap Monastery had lineages stretching back far, even older than the Heavenly Demon Cult. For these two great holy lands, the Heavenly Demon Cult was still a relatively young sect.
From the divine forms condensed from the qi behind these elderly priests and monks, one could see the various deities that had appeared throughout the long river of history. There were three-headed, four-armed figures; there were those with turtle backs and whiskers; there were those wearing leopard tails; there were Vajra Yakshas—every manner of sacred images.
As for the Poor Scholar, the True Lord Tian, and the others, their spectacle was quite different. Their lineages were not as ancient as the Taoist tradition or the Great Thunderclap Monastery, but they were also incomparably powerful. The deities that appeared behind them included great Confucian sages, women holding golden insects, and the God of Poverty dressed in patched robes.
The Qi and aura behind Emperor Yanfeng and his first-rank officials were each different again. What formed behind the Heavenly Strategy General Qin Jian and Qin Baoyue was not a deity, but a pair of golden maces. The two golden maces gleamed brilliantly, their eight-faceted bodies spinning continuously. He came from the battlefield, did not cultivate deities or Buddhas, and instead treated his weapons as his gods, responsible for warfare and slaughter.
The deity behind Grand Marshal Yuan Kong the Monk was not a Buddha, but an ascetic monk wrapped in chains, holding a precept blade, in a fighting stance that resembled his own appearance.
Behind the King of Mount Tai, Ling Xuhua, was Mount Tai coiled with nine dragons, using Mount Tai as an altar, with nine dragons offering worship. He was responsible for overseeing the sacrifices of the State of Yankang.
The Minister of Works, Wei Pingbo, oversaw the water conservancy of the State of Yankang. What condensed from his qi was not a deity, but a long river dam formed by earth, wood, and water. He took water conservancy as his god.
The Minister of Revenue, Xiu Yueqing, was a female official who oversaw the national treasury and was responsible for the finances of the realm. The deity condensed from her qi was not a god either, but a large string of Feng coins twisted together like a great serpent or python. She took currency as her god.
The Grand Minister, Su Yunzhi, was also a female official who could establish her own office, with a rank equal to the Three Excellencies. She was a civilian official of loose rank but reached the highest position among subjects, overseeing universities and elementary schools throughout the land. What condensed from her qi was not a deity either, but a scroll of books and a footruler.
Behind the General of Agile Cavalry, Quan Dingwu, was a fiery steed, and upon it a deity bathed in the flames of war, with eight arms wielding knife, shield, spear, halberd, sword, and glaive, four faces looking in all directions, with flames shooting from his eyes like rays of light. The four faces in the flames were all his own.
From this, one could see the difference between the sect master-level powerhouses in the court and those of the Jianghu sects. The Taoist tradition and the Great Thunderclap Monastery worshipped deities and Buddhas, with the divine forms behind them being deities and Buddhas, while the strongmen in the court each took their respective duties as their gods, transforming the positions they held into their own deities. Each had their own responsibilities, each had their own strengths.
Even though Grand Marshal Yuan Kong the Monk came from the Buddhist tradition, he treated himself as an ascetic monk cultivating in battle, and did not manifest the form of a great Buddha.
A long-eared monk's face changed slightly as he whispered, "The State Preceptor's reforms have produced these heretics who do not respect ghosts and gods! They don't even respect deities and Buddhas, but instead respect these chaotic things!"
The General of Agile Cavalry, Quan Dingwu, pointed at this long-eared monk and sneered, "Apply what you learn, unite knowledge and action. Long-eared monk, your cultivation is shallow, and you cannot escape your fate of death."
"A lifetime of bitter cultivation can hardly fathom deities and Buddhas?"
Emperor Yanfeng said leisurely, "They all rely on their own abilities. Relying on deities and Buddhas is the path of heresy. If they do their duties well and elevate their duties to the level of deities and Buddhas, then they are deities and Buddhas!"
The elder Taoist master of the Taoist tradition shook his head, saying, "Elevate one's duty to the level of a god? If one becomes a god that way, wouldn't one still have to work for mortals? This is yet another teaching of the Heavenly Demon Cult! It's nothing more than serving the daily needs of the people. Emperor, you have been too deeply influenced by the State Preceptor, too deeply influenced by the Heavenly Demon Cult."
Emperor Yanfeng smiled and said, "If I were to join the Heavenly Demon Cult, perhaps I could even become a cult master."
"Since it is the demonic path, there is no need for further words."
Each of the elderly Taoist priests adjusted the precious swords behind them. Unknown who softly commanded, "Kill."
As soon as these words were spoken, killing intent filled the sky, and the biting cold wind became incomparably piercing. Just then, an old man led an ox cart rumbling over.
Everyone retracted their killing intent, each standing quietly, eyes watching noses, noses watching hearts, silent.
The old man, seeing these deities and Buddhas filling the sky, was terrified. The ox also trembled, its four legs shaking, unable to pull the cart. The old man, furious, plucked up his courage and whipped the ox several times until it finally exerted itself, slowly pulling the ox cart out of this place of trouble.
After the old man and ox cart had gone far, the battle was on the verge of erupting!
These powerhouses at the Divine Bridge realm were about to strike when suddenly they heard the rumbling sound of wheels approaching. Another ox cart had arrived, with an old man leading the ox and pulling the cart. Seeing the crowd, the old man's legs shook, trembling so badly he could barely get the ox cart away.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was about to strike when they heard the rumbling sound of wheels again. An elderly Taoist priest angrily asked, "In this freezing weather with natural and man-made disasters, where are all these ox carts coming from?"
Everyone's hearts trembled. Indeed, there were disasters everywhere, livestock had all been eaten, so how could three ox carts appear in such a short time, and all happen to pass through here?
This ox cart carried an old couple—a white-haired old woman and a half-old, half-young old man. Everyone waited quietly for the ox cart to pass.
But the ox cart stopped. The ox showed no fear at the terrifying sight before it. The old man and old woman on the cart jumped down, and like a magic trick, they spread out the cloth on the cart, shook it gently, then pulled the cloth away. Suddenly, more than a dozen oddly-shaped people appeared on the ox cart, cramming the small cart full, almost spilling out.
"The Heavenly Demon Cult's Left and Right Dharma Protectors, twelve Dharma-protecting elders, and two Heavenly Kings."
The Taoist master looked down, his face showing some helplessness. "I saw only one ox cart with two people and one ox arriving, but I didn't expect sixteen people to pop out. The Heavenly Demon Cult plays good tricks."
The Left Dharma Protector, Kong Lingxian, looked up and chuckled, "We of the Jianghu like to perform tricks to make a living, to beg for tips from the audience. It must be embarrassing to the lords and masters here."
The Right Dharma Protector, Xue Bi'e, smiled and said, "Old bald donkey, old Taoist priest, when the Cult Master went home for the New Year, he asked us to follow the Emperor. Now that the Emperor is in danger, this old woman and the old brothers in the cult cannot ignore it. Otherwise, when the Cult Master returns from the New Year and holds us accountable, we won't be able to bear the punishment."
The twelve Dharma protectors and two Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Demon Cult jumped down from the cart. The Shi Heavenly King and the Yu Heavenly King stretched their bodies and bowed to everyone, saying apologetically, "You are all noble figures. We old ones pay our respects. When the Cult Master left the Emperor in our care, he was still alive and well. If you kill him, and we give the Cult Master a dead Emperor, when the Cult Master becomes angry, we can only offer our lives as penance."
The Beggars' Sect Master, Qi Dayou, shouted in his loud voice, "Heretics! The court and the Heavenly Demon Cult have become corrupted together. Fellow Daoists of the Great Thunderclap Monastery, just subdue the demons and eliminate the evil!"
"Kill!"
A thunderous shout came, followed by thunder shaking the heavens as the battle erupted. In an instant, violent waves of energy swept in all directions, flattening entire forests of mountains!
This battle was even more intense than the State Preceptor's battle to suppress the rebellion. Although there were many sect master-level existences in the rebellion suppression battle, they were still inferior to the sect master-level powerhouses of the three great holy lands. Moreover, the court was also equivalent to a great holy land. When the strongest of the four great holy lands clashed, the power was unimaginable!
However, this time the Great Thunderclap Monastery and the Taoist tradition had sent out almost all their sect master-level existences, while the court and the Heavenly Demon Cult had only sent half their strongmen.In addition to the Taoist master and the Tathagata, the outcome of this battle was not optimistic.
Once the battle began, people fell.
The long-eared monk directly sought out Quan Dingwu. The two Divine Bridge powerhouses opened all their divine repositories, fighting until the earth cracked and the sky split. The long-eared monk was the head of the Arhat Hall of the Great Thunderclap Monastery, with profound Buddhist dharma and mastery of the Victorious Fighting Dharma.
But Quan Dingwu was the General of Agile Cavalry, having spent his life in military campaigns and slaughter, destroying nations and sects, venturing into life and death. In the early years, when the Imperial Academy was first established and the State Preceptor of Yankang gathered experts from all under heaven to study the Dao and divine abilities, Quan Dingwu was among them. He could be counted as one of the most elite powerhouses of the State of Yankang.
When the Victorious Fighting Dharma encountered the War Dharma, the moment they collided, a sea of blood surged to the heavens, and upon the sea of blood, raging flames of war burned. This supernatural phenomenon was as real as if it truly existed, but it was actually the killing intent of Quan Dingwu transformed.
A great Buddha stood upon the sea of blood, and before the great Buddha was the long-eared monk. Compared to the towering great Buddha, he seemed much smaller. From within the sea of blood and sea of fire, one person whistled as he charged toward him—it was none other than Quan Dingwu, riding a horse that trod upon the flames of war. The figure upon the horse was like a demon god of slaughter, hideous and terrifying, incomparably ferocious!
"Heretics who do not cultivate the true Buddha, death is too good for you!"
The long-eared monk's body glowed with golden light, his arms crossed, chanting Buddhist mantras while simultaneously employing two types of mudras, exquisitely beautiful in their execution, striking at the vital points that Quan Dingwu had to defend!
Unexpectedly, Quan Dingwu did not dodge at all, allowing these two strikes of the Victorious Fighting Dharma to land on his body. Under Quan Dingwu's arms, numerous arms waved—these were condensed from qi, wielding knife, shield, spear, halberd, sword, and glaive. The knife slashed, the shield struck, the spear thrust, the halberd pierced, the sword swept, and the glaive hooked, severing the long-eared monk's arms, the shield smashing his skull, the spear piercing his chest and lifting him up, the halberd thrusting through his heart from behind, the sword light slicing across his throat, and the glaive hanging his body aloft!
Behind them, the God of Slaughter met the great Buddha, colliding with a thunderous crash. The sea of blood and sea of fire churned, swirling like a great vortex around the two combatants.
"You didn't dodge..." the long-eared monk, impaled in midair upon the glaive, said hoarsely.
A great shield smashed down from above, crushing him into dust.
"On the battlefield, killing takes only one or two moves. Why dodge? The battlefield is for killing arts. Fighting you in a battle of techniques would be using my weakness to attack your strength?"
Quan Dingwu spat out mouthfuls of blood. The long-eared monk's two mudras had nearly shattered his internal organs, and his ribs and shoulder blades were also pulverized, the pain making him gasp cold air.
Suddenly, a golden, radiant palm pressed down, and with a thunderous boom, slapped him into the ground. Another monk charged, hands holding an invisible embrace, as a eighteen-story Heavenly Pagoda crashed down, with deities and Buddhas filling the pagoda, crushing Quan Dingwu until his bones broke and his tendons snapped.
"Grand Marshal Yuan Kong, you are also a member of our Buddhist sect. Why must you walk the demonic path and become the court's running dog?"
The head of the Dharma Hall of the Great Thunderclap Monastery, the Dharma Master Hongyin, blocked Grand Marshal Yuan Kong and urged, "You should wake up and not continue down this wrong path! If you continue, you will never achieve true fruition!"
Grand Marshal Yuan Kong opened his eyes wide and shouted, "What is true fruition? If there is a Buddha in one's heart, one can never achieve true fruition. His Majesty has ordered me to oversee military law, and I have used iron rules as chains to bind myself. When I shatter these shackles, I can immediately achieve true fruition!"
The Dharma Master Hongyin was furious and waved her horsetail whisk to attack, saying, "You have been tainted with evil karma, I will eliminate it for you!"
The great battle erupted. Each of the elderly Taoist priests of the Taoist tradition offered their swords, and in an instant, the sky was filled with sword light. These were the sword techniques from the Fourteen Chapters of the Taoist Sword, truly powerful and extraordinary, worthy of being the Taoist tradition's premier sword art!
"Form the formation, eliminate the demons!" one elder commanded.
"Set the formation, refine and kill the old Taoists!"
Xue Bi'e shouted sternly, as the two Heavenly Kings and twelve Dharma-protecting elders formed a grand formation to meet these Taoist priests. They were all old acquaintances, old adversaries, having fought who knew how many times, each knowing the other's methods well.
On the other side, the Heavenly Strategy General, the Grand Minister, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Revenue, the King of Mount Tai, and others were blocked by the powerhouses of the Great Thunderclap Monastery. The Great Thunderclap Monastery had numerical superiority, surrounding them and engaging them in battle. But they bypassed Emperor Yanfeng.
Emperor Yanfeng turned around to see the Poor Scholar, Qi Dayou, the True Lord Tian, and others approaching, while the Tathagata and the Taoist master stood with one holding a bowl and the other with hand on sword.
The Tathagata said gently, "Scholar, fellow Daoists, please go assist others in battle. Leave this to this old monk and this old Taoist."
The Poor Scholar and the others agreed and immediately joined the fray.
The Tathagata looked at Emperor Yanfeng and said, "Your Majesty, forgive me."
Emperor Yanfeng's body trembled, and dragon qi pierced across the sky, swallowing the stars. A dragon's roar echoed from the sky, and in the clouds, a true dragon appeared and disappeared, its dragon head and claws emerging. The massive dragon head bowed down, gazing at the Tathagata.
The Taoist master walked forward, his Taoist sword slashing, sword light filling the sky, repelling the true dragon. He praised, "Your Majesty has almost made the false become true, becoming a true deity. It is a pity the Divine Bridge is broken, with no hope in this lifetime. This old Taoist is incompetent; I have only mastered half of the fourteenth move of the Fourteen Chapters of the Taoist Sword. Now I shall use this incomplete chapter to test Your Majesty's might and virtue."
The Tathagata's golden bowl flew up and descended, spraying a golden light that contained the Twenty Heavenly Deities and Buddhas, with Mahabrahma at the very top, majestic in bearing. The Tathagata laughed and said, "I shall use the highest realm of the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra to test Your Majesty's Nine Dragon Imperial Art."