Chapter 222: Nine Radiant Guards, Dragon and Tiger Falu

Chapter 222: Nine Radiant Guards, Dragon and Tiger Falu

At such a close distance, a thunderbolt talisman exploding on Yang Tai's forehead, with no other treasures to shield him, would have only one outcome.

His head would explode, and his body would be torn and burned by the raging thunderfire.

The eldest young master of the Yang family would perish instantly.

Lei Jun remained calm and began to clean up the scene.

He hadn't deceived Yang Tai.

Elder Lei did feel that Yang Gongzi's words made some sense, but only in regards to the last sentence.

As for the previous cooperation between the two parties, he merely listened and let it go in one ear and out the other.

It was true that there was no deep grudge between the previous Sui Dynasty and Longhushan.

However, the fall of the Sui Dynasty and the change of the empire was brought about by their own doing.

Although the current Tang Dynasty, under the rule of Zhang Qilong and his sister Zhang Wantong, was facing some challenges, and Empress Zhang seemed to have a knack for stirring things up, the empire was actually much more peaceful than it had been during the chaotic end of the Sui Dynasty. In comparison, it was not an exaggeration to say that the country was now enjoying a period of national prosperity and people's security.

If it was said that the Tang court was utilizing sacred sites of the Daoist faith like Longhushan, then the collaboration between the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Sheng Kang lineage was even more like being used as a pawn.

However, as Yang Tai had pointed out, keeping the direct descendants of the Sui Dynasty around did create some constraints for Wei Ancheng and the Blood River Sect.

But that didn't stop Lei Jun from getting rid of Yang Tai.

Having two leads on the Celestial Master's Robe didn't necessarily mean that he could securely retrieve the sect's treasure.

Lei Jun still intended to keep this matter confidential, continuing to act low-key and concealing his intentions.

On the one hand, he wanted to avoid becoming a target for everyone, and on the other hand, he wanted to mislead those who also had designs on the Celestial Master's Robe.

As for the aftermath, apart from blocking communication in the area with his vast Yuan magnetic power, Lei Jun also used the dark side of the heavenly book to erase most of the traces of his actions.

Unless Yang Yuqi, the Sheng Kang crown prince, happened to be on the scene, it would be difficult for them to investigate Yang Tai's specific cause of death later on.

Moreover, Yang Yuqi himself might not have the leisure to pay attention to matters concerning Jin Xizhang at the moment.

.................

"Something happened to Jin Xizhang?"

At this moment, Yang Yuqi, the Sheng Kang crown prince, was not at Mingshui Lake.

He was at Zhongyushan.

He had sensed something amiss to some extent.

He didn't know exactly what had happened to Jin Xizhang, but he felt that Yang Tai, who possessed the ability to communicate as if they were face-to-face, was trying to send him a message but was being obstructed.

This was usually a capability that only a cultivator from the Upper Three Heavens would possess.

"Has Jin Xizhang been attacked by an enemy from the Upper Three Heavens?" Yang Yuqi frowned inwardly.

However, he didn't have the leisure to be distracted at the moment.

The surging sword qi condensed, exploding with thunderous sounds in the air. The sword qi spread in all directions, intertwining and forming a majestic and overwhelming force, akin to heavenly punishment.

The principles and insights within this technique were completely different from those of Jiang Tiankuo and the others.

Although it was a Confucian sword art, it was filled with the grandeur of embracing the heavens and the earth.

Throughout the ages, the imperial art of the emperor and heir apparent was cultivated simultaneously by only two people in the imperial family.

Other members of the imperial family, according to their personal interests or strengths, would choose to cultivate other Taoist traditions, often accumulating a wealth of knowledge from various traditions due to the advantages of their position.

Even though the previous Sui Dynasty had lost its rule over the world, the unique skills passed down through the generations still possessed a majestic and overwhelming might, whether in literature or martial arts, retaining the regal bearing of royalty.

As Yang Yuqi unleashed his sword qi, the intertwining sword qi and thunderous sounds seemed to overturn the firmament.

However, his opponent's display was not as grandiose.

However, with each action, he relentlessly broke through Yang Yuqi's sword qi and thunderous sounds, quickly closing in on Yang Yuqi himself.

His opponent was a tall and sturdy middle-aged man with a plain face, but his blood qi was so intense that he seemed like a miniature sun that had descended upon the mortal realm.

The middle-aged man's movements seemed to ignore the constraints of space and time, as if he were teleporting with each step. Ordinary people's eyes couldn't capture his movements at all. Even when they focused on his position, in the next moment, he would suddenly appear right next to Yang Yuqi, having closed the distance without any warning.

The tall and sturdy middle-aged man held a long spear that was pitch-black all over but emanated a faint golden light.

Wherever the spear went, everything was crushed and destroyed.

If Yang Yuqi's sword qi and thunderous sounds were like a magnificent and splendid palace, then this middle-aged man and his golden spear were like a tempest of iron and blood, trampling and destroying the majestic palace before them.

It was only when a half-broken jade seal suddenly appeared above Yang Yuqi's head, emitting radiant beams of light, that the unstoppable golden spear was temporarily blocked.

However, due to its damaged state, the jade seal's radiance flickered and soon faded, unable to sustain its power, allowing the golden spear's might to surge once more.

Fortunately, Yang Yuqi managed to buy himself some breathing room with the jade seal's temporary block, and he quickly retreated.

In terms of speed, he was no match for his opponent, who could almost teleport over short distances.

Thankfully, the intermittent flashes of light from the jade seal provided Yang Yuqi with opportunities, allowing him to continue holding his ground against the formidable foe.

"The remnants of the Sui Dynasty are nothing more than this. Why bother resisting to the bitter end?" The tall and sturdy middle-aged man pursued Yang Yuqi relentlessly, his expression unchanging.

He was Shangguan Yunbo, the current patriarch of the Shangguan clan and the Grand General of the Divine Strategy Army of the Tang Dynasty.

In his hand was the martial dao divine weapon, the Pacifying Banditry Golden Spear, and his attacks were sharp and ruthless, forcing Yang Yuqi to temporarily avoid the brunt of his assault.

Yang Yuqi maintained a calm expression, unmoved by his opponent's words. "Compared to the past, the situation of my Sui Dynasty has improved significantly. On the contrary, the false Tang Dynasty is already showing signs of decline and weakness. Such is the constancy of the Mandate of Heaven. I have the patience to continue my endeavors and wait until the day my empire rises again."

Shangguan Yunbo coldly said, "Let's see if you can survive today before you dream on."

As he spoke, he once again brandished the Pacifying Banditry Golden Spear, aiming for Yang Yuqi.

Yang Yuqi suddenly changed his previous strategy of evasion, and the jade seal above his head flashed with light as he gathered his sword qi and thunderous sounds to counter-attack Shangguan Yunbo.

His move was unexpected, but Shangguan Yunbo's battle experience was extremely rich. He immediately swung his spear to meet the attack.

The two sides clashed at close quarters, but Shangguan Yunbo did not rely solely on the power of his divine weapon to force his way through. He was equally quick to change his moves, turning his body to appear at Yang Yuqi's side. The black spear in his hand, shimmering with golden light, slashed out, as if slicing through the void itself, threatening to split Yang Yuqi's body in two.

However, at that moment, a cold light flashed from another direction.

A single ray of cold light, silent and deadly, contained power that could easily pierce through mountains and seas.

The cold light seemed to have been lying in wait, well aware of Shangguan Yunbo's movements, specifically waiting for him, and now launching a sudden attack.

The attacker was familiar with Shangguan Yunbo.

And Shangguan Yunbo was equally familiar with his opponent.

Protected by his treasure armor and possessing the cultivation base of an Eighth Heaven realm martial arts master, Shangguan Yunbo, the Grand General, dared to face the attacks of Seventh Heaven realm cultivators head-on without dodging or evading.

But against this ray of cold light, he could not be so reckless.

A soldier's strike, with all their might focused on a single point, was arguably the deadliest attack among cultivators of the same realm.

Shangguan Yunbo's body flickered, and he immediately dodged the ray of cold light.

However, he did not stop there; he continued to wield the Pacifying Banditry Golden Spear, changing his moves swiftly and slashing towards Yang Yuqi's vital points.

Yang Yuqi also responded decisively, changing his moves to counter the attack.

As the ray of cold light missed its target, the attacker immediately withdrew and hid again.

But Shangguan Yunbo had already locked onto his position.

It was a similarly tall figure, with a pitch-black face and blood-red Wu clan curse marks covering his body.

However, one could still make out his features.

Shangguan Yunbo indeed knew him all too well.

It was Shangguan Peng, one of the most outstanding young members of the Shangguan clan, who had gone missing previously!

After this young expert of the Shangguan clan had fallen, he was ultimately turned into a corpse puppet by a powerful practitioner of the Ghost Dao from the Wu clan.

In his corpse puppet state, Shangguan Peng retained most of his combat strength from when he was alive, although he had lost his consciousness and thoughts. However, his combat habits and even his instincts remained.

In life, Shangguan Peng had sparred with Shangguan Yunbo countless times.

Even without conscious thought, his body would naturally react to some of Shangguan Yunbo's movements and predict his attacks.

Now, he did not need to face Shangguan Yunbo alone; he only needed to assist Yang Yuqi from the side.

Sometimes, the difference between victory and defeat for experts lay in the tiniest of margins.

Shangguan Peng's corpse puppet, with its occasional surprise attacks, could be a great help to Yang Yuqi.

"Gao, Pu." Finally, a hint of anger appeared on Shangguan Yunbo's usually expressionless face.

In the distant mountain forest, Gao Pu, an elder of Jincheng Fortress, sat quietly under the trees, blending seamlessly with his surroundings.

He held a strange hand seal with one hand while extending the other forward. On the tip of his outstretched index finger was an equally strange and bizarre bone needle.

The tip of the bone needle gently swayed in the air.

"Not enough time to refine it properly. Can't quite control it as smoothly as my own finger..." Gao Pu sighed inwardly.

He had not wanted to participate in this battle, especially not against Shangguan Yunbo.

At the moment, he did not even have any other usable evil souls or corpse puppets by his side.

If someone said he was loyal to Wei Ancheng, that would be a lie.

However, the critical moment of the great battle in the Southern Wasteland had arrived.

And some things could not be undone once started.

Fortunately, although martial arts masters were fierce and aggressive, it was challenging for them to locate a hidden ghost Dao expert in a short time.

Yang Yuqi had dragged Gao Pu into this battle, but he did not intend to use him as cannon fodder. Instead, he was taking on most of the pressure of engaging Shangguan Yunbo himself and would not let Shangguan Yunbo search for Gao Pu's location. Gao Pu only needed to control the refined corpse puppet and assist from the side to disrupt Shangguan Yunbo.

In fact, the most significant role of Shangguan Peng's corpse puppet was to influence and restrain Shangguan Yunbo psychologically.

It would also restrain the other Shangguan clan experts who had come with Shangguan Yunbo.

When the members of the Shangguan clan saw the corpse puppet that resembled Shangguan Peng, they were furious.

Some tried to block Shangguan Peng's corpse puppet, while others searched for the hidden ghost Dao expert, Gao Pu.

However, there were also loyalists of the Sui Dynasty who had come with Yang Yuqi.

The two sides fought in a chaotic melee, with neither gaining the upper hand.

Gao Pu remained hidden, with no intention of revealing himself. He occasionally manipulated Shangguan Peng's corpse puppet to continue disrupting Shangguan Yunbo.

The key to this battle did not lie here... Gao Pu glanced in the direction of Mingshui Lake.

His task was to hold off Shangguan Yunbo and the Pacifying Banditry Golden Spear. As long as he succeeded in that, it would be a victory.

As for Wei Ancheng himself, he was at Mingshui Lake, and with his unmatched strength, the only question was how long it would take and what the final outcome would be...

"Hmm?!"

Gao Pu was suddenly startled.

A large amount of black qi surrounded and protected his body, and pale white bone hands appeared out of thin air, providing both offense and defense.

Although ghost Dao experts relied mostly on their refined evil souls and corpse puppets for their strength, it did not mean that they had no other abilities, especially in the case of Gao Pu, who had cultivated to the Eighth Heaven realm.

But the newcomer truly showcased the swiftness and lethality of a martial artist, executing each move with precision and deadly force.

Despite being only at the Seventh Heaven, their actions were even more ruthless and swift than Shangguan Peng's corpse puppet, controlled by Gao Pu.

Furthermore, they struck silently and suddenly, completely catching Gao Pu off guard.

As the sword light flashed with a chilling glow, it directly pierced through the skull claw and black mist that Gao Pu had hastily summoned! Although the skull claw and black mist provided some obstruction, giving Gao Pu a brief moment to dodge, the sword still found its mark on Gao Pu's rib cage.

Gao Pu looked back in astonishment at a young woman with a graceful figure and a sword in her hand.

A beauty as pure as jade and a sword as brilliant as a rainbow... what the hell!

This girl had not only sneaked up on him from behind to launch a sneak attack but had also chosen the moment when he was slightly distracted, looking towards Mingshui Lake, to strike.

She knew that when she unsheathed her sword, her killing intent and sword aura would be exposed to some extent.

Gao Pu, an Eighth Heaven realm master with keen spiritual senses, would surely detect her presence if she got too close. Thus, she bided her time, waiting for the moment when he was slightly distracted to make her move.

You damn slave, did you have the patience to wait for me to be distracted?!" That said, how did she find my hiding place?

I thought I had concealed myself well enough..."

"You chose a good spot," Xiao Xue Ting said, "If it were me, I would have chosen this place as well."

Gao Pu was so angry that he was fuming, but his heart turned icy cold.

With the woman before him, he could still summon Shangguan Peng's corpse to launch a pincer attack.

However, the biggest problem now was that his position had been exposed due to the woman's attack!

As expected, almost in an instant, the terrifying radiance of the Pacifying Banditry Golden Spear descended upon Gao Pu's head!

Shangguan Yunbo approached like a thunderclap, leaving Yang Yuqi behind and arriving in the blink of an eye.

Gao Pu was helpless and could only silently activate a secret technique of the Wu Clan.

As black mist enveloped him, he and Shangguan Peng's corpse suddenly swapped positions.

Shangguan Peng's corpse stood alone, facing Shangguan Yunbo, who was brandishing the Pacifying Banditry Golden Spear with killing intent. The outcome was easily predictable.

The black body, covered in blood-red curse marks, was soon cleaved in half.

Shangguan Yunbo showed no signs of stopping and continued his pursuit of Gao Pu.

Gao Pu's arm was severed, and he flew into the air.

Without looking back, he fled at full speed.

"General, leave this to me." Xiao Xue Ting drew her sword and stepped forward.

Shangguan Yunbo's anger faded as he followed Xiao Xue Ting's gaze and turned to look in the direction she was facing.

He saw Yang Yuqi signaling to his subordinates to begin their retreat.

Without Gao Pu's assistance and distraction, it would be difficult for Yang Yuqi to hold off Shangguan Yunbo, who was wielding the Pacifying Banditry Golden Spear, for long.

Yang Yuqi had an agreement to cooperate with Wei Ancheng, but he would never fight to the death here for him.

"The latest news is that Zong Han, the leader of Jin Cheng Fortress, and Hu Hengyuan, the leader of Yinshan Mountain, are still facing off at the sacred site of Yinshan Mountain. It can be said that they are restraining each other, or perhaps they are both waiting to see which way the wind blows." Xiao Xue Ting spoke quickly, "Feng Gui, the leader of Lun Hui Yuan, has officially emerged from seclusion and is rushing to Mingshui Lake to aid Wei Ancheng, joining forces with Sang Lu, the leader of Gebo Mountain, to fight against him."

Shangguan Yunbo nodded and immediately turned to pursue Yang Yuqi.

Although he deeply hated Gao Pu, Yang Yuqi, the Crown Prince of Sheng Kang, and Wei Ancheng, the leader of the Blood River Sect, were the most critical targets.

.................

Jin Xi Zhang.

After using the dark side of the heavenly book to clean up the traces of his actions, Lei Jun did not linger and quickly left the place.

For the time being, he did not consider going anywhere else and instead sought out a peaceful and hidden place for himself.

The southern wasteland was abundant in mountains and waters, so finding a similar place was not difficult.

Amidst the lush greenery and clear waters, Lei Jun found a stable environment and disappeared from his current location, entering the True One Law Altar Cave Heaven.

Then, he proceeded directly to the third layer of the Law Altar.

Inside the Law Altar, he gently tapped his fingers together.

Two beams of nine-colored radiance appeared simultaneously, floating in mid-air before him.

The nine-colored radiance resonated with the Heavenly Master's Seal to some extent.

However, it was not enough for Lei Jun to locate the Heavenly Master's Robe.

He had expected this, or else the Heavenly Master's Mansion would not have had such a difficult time finding the Heavenly Master's Seal when both the robe and the sword were still on Dragon Tiger Mountain.

At this moment, Lei Jun carefully examined the two beams of nine-colored radiance, drawing upon his experience and insights.

Previously, when he had gathered clues related to the Heavenly Master's Seal, he obtained impressions of two seals and utilized their resonance to allow his soul to initially come into contact with the True One Law Altar Cave Heaven.

Although he couldn't find the Heavenly Master's Seal, Lei Jun's soul was able to enter the Cave Heaven but was rejected by the True One Law Altar.

Now, he had obtained two clues related to the Heavenly Master's Robe.

Black and white qi emerged from Lei Jun's head, beginning to merge and communicate with the two beams of nine-colored radiance.

After a while, the two beams of nine-colored radiance seemed brighter than before.

Then, they gradually merged into one!

As the radiant light descended, it draped over Lei Jun's body.

Lei Jun did not resist and silently contemplated the True One Great Dao Scripture, the orthodox scripture passed down by the Heavenly Master's Mansion.

In this moment, the radiant light seemed to transform into nine illusory veils, enveloping Lei Jun.

Suddenly, dragon roars and tiger roars resounded in Lei Jun's consciousness.

The true forms of the dragon and tiger converged into yin and yang, forming a complex yet simple, profound, and mystical talisman that appeared before Lei Jun's eyes.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end