【THREE: Daoist Jinlian, how has your cultivation recovered?】
【NINE: This poor Daoist has returned to second rank and is now consolidating my realm. Heh, after the will of Heilian was wiped out, refining him posed no further obstacles.】
【THREE: Luo Yuheng is going to undergo her tribulation.】
Xu Qi’an’s words left the members of the Heaven and Earth Society both surprised and delighted, yet also anxious and worried.
The joy was obvious: if Luo Yuheng could step into the realm of Earthly Immortal, the Great Feng would gain another first-rank expert, finally having real strength to rival Yunzhou.
The worry was that this also meant they would face the frenzied counterattack of Yunzhou’s beyond-mortals. Agaruka and Baidi could sweep through the Great Feng even by themselves, not to mention there was the ever-scheming Arcanist Xu Pingfeng.
If they were not careful, the National Teacher was highly likely to die and her Dao perish with her.
【THREE: Daoist Jinlian, how much do you know about the Daoist heavenly tribulation?】
【NINE: That’s Daoist secrets, but fine, I’ll tell you.
【We all know the first rank of Daoism is called ‘Earthly Immortal’, but the core power of this realm is known to very few. The Earthly Immortal transcends reincarnation, stands outside the five elements, and can transmute stone into gold, move mountains and shift seas.
【This description hints at the two core abilities of a Earthly Immortal: a body that survives through myriad calamities and the power to work miracles.】
【THREE: Surviving myriad calamities? Is that the same as a martial artist’s undying body?】
Xu Qi’an was especially alert to the phrase ‘surviving myriad calamities’, as he had only just heard from Shenshu about the special aspect of first-rank perfection.
【NINE: Of course not. The Daoist system, if you must categorise it, is split in two: the golden core and the nascent soul are one path; the yin and yang spirits are another. The second rank’s tribulation is a process of fusing both paths.
If you fully develop the golden core path, you attain survival through myriad calamities, with immunity to all magicks. If you fully develop the yin spirit path, you refine the four great Dharma Aspects of earth, wind, water, and fire, fusing them into your body.
Daoist texts state that all things in heaven and earth are made from earth, wind, water, and fire, so when you reach Earthly Immortal realm, you gain powers like turning stone into gold and working miracles. Of course, the arcanist system believes that gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, the five elements, are the true origins of all things.】
The Heaven and Earth Society members listened, spellbound, even Lina found it impressive.
Look at Daoist first ranks, just listening sounds so lofty, while the first-rank martial artist seems so crude in comparison… Xu Qi’an silently lampooned.
But the martial artist system was special. Strictly speaking, it had no beyond-rank. It was the Confucian Sage who forcibly split ‘Martial God’ into two ranks.
According to Xu Qi’an’s own guess, this was because the Martial God was rather unique. In endless ages past, the peak for all martial artists was when essence, energy, and spirit merged as one. Beyond that, further advancement was impossible.
And the union of the three was only the requirement for becoming Martial God, already comparable to a first rank in other systems, so this stage had simply been classified as first rank.
But as this was merely the starting point for Martial God, hence its name had been left blank.
As for Shenshu being called a ‘half-step Martial God’, it was because he had cultivated this stage to the extreme.
【NINE: There are five layers to the heavenly tribulation: the first is the golden core tribulation, the second the Wind Thunder tribulation, the third the Earth Thunder tribulation, the fourth the Water Thunder tribulation, and the fifth the Fire Thunder tribulation.
【The five tribulation stages are divided into two phases, corresponding to the two great powers of the Earthly Immortal, and lasts thirteen days. After passing all five, the yang spirit merges with the body, and only then is the Earthly Immortal realm attained.】
Thirteen days… Everyone felt a chill in their hearts.
The Great Feng currently had five second-ranks, but Luo Yuheng, who would be undergoing the tribulation, could not be counted as fighting strength, leaving only Xu Qi’an, Jinlian, al-Asura, and Kou Yangzhou.
Could four second-ranks hold out thirteen days against Agaruka and Baidi?
The answer was no.
【NINE: Don’t panic, as I’ve said, the tribulation has two phases. After the first, the golden core tribulation, there is a ten-day lull, allowing the tribulation-transcender to stabilise the realm of surviving myriad calamities.】
The golden core tribulation and the ‘four great Dharma Aspect tribulations’ were different stages.
【ONE: Can we invite the Heaven Sect’s Heavenly Venerable for help?】
Huaiqing asked.
【TWO: Impossible!】
【SEVEN: Forget it.】
The crouching dragon and fledgling phoenix of the Heaven Sect immediately rejected her suggestion.
【FOUR: But I remember that the Conflict of Heaven and Man is very important to the Heavenly Venerable.】
【TWO: Don’t forget what Heaven Sect cultivates, the Supreme Detatchment from Emotion. The Conflict of Heaven and Man is certainly important to Heaven Sect, but personal feelings and motives cannot sway the Heavenly Venerable.】
In other words, if the Heavenly Venerable were moved by personal feeling and intervened in Luo Yuheng’s tribulation, it wouldn’t be Supreme Detatchment from Emotion anymore.
Forgetting emotion wasn’t the same as being emotionless, but in some sense, it was indeed being emotionless.
Their essence was different, but externally similar.
They wouldn’t punish villains for murder and arson, nor would they praise the virtuous for good deeds.
The final aim of Supreme Detatchment from Emotion was the union of heaven and man.
Heaven and Earth are impartial, never punishing the evil or rewarding the good.
【NINE: You can’t make use of the Heaven Sect people, nor win them over, so just don’t bother with them.】
But Li Miaozhen and Li Lingsu could become hidden dangers… Daoist Jinlian decided to discuss this with Xu Qi’an in private.
A real headache.
If the Heaven Sect wanted to ‘recycle’ their faulty goods, and Xu Qi’an did not agree, it would certainly cause conflict.
【SEVEN: The beyond-mortals of the shaman clans can’t help, so how about we ask Nine-tailed Celestial Fox and the half-step Martial God from the Wanyao Kingdom for help?】
【EIGHT: If either Nine-tailed Celestial Fox or Shenshu set foot in the Central Plains, the Wanyao Kingdom would be annihilated in an instant. Think before you speak, know who your enemies are.】
Those Bodhisattvas were all cunning schemers, not to mention Xu Pingfeng, famed for his plotting and planning.
After a long silence, one of the Heaven and Earth Society’s top strategists, Zhuangyuan Chu, spoke up:
【At present there are only two ways, either strengthen our own side or weaken the enemy.
【Allies are out of the question for now, so let’s try to increase strength, maybe by summoning the Confucian Sage’s heroic soul.】
Huaiqing objected immediately:
【ONE: Firstly, the Jianzheng has already summoned the Confucian Sage’s spirit once; in the short term, neither the carving knife nor the Confucian cap have enough power to do so again. Also, beyond-mortal power is too great, and summoning the Confucian Sage puts Xu Qi’an at risk of death. Duke Wei and the Jianzheng are cases in point.】
Perhaps it was a curse, everyone who summoned the Confucian Sage’s spirit met a grim fate.
Huaiqing had to believe this might be Heaven’s backlash.
She did not want Xu Qi’an to carry this risk.
Chu Yuanzhen continued:
【In that case, weaken the enemy. Have the National Teacher undergo her tribulation in the northern border, if Yunzhou’s beyond-mortal strong come out in force, we’ll just flatten Qingzhou and Yunzhou. Sun Xuanji is third rank and shouldn’t be dragged into the tribulation battle.
【Kou Yangzhou is a martial artist whose function overlaps with Number Eight and Number Three; he doesn’t need to join the fight, and can just join Sun Xuanji in pacifying Qingzhou and Yunzhou.】
Li Lingsu wrote with his finger as a pen: “Don’t you think Xu Pingfeng won’t see through that? Think before you speak…”
He paused, then hastily erased his words.
He understood Chu Yuanzhen’s meaning, not worried about Xu Pingfeng seeing through it, because the real aim of this plan was to pin him down.
With just Ji Xuan, Sun Xuanji and Kou Yangzhou could not be stopped, so Xu Pingfeng would have to stay behind.
This meant that on the day of the tribulation, their only opponents would be Agaruka and Baidi.
Excluding part of the beyond-mortals from the battle would certainly reduce the risks, especially as Xu Pingfeng still had magic tools left by the first Jianzheng… al-Asura thought for a moment, then messaged:
【Even so, the four of us still aren’t a match for Agaruka and Baidi.】
He agreed to remove Kou Yangzhou, choosing the peak third rank Zhao Shou as a teammate, even if a second-rank martial artist’s fighting strength was certainly greater than a third-rank Confucian. But Kou Yangzhou’s abilities overlapped with Xu Qi’an and himself.
The Confucianists’ methods were so weird as to defy reason, Zhao Shou offered more than Kou Yangzhou.
However, Zhao Shou lacked offensive power. If he faced Xu Pingfeng, the most he could hope for was a draw.
But Kou Yangzhou, as a martial artist, if he seized the chance to close in on Ji Xuan or Xu Pingfeng, he could well take one of them out quickly.
Zhuangyuan Chu really does have some good points… Xu Qi’an pinched his brow and messaged:
【See you in three days!】
…
Xunzhou, the large courtyard.
In the east wing, Yeji placed the bronze fox incense burner on the tea table, lit the black sandalwood, and took a deep breath.
Azure smoke curled upwards. She inhaled deeply, drawing the smoke into her nose.
Moments later, a watery light rose in her left eye, and a powerful will descended.
“Mistress, Luo Yuheng is about to undergo the tribulation.”
Yeji got straight to the point and stated her request:
“Please, mistress, lend your aid.”
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox fell silent for a moment, then sighed:
“Love has clouded your judgment and robbed you of sense. I am restraining the Buddhist sect, and at the same time, they are restraining me. I cannot help him.”
Yeji pleaded:
“But if you do not help him, who else can? Yunzhou will not just sit by and watch Luo Yuheng succeed in facing the tribulation. You of all people know how formidable first rank really is, and Xu Lang stands no chance.
“If he loses, the Wanyao Kingdom faces the crisis of annihilation all the same.”
The Nine-tailed Fox replied coldly:
“Are you doing this for the Wanyao Kingdom, or for your lover? If even one of you sisters could ascend to beyond-mortal, I would have the confidence to challenge a first rank. Yet you have existed for just a few hundred years, Baiji has not yet matured, and for all nine tails to gather is still a distant hope. This is fate.”
Having finished her admonition, her tone softened and she said:
“That boy is no ordinary person. Which of the Great Feng’s beyond-mortal powers are ordinary? Zhao Shou, Daoist Jinlian, al-Asura, and that female Emperor… If the sky falls, they shall be the ones to hold it up.
“When did it become a mere little fox’s turn to worry?”
Suddenly the Nine-tailed Fox felt thoroughly exasperated and snapped:
“Born to be a concubine, yet worrying like the primary wife.”
…
The Sitianjian.
Huaiqing was dressed in casual attire, leaving her maids and eunuchs downstairs as she ascended the tower alone.
She wore a pale moon-white robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon, delicate white threads tracing intricate cloud patterns, with a jade belt around her waist and a golden crown on her head.
This rather masculine everyday attire on her only accentuated her imperial dignity, perfectly suited to her cool, aloof bearing.
“What orders does Your Majesty have?”
Hearing the new sovereign had come, Song Qing, now the one holding up Sitianjian, reluctantly put down the alchemy experiment in his hands and came to greet her.
Huaiqing said indifferently:
“Open the door to the secret chamber. We wish to see Duke Wei.”
Song Qing immediately fetched a large bunch of keys and one by one unlocked the sets of iron doors. They were impregnable to a fourth rank martial artist, yet the wall beside it could be smashed through with a single punch, leaving the door rather overkill.
“You are dismissed.”
Huaiqing ordered.
Song Qing happily went back to his experiments.
Huaiqing entered the secret chamber, walked through the outer room cluttered with all sorts of magical implements and experiments, and arrived at the inner room. Sunlight shone in through the air window, and on the soft couch lay a man in azure robes.
He had a handsome face, with some grey at his temples.
“Duke Wei, when you gave us the Nightwatchers’ secret agents that day, you were hinting at us to claim the throne, weren’t you?”
Huaiqing sat at the bedside, gazed at the sleeping middle-aged man, and sighed:
“You were always able to calculate any strategy. But did you foresee Baidi?
“If the Great Feng can survive this tribulation, you will come to life again. If not, then you and Mother Empress can only continue your old bond in the next life.”
…
Ananda.
Beneath the Bodhi tree, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva sat cross-legged with palms together, looking at Agaruka Bodhisattva’s figure reflected in the golden alms bowl, and spoke:
“The Daoist tribulation has two stages and lasts thirteen days. For Luo Yuheng to pass through unscathed will be exceedingly difficult. Yet you must not be careless and must not allow yourselves to be drawn into the tribulation.”
His voice made it impossible to tell man from woman, young from old.
Agaruka Bodhisattva pondered for a moment and said:
“You mean, they are highly likely to take advantage of the tribulation, driving the tiger to swallow the wolf.”
On the other side, Vaidurya Bodhisattva said in a dispassionate tone:
“Otherwise, how could they hope to overcome you and that descendant of gods and demons?”
Agaruka Bodhisattva nodded and said:
“Is Du’e still in Ananda?”
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva replied:
“Spreading Mahayana Dharma day after day. His Buddha-heart is utterly clear, unlike al-Asura.”
At the mention of this turncoat, all three Bodhisattvas’ expressions darkened.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva changed the subject:
“This battle will determine victory or defeat in the Central Plains. We must not take it lightly.”
Agaruka Bodhisattva nodded.
…
Xunzhou.
Yang Gong’s calm gaze swept over both sides: to the left, the former Qingzhou military and civil officials; to the right, Li Mubai, Zhang Shen, Xu Erlang, the four shaman clan leaders, and the four Heaven and Earth Society members: Li Miaozhen, Li Lingsu, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan.
There was also Yang Qianhuan, standing stubbornly in the corner, his back of the head facing everyone.
“This should be the last strategy meeting.”
Yang Gong’s tone was as calm as his expression:
“Each of you bears a heavy burden. After this battle, regardless of whether we can hold Yongzhou, someone among us, including myself, will remain on the battlefield forever.”
Anyone could see that this battle concerned the very survival of the Great Feng and would decide the fate of both Great Feng and Yunzhou.
“At the start of the war, the Great Feng’s treasury was empty and people’s livelihoods withered. From Qingzhou to Yongzhou, tens of thousands of elite troops died and shrouded the battlefield. Along the way, we solved the issue of manpower, the issue of provisions, and the issue of lacking allies.
“Not long ago, we lost the Jianzheng, but we still carried on. Now, I hope everyone, and the Great Feng, can still persevere.”
Yang Gong placed both hands on the table, his tone sombre:
“Silver Gong Xu once inscribed words upon the Lesser Sage’s Hall in Cloud Deer Academy. I never had the fortune to see it with my own eyes, but I remember every word:
“‘To ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, To secure life and fortune for the people, To continue lost teachings for past sages, To establish peace for all future generations!’”
His voice suddenly soared:
“In troubled times, one should die when one must.
“This official beseeches you all, for the Great Feng, for the Central Plains, be generous with your deaths!”
…
Ten days had passed since the siege of Xunzhou. The Yunzhou army was fully assembled; cavalry, infantry, artillery, and flying beast riders gathering at various camps throughout Qingzhou.
Qingzhou Administration’s main hall.
Qi Guangbo, clad in battle armour, rested one hand on his sabre and swept his gaze around the table at the assembled generals, and said in a deep voice:
“Victory or defeat hinges on this one battle. Everyone, come with me and flatten Yongzhou.”
Ji Xuan was the first to rise, pronouncing each word clearly:
“Flatten Yongzhou!”
The other commanders rose as well, responding loudly:
“Flatten Yongzhou!”
…
That day, thunder and lightning filled the skies over Qingzhou and rain poured down in torrents.
Civilians and soldiers in the city saw a strange beast, with dragon horns, lion’s mane, crocodile lips, and an ox’s nose, fly overhead.
Baidi, the Yunzhou auspicious beast, had returned to the Central Plains.
The morale of the Yunzhou army soared.
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