Closing Matters

Three days later, the world was shaken by the news.

Xuzhou had raised its army; the Wuwei force surged like dragons, their horses trampling mountains and rivers.

In one day, they took Luoyang, breached Sishui, and attacked Hangu.

On the second day, they captured Dongtong, crossed into Guanzhong, and surrounded Chang'an.

On the third day, they broke the fortified city, entered Xuanwu, and destroyed Li Tang.

In merely three days, Chang'an had changed hands, shaking the world!

The three regions of Xuzhou, Sili, and Yongzhou were linked as one.

Pengcheng, Luoyang, and Chang'an formed an unbroken dragon.

Li Yuan, ruler of Li Tang, had led his army in a breakout through the western gate, only to be pursued at their heels by the Wuwei Iron Cavalry and slain by an arrow through the heart. Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and fourth son Li Yuanji had also died amid the chaos of battle. The whereabouts of the rest were unknown.

The balance of the world had shifted once more.

Chang'an, Imperial Prison.

Zhu Yuyan's face was deathly pale as she leaned against the corner wall. She looked weakly at the completely unharmed Wanwan, then at the many experts of both the black and white paths held in the surrounding cells, and gave a miserable laugh. "Tell me. Why did he spare our lives?"

Wanwan lowered her head, not daring to meet her master's gaze. She answered guiltily, "He wants the Heavenly Demon Strategy!"

"I knew it."

Zhu Yuyan gave a cold laugh, wholly unsurprised. "Fine, I'll give it to him. But I have one condition!"

Wanwan raised her head in surprise. "What condition?"

Zhu Yuyan's gaze sharpened. "I want Shi Zhixuan!"

"..."

Wanwan fell silent for a moment, then said, "He probably won't agree."

"Then let the Heavenly Demon Strategy die with me!"

Zhu Yuyan's expression twisted as she hissed, "I would rather jade and stone shatter together than let him have his way!"

"Um..."

Wanwan timidly raised a hand. "Master, I know the Heavenly Demon secret arts too."

"..."

"..."

The two met each other's eyes in silence.

After a long while, Zhu Yuyan finally smiled radiantly, like a peony flower blooming. "Please return and tell Martial King that Yuyan was briefly possessed by folly. The Kuiyin Sect's Heavenly Demon canon shall certainly be offered with both hands!"

"Master, it's just the two of us here. Don't be like this. You're scaring me..."

Within Taiji Hall of Taiji Palace, a man sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the many manuals and secret texts before him. One moment, he was wild with joy; the next, utterly dejected.

"Dao Heart Seed Demon, Purple Blood Escape, Heavenly Demon Maiden, Lotus Ring Demonic Form..."

"The ten volumes of the Heavenly Demon Strategy, which countless members of the Two Sects and Six Paths, of the Holy Sect, have dreamed of obtaining—today, there is finally hope of completing them!"

Having said this, he raised his head. His eyes, filled with the vicissitudes of life, looked toward the figure standing silently in the hall.

"The four great strange books of the martial world: the Longevity Art, the Heavenly Demon Strategy, the Cihang Sword Canon, and War God's Catalogue. You now possess two of them. All that remains is the Cihang Sword Canon, along with the most mysterious of all, the legendary War God's Catalogue."

"If all four books are completed and all four arts cultivated together, you will surely achieve Embracing the Dan and Merging with the Dao, then Shatter the Void!"

"No, the previous Evil Emperor of our Holy Sect, Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian, merely cultivated the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art from the Heavenly Demon Strategy to perfection, and he was able to Shatter the Void and depart. If one cultivated all four books together and achieved great perfection, then even in the Upper Realm, one would be an incomparably powerful figure."

"No, no, no, impossible. How profound are these four great strange books? With one person's energy, how could they possibly be mastered? Even exhausting an entire lifetime, one might not be able to cultivate a single art within them to perfection."

"You have gathered all martial arts under heaven and are now completing the four great strange books. What exactly are you trying to do? And my Undying Seal Technique..."

As he spoke, his words grew more and more incoherent, and madness returned to his expression. A face brimming with sinister aura emerged. "You want me, Shi Zhixuan, to serve you like an ox and horse? What a fool's dream... Ah!!!"

Before he could finish, another miserable scream rang out. His twisted expression gradually recovered, and he once again became that weathered scholar, his face steeped in suffering.

"I have made a fool of myself before the Lord."

"No matter. How do you feel?"

"Still the same. Half well, half unwell."

"To draw out illness is like unraveling silk; do not be impatient."

"Rest assured, Lord. I understand."

With that, Shi Zhixuan lowered his head. "With these manuals, barring any surprises, the Heavenly Demon Strategy will soon be completed. Then I, the Evil King, can retire after success and be free of all burdens."

Xu Yang nodded. "Go."

"Yes!"

"Master!"

No sooner had Shi Zhixuan left with the various demonic sect manuals than his eldest disciple, Su Beixuan, arrived at Taiji Hall. "They have come."

Xu Yang was unsurprised. He said calmly, "Then bring them in."

"Yes!"

A moment later, two women entered the hall behind Su Beixuan.

One wore white, whiter than snow; the other wore green, like jade. Both were extraordinary and unworldly, as though they might drift away into immortality at any moment.

Xu Yang sat upon the dais, looking at them. His gaze settled upon the woman in green.

For a moment, the atmosphere became strangely tense.

After some time, the woman in white was finally unable to bear it any longer. "Fan Qinghui, head of Cihang Jingzhai, has met Martial King!"

Xu Yang smiled and went straight to the point. "I want the He Shi Bi, the Cihang Sword Canon, and every collection and secret scripture held by Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Zen Sect."

"..."

Though she had been mentally prepared, Fan Qinghui still could not help falling silent upon hearing such terms.

Only after a long while did she raise her head and say, "The King is a supreme ruler of the realm and a peerless grandmaster. The collections of Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Zen Sect shall naturally be opened to the King. As for the He Shi Bi, it is kept within Jingnian Zen Sect. I have already sent word to Abbot Kong. Before long, the He Shi Bi will be delivered to Chang'an."

The victor became king and the defeated became outlaw; there was no need for further words. Even if the other party was looting in times of crisis, she had to agree with a smile if she wished to preserve herself.

He who understood the times was a true hero. As the head of Cihang Jingzhai, she was a hero among heroes.

Thus, she agreed.

But...

Fan Qinghui glanced toward the dais. Though hesitant, she still spoke. "May I ask, King, whether you can spare Cihang Jingzhai and the Buddhist Sect's incense offerings?"

Her words were direct, as they should be.

Before a figure of such standing, ornate phrasing held no meaning. Only the truest interests had value in negotiation.

"Four hundred and eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties—how many towers and terraces vanished amid misty rain?"

Xu Yang smiled at this. "Buddhism has entered the Central Plains for over four hundred years. Over these four centuries, how many temples have been erected, how many believers developed, and how much incense and offering collected?"

Fan Qinghui said nothing.

She did not speak, and Xu Yang paid her no heed. He continued on his own, "Jingnian Zen Sect sits in the southern outskirts of Luoyang. It has more than several hundred buildings, forming a world of its own. There are also seven great treasure halls, each roofed in three-colored glazed tiles. The Buddha statues within are all cast solid from gold and bronze by skilled craftsmen, lifelike in every detail!"

Fan Qinghui said nothing.

"And this is only one Jingnian Zen Sect!"

"How could there be only one Jingnian Zen Sect in the world?"

Xu Yang lowered his gaze and asked calmly, "Tell me, can I accommodate you?"

"..."

Fan Qinghui was silent for a while before finally forcing herself to say, "We can reduce our expenses and turn all surplus wealth over to the national treasury. We ask only for a place to remain, to keep company with Green Lamp Ancient Buddha. I beg the King to show mercy!"

Xu Yang shook his head. His tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable, cold majesty. "Your very existence is an obstacle. I do not have so much time to entangle myself with you. Therefore, I will give you one final chance."

"...!"

Fan Qinghui's pupils contracted, unease rising in her heart. Yet she had no alternative but to force herself to ask, "Please speak, King."

"Fight another battle."

Xu Yang smiled, his words direct. "I know your foundations extend beyond this. You will not accept this defeat willingly. There are also the Daoist and Confucian sects, the great clans of the realm. Go back and deliver my message: I am overbearing and tyrannical, Only I Am Supreme, and I cannot tolerate even a bit of them. So..."

"You have no choice but to fight to the death."

"Use all your strength, then come and fight me once more."

"The location shall be Di Ta Peak, at your Cihang Jingzhai."

"You decide the time. Whenever you are ready, come find me."

"Whether it be the Buddhist Sect, the Daoist schools, or the Confucian schools, any who refuse to submit may come. I will refuse none of you!"

"Oh, and DTZ and Goguryeo as well. Tell Bi Xuan and Fu Cailin that once I unify the Central Plains, I will surely conquer the world. If they do not wish to sit and await death, then they should come to the Central Plains, join forces with you, and launch one final desperate assault!"

"..."

After this speech, Fan Qinghui's face had turned livid, incomparably ugly.

"King... must you truly go this far?"

"Why not?"

Xu Yang smiled and asked in return, "Do I look like I am joking with you?"

"King!"

Fan Qinghui's gaze hardened. "The Buddha's Dharma is boundless and has never feared blades or war. Even if you possess power that reaches the heavens and penetrates the earth, strength that shakes antiquity and dazzles the present, you can only suppress us for a time. You cannot hold us down forever. One day, the world will change hands again."

Xu Yang smiled, utterly unconcerned. "We'll deal with it when it changes."

"You...!!"

Fan Qinghui's words caught in her throat. She did not know how to respond.

Left with no choice, she flicked her sleeve. "Since the King insists on this, then we can only risk our lives to accompany you. On Di Ta Peak, we shall await your arrival!"

"I will not see you out."

"..."

Fan Qinghui left in a rage, sleeves flying.

As the head of Cihang Jingzhai, she should not have lost her composure like this.

But this man had pressed forward step by step, leaving no room for compromise, determined to drive them to their deaths.

Such forcefulness, such utter refusal to yield, rendered her eloquence in forming alliances and her methods of stirring clouds and rain completely useless.

Under such circumstances, losing composure was only inevitable.

But none of this had anything to do with Xu Yang.

"It is time to wrap things up."

Muttering to himself, Xu Yang took out an object within Taiji Hall.

It was a round pearl, like a piece of bright yellow precious jade.

The Evil Emperor's Sarira!

Xu Yang had never done anything without confidence, much less fought a battle without preparation.

This time, he had invited the world to war. To Fan Qinghui's side, it was a life-or-death gamble, one final desperate struggle.

But to him, it was merely the final stage of closing matters, with no suspense whatsoever.

Because he intended to crush them with absolute power.

And where would that absolute power come from?

From this Evil Emperor's Sarira!

As a treasured inheritance of the demonic sects, this sarira contained an enormous accumulation of Essence: the power infused into it by generations of Evil Emperors, as well as Heaven and Earth Origin Energy and tangled, mixed demonic yin and sinister qi that had entered it through various chance circumstances. It was a massive source of energy.

So long as one could absorb the Essence within, one's cultivation would grow at a tremendous pace, perhaps even breaking past the limits of a Condensing Spirit Martial Artist.

After all, once one became a grandmaster, one's mind and spirit were already complete. The only thing lacking was the foundation of one's cultivation.

So long as the foundation of one's cultivation was sufficient, theoretically, any grandmaster could hope to launch an assault upon the realm of "Merging with the Dao."

Once successful, one would become a supreme grandmaster of Embracing the Dan and Merging with the Dao, capable of Shattering the Void and ascending to the Upper Realm.

Though Xu Yang had no intention of Shattering the Void for the time being, that did not prevent him from absorbing the Essence within the Evil Emperor's Sarira and stepping into the fifth realm of the Martial Dao—Embracing the Dan and Merging with the Dao!

As for how to absorb the Essence in the Evil Emperor's Sarira, he already had an answer. Zhu Yuyan, Shi Zhixuan, and the many demonic sect experts had all contributed their own hidden arts, including the supreme Dao Heart Seed Demon Art from the Heavenly Demon Strategy.

By cultivating this art, one could absorb the Essence of the Evil Emperor's Sarira and gain a century, or even several centuries, of accumulated power overnight.