Emperor Tang

The gray mist that had lingered over the Helplessness Bridge for countless years suddenly seemed to recede like the tide.

The mist gradually dissipated, revealing the mottled bridge surface, which was neither gold, iron, copper, nor wood.

The Yellow Springs flow beneath the bridge.

There were figures standing on the bridge.

The figure was thin and ethereal, like a fragmented soul, wielding an eight-foot sword, its eyes wide with fury.

"Li Yuanji! My Xuanwu Gate in the mortal realm could kill your body in your previous life, but now that we're in the underworld, on this Helplessness Bridge, can't we kill your soul after death?!"

"I led troops at the age of nineteen, conquering the south and the north, blocking the east and eliminating the west, enduring years of hardship, killing many living people, why would I fear you, some evil spirit!"

The figure brandished his sword, but suddenly sensed something was wrong. He looked around in confusion, only to find that the Ten Halls of Yama in the distance had vanished.

Even the towering black divine mountain and the great sun of the Nine Netherworlds hanging in the sky have vanished without a trace.

Looking back again.

All I saw was a Yellow Springs that was countless times shorter, and on the Yellow Springs River stood a dignified young man.

Behind the youth's head was a Great Sun Halo, and where the sun shone, the Yellow Springs River, which was filthy and turbid all year round, turned into clear and cool water at his feet.

The figure was startled and said:

"I have heard that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made a great vow to guard the nine netherworlds. Is it possible to have the Bodhisattva appear before me now?"

Zhang Fusheng was stunned, staring at the semi-transparent figure, whose features were clearly visible.

He had a broad forehead and a wide jaw, with a bushy beard. His face was shifting and indistinct. Although he was a remnant soul, he possessed no cultivation whatsoever.

But when I looked up, I felt a sense of awe and majesty.

"I am not a Bodhisattva."

Zhang Fusheng exhaled a Pure Qi, his expression calm and collected. Combining what he had just heard, a conjecture arose in his mind.

This is indeed the remnant soul of Taizong.

But this remnant soul seemed to have been sealed away for countless years, its memories frozen at the moment it was lost from its true form.

On the Helplessness Bridge, where even immortals and Buddhas find it difficult to turn back,

The figure, sword in hand, casually turned and looked around, seemingly unrestricted in the slightest.

He turned his gaze back to the solemn figure with the halo behind his head:

"If you are not Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in person, then who are you? How could this place change so suddenly?"

Zhang Fusheng pondered for a moment:

"If we're talking about seniority, you should address me as your ancestor."

"Presumptuous!"

The figure trembled, the sword was raised, and it was aimed at the 'gods and Buddhas' in the Yellow Springs River.

It was clearly a fake sword blade, clearly without any cultivation or the power of heaven and earth shaking it.

But it caused a sharp pain between Zhang Fusheng's eyebrows, and a red dot appeared.

It seemed as if his head would be shattered by the sword's edge in the next instant.

He remained calm and composed.

The Great Sun Halo still shone behind his head, and a faint, Pure Qi circulated around his body. He closed his eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, a wave of Pure Qi rushed in.

Then.

Zhang Fusheng lifted his foot and gently stepped on it.

The ten-mile-long torrent of the Yellow Springs, which had been cut off, suddenly stopped with a single step.

Having left the Nine Netherworlds and ceased flowing for countless years, the Yellow Springs has long lost the overwhelming divine power of the true Yellow Springs River.

"I bear the name of Taiqing and now reside in the mortal realm; therefore, you may also call me—Laozi."

The youth spoke thus, his voice like the morning bell and evening drum, echoing along this rocky path, echoing ten miles underground above the Yellow Springs.

The fragmented Soul Spirit froze, released its grip on the sword, and bowed:

"Li Shimin, a descendant of later generations, greets his ancestor."

He had absolutely no doubt—

In this vast world, who dares to impersonate Lao Tzu?

Humans dare not, and neither do the gods and Buddhas in heaven.

Zhang Fusheng accepted the greeting without hesitation.

With another step, he had already reached the Helplessness Bridge. Pure Qi flowed through him, golden lamps burned in his eyes, and he spoke calmly:

"This place is no longer the underworld."

He paused, and before anyone could ask, he continued:

"It is no longer the same world as it once was."

The remnant soul of the Great Tang Sage looked at the young ancestor and heard the ancestor say again:

"Now, countless years have passed. Gods and Buddhas have vanished, the Heavenly Court is gone, and even the dynasties of the mortal world have long since become nothing but smoke and clouds."

Lost in thought:

"Have I been dreaming for countless years?"

Zhang Fusheng nodded:

"I am Taiqing, also known as Laozi, but I am not the Dao Ancestor, nor have I ever ridden an ox westward out of Hangu Pass —now I am called Zhang Fusheng."

He stared at the distraught figure and asked:

And what about you?

"You are the Emperor of Great Tang, the Heavenly Khan revered by all the kingdoms and tribes."

"Or is the Supreme Lord all stars, the Supreme Being of the Underworld— the Ziwei the Great Emperor of the Celestial Pole?"

The figure listened blankly, and a surge of purple qi suddenly rose from the depths of its soul!

Purple qi surged like a river.

On the ground.

Chen Shishan grabbed a broom and swept the dirt in the yard until it was smooth, his gaze occasionally drifting towards the horizon, towards the remaining dust and mud on the rocks.

The old woman exhaled a breath of stale air:

"At this moment, that kid is probably already in Human Coffin, and the filth of the Yellow Springs River is seeping into his body. A fine little devil is about to be formed."

After a moment, as if sensing something, she gazed in the direction where the whale-like bird had fallen and murmured to herself:

"It's going to be chaotic."

"Random selection is good, random selection is good! If we poach six more innate beings, the Thousand Ghosts will be complete!"

Chen Shishan saw the old woman enter the main hall, change into a Black Robe, and come out carrying a seal that looked like it was cast in bronze.

He asked:

"Master, are you going on a long trip?"

"Let's go on a trip to Chongyang Festival."

The old woman spoke softly:

"Taking advantage of this Chaotic Opportunity, let's go and steal from six Innate Great Realm. In this way, the number of Thousand Ghosts will be complete, only lacking the ancient Ancient Bridge from back then."

"Emperor, please return!"

Her figure faded, turning into a wisp of smoke, and drifted away.

Chen Shishan silently swept the floor, while the Old Master waiting outside the mansion looked up at him expressionlessly.

Zhang Shi said this before he disappeared.

"No rush, no rush."

Whale-Penguin Ship.

Yang Shexing shook his head, his expression angry:

What happened?

One of the attendants gave a wry laugh:

"All power is cut off, and they're still checking. But it seems all the Mechanical Constructs are malfunctioning and unusable, as if they're sealed away?"

Catching his breath, the attendant continued:

"Fortunately, only the mechanical and technological creations failed; the various Talisman Formations, arrays, and Magic Patterns are still functioning normally."

Yang Shexing's solemn expression softened considerably.

For the Whale-Penguin Ship, mechanical and technological creations serve only two purposes.

One purpose was to provide 'power' so that the dead behemoth could continue to roam the sky, and the other was for comfort.

The real means of repelling the enemy lies with the behemoth itself, as well as various profound Divine Spirit Formations.

"What's the situation outside right now?" Yang Shexing asked casually.

The attendants manipulated the magic array, revealing the outside world: billowing dust, a wisp of sword light in the sky, and Dragon's Roar's roar.

"Um?"

Yang Shexing's expression darkened, and he murmured:

"How interesting! There's actually an unknown Celestial Person being in a place like this?"

He concluded that the sword light came from a Heavenly Human Level Being, but he remained relaxed—just Celestial Person.

They can't penetrate the Whale-Penguin Ship.

What if we were to use the Divine Spirit Formations engraved within the whale-like creature?

Suppressing the Celestial Person was a piece of cake.

"Sir, look over there!"

The attendant suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Yang Shexing frowned, raised his eyes and looked up, and saw several figures slowly walking towards him through the billowing dust curtain!

A Flesh Puppet, a blurry immortal Immortal Shadow, and the phantoms of Buddhist Vajra and the Six-Armed Mahakala formed from layers of souls.

All of this is fine.

But there was also a human-shaped figure made of earth and stone, surrounded by starlight, seemingly imbued with the Divine Will!

Yang Shexing's expression changed; he believed this was aimed at the Whale-Penguin Ship —and indeed it was.

The Hundred Thousand Soul Vajra were chanting a vast Brahma Chant, and Buddha Light enveloped them, attempting to completely subdue the Whale-Penguin Ship!

"From which side? Is it that old fox Su Qiansuan? No, if he really wants to make a move, he'll probably True Body Descent and use Supreme Treasure."

Yang Shexing sneered, grabbed Shen Baobao who was now only half-eaten, and asked coldly:

Could it be for you?

Shen Baobao remained silent, gazing at the scenery outside reflected in the magic circle, her heart trembling slightly.

It's hard to say about other things.

That giant of earth and stone is likely the mysterious Eighth Seat —because it possesses a very heavy Starry Sky Aura, accompanied by the Divine Will.

This means that the one who bestowed their will upon this body of earth and stone is a deity seated in the starry sky!

Did they come to rescue me?

Shen Baobao suddenly felt a mix of emotions.

Yang Shexing keenly sensed Shen Baobao's emotional fluctuations and sneered:

"They really are from the Gaotian Association? I underestimated them. Although these are all Gaotian Association Avatar Techniques, they probably all possess the power of Celestial Person Being."

He peered through the magic circle, his eyes narrowing.

Especially the phantom of the Six-Armed Mahakala and the earth and stone giant, even inside the Whale-Penguin Ship, their spiritual senses still issued warnings.

These two guys are dangerous.

If I go outside, I'll probably be killed instantly.

But why should I go out?

Yang Shexing, expressionless, carried Shen Baobao to the Main Control Room — the Head of the Giant Whale-Peng.

"Those who are not dead, come to the ship, activate the six-fold Divine Spirit Formations, and establish Neural Connection with me."

"Yes, sir!"

The dusty and disheveled crew members responded and moved the Giant Whale-Peng's thick brain nerves one by one, placing them on the magic array disc.

Yang Shexing, carrying Shen Baobao, pondered for a moment and made a final decision:

"Furthermore, the Capital Envoy was attacked, raising suspicions that the Golden Province is 'terminally ill' and has activated Great Teleportation Array."

He sneered:

"Su Qiansuan must not be ready yet, waiting for the right opportunity next year to go independent. I want to see how he will fare in the Great Teleportation Array."

"Would he dare let the gods enter?"

A servant asked:

"For a deity to pass through the Teleportation Array, it takes a very long time. Su Qiansuan tries to sabotage it during that time?"

Yang Shexing spoke calmly:

"Wouldn't that be perfect? It would directly prove that Su Qiansuan is plotting something sinister, and the capital can immediately send troops!"

After a pause, he said meaningfully:

"Su Qiansuan's rebellious intentions are beyond doubt, but the Federation has no reason to touch him. He is waiting for the other Three Rebel Provinces to take control of a part of the World Plateau. One of our purposes in coming here is to find an opportunity to force him to rebel ahead of time."

"Now, it's just right."

The attendants understood: should they allow the deity to enter, or directly break the Teleportation Array?

Neither choice would be pleasant for Su Qiansuan.

"Even Su Qiansuan couldn't break through my Whale-Penguin Ship."

With that, Yang Shexing stepped into the formation and let out a low, muffled groan.

He is using magic arrays Talismans to connect to the brain nerves of the giant beast's corpse—attempting to take control of the giant skeleton.

It was a success.

Now.

The Corpse of the Giant Whale-Peng, which had been silent for countless years and stretched for hundreds of miles, suddenly opened its eyes.

"Ugh!!"

A deafening sound, like the roar of a whale or the cry of a roc, reverberated out, tearing the earth apart and extinguishing the enveloping Buddha Light inch by inch!

The roc rose and spread its wings.

Its divine power is like a prison.

Meanwhile, in the distance, in the sky above Chang'an Town, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck down.

'Boom! Crack!'

The thunderous sound echoed back and forth countless times.

"Heavenly Thunder Tribulation?" someone murmured. "Which Innate Limit is undergoing Heavenly Tribulation?"

(P. S.: I recommend a really good new book, <The Martial Lord of the Turbulent World>)

This was an era where firearms clashed with physical strength, and rebel factions danced with evil spirits—beneath the Undercurrent of Revolution, Folk Cults flourished, and Armed Forces, Demons, Strange Beasts, and Cyborg Iron Bodies emerged.

I recommend a really good new book, <The Martial Lord of the Turbulent World>.

This was an era where firearms clashed with physical strength, and rebels danced with evil spirits—beneath the Undercurrent of Revolution, Folk Cults proliferated, and Armed Forces, Demons, Strange Beasts, and Cyborg Iron Bodies emerged.