This item has a remarkable origin; it was a forbidden military weapon secretly commissioned by the Ministry of Works of the Great Qian Dynasty from the Daoist priests of the " Fangxian Dao " who were experts in external alchemy and gunpowder, and was made using countless precious materials.
Its power is astonishing; it can be used by ordinary, well-trained martial artists. When it hits a target, it does not simply penetrate it, but rather causes a violent explosion, with sparks flying and fragments flying everywhere.
Even highly skilled Daoist practitioners, if caught off guard and struck by a close-range blast, may find their protective spells insufficient to completely withstand it. At best, their Yin Spirit will be shaken; at worst, their soul will be scattered on the spot.
Such weapons of mass destruction have always been strictly controlled by the imperial court, and even ordinary generals rarely have the opportunity to acquire them. Yet now, dozens of boxes of them, along with bows and crossbows, have fallen into Hong Yi's hands.
In addition, there were real heavy weapons of war, such as cannons and ballistae.
These cannons were smaller than the main guns on the warships, making them easier to transport and set up. However, the cannon barrels were dark and deep, engraved with runes for reinforcement and guidance. The ballistae, on the other hand, were ingeniously designed, with a mechanism for winding and firing giant crossbows that were like short spears, piercing through iron armor as easily as rotten paper.
If these heavy machines are used properly and formed into a tight formation, firing in unison, their destructive power in an instant is enough to force even Daoist cultivators who have not yet reached the Ghost Immortal realm to temporarily avoid their sharp edge; the slightest hesitation could result in their death and the annihilation of their cultivation.
Unfortunately, this time they encountered Hong Yi, who had already reached the realm of Ghost Immortal, and Chan Yinsha, who had undergone a tribulation.
Ghost Immortal cultivators possess refined spiritual souls, allowing them to leave their bodies Night Wandering. They have keen senses and numerous methods for self-protection and concealment.
In open waters, facing a wary Ghost Immortal immortal, these manually operated, slowly launched machines pose a significantly reduced threat.
Moreover, the warriors who controlled them had already lost all will to fight and courage after witnessing the Peacock master's retreat.
Although Hong Yi considered himself a gentleman, emphasizing benevolence and righteousness, and would not easily attack ordinary soldiers who had given up resistance, who among the surrendered soldiers dared to gamble on it? Rather than stubbornly resisting with a sliver of hope, which might ultimately result in their bodies being destroyed and their souls scattered, it was better to surrender early, perhaps saving their lives and even securing a future.
Thus, these hundreds of well-equipped warships, along with their full loads of weaponry, provisions, and numerous experienced sailors and soldiers, became the cornerstone of Hong Yi's rapidly expanding power, almost intact.
The person in charge of this operation, who was ordered by Wei Taicang to lead the pursuit and annihilation of Hong Yi, was named Wei Liancheng.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, this man was extremely decisive and led his people to surrender. Not only that, he also offered up all the secrets he knew and the various Daoist magic and supernatural powers he had cultivated to show his sincerity in surrendering.
The Wei family was not originally surnamed Wei; their ancestors were actually descendants of Gongyang Yu, a Saint of swordsmanship in the Yunmeng Kingdom.
The core cultivation technique passed down through the entire family is called " True Martial Saint Body," a supreme body-refining secret method created by the Sword Saint Gongyang Yu with the utmost dedication throughout his life.
Gongyang Yu was a true martial arts fanatic.
He not only sat down to discuss martial arts and exchange skills with the " Heavenly Snake King," one of the Eight Great Demon Immortals of the world, but also with the most mysterious...
Meng Shenji, the leader of the most powerful sect, " Tai Shang Dao," had the experience of exchanging martial arts secrets.
He was even more tireless, exploring the infinite mysteries of the acupoints throughout the human body on his own.
Ultimately, by integrating the strengths of various schools of thought and combining them with his own insights, he created the " True Martial Saint Body," a supreme Martial Saint art sufficient to lay the foundation for becoming a Martial Saint. Based on this, he further developed the world-shaking " Thunder Prison Saber Scripture."
His strength was so formidable that, looking across the world, he was the undisputed leader among those below the Human Immortal realm, rarely encountering an opponent.
At this moment, Wei Liancheng was even willing to offer up the " True Martial Saint Body," which could be considered the lifeblood of his family, revealing his determination to serve them.
In addition, Wei Liancheng revealed many shocking secrets.
He said that the first two emperors of the Great Qian Dynasty, Taizong and Gaozong, both secretly cultivated Daoist arts and successfully broke through to the Ghost Immortal realm, which ultimately led to their deaths. They were personally killed by Meng Shenji, the sect leader of the Tai Shang Dao Tao.
Imagine an emperor who has achieved the status of Ghost Immortal, whose soul is immortal and who can freely Body Seizure reborn. Wouldn't that mean that the throne would be held by his family for generations, and the Heavenly Dao cycle of dynastic change would be completely broken? This is clearly a serious contradiction to the principle of "the way of Heavenly Dao is impermanent, with rise and fall" upheld by the Tai Shang Dao.
Therefore, Meng Shenji resolutely took action and committed the act of "regicide" in order to maintain the operation of the Heavenly Dao.
The reason why the current imperial family of the Great Qian Dynasty was able to temporarily avoid the Tai Shang Dao is because they unexpectedly obtained the core inheritance of the " Creation Dao," which had long been lost in the long river of history: the " Heavenly Book of Fortune."
The Creation Dao was once a colossal entity that could rival giant sects like the Tai Shang Dao and the Great Zen Temple, and it once looked down upon the world with unparalleled glory.
However, a thousand years ago, a world-shaking struggle for the Daoist lineage Tai Shang Dao. In the end, the Creation Dao was no match for the Dao of Supreme Being. The sect was destroyed, and its lineage was scattered. People believed that its lineage had been severed.
Unexpectedly, its fundamental classic, the " Heavenly Book of Fortune," quietly fell into the hands of the Great Qian imperial family.
Whether it is the current Qian Emperor Yang Pan or Crown Prince Yang Yuan, the core cultivation techniques they practice all originate from this, making their strength unfathomable. This makes the Tai Shang Dao hesitant to act rashly.
As for Meng Shenji, the Tai Shang Dao Sect Master who once killed an emperor, he himself is now in an unprecedented crisis.
Because he had bravely undergone the tribulation of lightning in pursuit of a higher realm, he is now in the weakest stage after the tribulation.
Countless powerful figures throughout the world are eyeing him covetously, eager to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to annihilate him completely.
Among the most active were the true form of Peacock King Xing Xuan, Heavenly Snake King Xing Mou, Xuan Tian Pavilion Master Nalan Anhuang, True Gang Sect Xuantian Pavilion Bai Fengxian, and Saint Tu Yuan of the Essence Spirit Temple.
These individuals are all exceptional figures whose mere presence can shake the heavens and earth. Now, they have joined forces, determined to annihilate Meng Shenji and eradicate his lineage.
"This group of people, with their impressive numbers, searching everywhere for the whereabouts of the Meng Shenji, seems like a huge joke."
Li Qingshan felt a radiant light emanating from him, as if piercing through the Void, and saw a scene unfolding in the far distance.
He "saw" those renowned experts, their imposing aura fierce, but the ones they were chasing and capturing were not Meng Shenji himself, but merely the nine " Nine Fire Flame Dragons " that Meng Shenji had casually conjured with his supreme magic to confuse the enemy.
Even before the opponent's "pet" used to toy with and buy time has been truly captured and subdued, it is already proclaiming its determination to kill. Such behavior naturally appears quite ridiculous in Li Qingshan's eyes, almost a farce that only invites ridicule.
On the vast ocean, unpredictable storms rage, and bustling activity abounds.
Thousands of miles away from Li Qingshan, a strange chase is unfolding in the vast sea.
The nine " Nine Fire Flame Dragons " conjured by Meng Shenji with his supreme magic power were leisurely traversing between the clouds and water. Behind them, several powerful figures, stirring up the wind and clouds, were in hot pursuit, much like puppets being pulled by invisible threads, running around in vain.
Those pursuers, if placed in today's world, would all be renowned and influential figures.
The Peacock King Xing Xuan Yunmeng Kingdom, the mysterious and unpredictable Heavenly Snake King Xing Mou, and the Xuantian Pavilion Master Nalan Anhuang —each of them is an unparalleled being who can influence the situation of a region with a stomp of their foot.
However, compared to their target, the Meng Shenji, who was hailed as the number one person in the world, the gap between them was as vast as Heavenly Abyss.
Meng Shenji, the supreme expert standing at the pinnacle of the world, suffered severe damage to his vital energy and his Dao foundation was shaken after forcibly undergoing the eighth level of lightning tribulation. He is currently in an unprecedented period of weakness.
In order to safely get through this recovery period, he concealed his true body in an unknown place, only releasing these nine "little gadgets" that he created at will to roam outside, and successfully outmaneuvered the world's top experts.
What's even more ridiculous is that these people, who are usually so arrogant, now feel confident of victory because they can "hunt" Meng Shenji's "creation," completely unaware that what they are chasing is nothing but a mirage.
This scene is reminiscent of the style of the Four Great Emperors, the Great Moon. It's like the absurd and overconfident attacks on saints or even great saints by a group of powerful and king-level cultivators in the world of Shrouding the Heavens.
However, in all fairness, this is indeed a golden opportunity to deal with Meng Shenji.
If it were to overcome its period of weakness and return to its peak, under its divine might, as vast as the sea of stars and as fierce as the Dao of Heavenly Dao, I'm afraid no one in the world would dare to directly confront its power, and would have no choice but to retreat.
Li Qingshan's light seemed to penetrate through layers of spatial barriers, allowing him to take in the scene thousands of miles away.
The sky above that sea was ablaze with crimson clouds, turning both the sea and sky red.
At the point where the rosy light was at its brightest, a colossal creature writhed and swam—one of the Nine Fire Flame Dragons.
Its form is majestic and terrifying; a single dragon claw, when stretched out, covers an area of three or four miles! The scales covering the claw have a scorching, flowing, and magnificent color, like molten lava from the earth's core. As the luster flows, it exudes a fiery aura that can burn the entire world.
This entire fire dragon was dozens of miles long, coiling in the sky like a burning mountain range.
It exudes a powerful and vibrant life force, as rich as a tide and as fiery as the sun.
They are real, living beings with flesh and blood, possessing independent intelligence and the essence of life!
A living dragon born from nothingness!
This is the Nine Fire Flame Dragons, a miracle of life directly created from the void by Meng Shenji after he overcame seven tribulations and achieved the status of " Creator " through the supreme supernatural power of " Void Creation".
To Meng Shenji, this might just be a "pet" or "toy" he casually created in his spare time, but its very existence is enough to make most of the world's top experts tremble with fear and regard it as an insurmountable natural disaster.
Even if several peerless masters, such as the Peacock King and the Heavenly Snake King, joined forces and unleashed their ultimate magical treasures and secret techniques to bombard the Fiery Dragon's body, which was forged from immortal divine metal, they could not truly shake its foundation. At most, they could only provoke a sky full of flowing fire and an angry dragon roar, but could not cause fatal damage.
Legends often speak of the shadow of True Dragon, yet no one has ever seen its true form.
As for Meng Shenji, he had already broken through the seven tribulations of lightning long ago and ascended to the position of Creator.
His ability to effortlessly create life and imbue it with the essence of spirituality transcends the ordinary cultivator's understanding of "power" and touches upon the forbidden realm of "creation." Upon closer examination, it truly evokes a chilling sense of unease stemming from the disparity in the levels of life—this is the wonder of the Yang God World.
Li Qingshan's primordial spirit quietly reflected the enormous creature frolicking amidst the clouds and sea of fire on the distant horizon, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
His insights gained on the Path of Flames now seem to have been further touched and confirmed as he observes this unique life form condensed from the combination of the pure laws of fire and the vitality of Fortune. He has gained a more concrete understanding of the morphological changes and life endowment of the "divine fire".
For Li Qingshan, annihilating this or the remaining eight fire dragons would not be difficult, but it wouldn't be of much significance.
In terms of blood relations, Meng Shenji is actually Hong Yi's maternal uncle by seniority.
Meng Bingyun, as the younger sister of Meng Shenji, the current sect leader of the Tai Shang Dao, and also the sect's holy maiden, should have cultivated herself in seclusion outside the mortal world, upholding the Supreme Forgetfulness.
However, due to a chance encounter, she entered the secular world and experienced trials, and unexpectedly fell deeply in love with Hong Xuanji, the Grand Tutor of the court. Her so-called Daoist heart crumbled instantly under the impact of such intense emotions, leaving not a trace.
This woman, deeply in love with Hong Xuanji, did several things that left those in the know speechless and utterly incomprehensible.
The most fatal mistake was revealing to Hong Xuanji the top secret of where his elder brother, Meng Shenji, was cultivating his physical body.
At that time, Hong Xuanji had joined forces with Yang Pan, the crown prince of the Great Qian Dynasty, to destroy the Great Zen Temple and seize its millennia-old accumulation.
Upon hearing this secret news, they did not hesitate and immediately turned their attention to Meng Shenji's physical body with overwhelming force.
The greatest man in the world was caught off guard and his Human Immortal body was destroyed. He had no choice but to abandon his old shell and be forced to enter the cycle of reincarnation to seek an opportunity for rebirth.
It was precisely because of this calamity of physical destruction and forced reincarnation that Meng Shenji entered a long recovery period, which inadvertently bought Emperor Yang Pan of the Great Qian Dynasty a crucial opportunity for respite and development.
Otherwise, with Meng Shenji in charge of the Tai Shang Dao, overseeing the world, and maintaining the ironclad rules of the Heavenly Dao, how could an emperor be allowed to cultivate peacefully to the Ghost Immortal realm? The previous emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong Yang Yunji, serves as a cautionary tale.
Even though he cultivated himself to the Ghost Immortal and survived several tribulations, he was still like an ant in front of Meng Shenji at his peak, and could not escape the fate of being eliminated.
Looking at the big picture, Hong Xuanji and Yang Pan's plan can be described as killing several birds with one stone.
Using Meng Bingyun as an invisible pawn, they both leveraged the power and intelligence of the Tai Shang Dao to restrain the Great Zen Temple, and used the secrets she leaked to severely damage Meng Shenji, the biggest mountain pressing down on their heads.
After this battle, the Great Zen Temple vanished, Meng Shenji's brilliance was temporarily concealed, and they cleared away the biggest obstacle on their path to the pinnacle of power and strength, truly reaping a huge reward.
Hong Xuanji may have ultimately retained some complex feelings for Meng Bingyun.
This entanglement also caused him to stagnate at the crucial juncture of martial arts, the peak of the Martial Saint realm, for more than twenty years, preventing him from opening the door to the Human Immortal realm in one fell swoop.
This delay, inadvertently, bought his son Hong Yi the most precious time and space to grow.
Otherwise, if Hong Xuanji had advanced to the Human Immortal earlier, given Hong Yi's early circumstances and his father's status as a Human Immortal at the height of his power and mastery of martial arts, he probably would have had no chance to rise to prominence, let alone experience the ups and downs and entanglements that followed.
It can only be said that fate is truly wondrous.