In Xu Long's mind, every emperor had a way of bringing about his own demise.
Since the Yu the Great, the public domain has become a family domain, and the abdication system has been changed to the succession system.
The world no longer belongs to all people, but to the emperor's family.
Therefore, it is expected that the emperor will do good deeds, and he will not receive any credit. However, if the emperor does nothing or does something bad, he should be executed by being cut into a thousand pieces.
The founding emperors initially acted for the sake of the people, but in the later stages, they no longer did so, but rather acted purely for themselves.
If the first generation was like this, the later ones were even worse.
Since Xu Long was willing to hand over the " Book of Wumu " to Zhu Yuanzhang, he must have had a plan.
He's not some brain-dead idiot Zhang Wuji; Xu Long's heart is black.
"Everyone has settled in at the Ming Cult, where they will study and research the two martial arts manuals together. Yang Xiao, have people prepare rooms and arrange meals."
"Thank you, Master!"
Xu Long's actions made all the major sects extremely grateful. They had been begging for something for half their lives, and now they had it all. How could they not be excited?
As for those who have some small insights, they can't jump on the bandwagon when the tide is turning.
Overthrowing the tyrannical Yuan dynasty is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two.
Fortunately, Xu Long wasn't in a hurry and waited patiently.
The plot development hasn't changed much. Although the conflict between the Five Great Sects and the Ming Cult still exists, it has improved significantly thanks to Xu Long's mediation efforts with the various sect leaders.
With the participation of many skilled fighters, the rebel army swept through the enemy lines with unstoppable momentum.
In less than a year, Liaoyang Province, Jiangbei Province, and the territory under the jurisdiction of Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs were all destroyed, leaving only Central Secretariat Province, where Dadu was located.
The rebel armies fought fiercely across the country. Apart from Zhu Yuanzhang, who had the support of the Ming Cult and the Five Great Sects, only the forces of Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng remained.
Both sides have highly skilled individuals, and the Five Great Sects' several assassination attempts all ended in failure. Even Yang Xiao's personal mission failed to yield any results.
Inside the tent, Xu Long stood in front of the sand table, surrounded by the leaders of the Five Great Sects and many experts in the Late Golden Core Stage.
Although a year is not a long time, everyone has made rapid progress, and their overall strength has improved significantly.
Someone who had greatly improved his skills once tried to kill Xu Long to seize power, but was killed in just a few moves.
At this point, everyone finally understood what Xu Long meant when he said the two secret manuals were useless to him.
" Chen Youliang's army is located in the west, while Zhang Shicheng are concentrated in the south. Judging from the previous battles, both sides seem to be consciously trying to avoid other forces."
Zhu Yuanzhang, full of vigor, spoke eloquently to the sand table, "Given the current situation, once we enter the Central Secretariat Province, a final battle will inevitably take place. However, Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng are not fools. After entering the Central Secretariat Province, they will be besieged by the other two forces and the remnants of the Yuan army. Although the Yuan army is almost entirely wiped out, those that remain are the elite of the elite, making them extremely difficult to deal with."
"These are minor matters."
Xu Long shook his head, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.
After thinking for a moment, he asked Yang Xiao, "Who is blocking your way?"
" The Three Du Monks Shaolin Temple, along with the latter three of the four great monks of Jian, Wen, Zhi, and Xing, joined forces to stop me. Fearing they might be plotting something, I retreated."
Yang Xiao looked helpless. With his strength, he was not afraid of anyone in a one-on-one fight except for masters like Zhang Sanfeng. But unfortunately, the opponent was six against one and had no sense of martial ethics.
If the fight continued, Yang Xiao was confident he could kill a few. But the enemy didn't just have these six people; more experts were still arriving.
" Shaolin Temple? Heh, they really haven't changed their thieving ways."
Xu Long snorted coldly. He hadn't wiped out these bald monks back then because he was worried about the reactions of other sects, but he never expected that they would leave behind such a big problem.
"It's not just Shaolin, but also the Beggars' Sect, and numerous other sects from the Western Regions. These forces are numerous and diverse; it's completely incomprehensible how they came together."
Yang Xiao sighed. The current situation was somewhat unexpected, even inexplicable.
Although he prided himself on his intelligence, he couldn't figure out what was going on.
"These are all minor issues..."
Xu Long shook his head, turning his gaze to the area occupied by Zhang Shicheng. "What I'm worried about is this place..."
" Zhang Shicheng?"
The group looked at each other, somewhat confused.
Based on the information gathered earlier, Zhang Shicheng's actual strength was not that great.
All the First-rate sects of the Central Plains were here, while Shaolin Temple, the Beggars' Sect, and numerous forces from the Western Regions were gathered under Chen Youliang's command, leaving Zhang Shicheng with only some Second-rate- and Third-rate small organizations.
In direct combat, they are no match for tens or hundreds of thousands of troops; in assassination and sneak attacks, they are no match for a master like Yang Xiao.
Although there are many of them, they are all worthless and useless.
"The problem definitely lies with Zhang Shicheng!"
An aged but powerful voice came from outside, causing everyone to shudder.
Turning my head, I saw an old man walk in, having lifted the tent flap at some point.
"Greetings, Perfected Zhang!"
"Master!"
"Master!"
Upon seeing this person, Xu Long quickly bowed.
This is Zhang Sanfeng of the Wudang Sect, the undisputed number one person in this world.
No need for such formalities.
Zhang Sanfeng waved his hand, his attitude amiable, and his face full of smiles.
"Hehe, not bad, not bad, the little ones are all very energetic!"
Another voice came, but this time no one recognized the person who entered.
"Who is this senior?"
Sensing the aura emanating from the other party, Xu Long felt puzzled.
Although it was very obscure, he still managed to sense it.
The Two Qi of Yin and Yang are not entirely pure, but they are indeed Two Qi of Yin and Yang.
There are many masters in the world of the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, but this is the first time I've seen one.
"This is my senior brother, Dong Tianbao. He had been in seclusion for many years and only recently broke through."
Zhang Sanfeng explained.
"I see, greetings, Grandmaster!"
Xu Long clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, showing the other party full respect.
No need for formalities.
Dong Tianbao was also very amiable and did not act arrogantly because of his seniority.
"My master said the problem lay with Zhang Shicheng, but I don't know what's going on?"
Xu Long then got back to business.
" Zhang Shicheng is dead, or rather, the entire Southern Allied Army has been annihilated."
Zhang Sanfeng erased the part representing Zhang Shicheng from the sand table, saying, "A demon is entrenched in the south and has already gained momentum."
"Monster?"
Upon hearing Zhang Sanfeng's words, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
Demons and monsters are just legends; only ordinary people would believe them.
These martial arts masters have roamed the world for many years. They wouldn't believe it even if Buddha came, let alone demons.
Other martial arts masters were merely skeptical, but Xu Long was filled with shock.
monster?
Did Zhang Sanfeng know about the demons?
Could it be?
Xu Long's expression remained unchanged, but when his gaze inadvertently fell upon Zhang Sanfeng and Dong Tianbao, he discovered that both of them were looking at him.
Okay!
Although he felt he had hidden it very well, he still gave himself away.
Or rather, it wasn't just him who was exposed; Zhang Sanfeng and Dong Tianbao were also exposed.