Eve of the Decisive Battle

[Three: Daoist Jinlian, how is your cultivation recovery going?]

[Nine: This humble Daoist has recovered to the second rank and is now consolidating his realm. Ah, after the Black Lotus's will is extinguished, refining it will no longer pose any obstacle.]

[Part 3: Luo Yuheng is about to undergo his tribulation.]

Xu Qi'an's words left the members of the Heaven and Earth Society both surprised and delighted, as well as worried and anxious.

The surprise was, of course, because if Luo Yuheng could reach the realm of a terrestrial immortal, Great Feng would have one more first-rank expert, and only then would it truly have the strength to contend with Yunzhou.

The worry stems from the fact that this also means facing a fierce counterattack from Yunzhou's extraordinary forces. The Garuda Tree and the White Emperor are enough to sweep away Great Feng, not to mention the cunning Warlock Xu Pingfeng.

One wrong move and the Imperial Advisor could very well perish.

[Three: Master Jinlian, how much do you know about the Heavenly Tribulation of the Daoist School?]

[Nine: This is a secret of the Daoist School. Fine, I'll tell you about it.]

Everyone knows that the first rank in Daoist School is called "Land Immortal," but few people know the core power of this realm. Land Immortals transcend reincarnation, are not bound by the Five Elements, and can turn stones into gold and move mountains and seas.

[This description hints at the two core abilities of terrestrial immortals: an indestructible body and the power to transform the mundane into the miraculous.]

[Three: Indestructible through countless eons? Is this the same as a martial artist's immortality?]

Xu Qi'an was particularly sensitive to "indestructible through countless eons" because he had just heard about the special nature of the First Grade Great Perfection from Shen Shu.

[Nine: Of course not. If the Daoist School system has to be categorized, there are two paths: Golden Core and Nascent Soul are one path, and Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit are another. The second-grade tribulation is the process of merging the two paths.]

The ultimate path of the Golden Core Elixir is one of indestructibility, its characteristic being immunity to all Law Technique. The ultimate path of the Yin Spirit is the condensation of the four elements of earth, wind, water, and fire into the physical body.

[Daoist School texts record that all things in heaven and earth are composed of earth, wind, water, and fire. Therefore, upon reaching the realm of terrestrial immortals, one possesses the power to turn stone into gold and transform the rotten into the miraculous. Of course, the Warlock System believes that the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are the fundamental source constituting all things in heaven and earth.]

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society listened with rapt attention, and even Lina seemed to find it quite impressive.

Look at that, look at the first rank of the Daoist School, it sounds so high and mighty. Compared to that, a first-rank martial artist is simply vulgar. Xu Qi'an silently complained.

However, the martial arts system is a special case. Strictly speaking, the martial arts system does not have a super grade. It was the Confucian sage who forcibly divided "Martial God" into two grades.

According to Xu Qi'an's own speculation, this should be because the "Martial God" is special. Throughout the endless ages, the ceiling for all martial artists is that only when "essence, energy, and spirit" are united can one advance further.

The combination of these three elements only provides the conditions to become a Martial God, but it already rivals the first rank of other systems, so this stage is simply classified as the first rank.

However, since this is only the beginning of the God of War series, the name is left blank.

Shen Shu is called a half-step Martial God because he has cultivated this stage to its extreme.

[Nine: The Heavenly Tribulation is divided into five levels. The first level is the Golden Core Tribulation, the second level is the Wind and Thunder Tribulation, the third level is the Earth and Thunder Tribulation, the fourth level is the Water and Thunder Tribulation, and the fifth level is the Thunder and Fire Tribulation.]

[The Five Heavenly Tribulations are divided into two stages, corresponding to the two major abilities of a terrestrial immortal, and last for thirteen days. Only by overcoming these five tribulations and fusing the Yang Spirit with the physical body can one achieve the realm of a terrestrial immortal.]

On the 13th, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

Currently, the Great Feng side has five second-rank officials, but Luo Yuheng, who has undergone tribulation, cannot be counted in the combat strength, leaving only Xu Qi'an, Jin Lian, Asuluo, and Kou Yangzhou.

Could four second-rank officials withstand the combined might of the Gara Tree and the White Emperor for thirteen days?

The answer is no.

[Nine: Don't panic. As I said, the Heavenly Tribulation is divided into two stages. After the Golden Core Tribulation, there will be a ten-day period of calm to give the one undergoing the tribulation time to consolidate their "indestructible body."]

The Golden Core Tribulation and the "Four Great Dharma Aspects Tribulation" are different and belong to different stages.

[Question 1: Could we request the assistance of the Celestial Venerable of the Heavenly Sect?]

Huaiqing asked.

[Two: Impossible!]

[Seven: Don't think about it.]

The Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix of the Heavenly Sect immediately rejected her proposal.

[Four: But I remember that the conflict between the Celestial Person and the human realm was extremely important to the Celestial Venerable.]

[Second: Don't forget what our Heavenly Sect cultivates—it's the Supreme Detachment from Emotions. The struggle between Celestial Person and Man is indeed important to the Heavenly Sect, but personal feelings and purposes cannot sway the Heavenly Venerable.]

In other words, if the Celestial Venerable were to interfere in Luo Yuheng's tribulation due to personal feelings or purposes, then he would not be the Supreme Being of Forgetfulness.

Forgetting feelings is not the same as being heartless, but from a certain perspective, forgetting feelings is indeed being heartless.

They are fundamentally different, but their outward appearances are similar.

They will not punish thieves for murder and arson, nor will they praise good people for doing good deeds.

The ultimate goal of transcending emotions is to Celestial Person.

Heaven and Earth are impartial; they neither punish the wicked nor reward the good.

[Nine: As for the people from the Heavenly Sect, you can't use them or win them over, so you might as well ignore them.]

On the contrary, Li Miaozhen and Li Lingsu might become a hidden danger. Master Jinlian decided to talk to Xu Qi'an disciples.

This is a problem.

If Tianzong wants to recycle waste and Xu Qi'an disagrees, it will definitely lead to conflict.

[Seven: The Gu Clan's extraordinary beings are of no help. How about we ask the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox and the Half-Step Martial God from the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons for assistance?]

[Eight: Once the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox and Shen Shu arrive in the Central Plains, the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons will be annihilated in an instant. Think before you speak; understand who your enemy is.]

Those bodhisattvas were all shrewd and calculating individuals, not to mention Xu Pingfeng, who was known for his scheming and planning.

After a long silence, the top scholar, one of the strategists of the Heaven and Earth Society, spoke:

Currently, there are only two options: strengthen our own forces or weaken the enemy's forces.

[Let's rule out the allies option for now and try increasing combat power, such as summoning the spirit of the Confucian sage.]

Huaiqing was the first to object:

[Firstly, the Supervisor has already summoned the spirit of the Confucian Sage once, and in the short term, the power of the carving knife and the Confucian hat is insufficient for another summoning. Furthermore, the power of a Superior grade item is too great; summoning the Confucian Sage would risk Xu Qi'an Qi'an's demise, as seen with Duke Wei and the Supervisor.]

Perhaps it's Curse; everyone who summons the spirit of the Confucian sage never has a good ending.

Huaiqing had no choice but to believe that this might be a backlash from Heavenly Dao.

She didn't want Xu Qi'an to take that risk.

Chu Yuanzhen continued:

[Then weaken the enemy and arrange for the Imperial Preceptor's tribulation to take place in the northern border. If the extraordinary experts of Yunzhou dare to come out in full force, we will directly crush Qingzhou and Yunzhou. Sun Xuanji is only a third-rank official, so there is no need for him to get involved in the tribulation battle.]

[Kou Yangzhou is a military man; his role overlaps with that of Number Eight and Number Three. He doesn't need to participate in the battle and can work with Sun Xuanji to pacify Qingyun and Liangzhou.]

Li Lingsu used her finger to write, "Do you think Xu Pingfeng won't see through your scheme? You need to think before you speak."

He suddenly froze, then quickly erased the words.

He understood Chu Yuanzhen's meaning and wasn't afraid of Xu Pingfeng seeing through his plan, because the core purpose of this strategy was to contain him.

Ji Xuan alone certainly couldn't stop Sun Xuanji and Kou Yangzhou, so Xu Pingfeng had to stay behind.

In other words, on the day of their tribulation, their only remaining enemies were the Gara Tree and the White Emperor.

Excluding some extraordinary individuals from the battlefield is indeed an effective way to prevent accidents, especially since Xu Pingfeng possesses Law Artifact left behind by the first Supervisor. Asuluo pondered for a moment, then sent a message:

Even so, the four of us are still no match for the Gara Tree and the White Emperor.

He agreed to kick Kou Yangzhou out of the team and choose Zhao Shou, a peak third-rank Zhao Shou, as his teammate. Although a second-rank martial artist's combat strength was definitely stronger than a third-rank Confucian School, Kou Yangzhou's abilities overlapped with those of Xu Qi'an and himself.

The methods of Confucian School are so unpredictable that they are unreasonable, making Zhao Shou's cost-effectiveness higher than Kou Yangzhou's.

In addition, Zhao Shou's offensive power is insufficient. If he were to face Xu Pingfeng, the two would be evenly matched at best.

But Kou Yangzhou is a martial artist. If he can seize the opportunity to get close to Ji Xuan or Ping Feng, it is possible that he can take them down in one fell swoop.

Xu Qi'an, the top scholar, was indeed quite capable. He rubbed his temples and sent a message:

See you in three days!

Xunzhou, the courtyard.

In the east room, Ye Ji placed the bronze fox-shaped incense burner on the tea table, lit the black sandalwood incense, and took a deep breath.

A wisp of smoke rose, and she took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke into her nostrils.

A moment later, a misty, clear light rose from his left eye, and a powerful will descended.

"Your Majesty, Luo Yuheng is about to undergo her tribulation."

Princess Yoru got straight to the point, stating her demands:

"Please, Your Majesty, lend a helping hand."

The nine-tailed celestial fox remained silent for a moment, then sighed:

"Love has clouded your judgment, made you lose your mind. This ruler controls Buddhist School, but is also controlled by Buddhist School; he can't help him."

Night Princess pleaded:

"But if you don't help him, who will? Yunzhou won't just stand by and watch Luo Yuheng successfully overcome his tribulation. You know best how powerful a first-rank expert is; Xu Lang has no chance of winning."

"If he loses, the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons will also face the crisis of annihilation."

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox said coldly:

"Are you doing this for the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, or for your lover? If any one of you sisters could advance to the Transcendent Realm, I would be confident in my ability to reach the First Rank. But you have only been born for a few hundred years, Bai Ji has not yet matured, and the gathering of the Nine-Tailed Fox is still a long way off. This is fate."

After scolding her, her tone softened, and she said:

"That kid is no ordinary person. Which of the extraordinary experts in the Great Feng is an ordinary person? Zhao Shou, Jin Lian, Asuluo, and that Empress. If the sky falls, they will hold it up."

"When did it become your place, a little fox, to worry about this?"

The nine-tailed fox suddenly felt a bit exasperated and said irritably:

"Destined to be a concubine, but with the heart of a principal wife."

Bureau of Astronomy.

Huaiqing, dressed in plain clothes, left his maids and eunuchs downstairs and went upstairs alone.

She wore a moon-white robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon, with intricate cloud patterns outlined in white thread, a jade belt around her waist, and a golden crown on her head.

This neutral-toned casual outfit, when worn by her, not only accentuated her imperial nobility but also perfectly complemented her cool and aloof temperament.

What are your orders, Your Majesty?

Upon hearing of the new emperor's arrival, Song Qing, the current head of the Bureau of Astronomy, reluctantly put down his Alchemy experiments and came to greet him.

Huaiqing said calmly:

"Open the door to the secret chamber; I wish to see Duke Wei."

Song Qing immediately took out a large bunch of keys and opened the iron door one by one, a door that even a fourth-rank martial artist couldn't handle, but whose walls could be punched through with a single punch, making it utterly useless.

"Step back!"

Huaiqing gave the instructions.

Song Qing happily went back to do the experiment.

Huaiqing entered the secret chamber, passed through the outer chamber where various Law Artifact and experimental samples were placed, and came to the inner chamber. Sunlight shone in through the air vent, and on the soft couch in the inner chamber lay a man in blue robes.

His face was handsome, and his temples were slightly frosted.

"Duke Wei, when you handed the Nightwatchers's secret weapon to me that day, were you implying that I should declare myself emperor?"

Huaiqing sat by the bed, gazing at the sleeping middle-aged man, and sighed:

"Your plans are flawless, but did you foresee the White Emperor?"

"If the Great Feng can survive this calamity, you will be reborn. If you cannot, you and the Empress Dowager can only continue your predestined relationship in the next life."

Arantha.

Beneath the Bodhi tree, the Bodhisattva Guangxian sat cross-legged with his palms together, gazing at the shadow of the Gara tree projected by the golden alms bowl, and said:

"The Heavenly Tribulation of the Daoist School is divided into two phases, lasting thirteen days. It will be extremely difficult for Luo Yuheng to successfully overcome the tribulation. However, you must not be careless and must not be caught up in the tribulation."

His voice was indistinguishable between male, female, young, and old.

The Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree pondered and said:

"You mean, they most likely intend to use this heavenly tribulation to use one enemy to devour another?"

The crystal Bodhisattva on the other side spoke in an emotionless tone:

"Otherwise, how could they defeat you and that descendant of Gods and Devils?"

Gara Tree nodded and said:

"Is Du'e still in Aranya?"

Bodhisattva Guangxian responded:

"He spreads Mahayana Buddhism daily; his Buddha-nature is profound, unlike that of Asura."

The three bodhisattvas did not look too pleased when this traitor was mentioned.

Bodhisattva Guangxian changed the subject:

"This battle will determine the success or failure of the war in the Central Plains; we must not be careless."

The Bodhisattva of the Garuda Tree nodded.

Xunzhou.

Yang Gong calmly swept his gaze across both sides. On the left were the former military and civil officials of Qingzhou, and on the right were the leaders of the four tribes of Li Mubai, Zhang Shen, Xu Erlang, and the Gu Clan, as well as the four members of the Heaven and Earth Society: Li Miaozhen, Li Lingsu, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan.

And then there's Yang Qianhuan, standing in the corner, stubbornly turning the back of her head towards everyone.

"This should be the last meeting."

Yang Gong's tone and eyes were equally calm:

"You all carry your own heavy burdens. After this battle, regardless of whether Yongzhou is defended or not, some of you, including myself, will remain on the battlefield forever."

Anyone could see that this battle was a matter of life and death for the Great Feng Dynasty, and would determine the fate of Great Feng and Yunzhou.

"At the beginning of the war, the Great Feng treasury was empty and the people were impoverished. From Qingzhou to Yongzhou, tens of thousands of elite soldiers died on the battlefield. Along the way, we solved the problems of troop strength, food and supplies, and lack of allies."

"Not long ago, we lost our supervisor, but we still managed to pull through. Now, I hope that you all, and I hope that the Great Feng, can also pull through."

Yang Gong placed his hands on the table, his voice low and somber:

"Xu Yinluo once inscribed a message in the Hall of the Second Sage at the Cloud Deer Academy. I was not fortunate enough to witness it in person, but I have kept it firmly in my heart."

"To establish a moral compass for Heaven and Earth, to Establishing Destiny for the people, to continue lost learning for the deceased, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations."

His voice suddenly rose in pitch:

"In chaotic times, one should die when death is inevitable."

"I earnestly request you all to bravely face death for the Great Feng and for the Central Plains!"

Ten days have passed since the siege of Xunzhou. The Yunzhou army is ready to go, with cavalry, infantry, artillery, and flying beast cavalry camps gathering in various parts of Qingzhou.

The main hall of the Qingzhou Provincial Administration Commission.

Qi Guangbo, dressed in full military attire, rested one hand on his sword, surveyed the soldiers around the table, and said in a deep voice:

"Our success or failure hinges on this! Gentlemen, join me in crushing Yongzhou!"

Ji Xuan stood up first and said, word by word:

"Flatten Yongzhou!"

The generals all stood up and responded loudly:

"Flatten Yongzhou!"

On this day, Qingzhou was struck by thunder and lightning, and torrential rain poured down.

The people and soldiers in the city saw a strange beast with dragon horns, lion mane, crocodile lips, and ox nose flying over Qingzhou.

The auspicious beast Bai Di of Yunzhou has returned to the Nine Provinces.

The morale of the Yunzhou army soared.

PS: The good news is that I'm slowly sorting out my thoughts, and I have a better idea of how to write next and how to build plot tension. The bad news is that there will only be one update today. Time for bed.