Caozhou, Heze

Boom!!

A large burst of crimson light erupted from the wilderness.

The few remaining fierce birds in the forest could no longer bear it, flapped their wings and took flight, calling out as they flew away.

As for the other birds, foxes, rabbits, and wild animals in the vicinity, they had long since vanished without a trace.

Chu Tianshu stood on the edge of a large expanse of scorched mountain land, where thick blue smoke was still rising from the crater in the center of the mountain.

This mountainous area was originally a small swamp, where many poisonous insects and rodents hid.

Every summer, the area is scorched by the sun, producing miasma that drifts through the forest.

But recently, Chu Tianshu has been practicing his martial arts here in the mornings.

Over the course of so many days, this small swamp has been baked into a scorched earth, with craters everywhere.

The surface is mostly grayish-black, with only the cracks revealing the original greenish-blue soil.

"Another one exploded."

Chu Tianshu was not discouraged. He muttered something to himself, then raised his right hand and channeled his energy from his right elbow to his right wrist with his left palm, silently circulating his internal energy.

A red light, resembling a cross, burst forth from his topaz-like right palm.

Then the red light arched upwards, transforming into a human silhouette about an inch tall.

The crimson humanoid shape flickered and changed rapidly, because it was small in size and was formed from pure qi.

The same move, when executed by this human silhouette, is much faster than when Chu Tianshu's real body does it.

The Samadhi Power Hand Seal is a set of moves that Chu Tianshu created by combining the "Storming Shaolin Fist Art" and the "Vertical and Horizontal Simple Seal".

The complete set consists of nine main moves and seventy-two variations of body movements and hand seals.

Because it has a main thread running through it, it can be considered a complete set of martial arts.

It is also possible to condense this entire set of martial arts into a single move through the practice of the "Penglai Supreme Method General Principles".

However, to condense a set of martial arts techniques into a single ultimate move.

The most crucial aspect of this standard is not only controlling the True Qi form but also executing the complete set of moves.

It cannot be deliberately controlled by people; it requires meticulous adjustments throughout the entire process.

It must be that, with just the thought of using this move, without thinking of anything else, all the variations of this move have already been layered together, and it can be used.

With the aid of the token and the opportunity to discuss with Xiao Liang, Chu Tianshu has already begun to show promise in his cultivation of the "Penglai Supreme Method General Principles".

When practicing this general outline, one should have prior understanding of other techniques as a foundation.

He first practiced with several sets of Southern Shaolin martial arts, and successfully condensed them into an ultimate move.

However, the difficulty increases significantly when using the "Samadhi Power Hand Seal" to practice moves, and even now, I still cannot guarantee success every time.

Buzz!!

The human silhouette suddenly shone brightly.

Chu Tianshu reacted quickly and threw it out.

The crater that had just been bombed exploded again with a loud bang, a blinding red light, and billowing smoke.

After the red light faded, the high temperature inside the pit continued, the air appeared to be distorted, and layers of hot air radiated outwards.

Lately, whenever he failed to condense a technique, he was prone to exploding, which was why Chu Tianshu had specifically come to the desolate mountains to practice.

"I succeeded twice yesterday..."

After pondering for a moment, Chu Tianshu decided to rest for a while and go back to the manor to see his retainers.

He always returned to the manor without anyone noticing.

The guests were unaware that the person behind the screen had actually changed.

Especially recently, two other people have been frequently visiting the manor, and the retainers have been able to receive guidance from these two, leaving them no time to attend to anything else.

Chu Tianshu was like a wisp of smoke, descending from the back of the manor, passing over the courtyard wall, and disappearing in a flash amidst the artificial hills and bamboo groves.

The place where the bronze statue of the Weapon Soul usually instructs his retainers is the small pavilion in the heart of the lake.

The lake is often shrouded in mist, and all the guests are on the south bank.

Chu Tianshu came from the north bank and suddenly arrived at the pavilion.

Besides the bronze figure sitting motionless, Lu Yuande and Xiao Liang were also present.

Lu Yuande's left leg and left hand have almost fully recovered, and recently he has also been able to use his right hand to support himself with crutches.

In addition, he already possessed profound internal strength, so he could move around almost without any hindrance with just a cane.

Outsiders would never guess that just a few months ago, he was an elderly man with all four limbs crippled.

Xiao Liang sat opposite him, and the two of them were writing down some theories on internal cultivation, taking turns to read them.

"This ' Sun-Boiling True Scripture' is truly marvelous, but its study is vastly different from contemporary martial arts, making it extremely difficult."

Upon seeing Chu Tianshu arrive, Xiao Liang immediately said, "First, use the principles of Internal Elixir to verify contemporary internal martial arts techniques, and then extend that to the Sun-Boiling True Scripture. That will make things much easier."

Chu Tianshu sat to the side and picked up a card to look at.

He picked up a piece of paper casually, which described the step of "setting up the furnace" in the Internal Elixir method.

This is a method to strengthen one's dantian (lower abdomen).

It can be found in some of the secret techniques of treasure refining and cultivation in this world, and they can complement each other.

"We need your help with things like this."

Chu Tianshu originally planned to simplify the Sun-Boiling True Scripture" once he had gained a deeper understanding of it, adopting a top-down perspective.

Now, Xiao Liang and the others are filling the gaps step by step from the bottom up. Chu Tianshu, observing this process, also had some thoughts.

"I think there's one more thing that could be changed here. The heart is the sovereign fire, belonging to the highest level of samadhi, and is also the central hub of qi and blood, the location of the martial fire in alchemy..."

"The step of 'setting up the furnace' not only strengthens the dantian, but also helps to unblock the flow of qi and blood..."

Chu Tianshu offered his suggestion, then leaned against a small table nearby, picked up a new sheet of paper with one hand, and began to browse it, nodding occasionally. His demeanor and expressions gradually became languid and warm.

The techniques and methods of the Penglai General Principles are all based on the application of internal energy.

Every morning, he would indulge in practice and showcase his skills, and in the afternoon, he would study the Sun-Boiling True Scripture, which gave him a comfortable feeling of gradually filling himself up.

Xiao Liang said with delight, "Good! I didn't expect that while I possess the Penglai General Principles, you also have such a wonderful method."

"Those monks at Celebration of the Sage Temple are trying to flatter you to death. I think when they actually make their move, the two of us might be able to kill them first by joining forces."

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu couldn't help but ask, "If we were to storm Celebration of the Sage Temple right now, how confident are we in killing Qingsheng and Wubei?"

Xiao Liang pondered, "It's too early to say right now."

Lu Yuande laughed and said, "The Monk Qingsheng has been famous for too long. It wouldn't be surprising if his scheme of flattery to kill took two or three years to complete. As long as he doesn't know our true progress in cultivation, we still have plenty of time."

Chu Tianshu shook his head.

"The act of presenting the Bronze Longevity Immortal was a bit strange. It didn't seem like a simple act of flattery; it felt like there was another meaning behind it, which made me unable to focus on anything else."

Xiao Liang said, "You mentioned this before. I've already asked Pengcheng to investigate any suspicious news circulating in the martial arts world recently, to find the clues and do a thorough investigation."

He hadn't let go of the matter of the Yellow Mountain Ancestor. Even if Chu Tianshu didn't make any demands, he would still investigate the news in the martial arts world more thoroughly.

Unfortunately, based on the conclusions that have been sent over so far, there is still no clue about Yellow Mountain.

As they were talking, the old scholar suddenly entered the manor, stepped onto the floating bridge over the lake, and in a few swaying movements, arrived at the small pavilion.

"More news?"

Chu Tianshu looked up and noticed that the old scholar's expression was quite different from the previous times. A thought struck him, and he sat up straight.

"It's still not related to Yellow Mountain, but there's another very suspicious thing."

The old scholar cut to the chase, "We previously discovered a large army heading towards Jiyin Commandery from Pengcheng, but at the time we didn't find it strange..."

Jiyin Commandery was located on the border between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and was basically divided into half by each dynasty.

The half belonging to the Northern Dynasty was renamed "Caozhou" several decades ago.

The half belonging to the Southern Dynasty is because it contains Heze, Lei Marsh, Daye Marsh, Mengzhu Marsh, and other places recorded in the "Tribute of Yu".

The Southern Dynasty simply referred to the entire area as "Heze".

In today's world, although there is some tacit understanding among those who Attaining the Dao.

The Xiao Clan, for example, has even openly formed an alliance with Celebration of the Sage Temple.

However, each prefecture and county also has its own factions, especially in border areas, where some friction is inevitable.

Apart from Denglai Mountain Market, it was common for troops to be stationed on the border in other places, to deter each other, and to engage in several relatively restrained battles.

Of course, neither Fang Zhen dared to achieve a decisive victory and press their advantage.

In general, minor skirmishes are not the Attaining the Dao of those who have attained enlightenment. However, if one side's commander pursues the enemy too aggressively, the other side's Attaining the Dao leader might strike first upon hearing the news.

Let's test your brain, commander-in-chief, and see if it's as hard as your military strategies.

Therefore, Pengcheng did not pay much attention when he first received news of troop movements. Recently, he was ordered to thoroughly investigate all kinds of news, and when he discovered that the troop movements were too frequent and too many were being deployed, he went out and arrested a suspect.

This question, however, raised an even bigger point of doubt.

"The troops that were previously mobilized were from Shangqiu, Xuchang, and other places, which are relatively close to Heze. But the troops that have been mobilized recently were from Jining, Linyi, and other places."

The old scholar, fearing his explanation might not be clear enough, unfolded a map in his hand.

Chu Tianshu immediately noticed that Jining and Linyi were both very close to Denglai Mountain Market.

It could even be said that the troops stationed in these areas were right next to Denglai Mountain Market.

"According to information obtained from interrogating a battalion commander in Pengcheng, there had been rumors circulating among the upper and middle-ranking officers in the military camps of Jining and Linyi."

"It was said that a battle would be fought between the north and south at Denglai Mountain Market. After confirming the news, all the mid-level generals were very excited, feeling that they could take the opportunity to make a fortune."

"But not long ago, when the military order was actually issued, they changed their tune and reassigned them to the Heze area."

Heze is a place with a thriving population, but compared to Denglai Mountain Market, it is far inferior.

These generals were notorious for looting whenever they went to war.

The prosperity of Denglai Mountain Market under their very noses for so many years had long been causing them great anxiety.

The inconsistency in their statements from above caused them considerable resentment, and it wasn't too difficult to pry them open up during the interrogation.

"They were out of touch with the military and might have assumed it was just a matter of their previous statements being inaccurate, but we've uncovered the turning point in their statements..."

The old scholar took a deep breath and said heavily.

"It was only after the three great Attaining the Dao masters died at Denglai Mountain Market that they changed their tune!"

They knew that the troops had been transferred and were no longer heading towards Denglai Mountain Market.

The old scholar was still shaken; his withered fingers trembled slightly, not from fear, but from shock, anger, and annoyance.

Denglai Mountain Market has been largely peaceful for over a hundred years.

Although death is common, being attacked by a large army is a distant memory, so distant that people subconsciously feel it was a place that has been peaceful for a long time.

With so many powerful forces interfering and reaping profits here, how could they possibly allow the armies of two dynasties to invade and plunder at will?

Although the old scholar and his companions were certainly capable of protecting themselves and escaping with their skills, they still dared not imagine what kind of human tragedy might unfold here.

You mean...

Xiao Liang frowned and said, "Originally, they planned to launch a simultaneous attack in all areas from Denglai Mountain Market to Heze."

"Is it because of Chu Tianshu's presence that we temporarily avoided Denglai Mountain Market?"

The old scholar nodded vigorously.

Lu Yuande also understood. "Such tacit understanding, doesn't that mean that this war is neither a matter of the Northern Dynasty wanting to conquer the south, nor a matter of the Southern Dynasty wanting to launch a northern expedition?"

"It's not that they're colluding, forming alliances, or plotting against each other at the highest levels..."

When Lu Yuande uttered those four words, his tone was strange, and a sense of absurdity was palpable.

After so many years of confrontation between the two dynasties, they have actually managed to exchange information this time, clearly indicating that their goal is not to kill each other.

What other target could there be? Only the local people!

Did the high-ranking officials of both dynasties collude to harm the local people and jointly suppress their rebellion?

Lu Yuande felt that he couldn't even dream of something so absurd.

Chu Tianshu also fell silent.

In fact, there were instances where internal and external traitors colluded to suppress the people in order to target the rebel army.

It can only be said that the local veterans are still in the early stages of history and lack experience.

However, neither Heze nor Denglai Mountain Market had experienced an uprising before.

Denglai Mountain Market was even home to high-ranking officials from both the Northern and Southern Dynasties, who made a fortune there.

If it weren't for the appearance of Chu Tianshu, this person from another world, this place could be described as a gold mine for several major families and sects.

However, even before Chu Tianshu appeared, they had already mobilized and prepared in the camp to carry out a sneak attack here.

What kind of benefits would it take to make them make this decision?!

I understand it even less now.

Xiao Liang's expression was blank. "Without precious Demonic Dao artifacts, one must be at least at the third-rate cultivation level to begin practicing the demonic path. Allowing the army to wreak havoc and ravage the people will not increase the number of Demonic Dao disciples."

"Even if the Xiao Clan also switched to the Demonic Dao, for those who Attaining the Dao, going to the battlefield to instill demonic energy in ordinary people is like going insane; it simply cannot provide sufficient benefits..."

Chu Tianshu suddenly stood up. "I'll go to Heze first."

I'll go too.

Xiao Liang stood up, his eyebrows raised, his voice sinister, and the rumpled folds on his robe resembled brutal sword marks.

"Laozi 'm done!!"

Whatever the reason, he had to go and prevent it from becoming a battlefield.

(End of this chapter)