Man Need Not Appeal to Heaven

After Chu Tianshu used five clusters of relics to form a declaration of war.

Not long after, Xiao Liang also brought three sarira relics.

Under the oppressive aura of the two individuals, the relic continued to vaporize, and the power it emitted made that sliver of colorful light even clearer.

This place used to be a small town, not very big, probably only four or five hundred households.

However, the residents here, whose homes were previously planned and renovated, spontaneously pursued a more orderly layout.

Even though some houses on the same street have black tile roofs and others are just thatched huts, they all look about the same size.

The minor officials and local clerks who were exiled here were quite diligent in their work, encouraging people to dig latrines and build outhouses, and giving reasons for making it convenient to compost fertilizer for farming.

The streets weren't particularly dirty; only some alleyways, which were customarily chosen, were piled with useless junk and served as dwellings for beggars.

But now, this neat, simple riverside town, still covered with greenery, is completely deserted.

The townspeople either fled or died; the smell of corpses and burnt straw lingered throughout the town.

Although the fire was out, the smell of burning lingered.

Chu Tianshu placed the monks, who were pressed into cakes, at the intersection of streets on the northwest side of the town, where the terrain was slightly higher.

The smell of burning rose from the town, but it was dispersed by the wind from higher up when we got here.

"The mandate of God, how difficult it is to determine whether life or death is short..."

Xiao Liang stood on the street, gazing at the tragic scene in the town. After a few hoarse sounds, he murmured a poem from the Wei Dynasty.

"Some may grow old with gray hair, while others may encounter misfortune while pregnant..."

"The sorrow of the past has not yet subsided, and now new calamities have struck again..."

As he sighed, he heard the sound of chewing food beside him and turned his head to look.

Chu Tianshu pulled out a pancake from somewhere, already biting out a crescent-shaped opening, and his cheeks were slightly bulging.

Xiao Liang paused for a moment, then asked, "Why are you eating now?"

"There's nothing I can do. Whenever I see something that feels like a nightmare, I feel both thirsty and hungry. It's a condition I've had since I was a child."

Chu Tianshu took another big bite of the pancake, his voice and expression calm, "Especially knowing that the culprit should be arriving soon."

"My hunger would get even worse, like there was a fire or something burning in my stomach. I was so hungry and empty, I had to eat something to fill my stomach."

He pulled another piece of bread from his pocket, wrapped in a leaf.

"Want a piece? I got a lot of grain while I was killing people on the way, but I gave it all away. I only kept two good-looking cakes. You won't find them again after this village."

Xiao Liang thought for a moment, then accepted it.

Hmm, the texture of this biscuit is similar to the texture of Shitou he used to bite when he was bored.

For the average person, this kind of dry food should actually be soaked in water for at least fifteen minutes.

When Xiao Liang was wandering the world, he was very knowledgeable about dry rations, but now he has no mood to offer any corrections.

After taking a big bite of the flatbread, the cold and desolate feeling he had just experienced inexplicably faded a little.

Chu Tianshu casually asked, "Who wrote that poem you just wrote?"

"Have no idea."

Xiao Liang chewed on a biscuit, "When I was a child, I was a stable boy and couldn't go to school. Later, I felt resentful and wondered why only sons of noble families and daughters of noble families could be literary? So I went to read books like crazy."

"I read too much at once, and without seeking a deep understanding, I forgot a lot of it. Later, this habit of not seeking a deep understanding also lingered, and I never remembered the names of the poets when I read poems."

Chu Tianshu nodded, having already eaten the last piece of bread. He stuffed it into his mouth and patted the crumbs off his hands.

"My impression of this poem is actually half based on the last line."

Xiao Liang continued.

"The sky is high and has no steps; to whom can I confide this sorrow?"

The place where the gods live is so high up, and there are no steps to climb.

To whom can I appeal to the bitterness and hatred in my heart?

Chu Tianshu listened to the lingering echo of those words and looked towards the distant sky.

"They're here! They came pretty quickly!"

There seemed to be a large patch of dark clouds on the horizon, moving towards this direction.

The call of this black eagle is high-pitched, clear, and extremely penetrating; it would normally be considered the most prestigious among birds.

However, when so many black eagles gather together, their cries are even more unpleasant than those of crows.

"They've come with such a large force; they seem utterly fearless. Let's destroy these relics first."

Xiao Liang laughed, "Their goal has shifted from obtaining the relic to dealing with us first."

Chu Tianshu observed the surging black eagles, and after changing his perspective, he found it to be nothing more than a vast expanse of light pollution, making it impossible to discern the real from the fake.

Based solely on spiritual perception, it seemed that within the Black Hawk, there was Dao Qi, three Dao Qi, or even more.

The exact quantity and precise location are both somewhat difficult to discern.

"Let's begin."

Chu Tianshu uttered these words without moving himself, while Xiao Liang beside him suddenly retreated.

As this renowned swordsman passed by the eight relics, a white shadow seemed to flash in his hand, moving swiftly to the left and right.

It seemed that the eight relics had all been struck at their very core, their most solid point, and were forcibly destroyed.

Because it wasn't triggered by the mutation of the Death-Claiming Sword Intent.

After these relics collapsed, they did not immediately explode into a dazzling white light.

Instead, it first shattered into colorful, ice-shard-like specks of light, which then scattered in an eruptive burst.

Within a radius of two or three miles, traces of these rapidly moving colored lights soon appeared in the sky and along the streets.

A massive black cloud loomed over the area.

The outlines of each black eagle that made up the dark cloud became clearer in the human eye.

A black eagle crashed into the colorful light spot, its body fading slightly for a moment.

It only took a moment for him to return to normal, but it didn't escape Chu Tianshu's eyes.

These colored dots are merely an appearance.

In fact, after the eight relics were detonated, there are now layers of ripples of consciousness spreading and colliding in this area.

The large flock of black hawks, some real and some fake, will inevitably cause disruption if they enter this area.

However, the person controlling the Black Hawk did not hesitate or back down for a moment.

Instead, it spurred all the Black Hawks to erupt once more, charging down with even greater speed.

Under such circumstances, even if one could see many black hawks, their shadows flickering.

They still couldn't discern the true location of the master.

Whoosh!!!

The frantic howling filled almost half the town.

The birdsong, the howling wind.

The houses that ordinary people painstakingly built were easily breached by the eagle.

Almost every roof had a dozen or so large holes torn open at the same time, and the mud walls were broken diagonally through.

The sounds of houses collapsing echoed from all directions, creating a continuous, deafening roar.

Chu Tianshu stood alone on the street, his long robe billowing in the wind, surrounded by the shadows of eagles and crumbling houses.

His expression remained unchanged in the wind.

But the light and shadows cast on his face seemed to change a hundred times in an instant.

Clang!! Clang clang clang!!!

Sparks suddenly flashed across Chu Tianshu's body, especially on his head, shoulders, and the outer sides of his arms.

It was as if an invisible blade was slicing through him at lightning speed, grazing his robes which were reinforced with internal energy.

It could ignite sparks when it clashed with his protective inner energy.

These invisible blades are more lethal than those eagles that smash through houses.

All of Eagle's attacks were just a feint, a distraction, a prelude.

The real attack is the Demonic Dao True Qi contained within the light.

The eagle's movement, the changing scenery around it.

All these factors result in a rapid and dense shift in light and shadow.

And each time, the shadow that fell on Chu Tianshu moved away and was replaced by light in an instant.

That was already a ruthless attack.

The changing light and shadows of the sky are all tools of warfare!

In comparison, Shen Minglai nothing more than a toddler learning to walk on this path.

The one who controlled the flying eagle was a learned scholar in Spring and Autumn Annals prime.

If an Iron Man were here, he would have been unknowingly and undetectedly cut into pieces.

However, since Chu Tianshu studied the Mountain Hermit's Sun-Boiling True Scripture" and taught others, his foundation has become even more solid.

These attacks weren't even enough to make him raise his hand.

"A trivial skill!"

As Chu Tianshu spoke, a hand suddenly appeared from the air to his left.

This hand, the color of gold lacquer, had a faint, shimmering sheen on its surface when it was extended.

This hand movement was not silent; in fact, it changed four different vibration frequencies in the blink of an eye.

When Chu Tianshu speaks, his thoughts and sound waves are emitted simultaneously, which is also a way to enhance detection. If there is a foreign object nearby, he can detect that something is wrong.

However, this hand turned the tables on it.

The vibration frequency of his palm, from the sound wave level to the mental level, was similar to the four words Chu Tianshu spoke.

This is also a kind of Palm Thunder skill. Many sects of Daoism have their own unique interpretations of Palm Thunder, and this one originated from Kongtong.

Now, however, it has become a demonic art, and also the ultimate skill of the Hou Clan, one of the three great families of the Southern Dynasty.

"The Secret Techniques of Kongtong Palm Thunder with Ding-Jia Qimen Secret Formula"!

Dingjia emphasizes the determination to defeat the enemy, while Qimen focuses on the concept of "escape".

Hou Tianyuan's attack at this moment was like water dissolving into water, and fire disappearing into fire.

It was as if he were drunk and drifting on the river, leaving no trace, living up to his reputation as one of the Six Patriarchs of the Southern Dynasty.

However, in order to strike Chu Tianshu, he would ultimately need to break through the Gang Qi first.

In that brief, lightning-fast moment when their palms and qi touched, Chu's physical movements were as fast as his internal energy movements, his left arm swaying.

Chu Tianshu's elbow slammed out, striking Hou Tianyuan's palm.

This is "Weituo Presents the Vajra" from the Shaolin Fist.

Tathagata the Buddha could command Skanda to offer the pestle, presenting the golden pestle forward.

This move, "Weituo Presents the Vajra," involves sending the vajra horizontally, which would cause even a Bodhisattva to stumble.

The aura surrounding Hou Tianyuan, which he used to conceal himself, was cracked by Chu Tianshu's attack, shattering outwards like diamond glass.

But when the glass shattered, it revealed not just one shadow, but three.

Dugu Jue and Xiao Zhenru stood behind Hou Tianyuan, each already striking Hou Tianyuan's back with a palm strike.

Chu Tianshu's elbow strike caused the three to appear simultaneously, but they also discovered that their power had failed to penetrate Hou Tianyuan's body.

However, a tremendous, indescribable force reversed the situation.

It was like a solid little mountain weighing millions of pounds, suddenly propelled by an even greater force, rolling towards you.

Dugu Jue and the others had long anticipated that an individual's foundation might not be as strong as Chu Tianshu's.

Dividing and attacking them separately makes it difficult to guarantee that the offensives will arrive simultaneously.

Therefore, the first move required the combined efforts of all three.

All three of them possessed demonic powers and were adept at transformation.

In that instant, their foundations were connected, as if they had been practicing the same technique since childhood, sharing the same mind and energy.

Chu Tianshu also found it difficult to withstand the power of this attack.

But in his eyes, tiny, golden-blue human silhouettes suddenly flickered and overlapped.

Golden Toad Taiji, Toad Art Palm Thunder...

Absolute technique, Four Seasons Tremble in Unison!!

Celestial Person Resonance; the heart is in harmony with nature.

On a clear, bright day, in the four directions of Chu Tianshu— east, west, south, and north—each is ten paces apart.

Four bolts of lightning suddenly appeared!

A bright white lightning bolt stretched from the sky to the earth.

Before the thunderous roar could erupt, the lightning was already clearly visible, connecting heaven and earth.

Hou Tianyuan felt that the combined power of the three of them had clearly been locked onto the target in front of them, but suddenly the power split apart.

An invisible, immense force pierced through the air and slammed into the four bolts of lightning.

It was as if those four bolts of lightning were Chu Tianshu's true form.

This is precisely the mystery of "Four Seasons Tremble in Unison".

Through the Celestial Person Resonance, four bolts of lightning were summoned.

The aura emanating from the four lightning bolts was strikingly similar to that of Chu Tianshu at this moment.

It can act as a temporary substitute for Chu Tianshu in various ways, such as locking onto True Qi and mind, and using curses and spells.

Four bolts of lightning were, of course, far from being able to withstand such immense force.

It shattered and vanished on the spot.

But because the attack was severed so cleanly, those four attack forces could have potentially been transmitted back to Chu Tianshu's original body through a medium.

Now, however, all their efforts have been in vain, as if four large cannons had been fired in mid-air.

Chu Tianshu noticed the immense pressure on his elbow was unbearable, but it instantly subsided to a tolerable level.

"Just wait to die!"

With a burst of willpower, he suddenly flipped his left hand and grabbed Hou Tianyuan's wrist.

His right hand and Hou Tianyuan's other hand's golden cauldron had collided six times in the gaps between their three thoughts.

They all prioritize speed above all else, disregarding even accuracy.

Scattered red dots appeared on the back of Chu Tianshu's right hand.

Hou Tianyuan's golden cauldron was smashed into a golden disc, and several bloody holes appeared on his hand.

The immense power of Dugu Jue and Xiao Zhenru surged forth once more.

They each had one hand still on hand, guarding against Xiao Liang, who had suddenly disappeared after the battle began.

However, Hou Tianyuan no longer had any spare hands.

A sword appeared in an instant.

This sword is slender, sharp, strong, and trembles slightly.

The sword's blade is as if sculpted from crystal, with many cloud-like white threads inside, appearing chaotic and disordered.

However, at the moment the sword is drawn, because the speed of the sword is fast enough, the messy patterns on the blade appear to others as an orderly dragon scale pattern.

No, it's not a dragon. A dragon is far more unrestrained and wild.

This sword is more like a mystical white snake.

Wandering through desolate history books, slipping through the gaps in the world of martial arts.

The White Snake makes its first move.

Even though Dugu Jue had grabbed the sword with his empty hand at all costs, he couldn't hold onto the cool sensation in his hand.

Hou Tianyuan felt a chill run down his spine.

The sword pierced his right temple and emerged from the left.

The gods live so high up, to whom can I pour out my bitterness and hatred?

Xiao Liang had read this poem when he was young. He had nowhere to appeal, and in the end, he killed the patriarch of the East Sea Xiao Family on his own.

Over the past twenty years, Marquis of Pengcheng's cultivation has deepened, and his divine sword has become increasingly solidified without his knowledge. He feels that he is more easily warmed, but in reality, his heart is more easily chilled.

The path of refining treasures is affecting his cultivation and suppressing his state of mind.

But during the time he spent with Chu Tianshu, he unknowingly felt as if he had broken free from the mire.

The gods are not here.

I appeal to the sword!

Hou Tianyuan cultivates the Demonic Dao, and his soul's vitality is far more tenacious than his physical body, making it fierce and difficult to destroy.

It could be penetrated into the brain by the Sword Intent refined from the Penglai General Principles, and shattered into thin threads with a single blow.

He knew this battle would be dangerous, but he hadn't expected Chu Tianshu's foundation and intentions to be so profound.

What he never expected was that once he was hit by a sword, he would not have a second chance.

In his dying moments, Hou Tianyuan's only solace was seeing two shadows fall behind Chu Tianshu.

Those two Demonic Dao Evil Spirit seized the opportunity when Chu Tianshu had just exhausted his strength to the extreme, and then locked it to the extreme, leaving him with no way to dissipate it.

With unparalleled Buddhist light and demonic intent, it shone upon Chu Tianshu's back and the back of his head.

(End of this chapter)