Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

On the mountaintop.

After thanking Lin Yuexi, Jiang Ning looked away from the Ten Domains Sky Patrol Token in his hand.

"This Ten Domains Sky Patrol Token from Haoyang's true lineage is indeed extraordinary," Jiang Ning muttered to himself, gazing at the token in his hand.

Although Lin Yuexi and Bai Li's words were only a few words, they revealed a corner of the truth of the world to him.

The river of time flows, the land of nothingness returns, and true immortals witness the truth of the world!

This information was far more systematic and more shocking than the fragmented records he had seen in the ancient books of the Daoist temple.

"So, the world we live in is just a ripple in the river of time." Jiang Ning looked up at the sky, his gaze seemingly piercing through the clouds, seeing the vast, formless river that carries everything.

After achieving the status of a Primordial Spirit Immortal, he already felt that the world had become smaller, and now it seems that it was not an illusion.

Rather, his perception has begun to touch upon the deeper structure of the world.

However, he has not yet truly seen the truth of the world, and has not been able to break free from the constraints of the river like a true immortal, and see clearly the true relationship between himself and the world.

"True Immortal." Jiang Ning murmured these two words to himself, a hint of longing flashing in his eyes.

According to Lin Yuexi, only by becoming a true immortal can one truly transcend the constraints of heaven and earth, see the truth of the river of time, and even have the ability to influence the course of the river.

That level of attainment is far beyond what he can achieve now, as a Nascent Soul Immortal.

In this day and age, this path is no longer viable.

Unless we wait some more years, until the ten domains merge and converge into one great world.

Only when the natural world recovers can the true path to immortality be reopened.

At this moment, the image of the woman in the ice coffin and the woman in the Moon Palace in the Water Moon Sword Palace that he had seen before resurfaced in his mind.

His memory of both of them was vague.

But he knew that the two must be extremely beautiful.

Such beings are already flawless beings, truly possessing celestial bodies and jade-like bones.

As he pondered, he looked toward the Water Moon Sword Palace in the direction of Dongling County.

A moment of hesitation flashed in his eyes, but it quickly turned into determination.

next moment.

His mind swept over Jieshan County, a hundred miles away, and then transformed into a streak of black and white rainbow light, soaring into the sky.

It was only for a fleeting moment.

A streak of black and white light pierced through the entire sky.

It's as if the sky has been divided in two.

Chengde Palace.

The stench of blood still lingered in front of Chengde Hall.

Ji Mingyuan stared at his third brother Ji Mingyu's gradually cooling corpse on the ground, his face devoid of sorrow or joy.

With a calm expression, he bent down and picked up the longsword that had fallen to the ground, its blade still stained with dark red blood.

"Clean it up," he ordered calmly.

The death of his blood brother, to whom he shared a deep bond, did not seem to have much impact on his mental state.

The golden-armored imperial guards quickly stepped forward and began cleaning up the scene.

The movements were practiced skillfully, clearly indicating that they had rehearsed countless times.

Just then, a scout in light armor rushed over, knelt on one knee, and said in a suppressed, urgent voice, "Your Highness! The Chengqian Palace... has failed!"

Ji Mingyuan's grip on the sword tightened slightly, the blade reflecting a cold light in the morning light.

Explain clearly.

The scout lowered his head and said, "The thirty elite assassins sent by General Shen were ambushed outside Chengqian Palace and were all wiped out. The Eighth Prince is currently safe and sound."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air froze.

Ji Mingyuan slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on Shen Mengyun, who was not far to his side.

The woman was still wearing bright silver armor, her ponytail was tied high, her long sword was hanging down in her hand, and her expression was calm to the point of being indifferent.

Their eyes met, and Shen Mengyun met his gaze without flinching.

Ji Mingyuan suddenly smiled, then raised his hand and waved gently.

"Everyone, follow me to Chengqian Palace."

The golden-armored imperial guards responded in unison, and the clanging of their armor resounded like a tidal wave.

The three hundred elite troops quickly formed ranks, their blades shifted, and they marched toward Chengqian Palace on the other side of the palace.

Chengqian Palace is the palace where the Eighth Prince, Ji Minghao, resides.

At this moment, Shen Mengyun silently followed behind, gripping her long sword even tighter.

The procession passed through the palace road, their shadows stretched long in the morning light.

The palace maids and eunuchs along the way had already hidden themselves, and the palace walls were eerily silent.

Chengqian Palace is just ahead.

The palace gates were wide open, with no guards or attendants, as if it were an empty palace.

Ji Mingyuan stopped in front of the palace gate and looked up at the three gilded characters "Chengqian Palace" on the lintel.

That was written by Emperor Changning in his early years; the strokes are vigorous and powerful, exuding an aura of overwhelming grandeur.

"Since Fifth Brother is here, why don't you come in and have a seat?"

A clear voice came from inside the palace.

Ji Mingyuan stepped inside.

Inside Chengqian Palace, Ji Minghao stood on the thirteenth step, dressed in plain white clothes, holding a cup of sake in his hand, calmly watching the golden-armored imperial guards file into the palace gate.

His face was calm and composed.

Apart from a black-clad man carrying a sword following behind him, there was no one else in the palace.

"Eighth Brother, what a refined taste you have." Ji Mingyuan stepped into the palace, his tone indifferent.

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the black-clad man holding a sword beside Ji Minghao.

"Eighth Brother actually has such a skilled fighter among his men!" Ji Mingyuan exclaimed.

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the corpses lying dead below and on the steps. As time passed, the blood, which had stained the steps red, flowed in all directions through the cracks in the floor tiles.

"If it weren't for this skilled fighter, I would probably be beheaded by now." Ji Minghao slowly walked down the steps, avoiding the corpses under his feet, and came to an open space in the palace.

Just then.

Behind Ji Mingyuan, Shen Mengyun slowly walked out, her long sword hanging to the ground.

She raised her head, looked calmly at Ji Mingyuan, then turned around and stood beside Ji Minghao.

This action caused a stir among the golden-armored imperial guards inside the palace.

These imperial guards were all under the command of Shen Mengyun.

Because Shen Mengyun came with an order to mobilize the Imperial Guards.

Half of the royal guards were under the command of General Shen Xiao.

Seeing this, Ji Mingyuan simply smiled faintly, as if he had expected it. "What is the meaning of this, Miss Shen?" he asked.

Shen Mengyun did not answer, but Ji Minghao took over the conversation: "Fifth Brother, there's no need to pretend. Mengyun has been my person from the beginning, as has General Shen. I know that you asked General Shen to mobilize the Imperial Guard to help you."

"So Shen Mengyun is your woman!" Ji Mingyuan looked at Ji Minghao with a cold gaze, saying, "So, the Imperial Guards' actions today were all due to your secret orders! Seventh Brother, Ninth Brother, and Twelfth Brother all died at the hands of Eighth Brother?!"

At this point, Ji Mingyuan clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anger.

"Why pretend in front of me, Fifth Brother?" Ji Minghao said, slowly stepping forward.

next moment.

He took out a tiger tally from his bosom, held it high, and the sunlight made the gilded tiger tally shine brightly.

"Imperial Guards, heed my command!" His voice was clear and steady, penetrating the Chengqian Palace. "Fifth Prince Ji Mingyuan, in his quest to seize the throne, has resorted to fratricide, poisoning the Seventh Prince, setting fire to the Ninth Prince's palace, and sending assassins to kill the Twelfth Prince. Now, he has even led his troops to besiege my Chengqian Palace, intending to commit treason! Such treacherous and fratricidal acts should be punished as treason according to the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty!"

The moment the words were spoken, an absolute silence fell over Chengqian Palace.

Those imperial guards in golden armor who had originally followed Shen Mengyun's orders and surrounded Chengqian Palace were now looking at each other in bewilderment.

Previously, they followed the orders of the Tiger Tally, surrounding Chengqian Palace, and then surrounding Chengqian Palace again.

The current master of Chengqian Palace, the Eighth Prince Ji Minghao, also holds the Tiger Tally.

As the tiger tally was displayed, the three hundred golden-armored imperial guards hesitated briefly before their formation subtly shifted.

The blade, which had originally been pointing into Chengqian Palace, gradually turned towards the palace gate and towards Ji Mingyuan, who was standing there.

Ji Mingyuan stood in the center of the palace gate, facing the chilling blade pointed at him, but suddenly laughed.

"Eighth Brother, you truly have a clever plan." He clapped his hands slowly, without a trace of panic on his face. "So, everything from last night onwards was part of your scheme. You had Shen Mengyun pretend to join me, luring me into action, using me to eliminate Seventh Brother, Ninth Brother, and Twelfth Brother, and finally, in the name of righteousness, to execute me."

He shook his head and chuckled: "In this way, you will not only eliminate all your competitors, but also gain a reputation for 'meritorious service in quelling the rebellion' and 'putting righteousness before family.' If you ascend the throne, you will occupy a moral high ground, will not be attacked by the people, and will not be subject to gossip. All the blame will be placed on me, and I will take the fall!"

Ji Minghao said calmly, "Fifth Brother is joking! I just did what I had to do, to stop you from continuing to harm your brothers and sisters and to uphold the dignity of the royal family."

"What a fine thing to do!" Ji Mingyuan's laughter turned cold. "Eighth Brother, do you know that I've known all along that Shen Mengyun is in love with you? The affection in her eyes is clear to me! I know Shen Mengyun is in love with you, so why did I still cooperate with you?"

Ji Minghao frowned slightly.

"King of the Northern Cang, King of Divine Might, please come out and take charge of the overall situation!" Ji Mingyuan turned to look at the entrance of the palace gate and bowed respectfully in front of him.

next moment.

Just then, heavy, synchronized footsteps echoed from outside the palace walls.

The sound was like muffled thunder, and each step made the ground tremble slightly.

Suddenly, countless black-armored soldiers appeared on the four walls of Chengqian Palace.

They were dressed in heavy black armor, their faces covered with black iron masks, revealing only their cold eyes.

Each person held a twelve-foot-long spear, its blade gleaming with a dark, cold light in the sunlight.

What's even more chilling is the murderous aura emanating from these black-armored soldiers.

This indicates that these black-armored soldiers truly experienced the horrors of war and the baptism of death.

"Xuantian Army!!!" Shen Mengyun's pupils shrank suddenly, and the knuckles of her fingers gripping the sword turned white.

This army is the most elite military force in the Great Xia Dynasty, without exception.

It is the most solid team of Shenwei Wang Li Tianwen.

Each and every one of them is a martial arts master.

There are many masters among them.

On the palace wall, the black-armored soldiers parted like a tide, and two figures slowly emerged.

The man on the left, about fifty years old, was dressed in a black python robe with a jade belt around his waist. He had a square face and sharp, introspective eyes, exuding the authority of someone who had long held a high position.

This person is none other than the Northern Cang King, one of the two non-royal kings in the northern border of the Great Xia Dynasty who resisted the invasion of the barbarians.

He is also one of the top martial arts masters in the world, and has the title of Supreme Power.

The man on the right, about forty years old, with sword-like eyebrows and an imposing presence, exuded an air of authority even without anger. His mere presence gave the impression that he had become one with the world around him.

If a top-tier expert were here, they would be able to tell at a glance.
This is precisely the state of harmony between God and Heaven, and between humanity and Heaven.

This state represents reaching the realm of communicating with the Dao of Heaven, enabling one to engage in spiritual exchange with the Dao of Heaven, and is a state of extremely profound understanding of Heaven and Earth.

The two stood atop the high wall, overlooking the confrontation within the Chengqian Palace below.

"Greetings to the King of Beicang! Greetings to the Divine King!" Soldiers inside and outside the palace knelt on one knee in unison, their voices like thunder.

Ji Mingyuan's lips curled into a smile as he bowed towards the palace wall: "Greetings, King Beicang, greetings, King Shenwei."

With the appearance of the Northern Cang King and the Divine Might King.

Behind the King of Beicang, a handsome man appeared; this man was none other than the Crown Prince of Beicang.

They came from the north with the King of Beicang and have been staying in the capital for many days.

At this moment, the air inside Chengqian Palace seemed to freeze.

The appearance of the Xuantian Army caused the Golden Armored Guards, who had been wavering due to the Tiger Tally, to freeze again, caught in a dilemma.

Ji Mingyuan's smile deepened. He turned to Ji Minghao, whose expression was solemn on the steps, and said with a hint of amusement in his voice, "Eighth brother, do you think you're the only one who can devise a scheme? The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. This struggle for the throne is never child's play."

Ji Minghao's face darkened, and his fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the tiger tally, his knuckles turning white.

He looked at the Northern Cang King and the Divine Might King on the palace wall, and then at the Xuanjia Army formation behind Ji Mingyuan, which remained silent as a mountain. His heart sank slowly.

Shen Mengyun subconsciously took half a step forward, blocking Ji Minghao's path, holding her long sword horizontally, her eyes filled with anxiety.

“Father!” she murmured softly.

next moment.

At the end of the long street outside the palace gates, a steady and clear sound of footsteps could be heard.

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, yet each step seemed to tread on people's hearts.

The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man dressed in dark gold casual clothes with a full beard walking slowly towards them.

His face was resolute, and although he was not wearing armor, he possessed a steely and imposing presence honed on the battlefield.

It was none other than General Shen Xiao, who held military power in the capital region and commanded a large army.

Upon seeing Shen Xiao's appearance, many soldiers in the Golden Armored Imperial Guards perked up, their eyes filled with excitement.

As imperial guards, they claimed to recognize only the tiger tally, not their commander.

But it's different when the visitor is Shen Xiao.

Most of them were Shen Xiao's old subordinates, who had been under his command for many years. Now that Shen Xiao had come in person, he had given them a sense of security and support.

Shen Xiao walked straight into Chengqian Palace, nodded slightly to the two princes on the palace wall as a greeting, then his gaze swept across the entire room, finally landing on his daughter Shen Mengyun. A complex look flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to calm.

He walked to Ji Minghao's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with Shen Mengyun. Although he did not speak, his stance was clear.

Ji Mingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly, but he wasn't surprised. He simply said, "General Shen has finally shown himself. But, is this action by the General on behalf of the Shen family, or on your behalf personally?"

Shen Xiao's voice was deep and resonant, like the clang of metal: "Why should I explain my actions to the Fifth Prince? The Eighth Prince is the legitimate heir, possessing both virtue and talent, and also inheriting the legacy of the late Emperor. As for today's events, the world will judge who is right and who is wrong. As a subject, it is my duty to uphold the legitimacy of the royal family."

"What a fine way to uphold orthodoxy!" King Li Tianwen suddenly spoke from atop the palace wall.

His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a peculiar rhythm, as if resonating with the surrounding天地 (heaven and earth). "General Shen's loyalty and bravery are well-known to me. However..."

His gaze sharpened as he looked at Shen Xiao: "The struggle for the throne is a matter for the Ji family, and also a whetstone for the future ruler. According to the rules of the past, people of our level can make moves in secret, can exert influence through power struggles, but cannot directly intervene and use force to suppress others. This is the balance, and also the bottom line. General, have you come here today to forcibly decide the succession through martial arts?" (End of Chapter)