Loan Wusheng

In Shenjing, it was raining continuously.

Within the earth's veins, Zheng Jun quietly digested the many demon cores he had consumed, calming his mind and concentrating on the current situation.

My current advantage is that once I reach the peak of the Yuan Dan realm, I can seamlessly advance to the first Dharma Aspect. This is something that no one else knows. Those like King Qi, Yongchang, and Emperor Liang are still struggling to conquer the world. I can say that I have a head start.

Once he has pre-emptively acquired the Dharma form of the 'Lord of the World', it will be enough to astonish and even drive them to despair.

However, besides the 'Lord of the World' Dharma form, Zheng Jun actually had other options.

For example, another type of 'painted skin statue' is available in advance.

This Dharma Image was developed by the Divine Martial Emperor back then, and no one has yet cultivated and condensed it, which is why it fell into Zheng Jun's hands. Now it has become one of the two Dharma Images that Zheng Jun can obtain in advance.

Zheng Jun can only use these two Dharma images in advance.

The Lord of the World, the Painted Skin Venerable.

Zheng Jun analyzed that the reason why he could only advance these two Dharma forms was probably because he had mastered the method of condensing these two Dharma forms.

That’s very good.

If one obtains a method for condensing a Dharma Image in the future, one can directly check whether the 'Great Dao Martial Book' can be used in advance. If it cannot be used in advance, it means that this method of condensing a Dharma Image is wrong and cannot be used to form a Dharma Image at all.

That's not bad.

Zheng Jun smiled slightly, took a deep breath, and the Yuan Dan in his dantian trembled.

In the daily practice of cultivation, digesting this massive amount of spiritual energy also requires a gradual process.

The most complex issue of annihilating the remnants of the Yuan Dan's soul has been resolved, so during this time, Zheng Jun can only repeat the long and tedious process of absorbing spiritual energy, just like working piecework in an electronics factory, which is boring.

Zheng Jun could only verify this through other conjectures.

However, there was one thing that Zheng Jun was very curious about.

If I were to pre-draw the Dharma Aspect of the 'Lord of the World', would my realm be either the peak of the Yuan Dan stage or the Dharma Aspect True Monarch stage?

Or...

The Dharma Form itself is a kind of supernatural power. In fact, all Dharma Forms are only at the peak of the Yuan Dan stage.

Various speculations lingered in Zheng Jun's mind, leaving him unsure of how to express them.

This is Zheng Jun, a late-stage Yuan Dan cultivator who has been practicing for ten years. He has no idea what the normal path should be for traditional martial arts to reach this point, and no one has ever communicated with him.

Two Yuan Dan Martial Saints who were on good terms with Zheng Jun were Cai Kang, who had only recently completed his cultivation and was still in the early stage of Yuan Dan, and Lu Zhenglin, who was at the mid-to-late stage of Yuan Dan, but seemed to have given up on condensing his Dharma Body in this lifetime.

The only one with a chance is Zhao Wei from the Zhao family.

But Zheng Jun and Zhao Wei's relationship... is very distant. The Zhao family didn't send a legitimate daughter over either, so their relationship just can't develop.

It seems that after I emerge from seclusion, I will need to summon Zhao Wei and discuss matters of normal martial arts in detail, so that I can have a reference.

With this thought in mind, Zheng Jun exhaled a breath of spiritual energy and continued to improve and refine his Yuan Dan.

Time flew by, and several dozen days passed in the blink of an eye. Deep within the earth's veins, Zheng Jun was enveloped in a cocoon of azure-gold light, and the treasures of the three dragon palaces had all been reduced to dust.

The suspended vortex of spiritual energy gradually contracted, eventually transforming into two dragon-shaped streams of energy that entered his nasal cavity. In an instant, his primordial core emitted a sound like metal clashing against stone, and fine cracks appeared on its surface.

This is not a sign of damage, but rather a natural cracking before the transformation of the Yuan Dan.

"boom!"

Suddenly, the clouds over the capital city rolled in, and the originally gloomy rain curtain was torn open by an invisible force.

A ray of golden light shot into the sky from the ground of the imperial city, startling the patrolling Dragon Guards who all gripped their sword hilts.

The people saw that the golden light was like an inverted Milky Way, reflecting the raindrops as golden beads that fell without wetting their clothes, but instead carrying a refreshing fragrance.

Upon seeing this, the people were extremely astonished.

Inside the cabinet office, Lu Chengbi was reviewing official documents when he suddenly noticed the spiritual energy contained in the rainwater outside. He was immediately startled and exclaimed, "It's the earth's veins spewing forth spiritual energy!"

This is the result of the earth's spiritual energy flowing through the veins. Judging from this, His Majesty's seclusion this time is quite remarkable.

"Once His Majesty emerges from seclusion, he should be able to handle these strange occurrences with ease."

Lu Chengbi thought to himself.

A strange thing has recently happened in Shenjing... or rather, half of Zhili.

For the past twenty days or so, it has been raining continuously, with rain falling and wind blowing constantly.

Although Shenjing is not an arid place, it is definitely not a place with a continuous rainy season like the southern barbarians. Therefore, not only high-ranking officials of the court, but even some common people felt that something was wrong.

Many martial arts masters in the imperial court also went out to investigate, trying to find out if there was anything unusual, but they couldn't detect anything amiss at all, as if... the rain over the past twenty days was really caused by a celestial phenomenon.

This is quite surprising and alarming.

After all, large-scale weather manipulation is a common practice.

In the past, when Zhou Shenwu was vying for the throne, he forcibly changed the weather, causing torrential rain and diverting the river water to flood Daliang City and conquer the Wei capital.

But no matter what, people will always find clues.

But this heavy rain came without any warning, which was truly astonishing and left people feeling somewhat... at a loss.

Lu Chengbi took a deep breath, looked at his cousin Lu Chenliang, the proper young patriarch of the Lu clan, and asked, "Cousin, what did the Imperial Observatory say?"

"Chief Minister Lu, the Imperial Observatory requested that Marquis Wang Lu intervene to disperse the demons, but to no avail."

Lu Chenliang answered Lu Chengbi's question seriously, even addressing him correctly. He then said, "Even with Lord Lu's help, we still cannot find any clues. Therefore, there are only two possibilities."

"Firstly, this rain is indeed a natural phenomenon, and the capital city has experienced a rare flood."

"Secondly, those few people made a move."

Lu Chenliang did not say it explicitly, but Lu Chengbi understood the meaning perfectly.

Those few were just a few highly accomplished Dharma masters.

As scions of prominent families, they were naturally different from ordinary people like Wei Quan and Dugu Yuan. They had some understanding of those elusive Dharma Lords.

If this rain was indeed manipulated by the Dharma Aspect True Lord, then these martial artists who had reached the Qi Convergence Realm would indeed find no clues whatsoever.

Wang Luhou is the head of the Zhao family, the direct son of Zhao Wei, the patriarch of the Zhao family, and a powerful expert at the fifth level of the Tongqiao realm.

The marquises were enfeoffed during the third batch of noble titles. The third batch of marquises was mainly to appease the martial artists of the fourth and fifth levels of the Qi Refining Realm from some large families.

Zheng Jun's father-in-law, Cai Jingchen, was also granted the title of Duke of Chuyang and Governor of Bozhou in this round of conferments, making him the highest-ranking member of the third batch of titles.

Even a master like the Zhao family patriarch, who came specifically to investigate, couldn't find out what was going on.

This was enough to alarm several members of the cabinet.

But now, none of that matters anymore.

Because their supreme emperor, Zheng Jun, is about to emerge from the pass!
Even if the Dharma Aspect True Lord were to come, he wouldn't dare to attack the ruler who is currently vying for supremacy!
This is the true value of being called the "Lord of the World".

……

Within the earth's veins, Zheng Jun's true essence surged, and the spiritual energy released by the Yuan Dan within his body was continuously increasing.

The peak of the Yuan Dan realm is practically something that can be broken with a flick of the finger!
However, Zheng Jun did not intend to break through so quickly, but instead chose to suppress the opponent for a short period of time.

He himself can break through that barrier anytime, anywhere, and then preemptively receive the Dharma form of the 'Lord of the World'.

But why didn't Zheng Jun do that?
after all……

Zheng Jun was not the kind of ascetic who was oblivious to the world around him and only focused on his cultivation. He was aware of the more than twenty days of continuous rain that had occurred in Shenjing.

Although Zheng Jun didn't find many clues or any trace of anything.

but,
Zheng Jun was better able to see than his own Qi-transcending warriors that the rain was unusual; it was not originally from Guanzhong, but was forcibly borrowed by someone else and brought to Shenjing.

Such actions would naturally cause a severe drought in one area and a major flood in the capital.

Only the Dharma True Lord could perform such methods.

"Ten years have passed. Is it finally time to face one of the strongest warriors of our time?"

Zheng Jun's lips curled up slightly, sensing that something was amiss.

Although he didn't know who had set this up, Zheng Jun decided to leave it to them to set a counter-plan and lure them in.

Maintain the level at the late stage of the Yuan Dan realm to lure that person out.

The moment that person appeared, he broke through to the peak of the Yuan Dan realm, preemptively summoned the 'Lord of the World' Dharma Body, and then utterly crushed him to the ground!

If I were to withdraw my money now, I'm afraid I'd scare away this dharma image that I don't even know who it is.

How could we possibly seriously injure or even kill him then?
Therefore, we should hide a little to suppress this scoundrel.

Although we don't know who it is, there are only seven Dharma forms in the entire world.

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Sea in the Northern Demon Court, the Great Sage Who Burned the Heavens in the Southern Demon Court, the Lord of the Palace of Ten Thousand Demons in the Northern Sea, the Venerable Master of Pure Void and Ten Thousand Laws, the Venerable Shennong of the Southern Mountain, the True Lord Who Subdued the Dragon in the Upper Cave, and the Buddha of the Far West.

Of these seven beings, only two have direct conflicts of interest with him.

One was the Buddha of the far west, who wanted to enter the Central Plains to spread his teachings.

The other one is the Shangdong Fulong Zhenjun, who is suspected of supporting Emperor Yongchang.

Zheng Jun was not familiar with the others.

Although there were some minor frictions with the Northern Demon Court, Zheng Jun felt that these frictions should not be related to the Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea.

Add to that the continuous rain...

Zheng Jun suspected that the person in question was 'Shangdong Fulong Zhenjun'.

However, regardless of whether it is the 'Shangdong Fulong Zhenjun' or not, one still has to face a Dharma Aspect Zhenjun. "This feeling is quite uneasy."

Zheng Jun smiled slightly, stood up, and strode towards the outside of the earth's veins.

His fingers trembled slightly.

Although it's named "Anxious," it's actually...

I'm so excited!
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

The heavy rain continued before the Meridian Gate.

Civil and military officials came to pay their respects to Zheng Jun and welcome him out of the pass.

After all, they were martial artists, and manipulating true essence, true qi, and even true energy to resist the rain was a piece of cake for them. This torrential rain was not a problem for them.

The only problem is that it will cause many issues for the people, such as reduced grain production in Shenjing and Zhili, and damp houses infested with insects... Of course, Shenjing and Zhili have never been high-yield areas, so the impact on the entire Han Dynasty is not very significant.

This is also why they did not disturb Zheng Jun's seclusion.

Now that Zheng Jun has emerged from the pass, he naturally comes to pay his respects as soon as possible and report on the matter.

Zheng Jun stood atop the Meridian Gate, his robes fluttering in the wind, his azure-gold true essence surging forth from his body like an angry dragon.

He looked up at the sky, his gaze sharp as lightning, piercing through layers of dark clouds, as if staring directly at the person behind the scenes who manipulated the heavens.

Seeing this, Zheng Jun couldn't help but let out a disdainful chuckle.

"Those cowards who hide their true colors dare to show off in front of me!"

Before he finished speaking, Zheng Jun clenched his right palm in mid-air, and his boundless true essence transformed into a golden light that shot straight into the sky!

In an instant, the rain curtain seemed to encounter its natural enemy, and the dark clouds were forcibly torn apart, creating a huge gap.

Where the golden light passed, raindrops evaporated into mist, and dark clouds dissipated like a tide.

In less than three breaths, the gloom that had shrouded the capital for more than twenty days was completely dispelled, and the long-awaited blazing sun shone down, illuminating the imperial city in a golden splendor!
"Your Majesty's Divine Power!"

Upon seeing this, all the civil and military officials knelt down and shouted in unison.

Lu Chengbi was so excited that his hair and beard trembled. He exclaimed, "For more than a month, the celestial phenomena have been unusual, and the Imperial Observatory has been helpless. Your Majesty has cleared the clouds and brought out the sun with a wave of your hand. This is an omen of a true dragon emperor!"

Let the show begin!
Although he knew some of the hidden details, there were many people from humble backgrounds who possessed the skills of Tongqiao and Waigang, and they might not know the intricacies of the matter. Therefore, Lu Chengbi pretended to be like this, turning what seemed to be an event targeting Zheng Jun into an auspicious omen.

Upon seeing this, the courtiers once again shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

Zhao Siyuan, a member of the Zhao family and a member of the cabinet, stared intently, thinking to himself, "To be able to easily break through the manipulation of celestial phenomena at the Dharma Aspect level, His Majesty has probably already touched that realm..."

He was also aware of the hidden story.

Although Zhao Siyuan, a martial artist at the second stage of the Qi Refining Realm, did not understand Zheng Jun's current cultivation level, his use of the most forceful means to break through the rain curtain after emerging from seclusion, which could even be described as a provocation against this being who was unwilling to reveal his whereabouts, was enough to make Zhao Siyuan speculate.

Just as the courtiers were elated, Zheng Jun suddenly frowned.

He sensed a strange black light hidden within the dissipating clouds. Just as he was about to examine it closely, the black light suddenly transformed into a ferocious dragon shape.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun raised an eyebrow.

"The Great Sage Who Covers the Sea?"

Even in this situation, Zheng Jun was still able to discern the other party's identity.

after all……

Among the Dharma images, there is only this one dragon.

This surprised Zheng Jun.

Zheng Jun truly hadn't expected it to be the Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea.

But it doesn’t matter.

Whoever comes will fall into their own trap.

It would be even better if the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas came, as he happens to have a special attack against the Dragon Clan.

Even if it becomes a Dharma form, its special attack will be weakened considerably, but it will still have a special attack.

At the very least, it's much simpler than fighting 'Shangdong Fulong Zhenjun'.

At that moment, a myriad of rays of light suddenly appeared on the horizon, refracted by the rising rain and mist into a rainbow that stretched across the capital.

People opened their windows one after another, and children pointed at the rainbow and cheered with joy.

Zheng Jun stood with his hands behind his back, his voice resounding throughout the city: "From this day forward, anyone who dares to disrupt the celestial phenomena again will be executed!"

Upon hearing this, all the scions of noble families who knew the inside story were extremely astonished.

The emperor is going to...

Declare war on that Dharma Master?!

Upon hearing this, many of the assembled officials were astonished and shocked.

Meanwhile, high above in the clouds, the Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas was also filled with doubt and surprise.

How dare he provoke me?

Could it be that Emperor Zheng Jun of Han is truly a reincarnated Daoist master, possessing some means of countermeasure?
For a moment, even the Great Sage Overturning the Seas was bewildered by Zheng Jun's state, unsure whether Zheng Jun had any backup plans.

Zheng Jun stood atop the Meridian Gate, his gaze sweeping across the sky with piercing intensity, awaiting the appearance of the Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea.

However, after waiting for a long time, the clouds remained calm, and only the remaining rain and mist gradually dissipated in the sunlight.

"It seems that this Great Sage is more cautious than I imagined."

Zheng Jun sneered inwardly, and immediately decided not to wait any longer. He let out a long roar that shook the heavens: "Since you dare not show yourself, then I will not be polite!"

Before he finished speaking, Zheng Jun's azure-gold true essence suddenly surged, shooting straight into the sky like a volcanic eruption.

The entire imperial city's earth veins trembled, and nine dragon-shaped earth energies burst forth from the ground, encircling Zheng Jun's body.

"Today, in front of the entire world, I will break through to the peak of the Yuan Dan realm!"

All the civil and military officials were shocked upon hearing this, and Lu Chengbi was so excited that he trembled all over: "His Majesty is about to break through?!"

Zheng Jun formed a hand seal, and the primordial core within his body emitted a crisp cracking sound.

That's not damage, but a sign of impending qualitative change.

The vast amount of spiritual energy transformed from the treasures of the three dragon palaces surged into Zheng Jun's dantian like rivers flowing into the sea.

"boom!"

A dazzling beam of light pierced through the heavens and earth, enveloping Zheng Jun within it.

Zheng Jun's aura rose steadily, and in the blink of an eye, he broke through the shackles of the late stage of Yuan Dan and reached the peak!
Above the clouds, the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas' dragon eyes narrowed slightly, then revealed a look of relief: "So that's how it is... This is your source of confidence?"

Seeing this, the Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas immediately relaxed a lot.

If Zheng Jun had only broken through to the peak of the Yuan Dan realm, although his strength would have increased significantly, there would still be an insurmountable gap compared to him, a Dharma Aspect True Monarch.

"It seems I was overthinking it."

The Great Sage of the Overturning Seas pondered to himself: "This child may not be a reincarnated Dao Lord, but just exceptionally talented... However, even if he is indeed a reincarnated Dao Lord, reaching the peak of the Yuan Dan realm in just ten years means he must have used up all his trump cards."

Thinking of this, his beard twitched slightly.

Get ready to take action!

Even if there are backup plans, it doesn't matter.

He came here to die.

At the same time, Zheng Jun's breakthrough had caused a sensation throughout the city.

The people knelt down and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Zheng Jun stood with his hands behind his back, gazing intently at the clouds, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Even after all this, I don't believe you won't come!

Upon realizing this, Zheng Jun immediately took a deep breath and began to speak provocatively like a three-year-old child.

"Since the Great Sage has come, why not show yourself?"

Zheng Jun spoke, his voice not loud but clearly reaching the clouds: "Could it be that you are afraid of me, a mere peak Yuan Dan cultivator? No wonder the Great Sage was so afraid of Zhou Shenwu back then, there is a reason for everything."

The provocation hidden in those words caused the Great Sage Overturning the Seas' dragon scales to flare slightly.

But then I thought again that Zheng Jun was just bluffing.

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas' voice boomed like a divine rebuke from the heavens: "Arrogant brat, how dare you insult me?!"

The sound carried an overwhelming dragon's might, shaking the very bricks and tiles of the capital city, and striking the kneeling officials before the Meridian Gate as if they had been struck by lightning.

Zhao Siyuan's face turned deathly pale, and he trembled violently: he never expected that the dignified Dharma Aspect True Lord would risk the backlash of the Heavenly Dao to personally attack the Lord of Chasing Deer!

"Boom!"

The clouds suddenly tore apart, and a giant claw covered in jet-black dragon scales emerged, its tip wreathed in a chilling blue light that seemed to annihilate space.

The mere wisp of pressure leaked out caused the imperial city's floor tiles to crack inch by inch, and the nine protective dragon-shaped earth energies collapsed with mournful cries!

"Be careful, Your Majesty!"

Lu Chengbi shouted, but Zheng Jun actually stepped into the air to meet the dragon's claw, his robes fluttering in the wind!
"Old mudfish, you really can't hold your temper!"

Zheng Jun couldn't help but scoff. The gilded characters before him immediately appeared, and as this powerful aura surged forth, Zheng Jun mentally shouted:
"Great Dao Martial Book, grant me the 'Lord of the World' Dharma Image in advance!" (End of Chapter)