Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 501 Finally Remembered, A Life-or-Death Choice

Qianqing Palace.

After returning to the Qianqing Palace from the court session, Zhu Jinzhen summoned Yan Yimei.

"His Majesty."

"Hmm, no need for formalities." Zhu Jinzhen waved his hand and said, "I summoned you to the palace because there is something I need you to do."

"Please give your Majesty's orders."

"In the Heavenly Sword Scheme, of the land immortals captured by the Secret Guard from the Jingnian Zen Temple, apart from the already executed Mongol Yuan Grand Master Phagpa, Sihanfei, Meng Chixing, and others, how many of the remaining land immortals are willing to submit to the Ming Dynasty and serve under my command and the Secret Guard?" Zhu Jinzhen finally remembered that there was a group of good-for-nothings being kept within the Secret Guard.

In the Heavenly Sword Scheme, Zhao Min lured all the heroes of the world into a trap.

After the Battle of Jingnian Temple, almost all the land immortals, both openly and covertly, on the Central Plains were wiped out, leaving only a few small shrimps and fish.

And it was basically still within the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Today, as the army marches off to Japan, Zhu Jinzhen only remembered those people during a meeting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation when the matter was being discussed. He decided to make use of them.

"Your Majesty, apart from a few stubborn ones..."

"Your Majesty believes that they are all willing to serve the Ming Dynasty."

Yan Yimei smiled faintly, and couldn't help but chuckle as she spoke of the captured terrestrial immortals.

Zhu Jinzhen glanced at her in surprise, thinking that something must have happened in the secret guards recently for Yan Yimei to bring up this matter with such confidence.

"Then do it."

Zhu Jinzhen didn't bother to guess the reason, and simply said calmly, "Those who are willing to serve the Ming Dynasty shall stay; those who are not, and who are hostile to me and the Ming Dynasty, shall be executed!"

"Yes."

Yan Yimei bowed and accepted the order.

……

Jiayuguan, Tiance Palace.

The forty-two terrestrial immortals captured by the secret guards.

Upon hearing Yan Yimei's intentions, everyone's expressions were extremely complex, ranging from surprise and joy to anger and malice. Some even spat out their saliva.

As for the outcome...

Just die!
With a flick of his finger, Li Wuyi killed all the top-tier immortals on earth, their bodies severed from their heads, and they fell heavily to the ground.

Zhu Fajia, Yan Kuangtu, Ning Daoqi, Song Que, Dugu Qiubai, and others all knew perfectly well that this was a case of making an example of someone.

"His Majesty has shown leniency and is giving you two choices."

"One option is to join the Secret Guard or the Imperial Court to serve His Majesty and the Ming Dynasty."

"You can regain your freedom. From now on, unless you are on a mission, you can go wherever you want and remain the high and mighty land immortals. As long as you do not harbor resentment towards the new Ming Dynasty and do not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty, you will remain the same as you were before."

"At the same time, some peerless martial arts created and collected by His Majesty that are not open to the public, including but not limited to seventeen martial arts that directly lead to the terrestrial celestial realm and one hundred and forty-one peerless martial arts that lead to the terrestrial immortal realm, can all be exchanged for as long as you have enough secret guard merits."

"There are also many rare and precious treasures provided by the secret guards."

As Li Wuyi's voice fell, the crowd stirred, with most people showing strange expressions and eager to make a move.

Among them, the one with the highest cultivation level, Zhu Faga, is now only at the half-step Celestial Body realm. If we consider only martial arts cultivation, he is only at the Land Immortal realm.

There is still a whole realm separating them from the terrestrial celestial beings.

Even a Buddhist genius as strong as Zhu Fajia is not very confident that he can reach the terrestrial celestial realm in this lifetime.

The allure of a terrestrial Celestial Realm cultivation technique is already great enough.

When Li Wuyi opened his mouth, he mentioned seventeen techniques for the terrestrial celestial realm.

Moreover, it was founded by that Prince Su, oh no, it was now founded by Zhu Jinzhen, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty?
“Amitabha, the Xuanjia Guards’ strength is already extraordinary, beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Even if we, the Great Monk, join us, it will only be icing on the cake.” “That’s not something you need to consider.” Li Wuyi looked coldly at Zhu Fajia, with only one question: “Do you agree to serve His Majesty?”

"Amitabha, good, good!"

After chanting the Buddha's name a few times, Zhu Fajia finally nodded heavily.

"But the senior monk still had doubts. If we join the Secret Guard, can we really obtain unparalleled martial arts at the level of a celestial being on land?"

"nature!"

Li Wuyi nodded, looked at a guard on duty beside him, and said, "He has been guarding this place for many days, so you must be familiar with him. Lianyun, show it to Zhu Fajia."

"Yes, Commander!"

The secret guard Lian Yun accepted the order, and then a mysterious and compassionate Buddhist light rose from his body, instantly illuminating most of the Tian Ce Mansion training ground. At the same time, a hundred-zhang-tall phantom of a Buddha appeared out of thin air behind him, like a god or Buddha awakening.

A terrifying pressure and celestial aura swept over them, as if the sky were collapsing in an instant. Even the most outstanding terrestrial immortals, half-step celestial bodies, and top experts who roamed the world, such as Dugu Qiubai, Zhu Fajia, and Yan Kuangtu, still felt a terrifying sense of oppression.

If they were like this, the other captured terrestrial immortals and celestial grandmasters must have fared even worse.

The latter, in particular, almost lost his composure and knelt down on the spot after just one encounter.

"Hiss! A hundred-foot-tall phenomenon, with such an aura?"

"Land Celestial Realm? This secret guard watching over us is actually at the Land Celestial Realm?"

"Such a pure Buddhist aura, and that phantom image of Buddha, could it be... the supreme Buddhist martial art, the Tathagata Palm?"

"No, more than that. The simple Tathagata Palm is probably not that profound."

"It's... the Marrow Cleansing Classic!"

Zhu Fajia and several Buddhist masters recognized the technique on the secret guard at a glance. They were all filled with disbelief.

"The Shaolin Marrow Cleansing Classic, which has been lost for many years?"

"It's actually the Marrow Cleansing Classic?"

"It is said that the Marrow Cleansing Classic has a seven-tiered pagoda, which was the enlightenment Bodhidharma gained from his meditation. If one has high talent, one can enter the realm of celestial beings on land with the help of the seven-tiered pagoda. It is also one of the most well-known Buddhist techniques that directly leads to the realm of celestial beings on land. I never thought it was true."

"The Marrow Cleansing Scripture at the seventh level of the Buddha Pagoda realm, and the Tathagata Palm, which reaches the pinnacle of perfection."

"Such a person is completely unknown throughout the world, yet he willingly serves under the Ming Emperor. This..."

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. Whether it was Yan Kuangtu, Dugu Qiubai, Zhu Fajia, Tiandao Song Que, or Xie Wang Shi Zhixuan, they were all quite shocked.

A terrestrial celestial being, a Buddhist master who had cultivated the Marrow Cleansing Scripture to the seventh level of the Floating Pagoda and reached the pinnacle of the Tathagata Palm, actually joined the Ming Dynasty's secret guard.

This seemed utterly absurd to them.

"What's your decision?" Li Wuyi asked expressionlessly, but inwardly he was already laughing. So what if these people were the top experts of the world, one after another earth immortals, legends who dominated a country?
Ultimately, they were like frogs at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness of the world.

How could they possibly have imagined that, let alone Lianyun, there were no fewer than fifty secret guards and experts from Tian Ce and Cang Yun stationed at Jiayuguan who had inherited Dao Yu's martial arts legacy?

In other words, the existence that shocked Dugu Qiubai, Yan Kuangtu, Zhu Fajia, Ning Daoqi and others was commonplace to Li Wuyi and his group, and not surprising at all.

But Li Wuyi obviously wouldn't explain these things to them; she would simply wait quietly for them to make their choice.

Life and death are two separate paths.

It was laid out before everyone.

Agreeing to join the Secret Guard means a bright future and an infinitely promising future.

If you refuse, then I'm sorry.

Even if it's just a potential threat, everyone except one special person must die!

(End of this chapter)