Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 278, 287 Lingyan Pavilion, Li Xuanba

come down.

rise.

A conflicting feeling arose in my heart, just like when I first entered the Dragon Boat Secret Realm.

Li Cunxiao followed Guo Zhao into the gate.

At first, I felt like I was moving deeper into the earth, but after reaching a certain limit, I started to rise instead.

Looking up, one sees a sea of ​​clouds surging and a magnificent palace soaring into the sky.

Falling from the sky, beneath which stretches a continuous palace, its glazed tiles gleaming with gold, cranes dance beside the eaves beasts, and phoenixes and dragons soar beneath the red steps.

The six people who entered the secret realm were all at the peak of the Heavenly Ladder, just one step away from breaking through the Xuan Gate. However, falling from the sky was nothing to them.

The true essence surged, and the true forms, flashing with various colors of light, manifested one by one.

Of the two from Qinglong Temple, Ru Hai's true form was none other than the three-faced Fudo Myoo, while Ru Hui's true form was the Thunder God holding a continuous drum.

However, the true forms of the two men in the imperial court, Cui Yuan and Wang Zan, were the same: both were crimson celestial horses.

Its mane, tail, and eyes seemed to gather starlight, their undulations disturbing the clouds, creating an ethereal and distant scene.

After the six landed on the ground, Guo Zhao noticed Li Cunxiao's gaze and began to explain:

Emperor Taizong, a man of unparalleled martial prowess, once created the "Eight-Foot Dragon Soaring" martial art for his soldiers.

"Although this martial art does not reach the level of a grandmaster, it is easy for officers to form military formations and easy to learn, so many officials in the Ministry of War have studied it."

"Moreover, this Heavenly Steed True Form is one of the top-tier martial arts techniques. It is only slightly inferior to our Louguan Dao's Four Symbols True Skill."

Li Cunxiao understood upon hearing this.
The saying goes, "Stars entwine the precious school and the golden plate, riding the heavenly steeds across the Milky Way at night." The star Hanzhong is called Tiansi, which means heavenly horse.

Emperor Taizong of Qin fought in numerous battles, accompanied by his six steeds, which distinguished him throughout his campaigns. Therefore, some say that the "Eight-Foot Dragon Steed" was created by Emperor Taizong to commemorate his comrades-in-arms.

"Before you all entered the Great Crimson Heaven, you must have already learned about it from the Grandmaster."

Wang Zan's words drew everyone's attention.

"Emperor Taizong of our dynasty was a man of great achievements in both civil and military affairs, whose virtue extended to all people. He was blessed by Heaven with the sacred treasure, the Taiqing Palace."

"The dynasty has been paying tribute to it for six hundred years, and it contains all kinds of rare materials, exotic treasures, and rare birds and auspicious beasts."

"However," Wang Zan's arrogance hadn't faded when he suddenly changed his tone.

"The most precious thing in this Great Crimson Heaven is the residual image left by the twenty-four generals of Lingyan Pavilion."

"To fight him and win would not only benefit one's primordial spirit, but also allow one to cleanse the physical body's true essence with the Taiqing Xuanqi."

"In fact, if one has high enough comprehension, there is even a chance to comprehend the divine skills and unique techniques of the masters."

"We can only stay for one day this time. Instead of wasting time on those rare and precious treasures, let's get straight to the point, shall we?"

"The imperial court is the host, and we are merely guests. Naturally, we will follow the arrangements of Vice Minister Wang."

The two monks from Qinglong Temple had no objections, and the two Daoists from Louguan Temple naturally wouldn't cause any trouble.

After all, when that Vice Minister Wang was speaking, Cui Yuan had already carefully taken out a jade tablet.

On the white jade, dragon patterns are drawn, and the moment they appear, they resonate with the surrounding space, creating ripples.

Li Cunxiao was very familiar with this. This jade tablet was obviously the key used for relocation in the Great Crimson Heaven. The other party had been prepared for this, and what seemed like a discussion was just a greeting.

"They say they're getting straight to the point, but actually they don't want us to make too much money."

"Gao Pian is really stingy. It seems that the imperial court is indeed facing a severe shortage of supplies."

After receiving permission, Cui Yuan raised the jade tablet, and the clouds beneath their feet instantly transformed into boats, speeding towards the highest point of the Heavenly Palace.

Before Li Cunxiao arrived, Master Taiyi gave him special instructions, especially regarding the greatest opportunity in Lingyan Pavilion, emphasizing it repeatedly and in every aspect.

Lingyan Pavilion, as its name suggests, is a pavilion that rises above the clouds, where twenty-four wise ministers and fierce generals who assisted Emperor Taizong in conquering the world and governing the country are enshrined.

Among the twenty-four people, the lowest level of cultivation was Grandmaster, and there were even a few terrestrial immortals.

After these people passed away, Emperor Taizong, in order to commemorate them, specially enshrined their ancestral tablets in the Great Red Heaven.

With the help of the secret realm, the martial arts afterimages of the twenty-four people can be briefly manifested, serving as a test and inspiration for future generations, and ensuring the inheritance of their divine skills.

These martial arts afterimages, cleansed by the power of heaven and earth, contain extremely pure primordial spirit power, which is of great benefit to martial artists who are about to break through the Xuan Gate.

Needless to say, the Taiqing Xuanqi that forms the afterimage is something even more advanced than the Dragon Boat Spirit Liquid.

However, one point that Wang Zan deliberately ignored was that although these afterimages were at the same level as the challengers, their vision and experience were still based on the foundation of the grandmasters in their previous lives.

Defeating even a mere afterimage is extremely difficult, let alone comprehending the divine skills within it—an event with an extremely low probability.

In the more than 600 years since the founding of the Qin Dynasty, only a dozen or so people have had this opportunity.

So, despite Wang Zan's flowery boasting, the reality is that the imperial court is stingy and unwilling to allocate other resources.

Either defeat the afterimage, or return empty-handed.

The cloud boat was very fast; rather than flying through the sea of ​​clouds, it seemed to be leaping through the azure sky.

Li Cunxiao was distracted for only a few breaths, and in the blink of an eye, he had arrived in front of Lingyan Pavilion.

This pavilion is extremely magnificent, made of deep blue glazed tiles and adorned with bright and precious jade.

Inside the inner chamber were several large pillars, with golden-scaled, sun-drenched, red-bearded dragons coiled around them;

There are several long bridges, with colorful phoenixes soaring in the air above them, and koi carp swimming in the Yunhe River below.

"Everyone, once you cross the Jinshui Bridge, the spirits of heroes from Lingyan Pavilion will appear. If you are no match for them, you can simply retreat into the bridge and you will be safe."

Wang Zan gave a brief explanation and then ignored the four monks and Taoists standing to the side.

He and Cui Yuan looked at each other, nodded, and took off their round-necked robes and tied them in their leather belts, revealing the bright armor underneath.

The former took out a pair of vajra-handled bamboo-jointed steel whips, while the latter took out a pair of four-sided pagoda-shaped iron maces. The jade tablet floated beside the two of them, and as soon as they crossed the Golden Water Bridge, a rainbow light shot out.

The rainbow-like light, like a bridge, pierced through the second floor of Lingyan Pavilion.

The inscriptions on the two ancestral tablets, "Qin, the late Governor of Xuzhou, Hu Zhuanggong" and "Yuchi, the late Governor of Xiazhou, E Zhongwugong," shot out under the guidance of rainbow light.

Li Cunxiao and the others watched intently, and saw two mighty generals dressed in Heavenly King Armor descending from the sky, crashing into the sea of ​​clouds and stirring up the gale. Their imposing presence was like a towering mountain, inspiring awe and fear.

One of them had a sallow complexion, like a sick tiger; the other had a dark, ashen face, like coal dust.

The former carried an iron mace, and the latter held a steel whip; judging from their appearance, they were exactly the same as those held by Wang Zan and Cui Yuan.

“They are Duke Hu and Duke E,” Guo Zhao recognized them at a glance.

"The two of them followed Emperor Taizong in the past. Every time they went into battle, they could single-handedly ride through the midst of thousands of troops and take their heads, no matter which army Emperor Taizong commanded."

"After Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he ordered the Duke of Hu and the Duke of E to guard the palace, one on the left and one on the right, like the guardian deities in a temple."

"It's a pity that the divine weapons of the two dukes were destroyed in the fierce battle during the An Lushan Rebellion. The ones that Vice Minister Wang and the others have should be replicas made according to the drawings."

"I see," Li Cunxiao said thoughtfully, looking at the four figures who had begun fighting in front of Lingyan Pavilion.

With tokens and corresponding weapons, their martial arts might even be of the same lineage, naturally allowing them to summon corresponding afterimages. Gao Pian used the seal to open the gate to the secret realm, and throughout the entire process, Li Cunxiao never saw the true form of the Taiqing Palace.

The imperial court had controlled the Taiqing Palace for over six hundred years and had indeed mastered many methods, which gave him a lot of inspiration.

Later, when the dragon boat recognizes its owner, he can simply follow suit and save himself the trouble of exploring.

In a short time, in front of Lingyan Pavilion, the two veterans, Wang Zan and Cui Yuan, had already exchanged blows with the martial arts afterimage a hundred times.

It is obvious that the martial arts techniques used by both sides are almost identical.

Although the two court officials fought with great skill and flair, the difference in skill between them and the two afterimages was clearly visible to the naked eye.

From being evenly matched to being on the defensive, the rapid pace of development is dazzling.

Although Wang Zan and Cui Yuan were being beaten, their expressions were solemn, but they couldn't help but reveal a hint of excitement. Their aura was like forged metal, becoming more and more solid in the process.

As the battle intensified, clouds and mist gradually enveloped the area in front of Lingyan Pavilion, obscuring everything behind the Jinshui Bridge.

The two monks from Qinglong Temple did not linger for long and crossed the Jinshui Bridge one after the other.

Unlike the two officials in the imperial court, Ru Hai and Ru Hui did not have pre-prepared tokens.

Li Cunxiao only saw two rainbow lights fly out from the third floor of Lingyan Pavilion, transforming into human shapes. He vaguely heard the two monks cursing something, but it was quickly obscured by the clouds and mist, making it impossible to see clearly.

"Junior brother, I cannot accompany you into Lingyan Pavilion."

Guo Zhao's expression showed a hint of apology, indicating that he intended to enter Lingyan Pavilion alone.

"Senior brother, please do as you please," Li Cunxiao said, not finding it strange at all.

Guo Zhao's master, Changsun Chi, was a descendant of the Changsun lineage of the Duke of Zhao, and he was also one of the twenty-four generals of the Lingyan Pavilion.

This Vermilion Bird Sect Master must have a corresponding method to enable Guo Zhao to summon the martial arts afterimage of the Duke of Zhao.

These nobles must have thoroughly studied the characteristics of their ancestors' martial arts, and most likely have hidden countermeasures, which would greatly increase the probability of obtaining Taiqing Xuanqi.

It has to be admitted that being born into a good family has these advantages.

"Then I'll take my leave first."

As Guo Zhao spoke, he crossed the Jinshui Bridge.

Soon, a rainbow light shot out from the second floor of Lingyan Pavilion, and a figure surrounded by divine flames descended from the sky, only to be quickly obscured by clouds and mist.

"It's good to let them go first. With a few grandmasters gone, it will be easier for me to go in later."

Li Cunxiao waited a moment before stepping onto the Jinshui Bridge last, speculating about his potential opponents.

Before leaving, Master Taiyi told him that the martial arts afterimages of Lingyan Pavilion would each appear only once, and would not appear simultaneously.

In other words, Wang Zan and Cui Yuan summoned the Duke of Hu and the Duke of E, and Guo Zhao summoned the Duke of Zhao. If Li Cunxiao enters now, he will no longer encounter these three.

Coincidentally, among the twenty-four generals of Lingyan Pavilion, there are only six Grandmasters of the Ninth Realm, and the three mentioned above are among them.

"My purpose in coming here is solely to acquire the Supreme Pure Qi in order to cultivate a second lotus incarnation. Once this incarnation is complete, with the Vajra's blessing and the unification of the three religions, breaking through the profound barrier will not be difficult for me."

"As for the divine skills and techniques in the afterimage, the probability of obtaining them is extremely low, so they are dispensable."

"Therefore, the weaker the opponent, the more people I can challenge, and the greater the total amount of Taiqing Xuanqi will be."

The generals of Lingyan Pavilion are all at least at the Grandmaster level. In other words, they are essentially experts at the eighth level controlling physical bodies at the sixth level.

Although it's called a battle between equals, in reality it's almost like a battle between people of different levels.

According to the secrets Guo Zhao had previously shared with him, the descendants of the various ducal families had exchanged information privately after leaving Da Chi Tian.

Generally speaking, most challengers can only defeat one afterimage, and even if they still have the strength, it is not enough to deal with the second Lingyan General.

Li Cunxiao's goal was to defeat at least two afterimages in order to ensure the Seven Treasures Lotus could nurture his incarnation.
The moment Li Cunxiao left the Jinshui Bridge, he felt as if the place he stepped on was a space of its own, with clouds and mist becoming the boundary between this battlefield and the outside world, making it impossible to catch any trace of Guo Zhao and the others.

"A separate, isolated battlefield?"

Li Cunxiao nodded in satisfaction. The fight would soon require all their strength, inevitably involving both Buddhist and Taoist deities. Although they had powerful backers, exposing themselves wouldn't cause too much trouble.

But it's best to keep your cards hidden as much as possible.

As they pondered, rainbow light rose from the second floor of Lingyan Pavilion.

As they held their breath, they saw a spirit tablet inscribed with "Li, the late Governor of Bingzhou and Duke of Jingwu" fly out from the second floor of Lingyan Pavilion.

The words transformed into golden light, condensing into human shapes amidst their distortion.

"The Duke of Wei? That military genius?"

Li Cunxiao sighed, inwardly cursing his bad luck.

Today, Li Yisheng, the Prince of Jin in the north, is known as the incarnation of Vaishravana, but in reality, the person who held the titles of "Northern Heavenly King" and "God of War" before him was undoubtedly Li Weigong, who fought in the north and south and never suffered a defeat.

Not only is he a Grandmaster himself, but his military tactics are also divine. He can form a massive formation of ten thousand men, condensing their blood and true energy into one. Since his debut, he has never suffered a defeat.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, the three great masters of Esoteric Buddhism, in order to spread their teachings, simply associated Li Weigong with Vaishravana, the Heavenly King.

Later, as the incense offerings became more popular, the common people believed it to be true, and the two became inseparable from then on.

"Never mind, let's not talk about it, Senior Wen Zhongzi. I haven't fought against a Grandmaster yet, so I'll just consider it as accumulating experience."

Li Cunxiao dared not be negligent, and in an instant, his true form surrounded him, and all his divine weapons were unleashed:
The Azure Dragon in its true form holds a black and red mercury bead in its mouth, while nine dragons on the Bodhi tree pull on chains and spew poisonous fire.

With three heads and eight arms, each holding a fist, supporting the Purple Flame Serpent Spear, and gripping the Dragon-Binding Crimson Rope;
With the Wind and Fire Wheels beneath its feet, the Azure Phoenix landed on its head, its armor plates spreading out like scales.

In the blink of an eye, Li Cunxiao was fully armed, waiting for Li Weigong's figure to appear in the sky so he could seize the initiative.

However, at this moment, something unexpected happened.

Li Weigong's figure suddenly froze in mid-air, as if he were listening intently to something.

A moment later, he actually crossed his hands in a gesture of respect and stepped aside.

"what happened?!"

Above the helmet, the blue phoenix cried out a few times for no apparent reason, and Li Cunxiao immediately had a bad feeling.

Before they could react, golden light shone above Lingyan Pavilion, transforming into a massive portal.

A young man wielding two hammers strode out from there.

He was full of vigor and his expression was not rigid; one could even see the spirited demeanor he had before his death.

The robes were magnificent, and the pair of silver hammers were exquisitely crafted, with the handles carved with the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas, and Mount Sumeru at the highest point supported by ninety-nine dragons, forming a hammerhead the size of a melon.

Most strikingly, the divine armor worn by this young man was exactly the same as Li Cunxiao's Azure Phoenix Armor.

Recalling what Master Taiyi had said, the other party's identity was already obvious:

"It wasn't the Duke of Wei who came, but the King of Wei?"

"Li Xuanba?!?"

(End of this chapter)