Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 279, 288: General Tian Ce, Emperor Taizong of Qin

"Something's not right. Where did this Prince Wei come from in Lingyan Pavilion?"

Li Cunxiao gazed at the spirited young king on the horizon, his expression somewhat grim.

This was vastly different from what he had learned.

Prince Wei, Li Xuanba, was the younger brother of Emperor Taizong of Qin. He was exceptionally talented from a young age, but unfortunately, he died in battle when he was in his twenties.

Before his death, he had already reached the pinnacle of the Xuan Guan realm, just one step away from becoming a Grandmaster.

Therefore, some unofficial historical accounts and rumors suggest that Emperor Taizong deliberately had Prince Wei fight a powerful enemy in order to eliminate his overly wicked younger brother.

After all, the descendants of heroes in the world often find it difficult to match their fathers, and it is common for each generation to be worse than the last.

If Li Xuanba breaks through to the eighth realm and becomes a grandmaster, he will become the youngest grandmaster in history, and may even become a terrestrial immortal in the future.

In addition, his outstanding military achievements gave him considerable influence in the army. If Emperor Taizong were to pass away, the Crown Prince would likely find it difficult to compare with the Prince of Wei, who is in the prime of his life.

But whatever the unofficial history says, Li Xuanba was only at the peak of the Xuan Guan realm before he died, so Li Cunxiao would not be intimidated in the slightest when fighting against someone of the same level.

The biggest problem is that the Lingyan Pavilion, which was originally meant to house the twenty-four meritorious officials, has suddenly been invaded by a completely unrelated Prince Wei. Such an incident will inevitably lead to unforeseen changes.

The cultivation of the lotus incarnation is likely to encounter some setbacks.

"No, it's not entirely true that they're completely unrelated."

“I do indeed possess something that is closely related to Prince Wei, Li Xuanba.”

The blue phoenix landed on her shoulder, its blue and red divine armor resembling feathers, rising and falling in the wind and clouds, light as a feather, its sound like the tinkling of jade pendants.

Thoughts surged like a tidal wave, but in reality, not even a single breath had passed.

The moment Li Xuanba stepped out of the golden gate, his gaze was fixed on Li Cunxiao.

He showed no surprise at the armor that was exactly the same as his own; instead, he raised his hammers high, grinned, and unleashed a dragon-shaped sword from his gleaming white teeth.

Slam down!

"Boom boom boom boom!!!!"

The four explosions sounded like a continuous line, and the clouds and mist burst open like rolling balls, all in an instant.

In Li Cunxiao's view, it was as if the other party had smashed two channels in the air with double hammers, and his whole body descended up the cloud ladder, instantly landing three feet above his head.

The silvery true essence shone brightly, and the twin hammers seemed to be lifted up by the moonlight, while the fierce wind made their faces tremble violently.

Such a terrifying hammer blow, like a shooting star from outer space or a meteorite falling to the ground, was unimaginable to people who believed that the power of the Heavenly Ladder Realm could produce.

However, Li Cunxiao, who witnessed this scene, seemed a little more relaxed.

The opponent's strength was not beyond his expectations.

Six arms were raised horizontally from his shoulders, some hands holding spears, others forming hand seals. The movements were so fast that they left afterimages, and the blood-red eightfold scorching hell flew out with a throwing motion.

When it was in the palm of my hand, it was no bigger than an autumn chrysanthemum; but after it flew out, it quickly expanded to tens of feet.

The bull's head was ferocious, the horse's face was executing punishments, and countless ghosts and spirits let out hysterical, terrifying howls. The sound waves, like tangible rings, collided violently with the twin hammers that flew like shooting stars.

Shocking!

The whirlwind exploded, and the cyclone destroyed the paving stones of Baiyu Square like a storm, causing Li Cunxiao and Li Xuanba to retreat backward.

The former only took a dozen steps back before coming to a stop, while the latter flew more than ten feet through the air before staggering to the ground.

"As expected, although Li Xuanba is strong, he is still no match for the senior Wen Zhongzi who combined the three teachings."

"Whether it's the main body or combat experience, they're both at a level I can handle."

Li Cunxiao shook his sore arms slightly, and his expression became even calmer.

As the younger brother of Emperor Taizong of Qin, Li Xuanba's talent and combat prowess are beyond doubt.

However, compared to Wen Zhongzi, who possessed the skills of a Grandmaster and Earth Immortal, the difference between the two is self-evident.

Li Cunxiao endured thousands of beatings in the Dragon Boat Secret Realm, which can be said to be the combat experience and intuition honed under the tutelage of a grandmaster, making him many times more experienced than his peers.

Under Wen Zhongzi's torment, his understanding and control of the Heavenly Ladder Realm, even if not as good as a Grandmaster, was still far superior to Li Xuanba's.

"I haven't yet unleashed the full power of my two main forms, nor have I used the Dragon-Binding Rope."

"It seems that defeating Li Xuanba and obtaining at least one Taiqing Xuanqi infusion should not be a problem."

"The key is that after we take down Li Xuanba, we don't know what other changes might occur."

"Now that the King of Wei has fought his way out, what will he encounter next?"

In the blink of an eye, Li Xuanba regrouped and attacked again. The clash between the two was lightning fast, but Li Cunxiao was able to maintain a steady and dominant position.

Only during the intervals between fights would he occasionally look up at the sky.

Above Lingyan Pavilion, the golden gate still remained. Even after Li Xuanba had fought with him, it had not disappeared.

What else might come from the other side of the door?

"hu~hu~"

Amidst the misty clouds surrounding the Jinshui Bridge, heavy breathing gradually became clearer as Wang Zan helped Cui Yuan down the bridge.

The moment their feet touched the other side of the square, the two breathed a sigh of relief. The latter stumbled and, if not for the iron mace, would probably have fallen to the ground.

"The Duke of Hu and the Duke of E are truly heroes."

"Even if the two of us join forces, we can only barely manage to replace Duke Hu."

Wang Zan helped Cui Yuan sit down cross-legged. After Cui Yuan took out the pills and began to regulate his breathing, Wang Zan slowly sat down, still feeling lingering fear.

The twenty-four generals of Lingyan Pavilion were all outstanding individuals, the pride of heaven. Coupled with over a hundred years of experience in war, their martial arts skills had long since reached their pinnacle.

Even a Grandmaster would be a headache to deal with, let alone the two Dukes who were Grandmasters.

However, these afterimages of martial artists are ultimately just the thoughts left behind by these twenty-four people before their deaths; they are the carriers of their experiences and will no longer change after their deaths.

The imperial court has controlled the Taiqing Palace for over six hundred years and has sent people into the Great Red Heaven for training more than once or twice. They have long since grasped the weaknesses of the twenty-four people.

In this way, when both are at the Heavenly Ladder level, the gap between them can be greatly reduced.

"Although the sacrifice is great, it is worth it to gain the spiritual insights of a grandmaster."

“Minister Wang, you have already mastered the Duke of Hu’s unique skill, ‘The Killer’. If you were to use this Taiqing Xuanqi, you would have a better chance of breaking through the barrier.”

After taking a breath and recovering some of his strength, Cui Yuan's first action was not to divide the spoils of war, but to offer them to Wang Zan.

Is it because the former was only a fifth-rank assistant minister of the Ministry of War, while the latter was a fourth-rank vice minister of the Ministry of War, one rank higher?
"A strong wind reveals the strength of the grass, and turbulent times reveal the loyalty of the minister. Thank you, Brother Cui."

The two looked at each other, their hearts filled with intense emotions, and there was no need for further explanation.

Those chosen by Gao Pian to enter the secret realm for training during the critical moment in the Eastern Capital were undoubtedly rare ministers who were loyal to the Great Qin and the Emperor.

The two had each studied the unique skills of Duke Hu and Duke E respectively. Before entering the secret realm, they had already agreed that whoever obtained the Taiqing Xuanqi would be the one to use it.

Because in their eyes, this is not only an opportunity, but also a responsibility.

Those who gain power will face greater dangers in the upcoming war, and may even sacrifice themselves for their country.

"For His Majesty." "For the Great Qin."

His firm words were filled with a determination to die for his cause. Without any hesitation, Wang Zan grasped the swirling, ever-changing Taiqing Xuanqi.

As the pure spiritual energy cleansed his body, strands of martial arts insights flooded into his mind, combining and evolving with his own experience.

"The 'secret weapon' is the ultimate skill that made Duke Hu famous. It is inspired by the Taoist flying sword technique and is extremely effective in developing the primordial spirit."

"I hope that with this insight, Brother Wang can successfully break through the barrier."

After regaining some of his strength, Cui Yuan stood up again to protect him.

Taiqing Xuanqi is a product of the Great Crimson Heaven. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, it was even refined into elixirs and given as rewards to his ministers.

However, Gao Pian is not the rightful owner of the spiritual treasure and cannot do such a thing, so he can only refine it on the spot.

During the brief moments of protecting the Dharma, Cui Yuan would occasionally glance across the Jinshui Bridge.

Amidst the clouds and mist, the Lingyan Pavilion, constructed of jade, appears and disappears, resembling a celestial palace.

However, they couldn't see anything through the clouds and had no idea how the four monks and Taoists were doing in their attempt to pass the trial.

Cui Yuan stared at it for a while and, finding nothing amiss, felt relieved.

"Guo Zhao is a descendant of the Prince of Fenyang and a disciple of the Duke of Zhao, Changsun. He is very likely to receive the Taiqing Xuanqi initiation."

"The two young monks from Qinglong Temple might be able to defeat one of them if they join forces."

"Only Li Cunxiao, tsk tsk, the key to martial arts is focus. This person has outstanding talent, but he does not know how to cherish it. He is already distracted by alchemy, but he also dabbles in weapon crafting."

"If I put all that effort into practicing martial arts, I might be able to catch up with the Prince of Wei back then, who knows?"

Cui Yuan shook his head inwardly, not having a high opinion of him.

The most fatal weakness of a genius is that their potential has not yet been realized.

Realm, killing techniques, experience, and adaptability in battle—all of these require time to accumulate, and no one is an exception, from ancient times to the present.

Even with Emperor Taizong's majestic bearing, when Emperor Gaozu raised an army in Jinyang, he was still at a disadvantage due to his age and was overshadowed by the Crown Prince Jiancheng.

Of course, when he was later promoted to King of Qin and given the title of General of Heavenly Strategy, commanding tens of thousands of troops, his true dragon-like potential could no longer be contained.

As for the Xuanwu Gate Incident and Emperor Gaozu's abdication, that's a story for later.

Regardless, Cui Yuan was secretly pleased to see these monks and Taoists fail.

After all, Qinglong Temple and Louguan Taoism were still outsiders to the court officials.

Throughout history, monks and Taoists, who have lived outside the realm of civilization, enjoyed official titles and the respect of the people during prosperous times, reaping all the benefits; but during chaotic times, they never easily got involved in worldly affairs, at most sending a few followers down the mountain to help the emperor.

In short, they would never risk everything until the situation became clear.

Rather than letting monks and Taoists take away the opportunity and betting on their willingness to live and die with the Qin Dynasty, it would be better to give loyal and virtuous people more opportunities and strengthen the court's power. This is the idea of ​​many royalists in the capital at present.

Gao Pian went to great lengths to suppress these dissenting voices in order to win over allies.

It was also thanks to his high prestige as an official and his exemplary integrity that this matter could not have been accomplished so easily.

"The traitors Zhu and Huang are currently both in Luoyang. These rebellious officials and traitors are in cahoots and will likely join forces soon to attack the capital."

"At this critical juncture of life and death, Brother Wang, you must succeed!"

As Cui Yuan's thoughts raced, he suddenly felt an invisible pressure. He quickly turned his head in surprise, focusing all his attention on Wang Zan.
"Finally, I've caught it! Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, retract!"

In front of Lingyan Pavilion, Li Cunxiao stood in the air, riding his Wind and Fire Wheels.

With a sharp shout, the sword and fingers joined together, and the spherical crimson flame net instantly contracted inward, like a crimson flame dragon coiling its body, the golden flames resembling blades.

In an instant, Li Xuanba, who was trapped inside, suddenly developed dense, fish-scale-like cracks, and even the silver hammer in his hand turned into dust.

Fortunately, the other party was only a body formed from Taiqing Xuanqi. If it were a real physical body, it would probably have been squeezed into a pile of minced meat by the mesh of the Golden Flame Net.

Li Cunxiao stepped forward on his fiery wheels, his five fingers spread wide. In the vortex of suction, specks of energy gathered where Li Xuanba stood, eventually transforming into a fist-sized ball of pure energy, within which someone seemed to be practicing martial arts techniques.

He then breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Li Xuanba truly lived up to his reputation as a genius second only to his brother. Even with Li Cunxiao using only 70% of his strength, the two fought evenly.

However, the latter has a plethora of divine weapons and magical treasures. The protective power of the Azure Phoenix Armor is beyond doubt, and the mobility brought by the Wind and Fire Wheels is unmatched in the same realm.

The vast sea of ​​energy brought by the two original bodies, and the power of their true essence, far exceeded the imagination of the Heavenly Ladder warriors.

At first, Li Xuanba was able to seize opportunities to attack, but later he could only defend, and even flee.

However, once the Dragon-Binding Rope was unleashed, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

If this afterimage had any sense, it would probably be cursing loudly.

"Is this amount of primordial energy enough for the Seven Treasures Lotus to nurture an incarnation?"

Li Cunxiao looked at the ball of light in his palm, and without much hesitation, he wrapped it with his blue and red true essence and drew it into his dantian.

On the Longhua Bodhi tree, heart-shaped green leaves sway gently, and nine poisonous dragons together surround the ball of light, encompassing it into a canopy-like crown.

In an instant, pure spiritual energy surged from the roots of the tree into the lotus root figurine on the Bodhi tree.

Meridians, blood vessels, internal organs, blood, bones, muscles.
As the lotus root rapidly transformed, insights into martial arts welled up within him.

It has fist techniques, leg techniques, and hammer techniques, as well as the ability to control strange beasts and launch combined attacks in military formations;
Some are complete, some are incomplete, and some are simply a single image.

These are all martial arts insights gained by Prince Wei, Li Xuanba, during his lifetime. Although they are not all of them, they are valuable because they do not contain other memories or emotions, which can enrich Li Cunxiao's knowledge.

Whether in battle or in creating your own martial arts techniques, they will be of great use in the future.

"Judging from the current rate at which the Taiqing Xuanqi is being consumed, it should be barely enough to nurture a new incarnation."

"But if there were more, my lotus incarnation would definitely be... hmm?!"

Suddenly, Li Cunxiao felt his hair stand on end as a powerful pressure spread from the sky in all directions.

He turned around abruptly, only to see that the doors of Lingyan Pavilion, instead of closing due to Li Xuanba's defeat, were slowly opening to both sides.

An inexplicable palpitation gripped her, and her slowly widening eyes reflected the golden portal on the horizon, from which the stirring music of breaking through the formation resounded through the heavens.

Only saw:

The banners and pennants shine in the golden sun, the feathered canopy brushes against the blue clouds;
The sun's feathers drift in the air, and cloud banners trail purple smoke!
A massive procession led the way, with six-tusked white elephants pulling a bronze elephant chariot that traversed the clouds and pointed the south to the stars.

The Vermilion Bird Banner features a red sparrow holding a ribbon, with twelve guards standing in rows below to accompany it.

The left and right Golden Guards were at the forefront, wearing golden armor, holding ceremonial swords, and their dragon and phoenix headbands gleamed.
The left and right guards stood in rows, their blue armor and lances flashing like a forest, their cold light reaching the heavens.
The left and right guards, along with the central army, fluttered five-colored banners, and no one dared to approach where their longbows pointed.

One thousand two hundred crimson silk banners, four thousand eight hundred ox-tail halberds, and tens of thousands of heavenly soldiers in gleaming armor filled the heavens.

At the very center of this grand procession, six heavenly horses pulled a jade chariot adorned with green jade. Beneath a curved yellow silk umbrella with nine golden dragons swimming in its canopy, a majestic figure in a yellow robe, like the sun itself, occupied the very center of heaven and earth.

Ten thousand riders and a thousand officials, with dragon banners and phoenix canopies;
A peerless appearance, a countenance as bright as the sun and the moon!
In the Great Crimson Heaven of the Taiqing Palace, with its pomp and circumstance resembling that of the Heavenly Emperor's procession, coupled with the inexplicable intrusion of Li Xuanba, a flash of lightning struck his mind:
"Me, fight Emperor Taizong of Qin?"

Li Cunxiao couldn't help but swallow.

Will it win?
(End of this chapter)