Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 302, Section 311: The Shocking Brocade of Rainbow Feathers

North of Luoyang, the eastern capital, lies Hua County, Baima Post Station.

The enormous warships lined up along the dock, and looking down from above, one could see countless tiny figures moving back and forth among them.

Zhu Youzhen stood at a corner of the dock, casually stopping a group of soldiers who were unloading. Under their hesitant gaze, he crushed the iron chains on the boxes with his bare hands and ripped them open.

The luster of gold and silver jewelry immediately reflected on everyone's faces, and the guards behind them instantly revealed greedy looks.

Zhu Youzhen noticed this and, without waiting for them to ask for it, grabbed a handful and threw them into their arms. The latter were immediately very grateful, while the soldiers responsible for escorting them showed expressions of envy and jealousy.

In the army of King Liang, the strong always rise and the mediocre fall.

The rules were simple: win a battle, and you'll get a beautiful wife and concubines; lose a battle, and you'll be punished with a beating and a whip.

Apart from that, they did not care about killing innocent people to claim credit, looting and massacring.

As long as you are good at fighting and loyal to King Liang, there will be no problem at all.

Therefore, these soldiers had no resentment towards Zhu Youzhen for breaking the rules; they only regretted that they were not the ones who received the reward.

However, despite enjoying the endless flattery from his subordinates, Zhu Youzhen did not show any smile. Instead, he frowned as he looked at the warships by the dock.

Is Father really going to withdraw?

Having finally reached the Eastern Capital, they were only one step away from overthrowing the young emperor and sitting on the dragon throne.

At such a time, should we pack up our gold and silver and retreat?

Compared to the throne of supreme ruler, these gold and silver things are nothing!
"No, Father will never retreat, nor will he be afraid of that old scoundrel Gao Pian."

Zhu Youzhen turned and left the dock, spurred his horse and galloped away, arriving at the military camp in the blink of an eye, and went straight into a certain tent:

"Grand Tutor Ge! What's Father's elder brother doing here?"

Upon seeing the other person in the tent, Zhu Youzhen's expression immediately turned cold.

Ge Congzhou followed Zhu Quanzhong for many years. After the latter was made a king, he was promoted to military governor and Grand Tutor. In the army, he was respectfully called Grand Tutor Ge.

The only person Zhu Youzhen could call his elder brother was Zhu Yougui, the heir apparent of the Prince of Liang.

"Do I need to report to you what I do? Second brother, you're becoming more and more disrespectful. Have you forgotten who cleaned up your mess in Xijing last time?"

Zhu Yougui retorted sharply, and Zhu Youzhen's face immediately turned ugly upon hearing this.

Unlike Zhu Yougui, who was born before the Liang king rose to power, the latter was born after Zhu Quanzhong gained fame and influence through his surrender to the emperor.

The two grew up in vastly different environments. Although he was born out of wedlock, Zhu Youzhen never suffered any major losses from childhood to adulthood—except for the time he encountered Li Cunxiao.

That humiliating loss of an arm!
Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was becoming tense again, Ge Congzhou had no choice but to interrupt:

"Both gentlemen have come to inquire about His Majesty's next decision, is that correct?"

The tense atmosphere dissipated completely, and Zhu Youzhen looked at his elder brother, whom he regarded as an enemy, with a start.

Zhu Yougui didn't even know?
"My informant reports that Gao Pian, along with Louguan Dao and Qinglong Temple, have joined forces. The three grandmasters are leading 30,000 troops toward our location."

"If we consider our strength on paper, we only have Father King and Mingzun; at the Grandmaster level, General Yang is also in Xiayang and Baishui guarding against Li Yisheng. In addition, there are General Ge and the three Dharma Kings, making four Grandmasters. I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to compete with the three families in the capital."

"We have the advantage in the number of troops, but in a real battle, we actually have fewer elite troops that can form a battle formation than the Shence Army."

The more Zhu Yougui calculated, the more his side's chances of winning seemed slim.

However, he shared the same thought as his half-brother, whom he looked down upon:
"But the more this is the case, the less likely Father will withdraw his troops."

"Because my father is a gambler."

Noticing the intense gazes of the two men, Ge Congzhou felt as if he were seeing a young Zhu Quanzhong in a daze.

The other party was the same way—greedy and audacious, planning things that seemed impossible, yet achieving them step by step.

Before he could even process what was happening, his pupils suddenly contracted, and the ferocious image of the Demon Mother rose from the ground, shielding the two unsuspecting brothers within it—

boom! ! ! ! ! ! !
A deafening roar, accompanied by a raging storm that swept across the land, exploded, spread, and erupted in an instant!
Thousands upon thousands of tents were swept up into the sky, only to be reduced to dust by the powerful true energy.

The Zhu brothers looked up in astonishment and saw that a huge sun had suddenly appeared in the sky. For a moment, there were two suns in the sky, and it was impossible to tell which one was the real one.

Until a chilling voice echoed throughout Baima Post Station:
"Zhu the traitor, if you don't surrender now, when will you?"

As they spoke, a great sun in the sky trembled, shooting down a thousand fiery meteors that enveloped the entire Baima Post Station.

The terrifying heat, even hundreds of meters above the ground, caused the weaker soldiers' flesh to char and their screams to fill the air.

But this scene did not last, because a giant, full-moon-like hand suddenly stretched out from the camp and swept away the flames that filled the sky.

"The Grand Secretary has indeed arrived."

The successive explosions of meteors still triggered an expanding heat flow, dispelling the heavy clouds that shrouded the area and revealing the enormous Dharma image above the military camp.

His body was the color of a full moon, he wore a crown of five Tathagatas, a draped celestial robe, and adorned with necklaces. His light shone brightly, and he resembled the Vairocana Buddha, the founder of Esoteric Buddhism, yet he was not quite the same.

In the center of the portrait, a middle-aged man with a dark red face, triangular eyes, and a thick beard under his chin, is none other than Zhu Quanzhong.

His voice was cold and domineering, but there was no sign of panic or confusion.

"If I don't come, do you traitors and rebels intend to kill yourselves to atone for your sins?"

The sun in the azure sky withdrew its light, revealing the golden-winged roc with golden feathers and crimson flames, with Gao Pian in full military attire at its core.

Since the scouts learned of the whereabouts of the Liang King's army, he was unwilling to give the enemy the opportunity to divide and conquer, so he immediately gathered his forces and launched a full-scale attack.

Strangely, the opponent's reaction to the surprise attack was too calm, which aroused some suspicion in his heart.

Does this person have a backup plan?

The number of Grandmasters in the world is extremely limited. Apart from those present here, and the Prince of Jin, who is the mortal enemy of the King of Liang, only the Magu Mountain and Maoshan Mountains in the Central Plains still have Grandmasters presiding over them.

However, before setting off on this expedition, he had already written to both families and received their promises not to intervene.

Where does Zhu Quanzhong's confidence come from?

With this rabble? Or with the ten thousand or so Fallen Goose Army?
"In the face of absolute power, no amount of tricks will work—you two, make your move!"

Before the words were finished, a Tai Chi Yin-Yang symbol and a Buddha image surrounding the mandala rose into the sky, forming a three-legged balance with the Golden-Winged Roc.

Black and white light shot into the sky, like a curtain connecting heaven and earth, cutting the entire Baimayi plot apart from its surroundings.

Some soldiers were so terrified that they rode their horses to charge at the curtain. The moment they crashed into it, their bodies were instantly reduced to ashes as if they had fallen into a furnace, leaving not a trace behind!
"It really is the Yin-Yang Banner. It seems the intelligence was true. Neither the Taiqing Palace nor the Vairocana Conch Shell could be taken out of Xijing. If that's the case..."

Seeing that he was about to be surrounded and captured, Zhu Quanzhong showed no sign of panic, but instead revealed a mysterious smile.

With a casual toss, the ornate brocade bag grew longer in the wind, instantly transforming into a demon that devoured heaven and earth, forcing the black and white banners in the void to reveal themselves.

"So what if they have magical treasures? They're just putting up a stubborn resistance."

Despite Gao Pian's underestimation of their opponents, he secretly joined forces with Yan Daotong and Zhen Jing to increase their output.

As expected, the dharma image of the Buddha, which resembled a Buddha but was not, soared into the sky. Together with Zhu Quanzhong, it activated the Acquired Bag, barely slowing down the encirclement of Baimayi.

During this process, the Shence Army, led by Wang Zhaofan, stormed into the camp. Thunder God, Lightning Goddess, Wind God, Rain Master, Yaksha, and other gods and demons, though seemingly chaotic, formed a semblance of a divine court.

Wherever they went, it was like a hot knife cutting through butter, with blood and flesh flying everywhere. This was the unique advantage of the Shence Army's Taoist military formation.

But when Zhu Quanzhong saw this, he was not angry at all; instead, he laughed even louder.
"Excellent! Today we not only eliminate a great enemy, but also gain a strong army. This is truly a joyous occasion!"

Has Father gone mad?
The brothers Zhu Youzhen and Zhu Yougui were completely bewildered by what they were seeing.

However, Ge Congzhou, standing to the side, remained calm and even smiled.

As if by prior arrangement, the massive warships at the dock suddenly split open in an orderly fashion.

The towering waves attracted the attention of everyone present.

A crimson light, like red candles lit up the mountains and fields in the dark night, opened its eyes one by one.

These warships were not loaded with gold and silver treasures, but were instead filled with crazed, bloodthirsty demons!
"You actually used living people to forge the demon army? You beast, you deserve to die!" Enraged, Yan Daotong made the Yin-Yang Banner close even faster, and it looked like it would close before the demon army entered.

But at that moment, as a powerful, unfamiliar aura erupted, everyone present changed their expressions. There was joy, surprise, and fear, but all these reactions mirrored the rise of an eerie divine form:
It has two bodies, eight faces, sixteen arms, and four legs; each head wears a pale white skull crown, and the red flames behind its head resemble a wheel of merit, reflecting the blood lake of hell.

On that indigo face, the sinister Vajra grinned, revealing his scarlet lips. The head between his waist and hips, along with the wailing humanoid figure trampled by four legs, spoke of the terror between life and death.

Son of Shiva, Hevajra.

Only the leader of the Northern Desert Qida possesses this Dharma form.

"Yelü Yi!!!!!!!!!"

Gao Pian was furious. He watched helplessly as the other side and Zhu Quanzhong and others worked together to open a corner of the Yin-Yang Banner, letting the swarming demon army into it. He then took the initiative to activate the Acquired Bag.

The two magical treasures clashed and intertwined, accelerating the sealing of this area.

Neither side can leave until the outcome is completely decided.

Gao Pian, on the contrary, calmed down at this moment. Beneath his cold expression was a murderous intent that was about to erupt like a volcano.

"The Central Plains have a history of thousands of years, and no barbarian has ever ruled the world. Even if they succeed in usurping the country, they will be condemned by thousands."

"Colluding with the barbarian tribes beyond the Great Wall, is this your way of breaking the deadlock? Zhu Quanzhong, I really overestimated you."

"It's all about the victor being king and the loser being villain. What does it matter what kind of barbarian tribes or ethnicities they are?"

Zhu Quanzhong sneered, unconvinced.

"Once I have seized the world, great scholars will naturally come to debate the classics for me."

"Before you seize the world, King Liang, you should keep your promise to me."

The sound of the Vajra of Joy resounded for miles, and one could vaguely see a tall man with shaved head and a braided hair, whose appearance was different from the people of the sixteen provinces of the Central Plains.

"Naturally," Zhu Quanzhong said, and Ge Congzhou leaped into the air.

Just now, when the Two Elements Banner blocked Baima Post Station, he had somehow slipped out with the Zhu brothers and now became the only Grandmaster left on the battlefield who could move freely.

After glancing at the Ming Cult Dharma Kings who were fighting against Grandmasters like Changsun Chi within the sealed sky, Ge Congzhou turned his attention to a woman dressed in grassland attire who had appeared beside him at some unknown time.

Behind him were two Tibetan monks dressed in red, their auras obscure and difficult to discern, which made him feel a sense of apprehension.

“Princess Yue Liduo, I have long admired you. I have left behind an avatar near Louguan Road. We can go there now.”

"In the parlance of the Central Plains, this is called taking advantage of a weakness."

“Grand Tutor Ge, I am not an illiterate barbarian.”

The woman called Yue Liduo seemed dissatisfied, but then revealed a sly smile.

"However, I like to take advantage of weaknesses."

After speaking, the hooves of the grassland cavalry behind them thundered and roared as they followed the light that the two had transformed into and disappeared into the distance.

All that remained was the celestial curtain formed by the entanglement of the Yin-Yang Banner and the Acquired Bag behind him, along with the collapsing and roaring Dharma images within, and the Asura Killing Field where the sounds of battle soared into the sky.

"Sect Leader Qin, nothing unusual happened during the time I was on patrol."

At the foot of Liangyi Peak, several tents had been erected in the training ground. Although it was late at night, the torches burning all around and the whale oil lamps in the tents illuminated the place as bright as day.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Si Xing hasn't been a burden under your command, has he?"

Qin Li, the leader of the White Tiger Sect, was a man with a stern face, exuding the murderous aura of Geng metal, perhaps due to the cultivation method he practiced.

"Sect Master, your words are a bit too harsh. Senior Brother Qin has also received many years of true teachings."

Li Cunxiao's blue phoenix armor gleamed beneath his Taoist robe. He was about to offer some words of comfort when the other party stopped him.

"He has received the true teachings for many years, but he lacks the courage to take that step beyond the threshold, thus wasting his talent."

"But you, though young, possess a spirit of fearlessness and courage."

"It is truly Taiyi's good fortune to be able to accept you as a disciple."

Qin Li's rebellious words sent chills down everyone's spines, but fortunately he didn't say much more.

"Go and rest after your patrol. Although we need to be wary of Zhu's sneak attacks, there's no need to be overly tense."

"In this battle, the advantage ultimately lies with us."

Li Cunxiao, who had been planning to return to his newlywed wife, stopped in his tracks upon hearing this and quietly transmitted his voice:

"Sect Master Qin, the Headmaster has been gone for two days. Has there been any news from him?"

"No."

Qin Li said it directly.

“When a magical treasure is used, it will inevitably confuse the heavens and earth and seal off a region. Not to mention that there are few treasures that can transmit sound over a thousand miles, even if there are, they will only be useful after a battle has been decided.”

"The disciple understands."

Li Cunxiao was somewhat disappointed, but there was nothing he could do.

The outcome of this battle had such a profound impact that even he found it hard not to think about it.

These past few days, it's been harder to concentrate on my martial arts and alchemy practice than usual.

"In that case, Sect Leader Qin, please use this Bone-Illuminating Mirror to take another look at the mountain gate. That treacherous Zhu is cunning; perhaps he will find something."

The ancient bronze mirror flew out from the Niwan Divine Palace, and Qin Li couldn't help but be amazed as he caught it.

Before going into seclusion, Master Taiyi specially left the Bone-Illuminating Mirror to Li Cunxiao.

After Yan Daotong left, the sect went into martial law. For safety reasons, the latter took the initiative to suggest that Grandmaster Qin Li regularly use the Bone-Illuminating Mirror to check for any unusual activity near the sect.

Because the divine weapon already has an owner, the Bone-Illuminating Mirror can only be used by Li Cunxiao, who shares the same source of true essence. Qin Li, on the other hand, uses his primordial spirit to peer into the mirror.

This consumption was naturally considerable. Qin Li originally thought that Li Cunxiao's limit was once a day, but who would have thought that he would have to do it every four hours during patrol handover.

"Although your cultivation method and Taiyi's are both from the Azure Dragon lineage, you can support a Grandmaster with the true essence of the Profound Gate realm. Such a strong foundation is probably beyond even the heavens' ability to match you."

With admiration, the Bone-Illuminating Mirror rose to the top of Liangyi Peak with the combined efforts of the two, then enlarged to the size of a millstone, and a beam of light like a searchlight flew out, inch by inch across the mountain gate.

Qin Li had assumed this attempt would be another fruitless one, but when Jingguang arrived a mile outside the mountain gate, his expression suddenly changed:

"who?!!"

"They actually found it." In the darkness, the distorted shadow had nowhere to hide under the mirror light, and finally transformed into a man with a lot of white in his eyes and black pupils as sharp as needles.

It was Ge Congzhou.

The moment they were discovered, they fled eastward at top speed.

bass! ! !
Qin Li's face tightened, and with a cold snort, the Geng metal aura he exhaled transformed into a flying sword, instantly flying a mile away.

The sword marks resembled cracks in the sky, cutting a straight blank line through the forest at the foot of the Four Symbols Peak.

Ge Congzhou was unable to dodge in time, and his body was instantly separated from his head.

Just before he collapsed, he gave a strange smile.

"He just died like that? It must have been a clone."

Li Cunxiao was stunned by the flying sword, but Qin Li did not answer him, his expression becoming increasingly serious.

In the silence, the earth seemed to tremble.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves came from the east.

(End of this chapter)