Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 362 372 Martial Arts is the True Self, Mount Tai is Destiny

"Like you? Don't overthink it."

Li Cunxiao watched as Ge Congzhou was reduced to dust inch by inch under the baptism of thunder, but he did not relax.

With his primordial spirit fully activated, he carefully sensed the life within a hundred miles and only felt truly relieved after confirming that there was no trace of Ge Congzhou.

Don't be fooled by how easily he fought this battle; in reality, the vitality of a grandmaster is completely different from that of ordinary people, surpassing the imagination of ordinary people.

Although it may not reach the level of a grandmaster who can be reborn from a drop of blood, because the essence, energy, and spirit are united, every fragment of the body may theoretically contain a considerable amount of life essence.

If you're not careful, the other party might sneak away, lie low, recuperate, and then make a comeback.

Because Grandmasters are so difficult to kill, and because they have long lifespans, their views on the world are different from those of ordinary people. Therefore, in history, when two armies are in a standoff, there are quite a few Grandmasters who surrender and defect.

After all, they can live to be nearly two hundred years old. In such a long time, anything could happen.

Therefore, among grandmasters, there are often several extremes, and Ge Congzhou was clearly one of those who were extremely afraid of death.

His appearance and martial arts, including his ability to create clones and steal food, all embody this point.

Because Li Cunxiao possessed a magical treasure, he was able to eliminate any possibility of the opponent escaping.

Secondly, it was thanks to the "Ancient Scripture of the Supreme God of the Vast Heaven" at the Great Completion stage that he was endowed with a primordial spirit far surpassing that of his peers.

Whether you're a grandmaster or a great grandmaster, the competition is essentially about applying the power of heaven and earth, seeing who can manipulate more and control it more precisely.

Whether it's the 108 Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends or the cultivation level of the Heavenly Realm, they are all weights on the other side of the scale.

Although Li Cunxiao was still a Grandmaster, his control over the power of heaven and earth was approaching that of a Great Grandmaster. Moreover, he also possessed the skills of a Daoist temple, which enabled him to completely overwhelm Ge Congzhou.

"The secret methods passed down by Emperor Taizong of Qin are indeed profound."

"I only used one Dharma form in this battle. If the Ten Directions Salvation Heavenly Venerable and the Dragon King Buddha were added, it would be even more astonishing."

Li Cunxiao reviewed the gains and losses of the battle, feeling the increasing malevolent energy within the Vajra Pestle, and a smile appeared on his face.

Once you step onto the battlefield, you must be prepared to be killed. Besides, the Liang army has always had poor discipline; they can be described as a bunch of wolves. Let alone four thousand, even forty thousand, he wouldn't feel any guilt killing them.

However, in order to extract information, he still controlled Lei Chi to retreat. When Ying Longzhi's personal guards descended from the sky, there were only about a hundred terrified Liang soldiers left on the ground.

However, the carriages, livestock, and supplies on board were all intact, demonstrating the power and exquisite control of Li Cunxiao's primordial spirit.

Without any orders, the guards naturally separated the prisoners and interrogated them one by one.

Li Cunxiao, holding Ge Congzhou's divine weapon "Auspicious Fruit," used his own true essence and the power of heaven and earth to cleanse it of its filth and purify the evil aura and remnant soul.

He possesses the Seven Treasures Lotus. Even if he were to sacrifice a white lotus to help Taiyi Zhenren reshape his body, he could still create three clones. Naturally, he would have no use for this heinous divine weapon.

On the other hand, since he broke through to the Grandmaster level and achieved the Dharma forms of both the Buddha and the Taoist deity, the effect of the lotus incarnation is now incomparable to what it was before.

The true essence of a grandmaster contains vital energy and spirit. Once it reaches a certain proportion, it is actually a "small self" that can act independently without the physical body.

Back when he was still in Songzhou, both Taiyi and Qici had secretly protected him in this way.

However, for most grandmasters, this ratio is relatively high. Often, when they create a clone, their own combat power will decrease significantly.

Therefore, Ge Congzhou was able to break through the gate of the Doppelganger General by creating several clones through evil magic, because this was indeed not an easy thing to do.

Li Cunxiao originally had two Dharma images; even if he separated one of them, he would still be a grandmaster.

The so-called decline in strength is only relative to his own abilities.

With the Seven Treasures Lotus as a vessel, his clones can travel greater distances and spend significantly more time outdoors.

The clone and the main body can share what they see and hear, but this message transmission is not real-time and will also cause additional consumption of true essence.

"The materials used in this divine weapon are quite good. After refining it, it will be perfect for forging a divine weapon to nurture Guangyi's primordial spirit."

After the evil spirits were washed away, the auspicious fruit in my hand once again radiated Buddhist light, with faint sounds of Zen chanting. Inside each fruit was an adorable child.

After putting away his divine weapon, Li Cunxiao walked over to the carriage to inspect the supplies inside.

The most precious and valuable natural treasures have already been transported away in the previous batches. The remaining batch here, although of considerable quantity, is not of very high quality, but it is just right for use by martial artists in the second and third realms.

Besides medicines and weapons, there was also a considerable amount of gold and silver treasures, roughly estimated to be no less than several hundred thousand taels.

Whether used as a reward for subordinates or recast as currency, it was a considerable gain.

Li Cunxiao could now be said to be living on the clouds and drinking the dew; worldly things had lost their meaning for him.

However, when he lifted the felt cloth and glanced at it casually, he was stunned for a moment.

The cart was filled with loose pieces of gold and silver jewelry, including hairpins, earrings, rings, and even longevity locks for babies.

The workmanship is poor, with obvious processing marks visible. Regardless of whether the material is gold or silver, the quality is poor. Some pieces have their surfaces chipped, revealing the copper color underneath.

Clearly, their original owners were probably ordinary people with some wealth; a hairpin or an earring might have been the only valuable item in a family.

Li Cunxiao silently picked up a longevity lock, which was only as thick and long as two adult fingers, with blurred writing on it stained with blood.

His primordial spirit was so powerful that, as he held the longevity lock, he seemed to see a pack of tiger-like soldiers rushing into the house.

The man roared and grabbed a stick, while the woman, clutching her child, fled through the door. However, an arrow flew from behind, piercing both mother and child.

The next moment, the body was roughly turned over, and the bloodied hand holding the knife tore the longevity lock in half. The family perished in the fire amidst savage grins.
Li Cunxiao took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, forcefully suppressing his turbulent emotions.

The imperial street is trampled with the bones of high-ranking officials, and the imperial treasury is burned to ashes.

In truly chaotic times, it's not just high-ranking officials whose bodies are never found; it's not just brocade and jewels that are burned to ashes.

"General, Your Majesty, the interrogation results are in."

Ying Longzhi's personal guards sensed the oppressive atmosphere emanating from their superior and cautiously stepped forward.

"explain."

"According to these prisoners, the supplies looted from various parts of Xuzhou were eventually transported to Qingzhou."

Qingzhou
Li Cunxiao had long imprinted the entire land in his mind, and he immediately understood upon hearing this.

Henan Province has a vast territory, ranking among the top in area among the sixteen provinces in the country.

Strictly speaking, with Xuzhou as the boundary, the southwest side is the heart of the Central Plains, while the northeast side is separated by mountains, which form a natural barrier, into the seven prefectures of the East China Sea: Yizhou, Haizhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Mizhou, Laizhou, and Dengzhou.

Because of its proximity to the sea and mountainous terrain, the area has a thriving salt industry, prioritizes commerce over agriculture, and its customs differ from those of the Central Plains.

Qingzhou is located north of Xuzhou, separated only by Yizhou.

Yanzhou, west of Yizhou, had been captured by the Liao Kingdom, but before Li Cunxiao sent out his troops, he heard that Grand Tutor Yang Shihou, the Silver Spear Master, was leading an army to counterattack.

Currently, the Liao Dynasty's Grand Preceptor Sakya has retreated north to Qizhou and then attacked Zizhou in the east. Yanzhou has once again become the battlefield for Prince Qin, Li Siyuan, and Yang Shihou.

At this time, Li Cunxiao received intelligence from the prisoners, and he was basically certain that Zhu Quanzhong was indeed retreating towards the coastal area.

However, it's unclear whether the other party is planning to expand overseas or has other methods.

"Send the intelligence back to His Majesty's residence. Also, send the troops from Xuzhou eastward to join forces. First, take Yanzhou, then Haizhou and Mizhou, and occupy the coast."

"Your Majesty, aren't we going to Qingzhou?"

Li Cunxiao couldn't help but look up at the soldiers under his command, and he could see the longing for merit in their eyes.

Since the main force of Liang's army is heading towards Qingzhou, it would be easier to gain merit and more benefits in Qingzhou.

But as the commander-in-chief, one cannot only look at the achievements in battle, but also must consider the risks of each battle.

It's true that Qingzhou made great contributions, but perhaps Grandmaster Zhu Quanzhong is also lying in wait there. He's not afraid of Grandmasters now, but he doesn't want to fight a Grandmaster at his peak who wields a spiritual treasure.

In particular, although Li Cunxiao was nominally the King of Qin and Song, deep down he did not feel much belonging to the Hedong camp.

Li Yisheng was not as forthright as he appeared. As a qualified politician, he always prioritized personal likes and dislikes over the consideration of interests.

Just as he could tolerate Yelü Yi becoming emperor and treat his brother's kingdom as an equal, a few years ago, the other party also deliberately allowed Zhu Quanzhong to launch a sneak attack on Taiyi Zhenren, thereby forcing Louguan Dao to withdraw from the capital region.

Li Cunxiao did not believe that Li Yisheng, as a Grandmaster, would be unprepared for his old rival's actions.

The kindness of the Taiyi Zhenren to him was immense, and for this reason, he would never tolerate the mastermind or his accomplices.

Not to mention that after he joined Hedong, both Li Yisheng and the Taibao only had business dealings and deceitful dealings, and there was no affection between them at all.

"The treacherous Liang rebels are vicious and stubborn. There is already a Prince of Qin in the north. If we go to claim credit, do you think he will remain indifferent?"

"Rather than make a fool of ourselves, we should continue eastward and rescue the people from their suffering as soon as possible."

“Isn’t doing this kind of practical work far more meaningful than fighting for a few heads to gain merit?” Li Cunxiao naturally couldn’t say his thoughts out loud, so he put it another way. Yu Longzhi, who was standing next to him, heard this and their faces showed admiration and respect.

A general is a general! He was like that when he was in Huayin County, he was like that when he went to the remote southwestern mountains, and he is still like that now that he has returned to the front line.

Not striving for fame and fortune, but always keeping the greater good and the people in mind—that's true magnanimity and character!

"What King of Jin or King of Qin? They are far inferior to our King!"

"Who can argue with that? Alas, the ruler is far too benevolent. If only our king could be emperor."

"Shh! Keep your voice down. Li Sima emphasized last time that we are not allowed to say this in front of others."

"Oh dear, Li Sima is the king's brother. How can he say some things outright? You have to understand the higher-ups' meaning from the opposite perspective."

"You mean"

The imperial guards whispered amongst themselves, cautiously exchanging words.

Li Cunxiao, however, had no interest in these matters. He used the excuse of checking the map to enter the carriage alone. With a thought, a crimson lotus flower floated out from his body.

At the center of the lotus flower is the majestic and dignified image of the Dragon King Buddha, seated cross-legged beneath the Dharma banner.

He nodded slightly, and the Dragon King Buddha, whose appearance was identical to his in the lotus, also nodded in greeting. Then, in a flash, he disappeared from the spot, having unleashed the Void Wheel Technique, the Great Dragon Divine Foot.

Of the five elements, the nature of emptiness is unobstructed and unimpeded; it is the Dharma nature of void, just like a great dragon, unhindered by the three realms, flying through the sky and escaping into the earth, reaching everywhere.

The void flickered repeatedly, and before Yu Longzhi could even notice, the clone had already traveled several miles away, heading towards Qingzhou.

Li Cunxiao did not intend to lead his army to Qingzhou, but seeing that Li Yisheng and Zhu Quanzhong were about to have a battle, Yelü Yi of the Liao Kingdom had long been eyeing the city covetously.

The battle between Grandmasters will, without exaggeration, determine the future of the world and cannot be ignored.

Anyway, even after the Dragon King Buddha's clone left, he still had the Dharma form of the Salvation Heavenly Venerable and spiritual treasures, so he wasn't afraid of experts of the same level.

They could gather intelligence and attack cities simultaneously without delaying either task.

After dealing with these matters, Li Cunxiao finally stepped out of the carriage.

All eyes of the surrounding dragon riders immediately turned to look at him, and there seemed to be something inexplicable in their gazes.

He wasn't surprised, after all, with the Xuan Tian Huang Long Dao Bing and the Dragon Pearl Pill working together, the dragon sons would become more and more loyal to him, the ancestral dragon, in a subtle way.

Rather than calling it brainwashing, it's more accurate to describe it as a subtle, gradual influence.

With Li Cunxiao's level of skill, if he simply made slight changes to the cultivation method and elixirs, and changed the target from soldiers to women, he could gain a group of absolutely loyal concubines.

However, he had no interest in this. With Ye Shuyi as a virtuous wife, he had enough, both emotionally and practically.

In a sense, he could also be considered a kind of "succubus".

"Find a town nearby and set up camp. Once the rear guard arrives, then send troops to Yizhou."

"Yes, Your Majesty! Where are these prisoners?"

Li Cunxiao looked over and saw that all the Liang army soldiers were trembling and pleading.

But when he thought of those blood-stained jewelry, he felt no pity for these people.

"Killing them like this is too easy on them. Same rules as before: cripple their cultivation and deprive them of food."

“Now that fields are lying fallow everywhere, keeping them around is just right to serve as livestock for the people.”

"Order!"

Yanzhou, Gongqiu, Qin King's Camp.

Across the Sishui River, one can see that the opposite bank is also covered with a continuous line of banners.

Under the banner bearing the character "Yang," silver spears and halberds stood like a forest, reflecting a silvery light. These were the very spears that Yang Shihou used to make him famous.

Li Siyuan stared for a long time, then suddenly spoke:
"Grand Tutor Silver Spear is indeed a man of military talent. Si Zhao, what do you think? Can this man be put to my use?"

Upon hearing this, Li Sizhao, the second bodyguard, shook his head. "Brother, please don't make things difficult for me."

"Yang Shihou is a grandmaster, how could I possibly guess what he's thinking?"

"No need to guess, I knew from my fight with him that Yang Shihou already had the intention to retreat."

Li Siyuan spoke with certainty, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

Once you reach the level of a Primordial Grandmaster, the three treasures are united, and it no longer matters whether you are refining your body, cultivating your qi, or refining your spirit.

To put it simply, a master's cultivation is about constantly strengthening the "self" in order to leverage the universe.

This is why a master can lie when dealing with people, but the "I" he reveals when fighting against someone will not lie.

Because only the pure "true self" can connect with the world to the fullest extent.

This doesn't mean that when masters clash, their memories are like a screen that anyone can browse. Rather, it means that when they fight, their spirits and wills collide, and their true selves are left nowhere to be hidden.

Therefore, the unique skills of masters are often a condensation of life, representing their deepest desires.

Li Siyuan sensed his opportunity after fighting Yang Shihou a few days ago.

“Chang Congjian and the two monks of Huishan Temple are only loyal to their father, the king.”

"Now, if I could just get a grandmaster as my ally, I could surpass the third brother."

Li Sizhao did not correct the other party's address to Li Yisheng, but upon hearing the second half of the sentence, he felt compelled to remind them:

"Brother, don't forget that besides Li Cunxu, there is also Prince Song, Li Cunxiao."

The smile on Li Siyuan's face gradually disappeared.

After a long while, he sighed.

"A master who is not yet thirty. If he had known this would happen, why did he do it in the first place?"

Li Sizhao could only offer words of comfort in return:

"Brother, there's no need to blame yourself. Li Cunxiao's talent is comparable to that of Emperor Taizong of Qin. How could he be content to be subordinate to someone else?"

“Even without those disagreements with Kang Junli, Li Cunxiao wouldn’t be so easy to win over.”

"I just don't understand, what exactly does His Majesty intend to do by bestowing three royal titles?"

"Once a person sits in that chair, he will become suspicious and be plagued by differing opinions."

Li Siyuan turned his gaze to the north, where a cluster of towering peaks could be vaguely seen.

That is where Mount Tai is located, the place where emperors of past dynasties performed the Fengshan ceremony.

Tai means great. Mount Tai is the highest peak of the Qin Dynasty, said to reach the nine heavens. Only emperors and sons of heaven are qualified to perform the Fengshan ceremony to show their obedience to the mandate of heaven.

However, Qizhou, separated by a mountain, is now occupied by the Liao Kingdom, and the Grand Preceptor Saga may be attacking Zizhou to the east at this time.

Allies are only truly unbreakable when they share a common enemy.

As the Liang Kingdom faced its impending doom, friction between the two brothers, the Qin and Liao dynasties, gradually increased.

It's obvious that once Zhu Quanzhong dies, a war between the North and the South is inevitable.

Given Li Yisheng's character, he would never allow such a natural barrier as the Four Garrisons of Hebei to fall into the hands of the Liao Kingdom.

If Yelü Yi could seize the opportunity to take the Day-End Bag from Zhu Quanzhong, then he could truly gain a foothold in the north.

Therefore, both sides are now exercising restraint and will not easily engage in battle, so as not to disrupt this fragile balance.

For more than four years after Li Yisheng ascended the throne, he never went to Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan ceremony for this reason.

Yelü Yi probably didn't want to provoke his nominal brother, so he didn't take any other action besides declaring himself emperor.

However, after the An Lushan Rebellion, the military governors of the two rivers region were divided and the area was in chaos. None of the dozen or so emperors who succeeded to the throne ever came to Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan ceremony.

At this thought, a fire burned fiercely in Li Siyuan's heart; one day, he too would achieve the same.
"Um?!!"

When Li Sizhao saw his boss's expression suddenly change, he instinctively reached for the sword at his waist. However, he also noticed the strange phenomenon in the distance, and his expression changed drastically as well.

Even hundreds of miles away, the view can be clearly seen beyond Mount Tai.

In the direction of Qizhou, a blood-red pillar of light shot into the sky!

(End of this chapter)