Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 369 379 Repaying the Master's Kindness, Lotus Incarnation
"If Li Yisheng were wise, he should have written his will by now."

Under the banner of the Song King, the army slowly marched toward Qianfeng.

Li Cunxiao did not ride a horse; he measured the ground with his feet, always maintaining a distance of ten zhang in front of the army.

It wasn't that he was arrogant, but rather that his strength had undergone a complete transformation after breaking through to the Grandmaster level.

After reaching the fourth level of the Haotian Dharma Form, his combat strength could no longer be simply measured by the number of levels.

With the blessing of the Supreme God of Heaven, the destiny of man, the destiny of the nation, and the destiny of heaven and earth are united as one, and the power they exert is immeasurable.

He is not yet the ruler of the world, but only possesses the territory of several states. However, when combined with his Grandmaster realm, he is already confident that he can defeat Li Yisheng.

For no other reason than that Li Cunxiao possessed an absolute advantage in the core area of ​​the Dharma Realm, the "Daoist Field".

The sacred space of a grandmaster, though its inner landscape is outwardly visible, is essentially an area that the source of life can radiate, influence, and control.

Within the scope of the temple, one's own principles are thoroughly understood, and the power of heaven and earth merges with one's own, as easily as one's own arm or fingers.

Li Cunxiao has a unique advantage in this regard.

Firstly, he cultivates the three religions' original forms, making his primordial spirit exceptionally powerful; secondly, the fusion of the three religions' Dharma forms allows his Daoist practice to extend far beyond that of those who cultivate alone.
Secondly, the Dharma Image of the Jade Emperor is not an ordinary divine skill; it abandons all martial arts and other techniques, and is a secret method specifically designed to enhance the state of "unity of heaven and man."
Li Cunxiao's mastery of the power of heaven and earth surpasses even the mere experience of a Grandmaster.

Beyond the scope and intensity, in terms of external resources, he even has an extra spiritual treasure bag and two more golden cores.

Li Yisheng had already used up his golden core, and the injuries he sustained in the previous battle had not yet healed, thus further reducing his chances of winning.

Thus, there were "three wins and three losses," and Li Cunxiao could not find a reason to lose.

Once Li Yisheng is defeated, the throne will naturally change hands, and turmoil is inevitable.

If the former still has some affection for the foundation he built, then he should make arrangements in advance to avoid the Liao Kingdom in the north stealing his spoils.

However, for Li Cunxiao, these were not major problems.

He is now confident in suppressing all opposition and capable of resolving conflicts caused by those who cause them.

However, it would be best to have as few setbacks as possible, since ordinary people are not as indestructible as he is; they still need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves.

Unrest at the top will inevitably affect the lives of those at the bottom.

This is why Li Cunxiao challenged Li Yisheng to a duel; his aim was to limit the impact of the coup to a small circle within the upper echelons and achieve a peaceful transfer of power as much as possible.

Ordinary emperors regarded the world as their private property.

The fourth level of the "Ancient Scripture of the Supreme God of Heaven" truly made Li Cunxiao and the world one.

The emperor is the brain and spirit of the nation, the people are its blood, and the territory is its limbs.

The stronger the physical body, the stronger the spirit, and the greater the power of the unity of "heaven" and "man".

From this perspective, unifying the country is Li Cunxiao's current path to cultivation, while Li Yisheng and other separatist princes are undoubtedly stumbling blocks.

Even without personal grudges, the enmity of being blocked from the road is unavoidable.

The princes might still be able to surrender, but powerful figures like Li Yisheng and the Liao emperor would never willingly submit to others.

Therefore, even setting aside past grievances, this battle was inevitable solely for the sake of the true perfection of the Haotian Dharma Image.

Of course, Li Cunxiao did not only challenge him to battle, but also conveyed messages to his powerful allies in the capital, Qici of Jiannan Road and Daotong of Louguan Road in Hexi, preparing for the subsequent campaign against the disobedient.

In addition, considering that Shi Jingsi had not been involved in Li Siyuan and others' schemes and had helped him in the past, he also wrote a letter explaining the advantages and disadvantages.

Everything is ready; all that's missing is the battle with Li Yisheng. His long-accumulated momentum will then sweep across the world unstoppably.

"come yet?"

Li Cunxiao sensed something, raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and the army immediately stopped marching.

At this moment, the phantom image of a pagoda rose in the distance and moved horizontally toward this place.

The prisoners of the Hedong army had all been stripped of their armor and weapons, and among the proud dragon-armored soldiers, they cowered and resentfully.

Upon seeing the strange phenomenon in the distance, one of the prisoners spoke first, and a commotion ensued:
"It's your Majesty!"

"His Majesty is here! His Majesty has come to save us!"

"The Northern Heavenly King is invincible, Your Majesty is unparalleled!"

With a sweep of his long staff, several clouds of blood mist exploded. Li Guangyi coldly stared at the headless corpses. Blood flowed from the golden hoop of his staff, forming a puddle on the ground.

The prisoners then remembered that they were no longer the invincible soldiers they once were, but prisoners of others, and immediately fell silent.

To be honest, among these people were both Li Yisheng's old subordinates from Hedong and fierce generals recruited during the campaigns against various regional warlords.

Without exception, these people were all extremely arrogant.

There have been defeats in the past, and there have been instances where new superiors made an example of someone to scare others.

But the Song King was different, and the Dragon Armor Army was different. These people seemed to want not only to subdue their prisoners physically, but also to subdue them mentally.

From the day of the defeat, officers from the Dragon Armor Army came to the prisoners one after another, spreading fallacies such as "the army and the people are one" and trying to get them to repent and treat the people well.

The soldiers listened to this as if it were a fairy tale.

I accept that I am weaker than others and that the strong prey on the weak.

Isn't the purpose of practicing martial arts to become a superior person?!

Even if they were defeated in the past, as long as they submitted to the new strong, they could still do whatever they wanted to the weak.

He traded the humiliation of one person for the arrogance and domineering attitude he had towards many others.

Nowadays, the Dragon Armor Army doesn't treat prisoners too harshly, but if living means being subject to so many rules and regulations, what's the point of living?
"The Heavenly King has finally arrived!" Li Cunxiao soared into the sky, reaching a height of a thousand feet.

The pagoda's illusory image shrank and finally landed in the middle-aged man's palm.

Today, Li Yisheng was not wearing his dragon robe, but was dressed in full armor and a jeweled crown.

A pagoda in the left hand, a victory banner in the right.

Apart from the Lingbao Relic Pagoda, the other items were also clearly divine weapons, and Li Yisheng was dressed in this fully armed attire when facing Zhu Quanzhong.

His coming to see Li Cunxiao in this manner shows that he is fully prepared and not taking anything lightly.

"I was delayed by handling military affairs."

Li Yisheng looked at the young Grandmaster opposite him, who was also armed to the teeth. He remained calm on the surface, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

He couldn't be sure after yesterday's conversation across the distance, but now that they're face to face, he's absolutely certain that Li Cunxiao's strength is no less than his own, and the powerful aura of the spiritual treasure is not concealed at all.

It's no exaggeration to say that even Zhu Quanzhong at his peak was slightly inferior to his opponent.

For a moment, Li Yisheng almost doubted whether he was under an illusion.

Even in folk tales and storytellers' tales, a grandmaster who is not yet thirty would not dare to be so outrageous.

Even Emperor Taizong of Qin, who was promoted to Grandmaster at the age of thirty, was already someone that countless people could only look up to and admire.

Based on his own experience and rationality, Li Cunxiao's performance was almost impossible.

"Many grains of sand make a tower, and many drops of water make a river. Everything has a process of accumulation, but you are simply defying common sense."

"Is it because of that magical treasure? What secrets does the former Zhou royal family hold?"

"No, if he were truly that powerful, Emperor Yang wouldn't have died and his kingdom destroyed."

Li Yisheng talked to himself, proposing one hypothesis after another, only to reject them himself.

"Would you believe me if I said I was born with a divine mandate?"

Li Cunxiao reached out and grabbed, and the Qianyang Palace descended into reality. The original and pure Three Altars World expanded instantly, turning every inch of space into his territory.

The stupa radiated countless rays of light, and amidst the chanting, yakshas and demons rode the clouds. Vaishravana, upon appearing, engaged in a fierce clash with Li Cunxiao's sacred site. At the boundary in the void, both spiritual and demonic energy constantly cycled and perished.

If they hadn't been far enough from the ground, the tens of thousands of soldiers would probably have perished in the earth's upheaval by now.

"If it were before, I probably wouldn't have believed it. Who doesn't have a destiny bestowed upon them for achieving great things?"

"But now, it seems there is no other explanation besides this reason."

Li Yisheng's expression returned to calm.

He didn't ask what Li Cunxiao had done or planned over the years, nor did he discuss who was indebted to whom in the relationship of loyalty between ruler and subject.

Now that things have come to this, the only way to solve the problem is through war.

True essence leverages the power of heaven and earth, like a tsunami sweeping across the vast ocean.

At the boundary between the two dojos, their wills transformed into yakshas and demons, engaging in a fierce battle.

"Come on, Li Cunxiao!"

"Let me see if you are qualified to sit on this dragon throne!"

Li Cunxiao is like a pillar supporting the heavens and the earth; his location is the center of heaven, earth, and sea, the unchanging origin.

No external storms can shake it in the slightest.

"Heavenly King, there's no mistake."

"Now, you are the challenger!"

Qizhou, Changqing County.

The Ji River flows through here, and to the northwest lies the former Weibo and Chengde military garrisons, while to the northeast lies the Bohai Sea.

However, this area now belongs entirely to the Liao Kingdom.

However, in the city, the majority of people were still from the Central Plains with their hair tied in a bun on the right, while the bald, shaved heads and left-fastening beggars were in the minority.

The former were mostly craftsmen, farmers, and auxiliary soldiers, while the latter were all heavily armored and wielding knives and spears.

In the center of the city, next to the county government office, Buddhist temples rose up one after another, with foreign monks in red robes and yellow hats high above, ordering the local monks in white robes around.

"It will take time to digest this old Central Plains territory."

"Our foundation for begging is ultimately too weak."

Yelü Yi stood on the city wall, looking down at the Ji River outside the city.

One after another, massive warships lined up, and squads of valiant soldiers emerged from them, including Qida people and Qin people, and they all joined the camp outside the city.

The military camps are spread out in a row, and a rough estimate suggests that the troop strength has exceeded 100,000.

"Your Majesty's achievements are comparable to those of nature. He established the system of the Northern and Southern Academies, used Buddhist teachings to educate people's hearts, and embraced diverse influences, creating a magnificent spectacle."

"Given time, the entire north will submit to the Liao Dynasty."

Sakya clasped his hands together, his words half flattering and half heartfelt.

From a small tribe on the grasslands to where he is today, Yelü Yi's journey is undoubtedly legendary.

Only a heroic figure like him could make him and Gru abandon everything and leave the snow-capped mountains to loyally assist him.

"But now that Li Yisheng has stationed his troops in Qianfeng and is facing off against us, does His Majesty really intend to launch a large-scale military invasion? Wouldn't that be too risky?"

Empress Yue Liduo, now the Empress of Liao, looked worried.

The problem is that the Qida family's resources are too meager. Although the current situation appears to be full of talented people, the internal blood-generating system of Liao has not yet been formed.

Those who held important positions in various parts of the Liao Kingdom were all Qida people and Qin people who were intimidated by Yelü Yi's personal strength and charisma. The "Liao Kingdom" in a spiritual sense had not yet been formed.

Just like the Liao Dynasty, which claimed to be the legitimate successor to the throne and to receive the Mandate of Heaven, even they themselves no longer believed it.

However, a sense of belonging can gradually form through the subtle influence of two or three generations.

At that time, the Liao Kingdom will no longer be regarded as barbarians by the Central Plains. The Liao people will become "Northerners" and the Qin people will become "Southerners." Both will be the legitimate rulers of the Central Plains and will be ordained by Heaven.

This situation is not unacceptable to Yue Liduo.

But Yelü Yi clearly didn't think so. He looked at his puzzled wife and couldn't help but sigh.

"How can I tolerate someone else snoring beside my bed? Li Yisheng is not the kind of person who can share the world with others."

"At least, that's true for us who don't have any magical treasures."

"It's a pity we couldn't capture Zhu Quanzhong before. Now we haven't heard a word about him. We don't know where he's hiding."

"In that case, we should take advantage of Li Yisheng's still-recovering injuries and strike with lightning speed."

"I don't expect to win in one battle, but if chaos breaks out in the north, I don't believe the other vassal kings and holy lands can sit still."

"As I said before, the Central Plains are vast. If we want to conquer them, we must first cause internal strife, and then we can take advantage of the situation to gradually encroach upon them."

"You should have seen the spy report; there was a major battle at Chenqiao Post Station a few days ago."

"Although we don't know who will win, in this position, the only ones who can fight are the Qin people. It might even be an internal conflict between the King of Qin and the King of Jin."

"The struggle for the crown prince position is the most brutal, and this is our golden opportunity."

"Once the troops are assembled, I will march south tomorrow, and we will surely achieve our goal."

Yelü Yi paused, then suddenly looked south, his expression a mixture of doubt and surprise:

"Are Grandmasters fighting? Could it be that Zhu Quanzhong has come to ambush Li Yisheng?"

"I never expected that I, Li Yisheng, who has dominated the world for nearly a century, would be defeated by a mere brat."

"Li Cunxiao, Li Sanlang, you have won this battle."

"Now that the Great Qin is yours, I gave instructions to Li Si'en and Li Siben before I left."

"They will cooperate with you and accept everything I leave behind."

"Are you so kind?"

"Hahahaha, of course not. I don't expect you to treat my old subordinates well. I just hope that after I die, my legacy can be inherited, so that Yelü Yi won't get away with it for nothing."

"That way, even if I die, as long as the Qin Dynasty still exists, I will at least have left something behind."

"Liang is my enemy; Qida swore brotherhood with me, but ultimately broke his promise, this is my deepest regret."

As Li Yisheng spoke, he poured his last strength into three arrows, which were filled with resentment and ambition.

But the three-headed, eight-armed giant remained indifferent, each hand forming a seal, and its immense power instantly shattered Li Yisheng's remaining upper body and unspoken words into dust.

When the Dharma form collapses and the external landscape crumbles, the power of heaven and earth immediately senses it and an unusual phenomenon is about to occur.

But when Li Cunxiao spread his eight arms, the Three Altars World expanded rapidly, isolating the inside from the outside.

The immense power of the Grandmaster's cultivation was completely confined within this space.

Then, a white lotus flew out from his dantian, took root in the void, and began to grow rapidly.

The vajra absorbed the impure and malevolent energy beyond the pure spiritual power, causing its golden light to rise and fall.

Beneath the vajra, the slumbering spirit of the old man was gently guided by a force and fell into the white lotus.

"Master, you've been sleeping for so long, you should wake up."

(End of this chapter)