Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 370 & 380 Catching a Turtle in a Jar
Taiyi felt like he had slept for a long time.

When he had this thought, more doubts followed.

Shouldn't I be dead?

How is Saburo doing?

Is Louguan Daohe, my senior brother, well?

A jumble of thoughts surged forth from the emptiness, and Taiyi Zhenren, stimulated, shifted his consciousness from a state of confusion to clarity.

Only then did he realize that his power had returned to his body after a long time, and his perception of the outside world was gradually recovering.

When he finally opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself inside a white lotus, beneath which a body was slowly taking shape.

His own apprentice watched all of this with a smile.

"Sanlang? Am I dreaming?"

"Master, look at this lotus flower, doesn't it look familiar?"

"Hmm, is this the Seven Treasures Lotus?"

Taiyi Zhenren suddenly realized that it was actually a lotus incarnation that had reshaped its body, which made perfect sense.

As for how his primordial spirit was preserved, to be honest, I can't remember anymore.

Furthermore, he had absolutely no intention of delving into his disciple's secrets during the touching moment of their reunion. After all, the student had surpassed the master; as for what he had accomplished, that was none of his concern.

However, the amount of spiritual energy required to cultivate a body capable of supporting the primordial spirit of a Grandmaster is astronomical.

Thinking of this, the old Taoist priest felt both moved and somewhat anxious:

"How long have I slept?"

"Not long, only six years."

Li Cunxiao channeled a bit of true essence into the white lotus, which naturally contained a wealth of information, explaining the events of the past few years one by one.

Taiyi Zhenren meditated for a while, taking a full quarter of an hour to digest it.

When he looked at his disciple again, he could no longer utter a single word.

After a long pause, he finally spoke with difficulty:
"So, the spiritual power of this avatar was obtained in exchange for Li Yisheng's death?"

"That's right. He deliberately let Zhu Quanzhong take action back then. It's karma, and retribution is inevitable."

"You defeated Zhu Quanzhong and killed Li Yisheng, doesn't that mean you will be the ruler of the Central Plains from now on?"

"To be precise, only after I have defeated Yelü Yi and dealt with the other feudal lords will I be considered the ruler of the world. Master, what are your thoughts?"

"I don't want to talk," Taiyi's mind, which had just regained consciousness, returned to a state of confusion.

Li Cunxiao couldn't help laughing.

He had imagined many times how excited the master and disciple would be when they met again.

But in fact, everything happened naturally, and at this moment he felt only a faint joy and peace.

Perhaps Li Cunxiao didn't notice that as the Haotian Dharma Image approached perfection, his emotional fluctuations became less and less frequent.

Heaven and earth are not benevolent, and all things are dogs.

The course of Heaven is constant and does not change according to anyone's will or feelings. The closer one gets to the realm of "Heaven," the thinner the part belonging to "humanity" becomes.

"I never expected that after just one night's sleep, my apprentice would grow to be as tall as me."

"Even if I were to be resurrected now, I wouldn't be able to help you much."

After finally processing his complex emotions, Taiyi Zhenren couldn't help but sigh.

Before he "died once," he had only just entered the first level of the Dharma Manifestation Realm.

Li Cunxiao, having just broken through to the Dharma Form stage, was able to kill Li Yisheng, who had been famous for many years—something even he couldn't do.

He felt he couldn't be of any help with anything else.

"Master, don't underestimate yourself. You are a terrestrial immortal. Master Qici can help me to guard Jiannan. Are you really going to retire while you're still at the peak of your career?"

"The world is not yet at peace, and there are many areas where we need your help."

Li Cunxiao deliberately mentioned this, and sure enough, Taiyi Zhenren immediately became motivated.

"You brat, don't try to provoke me with those bald monk names."

"Although I have reconstructed my body, it will take at least another month to fully recover."

"What if we add this golden elixir?"

Li Cunxiao reached out and grabbed a strange pill that seemed to be a small world within his hand.

When Taiyi Zhenren saw this, he was full of praise.

Since he had taught his disciple the techniques, he could naturally tell that the level of this Golden Core cultivator had completely surpassed his own.

"Then it will only take half a month."

“That’s perfect,” Li Cunxiao said, flicking his wrist. The golden elixir disappeared into the lotus root and naturally merged into it.

The lotus incarnation grew at twice the speed, and the old Taoist's primordial spirit on the lotus pod became visibly more solid.

“Yelü Yi has already reinforced his troops in Qizhou. As long as I deliberately spread the news, he will surely attack.”

"After we've dealt with the Liao Kingdom and subdued the north, I need to first integrate the regions we've recovered."

"The two sacred Taoist sites of Wu and Yue are not to be underestimated. I will need to trouble my master to go south and keep order for me, so that they will not dare to act rashly."

"Pick the softest persimmons first, seize Jiannan, turn the mountains into my ginseng fruit forest, and cultivate and train troops."

"Once the situation is favorable, we can march south in a grand and imposing manner. This will minimize the damage the war will cause to the people and restore order to the land as quickly as possible."

Li Cunxiao spoke eloquently, but he hadn't had a chance to tell Li Guangyi about these plans yet.

A grand blueprint unfolds, one by one; he surveys the landscape, displaying his boundless ambition and talent.

When Taiyi Zhenren witnessed this scene, he felt not only gratified but also proud.

"But Sanlang, what is this ginseng fruit you mentioned?"

"Hahaha, this is a spiritual herb that I cultivated. It will become the cornerstone of the new method in the future."

"I'll explain these things to you slowly. Guangyi and the others, as well as Li Si'en and the others, are probably getting impatient by now."

With a wave of his hand, Li Cunxiao summoned Bai Lian, who followed behind him under the guidance of his true essence.

His figure flickered, and a moment later he appeared in the Dragon Armor Army's camp.

The battle with Li Yisheng did not take too long. For Li Guangyi and the others, it was just the time to eat two meals and then it was time for breakfast.

The fact that he could return safely after fighting the Emperor of Qin speaks volumes.

When Li Cunxiao reappeared before everyone, the entire military camp was almost in an uproar.

The Dragon Armor Army knew that their king had won and that a bright future awaited them.

The prisoners were all ashen-faced, and some of the veterans from Hedong even went mad because they couldn't accept reality.

Li Cunxiao did not linger. After the joy of the crowd subsided, he immediately broke camp and marched into Qianfeng.

Before sending out troops, he even wrote a letter and sent it into the city.

Meanwhile, Li Si'en and Li Si'ben had also received news of Li Yisheng's death.

It wasn't that they had extraordinary abilities, but rather that Li Yisheng had left behind a way for the two of them to know whether they were alive or dead.

"Godfather, is he really dead?"

Li Si'en stared at the shattered jade seal on the table, as if in a dream.

The person I've followed for decades, one of the most outstanding masters of our time, has died just like that?
He died at the hands of the "Thirteen Protectors"?
"I'm afraid so," Li Siben said hoarsely, clutching the "Late Emperor's Edict" tightly in his hand. He had a bad feeling when Li Yisheng left this edict.

And this premonition came true so quickly that it caught everyone off guard.

It’s only been a few years?
The person who once called you brother is about to become your master in the blink of an eye?
“I still can’t believe it,” Li Si’en clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he was about to leave, but Li Si’en suddenly turned around and punched him in the face.

The latter stumbled and fell to the ground. Before he could even get angry, he heard the other person let out a low growl:
"What can you do if you don't believe me now? Do you think my godfather is the type to joke around?"

"If Li Cunxiao truly had the strength to defeat his adoptive father, then Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu would probably already be dead by his blade!"

"Seventh Brother, don't do anything foolish in a life-threatening situation like this!"

Li Si'en was stunned upon hearing this, and his clenched fist deflated like a punctured balloon.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"Do as the will says, help Li Cunxiao take control of the army left by his adoptive father, assist him in ascending the throne, and become the new emperor of Qin."

“You need to understand, it’s not that Li Cunxiao needs us, it’s that we need this way to survive.”

After they finished speaking, they both fell silent.

Despite my reluctance, I had no choice but to accept reality.

The two immediately sent someone to Li Cunxiao to convey their goodwill and explain that they would definitely cooperate with all his requests.

However, the messenger returned shortly after leaving, bringing with him a letter from Li Cunxiao.

However, upon unfolding the package, the contents left the two completely baffled.

"You forbid us from opening the city gates and surrendering, yet you expect us to use the emperor's seal to order Chang Congjian to return and provide reinforcements?"

"Has Li Cunxiao gone mad? If he really has the strength to defeat my adoptive father, doesn't that mean he's going to slaughter us all?"

Li Si'en and Li Si'ben were both angry and scared, never expecting this turn of events.

Although they had some unpleasantness with Li Cunxiao in the past, it was because of military affairs and there was no personal grudge.

Now that I'm ready to back down, the other side won't allow me to surrender. It's outrageous!

The two men were still completely bewildered and unsure of what to do when a scout rushed in with a panicked report:
"General! Suddenly, divine soldiers descended from the sky and surrounded us outside the city!"

"You bastard! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Li Si'en was already in a bad mood, and upon hearing this, he flew into a rage and slapped the scout so hard that the scout coughed up blood.

Upon hearing this, Li Siben rushed out and indeed saw Taoist soldiers riding the clouds, instantly surrounding the city walls on three sides.

Banners stretched out in a continuous line, with the large "Song" character king flag standing out prominently.

"Sixth Brother, what do we do now?"

Li Si'en's eyes darted around, desperately searching for Li Cunxiao's whereabouts.

The less he could see anyone, the more terrified he became.

On the contrary, Li Siben, seeing the enemy's posture of surrounding without attacking, and looking at that inexplicable letter, seemed to suddenly understand something.

After struggling repeatedly, he gritted his teeth:

"Do as he says, close the city gates tightly, and issue an imperial edict ordering Chang Congjian to return to provide reinforcements!"

"The Song King's troops have surrounded Qianfeng. Chang Congjian is leading his troops back to reinforce it?"

"The whereabouts of the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Jin are still unknown, and Li Yisheng has not shown up?"

On the border of Qizhou, near the Taishan Mountains, an army of 300,000 gathered.

In the central command tent, Yelü Yi, Yueliduo, and Saga sat around, looking at the few words of intelligence on the table and exchanging bewildered glances.

Not long after they integrated their army, they heard that internal strife had broken out in the south.

Song King Li Cunxiao led his troops to besiege Qianfeng, but the siege dragged on for a long time without success. Chang Congjian, the Grand Master of the Palace, was ordered to return to the rescue. The two sides fought several battles, but neither side could gain the upper hand.

The Qin borders are now vulnerable, and Li Yisheng is suspected of being seriously injured, which is better than they had anticipated.

"Your Majesty, do you find the news credible?"

"Such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is like a windfall."

Yelü Yi pinched the bridge of his nose hard. Even though he prided himself on being decisive, he found it difficult to answer his empress at this moment.

"Chang Congjian and Li Cunxiao were both grandmasters, and the troops they fought were all elite soldiers. Those casualties were real and could not be hidden."

"If this is a trap, then the sacrifices that Li Yisheng is willing to make are far too great."

Sakya, holding his rosary beads, frowned and stated his judgment.

"In that case, the only possibility is that Li Yisheng suffered a great loss in that unknown battle before, and he is still unable to escape."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have stood by and watched the Qin Dynasty fight amongst itself."

"Whoever gets involved, this is a great opportunity for the Liao Dynasty. Even if it's a trap, we have to step into it so we won't regret it!"

High risk comes with high reward. Qida's foundation was too weak. If he missed this opportunity, he didn't know how long he would have to wait if he followed the old ways. In the end, Yelü Yi decided to take a gamble.

He originally did not intend to take all 300,000 troops with him; a significant portion of them were to be divided among the troops to seize ports and trading posts such as Dengzhou.

But right now, there's no need to spread our resources too thin.

This is a do-or-die situation!
"This is an opportunity not to be missed! Order the entire army to march south in one hour!"

Once the military order was given, the war machine began to turn rapidly.

In this army, the Qida people only accounted for one-third, while the remaining two-thirds were private armies led by local gentry from Hebei Province. This was a hasty expedient measure.

After all, the newly conquered Bohai Kingdom and other places also needed troops to suppress them.

In any case, an hour later, Yelü Yi led Yueliduo, Saga, and an army of 300,000 men, many of whom were not fully equipped, south across the Taishan Mountains.

He was initially very cautious and sent out several vanguards to probe the enemy, but after breaking through several cities on the Qin border, there was no decent resistance, and Yelü Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that Prince Li Cunxiao of Song was also very fierce, forcing Chang Congjian to transfer all his elite troops away.

Thus, he was finally able to confidently lead his 300,000-strong army into Yanzhou and head towards Qianfeng.

"Now, whether in terms of combat strength or troop strength, our Great Liao has the advantage."

"Now is the perfect time to march south and wipe out the elite forces of Hedong in one fell swoop."

"Without a strong central government, chaos will inevitably break out in various parts of Qin, and that will be the time for Qida to trample the Central Plains!"

Similar fantasies spread among Yelü Yi and other high-ranking officials. Some generals even began to imagine how to seize land, how to allocate fertile territories, and which forces to choose as the foundation for their families' rise to power.

But what they didn't know was that in the heavens, an invisible eye was watching all of this.

The encirclement centered on this 300,000-strong army is steadily tightening.

However, beneath the tense exterior of Qianfeng City, which Yelü Yi and others imagined to be a stalemate and a battleground, lay a peaceful interior.

In the original imperial residence, Li Si'en and Li Si'ben walked through many corridors and carefully bowed to greet the emperor at the door of a room.

The Forbidden City, which was originally their personal guard post, is now directly under the control of Li Guangyi's Imperial Guard.

Upon entering, the person seated at the head of the table had changed from Li Yisheng to Li Cunxiao.

On the main table lay a bleeding human head, which appeared to have died not long ago.

That was Chang Congjian's head.

Li Cunxiao opened his eyes from his meditation and spoke calmly.

"it's time."

(End of this chapter)