Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 405 A tower should have stood high in the sky, but its shattered state led to the ascension to the heavens.
At dawn, the rooster crows three times.

It was still dark, and there was still a while before sunrise, but the disciples of the Tongxuan Sect had already gotten up.

Although there are Taoist priests on duty at night, they are only a few.

As dawn broke, more people woke up, and faint sounds began to emanate from the nearby hills.

As the lights came on, people dressed, washed, and began their morning lessons in varying stages.

Breakfast can only be eaten after morning classes.

However, the disciples in the main kitchen were responsible for making breakfast.

They get up even earlier, and by then they have usually finished their morning prayers, prepared their meals, eaten a quick bite, and then it's time to deliver the food.

Ming Jingzi was responsible for delivering food to the dungeon on the North Peak. He carried two wooden buckets on a shoulder pole, filled with unleavened steamed buns. There was spring water on the North Peak, which they would eat with the buns.

As he descended the hill from the kitchen and headed towards the North Peak, he heard a noise in the roadside bushes. Instinctively, he wanted to kick it out, but instead saw a gray rabbit.

The rabbit's belly was bulging, so it was probably pregnant.

Ming Jingzi had an idea. He changed the direction of his bound feet and swept them through the grass. The rabbit was startled and, just as he had hoped, turned and ran into the jungle.

If it goes up the mountain, the rabbit will surely die; if it runs into the jungle, it might have a chance to give birth to its young.

Ming Jingzi watched the rabbit go, stood there for a while, and sighed inwardly.

My own situation is not necessarily better than that of the baby rabbit.

The Tongxuan School held a very special position in the ten prefectures of Guilin.

Many people who used to believe in shamans and respect sorcerers now believe that these Taoist priests have more magical powers and highly praise them.

Many independent Taoist priests, from humble backgrounds, also greatly admire the Taoist priests of the Tongxuan School.

Ming Jingzi's family were just ordinary villagers. He first became an apprentice of a wandering Taoist priest. Later, because he was good at making medicinal cuisine, had ingenious ideas, and possessed pure skills, he was sent to the Tongxuan Sect.

His master and several fellow disciples gave him earnest advice and placed high hopes on him, wishing him to achieve great things.

However, after studying the Tongxuan School's pharmacopoeia and undergoing several examinations before entering the main altar, he discovered that something was very wrong.

The Tongxuan Sect not only forges weapons and medicines, practices martial arts and raises Gu poisons, but also researches demonic arts.

All disciples who enter the main altar are first implanted with Gu worms. The sect rules are extremely strict, and many disciples become the furnaces for their fellow disciples and masters to cultivate demonic arts because of their mistakes.

Some who have mastered demonic arts to the point of being able to neutralize Gu worms have also developed a deeper connection with their masters through their demonic arts, which gives them the opportunity to be sent abroad to manage affairs.

After learning about these things, Ming Jingzi was often terrified.

They also discovered that some fellow disciples deliberately harmed others, turning them into human furnaces. In order to compete for the position of supervisor in charge of external affairs, they often fought according to the sect rules.

The dungeon at North Peak is filled with fellow disciples who were defeated in such duels and became human furnaces.

Ming Jingzi dared not cultivate demonic arts. Although he worked in the kitchen, he was very careful and avoided several hardships. He also built up some connections among the fellow Taoist priests who shared his plight, in order to stay informed.

But he couldn't guarantee that he could always act according to circumstances and protect himself.

"When will this kind of life ever end?"

Ming Jingzi muttered a complaint under his breath, adjusted the carrying pole, and was about to continue when he suddenly noticed two extra people on the mountain road ahead.

One of them was a handsome young man, wearing an iron crown and a long robe with flowing sleeves, who felt a chill in his heart upon seeing him.

The other man was a dashing young man with a smile on his face. He was dressed somewhat like a Taoist robe, but with wide sleeves of blue cloth, long trousers and cloth shoes, no leggings, and a long sword hanging at his waist.

However, when Ming Jingzi met the young man's eyes, she felt a little dizzy and muttered to herself.

He felt as if he had spoken a great deal about his sect to these two strangers, speaking in a low voice and in an orderly manner.

Is this right?
This... doesn't seem to be wrong.

Ming Jingzi's mind was hazy, but his speech was always very organized.

He didn't know how long he had been talking. Suddenly, he realized that he was still walking and was almost at the foot of North Peak.

What just happened?
Ming Jing couldn't figure it out, but she found that her left fingernail was a little sore, and her body felt a little lighter.

On the mountain road, Chu Tianshu looked at a small, blood-red beetle on his left index finger.

"This Gu worm is quite interesting. It is clearly a Yin and evil creature, yet it resides in the acupoint with the strongest Yang energy in the heart meridian. When I drew it out, it also traveled along the Hand Yangming Meridian."

Chu Tianshu laughed and said, "No wonder that little Taoist priest said that the Grand Elder of the Punishment Hall used an ice jar to control all the Gu worms, which is in conflict with Yin and Yang."

Xiao Liang, on the other hand, was lamenting another aspect.

"Everyone in Qingsheng Temple practices demonic arts, and the Tongxuan Sect clearly also has profound demonic arts, yet they are able to control it, and only a portion of their disciples practice demonic arts."

Xiao Liang said, "Such actions may seem to allow conflicts to arise among the disciples, but the internal conflicts within the demonic sects are even worse. They are usually more hypocritical, and once given the opportunity, they will act without restraint."

"The Tongxuan Sect's structure, built upon strict rules, has a truly terrifying future potential."

Chu Tianshu shook his head: "If the demonic path were so easy to control, it wouldn't need to be called demonic."

"Such a sect will either fall apart and have no future, or it will become a pure demonic path."

"Now that we're here, we should make it end up like the former scenario."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Liang was cautious but smiled. He then moved swiftly and disappeared into the nearby grass and forest.

Chu Tianshu took out a needle with his right hand, muttered some incantations, and pricked the beetle in his left hand.

On the main peak, inside the Hall of Punishment.

Several elderly Taoist priests with bluish complexions were sitting cross-legged on cloud beds, with different ritual objects placed beside them.

One of the ice jars, about the size of a human head, suddenly flashed and shattered with a bang.

Several old Taoist priests suddenly awoke.

When the Gu poison was used on the disciples of the main altar, it was done by several old Taoist priests separately.

However, the Grand Elder of the Punishment Hall required that any Gu worms used for this purpose must first be placed in his Ice Jar to learn how to control the Gu worms within all his disciples.

This is also to prevent any elder of the Punishment Hall from losing control of his demonic arts and killing all the disciples under his charge.

However, the Frost Bug Jar has never actually been used since the faction was founded.

"Elder, what do you mean by this?"

"This was not my doing!!"

"The destruction of this jar seems to have severed my connection with those Gu worms."

Several old Taoist priests were in a state of turmoil, their swords drawn, when suddenly Zhang Tongxuan's voice drifted in.

"Don't lose your composure, it's just that an unpleasant guest has arrived."

Zhang Tongxuan descended gracefully from the main peak.

His figure passed through the clouds halfway up the mountain, and when he landed, he could already see Chu Tianshu several miles away.

Chu Tianshu's gaze also caught the Taoist priest who was drifting down, and he smiled slightly.

“Master Tongxuan, that person from your sect has trespassed into the important territory of my mountain. If it weren’t for the fact that my guest elders have some skills, I’m afraid he would have killed many of my disciples and their relatives.”

Chu Tianshu's voice drifted over, "How about handing over his head as an apology?"

"Fellow Daoist Chu, you jest."

Zhang Tongxuan's robes billowed in the wind, and the closer he got to the foot of the mountain, the slower he fell, his eyes gleaming brightly.

"I didn't know before that Fellow Daoist Chu was a person who liked to joke, but I have come to understand that Fellow Daoist Chu can indeed surprise people time and time again."

"The mark you left on the mountain not long ago has clearly been erased by me. May I ask how you found this place?"

Chu Tianshu destroyed the ice jar to lure out this person's movements. Whether he hid on the mountain and released his aura to challenge him, or came down on his own initiative, he must have a clear intention.

However, although Zhang Tongxuan came down, he seemed to have no fighting spirit at all, only a little curiosity, which made him very difficult to deal with.

Chu Tianshu glanced around but did not reply.

Zhang Tongxuan continued, "Did you calculate the location by observing the celestial phenomena here?"

Chu Tianshu's heart skipped a beat; the man's tone had become slightly harsher.

"good."

Chu Tianshu stared at him. "Master Tongxuan, so you also have expertise in astronomical observation and divination?"

"It's truly stargazing..."

Zhang Tongxuan's eyes clearly changed slightly. "You really were able to accurately calculate the location of my headquarters just by observing the stars in the night sky for such a short time?!"

Chu Tianshu laughed and said, "It seems that Daoist Tongxuan is not just a researcher, but a fanatic."

"I'm not obsessed with it, I just learned a little bit for practical purposes."

Zhang Tongxuan realized that his emotions were fluctuating, but he made no attempt to hide it. He suddenly turned to the side and pointed to the corner of the main peak with his left hand.

"Fellow Daoist, can you see that iron tower?"

When Chu Tianshu arrived, he had already noticed a tall, thin iron tower there, which was completely black.

"It is naturally visible that it is not made of bricks and stones, but rather cast from gold and iron."

Chu Tianshu said, "Are you trying to tell me that the people you captured are all locked up in that tower, and if I insist on starting a war today, you'll have your men push the prisoners down and kill them?"

“Fellow Daoist, there’s no need to test us. There are no prisoners in that tower.”

Zhang Tongxuan's gaze sharpened, and he said gently, "That is the treasure I used to go to the moon."

A moon landing?!
Chu Tianshu almost thought he had misheard, his eyelids twitched, and he looked at the tower.

What do you mean? That's not a tower at all, it's actually a rocket?!

"You mean..."

Chu Tianshu's tone was subtle, "Once your tower is activated, fire will spew from under your butt, and then it will soar straight to the highest heavens and ascend above the bright moon?"

This surprised Zhang Tongxuan.

"I thought you might not believe it, but you guessed the way the Taixu Tower flies with just one sentence."

Zhang Tongxuan's gaze swept over Chu Tianshu from head to toe.

"However, fellow Daoist, you are wrong about one thing. Just because you can fly out of the nine heavens does not mean you will be able to successfully land on the moon."

"The sun, moon, heaven, and earth are constantly in motion and changing, full of mysteries. This Tai Xu Tower, which flies upwards, can control its speed but cannot freely turn around."

"A precise trajectory must be calculated before the flight to ensure a successful moon landing."

When Zhang Tongxuan got to this point, his tone revealed a deep sense of regret.

What he gleaned from the stone slab were the secrets of all kinds of weapon crafting.

His knowledge of cultivation, medicine making, and Qimen Dunjia largely originated from the development of the local Taoist sect.

According to the Taoist cosmological system in China at that time, the universe was perfectly round, like a chicken egg, and could also be called the celestial sphere.

The earth is like an egg yolk, residing at the very center.

The sun, moon, and stars are all located on the outermost layer of the celestial sphere, and are influenced by the primordial energy of the void, rising and falling in cycles.

When Zhang Tongxuan forged the Taixu Pagoda, he ascended to the clouds, hoping to glimpse the Taixu landscape and immerse himself in the bright moonlight.

As it turned out, after the pagoda had truly ascended to the heavens, he began to realize something was amiss. The vast emptiness beyond the heavens was truly boundless.

Its vastness far exceeded his original imagination.

The results obtained using the old Zhou Tian algorithm naturally contained huge errors.

If the pagoda continues to fly past, the distance between it and the moon's actual location will be immeasurable.

It will only drift into the dark void, with nothing to rely on.

Zhang Tongxuan realized something was wrong and promptly manipulated the Taixu Tower to descend back, but before he could land back in Guilin, he crashed into the sea.

That first Taixu Tower was thus buried in the vast sea.

He went to great lengths to return to his headquarters to recuperate and build the second pagoda, preparing to recalculate the trajectory with utmost precision.

However, it is easy to imagine the difficulty he would face in overcoming countless obstacles in the development of mathematics over a thousand years on his own within a few years.

The sect has many disciples, some learning medicine making, some learning weapon crafting, and some learning demonic arts.

Very few people were proficient in mathematics, let alone anyone who could keep up with him or help him.

After years of deep thought, Zhang Tongxuan suddenly had a breakthrough.

Since mathematics is not reliable for the time being.

Then let's continue relying on magic.

Having experienced entering the void once, Zhang Tongxuan gained a deeper understanding of the art of weapon forging, and subtly applied some of its mysteries to his own soul.

The soul is not a physical entity and is much less bound by the earth. Even if it cannot reach the speed of the peak of the Taixu Pagoda, it can still persevere and float into the sky.

However, the soul is more susceptible to the influence of the mixed energies of heaven and earth.

The farther away from the ground, the more effort it takes.

The higher one climbs, the more susceptible one becomes to the influence of various invisible malevolent forces emanating from the void.

Although Zhang Tongxuan had refined his soul to the point where he could ascend to the Great Void, making him more than a hundred times more flexible than controlling the pagoda, once inside the Great Void, he could turn around on his own without having to predict his trajectory. He only needed to persevere and chase after the bright moon.

However, the loss of cultivation level is also considerable in the process.

Even though it took him the equivalent of more than ten days and nights on land, he finally reached the bright moon.

I fear that he too will find it difficult to maintain his composure and cultivate peacefully amidst the boundless, turbid essence of the moon.

This led to his plan to build the Taixu Transmission Well, secretly plot and scheme to capture a master of Tao.

With the assistance of these mind-transmission wells.

Even after Zhang Tongxuan lands on the moon, his spiritual connection with the eight masters will not be severed.

He could use the demonic mind-transfer technique to transfer the excess lunar essence into the bodies of the eight masters.

In this way, he could cultivate to his heart's content on the bright moon, strengthen his foundation and nourish his vital energy. After returning to the earth, he could then rely on the Eight Great Furnaces to transform and refine the moon's turbid essence, thus greatly increasing his cultivation level.

From this point on, Zhang Tongxuan's strength will advance by leaps and bounds, and he will be able to comprehend the stone tablet more easily, thus accelerating the unraveling of its many mysteries.

He has abandoned the idea of ​​flying through the void tower and decided to use another plan to achieve his goal.

But when he discovered that Chu Tianshu actually possessed a far more advanced method of star observation and divination than expected.

This mysterious, young, and unparalleled master was not just a martial artist who only knew how to fight and kill.

The regret of being forced to give up surged wildly in his heart.

Zhang Tongxuan observed Chu Tianshu very carefully and saw that the man's expression showed that he truly believed that landing on the moon was feasible and did not have many doubts.

This made him even more restless.

"Fellow Daoist, your attainments in astronomy and mathematics are so profound, how about we go to the moon together?"

Zhang Tongxuan paused for a moment, then said, "The bright moon is the source of the changes over the past hundred years. You should be able to imagine how much change we could discover in the path of cultivation if we were to ascend to the moon to cultivate?"

"If we can use the Taixu Tower to go to the moon, we can bring with us a large number of pills and magical artifacts to resist the moon's turbidity."

"If you are not at ease, you can prepare these things yourself and then ask Xiao Liang to come along."

"At that time, we will all be in the Great Void, and since there is no significant difference in strength between us, none of us will dare to act rashly."

Chu Tianshu seemed to be deep in thought.

Zhang Tongxuan's eyes flickered slightly.

“I know that Fellow Daoist Chu is a kind-hearted person who cannot bear to see innocent people suffer. I have captured eight great masters here, one of whom is Xiao Liang’s friend and has a great reputation in the martial arts world.”

Zhang Tongxuan showed his utmost sincerity.

"How about this: once we successfully land on the moon and return, I will release all eight of them."

"All eight of them must owe you this favor. With these eight renowned masters joining your sect, how can you not grow stronger in the future?"

The soul can leave the body, but there is a time limit to this.

Zhang Tongxuan needs dozens of days just to travel to and from the moon. Even with the help of eight enlightened masters as his furnace, the time he can spend cultivating on the moon each time is still very limited.

If we could use the Taixu Tower to carry elixirs and magical artifacts to the moon, the effect would certainly be no less than this.

More importantly, there are very few truly enlightened masters in the world.

If these eight furnaces are ruined, it's unknown when they can be collected again.

If the Taixu Tower can successfully reach the moon, all it will need to consume is the liquefied Qi of the Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Armor.

This repeated process is clearly more stable and sustainable than cultivating using the Eight Great Furnaces.

"It sounds very appealing, and I am indeed very curious about the moon, but there is a small problem."

Chu Tianshu laughed, "Aren't you afraid that if you release those eight, all ten of us will kill you together?"

"If you're not afraid, it means you're planning to use drugs or some other means to cripple their abilities before releasing them."

"At least they won't be able to retain the full combat power of an enlightened being, and they might even be subject to your control because of the periodic antidote."

Zhang Tongxuan did not deny it: "This is also the proper thing to do."

"Hahahaha!"

Chu Tianshu laughed a few times, "I'm afraid they themselves wouldn't accept such conditions."

"is it?"

Zhang Tongxuan's tone softened, "It seems that words alone are not enough to sway you, fellow Daoist."

"Does Fellow Daoist believe that as long as we fight, Xiao Liang is more than capable of defeating Zhuang Zhi and will definitely have a chance to rescue those eight people?"

On top of the main peak.

The sixteen Taoist priests guarding the deep well remained unmoved by the outside noise, yet suddenly felt a sense of impending doom.

All sixteen people opened their eyes.

With their unseen intentions and the seamless cooperation of the sixteen people, they almost fixed the morning mist and light within the square, making it impregnable.

Xiao Liang's figure was also faintly visible under this pressure.

But his actions could not be restrained by these thoughts.

The White Serpent Divine Sword suddenly appeared from the sleeve, about to pierce the air and kill, but the blade suddenly turned and blocked to the side.

Clang! ! ! !

A beam of bright blue light, about the thickness of a thumb, struck the White Serpent Sword.

Xiao Liang's fingers trembled slightly, and he turned his head in surprise.

This divine light, though only as thick as a finger, was over 150 feet long.

The source of the divine light was on the iron tower at the corner of the summit.

That slender iron tower has thirteen stories, eight sides and eight corners, and each story has eight eaves.

Apart from the divine light that just shot out.

As Xiao Liang turned his head, he saw several more blue dots appearing on the tower.

I don't know what this blue divine light is.

Its speed after being launched is several times faster than the movement speed of an enlightened being.

Even a swordsman like Xiao Liang could only dodge and parry in a split second by relying on his intuition.

The sound of the divine sword colliding with the divine light echoed throughout the entire mountaintop in the next instant.

That resounding, thunderous roar shook one's very soul.

It felt as if one's ears had ceased to exist; the sound pierced directly into the soul.

But everyone on the main peak, and even on several nearby hilltops, can still see it.

The slender iron tower was rotating slightly on each level, emitting streaks of blue light.

The Tower of Emptiness can fly, but it's not a rocket that can only be used to fly.

This is a powerful weapon; its combat capabilities are indispensable.

From Chu Tianshu's perspective, Xiao Liang cannot be seen directly.

But just by looking at the direction in which those bright blue divine lights flashed and pierced out, one could tell.

The placement of these rays of light was exquisitely precise, far from being random bursts of light.

"Was this tower really built in Guilin?"

Chu Tianshu clicked his tongue slightly and said, "If you didn't know better, you'd think it was built at the mouth of the Yangtze River."

Zhang Tongxuan couldn't understand what he was saying, nor did he care to delve into it. He simply smiled and asked, "So, how about it now?"

Chu Tianshu stared intently at the scene, and after a few breaths, a smirk suddenly appeared on his lips.

He had already sped forward, but suddenly exploded halfway through!
It's as if a new figure bursts forth from the old shadow, transcends it, and is freed from it.

All the protective energy on his body had undergone a miraculous transformation, turning into even stronger power the moment the old image shattered.

Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada, an ultimate technique, shattering the Zen body!

Seeking meditation amidst the cicada's song and shadows, one breaks through the illusion of eternal stillness to ascend to the heavens of meditation.

Chu Tianshu arrived suddenly, seemingly transcendentally.

The fine threads that Zhang Tongxuan had scattered around his body exploded before they could even absorb his power.

Everywhere there were broken, fluttering filaments, which began to turn red and burn.

Because Chu Tianshu struck the enemy with a palm as red as the sun.

"Not good at all!!"

You can't elicit a flaw, you can't suppress someone's mindset, and you can't create a situation.

Let's simply compete in martial arts skills!
(End of this chapter)