Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 458 At That Time, Mountains Collapsed and Waters Flooded

International Martial Arts Tournament.

At first glance, this conference seems to bring only benefits.

However, in reality, maintaining order during this conference was more than twice as difficult.

Whether those skilled martial artists gathered in large numbers near Chang'an had any ulterior motives, or what the envoys from small countries might think, can be left aside for now.

The Turks, Tibetans, and Arabs alone are formidable enemies with old grudges against the Tang Dynasty, and we must be wary of them.

Tibet has been fragmented, but the Qinghai-Tibet Tibetans have always insisted that they are the legitimate successors. While inheriting the glory of Tibet, they also have to inherit the hatred.

The Turks and the Tang Dynasty were mortal enemies for hundreds of years, and their rise and fall were closely related to the Tang Dynasty.

The present-day Turkic Khaganate is a new power that has risen in the last century, controlling large salt-producing areas on the steppe and annexing the Uyghur Khaganate.

Forced by pressure from the Tang Dynasty, they had no choice but to expand westward and northward.

However, going west was too far. The Turkic territory was already long and narrow, and it would be extremely difficult to govern if it stretched further west.

To the north, although they occupied a large area of ​​wilderness, the permafrost was difficult to thaw and the climate was harsh, making it impossible to support a large population.

Therefore, whether for personal or public reasons, they still had to keep an eye on the Tang Dynasty and think about heading south.

As for the Abbasid Caliphate, it was quite far from the Tang Dynasty. The battles that had taken place were all in the Western Regions, and there were very few major battles. It can be said that the enmity between them was not deep.

The country that truly had a blood feud with the Abbasid Caliphate was the Western Qin Dynasty.

When the Abbasid Caliphate rose to power, it seized the richest land in the West, and it took decades for it to be taken back by the Great Qin Empire of the West.

However, the Abbasid Caliphate also had its own unique circumstances.

The state religion of the Western Roman Empire has become too powerful to control. Priests, carrying holy images, go door-to-door begging and still act arrogantly. They do not engage in any productive work and even incite believers to donate their property, causing assets to accumulate in the hands of the priests and become difficult to circulate.

In contrast, the Arab world today is actually more enlightened than the West.

In the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, even those who are not members of the state religion can engage in various industries. They only need to pay an extra tax compared to those who belong to the state religion, and they will be protected by Abbasid Caliphate law.

Therefore, the Arabs were proud of their civilization, their national power was growing, and they were never afraid of their old neighbors to the west.

However, compared to the Tang Dynasty, which continuously improved the imperial examination system and now had official schools everywhere, the Abbasid Caliphate was outdone.

It should be noted that in the Abbasid Caliphate, almost all officials came from Persian families.

These Persians colluded with each other, keeping their knowledge of officialdom secret only within their own families, and refusing to divulge it.

The rest of the people in the Arab Empire, though helpless, had no choice but to endure it, at least they could still engage in commerce, military service and other means.

However, when the ideas of the Tang Dynasty spread there, the contrast made many people in their country unable to tolerate it.

The Persian nobles angrily suppressed rebellion after rebellion, but each time, the flames of rebellion would soon reignite.

As long as the Tang Dynasty stands, those within the Abbasid Caliphate who wish to rebel will always have a role model.

Therefore, the hatred of these nobles in the Abbasid Caliphate towards the Tang Dynasty in recent years is no less than that of the Turks.

They didn't even dare to dream of occupying the rich lands of the Tang Dynasty, but they desperately wanted to see the Tang Dynasty decline, to see the land of China fragmented and divided into various regions.

Only in this way can we verify that the Tang Dynasty's system was flawed.

Only in this way could they completely suppress and quell the ideological trends within the Abbasid Caliphate.

"In today's world, we are surrounded by formidable enemies."

Chu Tianshu recalled the situation in his hometown. A thousand years had passed, and they were in different worlds, yet they were so similar. He couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

"Under such circumstances, being able to hold the 'International Martial Arts Tournament' time and time again is truly the best way to demonstrate national strength besides total war."

However, this grand gathering couldn't possibly be held within Chang'an city, could it?

Su Xian stroked his beard and said, "Of course it's not in the city, but in the Zhongnan Mountains."

Zhongnan Mountain is located south of Chang'an City.

The idioms "May you live as long as the Southern Mountain" and similar expressions originate from this.

Since Li Shimin passed away in the Cuiwei Palace of Zhongnan Mountain, this ancient mountain range has forged an even deeper bond with the Tang Dynasty.

Later Tang dynasty people, whether they were fond of seeking immortality and longevity or aspired to make a name for themselves in officialdom, mostly frequented the Zhongnan Mountains.

Among the mountains, there are countless old and new palaces, temples, thatched cottages, and wooden houses.

The International Martial Arts Tournament is a perfect opportunity to organize, utilize, and renovate these ancient legacies.

"In fact, most of the world's top experts hold important positions in their own countries, and it is impossible for them all to mobilize in large numbers. Otherwise, if their home country were to fall into chaos and their rear were to be on fire, wouldn't they become a laughing stock in the world?"

Nie Hongxian said, "In previous conferences, those powerful countries only recommended one or two top experts as team leaders. Most of the team members were young talents, under the age of forty."

As for those small countries, many of them are entirely independent and don't even have a single uncrowned king. Their martial arts level is practically stuck a hundred years in the past.

They participated in the martial arts tournament simply to broaden their horizons.

Chu Tianshu stood with his hands behind his back and nodded slightly.

The young people represent the essence of their respective schools' martial arts, exchange ideas, and then report back to their own masters.

Although this method of communication is relatively inefficient, it is indeed the most reliable approach.

"Such a lively event shouldn't be missed!"

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "It seems that it's time for me to set off for Chang'an."

As he spoke, he turned back to the already crumbling incense pavilion and reached out to grab it. Inside the pavilion, many things were shattered by the wolf's howl.

The wooden box that originally contained the Mountain King's Drum has been reduced to pieces, and the drum has rolled far away and is now leaning against the wall.

As Chu Tianshu grabbed it, the divine drum flew out with a hum and was caught in his hand.

"I'll bring this drum with me..."

The Panax notoginseng in Cheng Xin's hand also hummed at this moment.

"Ah, Uncle, your sword."

Cheng Xin vaguely sensed Sanqi's emotions and quickly stepped forward, solemnly holding the longsword in both hands, and returned it to Sanqi.

"Hahaha!"

Chu Tianshu couldn't help but laugh out loud, sheathing his sword and leaving it hanging at his waist.

"I'll take my sword and drum with me and go for a stroll around Chang'an."

Although he had already made up his mind, he still went to eat after saying that.

These past few days, he's been either practicing martial arts or taking drugs, and he's barely eaten anything. But after killing those assassins today, he suddenly felt a great appetite.

The group decided to accompany him to a side hall of the palace to wait for the royal kitchen to serve the dishes.

Later generations often heard people say that the imperial meals of the Ming and Qing dynasties were often reheated repeatedly. Although there were many varieties, they were the kind of food that no one wanted to eat once they were thrown away. The emperors ate from the small kitchen.

At least in this era, the Nanzhao Kingdom did not have such bad habits.

In the imperial kitchen, dishes were prepared quickly, and some were clearly semi-finished products prepared in advance.

For example, a plate of crispy fried fish has definitely been fried twice and will be served in a short while, but it will still be delicious, crispy and melt in your mouth.

What's even more remarkable is that stir-frying has become quite common nowadays.

The iron-smelting furnace, if only one or two third-rate martial artists are hired to help, can be made to have excellent sealing properties, resulting in thin iron pots of extremely high quality.

The seasonal specialties of Nanzhao, such as mushrooms, flowers, and chicken pieces, are stir-fried together, resulting in a lingering and delicious flavor.

There was also a type of sweet flower stem that Chu Tianshu couldn't name. After slicing it into strips, it was stir-fried with thick slices of fish, resulting in a dish that was both fresh and tender, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth.

After eating, Cheng Xin went to attend to the official documents.

Chu Tianshu then chatted with Nie Hongxian about some martial arts-related topics.

Nie Hongxian said, "Although my master has achieved great success in martial arts, because I am a woman and there is a difference between men and women, I cannot fully master the techniques he created. Therefore, I can only say that I have learned half of them."

Many martial arts techniques take into account the differences between men and women.

Internal energy cultivation is relatively better, but there are still some techniques that can only be practiced by women or only by men, otherwise practicing them will cause gender reassignment.

In the path of martial arts that emphasizes physical prowess, the differences between men and women become even more pronounced at the advanced stages.

According to Nie Hongxian, Hai Donglai named his martial arts techniques very casually.

Over the years, he has compiled his own training methods and titled them "Mountain Collapse and Water Destruction".

Nie Hongxian learned the water-extinguishing method, which mainly focuses on how to control the blood flow rate to refine the body.

When one reaches a high level of skill, the nature of the blood changes drastically in each of the twelve two-hour periods of the day, unlocking the potential of the blood vessels and even expanding their range.

Chu Tianshu was greatly inspired by what he heard and secretly made comparisons in his mind.

Zheng Tianchang's "Rainy Day and Windy Day: The Bright King's Finger Spear" technique, although it can be cultivated to the level of the Uncrowned King, is nowhere near the point of complete mastery.

And this set of "Mountain Collapse and Water Destruction".

Even if it's just the part that Nie Hongxian cultivates, if she cultivates it to the highest level, it seems that she can reach the level of "transformation and mastery".

Correspondingly, it should be "True Power Without Leaks" among the three achievements of complete transformation.

Nie Hongxian herself has not yet reached that level.

But Hai Donglai now is probably at least a "true master without leaks".

"If I don't use the divine sword and the Heavenly Eye, I won't use the extraordinary techniques and unique skills refined from the 'General Principles of Victory'."

I wonder if my current state is sufficient to achieve the ultimate transformation of a single-path approach?
However, in the so-called "heart-blood martial arts," the heart comes before the blood. Could this Hai Donglai be a master of both?

Chu Tianshu pondered this in his heart, but dared not draw such a conclusion.

The three realms of perfect enlightenment are all flawless. Once you achieve one, the second one becomes much more difficult.

Even if Hai Donglai creates a technique that achieves dual flawlessness, he himself may not be able to reach the realm of dual flawlessness.

"Those people behind the scenes, even if they don't know my level, they must know something about Hai Donglai. Yet they still dare to covet him. There must be at least a few Shan Wulou among them."

Chu Tianshu felt his heart surge with emotion as he thought of this.

"Chang'an, what a wonderful place. It's a pity you couldn't get a leader like Shan Wulou to fight me and answer my question."

"Hey, I won't give you that chance either!"

"On this journey to Chang'an, I will cultivate my profound skills to perfection before discussing anything else."

"Let me see what surprises you can come up with after more than a hundred years!!"

(End of this chapter)