Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 306 The Way of Heaven and Man (Seeking monthly votes at the beginning of the month!)

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Lengyan's eyes were full of disbelief, and he couldn't help but shout.

Who is standing in front of me?

He is Pang Ban, the "Demon Master" who has been invincible for sixty years, the peerless master of the Demonic Sect since Xiang Yutian, and who has brought the Demonic Sect to new heights!
Lang Fanyun, to put it bluntly, was just a junior in the martial arts world of the same generation as him.

What merit or ability does he possess?

How dare he?
How dare you dismissively think that the Demon Master is no match for him?

But when he saw Pang Ban's calm, even somewhat envious expression, Leng Yan turned pale and swallowed back the question he was about to ask.

Suddenly it dawned on me that my master had already acknowledged Lang Fanyun!

"Pang always wanted to break the limits of heaven and man, but in a hundred years of life, he was always just a hair's breadth away from it."

Pang Ban gently stroked Leng Yan's chest with his large hand. With a few hissing sounds, white steam rose up, and when he raised his palm, the wound had already disappeared.

"That's why I thought that when I'm fighting to the death, I should turn the unprecedented pressure into motivation and elevate my life to its most intense state. Only when I reach that state can wonderful things happen."

"Just like the great battle between my master Meng Chixing and Chuanying back then, although my master was defeated, he gained unimaginable benefits, while Chuanying laid the foundation for breaking through the void."

Pang Ban laughed and said, "Back then, Chuan Ying was lucky to have my master as his opponent, and so was my master. Unfortunately, I have roamed the world for sixty years, but I have never found a worthy opponent. Life is lonely and hard to describe. Fortunately, Lang Fanyun has appeared. I originally wanted to emulate the Battle of Changjie back then."

"But I never expected that this person would be so exceptionally talented, actually deciphering the final move and reaching the level I had always dreamed of. He left everyone behind."

Lengyan was suddenly startled and said, "Master, this is the final move!"

“That’s right, just as you thought,” Pang Ban said calmly, “It’s about shattering the void.”

Lengyan lowered his head in disbelief, looking at his perfectly intact chest.

“Ren Shaoyang met Lang Fanyun in the palace,” Pang Ban said. “So, while you were unaware, he carved words on his sword. After I rescued you, the sword's light indicated to me that Lang Fanyun had already seen through it.”

The Demon Master shook his head and smiled, saying, "This Sword God is both delivering a message and using it as a form of demonstration."

Lengyan was stunned and furious: "If I hadn't been saved by my master, wouldn't I have been torn to pieces by him?"

"What do you think?"

Pang Ban glanced at him sideways and said coldly, "In the battle of Yingfeng Gorge, he could hide in Li Ruohai's cloak and ambush me, so naturally he can make you die without anyone knowing!"

Surprised but also grateful to his master for saving his life, Lengyan thanked him repeatedly and then asked, "Master, now that Lang Fanyun has left, what about the battle of Lanjiang Island?"

Pang Ban said, "Naturally it's me and Ren Shaoyang." As he spoke, he turned and left, "The sword light just now gave me some insights, and I need to go into seclusion to cultivate. In the days to come, you shouldn't look for me."

Lengyan's expression changed, and he said sadly, "I never thought today would be the last time I see you, Master. Take care." After saying that, he knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

Pang Ban's figure flickered and disappeared into the wind and snow, leaving only a faint sigh: "Take care of yourself."
-
July 15th.

There was only one month left until the battle to block the river.

The long-awaited martial arts practitioners were filled with excitement, eagerly awaiting the outcome of this battle.

Never before has a duel garnered such attention and been the subject of so much discussion.

Many curious onlookers gathered on the northern shore of Dongting Lake, the closest point to Lanjiang Island, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two or three individuals.

Casinos across the country have opened betting odds, accepting bets on who will win and who will lose.

Never before has a duel garnered such attention, with such eagerness to know the outcome.

But just then, news spread that Lang Fanyun had withdrawn from the final battle, and that Ren Jianshen and Pang Ban would fight it out instead.

This news caused a great uproar in the martial arts world.

The reputation of the Overturning Rain Sword was extremely high. Before the rise of the White-Clad Sword God, it held the title of the number one swordsman in the world for decades.

Now that he has deserted his post, it has immediately aroused speculation, contempt, and anger among the crowd.

Just then, the Nu Jiao Gang spread the word throughout the martial world: "Lang Fanyun has been destroyed and gone, and we wish the Demon Master and Ren Jianshen all their wishes fulfilled."

Upon hearing this, the martial arts world fell silent, utterly shocked.

A century has passed, and since the Supreme Grandmaster Ling Donglai arrived, someone has actually achieved enlightenment and broken through to enlightenment.

This shocking news, once it was released, caused an uproar across the country.

Even the momentous news that the Prince of Yan, a major contributor to the suppression of the rebellion just a few months earlier, had been sent back to Beiping by Zhu Yuanzhang, remained as calm as a stone thrown into the sea.

Peach Blossom Garden, a residence of three high-ranking officials.

It was the height of summer, and Wuchang Prefecture, located in the Jingchu region, was a notoriously hot place.

Taohuadian Village is truly magical. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, with flowing streams, it enjoys a pleasant climate even during the hottest time of the year, without a trace of stuffiness.

Beside the stream, the village keeper, Ashu, was playing in the water with his children, who were completely naked. They splashed around, and apart from their slightly white bottoms, their bodies were tanned dark, like eels.

"Ah Shu! You all go swim away!" Ren Shaoyang, wearing a straw hat, vest, and straw sandals, shouted, "You've chased all my fish away!"

"Hehehe!" Ashu stuck out his tongue and chuckled, "Sister Hongxiu said that even if you can't catch any fish, it has nothing to do with us scaring them away."

Shao Yang remained silent, and then blushed.

"Hahaha!"

Grandpa Qin and the others who were fishing nearby burst into laughter.

Grandpa Qin exclaimed happily, "Don't even mention it! I stopped fishing after Shao Yang left, but guess what happened when he came back?"

Someone nearby chimed in, "What's up?"

"Hey!" Grandpa Qin slapped his thigh with joy, "As soon as he came back, I started serving fish, and we drank fish soup every day. Even my grandson's pee smells fishy."

The crowd burst into laughter again, making Shao Yang's eyes twitch.

Suddenly, a little child in the river burst into tears: "Oh dear!"

Everyone was startled and asked what had happened. The little boy didn't speak, he just kept crying. The village guard, Ashu, swam over, his eyes darting around, and reached into the water to grab something.
A-Shu was suddenly stunned, then with a whoosh, he raised the object in his hand high above his head and shouted, "Look! Shao Yang is here, and we have the fish!"

"Oh my god! They can catch fish like this?"

"If even a little dog can catch fish with a sparrow, then..."

I know what you're trying to say, but I'm not going to say it!

"I know, but I won't tell you."

I fucking care whether you tell or not! Who are you talking to?!

When Shao Yang saw the group of people secretly turning around to look at him, and Ah Shu and Gouwazi staring at each other and grinning foolishly in the river, he was furious and became extremely angry.

"Hmph! This fish looks bitter!" Ren Shaoyang stood up abruptly, grabbed his fishing rod, and left without a trace of regret.

"Shaoyang, don't be in such a hurry to leave! When are you coming to fish again?" Grandpa Qin asked with a smile.

"I'm not coming." Ren Shaoyang glanced at him sideways, sneering repeatedly. "Hongxiu will come next time!"

"Oh? Sister Hongxiu is coming!"

Grandpa Qin's face turned pale instantly, and everyone else panicked.

It was only because after Hongxiu's last visit that more than thirty large fish appeared in just half a day, leaving them speechless with astonishment.

What's even stranger is that they couldn't catch a single fish for the next two weeks, which caused their wives to complain endlessly and even refuse to let them onto the bed.

Now, upon hearing that Hongxiu was coming again, all of them wore bitter expressions.

At that moment, the smile quietly shifted to Shao Yang's face. He chuckled, shouldered his fishing rod, carried a bucket of water, and walked home with an air of arrogance.

at dusk.

In the courtyard garden, the lotus flowers in the pond are in full bloom, swaying in the wind, their pink petals reflecting the sunlight amidst the endless green.

The little beggar and Ding'an used their lightness skills to practice each other while standing on the petals.

One could see a small hand flickering with lightning; another prosthetic hand blazing with fire.

The two fought fiercely, but the flower petals beneath their feet remained motionless, indicating that their strength was concentrated solely in their fingertips.

The pool water was steamed by true energy, and white mist rose up. Under the setting sun, two figures passed each other from time to time, their fingers and palms flying, and each collision produced a deafening sound.

While they were having a great time, Ren Shaoyang was pulled by Xi Yingzhen into the pavilion, where he watched them practice while cracking sunflower seeds.

Old Master Xi pointed at the two men, a chill running down his spine: "Have they always been this ruthless?"

Ren Shaoyang smiled sarcastically: "The one-handed guy is cunning; you should hit your sister early."

"Hmph!" Xi Yingzhen snorted coldly, "It's only because Hongxiu is physically strong that she doesn't fare well when she encounters Ding'an, that brute!"

When he saw the little beggar get punched twice by Bangbang, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Xi Yingzhen turned his head away, preferring not to see it, and sighed to Shao Yang, "Now everyone in the world knows about your battle with Pang Ban. You were incredibly famous, but it was also fraught with danger."

"No choice." Ren Shaoyang spread his hands, "Lang Fanyun ran away, so I had to take his place."

“That’s true,” Xi Yingzhen frowned, “Do you have a solution?”

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "When you reach the level of me and Old Ghost Pang Ban, it's no longer about techniques and internal strength, but about breadth of mind and understanding of the world."

"Whether you call this a competition or a life-or-death struggle, it's really more about an exchange of understanding of the universe."

Xi Yingzhen said with some envy, "That's wonderful." Then she pointed to Hongxiu and the other woman, "What will happen to them if you are destroyed?"

Ren Shaoyang smiled slightly.

Just then, Ding'an shouted, "Faster, faster, faster!"

The clanging sounds, like raindrops falling on bells and chimes, were continuous and unending.

The little beggar screamed, his seven orifices blazing with anger: "You're serious, you want to break my hand?" With that, he repeatedly elbowed Ding An in the waist and kidneys, making Ding An's eyes bulge out.

Ren Shaoyang shrugged: "Who can bully them?"

Xi Yingzhen laughed heartily and readily agreed.

Ren Shaoyang added, "Furthermore, even if it shatters, Heaven can take away Pang Ban, but it can't take away me."

"Why?" Xi Yingzhen asked.

"There's no reason why." Ren Shaoyang shook his head. "It's a feeling, I can't explain it."

Xi Yingzhen felt relieved and started drinking with him, and they also talked about some insights on the I Ching.

Ren Shaoyang gained a lot and couldn't help but raise his glass and exclaim: "Master Xi, there is no end to learning! The Book of Changes is truly ever new and boundless."

Xi Yingzhen smiled and said, "Shaoyang, even if you reach a higher level, never give up the I Ching. It may give you more insights."

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "I understand."

boom!
"Ouch, what are you doing?!"

A loud crash followed by the little beggar's screams rang out.

Ren Shaoyang and Xi Yingzhen turned around in astonishment and saw the little beggar buried in a pile of stones, his limbs twitching.

On the lotus pond, Ding Anyi raised his hand, but it no longer resembled a hand; instead, it became the muzzle of a cannon, with smoke slowly rising.

"Haha! How was my shot?" Ding'an laughed.

Old Master Xi was so angry that his nose was crooked. He suddenly lunged at the little beggar, yelling, "Ding'an, you're a complete idiot!"

"A clumsy fool?" Ding'an looked at the cannon, somewhat dazed. "It doesn't seem like one at all. It's amazing! Isn't it, Shaoyang?"

Ren Shaoyang suddenly appeared behind him and kicked him into the lotus pond, making him eat a mouthful of mud. He cursed, "You son of a bitch! Hurry up and dig the little beggar out!"

(End of this chapter)