Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 232 Extreme Evil Intent, Plague Taoist

The Yuanling Sword Technique is said to be easy to master, but it is also said to be extremely difficult, even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

From beginning to end, Lu Wubing was cultivating the Devouring Heaven lineage, and what he was actually overcoming was the desire to eat among his own desires, which corresponds to the desire for food among his senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and thought.

In ancient times, if you wanted to eat something, you naturally had to hunt it.

Everything can be eaten.

Therefore, in this Yuanling Sword Manual of unknown origin, eating represents killing and devouring living beings.

Therefore, it is evident that this is indeed a secret technique and a seed left behind by extraterrestrial demons.

So, this extraterrestrial demon is probably very large and wants to eat everything.

They failed to overcome their physiological instincts, causing their lingering regrets to turn into obsessions, which became extremely contagious.

Sages have said that food and sex are human nature.

It is easy to imagine how troublesome these people, whose basic human desires are great, become once they rise to the level of demonic intent.

Unless you cultivate yourself to the point of being inhuman, it is impossible to sever this innate nature.

It can be restrained, but it cannot be absent.

But then again, if you cultivate to the point of being inhuman, what's the point of cultivation?
He's not even as good as a demon.

Lu Wubing pondered deeply, connecting each meridian of the Devouring Heaven Meridian one by one. A violent emotion surged through his heart. His body remained unmoved.

With a change of mind, the energy surges forth, opening a path where there was none. Taking another step, the intention travels through the Wushan, Huiwo, and Bieyue acupoints, opening the second meridian, the "Fragrance Meridian."

Having just begun to understand this lineage, Lu Wubing suddenly felt agitated and confused.

I felt that the world was full of filth and the smell was extremely unpleasant, foul, rotten, and unbearable.

"Smash it, smash it, smash everything in this world to pieces, so that it won't be an eyesore around you."

This sudden surge of irritability and anger made him instantly furious, his eyes bloodshot, and he was about to grab his longsword and overturn everything.

"wrong."

"If we succumb to this evil influence, we will truly step into the abyss, with no turning back. It's all an illusion, nothing but an illusion..."

In Lu Wubing's mind, he even felt that his body had been tainted by the extreme filth of this world, and was beginning to rot and infest with worms, making him wish he could kill himself as well.

The spirit wanted to break free from its cage and escape the constraints of the body, but unexpectedly, the body was extremely sturdy.

No matter how hard it crashed, it could only shoot out two plumes of black smoke above its head, like the horns of a demon.

"What a powerful evil force! It has forcefully distorted my perception, turned the whole world against me, and tried to escape."

After Lu Wubing opened the second [Fragrance Meridian], his heartstrings trembled violently.

He knew that if he had lost control just now, his soul might have plunged into the void. If he had actually done that, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

After some thought, he decided to temporarily put aside his cultivation of the third meridian, the [Blissful] Divine Meridian.

After a moment of contemplation, I realized that I had finally been arrogant.

【Yuanling Sword Manual】 Although named a sword manual, it is in reality an extreme demonic intent that came from an unknown world, originating from the six desires and amplified infinitely.

My physical body is now safe from damage, but my spirit, or rather my soul, has not actually grown to the point where it can resist this demonic force.

Therefore, the demonic intent naturally sought out loopholes, wanting to separate its body and soul. Moreover, this overwhelming evil thought constantly clashed with its desires, leaving no peace of mind.

Such as now.

He was always thinking about whether he could reach the Grandmaster level as soon as possible, so that he could break through the void, escape with his soul, and no longer remain in this world.

It would be even better if we could slaughter and devour all living beings before leaving.

This is an utterly ridiculous idea.

Even though I know it's absurd, I can't help it.

Lu Wubing sighed.

Suppress the evil intent of the primordial spirit again, and never touch it again.

I will not practice the third divine meridian, the [Paradise] meridian, for the time being.

He could roughly guess that once this divine vein was opened, he would probably be immersed in an endless ocean of desire, and most likely want to collect all the women in the world, no, all the sex in the world, to go to the ultimate bliss together.

My body is fine, I can manage.

However, in terms of mental strength, they are still too weak.

Lu Wubing was slightly disappointed and prepared to stop, but then his mental energy shifted and a thought struck him.

He discovered that the Primordial Chaos Qi within his body, which had originally only condensed into about ten drops of true essence, had now transformed into a shimmering blue-purple light, reaching seventy or eighty percent of its original strength.

On the path to ultimate mastery, we have silently and quietly progressed to the later stages.

"When did this happen?"

Lu Wubing had thought about it.

The further you progress in cultivation, the more difficult it becomes.

Even if you have the principle of "heaven rewards diligence," as long as you practice, you will improve every moment.

However, it would be impossible to complete the third stage of the Innate Ultimate Realm and enter the fourth stage without a year or two of time.

However, the situation before him was far beyond his expectations.

"Yes, the evil intent of the primordial spirit is terrifying, and it is very likely a powerful technique from the upper world. Although my cultivation has not been very smooth, I have only mastered one-third of it."

It is far too profound for me in this world.

"Through the refinement of just two divine veins, my divine will has already reached an extremely high level. This has been of immense benefit to the condensation and transformation of the Primordial Chaos Qi."

Having experienced both past and present lives, Lu Wubing possessed both metaphysical and scientific thinking. Upon careful reflection, he immediately understood why things had taken such a dramatic turn.

Without him.

The Yuanling Sword Manual is too powerful.

Being able to control this evil force is essentially an extreme test of one's mental will.

After passing the two trials, his sword intent greatly increased, and condensing true qi became a matter of course.

"The increased sword intent is a great thing... I wonder if I can easily use that sword strike from back then?"

Lu Wubing thought for a moment, then thrust out his sword.

It felt like my perspective suddenly changed.

As the sword swept across, a layer of curved folds appeared in the otherwise empty space, revealing a weeping willow tree that could be embraced by two people in front of the paper-thin folds.

He pierced the wrinkles with his sword.

The sword's edge penetrated deep into the wood, but before it could pierce the heart of the tree, it was already withdrawn.

Looking down at the sword, I could already smell the faint scent of wood, and there was also forest powder on it, which were extremely fine particles that had adhered to the cut tree trunk fibers.

"That's right."

Lu Wubing looked out the window and saw that fifty feet away, the small lake rippled, the green willows by the lake swayed in the wind, and on the trunk of a large willow tree, there was a fresh sword hole from which sap oozed.

"So, with that sword just now, I thrust it straight at a distance of fifty feet."
Is that wrinkle a distortion of space?
"This is the perspective of the elemental spirit?"

"It seems that my swordsmanship has not reached its peak and can be further improved by incorporating spatial manipulation."

Furthermore, my movement technique is also... with my current physique, I can withstand this tearing force.

I tried the swords twice more and felt their weight.

Lu Wubing cautiously extended his palm...

No doubt about it, just keep practicing.

You can improve simply by practicing; comprehension and understanding are irrelevant.

……

"Junior brother, you've emerged from seclusion."

Lu Wubing felt he had gained a great deal, and with a bright smile on his face, he walked out of his room.

Just as he reached the edge of the square, a figure in pale yellow flew over like a swallow, grabbed his arm, and with a fragrant breeze, he saw a charming face that could be both happy and angry.

Ouyang Lan stared with her big eyes and pouting lips, as if she had a lot to say but didn't say anything.

He simply said softly, "You should have called us a long time ago."

"Mainly because we didn't expect it to be so dangerous in the capital. We thought there would be trouble in Mingyang Prefecture."

What Lu Wubing said is true.

Before leaving, he devised a strategy to gather troops and intercept the Hengshan Pass, hoping to block the Northern Zhou army from retreating.

But he really didn't expect that after the Northern Zhou army turned around, the attack was so powerful. In just over twenty days, they captured Jingzhou, marched south, and attacked Huofeng Pass, bringing the city to their doorstep.

King Yuwen Chui of Jinyang deeply understood the true meaning of attacking and plundering like fire, and when he used his troops, it was as easy as slicing through tender tofu.

If Lu Wubing hadn't happened to be in the city, the emperor and his officials might have been preparing to flee south again.

When faced with an irreversible crisis, Lu Wubing had little faith in Ji Jiufeng's integrity.

Although he was in seclusion, he did not die.

They certainly wouldn't think that abandoning three million people in the capital and running away was such a big deal.

As for Princess Ji Wenxiu, the best outcome would be for her to be protected by the old Taoist priest Qingyun and escape with her life. Trying to salvage anything is basically impossible.

Under these circumstances, it would indeed be of no benefit to involve the disciples of the Tianxing Sect in the war that would destroy the nation.

I changed my mind later.

It was only because he thoroughly cleaned up both the court and the common people that he discovered there was still room for improvement.

However, there is a lack of manpower to carry out the task.

Only then did he hastily summon his old guard. "Are we really going to fight to the death for the Ji family?"

Ouyang Lan habitually avoided thinking too much about it, but her past experiences with the Tianxing Sect told her that there were some things she truly shouldn't do.

Lu Wubing shook his head: "It's not for the Ji family, or even for the people of the world. I just can't stand what the barbarians of Northern Zhou are doing."

"Isn't that all for the sake of relieving the suffering of the people?"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Lan giggled.

She felt that her junior brother was like some of the great heroes and valiant men who had appeared in the past, who had done many things for the people of the world, but never took credit for himself.

They always say things like, "I just did what I was supposed to do."

They never imagined that it was precisely those "things they should have done" that saved so many lives.

Ouyang Lan's eyes shone with admiration.

He stared at Lu Wubing, thinking that to fulfill his junior brother's wish, he would be willing to go through countless bloody battles and risk his life.

May this world see peace.

Lu Wubing could tell from Xiaolan's expression that she had misunderstood, but he didn't know how to explain further.

He didn't actually have such lofty ideals. He just wanted to leave a name behind, like a wild goose leaving its cry in the sky. He came into this world and did something beneficial for the world.

If others can't do it well, then do what you can yourself.

Just as the evil spirits directly attack one's own mental weaknesses, this world is too corrupt; one must either destroy it or change it.

It's simply a choice.

"Young Master, something terrible has happened."

Several disciples of the Heavenly Star Sect rushed over at lightning speed.

Before he could catch his breath, he hurriedly reported this.

"Junior Sister Xiao Su and her companions volunteered to go to Yuqian Street to buy grain, salt, cloth, and other items. For some reason, they got into an argument with someone. As a result, all three junior sisters, including Junior Sister Xiao Su, were kidnapped."

"what?"

Ouyang Lan turned around abruptly, her phoenix eyes narrowed to slits, and the long sword in her hand hummed with a dragon's roar, clearly indicating that her mind was shaken and her energy was restless and out of control.

"Speak slowly, don't rush. Are there still thieves in this city who dare to kidnap people? Send an order to the Chaotian Prefecture to bring them to me."

There's no need to send orders anymore.

Uncle Chen Tongguang ran over, covered in sweat.

More than ten constables followed behind him.

"General..."

"Uncle, there are no outsiders here. Just call me Wubing. Have you found out what really happened?"

"It is Tongtian Temple."

When they saw several young girls from the Tianxing Sect being kidnapped, several constables followed them.

Before they had gone far, they collapsed and lost consciousness. Someone reported this to the government office.

Several chivalrous individuals even offered information, saying that seven young girls had also gone missing outside the city... and that carriage went straight into the palace, this..."

Chen Tongguang looked grim and leaned closer to whisper, "A Golden Scale Guard secretly informed us that they've entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Eunuch Huang has already ordered his troops to surround the hall. Wei Hu, you tell them..."

"Yes, General. There are several hundred Imperial Guards in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, led by Eunuch Cao of the Directorate of Ceremonial. They have blocked the Golden Scale Guards. Please give us your instructions on what to do next."

A constable quickly stepped forward and said.

Lu Wubing slapped his forehead lightly, "Originally, I wanted to keep the emperor alive and not deal with him for the time being, and wait until the Northern Zhou troops were withdrawn before bursting this boil."

Unexpectedly, the Tongtian Temple was even more rampant than I had imagined. They completely disregarded the decree I issued some time ago.

Lu Wubing felt that he had been making assumptions.

They didn't move.

It wasn't because he was afraid, but because he did as he pleased and didn't care at all about what was happening in the capital.

Something really happened.

That would naturally mean running rampant without restraint.

It is very likely that, in the eyes of that Five Qi True Man of Tongtian Temple, his success by relying on the little princess was just children playing house.

No matter what you do, the situation will change again once the old emperor comes out of the pass.

"Come with me to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Since they are restless, we have no choice but to move it forward."

Lu Wubing said coldly.

After walking a few steps, they saw several constables being carried ahead, their faces flushed red, breathing rapidly, their eyes closed, and their heartbeats already very weak.

He thought for a moment, then stopped and took out a few silver needles from his pocket.

A needle pierced the other person's brow.

The middle-aged constable convulsed, awoke from his unconsciousness, roared loudly, his eyes rolled back, and he breathed his last.

"what……"

Several gasps of surprise came from the side.

Lu Wubing continued moving.

The six silver needles vanished in an instant, and the next moment, they pierced the middle-aged constable's forehead, causing a surge of life force that spread throughout his body.

The middle-aged constable's motionless body soon began to tremble again, his whole body was covered in sweat, his heart slowly began to beat, and the beating became stronger and stronger. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and came back to life, feeling refreshed.

Upon seeing Lu Wubing standing before him, he kowtowed to the ground, expressing his gratitude: "Thank you, General, for saving my life."

He understands it better than anyone else.

Previously, it felt like being inside a volcano, with the heat making it hard to breathe.

It felt like I was about to die at any moment.

As the needle pierced his skin, everything went black before his eyes, and he even recalled various events from the first half of his life. Time seemed to stretch out at that moment.

He knew he was about to die.

As a result, the next moment, when he woke up, he was completely recovered, and the fever had disappeared.

"Get up."

Lu Wubing waved his hand, signaling the other person to get up.

He then used the same method to rescue the other two constables, and thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

"An imbalance of the five elements can be considered an illness, or it can be considered not an illness. When the five elements are artificially disrupted, the recipient's body's energy mechanism becomes unbalanced, leaving them on the brink of life and death. It is as if they were born with it, and there is no cure."

That day, I used only vital energy to infuse the patient, but I could not change the changes in the five elements in the patient's body. No matter how much vital energy there was, it could only ensure that the patient would not die, but it could not eradicate the imbalance of the five elements. It was as if this imbalance had become a principle of heaven and earth.

Only by killing the opponent, extinguishing all life signals, and then reawakening them, can the five elements finally be restored to balance.

"What a vicious technique! I wonder which of the Ten Directions Seals it is?"

A cold glint flashed in Lu Wubing's eyes.

He finally understood why the Five Qi Daoist of Tongtian Temple didn't take him seriously.

The other party does indeed have something to rely on.

If he hadn't cultivated his life force to perfection, enabling him to bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, his methods would have been completely uncontrollable.

Moreover, looking at the two instances where the opponent was hit, it's clear that this method isn't limited to targeting a single person; it can also be used to attack a large area.

"The imbalance of the five elements—no, it shouldn't be five elements, it should be six elements. In the heavens, these are yin, yang, wind, rain, darkness, and light; in humans, they are wind, cold, heat, dampness, restlessness, and fire. This seems somewhat familiar. Isn't this an epidemic?"

Lu Wubing was greatly shocked.

He now knew exactly what abilities the Five Qi Daoist of Tongtian Temple possessed.

"No image in the ten directions, no trace in the six realms. Among the ten seals, the one in the opponent's hand is probably the seal of the character 'six,' which represents the six energies of heaven and earth."

When the six elements are in harmony, the five grains yield abundant harvests. When the six elements are in disorder, a hundred plagues arise. What a magnificent Tongtian Temple, it turns out, is the place to control plagues.

Thinking of this, Lu Wubing became very wary.

This thing is not to be taken lightly; if one is not careful, chaos will immediately ensue.

Moreover, he could also guess that the man-made disasters created by the Ten Directions Seal might be incurable by any medicine.

Once the disease takes hold, it will not end until death.

Unless you save them one by one, killing them and then bringing them back to life.

But how could that be in time?

One is fine, ten are fine, a hundred are fine, a thousand are fine.

However, in the case of an acute epidemic, once it breaks out, hundreds of thousands or even millions of people will be infected at the same time.

In half a day, half the city's population could die.

"Thank goodness. If we hadn't figured out their background and they had escaped, the consequences would have been dire."

"Therefore, the title 'Five Qi Daoist' is merely a smokescreen; he should be called 'Plague Daoist'."

The thought that this plague-ridden Taoist was actually refining pills for the old emperor made Lu Wubing feel a sense of absurdity.

"We can't let him stay."

Lu Wubing took a step out and left his own residence, going straight into the palace and heading straight for the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

……

(End of this chapter)