The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 124 Imperial Conferment
Li Longji spoke calmly:
“My great-granddaughter bestowed this title upon you with my imperial decree, but the mountain god title bestowed upon you is merely Misty Peak.”

"Only the entire Zhongnan Mountain can barely compare to Mount Tai, let alone the status of a mountain god who is only a branch of Zhongnan Mountain?"

“You possess one of the fruits of the Dao of the Lord of Mount Tai.”

Zhou Yan interrupted Li Longji and said:

"It's just a fragment of one-sixth of the Dao Fruit."

Li Longji's eyes showed displeasure at being interrupted, but at this crucial moment, he still said, "That's enough."

He exhaled and took out a jade seal from his waist. It was the "Imperial Treasure" seal, the same seal on Li Zhiwei's imperial edict. Li Longji said, "I am here to personally bestow upon you the title of Duke of Taishan."

"At that time, you will be rewarded with the honor and status of Mount Tai."

Only then is it possible to resolve this calamity.

He gazed at the shadow of the Reclining Buddha Temple in the distance, its crimson light soaring into the sky, a mixture of hatred, distracting thoughts, and the chaotic aura of incense offerings, transforming into a giant egg. The crimson light flowed and shifted within it, and just looking at it evoked a profound sense of unease.

Li Longji was truly determined. He took his seal and once again used the human destiny he represented to connect with Zhou Yan, pushing him onto the vacant position of the Taishan God. Together, they would use the power of the Taishan God to suppress the Reclining Buddha Temple.

This will cost him dearly.

This will have a huge impact on him, who was already severely affected by the death of the Duke of Taishan.

If Zhou Yan were to be severely injured or even die in this battle, Li Sanlang, who was now merely the retired emperor, would most likely meet the same fate as the Duke of Taishan, dying on the spot and his soul scattered.

As an emperor, he felt that he had shown sufficient sincerity.

But the young Taoist priest, arms crossed, examined the [Emperor's Treasure] and raised an eyebrow, saying:
"Why don't you go and do it yourself!?"

Li Sanlang, his heart filled with sorrow and resolve, paused in thought.

ha?
Li Longji and Zhou Yan stared at each other, and Zhou Yan said, "So, you mean you're going to buff me and then let me carry the rank of [Duke of Mount Tai] and go and directly destroy the other side?"

Li Longji said, "It is the rank of the Duke of Taishan."

Zhou Yan said, "I just..."

He paused, glanced at his Taoist robe, and then, after a moment's thought, said, "This humble Taoist is merely an eighth-rank Xuan official with meager magical power and mediocre cultivation. For someone of the first rank like Lord Taishan to be in my place would be tantamount to suicide!"

"You said it yourself, there are countless ancient fierce gods, evil spirits, and demons."

"Keep an eye on the existence that will allow them to see the path to breakthrough."

"I can't protect him."

"I don't intend to be your pawn either."

piece?

Li Longji realized that this young Taoist priest had no respect for him whatsoever. He laughed in anger and said, "Fine, fine! I never imagined that the one who obtained the Taishan Fairness Fruit would be someone who has absolutely no concern for the world!"

"Still calling me a humble Taoist?"

"Where did you become a monk? Where were you given your Buddhist scriptures? What is your lineage?"

"Trying to escape unscathed by wearing only an ill-fitting Taoist robe?"

"Are you trying to fool me into thinking I'm old?"

Zhou Yan cursed, "You stupid emperor who steals his daughter-in-law! What's it to you?"

"Give you face!"

Li Sanlang rolled up his sleeves and cursed, "Absurd! He's cursing his sovereign and father!"

"What a despicable little pig and dog you are!"

Chen Xuanli saw the old man and the young man start arguing directly.

Zhou Yan said, "I killed the abbot, broke the Buddhist calamity, and even fought to the last before retreating. I believe I have done justice to the sword in my hand. I am better than the emperor who can run faster than a dog."

Li Longji said, "Good, good, good!"

"What a glib-tongued Taoist priest!"

"With the nation and its people before us, I will link my destiny with yours. I will not leave, will you flee?"

Zhou Yan sized him up. Li Longji's every move exuded the coldness and calculation of a political creature. Zhou Yan disliked this guy at all, so he said:

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"With your running skills, Yang Guifei must have survived, right?"

One sentence cuts right to the heart.

Zhou Yan finished the match.

Li Longji's expression darkened slightly, and he said, "Shut up! If you don't want to, give the pills back!" He reached out to snatch the box from Zhou Yan's hand, but Zhou Yan pointed his finger, and the magic sword directly blocked Li Sanlang's arm.

Zhou Yan retreated, hiding the pills, and said:
"What falls into my hands is mine."

"On behalf of Uncle Shen, I thank the Emperor Emeritus."

Li Longji stared at Zhou Yan: "You possess the Dao Fruit of the Duke of Taishan. With my imperial decree, the Dao Fruit of Taishan is immune to invasion. Otherwise, when the thing nurtured by that giant egg comes out and the great calamity arrives, you will not be able to leave."

Zhou Yan said, "I'm supposed to help those in need, but you're just making empty promises and expecting me to lead the charge? Aren't you the retired emperor? Isn't this the Tang Dynasty's territory? Why don't you find a way to bring in a large army and sweep this place aside?"

Li Longji's forehead throbbed with pain. He said, "Military mobilization is not as simple as it seems!!"

"There are no elite troops with combat capabilities around here."

His voice paused.

some.

In Fengxiang, only thirty or fifty miles from here, lies the present emperor, his good son Li Heng, who sent three thousand elite cavalry to welcome him. Those three thousand elite cavalry had fought all the battles of the An Lushan Rebellion.

Comparable to the top elite troops during the founding of the nation.

Based on Li Sanlang's understanding of his son, he had his originally gentle son send three thousand elite cavalry to "welcome" his god-like father. Among these three thousand elites, there were at least a hundred, or even several hundred, Xuanguan Captains.

Hundreds of Xuan officials commanded three thousand battle-hardened cavalry.

Before this creature, which is conceived from blood and egg, appears, it should be attacked.

It is definitely possible.

However, that also means that the meeting between Li Heng's three thousand elite cavalry and Li Longji indicates that Li Longji will inevitably be restrained, and ultimately, after the Wofo Temple is attacked, he will become the next target of these three thousand elite cavalry.

He would be sent to Chang'an, where he would truly become a retired emperor raised in the deep palace.

They lost their last chance to turn things around.

The greatest price an emperor can pay.

Losing power and falling into the hands of his own son's army was more terrifying than death for Li Longji, who had been emperor all his life.

He stared intently at Zhou Yan before him, then looked at the Reclining Buddha Temple, and turned and left.

Their first conversation ended unhappily. Zhou Yan, gazing at the giant egg at the Reclining Buddha Temple and gripping the heavy sword Earth Soul Sky Collapse, sensed the terrifying existence gestating within it, while pondering the true form and origins of the [Weaver Girl].

If what Li Longji said is true, then the Weaver Girl was indeed a great demon from ancient times.

So, what are some of the legends of great demons in the Central Plains who were actually spiders or similar creatures during the ancient millennia?

What will be born inside this giant blood egg?

Wofo Temple.

Mother Buddha, Mother Buddha...

Zhou Yan thought of the strange prayers recited by the rhinoceros demon he had killed before, and an absurd thought emerged in his mind: Buddha Mother, could the thing being nurtured in this Reclining Buddha Temple be a Buddha?

Could the words "Buddha Mother" not actually represent anything at all?

And it's just the literal meaning?
Are these ancient monsters, like the ancient civil officials mentioned by the local earth god of Wugong Town, all realists?
Zhou Yan looked at his left hand, where there was a heart character in his palm.

Xuanzang inscribed the power of the ancient calamity into Zhou Yan's palm. By pressing down with his palm at close range and unleashing its full power, he could unleash a move equivalent to that of the ancient calamity, the drought demon.

The extreme of earth fire evil energy, but it will also cause great harm to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan looked at the words in his hand that were shimmering with a dark red light, and a slight twitch appeared on his lips.

The skill's destructive range is 100, and its casting distance is 10.

What the hell is this about living as long as heaven and earth?
He clenched his fists, having acted swiftly and decisively when confronting Li Longji, but now, faced with this giant blood-red egg, he also wanted to resolve the situation, though he would never become a pawn in Li Longji's calculations.

That stupid, stinking emperor!

He met up with Shen Cangming and Li Zhenyue.

He handed the pill to Shen Cangming.

Shen Cangming asked, "What is this?"

Zhou Yan said, "It's a healing pill, given by Li... His Majesty. It can help you recover from your injuries, Uncle Shen." Shen Cangming shook his head and said, "My injuries are not important. Keep this pill."

Zhou Yan said, "This elixir can restore the body's foundation."

“My foundation is fine, Uncle Shen. The matter of the Reclining Buddha Temple has not been resolved yet, and now is not the time to be modest…” After a brief standoff, Shen Cangming fell silent, picked up the pill, and put it in his mouth.

As you swallow it, a powerful surge of vitality emanates and flows through you.

The man's expression hardened slightly.

Originally, due to the loss of an arm and blindness, his interrupted cultivation had shown signs of recovery. His aura was flowing and changing, and Zhou Yan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Together with Li Zhenyue, he protected Shen Cangming.

Li Longji saw the commotion over there, and a ripple appeared in his eyes.

Gao Lishi exclaimed in astonishment, "This, how can this pill..."

Li Longji grumbled, "It's nothing, just consider it a gift for that kid."

When he was enraged, he said he wanted to take back the pills, but when he actually sent them out, he really intended to give them to Shen Cangming. Gao Lishi looked at the old saint, opened his mouth, but said nothing.

This elixir was intended by the Sage to be given to Wang Zhongsi...

Now that it's in the hands of Wang Zhongsi's personal guards, it can be considered that the emperor has finally gotten rid of a long-held wish. Meanwhile, the people are watching Li Longji and Zhou Yan from afar. Zhou Yan and Li Zhenyue are discussing that the people need to leave immediately.

The chaos, the rush, and the fear that just happened have exhausted the people's energy.

They are now mentally exhausted, hungry and tired, and difficult to organize.

However, the people must be taken away before the blood eggs at the Reclining Buddha Temple completely explode. Li Zhenyue said, "I'm afraid it will be difficult. Emperor Wu of Wei quenched his thirst by looking at plums, but at least he had plums to look for. Now, if we can boost the morale of the people and give them some food to replenish their strength, that would be much better."

"We should still be able to go further. If we keep going, we'll reach Wugong Town."

Zhou Yan said, "Wugong Town, I'm afraid that's not a safe place either."

He told Li Zhenyue about the situation in Wugong Town. Li Zhenyue remained silent, gripping his sword and looking at the Wofo Temple. It was a place where a great demon had gathered, using the temple's name to summon demons and monsters from the greed of the people. A single Xuan Guan was vulnerable and pitiful in the face of such a disaster.

How should these thousands of people, these many ordinary citizens, conduct themselves?

If the calamity of the blood eggs remains unchanged, then the surrounding hundreds of miles will likely suffer a disastrous end...

However, under these circumstances, it is still necessary to reassure the people first.

Li Longji struggled silently about whether to mobilize troops. Gao Lishi exclaimed in surprise. Li Sanlang, who was deep in thought, saw the young Taoist priest walk out from the other side. The young man with a sword on his back pointed and chanted something. Li Longji could feel a flow of incense and fortune.

Then, a mysterious transformation occurred. Water, wild vegetables, and some grains carried by the people around the young Taoist flew out and transformed into delicious food in the void. The mystery was immeasurable.

Seeing such supernatural power and having eaten hot food, the people felt relieved.

Li Longji said, "...Good method."

People eat for food.

Just then, Li Longji, who was still struggling, heard the sound, turned his head and looked over, and saw many people looking at him. A young man handed his portion to Li Longji with both hands.

"Sage, please use it."

The surrounding people were watching him.

The elderly Li Longji, who had wasted too much time, looked up at the sky and sighed.

He found Zhou Yan a second time.

Li Sanlang said, "I can find a way to contact the troops in Fengxiang. Three thousand elite cavalrymen are enough to pave a way for you. Then, you can use your status as the Duke of Taishan to suppress the monster in that blood egg."

This time, Zhou Yan agreed.

Cooperation is only successful when both sides have to pay a price.

Zhou Yan said, "But Fengxiang is too far away, and it might be too late to rush there."

Li Longji pointed to the strings of the zither at his waist and said, "Give me these strings." Zhou Yan took them off and handed them to Li Longji. Li Longji then ordered Gao Lishi to fetch a roll of paper, write down the imperial edict, and press the seal on it.

Zhou Yan sensed the surge of humanity in Li Longji's destiny.

Spiritual energy gathered on the strings, transforming once more into the dark-faced musician.

Li Longji recited slowly, saying:
"By imperial decree, Lei Haiqing is appointed Grand Steward of the Pear Garden!"

"By imperial decree, inform the troops of Fengxiang..."

Behind Li Longji were the people, the people of the Tang Dynasty. His youthful forbearance and strategy, his vigorous spirit in his prime, and his decline in old age—all these were the essence of his life. This aged monarch finally shed the selfishness and self-preservation of old age, and in his heart, he gave up the opportunity to regain power.

Said softly:
"I agree to go back with them."

"Let them come and 'greet' you."

Come on!

The reign of the Tang Dynasty's sages, spanning fifty years, will come to a complete end here.

[Emperor Xuanzong was moved by his loyalty and bravery, and bestowed upon him the title of "Grand Steward of the Pear Garden of the World," ordering all the pear gardens in the world to worship him, thus making him the God of Drama] - Worship at the Feiyun Ancestral Temple in Putian.

(End of this chapter)