The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 305 Our Alliance, Divine Weapon Acquired

Xuan Zhuzi's expression was somewhat blank: "The Grand Sacrifice of the Lord of Mount Tai..."

Pei Xuan Niao and Li Zhen Yue instinctively gripped their weapons tighter and whispered:

"The Array of Humanity and Fortune".

In an instant, they understood Zhou Yan and Li Zhiwei's purpose, which was incredibly audacious—breaking the formation was already too late, and breaking the formation would inevitably lead to innocent harm to the people. Their thinking was surprisingly consistent.

Use another formation of at least similar rank to lock down the great formation that shrouded Langzhong, forcibly cutting off the effect of "absorbing the life force of all living beings," and then, in this gap, completely kill the person in charge of the great formation.

After that, we can slowly dismantle and break this formation.

Xuan Zhuzi bit her fingernails, her eyes twitched, she glanced at Zhou Yan, then lowered her head, her pupils contracting sharply. The Taishan Fujun Sacrifice was a top-tier technique that required two thousand four hundred Xuan officials in the Daoist Zhou Tian Grand Ritual to activate.

The last time, it directly killed the Weaver Girl in her ancient, ferocious state.

This attracted the divine consciousness of the true form of the Lord of Mount Tai, who deposed the Golden Heavenly King in one move.

However, there are not enough 2,400 Daoist officials here, nor are there 49 days of advance preparation. Could it be that Zhou Yan has other means to activate this technique without these aids?
However, this will inevitably consume a huge amount of vital energy and come at a great cost.

Zhou Yan made his decision.

He planned to do what the Goddess Nuwa had always prevented him from doing: with his current cultivation level, he would activate 2,400 avatars, guide them into the earth's veins, forcibly activate the true original [Taishan Fujun Sacrifice], and shut down the Langzhong Formation.

As for the cost, we can't worry about that now.

Pei Xuan Niao and Li Zhen Yue, on the other hand, had a better understanding of the Human Dao Fortune Array.

That's the core method of the human realm. Li Zhiwei exhaled slightly and said, "Zhou Yan, let's use my idea. No matter what method you use to activate the [Mount Tai Lord Sacrifice], it will definitely weaken you."

"Isn't it?"

A ripple flashed in Zhou Yan's eyes.

Li Zhiwei pointed to the Dharma body in the air: "But apart from you, even Uncle Shen cannot defeat the Golden Heavenly King. You are the strongest force here, and you absolutely cannot be harmed."

"Moreover, although the Taishan Prefecture Lord's Sacrifice is powerful, its strength lies in its unpredictability. Its ability to protect the people is definitely not as good as mine."

Zhou Yan asked, "Then how will you activate it?"

Li Zhiwei said softly, "After all, I was born into the royal family. My father is the Marshal of Guangping and also the Crown Prince at the moment. He has knowledge of the rituals of the great formation..." Xu Zhilan was somewhat lost in thought.

She came from an ordinary family and was caught up in the events in Langzhong.

What she was hearing and seeing now was something she never dared to imagine in her daily life. Seeing that godlike true form, and having already seen this beautiful young girl reveal her identity before, and now seeing her with great responsibility, she couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Consort Shen's face turned deathly pale, and she grabbed Li Zhiwei's arm immediately: "Xiao Yun'er, what are you doing!" Regardless of her identity, she was still Li Zhiwei's mother. She had finally managed to escape from the royal family with her daughter, and now she vaguely guessed what was going on, and her face showed panic.

Li Zhiwei smiled and gently patted Shen Fei's arm, signaling her mother not to worry about her. Then she looked at Zhou Yan and said, "The formation here is ultimately based on the common people, and it is somewhat similar to the formation of human destiny."

“I have this item.”

She took out the princess's seal from her bosom.

The girl who had run away from her arranged marriage in her dream, longing to escape the shadow of her bloodline and the royal family, exhaled, held up the seal, and said, word by word, "No matter how much I hate it, I am still a descendant of the Li Tang dynasty, a royal heir."

"Faced with this calamity, only my blood and this seal have the potential to penetrate the formation."

"To awaken the inherent humanistic spirit of Langzhong."

"As long as the human spirit is stimulated and people wake up from their dreams, this formation that absorbs the life force of the people in their dreams will break down on its own, the evil spirits can be slain, and this calamity can be averted."

For a moment, no one spoke.

Because everyone knows one thing very well—by entering the formation with blood and seals, Li Zhiwei will inevitably have to go deep into the core of the formation. Once Zhou Yan is restrained, Li Zhiwei will inevitably be in great danger.

Rather, as a key node that could potentially destroy this formation, the ambush attack Li Zhiwei faced was not much less severe than that faced by Zhou Yan, the strongest martial artist.

Despite the immense risk involved, the girl seemed completely unafraid.

His phoenix eyes were raised, and his demeanor was dignified.

With a convincing calmness and a sense of power, Li Zhenyue, Shen Cangming, and the others were speechless. Pei Xuanniao, on the other hand, felt a subtle sense of resentment and shame—in this situation, as a scion of a noble family, he actually had to leave behind a girl who was even younger than him to shoulder the responsibility.

The pride of scions of prominent families, especially those of ordinary people, burns like fire.

However, he also knew clearly that his seventh-grade skills were no match for a formidable enemy capable of activating his true Dharma form.

Li Zhiwei said, "That's settled then."

She looked at Zhou Yan and smiled:
"Then, I'll have to trouble Master Zhou to protect me from now on."

"This young lady is quite frail."

The girl's smile was serene. Zhou Yan looked at her, exhaled, made up his mind, and said, "Miss Li, come here for a moment... Uncle Shen, I have some things to discuss with her, so I'll leave this place to you."

Li Zhiwei: "Hmm? What is it that needs to be discussed separately?"

Zhou Yan picked up Li Taibai's sword and, with Li Zhiwei in tow, went into a small house nearby.

On the ground and all around, people had gathered. Many lay on the ground, their life force as faint as a candle flame, their faces serene. Those who had not yet fallen asleep had faces filled with fear.

This place is like a silent hell on earth.

Li Zhiwei's expression became even more resolute. She said, "If you want to persuade me not to go, then don't say anything. Zhou Yan, I can't run away from this. You need to maintain your fighting strength, and only I can still do this."

Zhou Yan used his authority to isolate the area, ensuring that only he and Li Zhiwei could hear the conversation. Just as he set up the barrier, a muffled, loud thud came from outside, the entire house shook violently, and dust fell from the beams. Clearly, the Golden Heavenly King's avatar had made another move.

Zhou Yan's voice quickened:

"I am confident that I can use the [Taishan Fujun Sacrifice]."

"As you know, I am the Lord of Mount Tai."

"The side effects I need to bear are far less than you imagine. But you are different. You are only an eighth-rank painter. Stepping into that place, whether you succeed or not, the risks you need to take are far greater than mine, and may even be..."

A fist slammed into Zhou Yan's back.

"...I finally mustered up the courage, don't embarrass me."

"I'm scared too."

Zhou Yan said, "Then let's take the Taishan Fujun Festival as the core, and you draw the divine intention for me."

Li Zhiwei said, "No, since you can ensure that your Mount Tai Lord Sacrifice can be carried out, then you can't use it now. We don't know how many tricks the other side has up their sleeve, so this must be your trump card."

She took a deep breath.

'In my dreams, I only wanted to get rid of this title of princess, but now I have to rely on it to take risks. Born into royalty, there's no escaping it, no hiding from it...'

'but.'

Li Zhiwei said, "And I have to use my trump card here."

"Master Zhou, I know you're worried about me, so please understand me."

Li Zhiwei blurted out:
I'm worried about you too.

The girl paused, noticing a flicker of surprise on Zhou Yan's face, but added calmly, "We are comrades-in-arms, how can we let you take all the risks?"

Zhou Yan gazed at the golden Heavenly King's image, sensing the ripples of the formation. It seemed to be struggling, considering, and finally fell silent. Suddenly, he smiled freely and said, "I, Zhou Yan, even if I'm not a hero like Sun Ce, am I... perhaps just a withered skeleton in a tomb like Yuan Shu?"

"Hold it out, and I'll give you something!"

Zhou Yan grabbed Li Zhiwei's wrist, and with his other hand, he clenched his fingers together and lifted her up slightly. As a result, wisps of primordial energy gathered in his palm and transformed into something.

That was a seal.

It is four inches square, with a five-dragon knob and eight large seal characters: "Received the mandate from Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous."

That is something that even a child could recognize.

The Yanhuang people have inherited the legal system.

The national jade seal!

It is also a major asset for Zhou Yan at this moment, representing the power of deduce the lineage. Even now, with the Imperial Seal of the State separated, the ability of this treasure to deduce the lineage is still effective and still strongly connected with Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan gently placed the seal in Li Zhiwei's palm. Li Zhiwei felt the immense weight being lifted and stammered, "This, this is!"

Zhou Yan said, "It was given to me by your great-grandfather, Li Longji."

"It is also my most precious possession."

"Now we live in the Tang Dynasty. If your blood is used to activate it, it will surely be able to reverse the existence of this formation. It is something as important as my heart..."

Zhou Yan lifted Li Zhiwei's right hand with his left hand, while his right hand pressed against the imperial seal, allowing Li Zhiwei to cover the Imperial Seal of the State. He said, "As you said, there is no time for hesitation. If we want to save people, we should do it this way!"

"If I had never stepped onto this chessboard, I would have remained nothing more than a reclusive sage, watching the people of Langzhong sink into a dream; now, I have staked my own 'heart' on the chessboard as well."

"In this way, both you and I have an absolutely unavoidable reason not to lose."

Li Zhiwei looked at him and said, "However, my idea is also very risky. If I fail, not only will I be ruined... but the seal itself will also be destroyed..."

Zhou Yan suddenly laughed: "Miss Li, you are clearly very brave."

"But when it comes to using other people's things, you're so hesitant and timid?"

He reached out and patted Li Zhiwei's head.

Li Zhiwei said, "But why did you go to this point?"

"Langzhong can't hold you back, can it?"

Zhou Yan's smile faded slightly. He looked at the princess staring at him with wide eyes and asked, "Then why did you take the risk? With me here, with this sword, I can at least protect your lives."

"Didn't you want to run away from the wedding even in your dreams?"

Li Zhiwei looked at him, a knowing and calm smile on her face.

"So, it was just a dream."

“You can escape responsibility in dreams, but how can you escape your duties in reality? I am a princess of the Li Tang dynasty, and the blood of Emperor Taizong flows in my veins. How can I turn around and run away when I see the people of the Tang dynasty suffering disaster?”

Zhou Yan asked, "Even your father and grandfather treated you like this?"

Li Zhiwei replied, "Bearing this blood and this identity, how can I only receive benefits without taking on responsibilities? To me, the treatment bestowed upon the royal family by the nation is merely a bargaining chip paid in advance."

"Even if I die here, it will be with the blood of the Tang Dynasty for my country."

"No regrets."

"This is because my reward was already granted along with the status and treatment of a princess from the very beginning. Now I am merely fulfilling my duty."

Zhou Yan looked at her. The girl in front of him held up the Imperial Seal of the State. The determination in her eyes and brows gave her a kind of awe-inspiring temperament that was far from ordinary. This made his heart stir slightly. He subconsciously looked away and said, "Clearly, she is still trying to escape the marriage in her dream."

Li Zhiwei was annoyed and said, "So, it was just a dream."

"how about you?"

Zhou Yan looked at the people outside and said softly:
"If I stand by and do nothing, I will have no face to face some people."

“I have some ‘teachers’ who have shown me this through their words and actions.”

"Saving lives needs no reason."

The girl, whose duty lay with her bloodline, looked at him.

Looking at another powerful soul.

Zhou Yan thought that if he left now, he would be at ease; but if he followed Jin Tianwang's logic, it would be a hunting ground for the strong.

But he also thought of the scene of Shen Cangming leading him out of the ghost market, the soldiers who rushed into the collapsed houses during the earthquake when he was young, and the things that happened after that, when he became an amateur search and rescue team member and kept saving people.

He struck his chest with his palm and whispered:

“Say, Long live the people!”

“Since we’ve made the decision, there’s no time to delay any longer…” Zhou Yan gripped his spear: “Let’s go too.” As he turned around, he suddenly felt a soft sensation on his back.

Li Zhiwei hugged him from behind, burying her head in Zhou Yan's back. Zhou Yan could feel her breathing become heavy, and her arms trembled slightly with fear. Li Zhiwei was panting heavily.

"Let me lean on you for a moment, I'm a little scared."

She wasn't the strong and brave person she had just appeared to be in front of everyone. In fact, she was quite scared, but she had to maintain a firm demeanor, which is why she put on that calm and composed act.

fear--

It's instinct.

Even fear can lead to action, which is the will of man.

What is the biggest difference between humans and beasts?
Is it using tools, or verbal communication?
No, it is the human race that possesses the will to suppress instincts with reason and act in the face of the fear of death. Those who succumb to fear and desire are merely humanoid beasts. Only those who move forward even in the face of fear are truly human.

Zhou Yan waited for her quietly, but after only a few breaths, Li Zhiwei gasped for breath, her hands clenching and unclenching several times. She looked up and said, "Alright, let's go!"

Zhou Yan grabbed Li Zhiwei's arm and lifted it slightly.

Li Zhiwei immediately felt a tremendous force carrying her forward at high speed. She put the Imperial Seal, which was closely related to Zhou Yan, into her bosom. After thinking for a moment, she tied her small Princess Seal to the side of the Taoist's robe.

Zhou Yan informed Shen Cangming of their departure.

Just then, Zhou Yan turned his head and saw the antique shop open. In a place that no one seemed to notice, the mysterious female shopkeeper, dressed in a dark black robe with gold lettering, stood there.

She held a box in her hand. With a slight push, it flew towards Zhou Yan with a gust of wind. Zhou Yan raised his hand and caught the box. He could faintly feel the sound of a sword ringing in the box. The female shopkeeper's voice was clear and calm, and it rang in Zhou Yan's ears.

"Since you do not have a suitable weapon, I can lend you this sword for now."

Zhou Yan pressed his finger against the sword box and opened it, revealing an ancient sword inside.

Zhou Yan said, "This sword is..."

Ying Yinman's voice was clear, cold, and calm:
"What Jing Ke held back then—"

"Madam Xu's Sword".

(End of this chapter)