You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

The southern city wall of Dading Prefecture has been transformed into a boiling cauldron of blood and flesh.

The thick smoke, carrying the metallic stench of charred flesh and blood, pressed heavily on everyone's chest.

On and around the city walls, the fighting had reached a fever pitch. The whistling of arrows piercing the air, the muffled thuds of rolling logs and stones, the splattering of molten metal, the sharp crack of blades cutting into flesh, the agonizing cries of the dying, the roars of those fighting for their lives…

Countless cruel sounds intertwined to form a symphony of destruction.

On the siege ladder, Song soldiers with ferocious faces and sharp blades in their mouths swarmed upwards under the cover of shields, constantly being knocked down and shot through, falling down in a spray of blood.

On the city wall, the Jin soldiers were equally bloodthirsty, brandishing their swords and spears to stab down any enemy that dared to emerge, while they themselves were often killed by stray arrows or flying stones.

Every inch of the battlements, every section of the ruins, is a testament to the most primitive and brutal tug-of-war and struggle.

The Song army's morale was high, and they launched a fierce attack, taking advantage of the gaps created by the rockets.

The Jin army, relying on its remaining height and the courage of cornered beasts, fought to the death and refused to retreat.

Under the central banner, the clamor of the battlefield seemed to be blocked by an invisible aura.

Lu Zuo sat motionless in his black casual clothes, his gaze calmly sweeping over the bloody inferno.

Behind him, Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, and more than a hundred masters from the Central Plains stood silently, their auras concentrated, waiting for a thunderous strike.

Suddenly, footsteps approached, and Yue Fei arrived with his hand on his sword, his armor covered in dust, his expression as cold and resolute as iron.

He stopped a few steps in front of the imperial carriage, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a deep voice, each word clear: "Your Majesty, our army's elite forces have been fully deployed, and feigned attacks have been launched at all gates."

"The fighting was fiercest at the breach in the city wall, where the Jin invaders put up a stubborn resistance. However, their bows, crossbows, and logs were almost exhausted, and their defeat was already evident."

He paused briefly, his gaze sharp: "We can begin."

The falling of these four words signifies that the time is ripe for the vanguard to lay a bloody foundation, and that the decisive blow will no longer need to wait.

Lu Zuo slightly raised his eyelids, his eyes deep and still like an ancient well.

He slowly rose from the imperial carriage, without any haste, yet with an imposing presence.

The key to a fighter jet lies in one's mind.

"Clang!"

A clear, melodious sword cry suddenly rang out, drowning out the distant clamor.

Lu Zuo drew his sword from its sheath. The sword was simple and unadorned, without any shimmering light, yet it exuded a calm and murderous aura that made the surrounding air solemn.

He stood with his sword in hand, his gaze sweeping over Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong, who were poised to attack, and over the hundred or so heroes of the Central Plains who were holding their breath and whose eyes were burning with rage, before finally settling on the majestic city gate shrouded in smoke.

"The dust of barbarians has stained our land for too long; a century of blood and tears—now we shall wash it clean with our swords!"

"I hereby open this city gate for the sake of my troops!"

"Gentlemen, are you willing to follow me—to break through the passes and seize the strongholds, and directly crush the enemy's court?"

His words were concise, yet like a spark thrown into a sea of ​​oil.

"I am willing to follow Your Majesty!!"

"Break the city! Slaughter the enemy!"

It began with Hong Qigong's long roar that shattered rocks and pierced the clouds, and more than a hundred masters responded with a thunderous roar, their fighting spirit soaring straight to the sky!

Hong Qigong's body surged with energy, and he no longer displayed any playful demeanor.

Huang Yaoshi's blue robe rippled slightly, his gaze as cold as ancient ice.

The Seven Heroes of Jiangnan and other heroes drew their weapons, their energy intertwined, and they formed an invincible and fierce torrent!

Lu Zuo said no more, a cold smile playing on his lips. He lightly touched the front of the imperial carriage with the tip of his foot.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the heavy base of the imperial carriage sank slightly!

The dark figure rose like a startled swan, or a ghost soaring through the sky. Without relying on external objects, it used its astonishing lightness technique and powerful true energy to transform into a phantom that was difficult to see with the naked eye. It swept across the central army formation and rushed straight towards the heavy city gate of Dading Prefecture, which was charred and mottled by the rockets, but was still tightly closed!

It moved so fast that it left a faint afterimage behind it!

"His Majesty has moved! Charge with me!"

Hong Qigong roared, his palms crossed, and the power of the Dragon Subduing Palm surged forth. He used the force to leap forward, like a giant roc soaring through the sky, closely following behind.

Huang Yaoshi flashed in a blue shadow, as if riding the wind, and was already several feet away in an instant.

More than a hundred experts shouted in unison, each displaying their unique skills. Some leaped like the wind, while others rushed like lightning, forming an extremely sharp arrowhead. With Lu Zuo at the forefront, they launched a desperate attack on the city gate!

Their only goal is that door, and the truly formidable enemy that will inevitably appear behind it!

When the Song soldiers saw His Majesty personally leading unparalleled masters to charge into the enemy lines, they erupted in a deafening cheer. Their offensive intensified instantly, and they relentlessly pursued the Jin soldiers on the city walls, clearing a path for this sharp dagger aimed straight at their hearts.

……

On the city tower, the Living Buddha Sangji Gyatso, who had been observing quietly like an ancient Buddha, suddenly opened his half-closed eyes the moment Lu Zuo drew his sword and leaped into the air!

The gentle compassion in his eyes vanished, leaving only a cold, divine light that illuminated the void and froze the soul. The black bone bead he was twirling in his hand came to an abrupt halt.

"The karmic entanglements of the mortal world must eventually be severed."

The whispers sounded like the soft chanting of Buddhist hymns, yet carried a resolute determination to sever all ties of cause and effect.

Before he finished speaking, the brick wall beneath his feet, scorched by the raging fire, silently turned to dust.

In the next instant, the crimson figure of Living Buddha Sangji Gyatso had disappeared from the city tower.

It was neither a leap nor a drift; it seemed to merge into the gap between light and darkness, and with a mysterious and indescribable movement technique that was almost like shrinking the earth to an inch, it suddenly appeared in mid-air outside the city, blocking the void between the mysterious shadow that Lu Zuo had transformed into and the city gate!

He remained in a seated posture, suspended in mid-air, his monk's robes fluttering, a faint golden light swirling around him. His appearance was solemn and dignified, yet he exuded a terrifying pressure that suppressed everything. His pair of calm, still eyes were locked onto Lu Zuo, who was rushing towards him.

"The emperor of the Southern Dynasty, turn back and you will find the right path."

When the Living Buddha spoke, his voice was like a morning bell and evening drum, grand and peaceful, yet containing a power that directly touched people's hearts, causing the soldiers fighting below to feel their blood and qi rise slightly.

He raised his right hand, interlocked his thumb and middle finger to form a mysterious mudra, and pressed it down on Lu Zuo from afar.

"Moo!"

The truth was spoken, and the air trembled!

A solid and condensed Buddhist seal of true energy appeared out of thin air. At first, it was only the size of a fist, but it grew larger in the wind and in an instant, it became the size of a cart cover. It carried a tremendous force that could suppress demons and save people from suffering, and crush mountains and rivers, and pressed down on Lu Zuo!

Before the Buddha's seal even arrived, dust was already rising from the ground below, and the air was filled with a low, mournful sound.

Great Sun Tathagata Seal!

When the Living Buddha makes a move, it is with thunderous force, aiming to suppress this Southern Dynasty emperor who defies the will of Heaven and blasphemes against Buddhism outside the city gates in one fell swoop!

"clang!!!"

The dark sword and the Buddhist seal clashed fiercely in mid-air!

It emitted a strange, loud sound that was both deep and resonant, like a great bell, and sharp and piercing, like tearing silk!

The violent ripples of true energy exploded outwards from the point of impact, and visible ripples swept outwards, violently blowing away dust, rubble, and even several skeletons within a dozen feet below!

Lu Zuoqian's momentum faltered, and he hovered in mid-air, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

The longsword in his hand hummed and trembled, and a point of extremely refined pale golden energy at the tip of the sword pulsed and swayed, blocking the Buddhist seal!

Sangye Gyatso Rinpoche's face remained expressionless, but his body swayed almost imperceptibly. His eyes shone even brighter, and he murmured, "Namo Saptanam..."

As the chanting began, the Buddha's seal reappeared, slowly pressing down as if to crush Lu Zuo and his sword into the dust.

"Hmph, those unorthodox methods dare to talk about the other shore?"

Lu Zuo snorted coldly, and the immense power of the thirteen layers of the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" and the pure internal energy of the "Free and Easy Wandering" surged within his body, causing the sword's aura to suddenly blaze brightly.

Tsk!

The sword energy surged, like a dragon emerging from the sea, and thrust upwards with tremendous force!

The solid Buddhist seal was pierced by the sword, which penetrated about an inch deep, and cracks spread rapidly from the tip of the sword!

"Om Mani Padme Hum!"

The Living Buddha's expression turned solemn, and he uttered the six-syllable mantra, each syllable striking the air like a heavy hammer, carrying a soul-shaking power as it crashed into Lu Zuo!

At the same time, he made a hand seal with his left hand and pointed his right index finger in the air. A finger wind, as condensed as a substance and as clear as jade, silently attacked Lu Zuo's dantian acupoint. It was the secret technique of the Tantric sect, "Finger of No Calamity"!

Lu Zuo's eyes narrowed. Without flinching or dodging, he clenched his left fist, the surface of his fist glowing with a dark golden light. He threw a simple punch, but it carried the sound of wind and thunder like the roar of a dragon and elephant, directly striking the finger wind!

The supremely powerful fist intent of the Twenty-Eight Subduing Dragon Palms is incorporated into this fist technique.

"Bang!"

The force of their fists and fingers collided, producing a low, explosive sound before both were annihilated.

The sonic impact of the six-syllable mantra, which approached within three feet of Lu Zuo, was completely neutralized by the layer of pale golden protective energy that naturally flowed around him, only causing ripples.

"That's all there is to it!"

Lu Zuo laughed loudly and flicked his wrist!

Boom!

The Buddha seal, already riddled with cracks, finally shattered under the immense power and unparalleled sharpness contained within the sword energy!

……

Just as Lu Zuo and the Living Buddha were locked in combat, a fierce battle also erupted near the city gate below!

"You barbarian monk! Take this palm strike from your Grandpa Hong!"

Hong Qigong's voice was like thunder as he rushed forward first. His target was a red-robed master among the dozen or so masters behind the Living Buddha, who was exceptionally burly and wielded a heavy, gilded vajra.

The palm strike was like a dragon, the unparalleled power of the Dragon Subduing Palm enveloping the opponent's major acupoints.

"Moo!"

The red-robed master's eyes gleamed. He neither flinched nor dodged. He exhaled and swung his vajra in a wide arc, smashing it down. The wind from the vajra howled, creating a sound like thunder and lightning. It was clear that he had cultivated both external martial arts and esoteric Buddhist energy to an extremely high level.

"clang!"

The clash between the palm and the golden pestle produced a deafening sound like a great bell!

The shockwave caused the bricks and stones on the ground within a ten-foot radius around the two people to crack.

Hong Qigong swayed, but the red-robed master staggered back three steps, his face filled with horror.

"Good strength! Take a few more blows from this old beggar!" Hong Qigong pressed his advantage relentlessly, his palms flashing like mountains as he pounced again.

On the other side, Huang Yaoshi, dressed in flowing blue robes, had already fallen into the formation of seven or eight Tantric monks wielding unusual weapons such as scimitars, maces, and short halberds.

His movements were like those of a ghost, his jade flute sometimes pointing, sometimes stabbing, sometimes sweeping, his moves were exquisite, and he always managed to evade the encirclement at the last possible moment.

Wherever the jade flute falls, a martial monk will stagger backward with a muffled groan, or his wrist will be struck and his weapon will fall from his hand, or his vital points will be suppressed and he will be pinned to the ground.

"Form the Maha Array!"

A leading monk shouted sharply. The remaining monks quickly shifted positions, their movements unpredictable, their auras subtly connected, and their attacks suddenly became several times more dense and fierce, their blades flashing like a net, enveloping Huang Yaoshi.

Huang Yaoshi's expression remained unchanged. Suddenly, the sound of his flute became rapid, like the clash of swords and the thunder of horses. He used sound to disturb the enemy. At the same time, he spun around and flicked several pebbles from his sleeve. Using the "Finger Flicking Divine Skill," he shot out several pebbles, aiming straight for the eyes and throats of the key figures in the formation!

"puff!"

"what!"

A scream rang out, and the formation collapsed instantly.

......

At this moment, the battle between the Living Buddha and Lu Zuo has reached a fever pitch!

The Living Buddha uttered a mantra, took a step forward, and quickly closed the distance. He swung his arms, his palms flashing repeatedly, seemingly slow but actually fast, covering Lu Zuo's upper, middle, and lower body.

Lu Zuo wielded his longsword, pushing his agility to its limit, weaving and dodging amidst the palm strikes, narrowly escaping deadly attacks at the last second.

His swordsmanship was sometimes as light and agile as smoke, sometimes as heavy and imposing as a mountain, sometimes as surging as the Yangtze River, and sometimes as deadly as a venomous snake striking with its tongue.

The sword energy surged and clashed repeatedly with the palm force, producing a muffled sonic boom.

Unable to gain the upper hand after a prolonged attack, the Living Buddha's eyes grew even fiercer. Suddenly, he changed his move, retracting his palm technique and bringing his two fingers together like a halberd. The tips of his fingers gleamed with a dark golden light, accompanied by a piercing shriek, and went straight for Lu Zuo's eyes!

This is the Vajra Finger technique of Tantric Buddhism, specifically designed to break through external martial arts, and is insidious and ruthless.

Lu Zuo seemed to have anticipated this. He slightly dodged to the side, and instead of defending with his longsword, he flicked his wrist, causing the tip of the sword to tremble and produce three cold stars. He swiftly stabbed at the Living Buddha's throat, heart, and dantian, a move that was actually a suicide attack!

They attacked with offense, showing no intention of defense whatsoever.

The Living Buddha had not expected his opponent to be so fierce, and he quickly flicked his Vajra Finger in a series of quick flicks.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

Three crisp sounds rang out as the finger strikes the sword's spine with pinpoint accuracy, deflecting the longsword slightly.

However, Lu Zuo's sword strike had been brewing for a long time and was incredibly powerful. Although the Living Buddha deflected the sword, his own fingers were numb from the impact, and his internal energy was slightly stagnant.

In that split second, when the old forces had been exhausted and the new forces had not yet been generated, a cold glint flashed in Lu Zuo's eyes!

Using the force of the longsword being deflected, he twisted his waist strangely, abruptly halting his forward momentum. Using his right foot as a pivot, he lashed out with his left foot like a whip, carrying the immense power of a dragon and elephant, and fiercely swept it towards the Living Buddha's lower body!

This sudden change of move was extremely abrupt and completely contrary to the principles of swordsmanship, yet it was exquisitely subtle.

The Living Buddha leaned back slightly, his finger strength exhausted, leaving his lower body vulnerable. His expression finally changed drastically. He let out a low shout, strained his breath, and bent his left leg to block.

"Bang!"

The leg bones collided, producing a dull, loud thud.

The Living Buddha felt an irresistible, brute force surge towards him. His left leg, which he used to block, was in excruciating pain and felt like it was about to break. His blood and qi were churning, and he was swept to the side and staggered, leaving his vulnerable spot exposed!

How could Lu Zuo let go of such a golden opportunity?

Before his sweeping left leg even touched the ground, he twisted his body again, using the force of the rotation to straighten himself. The longsword in his hand, which had been deflected, used the momentum to draw a perfect, ruthless semicircle, catching the Living Buddha off guard...

laugh!

With a soft sound, the sharp blade pierced through flesh and blood.

The Living Buddha froze on the spot, his staggering figure standing still, his eyes wide open, his face filled with disbelief and astonishment.

A sliver of blood pierced through his throat, dripping slowly down the ancient blade.