This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

After running for more than ten miles in one breath, Wang Yangming looked back and saw that the masked men were still following behind him.

Moreover, he could tell that the other party seemed to be deliberately keeping them hanging on like this, with the obvious purpose of stalling them.

Wang Yangming recalled the golden-armored general he had seen in the imperial study. If that general had caught up with them, they probably would have had no chance of escaping.

Thinking of this, Wang Yangming suddenly stopped and put Jiang Ping'an down. He was breathing heavily.

Jiang Ping'an understood his meaning in an instant and nodded, saying:

"careful..."

Wang Yangming nodded silently, then turned around and stood with his sword in hand.

A wisp of true energy spread from his arm to the sword, and Wang Yangming began to stride forward, heading towards the masked men.

In recent years, Wang Yangming has been consuming Qi-replenishing pills given to him by Li Daoxuan, and his speed of cultivating true Qi far surpasses that of any other martial artist in the world.

In terms of the amount of true qi, he is no weaker than an ordinary fifth-realm minor master.

However, the internal energy cultivation method he practiced was not primarily focused on killing, so his explosive power and destructive force were much weaker than those of a fifth-level minor grandmaster.

Even so, Wang Yangming's strength definitely surpasses that of ordinary fourth realm cultivators.

A talisman appeared between his fingers. Wang Yangming's steps quickened, his eyes grew colder, and he formed a hand seal while chanting an incantation:

"By the decree of the Daoist Mysterious Heavenly Venerable, and with the blessing of the Celestial Army, may my body be protected! So be it..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Above the clouds, Li Daoxuan's expression changed slightly.

When Wang Yangming read out, "By order of the Supreme Heavenly Venerable..."

He sensed it as soon as he heard the incantation.

"Heavenly Soldier Talisman..."

That was a Heavenly Soldier Talisman he had personally crafted, containing his late-stage Qi Refining cultivation power, making it extremely powerful.

Having just used the messenger talisman, he immediately used the heavenly soldier talisman.

Li Daoxuan could even imagine the desperate situation Wang Yangming was facing at that moment.

Li Daoxuan's body trembled, his internal magical power surged, and he began to form hand seals.

"临、兵、斗、者、皆、阵、列、前、行..."

The moment the Nine-Character Divine Dragon Seal was completed, a mysterious array appeared above Li Daoxuan's head.

A sacred and majestic power poured down from the magic circle, landing on the divine dragon beneath their feet.

"Aww..."

A high-pitched dragon roar resounded, and the divine dragon beneath him seemed to solidify, even unleashing a dragon's might that only a true dragon possesses.

With the blessing of the Nine Syllable Mantra, the dragon's speed increased once again.

In the void, even visible white shockwaves appeared, one after another, instantly covering dozens of miles away.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

With the final sword strike, all the masked men were killed.

As Wang Yangming felt the power of the Heavenly Soldier Talisman within his body, his expression darkened.

With his physique and cultivation, he could borrow strength from the Heavenly Soldier Talisman that was no weaker than that of a sixth-realm grandmaster.

However, the duration of the connection was only fifteen minutes.

Looking up towards the capital, a golden figure had already caught up, taking a step that covered more than ten zhang.

Wang Yangming sighed helplessly, ultimately unable to escape the capital city.

He turned around, and Jiang Ping'an looked at him from behind.

Their eyes met, and Jiang Ping'an tilted his head slightly, smiling with pursed lips.

His eyes were filled with tenderness and reluctance, but not a trace of fear.

Wang Yangming's eyes reddened, but his gaze gradually hardened.

Jiang Pingan slowly walked to his side, reached out and grasped Wang Yangming's other hand, their fingers intertwined.

There were no sweet words, no sentimental dialogue; everything was understood without being spoken.

A strong wind swept in, making their clothes flutter loudly.

Turning my gaze, I saw that the commander of the Imperial Guards, who was known as the number one martial artist in the Great Zhao Dynasty, was already standing three zhang away.

Besides him, there was another group of people rushing towards this place from a distance.

The golden-armored general glanced at the corpses on the ground, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Did you kill them?"

Among these masked men is a minor master.

Wang Yangming was able to kill all his opponents without sustaining a scratch, which shows that his strength is no weaker than that of a sixth-realm grandmaster.

Moreover, he sensed a terrifying power emanating from Wang Yangming, as if it were about to erupt at any moment.

Wang Yangming didn't speak, but released Jiang Ping'an's hand and walked towards him step by step.

The golden-armored general's eyes gradually turned cold, and he chuckled:

"To possess such cultivation at such a young age, if you are willing to submit, I can plead with His Majesty to spare your life..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sword aura suddenly roared towards him.

The golden-armored general dodged to the side, and the sword energy landed on the ground behind him, slashing out a hideous crack with a loud boom.

"court death..."

Wang Yangming's sword is the best answer.

The golden-armored general completely abandoned his desire to cherish talent and launched a fierce attack.

With a single punch, the wind howled, and the hardened soil on the ground churned up inch by inch.

Wang Yangming parried with his sword, but his body jolted violently as he was blasted away by the punch.

The moment his foot touched the ground, he exerted force, creating a large crater in the ground beneath his feet. His body shot forward like an arrow, hurtling towards the golden-armored general.

The golden-armored general stood proudly, and with a slight lift of his fist, terrifying true energy materialized out of thin air, condensing into a huge, pale golden, semi-transparent fist phantom.

Wang Yangming channeled his power to its limit, and the longsword in his hand burst forth with dazzling sword light.

With a roar, the longsword suddenly thrust out with an indomitable momentum.

In an instant, Jiang Ping'an, who was watching the battle not far away, felt the light of the sky dim, and only that one dazzling sword light remained in his eyes.

The two forces collided violently, cracking the earth and unleashing a shockwave.

Jiang Ping'an could only stabilize himself by planting his longsword in the ground to avoid being thrown off balance.

But in an instant, his internal organs were damaged, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Wang Yangming was sent flying again, and the longsword in his hand, unable to withstand the weight, had turned into a pile of scrap metal.

The golden-armored general also took a few steps back, looking at the shallow sword mark on his fist, a hint of surprise clearly appearing in his eyes.

"Boy, I'm giving you one last chance. Surrender, and I can plead with His Majesty to spare your life..."

It's a pity that such a talented person could hurt him, especially since he died.

Wang Yangming ignored him and instead looked at Jiang Ping'an and said:

"Peace, step back a bit..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Yangming rushed out again, taking out the last talisman from his waist pouch—the Great Strength Talisman that Mingyue had given him.

With immense strength and the Heavenly Soldier Talisman at his disposal, this is Wang Yangming's last chance.

The golden-armored general snorted coldly.

"If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences. Since that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless..."

Wang Yangming closed in, his teeth stained red with blood, and with an indomitable fighting spirit and determination, he roared and threw another punch.

"boom..."

The two fists collided without any fancy moves, and the ground instantly collapsed, sending dust billowing up.

The terrifying force caused the center of the clash to instantly cave in, turning into a huge crater.

Both figures were sent flying backwards at the same time.

Wang Yangming's legs dug two furrows in the ground, and his clothes were torn to shreds, like rags wrapped around his body.

The golden-armored general was in no better shape.

His golden armor was mostly torn apart, and his fist, which had clashed with Wang Yangming's, was covered in blood.

He looked at his hands in disbelief and murmured:

"His strength can actually increase? What kind of secret technique is this?"

A glint of excitement flashed in the eyes of the golden-armored general. Wang Yangming's current strength was enough to make him take him seriously.

He finally decided to take it seriously.

With a sudden stomp of his foot, his true energy erupted, forming a wall of energy around him like a tornado.

"Again..."

The golden-armored general roared, his figure bursting through the air like a cannonball as he charged toward Wang Yangming.

Not to be outdone, Wang Yangming stomped on the ground and charged forward.

The two clashed again, their fists flying so fast that only afterimages remained. At first glance, it looked like a street brawl, completely chaotic and without any rules or routines. They were just throwing punches at each other, relying entirely on strength and health.

At this moment, the people who had chased after them from the city also arrived, but they all stood at a distance, watching from afar, and dared not approach.

The Prince of Jin was among them, accompanied by the sixth-realm master, Qiu Wanli.

Everyone watching Wang Yangming's battle against the golden-armored general was filled with disbelief.

Everyone knows that Wang Yangming achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations, and his literary talent was unparalleled throughout history.

But no one expected that his martial arts strength was so terrifying that he could fight the number one martial artist in the Great Zhao Dynasty to such an extent.

Even Qiu Wanli felt inferior upon seeing this.

"Indeed, with such a master, how could this disciple be simple?"

Just as everyone held their breath, anticipating the outcome of the battle, the situation suddenly changed.

In the center of the battle, obscured by smoke and dust and out of sight, a figure was blasted away and rolled to the ground some distance away.