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Before he finished speaking, the young Taoist had already tossed the jade ruyi into the air.

The jade ruyi transformed into a streak of light that shot straight into the sky, its celestial radiance suddenly surging, as intense and dazzling as a small sun.

Where the light passed, space was like a frozen lake, even the wind stopped, and time seemed to be abruptly cut off at that moment!

Xiao Shan felt his whole body stiffen, as if he were bound by invisible chains. He couldn't move, and even his thoughts became sluggish, as if he had sunk into a quagmire.

"Damn it!"

The discomfort lasted only a moment before he broke free of his restraints with his powerful spirit, though his back was already soaked in cold sweat.

The power of this jade ruyi was even more terrifying than he had anticipated!

But at that moment, the jade ruyi that had flown into the sky, guided by the Taoist boy, fell back down like a meteor, carrying a dazzling immortal light, and went straight for his head!

"Oh no!" Xiao Shan's heart pounded wildly.

At this moment, he felt as if he were trapped in a sticky swamp, and it was difficult to even lift a finger.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you!" A childish voice suddenly rang in Xiao Shan's ears.

With a "whoosh," the seven-colored gourd at its waist sprang out and shot straight into the sky as if it had eyes. The immortal light that the jade ruyi could use to stabilize the primordial spirit could not stop it in the slightest!

As soon as the gourd opened its mouth, a terrifying suction force suddenly erupted, and the jade ruyi wrapped in immortal light was sucked in with a "whoosh" before it could even struggle.

"This is... a seven-colored fairy gourd?!"

The change came so suddenly that even the young Taoist was stunned for a moment.

Upon seeing the gourd's appearance and its strangeness, his pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints, and he blurted out its true name.

As for the jade ruyi that was taken away, he showed no remorse whatsoever, as if the radiant treasure was just an ordinary, stubborn rock.

"I didn't expect you, you prodigy, to have such good luck." The young Taoist withdrew his gaze, his tone still calm. "But one gourd alone is not enough."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his finger, and a beam of light as thick as a finger joint shot through the air, so fast that it was almost invisible!

"not good!"

Xiao Shan was prepared, but he still didn't expect the other party to make such a sudden move.

He watched helplessly as the beam of light shot towards him, only managing to conjure a shield of light in front of him.

puff!

The light shield shattered like paper. The beam of light pierced his chest, drawing out a cloud of blood mist and leaving a gaping hole!

Strands of celestial light seeped into the body through the wound, instantly creating a turbulent upheaval within the internal organs.

The excruciating pain felt like countless steel needles piercing his bone marrow. Xiao Shan's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat soaked through his dragon robe.

"Your strength is still too weak." The Crane Daoist Boy shook his head.

The fair palm slowly rose, the five fingers together, as if about to strike down!

hum!

The seven-colored gourd floating between the two suddenly burst forth with seven-colored light, and its mouth abruptly turned towards the crane-wielding Daoist boy, emitting a suction force ten times stronger than before, as if roaring, "Dare to ignore me?"

Tsk.

The crane-like Taoist boy smacked his lips, turned his palm into a fist, and gently waved it at the gourd.

In an instant, dark clouds gathered, and lightning bolts danced wildly like a waterfall.

Countless bolts of lightning coalesced in front of his fist, transforming into an electric fist as thick as a water vat, accompanied by deafening thunder, and slammed fiercely towards the seven-colored gourd!

The next second, the electric fist was swallowed up by the gourd with a "gulp"!

However, the gourd's surface was instantly covered in electric sparks and trembled slightly, clearly indicating that the blow had taken its toll and the suction power had temporarily disappeared.

Just then, a solid electric fist the size of a washbasin, hidden behind the previous electric fist, broke through the gourd's suction blockade and shot towards Xiao Shan like an arrow!

Xiao Shan's pupils contracted sharply, and a chill of death crept up his spine.

Without a second thought, his blood and qi surged wildly, his bones cracked and popped, and the power beneath his skin gathered in his right fist like a tsunami.

"Break it for me!"

As the punch was unleashed, the phantom image of a yin-yang fish appeared on the surface of the fist. The force shifted between hardness and softness, endlessly generating energy, and ripples spread through the void wherever it passed!

Boom!

The two fists collided, and the solid electric fist instantly shattered, turning into countless electric threads that enveloped Xiao Shan!

He was overwhelmed by excruciating pain.

Having just unleashed a powerful punch, his meridians, already weakened, were now wrapped in electric wires, which felt like countless tiny knives scraping his bones, causing him excruciating pain that nearly made him faint.

Fortunately, the strength of this avatar had already been honed to far exceed that of ordinary people.

A ruthless glint flashed in Xiao Shan's eyes. He actually guided these electric wires to drill into the damaged meridians, bones, and internal organs inside his body!

At that moment, he became the prey in the electric cage, with violent current coursing through his flesh, making a "sizzling" sound.

The excruciating pain came in waves, and Xiao Shan's eyes were bloodshot. Blood dripped from the open wound at the corner of his eye, but he stared intently at the young Taoist boy, as if trying to etch that face into his very bones.

The electric current continued to violently assault his body, every inch of his skin trembling, yet within this extreme pain, the vital energy within him faintly glowed with an even more intense light…

Chapter 922, A Battle That Started Strong but Ended Weakly! (Please Subscribe!)

"He's gone mad! This kid is absolutely insane!" The young Taoist priest saw through Xiao Shan's actions at a glance.

Even someone as knowledgeable as him couldn't help but gasp in astonishment, a genuine look of amazement flashing in his eyes.

He had seen many body-refining cultivators, but he had never seen such a ruthless person.

With a formidable enemy at hand, how dare you use the opponent's attack to temper your physical body?

Aren't you afraid he'll take the opportunity to kill you, turning you to dust?

Just as I was pondering this, I heard a soft buzzing sound in my ear.

Looking up, he saw the seven-colored gourd spinning rapidly, blocking his path between him and Xiao Shan. The gourd's mouth was slightly raised, as if it were showing off or protecting its master.

The young Daoist, Crane, clicked his tongue slightly, somewhat surprised.

He knew the details of the Seven-Colored Immortal Gourd better than Xiao Shan—with this kid's current strength, he shouldn't be able to refine the immortal gourd, which was still in its growth stage, so it was obvious that the spirit of the gourd was willingly following him.

He shook his head and didn't make another move. He just stood in mid-air with his arms crossed, smiling as he watched Xiao Shan being enveloped by the electric current, his face contorted in pain but his teeth clenched tightly.

It wasn't that he was kind-hearted; it was simply that Xiao Shan had already passed the test.

Those few moves he just withstood were enough to prove his strength; more importantly, this guy is now the founding emperor of the Great Qi, and his dragon aura and national fortune are terrifyingly powerful. If he really goes all out, he might incur karma and attract lightning tribulation—that's no joke.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Shan's avatar was repeatedly torn apart and repaired by the electric current.

The blood and qi within his body roared like a tsunami, and the cells that had been torn apart by the electric current reorganized in the golden light, becoming several times stronger than before!

The electric currents suddenly dissipated, and Xiao Shan stood frozen in the void, radiating an intimidating aura. His eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at the Daoist boy.

"Not bad, not bad." The young Taoist clapped his hands, a hint of mockery in his smile. "Daring to fight and even using death to improve himself, he's truly a formidable character."

His tone shifted, and he said calmly, "You monster, you've passed the test this time. Be careful—don't commit any more murders and bring trouble upon yourself."

After saying that, he pointed at the seven-colored gourd blocking his way and laughed, "Seven-colored fairy gourd, return the jade ruyi."

The gourd's mouth narrowed slightly, and a beam of jade light shot out with a "whoosh," landing in the Daoist boy's hand. It was the jade ruyi shrouded in immortal light.

"This is not a place for you to stay. Take care of yourself."

Leaving behind a nonsensical warning, the young Taoist transformed into a magnificent white crane, spreading its wings to create a whirlwind as it soared into the sky and vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

"Damn it! Explain yourself!" Xiao Shan cursed inwardly.

Getting beaten up for no reason and passing a "test" in a daze, almost being played to death, anyone would be depressed in that situation.

He put away the seven-colored gourd, landed back at the enthronement ceremony site, and waved to the stunned civil and military officials and the observing cultivators: "A minor accident, the ceremony continues."

But who cares about ceremonies anymore?

Everyone's mind was preoccupied with the recent turn of events.

What exactly is the background of that Crane Daoist boy?

They look like demons, yet possess an air of otherworldly grace...

A grand coronation ceremony ended abruptly.

Xiao Shan didn't care about these formalities, but he felt a tightness in his chest.

Does he think that if he doesn't hold a ceremony, these people will dare not recognize him as the founding emperor?

It's infuriating to be beaten up for no reason. And I feel a little guilty.

Didn't they say that the celestial being had already taken the Seven Star Pill and put it back into the alchemy furnace?

Why send a Taoist acolyte down to earth to "test" him?

Fortunately, the young Taoist priest didn't kill him; he attacked as if it were a game.

If it were a different, more ruthless character, he probably wouldn't be able to maintain this persona.

However, Calabash Brothers really made a great contribution this time, swallowing the Jade Ruyi at the critical moment and saving him from a calamity.

Xiao Shan touched the seven-colored gourd at his waist, a hint of warmth flashing in his eyes.

Anyway, we've finally gotten through this hurdle.

But what exactly did the crane-wielding Taoist boy mean by his last words, "This is not the place for you"?

He gazed in the direction where the crane had disappeared, his brows slowly furrowing.

It seems that it's not so easy to sit still in this world!

The young Taoist was, after all, a disciple of the Heavenly God, and knew all too well the origins of the Seven-Colored Gourd—this gourd was originally a seed produced by the Heavenly God's immortal gourd. Just by the fact that he could pronounce the true name of the "Seven-Colored Immortal Gourd," one could understand its origins.

Xiao Shan's heart was in his throat; he was terrified that the young Taoist might suddenly decide to snatch the gourd back.

Fortunately, that didn't happen.

As for whether the young Taoist priest looked down on him or had other plans, Xiao Shan couldn't figure it out.

Although he managed to pass this time by sheer luck and his strength even increased dramatically, the appearance of the Crane Daoist Child was like a thorn stuck in Xiao Shan's heart, making him dare not relax even for a moment.

He had previously thought that the gods were satisfied with taking the Seven Star Pill, putting it back into the alchemy furnace, and beating him half to death, so why would they care about the mess at Calabash Mountain anymore?

Unexpectedly, they even sent a Taoist acolyte down to earth to cause trouble, which is very unethical.

Xiao Shan felt increasingly overwhelmed.

We were lucky this time, but what about next time?

He wouldn't dare gamble with his life.

Don't be fooled by how easily the young Taoist priest makes his moves; he's no match for my avatar.

As it turned out, the other party went easy on him, throwing a few punches and then retreating when he saw that the opponent could withstand it.

All I can say is that they were incredibly lucky this time, running into someone who wasn't too ruthless.

But if the gods keep going on and send down a subordinate every now and then to "test" him, even if Xiao Shan had nine lives, he wouldn't be able to withstand it!

What's even more unsettling is that if this top-tier expert has ulterior motives, given his current strength, he can't even fathom the other party's plans. He might not even know how he died, which would be truly unjust.

In short, this is an absolutely huge problem, and we can't afford to be careless in the slightest.

……

After the establishment of the Great Qi Empire, the situation within its territory stabilized very quickly.

Taking advantage of the military's peak strength and the fragmentation of local forces, Xiao Shan issued a direct order, instructing the imperial court to launch a grand "military expansion across the land" plan.

The economy, culture, and education were all planned in detail, and the entire Great Qi was like a vehicle on the fast track, rushing forward at breakneck speed.

In the first few years, the policy was implemented with many setbacks. Xiao Shan, who was now the emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty, personally took charge and led the court officials to tackle the tough issues.

Faced with the fierce counterattacks from local forces and powerful families, Xiao Shan and the imperial court did not hesitate at all—no matter who you are, if you dare to jump out and get in the way, you will be wiped out with lightning speed!

He couldn't be bothered with politeness.

Are these local bullies and powerful families allowed to interfere with the rules of the Great Qi?

Popularizing education and promoting martial arts is about breaking these people's monopoly on resources.

Xiaoshan is very familiar with this technique.