Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1327 Taichong Temple (1+12) (Bonus Chapter 31113 for "Hidden Dragon in Action")

Darkness rapidly enveloped the world, like a layer of dark mist, shrouding Qiao Wenliu's face. His mature yet dashing countenance froze for a moment, his heart pounding like a drum.

'not good! '

"Red-striped arrowhead!"
Even Guangchan couldn't master this Mingyang Divine Power, so who else in the world possesses it?

Li Zhouwei!
But as those four towering, earth-shaking divine powers shone forth, a flicker of realization crossed his eyes amidst the initial shock, and he exclaimed in surprise:

'Great Master…!'

This Li Zhouwei is already a Great Master!
'He just recovered from his injuries... How long did it take him to recover? Two years? Or three? This is outrageous!'

Qiao Wenliu only had time to look up at the sky and catch a glimpse of those menacing golden eyes—they had made a grand display of words in front of the younger generation, but now they had fallen into a trap in an instant. Yet, he felt no embarrassment; he instantly understood all the changes and could only sigh in his heart:
'It wasn't my miscalculation, but rather something beyond human comprehension... This is destiny!'

After a moment of surprise, he stood in the endless sunset, his expression unchanged, and simply raised his hand in a gesture of respect:
"I, Qiao, have met with the King of Wei!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man disappeared.

The young man in the distance watched him with great interest—Li Zhouwei rarely saw such a great cultivator of the 'Lesser Yin' realm. He felt the changes on the other's body, which were like clouds and mist rising up. His halberd spun, its golden tip pointing straight ahead, like a bright star shining in the dark night sky.

"Clang!"

A jade-like black sword was already resting on the crescent-shaped halberd, bursting into flames that illuminated Qiao Wenliu's solemn face, which was now close at hand. This master's mind was clear:

'He must be cultivating the "Emperor's Vision Technique," we absolutely cannot follow his train of thought…'

Instead of retreating, this man advanced and launched an attack!
With such a powerful and heavy blow, Li Zhouwei, holding the halberd with one hand, only trembled slightly. He raised his long eyebrows, exerted force with all five fingers, and the crescent-shaped halberd immediately spun and flew like a phoenix, parrying the white jade sword four times in a row, knocking away its divine light. Only then did he move his arm and waist, and the halberd rose with a terrifying speed, swung around in a circle, and crashed down!

Qiao Wenliu staggered back five steps, only to feel his hand loosen. A bright golden halo shone from the side of his face, and before he could make a move, the halberd had already smashed into his face like a meteor.

Taichong Temple.

The light of the Lesser Yin shimmered.

"Boom!"

A storm of light swept into the sky, and Qiao Wenliu's upper body, like a collapsing statue, crashed into a shower of ashes. His remains, like a clay figure, lay untouched in the ground.

He himself had already taken a step back, with only a golden bloodstain appearing on his face. He pulled back three feet and held out a blue shrine in his hands.

"Lesser Yin Divine Power..."

The young man's voice rang out in the air, and the mangled lower body exploded with a bang. Golden afterimages surged out from it, flashed for a moment, and as if they had foreseen the future, they hit Qiao Wenliu's chest with extreme precision!
【Qianyang Bracelet】.

"Boom!"

This domineering spiritual treasure ruthlessly knocked away the Xuan Sword that had leaped forward to block it, and crashed down in the astonished gaze of the True Person. All of Qiao Wenliu's methods were interrupted in an instant, and he had no choice but to turn into a clay figure and explode again. His true form retreated again, but was now three zhang away!

The Lesser Yin Divine Power "Taichong Guan"!
This Lesser Yin Divine Power responded for the second time in a short period of time, and its power was not diminished at all. In fact, it was even stronger than before. Just now it was three feet, but now it retreated three feet!

'You really are capable; no wonder you dared to fight me.'

A hint of surprise flashed in the young man's eyes, but the [Huaijiang Map] unfolded mercilessly, suppressing the green niche left behind by the other party when he escaped, rendering it unable to move.

Having miscalculated in the first battle and had his spiritual treasure suppressed, Qiao Wenliu could only sigh inwardly, calming the fluctuations of his divine power. He clenched his fingers at his chest, and the chest that had been sunken by the aftershocks slowly recovered. His eyes shone brightly as he made a breathing gesture.

With that one breath, all the darkness in the world vanished in an instant, the setting sun that had been hanging heavily on the horizon disappeared, and the brilliance of the 'Crimson Arrowhead' was wiped away from the sky above the city, revealing the lush green array.

Qiao Wenliu held his breath, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, and moved backward, intending to escape.

"Good job!"

The youth's exclamation of praise resounded, and Qiao Wenliu was shocked to see the youth standing in the sky holding a halberd, with his other hand on his waist, pressing on the hilt of an unknown spiritual sword, which he immediately drew!

【Tianjing】!
A burst of black and gold light erupted forth.

The sky was dark and desolate, and blood fell like rain!
Qiao Wenliu's movements froze in mid-air for a moment. In this brief moment of stagnation, a beam of light, resembling fire but not fire, descended from the sky and crashed down on the True Man draped in Shaoyin robes.

[Southern Emperor Xuanzhao].

Qiao Wenliu had no choice but to open his mouth and release that dark light.

"Red-striped arrowhead!"
This dark supernatural power re-emerged, enveloping the sky. The enormous setting sun lay dormant on the horizon, and darkness crept back onto his face. The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, but even at this moment, this person remained fearless in the face of danger, with no joy or anger in his eyes, as if he had entered a state of complete absorption.

He completely ignored the terrifying light of the [Southern Emperor Xuanzhi], and simply hovered in the air making hand seals. The Great Void immediately sensed this, and six white light-like reflections emerged, reaching out to stop Li Zhouwei on the horizon!
Having done all this, the [Southern Emperor's Profound Blade], which resembled fire but was not fire, had already descended. Qiao Wenliu continued to circulate his divine powers:
Taichong Temple.

The [Southern Emperor's Mysterious Net] technique has two divine effects: like a golden net, it has the power to bind, and like a beam of light, it has the power to kill. Back then, Zhe Lu was injured by this technique, so its power is definitely not weak!
Even though the Lesser Yin Divine Power responded for the third time, with even more intense light than the previous two times, the sound of spitting blood still came when the incense ash broke. Qiao Wenliu's figure appeared six zhang away, his body already covered with brilliant light.

His face was slightly pale, but he was not afraid. In that brief moment of struggle, he raised his hand and pulled a piece of yellow paper from his mouth.

The piece of paper was only two inches wide, shaped like a talisman, full of spirituality, and shimmering with a dazzling light. It detached itself from his lips and teeth and immediately hung behind his head, its light and color bright.

This precious respite passed in an instant. He raised his head again, and before him were the heavily opened palace gates, as if he were falling into an abyss surrounded by endless palaces.

"Emperor's View of the Yuan Dynasty"!
The vast imperial palace sky immediately unfolded, the might of heaven was overwhelming, and the figure of the black-clad youth suddenly grew several sizes taller, looking down from above, holding the long sword with gold spots in his hand, pointing it directly at his brow!
"Boom!"

Along with it, the enormous, radiant heavenly gate also fell!

"Visiting the Heavenly Gate!"
A look of surprise flashed across Qiao Wenliu's face.

'Guan Yuan has ascended the throne and is in complete control… His 'Emperor Guan Yuan' has reached perfection? How could that be!'

'No, he's the White Qilin!'

"Visiting the Heavenly Gate" is the most well-known and also the most looked down upon among Mingyang Divine Powers. It has extremely strong suppressive power, but it is cumbersome to move and cannot move freely. There are countless variations in the world's divine powers, not to mention that everyone is wealthy. Who does not have a way to avoid it?

But this divine power appeared with lightning speed, incredibly fast, crashing down and instantly knocking down the Lesser Yin True Man. He rolled into the scorching purple flames, spitting out another mouthful of blood. He supported himself with one hand on the ground formed by the purple flames, and raised the other hand to block the Heavenly Gate with a palm.

His expression finally turned ugly.

Something bad is about to happen.

"crunch..."

The grinding sound of teeth grinding could be heard. Qiao Wenliu gritted his teeth, blood streaming down his face. Blazing purple flames burned on his body. He spat out another mouthful of blood, which was mixed with a piece of yellow paper.

This piece of paper, also two feet wide, contained purple light and, as usual, hung behind him, reflecting the light of the flame from before. In that instant, the blazing purple flame that had been dancing on his body suddenly lost its brightness and moved away from him.

This gave Qiao Wenliu a moment to catch his breath, and he finally had time to raise his head and see the halberd rapidly enlarging in his pupils.

"Boom!"

Qiao Wenliu's figure was smashed to pieces with a bang. Amidst the ripples of blood and the waterfall of incense ash, his figure tumbled down in a sorry state. The colors of 'Taichong Temple' spread like smoke, allowing him to escape a calamity. Only then did he see him turn over in a sorry state, spitting blood, close to the edge of the Heavenly Gate.

The golden net glitters, the flames roar, they have been waiting for a long time!
【Southern Emperor Xuanxuan】is a very useful technique that senses life and is easy to cast. Li Zhouwei had just used Li Guang, and now with the blessing of 'Emperor Guanyuan', his supernatural powers have greatly increased. He was able to cast the spell to trap Li Zhouwei in the blink of an eye!
But the two yellow papers behind this person flickered again, and he easily walked out of the light. He flicked his sleeve, made a hand seal, and a female light flashed in his hand, as if he wanted to escape.

"Boom!"

But at the same time, a small, exquisite gold bracelet also landed on him.

The colors of "Taichong Temple" finally faded. The Lesser Yin Divine Power, which had saved him countless times in the battle, did not respond. A burst of colorful light appeared before Qiao Wenliu's eyes, and his mind was in complete chaos.

In the midst of chaos, he was like a person sinking into deep water, suddenly lifted up by an immense force, which jolted him awake as if from a nightmare.

The golden halberd had pierced his shoulder blade, the pain excruciating. The crescent-shaped branch was lodged in his throat, sending a deadly heat through him. The golden halberd extended upwards and was now in the young man's hand.

Strangely, behind him was the magnificent Heavenly Gate, with pure white black bricks pressed against his back. The "Heavenly Gate" did not suppress his head, but instead pressed tightly against his back, working with the halberd to pin him to the high place.

Like a prisoner being tortured.

'Impressive skill... I, a dignified Shaoyin Zhenren, actually only lasted this long against him...'

Qiao Wenliu was filled with a mixture of shock and disappointment. He loosened his grip on his hands, which he had just clenched, and sighed deeply. Seemingly unconcerned about the gash the sharp halberd had left on his neck, he spoke in a hoarse voice:
"King Wei...you're impressive...I was arrogant..."

"Qiang!"

The blade was gently pulled from his shoulder blade, making a harsh metallic scraping sound. Qiao Wenliu heard the young man's voice:
"Fellow Daoist Qiao is truly skilled."

Li Zhouwei's words were truly sincere.

Unlike Qiao Wenliu's considerations, Li Zhouwei did not use "Di Guan Yuan" at first due to multiple reasons.

"Juancheng is the gateway to Gu County, and there's a high probability of reinforcements arriving. Without fully assessing the situation, hastily deploying 'Emperor Guanyuan' will not lead to a swift victory over the enemy; instead, we will inevitably be surrounded."

While the "Emperor's View" is powerful, it also has its weaknesses. Once this supernatural power is used at full strength, trapping someone within it and preventing them from killing, capturing, or being rescued, the supernatural power itself will be damaged, and there is even a risk that it will be unable to be used for a long time...

So Li Zhouwei tried to suppress him with the Three Divine Powers while secretly using Chayou to observe the situation in the north. He confirmed that Ye Hui, who had been arranged to go there in advance, had arrived and delayed the reinforcements before he made his move.

You won't know until you fight him—Tang Jiyu was right, this Master Qiao is truly skilled!
This person possessed extremely high cultivation, and his Lesser Yin Divine Power was incredibly advanced. Although Li Zhouwei was unaware of the disadvantages of this power, he still failed to defeat him several times, almost letting him die...

"He called me arrogant, but that's not true. If my prized magical artifact hadn't been suppressed by the [Huaijiang Map], resulting in the loss of his arm, and if 'Visiting the Heavenly Gate' hadn't caught him off guard, and if I, as a Great True Person, hadn't used my superior status to suppress him, I might not have been able to capture him so quickly!"

Looking at the three supernatural powers that Li Zhouwei had seen, there were probably few who could say they could overpower Qiao Wenliu, let alone defeat him. Even Qi Lanyan, whose "Horned Wood" was not good at fighting, was not necessarily able to defeat Li Zhouwei, even if he disregarded the several treasures of the Tongxuan Sect!
'Especially that 'Taichong Guan'...in all the supernatural powers I've ever seen, it's absolutely the best in the world...'

Qiao Wenliu raised his head and saw those golden eyes. In the eyes of this King of Wei, there was no shame, anger, or urgency, only contemplation and admiration; his voice even carried a hint of amusement.
"Fellow Daoist Qiao...now that you have already been defeated by me, are you willing to open Juancheng for me?"

Qiao Wenliu chuckled.

What else could he say?
'I swear I will not open the gates; may the King of Wei execute me?'

Gujun is a place name, but it's difficult to strictly define it as a whole. Is Qiao Wenliu serving someone? The reason he took action is that Juancheng behind him is his foundation, and he can no longer retreat!
He reached into his sleeve and took out a jade-green wooden talisman. Seemingly without hesitation, yet also as if he had been waiting for a long time, he offered it with both hands and sighed:

"I am willing to serve the King of Wei!"

He then heard the other man's laughter. The King of Wei helped him up, his eyes shining, and praised him lavishly:
"Impressive skills. It is our good fortune to have Fellow Daoist Qiao's assistance."

Then the sunlight melted away like snow, revealing a magnificent city. A beam of light leaped over and materialized before him, revealing a figure in crimson robes. Li Jiangqian bowed respectfully, holding a gourd in his hand. He wasn't surprised by Qiao Wenliu's obedient demeanor and smiled:
"Greetings, King Wei, Senior. Just now, a man came out of the city, intending to come, but I stopped him. After seeing that you had entered the 'Imperial View of the Origin,' he used his precious soil and treasures to escape..."

Li Zhouwei nodded slightly, but Qiao Wenliu, being sensible, used his supernatural powers to soothe the lingering injuries from the battle, and said:

"He is from the Jiang family, and his treasures are powerful, but it's not easy to stop him."

Li Zhouwei turned to look at him and said:
"I do not know the name of Master Qiao."

Qiao Wenliu had regained his composure. He took out a pill from his sleeve, used it to regulate his spiritual energy, and smiled:

"This Qiao Wenliu is from Juancheng. His ancestors rose to power during the Wei Dynasty, so he has some connections. His nickname is Sanyi, and the Daoist friends in the county, once they got to know him, simply call him Qiao Sanyi..."

Li Zhouwei had been investigating You County and knew the situation there very well. He naturally understood what Zhouwei had said, and a rare hint of jest crossed his mind. He feigned suspicion and asked:
"Oh? A nickname? Does it have any basis?"

Qiao Wenliu's face stiffened, but he stubbornly maintained his composure and smiled:
"It was just something to listen to casually, not worth mentioning..."

The three of them landed on the wind and entered the formation. Looking around, they saw that the city was vast and had traces of great liveliness. However, at this moment, every house was closed and everyone was hiding inside. Large numbers of people huddled in the streets and alleys, burying their heads in their sleeves, afraid that they would be seen dead if they looked out.

In the deserted city, only the occasional crying of a baby could be heard.

Upon seeing the scene below, Li Zhouwei knew that Qiao Wenliu had already taken in the refugees from outside. Although he remained outwardly calm, he felt a growing sense of approval.

Qiao Wenliu immediately selected men and ordered them to go down and appease the people. He led the two men to the county seat and landed on the sacred mountain behind them. Li Zhouwei's gaze remained fixed on what was behind him, watching the two yellow papers floating behind him slowly fade away. He said softly:

"The Lesser Yin Divine Power truly lives up to its name."

Qiao Wenliu turned to look at him and sighed:

"King Wei, there's no need to mock me... 'Taichong Temple' is the supreme method of preserving life and nature for my Lesser Yin Sect. As long as there is room to maneuver behind me, if the attack comes from in front of me and does not offend the Yin Master, its power can be diminished, and I can calmly avoid it..."

"This divine power was one of the Five Palaces and Six Universes, yet it was swiftly broken by the King of Wei..."

There was a genuine sense of disappointment on his face:
"It's because my skills are not good enough."

Li Zhouwei said:

"The Taichong Temple ranks among the top in the supernatural powers I have seen, and it is already extremely powerful. You should not underestimate yourself."

Qiao Wenliu only shook his head, clearly quite shocked. Li Jiangqian, standing beside him, asked suspiciously:
"Five palaces and six universes?"

Qiao Wenliu looked up and casually said:
"These are the names of several well-known supernatural powers, such as the Five Virtues 'Killing and Gathering Palace' and 'Hidden Palace,' both of which are among the Five Palaces. As for the Six Universes... King Wei also possesses them, which in Mingyang is 'Emperor's View of the Origin'!"

"I see."

Li Jiangqian nodded, but Li Zhouwei, wanting to inquire about his own descendants, whispered:
"During the battle just now, there was another ingenious technique that allowed me to evade my Li Guang."

Qiao Wenliu, however, did not hold back and laughed:
"In my Lesser Yin, it is called 'Tiaozhuyou,' which is the Great Dao of my Lesser Yin to control water and fire. When combined with my magic, whether it is water or fire, as long as it belongs to the Five Virtues, if it hurts me, my divine talisman will record it. If it comes back after a while, as long as it cannot break my divine power, it will be completely cut off and blocked by me."

Li Jiangqian was startled upon hearing this, and after a moment of silence, he couldn't help but ask:
"Now, cultivators specializing in water and fire are greatly at the mercy of Senior Qiao!"

His words could even be considered conservative. You have to know that with the flourishing of water and fire, many powerful techniques in the world cannot be separated from spiritual water and fire. As a result, Qiao Wenliu is like a fish in water when he fights.

But Qiao Wenliu only shook his head, chuckled, and a hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes as he said:
"You control water and fire, not metal and earth, so why should you be controlled by me! Besides, there are many changes during a battle. As long as the strength is equal, who will slowly test you? You can just unleash a powerful attack and surpass my supernatural power."

"but…"

He seemed to remember something, gave a cold laugh, and said:
"At least suppressing those people in Gu County is still a piece of cake. Back then, I attained enlightenment through the most difficult 'Taichong Temple' of the Lesser Yin Dao. Among my peers in the Central Plains, no one dared to compete with me, except for the likes of Jiang and Lü. They weren't even worthy of carrying my shoes..."

Just as Tang Jiyu said, although this person was intelligent, he was domineering and arrogant, not humble at all, and quite stubborn. After walking a few steps, he saw pavilions standing tall, with flowing water. There was a palace on the top, with three characters written on a black plaque.

Qiyang Palace.

The middle-aged man didn't say much, but led the two inside. Once inside the main hall, he made a hand seal and summoned a small plate.

This plate is small, no more than three inches in size, with a brown base and patterns as yellowish-white as rice grains. It shimmers with a green light as if breathing. Qiao Wenliu bowed deeply and said:
"The array plate is here; please examine it, Your Majesty."

This man surnamed Qiao was truly decisive. As a member of a prominent local family, he did not hesitate for a moment. He took out the Purple Mansion Array Plate, which was as precious as his own life, swept away the remaining supernatural power inside, and handed it over to Li Zhouwei.

Li Zhouwei took it from his hand.

The object was heavy to the touch, yet it felt as light as if it were made of wood in his palm. As he turned his thoughts, the power of the Bright Sun surged into it, causing the light to be slowly enveloped by the sunlight. The array plate then quickly changed hands.

From this moment on, Juancheng belongs to Li Zhouwei. Qiao Wenliu and the Qiao family must obtain the talismans for entry and exit from him. As long as he is willing, even if the enemy attacks the front lines, Qiao Wenliu will not be able to secretly allow the Purple Mansion to enter!

Only now did Li Zhouwei truly feel relieved, and his gaze towards this person softened with approval. He smiled and said:
"Master Qiao has great courage."

Qiao Wenliu raised his head, a bright smile on his face, and said:
“Your Majesty, it is not that I am bold; quite the opposite, I am cowardly.”

He raised his head, a thoughtful look on his face, and cupped his hands in greeting:

“As a member of the royal family, I, Qiao, should naturally do my utmost. However, Wen Liu is different from the likes of Tang Zhou. Those two are wandering far from home, without roots or support, while my Qiao family is based in Juancheng, without any backing, and we are especially afraid of the chaos of war…”

His eyes shone brightly as he said:
"The King of Wei comes and goes as he pleases, but I am not so. To put it bluntly, if the situation changes and the King of Wei abandons me, he can discard me like a worn-out shoe. I can return to the north overnight, and the next time we meet..."

Qiao Wenliu looked directly at the father and son before him with a calm gaze and smiled:

"The King of Wei is determined to kill me, and it would be pointless for me to fight to the death."

He looked up and said:

"Entrusting this array is to show my sincerity to Your Majesty. I earnestly hope that the King of Wei will treat me with sincerity. As long as Juancheng is safe, I, Qiao Wenliu, am willing to obey Your Majesty's orders and fight without hesitation, and may even... satisfy some of my personal desires..."

He was incredibly bold, revealing without hesitation all that was hidden beneath the surface and speaking frankly. A smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face, and a strange tremor flickered in his eyes:

"Especially the people of Nagu County, they have quite a few good things."

"Oh?"

The young man merely raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes brimming with laughter. Seeing Li Zhouwei looking over, Qiao Wenliu sneered:

"As you, King Wei, have seen, my skills, though not comparable to yours, are still top-notch. Back when I became a Purple Mansion cultivator, according to the old rules, each family had a competition to divide the prize money, with the loser honoring their bet. But those people, clinging to the past and looking down on others, refused to acknowledge me as a True Man of Gu County and wouldn't even bother to compete with me..."

He said:

"That's fine then, I'm too lazy to bother with it. From now on, I'll hide in my own city of Juancheng and avoid seeing them. Only a few families will come to visit me on ordinary days—I still hold a grudge, and I only hope that the King of Wei will give me a chance..."

The middle-aged man, as if struck by a sudden thought, smiled with satisfaction and said:

"I want to see what these people are when a fight breaks out!"