Traveling the Heavens in Thunderbolt

Chapter 36: Twin Dragons Appear

After creating a legend in the martial arts world, the "Supreme Master" Ling Donglai disappeared like a flash in the pan, and no one knew where he was.

Some said that he went out to sea to search for a fairy island and discuss Taoism with immortals; others said that he was exhausted after defeating two great masters in a row and died young; still others said that he lived in seclusion in the mountains because he was invincible and did not care about worldly affairs.

These rumors also led countless people to visit famous mountains and rivers to look for Ling Donglai, hoping to become his apprentice and learn invincible martial arts, but all of them returned empty-handed.

Even so, every year there are still some people who dream of becoming the best in the world and persistently go everywhere to search for Ling Donglai's traces.

Just when the Wulin world was returning to its original state due to Ling Donglai's disappearance, the chaotic times at the end of the Sui Dynasty finally arrived.

Because Yang Guang built so many strange things indiscriminately and did not care about the people's strength, the people could no longer tolerate it and an uprising broke out. In addition, when Yang Guang arrived in Jiangdu, he lost control of the Central Plains and Guanzhong, causing the local officials to hold their own troops and have ulterior motives. Everyone knew that troubled times were coming.

At this time, the holy land of martial arts, Cihang Jingzhai, released the news of "the Lord chosen by God" and sent out its disciple Shi Feixuan to travel around the world.

At this time, the Li family was also preparing for war. With the assistance of Cheng Qian (after all, he had been an emperor), Li Yuan's future place of residence, Taiyuan, could be called a "paradise on earth."

Externally, they repelled the attacks of the Turks several times and even invaded the Turkic territory several times, plundering countless people, sheep and horses, and forcing DTZ Khan to sign a trade agreement. As a result, they harvested a large number of horses. At the suggestion of Cheng Qian, they used this matter to implement the horse policy and no longer worried about the issue of war horses.

Internally, Cheng Qian presided over the internal affairs, taking in refugees, reclaiming wasteland, reforming laws, purchasing cattle, sheep and minerals through trade with the grasslands, cultivating land to support soldiers, establishing smelting workshops, and forging weapons. At the same time, he infiltrated and controlled the surrounding counties, consolidating the Li family's rule in Hedong and becoming a stable rear base for the Li family. He provided soldiers and supplies for the front line.

This action further consolidated Cheng Qian's position in the Li family. Cheng Qian also recruited many talents through this, such as Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who were originally talents in Tiance Mansion, and all of them entered Cheng Qian's Prince Mansion.

In the 13th year of Daye, Li started an uprising against the Sui Dynasty, conquered the Guanzhong area, made Dai Wang Yang You the emperor, and respected Yang Guang as the emperor emeritus.

After that, he asked Yang You to appoint himself as the King of Tang, and then appointed Cheng Qian, who was in charge of the overall situation, as the Crown Prince. Li Shimin, who had made great contributions in conquering Guanzhong, was appointed as the Prefect of Jingzhao and was renamed the Duke of Qin. His third brother Li Yuanji was appointed as the Duke of Qi.

At this point, the Li family completely controlled the ancient Qin Guanzhong and Bingzhou areas, and began to gradually infiltrate into Shu.

In addition, Li Yuan, as the King of Tang, also sent Li Shimin and Li Xiuning out to recruit forces for his own use, while Cheng Qian, as the crown prince, stayed in Guanzhong to assist him in reforming internal affairs, digesting these territories, and preparing for future marches into the Central Plains.
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The long-lost dividing line——
While the Li clan's war was in full swing, two young men in Jiangdu also changed their fate because of a strange book.

These two people are the protagonists of The Twin Heroes of the Tang Dynasty, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling. They were hunted down by Yu Wenzhi because they obtained the strange book "The Secret of Immortality" and were later rescued by Fu Jun'er.

On this day, Wenhua led his troops to block the Song family fleet along the coast, intending to search for Fu Jun'er and Kou Zhong who were hiding there. Song's eldest son Song Shi and his second uncle "Silver Dragon" Song Lu were dealing with them.

As a Goguryeo person, Fu Jun'er no longer wanted to receive favors from the Han people, so she prepared to take her two "godsons" and escape across the river.

But she was seen breaking out of the window with two people, and using all her strength to use her lightness skills to carry the two people into the air above the river. When Yu Wenzhi's angry shout rang in her ears, a force actually pushed Fu Jun'er and the two people she brought back to the deck of the Song family fleet.

Yu Wenzhi was delighted to see his lost person recovered. He did not bother to argue with Song Lu and directly flew from the shore to the Song family fleet using his lightness skills, ready to take action.

But he was shocked to find that his whole body was controlled by a force and he couldn't move.

Suddenly, a poem was heard: "I don't hate that I didn't see the ancients, I only hate that the ancients didn't see me. Who can be equal to me in the way of Tao? What I hate most is being invincible." Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, and saw a transcendent figure, slowly approaching as if walking in the air. When everyone saw the person's appearance, they couldn't help but exclaimed: "Ling Donglai!!"

The visitor was none other than Ling Donglai, who had been missing from the martial arts world for nearly three years and was known as the "Supreme Master".

Ling Donglai landed on the deck like an immortal being banished from the earth. Before anyone could react, he came directly in front of Fu Jun'er and Shuanglong, looked at them and asked, "Have you two mastered the Secret of Immortality?"

But they came for the "Secret of Immortality" from the two of them.

Fu Jun'er felt very troubled when she heard this. She had heard of Ling Donglai's name as early as when she was in Goguryeo. He had defeated two great martial arts masters before he even turned thirty. Even her master Fu Cailin, whom she regarded as a god, claimed that he was no match for her.

Since there was no news of Ling Donglai in the martial arts world three years ago, when she received the news, she was secretly glad about his disappearance, because among the three great masters, only her master, the "Master of Chess and Sword" who combined the strengths of the Earth, the Western Regions and Goryeo, had never fought with him.

When I met Ling Donglai today, I discovered that his strength is even more terrifying than the legend.

It was troublesome enough to have offended Yu Wenzhi, and now even the recognized number one in the world came for his two "godsons". I am afraid that there is no escape. But even so, we have to fight.

Thinking of this, Fu Jun'er protected the two dragons tightly behind her, holding the Yi sword in her hand, looking as if she was ready to die together.

How could Fu Jun'er's transformation be hidden from Ling Donglai, who had already reached the state of unity between man and nature? He laughed and said, "You do care about these two, but if I want to snatch them, can you stop me with your less than seventh level of Jiuxuan Dafa?" Then he waved his sleeves and shattered the blade of the Yijian in Fu Jun'er's hand into pieces without damaging the scabbard and making her unnoticeable. When she drew out her sword to block, she only saw the scabbard and the blade broken into several sections that fell out of it.

Although the two dragons behind Fu Jun'er had never practiced sophisticated martial arts, as small followers of the Huazhu Gang, they still knew the name of Ling Donglai, the "Supreme Master".

Seeing this situation, he knew that his "godmother" was no match for him at all, and judging from her words and actions, she did not want to take his life. She just wanted to ask him if he had practiced the "Secret of Immortality".

Thinking of this, Kou Zhong suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. If it succeeds, it might be a great opportunity.

Then he looked at Xu Ziling who was standing next to him.

The two parties had already understood each other's minds, so how could Xu Ziling not know what evil ideas he had in mind? But seeing the situation like this, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.

After getting Xu Ziling's agreement, Kou Zhong said with a smug look, "To reply to Grandmaster Ling, it is indeed true. Kou Zhong and Ling Shao beside me have already mastered the "Eternal Life Secret" that no one has ever mastered since ancient times. I just don't know what Grandmaster Ling wants to talk to us about?"

However, Kou Zhong intended to deceive Ling Donglai, hoping that this would make him look at them with new eyes, and like the hermit masters described by the storyteller when they were in Yangzhou before, he would take in their talents and accept them as his disciples.

But what Kou Zhong didn't expect was that as soon as he finished speaking, a huge force suddenly attacked him, directly pressing him and Xu Ziling beside him to the ground, making them unable to move.

At the same time, the "godmother" Fu Jun who was standing in front of the two of them was also bounced to Song Shidao's side, leaving the two of them directly exposed to Ling Donglai.

(End of this chapter)