Gao Wu: You have science, and I have magic!

The illusory image of the elder of the Nanyang branch immediately appeared: "Your Majesty, the combined fleet has passed Malacca, consisting of twenty-four ironclad warships and eighteen troop transport ships. The strangest thing is that they were carrying twelve bronze coffins on their decks, each engraved with cross patterns. When our spies approached to investigate, they died bleeding from all seven orifices..."

The jade slip shattered with a snap, turning into specks of starlight that dissipated.

"The Holy Coffin?"

Black Hawk frowned. "Could it be some kind of evil magic from the Western Church?"

Ye Qingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the western sea, a cold smile playing on his lips: "They won't shed a tear until they see the coffin."

Having said that, he immediately turned and walked toward the port, issuing the order: "Have the airship fleet assemble. I want to personally meet these 'guests' who have come from afar."

Silver Blade quickly caught up: "Master, the Southeast Asian branch also said that those foreigners seem to be studying the incomplete version of our Heart Martial Arts Manual..."

"I wish them good luck."

Ye Qingzhou chuckled lightly, his clothes fluttering even without wind, unconcerned: "If someone could surpass me, the founder of Heart Martial Arts, after just a few days of studying a secret manual, that would be utterly laughable."

Thousands of miles away, thirty meters underground in the Saint-Germain district.

The blood-red candlelight flickered, and twelve crystal coffins were arranged in a cross shape.

Each coffin contained a near-perfect male body, with flowing blond hair and muscles defined like those of an ancient Greek sculpture. The only eerie thing was that each of them had a Y-shaped suture mark on their chest, from which a faint, dark red light could be seen flickering.

Count de Laville, wearing white gloves, stroked the crystal coffin with fascination: "Perfect...so perfect! The vessel nurtured with the sacrificial hearts of those elders can indeed withstand the infusion of spiritual energy from three hundred ascetics."

The cardinal, holding a gilded Bible, slowly walked past each crystal coffin: "These Templar Knights have slumbered for three hundred years, and now they will awaken in a more powerful form. The combination of the blood of the Holy Son and pagan sorcery... though blasphemous, it is worth trying for the glory of the Lord."

"let's start."

A man in a general's uniform emerged from the shadows. "The fleet is approaching the eastern waters. We need these 'holy remains' to deal with that eastern wizard."

Twelve ascetics stepped forward, each carrying a silver platter containing a heart that was still beating slightly. The cardinal raised his crown of thorns and began to chant scripture in Latin.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit... awaken these warriors who fight for the Lord..."

The ascetics pressed the heart into the chest cavity of the holy remains, and holy water flowed into the blood vessels through the tubes inside the crystal coffin. Instantly, the entire basement shook violently, and all the candlelight turned an eerie blue.

The first holy remains opened its eyes; its pupils were pure white, and cross-shaped blood-red patterns appeared beneath its skin.

Then came the second, the third...

Until all the relics sat up straight, mechanically turning their heads to look eastward.

"Go forth, warriors of the Lord."

The cardinal made the sign of the cross on his chest, "to show those heretics the true punishment of God."

The Jiujiang Fortress is bathed in moonlight and starlight.

Sentinel Wang Ergou yawned and rubbed his sore eyes.

Since the southeastern provinces submitted to Ye Qingzhou, this Longjiang Fortress has become an outpost for defending against Western powers. Although the higher-ups said that the foreign fleet was still in the South China Sea, the continuous vigilance had exhausted the garrison.

"Old Li, look what's that?"

Wang Ergou suddenly pointed to the river.

In the middle of the river, twelve white figures came stepping on the water.

They were dressed in medieval knight armor, yet strangely, they didn't get a drop of water on them, as if they were weightless and floating on the water.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Old Li had barely uttered a shout when he suddenly clutched his chest and knelt down.

Wang Ergou was horrified to see a cross-shaped mark burned into Old Li's forehead, and black blood began to seep from his seven orifices.

The alarm bells on the gun emplacement blared loudly, but soon ceased abruptly.

Wang Ergou stumbled and ran towards the barracks for help, only to find all his comrades lying dead on the ground in the same position, each with that strange cross between their eyebrows.

At the last moment, Wang Ergou saw that the twelve white-shadowed knights were already standing on the highest point of the cannon platform, their pure white eyes indifferently looking down at the corpses scattered all over the ground.

He remembered the White Impermanence from his hometown legend, and then he was plunged into darkness forever.

bang~
Ye Qingzhou crushed the teacup, and the scalding tea instantly vaporized in his hand.

"What a 'divine punishment technique'! These hypocrites actually used the evil art of human sacrifice to turn the corpses of martial artists into psionic weapons!"

Qi Gong unfolded the map with trembling hands: "Your Majesty, all three hundred garrison soldiers of Jiujiang Fort have perished, their deaths mirroring those of the spies from the South Seas. Currently, seven outposts along the route have suffered similar attacks, with the dead numbering over two thousand."

After examining the body, Black Hawk reported: "It wasn't poison or a wound; it must have been some kind of attack that directly affects the soul. Ordinary soldiers probably couldn't withstand it."

"Order all border troops to withdraw thirty li."

Ye Qingzhou said in a deep voice, "Hand over these 'Holy Remains' to the Heart Martial Sect. Also..." He turned to Silver Blade, "Find out how these monsters came to be."

Silverblade closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then suddenly his wolf ears perked up: "Master, there's even more urgent military intelligence! Cossack cavalry have broken through Shanhaiguan Pass, and the imperial court has actually allowed them to pass!"

The whole hall was in an uproar.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Qingzhou's eyes: "What a terrible court! To deal with me, they're even willing to let wolves into the house!"

In the capital city, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation of the Imperial City, the candlelight was dim.

The emperor sat blankly on the dragon throne, his eyes vacant, drool still hanging from the corner of his mouth.

At his feet stood a minister in a sharp suit, slowly swinging a pocket watch in front of the emperor. The blood-red jewel embedded in the watch case was pointed at Daoguang's temple, emitting an eerie light.

Minister Ivanov said softly, “Your Majesty only needs to sign this Treaty on the Demarcation of the Northern Border, ceding the area north of the Blackwater and east of the Anju River to us, and we will immediately send Cossack cavalry south to help you quell the Xinwumen rebels.”

The emperor's right hand reached uncontrollably towards the treaty on his desk; the imperial seal was already prepared.

Grand Councilor Mu Zhang'a knelt to one side, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty, please reconsider! This is ceding territory and betraying the country. How can we face our ancestors after death..."

Be careful what you say.

Ivanov gave him a cold glance, and Mu Zhang'a suddenly clutched his throat, his face turning purple as he collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

With a "creak," the emperor had already stamped the jade seal.

Ivanov put away the treaty with satisfaction: "Very good. In return, after Ye Qingzhou is eliminated, His Majesty the Tsar guarantees that you will forever guard Jiangnan."

Suddenly, hurried footsteps and commotion came from outside the palace. A eunuch rushed in, stumbling and crawling: "Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! Ye's flying boat fleet has arrived outside Yongding Gate!"

A glimmer of clarity flashed in the emperor's cloudy eyes, before he fell into a daze again.

Ivanov frowned and looked out the window—in the distance, dozens of oddly shaped flying boats were breaking through the clouds, and the Black Bird banners fluttered in the morning sun.

On the Yongdingmen city tower, the garrison commander Erjina looked ashen-faced.

Outside the city, in mid-air, thirty-six spirit wood flying boats were arranged in battle formation.

Each flying boat was over twenty zhang long, with intricate inscriptions carved on its hull, and hundreds of Xinwu Sect disciples stood on its deck. On the flagship "Xuan Niao" at the very front, Ye Qingzhou, dressed in flowing white robes, stood with his hands behind his back.

"Fire! Fire now!"

Erjina roared hysterically.

The city's defensive cannons spat fire, but the cannonballs were deflected by an invisible barrier ten feet from the flying boat. Ye Qingzhou didn't even raise his hand, simply saying, "Break the city." Three thousand Xinwu Sect disciples simultaneously formed hand seals.

In an instant, hundreds of beast-shaped Dharma images rose into the air, blotting out the sky and the sun.

The wolf-shaped Dharma Image tore at the city wall with its sharp claws, the eagle-shaped Dharma Image swooped down to grab the guards, and the most spectacular was the Chaos Dharma Image with nine heads and eighteen arms, Ye Qingzhou’s personal Dharma Image, which shattered the Yongding Gate tower with just one punch!

Erjina was thrown into the air by the shockwave. The last thing he saw before falling off the city wall was countless Xuanjia warriors surging towards the Forbidden City like a tide.

"His Majesty has decreed that only the powerful and wealthy will be executed, and ordinary people will not be harmed!"

Black Hawk's voice echoed throughout the city: "Any soldier who lays down his weapon will be spared death!"

Upon hearing this, the Manchu soldiers, who had been preparing for street fighting, dropped their weapons. Some Han Chinese Green Standard Army soldiers even defected and joined the rebel army.

Ye Qingzhou did not enter the city with the army, but stood at the bow of the Xuan Niao ship, his gaze piercing through the palace walls and locking onto the man in a suit and leather shoes inside the Yangxin Hall.

"Got you."

He spoke softly, took a step, and walked swiftly towards the center of the imperial city.

At the same time, twelve white figures suddenly appeared at various high points in the capital, their pure white eyes all looking at Ye Qingzhou flying in the air.

Moreover, black dots began to appear in the southern sky, clearly the airship formation of the Combined Fleet rapidly approaching.

The ultimate showdown between the extraordinary powers of East and West is about to erupt above this ancient imperial city.

In the end, the sole victor, Ye Qingzhou, stood before the main hall of the Forbidden City, his black bird battle flag fluttering in the wind.

The entire Manchu people were executed, and the remaining forces were driven out of the pass.

Ye Qingzhou rebuilt the order of China.

He abolished the old system, restored Han Chinese clothing and customs, established the "Six Offices" to govern the country, and at the same time widely spread the Way of Heart and Martial Arts, so that all Chinese people could practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies and unite their martial will.

In just three short years, China has undergone a complete transformation.

The people who were once ravaged are now full of new life.

A nation once bullied by foreign powers now stands proudly in the world.

Unwilling to accept defeat, the North, taking advantage of Ye Qingzhou's consolidation of the South, mobilized 200,000 Cossack cavalry to march south, intending to take advantage of the chaos.

However, they were no longer facing a weak imperial court.

Ye Qingzhou's general, Black Eagle, led 8,000 Xinwu soldiers northward for a decisive battle on the shores of Lake Baikal.

The Cossacks' proud cavalry charge was child's play before the martial arts master. Black Eagle transformed into a hundred-foot-tall giant eagle, and with a single flap of its wings, a gale swept across the battlefield, sending Cossack cavalrymen and their horses tumbling down.

The defeated North was forced to sign the Treaty of the North Sea, ceding the entire territory of Celia.

But Ye Qingzhou's conquests did not end there.

“Barbarians fear power but do not cherish virtue. If we do not destroy their country today, they will surely become a scourge in the future.”

He personally led three thousand elite troops northward, heading straight for the capital of the northern kingdom.

Nicholas I fled westward in haste, only to be intercepted and killed by Silverblade on the Polish border.

With his unparalleled martial will, Ye Qingzhou suppressed the dragon vein of the Northern Kingdom, causing its national destiny to collapse and never recover.

Although the Western powers were defeated, Bharat became a new threat.

The eight "saints" of Bharat practiced psionic martial arts and combined them with local yoga secrets, and surprisingly trained a million psionic warriors in a short period of time.

They proclaimed themselves "chosen ones" and intended to conquer China and establish the "Great Brahma Empire".

Upon hearing the news, Ye Qingzhou simply smiled faintly: "A clown."

That night, he entered the land of Bharat alone.

Eight saints joined forces to set up the "Brahma Formation," drawing upon the power of the Ganges River in an attempt to suppress Ye Qingzhou. Unfortunately, they underestimated the true strength of this martial arts legend.

Ye Qingzhou stood on the Ganges River, his hands forming a mudra, and the Chaos Dharma Image manifested, with nine heads and eighteen arms, each wielding a divine weapon. With a single strike, the Brahma Grand Array shattered.

"Your so-called saints are nothing but frogs in a well."

He took a step forward and instantly appeared in front of the first saint, pointing a finger at his brow.

bang~
The head of the supreme saint exploded instantly, his spiritual energy dissipated, and his death was horrific.

The remaining seven saints were terrified and joined forces to unleash their strongest killing move – "Shiva's Wrath".

Ye Qingzhou simply waved his hand dismissively in response.

"Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Sword".

The lightning transformed into countless sword beams, and in an instant, the seven saints were reduced to ashes.

Ye Qingzhou did not slaughter the civilians of Balat, but simply said, "The path of martial arts is not about killing others, but about transcending oneself. If you remain obstinate, one day you will reap what you sow."

Having said that, he drifted away, leaving behind only the devastated holy city and the stunned people of Barat.

Ye Qingzhou's martial arts legend spread throughout the world, and spiritual energy martial arts spread like wildfire.

Although Barat was defeated, its massive population and fervent faith led it to a "religious victory." They cultivated countless ascetic warriors by combining psionic martial arts with esoteric yoga techniques.

European countries were terrified and began researching psionic technology in an attempt to counter the martial arts civilization of the East.

The combination of steam engines and psionic energy gave birth to a new type of "phantom machinery," and the fusion of psionic energy and martial arts gave rise to martial artists who achieved "unity of spirit and martial arts."

The world order has been completely transformed, with the Industrial Revolution intertwined with psionic martial arts, and history has taken a completely new turn.

Standing atop Kunlun Mountain, Ye Qingzhou looked down upon the vast land.

He was invincible in his time, yet doubts still lingered in his heart.

"What exactly is the ultimate level of martial arts?"

Suddenly, he looked up at the starry sky.

The universe is vast, and the stars are dazzling.

"I see."

He smiled slightly, his figure gradually becoming ethereal, turning into specks of starlight, merging into the world, transforming himself into the Dao, and bearing all living beings.

From then on, Ye Qingzhou disappeared from the world, leaving only the glorious martial arts, which stood tall in the heavens.

Every martial arts practitioner can sense his presence in the unseen realm.

Ye Qingzhou's story has come to an end, but the spark of martial arts civilization has been ignited.

The world was changed because of him, and history was turned around because of him. He ultimately transcended worldly struggles and reached a higher realm.

And this world continues to roll forward, intertwined with psionic energy and industry...

(The End) (End of Chapter)