Beichen Sword Sect's Headmaster's Secret Records

Chapter 391 Dilemma
Some in the Xuanmen (Taoist school) say that formations are the creation of heaven and earth, and arithmetic and Taoist magic are the foundation. They often hear the old saying that if you master mathematics, physics, and chemistry, you can go anywhere in the world without fear.

Although Huangfu Yi was only a beginner in arithmetic, he quickly grasped its wonders. With just a few calculations and a simple calculation, he could discern good and bad fortune, as if he had gained a divine eye and foresight. From then on, he could avoid danger, fight monsters, seek advantage and avoid harm, and turn misfortune into good fortune. To put it more poetically, he could see the direction of his life.

Following the direction of the divination, Huangfu Yi successfully avoided many dangers and difficulties. When he reached the ferry crossing on the Gen River, he was able to catch a grain ship of the Heavenly King Army returning across the river and finally arrived safely in Sizhou, the directly administered territory.

Needless to say, the Central Plains at this time was no longer a fertile land; it was practically a living hell, a den of demons and monsters. A glance revealed a pervasive demonic aura, and a quick calculation indicated peril at every turn; there was simply no safe and peaceful path to follow.

Of course, Huangfu Yi had long been aware of this, and his mind remained unmoved and his will unwavering. He followed the dilapidated and long-neglected Siji Road into Luoyang.

The carnage along the way needs no further elaboration. For sixty years since the outbreak of war, the rebels had neglected production and focused solely on plundering the people, while the government troops, unable to engage in open battle, resorted to scorched-earth policies. Such back-and-forth clashes between armies, with bandits passing like combs and soldiers like fine brushes, resulted in countless deaths, with corpses littering the fields and the world nearly wiped out.

However, the wild animals are doing quite well; they've gained a living space, which is...

After all, the Central Plains was a fertile and productive land, a place where the spiritual energy of the twelve kingdoms converged. Even the grass grew exceptionally fast. Without human logging and cultivation, in just sixty years, the once prosperous towns and residences were reduced to overgrown wilderness.

In recent years, as the Heavenly King's army broke through the north and the defenses collapsed, various demons took the opportunity to move south. The heretics who had been suppressed by the Xuanmen Immortal Palace for many years took the opportunity to rise up. At a glance, the ground was full of Jingguan mass graves and the sky was full of demonic winds, skeletons and ghosts. Every now and then, streaks of demonic light and gleaming evil energy would rise into the sky. It was clear that the heretics and evil demons were transforming into gods and ascending to demons.

Yes, Nascent Soul stage cultivators. There are many Nascent Soul stage cultivators in the Central Plains...

Even with Huangfu Yi's limited mathematical abilities, he could deduce that there were demon kings and demon lords entrenched on both the east and west sides with a simple calculation. Oh, if we include the useless dragon he ate before, there are three great demons in this area. Of course, it would be fine if the demons attained enlightenment, as they could eventually be beaten to death with fists and swords. But it's hard to say if they were unorthodox deities.

According to the preaching of the upgraded system these days, the cultivation methods of Taiji Heaven are not only inherited from the three major sects. The concept of refining Qi into spirit was originally just something that ancient Qi cultivators often mentioned together, and it gradually evolved into a term for judging the cultivation level.

However, the standards of the Xuanmen that emerged later were too strict, the vision too high, and the skills too top-notch. Each sect leader and Dao Master was a chosen one of heaven, aiming straight for enlightenment. They were all stuck at the three tribulations, waiting for heavenly lightning to refine and shape their bodies. They were reluctant to become deities unless absolutely necessary. But even so, there were very few who could actually achieve enlightenment. As a result, a large number of immortal old people who were thousands of years old were stuck in the mountains and valleys. This greatly raised the threshold for becoming a deity.

But in reality, the Nascent Soul stage isn't that difficult. In fact, it's even simpler for non-Buddhist sects to achieve it. After all, those miscellaneous cultivators and non-Buddhist sects outside the three major sects are essentially inheritors of ancient Qi cultivators, and they have countless methods to manifest the Thirty-Three Heavens Demon Gods.

Therefore, they don't need to refine the Nine Qi, comprehend the Heavenly Heart, or evolve the Great Dao. They have a shortcut to directly reach the Law of Heaven and Earth and transform into a demon god. Apart from 'refining Qi' and 'transforming into a god,' they don't care about anything else. It's like adding flour when there's too much water and adding water when there's too much flour. They never think about whether there are other ways to boil water or whether flour can be synthesized from the air. How can that not be fast?
However, these heretics were suppressed by the three major sects in turn, and could only hide and eke out a living. If they were just trash and garbage, the three major sects might not care about them. But once they reach the Divine Realm, they will not be able to hide anymore.

By then, all you'll have refined is a lump of flour. You can't fight it, and you can't run away. Sooner or later, you'll be captured by the Xuanmen to refine pills and make artifacts. All your cultivation will be for nothing, so what's the point? You might as well not refine it at all.

However, times have changed, and things are looking up now. The Celestial Palace has long since self-destructed, ruining its kingdom; the Mystic Sect has closed its doors to avoid the world and engage in internal strife; and the Divine Sect is far beyond the heavens, preoccupied with who-knows-what. Furthermore, demons have invaded, causing widespread suffering, and even the most righteous defenders are overwhelmed. So why not hurry up and become a god! Ascend to the Outer Heavens as soon as possible! This Taiji Heaven is a damn inhuman map!
Transformation into a Divine Being! Transformation into a Divine Being! Transformation into a Divine Being!

"boom!"

"Ugh——!"

In the blink of an eye, another beam of demonic light shot into the sky, accompanied by a deafening roar like a horn, as a great demon broke through and leveled up in the mountains not far to the south.

Huangfu Yi was not surprised. Rather, he thought that these demon gods and monster kings, as top predators in nature, must have divided up their territories in the east, west, south, and north, ruling the mountains and securing their own resource hunting grounds.

Since this demon god in the south has just broken through and happens to be blocking the road, let's deal with it first. Judging from its voice, it's a large-headed monster, which is perfect for a good meal to replenish our vital energy.

So Huangfu Yi headed straight for the demonic light. After being inexplicably bothered so many times, this time it was finally his turn to strike first, and he immediately used all his equipment.

In fact, Huangfu Yi had killed so many monsters and collected quite a bit of equipment. Not only the sword pouch and sword pavilion, but also the Yellow Crown of Crane Temple that allowed him to burrow underground, the jade token that allowed him to become invisible, and the Thousand-Petal Screen of the Free and Unfettered Sect, besides being exchanged for rewards, could theoretically also conceal heavenly secrets. It's just that before, his skills were too weak, and he could only exhale a few breaths of true qi. He couldn't use any of these things even with a single breath of qi, so he just wielded an iron rod and fought randomly.

However, recently he has undergone a complete transformation and his potential has been stimulated, resulting in a series of upgrades. Now, after a few breaths, Huangfu Yi feels that his Qi circulation is dozens of times stronger than usual. He estimates that although he is not a complete waste, he is still a strong person among the Golden Core cultivators, an elite among the dregs.

So a few days ago, I not only studied arithmetic, but also consulted Liang Jiuding about the secrets of controlling magical artifacts. Although the two newly acquired magical artifacts from the Xuan Nu Temple, the Yin Yang Ring and the Measuring Ruler, are restricted by the sect's restrictions and I can't control them for the time being, I can already skillfully operate the other magical artifacts.

So, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Huangfu Yi, who had been hiding underground, arrived fully armed at the place where the demonic light had erupted, only to find that he was still too late.

When it emerged from the ground, Huangfu Yi saw that the great demon, which looked like a pig with horns, was already dead, its head and body split in two. At this moment, he saw a colorful auspicious cloud in the sky, and there was clearly a cultivator hiding in the cloud, wielding a bronze axe, chopping down the beast horns on the head of the great demon.

Seeing that someone had beaten him to it, Huangfu Yi, though helpless, had no intention of fighting for it; he only wanted to wait for them to leave so he could pick up some meat. But then, with a few swift strokes of the axe, the celestial being removed the beast horn, replaced it with a jade knife and porcelain bottle, and proceeded to skin, bleed, dismember, and carve the demon, leaving not a single piece behind. Then, the auspicious cloud drifted away, waving its sleeve, leaving not a trace behind…

Okay... no rush. There are plenty of demons and monsters in this world, there are definitely more to come...

So Huangfu Yi continued south. After traveling less than 150 li, he came to another mountain. At the foot of the mountain was a large town. Corpses were scattered all over the ground and the roads were full of mutilated bodies. It was clear that they had been eaten clean. He thought there must be something strange in the mountain.

Huangfu Yi felt it was his duty to climb the mountain and kill the demon. There he found a cave on the mountaintop containing a demon with a human face and a tiger's body, four zhang tall, which had already been killed. Its flesh and entrails had been stripped away, leaving only a skeleton and a head. A talisman had been placed on its forehead to seal its soul. The demon was being kept in the cave and subjected to some kind of evil magic.

Okay... even though it's been suppressed again, there should still be more ahead...

So Huangfu Yi crossed the mountain and continued south. After another ten miles or so, he saw a soaring resentment in the distance and clearly saw a mass grave. There were countless corpses in the grave, which looked like soldiers of the Immortal Palace who were buried alive after their defeat. Many of them had turned into zombies.

Everyone here practices the Gangquan style, so Huangfuyi naturally knew this very well.

To be fair, weren't the rebels originally soldiers of the Celestial Palace? Although their attack was sudden and caught everyone off guard, after so many years of fierce fighting, what couldn't they defeat? But after all these years, the Celestial Palace still suffers more defeats than victories. Needless to say, it's purely because the sons of the generals and the eunuchs supervising the troops are utterly incompetent. They engage in all sorts of embezzlement, bribery, and nonsensical command, and most of the soldiers are killed because of their misdeeds. Therefore, the soldiers naturally harbor a lot of resentment and are more prone to turning into zombies.

However, when Huangfu Yi arrived at the pit, intending to exorcise the demon, he found that he still didn't need to do anything about it.

The entire mortuary was enclosed by a protective barrier and countless talismans. Ordinary corpses could not break through the seals and would be crushed and blasted to dust by the activation of the magic array.

But this magic array was only set up on the outer edge, instead of directly purifying the horde of corpses in the pit. Clearly, it was designed to force the corpse demons inward, eventually creating a corpse king powerful enough to break the seal. At that point, needless to say, when the time was right, the hermit would come to collect it. Well… although Huangfu Yi was slow-witted, he wouldn't do things more than three times; by now, he understood…

Do you really think that if the world falls into chaos, you'll have a real chance to become a god?
Don't be silly!
The world is vast, and there are countless talented people! There may be many demons in the pond, but there are even more fishermen on the shore!

He might have a chance to train against the weaker monsters, but the few truly powerful ones have already been reserved and kept in captivity! All the opportunities have been planned and allocated long ago! If he can't grab them, he won't even get a chance to fight monsters, gain experience, or level up!
However, it seems that the Celestial Palace's kingdom is far from being overthrown. After all, if they can't defeat the rebels, can't they at least defeat the common people? In the end, mortals will simply live like pigs and dogs, while those high and mighty immortals will find it easier to seize resources.

But even if they are immortals, so what? Don't immortals also have to go through tribulations? How many immortals has Huangfu Yi saved along the way? Haven't they all become his resources?

The clearer the calculations and the further the vision, the more confused Huangfu Yi became.

It's a pity that although the world is vast and seems to be a place where one can go anywhere, it also seems that there is no place for anyone to stay.

Mortals, noble families, cultivators, demons—all living beings are ultimately trapped in this vicious cycle, either at the mercy of others or as fish on a chopping block, winning or losing, endlessly cycling through lifetimes without escape. Who knows what level of cultivation one must reach to truly break free from this cage and attain true freedom and liberation…

"BIAJI!"

Just as he was distracted, a golden light suddenly flashed, and half a person flew out from the air and crashed right in front of Huangfu Yi, turning into a pile of fleshy pulp and blood splattering all over his face.

"...How did the bones get shattered like this?"

Huangfu Yi glanced at the corpse on the ground and immediately recognized the bronze axe in the man's left hand and the demonic horn in his right. Uh, isn't this the guy from just now…?

"Hehehe! You clown! Try to escape! Try to escape! But can you escape from Grandpa's palm!"

"Wow——!"

Huangfu Yi looked up and heard a roar that shook the heavens and the earth, and a person flew straight out of the clouds.

Good heavens, it's really flying! It's grown wings!
Huangfu Yi's heart skipped a beat. He stared intently at the flying figure in the sky, which was indeed exuding an aura of dominance!

That was indeed him, clad in black iron lion-shaped armor, with shoulder blades embroidered with Yazi-swallowing cloud patterns, and wearing a three-sided demon mask. When he roared in anger, it was as if he had cleaved stone and split the sky. His feet trod on meteorite iron fang boots, and wherever he walked, it was as if the earth cracked and mountains collapsed!

It has a pair of fleshy wings growing on its back, shaped like the feathers of a skinned bat, or like the wings of a tiger from Tieling. The veins are twisted and knotted, as if cast from purple copper. When it flaps its wings, there is no shadow, just like fire and lightning!
Moreover, he wielded a Soul-Devouring Mace, its handle engraved with a gluttonous beast devouring the sun, and its relief depicting a raging inferno. This seven-foot-long executioner's mace could wipe out three thousand souls!
As a poem says,

The Ironclad Cavalry sank into the Nine Abyss, the Mysterious Flame burned away the Eight Desolations! Its back split the chaos, opening wings to the heavens, its mace struck the Yellow Springs, and ten thousand ghosts howled!

"Heavenly King General! The Eighteen Riders of Yinshan! This is Guo Heilue! Take this from Grandpa!"

Before the words were even finished, a mace came crashing down! The wind and clouds changed color! It tore through the clouds and cleaved the sun! It caused ghostly wails and howls! It struck straight at the top of his head!
"Bang!!!"

Huangfu Yi caught it!

This Heavenly King General Guo Heilue is indeed quite skilled! With a single mace strike! The wind howled like thunder! It tore through the air! Its killing intent was terrifying! Its power was unparalleled! He was at least at the peak of the Wasteful Realm! In terms of the Gangquan style, he possessed the monstrous strength of the Thirty Levels! Such domineering force could blast even gold and bronze into scrap iron! Flesh and bones would be utterly rotten into mud!

"Ah!!!"

But Huangfu Yi still managed to catch it! Since his bones and flesh were reshaped, Huangfu Yi's Qi cultivation has been limited by the scarcity of spiritual Qi, and it has not yet fully recovered, so his progress has been slow. However, the development of his muscle potential has made a real improvement! In particular, the speed at which he can accumulate and generate power is unprecedented! He can now control and unleash his second-level or higher Gang Fist at will! Clearly, his maximum combat power has been greatly expanded!
Moreover, having just witnessed the expert who had severed the horns and skinned the demon god, now lying dead in front of him, Huangfu Yi was already on high alert and had been preparing his powerful fist technique. He was naturally prepared for this Qu Liu's entrance, which included a pose and a theatrical performance.
But I have to admit, I have to give this guy credit. He really is a useless piece of trash! He took a blow from the mace and it didn't break!?

"Gang Fist! Thirty!"

"Heavenly King's Overlord Body Technique!"

"Ping ping ping!"

"Bang bang bang!"

"Boom boom boom!"

In an instant! A fierce wind howled, gusting air swept through the air! The two muscular men held their initial attack, without a word! They roared angrily! Unleashing their full power! Wielding maces and clubs! They clashed fiercely! Punches and kicks rained down! A passionate brawl! Bursts of explosive punches echoed like thunder! Loud roars and booming sounds filled the air!

In an instant, one in black and one in red moved like lightning, darting across the forest floor! They chased each other relentlessly! Their clashes sent sand and stones flying, sparks flying everywhere! The earth shook, mountains crumbled, and rocks trembled from their impact! Every move was powerful and devastating! The earth and mountains trembled and cracked! Trees and thickets were devastated and uprooted! They exchanged a hundred blows, yet neither could gain the upper hand!

Excellent! A predicament! A tough battle!
Although Huangfu Yi had vanquished demons and monsters along the way, he encountered a tough opponent in his first battle in the Central Plains! This Guo Heilue is quite formidable!
This person managed to get a position in the Heavenly King Army, possessing genuine skills honed on the battlefield. His hard skills are beyond question, but he is far more than just a brute who only knows physical attacks!

Yes, every time this person strikes with his mace, it inflicts special attribute damage and debuff effects! Not only is that Soul-Devouring Mace a magical artifact forged with evil magic, but it is also covered with countless ghostly demons and resentful energy that soars to the heavens! Every whoosh is accompanied by ghostly wails and howls, causing souls to tremble and disturbing the mind, even shattering the divine court!

What's even more impressive is that the cultivation method he practices is by no means some heretical or unorthodox method!

After all, you have to know that Gang Fist is so powerful, its power lies in its sheer strength! The Heaven-Shattering Gang Qi is truly devastating, obliterating everything in its path! But it was somehow managed to retaliate against that so-called Overlord Body Technique!

Moreover, unlike the Heaven-Shattering Qi, this Overlord's Qi is accompanied by an unprecedented black-red demonic light! It scorches the eyes and brows, burns the nose and mouth! It burns directly towards the five orifices, biting bones and searing the heart! It also secretly accumulates power, which can be combined with magical weapon moves to unleash a second-stage burst at any time! The overwhelming power rolls in like a raging torrent! Like a wildfire!

Even if someone manages to withstand the initial fierce strike, the subsequent bewitching magic, the enchanting spell, the burning demonic light, and the unleashing of power will surely bring disaster if they are not careful! If the stalemate continues, it will inevitably lead to killing sooner or later!
Huangfu Yi! A major crisis!
(End of this chapter)