From the Ming Dynasty, we will conquer the world

The person who took action was none other than the current Emperor Qian, Yang Pan.

Ever since he destroyed the Great Zen Temple, he has been hiding in this empty world, devoting himself to practicing Taoism and repairing the Boat of Creation, and seldom goes out.

The Emperor Qian that all the officials in the court see now is just a substitute who he has put on the table to guard against Meng Shenji's assassination and to issue orders on his behalf.

The descendants of Tai Shang Dao in every generation will monitor the world and will never allow human emperors to practice Taoism to gain immortality. Once an emperor breaks the taboo and cultivates to the level of ghost immortals, they will take action and kill him.

Taizong and Gaozong of the Daqian Dynasty, as well as Taizu of the previous Zhou Dynasty, were all assassinated by Meng Shenji, the head of the Taishang Dao, because they violated this taboo.

Now that Emperor Qian is practicing Taoism and has inherited the Dao of Creation, the mortal enemy of the Supreme Dao, he naturally has to be more cautious against Meng Shenji.

But Yang Pan is worthy of being a great leader. His mind, means and talents are all impeccable.

Even though Meng Shenji, the number one man in the world, was eyeing him covetously, he had already survived six thunder tribulations in secret. His strength was unfathomable, not inferior to the great Zhou Taizu back then, and even better.

But even he, a master who had experienced six thunder tribulations, could not help but feel shocked when he noticed the remaining scars on Gongyang Yu and Qiu's bodies.

——How come that person from the East China Sea came here?

——Could it be that there really is a treasure of the Demon Sect that has been missed in Xishan?

Yang Pan's mind was racing, but he did not show it. Instead, he took a deep breath and used the Taoist technique of "Creation Scripture" to remove the fist intent of the two personal guard leaders and recover from their injuries.

However, although Yin Yue had not been able to reach the realm of "one orifice connecting a hundred orifices" and become a peak human immortal comparable to the seven calamities ghost immortal due to the lack of the secret method of refining the orifices over the years, she had already possessed some characteristics of this realm after obtaining Xu Xing's memories.

Even in terms of mysteriousness and insidiousness, Yin Yue's demonized boxing is more than one level better than that of peak human immortals, making it impossible for ghost immortals who specialize in Taoism to guard against it. If they are not careful, they will be infected and lose their Taoist heart.

Although Yang Pan was an expert in Taoism and had learned the most advanced skills in the world, it was still extremely difficult for him to dispel the evil spirit condensed by Yin Yue with her fist, so he had to rely on the power of the magic weapon.

He waved his right hand and took out the core of this imperial world, the "Imperial Seal", attracted the dragon energy within it, and called upon a stream of "Central Wu Yi Hollow Great True Qi" from the Boat of Creation before he suppressed his fist intent.

After Yang Pan finished all this, sweat was already on his forehead. He took a long breath and heard the steady footsteps coming from behind him. Without turning his head, he just asked in a deep voice:

"Xuanji, you've come just in time. Please help me see how far the martial arts of that demon from the East China Sea has been practiced. Has he broken through the shackles and reached the peak of the human immortal realm?"

The man standing behind Yang Pan was wearing a gorgeous brocade robe and a purple gold crown on his head. His skin was as white as jade, his face was square, his eyebrows were drooping, and his eyes were covered with a layer of purple, which exuded infinite majesty.

He is none other than the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, one of the pillars of the Daqian Dynasty, the pinnacle of martial arts, Marquis Wu Wen, Hong Xuanji.

When Hong Xuanji heard Yang Pan's question, he first saluted him meticulously without breaking the rules, then walked forward, looked at the two of them carefully, and shook his head:

“It’s not the fist of a peak immortal, but it’s not Taoism either. This demon’s martial arts has become more and more demonic. It seems to have broken away from the boundaries of martial arts and Taoism and formed its own school. I can’t tell the difference.

The only thing that is certain is that he is now probably to be regarded as a creator, a master of the peak human immortal level, and he is even more difficult to deal with than the Yuanqi God in the Western Region. "

Hong Xuanji bowed slightly when he reached this point.

"Now that we have the opportunity, I am willing to put on my armor and go to war for your majesty to conquer Xishan and kill this monster!"

Today's Hong Xuanji is just a peak martial saint, but the aura he exudes is in no way inferior to that of Gong Yangyu, the human immortal, and may even be better.

In the main hall, another powerful aura rose up, echoing with Hong Xuanji's fist intent. Boundless and ocean-like majesty spread out, as if the ancient dragon had resurrected and returned to the world.

This is another secret treasure of the Daqian Dynasty, the armor "Emperor Heaven's First Dragon Armor" personally made by the ancient holy emperor "Pan".

Even if a peak martial saint puts on this armor, he will have power comparable to that of a human immortal. Even a strong man at the creator level will find it difficult to harm him. He can be said to be immortal.

In the past, it was because of this armor that Hong Xuanji was able to break out from the void and attack Meng Shenji, creating a perfect opportunity for Yang Pan to control the boat of fortune and launch a fatal attack.

Even if Xu Xing had not fallen from the sky, they would have been able to destroy Meng Shenji's human-immortal body twenty years ago.

Yang Pan was somewhat moved, his eyes flickered, and he pondered:
“Although you and I have intentionally let it go, it is also a fact that in the past twenty years, this demon has been rampant throughout the world, encountering no rivals, and has defeated countless strong men.

Nowadays, when those thousand-year-old families saw this man coming to provoke them, they were willing to hide in the void world like turtles, and they obviously saw through our plan.

In this case, we might as well use the name of exterminating demons to make them contribute manpower and food. If they refuse, we can just knock on their door and confiscate their property. This will serve as a warning to others and help collect materials for repairing the Boat of Fortune. It will kill two birds with one stone."

Ever since Yang Pan obtained the "Boat of Fortune", he has been working day and night, devoting all his energy to repairing this supreme ancient artifact.

Joining forces with Meng Shenji to destroy the Dachan Temple was a gamble. Unfortunately, although Yang Pan won the bet, an alien star appeared from the sky and simply overturned his card table, leaving him with nothing.

From then on, this heroic ruler who aspired to become the greatest emperor of all time had to tighten his belt to make a living. However, simply cutting costs was not a solution, and Yang Pan had to find another way to make money.

After much thought, he could only set his sights on those ancient families with strong heritage, especially those that had produced the "medieval philosophers".

The "Hundred Saints" were a group of powerful men who emerged in the Middle Ages. Each of them was a creator who had experienced more than seven thunder tribulations. There were more than a hundred of them, so they were called the "Hundred Saints".

Among the various philosophers and saints, although there are no masters at the Yang God level, their wisdom has surpassed that of the ancient Holy Emperor, and even undermined the Holy Emperor's authority, demoting the Nine Nine Supremes to the Nine Five Supremes.

The bloodline left by such an existence is naturally extremely wealthy and powerful. The foundation of these "aristocratic families" is even greater than that of the holy place like Dachan Temple that gave birth to the Yang God.

However, they represent the authority of saints. Even Yang Pan, the emperor of the world, dare not act rashly. If the situation is not handled properly, it will cause great unrest.

After five or six thousand years of sedimentation, the teachings and enlightenment of the philosophers of the Middle Ages have long been deeply imprinted in the bones of the people of Tianzhou in the Middle-earth, and cannot be shaken.

Anyone who dares to disobey will be considered a "treasonous person" and a "ruler without moral integrity". Once Yang Pan and others are branded with this reputation, the seemingly peaceful Daqian Dynasty will immediately be in turmoil and spread like wildfire.

The dynasty will fall and the ancestral temple will be destroyed in a day or two.

What's more, even if we ignore the subsequent impact, the power of these families themselves is enough to discourage Yang Pan. He can only divide them first and then plan slowly.

The appearance of this demon also gave him an excellent reason.

If the Daqian Dynasty were to preside over the "demon-suppression" campaign, it could have used the excuse of standing up for the various schools of thought. If any family disobeyed, it would be considered as disrespecting the authority of the various schools of thought, and they could have been eliminated at the opportunity, and there would be nothing wrong with that.

If they really obey, they can be asked to take the lead.

What's more, Yang Pan calculated that, with the arrogant temperament of the noble families, they should have hated this monster a long time ago.

It's just that the other monster has always been elusive, and the Demon God Cave in the East China Sea is one of the most dangerous places in the world, so he has not taken any action yet.

Now that the imperial court is taking the lead and is trying to stand up for the various aristocratic families, forces such as the Fan family and the Wang family should be eager to jump out and take the opportunity to show off their own authority...

After hearing this, Hong Xuanji was also convinced and praised:

"This is a great move. I will just give it to Ji Changyue to do it. Let him contact the Fan family, the Wang family, and the Sun family in the name of the Ji family."

The Fan family, the Ji family, the Wang family, and the Sun family are the four most powerful families among the various aristocratic families. Over the past thousands of years, successive dynasties could only appease and appease them but could not eliminate them.

Among them, the Fan family is the number one family in a thousand years. It has more than a dozen elders who have experienced four or five thunder tribulations, and there is also an ancestor who has survived six thunder tribulations. Its power is ten times stronger than that of the Da Chan Temple.

Even if the other three are not as good, they are not far behind.

Ji Changyue was born in the Ji family. He was the top scorer in the imperial examination in the 30th year of Daqian. He once served as the Minister of Rites. Later, he retired and became a disciple of Zhengyi Taoism. Now he is the Taoist master of Zhengyi Taoism.

After he inherited the Zhengyi Sect, he actively approached the imperial court, followed the teachings of the ancient philosophers, and reformed the Zhengyi Sect from top to bottom with the concepts of "loyalty, filial piety, righteousness, and chastity", making him an anomaly in Taoism.

The current queen is also from the Ji family. Strictly speaking, Ji Changyue is also a foreign relative. It is extremely appropriate for him to use his status, background, and strength to contact the various families of scholars.

Yang Pan was also very satisfied with Hong Xuanji's selection, but he was still a little worried in the end, so he specifically instructed:
“Send some capable men to keep an eye on Xishan these days. Don’t let this evil man escape.

If he were allowed to return to the Demon God Cave and gather a group of powerful Vajra Monkeys to invade the southeast, I'm afraid there would be another war.

Now that Huoluo is ready to make a move, and the Champion Marquis is trying to keep the enemy at bay, the national treasury cannot afford another big war..."

Speaking of this, Yang Pan couldn't help but feel sad and sighed deeply.

When Hong Xuanji heard these instructions and looked at the worry on Yang Pan's face, although he remained calm, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion in his heart.

Your Majesty has worked really hard over the years to repair the Boat of Fortune.

A once great leader was forced to become a calculating accountant who was always fussy about everything and lost his courage.

If we trace the root of all this, it’s all because of that monster from the East China Sea.

If it weren't for this person, they would have already taken over the heritage of the Great Zen Temple, repaired the ship of good fortune, and traveled across the world. Why would they have to live so tightly? !

When Hong Xuanji thought of this, he narrowed his eyes, his murderous intent increased, and he clasped his hands together and said in a deep voice:

"The Holy Emperor is ruling with ease, and matters of war and slaughter are all left to this humble minister. This is exactly my duty as the Grand Master, and it is also the righteousness between the monarch and his subjects.

This time, I will go out in battle in full armor and will definitely capture this man and bring him before Your Majesty, to chop him into pieces in front of you and vent my hatred!"

Although Hong Xuanji was not wearing armor now, every word he uttered echoed the spirit of "Emperor Tian Shi Long Armor". He had an invincible and unstoppable spirit, which made people deeply impressed and convinced.

These words also show Hong Xuanji's judgment of the situation.

The most important point in achieving two goals at once is to distinguish between the primary and the secondary. Although the royal family wants to take the opportunity to weaken and divide the various families, the first priority is still to kill the monster.

This person has the power of a creator, but he is mentally ill, acts without logic, and does whatever he wants without restraint. He is too threatening and is something that the Daqian Dynasty cannot tolerate.

Yang Pan waved his hand and said generously:
"In that case, I will stay here and wait for the Grand Tutor's triumphant return! However, today's incident was a bit of a commotion.

Xuanji, you go to the top of the city and guard it yourself to prevent any rats from taking advantage of the opportunity to stir up trouble. Once discovered, kill them without mercy."

Hong Xuanji nodded and strode away.

Although the incident in Xishan was not widely publicized, the momentum of Yin Yue's move was so great that it still made all the masters in Yujing City feel something. Those with ulterior motives were even more ready to make a move.

It was not until they saw the Marquis Wu Wen, with gray hair, gorgeous clothes and a tall crown, personally walk up to the top of the city wall and overlook Yujing that they gave up the idea and dared not act rashly.

Not long after Hong Xuanji ascended the city wall, he saw another long rainbow rising from Yujing City and heading towards the ninety-nine states. It was going to visit the hereditary first-class dukes' families one by one to discuss how to kill the demon.

As Ji Changyue left the capital, the territory of the Daqian Dynasty was in turmoil and undercurrents.

I don’t know how many people couldn’t sleep that night, but Hong Yi was definitely not one of them.

He was a natural born reader and had wanted to learn martial arts since he was young. After getting the "Wu Jing" and "Dao Jing", he could not put the books down and immersed himself in them wholeheartedly.

Even the sound of Yin Yue's attack did not alarm him.

Tu Shansang was startled at first by the noise outside the mountain. When he turned around, he saw that Hong Yi was not moved at all, and he couldn't help but admire him secretly.

Hong Yi spent a whole night reading the basic part of the "Wu Jing" and then picked up the scroll drawn by Xu Xing.

It's strange to say, although Hong Yi had been reading all night and had not eaten or drunk anything, he did not feel tired at all. Instead, he felt energetic and full of energy. Could this be the effect of this blessed place?

Hong Yi thought about it and felt that it was right. If this place did not have such an effect, how could it support the martial arts masters of the Xishan Fox Clan?

After all, let alone a Martial Saint, even a martial arts master of the innate martial arts master or grandmaster level would consume enough food every day to equal that of dozens or even hundreds of people.

She lives on the clouds and drinks the dew, and is not stained by the dust of the world. No wonder the aura of Miss Sang is so fresh and fairy-like.

While marveling at the magic of this place, he turned his head and carefully pondered the essence of the scroll.

"The charm of this Golden Roc Buddha is truly unparalleled in the world. It combines the brutality and cruelty of the beast with the purity and freedom of the Buddha. The master's painting skills are truly extraordinary."

Hong Yi is a scholar by nature. Even though he knows that this painting is a peerless secret manual of magical skills, he can't help but appreciate it from the perspective of appreciating calligraphy and painting.

However, it was precisely because of this mentality that he was able to immerse himself more deeply in it and comprehend the true meaning of every stroke.

Hong Yi suddenly felt enlightened and immediately felt that there was something different about this painting.

The Buddha suddenly stood up, waved his arms, and turned into a yellow and golden roc, which flew up from the painting, as if it had penetrated the boundary between reality and illusion and flew into Hong Yi's brow.

Bang!
In the deepest part of Hong Yi's soul, there is a golden roc Buddha sitting on a lotus platform with its wings flapping as if ready to fly, with a dignified appearance and self-sufficient.

Hong Yi's body and mind were shocked, and he felt that his soul seemed to be attached to this Buddha, wandering freely in the endless void. For a moment, his heart was open, without any depression or resentment.

After coming to his senses, Hong Yi felt his eyebrows were burning, and his arms seemed to be pierced by light golden threads. The heat was steaming and his whole body was warm.

"Brows, arms, wings. The martial arts classics have annotations from the ancestors, saying that martial arts is about seeking within, with acupoints as the foundation. The point between the eyebrows seems to be an acupoint..."

Look at the patterns on the golden wings, aren’t they the hand Taiyin meridian tendons and hand Yangming meridian tendons mentioned in the “Wu Jing”? The flipping gesture is the secret method of tempering the corresponding tendons!

The corners of Hong Yi's mouth curled up naturally, and a sense of leisurely satisfaction emerged in his heart. He also took a stance, imitating the posture in the picture, and officially began to practice martial arts.

As the saying goes, there are no years in the mountains, and you don’t know the changes of cold and heat.

Before he knew it, Hong Yi had been in Xishan for more than ten days.

There was snow flying all over the mountain, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful.

But it was not until he heard the sound of broken branches in the snow that Hong Yi came to his senses and suddenly realized that he had been practicing martial arts for more than ten days in a row without feeling tired at all.

In just ten days, Hong Yi felt that his body had become heavier and thicker, and his features had become fuller, with signs of bulging muscles.

According to the classification in the martial arts classics, he has already crossed the threshold of refining the flesh and tendons. Even in the Daqian Military Academy, he is qualified to be called a "warrior" and has truly mastered the art of martial arts.

However, Hong Yi could feel that his changes were far more than that. In addition to the strengthening of his muscles and bones, he could feel a warm current flowing through his limbs and bones, penetrating his inside and out.

This power is not the blood and energy of the human body, nor is it the soul and thoughts. Instead, it is some kind of half-real and half-virtual existence in between the two.

This power can not only help Hong Yi reach a subtle state of "inner vision", but also has various magical abilities. It can hurt people from dozens of steps away. If it penetrates the tendons and bones, it can bring extremely strong power.

Hong Yi knew that this might be the "internal force" mentioned in the ancestors' annotations. With the help of this power, his martial arts path would be at least ten to twenty times easier than that of ordinary people.

Just as he was quietly experiencing his own changes, a voice of praise suddenly came from behind him:
"In just twelve or thirteen years, you have already practiced quite well. Your aptitude is among the best even among my teachers."

Hong Yi turned his head, clasped his hands together, and said gratefully:
"I've met the ancestor!"

Xu Xing smiled slightly and said:
"It is almost the twelfth lunar month now, you'd better go home and wait until you pass the imperial examination before coming to Xishan.

Then, you will be truly qualified to make decisions that only you, Hong Yi, can make."

Hong Yi's eyes moved, and he realized the deep meaning in Xu Xing's words.

Judging from Yin Yue's background and the ancestor's daily attitude, what they are going to do next may subvert the entire Daqian Dynasty.

How should we choose the next path?
In fact, for Hong Yi, this is not a multiple-choice question at all.

He opened his mouth to express his intention, but noticed Xu Xing's eyes, and finally held back, nodded heavily, and said in a deep voice:
"In this case, I will bid farewell to the ancestor."

Hong Yi knew that the master wanted to give himself some time to sort out everything before making a choice, rather than making a hasty decision based on impulse.

Xu Xing was quite satisfied with Hong Yi's cautious attitude. With a flick of his long sleeves, Hong Yi only saw a flash before his eyes, and he appeared in front of the ancient temple.

Hong Yi looked at this temple that was once so familiar to him, but he suddenly felt as if he were in another world.

He met Tu Shansang, was chased by Yin Yue, became Xu Xing's apprentice, studied and practiced martial arts...

Although this series of events occurred within a dozen days, the deep impression it left on Hong Yi was even greater than the life of a concubine's son in a marquis's mansion that had remained the same day after day for more than a decade.

He was silent for a while, then suddenly turned around and strode away from the place.

At this time, Tu Shansang came to the training ground holding a small table, but saw Xu Xing standing there alone, but Hong Yi was nowhere to be seen.

The girl uttered a cry, somewhat at a loss. Although her neck did not move, her big round eyes looked around and she only asked:
"Grandmaster, where is my junior brother? Where did he go?"

Seeing this, Xu Xing took the medicinal wine on the small table very naturally, unscrewed the cork, and answered casually:
"Your junior brother is a scholar and will take the imperial examination. Once he passes, he can come back and continue to learn martial arts."

"Examination? What is examination? It's more important than martial arts training. Why didn't the master teach me?!"

When Tu Shansang heard this, his eyes widened and he looked shocked.

Xu Xing couldn't help laughing. He took a sip of wine, rubbed Tu Shansang's little head, and laughed out loud.

"That is your junior brother's lifelong dream. It has nothing to do with you. Why learn that? If you learn it and become smelly, it will pollute the spiritual energy for nothing." Tu Shansang exclaimed, holding the small table, shaking his head repeatedly, with a look of disgust on his face:
"Then I won't learn it!"

After Tu Shansang left, Yin Yue came out from behind Xu Xing. He couldn't help but sigh:
"The disciples under the master are all talented, kind-hearted, and have excellent moral character.

But my disciples in the East Sea are all unruly and need the leader to discipline them. "

Xu Xing also knew that Yin Yue now had a business in the East China Sea, so he just smiled and said:

"All of your disciples have the blood of ancient mythical beasts, and their talents are much better than those of the West Mountain Fox Clan. Their personalities are naturally different. You can't have both, right? How can this be justified in the world?"

Yin Yue also said confidently:

"People of my generation should seek to achieve both ends. Isn't this what the church taught me?"

Xu Xing remained calm and clapped his hands, saying:

"Looking back, what you just said makes a lot of sense."

After Xu Xing finished speaking, Yin Yue couldn't help but look strange. The two looked at each other and both laughed out loud.

-

Although Hong Yi had been away from home for more than ten days, the seven or eight hundred people in the marquis's mansion seemed to have forgotten him long ago, and no one even noticed that he had been away.

However, Hong Yi is now much different from before in terms of practicing martial arts and studying Taoism, and he does not take this neglect to heart. Instead, he enjoys some quiet time and prepares for the imperial examination alone.

The master had told him to pass the imperial examination before returning to see him. Although Hong Yi was confident, he did not dare to be negligent in this matter. Instead, he worked even harder.

In addition to practicing and reading, Hong Yi also discovered that Wu Wenhou Hong Xuanji seemed to have military and national affairs to deal with recently. People from all walks of life frequently visited the marquis' mansion, coming and going in a hurry.

Although it was almost the end of the year, there was no New Year atmosphere in the Marquis' Mansion. Instead, it was filled with solemnity, as if it had turned into a military tent with countless military orders coming out of it and being transmitted to all parts of Daqian.

Hong Yi was in the middle of it, and he had a vague understanding that it seemed that what the ancestor wanted him to see and the decision he wanted to make were related to what had been going on in the Marquis' Mansion these days.

Wu Wenhou Mansion, main hall.

Hong Xuanji put his hands behind his back and looked at the word "li" in the center, which was written with iron and silver hooks and had strict rules. His aura was heavy and his eyes were deep.

In his hand he held a scroll of calligraphy and painting, in which was a winter plum blossom that proudly defied the snow and frost, blossoming in full bloom, with jade-like bones and icy skin, and a deep sense of coldness that made one feel as if falling into an icy cave at the first sight.

This painting has excellent charm and is obviously created by a master artist, but the fresh and natural mood is incompatible with the word "ritual", and is even completely opposite to it, and its true meaning conflicts.

Hong Xuanji was in the middle of it. Although his posture was as upright and his demeanor was as majestic as before, there was a hint of struggle in his expression.

An old voice came from behind him, saying respectfully:
"My Lord, I have checked it out. Young Master Yi did go to the West Mountain a few days ago. After returning from the West Mountain, he learned martial arts. I think... it was that person's work."

At this point, even the old man's tone was a little hesitant, but he still gave his own judgment.

Hong Yi always thought that Hong Xuanji was indifferent to him because he was busy with work.

But he didn't know that in fact, Marquis Wu Wen cared about him, or paid more attention to him, than to all his descendants.

Therefore, the various strange things that Hong Yi showed after his trip to Xishan did not escape Hong Xuanji's eyes.

Hong Xuanji remained calm and just shook his head:

"I promised his mother that I would keep him safe throughout his life, so I just destroyed his martial arts..."

Hong Xuanji thought about this, pondered for a moment, and suddenly said:
"Don't touch him yet. Wait until all the noble families arrive, and then capture him as a last resort."

A trace of pity flashed across the old man's eyes, and he was also a little confused:
"Master Yi has only been with him for a dozen days. Given his crazy and disordered personality, would he really care about such a disciple?"

Hong Xuanji shook his head and said:

“It’s hard to say, but this person is now entrenched in the West Mountain and has no intention of leaving. I think he has other intentions.

If it is related to Hong Yi, or to the Supreme Dao, it makes sense."

The old man was startled:
"My Lord, what you mean is that Young Master Yi may have inherited the Great Dao?"

Hong Xuanji pulled the corner of his mouth and sneered:

"I know very well what Hong Yi is capable of. If he hadn't inherited the Supreme Dao, how could he have impressed that person?
Most likely he was unable to comprehend the truth behind it, so he took it out and exchanged it for a set of martial arts from the man from the East China Sea. Humph, he does know how to make choices.

After all, Bingyun was a saintly woman of the Supreme Dao, with unparalleled talent. It is not impossible that she had some hidden tricks that made me misjudge her."

When Hong Xuanji talked about his son Hong Yi, his words were full of disdain and contempt, but when he mentioned the word "Bingyun", there was some emotion in his eyes.

The old man was shocked, but he lowered his body and sighed:

"Yes, sir."

-

Although Hong Yi had left Xishan, his state of mind seemed to have been influenced by the mysterious aura of the Tao realm, becoming extremely stable and peaceful.

Even though there were endless changes in Wu Wenhou's mansion, he only focused on one thing, reading and practicing, and turned a deaf ear to what was happening outside.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the year has passed. Hong Yi ushered in the spring of the 60th year of Daqian, and also waited for the day of the provincial examination.

Early in the morning, when the sky was still pitch black and the stars were dim, Hong Yi had already put down the book in his hand and began to pack up, preparing to go to the Imperial Examination Hall to take the exam.

But before he finished cleaning up, he heard steady footsteps at the door and a familiar old voice sounded.

"Master Yi, the Marquis has ordered you to come over. He has something to say."

Hong Yi recognized the voice as that of the old steward of the Marquis' Mansion.

This old steward is one of the most unfathomable figures in the marquis's mansion, and is also the most loyal servant of Wu Wenhou Hong Xuanji.

From Hong Yi's current perspective, the old steward is probably a top-notch figure at the level of a martial saint, and he is no match for him.

Hong Yi suddenly realized something, frowned, and said in a deep voice:
"Today is the provincial examination. My father is the Grand Tutor, in charge of culture and education, and has the duty of inspecting the examinations. He called me, a scholar, to take the exam. If I go to see him now, aren't you afraid of being criticized?"

The old butler was stunned, obviously not expecting that Hong Yi would be so calm, and his tone became low.

"The country has its own laws, and the family has its own rules. Young Master Yi is from the Marquis' Mansion, so he can't disobey the master's family rules.

This old servant knows that Young Master Yi has had some adventures and practiced martial arts these days, but these are all castles in the air.

Come with me, do something for the Marquis, and admit your mistake, and he won't do anything to you."

"Um?!"

Although the old steward's words were spoken beautifully, Hong Yi was, after all, a smart man. He understood what he meant as soon as he heard it, and his eyes suddenly became sharp.

"Old butler, you want to use me as a hostage to threaten the ancestor? Hong Xuanji is the current Grand Master, how could he be so despicable?!"

Hong Yi's voice became louder and louder, his anger exploding in his chest like a flame, instantly burning his whole body, but his heart was cold.

He never imagined that Hong Xuanji would be so mean and cruel that he would use his son as bait to murder his own ancestor!

Recalling his days in the Marquis' Mansion, Hong Yi's chest heaved, his face twitched, his muscles tensed, and his eyes were dark green, just like a wild wolf selecting its prey.

The old steward twitched his face, sighed, and advised:

"That demon is entrenched in the East China Sea and is disrupting the government. As the Grand Master, it is your duty to exorcise the demon. Young Master Yi is a member of the Marquis's mansion and a scholar with a good reputation. He must understand the principles of family and country."

Hong Yi laughed loudly, full of sarcasm and ridicule.

"Cholera in the government? Although the man from the East Sea acted recklessly, all the people he targeted were wealthy and powerful families, and he never harmed the common people.

Didn't the imperial court want to take advantage of his power to suppress the aristocratic families, so they let it go until now? Now that the situation has become clear, they want to kill them all. Is it really like the good bows are hidden when the birds are gone?

"Butler Wu, it is true that I, Hong Yi, am a scholar, but the principles I respect are not the moral principles of a family or surname, but the great benevolence and righteousness of the world!"

After saying this, Hong Yi felt extremely happy in his heart, as if he had broken free from some kind of shackles that had been imprisoning his body and spirit for a long time. His mind became lively and bright, and his internal energy flowed more and more violently.

After all, Hong Yi was a scholar who understood the great principles of justice and was also an eloquent speaker. How could Wu, the great butler, argue with him? Upon hearing these words, his expression changed drastically and he shouted:
"Master Yi, you are committing treason!"

This shout was like a thunderous explosion, making people's hair stand on end. It also sent out a surge of hot blood, causing all the paintings and calligraphy in the room, as well as furnishings, to turn red as if they were about to burn.

Although Hong Yi made rapid progress, he was still no match for the Martial Saint. His whole body shook and his eardrums ached.

But he still looked straight at the butler Wu, full of strength and integrity, and had the character of a scholar who was willing to give direct advice to the king even at the cost of his own life.

"That's a good point."

At this moment, a spring thunder suddenly exploded in the sky. The lightning tore through the sky and penetrated into the house through the window, illuminating a majestic figure. It seemed that he had been standing here since the beginning.

Butler Wu was shocked.

Just as he was about to burst out his energy and blood and break through the wall, a hand as big as a palm leaf fan grabbed his head and crushed his crown.

Brain matter mixed with bones and flesh splattered from the gaps between the five fingers. The scene looked extremely tragic and bloody.

Hong Yi also stood there, shocked beyond words.

The man threw the body of Butler Wu to the ground, turned around and looked at Hong Yi, it was Yin Yue.

He had no sense of having killed a martial saint. His expression was calm and he just poked the corpse with his toes and said helplessly:

"I originally thought that I should just take you back to the East China Sea first, so as to avoid any harm to innocent people.

But the leader said, the imperial examination is your lifelong wish, no matter what, I have to wait until you finish the provincial examination first.

Alas, I got into trouble for no reason, but now..."

Yin Yue looked directly into Hong Yi's eyes, smiled slightly, and encouraged:
"No one in Yujing City can stop you from going. Go ahead and take the exam without any worries!"

-

Xishan, secret palace.

When the first spring thunder exploded, Xu Xing had already taken a step forward, carrying the divine stone spirit fetus, and arrived at the top of the West Mountain.

On the sky, lead-gray iron clouds were hovering and lightning was flashing.

The muffled thunder surged like waves and rose and fell like dragons and snakes, and there were bursts of brilliant light all around. It was the thunder and fire that exploded due to the violent collision between the yin and yang energies. The power was so amazing that it was enough to shatter the souls of ghosts, immortals and gods.

For a moment, wherever Xu Xing looked, he saw only lightning, which was boundless and endless. It was the only violent scene he had ever seen in his life.

This thundercloud is not simply the energy of thunder, but contains some kind of incomparably majestic and supreme will, which is the will of the Yangshen world, the heaven, earth and the universe.

Facing the test of the will of heaven and earth, using the power of heaven and earth to temper the soul, and even devouring the will of heaven and earth, is the source of the power of the Thunder Tribulation Ghost Immortal.

This thundercloud also has nine layers. Strictly speaking, the level division of the thunder-tribulation ghost immortal does not refer to how many times the ghost immortal has survived the thunder tribulation, but rather which layer of the thundercloud circle he has reached.

People like the philosophers in the Middle Ages who did not practice Taoism but only sought the truth, when their accumulation reached the limit, they could directly enter the seventh layer of thundercloud circle when they overcame the tribulation for the first time and achieve the realm of the Creator on the spot.

Xu Xing could also feel that in the dark clouds, in the void, and even around Xishan, there were at least a dozen malicious gazes cast towards him.

Each of these gazes represents a powerful being at the level of a ghost immortal or a martial saint. Among them there are even extremely powerful beings who have survived several thunder tribulations, as well as a martial arts master at the human immortal level.

Such a force, if united, would even be enough to repeat the battle that destroyed the Great Zen Temple.

But even so, they did not dare to take the initiative to attack. Instead, they waited for Xu Xing to take the initiative to break into the circle of thunder tribulation, and then they would seize the opportunity to use the power of heaven and earth to kill this extremely powerful and extremely hateful alien.

Facing their gaze, Xu Xing just laughed, took a step forward, and rushed into the thundercloud.

Outside the West Mountain, there is another peak.

A man in a tall hat, wide belt, and wide-sleeved robe stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky, and could not help but sigh:
"Marquis Wu Wen is very good at predicting things. This fellow is hiding in the West Mountain, waiting for the spring thunder. However, he chose to survive the calamity outside Yujing City. Should we say he is confident or arrogant?"

This person's aura is extremely clear and bright, like a bright moon hanging in the sky, reflecting everything, quite like an ancient style.

Hong Xuanji said calmly:

"You are overpraising me, Lord Brahma. Among all the heavens, only the Great Thousand World has the power of thunder. It is reasonable for this fellow to come from the Heaven Beyond Heaven and want to take this opportunity to survive the thunder tribulation."

The man called "Lord Fan" by Hong Xuanji is none other than the patriarch of the Fan family, the number one family in the past thousand years. His name is Fan Yuntao, and he is an extremely powerful man who has survived five thunder tribulations.

Beside him stood three people, dressed the same as him. They were the heads of the Wu, Sun, and Wang families.

Each of these four people has experienced more than four thunder tribulations, and they are holding magic weapons of the Creator level that were refined by their disciples themselves, and their combat power is unparalleled.

Although there are still some hidden secrets that have not been revealed, the fact that the heads of the four major families came together is considered to be enough sincerity for Emperor Qian.

While Hong Xuanji was speaking, he was also looking at the four family heads. He was surprised at the strength of these people from aristocratic families, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart that these old foxes were indeed extremely shrewd.

Emperor Qian wanted to take the opportunity to weaken the power of the aristocratic families, but Fan Yuntao and others took advantage of the situation and openly displayed their carriages and horses and showed their fists, so that Emperor Qian could see clearly and dare not act rashly.

In addition to the four family heads coming in person, they also each brought a group of elders, all of whom were at the level of Thunder Tribulation Ghost Immortal, totaling more than ten people. They were now lying in ambush outside the thundercloud, waiting for that person to pass the tribulation.

However, Fan Yuntao was also somewhat wary of Hong Xuanji, and his eyes kept looking at him. Looking at the bright yellow "Emperor's First Dragon Armor", he felt inexplicably shocked and even a little fortunate.

——Fortunately, Hong Xuanji still has some mental barriers and has not truly cultivated himself into a human immortal. Otherwise, who knows how powerful he would be!
However, the current Daqian Dynasty is indeed flourishing. Emperor Qian is a great ruler throughout the ages. He has Hong Xuanji as his assistant, and he also has magical weapons such as "Emperor's Dragon Armor" and "The Boat of Fortune"...

As Fan Yuntao was thinking, he narrowed his eyes and saw that the man had stepped through the fifth level of thunder tribulation circle and arrived at the sixth level of thunder tribulation area. He was shocked.

Hong Xuanji sighed at the right time:
"What a demon! His accumulation is so great! Could it be that he is really going to ascend to heaven in one step and become a creator right away, comparable to the philosophers of the Middle Ages?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the heads of the four great families changed.

They all knew that the status of the families of various philosophers was based on the legendary images of the various philosophers and saints. It was precisely because the various philosophers had disappeared that they were able to deify them and take the opportunity to share in the glory.

If another powerful person who can be compared with the philosophers appears in the world, the sages of the ancient times will be transformed into human beings again, and the glory of the philosophers' families will fade, and they will no longer be the absolute authority.

Fan Yuntao raised his eyebrows, looked at Hong Xuanji, and said in a deep voice:
"This demon is fierce and stubborn, but Brother Xuanji is so fearless. Do you have any solution?"

Although Hong Xuanji had made some arrangements for Hong Yi, this matter was not very glorious after all. If he told others hastily, it would certainly damage his image as a great scholar of Neo-Confucianism. He just said lightly:
"It all depends on one's own ability. Moreover, there is an insurmountable gap between the sixth and seventh thunder tribulations. What this demon has learned is not orthodox Taoism. It is impossible for him to ascend to heaven in one step!"

The four family heads also nodded and suppressed their surprise and suspicion.

But at this moment, a burst of intense light suddenly erupted in the circle of thunder.

Everyone could clearly see that a round stone was bathing in the essence of thunder and lightning and was shaking continuously, as if some great creature was about to break out of its shell and come into the world.

Fan Yuntao's expression changed and he shouted:
"This is the divine stone spirit fetus. He wants to use the power of thunder to hatch the divine stone spirit fetus. Act quickly!"

In fact, there was no need for Fan Yuntao to give any orders. The dozen or so thunder ghost immortals surrounding the thundercloud had already felt the powerful energy, and they all launched their formations, mobilizing all kinds of Taoist magic methods, and attacked together.

The unique skills of the various families were all created by the philosophers in the Middle Ages. They are not much different from the Yang God inheritance. Now that they are all launched together, the power is simply earth-shaking.

The ghost immortal's thoughts condensed into the Brahma's treasure wheel, or turned into the ghost god's long whip, or turned into a bronze chariot, or condensed into a gorgeous fire phoenix, all kinds of images, and rushed into the thunderclouds.

In this earth-shaking scene, a figure in green clothes was seen sitting cross-legged on the spiritual body. With a flick of his sleeves, it was like sweeping away dust, and all the Taoist techniques and the thoughts contained in them were shattered.

He raised his head, looked around, and said regretfully:

"People like you are qualified to discuss the Dao with me?!"

When the last two words were uttered, the sound was so loud that it even suppressed the thunder in the sky. The spirit fetus was like the heart of a god, beating violently, and spreading out a masculine energy and blood that was even more masculine than the glow of the sun.

The dozen or so ghost immortals didn't even have time to let out a scream before the blood and fist power contained in the voice shook their souls apart. Their bodies fell to the ground and turned into a pool of mud, deader than dead! (End of this chapter)