The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 280 Going to War
Under the light of the sheepskin lanterns, the two-story, eight-door wooden and stone round building resembled a huge, ancient beast, lying prone in the night.

This building not only occupies a vast area, but its design is also quite ingenious. It has eight towering gates on all sides, and behind each gate is a grand hall, whose depth and distance are unknown, with faint light emanating from within.

The exterior of the building was pitch black, with spider-like moss growing in the cracks between the wood and stone. The window frames were carved with deformed cloud and thunder patterns, and the areas that would normally be covered with paper were tightly covered with animal hides. The hides were covered with a dense array of bronze bells that jingled without wind, producing a soft, teeth-like sound.

Eight-cornered eaves radiate outwards from the building, and the monster sculptures on the roof ridge are all eyeless, with only empty eye sockets remaining. The ceremonial bells hanging from the eaves are broken in two, with dried gray-white eagle feathers stuck in the crack.

On either side of the eight wooden doors at the bottom floor are totem stone pillars, and the lintels are inlaid with human face reliefs. The eight faces have different expressions, but they all stare with turbid glass eyes. Dark red wax-like solids hang from the cracks at the corners of their eyes. The eight pairs of eyes look in different directions, and under the light of the scarlet lanterns, they all have the same gray and deathly aura.

Zhao Ti frowned and remained silent after looking at it for a moment. Zhou Tong said in a low voice, "Young master, I previously consulted books about shamanism. This should be the most sacred place for shamans, called the Tower of Sacrifices to the Gods."

Zhao Ti nodded. He knew about this sacrificial tower. It was described in the shamanic records of the Song Dynasty palace. It was said that it housed 18,000 deities, large and small, covering almost everything in the world.

“Young master, the windows here are closed, and the entrance to the palace is too conspicuous. We don’t know if there are any cultists guarding inside. If you want to enter without alerting anyone, it would be best to enter from the rooftop,” Zhou Tong added.

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes upon hearing this: "Tonight is just a reconnaissance mission; we mustn't alert them."

At this moment, a patrol of shamans passed by, bowed to the temple gate, made strange gestures, and then continued on their way elsewhere.

Zhou Tong said, "I think it would be better for you to wait here, young master, while I scout ahead from above."

Zhao Ti said, "No need, let's go up to the rooftop together and talk about it."

After he finished speaking, his body floated towards the round building like a cloud of green mist, and Zhou Tong hurriedly followed.

Zhao Ti arrived in front of a palace gate and faintly heard breathing sounds coming from inside. He frowned slightly and immediately flew upwards.

A moment later, the two were on the top of the round building. They noticed that this building was different from ordinary buildings, as it was decorated with a painting of mountains, seas, and myriad beasts.

In the center of the pattern, in the shape of the Big Dipper, there are seven skylights, but these windows are closed at the moment, with light shining through the gaps.

Seeing this, Zhao Ti looked at Zhou Tong, who took out a bamboo-like object from his body, gently pulled it out, and it became five feet long. Then, he silently stretched it into the crevice.

Then there was no further movement. The skylight opened about three inches, and the smell of rotten wood mixed with incense ash immediately rushed out.

Zhou Tong leaned closer and peered inside for a few moments, then turned and nodded to Zhao Ti. Zhao Ti approached and looked inside, where a huge bronze octagonal lamp was burning. The lamp was covered with a solidified black and red paste, and the lamp cord was strung with dried bones, whether human or animal, each bone wrapped with faded yellow paper talismans, mottled and eerie.

Within sight, one could vaguely see a distorted statue, though it was not human-shaped. Countless arms grew from its bloated body, each hand holding a different object: a leather drum, a short staff, a mask, a bone flute, and a bell.

The statue has closed eyes but no other face; it is a flat piece. The area where the mouth and nose should be is smooth as a wall, and it floats with a very pale brownish-yellow color in the lamplight. The body has neither male nor female characteristics, and it has no legs, as if it is sunk into the earth. It is carved with mountains and rivers, as well as tree root-like patterns.

Countless tiny figures are climbing upwards along the tree roots. Their faces are painted blank except for their eyes, which are bright red dots. Their bodies have charred marks, as if they have been burned, and are covered with scales, making them very strange.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Ti pondered for a moment, wondering if this could be the earth deity of shamanism.

At this moment, what can be seen are several wooden puppets hanging in front of the statue, all with closed eyes and no faces, their bodies engraved with crooked, blood-red runes, strange and twisted, whose meaning is unknown.

Zhou Tong looked at Zhao Ti and whispered, "Young master, shall we go down and take a closer look?"

Just then, faint footsteps came from inside the building in the distance. Zhao Ti shook his head slightly and then signaled Zhou Tong to close the skylight.

Then the two listened intently, and there was a constant rustling sound, as if someone had come to offer incense and pray. The words were obscure, but they could vaguely make out that the statue below was indeed the god of the earth.

After a while, when there was no more noise, Zhao Ti glanced at the eastern night sky. Midnight had passed and dawn was approaching. He made a gesture, and then the two of them went down from the round building, stepping in the shadows, and headed straight out of the Vatican.

After a while, as dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, the two met up with Xiao Feng and Wu Changfeng five miles south of the Vatican.

Seeing the two men's surprised expressions, Zhao Ti asked, "What have you discovered?"

Xiao Feng said, "Your Highness, we originally intended to visit more places, but we discovered something strange inside a shrine, so we stayed there for a long time before leaving and didn't have time to go anywhere else."

"What strange thing is going on?" Zhao Ti asked.

Xiao Feng smiled wryly and said, "There were actually people guarding that shrine, but for some reason, the wooden door was ajar. When we saw the scene inside, there was a huge statue of a fox god, and the guardian was dozing off in front of it. That's when we went in."

"The image of the Fox God?" Zhao Ti looked at Xiao Feng.

“It is indeed the Fox God.” Xiao Feng nodded: “And it is a nine-tailed fox god statue.”

"The Nine-Tailed Fox God?" Zhao Ti stroked his chin.

“Your Highness, shamans call this the Fox Spirit,” Zhou Tong said. “It is the kind of deity that shamans most often invoke to possess them.”

"A fox spirit?" Zhao Ti's face showed a strange expression. "What strange thing have you discovered?"

Xiao Feng said, "The two of us quietly entered the shrine to investigate, and found that the statue seemed to move."

"Can the statue move?" Zhao Ti squinted.

“That’s right,” Xiao Feng said. “Not only does it move, but it also seems to breathe. The incense smoke flows towards the face, mouth, and nose of the statue, but the statue is just a sculpture. The incense smoke disappears as soon as it reaches the statue. It’s very strange.”

Zhao Ti raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you see anything wrong?"

Xiao Feng shook his head: "The two of us compared our observations and we were certainly not mistaken, but we cannot guarantee that it is true. It is also possible that the scent of incense and candles has a hallucinogenic effect. We did not realize it at the time, so we lingered to watch and the more we watched, the stranger it seemed."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Shamanism has existed for a long time, much longer than other religions, so it's impossible to say that there aren't some strange aspects to it."

Xiao Feng said, "But it's just a clay and wood carving, so this scene is just too astonishing."

Zhao Ti nodded: "Go back and rest first. After you've finished your martial arts business, come over again and take a closer look. We'll destroy all those fox spirits, snake spirits, strange powers, and supernatural beings."

Xiao Feng agreed, and then returned to his residence. The four of them did not get up until the morning. After eating and drinking, they planned to go to the meeting.

Before leaving, Zhao Ti thought for a moment, took out a disguise powder, and painted Zhou Tong to look like a burly man with a black face, while he himself disguised himself with a sallow face.

Seeing this, Wu Changfeng hurriedly said, "Your Highness, should I change my appearance?"

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Elder Wu, there's no need for that. I have acquaintances in Liao, and I also know people in the Shamanism sect, so I'm just being cautious."

Wu Changfeng nodded: "I see. Then this humble commoner doesn't need to disguise himself."

Then they set off, heading straight for three miles west of Khatun City, the place where Xiao Feng and the shaman priest had agreed to fight.

We arrived shortly afterward and were greeted by beautiful scenery. There was a small hill with a babbling brook flowing at its foot, and herdsmen tending their horses and sheep along the riverbank.

Xiao Feng said, "The time is a little off, please wait for Your Majesty."

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "It's alright, we have nothing else to do anyway, so let's just wait." He then walked to a large blue stone and sat down on it.

After a short while, a group of people, about twenty or thirty in number, came from the northeast. Most of them were wearing the colorful striped robes characteristic of shamanism.

Following them were a number of herdsmen and civilians, as well as people dressed in martial arts attire, who seemed to know about the martial arts competition and had come to watch the excitement.

Xiao Feng whispered, "Young Master, the people have arrived. The old man in blue at the head of the procession is Li Cangxuan, the head of the Seven Priests of the Shamanism."

“Li Cangxuan?” Zhao Ti nodded, looked ahead carefully, and his expression froze. The old man in blue robes in front of him was very dashing, with a three-foot-long black beard without a single gray hair, a face as smooth as jade, and not a single wrinkle. He seemed to be quite old, but he had a spirited and elegant demeanor.

"Wu Yazi..." Zhao Ti murmured. This old man in green robes actually looked exactly like Wu Yazi.

Not only are their appearances almost identical, but their temperaments are also exactly the same.

Wu Yazi inherited the elegant and refined temperament of Xiaoyaozi, who possessed a very free and easy demeanor, strolling leisurely and acting with ease, yet also being unrestrained and unconventional.

But Wu Yazi has been dead for several years, so this person in front of us must not be him. So who is he?

Zhao Ti couldn't help but ponder. Could he be Wu Yazi's twin brother? Otherwise, how could they look so alike?
But isn't Wu Yazi's twin brother also Xiaoyaozi's son...?

Why were Xiaoyaozi's sons both involved in shamanism in the Liao Kingdom, while the other went to Misty Peak in the Tianshan Mountains?

There's a story behind this. Zhao Ti stroked his chin. Xiaoyaozi must have come to the Liao Kingdom back then. It's very likely that something happened here that left behind offspring, and he also passed down the Mountain Character Scripture Divine Skill.

However, the reason why the two sons eventually separated, and why Wu Yazi followed him while Li Cangxuan was in this place, is something that cannot be speculated on for the time being.

At that moment, a group of people approached from a distance. Zhao Ti glanced at Li Cangxuan's side, expressionless, and then immediately looked away.

Beside Li Cangxuan stood a stunningly beautiful young woman dressed in palace attire. She had a slender figure, exquisite features, and was curiously looking in their direction.

Yuan Xiaoxian, it was actually Yuan Xiaoxian! Zhao Ti touched his nose, his eyes darting around, and looked at the people who had followed behind him.

Aside from the shamans, several people among the common people and herders stood out, especially a man dressed in Jurchen clothing who was tall and imposing, with an air of eagle-like cunning and wolf-like arrogance.

Beside this man were several people dressed in Jurchen hairstyles. Jurchen hairstyles are very different from Khitan hairstyles and can be easily distinguished at a glance.

These men also seemed different from the herders. They carried bows and arrows on their backs, had bright eyes, walked with a very stable stance, and breathed slowly, clearly indicating that they had internal strength.

Xiao Feng stood in front, his hands behind his back, looking at Li Cangxuan. Li Cangxuan stopped three zhang away and laughed loudly, "Xiao Feng, the great hero, you have indeed kept your promise and have not let me down today."

Xiao Feng nodded: "Priest Li, I always keep my word and am not a person who goes back on his word."

Li Cangxuan chuckled twice more: "Hero Xiao has kept his promise to travel a thousand miles to meet you, which is commendable, but I'm afraid he will be defeated this time."

Xiao Feng also smiled slightly: "I'm afraid I'll disappoint Priest Li. My martial arts have improved greatly over the past year, and it's impossible for Priest Li to fight me to a draw again."

Li Cangxuan said, "Master Xiao's words are just empty talk. In fact, they are no different from a fool's dream and are nothing more than self-comfort."

Zhao Ti then looked at Li Cangxuan again. Although this man looked almost exactly like Wu Yazi and had the same temperament, judging from his tone of voice, his personality was quite different from Wu Yazi's.

Wu Yazi was leisurely by nature, and was generally arrogant, reserved, aloof, indifferent, sentimental, and detached from human relationships.

Xiao Feng had previously described Li Cangxuan as having a fiery temper, and upon hearing his words, he appeared extremely arrogant and haughty. Given that he was nearly a hundred years old and still acted this way, it was clear that he must have been domineering, arrogant, and unruly in his youth.

Xiao Feng said, "There's no point in saying more. Now that Priest Li is here, let's get started. I have other matters to attend to after the competition."

Upon hearing this, Li Cangxuan showed displeasure, snorted, and turned to look at Yuan Xiaoxian, his expression turning amiable: "Junior Sister, take the others to watch. After I defeat this person, I will return to the sect to celebrate."

Yuan Xiaoxian nodded and said, "So this person is the martial arts expert that Senior Brother mentioned."

Li Cangxuan said, "That's right. I fought him several times last year and should have won, but I had a little mishap during my training and we ended up fighting to a draw."

Yuan Xiaoxian's gaze swept past Xiao Feng and landed on Zhao Ti: "Senior Brother Li, who are those people behind him?"

Li Cangxuan frowned: "Last time he came here alone, those others... were they his friends?"

He looked arrogant and, without asking Xiao Feng, said with his hands behind his back.

Yuan Xiaoxian looked at Zhao Ti and smiled sweetly: "He seems somewhat familiar."

Zhao Ti pretended not to see or hear anything, and took out a jade pendant from his body and gently rubbed it.

Xiao Feng then asked, "Priest Li, are you not ready yet?"

Li Cangxuan said, "Since Hero Xiao is in such a hurry, let's begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his aura changed instantly, his robes billowed with energy, making a "whooshing" sound, and the people behind him immediately retreated to the sides.

Zhao Ti raised his head, glanced at the other party, and then shifted his gaze to the several burly men dressed in Jurchen attire.

The burly men also retreated to a distance, and the leader, with a hawk-like and wolf-like gaze, revealed a serious expression as he stared at the scene.

Xiao Feng's face was solemn. He put a little pressure on his feet, and the surrounding weeds all fell down.

Li Cangxuan snorted coldly and moved swiftly. Xiao Feng also let out a long roar, and the two collided in an instant.

With a loud "boom," the two figures separated after a brief clash, their strength evenly matched.

But then the two charged forward again, their figures shifting and darting about, and instantly clashed in battle.

Zhao Ti squinted and looked over. Xiao Feng didn't use any other martial arts at all. He directly used the Twenty-Eight Subduing Dragon Palms. With the movement of his palms, the world seemed to change color.

His figure was incredibly powerful, and every palm strike he made stirred up a hurricane-like air wave. Wherever his palm shadow passed, it seemed as if the air itself was shaken and turned into mist.

Li Cangxuan used a special technique, the shamanic art of the Eighteen Divine Strikes. This martial art is not limited to fists and palms; every part of the body can be attacked. As his body swayed, the space in front of him became somewhat distorted.

The two moved with lightning speed. Qiao Feng's palm strike suddenly changed, and the Dragon Battle in the Wilds exploded with a roar. Within the palm wind, the phantom of a giant dragon seemed to appear, and its roar brought with it a sharp sound that tore through the air, actually tearing a crack in the opponent's energy.

Upon seeing this, Li Cangxuan's expression changed slightly. Suddenly, a green light flashed on his forehead, and behind him, it was as if a green mountain had descended, emitting a huge roar. His aura became extremely powerful, and every step he took felt like Mount Tai pressing down on him. Every movement was extremely heavy, but his speed did not decrease.

The Mountain Scripture? Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows. He had never seen the Mountain Scripture in action, only once when Yelü Yanxi had briefly revealed its power. But it was just a fleeting glimpse. Now he couldn't help but guess that Li Cangxuan was using this scripture.

At this moment, Qiao Feng let out a long roar and unleashed the Dragon's Regret, Hidden Dragon, Emerging Dragon in the Field, and Flying Dragon in the Sky. The shockwaves blurred and transformed into dragon heads, surging forward and even causing the opponent's mountain-like protective aura to tremble.

Li Cangxuan was so shocked that his blood and qi churned. He let out a loud cry, his face flashed with green light, and the green mountains behind him faintly turned a deep green color. His internal energy burst out like a meteorite falling from the sky, extremely heavy. Then, he used the Eighteen Divine Strikes once again.

These eighteen strikes are different from the Twenty-Eight Subduing Dragon Palms. Although the Twenty-Eight Subduing Dragon Palms are called twenty-eight moves, they do not actually win by using moves. Instead, they rely on palm power. By using different palm techniques, they can generate stronger internal energy to injure the enemy.

The Eighteen Strikes are purely unorthodox techniques that can be used from any part of the body, not limited to fists, palms, legs, or feet, nor to any weapon. The moves are constantly changing, and each strike contains several follow-up moves, so there is no fixed method.

As the two fought fiercely, Qiao Feng's Dragon Subduing Palm was as powerful as a tidal wave, each strike seemingly capable of disrupting the order of heaven and earth. Although Shen Fang's Eighteen Strikes were exquisite, they gradually became sluggish in the face of this extremely powerful and fierce force. Wild grass and dust flew everywhere, and the two figures clashed like gods and demons, their palm winds and energy colliding endlessly, the sounds reverberating for a long time.

After countless moves, the two had exchanged positions countless times and gradually arrived at the large blue stone where Zhao Ti was sitting.

At this moment, Li Cangxuan leaned towards this side, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the blue stone was in the way. However, the idea of ​​using the stone for his own purposes quickly arose in his mind, and he couldn't help but shout coldly: "Get out of the way at once, do you want to die!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti frowned and his face darkened.

(End of this chapter)