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

Chapter 375 Night Assassination
Three days later, dark clouds obscured the moon, and midnight was approaching.

Zhao Ti had just finished practicing his martial arts and was walking to the front of the tent to turn off the lights when he suddenly stopped and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

At this moment, it was quiet outside the tent, with only the gentle breeze rustling through the air. All was silent, and the world was still.

He sat down behind the desk and gently closed his eyes.

The shadows on the four walls of the large tent flickered with the candlelight, suggesting the presence of someone who remained motionless and whose presence was unclear.

At that moment, a bulge the size of half an egg suddenly rose from a spot on the carpet on the ground, and then the bulge abruptly broke open, revealing a gray head.

It had a rat's head, round eyes, long whiskers, and a shifty gaze, almost like a human's expression, as it furtively surveyed everything in the tent.

Zhao Ti remained motionless with his eyes closed. The rat-headed creature's gaze fell upon him, revealing a ferocious expression, but instead of leaping out of the ground, it slowly retreated and left silently.

Zhao Ti leaned back in his chair, seemingly in a drowsy state. The candlelight flickered, and the large tent was dimly lit, as if it were another world.

After an unknown amount of time, the rat's head reappeared from the ground, and it nimbly leaped off the ground, its body several times larger than that of an ordinary rat.

It made no sound and did not walk toward Zhao Ti, but instead slipped into the shadows beside the tent.

Just as it stepped into the shadows, before it was fully inside, a rough, large hand suddenly reached out from inside, grabbed its neck tightly, and then threw it into a pouch.

Zhao Ti still didn't open his eyes. Several figures flashed in the shadows and left the tent, disappearing without a trace.

At this moment, insects, rats, and colorful snakes and worms began to emerge from the black hole on the ground one after another. They were all silent and did not attack Zhao Ti. Instead, they crawled into the shadows, but all of them were captured and caught by the person in the shadows.

A moment later, a wisp of smoke-like mist drifted out of the cave entrance and formed a human shape. It was gray and miserable, with swirling mist around it, distorted facial features, white fangs showing through its cracks, and ink flowing from its eye sockets. Its features looked as if they had been crushed, presenting a hideous and ghostly appearance.

Unlike the snakes and insects that came out, this thing rushed straight at Zhao Ti without hesitation.

Zhao Ti still didn't open his eyes, but then he saw a person suddenly appear behind him and punch the misty ghost.

The ghostly form was not a physical entity, but rather drifted and ethereal. When it was struck by the punch, parts of it disintegrated, but it did not completely disappear. It instantly reformed, its face becoming even more ferocious, its two empty eyes resembling whirlpools, and it continued to lunge forward.

At this moment, wisps of blue smoke occasionally emerged from the holes in the leather blanket, then transformed into these ghostly forms. After briefly discerning the scene inside the tent, they all pounced on Zhao Ti.

The person behind Zhao Ti threw punches like lightning, causing the ghost spirits to dissipate continuously. However, there were simply too many ghost spirits to completely destroy them, and they were about to pounce on Zhao Ti.

He roared, "Why aren't you all making a move? What are you waiting for?!"

However, it was Cai Jing's voice. As soon as he finished speaking, several figures rushed out from all around. They were people from the Lecture Hall and the Martial Arts Hall, and they began to attack the ghost spirit with all their might.

Suddenly, the hole in the ground expanded and grew larger, followed by a loud "boom," which lifted the opening of the vat, revealing colorful smoke billowing inside, and countless insects, snakes, and ferocious beasts rushing out.

The smoke shifted with the wind, transforming into countless ghostly spirits, each with a ferocious and menacing appearance, accompanied by gusts of eerie wind, making the entire tent seem like a scene from hell.

Zhao Ti remained with his eyes closed, enveloped in a pale blue aura—the protective power of the Great Freedom Magic. His thoughts, carried by the magic, sank into the ground, extending along the direction of the cave, winding and meandering, probing outwards from the camp…

Three miles west of the Song army camp, in a secluded spot, two people were sitting cross-legged, performing a spell.

This was a small hollow in the hills, with a few clumps of trees providing cover. In front of the two people was a round, black, spherical object that was constantly rotating around a hole.

Both of them closed their eyes and chanted incantations, channeling their magical power into the cave entrance.

Inside the cave, wolves howled and ghosts howled, and strange and bizarre things sprang up, rushing deeper into the cave.

The man casting the spell suddenly frowned, his bushy eyebrows furrowing: "Does this brat Zhao Ti have so many experts around him?"

The woman casting the spell ignored him, her already pale face growing even more ashen, and her expression becoming incredibly strange.

The two were Bu Shu and Xiao Li. Yelü Yan and the generals of Zhuozhou discussed for several days and came up with this plan: to dig a hole and enter the Song camp to assassinate them.

The fences of the Song Dynasty's military camps were decorated with talismans, making it difficult for ghosts and spirits to enter. Once they got close, they would be blocked and discovered by the Song army. However, underground, they were not subject to such restrictions and could move freely.

The two carried a ritual implement from shamanism called "Che Diqiu" (彻地球), which could loosen the soil and reach deep underground for digging wells and water, but it was difficult to navigate around bends.

The divination technique then summoned numerous insects, snakes, hedgehogs, and other burrowing creatures, guiding the earth's power towards the Song camp. After clearing the way, it sent several gray rats to investigate Zhao Ti's location.

The central command tent was different from the other large tents and was easier to find. It didn't take long to enter the tent. Then Gray Rat returned to report, and the two immediately used magic to assassinate him.

"We can't wait any longer!" Bu Shu said angrily. "That brat Zhao Ti has too many experts around him. Since it's an assassination, we can't delay any longer. If we drag it out any longer, all our efforts will be in vain. Why don't you come with me to the Song camp and do it ourselves?"

Xiao Li said coldly, "Wait for the general's signal. If the Song army doesn't pay attention to us, we must not act rashly, lest we be ambushed and lose our lives for nothing."

"Why be so cautious? If we continue to delay, even if the enemy didn't initially have an ambush, they will gather more men, and we'll have no chance left..."

Before Bu Shu could finish speaking, flames suddenly lit up in the direction of Zhuozhou City in the distance, followed by shouts of battle that filled the sky, indicating that they were rushing towards the Song Dynasty's camp.

"With the general's cooperation, we can proceed," Xiao Li said calmly.

Previously, Duanmu Yan had set a plan: the two of them would use magic to infiltrate the Song camp. If they couldn't succeed immediately, he would send troops to cooperate, making a show of force and pretending to attack the camp, while the two of them sneaked in to assassinate.

If Zhao Ti could be killed, everyone would be happy. If not, there was a thoroughfare that allowed them to return directly without losing their lives in the Song army camp, making it a foolproof plan.

Before Xiao Li could finish speaking, she saw Bu Shu already sink into the cave ahead. She stopped talking and jumped in after him.

Although the two possessed magical powers and spells, they lacked the supernatural abilities of the Five Elements Escape Technique, such as Earth Escape. They simply relied on the power of the Earth to travel rapidly underground.

Initially, the underground passage was just a wide one, but once you entered the area beneath the Song army camp, it became a maze of interconnected paths with many forks.

Following the direction the gray rat had scouted, Bu Shu hurried forward and reached an exit in just a few breaths. Inside the cave, he could sense a fierce battle raging above. The insects, snakes, beasts, and ghostly creatures summoned by the two men's magic emitted terrifying sounds, and the air was turbulent, indicating the most intense fighting was taking place.

The divination master muttered a few words and summoned many more rats and insects. Then he leaped out of the cave. Xiao Li suddenly frowned, as if he had thought of something. He was about to stop him, but it was too late. The divination master had already disappeared.

Xiao Li couldn't help but gasp. She had just thought of something that no one had mentioned in the previous discussion of the plan. Now that she thought of it, she couldn't help but feel that the plan had some flaws and might not be able to succeed.

Given the prince's status, even if he were skilled in archery and horsemanship, wouldn't his first instinct be to retreat and avoid such an assassination attempt?
If the attack by the ghostly beast hadn't killed the opponent outright, the opponent certainly wouldn't have stayed in the tent to fight it personally; they would have run out of the command tent and hidden in a safe place long ago.

If Zhao Ti had been well protected by powerful guards who could have blocked the attacks of the ghostly beasts, he might not be up there anymore.

Xiao Li hesitated at this thought, but just then, a loud roar came from the ground: "Why aren't you coming out to help, you woman? What are you doing hiding underground? That brat is in the tent right now!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li immediately stiffened, realizing that he had almost made a mistake by overthinking. He quickly moved and left the cave.

At this moment, the battle inside the command tent was already in full swing. Behind a large table in front of them sat a very young man, wearing a golden crown and silver robes, with a cloak adorned with floral patterns. His eyes were slightly closed, and his face was expressionless.

The diviner was charging towards the desk with the ghostly beasts, but was stopped by a dozen people. Some of these people used yellow talismans, some used magic, and some used pure force to protect the young man behind the desk.

"Damn it, you woman, you're out so late, why aren't you helping? It'll be too late by the time the soldiers outside realize what's happening!" Bu Shu shouted angrily.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li had no time to think about anything else. She cultivated the Yin Spirit Method, and with a gentle stretch of her arms, a huge ghostly figure appeared in front of her.

This ghost was ten feet tall, vaguely resembling a woman, with long hair falling to her feet, and her hands outstretched, with fingernails a foot long and sharp as swords.

Its body was surrounded by bluish-white smoke, and its appearance was distorted and changed. Sometimes it was the image of a woman, but its eyes bulged out and were completely white with no black. Its tongue hung down in front of its chest and swayed strangely. At other times, its face disappeared completely, becoming like a blank slate, like a faceless ghost.

The ghost let out a whimpering sound and lunged at the table.

Upon seeing this, Bu Shu let out a beastly roar, and his hands transformed into the shape of beast claws, resembling both a tiger and a leopard. He opened his mouth and exhaled a mouthful of earthy yellow smoke, which vaguely coalesced into the shape of a leopard, baring its fangs and claws as it charged straight at Zhao Ti in front of him.

Just then, a burly, tall figure flashed out from the side, moving with astonishing speed, appearing like a mountain blocking the table.

The towering ghost spirit and the vaporized yellow leopard charged forward together. The people in the lecture hall threw out talismans, but they were all blocked by the divination master behind them who waved his claws and raised a cloud of yellow sand.

Ghost Spirit and Yellow Leopard roared and charged toward the tall figure. The tall figure let out a long howl, then raised his fists and slammed them straight forward.

At this moment, the candlelight inside the tent was completely obscured by these two fists. These fists seemed to contain countless stars, dazzlingly bright, yet carrying a deathly intent, as if the punches were aimed at death, with no possibility of life or death. The two fists opened the gates of death, the path to death.

"Great Zhou Heaven... Big Dipper Divine Fist!" A tall figure suddenly spoke, his voice booming like thunder; it was Murong Longcheng.

The South Dipper governs life, and the North Dipper governs death.

The Fist of the North Star was Murong Longcheng's trump card, but he had previously been defeated by Zhao Ti on the walls of Tokyo and captured alive.

However, after he fell asleep in the military prison, his martial arts improved again when he woke up, and he actually comprehended a higher level of the Great Zhou Tian Bei Dou Shen Quan (Great Zhou Heavenly Northern Dipper Divine Fist).

His two most powerful martial arts techniques at this moment are the Great Zhou Tian Star Shift and the Great Zhou Tian Big Dipper Divine Fist.

Although both are martial arts, their power surpasses his current Taoist techniques.

Although his Taoist magic has reached the foundation stage, it is far less powerful than his martial arts. If he were to encounter an opponent using special spells, his martial arts might not be able to break through them. However, he can use his martial arts to sweep away what is happening now.

Fist of the North Star: One punch opens the path between life and death, two punches pierce the path to the underworld.

Two magnificent beams of light emanated from the fists, a rare fist wind that swept away everything in its path, melting ice and snow. One beam directly shattered the ghost spirit, scattering it into countless tiny fragments without even a scream.

Another gust of wind shattered the vaporized yellow leopard, but it didn't stop, heading straight for the divination master behind it.

Seeing this, Bu Shu was terrified. He swiftly reached forward with his two beast claws, and yellow sand appeared, but it was no match for the wind of the Hokuto Shinken. The wind of the fist struck him directly in the chest, like a dazzling path of light.

It was as if he had been dissolved by some great power. In an instant, a round hole appeared in Bu Shu's chest, through which one could see behind him, but not a drop of blood flowed out. It seemed that all the blood had been evaporated and dried up in an instant by the internal force of the North Star Fist.

His eyes were wide open, his mouth moved but no sound came out, and he fell backward to the ground with a thud.

At this moment, Xiao Li, who had been looking pale and indifferent, suddenly panicked. He slipped and retreated several feet away, then jumped directly into the hole he had come from.

Upon seeing this, Murong Longcheng frowned, his white eyebrows furrowing, and took a step to follow into the cave to catch up.

Zhao Ti suddenly opened his eyes, snorted coldly, and then raised one leg from under the table before stomping it down heavily.

Visible pale blue ripples appeared from the soles of his feet and then spread rapidly outwards, disappearing outside the tent in the blink of an eye.

Just then, a violent rumbling sound came from underground, as if the earth was collapsing, the sky was falling, and the earth dragon was turning over, the sound was truly astonishing.

The cowhide tent cover and wooden tent frame of the large tent were shaken by the power transmitted from the ground and turned into dust, which then scattered into the void.

The surrounding view immediately opened up, and without the obstruction of the tents, everyone was exposed under the night sky and could see the various parts of the camp.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion came from afar, accompanied by a woman's scream. A cloud of dust erupted from the ground, resembling a giant mushroom, and shot into the air. Within the dust, a person could be vaguely seen.

"Your Highness's divine skills are unparalleled, and your magic is astonishing. This humble official is in awe..." Cai Jing stared blankly into the distance.

"Go check if he's dead," Zhao Ti said calmly.

"Yes, yes!" Cai Jing hurriedly called his men and ran towards the place where the loud noise had occurred.

Zhao Ti then looked towards the outside of the camp, where the troops from Zhuozhou City were blowing horns and waving torches, preparing to attack the camp.

(End of this chapter)