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

Chapter 401 A Shocking Turn of Events in the Secret
"I'm back!" Zhao Ti let out a soft breath.

The morning light filtering in from outside could be faintly seen inside the tent; it was already daylight.

He slowly finished his practice, but his heart was filled with turbulent emotions.

Demon-summoning banner!
Unexpectedly, in another world, the thing the crow asked him to help obtain was actually a demon-summoning banner!
This is Nuwa's most precious treasure, stored in the golden gourd in her palace. This object is extremely powerful and can summon all the demons in the world.

On the day King Zhou offered incense at Nuwa Palace, he coveted the beauty of the statue of Goddess Nuwa and wrote an obscene poem on the white wall, which angered Nuwa.

Nuwa originally intended to punish King Zhou directly, but because she calculated that King Zhou still had twenty-eight years of good fortune, she decided not to act rashly. Instead, she summoned Caiyun Tong'er to retrieve the golden gourd containing the demon-summoning banner.

She instructed the boy to place the gourd under the steps and remove the lid. Then, she cast a spell with her fingers, and a white light appeared in the gourd. It was as big as a thread and more than four or five zhang high. Above the white light, a spirit banner was suspended. Its light was divided into five colors and reflected thousands of auspicious rays. This was the Demon Banner.

Before long, the demon-summoning banner appeared, a mournful wind howled, a somber fog blanketed the area, and dark clouds gathered. After several gusts of wind, all the demons in the world came to the palace to await the imperial decree.

Nuwa selected three demons from Xuanyuan Tomb from among the demons: a thousand-year-old fox spirit, a nine-headed pheasant spirit, and a jade pipa spirit. She ordered them to conceal their demonic forms, take refuge in the palace, and bewitch the king's heart. They were to assist King Wu in his conquest of Zhou, but were not to harm any living beings.

However, some demons disobeyed the orders at that time, as they were disciples of the Jie Sect.

Although most of the disciples of the Jie Sect were of demon race origin, they considered themselves to be disciples of the Tongtian Orthodox Sect. They were ashamed of their furry and horned, wet and egg-born origins, and considered themselves to be on the path of immortals. They were not influenced by Nuwa or the Demon-Summoning Banner.

In other words, the magical power of the Demon-Summoning Banner is for demons who have not yet entered the path of immortality and are still regarded as monsters.

But this is understandable. After all, once you embark on the path of immortality, you can no longer be called a demon. The Demon-Summoning Banner summons demons and monsters, and can summon all the demons in the world at will. It has powerful functions and amazing divine power.

Zhao Ti's expression was complicated; he never expected it to be this magical artifact.

But why is this magical artifact, one of Nuwa's most treasured possessions, so broken and damaged?
Zhao Ti recalled the image of this object he had seen in another world: the golden gourd was dilapidated and shabby, its surface pitted and uneven, the white mist it emitted was thin and pale, barely able to focus the light into a line, and it was only a few feet tall.

The demon-summoning banner it was carrying was several times smaller than the one described in the Investiture of the Gods, and it was tattered and broken, like a broken flag that had survived a great battle, ravaged by swords and arrows, burned by the flames of war, and stood in the setting sun with a thousand holes.

What could possibly have caused this incredibly powerful magical artifact to become like this?
Why did this magical artifact end up in that world? And where did its owner, the goddess Nuwa, go?
Zhao Ti fell into deep thought. The Three Pure Ones had been reincarnated, but most of the immortals had disappeared without a trace. Now, even Nuwa's magical artifacts were scattered and in such a damaged state that she must have encountered some kind of accident.

But what exactly happened to these deities that caused this phenomenon? It's a mystery that leaves people completely baffled.

And what is the relationship between that world of inner demons and this world? I originally thought they weren't closely related, but now it seems a bit off.

Not only did Nuwa's treasure appear in that world, but the Buddha statue enshrined on the first floor of the Flying Pagoda was clearly the Western Daoist Zhunti. Except for a change in hairstyle, everything else was exactly the same as described in the Investiture of the Gods. The small tree he was holding was the Seven Treasures Tree.

But the crow said that this image resembled the ancient Buddha who was buried among the founders of Buddhism. It was clearly Cundi, so why was it called the Buddha who was buried? It seems that something unspeakable must have happened to Cundi.

The most important thing is that world. Where exactly is that world? Is it in the vast starry sky, not far from here, or is it right beside us, a place parallel to this world?
But something seems off. If that life was the real world, why did time hardly change each time I went there?

What exactly happened remains shrouded in mystery, leaving people puzzled, as if an invisible hand is covering the sky, obscuring the truth behind it all.

Zhao Ti pondered for a long time. The morning light inside the tent grew even brighter. Just as he was about to get up, his internal Yin Qi suddenly stirred.

This true energy would pull him back each time he advanced in his Daoist cultivation and entered the Tribulation Realm, and then directly upgrade him.

This time was no exception. The true energy simply leaped upwards from the seventh floor of the twelfth floor and entered the Vermilion Bird Wing on the eighth floor. It remained undetected by the magic power and clung tightly to the top, continuing to lie dormant.

Zhao Ti shook his head. This Illusory Yin True Qi was becoming increasingly strange. In the past, he needed to cultivate and circulate it himself, relying on the Divine Foot Scripture to accumulate it continuously.

However, since entering the Twelfth Level Realm, it has gradually been able to cultivate on its own. Now, it doesn't need his help at all and it cultivates continuously on its own every moment.

What's most amazing is that this skill doesn't get entangled with Taoist magic at all. It gradually separates itself from other martial arts and internal skills it has learned, becoming independent and forging its own path.

After Zhao Ti waited for the Illusionary Yin True Qi to stabilize within his body, he stepped off the bed. Then, he went out of the tent and looked outside. He saw the rising sun, the morning light dazzling, and a golden glow already covering the earth...

In the west, beyond the endless Kunlun Mountains, war rages between numerous kingdoms, large and small.

Half of them were led by the Kunlun Palaces, and the other half were led by the Shambhala Buddhist Kingdom. The fighting was fierce, with blood flowing like rivers and corpses strewn everywhere.

Neither side showed the slightest intention to cease hostilities or make peace; it seemed they would never give up until the other was completely annihilated…

Tokyo, within the Imperial City, in front of Fukunei Palace.

Zhao Xu sat on the steps, his face ashen, staring at the sky.

On this day of rest, he did not attend court. He sat from sunrise, when the sky was filled with the first light of dawn, until noon, and then from noon until sunset.

He didn't eat or drink anything during that time, nor did he review any memorials; he just sat there blankly.

Tan Zhen, who had been standing beside him all day, finally couldn't help but speak up: "Your Majesty, it's getting late. Please have some food."

Zhao Xu turned to look at him and sighed, "I told you I didn't need you to accompany me, but you insisted on staying here. Go and get something to eat by yourself."

Tan Zhen said bitterly, "This humble servant is neither hungry nor tired, but I am worried about Your Majesty. Seeing Your Majesty sitting all day, I am truly filled with fear and unease."

Zhao Xu remained silent for a long while after hearing this, then suddenly smiled slightly and pointed to the sky: "Take a look and see if there's anything different about the sky compared to before?"

"Ah, what's different?" Tan Zhen looked up and followed the direction Zhao Xu was pointing.

By this time, darkness had fallen, night had fallen, the Jade Rabbit had risen, and the stars were twinkling.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am clumsy and dull-witted, and I really can't see anything different about the sky than usual..." Tan Zhen rubbed his eyes hard, looked at the night sky, and after a long while said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am clumsy and dull-witted, and I really can't see anything different about the sky than usual..."

Zhao Xu said, "It's not that you're stupid, it's that you don't know about celestial phenomena and have never observed this day before, so you can't see any changes. Go and call the Grand Astrologer of the Bureau of Astronomy over here."

Upon hearing this, Tan Zhen hurriedly replied, "This humble servant obeys. This humble servant will immediately go and convey His Majesty's decree to summon Grand Historian Qian to the palace."

Zhao Xu nodded slightly and continued to look at the sky above.

About half an hour later, an elderly man with a white beard and dressed in official robes walked briskly from a distance, led by a young eunuch. It was none other than Qian Song, the Grand Historian.

He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I was drinking and stargazing by the Jinshui River when my family arrived late. Please forgive me."

Zhao Xu said, "You were summoned to the palace on your day off. What crime have you committed?"

Su Song said, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. Your Majesty summoned me here..."

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Since you were observing the stars by the Jinshui River, did you discover anything?"

Upon hearing this, Su Song's expression changed slightly, and he lowered his head, saying, "This, Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Zhao Xu said, "Speak freely."

Sweat streamed down Su Song's forehead, and he knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, I... I really dare not say it."

Zhao Xu looked down at him, and after a moment said, "Speak, and I will pardon you."

Su Song raised his sleeve to wipe his forehead, his shoulders trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I observed the stars and made predictions, and I actually predicted an omen of world destruction... This must be because I was drunk and misread it."

"A sign of the end of the world..." Zhao Ti's lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of mockery.

"Your Majesty, I see that the stars are scattered and powerless, their movement is disordered, their light emits the intent of war, and even shows the glint of thieves. Several important stars have shifted their positions, and many hidden stars have completely disappeared. This is a sign of the destruction of the world. I have used astrology to deduce that this is a sign of the end times. I am probably wrong..." Qian Song's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "How could you possibly make a mistake, my dear minister?"

"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Qian Song's expression froze, his mouth opened, and his body trembled like a leaf.

"Your Majesty..." Tan Zhen, who was standing nearby, was terrified and hurriedly knelt down, bowing his head to the ground, not daring to move an inch.

Zhao Xu looked at Qian Song with a complicated expression on his face. He gently rubbed his hands together, tossed away a straw he had been holding all day, and said meaningfully, "Minister Qian, don't you see where this omen of world destruction comes from?"

Qian Song said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I... I hadn't even taken that step when my family came looking for me and I followed the eunuchs into the palace."

Zhao Xu nodded: "Let's continue pushing it here."

After saying that, he looked at Tan Zhen and said, "Take the table, chairs, paper, pens, astrolabes, and other items for Qian Aiqing to use."

Tan Zhen responded with a "yes," got up from the ground, and ran towards the palace. A moment later, several eunuchs carried a table and stools and placed them in front of the steps. They also brought over all the tools for divination and invited Qian Song to sit down.

At this moment, Qian Song was shaken and acted erratically. He lost his balance and almost fell to the ground. He hurriedly apologized to Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu waved his hand: "It's alright, my dear minister, please begin."

Qian Song thanked him, then took a few deep breaths to calm himself, and sat down at the table to begin practicing the Zhou Tian Xing Xiang (a system of divination).

As time passed, the panicked look on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by shock, confusion, and deep bewilderment.

Around midnight, he suddenly looked up at Zhao Xu and said in a very strange tone, "Your Majesty, this, this..."

Zhao Xu asked, "How is it?"

Qian Songdao said, "I have already deduced to the very end, but the result of this celestial observation, the result..."

"What was the result?" Zhao Xu asked.

Qian Song stood up from behind the table, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the cause of this omen of world destruction... seems to be... from beyond the heavens."

"From beyond the heavens..." Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu looked up at the night sky: "What beyond the heavens could destroy the world?"

Qian Songdao said, “When I was halfway through the process, this result came to be. At first, I thought it was a huge star falling and crashing into this world. I also thought of mysterious things like the descent of heavenly water and fire, or the heavenly dog ​​swallowing the sun. But in the end, I found that none of these were true. Instead, it was... something indescribable that came, which was very bad for the world. It reversed yin and yang, destroyed the five elements, extinguished earth, water, fire and wind, and destroyed this world.”

"Something indescribable?" Zhao Xu thought for a moment: "Not a deity or immortal?"

Qian Song shook his head, recalling the result of his deduction just now. His face showed even more bewilderment, mixed with some fear and trepidation: "Your Majesty, it is not a deity or god. If it were a deity or star, it would be something that cannot be described or explained. I do not recognize it... so I use the word 'indescribable' to describe it."

Zhao Xu asked, "Does confirming this mean the world will definitely perish?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Song fell to the ground: "Your Majesty, this is the result of my prediction. I am probably wrong."

Zhao Xu shook his head: "How could the deduction be wrong? It is just as I saw. All kinds of evil things have descended from the sky, intending to destroy this world. At the very least, it will happen now, and at most, it will only take a few years. This peaceful world will be destroyed and wiped out."

Qian Song exclaimed in shock, "Your Majesty, then this, this..."

Zhao Xu slowly stood up from the steps: "Although it is said that the stars reveal the truth, there have always been cases of changing one's fate since ancient times. This applies to human life on a small scale and destiny on a large scale. It is not something that is fixed and will never change."

After he finished speaking, his clothes suddenly billowed in the night wind, and he spoke again, his voice rising and becoming distant and hollow: "Even if it won't change, even if no one has ever changed it, I... will still make it change!"

Then, Zhao Xu suddenly emitted boundless white light, surpassing the bright moon and stars, and flickering like a bright star. Then he punched upwards.

He kept throwing punches, each punch forming a white rainbow bridge in the air, spanning east and west. After throwing thirty-two punches, thirty-two rainbow bridges appeared in the air.

Then a strange expression appeared on his face, a mixture of emotions flashing across his cheeks, and he threw his thirty-third punch.

This punch didn't produce a deafening sound, but it seemed capable of dissolving everything, even the stars and moon, even the air itself. It pierced through the night sky and went straight into the clouds...

Mount Song, on its northern slope, lies the imperial mausoleum of the Song Dynasty.

In front of Yongxi Mausoleum, a donkey with long ears and snow-white hooves lies beside Emperor Taizong's tombstone, chewing on something in its mouth, gazing at the night sky to the northeast.

"Good heavens, you idiot! You dare to force these thirty-three punches to such a degree? You're probably not far from death..."

The donkey looked utterly astonished, forgetting to swallow what was in its mouth, and dropped it all over the ground with a clatter.

Just then, another gruff voice rang out: "That matter is probably imminent, aren't you going back to check?"

"What are you looking at?" The donkey shook its head. "If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Even if the world is destroyed, we all die together. What is there for me to see?"

"You..." a gruff voice said angrily, "You disloyal, unfilial, heartless, and unjust scoundrel, I am ashamed to be associated with you!"

"What do you know? You donkey, do you understand loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness?" The donkey was not annoyed by this. It stood up and wobbled towards Mount Song.

"Where are you going?" a gruff voice asked.

"Let's go see that female tiger on the mountain. If it really is extinct, we may never see it again," the donkey sighed.

"You disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and lecherous scoundrel, hurry up and return my body to me! I'm going back to Mount Hua, and I'll die there!" the gruff voice roared.

"Stop dreaming. The world is about to end, how could it possibly return it to you?" The donkey laughed twice like a human, then quickened its pace and galloped swiftly into the mountains.

(End of this chapter)