Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 512 Hidden Dragon's Lair

The group traveled day and night, and all they saw along the way was the Haihe River flowing gently, like a song or a roar.

Those who travel far from home inevitably suffer hardships, but fortunately Zilu served them wholeheartedly.

Every day, skillful cooking produces a variety of dishes, providing everyone with a delightful culinary experience; the cabin is filled with a wonderfully fragrant aroma that soothes the mind and lungs; and the company of music and instruments adds to the lively and enjoyable atmosphere, relieving boredom and fatigue.

After traveling for a few more days, heading north, resting for half a night in Tianjin, then turning east and heading straight for the far north, thus stepping out of the Central Plains of China.

The scenery ahead changed dramatically, revealing white mountains and black waters, with a vast expanse of sky and land.

Ren Shaoyang gazed into the distance, only to see the vastness of the sky and earth, an endless desolation, and a sense of desolation arose spontaneously within him.

The young beggar bluntly stated that this place inexplicably resembled Dripping Cliff, except that the soil there was yellow, while here it was black.

So they sailed northeast and five days later finally arrived at the Kingdom of Buyeo.

At dawn, they suddenly heard the seafarers at the bow of the ship cheering loudly. The three villains couldn't help but get up and look. They saw that the sky was gloomy and the dark clouds were churning. Under the clouds, there was a black line, which was the territory of the Fuyu Kingdom.

At this time, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and there were few fishermen on the shore. Their faces were ashen, and they could only look at the water and the sky.

Ding'an suddenly exclaimed, "Hey!" and called out, "Someone's here!"

Hongxiu laughed heartily and said, "You saw it?"

Ding An chuckled sheepishly: "My prosthetic arm sensed it."

Wow, that's amazing?

"Haha, thank goodness, thank goodness!" Ding An scratched his head and laughed.

Ren Shaoyang said, "I didn't expect that the Holy King would come to welcome us in person."

Indeed, on the port, few others remained, only the Holy King stood alone, sleeves folded, facing the wind, carrying his zither to welcome them.

Before long, the ship entered the port.

When Zilu saw the king's respectful manner, he was terrified and quickly stepped down, bowing with his hands clasped.

Seeing the three villains disembark, the Holy King stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "The journey has been arduous, and I am truly grateful for your hard work in helping me break through the cave!"

The sage king spoke with utmost sincerity and humility.

Ren Shaoyang said, "Since this is an important matter, please lead the way."

The Holy King clapped his hands and laughed, saying "You've worked hard," before leading the crowd forward.

The three villains followed the Holy King into the country of Fuyu, where they saw the people of Fuyu kneeling on the ground.

Seeing the villagers' faces filled with such fervor, yet also such dejection, Hongxiu couldn't help but sigh, "In this desolate and impoverished land, the Holy King has gone to great lengths to protect the people's survival."

The Holy King's expression remained unchanged, revealing neither his mood nor his emotions. He smiled and said, "My Azure Dragon Clan has been trapped here for a long time. The land is small, the population is large, and the resources are scarce, so we are already in decline. Now, we are breaking into the dragon's lair and defying our destiny. It is truly a case of drawing the bow and shooting the arrow, with no turning back! If there is any curse, I will bear it all alone."

These words, spoken by the Holy King, sounded more casual than his previous words, yet they contained a deep sorrow hidden beneath the surface.

Upon closer examination, however, one can discern a resolute determination to face death without regret.

Ding'an and Hongxiu glanced sideways frequently, shaking their heads and sighing.

Ren Shaoyang suddenly said, "Heroes are bound to emerge in times of chaos."

The Holy King laughed heartily, sweeping away his previous sorrow, and asked, "How dare you call yourself a hero?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "Those who restore order to the world and risk their lives for their ideals can be called heroes."

"Sword God, you flatter me." The Holy King paused after speaking, sighed, and said, "I must apologize for what happened to Musashi Mori."

"Really?" Ren Shaoyang laughed. "You're really a responsible master."

The Holy King said in a deep voice, "Japan has a long tradition of subordinates overthrowing their superiors, so I dare not be his teacher."

After hearing this, Ren Shaoyang burst into laughter, bending over with mirth.

Zilu asked curiously, "Sir, what are you laughing at?"

"I laugh at you for being hypocritical with him," Ren Shaoyang said coldly. "Musashi Mori is a man of iron heart, who will never be controlled by the emotions of ordinary people. Even if he becomes the disciple of the Holy King, it is nothing but bullshit to him." At this point, he revealed a trace of emotion, "The saying 'subordinate overthrows superior' is truly accurate."

Zilu was stunned by his words and muttered, "We never expected that someone as fanatical as Musashi Mori, who was such a devout follower of Confucianism, would be so despicable!"

The sage king smiled and asked, "Zilu, what do you think Confucianism is?"

"A sacred text that encompasses heaven and earth, a guide to saving the world and governing the people!"

The Holy King shook his head and sighed, then looked at Ren Shaoyang: "What do you think, sir?"

Ren Shaoyang said indifferently, "Just a tool."

Zilu was taken aback and exclaimed, "Tools?"

"A tool for the emperor and nobles to fool and control the people!"

“How come you see?”

"If the people of the world regard it as a sacred principle, it is the emperor's sword, invincible in all endeavors," Ren Shaoyang said with a smile. "If they discard it like worn-out shoes, it is no different from a dung bucket, and everything will be its fault."

"Hahaha!" The Holy King clapped his hands and laughed, "Even the Sword God can see far and see clearly."

"Sir," Zilu said, "why such outrageous remarks?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "That's because most people in the world 'talk about principles, but their hearts are full of business.'" Zilu asked, "Are there many such people?"

"Too much."

"Aren't there any people with ideals?" Zilu asked, puzzled. "Are there?"

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "Perhaps."

Leaving aside the depressed Zilu, the group continued on their way and soon left the city. In the distance, the mountains were green and the clouds were drifting, like a wisp of smoke on a beautiful woman's fair face.

The streams crisscross the landscape, with many beautiful rocks and stone bridges spanning the water, winding and without railings, like rainbows shooting out.

After walking and stopping, we came to a stream. Snow-like waves splashed and clouds gathered. On each side of the stream stood a small, verdant peak, seemingly merging into the vast blue sky.

The group went upstream to the source of the river, only to find a small pond.

Standing by the pool was a man with six swords on his back; it was Yan Hui. Seeing the group arrive, he quickly bowed and paid his respects.

The crowd nodded to him, then turned to look and saw a stone tablet standing by the pool, with an inscription engraved on it:

"I wish to sleep forever in the yellow earth, and not to enter the Central Plains."

Behind the stone tablet was a cave, with two dragons guarding the entrance, giving it a solemn appearance.

The Holy King stepped forward, stroked the stele, and said calmly, "This place is Hidden Dragon Ridge."

The three villains looked around, and suddenly the little beggar said, "There's something strange about this stele; there are words behind the words."

Ding'an and Shaoyang both knew that she had extremely strong "eye-clearing" ability, which allowed her to see what others could not, so they both turned to look behind the stone tablet.

Zilu took some grass leaves, squeezed out the juice, and applied it to the stele. After it dried, the characters became visible.

Everyone stared intently, and the words turned out to be four strange lines of text:

"Nine stars hide dragons, who dares to claim supremacy? Those who cling to the number nine will surely suffer calamity."

Ding'an glanced at it, shook his head, and said, "What a rip-off!"

Hongxiu also pouted and said, "Yes, it's a real rip-off."

Ren Shaoyang didn't speak, but instead looked at the Holy King along with the other two.

The Holy King remained silent for a long time before speaking softly: "Ancestor, do you know that your wish at that time caused countless descendants to regret it for the rest of their lives, and brought the Fuyu Kingdom to the brink of collapse?"

He looked up at the sky, his tone becoming resolute: "Even if I bear the stigma of treason, I will break your 'Nine Star Hidden Dragon Cave,' and any retribution that follows will fall on me!"

Having said this, the Holy King laughed and said, "Gentlemen, please follow me!"

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "Please!"

Hongxiu clapped her hands and laughed, "Let's go treasure hunting!"

The group walked around the stone tablet in turn. As soon as they stepped into the cave, they heard a mournful wind, like a lament, sometimes shrill and sometimes sobbing.

The cave was pitch black, with only a biting wind carrying an ancient chill that swept over you.

Ren Shaoyang glanced at the stone walls on both sides, which were completely bare and barren of vegetation. Moisture condensed into ice and clung to them, shining with a bluish-green hue.

“After passing through this cave, we will reach Hidden Dragon Ridge.” The Holy King took the lead and said calmly, “This place is a rare wind cave where yin and yang are intertwined and cold winds howl.”

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "This place is very suitable for cultivating the 'Wind God Leg'."

The sage king paused, then suddenly said, "Isolated yin cannot last long; it is disharmony."

"Oh?" Ren Shaoyang glanced at him. "You actually practiced 'Wind God Leg'?"

The Holy King smiled and said, "I have already mastered the Threefold Return to Origin Qi."

How many years did it take you to master it?

"Three years."

“Ha, it took Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun six or seven years to master the ‘Wind God Leg’ and ‘Cloud Dispelling Palm’, but you only took three years to comprehend the Three-Part Returning Origin Qi.” Ren Shaoyang gave a thumbs up. “Truly a genius.”

The Holy King shook his head and said, "I am not a genius. I found a place in the Heavenly Mountains where wind, clouds, and frost gather. I haven't slept well for the past three years, aiming to comprehend it at all times and leave no regrets. That's how I succeeded in my cultivation."

“Look, this is what it means to be both a genius and more hardworking than others. If you don’t succeed, who will?” Ren Shaoyang smiled, then casually asked, “Hmm, you seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about my ‘Harmonious Law of Heaven’.”

"Tune the strings of heaven and earth, and shake the four poles and eight wastelands." The Holy King laughed, "Ren Jianshen's unparalleled divine power is in perfect harmony with the Three-Part Return to Origin Qi. If I want to climb to the peak, I will definitely have to go through you, the supreme master."

Ren Shaoyang said, "You are very smart." He paused, as if he had made up his mind, and casually said, "Remember, the word 'harmony' is not about controlling the world, but about going with the flow."

"Do not disrupt the harmony; moderation is key, otherwise disaster will surely follow."

Upon hearing this, the Holy King turned to look at him closely, surprised, and asked, "What do you mean by that, Mr. Ren?"

Ren the riddle teller laughed and said, "Some things can't be explained clearly. Even if you explain them clearly, no one will listen, and even if they listen, they won't do them." He shook his head. "So be it."

Ding'an tugged at Hongxiu's clothes: "Why do you leave things unsaid, you cripple?"

Hongxiu said with a half-smile, "When Wang Mang was still humble before he usurped the throne, the cripple reminded him not to break the harmony, which was already an overstepping of his bounds. Saying more would only make things worse."

“I don’t understand,” Ding’an said, scratching his head.

“No need to understand,” Hongxiu shook her head and said, “Human nature is too complicated.”

(End of this chapter)