Zhong Liang had barely broken through the wall when someone else came bursting in. Moreover, this fellow was dressed entirely in red, and appeared to be carrying valuable possessions, making the greedy young lad widen his eyes in admiration. He thought to himself how impressive he would look if he had such an outfit. The gluttonous girl, who was even more gifted than her older brother, couldn’t help but hide behind Murong Baoding, peeking out with her head, completely mesmerized.
At this moment, Murong Baoding felt more absurdity than anger in his heart. Was this how Xing Xu intended to dismiss him, the Jie Ling of Ju Zi Zhou, with just an armored figure? He had indeed heard about the Fu Jiang Jia Ren, one of the four Grand Masters of Li Yang, who had been skinned and stripped of tendons by someone with cat-like abilities. Murong Baoding had always held a bias against those who relied on external objects to display their might, and his face darkened as he glared at Xu Fengnian. “Hong Jingyan refused me once already. My patience is nearly exhausted. Xu Fengnian, I advise you not to act as if you’re getting the better of me. Be careful not to end up like Zhou Xunchen.”
Xu Fengnian seemed to be in a good mood. He walked up to the red armor, tapping and feeling it, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He turned to Ban Mian Fo with a smile and said, “Murong Baoding, you really shouldn’t take yourself too seriously, speaking all the time as if you’re royalty. Who are you trying to intimidate? This isn’t Ju Zi Zhou, and you’re not even the emperor of Bei Man. As for me, thanks to my father’s reputation, I’ve met the emperor of Li Yang and the empress of Bei Man. I’ve also met several of Li Yang’s feudal lords. Many among the top ten martial artists in the world, whose martial arts skills surpass yours, also didn’t carry themselves with such arrogance. So, speak according to your abilities.”
Murong Baoding’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, revealing a strong intent to kill. Fu Jia Xu Longxiang looked at his older brother, who nodded, indicating that he should go all out. Since Yi Jie Liu was Murong Baoding’s illegitimate son, this would be a case of the sins of the father being visited upon the son. Xu Longxiang turned to face Murong Baoding. Whether it was due to the dense armor obscuring his presence or just a show of force, Murong Baoding did not sense any powerful energy flow from him, which puzzled the highly discerning Jie Ling. Where had Xu Fengnian conjured up such a joke? Was he not afraid of making a fool of himself? Murong Baoding knew that Xu Xiao’s younger brother was born with a diamond body, clad in black, barefoot, and led the Longxiang cavalry to bully the three military towns including Junzi Guan like helpless young girls. Even his son’s superb swordsmanship failed to kill this boy. Thus, the Jie Ling of Ju Zi Zhou naturally didn’t expect Xu Fengnian to go to such lengths to outfit his younger brother, who had a diamond physique, with the Fu Jiang Hong Jia.
Xu Longxiang flexed his fingers, clenched his fists, and in an instant, he threw a punch at Murong Baoding’s chest. A mighty surge of energy rippled through the square. Although Murong Baoding’s body barely moved, appearing completely still, the invisible mirror-like surface between Xu Longxiang and the Jie Ling splashed with violent ripples, tearing apart the palace walls at the edges of the mirror surface. The peach trees near the base of the walls were instantly reduced to dust. Murong Baoding extended one hand and gently ruffled the hair of the young girl, Murong Caiyang, behind him. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the girl immediately retreated toward the throne hall with Yelü Caiyin. After throwing his punch, Xu Longxiang leapt back to his original position, crossing his arms over his chest. This posture clearly indicated that he wanted Murong Laoye to return the punch, and he wouldn’t dodge. Murong Baoding let out a sound of realization, “So you’re the naturally strong Huang Man’er of the Xu family. No wonder, no wonder.”
Xu Fengnian gently slapped Huang Man’er on the head, feigning annoyance as he said, “He’s Murong Banmianfo, the eighth strongest in the world. Why are you being so polite with him? This isn’t a game of make-believe. Go ahead and give him a good beating! This guy might not rank very high among the top ten, but he’s quite good at taking hits. His offensive power isn’t that strong, far inferior to Deng Ta’a and Han Shengxuan. If it were any other of the top ten martial artists, I wouldn’t be so confident. But since it’s Murong Baoding, it doesn’t matter. Brother, this is a good chance for you to test the flaws of the armor carefully crafted by the leader of the Mohist school.”
Looking at Huang Man’er with a glare in his eyes, Xu Fengnian shouted, “Don’t you dare take off the armor!”
Murong Baoding descended the steps while sarcastically commenting, “You two brothers really don’t take this king seriously at all.”
Xu Fengnian, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, retreated far to the base of the wall, crouching beside the corpse of the old servant.
Murong Baoding hadn’t finished descending the steps when he lightly tapped his foot, creating a small pit. With a casual wave of his hand, he pushed at Xu Longxiang’s armored head. Xu Longxiang crashed backward, shattering the palace gate, and the city gate beyond also emitted a deafening sound of shattering. Murong Baoding’s body hovered in mid-air for a moment before gently descending like a feather, landing so lightly that it crushed the sturdy blue bricks beneath him. As soon as Murong Baoding landed, a streak of crimson red light returned, and this time it was Murong Baoding’s turn to be sent flying backward for dozens of feet. In the blink of an eye, Murong Baoding took a step forward, swung his left fist, and Xu Longxiang countered with his right. The fierce energy surged forward, forcing Xu Fengnian to raise his arm to protect the old spy from Bei Liang standing beside him. Then, the two Realm of the Indestructible martial artists clashed with their left and right fists, like two wild bulls locking horns, lacking any elegance of a master but exuding an unexpectedly powerful aura. With a furious roar, Murong Baoding’s entire face glowed with golden light, pushing Xu Longxiang back a few feet. He then kicked out his foot. Unable to see the expression on Xu Longxiang’s face, the latter bent down, grabbed Murong Baoding’s leg with both hands, twisted his waist, and with the force of pulling up a radish, forcefully lifted Murong Baoding off the ground, spun around once, and hurled him away, crashing through half of the palace wall. Xu Longxiang leapt after him, aiming a stomp at Murong Baoding’s head. The latter slapped his hand down, his body spiraling upward like a whirlwind, delivering a whip kick that sent Xu Longxiang crashing into the palace wall near Xu Fengnian. Thus, both palace walls were each destroyed halfway. Xu Longxiang rose from the dust, placed his palm on the chest of the armor, and with layers of energy, dispelled the dust accumulated on the armor. The red armor remained bright and unscathed, without the slightest damage or flaw.
Xu Fengnian grinned happily. Over the past half year, he had pushed the old men at the Jizao Bureau to the brink of desperation, even the usually accommodating two Mohist leaders had shown him no kindness. Later on, whenever they heard that he had arrived at the Jizao Bureau, they would simply use the flimsy excuse of retreat to avoid him, or claim they were too old with aching backs and legs, needing rest, or even saying they wanted a good drink before their heads were cut off. Xu Fengnian stubbornly persisted, engaging in a battle of wills with the old men to see who could be more shameless. Fortunately, the armor, which involved vast challenges such as materials, Daoist talismans, and Buddhist mantras, was finally completed on schedule. In fact, later on, the old men themselves became so engrossed in their research that when Xu Fengnian said he wanted to take it out for a test drive, the two Mohist masters looked at him with the same grievance as if he had stolen their wives, threatening to fight to the death with the Prince of Beiliang if even a single scratch were to appear on it. Fortunately, Xu Fengnian dangled a huge bait, saying that no matter how much manpower, material resources, or financial resources of Beiliang were consumed, the armor would be crafted to a level that could withstand heavenly thunder. He also challenged them with reverse psychology, asking if they dared to go against the heavens and do something so audacious. This immediately made the group of old men’s eyes sparkle with excitement, and they rushed off to draw up blueprints, literally running away in a flash.
Xu Fengnian looked around. The throne hall was still somewhat intact, but the palace walls were completely gone. Huang Man’er, for some reason, had his arms around Murong Baoding’s head, tucked under the arm, and they crashed into each other, destroying the palace walls before moving on to the city walls. Murong Baoding retaliated, breaking free from the restraint and grabbing Huang Man’er’s ankle, using the armor as a knife to cut a trench in the middle of the city wall. Huang Man’er wasn’t far behind, kicking Murong Baoding in the chest in mid-air, causing the semi-Buddha, who was known as the “Immovable Vajra,” to stagger. Then the two began exchanging blows, each punch landing on each other’s heads. After each punch, the armor and the semi-Buddha remained unharmed, but the ground beneath their feet cracked inch by inch. Huang Man’er was fine, protected by the armor, not looking too disheveled. Murong Baoding, however, was already in tatters, looking like an old beggar, with none of the dignity of a Bei Man Jie Ling left.
Whether it was because they were too engrossed in their fierce battle or because he was completely enraged, Murong Baoding randomly grabbed an abandoned iron spear from the plaza and smashed it into the waist of the armor. The armor was unharmed, but the iron spear shattered from tip to tail. There were many iron spears on the ground, all of which Murong Baoding picked up. During this time, two iron spears were aimed at Huang Man’er’s eyes, but they failed to succeed and were shattered as well. Without the palace walls to block his view, Xu Fengnian had a relatively open line of sight. Witnessing this scene, he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. Earlier, he had deliberately downplayed Murong Baoding, the eighth strongest in the world, in his words. However, although the semi-Buddha’s techniques were not as devastating as those of the other nine individuals, such as Cui Cheng Han Shan Jing Tao Hai, it was only when compared to Wang Xianzhi, Tuoba Pusa, and Deng Ta’a that Murong Baoding’s skills seemed less impressive. This did not mean that Murong Baoding was a timid coward who only knew how to take punches. The semi-Buddha’s punches and kicks might not have shown their full power on Huang Man’er, but if it were an ordinary Realm of the Indestructible martial artist, such accumulated energy would have long since beaten them into an unrecognizable state. Xu Fengnian had already noticed that the semi-Buddha’s attacks were subtly refined, leaving a lingering effect on his opponent after each punch. The essence of Yi Jie Liu’s sword qi was the ability to plant willows and make them flourish, which was most likely derived from this. Therefore, after Murong Baoding had thrown over a hundred punches, how heavy must the accumulated energy on Huang Man’er’s armor have become? Thus, when Huang Man’er was pushed into the city wall by Murong Baoding’s punch, the wall exploded into a large hole even before the armor touched it, due to the Frenzied Aura hidden within the red armor.
Murong Baoding looked at the red armor rising from the rubble and exhaled a long breath of turbid air. His family had a tradition of revering Buddhism, and as a child, Murong Baoding enjoyed following his elders to temples to worship the Buddha. He often gazed at the golden statues for hours. As he grew older, especially after Murong’s empress usurped the throne and ascended to power, the Murong clan became extremely prosperous. Murong Baoding, besides diligently practicing martial arts and studying military strategies, often spent his free time visiting famous temples to “look at the Buddha,” a quirk that became well-known throughout the Northern Court of Bei Man. In the wars between the two countries, Murong Baoding was skilled in leading a small number of elite cavalry on long-range raids to slaughter enemy forces, earning his reputation early on. In the martial arts, however, his progress was much slower. It wasn’t until after a defeat in battle that Murong Baoding traveled alone to clear his mind. Observing a large Buddha statue, he had a great realization, Comprehended the indestructible Vajra Seated Buddha technique., and after that, he opened one trick after another, eventually achieving the Enlightenment of standing and lying Buddhas, thus attaining the extraordinary realm of “Great Vajra Body” of Murong Baoding.
Murong Baoding slowly raised his left palm to his chest, his right hand ready to press against it, assuming the posture of a monk with both hands clasped together.
Standing Buddha between heaven and earth.
Xu Longxiang turned his head to look at Xu Fengnian crouching in the distance, removing the helmet of the armor with both hands and dropping it at his feet. He had originally intended to follow the method his older brother had made him memorize, tapping several key points with his fingers to completely remove the red armor in one go. However, Xu Longxiang hesitated for a moment, only taking off the helmet without fully removing the armor.
Seeing this, Xu Fengnian let out a sigh but said nothing.
Compared to when he had gone to Longhu Mountain to follow the old Taoist master Zhao Xitu to cultivate the Dao, Xu Longxiang had grown much taller. Although he was still thin and pale, the biggest change was that his eyes had lost much of their former confusion and dullness, replaced by a stubborn determination.
It was precisely this young boy who had slaughtered the soldiers of the three Bei Man garrisons, personally committing the cruel act of burying alive the surrendered soldiers, the first such incident since the Spring and Autumn Period.
Xu Longxiang twisted his neck, smashing his right fist into his left palm.
Then he slightly bent his knees, his eyes fixed on the half-Buddha figure radiating golden light.
He curled his lips slightly.
Centered on Xu Longxiang, not only did the martial momentum left by Murong Baoding on the armor suddenly vanish, but the very atmosphere of heaven and earth seemed to be completely drawn in by the boy. The boy was like an ancient ferocious beast, a gluttonous demon.
Gods block, kill the gods; Buddhas block, kill the Buddhas.
Xu Longxiang started running, step by step on the ground, with the momentum of a thousand galloping horses.
Then he lightly leapt up, interlacing his fingers into a single fist, and smashed down on the standing Buddha from above!
As Murong Baoding’s invincible golden body was smashed into the ground, the tightly clasped hands of the standing Buddha had already begun to show a slight gap.
Xu Fengnian stood up, knowing that the situation in Qing Cang City had been decided.
Xu Fengnian did not stop the quiet departure of the pair of teenagers. Although Murong Baoding had been struck by Huang Man’er’s punch, breaking his standing Buddha Vajra body, if it came down to a life-or-death fight, Xu Fengnian wasn’t sure he would gain anything.
Xu Fengnian looked at Huang Man’er’s back. Probably thinking that taking off the armor’s helmet would make his older brother scold him, he looked into the pit for a long time, not waiting for Murong Baoding to surface, then went to squat and put the helmet back on, always facing away from Xu Fengnian, squatting there as if “reflecting on his mistakes by facing the wall.”
Xu Fengnian was a bit amused and didn’t pay attention. He gently picked up the corpse of the old spy and walked into the small throne hall. Zhou Xunchen, dressed in imperial robes, bent over deeply, shouting “Prince of Beiliang” and spouting a string of flattery as exaggerated as possible. Xu Fengnian placed the old man’s body beside a carved dragon pillar without saying a word. He simply glanced at Zhou Xunchen, who quickly had the sense to shut up, realizing that the young prince before him, who had seen much of the world, was not as shallow and easily swayed as the previous lords he had served. Zhou Xunchen sighed inwardly. Just half an hour ago, he was still waiting for his subordinates to bind this man and bring him to the throne hall, hoping to enjoy the sight of the great prince of Li Yang kneeling in submission. Now, outside, the battle was raging. Not only had Rou Ran Mountain Master Hong Jingyan made his move, but even Murong Baoding had been forced to personally enter the fray. Thinking of this, Zhou Xunchen bent even lower. Xu Fengnian got straight to the point: “I originally wanted to use my status as the Prince of Beiliang to have a drink and discuss matters with you, but you, the lord of Qing Cang City, really have quite the ego. Well then, we can settle both old and new accounts. Ruan Shandong was from Beiliang, and your three attendants were as well; they both died because of you, Zhou Xunchen. Your head isn’t worth much, and you can’t afford to pay for their lives. When I came in, I estimated that you’d have to compensate with twenty thousand loyal refugees. Jiang Heng and He Dajie’s personal guards numbered about three thousand, and Shen Congwu, who wasn’t in the city, still had sixteen hundred under his command. Plus over a thousand dragon scale guards from the Dragon King’s Mansion, none of these are included in the twenty thousand. Consider that your welcome gift.”
Zhou Xunchen, with a face full of sorrow, nearly wailed, “Your Majesty, I don’t have the ability to summon soldiers from thin air. Gathering twenty thousand refugees is harder than climbing to the heavens, let alone making them loyal. I don’t mean to refuse to serve Your Majesty with utmost devotion; it’s just that I’m willing but unable…”
Xu Fengnian suddenly gripped Zhou Xunchen’s throat with one hand, slamming him against a pillar. Zhou’s feet left the ground as he leaned back against the pillar, struggling to breathe. Xu Fengnian’s arm coiled with a red serpent swirling around it, and he sneered coldly, “Then you can just die. It seems that your head will be more useful once it’s severed, as a warning to the refugees of Qing Cang, than it is attached to your shoulders.”
Zhou Xunchen desperately grabbed Xu Fengnian’s arm with both hands, making a last-ditch effort. He had only heard that this young man, who was still a prince not long ago, was a reckless and lawless rogue, but he never expected him to be so ruthless and decisive, ready to take lives at the slightest provocation. Zhou Xunchen, being clever, had intended to hold out for a better deal, hoping to sell himself at a fair price, not too cheaply to Beiliang. It seemed that this Prince of Beiliang didn’t like clever people? If he had known this earlier, he wouldn’t have dared to play his games of wit and cunning with even the courage of a bear or a leopard. Xu Fengnian drew out the sword “He River Death,” turned the blade sideways, and lightly pressed the tip against Zhou Xunchen’s forehead, smiling, “Driving this blade horizontally into your skull would pin you to the pillar. As for the emperor, I’ve always wanted to kill one. Trying it out on you first seems like a good idea.”
Not knowing how long had passed, Zhou Xunchen slowly regained consciousness, his eyelids heavy with difficulty, his vision blurred. Had he arrived in the underworld, or was he still walking the Yellow Spring Road, not yet having crossed the Nai He Bridge? Instinctively, Zhou Xunchen touched his forehead. It seemed there was no wound? Zhou Xunchen wanted to curse Xu’s ruthless heart, but his throat felt as if a burning coal had been stuffed into it. He reached out to touch it, and the pain made his body tremble and cold sweat pour out. Suddenly opening his eyes wide, he looked up and saw the white hemp-clothed figure. Looking up further, it was the young face that had instilled fear in Zhou Xunchen to the core of his being. Xu Fengnian looked down at this The paralyzed earth emperor slumped to the ground., curled his lips, “Zhou Xunchen, you owe me another life now. Tell me, how many refugees will it take to repay this debt?”
Knowing that he had just narrowly escaped death, Zhou Xunchen truly learned his lesson. He grabbed the leg of the Prince of Beiliang with both hands, his voice hoarse as he cried out, “Your Majesty, say ten thousand or a hundred thousand, I’ll obey whatever you command. If I dare to utter a single word of refusal, Your Majesty can just give me a sword, no need for you to lift a finger…”
Xu Fengnian kicked Zhou Xunchen aside and walked out of the hall. Huang Man’er was still squatting there.
The short The young man was clad in crimson armor., like a tall building.
Between Beiliang and Beiman lies the Red Mansion.
To kill the Prince of Liang, one must first pass this building.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage