The temperament of the black dragon was utterly selfish and self-centered!
Even though the Jade Clarity Daoist, with his exalted status as a terrestrial immortal, had the assistance of Ji Yi’s dragon aura, and had even planted the seeds of influence in advance, it was still extremely difficult to exert control.
At this moment, a backlash occurred, causing his body to tremble, his foundation to be damaged, and his vital energy severely injured.
“Jade Clarity Daoist arts, essence and blood techniques, I command!”
Blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, the Jade Clarity Daoist spat out a mist of blood, his eyes filled with red veins, completely devoid of his previous refined and saintly demeanor.
He was well aware that Ji’s family had once rendered a great favor to Xu’s family, and due to the interconnection of their fates, he had this rare opportunity. If the black dragon escaped, Xu Zongwu would become impossible to restrain. The path of fate lay in the waxing and waning of power; if Xu survived this calamity, Ji Yi’s situation would become extremely precarious.
Therefore, he was truly willing to risk his life, pouring out his Daoist cultivation without hesitation.
The black dragon gradually lowered its posture, yet its resistance became increasingly fierce.
“Something’s wrong… Could Xu Zongwu’s dragon aura, combined with the power of stellar destiny, really be this strong?”
A chill crept into the Jade Clarity Daoist’s heart: “Now we’re just a hair’s breadth away… If only the old Daoist hadn’t damaged a bit of his vital energy when suppressing the Three Mao Immortals previously, how could the situation have come to this? Could this be fate?”
Originally, his calculations had been precise—he could have completely subdued the black dragon.
However, his recent battle with the Three Mao Immortals had depleted some of his precious reserves, and this seemingly minor gap now formed an insurmountable chasm, casting the Jade Clarity Daoist into what appeared to be a bottomless abyss.
Roar! Roar!
Seeing this, the black dragon struggled even harder, creating visible ripples.
Just as the Jade Clarity Daoist was about to lose control, an unexpected change occurred!
A golden light flashed across half the sky, instantly transforming into a miraculous scene of celestial flowers cascading and golden lotuses sprouting from the earth.
Amidst the chanting of Buddhist hymns, a sacred mantra pierced through the air:
“Hum!”
Already on the verge of reaching the Golden Pond, the dragon was struck by this mantra and one of its claws plunged into the water.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As if an invisible vortex existed within the Golden Pond, it now emitted a tremendous suction force, instantly pulling the black dragon inside, leaving it unable to even struggle.
After a long while, the surroundings returned to silence, as if the black dragon, the Buddhist sounds, and the vortex had all been illusions.
“It’s done!”
Muttered the Jade Clarity Daoist, his expression a mixture of sorrow and joy.
“But… in the end, I relied on someone else’s power! The Buddhist sect!”
Although the task was accomplished, there was little joy on his face; instead, he felt a sense of foreboding, as if he had fallen into someone else’s scheme and a great disaster was imminent.
“How could this happen?”
The Jade Clarity Daoist’s face turned deathly pale: “The Buddhist sect emphasizes karma above all. Borrowing their karma to suppress the black dragon will bring serious consequences in the future…”
The Buddhist sect possessed powerful karmic techniques, claiming the ability to reverse karma itself. For instance, by reciting the Benevolence Mantra and performing one good deed daily, one could accumulate a hundred or even a thousand merits!
Conversely, if someone owed them karma, the Buddhist sect could demand repayment ten or a hundred times over—an interest rate far more terrifying than any usurer’s!
This entanglement of karma was completely unforeseen, even for the Jade Clarity Daoist.
“No! This matter was entirely my secret plan; I didn’t even tell my disciples. How could the Buddhist sect have known… unless they’ve been watching with the Eye of the Three Realms all along… Hmph! Those three old monks, I’ll remember this…”
The Jade Clarity Daoist formed a magical seal, his treasured realm emitting a clear light that enveloped him. He transformed into a streak of light and quickly flew toward a certain location.
The heavenly mechanism had changed! At this moment, he needed to immediately inform King Wu Ji Yi and mobilize the army without delay, rather than waiting passively for disaster to strike!
…
“Amitabha Buddha!”
Meanwhile, within the imperial palace of Shengjing, hundreds of monks sat cross-legged, forming the Diamond Protection Seal to protect the three elder monks at the center.
A golden glow continuously radiated outward, visible to all, drawing admiration from the onlookers for the Buddhist sect’s great masters.
At this moment, the elder monk in the center loudly proclaimed the Buddhist name: “The heavenly mechanism has changed! The Jade Clarity terrestrial immortal failed to suppress the black dragon, forcing us to intervene. This has exposed our hand; whether it brings fortune or misfortune remains unknown…”
“Even if a few traces were left, now that the Jade Clarity Daoist has received our assistance, a karmic bond has been formed… I am willing to employ karmic techniques to bind him, adding a threefold assurance to our plans!”
Another elder monk, his face filled with compassion and forming the Lotus Seal, spoke solemnly.
“Good!”
The last monk wore a sorrowful expression, his mouth etched with lines of bitterness, as if bearing the misfortunes and sorrows of the entire world upon his face: “Since this is the case, the timing and conditions are now ripe. Let Guo Zihe proceed!”
“Our three hundred disciples are all ready to sacrifice their lives for the advancement of our path, and be reborn in the Western Paradise!”
…
In the rebel king’s camp.
Due to their recent victory, Xu Zongwu had ordered a feast of wine and meat for the soldiers, and the entire frontline was immersed in a celebratory atmosphere.
“Come, drink!”
“This beef smells amazing!”
…
The aroma of wine and meat filled the air, shared by both officers and soldiers alike. Wu Ming could only shake his head in dismay.
He knew that this army already had lax discipline, and with this feast, it would likely take until the next day for them to recover.
“If I were Guo Zihe, I wouldn’t miss this opportunity either… Speaking of which, he’s quite a talent. He began strategizing when Xu Zongwu seized the Ten Absolute Passes, advancing step by step while appearing to retreat, ultimately setting up this grand trap. Xu Zongwu’s death was not in vain!”
As the moon rose high, the area around the Golden Pond was already brightly lit with lanterns, banquet tables set up, and beautiful dancers performing, creating an atmosphere as if in paradise.
“Everyone!”
Xu Zongwu raised his wine cup high, gazing at the dozens of rebel kings below: “Brothers, you’ve delayed for over a month. Today, we can finally decide on the alliance in one word!”
As soon as these words were spoken, those below were startled, and many rebel kings broke out in cold sweat.
“Oh?”
Standing behind Han Hulin, Wu Ming glanced around, “Xu Zongwu can’t wait anymore! Perhaps there’s also a plan to smash the cup and have three hundred swordsmen rush in. Alas, it’s all for naught, serving someone else’s purpose!”
“King Gai Tian’s heroic bearing, capturing the Ten Absolute Passes—who in the world doesn’t know of him? I am willing to pledge allegiance to King Xu as the supreme leader, serving loyally from now on!”
Soon, one of the rebel kings jumped up, knelt down, and shouted loudly.
This was King Jin Cheng, long known to be close to Xu Zongwu. By stepping forward as the leader, he pushed the other rebel kings into a corner.
“Hmph! Old Jin, if you want to flatter Xu Zongwu, that’s your business, but why drag the rest of us into it?”
Bang!
The Red-Brow King, who had previously had a conflict with Wu Ming, his face flushed with wine, overturned the table in anger, sending cups, plates, and dishes scattering everywhere, pointing and cursing.
“Dare! How can you address King Gai Tian so disrespectfully?”
Several rebel kings’ faces changed, and they immediately shouted back, kneeling down to pledge loyalty: “We are willing to follow King Gai Tian’s orders and offer our elite troops!”
These were the rebel kings who had already negotiated terms with Xu Zongwu in recent days. With them as examples, the other rebel kings hesitated briefly before kneeling down in quick succession, making up a significant portion.
“Oh? So Brother Red-Brow feels that Xu Zongwu’s martial arts are inferior and his insight shallow, making me unworthy of this great position?”
Xu Zongwu’s expression remained neutral, asking calmly.
“I don’t care if you want to be emperor or whatever… I’m taking my men back to Lianyun Mountain tomorrow. You can play by yourself from now on!”
The Red-Brow King was also a reckless man, defiantly shouting even as his fate had already been sealed.
“Very well! Guards!”
Xu Zongwu’s expression changed, and he let out a cold laugh.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A squad of armored soldiers rushed in, exuding a murderous aura. The leader, with a face as hard as iron, knelt down forcefully: “Please, Your Majesty, give your orders!”
“Drag this man out and execute him! Bring his head back to me!”
Xu Zongwu pointed at the Red-Brow King and said coldly.
“How dare you!”
The Red-Brow King was furious, but before he could react, several soldiers swiftly pounced on him, striking from different angles with their swords.
“Ahh!”
Despite his martial prowess, how could he possibly match these well-prepared elite soldiers? His right hand was severed instantly, and he was bound and dragged outside the banquet.
His other attendants met the same fate. Soon, several screams and the sound of blades piercing flesh were heard, followed by silence.
“Your Majesty, I have executed the man and come to report!”
A moment later, the leader of the armored soldiers entered, holding a tray in his hands. On the tray lay the Red-Brow King’s severed head, his beard and hair standing on end, his eyes wide open, tears of blood flowing from them.
“Good!”
Xu Zongwu raised his wine cup: “Such a trivial matter shouldn’t interrupt our enjoyment. Come, everyone, continue drinking!”
He tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp, then burst into loud laughter, appearing extremely cheerful.
“Not good! How could I have fallen into this trap so easily!”
Many rebel kings, witnessing this scene, felt deep regret in their hearts.
It turned out that the recent days of continuous feasting had dulled their senses, and they had not brought their elite troops into the camp in time.
Otherwise, Xu Zongwu would not have found it so easy to act.
Seeing Xu Zongwu’s actions, Han Hulin was sweating profusely, realizing that this time Xu Zongwu was determined to absorb the various rebel kings. Any opposition would meet the same fate as the Red-Brow King.
“The real fear is that even if we hand over our military power, we might still end up dead!”
“It’s happening! It’s happening! The historical Golden Pond Conference!”
All the cycle-walkers watched helplessly, feeling a sense of frustration and regret. Although they were well aware of history and had made many efforts, they never expected events to unfold exactly as they had before.
This feeling of helplessness even made them feel as if their Daoist hearts were on the verge of breaking, giving rise to a sense of despair.
“We are willing to pledge allegiance to King Gai Tian!”
At this point, the situation had turned against them; those who refused would be crushed instantly. Immediately, another dozen or so rebel kings knelt down, expressing their submission.
“Haha! Haha!”
Xu Zongwu laughed heartily, his aura of destiny fully charged. The black dragon rejoiced, almost transforming into a black dragon, but the surrounding calamitous clouds thickened several times over!
“Han Hulin, what about you?”
At this point, only a few stood remaining. Xu Zongwu cast a cold glance, and everyone knew that with a single order from him, armored soldiers would rush forth and cut Han Hulin to pieces.
“I…”
Han Hulin glanced at Wu Ming, who stood calmly behind him, hesitated greatly, and then said: “I also…”
“Your Majesty, trouble!”
Suddenly, an armored soldier rushed in, his face filled with panic, kneeling on the ground and shouting: “The enemy is attacking the camp! The Green Forest King’s forces are traitors within, and they are already advancing straight here!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the sounds of battle erupted from outside, causing Xu Zongwu’s expression to darken instantly!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage