Shengjing lies to the east of Shijue Pass.
Gaitian Wang Xu Zongwu has recently enjoyed continuous victories, but his forces have been stretched thin, forming a long line of camps extending eastward.
Recently, the weather has been dry, with strong easterly winds blowing!
Once Guo Zihe, as recorded in history, sets fire to the connected camps, the flames will inevitably spread from east to west without obstruction.
This is the will of heaven! Irreversible!
Wu Ming, well-versed in historical texts, especially knows that Guo Zihe pursued his victory and set up an inescapable net to the north.
The only path to survival lies in the south!
Revealing this escape route now is divine wisdom. However, Han Hulin is ultimately no Xu Zongwu, and this minor retaliation is not something Wu Ming worries about.
“Upon seeing fire, retreat southward?”
Han Hulin was startled but, seeing Wu Ming’s solemn expression, dared not ask further and could only bow and say, “I understand!”
Buzzing!
As these words fell, Wu Ming saw a large portion of the calamitous aura above Han Hulin dissipate, knowing that Han had truly taken the words to heart, and inwardly nodded approvingly. He continued, “These words leave my mouth and enter your ears only. Remember not to let a third person hear them, or else their power will be lost!”
“Understood, divine command!”
Thinking of Xu Zongwu and the actions of the rebel kings, Han Hulin broke into a cold sweat, feeling as if a drowning man had finally reached shore, taking deep breaths.
After clearing this fog, he immediately understood much more, even reflecting on his previous actions, which filled him with dread.
“I must take my leave first to make some preparations. Please forgive me, true lord!”
At this moment, he almost wanted to run off immediately, but dared not, so he cautiously asked.
“You may go…”
After giving that one piece of advice, Wu Ming’s expression became even more indifferent.
Regardless of how Han Hulin had previously shown him respect and courtesy, or whatever friendship he had with the Black-hearted Taoist, or even the blessings bestowed upon the foolish Taoist boy, it was now sufficient to repay the karmic debt.
As for what Han Hulin would do next, Wu Ming no longer cared in the least.
“Still, if one merely tries to escape calamity, in the end, one may become too clever by half, entangled in complications leading to an even greater disaster, a certain death with no chance of survival!”
He did not say this part, leaving it to Han Hulin to realize on his own.
…
A few days passed quickly.
With the arrival of the rebel kings across the land, Xu Zongwu commanded an army of a million, undeniably the most powerful force in the realm, and was brimming with pride and confidence.
“Attack!”
On the battlefield, thick smoke rolled, and the elite soldiers of the old camp, fierce as wolves and tigers, bit down on their knives and captured yet another mountain stronghold.
“Haha… Little Guo Zihe! Giving me strongholds for free!”
From the high command platform, Xu Zongwu laughed heartily and turned to the other rebel kings, “My friends… Is my army mighty enough?”
“This is indeed using the might of the army to forcefully suppress through sheer strength!”
Standing behind Han Hulin, Wu Ming kept his eyes lowered, focused inward, saying nothing.
Han Hulin was a man with a destined fate; at this moment, he remained silent, appearing quite meek, but Wu Ming knew that he had already secretly prepared himself. Much of the calamitous aura above his head had dissipated, giving him a good chance to escape this deadly disaster!
“On the other hand, these two women nearby are unaware that death is upon them…”
Seeing Honglian Holy Mother and Bai Yulian still basking in the glory of Xu Zongwu’s mighty army, Wu Ming could not help but shake his head inwardly.
He had given them equal warning, but alas, they were too proud or instinctively ignored his words.
Considering Xu Zongwu’s current advantage, capturing Shengjing was highly possible, and he might even become a future dragon—a founding emperor! Naturally, the two women wished to attach themselves to him, seeking opportunities and even aiming to seize divine favor.
Alas, the will of heaven is unpredictable, clouding people’s minds. In Wu Ming’s eyes, these two women, like the other rebel kings, were hopelessly entangled.
“These two women must suffer a setback first before there is even a glimmer of hope for survival!”
A thread of heavenly insight lingered in his heart, making Wu Ming even more aware of the profound mysteries of this world.
A Grand Taoist is one who wields the Dao of Heaven, observing the ways of Heaven, grasping the unseen will of heaven, and determining life and death!
The more one knows, the more one realizes the might of heaven and learns to revere it!
Yet the path of Earth Immortality requires one to “transcend,” opening a domain within heaven and earth, cultivating a blessed land, and resisting the forces of heaven and earth—this is the true meaning of an Earth Immortal!
“Still… the more one knows the might of heaven’s will, the easier it is for one’s own thoughts to shrink back…”
Wu Ming was well aware that this was a “barrier of insight” and a bottleneck in cultivation. Knowing too much leads to greater reverence for heaven, which hinders progress.
Without resistance, how can one break through to become an Earth Immortal?
“That is why there have always been Grand Taoists and Heavenly Masters throughout the ages, but Earth Immortals are rare, almost like legends!”
Wu Ming opened his heart and mind, allowing this reverence for heaven to wash over him, continuously strengthening his Daoist resolve.
Even if everything is predestined, a cultivator must strive to “man overcomes heaven.” Moreover, although the power of heavenly mandate in the Zhou Dynasty world is formidable, how does it compare to the Master Temple or the myriad realms of the multiverse?
Precisely because he stood higher, although Wu Ming revered the heavenly will of the Zhou Dynasty world, he possessed an additional confidence to transcend it—this was the seed of an Earth Immortal!
“If one lacks this determination and the courage to face great destruction, even if one obtains the methods and resources of an Earth Immortal, what use would they be?”
As this thought arose, Wu Ming’s eyes immediately shone with brilliance, which he then subtly reined in.
His demeanor changed, becoming more ethereal and otherworldly, and faintly, he bore some resemblance to the Jade Clarity Daoist.
“This Daoist!”
On the other side, the Revenant Eater Boy, leading the Revenant Walkers, had changed into military uniforms and mingled behind the rebel kings.
“Throughout the entire rebel camp, only two people give me the feeling of being unfathomable—one is Xu Zongwu, and the other is this Sanmao True Lord!”
Revenant Eater Boy’s eyes glowed greenly, “The one who spied on us two days ago must have been a Daoist of high skill, at least a Grand Daoist level, possibly this Sanmao True Lord! Alas, without solid evidence, I cannot rashly confront him, or else I might jeopardize the main mission of the Gaitian King…”
At that moment, Wu Ming’s thoughts were unblocked, his Daoist heart breaking through its previous limits, and his cold-eyed gaze swept over.
Revenant Eater Boy felt his heart go hollow, as if everything inside him had been exposed, even the lurking evil god within his body shrank back in fear, making him even more cautious…
“My lords… I have heard that beneath this camp lies a ‘Golden Pond,’ said to be a banquet site of ancient immortals, with picturesque scenery and breathtaking beauty. Tonight, I shall host a feast there for all of you. How does that sound?”
Xu Zongwu’s eyes held a shadow of gloom, and he was slightly startled, then smiled.
“Of course!”
“We will definitely come!”
He had recently often invited the rebel kings to banquets, lasting all night, and everyone had become accustomed to it, readily agreeing.
Only a few exchanged meaningful glances.
“It’s here! The Golden Pond Banquet!”
Wu Ming’s eyes flickered as he saw the calamitous auras around the other rebel kings surge to their peak! The will of heaven was intensely focused here, to the point that if he deliberately disrupted it, heavenly punishment would surely descend!
“This is the heavenly mandate of the rebel kings, unbreakable…”
Wu Ming sighed softly.
“Here we go! It’s happening!”
Revenant Eater Boy muttered a curse, “This Xu Zongwu is such an idiot! Anywhere would have been a hundred times better than the Golden Pond!!! Could it be that overconfidence leads to defeat?”
This was the front line!
If he had stayed in the main camp, even if Guo Zihe launched a surprise attack, the effect would never have been as good as in history!
Therefore, Xu Zongwu had practically made the worst possible choice!
If it weren’t for knowing that this man’s fate was tragic, ending with his head displayed publicly, Wu Ming and the other Revenant Walkers would almost have thought he was a spy sent by the Shang Dynasty.
“But even a spy couldn’t rise to such a high position. One more step and he would reach the position of the Son of Heaven himself. Surely, any loyalty would rebel then?”
Wu Ming mused inwardly, “But is it merely the power of heavenly will? Influencing a previously strongest dragon? It seems too deliberate… There is too much human interference…”
…
Time slightly rewinds.
“This is the place!”
The setting sun cast its light over a pond in the mountains, shimmering like liquid gold, brilliant and dazzling, illuminating ten miles around, a magnificent sight.
This is the famed Golden Pond, a place that has captivated countless poets and scholars throughout history, inspiring immortal verses praising the miraculous craftsmanship of nature!
Daoist Jade Clarity arrived at the edge of the Golden Pond, gazing at the wondrous scenery, and sighed softly.
In the decline of past dynasties, rebel kings overthrowing the old regime usually gained either Metal or Fire Virtue. After observing Xu Zongwu’s foundation, he was undoubtedly of Fire Virtue!
“Water overcomes Fire! This place is where this dragon will meet its end!”
Muttering to himself, Daoist Jade Clarity summoned three copper coins, and a flash of Daoist light appeared in his hand.
He was about to perform a ritual, using these coins as a medium, to transfer the calamity originally destined for Ji Yi onto Xu Zongwu!
Boom!
At that moment, a muffled thunderclap echoed across the heavens. Though the sky was clear for ten thousand miles, thunder rumbled on the ground! The awesome power of heaven descended, causing Daoist Jade Clarity’s sleeves to billow.
To perform a ritual affecting a dragon immediately invoked the wrath of heaven! In a moment more, heavenly punishment would fall!
“Rise!”
At this point, Daoist Jade Clarity cast out a handful of blood-red hair, which turned to ash and fell onto the three copper coins.
In a flash of light, the three copper coins flew up in a triangular formation.
A dragon’s roar echoed, and the rumbling thunder in the distance weakened somewhat.
“Such strong resistance?”
Even Daoist Jade Clarity’s gentle eyes showed a trace of surprise: “No wonder he is a peerless hero, the leader of forty rebel lords across the land! But the heavenly way is just, and repayment is the norm. Even if you are a dragon, you cannot defy it. Even Earth Immortals can only hide within blessed lands to temporarily evade karmic consequences…”
Plop!
The three copper coins fell into the waters of the Golden Pond. Daoist Jade Clarity opened his spiritual eyes and saw a black dragon flying over, coiling above the Golden Pond, hesitating slightly in expression.
“Quickly!”
Knowing this was the critical moment, Daoist Jade Clarity dared not delay. He expanded his domain’s power, and even behind him, a phantom blessed land appeared.
This was the seed of his blessed land. If he could find a good place, bear good fruit, and gain enough merit, it would be sufficient to protect himself and even bless his Daoist lineage.
But this was the breakthrough brought by Ji Yi. To suppress the black dragon, he spared no resources and used it directly.
Boom!
The black dragon was pressed down, drawing closer to the water’s surface, but its dragon-eyes also showed anger, letting out a mighty roar.
Roar!
Daoist Jade Clarity’s face changed drastically, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth!
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