Delong

Chapter 581 Crossing the Sea (5) The End
The meeting proceeded without incident. Even those most worried that the campaign against the Eastern Barbarians would cause unrest among the people, or that the two true dragons would emerge simultaneously and result in heavy losses, completely abandoned any unnecessary concerns when faced with the oath that Zhang Xing had made the entire gang swear before his ascension to the throne. This was not only a personal oath to Emperor Zhang, but also a political commitment made by the entire Chulong Gang to the world, and no one had the right to object.

Subsequently, based on Xu Shiying's proposal, a military deployment that likely represented the strongest force of the entire Chulong Gang was adopted, along with a military plan to conquer the Eastern Barbarians, then march south to the Demon Island, and finally achieve complete unification.

That wasn't all. Bai Yousi, in his capacity as the Vice Minister of Jing'an, submitted an additional proposal, demanding the conscription of all cultivators above the Core Formation level throughout the world. Even the Thousand Gold Sect Leader Sun Siyuan and the Three Ones Orthodox Sect Leader Chonghe Daoist were to be summoned—the reason being that this battle was a war for the unification of the world, and all mortals had a responsibility to fight it.

In addition, Chen Bin, the Prime Minister of the Southern Court and the Acting Governor of the Eastern Capital for this campaign, specifically proposed that Bai Yousi be appointed as the Deputy Chief, citing the necessity of establishing a succession system in the court due to the strength of the two powerful forces.

The Minister of Justice, Choi Suk-sin, added a proposal to grant a nationwide amnesty to all able-bodied prisoners and allow them to transfer supplies to the military in lieu of double sentences.

After all this was confirmed, and with the cessation of the May rains, all the gang leaders returned to their posts, either to uphold their duties or to immediately mobilize. Countless imperial edicts, official documents from the Southern Court, proclamations, and military orders also flew out of the Eastern Capital.

Of course, Zhang Xing and the other ministers of the Southern Court also officially issued a comprehensive letter of persuasion to the Eastern Barbarians, jointly signed by them.

This accuses the Dongyi people and the remnants of the demon race of defying the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people by establishing a slave system and creating a hierarchical hierarchy that forces people to depend on each other, a crime of immeasurable guilt. The newly appointed Grand Marshal of the Dongyi, Wang Yuande, was promised the position of leader, and the fifty states of the Dongyi and the two islands of the demon race were ordered to surrender unconditionally. All officials and generals below the rank of king, all registered families and personnel of the fifth rank and above, plus all troops, were required to abandon their weapons and armor before July and voluntarily cross the Luolong Beach to surrender to Sima Zheng, the commander of the Eastern Expeditionary Army. The deadline for the demon islands was extended to September.

At the same time, the Ming Dynasty court, in the name of the Sanyi Orthodox Sect, sent petitions to Qingyun Mountain and Dongting True Fire Temple in Dongyi, respectively, to worship the two supreme beings, Qing and Chi, demanding that they not interfere with worldly affairs or hinder the unification of the world. Otherwise, the ancestral temple of Qingyun Mountain would be demolished and Dongting True Fire would be extinguished afterward, and the sins of the two saints would be known to the world.

His words, though sharp and scathing, were less a plea for surrender and more a provocation.

It wasn't that no one offered advice, feeling that things had gone too far, but in the unanimous fervor of those at all levels—especially the middle and upper management—no one could sway them.

On the eighth day of the sixth month, still a month away from the deadline, and perhaps the Dongyi people hadn't even seen the surrender document yet, the war commander Li Ding and the chief advisor Ma Wei left the Eastern Capital and headed towards Dengzhou.

In mid-June, laborers began to gather in various places, especially in the surrounding counties along the main river as the logistics line, to transport more supplies to Dengzhou, and troops from various places also began to gather.

On June 17, after Tuli arrived, Xu Shiying, Wang Shuyong, Xu Shiren, Wu Jingfeng, Shan Tonghai and others also began to lead the twenty battalions of the so-called Three Capitals Imperial Guards and five thousand Wu tribe knights eastward.

On June 22, 20,000 troops from the north gathered in Bailang County. Hei Yan, Lu Dun, Cheng Zhili and others had also arrived there earlier.

On June 25th, 35,000 naval troops assembled in Xuzhou, and Niu Da, Zhou Xingfan, Du Pozhen, and Feng Fu officially joined forces.

On the first day of the seventh month, Zhang Xing burned a memorial under the dilapidated golden pillar south of the Eastern Capital, informing the Three Radiances and Four Emperors that the Eastern Barbarians were stubborn and unruly, determined to bring disaster to the people, and that he had made up his mind to eliminate them. Immediately afterwards, he, along with Bai Yousi, Xiong Bonan, Chai Xiaohe, and others, led more than 2,400 White Cavalrymen eastward.

By this point, in terms of political status, of the twenty-two incumbent leaders of the Exile Gang, apart from Chen Bin, Wei Xuanding, Dou Lide, Hong Changya, and Zhang Shizhao who remained in Luoyang, the remaining seventeen leaders—Li Ding, Bai Yousi, Xiong Bonan, Xu Shiying, Shan Tonghai, Chai Xiaohe, Niu Da, Wu Jingfeng, Zhou Xingfan, Wang Shuyong, Xu Shiren, Sima Zheng, Du Pozhen, Cheng Zhili, Hei Yan, Lu Dun, and Tu Li—had all gone to war.

Even the two leaders, Yin Tianqi and Zhou Xiaoshang, who had already retired, responded to the call and joined the army as practitioners.

In terms of cultivation strength, Zhang Xing, Bai Yousi, Sima Zheng, Yin Tianqi, Chong He who was willing to accompany the army to guard the rear, and Sun Siyuan who was willing to accompany the army as a military doctor, totaled six Grandmasters. Li Ding, Xiong Bonan, Xu Shiying, Wu Jingfeng, Niu He, Wei Wenda, Feng Fu, Xie Minghe, Wang Shuyong, Xu Shiren, Hei Yan, and Qin Bao, plus Tu Wanchanglun, Yu Jieluo, Cui Tang, Wang Huaitong, and others who were specially invited to "guard the rear", totaled sixteen Grandmasters... Only Lai Zhan'er refused to move no matter what.

The changes in the formation and condensation of the elixir below are rapid and extremely scattered, making it difficult to calculate exactly how many participated in the battle. It is only known that there are currently more than 2,400 registered White Knights and more than 800 White Knights sent to the army in the past four years, not counting those sent to the local areas. There are at least 3,000 extraordinary steles... In fact, it is very likely that 4,000 extraordinary steles accompanied them.

In Xu Shiying's words, this was a war that could have been fought with the utmost effort to seize power.

According to Cui Tang's private conversations, this is called gathering the elites of the world to force the two supreme beings to surrender... As long as no one in the Exorcising Dragon Gang imitates someone who claims to be the supreme being on the land and insists on bringing trouble upon themselves, then the two supreme beings in the southeast cannot bear the backlash of destroying the elites of the world!

It is said that Heaven's will has turned, the Mandate of Heaven has been fulfilled, and the hearts of the people are boundless; even the supreme dragon cannot withstand it.

In early July, the rice harvest had already begun in the south, and the autumn harvest would follow throughout the land. By this time, the army had fully assembled, while Zhang Xing and his men led only the White Cavalry eastward along the newly built official roads on both sides of the river. The plains along the way were golden, and the farmers and common people had passed through the initial period of anxiety, knowing that the army had been dispatched and would not delay the autumn harvest. At this moment, the emperor, again, set off with only a few thousand men at the very end, and many people came out to see what was happening. But often, as soon as they came out upon hearing the news, the red banners with the character "除" (chú, meaning "dismissed") had already disappeared into the distance.

So one can only lament that this emperor's aura is far inferior to that of the emperor of the Great Wei.

On the seventh day, just as they entered Qi County, a fast horse came from ahead, saying that on the fifth day, a person from the Eastern Yi people sent an envoy to Dengzhou to surrender. They agreed to everything, but asked for an extension until autumn.

The autumn harvest was the very reason why the Ming Dynasty launched its military campaign and set a deadline. Moreover, the Dongyi people had repeatedly feigned surrender to Cao Che, and now they had clearly delayed their response. How could the people above and below accept this? Following the original strategy, Li Ding tore up the surrender document from the other country's ruler. At the same time, in front of the envoy, he ordered the main force of the army to move eastward, heading straight for Luolongtan, and demanded that the naval forces on both the north and south routes be activated immediately.

Wang Shuyong, who was tasked with being the vanguard, was required to enter Luolongtan the moment he received the military order.

After the envoy left, Zhang Xing and his party arrived in Dengzhou on the ninth day. Xu Shiying, the deputy commander who was ordered to wait there, came to greet them. Instead of stopping, they invited the two Grandmasters and three Grandmasters who were staying there to accompany them eastward. The reason was that Luolongtan was where the rear army was located, and Chai Xiao and Chai Xiangong would take over the Dengzhou camp and turn it into a material transfer base.

Although everyone knew what it meant, they had already come all this way... what else could they do?
However, due to the obstruction of a large number of rear guard troops and laborers ahead, the speed of the White Cavalry slowed down significantly. By the time they escorted Zhang Xing and the others to Luolongtan, it was already the afternoon of the twelfth. The day before, the main force of the Chulong Army had already stepped into the hundreds of miles of Luolongtan without hesitation. Li Ding left the enemy no room for maneuver, intending to use absolute superiority and decisive action to pressure them—do you dare to fight?
What hope do you have left?

If there's anything... whatever it is... throw it out immediately, or you'll miss your chance!

The early autumn breeze swept across Luolongtan, and for some unknown reason, perhaps simply due to natural recovery, the reeds on Luolongtan were exceptionally lush this year… The scene of “the reeds are green, the dew is white as frost, the one I long for is on the other side of the water” was naturally absent. It was late autumn, and it required ample water. In fact, if it were that time, the reeds would have been cut down by the soldiers and laborers for fuel long ago.

It is precisely because it is not yet late autumn that we can see this magnificent scene where green and yellow meet, and see the reeds blooming, dancing like snowflakes in the autumn wind.

Zhang Xing stopped his horse by the riverbank, gazing intently at the falling blossoms.

His yellow horse was clearly old, showing signs of fatigue, but being a fine steed, it carried him as usual without showing any signs of exhaustion, and was leisurely grazing on reeds. In fact, whether it was a misperception or not, everyone felt that Emperor Zhang, who was theoretically more vigorous and even seemed younger than his actual age, was showing signs of melancholy on the eve of completely unifying the world.

This is not reasonable.

“Chief… it’s already late afternoon, would you like to rest for the night and head down to the beach tomorrow?” Xiong Bonan offered his concern, just as he always had.

"Now that we've come this far, how can we turn back?" Zhang Xing regained his senses, slowly shook his head, but instead looked at Bai Yousi. "Just in case, Third Sister should stay here. Are you still going?"

“Since you’re here, you should at least bear witness…” Bai Yousi replied quietly.

Zhang Xing nodded, and then his gaze turned to the north, where there was a mountain range with several peaks that stretched continuously, cutting off the north side of Luolongtan. To the east, the Dongyi lands extended to the location of Qingyun Mountain, the ancestral home of the Azure Emperor, while to the west, the mouth of the Yellow River was separated from Luolongtan... He had emerged from the mountains that stretched from there to Dengzhou back then.

Having identified their target, Zhang San did not pursue the army directly ahead. Instead, he gently reined in his horse, adjusted its direction, and veered north before stepping into Luolongtan. Subsequently, Bai Yousi, Xiong Bonan, and Xu Shiying led the way, followed by Qin Bao, Yuchi Rong, Xue Ren, and Su Jingfang, who led the White Cavalry in separate columns as they entered Luolongtan.

Almost at the same moment, on Mount Li, hundreds of miles away, in that completely dilapidated little temple, Wang Huaiji, who seemed to be waiting for someone, had been somewhat restless and his heart was beating very fast for the past quarter of an hour. Just now, he suddenly felt something "ding" in his chest... When he took out the treasure mirror with trembling hands, he found that the treasure he had held for decades had now cracked slightly.

In an instant, he felt like the sky had fallen.

But when Wang Huaiji stood up blankly, he suddenly felt as if his body had never felt so light, and then he inexplicably started to laugh foolishly. A moment later, without waiting for anyone, he threw down the mirror and went down the mountain with a grin.

On the other side, the white-clad rider continued towards Luolong Beach. Yin Tianqi mounted his horse, but chuckled dryly on the horse and made a gesture of courtesy: "Gentlemen, Bai Longtou is right. Since we're here, we should at least be witnesses."

Sun Siyuan and Chonghe, who were standing on the ground, exchanged a glance, and then looked at the mountain to the north together, but their expressions were different... Sun Siyuan sighed, and was the first to mount his horse, carrying a large gourd on his back.

Chonghe, however, hesitated instinctively: "Gentlemen, you are only here to witness this. With so many heroes, even if we had killed two true dragons, it wouldn't have made a difference if we were a few grandmasters. But why is Yin Siming so piercing with his cultivation level, and why is Sect Leader Sun so conflicted with his cultivation level? Could there be some other important matter on this trip?"

This time it was Yin Tianqi and Sun Siyuan's turn to look at each other. They both came to their senses and realized that they had just been swayed by their emotions... but that was all... even after Chonghe took the initiative to question, he could only get on his horse.

After all, if something else really happened, given the current state of mind of the three of them, they would rather see what happens and what the outcome would be.
With the three grandmasters gone, Tu Wanchanglun, Cui Tang, Wang Huaitong, and others who had previously complained about being sent to prison along with the army remained silent and simply followed the White Cavalry. On the other hand, Yu Jieluo, who had been invited to the central army by Sima Zheng, had already entered the beach.

Luolongtan is over two hundred miles wide, mostly saline-alkali land. However, the water from the mountains to the north washes it away, making it far from barren. The roads are also accessible, but this makes it easy for people to lower their guard and underestimate the dangers of this area.

In response, Li Ding devised an unconventional military deployment: the vanguard would advance first, but each camp would be established every twenty-five li (approximately 12.5 kilometers), effectively undertaking much of the logistical work. Some civilian laborers and able-bodied men would then expand the camps and prepare logistical supplies. Meanwhile, the central army would advance later, but would set up camps every fifty li (approximately 25 kilometers) each day.

This allowed the main force of the Chulong Army to actually arrive first despite starting later.

Considering that the vanguard entered Luolongtan on the 8th and the main force entered on the 11th, the main force will be able to officially cross Luolongtan and set foot on the land of Dongyi in about 15 days.

Back to the present, on the night of the 12th, Zhang Xing and his party camped in Luolongtan, setting up their own camp. Wu Jingfeng, the commander of the left flank, sent someone to inquire, but was told to ignore him and simply proceed straight ahead as previously discussed.

Nothing happened that night. On the thirteenth, the army continued to advance, leaving gaps. The White Cavalry increased their speed and, after replenishing their food and water for a few days, directly passed behind the left flank army.

The day was still uneventful, with reeds swaying in the wind and calm waves, without any unusual signs.

There was no earthquake or tsunami.

On the 14th, the weather was clear. In the afternoon, the vanguard of the Chulong Army marched 25 li according to military orders and then stopped to continue setting up camp. They could almost see the yellow-green color of the Dongyi land opposite with the naked eye.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they will enter Dongyi tomorrow with the main force that has caught up, and sweep through the area.

So far, there have been no unusual events. However, perhaps because they are facing the two major camps set up by the Dongyi people, the left wing army under Wu Jingfeng and the right wing army under Xu Shiren had sporadic battles that day.

Wu Jingfeng's scouts even noticed a golden frog flag representing the royal family of the Dongyi people coming from the north, and found themselves forced to retreat towards Qingyun Mountain after being blocked by the Chulong Army.

Following Li Ding's military orders and Zhang Xing's instructions, the left wing army did not pursue any further attacks; their target was the Dongyi people's northern camp on the opposite side.

That very night, the white-clad riders arrived at the foot of the mountains, where there was no path to climb them, and then quietly set up camp.

Two moons hang high in the sky, a gentle breeze blows, and there are no clouds in the sky—yet nothing at all.

After daybreak, the white-clad riders continued their journey, following the contours of the mountains and even turning back westward. However, they did not waste much time before finding a river, or rather, a stream.

Upon arriving here, Zhang Xing was clearly still somewhat hesitant, as if he was unsure of what to do.

But no one urged him on.

After a while, as the sun passed noon, the man finally shook his head with a wry smile: "To tell you the truth, this must be a cover set up by the Supreme Being, who doesn't want us to find the Mountain Lord who is recuperating... Who knows, there might be one or two Supreme Beings watching us from the mountains or above right now!"

Everyone realized what was happening and gave a wry smile... while Yin Tianqi, Chong He, and Sun Siyuan had strange expressions.

These people don't know, do they not know? There is a chasm between Grandmaster, True Dragon, and Supreme Being. The Supreme Being's actions are tantamount to direct interference... But why? Is it because of the Lord of Dividing Mountains and Avoiding Seas?
Surely it's not that bad? At this point, the two supreme beings should realize that letting the two below go on their own might not be a bad thing, right?

Could it be that Zhang Xing's cultivation level has been underestimated? Are his actions comparable to the White Emperor's establishment of laws and regulations? If these two true dragons are removed, will he be able to ascend to heaven? But surely not? There must be something unknown to him somewhere.

Only Bai Yousi knew more, and at this moment he couldn't help but feel solemn.

Just as everyone was having differing thoughts, Xu Shiying stepped forward and said, "Chief, in that case, let's go. We'll destroy the Eastern Barbarians, swallow the Demon Island, and then take our time. Once we've mastered the Eastern Barbarians' geomantic energy and connected with all sides, how could we possibly not find them?"

“We can’t back down. This is like fighting a war. We have to meet force with force and water with water. Once we give up, our momentum will be lost again.” Zhang Xing shook his head and took out the compass that he hadn’t used in a long time from his waist.

Bai Yousi's heart pounded like a torrential rain. She instinctively wanted to stop him, but remembering the agreement they had made before coming here, she forcibly stopped herself... Before coming, the two of them had discussed it. Bai Yousi knew that Zhang Xing came from Luolongtan and that their fate began here. Naturally, she could guess that there might be a major change here today, which would end everything directly.

But the two also agreed not to act like children.

"May the Supreme Lord Laozi command me hastily!" Zhang Xing blurted out the incantation almost without thinking.

Upon hearing the name of Laozi, the grandmasters became even more astonished and suspicious. The compass needle sprang up almost instantly, pointing in a direction.

Zhang Xing walked forward in that direction, and the compass needle began to sway as he walked up and down the rocks in the mountains. After passing Xu Shiying in front of him, the compass turned back. After several attempts, everyone realized that the compass was actually pointing to Xu Dalang himself.

Xu Shiying stared in disbelief, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.

Zhang Xing reacted quickly, reaching out his hand and saying, "Give me the Dragon-Slaying Sword. I don't know if I forgot or if I've been misled. That's why I brought you here."

Everyone then realized what was happening, and Xu Shiying unsheathed his sword, presented it with both hands, and handed it to Emperor Zhang. As a result, the compass needle indeed dropped.

After grasping the unsheathed Dragon-Slaying Sword, Zhang Xing raised his hand and plunged it into the stream to the side. Immediately, his true energy, like a thread, surged into the stream and probed into the mountainside. However, he did not find any hiding place for the true dragon. Instead, the water source was strange, swirling and turning within the mountain, its depths unfathomable, as if it had been forcibly drilled out... Finally, his true energy continued its reverse exploration and unexpectedly turned a corner in the mountain, heading west underground!

Zhang Xing seemed to realize something and was greatly alarmed, but his face did not change color. He simply drew his sword, pondered for a moment, and then plunged it into the stream again to test it. This time, he had prepared his true energy fully and continued to extend it along the water flow, which actually subtly stirred the earth energy of Dengzhou and even the Bohai region!

At this moment, the leader of the Chulong Gang, whose actual rank may have surpassed that of an ordinary Grandmaster, had basically verified his thoughts. However, he still made a third attempt, and this time he used almost all his strength. A large amount of true energy surged wildly in the mountains. One of them followed the previously discovered water flow route and flowed westward, spreading down the mountain range and cutting straight into the mountains north of Dengzhou. Then, the earth energy of the entire Central Plains and Hebei seemed to be affected by him, the ruler of the world. Countless true energies leaped between heaven and earth, as if they wanted to echo him and become one with him.

But it always seemed as if something was blocking it.

At that very moment, the true energy probed and searched within the mountain. Right there in the mountain, on the eastern side, a pair of tiger eyes suddenly opened beneath the deer antlers, seemingly unable to contain their anger!

Immediately afterwards, the mountain began to shake, and Luolongtan began to tremble slightly... The earthquake that had struck this place many times before had occurred again.

Xiong Bonan, Xu Shiying, Qin Bao, and the others seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. The experienced White Riders began to instruct the newcomers, reminding them to follow the formation closely and maintain their formation, and reassuring them that this wounded dragon was nothing to worry about.

They all thought that Zhang Xing had finally found the Mountain Lord, but they didn't know that it was the Mountain Lord himself who couldn't hold back.

But it didn't matter. Soon, scales began to slide through the cracks in the mountains.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xing took the initiative to form an array. More than 2,400 white riders, three grandmasters, and five great grandmasters manifested together, easily activating a cloud-like formation that was as tall as a mountain rather than a white mist.

Moreover, under the autumn sunlight, this huge cloud cluster faintly shimmered with golden light, making it a sight to behold.

Within the mountain crevices, the scaled creature clearly sensed the danger and began to slide faster. However, almost immediately, a huge golden dragon claw shot out from the white mist that had already encroached upon the mountain, slamming down fiercely on the true dragon inside through the mountainside.

This action caused the true dragon in the mountain to wail continuously, followed by an even more violent tearing of the mountain. A feather-like bird tail, with its tail forked into three, suddenly broke through the mountain and soared high up, as if pointing to something.

White mist, clouds, radiant golden dragons... Regardless of what it was, the enormous being, seemingly alive, noticed this scene and immediately climbed up the mountain. With just one step, it stretched out its dragon claws and easily grasped the dragon's tail. Then, it forcefully clung to the highest peak of the mountain and pulled against the current, actually tearing off a fork!
The dragon was in excruciating pain. Finally, it twisted its whole body and, disregarding everything, grabbed the broken mountain and stretched out its huge deer antlers and tiger head to bite the golden dragon claw opposite it!

However, the golden dragon claws retracted into the mist, and the tiger's head plunged into it, tearing with all its might, but only managed to rip out a wisp of true energy.

At the same time, the white mist continued to spread upwards, pressing down on the entire mountain and half of the true dragon. A huge dragon claw reappeared from the mist, blocking the opponent's antlers and continuing to smash into the mountain.

The antlers were indestructible and seemed to possess some supernatural power over the mountain. So this time, it was a real landslide, directly destroying one side of the mountain.

Accompanying this landslide was a tremendous roar from the Mountain Lord, a roar that was hard to describe as either anger or pain. The roar shook the heavens and the earth split open, and the tremors could be felt both inside and outside Luolong Beach.

Wu Jingfeng was on the left flank. From his position, he could even see the white mist over there with the naked eye and sense some movement. However, he did not go to provide support. Instead, he followed the previous military orders and instructed the entire army to advance forward and not to turn their heads to look north!
But soon, he no longer needed to worry about that, because no one knew who or what had triggered the celestial phenomenon, and soon dark clouds rolled in from the south, blocking out the sunlight.

Faced with this change, Wu Jingfeng could only suppress his unease and urge his troops to quickly engage in battle.

Continuing south along Luolong Beach, Li Ding naturally noticed some things... It had started to rain on his side, and when the troops were preparing to cross Luolong Beach and reach the other side, his military commander, who was also his younger brother Li Ke, rode over cautiously.

"What?" Li Ding looked at it coldly.

“Brother.” Li Ke was clearly uneasy. “The tide is rising… The water level started to rise after the earthquake.”

"So what?" Li Ding asked coldly. "Isn't it just that Lord Bihai is here? Didn't you attend the pre-battle meeting?"

"It stops when the tide comes in..."

"You think you can get rich by meeting guests?!" Li Ding rebuked. "I, Li Ding, have come here to fulfill my lifelong wish. If you dare to undermine the morale of the army again, I will cut you down and offer you as a sacrifice to the flag!"

Li Kehai's face turned pale, and he could only leave in a sorry state, urging the entire army to advance quickly.

In fact, as Li Ding said, the Chulong Gang had discussed these matters—if they encountered a true dragon, they would leave it to Zhang Xing and the Ta Bai Qi to handle. As long as the Chulong Army acted quickly and actually broke through the Luolongtan defense line, it would stimulate Zhang Xing's control over the earth's energy and increase their chances of winning.

Some even say that this might be Chief Zhang's tower, and that his tower is the entire Exorcising Dragon Army, or even the entire Exorcising Dragon Gang.

Regardless, for the main force, defeating the enemy in front of them is precisely what helps to subdue the dragon.

Perhaps due to the thickening of the clouds, although the manifestation of the White Rider still held the greatest advantage at the North Mountain of Luolongtan, it was unable to truly inflict fatal damage on the Mountain Lord... Both sides clearly possessed divine essence, yet they fought like two wild beasts in the mountains, while the peaks on the North Mountain were continuously shattered and collapsed.

This situation continued until the appearance of the Sea-Avoiding Lord.

The Sea-Avoiding King, with the body of a bird and the tail of a fish, could only be seen vaguely through the clouds, resembling a golden eagle of unknown size. When he folded his wings and swooped down, with his bull's head, deer antlers, and fish tail swaying, hailstones fell from all sides, making his momentum even more astonishing.

Even those who considered themselves superior still seemed hesitant to confront the formidable Fen Shan Jun head-on, hastily releasing the battered and bruised mountain spirit and scattering through the clouds to escape.

But the Sea-Avoiding Lord plunged straight down, actually knocking down the last remaining main peak.

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but after that attack, it seemed as if a sigh came from a higher place in the sky, or perhaps from the depths of the eastern side of the mountain that was not affected by the attack.

Just like before, Bihai-jun grabbed Fenshan-jun, whose injuries were far worse than before, but instead of killing him, he struggled to lift him up into the sky... clearly intending to save him again.

A golden dragon head emerged from the white clouds and bit down hard, tearing off only a few blood-stained, massive dragon feathers from one of its wings. Despite being injured, Lord Bihai disregarded the danger and soared into the sky, then flew south.

Zhang Xing watched as his opponent soared high into the sky, then turned and let the clouds and mist settle at the foot of the mountain. Instead of pursuing, he dispersed his manifestation.

Everyone was clearly puzzled. Were they going to let them go again?

It should be noted that the battle just now clearly showed that our combat strength is now vastly different from the last one, even ten times stronger than when we dealt with the Wind-Swallowing Lord. And before the Sea-Avoiding Lord arrived, we had already severely injured the Mountain-Dividing Lord. So whether we manifest our wings or have Bai Yousi manifest them, we should at least try to catch up.
If we can't catch up, then we can talk about it later, but why can't we even manifest wings?

Just then, Zhang Xing, who was holding the unsheathed Dragon-Slaying Sword in one hand, turned to look at Bai Yousi and said something surprising: "Third Sister, I want to try a conjecture. If it turns out to be correct, then it's over!"

"End what?" Bai Yousi realized something and became nervous.

“To end the myths and stories,” Zhang Xing laughed. “Do you really expect anyone to end history?”

After saying this, he kissed the other person in front of everyone, walked north, and went up into the mountains that had just been destroyed in the battle. He then inserted the Dragon-Slaying Sword into a puddle... This must have been a fake pond temporarily formed by the terrain blocking the stream.

After being submerged in water, Zhang Xingfu turned to ask, "Has anyone read 'The Legend of Li Yue'? What was the ancestral emperor's surname?"

Everyone was stunned by the question, but Xu Shiying finally answered: "It seems his surname is Zhao!"

Zhang Xing nodded, and his true energy suddenly burst forth. This time, the mountains had been broken, but he easily went against the current to reach Dengzhou first, and then went straight to the bottom of the river. Immediately, the earth energy of the Central Plains of Hebei surged, and even the Dongyi on the side, and the Luolongtan at his feet, had true energy surging. Countless true energies from all directions flowed freely, finally gathering at his feet, and then surging into the depths of the river.

At this moment, Zhang Xing's mind was clear; he could gaze at the moon and trace the river, as if he had the world at his fingertips.

After a long time of calming down, the man finally spoke: "Brother Zhao! The unification of the world is not solely our achievement, but also the result of the blood and sweat of the three of you. Today, I will help you settle your grievances, and you will help me take the lead! Is that alright?"

At first, these words were just ordinary speech, as if he were speaking to the members of the Dragon Extermination Gang in front of him. But for some reason, the volume of each word seemed to increase. In the end, it was not just a simple sound like thunder, but as if it had penetrated into the mountains and the earth, as if the whole world was speaking.

Some people had already guessed what was going on, but most others were simply surprised and puzzled.

As expected, there was no response after this statement was made.

The world remained as usual, except that the dark clouds originally brought by the Sea-Avoiding Lord dissipated slightly as He rapidly moved south.

Zhang Xing paused for a moment, then asked again, "Is that alright?"

This time, the sound waves were still like waves crashing on an empty shore, like rocks falling from the sky, but there was still no response. Only a slight northerly wind rose, passing over the collapsed mountains, and still swirling the reeds like snow, just like the southerly breeze that came before.

Zhang Xing chuckled and asked again, "Is it possible?!"

This time, almost as soon as the words were uttered, a tidal wave surged from the northwest, and following the wave, an equally resounding voice suddenly echoed throughout the heavens and earth: "Yes!!!"

After he spoke, a golden dragon flew out from the mouth of the great river where it entered the sea. Its eyes were like lightning, its paws were like tiger's, its claws like eagle's, its tail was like a fish's, and its wings were like hooks. However, it had a camel's head but no horns, a snake's neck with short whiskers, and a clam's belly but no scales.

Zhang Xing glanced at the dumbfounded crowd in front of him, and said nothing more. Having already connected with the earth's energy from all directions, he gently activated the true energy beneath his feet and easily flew straight into the sky. Then, with a flip, he landed on the third true dragon. Immediately, the true dragon shook its head and wagged its tail, flapped its wings, and soared into the clouds, chasing southward.

The crowd below was already incredibly astonished. How could they not know that a real dragon had been hiding in the most conspicuous place in the world within this great river?! Yet, they had never heard of it before!

Of course, today's experiences and Chief Zhang's words not only verified that this dragon came from the great river, but also pointed out its origin and background.

It turns out that the mountain in Luolongtan was actually blocking the third dragon from the two rulers of the mountain and the sea. Chief Zhang had been destroying the mountain instead of banishing the dragon, otherwise the ruler of the mountain would probably be gone long ago.

Moreover, if the one in the great river is the ancestral emperor who first attempted to unify the country, then the two rulers who separated the mountains and avoided the sea are most likely, as some legends say, the ancestral emperor's nemesis, Li Yue and Qian Yi, who blocked the ancestral emperor but were betrayed by their own people.

Li Yue deeply resented the betrayal of the main branch of Dongyi. Even after transforming into a true dragon, she still wanted to take revenge. However, Qian Yi often stopped her. It was precisely for this reason that Bi Hai Jun would protect her many times when she was truly in danger.

Thinking further, according to common sense, the Ancestral Emperor's transformation into a dragon was a result of his achievements and was reasonable. People had always wondered why the Ancestral Emperor had not transformed into a dragon, especially since he had remained hidden in the great river for nearly a thousand years without moving, seemingly still possessing his divine sense. It was Li Yue and Qian Yi who, out of pity for the Supreme Being after his death, forcibly molded him into a dragon. In addition, they could not communicate with him and he was neither a beast nor a cultivator, which was a defiance of the heavens.

But all of that is insignificant now, because someone wants to use their three dragons to accomplish something.

Once the golden dragon broke through the barrier, it relentlessly pursued the enemy. Almost immediately, it spotted the figure of the Sea-Avoiding Lord above the clouds. The latter turned its dragon head, saw the newcomer, and finally stopped hiding. Instead, it turned back and circled with the newcomer in the air.

Zhang Xing, having arrived with Jinlong, spoke frankly and advised them: "Gentlemen, I know you only retain a fraction of your sanity and may not understand... but I must still say this: regarding past conflicts and grudges, now that Beishan has collapsed and Brother Zhao has arrived, the three of you should settle things; regarding the general trend and destiny, eight hundred years have passed, and the unification of the world is beyond redemption, so you should no longer be involved; regarding merits and demerits, you fought repeatedly at Luolongtan, using the earth's energy while also being used by others, causing millions of casualties over a thousand years, and even in this body of mine, relatives and friends have been killed by you... Now that we have met, let's settle things here!"

The Sea-Avoiding Lord only retained a fraction of its consciousness and could not speak. It was already quite remarkable that it could remember the Golden Dragon. Theoretically, it should not have been able to understand these words. However, after hearing them, it actually roared with all its might, as if in response. With just one roar, the Mountain-Dividing Lord under its claws also roared in response, seemingly echoing it. Then it struggled to break free, and the two dragons struggled in the air. The Mountain-Dividing Lord went down, and the Sea-Avoiding Lord went up to meet it, rushing straight at the Golden Dragon that was circling in the clouds.

Faced with this situation, Jinlong made no move. Only when it was right in front of him did it suddenly stretch out its long neck and bite down on Bihai Jun's neck.

The Mountain Lord, originally covered in blood and seemingly beyond saving, suddenly used its remaining bird tail to propel itself into the belly of the Golden Dragon. Unfortunately for the dragon, Zhang Xing had been waiting. He leaped down, his sheathless sword drawing upon the surrounding earth energy and the combined power of the heroes of the Dragon Extermination Gang within and outside the Dragon Falling Beach. With a single strike, he pierced through the dragon's massive head.

Seeing this, Bihai Jun disregarded the fact that his neck was being torn apart and struggled like a madman. He flew down again, grabbed with his claws and protected with his wings, and then fell from mid-air with Fenshan Jun, crashing heavily into the center of Luolong Beach below. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, but surprisingly, it also sparked a fire.

This scene caused the auxiliary soldiers and laborers from all the surrounding dozens of miles to tremble with fear.

But soon, or rather, almost as soon as the Mountain Lord landed, just like the death of the Wind Lord before, a huge amount of true energy surged out, creating a whirlwind out of thin air. Then, the flesh and blood began to melt, and the surrounding strange phenomena disappeared like reeds.

Only the sea-avoiding king lay on the ground, wailing mournfully. And as he wailed, the sea south of Luolong Beach clearly responded, and the tide continued to rise.

Zhang Xing hovered in the air, watching this scene, and sighed inwardly.

Then, the same voice came from above: "I am no longer a mortal being and cannot consume this spiritual energy. Now that our grudges are settled, you still have responsibilities to bear. You may take what you need!"

Zhang Xing nodded, threw down his sword, and struck Bi Haijun squarely in the neck wound. A moment later, Bi Haijun raised his head and roared, then vanished into the world.

The true energy of the two dragons surged into his body like a sea, and also connected with the earth's energy from all directions. Zhang Xing's mind became clear, and he understood many things more clearly. He realized how vast the world was and how insignificant it was. He then cupped his hands and looked up again: "I ask Brother Zhao to lend me another hand!"

"We've had many connections in the past, and today I've received the kindness of moving mountains, so I should agree," Jinlong replied simply.

Zhang Xing nodded, and without wind beneath him, he rose atop the golden dragon. The dragon then flapped its wings and soared into the sky. No one knew how high or how far it flew, but all he saw were countless stars all around, shining brightly even in broad daylight. There was a clear path to follow, but fortunately, Zhang Xing already knew the way and guided him, allowing him to traverse the stars one after another.

As the sky changed, the sun set, and night fell, the double moons, which had grown to be as large as mountains, were already close at hand on the night of the fifteenth.

But when Jinlong reached this point, he was already powerless. He simply flung the person off his back and turned to fall.

Zhang Xing bowed respectfully, then raised his true energy and continued upwards. Just when he was about to give up, he saw the red moon, like a sea of ​​mist, growing larger and larger. A stream of true energy drifted from afar, drawing him in. It was divided into black, white, red, and blue, just like a rainbow forming a bridge. So he stepped onto the bridge and finally reached the red moon, landing in a manor where everything was covered by a crimson mist.

There were already four people in the manor: an old Taoist priest in green robes, a beautiful woman in palace attire, a tall and imposing warrior, and a dashing scholar... When they saw Zhang Xing land on the red mist, their expressions varied but none of them changed.

Zhang Xing bowed to the four of them, said nothing more, and took out a compass... At this moment, without chanting any incantations, he saw the pointer rise and point directly to the center of the mist. He walked over and saw a well in the red mist, with red water rippling in the well, which did not seem to be very deep.

Without hesitation, he was about to jump.

The four people watching this scene finally made slight movements and expressions.

"Watch out!" It was the old Taoist in blue who shouted this. "This jump is simple, but you might only be able to go home, or you might wander through the void, experience the universe, or you might just turn to ashes and be gone... Why bother?"

"Everyone says that the Azure Emperor loves all things, and now he even cherishes me, an outsider." Zhang Xing said in surprise. "Did you harm the Supreme One by destroying the mountain today? I was impolite."

The old Taoist priest in green looked down at his hands, which were tucked into his robes, and remained silent.

"What are you now?" the valiant warrior said with a dark face. "The will of Heaven and the destiny of the world have turned in your favor."

“Nothing is as clear-headed as the Black Emperor, who never deviates from the will of Heaven.” Zhang Xing couldn’t help but chuckle.

The valiant warrior snorted and said nothing more.

"It was my shamelessness that led you here for my own selfish reasons," the handsome scholar said, slightly embarrassed. "And caused so much trouble..."

"It's alright. I've had many experiences on this trip and met many people. I'm quite satisfied with myself," Zhang Xing said with a smile. "Even the White Emperor should be happy. Being dejected now will only make you seem hypocritical."

Wenxiu became increasingly embarrassed, so he simply opened a cheap, antique-style fan from a tourist attraction to cover his face.

Zhang Xing turned back to the well and asked curiously again, "Didn't the Crimson Emperor say anything? To be honest, I thought that if I came here, I would have to fight the Empress with swords. I regretted throwing away the Dragon-Slaying Sword... Was it just because the four of you were restraining each other that you didn't fight?"

"You treated Li Yue and Qian Yi with respect, so naturally I will treat you with respect in return." The woman in palace attire was clearly somewhat dejected. "I do regret making them suffer so much... but before you came, the four of us had already fought."

Zhang Xing suddenly realized, nodded, and then earnestly reminded him: "Actually, the Demon Island is the same. It's an inevitable trend. After thousands of years of lessons, we should no longer interfere in human conflicts."

Having said that, without waiting for a response, he turned over and sat on the edge of the well.
Upon seeing this, the four people behind him each sighed, then stood up together, each with a different posture, but all bowed and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have had a long journey. Have a safe trip."

Zhang Xing didn't turn around, but nodded with his back turned, grasped the compass, and jumped down, disappearing from sight.

As the saying goes:
Zhang Sanlang, what a wonderful immortal.

In the morning, I drink from the clear stream of the Wo River; in the evening, I return to the red smoke of Tianmen.

Three thousand stars circulate endlessly.

Long journey, treading the distant rainbow.

Riding a flying dragon, with the wind rushing past my ears, I traverse rivers and seas, connecting with the heavens.

I know your wanderlust is boundless.

Flip the line (end)

In Mengcheng County, on the banks of the Wo River, Zhang Xing, carrying a schoolbag and holding a compass, walked along Zhuangzi Avenue in the center of the county town. After crossing Zhuangzi Bridge, he turned a corner and saw the three gilded characters of Zhuangzi Temple engraved on a huge cement archway.

Below the archway, there were seven or eight stalls. The higher-end ones sold tiramisu, while the lower-end ones sold consecrated industrial products, such as name pendants, antique mirrors, plaster Buddha statues, and fake compasses.

It was quite lively.

Among them, an elderly stall owner wearing a Taoist robe was squatting on the steps smoking. He was looking at the tiramisu stall over there with envy, and at the same time, he felt inexplicably uneasy. Just as he was wondering if something was going to happen, suddenly, a pair of iron-like hands grabbed his Taoist robe collar. The fake Taoist was so frightened that he dropped his cigarette butt on his slippers.

When she turned her head, she saw Zhang Xing and was stunned for a while before smiling and saying, "You're back?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xing laughed in anger: "Old man, you're selling such a good compass, is it blessed? I took it and walked only a few dozen steps before it fell into a well. If you don't give me an explanation today, I won't bother you myself. I'll call the city management right now and say that someone at this stall has food poisoning, and then tell them that you made the call to that stall. Let's see how they deal with you afterwards!"

The fake Taoist priest was clearly flustered and dared not be negligent: "Let's talk this out. Didn't you come back unharmed? With all that strength, you've become a superman. Isn't that a good thing?"

Zhang Xing laughed again.

The fake Taoist priest, feeling helpless, repeatedly touched the other person's hand: "I'll tell you everything I know! Okay?"

Zhang Xing then released his grip: "Then you tell me yourself."

"What did you say?" The fake Taoist priest was bewildered.

Zhang Xing remained silent, only glancing sideways at the other person.

"Oh... indeed, I have some business dealings with that guy surnamed Bai over there." The fake Taoist priest realized what was happening, and became serious, but he didn't forget to change his cigarette before squatting down again to continue speaking. "But it wasn't to deliberately trick you; it's just that your destiny has arrived."

Zhang Xing narrowed his eyes slightly, gripping the compass tightly in his hand, as if he were using it as an ashtray.

"Of course, the key is that this matter is too urgent." The fake Taoist priest quickly explained upon seeing this. "You saw it over there too. The universe over there is like an egg. On one hand, it needs people like you to go over and help them mature and evolve. On the other hand, after being in that situation for a long time, even those four people began to feel that they were fake. Someone needs to tell them that they are real, that the outside world is real, and that they can go in and out, so that they can keep their true selves."

This was similar to what Zhang Xing realized after reaching a certain level of cultivation that day, but he hesitated for a moment before continuing to ask, "Does the Dao Ancestor exist? Is it Laozi? Or are you one of them?"

“We are all Taoist ancestors…” the fake Taoist blurted out.

Zhang Xing narrowed his eyes again: "Can you speak in a way that a person can understand?"

“You can think of the Dao Ancestor as an abstract embodiment of all the rules, principles, and humanity of our world.” The fake Daoist sighed, threw away his cigarette butt again, and swallowed. “So, it’s not just mystification… it depends on how you define it… I am, you are, and you even went to the moon over there, right? You’re a legitimate Supreme Being… it depends on the definition.”

"What about the relationship between the two worlds?" Zhang Xing pressed for an answer.

"It still depends on the definition, because our understanding and concepts don't correspond to it... For example, to put it positively, it's a naturally formed universe in the process of being conceived. It needs the Dao to guide and enlighten it, and our Dao Ancestor is willing to guide and enlighten it, so everyone can develop together, and in the future there will be boundless and supreme bliss. But if we say it maliciously, then our Dao Ancestor is a heretic, and that world is a pure infant, unconsciously infected and captured by us. Right now, even if you haven't gone there yet, you are already intertwined with me, and it's hard to break away from our Dao Ancestor." As he spoke, the fake Daoist laughed. "But actually, we all understand that the Dao Ancestor is not a person, there is no good or bad, no kindness or evil. The newly conceived world is the same. It's wrong to use any concept to describe their relationship, even a simple example of celestial bodies converging and being captured by each other's gravity."

Zhang Xing nodded in agreement: "You're right. When they reach that level, mutual attraction, fusion, and repulsion are all natural reactions... There is good and evil, good and bad, and we living people are the ones who get cheated... And when I went there, the beings in that world were already inextricably linked to this world."

The fake Taoist priest could only laugh awkwardly.

"One more question... Do you have a wife?" Zhang Xing suddenly asked again.

"...It used to be there, but it's gone now." The fake Taoist priest sounded a little nervous. "Why are you asking that?"

“I still have… I still have friends, relatives, a house, and even a chicken coop,” Zhang Xing earnestly reminded him. “You’ve taken it all away. You owe me.”

The fake Taoist priest shrugged: "If you're concerned about the compass, I can make do with it, but this is something I can't afford to pay for."

Zhang Xing nodded, then pointed at the other person's nose and reminded them, "Don't keep ripping people off!"

The fake Taoist priest immediately nodded: "The matter is all done, how can I cheat people? But if the matter comes to you, and you have a wife, friends, relatives, and a house, I'm afraid it will be your turn to cheat people."

"Even if I were to scam someone, I wouldn't do it like you did, and I still managed to find you." Zhang Xing said dismissively.

Then he simply turned and walked away.

Reaching the Zhuangzi Bridge over the Wo River, he hesitated for a moment before taking out his compass again… Logically speaking, he still had the true energy within him, which he had brought back, but there was no spiritual energy in this world. He shouldn't have any sudden impulses, but just now he still felt a slight stirring, as if someone was reminding him to be prepared.

Zhang Xing glanced at the compass in his hand and recited the incantation that was actually meaningless to this world: "May the Supreme Lord Laozi command you hasten as the law commands."

Sure enough, the compass needle continued to hang down due to gravity, without any abnormality.

But just as he was about to retract his weapon, suddenly, the surrounding world changed dramatically! Zhang Xing's expression also changed, because he had been to this place before!
This is the scene after he jumped into the Red Moon Well. He was trapped here for an unknown amount of time. After he came out, he guessed that the space and time inside were independent, based on the time here.

Specifically, it is a hollow, giant yin-yang symbol.

There was true energy inside, he was certain that the white one was true energy... he was also certain that the black one was not true energy, but he didn't know what it was. He could only define it as a strange "anti-true energy" based on his intuition. True energy has an affinity for people and thoughts, while "anti-true energy" naturally has a similar repulsive property.

If we must be so sure, one is idealistic and the other is materialistic.

He crawled out of the white fish eye, taking an unknown amount of time and effort... If the time it takes to breathe is constant, he even suspected that he struggled inside for hundreds of years before finally reaching the black fish eye on the other side, and then instantly returned to the original world.

Now, he stood in the very center of the yin-yang symbol, his left foot black and his right foot white. But perhaps because of his experience, he didn't feel particularly unsteady on the black side this time... nor did he feel that the white side was particularly difficult to stand on.

And this feeling became more and more obvious, as if he had already been able to stand firmly here.

Just as Zhang Xing hesitated about whether to take action and immediately try to travel between the two worlds, he suddenly realized something. Looking down, he saw that the white under his feet was gradually turning gray, and the black was also gradually turning gray, as if they were about to merge into one.

But just for that instant of achieving balance, the yin-yang symbol flipped completely.

It's as if two universes have fairly exchanged something, and then returned to their most stable state.

The next moment, Zhang Xing returned to the bridge. He looked at the compass in his hand, then looked down at the river below. He saw all the rivers flowing into the sea, all things returning to oneness, fish and toads swimming, mud and water droplets, and all the roads clear and flowing, all within his sight.

Knowing that he had finally achieved his status by connecting the two worlds and could travel freely between heaven and earth, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. He then threw the compass he no longer needed into the river below, waiting for someone destined to find it.

As soon as he let go and turned around, he saw a city management enforcement vehicle speeding past. Zhang Xing couldn't help but shake his head... He just picked up his backpack and headed towards the station... He needed to do some shopping first.

(End of the book)