Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Chapter 670 The Holy Monarch Fuyuan!

King's capital.

Go to the capital.

As dawn broke, a sliver of golden light appeared on the distant horizon.

Jiang Ning stopped, his boots kicking up the last wisp of dust on the official road.

As he stopped, all eyes around the pipe immediately turned to him.

Anyone with a bit of knowledge knows that Jiang Ning, who suddenly appeared, is a martial artist of considerable strength.

Unlike elsewhere, the merchants and travelers passing by merely glanced at Jiangning twice, remaining unmoved and showing no fear or hesitation.

At this moment, Jiang Ning had no time to spare.

He looked up and his vision was suddenly filled with that towering black shadow.

The city walls of the capital resembled a black dragon lying across the earth, their bricks, cast from black iron, gleaming coldly in the morning sun.

Between the arrow crenellations on the city wall, one could vaguely see imperial guards in armor and wielding spears patrolling back and forth.

The towering wall seemed to be a horizontal cut that cleaved the heavens and the earth.

Its height is so great that even skilled martial artists would find it difficult to climb without tools, let alone ordinary birds.

In Jiang Ning's view, perhaps only a master who has achieved the status of a celestial being could cross the high wall without the help of external forces.

However, the crossbows every ten steps on the city wall, with their gleaming bolts, indicated that they were not mere decorations, but deadly weapons capable of devouring lives.

Then, he looked towards both sides of the city wall.

Enveloped in the morning mist, the city wall stretched for miles before finally disappearing into the still-dawn fog.

In a daze, one gets the illusion that the high wall in front of them has split the entire world apart.

"Is this the capital?" Jiang Ning murmured.

His gaze fell on the two large characters above the city gate in front of him.

Shangjing.

below.

The sixteen tracks were incredibly wide, and at that moment, a caravan was slowly driving its camel carts into the city.

From the bumpy, swaying camel wagon, one could occasionally see glimpses of shimmering glass.

At this moment, Jiang Ning also noticed that the merchants coming and going all had bronze plaques engraved with "Shangjing Pass" hanging from their waists.

He was well aware of this.

To enter the capital, one must carry a "Shangjing Pass" token.

Only local governments were authorized to issue such tokens.

He then straightened his clothes, which were slightly disheveled from the long journey under the cover of night, and walked forward with the crowd.

"The entrance fee is three taels of silver!" The city gate captain's voice suddenly came from the side.

Jiang Ning looked in the direction of the sound and saw a long line of commoners paying their copper coins at the small gate on the left, while the carriages with the flags of various prefectures on the main road in the middle were moving unimpeded.

He then reached into his robes, and a token suddenly appeared in his previously empty palm.

Just now.

He suddenly noticed several sharp gazes shooting from the city wall.

He looked up and was immediately met with a gaze as sharp as an eagle's.

It was an elderly man in purple robes holding a compass.

"People from the Observatory!" he thought to himself.

at the same time.

The old Taoist priest on the city wall also showed a slight ripple in his eyes.

With his compass, he could discern the general background of passersby.

Ordinary people cannot get feedback on the compass.

Only when one's martial arts reach a certain level and one's qi and blood are properly developed can this be reflected in the compass as a small red dot.

Those with great strength and powerful qi and blood will have their red dots on the compass appear exceptionally prominent.

The stronger the strength, the larger the red dot.

As soon as he arrived with Jiang Ning, he saw a red dot on his compass that was constantly emitting red light and radiating outwards.

With just a glance at the crowd, he spotted Jiang Ning.

Even standing out from the crowd, its brilliance cannot be concealed.

at this time.

Jiang Ning pondered for a moment, then took out the letter of recommendation for participating in the martial arts examination.

"A military student from Guangning Prefecture?" The soldier examining the documents suddenly raised his voice.

In an instant.

Several men dressed as wandering knights immediately turned their scrutinizing gazes to Jiang Ning.

"A martial arts student? So young, and he's actually a martial arts student in the imperial martial arts examination?"

"A martial arts student from Guangning Prefecture, no wonder he's so late."

"."

A few whispers rippled through the crowd.

the other side.

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the old Taoist priest from the Astronomical Bureau on the city wall.

"What a young martial arts master! He's actually a martial arts student this year!" The old Taoist was secretly surprised.

Using the aura detection of the compass in his hand, he had just realized that Jiang Ning was a martial arts master with considerable strength.

Based on the size of the light spots on the compass, he knew that Jiang Ning was not a Grandmaster who had just entered the third rank, but an extremely powerful Grandmaster even among those in the third rank.

"It seems there's a real competition for this year's martial arts champion!" The old Taoist priest held a compass and looked down, a smile creeping onto his lips.

at this time.

His gaze suddenly turned to the distance below the city wall.

"That is."

at the same time.

There was also chaos at the city gate.

"That's... Fu Yuan Shengjun's reliance!!" A cry of surprise rang out from the crowd.

Upon hearing this, everyone's attention instantly shifted from Jiang Ning to the ceremonial guard that appeared in the distance and rapidly approached the city gate.

Jiang Ning looked in the direction of the crowd's movements.

Several hundred meters away, dust billowed up, and a ceremonial guard suddenly appeared.

At the start of the procession, a nine-tasseled black flag was raised high, its surface embroidered with gold sun and moon patterns and bordered with crimson tassels, unfurling fiercely in the morning breeze.

Eighteen strongmen led the way.

The strongman was unarmed, yet every step he took was as heavy as Mount Tai, causing the ground of the official road to tremble slightly.

Behind the strongman, another gilded dragon-carried chariot stood tall.

Black gauze curtains hung from the four corners of the carriage, with star patterns embroidered on the gauze using silver threads.

Beneath the chariot, instead of the carriage shaft, there were eighteen strongmen lifting it up towards the sky.

Twelve golden boys and twelve jade maidens accompanied the carriage, each carrying a jade pot, a golden censer, and other items.

The smoke from the furnace curled up and lingered, forming auspicious clouds in mid-air.

At this moment, the procession appeared to be moving at a slow pace, but its speed was actually extremely fast.

In the blink of an eye, the ceremonial guard appeared a dozen feet away from the city gate.

People along the way retreated to both sides of the official road, not daring to cause any disturbance.

"The Holy Lord Fuyuan?" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

Following the crowd's actions, they retreated to the side of the road, completely clearing out the sixteen wide city gate entrances.

at the same time.

The old Taoist priest on the city wall stared at the compass in his hand, his expression solemn.

Several breaths.

He then saw a red dot on the compass that resembled the sun.

The red dot appeared on the compass and spread out continuously, radiating outwards like the sun.

"He's gotten even stronger!!" the old Taoist muttered to himself, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

Immediately, he looked up at the city wall below.

The procession had already reached a point ten zhang outside the city gate, and then stopped.

"My master has gone to discuss the Dao with the Imperial Preceptor!" A young boy and girl stepped forward.

"Please, Your Majesty, enter the city!" The captain guarding the city gate bowed, his body bent like a crescent moon.

As soon as he finished speaking, the honor guard moved forward again.

Seeing this, the crowd at the city gate became even more hesitant to retreat.

The atmosphere was tense, and there wasn't a single word of discussion. "Who exactly is this person? Why haven't I heard of him before?" Jiang Ning wondered, but remained silent.

After a while.

The ceremonial guards approached, accompanied by a gentle breeze that stirred the dark veil.

Jiang Ning's slightly raised gaze immediately fell upon the figure sitting upright in the carriage.

The so-called Holy Lord Fuyuan was wearing a deep purple Taoist robe.

The color of the robe was like a condensed purple sunset, or like the lingering mist of evening clouds.

The front of the Taoist robe is embroidered with the Big Dipper in gold thread, and the starlight is decorated with silver threads.

As the Taoist robe swayed, shimmering light could be seen appearing and disappearing on it.

Adorned with mithril, it shimmers and glows as the carriage sways gently.

As the black veil fluttered, Jiang Ning's gaze moved upwards, and when it fell upon that face, a chill suddenly ran down his spine.

That face wasn't made of flesh and blood at all.

Instead, it was a clay sculpture with painted outlines.

Her cheeks were covered with vermilion and azurite, and her eyebrows and eyes were outlined with gold powder to create phoenix eyes.

As his gaze fell upon Fu Yuan Shengjun's face, he saw the black beads moving in his eye sockets.

He immediately felt Fu Yuan Shengjun's gaze fall on him, and a chill began to rise.

"I truly admire your ability to walk freely in this world, fellow Daoist!"

Suddenly, a cold and emotionless voice rang in Jiang Ning's ears.

Then, without stopping, the ceremonial procession entered the city directly through the main road of the city gate.

In the blink of an eye, Fu Yuan Shengjun's reliance disappeared from everyone's sight.

Only then did everyone breathe a long sigh of relief.

Then, discussions began to arise.

Order was gradually restored at the city gate entrances.

Jiang Ning listened intently, and in just a moment, the information about the Holy Lord Fu Yuan became clear in his mind.

Fu Yuan Sheng Jun was originally a deity enshrined at the Fu Yuan Taoist Temple, located thirty miles outside the city.

For countless years, the Taoist temple has been a place of great religious prosperity. Those who worship sincerely often have their wishes fulfilled, as it is extremely efficacious.

For countless years, it has remained unchanged.

However, last year, Fu Yuan Sheng Jun suddenly stepped down from his divine throne.

The body, sculpted from clay, reveals divine miracles.

This is a god who descended to the mortal world.

At this moment, Jiang Ning suddenly thought of the God of Flesh and Blood, with whom he had had considerable friction, and also of the Black Lotus Mother.

"Sculpted from clay, walking among mortals! This Fu Yuan Saint Lord should be above the Black Lotus Old Mother!"

He looked in the direction where the ceremonial procession had disappeared and muttered to himself.

This speculation is based not only on the fact that Fu Yuan Sheng Jun can walk in the human world, but also on the fact that Fu Yuan Sheng Jun can have such a ceremonial procession in the capital.

You must know, this is the capital city.

Countless powerful individuals, hidden talents abound.

Here, there may also be the Martial Saint who has suppressed the world for over eight hundred years.

Let's go to the Imperial Preceptor's forum for discussion!

He recalled the words spoken by the golden boy and jade girl under the seat of the Holy Lord Fuyuan.

He understood even more clearly that the clay-sculpted Fu Yuan Saint King deserved the title of the strongest being in the world.

Otherwise, how could he have entered the city so openly, and how could he have had the right to sit and discuss philosophy with the Imperial Preceptor?

"Sir, do you still wish to enter the city?" The soldier who had just been examining the documents asked in a low voice after seeing Jiang Ning deep in thought for a long time.

"Enter the city!" Jiang Ning nodded, took the document handed to him by the soldier, and then followed the flow of people into the city.

"What did Fu Yuan Shengjun mean by those words?" Jiang Ning couldn't help but ponder as he recalled the words Fu Yuan Shengjun had just whispered in his ear.

"Black Lotus Mother, Goddess of Flesh and Blood, Holy Lord Fuyuan..."

Thinking of these people gave him a headache.

Even at his current level, he wouldn't dare say he could ignore a god.

He knows more now than before.

Gods, who wield the power over heaven and earth, are great because of this power, and can be considered immortal in a certain sense.

Even if it falls ten thousand times, it can still reshape its divine body and return once more.

Unless the heavens and earth collapse and the entire world perishes, the gods who rely on authority and the heavens and earth will finally fall into silence.

Although this world has undergone great changes, the heavens and earth still exist, the sun and moon still exist, and the mountains and rivers still exist.

Those departed gods will one day return.

Just like a god of flesh and blood, like the Black Lotus Mother, like the Holy Lord of Subduing Origin.

The three differ in their methods and levels of sophistication.

Fu Yuan Sheng Jun has enjoyed the offerings of incense in the mortal world for hundreds of years. Now, relying on his clay divine body, he walks in the mortal world and freely enters and leaves the capital.

It can be said that, in terms of both methods and other aspects, she is superior to the God of Flesh and Blood and the Black Lotus Mother.

If such a being could return to its heyday...

According to Jiang Ning's understanding, that person was comparable to those great immortals, the most powerful beings in the immortal realm, or even stronger.

Because this world is the domain of the gods.

In Jiang Ning's understanding, deities are, in a sense, also earthbound spirits.

On its home turf, the Earthbound Spirit is in a state of explosive power.

“Made of clay and molded for human habitation, this Great Xia is becoming more and more chaotic!!” Standing on the wide avenue, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and sorrow).

"Sir, would you like a guide?" Just as Jiang Ning hesitated, a man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face approached him.

"Do you think I need it?" Jiang Ning asked, immediately understanding the man's meaning.

“Sir, you look unfamiliar. This must be your first time in the capital! I grew up here and know the capital very well. If you don’t mind, for just five coins, I can be your guide for a day and give you a detailed introduction to all the places in the capital.” Upon hearing Jiang Ning’s words, the man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like face quickly began to introduce himself.

“You guessed right, this is indeed my first time in the capital!” Jiang Ning said.

Upon hearing this, the man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks immediately brightened up.

"Sir, let me be your guide! I'll tell you everything I know! Hiring me is cheap, only five coins! No, four coins, how about four coins? I'll hand over seventy percent of my earnings to the White Wolf Gang!"

Seventy percent!

Upon hearing these two words, Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.

He originally thought this man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks was like those drivers in his previous life who preyed on out-of-towners.

Looking at it now, I realize that these people also had a tough time.

Seventy percent of the income was handed over, and the silver received was only a little over one qian, or a little over a hundred wen.

The earnings from a day's labor, a little over a hundred coins, are not much.

After all, this is the capital, the most prosperous and flourishing place in the Great Xia Dynasty.

The more prosperous a place is, the greater its daily consumption will be.

"Do you have a map?" Jiang Ning suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, a look of disappointment flashed in the eyes of the man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks.

Then he said, "Yes, sir!"

"Give me a map!" Jiang Ning said.

"Yes, sir!" As he spoke, the man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like face took out a map and spread it out: "Sir, a map costs one hundred coins!"

"It's cheap!" Jiang Ning nodded.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, a piece of broken silver appeared in his hand.

"Keep the change, please!"

As he spoke, he tossed some loose silver coins and took the map from the man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks.

Then quickly scanned it.

Although it was simple, he could still understand it.

In the blink of an eye, the map in his hand corresponded to the map he had seen before.

After confirming that the two matched perfectly and there was no error, he vanished from the spot in an instant.

"Thank you, sir!!" A man with a pointed face and monkey-like features stood at the spot where he disappeared, his face showing gratitude.

He knew that most of the silver ingot in his hand did not belong to him.

However, the remaining 30% is enough to cover their family's daily living expenses for several days.

It can provide a family with good food for several days.

the other side.

After comparing the information, Jiang Ning realized that his previous understanding was correct, so he headed straight for his first destination.

(End of this chapter)