From a Zhengyi Taoist Child to a Master of All Laws

Chapter 622 Fight
"I have been painstakingly building up the Great Li for several years. Who is this dragon crossing the river, daring to snatch food from my mouth!"

The fat Taoist priest stared coldly at the secluded courtyard a hundred meters ahead, his face showing a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

"Who on earth is this person who could make Bai Yan choose to offend me? Could it be someone from the Nine Upper Sect?"

Having risen from a rogue cultivator to the Earth Immortal realm, Zhang Heng also possesses his own pride. Among all the rogue cultivators in the world, those who can cultivate to the Earth Immortal realm like him are extremely rare, and they all have personal connections with him.

"Could it be someone from the Nine Sects who could make Bai Yan take such a desperate gamble?"

"But if it were truly those arrogant fellows from the Nine Sects, why would they be hiding it like this? There's no need for them to remain silent. It's just a mortal dynasty... Could it be that they also know what lies beneath the Great Li Dynasty?!"

Thinking of this, Zhang Hengming's left foot, which was about to step out of the peak position, stopped in mid-air. After hesitating for a long time, he withdrew it.

The higher one's cultivation level, the more one knows the terror of the Nine Sects.

That's not just a few experts and immortals!

"Even if it is someone from the Nine Sects, such an unreasonable and domineering act of intercepting me will have to pay the price!"

Zhang Hengming's oily, flabby face bounced up and down. He squeezed the wooden pillar next to him with his hand, and it was crushed into his hand like tofu dregs. After a moment, his fan-like hand released the pillar, and a breeze blew up the charcoal dust in his palm, revealing a few bright and transparent things!
He threw a few crystalline particles directly at the ground with his hand, and they embedded themselves in the ground like iron nails. Zhang Heng's fat face was full of coldness as he turned and left.

At a distance of no more than 100 meters, such a release of aura naturally could not be hidden from Li Yang. In fact, Zhang Hengming did not intend to hide it from Li Yang.

Even before Bai Yingluo arrived, Li Yang had already sensed the Grand Preceptor of Dali who had followed him, but he had not made a sound about it.

Sensing the other party's departure, Li Yang calmly pushed open the courtyard gate, walked towards the deserted alley, and looked at the few crystals embedded in the stone slab, his pupils shrinking slightly.

"To grind wood into a drill with bare hands... that requires at least two thousand degrees of high temperature and high pressure. This Grand Preceptor of the Great Li Kingdom has risen from a rogue cultivator to the current Earth Immortal Lord over a thousand years. He is indeed no ordinary person."

Li Yang raised his right hand, fingers together, and grasped a nearly transparent crystal in his palm, saying softly,
Moreover, in a short time, it directly compressed and transformed ordinary wood into crystals. The temperature was definitely more than two thousand degrees Celsius. You can imagine that those two fleshy palms were like a small sun. If they had hit a person, they would have turned them into charcoal in an instant.

He naturally knew that this was a provocation from the other party, and that this provocation was quite powerful. Not to mention a human immortal, this ability to "crush wood into a drill" was among the best even among earth immortals.

Looking in the direction Zhang Hengming had fled, Li Yang frowned slightly.

To be honest, Zhang Hengming did put some pressure on me.

The opponent is an Earth Immortal who has accumulated years of cultivation, while Li Yang's current cultivation level is only Human Immortal. It is possible to fight on equal footing, but to truly eliminate the opponent, it is necessary to combine the unity of spirit and body with the ultimate burst of the Law of Heaven and Earth.

However, if this happens, the primordial spirit will be fully released, and the Crimson Serpent Erosion Mark will be unable to be concealed, which will quickly attract the terrifying great cultivators of Purgatory Valley!
Moreover, although a mixed cultivator like Zhang Hengming might not be considered a threat to the Root Law in terms of combat strength at the same level, his ability to protect himself and his methods are absolutely first-rate. If we were to be careless and let Zhang Hengming escape, he could report his situation to the Xuanhuang Hall of the Nine Great Sects...

Similarly, after pondering for a long time, Li Yang had suppressed the Nanming Sword, which was eager to strike, several times while chatting with Bai Yingluo in the courtyard.

He was lying low, waiting to make a grand entrance when he finally announced his arrival to the world, so as to achieve his goal and avoid being hunted down by the nine major sects because of this rogue cultivator.

"Hopefully this guy won't go berserk again, otherwise, if he really loses control and attacks one day, it will truly be a loss..."

Under the setting sun, Li Yang stood in the alleyway talking to himself, his eyes darting around in the direction Zhang Hengming had left.

However, things naturally did not go as Li Yang wished.
Starting the next day, Li Yang felt countless eyes watching him all the time, one of whom was quite powerful and was actually a Human Immortal.

"That's true. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't let it go either. A complete stranger has forcibly taken away a country's resources."

Another day passed, and when Bai Yingluo learned that Li Yang's residence had been discovered by the Grand Preceptor of Dali, and that the Grand Preceptor had even come to investigate in person, her face instantly turned deathly pale.

“Brother Wang, Zhang Hengming is ruthless! Moreover, he is an Earth Immortal, and he is always vengeful. If he finds out about the agreement between Father and you, he will definitely come to intercept and kill you without any mercy!”

"Leaving aside his own cultivation level, his disciple Xiao Rui is equally difficult to deal with. He's at the same cultivation level as you, Brother Wang, both being Human Immortals. Your chances of winning are truly slim!"

“Human immortals are not all the same, and earth immortals are also different from each other. Sister Wang, you don’t need to worry. If the other side really makes a move, in the end, it will definitely not be me who is injured or killed.”

Li Yang crossed his arms over his chest, his face calm and composed, as if stating a perfectly normal fact.

Bai Yingluo was filled with worry, her fingertips gripping her sleeve tightly, leaving deep marks on the fine brocade fabric, and her voice trembled:

“Brother Wang, I know that you are exceptionally powerful after suddenly acquiring immortal techniques and a complete inheritance, but never underestimate Zhang Hengming. His pseudonym is Chi Mang... he is nothing more than a venomous python coiled around Dali! On the surface, he is the Protector of the Nation, but in secret, he uses the lifeblood of the people of Dali to cultivate evil arts—in the third year of Xuande, when there was a severe drought in the south, he used the excuse of ‘praying for rain’ to drain the souls of seven thousand boys and girls!”

“His disciple Xiao Rui is no pushover either. I warned Father Emperor long ago that you two are being too hasty. If you stop the other side's support in such a short time, Zhang Hengming will definitely resort to desperate measures! We can't handle that!”

Li Yang shook his head, his expression neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Zhang Hengming is anxious? Li Yang is even more anxious now!
He needs to quickly improve his combat power, and he cannot let go of any opportunity to improve himself. The cultivation resources in the vast territory of Dali Kingdom are so abundant that even if there were ten more Zhang Hengmings, Li Yang would still grit his teeth and reach an agreement with Bai Yan.

Seeing that Li Yang was completely unmoved and had no intention of going inside to pack his things, instead leisurely drawing talismans and meditating in the courtyard again, she stomped her foot angrily and went out towards the palace.

Li Yang didn't know what the father and daughter talked about, but the massive amount of cultivation resources that Bai Yan promised every day still continued uninterrupted.

However, over the next month, the number of powerful auras watching the courtyard did not decrease; on the contrary, their frequency became increasingly frequent.

"If you want to see, if you want to find out my background, then I'll show you."

Li Yang's gaze seemed to penetrate layers of walls as he looked in a certain direction, a faint smile on his face.

In the blink of an eye, a month has passed.
Although the Grand Preceptor of Dali held immense power and was arrogant and domineering, his palace was not in the capital, but rather twenty miles away.

That was the Earthly Flame Fiend Land that Zhang Hengming had carefully searched for, which was very suitable for his cultivation method. Apart from a few disciples, even when the Great Li King Bai Yan came, he was not allowed to enter his mansion without permission.

Beneath the mansion lay an underground palace, where a pool of blood bubbled deep within. Nine hundred and ninety-nine lanterns made of human skin hung on the wall, casting a blood-red glow on the distorted face of a young man in brocade robes as he knelt before a fat Taoist priest.

"You mean that for the past month, this monk has either stayed cooped up in the temple, or drawn talismans, or set up a stall outside the temple to read people's palms and faces?!"

Zhang Hengming suddenly opened his eyes, looking at his disciple Xiao Rui with some surprise and uncertainty.

Xiao Rui's body trembled violently: "Yes, Master, and I think this person really has some skills. He understands the art of geomancy and divination, and his fortune-telling results are quite accurate. He already has a certain reputation in the north of Jianruo City!"

"Feng shui and fortune telling? These are mere trifles. Even if someone is exceptionally gifted and deeply knowledgeable about destiny, so what? In a battle between equals, this Immortal Lord can turn him into mincemeat within ten moves!"

"As for talismans, they're a minor skill among minor skills. In a battle between experts, there's no chance to use talismans. It's usually decided in just a few moves!" Zhang Hengming mocked coldly. Xiao Rui's face paled, and he immediately lowered his head even further.
"Your disciple will humbly follow your teachings, Master!"

Zhang Hengming snorted coldly, then stroked the stubble beneath his broad face, lost in thought: 'If this cultivator is merely immersed in minor arts like talismanic magic, his true combat strength certainly won't be outstanding. Looking at the disciples of the nine sects, it seems there isn't such a person…'

Thinking of this, Zhang Hengming's expression became increasingly hesitant.

"Since that's the case, then I'll try you one more time!"

"Xiao Rui!"

"The disciple is here!"

The man in the brocade robe hurriedly kowtowed and knelt on the ground.

"You will attend the Grand Court Assembly of Dali tomorrow morning in my place, and you will also have to do something for me..."

Zhang Hengming rubbed his chin, his eyes, squeezed so thin by the fat on his face that they were barely slits, flashing with endless coldness.

"Some beasts need to be taught a lesson!"
-
Dali, the capital city, the imperial palace.

Incense wafted through the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the cries of the officials paying homage echoed like the resounding tones of a great bell, reverberating repeatedly in the vast space with its gilded balustrades.

At this moment, the sun had just broken through the thick clouds on the horizon, and a very pale golden ray shone into the domed high window, landing precisely on the jade dragon wine cup of the Emperor of Dali on the imperial desk.

"Long live my emperor, long live my emperor!"

The deafening shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" still echoed in his ears. Bai Yan's fingers brushed across the cold tabletop as he looked down at the officials below. He unconsciously licked his lips, his gaze focusing on a man in brocade robes standing at the head of the officials.

"The Imperial Preceptor is ill and in bed. I never expected that you, Immortal Master Xiao Rui, would attend this court assembly... I wonder how the Imperial Preceptor is doing?"

"Your Majesty need not worry."

Xiao Rui stood coldly in the palace, the only person in the entire palace who did not kneel before the Emperor of Dali.

"The Imperial Preceptor sent me here for one matter. He is currently practicing an extremely dangerous and profound method, and he needs a woman with this birth date and time as his furnace. I urge Your Majesty to expedite the process."

Xiao Rui let out a cold laugh, then casually tossed a red bamboo slip onto the shore in front of Bai Yan.

Such disrespect towards His Majesty the Emperor would normally warrant the extermination of his entire family, but faced with this man, all the officials dared not even breathe loudly, keeping their eyes down and not daring to even raise their heads.

"The Imperial Advisor has given the order, and I will do my utmost to supervise it."

With an awkward laugh, Bai Yan took the bamboo slip that Xiao Rui tossed to him and examined it closely.

The entire vast palace was instantly filled only with the rustling sound of Emperor Bai Yan turning the bamboo slips.

"Born on the fifth day of the third month of the thirteenth year of Kaiwu..."

As he read, Bai Yan's expression quickly turned strange, and his ten fingers turned white from gripping the bamboo slips too tightly.

Xiao Rui observed the changes in the expression of the Supreme Emperor of the Great Li Dynasty and sneered.

"This woman must be personally delivered to the Imperial Preceptor's residence by His Majesty before tomorrow. Any delay will be met with severe consequences!"

Bai Yan clutched the wooden slip, his eyes gradually turning red: "Immortal Master Xiao Rui, could it be that the Imperial Preceptor has misremembered the woman's birth date and time? I hope you can go back and check again."

It's no wonder Bai Yan lost her composure, because the birth date on the wooden slip that the Imperial Advisor Zhang Hengming presented was that of her daughter, Princess Bai Yingluo of Dali!
"Your Majesty, this is the Imperial Preceptor's decree. You may simply follow it."

Xiao Rui sneered, showing no intention of discussing it with Bai Yan.

This was in the Dali Royal Palace. All the civil and military officials were kneeling below the hall, but they all lowered their heads to the dust, not daring to look up.

Xiao Rui glanced contemptuously at Bai Yan, as well as the kneeling officials around him: "In addition, the Imperial Advisor also specifically asked me to present a gift to His Majesty."

'A gift? What gift?'

Bai Yan's words were cut off midway through his sentence.

At this moment, Xiao Rui was looking at him with a cold gaze.

Bai Yan's consciousness blurred instantly! Something silently burrowed into his body, rapidly condensing and freezing the warm blood and qi in his veins with a cold, hard, and undeniable brute force.

"you you you!!!"

Bai Yan seemed to have something stuck in his throat; he clutched his neck in pain in front of the palace, staggering as if his body was being pulled.
At this moment, a thin thread formed from black mist was wrapped around Xiao Rui's fingertip, and then connected to Bai Yan, who was struggling in pain at the top.

At this moment, under Xiao Rui's leadership, the chants of praise to the emperor rose again, like a more ferocious tidal wave pushing forward, threatening to engulf the entire palace:
May Your Majesty's wisdom illuminate the world and your blessings be boundless!

The civil and military officials dared not look at the emperor, whose face was ashen, on the platform. They lowered their heads and followed Xiao Rui's recitation.

Unable to maintain his supreme dignity any longer, the emperor lurched forward violently, coughing and seeing stars before his eyes as the magnificent palace spun rapidly in his vision.

"you you……"

Bai Yan rose from the table, his vision completely blurred, and after struggling for a long time, he collapsed heavily onto the main hall.

The faint gasp, barely audible, came from one of the officials in the court, disappearing into the suffocating silence brought on by extreme shock.

In an instant, the vast golden palace lost all sense of time. The air became so still it could pierce eardrums; the officials knelt frozen in place, no one daring to breathe, no one daring to make a sound.

Deep within the long steps outside the hall, the gray-white sky pressed down heavily, like undried bloodstains smeared on the heavens.

(End of this chapter)