Swords emerge from Mount Hua, sweeping across the heavens from the world of Swordsman.

Furthermore, the two traditions also share the "Midnight Heavenly Gang" and "Renbing Sword Technique." One is a mental cultivation method and the other is a sword technique. If the mental cultivation method is used to control the sword technique, they can be combined into the even more powerful "Sword and Gang Flowing Together."

Judging from the old Taoist's cultivation level, he had only grasped the basics of these secret techniques.

"Since you come from Lao Jun Temple, you should know that Empress Zhu Yuyan is consolidating the Demonic Sect under my orders."

"I know," Master Kefeng nodded hastily.

"So do you know what to do next?"

"I will go back and integrate Laozi Temple, and work with Yinhou to seize the true lineage of the Dao Ancestor."

"You're not too stupid."

Yue Zhuoqun nodded, flicked his finger, and sent a life-and-death talisman into his body.

"Go and organize the secret manuals passed down through your lineage, and coordinate with the Empress's plan!"

"Yes."

Ke Feng nodded, not daring to ask any more questions, nor daring to linger any longer, and quickly got up to leave this place of trouble.

……

After Wang Shichong's death, the army in Luoyang lost the will to resist.

Shangguan Long led the Luoyang gang members and effortlessly opened the city gates from the inside, welcoming Li Jing and Pei Renji's army into the city.

Wang Shichong's nearly 50,000 troops in the city all surrendered without weapons.

Wagang successfully captured Luoyang.

After capturing Luoyang, Yue Zhuoqun did not rush to hold a victory celebration banquet.

Pei Renji's army was stationed in Luoyang, and he incorporated the surrendered troops.

Li Jing's army marched westward from Luoyang without stopping, aiming to intercept Li Shimin who was coming to their aid.

Although Xu Shiji led a naval force to intercept them in advance, he was outnumbered and unable to win.

After learning that Luoyang had fallen into the hands of Wagang and that Wang Shichong had been defeated and killed, Li Shimin actually wanted to withdraw his troops from Tongguan and take control of this strategic pass.

However, during the retreat, they were held back by Xu Shiji, and their marching speed was very slow.

Before he could retreat to Tongguan, Li Jing's army had already arrived.

In a major battle, he was utterly defeated by two top-notch commanders, Li Jing and Xu Shiji, and his entire army was nearly wiped out.

Fortunately, he escaped with his life thanks to the intervention of Master Feixuan of Cihang Jingzhai and several masters of Jingnian Chan.

Chapter 188 Shi Feixuan

Shi Feixuan held a long sword in her hand and flew through the air.

Behind them followed four eminent Buddhist monks, their bodies radiating a powerful aura. They were the four guardian Vajras of the Pure Mind Zen School, namely, Non-Anger, Non-Ignorance, Non-Greed, and Non-Fear.

Bu Chen's strong, muscular arms embraced Li Shimin, and the group crossed Tongguan Pass high above the pass, heading westward.

Ten miles outside Tongguan Pass, in a grove of trees, the group finally stopped.

Li Shimin straightened his clothes and bowed to Shi Feixuan and the others, saying, "Thank you for saving me, Fairy Shi and the four masters."

Shi Feixuan wore a white dress and a white veil covering her face, with only her clear and flawless eyes visible, which seemed to be able to dissolve all hostility.

Just by looking into those eyes, one could tell that beneath the white veil lay a face of unparalleled beauty.

Besides her appearance, the pure and holy aura she exuded was even more extraordinary.

No man in the world could remain unmoved in the face of such an extraordinary woman.

Yet her sacred aura prevented anyone from harboring any thoughts of desecration.

“Young Master Li, there’s no need for such formality!” Her eyes were calm and her voice was clear and elegant: “Young Master has the appearance of a wise ruler. Since it concerns the stability of the people, it is only right that Consort Xuan should take action.”

Li Shimin might have been pleased to hear such words at other times.

But having just suffered a major defeat, with the entire army he brought from Chang'an wiped out, he couldn't be happy at all and could only take it as the other side's way of comforting him.

He smiled sadly and sighed, "Luoyang has fallen into Yue Zhuoqun's hands, and Tongguan will be occupied by them in less than two days. It will be very difficult for Li Tang to advance eastward again, and whether they can unify the Central Plains is still unknown."

Even if the Tang dynasty could unify the Central Plains, Li Shimin still had his elder brother Jiancheng above him. How could he be considered a wise ruler?

On the contrary, Yue Zhuoqun was highly skilled in martial arts and adept at managing his subordinates.

His generals Li Jing, Xu Shiji, Pei Renji, and Shen Luoyan were all skilled military commanders.

Shimin, on the contrary, felt that he had more of the qualities of a wise ruler than he did.

Li Shimin wasn't just boosting others' morale and diminishing his own; he was genuinely shaken.

He had previously befriended Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.

The two thugs, who came from a petty criminal background, helped him steal the Li family's transaction ledger, which made him think highly of them and realize that the two boys were not simple people in the future.

He had several conversations with the two men in an attempt to win them over with his personal charm.

But these two boys always mention Yue Zhuoqun, calling him "Brother Yue" repeatedly, and praising him to the extreme.

It should be noted that Du Fuwei had also dealt with the two men before, making them fear him like tigers and requiring them to address him as "Dad."

However, when Du Fuwei and Yue Zhuoqun were compared side by side, the two boys' evaluation of Yue Zhuoqun was more than ten times higher than that of Du Fuwei.

At that time, Li Shimin remained noncommittal.

In his view, no matter how famous Yue Zhuoqun was, he was just a bandit and had no comparison with the four great clans.

I think Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling praised Yue Zhuoqun only because Yue Zhuoqun taught them martial arts and saved their mothers; it was personal affection at play.

It wasn't until today's crushing defeat that I realized how terribly wrong I had been.

Yue Zhuoqun didn't even show his face; he only had two generals under his command, yet he still managed to wipe out his entire army.

The brilliant military strategists Li Jing and Xu Shiji, and the exceptionally brave Wagang army, left an indelible impression on him.

At this moment, I truly felt that Yue Zhuoqun had far more of the qualities of a wise ruler than I did.

Upon hearing Li Shimin's evaluation of Yue Zhuoqun, Shi Feixuan, who had remained calm and composed throughout, finally frowned slightly.

If Yue Zhuoqun's identity weren't so complicated, she might actually consider whether or not to support him.

But Yue Zhuoqun was clearly not a disciple of the Demonic Sect, yet he insisted on subduing the Yin Kui Sect and even claimed the position of the Holy Lord of the Demonic Sect.

Cihang Jingzhai and the Demonic Sect have been fighting for hundreds of years, and they are irreconcilable enemies.

Even if Yue Zhuoqun had a lot of influence, she couldn't support him anymore.

"Young Master Li, please don't underestimate yourself. Fei Xuan wouldn't misjudge someone, and Cihang Jingzhai wouldn't choose the wrong person either." Shi Fei Xuan's voice was elegant and calm, enough to soothe the disappointment in everyone's heart.

Li Shimin was startled and stared blankly into those mesmerizing eyes: "Does Fairy Shi trust Shimin so much? You should know that my elder brother's talent is no less than mine."

Among Li Yuan's children, Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, Li Yuanji, Li Yuanba, and Li Xiuning were the most famous.

Li Yuanba possessed astonishing martial prowess but was intellectually deficient.

The other four are all exceptionally intelligent.

Li Jiancheng's talent was actually not much weaker than Li Shimin's, and he was the eldest son of the legitimate wife and the rightful heir to the throne. He only lost because of the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

The Li Tang dynasty had only just begun to be established, and even though Li Shimin was ambitious, he didn't have much confidence that he could seize the throne from his elder brother Li Jiancheng.

Shi Feixuan's high regard for him surprised him quite a bit.

"The overall situation is still uncertain, but it depends on human effort."

Shi Feixuan smiled faintly: "Cihang Jingzhai, Jingnian Chan Sect, and even the entire righteous path will fully support Young Master Li."

Li Shimin's spirits lifted, his determination dispelled the gloom in his heart, and a smile appeared on his face: "With Master's words, Shimin's confidence has greatly increased. Whether we succeed or not, we will give it our all."

Shi Feixuan smiled and nodded: "Yue Zhuoqun is currently riding high. If Li Tang continues to fight against him, it will likely result in mutual destruction, allowing other forces to reap the benefits."

"It would be better to change our target first, conquer other territories, strengthen our forces, and then finally engage in a decisive battle with Wagang."

Having regained his confidence, Li Shimin's thoughts were quite clear: "What Master Shi said makes sense. Although Wagang has occupied Luoyang and captured Tongguan, it is still in a state of constant warfare. Our Li Tang is not weak. They should not attack us first, but rather try to conquer one of Dou Jiande, Du Fuwei, or Zhu Can. Our Li Tang can take this opportunity to send troops south, occupy Hanzhong, and seize Sichuan."

"Now that Young Master Li has figured these things out, Fei Xuan is relieved."

Since this area is no longer under the control of Wagang, we will not see you off further; we part ways here.

Li Shimin was taken aback: "Isn't the fairy going to Chang'an with me?"

Shi Feixuan shook her head: "No, I want to return to the Jingnian Chan Sect with my four senior uncles."

"No! If Luoyang falls into the hands of Wagang, it will be very dangerous for the fairy to go to Jingnian Zen Sect."

The Jingnian Chan sect is located in the southern suburbs of Luoyang, practically right under Yue Zhuoqun's nose.

As the Holy Maiden of Cihang Jingzhai, Shi Feixuan relied entirely on her connections with Cihang Jingzhai, Jingnian Chan Sect, and even the entire righteous path to support her.

If something really goes wrong, you'll have nowhere to turn for help.

For the first time, a serious look appeared in Shi Feixuan's eyes: "I have a reason why I have to go."

What reason could be more important than life itself?

"The He Shi Bi jade!"

The He Shi Bi was a jade seal carved by skilled craftsmen after Qin Shi Huang unified China. It was inscribed with the eight characters "Received the Mandate of Heaven, May Your Life Be Long and Prosperous".