In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Tashimoluo was still in shock and did not recover for a long time, and no one dared to disturb him.

Fifteen minutes later, Tashimoluo sighed reluctantly and returned the greeting:

"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk has lost!"

Although they appeared to be evenly matched, his previous suppression in strength was undoubtedly offset by the superior Thirteenfold Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique.

Therefore, in a real confrontation, it would be extremely difficult for him to harm the indestructible Xingyin.

On the contrary, flesh and blood bodies may gradually be defeated in a head-on battle of "mutual destruction" and "mutual destruction".

Especially since Xingyin had been fighting him bare-handed, he now saw the Vajra Staff stuck in the ground and knew it was a rare treasure, probably even more powerful.

In contrast, without a suitable weapon, he lost another city.

"Your Excellency is too kind. In terms of strength, Your Excellency is superior; I only had an advantage in terms of true qi."

In a real confrontation, it's difficult to determine a winner in a short time!

"Master, there's no need to comfort me. You are indestructible and have an invincible defense. You are already in an invincible position."

As for the Thirteenfold Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, this humble monk will ultimately find it difficult to gain any advantage over the master. Given enough time, defeat is inevitable.

Today's battle has made me realize that what you said, young master, is true: the Central Plains are full of hidden talents.

Even though this humble monk's skills have greatly improved this time, and I consider myself invincible, I am still a frog at the bottom of a well.

Amitabha Buddha, thank you so much for your guidance, Master!

"It's good that Your Excellency understands!"

Zhang Xiaoshan's purpose was to make Tashimoro understand that the Central Plains is full of hidden talents and that no one should be underestimated, or that he should not be blinded by martial arts like Kumārajīva.

After all, a sudden surge in power can easily blind one to its true nature.

This confrontation restored Tashimoluo's rationality to his previous state of mind.

"Regarding your trip to Miao territory, Young Master hopes that you can convey a message to the Crimson Blood Sect Master:"

The promise made back then was that Miao Jiang only needed to deliver the Dragon Pearl to the royal palace, and the young master would be in seclusion for several years before emerging.

"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk will certainly deliver it!"

Tashimoro naturally already knew about Zhang Xiaoshan's seclusion.

Moreover, there was nothing strange about it. At Zhang Xiaoshan's level, it was perfectly normal for him to go into seclusion for several years at a time.

Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshan's reason for going into seclusion was that he had gained some enlightenment after sparring with Chi Yuan.

If it weren't for Zhang Sheng's wedding, Zhang Xiaoshan would have gone into seclusion as soon as he returned to Peach Blossom Island.

Therefore, the news of Zhang Xiaoshan's seclusion was not a secret in Kyushu; on the contrary, it was seen by many as a rare opportunity for development.

Chapter 886 Heroes Compete for Supremacy as Chaos Descends

When there is no tiger in the mountain, the monkey will be king!

As the Zhang family consolidated their power and focused on securing their surroundings, ambitious figures in the martial arts world couldn't help but step forward.

The Dugu family of the South, carrying the fame of the reclusive sword saint from thirty years ago, and with the current head of the Dugu family possessing unparalleled skills, quickly established a powerful presence in the region, building a strong foundation in the South—the Peerless City.

The Supreme Alliance, which was originally confined to a corner, swept across Jingchu with overwhelming force after the Zhang family gave way, becoming one of the hegemons of the south.

The Northern Azure Dragon Society subtly controls many smaller forces, and the mysterious Azure Dragon Commander behind it is even more unfathomable, so much so that even the Demonic Sect is unwilling to confront it head-on.

···

The rise of these overlords has also made the once quiet martial arts world lively again.

Fortunately, the Zhang family's influence remained. The only disturbance was in the martial arts world, and the common people did not suffer any losses. On the contrary, with the rise of these overlords, the empire's oppression of them decreased.

The theaters and brothels were often filled with ordinary people listening to storytelling, paying attention to "major events in the land".

Meanwhile, the Zhang family's popularity on the Unparalleled Ranking has gradually faded.

Those listed on the Top Ten Unrivaled List are all the most sought-after overlords in the Nine Provinces today.

One of them was the Queen of Loulan.

Among the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, the rise of Loulan was inevitable.

The Grand Priest of Loulan, a master of pure Yin, along with two peerless experts, the Ghost Palace Master and Dongjun Yanfei, were virtually invincible in the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions.

Even those grandmasters from the Western Regions were unwilling to be enemies with the Zhang family.

After all, Loulan was the Zhang family's outpost in the Western Regions, and the two female experts assisting the Loulan High Priest were both from the Zhang family. Moreover, the Loulan army was not to be underestimated.

The military equipment provided by the Zhang family was in no way inferior to the empire's top-tier equipment.

With the windbreak and sand-fixing methods provided by the Zhang family, as well as various seedlings suitable for desert growth, Loulan became a prosperous and powerful nation among the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, and Loulan and the Zhang family were the people's favorites.

After all, what the Zhang family provided to Loulan was also sold to them; this was the Zhang family's 'benevolence'.

The thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions all desired an oasis surrounding them, rather than gradually disappearing as the desert shifted.

For windbreak and sand fixation, the selection of seedlings suitable for desert planting becomes crucial.

Meng Tian, ​​the general guarding Yanmen Pass, also supported Loulan. Apart from occasionally sweeping across the north, the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions had always been honest and focused on developing their own oases and striving to secure a larger territory (oase).

···

"Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born with a special destiny?"

Just as the hegemon had been established and the land was at peace, a loud shout suddenly shattered the tranquility.

The Black Swordsman, who returned to the farm from the net, launched an uprising at the Six Sages' Tomb in Daze Township, a village in the farm.

This was in the third year of Hu Hai's reign.

After being captured by the Luo Wang organization, the Black Swordsman officially met the leader of the Farmer's School of Heroes and received the complete and earth-shattering plan of the combined forces of various schools.

Everything proceeded as planned, and the empire collapsed with lightning speed.

Following the shouts of the peasants, righteous armies rose up everywhere, spreading rapidly throughout the entire land like wildfire, creating a powerful momentum to destroy the empire.

The only safe place was beyond the Great Wall.

What is "outside the pass"?

In the eyes of most people, the area outside the Great Wall was a barren land and a land of barbarians.

This time, the rebel army swept across the empire, but the lands outside the pass remained quiet and could not be mobilized at all.

Ultimately, these people outside the Great Wall were mainly workers of the Zhang family. Even if they wanted to revolt, it was the Zhang family that would take the lead, and other forces simply did not have that prestige.

Some nobles of the Later Jin dynasty tried to rise to power, but were instead wiped out by the Zhang family and the imperial garrison.

This completely eliminated the hidden dangers outside the pass.

As long as the empire exists, the Zhang family will not rise.

At this time, the empire was only collapsing, not perishing, so the Zhang family naturally could not launch a rebellion or send troops.

Even Shanhaiguan, after the empire became unstable, returned to the Zhang family's hands.

When the rebel army wanted to set foot outside the pass, the first thing they would face was the Zhang family's guards.

The weak rebels had no power, while the powerful rebels knew the Zhang family's background and how terrifying they were, so they avoided the Zhang family whenever they encountered them.

The fact that the Zhang family didn't interfere was already a stroke of luck in their eyes.

If the Zhang family is angered, their Blood Droplets will be able to slaughter most of the rebel army overnight.

As for the Northern Wolf Clan?

Seeing that the Nine Provinces were in chaos and the Zhang family was hiding outside the pass, they wanted to take advantage of the situation.

However, Meng Tian's 300,000 imperial cavalry, aided by the Yan Yun Blood Cavalry, once again swept across the northern frontier, forcing the Wolf Clan to retreat three thousand miles and retreat deep into the northern plains.

The Northern Yuan had great generals, but Meng Tian, ​​as the Empire's number one warrior and a renowned general, commanded 300,000 Imperial armored soldiers.

In just the first round of battle, they swept through and defeated the million-strong army of the Northern Yuan.

They pursued and attacked relentlessly, penetrating three thousand miles into the grasslands and completely crushing the main force of the Northern Yuan.

This is also why Zhang Xiaoshan wanted to protect Meng Tian.

A thousand troops are easy to get, but a general is hard to find!

The northern grasslands have always been a major threat to the Central Plains. Apart from the Han Dynasty's demise due to its strength, the northern wolf tribes have been a major threat every time a dynasty changed hands in the Central Plains.

With Meng Tian's death, the north was left without a great general to garrison it.

Even though the Zhang family arranged for skilled individuals to guard the border, they ultimately could not withstand the overwhelming force of the situation.

Given Meng Tian's grudges with the empire, he would not support the empire if he remained in the north. Therefore, Zhang Xiaoshan's three-year agreement with Meng Tian was calculated in this regard.

After defeating the northern frontier, the empire was essentially brought to an end by the various rebel armies.

Even with the presence of renowned generals like Wang Li and Zhang Han, there was still one nemesis – Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Chu.

In an instant, chaos descended upon the land, and the people suffered immeasurably.

At this time, Chi Yuan was born and came to Lishan Mausoleum with the witch Linglong.

As agreed with Zhang Xiaoshan, when the empire was in chaos, Miao Jiang would seize the opportunity to obtain the Dragon Pearl hidden in the Dragon Emperor's tomb as a condition for trading the Chi You Demon Sword.

Moreover, the Miao region also has its own goal—the God of War!

Zhang Xiaoshan gleaned the secret of the immortal demon body from the Demon God of Soldiers and the Demon Sword of Chi You. Similarly, the Demon God of Soldiers was also a supreme artifact that existed in response to the demonic power of Chi You.

Therefore, once Miao Jiang obtains the God of War, he can sweep across the Central Plains and even be unafraid of poisonous dragons.

Upon arriving at Chiyuan at Lishan Mausoleum, they immediately looked at the witch (Qian Le Zhao) in her exquisite robe.

The witch Linglong was a born witch, and like the High Priest of Loulan, she could sense the power of the Dragon Ball. It was in this way that she was able to open the tomb of Lishan Mausoleum.

Otherwise, with the Dragon Balls suppressing the tomb and forming an inner world, opening the tomb wouldn't be a simple matter of explosion.

"The Lishan Mausoleum is the burial site of the Dragon Emperor, and it is fraught with danger. Junior Sister, you can wait for me outside."

Chi Yuan was aware of the risks within the Lishan Mausoleum.

He possessed an indestructible demonic body protecting him, so naturally he feared nothing. But the priestess Linglong was different.

If one is not careful, some of the traps inside that could endanger even a Grandmaster could threaten the priestess Linglong, so she immediately decided to go alone.

"Don't worry, senior brother. The Zhang family has already informed me about the mechanisms inside the Lishan Mausoleum."

This time, we'll get straight to what we need and leave the rest alone. The Dragon Emperor was, after all, a great emperor of all time; there's no need to disturb his peace after death. The Zhang family also fears being gossiped about.

Chapter 887 The Twelve Golden Statues of the Imperial Mausoleum at Mount Li

Inside the Lishan Mausoleum!

At this time, under the guidance of the witch Linglong, Chi Yuan arrived at the depths of the underground palace without any major incidents.

The Lishan Mausoleum was designed internally by the empire, while the core of the underground palace was another masterpiece completed by the Zhang family, the Yin-Yang School, and the Gongshu family.

Therefore, the mechanisms and traps inside the Lishan Mausoleum are not a secret.

But the only ones who truly possessed the layout map of the Lishan Mausoleum, besides the Empire, were the Zhang family.

Even though the Yin-Yang School enhanced the illusions within the underground palace and the Gongshu family created the mechanisms within the tomb, ultimately, none of their people were trusted confidants of the empire. Therefore, after the Dragon Emperor was buried, they all remained inside.

The Zhang family members were different; most of them withdrew through corvée labor and thus had no direct access to the core of the underground palace.

However, the mechanisms of the underground tombs are basically completely visible to the Heavenly Official who uncovers them.

After all, Zhang Xiaoshan had foreseen the collapse of the empire beforehand, and had sent the Heavenly Official of the Underground Palace to investigate the mechanisms and deployments of the underground palace from the very beginning.

"This is the entrance to the underground palace!"

Looking at the sealed entrance to the underground palace, this is the core of the underground palace.

However, without special means, not only is it impossible to open the sealed underground palace, but even if it is opened by brute force, the hidden mechanisms inside will be fully activated, and the people inside will be completely wiped out here.

Even Grandmasters are no exception; the Empire's methods mean that even Grandmasters are not invincible.

At this moment, the witch Linglong took out the wooden dragon ball enhanced by Zhang Xiaoshan!

As the power of the Dragon Ball slowly flowed into the gate of the underground palace, under Chi Yuan's watchful gaze, the bronze gate, which was three zhang wide and five zhang high, slowly opened.

What came into view was not a mountain of gold and silver, but the bronze 'gold' figures of the Twelve Caves.