Chapter 40

  If it were an ordinary time, seeing a good friend coming out of the quiet, Xu Ziqing would sit with him in silence, and just say a few words, appreciate the beautiful scenery together, which is also very happy.

  But at this time, Yun Liao came out, which made Xu Ziqing very anxious.

  "He immediately spoke up: 'Yun brother, quickly return to the sect!'"

  Yun Liao swept him a glance and said, "It's not time to be desperate yet. You can retreat for now."

  Xu Ziqing only felt himself being pushed back by an invisible force, his body involuntarily retreating two steps. Just as he steadied himself, the spiritual energy that had been brewing for a final strike suddenly dispersed into his dantian, filling it to the brim in an instant.

  His limbs and bones were all nourished by spiritual energy, only then did the various pains and hidden injuries completely disappear. However, a hint of impatience arose in his heart.

  "Yun brother, you——" Xu Ziqing called out, a hint of fear surging up in his heart. He took big strides forward, but was still blocked by the sword's pressure, unable to enter that cold and desolate domain. Several attempts at charging forward were also ineffective, and the restless blood in his veins cooled down.

  Xu Ziqing knew that Yun Liao's aura was astonishing, and he must have been extraordinary when he was alive. However, now he only has a wisp of soul left, yet he took the initiative to help this dying person... Such deep feelings and friendship are hard to repay, so since Yun Liao didn't want him to join forces, he patiently waited instead.

  No matter what the outcome is, Xu Ziqing will live and die with Yun Liao!

  But in the next moment, Xu Ziqing's excitement turned into shock.

  That white-clothed figure's back was straight as a spear, like a heaven-piercing sword, unyielding and indestructible!

  "Hmm——"

  His body was surrounded by a thousand swords, all transformed into thin, long sword winds that drew white marks in the air.

  Innumerable sword auras enveloped him, yet Yun Lai was motionless.

  The sea breeze was fierce, like a tornado, but his hair and clothes didn't move in the slightest.

  By his side was only sword energy, as well as endless killing intent.

  Xu Ziqing only then realized that a person's killing intent could be so intense and concentrated, his friend's sword energy didn't need to be urged out by flying swords, it was already freely scattered around him, as if it were extremely insignificant, yet seemingly an integral part of his body. With just a thought, he could drive it!

  No wonder his good friend looked down on Zi Feng Gongzi. This thought suddenly occurred to him.

  Indeed, Xu Zifeng's sword energy was sharp and fierce, but it wasn't attached to the sword itself. The sword energy on that one sword was only a few inches long, how could it be like his good friend who lightly drew and wrote, and even the sword energy had already flowed out for ten miles, bringing a continuous cracking sound like firecrackers!

  Where the sword energy passed, those dozens of whirlpools shattered at a touch and quickly dispersed into sparkling water flowers, sinking into the sea surface. The winning fish still sat on the crest of the waves, with blood light flashing in its eyes, but when facing the white shadow below, it couldn't help but reveal a hint of horror.

  Innumerable waves were chopped up and eroded by the sword energy, calming down, but the surging fish stirred up even more wave crests, which couldn't stop the sword energy's rampage at all. The faster they came, the faster they were scattered!

  The fear in the eyes of the fish became more and more apparent, it struggled to jump up, wanting to avoid the sword energy that was about to slash down on its body - it did succeed, but before it could reveal even a hint of triumphant joy, it discovered that it couldn't move anymore.

  That one cold sword intent came from below, making it as if trapped in icy skies and snowy lands, extremely cold to the bone. It was unable to move, even its tail couldn't swing back and forth, as if transformed into a stiff stone statue, trapped within the countless killing intents established world of swords!

  Xu Ziqing watched all of this from the side, and such a stirring scene made his whole body tremble with fear, almost to the point where his scalp was numb.

  But he suddenly reacted in the stiff moment of winning the fish, and shouted a whistle: "Chong Hua——"

  The eagle, hovering in the highest sky searching for an opportunity, suddenly fell, its two claws as hard as steel, piercing through the body of the win fish, and with a peck of its beak, it pulled out its two wings!

  That Innate Qi Dan lost its master's support and fell straight down from a high place, but stopped in front of the white-clothed person just as it was about to hit the ground.

  Then, Yun Liao stepped through the void, step by step. With each step, his sword energy condensed a little more, and the endless killing intent around him dissipated like melting ice and snow.

  "Pick it up." He spoke indifferently until he stood three steps in front of Xu Ziqing.

  That one gleaming blue bead hovered between the two of them.

  Xu Ziqing took a slow breath and smiled slightly: "I understand, Yun."

  The clouds dispersed and the figure vanished, the sea surface became calm and peaceful.

  Those countless large and small waves, the endless cold sword energy, all disappeared.

  Xu Ziqing looked at the bead in his palm, and with a light pinch, the bead entered the storage ring. A child with a bright red face appeared beside him.

  The heavy eagle circled above the two men's heads for a moment, and it had already eaten the dead fish clean.

  Xu Ziqing gazed at the calm sea surface, thinking of the cultivators who had been swallowed up earlier, and let out a silent sigh.

  It can't be found anymore...... He pulled Dong Li Zhao's arm and took him away with the wind.

  Before the Heavenly Moat

  A gust of wind blew by, and suddenly a young man in a green shirt appeared in mid-air. He was holding the hand of a little boy with his left hand, and they stood still on the spot together.

  It was Xu Ziqing and Dong Lishao who rushed over.

  All of a sudden, a faint golden light flashed, and Dong Li Zhao exclaimed in surprise: "Ah!"

  Xu Ziqing said: "The time has come, the Golden Vajra symbol is no longer useful."

  The sea breeze was not fierce here, and the two of them were standing still, so Dong Li Zhao only felt a bit chilly, but didn't feel particularly uncomfortable.

  Xu Ziqing took out a long shirt from his storage ring and handed it over: "You've just recovered from a serious injury, don't catch a cold."

  Dong Li Zhao gratefully accepted and put it on. After all, it was a monk's robe, which although not very useful when moving quickly, could withstand the cold and heat when standing still.

  He dressed warmly and looked ahead, asking: "Sir, is this the Heaven-Blocking Dam?"

  Xu Ziqing said: "It is indeed the Heavenly Closure Pass."

  Dong Li Zhao took a deep breath: "It's such a treacherous place, how can we get through it?"

  Xu Ziqing was taken aback for a moment, turned his head and asked him: "Tell me, what did you see?"

  Dong Lizhao said: "There are countless water columns rising to the sky here, with as many as a thousand places. The middle water flow is rapid, and there are reefs everywhere, so boats cannot pass."

  Xu Ziqing nodded: "So that's how it is." What he saw was different from Dong Lishao. Without saying much, he raised two fingers, gathered his spiritual energy on them, and wiped Dong Lishao's eyes with a stroke, then asked, "What else did you see this time?"

  "Dong Li Zhao's eyes widened in shock: 'The water pillars, they're all gone!'"

  Indeed, if what Donglai Zhao saw earlier was the most dangerous place on the sea, then what he sees now is calm and peaceful, without even a ripple.

  Xu Ziqing smiled and said, "This is just an ancient illusion array. I don't know what kind of wonderful method that great master used to make it last for over a million years in this place. The illusion array is indestructible, but anyone with spiritual power who comes here can see through it at a glance without any surprise or danger. However, if you southerners come to the corresponding location, you can only see the strange and dangerous scenery displayed by the illusion array."

  But any master can lay down an illusion array, yet if one can make the illusion array produce such a realistic scene and no one can decipher it, it is absolutely not something that an ordinary grandmaster can do. Not to mention that there are no flags or arrays here, nor does anyone know what kind of stunning talent this person has, who can use seawater as a medium, divide the entire sea area, and create such a magnificent feat!

  However, Xu Ziqing did not intend to say much about this matter with Dong Lishao. He himself was just seeing the birth of emotions, guessing and yearning.

  Xu Ziqing pulled Dong Lishao along, slowly making their way through the sealed-off area. This stretch of distance was like sticky grease, every movement seeming to be hindered by an invisible barrier. But once they finally made it through, suddenly feeling a sense of lightness, they felt as though they had entered a completely different world.

  Dong Li Zhao turned his head to look back, at this time his double pupils' spiritual power had dissipated. When he looked at Feng Tian Dang again, it was still a sea of evil. But when he turned his head to look forward, it was calm and peaceful.

  "Sir, have we arrived at the Lower Nine Continents yet?" He looked up at Xu Ziqing with eyes full of hope.

  Xu Ziqing smiled warmly: "However, it's already the Lower Nine Continents."

  The spiritual energy of the lower nine continents is slightly thinner than that of the upper nine continents, but the ocean is a place where water vapor rises, and water belongs to spiritual energy is very dense. Xuzi Qing is also wood attribute, so he doesn't feel much difference.

  He looked ahead and said, "I'll take you there. Although I've lost the Golden Token, this sea area isn't more treacherous than the Upper Nine Continents. Just bear with it for now. If not, covering your head with your clothes will do."

  Dong Li Zhao was very obedient, so he lifted up the extra garment from behind and wrapped it around his face, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed.

  Then Xu Zi Qing half-embraced his shoulders, and in a flash of their figures, they were already dozens of miles away.

  This voyage was very smooth, and in less than two moments, the two of them had already reached the shore. Xu Ziqing used a technique to block others' vision, not allowing anyone to see the two descending from the sky, and only after landing did he seize an opportunity to reveal his figure.

  Just as Xu Ziqing once said, from the top of the Zhoushan Islands to the Tianjin Pass, the first continent seen is the lower Zhoushan Islands, and the national capital Hongmeng City is located here.

  Dong Li Zhao turned sideways and saw that he had fallen off the cliff, his eyes suddenly turned red, feeling that this was a narrow escape from death, and he must take revenge to vent his hatred!

  Xu Ziqing patted his shoulder lightly: "Let's go, first go to the county to have a meal. Although you've eaten your fill, it should be gone by now."

  Dong Li Zhao was taken aback, suddenly feeling his stomach churn with hunger. He indeed was very hungry. At this time, he stuttered: "Sir, I don't have any money on me..." In his opinion, monks were like immortals who lived on wind and dew, while gold and silver were worldly things, so Xu Zi Qing shouldn't have had any either.

  Xu Ziqing smiled and said: "You go find a restaurant, there's a way to take care of it."

  Dong Li Zhaoji trusted Xu Ziqing, and upon hearing this, he took the lead in setting out. This time, the nine continents were a place for ordinary people, so he thought that Mr. would definitely not be familiar with it, and had some awareness of being the host.

  Just entering the county, Dong Li Zhao was startled.

  Only two streets were seen, the population was sparse, and most of the stalls and shops were not there, closed doors, and there were no pedestrians on the road. Everyone closed their doors, and even the sound of chickens and dogs barking could not be heard.

  A few days ago he came to this place, it was still bustling with activity, but now how did it become like this?

  Dong Li Zhao's fists clenched tightly, where are they? Where have all the people gone?

  No matter how many changes there are in the imperial court, the people here are all subjects of the Qing Dynasty. Now that the entire county is so desolate, they...are they not having more disasters than blessings!

  Xu Ziqing's eyebrows furrowed, he gathered his spiritual energy in his eyes and found that the entire county was filled with a thick death aura.

  This means that many people have died here.

  But... why?

  Dong Li Zhao flew forward quickly, no one...no one...still no one!

  He suddenly stopped in his tracks and pushed open the large gate of a house.

  "Creak..." The door opened.

  The decorations in the house were very messy, but there was no one around either. It didn't seem like it had been robbed, because although things were messy, it seemed like nothing had been rummaged through and there was no obvious sign of anything missing.

  Xu Ziqing followed closely, not touching the ground. He also saw the situation here and then watched as Dong Lishao continuously pushed open the doors and windows of four or five households, all of which were roughly the same inside.

  It's as if the master of the house had departed hastily... or rather, was forced to depart.

  Feeling more and more uneasy, the two of them continued walking towards the center of the county town.

  Gradually, Xu Ziqing caught a whiff of an unusual smell, with some smoke and fire, but it had already faded, yet couldn't deceive his senses.

  A heavy hawk circled twice in the sky, let out a cry of an eagle, and flew towards a certain direction.

  "Zhao'er, go that way." Xu Ziqing saw that Dong Li Zhao's eyes were gradually filling with bloodshot veins, and his heart was unbearable. He gently reminded him to follow Chong Hua.

  "Yes, sir."

  The two of them changed direction and walked towards the street on the left.

  After walking several hundred steps, Donglizhao stopped again.

  This time, he was stunned.

  It turned out that this was a street that had been burned down, and there was no longer the prosperity of the past. Houses, shops, and stalls were all reduced to ashes.

  Among the broken walls and ruins, many beams that had not been completely burned lay horizontally, pressing down on some grayish-white powder. When the wind blew by, it slowly dispersed some of them. The remaining wood and pots and pans all turned black.

  Xu Ziqing's face also showed a heavy expression.

  "Those are ashes..." He can now recognize them at a glance, the grayish-white powder is clearly the remains of a corpse after being cremated.

  And here are so many houses, with such a large amount of powder in each house, which is enough to prove one thing.

  "Sir, many people were burned to death here, weren't they?"

  Xu Ziqing sighed softly: "Yes, many people were driven into the houses on this street and then..."

  Then a great fire was placed here, and both the streets and people were destroyed.

  Dong Li Zhao wiped away tears: "Those bastards, they slaughtered the entire county town! Sir, is this because of me? I jumped off a cliff and it's still not enough, even the places I've been to, they won't let go!"

  Although Xu Ziqing was usually gentle, at this time, he also couldn't help but get angry: "Zhao'er, they have lost all sense of conscience."

  "I'll make sure that damned thief dies without a place to rest!"

  Xu Ziqing looked at this half-grown child who was filled with hatred and still gently patted his head.

  No one else suggested having a meal, so Xu Ziqing took Dong Lizhao and instantly transformed into a clear breeze, speeding towards the capital city of Hongwu under the cover of the obstructive technique.

  About half an hour later, Hong Wu Cheng arrived.

  This city occupies a vast area of land, with high walls built outside the city, majestic and powerful. Soldiers are lined up at the city gate and outside the city wall, guarding with various weapons such as knives, guns, swords, and halberds, all shining with cold light.

  As soon as I arrived here, I suddenly felt a kind of grandeur and majesty that was unique to the royal family.

  Xu Ziqing fell to the ground and walked with Dong Lizhao to the side of the city wall, using a wall-penetrating technique, they entered together.

  The atmosphere in the city is tense, passersby dare not speak much or make loud noises, and the soldiers patrolling back and forth all have a cold and solemn expression, making them seem particularly unapproachable.

  Xu Ziqing pointed at Dong Lishao and transformed him into another appearance, saying: "Shao'er, this illusion technique can only last for an hour, if you want to sneak into the palace, you must be careful."

  In Dong Li's eyes, Xu Zi Qing was also transformed into an ordinary young man, with a plain appearance and temperament, only a pair of eyes still had a gentle gaze, which made his heart full of hatred feel a warmth: "Yes, sir."

  The two of them pretended to be ordinary citizens and slowly walked towards the Imperial City.

  After about half a watch, they finally arrived at the side of the imperial city. The guards outside the imperial city were strict and stern. If they wanted to enter through the main gate, it was impossible. They had no choice but to find another way in.

  Xu Ziqing stood outside the wall, but instead of using his Wall-Penetrating Technique first, he took a deep breath and let out a mouthful of cool air.

  This imperial city is full of strange and sinister things!

  Ordinary people can only see the grandeur of this imperial city, but in the eyes of a monk, it is another world.

  Only a golden dragon was seen coiled above the imperial city, but it was in the shape of a crouching dragon, its scales were dull and its whiskers were dim. Although there was no sign of impending death, it faintly showed a declining aura.

  Golden dragon's eyes are half-closed, but occasionally when it opens its eyes, it releases two dazzling golden lights!

  What's even more astonishing is that just below the golden dragon, there is a black python with its head raised, and on its head, a single horn has grown out. Its entire body is ink-black and shines brightly. The python's appearance is strange and sinister, its aura overbearing, its long tail constantly swishing back and forth, occasionally entwining itself with the dragon's tail, as if its entire body is about to slowly climb onto the dragon!

  Xu Ziqing sighed silently, knowing that the golden dragon must be the manifestation of East Palace Crown Prince Dong Lixi's dragon energy, and the black python was the condensation of General Town's aura. The black python had horns on its head, which was a sign of transformation into a dragon, while the golden dragon lay dormant, indicating a state of hibernation. It seemed that indeed, General Town's power was growing day by day, while East Palace Crown Prince's influence was waning.

  It is only dragon energy that can be a golden dragon, which means that this is the son of the dragon's majestic and broad-minded, for the wise king and saintly master's obvious sign, but the black python... is actually an ominous sign of treacherous ministers and heroes.

  It's just early evening now, and the sky is gradually darkening. If you want to enter the imperial city, it might not be a bad time.

  No need to think too much, Xu Ziqing now only wishes to find Dong Lixi, hand over Dong Liwei to him, and then he can retire with honor, go to a quiet place with many trees to cultivate.

  In the imperial city, the soldiers were divided into small teams, changing shifts every moment, guarding very strictly.

  Xu Ziqing half-embraced Dong Lishao, and with a flick of his sleeve, only a wisp of clear wind swept past the eyes of the soldiers, but the two of them had already passed through each other's bodies.

  "Sir, the Eastern Palace is just ahead in the most magnificent and beautiful place to the east."

  Xu Ziqing nodded and took him on a swift and agile flight.

  Before long, they arrived in front of a magnificent and luxurious great hall. The surroundings were filled with soldiers who had the entire palace completely surrounded, not allowing anyone to enter or exit.

  Xu Ziqing led Dong Lizhao to quickly flash into the inner chamber, passing through the outer hall and entering a corridor, where he saw several eunuchs guarding from a distance, and his heart couldn't help but feel suspicious.

  They passed through the eunuchs and arrived at that dark place. After walking for a while, it was the crown prince's bedroom.

  Just then, Dong Li Zhao suddenly heard a faint human voice.

  Author's words: Thanks for Ah Gui's landmine, hugs mua~