Upon receiving the news, people from all sides began to subtly blend amongst the ordinary populace, converging towards the Imperial City.
As the Land of Ultimate Virtue in the Great Ming empire, Tiandu can be described as the most prosperous place. The streets near the Imperial City are especially so, lined with all kinds of merchants.
The bustling streets are filled with endless varieties of goods. Not only are there unique treasures from various parts of Great Ming, but there are also rare items from outside the border and from the Western Regions.
The busy streets, bustling crowd, and merchants weave the grand tapestry of this thriving era.
"Heh heh, what a pity that this thriving prosperity has drained the essence from the rest of the world. Without the supply from all the states of the world, I fear Tiandu would not be so flourishing," Zhao Baiyang reflected to himself while sat at a distant tea table.
Through all these years, he had traveled across the entire territory of Great Ming, and nowhere else has he seen such prosperity compare to what lay before him.
Even in several other capital cities, their flourishing prosperity dwindled in comparison to this.
But in his eyes, the magnificence in front of him is false and fragile like a bubble, bound to burst once pricked.
"This Lord, who has long resided in a remote place, has not seen such a spectacle for quite a long time," said Xue Wuheng, the leader of the Sky Demon Sect, sighing, "What a pity, it will soon be reduced to ashes."
The Demonic Cult has been suppressed by the Taoist School for centuries; forced to reside in remote corners and incapable of infiltrating prosperous areas.
Even though he has lived a life of luxury and extravagance, such a scene is not often seen. What's more, their upcoming actions will wipe out everything here.
"To reduce it to ashes is to build new prosperity upon the ruins, " Zhao Baiyang may regret it, but he isn't the least bit moved by it.
Xue Wuheng neither agreed nor disagreed with Zhao Baiyang's words. To him, his previous comment was just a sigh.
Only when the world fell into chaos again would the Saint Teachings have another chance to rise. Otherwise, under the joint pressure of the Great Ming court and the Taoist and Buddhism Schools, they would never have a chance to flourish.
As for what Zhao Baiyang said, he didn't care or believe in it.
The inheritance of the Saint teachings was long and far surpassed the ordinary Mire Sect. He didn't believe in the notions of the Mire Sect and thought they were all fanciful dreams.
As long as people exist, there will always be desires, oppression, those who are high-ranking, and those who are low-ranking.
If the day that the Mire Sect was talking about ever came, the Saint Teachings would have probably been eradicated long ago.
"Hypocrites to the extreme," the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu sneered.
In his eyes, these two were the epitome of hypocrisy.
They were clearly the masterminds behind the destruction of this place, but they pretended to be saviors, weeping for the world.
Zhao Baiyang and Xue Wuheng looked at each other, each letting out a faint laugh, turning a deaf ear to the Ghost Emperor's words.
Their actions couldn't help but make the Ghost Emperor's mouth twitch, his expression unchanged.
If it weren't for the fact that the power of each of these two was no less formidable than his own, he would surely have made them suffer.
Yu Yiyao, sitting on the side, kept her head down to drink tea, not daring to utter a word.
In front of her, any one of these three people was a dominating force in the world.
Three people, three perspectives.
As supreme figures in the martial arts world, each of them had their own cognition and ideas, which could not be easily changed by anyone.
She couldn't help but wonder if it were not for their shared interests and goals, which allowed them to join forces for a short time, if it had been like before, I'm afraid the three of them would already be at each other's throats.
Time flew by quickly.
Zhao Baiyang put down his teacup and gave a slight nod to Yu Yiyao.
Yu Yiyao understood the meaning of her master and got up, gesturing to several people of the Mire Sect nearby.
Those people took out several of the Thousand -Li Fires from their bosoms and pulled the triggers without hesitation.
Boom, boom, boom…
Several Thousand-Li Fires shot towards the sky, bursting into the air.
The originally noisy street became quiet at this sudden disturbance, and then, like a thunderstorm, it sparked chaos.
Then, there were continuous explosions by the Thousand-Li Fire in the sky around the Imperial City.
Upon seeing countless Thousand -Li Fires exploding, the guard in the Imperial City was taken aback at first, then his face changed dramatically, and he yelled, "Enemy attack!"
As he was shouting, Zhao Baiyang's resonant voice echoed within several miles:
"The tyrant acts unjustly, oppresses the people, causing the people to live in dire misery. Today, as the head of the Mire Sect, I, Zhao Baiyang, have entered Tiandu to slay the dragon, only to return peace to the world!" Silence!
A silence as quiet as death.
Which of the people living in Tiandu didn't know that the Mire Sect was rebellious, and that the head of the Mire Sect was the leader of the rebels?
The great name of Zhao Baiyang, the head of the Mire Sect, is known to all.
Boom…
As if oil had been poured onto a fire, Long Street suddenly boiled over, countless people hurriedly fled, trying to stay far away from this area.
"Rebel, you're courting death!"
An official soldier of Great Ming roared angrily.
"Attack!" Yu Yiyao drew her long sword and waved it.
"Attack!" Countless martial artists drew their swords, shouted, and charged towards the Imperial City.
For a time, the originally bustling street suddenly became a chaotic mess, filled with the sounds of fighting and clashing swords.
"Tiandu and the Imperial City are treacherous places. It is forbidden for anyone in the martial arts world. I have long heard of it." Zhao Baiyang sighed lightly and asked the two supreme figures in the martial arts world beside him: "Are you two willing to follow me, Zhao, into the Imperial City?"
A smile was on his face, seemingly indifferent to the danger of what was to follow, calm and composed.
Xue Wuheng, the leader of the Sky Demon Sect, also smiled lightly: "Since you have extended the invitation, I, Snow Someone, will naturally accompany you.."
The Fengdu Ghost Emperor rarely refrained from refuting Zhao Baiyang's words but spoke coldly, "I have long yearned for this forbidden zone of the Imperial City."
The three of them smiled at each other, their True Qi stirring freely and their robes fluttering as they leapt towards the Imperial City.
"Loose arrows!"
Indeed, the soldiers assigned to guard the Imperial City were all elite troops.
Under the organization of the chief officer, archers had their bows drawn. An order was given and countless arrows rained down from the high city walls.
The three were not in the least afraid. Their True Qi was flowing freely and unimpeded. The rain of arrows could not touch them.
In an instant, the three leaped onto the city wall, took action, and countless soldiers fell at their command. Soon, within a radius of several meters, no soldiers stood.
"Enter the Imperial City and execute the foolish ruler!" Zhao Baiyang shouted loudly.
"Enter the Imperial City and execute the foolish ruler!" Many skilled martial artists followed Zhao Baiyang and his company onto the city wall while those lesser martial artists stormed the city gate under the leadership of Yu Yiyao.
The gate was breached by the time they arrived and skilled warriors were already coming out from the inside to clear a path for them.
"Leader, the tyrant is currently boating in the Imperial Garden!" A middle-aged man in the imperial guard uniform appeared in front of them. To their surprise, it was the Diamond Sect's Master, who had escaped from the northwest Dao rebellion with the surviving skilled warriors of his sect and sought Zhao Baiyang's protection.
Once the Diamond Sect's Master's sect was extinguished, he developed a deep hatred for the Great Ming imperial court and would not miss this opportunity. He even volunteered to infiltrate the Imperial City to act as their inside man.
"This time we owe a great debt to Taoist Friend Kongxiang! " Zhao Baiyang spoke with a smile, a wave of his sleeve motioning to the two, "These two are the Diamond Sect's Master, Taoist Friend Kongxiang. "
"Nice to meet you, Taoist Friend Kongxiang!" Xue Wuheng and the Fengdu Ghost Emperor both nodded.
Then, under Kongxiang's guidance, the group headed towards the Imperial Garden.
"Attack!"
Countless soldiers surged like a tide.
While there were quite a few accomplished fighters among these soldiers, there were none who were capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with someone as strong as Zhao Baiyang and couldn't impede their advance.
All of this was because Zhao Baiyang and his comrades acted too suddenly. No one could have expected such audacity to breach the Imperial City directly.
Even though people have gone to send messages and summon those who serve the royal family and the hidden masters in the Great Ming Imperial court…
But everything needs time. In the short time, these soldiers, even in formation, could not stop the forward movement of Zhao Baiyang and his group, and they could only continue retreating.
"How dare you intrude upon the important grounds of the Imperial City, you all deserved to die!"
As Zhao Baiyang and the others continued to advance, they were not far from the Imperial Garden when the stronger warriors finally arrived, and an angry bellow echoed forth.
Next, over a dozen first-grade martial artists, leading an army of numerous soldiers and skilled warriors, stood in the path of Zhao Baiyang and his comrades.
Boom, boom, boom…
Pei Xuanjing and Fa Wuyi had crossed hands several times in a blink of an eye. Their fists and palms whistled incessantly. Within a radius of a hundred meters on the Long Street, no one dared approach, intimidated by their overwhelming presences.
The surging force of the True Qi, the boiling eruption of the Blood Qi, and the everlasting collision of the true intentions of the Martial Arts, far transcended the imaginations of those present.
Snap, crackle, pop…Consecutive bursts of explosive sounds like thunder resounded throughout Long Street.
Wherever the afterimages of the two passed, stones flew, walls collapsed, and strong gusts roared incessantly from the collision of their strikes.
The more Fa Wuyi traded blows with Pei Xuanjing, the more terrified he became. He couldn't hide the look of disbelief in his eyes.
Even though he had a high estimation of Pei Xuanjing's strength, he had never imagined that Pei Xuanjing's power had reached such an extent.
"The rumors are indeed true. You really broke free from the shackles of the Dragon Elephant Art and strode your own path. Your talents are amazing, comparable only to Ancestor Sanfeng of the True Martial Sect six hundred years ago. Besides him, I, the Capturer, can't think of anyone who would have such a gift."
Given his relationship with the Taoist Qingxu and his own status, he naturally knew about Pei Xuanjing's dual cultivation of the body and True Qi and that Pei Xuanjing was cultivating the Dragon Elephant Art, the unique skill of the Diamond Gate.
However, it's easy to start as a body cultivator, but hard to master. Otherwise, the Diamond Sect's Master, Kongxiang, wouldn't have spent nearly two cycles of 60 years to step into the first-grade realm.
However, Pei Xuanjing was still in his prime and had already cultivated his body to the first-grade realm, which was unheard of. In terms of natural talent, he was already the peer of Master Sanfeng.
His loud voice echoed up and down Long Street and entered the ears of the warriors all around.
"I pale in comparison to the highly skilled Capturer. If the Capturer hadn't been born into the public service, there would definitely be a place for him in our supreme ranks." Pei Xuanjing stared at the legendary Chief Capture Officer of Six Gates.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing finally realized why the Great Ming imperial court can suppress the world. Besides those guards stationed across the land, there were also powerhouses like Fa Wuyi.
Just one Chief Capture Officer of the Six Gates had strength that rivaled the Supreme of the martial arts world. How many strong warriors were hidden away by the Great Ming imperial court?
"I wonder how many strong individuals Zhao Baiyang has lured out by invading the Imperial City?" Pei Xuanjing thought to himself.
Neither of them concealed their conversation. They were heard verbatim by the surrounding warriors, astonishing them..
People without enough power might think that the two were just boasting to each other, but any martial artist who has reached the Upper Three Realms can sense the terrifying aura of destruction that erupts between their clashes.
Either one of these two, they all seem to have the strength of the supreme level in martial arts realm. They felt as if they were small boats wavering in a violent storm, which could be overturned by one mighty wave.
Especially Ma Wuji, the owner of the Justice Hall, who was thinking quickly with a gloomy face.
He didn't understand where he, who had a good reputation in the martial arts world, had offended this star of disaster and why he provoked the Slayer Taoist to come and challenge him.
"Unfortunately, let me experience how strong a martial artist can be when he has fully mastered the physical Martial Arts! " Lawlessness stood like a mountain, his voice exploded like thunder, shaking the Long Street.
The fierce fist intent became more intense, like a raging river, unstoppable once released.
"Although I haven't really reached the extreme, I'm still pleased to accompany you!" Pei Xuanjing turned his palm into a fist, his clothes fluttered, Innate Thunder Gang Qi flowed freely, his body moved like lightning, his momentum like a roaring thunder. He threw a punch.
With his now powerful physique, a punch felt like a rampant dragon elephant, stirring endless air waves, carrying an overwhelming power, as if it was the initial creation of heaven and earth.
All the strength was transformed into this punch, brilliant like a high-hanging sun, unstoppable by anyone!
Bang!
The long street shook, the fists of the two collided, stirring endless ripples in the air.
The surrounding martial artists with strong powers dispersed the stone slabs in front of them with their True Qi. Those with weaker abilities quickly retreated to avoid them.
But everyone's eyes were fixed on the two men fighting on the Long Street.
As the smoke dissipated, Lawlessness retreated by dozens of feet. The True Qi all around him was fluctuating. His arms were numb from the enormous force. His eyes were stunned as he stared at Pei
Xuanjing.
In comparison, Pei Xuanjing still stood in the same spot, towering like a mountain.
His True Qi swirled freely, his clothes rustled in the wind. One hand pressed the hilt of the sword lightly, the other hand rested behind his back. He still maintained his usual calm demeanor.
"How about this punch?" The voice of Pei Xuanjing echoed above the Long Street.
Heave ho…
Lawlessness breathed out deeply and spoke solemnly: "Good!"
"Good?" A faint smile appeared on the corner of Pei Xuanjing's mouth.
All you could hear was Lawlessness's voice continuing: "Since I entered the Six Gates at the age of thirteen, I rose from a simple capturer to my current position. I owe it all to one word: daring. I dare to offend those who others fear. I dare to capture those who others fear to capture. I dare to kill those who others fear to kill!"
While he was speaking, his blood qi started to rise, visible to the naked eye, layer by layer. It was as if even the sky above his head was stained red by this boiling blood qi.
"I have come across countless terrifying criminals in my life. They are cunning, treacherous, cruel, ferocious… However, I have never met such a domineering one as you. Yet, no matter what kind of a criminal, they all eventually died under my blade, without exception." Lawlessness continued to talk to himself.
His hand slowly fell on the hilt of the Divine Saber at his waist. As his hand touched the hilt, a chilling aura rose to the sky.
In everyone's ears, it seemed as if a faint sound of a saber's cry was heard. On the Long Street where the true intent of the martial arts filled the air, mountains of corpses and seas of blood seemed to appear by the side of Lawlessness.
At this moment, even though he had not drawn his blade yet, it seemed as if everyone could feel the sharpness of the Divine Saber. That kind of dominance would cut off everything.
It was: No matter how many methods you have, I will dominate and be resolute with a single cut.
Buzz!
The Divine Saber was unsheathed, and a beam of extremely dominant saber light appeared. The dazzling saber light illuminated the world as if it was the dawn, wandering in the dark night, twinkling everywhere.
In an instant, it seemed as if countless saber lights were coming towards him, enveloping Pei Xuanjing, from all directions, from the sky to the ground, everywhere was saber light.
Nowhere to hide!
"Huh!"
Initially, Pei Xuanjing didn't take this seriously, listening to the other party with interest, waiting for his moves.
The moment the other party touched the hilt, he suddenly felt as if he was locked by a destructive and fierce aura, giving him a feeling of danger.
However, the Shenxiao Sword by his waist seemed to sense the opponent, a soft sword cry cut off this feeling, and at the same time began to vibrate slightly, as if to unsheathe a blade to break this saber intent.
Pei Xuanjing slowly placed his slender and fair palm on the Shenxiao Sword, and the Shenxiao Sword slowly calmed down.
"What a familiar saber light!"
Pei Xuanjing had never seen such a dazzling saber before, but he didn't feel the slightest bit unfamiliar.
Because on this saber, he saw a shadow of his own sword light.
Both were so domineering, so resolute, with unparalleled sharpness, difficult to stop.
Clang!
Without any hesitation, Pei Xuanjing drew his sword at once. The brilliant sword light that appeared like a great sun broke through instantly. It appeared abruptly without any buildup or warning.
Just like that, it cut through all the surrounding saber light in an instant.
Then, a more domineering and determined sword light illuminated the sky. The sword light was accompanied by wind and thunder, dying and changing.
Everyone felt as if everything in front of them was filled with this sword light, and they couldn't feel anything else.
Boom!
The saber light and sword light collided, stirring countless waves of energy in the air. Many houses around them collapsed and fell to the ground.
"Chief Capturer!"
Those who came with Lawlessness, faced with this extremely powerful sword light, they were a little too slow to react. They didn't come to their senses until after the sword light had disappeared, and they couldn't help but shout in surprise.
"Cough cough cough…"
Lawlessness was still standing in the same place, but his intact robe had become tattered, and traces of blood were continuously seeping out.
But at this time, Lawlessness didn't care about his injuries, there was a look of loss in his eyes: "I didn't expect your sword to be stronger than my saber."
Having practiced the saber for decades, since he had comprehended this domineering saber intent, Lawlessness had been unstoppable all along. With this saber, even against the Qingxu Taoist of the
True Martial Sect, the old celestial master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, he had the confidence to fight.
He thought that if he could cultivate this saber to the peak one day, perhaps no one could stop his one blow.
But for a long time now, his saber seemed to have fallen into shackles, it hasn't made any progress for a long time, and he didn't know how to make progress.
But the sword of Pei Xuanjing made him see a little bit of hope for further progress.
Unfortunately, he had realized it too late..