"I really didn't expect they would dare to challenge the great celestial master.
No wonder, no wonder!"
Within a concealed base of the Mire Sect, the Sect Leader, Zhao Baiyang, wears an expression of sudden understanding.
Since the day they left Tiandu, the Mire Sect Leader and others promptly scattered in different directions.
Even though they were powerful enough not to fear pursuit, they each had a large number of subordinates. If they were truly besieged by the imperial court's army, then fears were that, besides them, no one could escape.
During this period, Zhao Baiyang contrived a tactic to break up the forces of the Mire Sect, each to hide and evade the hunt. He himself chose to hide in a
secret base, to recover from his injuries.
Even though the Lawlessness had been lost in the battle that day, there were still other powerful forces within the imperial city.
Although the three of them were able to eliminate those few powerful men, they each suffered considerable injuries and their strength was greatly damaged.
Not until a few days ago did Zhao Baiyang finally recover from his injuries, his strength completely restored, and only then did he have time to pay attention to what was happening in the martial world. So, he became aware of Pei Xuanjing's actions over the past few months.
The very moment he received the news, Zhao Baiyang made a guess; Pei
Xuanjing was probably going to challenge a supreme of the martial arts realm.
However, even he never thought that Pei Xuanjing would pick the one at Dragon Tiger Mountain to challenge.
Although with the rise of the True Martial Sect, the Dragon Tiger Mountain has shown signs of decline, no one ever dares to underestimate this powerful force that has continued for thousands of years.
Even though the great celestial master hasn't taken any action for many years, no one doubted that he was ranked first on the list of most powerful martial artists.
Phew…
Zhao Baiyang let out a long breath, muttering to himself, "Brother Pei, Brother
Pei, why the hell did you choose him? Truly…"
Even though he had fought with Pei Xuanjing before and knew that Pei Xuanjing's current power is not inferior to his own, Zhao Baiyang was not optimistic about the outcome of this battle.
Because those who have not truly crossed hands with the great celestial master simply have no idea how terrifying his strength really is.
"Master, is the great celestial master very strong?" Yu Yiyao asked with a curious expression on her face, "As a powerful man on the supreme list of martial arts, can't you even defeat him?"
To Yu Yiyao's recollection, her master had never praised anyone so highly. Even when facing the second-ranked Sky Demon Sect Leader on the supreme list, he was not inferior in the slightest.
Zhao Baiyang sighed lightly and said to his disciple, "Consider this as a piece of advice from your master! In this world of martial arts, even if you are confident in your own strength, never underestimate anyone." Yu Yiyao nodded, vowing to remember her master's teachings.
Zhao Baiyang had a profound memory of the great celestial master.
He would never forget when his power first matured, he once climbed to Dragon Tiger Mountain to challenge the great celestial master.
Of course, needless to say, the result was that Zhao Baiyang lost miserably.
In Zhao Baiyang's view, the reason why the opponent is still at the first-grade realm is due to the constraints of Heaven and Earth, not because of the opponent's own limitations.
Even after so many years, despite the enormous changes in his own strength, Zhao Baiyang still lacked confidence.
He had a feeling that if he attempted to launch an all-out attack, the final outcome would probably be a split of three to seven.
He would have three, and the celestial master would have seven.
This was under the condition that the opponent was now old, and his Blood Qi was weak.
"However, if I wait to seize the remaining techniques and use the complete secret teachings of the White Lotus Sect to fully complete my own power, I might not lose to him!" Zhao Baiyang thought to himself.
"Right, you must quickly find the whereabouts of the remaining branches, and must seize the White Lotus Sect's secret teachings from them." Zhao Baiyang instructed Yu Yiyao, "I hope that when I come back, I will hear your good news."
"Yes, master." Yu Yiyao nodded in agreement, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Where are you going, Master?"
Zhao Baiyang revealed a smile, "Brother Pei is preparing to challenge the great celestial master. Naturally, he has his own confidence. How could I miss such a grand spectacle?"
Indeed, since Pei Xuanjing chose to challenge the great celestial master, he must have an unknown confidence.
Although Zhao Baiyang did not think highly of him, it did not stop him from witnessing this battle. How could he miss such a duel between those two who stand at the pinnacle of martial arts.
Moreover, according to his speculation, at this grand spectacle of the martial arts world, he was likely to meet many 'old friends'.
For them, who are almost at the extreme of martial arts, why would they want to miss this battle?
As he expected, almost at the moment when news of Pei Xuanjing challenging the celestial master of Dragon Tiger Mountain was announced, many strong men who had been in hiding, chose to go to Dragon Tiger Mountain to witness this fight.
Probably by the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, strong men from all over the world would choose to gather at the Dragon Tiger Mountain. By then, Dragon Tiger Mountain would truly be flooded with a plethora of strong men.
In a mansion outside a town a hundred miles away from Dragon Tiger Mountain, Pei Xuanjing asked the man in front of him, Yu Zhenzi, "Any news yet?"
Yu Zhenzi knew what Pei Xuanjing was asking. He nodded and answered, "According to the message from the messenger eagle, there is no doubt from Bai Xiaosheng's side, the Emperor is dead."
It has been three months since the chaos in Tiandu. Although the Mire Sect has adamantly claimed to have killed the Emperor, the imperial court has always insisted that the Emperor did not die, but was severely injured..
The two sides each defended their own assertions, making it difficult to discern the truth.
The question of whether the emperor was alive or dead was crucial to their plans and could not afford any miscalculations.
Thus, under such circumstances, Bai Xiaosheng had no choice but to personally go to Tiandu and, after considerable consideration, finally confirmed the truth.
"If he's already dead, why is his death kept secret and not publicized?" Pei Xuanjing frowned slightly, somewhat perplexed.
Was there additional hidden information they were not revealing?
He turned to Yu Zhenzi and asked, "Did Bai Xiaosheng mention why the imperial court is suppressing the news?"
Yu Zhenzi replied, "Specific details haven't been disclosed yet, but according to Bai Xiaosheng's speculation, it's likely related to the unresolved question of the emperor's successor. There are differing opinions about who should ascend the throne, and it seems no consensus has been reached."
"Ah?" Realization dawned on Pei Xuanjing. It probably was the case.
According to the traditional rules of the Great Ming, if the emperor had no son, his brother could claim the throne.
Although the emperor currently had a brother, he had died young, leaving only King Xing who Pei Xuanjing had encountered in his life simulation.
Nonetheless, the fact that King Xing ascended the throne in Pei Xuanjing's simulation did not mean that he was the sole eligible successor to the throne.
Apart from the law of a brother succeeding, there was also the method of adoption.
In contrast to the era in which Pei Xuanjing had lived, in this world adoption made no difference between an adopted or biological son; he could fully succeed to all.
With numerous families in the Great Ming, finding a suitable child was not difficult at all.
Moreover, for many, a child ascending the throne was much better than King Xing.
"No wonder, no wonder King Xing encountered numerous assassination attempts in my simulation. There were probably many people who couldn't accept this outcome, prompting them to take a final risk!" Pei Xuanjing silently pondered. "Perhaps there is something that can be done in this situation?"
Just as Pei Xuanjing was contemplating, two people walked in.
"Teacher!"
"Real person!"
Pang Hong and Deng Zhong entered, looking disheveled and dusty.
Pei Xuanjing halted his thoughts and asked the two, "Has the item been delivered?"
"It's been delivered!" Pang Hong affirmatively nodded.
From the side, Deng Zhong also confirmed, "We handed it over to the Old
Celestial Master ourselves. "
The two of them looked disheveled and dusty because they had just returned from delivering Pei Xuanjing's letter of challenge to Dragon Tiger Mountain, over a hundred miles away.
Even though Pei Xuanjing's intention to challenge the Old Celestial Master had already become widely known, unless he wanted to make an enemy of Dragon Tiger Mountain, he still had to deliver his letter according to tradition to show respect.
Presently, Pei Xuanjing had no intention of becoming adversaries with Dragon Tiger Mountain, a formidable force. After all, at present, the two parties had not yet clashed in interest. Or, to put it another way, due to common interests, there were still possibilities for cooperation.
"Did the Old Celestial Master say anything?"
"The Old Celestial Master said, he is waiting for your arrival!"
"I'm looking forward to the day I cross hands with the Celestial Master!" Pei Xuanjing laughed. Crossing hands with a strong person like the Old Celestial Master would indeed bring him significant benefits.
He then turned his gaze towards Pang Hong, nodding with satisfaction, "After two years of exertion, you have made such quick progress to reach the Fifth
Rank Realm. '
When he thought of the Pang Hong that had just broken through to the Sixth Grade Realm before he left the mountain, he didn't expect him to have advanced a step further in just two years.
"It's just that I happened to enter a blessed and forbidden place with the others and made some gains. It was purely by luck that I managed to break through." Pang Hong replied modestly, without the slightest arrogance, and then sighed, "Compared to the achievements of the teacher at this age, I'm still far behind!" As a disciple, for Pang Hong, Pei Xuanjing was the beacon on his path of life.
Whenever he felt a sense of pride and complacency about any progress, thinking about his lofty and dazzling teacher promptly stifled it.
Pei Xuanjing smiled wryly but found himself unable to explain that his achievements were due to the aid of the simulator.
He changed the topic, saying, "You have worked hard recently and have made significant contributions. Naturally, you should be rewarded."
With a grasping motion from his five fingers, a scroll on the desk behind him rose into the air, hovering into his hand. He handed it to Pang Hong, saying, "This is the Martial Studies of Shenxiao Sect, the Shenxiao Thunder Palm, along with some of my own cultivation insights."
"Thank you, teacher!" Pang Hong's face showed an ecstatic expression.
Pei Xuanjing then looked at Yu Zhenzi and Deng Zhong and added, "If you don't understand anything about the cultivation, you may ask your Taoist friends for guidance."
The meaning behind his words was clear, implying that these two could also study his cultivation insights.
Having the opportunity to view the cultivation insights of a powerful person like Pei Xuanjing was also a rare chance for Yu Zhenzi and Deng Zhong. The delight on the faces of the two was obvious. They quickly thanked him,
"Thank you, Real Person."
Pei Xuanjing gave a mild smile, waving his hand to indicate it was nothing, and then said to everyone, "I'll leave the following matters to you. I need to seclude for a few days."
"Real Person, are there any issues? Why choose this time for seclusion?" Yu Zhenzi wore an urgent expression.
Just as the challenge was about to take place, did Pei Xuanjing encounter any problems in his cultivation that forced him to suddenly propose a pilgrimage to the mountain?
To them, the current Pei Xuanjing is their world, and they couldn't afford any mishap.
Pei Xuanjing waved his hand, signaling them not to worry: "It's fine, I just had a sudden insight!"
Hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, though they were puzzled, they didn't dare to ask more and could only withdraw.
Pei Xuanjing shook his head, he didn't lie. Indeed, his Taoyun accumulation was sufficient to initiate the next life simulation. As he still had time, it's a good idea to seize the opportunity for another simulation.
[Taoyun points: 147 ,211.]
[Do you want to use the Life Simulator? One use will consume 100,000 Taoyun points.]
After Pei Xuanjing entered the Training Room, he initiated a new life simulation.
[Life Simulation Begins: ]
At the age of thirty-three: On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, you arrive at Dragon Tiger Mountain to challenge the Old Heavenly Master. This astonishing battle is deemed by many to be equated with the duel between Bahesi and Master Sanfeng six centuries ago.
Countless martial experts from all over the Jianghu gather at Dragon Tiger. In a remarkable duel against the Old Heavenly Master, both of you unleash extraordinary power, ending the match in a draw.
Three months later, you encounter an ambush by the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu while on the way to the True Martial Sect. The enemy aims to kill you and seize the Page of the Netherworld's Book.
After an intense battle, you slay the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu on the spot.
Having gone through this life-and-death duel, you sustain severe injuries. Your body is invaded by the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu's strange True Qi, which is utterly unexpected.
In desperation to heal your wounds, under the condition of lacking a lightning rod, you directly use your physical body to summon the Thunder power to temper your body, hoping to expel the strange True Qi invasion.
The formidable Thunder power not only easily expels the strange True Qi but also enhances your palms once more.
Just when you are pleased with the blessing in disguise, you suddenly find that you can't stop and are compelled to keep operating the skill method. Eventually, your body disintegrates and perishes due to an overwhelming infusion of Thunder power.
[This Life Ends!]
"…" Pei Xuanjing was slightly dumbfounded, an expression of surprise and disbelief spreading across his face.
If he hadn't remembered wrongly, this lifespan simulated this time almost held the record for the shortest lifespan ever experienced in all his life simulations.
He initially expected that even though this life simulation might not offer any significant breakthroughs, at the very least, it would provide some understanding of his upcoming life trajectory.
However, to his astonishment, he didn't even surpass the age of thirty-three and directly died at that age.
Keep in mind that after he had broken through to Second-Class, he hardly encountered abnormal incidents like this.
Whew…
Pei Xuanjing took a deep breath, calmed himself, and began to recall the details of the simulated life he just experienced.
Long after, Pei Xuanjing opened his eyes, repeating a few words under his breath: "Ghost Emperor of Fengdu! Strange True Qi!"
Upon close inspection, the cause of his death traced back to the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu.
In previous life simulations, though the enemy had fought against him, their clashes were not fatal, and thus the enemy did not resort to using the strange True Qi as their ultimate killer move.
"If my guess is right, this strange True Qi shares the same origin as the Yin Sha Qi of the Equal King I encountered before. I thought I could be immune to this strange True Qi after dealing with the Yin Sha Qi from the Equal King. However, unexpectedly, I was caught off guard by this strange True Qi once again!" Pei Xuanjing thought quietly to himself.
Seeing this strange True Qi, he naturally thought back to the time he was in Tiandu, when the Equal King cast the Yin Sha Qi. Pei Xuanjing speculated that this unusual True Qi of the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu was probably an upgraded version of the Yin Sha Qi.
"It seems the underworld has many secrets!"
Pei Xuanjing has now grown extremely curious about the underworld. Based on the strange and unpredictable methods that deviate significantly from the martial arts within the Jianghu, they seem to originate from somewhere else.
Given the ancient lineage of the underworld and various rumors, undoubtedly, it contains astonishing secrets.
[Simulation ends. You can choose to retain one of the following rewards.] [First option: True Qi accumulation at the age of thirty-three.]
[Second option: Physical body strength level at the age of thirty-three.] [Third option: Replays of the duel with the Old Heavenly Master.]
Pei Xuanjing, of course, chose the second option.
Although his simulated life this time lasted less than a year and ended with his physical body collapsing,
There is no denying that prior to suffering the backlash from Thunder Forging Body, he had already completely tempered and strengthened his hands in the simulation.
With his left hand already spiritualized, Pei Xuanjing, more than anyone else, was well aware that each step forward in the process of body spiritualization requires countless time and energy. Naturally though, the rewards are incredibly immense.
After making his choice, Pei Xuanjing began to feel a tingling sensation, similar to the one he experienced on Shenxiao Mountain when undergoing Body Tempering with Thunder.
He felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, with purple lightning sizzling on his hands. Pei Xuanjing immediately circulates his True Qi throughout his body, focusing primarily on healing the damage in his hands.
Two hours later, Pei Xuanjing opened his eyes and flashes of electric light seemed to pass through his pupils.
"This time, the rewards are indeed abundant!"
He had made the right choice. Not only had this simulation completed the spiritualization of his hands, but his previously strengthened body had also been slightly enhanced.
He extended his palms and purple lightning appeared out of nowhere, crackling and flickering in his palms.
"The future Shenxiao Thunder Palm will be stronger than ever."
Initially, when executing the Shenxiao Thunder Palm, it gathered the thunder power between Heaven and Earth in the palm. However, in reality, the user needed to expend some True Qi to isolate the Thunder power to avoid hurting themselves.
But now, with his spiritualized hands, Pei Xuanjing did not need to use True Qi to isolate the Thunder power. His palms could directly bear these Thunder power without suffering any injury.
In the following days, Pei Xuanjing didn't take any further action. He concentrated on resting and replenishing his spirits, preparing for the forthcoming titan battle.
Based on the information collected from various sources, coupled with several life simulations, it seems that the Old Heavenly Master might possibly be the most formidable opponent he would encounter, apart from Master Sanfeng and Bahesi in the fantasy trials.
"I wonder, how much weaker or stronger the Old Heavenly Master is compared to Bahesi, the Great Yuan Royal Master, and Master Sanfeng?" Pei Xuanjing thought to himself.
With the passage of six centuries, martial arts have undergone continuous revolutions, coupled with the near revival of Heaven and Earth, cultivating is much easier than before.
This Old Heavenly Master, who hadn't shown his hand for many years, being even more powerful, is not out of the question!