Faced with the Emperor's obstinacy, some even brought up a prophecy coined by the guiding mentor during his late years of Emperor Taizong's reign: "When the Tang is weak, a female warrior will command the king." This prophecy was referring precisely to Wu Zhaoyi.
After this prophecy, the whole matter was stalled indefinitely. Even the Emperor could not ignore it as it contradicted the general trend.
However, when everyone thought the matter would end there, Wu Zhaoyi stepped forward, asserting that since the prophecy pertained to her, she would willingly abandon her Martial Arts foundation, proving her resolution.
In this world where Martial Arts thrive, even the ruler of the imperial court is not necessarily required to possess absolute power, but they must not be too weak either.
Her decision to abandon her Martial Arts foundation and sever the path to the Heavenly Rank effectively silenced all her opponents. The Emperor, taking advantage of the situation, elevated her to the role of Empress.
Thus, all matters were settled.
"I never thought, those hypocritical monks would cunningly offer her a divine medicine to win the favor of the Emperor and Empress. Not only did the medicine replenish her Martial Arts foundation, but it also helped her break through to the Heavenly Rank." Ye Daoyuan's eyes were full of resentment.
After proclaiming itself as the ancestor of Taoism, the Great Tang Empire designated the Taoist School as the state religion, altering the flourishing Brahman Gate in the previous dynasty. The power of the Brahman Gate was significantly suppressed under the new dynasty.
The Brahman Gate did not take this lying down; they seized this opportunity to align themselves with those in power, and offered their precious divine medicine. The Emperor, feeling indebted to the Empress for her sacrifice, turned a blind eye.
Afterward, with the Empress's support, the Brahman Gate started to become more active, competing for status with the Taoist School. If it weren't for the backing of the imperial family and the court, the Brahman Gate might have flourished again.
Regardless, the Brahman Gate managed to regain their footing and show signs of revival.
In the end, the Taoist School was the biggest loser from this series of events.
This was a matter of great shame for Ye Daoyuan, representing the Taoist School in the court.
But with the situation as it was, he could do nothing against an Empress favored by the Emperor, and had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.
Recently, due to the Emperor's preoccupation with cultivation and indifference towards state affairs, the Empress's influence was gradually growing, and even Ye Daoyuan was facing his fair share of marginalization.
"What truly scares me is, the Empress has extraordinary talent, comparable to you. Although she has never demonstrated it, I can sense her terrifying power, which may very well be equal to mine," Ye Daoyuan confessed with a serious look, expressing his deepest concerns.
With the Emperor indifferent to political affairs and the Empress controlling the court, her growing influence was further bolstered by the covert support of the Brahman Gate. It is a force capable of wreaking havoc.
Can the current Crown Prince really manage the court if one day the Emperor were to pass away?
Ye Daoyuan's current worry was if the prophecy came true, it would be a catastrophe for not just the Taoist School, but the whole Empire.
Hearing all this, Pei Xuanjing finally understood the ins and outs of the matter.
So, it seemed that the Crown Prince losing the throne right after ascending to it in his previous life wasn't a coincidence, but an inevitability.
If everything Ye Daoyuan said was true, then no matter what, the Empress would always choose to ascend to the throne.
"Yet again, it's a covert struggle between the Brahman Gate and the Taoist School," Pei Xuanjing grumbled to himself.
These three major sects – the Brahman Gate, the Taoist School, and the Demonic Cult – with their long-standing rivalry, have managed to drag their conflict from the Daming World to this one, and he has once again found himself caught amidst it all.
Ye Daoyuan's gaze rested on Pei Xuanjing, lost in his thoughts.
In truth, even if Pei hadn't brought this up today, he would've chosen an appropriate time to reveal it all. As far as he was concerned, Pei was an important ally.
Given Pei's background, his relationship with the Crown Prince, and the fact that his cultivation method comes from the Taoist lineage, they shared several common interests and could become allies.
Of course, Ye Daoyuan was well aware that lip service was not enough to win Pei over. He would have to offer something substantial.
A prairie, a snow mountain.
Initially, this snow mountain was nothing more than an ordinary one within the prairie. However, because it was the dwelling of the Great Li National Teacher, Red Sun Martial Venerate, it became renowned throughout the world.
A semi-step Celestial Human Realm powerhouse, even a straw hut would be deemed incredible if it were their dwelling.
The continuous chain of buildings atop the snowy mountain housed a sprawling hall, within which a burly, long-haired middle-aged man was seated.
The top of the snow mountain should be freezing cold, but within the hall, it was as hot as a furnace. What was strange was that there was not a single source of fire within the hall.
"National Teacher!"
A Heavenly Rank powerhouse pushed open the large door of the hall, and a wave of heat struck him. However, the intense heat couldn't dispel the cold in his heart.
He was the same Heavenly Rank who had traveled to the Great Tang Capital as part of the Great Li envoy not long ago. After Ashina Zhenlu and Feng Yan's deaths, he had assumed the role of the head of the envoy.
Therefore, when he returned to Great Li from the arduous journey from the Great Tang, he couldn't shirk the responsibility and had to visit the National Teacher.
The Great Li National Teacher was the pillar that all the Great Li people relied on. They revered him as a deity and saw him as their mainstay. As long as the National Teacher was present, the common citizens had nothing to worry about.
However, this wasn't the case for these Heavenly Rank powerhouses. Due to their strength, they could easily comprehend the National Teacher's tremendous power and terrifying nature.
Every time they met the National Teacher, they could sense the terrifying power emanating from him, making them almost suffocate.
"Speak!" Red Sun Martial Venerate opened his eyes, his ordinary-looking face radiated an indescribable aura, projecting an intimidating presence.
He said to the Heavenly Rank in front of him, "I pretty much already know about the situation. What I want to know now is, did that person truly fight Ye Daoyuan to a stalemate?"
"Yes!" The Heavenly Rank respectfully answered, describing what he had witnessed, "The battle between the two was very intense, but what puzzled me was that this Pei Min, known as the Sword Saint, did not draw his sword, it seemed they both held back."
"Hehe, as expected." Red Sun Martial Venerate chuckled dismissively. Naturally, he could guess Ye Daoyuan's thoughts, thinking to himself: It looks like the Empress is giving you quite a headache.
Red Sun Martial Venerate said to the man in front of him, "Deliver a message to that Sword Saint for me. On the 9th day of the 9th lunar month next year, I demand a duel with him."
"Yes!" The Heavenly Rank's face showed excitement as he nodded in agreement.
Red Sun Martial Venerate's divine skill was at a crucial point. A little more time was all he needed to perfect it.
A cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: Killing two of my disciples and destroying my Red Sun Knights, then let it be your life as repayment!
At the time when the Red Sun Martial Venerate sent a letter of challenge to Pei Xuanjing, he had already prepared to leave the capital.
After debating with Ye Daoyuan for some time, Pei Xuanjing did not continue his deliberate cultivation, but instead consolidated what he had learned, integrating everything he had studied.
"Next September on the ninth?" Pei Xuanjing looked at the letter of challenge in his hand.
There was only one word on the letter: Battle!
The signature in iron and silver ink was filled with the intense combat intent of the Red Sun Martial Venerate. Most Celestial tier combatants would likely be intimidated by the terrifying presence of the letter.
A smile appeared at the corner of Pei Xuanjing's mouth as he said coolly, "It's impolite not to reciprocate, so if the Martial Venerate has given me a gift, I should retaliate with a gift of my own."
He took out a piece of rice paper and wrote one word: Sure!
Pei Xuanjing's handwriting was not particularly nice, even somewhat messy. However, coupled with his aura when he put pen to paper, it took on an exceptional significance, revealing sharp edges and overflowing with murderous intent.
Should one of the stronger sword cultivators obtain a look at this word, they might even gain insight into Pei Xuanjing's understanding of swordsmanship.
The messenger from Da Li who delivered the letter trembled with fear the moment he received the paper. It was as though tiny swords were slicing through his skin coming from the paper, and the more terrifying thing was when he attempted to look at the word; it felt as though countless swords were piercing him, causing a sharp pain in his eyes as if tears were about to fall.
This caused his fear of Pei Xuanjing to intensify.
He called his attendant and hurriedly placed the paper into a box of Mysterious Iron, and only then did that terrifying sword intent disappear without a trace.
After respectfully saluting Pei Xuanjing, he slowly left.
Waiting for the Da Li messenger to leave, Pei Xuanjing looked around at the Everlasting Observance and said softly, "It's time for me to leave."
He no longer wished to stay in the capital, but instead planned to travel far and wide, to understand and hone himself to the profound principles of Heaven and Earth.
He bid farewell to the prince. Although the prince was reluctant to see him go, he understood from Pei Xuanjing's behavior over this period that Pei Xuanjing was a monk who was dedicated to seeking the Path. Even if he was tempted with power and wealth, Pei Xuanjing would not be swayed. He could only nod helplessly.
However, Pei Xuanjing left a way for the prince to find him, allowing the prince to reach him when the time was critical.
After all, even though it would be a long time before the emperor's demise in that previous life simulation, anything could happen unexpectedly, and Pei Xuanjing was not willing to miss out on some things.
He was very interested in the Empress. After all, she was a master no inferior to Ye Daoyuan, and her path of cultivation emerged from the Brahman Gate, which made Pei Xuanjing extremely curious.
And so Pei Xuanjing embarked on his journey, taking his steps in this unfamiliar world without any deliberate purpose or pursuit, just wandering aimlessly.
He set off in the winter, witnessed the vitality of spring, heard the chirping of the cicadas in the summer, sighed at the solitude of autumn, and mourned the indifference of winter.
He saw the surging sea, traversed the boundless desert, climbed towering mountain ranges, and went deep into the recessed basins.
From south to north, from west to east. In a short span of ten months, Pei Xuanjing practically traveled across the entire empire.
He visited bustling cities and stayed in desolated wilderness, living through the changes of seasons – the cold winter, the hot summer, the autumn harvest, and the winter rest.
In the end, he returned to where he started, on the vast border of the grassland, in Yunzhong City.
During these six months, Pei Xuanjing seemed to have forgotten that he was a cultivator. He simply strolled through Heaven and Earth, letting the Shenxiao Origin Qi inside his body move on its own, not bothering with training his body, but instead exploring the world.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing's sharp aura was completely concealed, appearing ordinary without any semblance of power, just like an ordinary person who had not cultivated the martial arts.
Of course, if a powerful being like Ye Daoyuan saw Pei Xuanjing at this moment, he would undoubtedly be greatly shocked.
Return to simplicity and purity!
Pei Xuanjing was in this kind of state, having concealed his sharp aura and appearing ordinary, he seemed even more terrifying.
Pei Xuanjing walked slowly. Aside from comprehending the profound principles of Heaven and Earth during these past months, he was doing another thing: comprehending his own swordsmanship.
When he first came to this world, he studied martial arts and developed his sword technique, which was the first move of his sword technique: Nine Luminaries.
During this period, he was continuously deducing the next moves for his sword techniques.
According to Pei Xuanjing's idea, his set of sword techniques should be divided into Spirit Realm Sword and Immortal Path Sword.
The Immortal Path was too far away, for now, let's not talk about it.
As for the Spirit Realm's sword technique, he believed there should be nine moves, corresponding to the nine realms of Spirit Realm.
He has already chosen the names for the nine sword techniques: First Strike – Nine Luminaries; Second Strike – Eight Extremes; Third Strike – Seven Stars; Fourth Strike – Six Harmonies; Fifth Strike – Five Elements; Sixth Strike – Four Images; Seventh Strike – Three Talents; Eighth Strike – Yin and Yang of Two Elements; Ninth Strike – Tai Chi.
These nine sword techniques reversed the Yin and Yang, returning to the principle of Tai Chi.
In Pei Xuanjing's imagination, once his Spirit Realm sword technique was fully mastered, it would encompass Tai Chi, Yin and Yang, Three Talents, Four Images, Five Elements, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams, Nine Palaces, and include all the sword techniques in the world.
At present, he was developing the Second Strike – Eight Extremes.
The so-called Eight Extremes refer to the eight directions of the Eight Trigrams.
Ninth of September, Chongyang Day.
On an unremarkable mountain peak in Yunzhong Prairie, Pei Xuanjing was sitting quietly on a big rock, the Ten Thousand-Forged Grade divine weapon, the Longevity Sword, was casually leaning on the rock.
The news that Da Li's National Teacher, the Red Sun Martial Venerate, had challenged the Sword Saint Pei Min, to fight on the ninth of September had long been spread all over the world. So, at a distance of about ten miles from Pei Xuanjing, countless people gathered. These people, at the very least, had reached the Third-grade Gang Qi Realm in their martial arts cultivation, and there were even many Celestial rank combatants.
These people were grouped together in twos and threes, whispering to each other.
"Who do you think will win between the two?"
"Probably the Da Li National Teacher, the Red Sun Martial Venerate. He has been famous for a long time. It is said that he is already stepping into the Celestial Human Realm with one foot. Even this famous Sword Saint might not necessarily be able to win."
"This Sword Saint has fought with the strongest in the Great Tang, Ye Daoyuan. They were evenly matched…"
"Back then, the two were just comparing notes, not really going all out. But today is not the same; this pair might have to face each other to the death."
"But the name of the Sword Saint is not in vain. His swordsmanship is unparalleled. Many people have witnessed it."
Even though they have yet to fight, this did not prevent these people from starting to discuss who would win or lose.
One of them was the renowned Da Li National Teacher – famous for almost a century, unparalleled across the world.
The other, although a rising star with shorter cultivation time, had unmatched combat strength. A while back, he killed two Celestial rank combatants with a single sword strike and was on par with the strongest person in the Great Tang, Ye Daoyuan. His abilities were truly rare in this world.
Pei Xuanjing's reputation has spread particularly quickly during this period, becoming the center of countless discussions.
Especially in the past nearly a year, ever since his method of body cultivation was spread by Ye Daoyuan, many people have begun to focus on body cultivation, and their strength has increased several times.
Just three months ago, a martial artist who had been stuck in the third stage of Gang Qi Realm, managed to hold his own against a newly promoted Heavenly Rank powerhouse after adding body cultivation to his routine, even though he did not manage to defeat him like the Sword Saint did, it still shocked the world.
Therefore, as for the duel today, everyone has different opinions on who will win and who will lose, believing that both have their merits.
Thump thump thump thump…
A heavy vibrating sound came from the ground beneath, along with the frenzied sound of hooves in the distance.
In the blink of an eye, a group of rapidly galloping riders appeared on the horizon, dust flew up beneath their horses, obscuring the sun.
Countless cavalrymen from Da Li surrounded them, extending as far as the eye could see.
Flags fluttered in the wind, endless combative aura surged into the sky, it was grandiose, as if even the sky was changing color in response.
Upon spotting the cavalry, Pei Xuanjing on the summit remained calm and indifferent.
"Well worthy of the be the national master of Da Li, such a grand event," someone exclaimed.
Facing these tens of thousands of cavalrymen, the spectators paid them no attention. Perhaps if they were here alone, they might have feared these cavalrymen.
But today, there were no weaklings present. With so many experts gathered together, if Da Li went mad and wanted to take action against them, it was still uncertain who would die in the end.
Sure enough, the cavalry stopped about ten miles away, the ranks of the cavalry parted, and an enormous carriage, calling it a carriage would not do it justice, it was more akin to a mobile palace, appeared.
Whoosh!
A burly figure flew out from it, heading straight for the summit where Pei Xuanjing was.
The national master of Da Li, made his appearance.
The Red Sun Martial Venerate lands on the summit. Although he is muscular, his footwork is light as a swallow, not even lifting dust, highlighting the terrifying details about him.
Pei Xuanjing and the Red Sun Martial Venerate stood facing each other, they were a few miles apart, but they could both clearly see each other.
The Red Sun Martial Venerate, as the national master of Da Li, had made such a grand display just now, but his dress was quite simple, just a coarse garment, his high, muscular stature showed strength.
He simply stood there, and it was as if he'd attracted everyone's attention, radiating an awe-inspiring aura.
"So you are Pei Min, although we have never met, I have heard a lot about you," the Red Sun Martial Venerate said coldly, his voice was like a giant bell, carrying a sense of condescension.
Pei Xuanjing smiled calmly, instantly dissolving the intimidating aura coming at him, his voice was like a spring breeze, blowing away the oppressiveness. "I have also long admired the great name of the Red Sun Martial Venerate."
"Huh." The Red Sun Martial Venerate sneered, and then said in a deep voice, "Start your move!"
He is not one to waste words or time.
Moreover, there was only animosity between the two of them, and there was nothing to talk about, only witnessing their abilities in a fight would determine the truth.
"Alright!"
Pei Xuanjing agreed readily.
The wind on the mountain howled, his clothes fluttered, and the momentum around his body slowly rose.
Primordial Qi flows through Pei Xuanjing's body, causing a majestic aura to rise to the heavens. He shapes his hands into a palm and strikes down.
Giant Spirit Surpasses Mountains.
The heavy, massive palm strikes out, carrying an endless gust of wind, possessing earth-shattering power.
This palm, which was originally a simple upper-grade martial art, has seen its power constantly increasing as Pei Xuanjing's strength improved, and the power of the palm now is almost worlds apart from its original form.
Even though it's still named Giant Spirit Surpasses Mountains, it's actually far away from the original palm technique, changing beyond recognition.
Pei Xuanjing, who now had his spirit, energy, and essence all stepping into the Spirit Realm, could be called a true powerhouse. Even if he didn't use any Primordial Qi and relied only on his physical strength, the force he exhibited would have the power to destroy heaven and earth.
But now this palm has gathered both his physical and Primordial Qi energy, the combined power they could unleash would be earth-shaking.
This palm, with its brutal violence and unparalleled dominance,
caused an earthquake, causing the Earth to crack open.
Rumble, the spectators watching from afar only saw Pei Xuanjing's casual palm and their faces changed greatly, their hearts trembled.
They all knew that at the very beginning, both of them were likely just probing each other and definitely wouldn't use their killing moves.
But just with this move alone, many Heavenly Rank powerhouses felt a chill in their hearts. This seemingly casual move displayed an extremely terrifying power. They wondered in their hearts whether they could take the hit if faced with the same challenge, each considering differently.
The Red Sun Martial Venerate, seeing Pei Xuanjing's palm, had a calm expression: "It seems that my two disciples did not die in vain at your hands."
Based just on this palm of his, not many among Heavenly Rank powerhouses could take it.
Of course, for him, it didn't matter at all.
He kept one hand behind his back, standing tall like a mountain, and lightly struck out with the other palm.
Bang!
The boundless Primordial Qi surged out, a hot wave of qi rose to the sky, turning into a fireball and colliding with Pei Xuanjing's palm.
Bang!
The two palms collided, causing an earth-shaking vibration, the endless qi was like a wave, sweeping all around.
The Red Sun Martial Venerate's tall figure took hover, his hands clenched into fists, numerous Heaven and Earth Essence Qi gathering together, the qi swirling around him. He looked at Pei Xuanjing coldly, without saying anything, he threw out a punch.
Almost in an instant, the temperature around the mountain peak rose sharply, it felt as if the cool autumn of September turned into a scorching summer heat.
Rumble…
A violent and scorching fist imprint swept out, like a thousand-year-old volcano erupting ferociously, shaking heaven and earth.
"Hehe." Pei Xuanjing chuckled lightly.
He slowly raised both of his hands, pointed them into palms, and then his palms gathered countless lightning, emitting a terrifying aura.
As Pei Xuanjing made his move, the sky above the area where they were fighting changed, thunder gathered, and clouds surged.
Pei Xuanjing's figure stood upright, his gaze overlooking all, the changing wind and clouds added a mysterious majesty to him, long hair dancing in the wind, he looked like a god-devil.
Roar!
In an instant, he struck out with both palms, countless thunders turning into two deep green Thunder Dragons, making a sky-shaking dragon roar, accompanied by wind and thunder, the momentum was majestic.
The deep green Thunder Dragons roared to the sky, triggering constant thunderstorms, going from ground to sky, sweeping everything in their path, carrying a destructive aura, as if they were going to destroy everything.