On the Path to the Great Dao

A streak of azure light pierced through Li Tianxiu's head and continued flying forward for several dozen zhang before thudding into a white wall with a dull thunk—it was a length of green bamboo.

The green bamboo embedded itself about a chi into the wall. The white wall was stained with a few splatters of blood, bright red like plum blossoms, evoking an entirely unique artistic mood.

There was no sign at all that this bamboo had passed through a person's brain.

No one had foreseen this sudden turn. By the time they reacted, the green bamboo had already bored through Li Tianxiu's head. He was beyond saving!

Among the Li family members were many experts, particularly the retainers. They were all shrewd and capable scholars selected for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with many being veterans who had descended from border defense garrisons—survivors of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with supremely refined combat experience. Among them were even powerhouses who had formed Nascent Souls!

Yet with so many experts present, not a single one managed to block that green bamboo!

That green bamboo had been too fast—fast enough that Li Tianxiu's head was penetrated by the time the sound reached their ears!

"Protect the madam!"

At Big Sister Gu's command, the crowd shifted at once. Dozens of people flashed to the family carriages, lightly tapping their waists. Streams of golden light erupted as massive golden bells flipped over them upside down, golden radiance swirling across their surfaces. These were Golden Bell Talismans, shielding the carriages to keep the brigands from harming the womenfolk.

"Clang—" The bell's chime rang out long and melodious.

Eight Trigrams Protective Talismans also rose into the air, divine light forming the eight trigrams of heaven, earth, wind, thunder, water, fire, mountain, and marsh, slowly revolving around the carriages.

River Chart Life-Preservation Talismans, Longevity-Extension Life-Preservation Talismans, and other talismans were activated as well, likewise guarding the carriages.

At the same time, Li family retainers leaped up on all sides, landing atop building eaves in an attempt to seize the high ground. As long as they held the high ground, they could spot the enemy approaching from any direction.

But just as they leaped skyward, shrill whooshes tore through the air.

"Shoo—"

One Li family retainer felt a colossal impact slam into his chest, as if rammed by some primordial savage ox. He flew backward.

Still airborne, he twisted to look back and saw his back erupt in a spray of blood, blooming outward in all directions like lake water splashing from a hurled boulder. At the same time, a green bamboo whistled off into the distance.

"Is it a magic treasure? So fast!"

The thought had just crossed his mind when all his strength abruptly drained away.

That green bamboo had pierced his heart. His vital energy was extinguished.

"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!"

Green bamboos shot forth one after another like death charms. Seven Li family retainers had tried leaping up this time, but six were run through their bodies by the bamboos. One managed to activate a Golden Bell Talisman in time, but the bamboo still stabbed through. Fortunately, the bell delayed it just long enough that the bamboo didn't burst out the other side.

The momentary obstruction caused the bamboo tip to explode, sending bamboo filaments lancing into his chest and piercing his heart and lungs.

The man panicked upon being struck. He drew a hard breath, instantly rupturing his heart and shredding his lungs. By the time he hit the ground, he was a corpse—dead in the most gruesome fashion.

The seventh man didn't die to a green bamboo. The instant he leaped up, he was impaled by a seven-zhang-long thick bamboo pole!

The force transmitted by that thick bamboo pole was tremendous. As it punched through his body, it shook with a burst of Hunyuan Strength.

Hunyuan Strength was a spear technique secret: grip a long spear with both hands, plant the butt end at your waist, drive power from the waist to mobilize the whole body into the spear shaft, channeling all force to the tip where it erupts in a great circle.

After forming a Golden Core, with the core's augmentation, that circling force could shake even a Diamond Indestructible Body to pieces!

Though that Li family retainer had formed a Golden Core too, the bamboo pole's shake dislocated all 206 bones in his body. He was flung away like a sack of mud.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Many Li family retainers had already vaulted onto treetops to claim high vantage points. Others fell back into courtyards, manifesting their Golden Cores to guard against attacks from behind.

The rest circulated their Divine Shrines and Divine Embryos, channeling spells or circulating sword qi or jade wheels in readiness.

Some Embroidered Uniform Guards, despite their Divine Embryo Realm cultivation, unslung bird guns from their backs instead, loaded them with powder, and spread out, primed to fire at any moment.

The Zhao family of Xinxiang couldn't compare to the Li family of Quanzhou. The Quanzhou Li family had profound heritage, ancient lineage, strict family discipline, experts aplenty, and hordes of followers.

Though the attackers came on ferociously and had slain eight men already, for the two Viceroy Madams Xia Weiyin and Yan Jingshu this time around, it wasn't enough to wound them to the bone.

Everyone turned to look toward that thick bamboo pole and saw an azure-robed elder clutching a seven-zhang great bamboo as he strode toward them.

The azure-robed elder's clothes weren't flashy but were meticulously tailored without a single patch.

For ease of combat, he wore no jade pendants or other ornaments. Straw sandals fit his feet perfectly, and he moved with light steps.

A youth followed behind him, clad in the azure robes of a newly minted scholar—brand new ones at that, though he wore no scholar's black cap. His sleeves had been torn off, and his long robe was rolled up and tucked into his belt, revealing loose white trousers.

The youth shouldered a fish basket containing some green bamboos, one end of each sharpened to a keen point facing upward. A yellow oiled-paper umbrella was plunged into the basket handle-down.

A black dog trailed the youth. Jet-black from head to tail without a single stray hair, it padded along at an unhurried pace, utterly unfazed by the murderously tense scene ahead. It was quite the surprise.

"Mr. Fu, I killed seven. You only got one."

The youth said,

"Though you're my teacher, you still haven't grasped the essence of the Master's Analects."

The azure-robed elder snorted but said nothing.

Man, youth, and dog advanced casually, ignoring everyone around them.

His left hand formed a sword art. His right hand formed a sword art as well, but between index and middle finger he pinched a yellow talisman.

"Go—"

The youth barked a clear command. The yellow talisman in his hand ignited, its fiery glow whirling as it flew up into the sky.

Everyone's gazes locked on the pair, stupefied.

"Two scholars?"

Both appeared to be scholars, especially the youth—only eleven or twelve years old, boyish and immature, several years younger than Li Tianxiu. From his clothes, he was clearly one of the newly promoted scholars from this round at the literary temple.

But...

Had those green bamboos been his handiwork?

How could they be so domineering? So ruthless?

Mr. Zeng eyed the pair and said gravely,

"Are you Mr. Fu Leisheng?"

Fu Leisheng broke into a run, thick bamboo pole in hand, charging forward as he bellowed,

"None other than Fu himself!"

The moment the words left his mouth, a thud sounded—Li Tianxiu's corpse hitting the ground. Then came the clatter of hooves. Freed of its master's restraint, the fine steed bolted down the street.

"Crack!"

Thunder boomed from the sky. Lightning rent the thick black clouds, blindingly brilliant.

At the same instant, a vast power tore the clouds asunder, turning into beams of rosy glow descending from the heavens. This was the literary temple's sacrifice to the sky—heavenly true gods sensing the temple's incense and offerings, granting divine boons.

Within those rosy beams were Divine Embryos manifested from the true gods' power, responding to the sacrifice by descending into the Mud Pill Palaces of the scholars who had passed this county examination.

The Mud Pill Palace was the dwelling of the primal spirit and the site where the Divine Shrine took form. When cultivators circulated their arts, the shrine would project behind their heads, allowing the Divine Embryo to take its seat. It aided in refining true qi, balancing yin and yang, subduing water and fire, gathering spirit, and tempering the flesh.

It was dusk now, the perfect time. Beams of rosy light in varied hues blazed brilliantly.

Nor was it just Xinxiang County. Across Xinxiang Province's sixty counties and the other forty-nine provinces of West Ox New Continent, every county seat and provincial capital saw brilliant rosy light pierce the firmament. Be it阴雨, black clouds, or storms, nothing could block those descending beams.

This phenomenon was known as the True Gods' Latent Descent!

Once every three years—a grand, magnificent spectacle that drew countless heads skyward!

Near Xinxiang County's literary temple, folk surged forward to kowtow toward the glows. Some even tried touching the divine aura in hopes their own children might score well on the exams.

Yet outside the Lingnan rich merchant's estate, killing intent roiled. As Fu Leisheng charged, four men rushed him from left-front, left-rear, right-front, and right-rear—a four-way pincer attack. Each manifested their Golden Core, forming four overlapping core force fields of tremendous might.

Each field cloaked a three-zhang-diameter sphere, shielding front and back, up and down, left and right.

Their cultivation paths differed, yielding cores of different attributes. One core's field set everything within ablaze—even the ground reeked of char.

Another contained Xun wind,阴沉 and grim. From afar, it resembled countless black hairs writhing within the sphere. They were no such thing; it was a visual illusion from the wind's ferocity.

A third core's field held flowing water, formless and dispersing at will, scouring all it touched. A mere sway dissolved everything—even gouging out a chunk of the ground.

The fourth core's field was crushingly heavy, brilliant gold shot through with yellow. Everywhere it passed, things shattered—even the ground cratered!

These four were no ordinary foes. At their cores' convergence, earth, water, wind, and fire converged to annihilate all!

Even without spells, those four Golden Cores alone would claim Fu Leisheng's life.

Just then, thunder cracked in the sky. Chen Shi's yellow talisman turned to a streak of firelight rocketing upward, flickering unsteadily in midair.

Mr. Zeng looked up. It was a yellow talisman—yellow paper about a foot long and a handspan wide, inscribed with a script in cinnabar and black dog blood, red as gore.

Now the yellow paper had burned away, revealing the script. Crimson runes blazed with golden light, five zhang wide and eight zhang long—about an acre in area—dangling down!

"Don't manifest your Golden Cores or Nascent Souls!"

Mr. Zeng's expression changed drastically. He bellowed at the top of his lungs,

"There's a Nine Yang Heavenly Thunder Attraction Talisman in the sky!"

Before the words finished, a colossal crack rang out from the heavens. Rolling thunderfire plummeted. The lightning passed through the Nine Yang Heavenly Thunder Attraction Talisman, lancing straight toward the water-attuned Golden Core!

Golden Cores had form but no substance. External objects couldn't harm them, spells couldn't shatter them, and they couldn't be dispersed or dispersed. But they feared heavenly thunder above all.

That bolt struck true. The water-attuned Golden Core shattered on impact. The core expert spewed a great gout of blood, body going rigid as he toppled.

"Crack!" "Crack!" "Crack!"

Thunder rolled endlessly from the sky, bolts grazing past the still-burning Nine Yang Heavenly Thunder Attraction Talisman as they struck down. The earth, wind, and fire cores weren't retracted in time—they too were smashed!

All three belched black smoke as they collapsed, fates unknown.

"A talisman master!"

Mr. Zeng's heart clenched. This fish-basket youth was undoubtedly a supremely formidable talisman master. Unleashing a Nine Yang Heavenly Thunder Attraction Talisman at this moment had rendered their Golden Cores and Nascent Souls unusable.

Today was overcast, with thick clouds. No rain had fallen yet, but thunder rumbled deep within them.

Heavenly thunder was the utmost yang. Golden Cores and Nascent Souls harbored yin qi—Nascent Souls especially, known as yin spirits. In thunder-rain weather, they had to be nurtured carefully.

Otherwise, manifesting them only for thunder to rumble past would pulverize them to dust!

Those four Golden Core experts just now had their cores smashed by the thunder drawn by the Nine Yang Heavenly Thunder Attraction Talisman!

"Mr. Fu, heavenly thunder is suppressing them now. Time to kill."

Chen Shi said gravely.

His left sword art flicked lightly. A green bamboo thrashed restlessly in the fish basket before shooting out.

Fu Leisheng snorted.

"And if there were no clouds? No thunder or rain? What then?"

Chen Shi's fingertip twitched.

"I have Spring Rain Talismans and Five Thunders Talismans in my sleeve. No rain? I'll summon it. No thunder? I'll call it!"

"Shoo—"

A green bamboo whistled through the air, piercing it—even carrying a faint thunderous peal!

Chen Shi's right hand seized the hatchet at his waist. His stance sank, thighs tensing as qi surged through muscle and sinew. His legs thickened massively. He burst forward!

The instant he charged, green bamboos leaped from the basket behind him one after another, shrieking with whooshes as they shot away!

Fu Leisheng also powered forward in a mad sprint, bamboo pole brandished like a great spear, tip whistling as he bore down on the convoy, accelerating.

Blackie Pot halted, planting its haunches on the ground to watch as Chen Shi streaked forth like a meteor. His hatchet slashed one man's throat while bamboos pierced Embroidered Uniform Guard and retainer bodies one after another.