Chapter 140: The True Monarch of Protecting the Saints is Named Zhenwu

"Zhenwu?"

Within the Treasure Map, Fang Longye had originally been lamenting that this Juyang Laoxian was not as ugly and unbearable as he had imagined.

Suddenly, however, he heard the reply from within the sea of clouds and was instantly stunned.

Great Emperor Zhenwu! This big shot of the Profound Gate was a world-famous mythological figure in his past life.

Profound Heaven God, Great Emperor Black Tortoise, True Monarch of Protecting the Saints Profound Heaven God, Boundless Patriarch, Great Emperor Zhenwu Who Sweeps Away Demons, Patriarch of the Nine Heavens Who Sweeps Away Demons,... and so on and so forth, with many titles bestowed upon him.

There were far too many.

Even his origins and background were subjects of much debate.

Some said he was the eighty-second incarnation of Taishang Laojun, born as the son of the king of Jingle Guo in the Wuyu Tiangong of the Great Luo Realm.

Others said he was the reincarnation of a wisp of thought from Haotian Shangdi, who, after undergoing various forms of cultivation and sweeping away all the demons in the north, ascended to the status of Profound Heaven God.

There was also the legend of the most ancient god of the north, Black Tortoise, who held the position of the Black Emperor of the North.

However, as of now—given that he had not yet become famous throughout the Three Realms, and based on some descriptions in the Journey to the West from his past life.

This person currently did not have so many fancy titles; he was still just the True Monarch of Protecting the Saints, one of the Four Saints of the North Pole, and had not yet been enfeoffed with an imperial title or achieved the status of a Heavenly Venerable Great Emperor.

If he were to truly display the full demeanor of the Patriarch of the Nine Heavens Who Sweeps Away Demons from the myths and legends, it would likely have to wait until the time of the Scripture Seeking in Journey to the West.

"However, for such a person to be so polite to this old fellow? This is quite inconsistent with the Demon-Sweeping Heavenly Venerable from the myths and legends of my past life, who hated evil as if it were a personal enemy and swept away all demons!"

In fact, it was not just Fang Longye who was puzzled; a certain Golden Immortal surnamed Zhao who had come with this True Monarch of Protecting the Saints also had his own grievances.

Clouds gathered, layer upon layer. Camps of all sizes were scattered like stars in the sky. In every camp, numerous heavenly soldiers and great generals formed battle formations, integrating offense and defense.

Melodious horn calls rose and fell. The heavy sounds of bells and drums were continuous.

A murderous aura permeated the air, covering the surroundings, present everywhere.

At the core of the military formation was a suspended high platform, engraved with heavy patterns, mottled with bronze, and overflowing with baleful energy.

On the high platform, there stood a military tent.

Inside the tent, clouds and water light permeated, with ripples of circles gathering and dispersing in an instant.

The ripples collided, creating colorful halos, presenting the image of the Yin and Yang Primordial Chaos.

In the center of the tent stood a Cloud Couch and a desk.

On the Cloud Couch sat a Daoist with disheveled hair and black robes, wearing golden armor and a Jade Belt, sitting cross-legged with his hand on his sword. A round halo of light covered his head, his eyes were like lightning, and his image was solemn and stern, not given to smiling.

His entire aura was like an abyss or a sea; behind him, halos of light intertwined, creating an Abyssal Sea phenomenon, with shimmering water waves, the color of profound black, bottomless and boundless.

Vast and mighty, so wide it could not be seen.

Above his head, a heavenly pillar, crimson gold within and purple-blue in the outer halo, permeated with an inexplicable intent, possessed an unstoppable posture, connecting heaven and earth.

This was none other than the future Heavenly Venerable of the Nine Heavens Who Sweeps Away Demons, Profound Heaven God, and the current head of the Four Saints of the North Pole, the True Monarch of Protecting the Saints, the divine general Zhenwu.

"Commander Zhao, do you have objections because of my attitude toward this Juyang Laoxian?"

His gaze was like lightning as he looked at the plump Golden Immortal in green robes, who looked to be of middle age, seemingly piercing through everything and reaching straight to the heart.

This Golden Immortal surnamed Zhao felt his heart tremble immediately, and a chill spread throughout his body. Looking at the eyes of Zhenwu before him, which were not moved by external things nor saddened by his own state, he said with a trembling voice: "Zhao Heng naturally dares not. Everything shall be as the General arranges~"

He understood in his heart that although he had achieved success in his cultivation, he had relied on a bloodline connection from the distant past to become a disciple under the ancestor Zhao Jiang, the Heavenly Lord, and through the maneuvering of his elders, he was considered a commander in the Thunder Department.

He had a bit of status.

But how could a pheasant be compared to a Phoenix? Regardless of position, strength, or background, he and the person before him were as different as clouds and mud.

There was simply no room for comparison. In terms of position, his ancestor was merely one of the twenty-four Heavenly Lords of the Thunder Department who summoned clouds and assisted in rain.

And this General Zhenwu was a figure ranked at the head of the Four Saints of the North Pole, beneath the Great Emperor Ziwei, with the title of True Monarch of Protecting the Saints.

The difference in position between his ancestor and this lord alone was more than two ranks.

In terms of strength, he, Zhao Heng, was but a mere Golden Immortal, and even his ancestor, who came from a famous family, only lingered within the Taiyi Realm.

Moreover, due to being listed on the Conferring of the Gods, although he was immortal and indestructible, his potential had greatly diminished, and the possibility of achieving the Great Luo Realm was almost negligible.

And the person before him was already in the Taiyi Realm, not to mention that his potential was immense.

His ancestor had long hinted in private that this True Monarch of Protecting the Saints was certain to achieve the Great Luo Realm.

Even the realm of a Great Divine Ability was within his reach.

The reason, besides the fact that this divine general Zhenwu had top-tier aptitude, merit, and fortune in the Honghuang, was most importantly, of course, his deep background.

Besides being born into the Black Tortoise clan and being a direct descendant of the first Black Emperor, Ye Guangji Shenzun, this True Monarch of Protecting the Saints had also taken that person in the Doushuai Gong as his master, and it was said he was that person's closing disciple.

The nobility of his status was by no means something that his ancestor, a disciple of the Shangqing Sect, could compare to.

Thinking of this, regret rose in Zhao Heng's heart, and he secretly cursed himself for his lack of mental cultivation; why did he have to speak ill of this person? The divine general Zhenwu withdrew his gaze, looked at Juyang Laoxian outside the sea of clouds, and sighed: "How talented this person is in the way of Yin and Yang! Truly a good seedling. It is a pity that such a bright pearl is cast into the dark and has gone astray."

"A pity! Hateful! Pitiful!"

With his discernment, he could naturally see where this Juyang Laoxian's original Daoist techniques came from.

No matter how much that subordinate of the Huanxi Fo changed his appearance, he could not change the essence of the Huanxi Fo Dharma within.

Such a peerless genius in the way of Yin and Yang had been influenced by someone's schemes and fallen into the path of the Demon.

"A good scheme!"

Using the disguised Huanxi Fo Dharma to lead people into the path of the Demon, and finally, after they had grown to a certain extent, coming forward in the name of the Fomen to convert and subdue them.

Between the rotation of Brahma and Demon, one would have a great awakening and become a Buddhist on the spot.

The Juyang lecherous demon who brought disaster to one side could also turn into the Juyang Bodhisattva.

The group of immortal slave women who were subdued could also instantly become the Wisdom Consorts before the Buddha.

If operated properly, the Fomen could easily open up a solid new territory in the southern region of this Beiju Luzhou.

Thinking of this.

Anger rose on Zhenwu's originally calm face, and his state of mind surged.

It was not for any other reason; with his foundation, he had long understood his own path to enlightenment.

Born as Zhenwu, he was destined to achieve the Dao in heaven and earth and be the god of the north.

Succeeding the First Emperor, he became the new Black Emperor of the North. He guards the north, governs the wind and rain, sweeps away demons and subdues evil, and keeps malevolent spirits in check.

And Beiju Luzhou is the place destined for him to attain the Dao.

Once he sweeps away the various demons of Bei Zhou, and even uses this as a springboard to compress the living space of the Demon Clan, a massive amount of Qi Luck will surely be seized by him.

He will then be able to attain the Dao on the spot, without any suspense.

And this move by Fomen, whether intentional or unintentional, threatens his path to attaining the Dao.

Obstructing one's path to the Dao is far worse than killing one's parents; it is an irreconcilable enmity.

If not for this, how could the trivial matters of Zhao Heng and his Zhao family possibly be worth him making this trip? (End of chapter)