Chapter 741: The Duties of a National Master

Although Taiyin Zhenjun is famous for alchemy, as the National Master of Datang, his cultivation level is naturally beyond doubt.

Yet in a duel with Yu Liancheng, his physical body was shattered by a single sword strike, and his Residual Soul fled with a bronze mirror.

Everyone in the entire Hua'eXianghuiPavilion was stunned; they felt as if they had fallen into a dream, unable to believe their own eyes.

Especially Jinguang.

The battle between Yu Liancheng and the National Master was brought about by Jinguang himself.

He believed he had a certain understanding of both their cultivation levels; although Yu Liancheng's cultivation was high, he was too young, and he assumed there was still a gap between him and the National Master. Even if his estimation was off, it would at most end in both being severely injured.

But now, with just one sword strike, the National Master had ended up with his physical body destroyed and his Primordial Spirit fleeing—it was simply inconceivable.

If Jinguang were to face that sword strike that seemed to be Opening Heaven, he feared his own final injuries would be no better than the National Master's.

More importantly, what Yu Liancheng had clearly performed was the Heaven-Slaying Sword Art, the supreme secret technique of the Yinyue Dynasty, equivalent to the Profound Heart Profound Art of the Profound Heart Sect.

"This guy is a Demon, and a giant among the Demon path, even more terrifying than the Demon Lord Liudao of those years!

"

Although the National Master had his suspicions, he dared not act on them in the slightest. This was because he knew he was absolutely no match for Yu Liancheng.

"Hahaha, True Person Yu is indeed possessed of vast supernatural powers and extraordinary magic; he is a truly enlightened immortal."

Amidst the silence, Xuanzong suddenly laughed and said, "I wonder if you would be willing to establish a sect and pass down the methods of cultivation and Qi refinement? I can offer my full support."

"I am accustomed to being a free spirit, I thank Your Majesty for your concern." Yu Liancheng shook his head.

Xuanzong was not angry, and smiled: "The outcome between True Person Yu and Taiyin Zhenjun has been decided. According to the wager, Taiyin Zhenjun is no longer the National Master of this dynasty. I wonder if True Person Yu would be willing to reside in the Capital? I am willing to offer you the position of National Master and treat you with the highest honors."

Yu Liancheng said: "How could a rustic man like me be qualified to be the teacher of a nation?"

"Hahaha, True Person Yu's Daoist cultivation is ten or a hundred times greater than Taiyin Zhenren's. If Taiyin Zhenren could be the National Master, why would True Person Yu not be qualified?" Xuanzong laughed: "I ask that True Person Yu please do not decline."

It seemed Li Longji had made up his mind that Yu Liancheng would be the National Master.

The others also had their own thoughts, but having just witnessed Yu Liancheng's Heaven-Slaying sword strike, naturally, no one objected.

Only Jinguang twitched the corner of his mouth.

His previous instigation was all for the sake of the National Master position.

As a result, he had driven away one Taiyin Zhenjun, only to have an even more difficult Yu Liancheng arrive.

"Since Your Majesty has so graciously invited me, I shall not decline." This time, Yu Liancheng did not refuse and bowed slightly.

"Hahaha, good! After the banquet concludes, I shall confer the title of National Master upon True Person Yu."

Xuanzong was very happy and flicked his sleeves: "Continue the music, continue the dance, and let us properly celebrate for our new National Master."

Afterward, Li Longji invited Yu Liancheng to the seat of honor, while he sat to the side to accompany him, and the sounds of strings and bamboo instruments rose once more.

"May I ask True Person Yu, what kind of Daoist arts do you practice, how long have you practiced, and can, can one attain immortality?" Not long after sitting down, Xuanzong asked quite eagerly.

"As expected..." Yu Liancheng said to himself, then smiled slightly: "I entered the Dao through martial arts, and I do not know how many decades have passed. I have fought experts from all directions and collected various secret martial arts manuals. Later, I obtained the five volumes of the Heavenly Book, melted my own cultivation into one furnace, and created the 'Gui Cang Nine Paths'. If we speak only of cultivation, setting aside external objects, one can attain an indestructible physical body and a lifespan of a thousand years. As for true immortality, that is still far off."

"I ask that the National Master please explain the Gui Cang Nine Paths to me in detail."

Xuanzong's eyes lit up as he listened. He was nearly seventy years old, and although he had received the help of Taiyin Zhenren, taking pills and practicing true techniques, he felt his lifespan was nearing its end, his physical body was withering, and his spirit was failing day by day.

For him, nothing was more attractive than long-lasting life and borrowing another five hundred years from the Heavens.

Now that he knew Yu Liancheng could live for a thousand years, he was naturally extremely excited, asking about the details tirelessly with great interest, to the point that he even neglected the Noble Consort by his side.

Yang Yuhuan was also listening with great fascination, especially when she heard that the 'Carefree Path' could allow one to ride the wind and travel a thousand miles in a single thought; her eyes shone with a yearning luster. For this most luxurious golden canary in the world, nothing was more attractive than freedom.

After speaking for a long while, Yu Liancheng felt a bit thirsty, so the Noble Consort personally poured a cup of wine and handed it over.

Yu Liancheng took the wine cup without a care, his fingers brushing slightly against Yang Yuhuan's jade-white fingers, feeling a warm and delicate sensation; he thought to himself that it was indeed like the smooth skin washed by hot spring water.

At the same time, he answered the details Xuanzong had asked for one by one. Finally, he even showed a few tricks, displaying Heavenly Human-like methods that made everyone regard him as a God.

The entire conversation was light and breezy, completely devoid of the respect and restraint ordinary people showed in front of a king.

After expounding on the final 'Self-Only Path', Yu Liancheng took a sip of wine and suddenly smiled: "Your Majesty truly has an open mind and is free from all worries."

Xuanzong was still immersed in the profound mysteries of Yu Liancheng's Gui Cang Nine Paths and asked in confusion: "Why does National Master Yu say this? What virtue or ability do I have to deserve such praise?"

"The great building is about to collapse, the empire is about to fall, yet you still indulge in luxury and pleasure—is that not having an open mind and being free from worries?"

Xuanzong frowned: "What does the National Master mean? My Datang's might subdues the four seas, ten thousand nations come to pay tribute, and the Kaiyuan era is prosperous—how could there be any danger of collapse?"

Yu Liancheng shook his head: "All that seems magnificent and heart-stirring is nothing but the blood and tears of the common people. Now, land is being annexed, the Imperial Court is corrupt, and local warlords are hoarding troops... This so-called Extreme Joy Banquet, in my eyes, is nothing but the final afterglow of an empire."

Bang!

Xuanzong slammed the table, startling everyone.

Li Longji looked at Yu Liancheng with a gloomy expression: "National Master, do not speak nonsense."

Although Yu Liancheng was strong.

Even excessively strong.

Xuanzong was not afraid of him.

He had the blessing of the Datang Dynasty's Luck and the protection of the Imperial Dragon Qi.

In front of him, Daoist magic would not manifest, and no practitioner could harm him.

Even if one could truly harm him, they would have to endure the backlash of the Luck of billions of living beings, leading to a life worse than death and making the Great Dao impossible to achieve. A cultivator like Yu Liancheng would surely not be so foolish.

"National Master, National Master—the teacher of a nation. Since the nation has developed problems, I, as the teacher of the nation, naturally must diagnose them and prescribe medicine. Of course, how to actually do it and how to govern still depends on Your Majesty."

Yu Liancheng looked at Xuanzong calmly: "It is a pity, a pity, that Your Majesty still does not ask the common people but asks the ghosts and Gods instead."

"You..."

Xuanzong's expression was uncertain, and under Yu Liancheng's gaze, he actually felt a sense of trembling, as if a young child were facing a bloodthirsty, ferocious beast.

And the people in the Hua'eXianghuiPavilion, as Xuanzong grew angry, all knelt to the ground with a clatter. Many people, hearing Yu Liancheng's rebellious words, were drenched in sweat.

This National Master was simply daring beyond measure.

Yu Liancheng turned his gaze to Jinguang and said: "Sect Leader Jinguang, before attending the Extreme Joy Banquet, I once used the Observation Qi Technique to look toward the Imperial Palace. You asked me what I saw? Then I will tell you now: I saw killing intent filling every corner of the world, smoke and fire rolling across the earth, horses trampling the mountains and rivers, the vast mortal world filled with surging seas of blood, the nation no longer a nation, and the home no longer a home..."

Yu Liancheng turned his head again, his gaze fixed on the faces of Xuanzong and Noble Yang Guifei.

"I previously told you all that I once obtained a rare treasure named the Heaven Crying Scripture, which was the first character created by Cangjie and can deduce the past, present, and future."

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, casting out a ray of light that transformed into a suspended screen of light: "This is a glimpse of the future that the Heaven Crying once deduced; whether you believe it or not is for you to decide."

Inside the light screen, smoke and dust billowed, flames licked the sky, and a massive army charged into Chang'an City, with Li Longji, Noble Yang Guifei, and their entourage fleeing in a panic.

When they fled to Mawei Slope, Li Longji, under the pressure of the accompanying soldiers, killed Yang Guozhong, plotted to cause the death of Yang Yuhuan, and finally fled to Chengdu in a wretched state.

And the final scene of the light screen was Yang Yuhuan, who had been deceived by the Corpse Dissection Technique, waking up in a coffin, but no matter how she tried, she could not push open the heavy coffin lid; her fingernails left streaks of blood under the lid, a shocking sight, and she was finally trapped to death inside the coffin.

Upon seeing this scene, Li Longji's face turned pale and then flushed, his fingers clenched into fists, and he trembled all over with rage.

Yang Yuhuan bit her red lips slightly, her beautiful eyes revealing a look of sorrow and grief. Having lived with Li Longji for so many years, how could she not understand Li Longji's character?

No matter how loving they appeared to outsiders, she was ultimately just a canary kept in a cage by Li Longji, at most better-looking and more ornate than an ordinary canary.

But a canary is still a canary; it can be shown off on a swing, or it can be discarded in a crisis.

It was just that being trapped to death in a coffin was far too desperate.

As for Gao Lishi and the others, they had long since lowered their heads, not daring to look again.

"Hmph, as expected, there are few good things among humans," Xiaoqing said with a huff, arms crossed.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't make blanket attacks," Yu Liancheng poked Xiaoqing's cheek, only to have it swatted away by her.

"Presumptuous! How dare you use mere illusions to confuse Me. Yu Liancheng, you have great audacity."

Li Longji was finally enraged; he slammed the table and shouted sternly: "Where are the Seven Shadow Guards?"

He had not been completely blinded by anger; knowing that Yu Liancheng's cultivation was extraordinary, he summoned the most mysterious Imperial Seven Shadow Guards.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Seven shadows appeared on the ground, and from the shadows emerged seven men dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, holding swords in their hands.

Their faces were unclear, and the swords in their hands were all three feet four inches long, flashing with green light and radiating a biting chill. It is worth mentioning that, except for the leader, the other six were dual-wielding. Seven people meant thirteen swords. The thirteen swords flashed in the air, appearing like a dazzling array of starlight, so bright that one could not open their eyes; they were clearly divine weapons.

These Seven Shadow Guards were Li Longji's most personal bodyguards, more loyal and powerful than any Thousand Ox Guards. They came from the same sect, shared a single mind, and cultivated both Daoist arts and magic; when the seven joined forces to execute the 'Infinite Divine Sword Array', among all the arrays under heaven, they could almost compete for the top three, and while not necessarily peerless, they were close.

Li Longji pointed at Yu Liancheng and the other two, shouting: "Take them down!"

"

Thirteen swords thrust out simultaneously, sword light streaming and starlight flickering, immediately enveloping Yu Liancheng and the two others.

In this world, the power of Daoist arts far surpassed martial arts, but because Daoist arts and Talismans required time, many profound Qi Practitioners had been ambushed by martial artists. As a result, most Qi Practitioners now cultivated both martial arts and the Dao.

The Seven Shadow Guards were the same; their sword lights were interwoven in layers, each ray of sword light like a rainbow across the sky, bright as lightning, clearly having attained a high level of mastery in Sword Technique.

And surrounding the sword light were dense circles of runes; for every inch the sword light advanced, the runes absorbed more Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi and fed it into the sword light, making it shine ever more brilliantly.

When these countless sword lights surged before Yu Liancheng and the two others, they transformed into a surging ocean of sword light. Once this ocean of Sword Qi truly erupted, it was feared that the entire Hua'eXianghuiPavilion would be ground into countless powder and cease to exist.

Xiaoqing and Xiaobai were both pale-faced; although the sword light had not yet arrived, they felt a stinging pain all over as if pierced by Sword Qi.

Yu Liancheng remained expressionless.

Suddenly, he extended his palm, raised his finger, and thrust it into the ocean of Sword Qi.

Only seven 'ding' sounds were heard, and the ocean of sword light vanished; the Seven Shadow Guards' swords were all broken. The Seven Shadow Guards themselves had all collapsed.

And what collapsed the ocean of sword light and severed the thirteen swords was a "sword".

A finger-sword.

Using a finger as a sword.

Yu Liancheng slowly withdrew his hand into his sleeve: "Your Majesty, is the power of this Divine Sword of mine acceptable to your eyes?"

Xuanzong's face turned pale, and he could not say a single word.

Yu Liancheng shook his head and walked slowly out of the Hua'eXianghuiPavilion.

Xiaoqing and Xiaobai followed closely behind.

"Since Your Majesty has invited me to be the National Master, I naturally should fulfill the duties of a National Master. Now, I have expounded on the Gui Cang Nine Paths and even leaked a trace of the heavenly secrets of the future; I believe I have lived up to the status of National Master.

But as for how this Tang Empire will fare, that depends on yourself. If you still refuse to make changes, perhaps the evaluation of Your Majesty by future generations will be 'Li Longji was a good Emperor, he just died a bit too late'. I will not interfere in court politics, rest assured..."

"Since I have fulfilled my duties, I should of course enjoy my rights. During these days, this National Master will temporarily stay in the Imperial Library; Your Majesty, do not come to disturb me if there is nothing important."

The lingering sound echoed, but the person had already disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Scoundrel! Scoundrel!"

"

In the Hua'eXianghuiPavilion, after a brief silence, Li Longji erupted completely, overturning the long table and sending the fruit on it flying across the floor.

The remaining princes, ministers, and famous scholars remained kneeling on the ground, trembling, slowing their breathing for fear of attracting the Emperor's attention at this moment.

"Jinguang, can you deal with this person?" Li Longji looked at Jinguang.

Jinguang pressed his lips tightly together, remaining silent.

Silence was his answer.

"Hmph, useless..." Li Longji was about to curse, but considering Jinguang's extraordinary status, he took two heavy breaths and flicked his sleeve: "Whoever can deal with Yu Liancheng, I shall appoint as National Master and reward with the title of Ten Thousand Household Marquis!"

Yang Yuhuan looked at the gate.

She looked at the place where Yu Liancheng had disappeared.

She was silent for a long time.