Chapter 780: Kneeling

On Shuiyang Mountain.

The entire Daluo Sect has already been conquered.

Ordinary disciples and government soldiers are merely cannon fodder; what truly determines the outcome of this battle is the combat between experts at the level of Human Immortals and those who have undergone Thunder Tribulation.

And as Yu Liancheng and Haotian Jinzhang, these two Human Immortals, unleashed their full power, the scales of battle tilted violently.

In the end, it concluded with a total victory for the official forces; the high-ranking figures of the Daluo Sect were either captured or killed.

Three days later, on a vast plaza, dozens of Daluo Sect experts were kneeling. After investigation, these were all fellows who had participated in human trafficking; they deserved to die.

As the sun gradually shifted, the hour of noon arrived.

Sitting on the high platform, Haotian Jinzhang suddenly opened his eyes, divine light gleaming within his pupils, and with a flick of his finger, he shot out a burst of finger force capable of piercing metal and stone.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Those Daluo Sect experts were all kneeling in a single line.

This burst of finger force pierced through them; before they could even utter a plea for mercy, their heads exploded one after another, red and white matter scattering across the ground, staining it crimson.

In but an instant, those Daluo Sect experts who usually acted with arrogance and held themselves above others were now headless corpses kneeling on the ground, scalding blood still spurting from their necks.

"Fei'er!"

"Feirong!"

"Zhenzong!"

Beside them, Hong Xuanji's eyes were splitting with rage, his whole body trembling; he no longer possessed the demeanor of a master of Neo-Confucianism or a Martial Dao expert.

The first three heads to explode were those of Daluo Sect Master Zhao Fei'er, Vice Sect Master Yan Zhenzong, and Holy Maiden Zhao Feirong.

As it happened, these three people all had inseparable connections to Hong Xuanji.

Hong Xuanji had learned martial arts at the Daluo Sect in his youth; Zhao Fei'er was his mistress, Zhao Feirong was the daughter he had with Zhao Fei'er, and Yan Zhenzong was his close confidant and friend. It is worth mentioning that Yan Zhenzong and Zhao Fei'er were a world-renowned pair of Daoist companions, and many people likely still believed Zhao Feirong was their daughter.

What a tangled web.

Hum hum hum!!

Hong Xuanji, who had originally been sealed and suppressed, gritted his teeth, his pupils nearly bursting, and infinite power erupted from his acupuncture points.

At this moment, he broke through the seal, and his aura was even more formidable, like surging waves and erupting volcanoes; he was clearly only one final step away from stepping into the extraordinary realm of the Human Immortal.

Clenching his fist, his aura surged toward the high heavens.

A massive wheel seal appeared once more, though the cracks on the wheel seal had not yet fully healed.

"Die!!"

Hong Xuanji rotated his fist seal and smashed it toward Yu Liancheng on the other side of the high platform, with the momentum of a meteor falling to earth.

"Honestly, you are a master of Neo-Confucianism, why be so irritable."

At this moment, Yu Liancheng, who had been reading the Daluo Sect's secret manuals, finally raised his gaze and looked down at Hong Xuanji, his tone devoid of any ripples: "Calm down, kneel down and speak!"

Just as Hong Xuanji's figure appeared on the high platform, because of Yu Liancheng's single sentence, he felt the entire space suddenly shake, as if it were boiling water.

A moment later, cracks appeared in the surrounding space, as if it were a mirror ready to shatter at any time.

Hong Xuanji felt his vision darken as a vast, boundless, and eternal power descended from the sky, intending to press him to the ground. No matter how he unleashed his essence and energy, he was helpless. Finally, with a "boom," his knees buckled and slammed heavily into the ground; the floorboards rolled like waves, and the entire high platform was nearly smashed to pieces.

"Yu Liancheng, just kill me!"

Hong Xuanji spat out these words, gritting his teeth, one by one.

"Hong Xuanji, do you know why you lost?"

Yu Liancheng closed the book and, without waiting for Hong Xuanji to answer, said calmly: "Because you are not yet ruthless enough."

Hong Xuanji continued to glare fixedly at Yu Liancheng, making no effort to hide the killing intent in his heart.

"You are a master of Neo-Confucianism, advocating the preservation of Heavenly Principle and the extinction of human desire. In a sense, you use human Dao to act on behalf of the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao is ruthless and impartial, yet you, Hong Xuanji, appear impartial and selfless while actually harboring too many complex desires in your heart; one could even call you a stud." Yu Liancheng shook his head: "You say one thing, but your actions are another. Oh, Hong Xuanji, you will never achieve the Yang God in your lifetime like this. If I don't force you, even becoming a Human Immortal is unlikely."

Hong Xuanji's body shuddered, then he sneered, appearing disdainful.

"Although you have accepted my words in your heart, you act disdainful, and because you are now kneeling before me, you feel disgraced and humiliated." Yu Liancheng shook his head: "If you could truly cast everything aside, not take honor or disgrace to heart, and remain unmoved even if the sky collapsed and the earth cracked, then perhaps you would barely have the qualifications to challenge me."

"Of course, only the qualifications to challenge. Because you are progressing, I will never stand still, and you will ultimately still only be defeated by my hand."

"As for now, you are still too weak—too weak to even defeat my avatar."

"I will not kill you; you are not yet worth killing."

Yu Liancheng shook his head, stood up, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

Hong Xuanji is the Son of the Great Thousand, which represents countless opportunities and fortunes; he might even achieve the Yang God in the future, truly a 'gift-giving boy.'

Killing him now would be no different than killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. And Yu Liancheng is confident that no matter how powerful the opponent becomes, he will be able to suppress him.

"Yu Liancheng, you let me go, you will definitely regret this, you will definitely regret this!!" Hong Xuanji stood up, gritting his teeth, nearly roaring, his eyes blood-red. Perhaps he really should thank Yu Liancheng, for he now truly has the qualifications to become a Human Immortal. He only needs to go into seclusion for a short time to achieve it.

"If you don't have the ability to turn the tables, don't spout nonsense."

Yu Liancheng stood still and turned his gaze toward Hong Xuanji.

Boom!!

That familiar pressure descended again like a mountain, and Hong Xuanji's knees slammed heavily into the ground once more; no matter how he struggled, it was to no avail.

"Kneel for another three days and three nights."

……

"Heaven sees as my people see; Heaven hears as my people hear."

In a remote little courtyard in the Northwest corner of the Wuwen Marquis Mansion, sounds of reading drifted out.

The one reading was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old youth with delicate features, wearing a green robe, his frame slightly thin.

The room was very simple, with no pageboys or maidservants. Clearly, his status in the Hong Mansion was not high, but the fact that he had time to study showed he was not a mere servant.

The youth was naturally Hong Yi, the future Yi Zi, currently in his down-and-out days before his rise to prominence.

Once this Yi Zi truly began his cultivation, he would be terrifyingly fierce. In just a few years, he would go from a scholar who knew nothing of martial arts or Daoist techniques and lacked the strength to truss a chicken, to achieving the Yang God and shattering the vacuum. Compared to the speed of Hong Yi's cultivation, those overlords and giants who had cultivated for hundreds or thousands of years could all go buy a block of tofu and smash their heads into it.

No, wait, they would be smashed to death by Hong Yi's block of tofu!

Of course, Hong Yi is still far too weak right now.

The current Hong Yi is also single-mindedly studying, hoping to pass the imperial examinations and earn a status for Meng Bingyun.

Clearly it was still early, yet for some reason, Hong Yi felt drowsy; his eyelids became incredibly heavy, his head bobbed, and finally, he slumped onto the bed and fell asleep.

Hong Yi dreamed of a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

That was an illusory human figure, sitting cross-legged in the universe.

This human figure was so vast, standing between heaven and earth, filling the universe.

Stars like dust in the cosmos orbited her, shining with brilliance, as if draping a resplendent dharma robe over him.

This human figure's chest rose and fell, breathing slightly; every time "she" inhaled, the entire galaxy seemed to contract, shrinking infinitely. Every time "she" exhaled, this galaxy began to expand infinitely again, colliding, like a cosmic big bang.

It was unimaginably large.

And this figure had three different facial expressions and forms, giving one different feelings, constantly transforming.

The first type brought a feeling of intimacy and familiarity.

There was not much majesty, and Hong Yi even felt its face was surprisingly similar to his own, as if it were his own predecessor from thousands of lifetimes ago, the origin and past of everything.

Realizing the past through the heart and nature.

The past is eternally motionless.

As soon as the second form appeared, a fierce and domineering aura that gave one the feeling of "in heaven and on earth, I alone am honored" rushed toward him, shaking his heart.

This form gave one the feeling of dominating the present, invincible within the universe. It seemed capable of turning the world upside down, destroying the great thousand worlds, capturing the sun and moon, and chasing the stars.

Grasping the present through power.

The present is where I alone am honored.

As for the third form, the surroundings were filled with all kinds of unfathomable mysteries.

It seemed as if changes were happening every moment, with no fixed outcome.

It also seemed as if everything was within a plan, never having escaped control.

In those deep eyes, it seemed one could see all the mysteries of the universe, but in the blink of an eye, it was a scene of dead silence.

Suddenly, that great and vast figure gently exhaled a breath, stirring up a turbulent flow of time and space in the universe; stars were blown away, and Hong Yi's consciousness was shattered by a collision with a star.

Hong Yi woke up with a start, only then realizing he had fallen asleep while reading.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, dazed for a moment, and found he was still in his small room.

"So it was just a dream."

However, when he regained his composure, he found the memory of that Faxiang in his mind was clear and unmistakable.

At the same time, a string of text information emerged in his mind, all of which were methods for cultivation.

Hong Yi was stunned again and again; even though he prided himself on having a calm spirit when facing major events, he could not help but feel his heart stirred, showing joy.

After a long while, Hong Yi finally digested this vast information, then took a few deep breaths and, facing the direction of the window, bowed respectfully again and again.

The Saint said

The courtyard was deep, with thick shade like a canopy.

Yu Liancheng sat cross-legged before a low table, holding a brush in his hand. This brush seemed no different from an ordinary one, only the pitch-black, iron-like handle was engraved with the two characters "Thousand-Jun".

The "Thousand-Jun" brush, truly breaking a thousand jun with a single stroke. This is a treasure left behind by an ancient Saint Emperor; only a human immortal powerhouse can wield this brush to splash ink and write with ease.

A soft and charming voice sounded: "Young Master, the temples of the Daluo Tianzun have all been destroyed."

"Mm." Yu Liancheng nodded indifferently.

The person who arrived was Xing Yuxian.

At this time, Xing Yuxian was not in her usual attire of a handsome woman in men's clothing; she wore a pure black, soft silk robe, which set off the infinitely beautiful curves of her body to perfection. She was originally a peerless beauty of the world, and now, with a little dressing up, she truly possessed a beauty that could topple cities and countries.

Xing Yuxian walked a few steps closer, and as her gaze lifted, she saw Yu Liancheng was painting, and the painting was of a figure sitting cross-legged.

The moment she saw the painting, Xing Yuxian felt her soul become infinitely active, suddenly detaching from her body and heading toward the high sky, arriving in the cosmic void at a speed exceeding time and space. Here, the galaxy was brilliant, and scene after scene flashed by, but what truly shocked her was that figure spanning the universe.

She felt three distinct auras of past, present, and future from this figure.

"Wake up."

Just at this moment, a clear, resonant voice sounded, instantly pulling Xing Yuxian out of that magnificent and sacred illusion.

Xing Yuxian gasped for air, her beautiful eyes filled with fear, still lingering in terror.

That portrait was too shocking, and with her current cultivation, if Yu Liancheng had not awakened her, she would have been endlessly immersed in it, unable to extricate herself, and in the end, even her soul would have decayed and been obliterated within it.

"Is there anything else?"

Yu Liancheng finished the last stroke, then blew the ink dry, looking at the portrait with satisfaction.

He had read all three scriptures of the past, present, and future, although the present and future scriptures were both incomplete, and a portion was not in his hands.

But he had extracted the essence from all of them, integrating them into the Gui Cang Nine Paths to achieve his own "Three-Life Body".

Except for himself, Hong Yi should be the first person to cultivate the "Three-Life Body".

One yuan is 129,600 years, representing a cycle of the universe deriving all things. And now, this yuan is coming to an end, which also means all things will be destroyed and then reborn. Yu Liancheng will eventually leave this world, and Hong Yi, as the Son of the Epoch, is the one who truly gathers the Luck of heaven and earth.

Hong Yi's grand ambition is for everyone to be like a dragon.

This grand ambition is indeed very difficult, almost impossible, but this Son of the Epoch might not be unable to do it.

Even if he cannot do it, he can at least leave a spark in this epoch.

Moreover, the "Three-Life Body" is not yet perfect; perhaps he can let Hong Yi help him verify it.

"Is there anything else?" Yu Liancheng looked up at Xing Yuxian.

Xing Yuxian bit her lip and said: "Yuxian, Yuxian wants to beg for a way of survival for my father!"

In the battle at Shuiyang Mountain, Xing Yuxian truly witnessed Yu Liancheng's cultivation; if he really wanted to hunt down the Kongque King Xing Xuan, plus a human immortal avatar, then Xing Xuan would have no chance of survival.

"Want to beg for mercy? Of course you can."

Yu Liancheng sat brazenly on the stool: "I spared Hong Xuanji's life, and he knelt before me for two periods of three days; have the Kongque King come over and kneel as well."

"This..." Xing Yuxian's expression changed slightly.

Her father, the Kongque King, was so proud that he would likely rather die than kneel to anyone.

"If he won't kneel, it is the same if you, his daughter, kneel instead."

A trace of a smile overflowed from the corners of Yu Liancheng's mouth, and he beckoned to Xing Yuxian: "Little Peacock, crawl over on your knees, let's play a little game."

Xing Yuxian bit her lip, her pretty face flushed red, a luster flowing in her beautiful eyes, and then she knelt down.