Chapter 433: Body of the Great Dao

48th year of Emperor Hongguang, March 17th.

The first exchange tournament between Tianqu University and Hongyi University concluded successfully.

Since the first Martial Dao Exchange Tournament was held, a tournament has been held every year thereafter.

It's just that while it initially involved the three Daoist sects and twelve universities, it has now evolved to include Mount Pudu Temple, thirteen universities, and the two Daoist sects.

In the few months before the National Martial Dao Exchange Tournament begins, some universities hold exchange tournaments among themselves to hone their students and serve as a form of internal selection.

This year is the first time Hongyi University has held an exchange tournament with Tianqu University. As a "newly promoted university," Hongyi University took the initiative to send students to Tianqu University to compete.

Hongyi University has a total of 15 participating students, including 5 commoner students and 10 students from noble families.

This ratio is not because the school intentionally gives more spots to noble students, but is selected based on the students' comprehensive performance.

Although Hongyi University claims to treat all students equally, when it comes to acquiring resources, noble students find it easier to earn credits and exchange them for resources, thanks to the support and connections of their families.

If commoner students want to catch up in resource acquisition, they can only risk their lives to fight for it!

Under these circumstances, commoner students only occupy one-third of the 15 spots.

However, in the exchange tournament between the two universities, the five commoner students from Hongyi University performed excellently.

Whether it was their on-the-spot adaptability or their fighting spirit and ruthlessness, they were clearly stronger than the other students!

Students cultivated using the most brutal "Jianghu sect-style" education method are indeed stronger in character than those cultivated through "greenhouse education."

The five commoner students from Hongyi University are led by Zhang Yan, a junior. (See Chapter 110 of Volume 3, "Hongyi")

Zhang Yan has just broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Transformation. He is the student with the highest cultivation base and the strongest combat power among all commoner students at Hongyi University, and is called "Senior Brother" by the commoner students.

In this exchange tournament, he fought his way to the finals, ultimately losing to a senior student in his fifth year at Tianqu University who was at the peak of the Qi Transformation stage.

After the tournament, the participating students from the two universities arranged to eat together.

Of course, because the commoner students and noble students of Hongyi University are almost like fire and water, the dinner arrangements were separate.

Everyone invited different people.

In the end, Zhang Yan and the others only invited three students from Tianqu University.

After the meal, Zhang Yan pulled one of the Tianqu University students aside alone:

"Brother Zhuo, you've been considering it for half a year; have you not made up your mind yet?"

This Tianqu University student is named Zhuo Buping, and he is the champion of this two-school exchange tournament.

In the National Martial Dao Exchange Tournament two years ago, he fought his way to the second round of the main tournament, only to encounter Li Fei and be eliminated. (See Chapter 14 of Volume 3, "The River Flows Forever")

Zhuo Buping's family background can also be classified as commoner. He was born with a miserable look on his face, and upon hearing Zhang Yan's question, his expression looked even more miserable.

Half a year ago, he and Zhang Yan met at the previous National Martial Dao Exchange Tournament.

After the tournament ended, Zhang Yan took the initiative to find him and invite him to join the Zhang Xintian Society!

At the time, Zhuo Buping did not agree immediately, saying he needed to consider it.

"Brother Zhuo, if you have any difficulties, feel free to speak plainly."

Zhang Yan looked open and honest.

Zhuo Buping shook his head and switched to using internal energy to transmit his voice:

"On the 1st of this month, anomalies occurred simultaneously in more than two hundred villages and towns across five northern provinces. Tens of thousands of people suddenly fell into a coma, ultimately causing nearly a thousand casualties, and many people were left with lifelong illnesses. A week ago, the imperial court announced the cause: all of this was the work of the Zhang Xintian Society, which has just been defined as an evil cult organization. Does Brother Zhang have anything to say?"

Zhang Yan was not surprised to hear this. He still looked at Zhuo Buping calmly and transmitted his voice:

"These were indeed the work of the Zhang Xintian Society."

Zhuo Buping was suddenly enraged: "And you still dare to invite me to join you?!"

Zhang Yan remained calm and shook his head:

"Brother Zhuo, have you ever thought that during the snow disaster at the beginning of the year, these five provinces were the hardest hit, and the local government was corrupt and incompetent, leading to many people in remote villages freezing to death.

If the Zhang Xintian Society hadn't spent a large amount of spell-casting materials to set up arrays in the vicinity and provided them with incantations to resist the cold, many of them wouldn't have survived the snow disaster, and the final death toll would have been several times higher than it is now!"

Zhuo Buping was stunned and mocked: "So, the Zhang Xintian Society not only didn't harm them, but actually saved them?"

Zhang Yan asked back: "Isn't that the case?"

Zhuo Buping: "..."

He couldn't find a reason to refute the other party for a moment, but he subconsciously felt that this was wrong.

"Brother Zhuo, have you ever thought about how many spell-casting materials the Zhang Xintian Society had to take out to complete this matter involving five provinces and more than two hundred villages and towns? With so many spell-casting materials, could there be no one behind the scenes helping us? Why would those people help us?"

Zhang Yan continued, "How could it be possible to make moves in more than two hundred villages and towns simultaneously without a single bit of news leaking out? But why didn't a single piece of this news reach the central government in the end?"

Zhuo Buping looked at him: "Are you trying to say that you have your people in the imperial court?"

Zhang Yan shook his head: "It's not just for this reason, but also because many people, in order to keep their official positions, took the initiative to help us hide the news."

Zhuo Buping frowned.

Zhang Yan sneered: "We can succeed not only because of our ability, but also because of the corruption and incompetence of our opponents!

You only hear the imperial court say that the Zhang Xintian Society caused thousands of casualties, but the imperial court will never tell you how many commoners who could have survived through imperial relief died in the snow disaster because of the corruption and inaction of local officials!"

Zhuo Buping: "..."

He pondered for a moment and finally cleared his thoughts:

"However, if you also do things by sacrificing others at will, what is the difference between you and the imperial court you despise?"

There was a trace of anger in Zhang Yan's eyes: "I just said, if it weren't for the Zhang Xintian Society taking action, those people would have died in the snow disaster long ago! It was the Zhang Xintian Society that saved more people! And how can there be no bloodshed and sacrifice in changing dynasties? Only by experiencing the pain can we change to a new heaven!"

Zhuo Buping was silent for a few seconds, but finally shook his head:

"Sorry, Brother Zhang, I don't think I can accept your style of doing things."

A look of disappointment appeared on Zhang Yan's face:

"Brother Zhuo, with your talent, if you had enough resources, you would definitely be able to become a Dao Foundation powerhouse, and you might even have the opportunity to go further in the future. Are you really willing to be stepped on forever by those noble students who are inferior to you in every way?"

In Zhuo Buping's mind, the face of the noble student who was in the same match as him when he participated in the National Martial Dao Exchange Tournament, and who took it for granted that he should intentionally lose the match, appeared.

He subconsciously clenched his fists, wanting to speak but stopping.

In the end, he still said to Zhang Yan: "Sorry."

Zhang Yan sighed, didn't try to persuade him any further, and turned to leave.

Opposite the restaurant where the two were eating, there was a residence.

Inside the main hall, two middle-aged men sat opposite each other, drinking tea.

One of them wore a pale white long gown, a jade hairpin on his head, and a jade pendant at his waist, possessing quite a bit of scholarly demeanor.

If Zhuo Buping from the restaurant opposite were here, he would recognize at a glance that this scholarly man is the principal of his own university—Qi Zhou!

"Zhuo Buping? That name is not bad, and his character is also not bad. What does Brother Qi think?"

The man sitting opposite Qi Zhou said while drinking tea.

Zhuo Buping and Zhang Yan both used internal energy to transmit their voices when chatting, but the conversation between the two didn't seem to escape the two people present; it was all overheard!

Qi Zhou smiled slightly, picked up his teacup, and took a sip:

"To be praised by you, it is indeed not bad."

The man sitting opposite him wore a gray coat, and his face looked very ordinary. If one looked closely, one would find that his face seemed to be hidden in a fog, not clearly visible.

This person put down the teacup in his hand: "With such talent, Brother Qi, are you not considering cultivating him well?"

Qi Zhou said indifferently: "I can only guarantee to give him a fair competitive environment; how much he can fight for in the end is up to him."

"Fair?"

The man with the blurred face sneered, "In the current environment of Tianqu University, where is there any fairness to speak of? Why does Brother Qi need to deceive yourself?"

Qi Zhou shook his head, not wanting to argue with the other party on this topic.

Inside the restaurant, Zhang Yan and Zhuo Buping were no longer talking, so the two in the room shifted their attention elsewhere.

Just at this time, a storyteller in the main hall on the first floor of the restaurant was telling a story:

"... I saw the Marquis of Jing'an erupting with golden light, transforming into a ten-thousand-foot giant sword, piercing straight into the clouds, as if he wanted to poke a hole in the sky!"

"Above the nine heavens, there were five-colored auspicious clouds, and celestial maidens scattering flowers... golden springs gushed from the ground, and the entire Lanling City was filled with golden lotus flowers..."

This storyteller was talking about the national live broadcast half a month ago, where the Marquis of Jing'an, Li Fei, broke through his realm on the spot during the broadcast.

He talked about the various visions during this breakthrough for a full three minutes, talking wildly, as if Li Fei wasn't breaking through his realm, but ascending to heaven in broad daylight!

Yet the listeners in the restaurant listened with great interest, and even many Jianghu people who understood martial arts didn't feel that the storyteller was bragging.

It seemed that the Marquis of Jing'an, Li Fei, breaking through his realm should have such an atmosphere!

"After breaking through his realm, the Marquis of Jing'an flew into the sky in one step and shouted at the big demon of the Zhang Xintian Society: 'Dog thief, do you dare to fight me for another three hundred rounds?!'"

"The president of this Zhang Xintian Society didn't dare to answer and could only retreat."

"After the Marquis of Jing'an landed again, the referendum of the Lanxun Pavilion continued, and the councilors of Feng Province took the stage one after another to vote. Everyone was conquered by the bravery of the Marquis of Jing'an. In the end, the Marquis of Jing'an received 74 votes and was successfully elected as a member of the Feng Province Lanxun Pavilion!"

"..."

In the room, Qi Zhou looked at the man opposite with a smile that was not a smile.

"If you want to laugh, just laugh."

The man with the blurred face said angrily.

"Hahaha."

Qi Zhou laughed out loud, "I didn't expect that a dignified True Person would be slapped in the face by a junior like this."

The person opposite him was the president of the Zhang Xintian Society, the newly promoted True Person Qiming!

It's just that True Person is the honorary title for the highest achiever of Daoist sorcerers. As the president of the Zhang Xintian Society, and with the Zhang Xintian Society just defined as an evil cult, it is naturally impossible for this evil cult leader to receive the honorary title of True Person.

This big demon, who had just been defined as the "Fourth Evil Demon," was actually sitting and talking with the principal of Tianqu University, and it looked like the two had a deep relationship.

After Qi Zhou laughed for a while, he asked curiously:

"I wanted to ask from the beginning, how did Li Fei do it that day?"

Blocking a full-strength blow from a True Person with the cultivation base of the Dao Foundation stage is simply too incredible!

"His constitution is very special, perhaps some kind of Body of the Great Dao."

Qiming said.

"Body of the Great Dao?"

"Born with the Dao principles."

"How could there be such a constitution?!"

Qi Zhou's expression changed.

He is a Grandmaster in cultivation, has practiced the Martial Dao Domain, and has condensed the prototype of Dao principles.

And this is already the result of his lifelong practice, yet he still hasn't been able to touch the edge of Dao principles.

As a result, Qiming is now telling him that someone was born with Dao principles?

This is as unacceptable as someone being born a Martial Saint!

"Besides this, I can't think of any other possibility."

Qiming said with a complicated tone.

He recalled the scene that day, Li Fei's vitality plummeted, then skyrocketed, then plummeted again, then skyrocketed...

Not only that, Li Fei himself was not affected by the curse power, and his body was almost intact.

Except for explaining it with Dao principles, Qiming couldn't think of any other possibility for this strange phenomenon.

"If he possesses Dao principles, why is he not yet a Martial Saint? Not a True Person?"

Qi Zhou asked.

Possessing complete Dao principles means stepping into the peak realm, which is common sense in the cultivation world.

"First, it's possible that the Dao principles on him haven't been fully activated. Second, he can't fully control the Dao principles on him."

Qiming gave his own explanation.

Qi Zhou frowned and pondered.

After a long time, he laughed at himself: "Doesn't that mean that the thing I have sought all my life, he was born with, and is destined to step onto the peak in the future?"

Qiming looked at him: "Isn't life just like this?"

"How many commoner children seek things all their lives that those noble children are born with."

"..."

Qi Zhou was silent for a moment and asked: "How do you plan to deal with it?"

Qiming carefully designed and used Qi Jin's "Star Entry Fate Technique" to tamper with Li Fei's fate, thereby bypassing others' protection and directly cursing Li Fei.

But after failing and retreating on the 1st, he immediately took the initiative to eliminate all the traces he left on Li Fei.

Not only did he not dare to repeat the same trick and start from fate, but he didn't even dare to cast a curse on Li Fei remotely at will.

Because the imperial court must have been prepared, and it is possible to follow the clues through Li Fei to find him!

Qiming's plan failed that day, missing not only an excellent opportunity, but also putting himself in a relatively dangerous situation.

This is the price he had to pay after his plan failed!

Li Fei faced his curse but didn't die, so some connection between him and Li Fei will continue to exist.

If it were another True Person, it might be difficult to grasp this connection.

But the Dao principle of the National Teacher Yun Shu is "Analysis."

As long as Yun Shu is given enough time, the other party may be able to lock onto Qiming through Li Fei!

This is also the reason why Qiming must painstakingly target Yun Shu.

It's a pity that the great situation was ruined by Li Fei.

Now Li Fei has truly become a "time bomb" for Qiming!

Yet this True Person of Curses doesn't dare to easily take action to curse Li Fei to death, because he is worried that there is a trap set by the imperial court on Li Fei.

Once he steps on it, it will be difficult to get out.

For Qiming, Li Fei must be killed, but he cannot kill him himself.

Yet Li Fei has already broken through his realm, and it's a double breakthrough, and he possesses such a difficult-to-kill "Body of the Great Dao."

If a Martial Dao Master is sent to take action, it is difficult to have the certainty of a sure kill.

So Qiming came to find Qi Zhou.

PS: The new volume has started, there might be fewer updates in the next two days, I'll organize my thoughts.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 434 =====