Chapter 459: Replacing Heaven's Justice, Three Invitations in One Sentence

Lin Hongyuan’s keen eyesight was beyond doubt. No matter how much she yearned to witness a grand spectacle, she quickly pulled Yuchi Duquan away from the outer corridor and hurried towards the latter’s maiden tower. Zhao Ningshen on the lake and Xu Fengnian on the corridor stood silently facing each other. It seemed calm and unremarkable, yet unknown to others, the feud between them had begun with their fathers. At the end of Xu Xiao’s campaign to conquer the martial world, he had almost subdued Dragon Tiger Mountain. Xu Fengnian gazed at the young Taoist before him, a cold smile playing on his lips, his hands crossed at his chest, fingers intertwined with red threads. It was said that this Little Celestial Master once blocked Deng Tai’a’s sword on the mountain. Initially, some thought it was a boast from Dragon Tiger Mountain, but after Zhao Ningshen intercepted the mad monk from the Western Regions, walking alongside him for several miles before stopping, no one doubted it anymore. Some even began to regard him as a master of the Zhi Xuan realm. Zhao Ningshen, standing at the boat's bow, smiled warmly, "This humble Taoist calculated that Your Royal Highness would visit Kuaixue Villa to admire the snow today, that you would go to Spring God Lake to see Wang Dongxiang, and then meet Lu Fei’chi. However, I did not calculate that Your Highness would kill Li Huoli of Yanbao and Xie Lingzhen of Caotang. Are you not afraid that once this is revealed, you will become a public enemy of the martial world even before inheriting your title?"

Xu Fengnian took two steps closer to the railing. "Li Huoli had Zhao Gou's escort, the imperial court's backing, and Xie Lingzhen's Caotang to build his momentum. The position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader was practically his. Did he still need Dragon Tiger Mountain to add icing on the cake? I remember now: your Dragon Tiger Mountain only knows how to perform those tricks of writing Taoist petitions for emperors to prolong their lives—a consistent tradition. Rumor has it you are the reincarnation of Dragon Tiger Mountain's first patriarch. Have you achieved enlightenment? I assume not, otherwise the Dragon Pond would already be full of blooming karmic lotuses. With the temperament of your Celestial Master's Residence, you'd be eager to dig up the dead from their graves just to inform them of such good news. Enjoy it alone, monopolize good things; enjoy it with others, yet only let them know of your joyous achievements. Either way, you win."

Zhao Ningshen shook his head and smiled, "Your Royal Highness harbors too deep a prejudice against Dragon Tiger Mountain. Those whose paths differ do not conspire together."

Xu Fengnian twisted his intertwined fingers slightly apart by an inch. Zhao Ningshen said, "Wait."

Zhao Ningshen smiled, "This humble Taoist's visit to Kuaixue Villa was not intended to interfere with the matter of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader. The turmoil at Caotang and Yanbao is neither in my sight nor on my mind. This visit was merely to meet Your Royal Highness. Since we have met, I came with interest and shall depart with interest. The sword owed by Daxe Ping, Dragon Tiger Mountain's return gift, does not require Beiliang to repay. I only hope that Beiliang will not make things difficult for Dragon Tiger Mountain, and we can live and let live."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "What, did you calculate that before I return to Beiliang, I intend to kill all the Taoists who dare to leave Dragon Tiger Mountain for a single step? Did you calculate that I would offer a bounty in the martial world—one hundred taels of gold and a martial arts manual for each Celestial Master's Residence member killed, with Beiliang promising protection for the killer—to make your once arrogant Dragon Tiger Mountain Taoists fear for their lives? So you are using the Kuaixue Villa murders as a threat, suggesting we both take a step back and have a peaceful New Year?"

Zhao Ningshen’s eyes were clear, and he calmly stated, "Your Royal Highness's willingness to guard the northwest for the people of the Central Plains is something this humble Taoist sincerely admires. If I were a free-spirited wanderer, I would certainly raise a toast for it. Alas, one must act according to one's position. Since I was born with the surname Zhao, I am compelled to do things that go against my pure heart, and I hope Your Highness understands. A thousand enemies slain, eight hundred self-inflicted wounds—it benefits neither Dragon Tiger Mountain nor Beiliang. When Dragon Tiger Mountain prohibited the eldest princess from climbing the mountain to burn incense, it was the fault of the Celestial Master's Residence. Thus, Patriarch Hong's sword destroyed nine karmic lotuses, and the Celestial Master's Residence remained silent. When the old patriarch Zhao Xuansu emerged from seclusion and descended the mountain, he intentionally troubled Your Highness outside Wudi City in the East Sea. Ultimately, the cycle of karma brought about his demise. He diligently cultivated the Dao for one hundred and forty years, but in the end, he did not attain longevity—a just retribution. Dragon Tiger Mountain has even less to say."

Xu Fengnian pointed his chin at the reddish serpentine patterns on his interlocked fingers. "With your insight, you must have seen through this. It's a living artifact left outside Shenwu City by Human Cat Han Diaosi. Originally, after it was cut off and Han Shengxuan died, it should have quickly withered. But Han Shengxuan forgot the capabilities of the yin entity by my side. His head was a rare good thing in the world, teaching me many tricks. Han Shengxuan had a very interesting saying: 'If others respect me by a foot, I will respect them by ten feet; if others bully me for a moment, I wish to bully them for eternity.' The feud between Beiliang and Dragon Tiger Mountain, whether it's because of Xu Xiao or the old emperor, you and I both know. How did Dragon Tiger Mountain's 'Feathered Robe Grand Councilors' and 'Taoist Petition Prime Ministers' come about? Wasn't it because the old bastard Zhao Huangchao accidentally nurtured an evil dragon that threatened Dipei Mountain and couldn't be suppressed? Only then did he temporarily change his mind, shifting from suppressing to appeasing your still useful Dragon Tiger Mountain? Zhao Huangchao traveled thousands of miles in spirit to the capital, asking the old emperor—who should have called him Third Grandfather—for that imperial decree. Then, it was rushed eight hundred li, delivered to his hands, and that's how the legend of the immortal holding the imperial decree entering Dragon Tiger Mountain came to be. When the sword was borrowed at Daxe Ping and the flying sword suppressed Dragon Tiger Mountain, did you dare to even fart? What, now that it's me, do you think I'm just a feudal lord's heir seeking fame, and you can grandly sit and discuss the Dao with me?"

Zhao Ningshen smiled slightly, "I once heard Mr. Bailian say that Your Royal Highness is skilled in business and negotiation. Seeing it today, I know his words were not false. May I ask Your Royal Highness, has the yin entity constantly lurking thirty feet beneath the lake been prepared? Do you truly wish to fight to the death? Your Royal Highness's life seems far more valuable than this humble Taoist's. What if, and I say what if, we both perish? In this deal, Your Highness, who is adept at planning, would you say it's the fine jade that lost, or the pebbles?"

Xu Fengnian's expression was normal, and he replied, "It doesn't necessarily have to be a fight to the death. Even if I wanted to kill you, I might not succeed, after all, Xie Lingzhen's realm was truly a castle in the air; a scholar's theoretical talk, only good for verbal sparring. He was simply too different from a martial artist who had risen from piles of corpses. He had the realm and cultivation but faltered in actual combat. Furthermore, Xie Lingzhen initially mistakenly believed I was merely relying on a Vajra physique to recklessly confront him, and he died feeling wronged. Dragon Tiger Mountain has long been wary of me, almost seeing through me completely. It will likely be a head-on confrontation, a chance to truly experience a Taoist entering the Zhi Xuan realm in one step. In any case, I'll keep fighting until you can no longer smile; you'll have to be half-dead."

Zhao Ningshen asked with a smile, "Is Your Royal Highness determined to make things difficult for this humble Taoist?"

Xu Fengnian revealed his true intention with one sentence, sneering, "Are we supposed to wait for Dragon Tiger Mountain to complete its grand scheme in one go and help you achieve enlightenment?"

Zhao Ningshen closed his eyes, concentrating and holding his breath, trying his best to hide the faint trace of anger appearing in his eyes.

Xu Fengnian mocked, "Even a clay statue is getting angry?"

Zhao Ningshen opened his eyes, remained silent, and simply extended one hand forward.

If you say I'm looking for death, then come kill me.

This confidence did not come from being the reincarnation of a Zhao family patriarch, but from this young Taoist, who, despite often seeming distracted and lost, genuinely blocked Deng Tai'a's sword when he first emerged, and not long ago also blocked Liu Songtao, who was both Buddha and demon.

Xu Fengnian placed a hand on the railing, leaping up, poised to launch a decisive attack on this flute-carrying Taoist who carried the immense hopes of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

However, with Xu Fengnian's realm, which borrowed power from a yin entity, he should have smoothly glided towards Zhao Ningshen in one continuous motion. But the latter clearly sensed a momentary pause in Xu Fengnian's movement as he braced on the railing. This caused Zhao Ningshen, who had not yet fully grasped the meaning of foresight, to also halt. The small boat originally needed to slide back one *zhang* for him to be fully confident in neutralizing Xu Fengnian's attack. Now, it somewhat stiffly cut the distance in half, stopping at a distance of half a *zhang*. Xu Fengnian, after an unheralded stillness, suddenly moved, rushing forward. After letting go of the railing, the railing behind him shattered into pieces. Zhao Ningshen frowned. His body remained perfectly still, and the small boat slid back one and a half *zhang* without wind. As Xu Fengnian reached out to push, Zhao Ningshen put one hand behind his back and flicked the other across his chest. A great bell, without being struck, still resonates like thunder. What seemed like a gentle flick actually generated clouds and thunder around his knees, enveloped in purple qi, making Zhao Ningshen appear even more like an immortal.

Xu Fengnian did not rely on the Vajra physique forged by borrowed external forces as he had when killing Li Huoli and Xie Lingzhen, blindly charging forward. His hands, a blur, tore through the purple qi and thunder that Zhao Ningshen had arrayed. Zhao Ningshen lightly raised his foot, kicking Xu Fengnian's abdomen. Xu Fengnian simultaneously pressed a palm to Zhao Ningshen's forehead. Almost at the same instant, both unleashed their power fiercely. The small boat retreated into the mist like an arrow. Xu Fengnian quickly drifted back to the outer corridor, bending his knees to press against the outer wall, then surged forward again like thunder, causing the wall to collapse under his feet. Zhao Ningshen, enveloped in mist, took out his dark green bamboo flute, twirling it between two fingers. The flute, like a bamboo dragonfly, stirred the dense fog on the lake, throwing it at Xu Fengnian like flung water.

Xu Fengnian tried to crush the bitter green bamboo flute with his hooked fingers, but still underestimated the immense internal energy contained within the flute. Upon contact, he had to let go, his body flung sideways onto the lake's surface, splashing countless drops of water before he found his footing on the water. Zhao Ningshen lightly shouted, "Rise!" The small boat lifted several *zhang* out of the water, narrowly dodging a sneak attack from a vermillion-robed figure beneath the surface, who then vanished. As the black-awning boat plummeted, Xu Fengnian tapped it with his toe, bringing down a hand-blade strike on Zhao Ningshen in mid-air. The bitter green flute, which had been stabbing from behind like a trapped beast, was tangled and destroyed by the opposing Thunder Pool Sword Array, turning into a weapon for Zhao Ningshen, who was also fighting barehanded. Zhao Ningshen stomped hard on the boat's bow, dropping like a thousand-catty weight into the lake. The entire boat flipped over on the water's surface, then crashed towards Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian's hand-blade morphed into the "Immortal Patting the Crown" technique, instantly smashing the small boat to smithereens, his downward pressing motion unwavering. Zhao Ningshen, half his body still in the lake, surprisingly did not dodge or evade, allowing Xu Fengnian's palm to strike the top of his head.

The lake water violently churned, raising huge waves that crashed against the outer corridor. Thousands of catties of lake water surged into the courtyard behind the two men.

Xu Fengnian slowly floated down onto a piece of wooden board from the shattered boat. That palm strike had not actually touched Zhao Ningshen's head. The young Taoist's internal energy was surprisingly powerful.

Zhao Ningshen surfaced, finally seeing the true form of the yin entity behind Xu Fengnian: a vermillion-robed figure with five arms and a sorrowful countenance.

Zhao Ningshen spoke gravely, "From ancient times, foul entities have caused chaos upon their emergence. This humble Taoist can tolerate Your Highness's arrogance, but I cannot tolerate a yin entity wreaking havoc. Even if it costs me all my cultivation today, I will act on behalf of Heaven!"

This time, it was the turn of the grim-faced Xu Fengnian to extend a palm, his eyes filled with immense hatred, signaling Zhao Ningshen to go ahead and act on behalf of Heaven.

"Act on behalf of Heaven!" What a fine phrase.

On the summit of Mount Kuanglu, heavenly beings materialized and wandered in spirit, heavenly kings glared with furious eyes, exhaling purple qi.

All said, it was about acting on behalf of Heaven.

Zhao Ningshen dared not be distracted by deep thought. He took a heavy breath, placed his palm over his left hand, and faced east towards Dragon Tiger Mountain, the ancestral home of Taoism. "I invoke!"

One word, three invocations.

Invoking Dragon Tiger Mountain's permission.

Invoking heavenly beings to descend from the Celestial Court.

Invoking the patriarch to manifest.

A portrait of the first patriarch in the Celestial Master's Residence fell to the ground.

A thick bolt of purple lightning, as wide as a corridor pillar, struck directly down from the clouds.