In a mere instant, the old Taoist made his decision. He would soon go and join Zhang Lu. What did sect development, gold and silver treasures, and the desire for power matter compared to immortality and the presence of immortals?
"Riding the clouds? The Taoist immortals have already appeared. Where are the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats of my Buddhist sect?" Xuanzang murmured to himself as he watched Zhang Lu ride away on the clouds.
At the same time, the idea of traveling to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures also took root in my mind. I hoped that after reaching the West, I could find the true Buddha.
The Jade Palace in the heavens has twelve floors and five stories.
An immortal touched my head and bestowed upon me the gift of immortality!
In an instant, many onlookers subconsciously began reciting this poem that had suddenly become popular in the last six months.
Listening to the murmurs of the crowd, Ning Daoqi just wanted to ask if there was a pill to undo his mistakes! If he had known that immortals really existed, and that they were so powerful, who would have wholeheartedly devoted themselves to Buddhism!
However, it was too late for regrets now. He immediately shouted fiercely, "Gentlemen, why aren't you making your move?"
Upon hearing this, Fan Qinghui nodded and said, "Let's go."
Meanwhile, several hundred feet away, Cai Yan, accompanied by a large group of aristocratic family heads and a group of simply dressed scholars, waited at this spot.
Zhang Lu hasn't been idle these past few days. He's planted countless arrays throughout Yangzhou. Like the array here, its purpose is to enhance literary energy. And the amplification is significant, a full fivefold!
Looking at the signal flare in the sky, Cai Yan smiled and said, "Alright, let's begin."
As he spoke, he took out a manuscript. This was a manuscript by a fourth-tier Confucian scholar, which in this world would be a treasure of the Void-Shattering level. Therefore, as soon as it appeared, it automatically emitted a five-colored light.
The literary aura within transformed into a visible cyan light, swirling within several feet of Cai Yan, making her appear quite mysterious.
"This is a manuscript by the great Confucian scholar, a part of the 'Han Feizi.' Let's read it together."
Han Yu said: "Confucian scholars use literature to disrupt the law, while knights-errant use martial arts to break the law..."
Han Yu said: "Confucian scholars use literature to disrupt the law, while knights-errant use martial arts to break the law..."
...
As the crowd recited, visible streams of literary energy surged forth from their bodies. After all, they were, after all, early-stage third-tier literary cultivators. Although they had not yet mastered much knowledge or related skills, they could still manage the simplest act of reading.
Among these scholars were figures like Yan Zhitui, Kong Yingda, and Wang Tong, as well as heads of powerful clans such as the Five Surnames and Seven Families and the Langya Wang Clan. At this moment, under Cai Yan's guidance, they all began to read.
Soon, under the influence of literary energy, the formation, and the great scholar's manuscript, the entire city of Yangzhou, covering an area of dozens of miles, was instantly enveloped by literary energy.
When you look up at the sky, you will see one clear character after another. If you look closely, you will find that it is the content of Han Feizi.
If one has a natural talent for reading, perhaps they could even gain some insights. Unfortunately, in Yangzhou at this time, such scholars have almost disappeared. What remains are merely a group of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) heroes.
Soon, the several hundred-word passage from "Han Feizi" was finished. And the hundreds of large characters in the sky were reduced to the last ten.
Confucian scholars use their literary skills to disrupt the law, while chivalrous individuals use their martial arts to break the law!
These ten large characters quickly filled the entire sky. At the same time, they emitted a hazy gray light, illuminating the entire city of Yangzhou.
Looking at these ten large characters, Bi Xuan instinctively felt a sense of unease. He laughed loudly, "Haha, what 'Confucian scholars use literature to disrupt the law, and knights use martial arts to break the law'? It's nothing but charlatanry."
As he spoke, golden true energy instantly burst forth from his body, firmly protecting him and resisting the gray light.
Strangely, this layer of gray light penetrated Bi Xuan's true energy and shone directly onto his body.
"Huh, what's the use of this gray light? Could it be related to Han Feizi, or to the immortal techniques of the upper realm?" Hou Xibai asked curiously.
Although everyone present was a martial artist, they were all actually literate. Even the least educated of the nomadic people from the grasslands could read and write. Truly illiterate people were very few.
It is absolutely impossible for someone to go astray in their practice because they are illiterate, as depicted in a certain book.
Especially someone like Hou Xibai, who is proficient in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, is a model of many talents. Therefore, it is not surprising that he recognized the origin of these ten characters.
Gradually, some people noticed that something was wrong.
"Oh no, I can't raise my internal energy."
"Could I be poisoned? Oh no, my internal energy flow has slowed down by at least two levels!"
Upon hearing this, the remaining people also began to check. In an instant, the previously noisy atmosphere quieted down once more.
"This is bad! The speed of my true energy circulation has slowed down, and the speed at which I absorb external spiritual energy has also slowed down. As for my spiritual power, it's been suppressed beyond recognition. Originally, I could detect an area of over a hundred feet, but now it's been compressed to about fifty feet!" Dugu Feng thought to herself.
Overall, in just a few dozen breaths, his strength dropped to the seventh level of what it was before.
"This is bad. Even I am being slightly suppressed right now. We can't wait any longer, let's break out!" Bi Xuan said. With that, he immediately started rushing out.
At the same time, just as Cai Yan was leading the scholars to begin their studies, Lin Yang had already changed his clothes and arrived in front of the ten thousand fire-elemental basic Dao soldiers.
At this moment, Lin Yang was wearing a helmet and armor, and he also had a shiny breastplate on his chest, which made him look very flashy.
A sword was strapped to his waist, and a powerful bow was strapped to his back. His men did nothing. This was because the horses of the Tang Dynasty simply couldn't bear such weight. Therefore, what was supposed to be cavalry combat had to be replaced by infantry fighting.
Behind Lin Yang were the fire-elemental basic Dao soldiers that Zhang Lu had trained for half a year. Although they were called Dao soldiers, they were really just some sturdy, elite soldiers who could fight a little.
By the standards of the main world, they're only slightly stronger than county soldiers and slightly weaker than state soldiers. After all, they're just basic Dao soldiers. Their only advantage is their obedience, and every single one of them has cultivated internal energy.
These basic Dao soldiers wore full-body armor weighing over sixty jin (approximately 30 catties), similar in style to the infantry armor of the Song Dynasty. However, for these individuals who had honed their physical bodies and cultivated internal energy, a mere sixty jin of armor was still manageable, enough to carry them into battle!
However, they also paid a heavy price. Initially numbering ten thousand, only eight thousand remain today.
Of these, five hundred became second-tier Fire Cloud Dao Soldiers. At this time, they guarded Zhang Lu on either side. As for the remaining fifteen hundred, they were either trained to death, crippled, or rendered useless.
In addition to their full suits of armor, they also carried a powerful bow, about the size of a stone, on their backs. Its accuracy was quite good, at least within a hundred paces. Its lethality was also considerable. Especially noteworthy was the fact that the arrows they used were the renowned Silver Feather Arrows, specifically designed to penetrate internal energy.
Looking at the ten thousand basic Dao soldiers behind him, so quiet that only their breathing could be heard, and sensing the immense military aura they possessed, Lin Yang smiled. Victory in this battle is assured!