Everything is in full bloom, brimming with life, in a cyclical and ever-changing process. In the beginning, flowers bloom in abundance, and leaves are lush and green, but in the end, they wither and fall, returning to their roots.
"Both withering and flourishing are part of the Tao; what a wonderful Tao that follows nature..."
Li Ruoyu was evolving the Great Dao of Nature, and Jiang Liu stood beside him, motionless. His eyes went from brilliant to desolate, from bright to empty, as if he too had experienced a transformation from prosperity to decline.
Rules, order, principles, laws, and mysteries are constantly evolving. It's as if countless "lines" are interwoven between heaven and earth, and countless undefined rules have transformed into order, giving rise to inexplicable power and constructing various patterns in the void.
The Dao patterns of Zhuofeng gradually appeared in Jiang Liu's eyes, peeling back the layers and seeping into his heart.
"Is this the Nine Secrets of the Word Technique I've been looking for? It's truly profound..." Jiang Liu's eyes shone with light, and he was filled with joy and genuine excitement.
Half a day later, Li Ruoyu woke up, stood up, and appeared extremely ethereal, seemingly utterly empty and distant, as if standing on a cloud, separated by a starry sky, and covered with the dust of history.
However, things soon changed. The clouds and mist dissipated, and he became ordinary, like a plain old man in the countryside, without anything extraordinary about him.
At this time, the area below Zhuofeng Peak was already crowded with people, but no one dared to trespass or fly up to the sky. They all waited quietly at the foot of the mountain. The vast majority of them had come to seek a master and wanted to join the Zhuofeng lineage.
"Are you leaving?"
Li Ruoyu looked at Jiang Liu and said.
"I'm getting ready to leave," Jiang Liu said. He had originally planned to leave as soon as he obtained the "All Word Technique," but he waited for Li Ruoyu to wake up so he could say goodbye before departing.
"Very well, the Tai Xuan Sect is too small to accommodate you. If one day you no longer wish to wander, come to Zhuofeng... May your path to immortality be smooth!" The old man did not try to stop him. On the day Jiang Liu arrived at Zhuofeng, he had frankly stated his purpose. Li Ruoyu was not surprised that he was leaving today.
"There are too many people down the mountain, let me see you off!"
Jiang Liu laughed and said, "Senior, no need. Zhuofeng is about to rise, so you don't need to worry about me. I can leave."
Short-distance teleportation was no challenge for Jiang Liu. With the help of the spatial runes, Jiang Liu left Zhuofeng.
The fluctuations in space naturally attracted the attention of the elders of the Tai Xuan Sect, but since they came from Zhuofeng, it was difficult to investigate in detail, and in the end, the matter could only be dropped.
Chapter 321 Yan Ruyu
Jiang Liu stood on a desolate mountain a thousand miles away from the Tai Xuan Sect, completely at a loss as to where to go.
The Eastern Wilderness, the Ruthless Great Emperor's plans are too grand.
"I must stay away from the Desolate Forbidden Land; just thinking about it now sends chills down my spine. The Bronze Immortal Palace is a ruthless man's creation, and the source of all things' primordial energy within it is indeed powerful, but I may not have Ye Fan's opportunity! Once I enter, there's a very high chance I won't be able to leave. The Holy Son of Yao Guang is the inheritor of the ruthless man's 'Undying Heavenly Art,' and the ruthless man's lineage is still active here... I must go to the Northern Region, to Purple Mountain to obtain the inheritance of the Source Celestial Master, to obtain Jiang Taixu's Fighting Word Technique, to harvest the Divine Source, and to join forces with Duan De to dig up the Great Emperor's tomb... Such a great opportunity shouldn't be wasted here."
Just as he was about to leave, he saw several streaks of rainbow light shoot out from the void not far away and surround him.
Jiang Liu frowned as he looked at the several alluring women surrounding him. These women, with their jet-black hair swaying gently and skin as smooth as jade, exuded a bewitching aura.
"A demon race?!"
"Who are you? How dare you spy on my demon race's sacred territory!" The woman with a red mole between her eyebrows shouted sharply.
Jiang Liu stared at the space hidden by the divine runes and heavenly power, his eyes flashing like lightning. It seemed that a powerful figure was watching him from there. He then waved his hand helplessly and said, "I had no intention of spying. Please don't misunderstand. I'll leave now."
"Hmph, now that you've found us, you're not leaving!"
In an instant, a magical artifact struck Jiang Liu.
"I really stumbled into this place by mistake, please don't misunderstand!" Jiang Liu took a step and flashed past, about to take off into the air in the blink of an eye.
"Since you're here, why not come inside for a while, brew some tea, and discuss the Dao? Wouldn't that be wonderful?" A flawless woman blocked Jiang Liu's retreat. She was as fresh as snow piled on flowering trees, with a graceful figure, crystal-clear skin, unparalleled beauty, and a voice as melodious as could be.
Jiang Liu's mind raced. This woman, merging with the information in his memories, was none other than Yan Ruyu, a descendant of the Demon Emperor.
This is a synonym for ultimate beauty. If others were to use this name, Jiang Liu would certainly disagree. However, this woman, a descendant of the Azure Emperor and a princess of the demon race, with autumn water as her spirit and jade as her bones, seems to have stepped out of a poem or painting. She is not like a person in reality at all and is worthy of this name.
“Miss Yan, I truly have no intention of making enemies of the demon race. I merely wandered into this place by mistake. If you hadn’t appeared, I would never have noticed anything unusual about this place…”
"Since you recognize me, young master, please surrender! Don't risk your life. In this chaotic and turbulent world, I must be careful!" The woman was like a celestial maiden, her hair fluttering and her clothes swaying, her beauty surpassing even the most beautiful women. She didn't say much, her expression calm.
"I'm the kind of person who keeps to myself, so let's settle this with our fists!" Jiang Liu tried to be accommodating, but it seemed to have no effect, so he had no choice but to settle things with his fists.
"Little girl, you might be disappointed today. You're not good enough to keep me here!"
The demon women surrounded Jiang Liu again. The demon woman with the red mole between her eyebrows said, "Princess, leave this boy to us. He's just a mere Bitter Sea!"
Yan Ruyu frowned slightly, her eyes fixed on Jiang Liu, and said, "This person is somewhat strange, far beyond what is possible at the Sea of Wheels realm. You may all step back..."
"No need for the princess to take action herself, this old man will deal with you, this extraordinary young man!"
An old woman from the demon race emerged from the hidden space, preparing to kill Jiang Liu.
The old demon woman showed no contempt. As a powerful member of the demon race, she understood a principle: if not in a fight, then so be it; but if it were a life-or-death struggle, she would fight with all her might, regardless of the opponent's strength. Clearly, she hadn't sensed Jiang Liu's strangeness, but Yan Ruyu's words were etched into her mind. Instantly, a small, verdant mountain appeared in her right palm, rapidly expanding and crushing towards Jiang Liu.
The verdant mountain peaks continued to grow larger, and with each inch they pressed down, the space trembled. The powerful salt pressure caused the barren mountain to shake.
However, the verdant mountain peaks stopped just as they were crushing over the river.
"Fall!" the old woman shouted.
However, the magical artifact remained completely still. Jiang Liu held it up with one palm, catching the attack with the force of supporting the sky.
Jiang Liu was perfectly calm, without the slightest sign of anything unusual about him. But in Yan Ruyu's eyes, his body was like a fireball, capable of rivaling the blazing sun.
"I'll say it again: I have no intention of being enemies with the demon race. Let's end it here today. Just pretend I was never here, and I'll pretend I never saw you. You go your sunny path, and I'll cross my narrow bridge, how about that?"
Jiang Liu remained motionless, calm and composed.
"Impossible! We can't let him leave! Princess, use the Emperor's Sacred Weapon..."
Jiang Liu frowned, his palm trembled, and the verdant mountain peak he was supporting was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks. With a loud punch, it shattered into pieces of rock.
The old woman from the demon race had her expression change repeatedly. Destroying the magical artifact with her physical body was beyond imagination; it was even more powerful than the physical body of a demon.
"See, you really can't keep me here..."
Yan Ruyu remained silent, neither using the Great Emperor's Sacred Weapon nor displaying any supernatural powers or phenomena, simply watching Jiang Liu quietly.
"Grandma, please prepare to open the dimensional gate so we can leave this place!" After a long while, the holy woman spoke.
Jiang Liu did not go on a killing spree. He destroyed one magical artifact and then stopped. This woman was not simple and gave Jiang Liu a sense of danger.
The descendants of the Azure Emperor wield the Great Emperor's sacred weapon, the very same imperial weapon that Jiang Liu saw in the Demon Emperor's Tomb that day, which shone with boundless light like the midday sun and was extremely dangerous.
"In that case, I'll be leaving!" Jiang Liu didn't want to stay any longer. She had taken the imperial weapon, and she would definitely be hunted down by the Holy Land. Now that she was hiding here, it was obviously a desperate escape. Perhaps the Holy Land's pursuers were already close by.
He didn't want to get bogged down in this mess!
"I think you can't leave!" Yan Ruyu shifted her flawless eyes from Jiang Liu and looked towards the western horizon.
Jiang Liu immediately looked over as well, his eyes as deep as the starry sky.
In the blink of an eye, a series of whooshing sounds came from the distant horizon, and dozens of beams of light shot out, each a divine rainbow representing a cultivator above the Divine Spring level.
"Boom!"
Then, as if a thousand troops were galloping, behind dozens of divine rainbows came the roars of savage beasts, the mist churning and the clouds obscuring the sky. Dozens of savage beasts rode the clouds and mist, each carrying a cultivator on its back. Although they were walking in the sky, the sound of thunder could be heard, as if tens of thousands of troops were charging in.
Those savage beasts were all ancient, strange species left over from the primordial era. They were all covered in scales and were extremely ferocious. The cultivator riding on the savage beast in the center held a large banner in his arms, which fluttered in the wind and was extremely powerful. Four large characters were written on it: Yao Guang Holy Land!
Chapter 322 The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang
Jiang Liu curled his lip and muttered a curse under his breath: "Sure enough, seeing you guys meant nothing good!"
Immediately, Jiang Liu began to write and draw in the void, inscribing divine runes. Then, he tore a dark crack in the void with his hands.
Before leaving, Jiang Liu waved to Yan Ruyu and said with a smile, "See you again sometime, little girl! Don't lose your sacred weapon..."
Having said that, he stepped into the dark rift and instantly appeared a hundred miles away. Jiang Liu looked at the unchanging desolate mountain and was still worried. This distance was short; with enough willpower and strength, he could catch up in a few seconds.
"I hope the Holy Land of Yao Guang won't act like a mad dog, biting and refusing to let go!"
Jiang Liu inscribed divine runes three times in succession, opening a rift resembling a domain gate that stretched across hundreds of miles.
At this moment, he was also covered in sweat, having exhausted nearly half of his strength.
Just as Jiang Liu was about to take a short break, he immediately smiled bitterly. What he feared most had come to pass; someone was indeed following him like a mad dog.
"Why are you chasing me instead of the demon princess? Huh, it's a woman, and she's all alone..." Jiang Liu sneered and punched the Dao Domain Gate. The void trembled, and the passage opened by the Dao Domain Gate collapsed under Jiang Liu's "Shaking" technique, severing the connection between the two places.
"Who are you?" The newcomer looked horrified and immediately retreated dozens of meters.
Jiang Liu unleashed his full power with this punch, delivering more than ten consecutive blows. The final punch even triggered the Nine Secrets Mantra, activating ten times his combat power, causing the entire space to collapse.
"The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang! Hehe... Why not be a proper Holy Maiden and instead stalk her!" Jiang Liu recognized the woman's face immediately. Back in Yandu, he had collected portraits of the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens of various Holy Lands, so he naturally recognized her.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was the most outstanding female disciple of the Yao Guang Holy Land. Her skin was radiant, like a pearl emitting auspicious light, and she was surrounded by a dazzling aura. Her slender figure was graceful and elegant, like a blooming divine lotus, her entire being exuding an ethereal charm. Even when facing a powerful figure who had shattered a space with a single punch, her stunning face remained remarkably calm, her beautiful eyes occasionally sweeping over Jiang Liu.
Her eyes were like water as she smiled gently, "You recognize me! I am Yao Xi from Yao Guang. Young master, you are quite skilled. Forgive my ignorance, I did not know your name."
"Your eyes betray you, you know? You don't look like a saint, you look more like a vixen!"
The Holy Maiden of Yaoguang laughed like a silver bell, making people feel as if a spring breeze was blowing. She said, "Hehe... that punch just now reminded me of a secret technique. Are you a disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect? Could it be that the inheritance of Zhuofeng has been activated again?"
"You guessed right, I am the eldest disciple of Zhuofeng. The future glory of Taixuan Sect will depend on me." Jiang Liu suddenly had an idea and prepared to make a move on Yaoguang.
Looking around, he saw only desolate mountains and wilderness, utterly deserted. The spatial passage that had opened the domain gate had been blasted away by his punch; no one could possibly cross the void to arrive there in the short term.
You are a saintess, without an emperor's holy weapon, without ultimate weapons, and without the extraordinary phenomena of an ancient power. Before me, you truly have no power to resist!
This seems like a rare opportunity! Jiang Liu was immediately tempted.
The Holy Maiden of Yaoguang smiled sweetly and said, "Really? Then I need to confirm. Who knows if you've stolen the divine abilities and secret techniques of the Tai Xuan Sect? Why don't you come and sit in my Yaoguang Palace for a while? If you are truly a member of the Tai Xuan Sect, we will respectfully escort you back to Zhuofeng!"
Going to Yaoguang, I'm afraid he's trying to steal my "Nine Secrets of Words"!
"Little vixen, you really are a vixen, using any means necessary to achieve your goals. Did you think you could fool my senses with such a small trick?" Jiang Liu laughed.
"This humble woman is of meager strength and can only resort to such petty tricks. I accidentally spilled some 'Sealing Immortal Powder,' which was refined over decades by the Supreme Elder of my Yao Guang Sect. It is said that if the dosage is sufficient, it can seal away the divine power of even a great being!" The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang smiled faintly and said, "I did this to avoid any unpleasantness with you, young master. Otherwise, if we were to fight, I would be no match for you!"
"You're so confident? You overestimate yourself with mere unorthodox methods. Even the Holy Maiden of the Holy Land is nothing special!" Jiang Liu laughed and walked towards Yao Xi, the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was not afraid, seemingly confident of victory, and laughed, "The method is no longer about superiority or inferiority, as long as it works..."
She had a slender waist, proud breasts, a beautiful neck, and an unparalleled face. At this moment, she swayed her body, gracefully stepping back, her lotus-like posture captivating, and her smile exceptionally gentle.
This Holy Maiden of Yao Guang is too cautious. Even if she poisons someone, she doesn't get close. That punch just now really shocked her.
"Sigh! Faced with absolute power, any schemes and tricks are just paper tigers. You might as well surrender!"
As Jiang Liu approached, Yao Xi resembled a weak woman cornered by a burly man, displaying a pitiful expression. Her jade-like face was unadorned, yet more beautiful than flowers, making one understand the meaning of captivating charm and a smile that could topple mountains; her stunning beauty was utterly alluring.
"Why must you do this, young master? I apologize to you. Wouldn't it be better to come to my Yao Guang Holy Land to brew tea and discuss the Dao?"