Yang Guang broke through to the Innate Realm, but Li Shimin's cultivation also made great progress. His talent for martial arts was originally stronger than Yang Guang's, and after so many years, he had already broken through to the mid-Innate Realm!
The two emperors disagreed, and the guards of the Tang and Sui dynasties immediately became tense, their powerful auras clashing against each other.
Whether it was the guards brought by Yang Guang or Li Shimin, there were more than a dozen innate masters, and even some peerless experts comparable to the third level of martial arts!
A warrior emerged from the Tang army. He was clad in golden armor and wielded a pair of black iron hammers the size of door panels, which sent chills down the spines of all who looked at him.
"Yuwen Chengdu, do you dare to come out and fight me?!"
"Pei Yuanqing, if you want to fight, then let's have a battle. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Yuwen Chengdu stepped out from beside Yang Guang, looking at him with a serious expression.
In the years after Wang Xuan left, the warlords of the land fought each other constantly. Yuwen Chengdu's father, Yuwen Huaji, was also killed. After wandering around, Yuwen Chengdu eventually returned to Yang Guang's command.
Yang Guang naturally welcomed Yuwen Chengdu's return. After all, having another master who had reached the Daoist level through martial arts serve him would make them even more capable of challenging the Li Tang dynasty!
"Roar!" Pei Yuanqing roared to the sky and swung his greatsword. His blow shattered the air, creating a series of explosive sounds!
Yuwen Chengdu dared not be negligent and quickly used his Phoenix Wing Gilded Halberd to defend himself.
"Boom!" The ear-piercing sound of metal clashing reverberated as the two experts collided head-on, channeling the force of each other's attacks into the ground, causing the ground to collapse and forming a large hole several feet in diameter.
The two exchanged dozens of blows in an instant, their speed so fast that it was impossible to see with the naked eye; only afterimages could be seen flashing by.
A moment later, Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing simultaneously ceased their attacks, facing each other in a stalemate. The only difference was that a trace of blood trickled from the corner of Yuwen Chengdu's mouth, clearly indicating that he had been at a disadvantage in the previous exchange.
Perhaps a decade or so ago, Yuwen Chengdu was slightly stronger than Pei Yuanqing, but Pei Yuanqing was only twelve or thirteen years old at the time, and was often treated like a child when fighting on the battlefield. Now, Pei Yuanqing has grown into an adult, and his strength has increased even more than Yuwen Chengdu's, so he has now turned the tables and suppressed Yuwen Chengdu.
Before Pei Yuanqing and Yuwen Chengdu could continue their fight, Yang Guang said with a smile, "Young Li, we are all here on the orders of the Xuan Tian Dao Ancestor. Do you really want to fight me to the death here?"
Yang Guang and Li Yuan were cousins, so his way of addressing Li Shimin wasn't really taking advantage of Li Shimin.
Li Shiming was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but he managed to suppress his rage and called Pei Yuanqing back.
Just then, a young man suddenly came down from Zhongnan Mountain. He had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and was exceptionally brave and martial. His aura was completely concealed, and he was clearly a martial arts master.
Both Li Shimin and Yang Guang were drawn to the young man. With their keen eyesight, they could clearly see that the young man was an innate master.
"Who are you, brave warrior ahead? Are you willing to serve me?" Yang Guang exclaimed in admiration, then called out to recruit you, "If you are willing to come, I will make you a general of the third rank and bestow upon you the title of Earl!"
Yang Guang's offer was undeniably generous. Over the years, both the Sui and Tang dynasties had spared no expense in recruiting top talents.
Li Shimin, however, did not offer to recruit him. Instead, he looked at Yang Guang with a mocking expression. Since he knew that the Xuantian Dao Ancestor was in Zhongnan Mountain, and the young man before him had come from Zhongnan Mountain, he must have some connection with the Xuantian Dao Ancestor.
Yang Guang offered to recruit them before even understanding the situation; wasn't that trying to undermine the Daoist patriarch? Li Shimin would never do something so foolish!
"My name is Yue Fei, and I am a disciple of the Xuan Tian Dao Ancestor. Today, I have come here on the orders of the Dao Ancestor to escort you two up the mountain!" The young man revealed his identity, revealing himself to be Yue Fei from the Water Margin world.
More than a decade has passed. Yue Fei has diligently studied the Ziyang True Explanation taught by Wang Xuan, and his cultivation has reached the late stage of the Innate Realm. As arranged by Wang Xuan, he has become the Ascension Guide in the Water Margin world.
However, the Water Margin world had not been a subordinate world of the Xuantian world for very long, and no experts at the Innate Realm had yet emerged, so Yue Fei usually had nothing to do.
Previously, Wang Xuan transmitted several messages through the Xuan Tian Will, one of which was sent to Yue Fei, temporarily summoning him to participate in the Investiture of the Gods war in the Xuan Tian world.
Chapter 105 Plotting to Become a God
As the saying goes, "even a seventh-rank official is above the prime minister's gate," neither Li Shimin nor Yang Guang dared to be negligent after hearing Yue Fei introduce himself. They restrained their imperial arrogance and chatted with Yue Fei in a very friendly manner.
Yue Fei remained calm. After all, he was not a native of this world, so he did not have much reverence for the two emperors, Li Shimin and Yang Guang.
Of course, he had at least read history books, so he naturally treated Li Shimin, a wise ruler whose name is recorded in history, with a better attitude.
As for Yang Guang, Yue Fei ignored him, as if he were "ashamed to associate with him".
Yang Guang was very depressed, and he knew that his reputation was ruined and that it wouldn't be easy to clear it up.
They did not linger there, but instead, led by Yue Fei, headed directly towards the summit of Zhongnan Mountain.
All the accompanying guards were left behind, including Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing. Wang Xuan only wanted to see the two emperors; he had little interest in Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing.
Having cultivated martial arts to the Innate Realm, climbing mountains and crossing valleys became as easy as eating and drinking. The three of them soon arrived at the Golden Summit of Zhongnan Mountain.
However, the place was deserted, and there was no sign of Xuan Tian Dao Zu.
Just as Yang Guang and Li Shimin were having some doubts, they suddenly saw a purple aura coming from the east for three thousand miles, turning the entire sky purple.
Amidst the purple aura, a white-robed gentleman strode forward, the purple clouds coalescing beneath his feet to form a celestial path. Wherever he went, this celestial path extended.
"After more than a decade apart, the Xuan Tian Dao Ancestor has become even more unfathomable!" Yang Guang and Li Shimin exchanged a glance, both unable to conceal their shock.
A purple aura stretches three thousand miles eastward—what a magnificent sight! At least in their eyes, this is completely beyond the realm of humanity; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it divine and sacred!
Little did they know that Wang Xuan was also feeling quite smug at that moment.
At that time, he could only manipulate the Xuan Tian Will to influence a radius of three hundred feet, causing purple light to permeate the area within three hundred feet around him. Although it looked extremely miraculous, it inevitably seemed somewhat petty compared to the title of Dao Ancestor.
At this moment, he used the Xuan Tian Will to refine the entire world. With a single thought, he could make purple qi travel three thousand miles eastward. Only in this way could he live up to the name of the Dao Ancestor!
When Wang Xuan landed on the Golden Summit of Zhongnan Mountain, the purple clouds that filled the sky instantly vanished, as if what had just appeared was just an illusion.
"Disciples Yang Guang and Li Shimin greet the Dao Ancestor!" Li Shimin and Yang Guang, as expected of emperors, possessed temperaments far beyond those of ordinary people. They quickly regained their composure and hurriedly bowed to Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan did not stop them. After they finished their greetings, he said, "I called you two here today to give instructions on the Conferring of Gods."
"The Investiture of the Gods?!" Even the two emperors, who were used to grand occasions, were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths.
Immortals have always existed only in myths and legends. Emperors throughout history have all longed for immortality, but even Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han ultimately failed to achieve their wish. Immortality seems to be just an empty dream.
Now, the Xuan Tian Dao Ancestor is actually going to confer gods in this world, it seems that the chance to live forever is right in front of them!
"Dao Ancestor, since you wish to confer divine titles, could you also grant your disciple a divine position?" Li Shimin and Yang Guang could not resist the temptation of immortality and pleaded shamelessly.
Wang Xuan glanced at them indifferently and said, "Giving you a divine position is not impossible, but let's talk about it after you're dead."
Upon hearing this, Yang Guang and Li Shimin felt a chill run down their spines. What use is a divine tablet to a dead person?
Wang Xuan explained, "The Xuan Tian World has just advanced to the Middle Martial World, and it is impossible for gods, demons, and true immortals to be born. At most, it can only confer titles on some deities of faith."
"The so-called gods of faith are the souls of humans who have been conferred titles by divine talismans after death and are worshipped by the people with incense and prayers. They are also known as the gods of the underworld."
Wang Xuan had one more thing he didn't say: given the current level of the Xuan Tian World, even if they were to confer titles upon deities, they could only create a batch of eighth or ninth-rank mountain gods and land gods.
Even if Wang Xuan used the world's origin to help, he could at most create a batch of sixth or seventh-rank deities, such as the City God or similar divine positions.
After listening to Wang Xuan's explanation, Li Shimin and the others smiled again. Even if they couldn't be deified while alive, being conferred the title of Yin Gods or Earthly Deities after death was a different kind of immortality.
With the substantial benefits promised by Wang Xuan, the two emperors were immediately motivated and determined to fully cooperate with him.
Wang Xuan didn't waste any words and said directly, "Now the Central Plains are divided in two. The Sui and Tang dynasties have been fighting each other for more than ten years. We must decide the victor as soon as possible!"
"Any civil or military official who has made meritorious contributions in this war of national annihilation will have the opportunity to be deified after death." Wang Xuan's plan was simple and brutal, directly imitating the war of deification that led to the fall of the Shang and the rise of the Zhou.
Wang Xuan urgently needs a group of deities to help him regulate the four seasons and harmonize yin and yang, which would greatly help stabilize the level of the Xuan Tian world.
If you want to gather a batch of high-quality spirits to confer titles upon deities, what could be more direct and effective than a war?
Now neither Yang Guang nor Li Shimin could laugh anymore. The reason why the Sui and Tang dynasties coexisted for so many years was because the two countries were of similar strength. If it came down to a life-or-death struggle, neither of them was sure they would have the last laugh.
Li Shimin and the others hesitated to speak, but Wang Xuan coldly said, "The Investiture of the Gods is inevitable. If you are unwilling, I don't mind cultivating a monarch who is willing to serve you."
Li Shimin and his men were all shrewd and knew perfectly well that they had no choice but to comply.
If they refuse, not only will they lose the chance to be deified after death, but their two countries may even perish!
This was no difficult task for Wang Xuan, who controlled the will of Xuan Tian. He only needed to cause a drought of more than ten years, making the Central Plains barren year after year, and both the Sui and Tang dynasties would perish as a result.
Of course, Wang Xuan would never do that unless absolutely necessary, because the resulting karma would be enough to severely damage Xuan Tian's will.
"Yue Fei, I'm entrusting you with overseeing this matter of bestowing titles upon the gods." Wang Xuan, in principle, neither favored the Tang Dynasty nor the Sui Dynasty, so he asked Yue Fei, an outsider, to supervise the process.
After explaining the matters concerning the Investiture of the Gods, Wang Xuan did not linger there and his body directly merged into the void and disappeared.
The world's advancement from a low-level martial arts world to a mid-level martial arts world brings benefits beyond just an increase in origin; it also leads to the refinement of the profound laws.
Now that Wang Xuan has arrived in the Xuan Tian World, he naturally needs to rely on the Xuan Tian Will to assist him in his cultivation.
Chapter 106 This child is beyond redemption.
A month later, Wang Xuan woke up from his cultivation, sensed the immense power within his body, and couldn't help but smile.
The results of this training were even better than he had expected. In just one month, his cultivation level had already reached the mid-stage of the Dao Realm, and he had even achieved the mid-stage of the Dao Realm in both the Divine Martial Arts of Body Refinement and the Immortal Martial Arts of Spirit Refinement!
"With my current strength, even without external aids, I can defeat a martial artist in the late stage of the Dao Entry realm. If I use the Heavenly Silkworm Armor and the Azure Nether Sword, even a martial artist at the peak of the Dao Entry realm would be no match for me!" Wang Xuan smiled confidently, clearly assessing his own strength.
A moment later, he turned to look at the void, where an ancient bronze coffin was buried.
That ancient bronze coffin was naturally Wang Xuan's burial bronze coffin, where his Xuan Yin incarnation was hidden and nurturing.
The Xuan Yin Avatar, whose body was half-refined by the Burial Coffin, has now fully recovered. In fact, due to absorbing the remains of the otherworldly zombie king, its strength has subtly increased. When it breaks through its current state, it will likely possess the strength of the late-stage Transcendent Realm.
"It's time to return to the main world. There's no need to stay in the Xuan Tian World any longer. I'll leave the Xuan Yin Avatar here, and with the Xuan Tian Will controlling everything, there's absolutely no chance of anything going wrong!" After muttering to himself, Wang Xuan directly activated the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth to return to the main world.
After a moment of spatial disorientation, Wang Xuan returned to the foot of the mountain where the Jixia Academy was located. It was dawn, and the sun was still rising from the horizon, revealing only a sliver of red glow.
"So it really is so? The Xuan Tian World has been upgraded from a low-level martial arts world to a mid-level martial arts world, and the ratio of time flow between it and the main world has also changed!"
Originally, the time flow ratio between the main world and the Xuan Tian world was 1:100, meaning that for every 100 days of events that happened in a day, only one day would have passed in the main world.
If that were the case, Wang Xuan had been in the Xuan Tian World for over a month, while only half a day should have passed in the main world. However, it was already dawn, and judging from the hourglass he left behind before leaving, clearly a day and a half had passed!
After careful observation, Wang Xuan finally determined that the ratio of time flow between the two worlds should be around 1:20.
Wang Xuan dared not delay and hurriedly headed towards the back mountain of Jixia Academy. He had only asked Zheng Xuan for a day off, and even including his rest time in the evening, it was only a day and a half. Zheng Xuan's lecture was probably about to begin.
If he dares to be late, Zheng Xuan will definitely teach him a lesson about respecting his teacher!
Wang Xuan gave a bitter smile, feeling extremely miserable. He was a Dao Ancestor in the Xuan Tian World, but in the Main World, he could only obediently be someone else's student.
However, in order to solidify his foundation and temper his Dao heart so as to achieve greater success in the future, Wang Xuan could endure the temporary grievances.
He strode into the back mountain and saw twenty or thirty students sitting cross-legged, respectfully waiting for Zheng Xuan's arrival.
"Wang Xuan, come here quickly, the teacher is coming soon!" Miss Cai Yan waved to him hurriedly, while frequently glancing ahead, as if keeping watch for Wang Xuan.
"My Zhaoji is still the best. As expected, she still cares about me." Wang Xuan smiled and quickly ran to Cai Yan's side.
But before he could even sit down cross-legged, Cai Yan had already stopped fidgeting and looked like a good student.
Wang Xuan's face stiffened. He looked up and saw that Zheng Xuan had indeed arrived there at some point.
"Wang Xuan, you're late!" Zheng Xuan shouted angrily without any politeness.