Chapter 45: The Super Divine Soldier

  Blood Bodhi, this strange and precious object that grows within the Lingyun Secret Cave, has an inexplicable magical charm in itself. The crimson fruit body, transparent like jade, constantly transforms into a dazzling light under the lamp, drawing the attention of onlookers to gather around it. In an instant, Shi Jianfeng, Ye Wuxin, and Yan Muguang involuntarily held their breaths, their fingers trembling slightly. Even without knowing what this thing was, a strong desire to possess it had already arisen. If they hadn't retained some rationality, considering that they were in the Shu King's palace, they would have almost recklessly reached out to grab it.

  The three of them were indeed a group to be reckoned with, and their composure was unusually deep. This dazed state lasted for less than two breaths, and the three of them soon recovered one after another. Mu Xinghe, being the oldest, had the most experience among the three. He asked in a trembling voice: "I-is this... is this really... the legendary Sacred Fruit, the Blood Bodhi?"

  "What is this Blood Lotus? Mr. Mo, what exactly is it?" Feng Yuer and Yan Wugong asked in unison, their voices filled with eagerness. Mo Xinghe didn't turn his head, his eyes fixed on the three Blood Lotuses in the wooden box, sighing: "The wonders of creation are truly extraordinary, yin and yang intersecting in a mysterious way... I once saw records of this Blood Lotus in an ancient book from our sect. It's said to be born from the blood of the legendary Qilin beast, and is the essence of the five elements - wood and fire combined. They say that taking just one will increase your cultivation by ten years, and future practice will be twice as effective. Moreover, the Blood Lotus is a sacred object for healing injuries and detoxification, its uses are endless... I saw records of it back then, but thought it was too absurd to believe. Who would have thought... who would have thought... that it actually exists!"

  Feng Yueru and Yan Wugong exclaimed in unison. Their eyes were filled with unconcealed envy and eagerness. Yang Xiu's mouth curved slightly upwards, and he pressed down on the wooden box lid, producing a soft "click". The three of them also flinched slightly. Feng Yueru was the quickest to react, her eyes darting back and forth twice before she smiled broadly and bowed to Yang Xiu: "Earlier, the King ordered me to get the three of us to lend a hand with something big. I wonder if it has anything to do with this Blood Lotus or the Lingyun Cave?"

  Yang Xiu said, "That's right. According to ancient records, the Blood Lotus was born from the blood of a Qilin. Therefore, I can assert that the Lingyun Cave is indeed where the Qilin resides. Since ancient times, the Qilin has been a sacred and auspicious creature, only appearing when a sage ruler is born. My father, the Emperor, is wise and powerful, and since the fall of the Han dynasty, he has unified the north and south for the first time in 500 years. Who else could be considered a sage ruler besides my father? If we can capture this Qilin alive and present it to the imperial court as a symbol, then no matter whether it's the Eastern or Western Turks, Goguryeo, Tibet, or even traitors like Song Lack, they will all be intimidated and dare not harbor any rebellious intentions. Our Great Sui dynasty's internal and external troubles can be eliminated in one fell swoop, wouldn't that be a great achievement?"

  Collaborate to capture the Qilin...? The three of them looked at each other in dismay, unable to make up their minds for a moment. Before they could make a decision, Tang Jigu beside them smiled and said: "If you three are willing to lend a hand to help the prince succeed in this great matter, then the blood peony in the wooden box will be given to you as a reward first. After the task is accomplished, there will be another thousand taels of gold to thank you. Moreover, the prince will also report to the imperial court and commend your great contributions. The imperial court rewards and punishes clearly, and will certainly not hesitate to grant you a marquis title. I wonder... how do you three feel about it?

  There is the Blood Lotus, a rare and precious treasure in this world as payment, and also a thousand taels of gold, which is enough to move the hearts of most people. And after the matter is settled, the promise of being enfeoffed by the imperial court as a reward cannot help but make the three men's hearts beat with excitement. It must be known that Song Que became the Duke of Qiao State because of his imperial appointment, so any business of the Song family not only does not need to pay taxes, but also can get all kinds of conveniences and benefits, which are countless. If Qingcheng, Diancang, and Yanjiafang three families can also be enfeoffed by the imperial court as marquises, then from now on, they will rise to fame overnight, and their reputation will increase a hundredfold, no longer comparable to ordinary Jianghu people. It's really glorious and boundless.

  But despite the many benefits, it's really a matter of risking one's life to get it. The Qilin sacred beast is a born divine creature, and for ordinary people to escape with their lives under its hooves is already not easy, let alone wanting to capture it alive? Although the three people at the banquet were also high-ranking martial artists, not comparable to ordinary people, but thinking that even Tangmen's previous master Tang You lost his life in its hands, the three of them, although confident in their abilities, didn't dare say that their martial arts could be stronger than Tang You's. Unless... But...

  Suddenly, the table fell silent, with no one speaking. It wasn't until after a good while that Yan Wugou, being the most straightforward, finally couldn't help but say: "Since Prince Wang has spoken, we Jianghu vagrants shouldn't push it off. But I really don't understand. If we're talking about martial arts, not to mention Feng Zhangmen and Mu Xia, even Tangmen itself has many experts. Just pick one out at random, who wouldn't be better than me? Prince Wang values me highly, but I'm afraid my skills aren't up to par, not only can I not help, but I'll also hinder Prince Wang's important matters."

  Yang Xiu smiled faintly and didn't respond. Tang Ju Xue interjected with a smile, "Master Yan is too modest. The Yan family's 'Jiangshi Dead Soul Skill' is unparalleled in power, who in Bashu doesn't admire it? Furthermore, with the Yan family's ancestral treasure, the divine weapon 'Broken Mirror', in hand, one person can resist a thousand armies, how could that delay Your Highness's grand plan?"

  Yan Wugou's face changed drastically, and he involuntarily exclaimed: "You... how did you know that the Broken Mirror is in my..." He suddenly realized that this sentence was an admission that he indeed had the Broken Mirror, and hastily stopped himself, but it was already too late. Tang Jixue didn't care about him, only smiling as he swept his gaze over Feng Yexia and Mu Xinghe's faces, smiling: "Feng Palm Door's Qingcheng 'Returning to the Origin Sword Technique' has been practiced to a state of perfection, combined with the Soul-Devouring Mirror, it is even more powerful. Mr. Mu's 'Returning to Emptiness Seal' plus the Dragon Whirl, can be said to be unbeatable. Joining the three great transcendent divine soldiers, capturing the Qilin Sacred Beast alive will be as easy as turning one's hand over."

  Yang Zhao, who was in the stone room below, couldn't help but feel a little strange upon hearing this. Although he had read countless comics and was a transmigrator, he only knew that there were heavenly weapons left behind by the ancient gods, Buddha Shakyamuni's Buddhist weapons and artifacts, demonic weapons born from the absorption of human negative emotions by the ten demon pearls of Yuanshi Tianmo, and demonic weapons spawned by the numerous demons and monsters in the Ten Realms. Apart from these, there were also earthly divine weapons forged by ordinary people, which, although not as powerful as the heavenly, Buddhist, demonic, and magical weapons, were still highly sought-after spiritual divine weapons among humans. But what was a super-divine weapon? How did it differ from heavenly and earthly divine weapons? The three super-divine weapons - Breaking Boundary, Soul Extinguishing, and Dragon Rotation - each possessed what kind of powerful abilities? This really left Yang Zhao perplexed.

  It is knowing that we know the things we are supposed to know. We will be ignorant if we do not know them. It's nothing shameful about asking when you don't understand. The Tang family has been planning this big thing for over a decade, and Tang Zhongqing is the eldest daughter of the current head of the family and the concubine of the King of Shu. She should be very familiar with the inside story. At this moment, he leaned close to Tang Zhongqing's side and asked in a low voice next to her ear: "Super Divine Soldier? What is that?"

  When speaking, it's natural to breathe. The hot air blew into his ears, and Tang Zhong's delicate body trembled for a moment. He then spoke in a soft voice: "Your Majesty Wang, do you know that more than 100 years ago, the master of Daluo Sect, Wu Yong, fought an 'Upside Down Battle' with Xuantian Evil Emperor on the Water Sky?"

  Yang Zhao naturally knew this. He nodded and said in a low voice, "In those years, the evil emperor Xuan Tian's life was coming to an end, so he went to Yi Shui Ge Tian with Wu Yong to continue the 'Dian Feng Jue Zhan' to make up for his past regrets. Ah, could it be..."

  Tang Zhong said with a smile, "That's right. In the decisive battle back then, Wu Yong used the divine weapon 'Hèn Hún' (Soul of Resentment), which was forged by Nan Gong Xiang Tian using the fragments of 'Xiè Hún' (Soul Devourer) and his own Phoenix Fire. Its power surpassed that of earth-grade divine weapons but had not yet reached the level of heaven-grade divine weapons. In the over 100 years since then, several other divine weapons have emerged, most of which have powers similar to that of 'Hèn Hún'. To distinguish them from heaven- and earth-grade divine weapons, they are collectively referred to as 'Super Divine Weapons'. Pò Jìng (Shattered Mirror), Xiāo Hún (Soul Dissipater), Lóng Xuán (Dragon Whirlpool), and Fēn Tiān (Sky Divider) are among the most notable ones."

  Po Jun, Xiao Hun, Long Xuan and other three super divine soldiers, each with special power, have always been regarded as the town's treasure and the door's token by Qing Cheng, Dian Cang, and Yan Jia Pu. Although they are all carried on their bodies for collection, they have never been shown to anyone. Even the disciples in the door do not know about the existence of these divine soldiers before taking over as the master. But Yang Xiu and Tang Men actually knew, what does this mean? What would be the consequences if refused?

  In an instant, Feng Ye, Mu Xinghe, and Yan Wangong's three people felt a chill run down their spines, and their sweat seeped through their thick clothes. It was the first time in their lives that they truly understood the meaning of the word "fear". After a long silence, Mu Xinghe broke the silence, carefully asking: "Since the prince has given his orders, if we commoners continue to hesitate, it would be too ungrateful. However... our three people's martial arts are mediocre, and relying solely on these few people... even with the help of divine soldiers, I'm afraid we may not be able to defeat the Qilin Sacred Beast. Moreover, Tang Changsheng mentioned earlier that there is a tribe of mysterious people with extremely high martial arts skills guarding Lingyun Mountain. That person also claims to be surnamed... Xicheng? It's highly likely that he is a descendant of one of the four great families of the martial world, the Xicheng family. The Xicheng family is the master of the Tian Shenbing, Taixu. If our few pieces of scrap metal were to encounter them, I'm afraid...

  Yang Xiu waved his hand and said calmly, "The Taixu was already destroyed when the magic seed was born. Although the Tian Shenbing's main body is indestructible, it may not have a suitable opportunity to reorganize and rebirth in just over a hundred years. Even if Taixu were to be reborn, I have long had a plan to deal with it, so you three don't need to worry."

  Tang Jigu's expression turned serious, and he said in a solemn tone: "This matter is related to the fate of our great Sui Kingdom. Therefore, apart from the three of you, there will be seven more top experts from my Tang family who will assist King Wang with all their might. Moreover, the elite soldiers from the Shu Kingdom's 'Hundred Battles' division will also join forces, ensuring that this mission is completely successful. In just a few hours, it will be the Dragon's Head Raising Day. At that time, the water level of the Min River will surge, flooding the Qixia Peak, which will greatly help in controlling the Qilin Sacred Beast. This opportunity cannot be missed, and I hope you three will make your decision quickly, lest you delay King Wang's great undertaking."

  The Tangmen's seven most powerful masters, collectively known as the "Tangmen Seven Killers", are renowned throughout the land of Bashu. The "Bai Zhan" under the Shu King's command is a fierce and formidable iron army that has been suppressing anti-Sui forces in Shu with all its might for many years. In the tenth year of the Kaihuang era, they eradicated the Lian Family Fortress; in the eleventh year, they annihilated the Heishui Stronghold; in the thirteenth year, they exterminated the Minjiang Gang; and in the seventeenth year, they even slaughtered the Divine Gunmen to the last man. Each time they took action, their methods were extremely bloody and cruel, striking fear into the hearts of all the big and small warlords and martial artists in Bashu. The mere mention of "Bai Zhan" can cure a child's night terrors.

  Qingcheng, Diancang and Yanjiabao's three factions were all rooted in Bashu, with families and businesses. Upon hearing the two words "Bai Zhan", Feng Ye Yu and San Ren's faces changed early. They looked at each other, knowing that there was no room for excuse. At this time, they slightly smiled bitterly, stood up together, bowed deeply to Yang Xiu, and said in unison: "I am willing to follow the king's order!"

  Yang Xiu smiled slightly, her hands gesturing: "Alright, please take a seat. With the assistance of the three of you, it's clear that this matter will be successful. Time is not to be delayed, my troops have already boarded the ships. Please return to your rooms immediately and bring your divine soldiers, then follow me to Lingyun Mountain."

  Meng Xinghe and others naturally listened with rapt attention. However, Yang Zhao knew that there was nothing more to hear, so he pulled Tang Zhong's sleeve and the two quietly left, returning to the underground tunnel. Before long, they returned to the small building above. Tang Zhong first pushed open the door and re-entered the quiet room, with Yang Zhao following closely behind. Despite being mentally prepared, he was still shocked and exclaimed, "Good grief!"

  Under the lamplight, everything was clear. The bed where he had slept earlier was now occupied by a person who looked exactly like Yang Zhao himself in every aspect of appearance and physique!

  ——————

  Spent the afternoon watching new anime and American dramas "V Star Visitor", so didn't write a single word, ashamed...

  But this drama is really good-looking, yeah, alien commander Anna is too great, I like it ^0^

  And also when mom came home and saw a three-point beauty in her son's room, that part was too cute!