Longevity Martial Arts: I have a Mysterious Water Snake Avatar-Chapter 209 - 199: The Struggle Between the Dynasty and the Regions, the Destiny Divine Bird Comes to the Rescue
Eastern Wilderness Divine Continent, Central State, Daxuan Palace.
Within the palace, pavilions, terraces, and open halls abounded, along with palace courtyards and gardens. The corners of the roofs turned upwards, adorned with various Auspicious Beast Stone Carvings. Each structure was ingeniously designed, constructed with considerable effort and skill. Furthermore, they were interlinked, forming a harmonious whole. The overall layout featured bronze tiles and gilded elements, creating an impression of opulent magnificence.
In a palace where corridors intersected, halls were plentiful, and spaces twisted unpredictably, a great divergence of opinion emerged. The debate was over whether to accept Bo Qing, the Demon Tao Martial Saint, into their ranks.
Phoenix Princess Tang Xi stated decisively, "The royal family’s rule is now facing collapse. Edicts fail to reach beyond Central State, local sects claim territories as their own, and the people of the dynasty suffer unspeakably, living in turmoil and displacement.
"To bolster the royal family and rescue the common folk, we must strengthen our own forces.
"However, we cannot confront the major Overlord Sects directly. Thus, supporting a Demon Tao Martial Saint and using them to counterbalance the major sects is a viable strategy."
Tang Xi wore a white palace dress, elegant and majestic. In appearance, she possessed a complexion like ice and bones like jade—a beauty that could topple nations. In temperament, she was pure as snow and serene as an orchid in a secluded valley, detached from the mundane world, an embodiment of the finest spiritual essence between heaven and earth.
Crown Prince Tang Anshi looked hesitant, expressing his concerns: "Phoenix Creek Sect and Qinglu Taoist Temple are both Overlord Sects with a close relationship. There are even rumors that the Phoenix Creek Great Saint resides in the Sky-connecting River. Our royal family can avoid getting involved in this sordid affair.
"Moreover, we’ve already been rash in recruiting Demon Tao martial artists. To now accept a Demon Tao Martial Saint might allow their arrogance to become uncontrollable!"
Hearing this, the other princes and princesses chimed in agreement. Having once experienced the collective force of various sects bearing down on Central State, they did not wish to face such a crisis again.
"What the Crown Prince says makes perfect sense. That Bo Qing is merely of bandit origin, unsuitable for our strategies."
"Exactly! Demon Tao scoundrels are best known for their betrayals and repaying kindness with enmity."
"That group of Demon Tao martial artists is already difficult to manage. Adding a Demon Tao Martial Saint to the mix? The consequences would be unthinkable."
The voices of opposition surged like a flood, while voices of support were few and far between.
Phoenix Princess Tang Xi’s expression remained unchanged. She bowed to the Daxuan Emperor, seated high on the dragon throne, and said, "It is for this very reason that we must provide refuge to Bo Qing.
"The Dragon Sun Martial Emperor once said, ’Seek peace through struggle, and peace will survive; seek peace through compromise, and peace will perish.’
"He also taught that ’Peace is the goal, while struggle is the means to that peace. Peace is relative, while struggle is absolute.’
"And finally, ’Only through struggle can true peace be achieved. Peace is not begged for; it is fought for and won. At any time, whether facing enemies or friends, only the strong command respect.’"
After she spoke, the hall fell silent. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Tang Xi, and for a long while, no one could utter a word. The Dragon Sun Martial Emperor was the first emperor of the Human Race, his prestige beyond common imagination. The current Five Great Academies were founded by the Dragon Sun Martial Emperor and carried on his Tao Heritage.
Seated on the dragon throne, the Daxuan Emperor looked at his phoenix daughter with deep satisfaction and joy in his eyes. Ruo Lan, our daughter has grown up. he thought with delight.
The Daxuan Emperor’s gaze swept gravely across the assembled court, and everyone hurriedly lowered their eyes. Only Phoenix Princess Tang Xi still held her head high with confidence, standing by her decision.
The Daxuan Emperor spoke indifferently, "A single Bo Qing cannot stir up much trouble. Phoenix Creek Sect and Qinglu Taoist Temple may be Overlord Sects, but the supreme authority in the Eastern Wilderness Divine Continent belongs to our Daxuan! Xi’er, I entrust this matter to you and several of the clan elders."
"Yes!" Phoenix Princess Tang Xi promptly curtsied and accepted the appointment.
The other princes and princesses looked at her with envy, their hearts filled with discontent.
Tang Xi was born extraordinary. The Daxuan Dynasty was founded under the aegis of the Destiny Divine Bird, and when Tang Xi was born, purple clouds stretched three thousand miles across Central State, and a Destiny Divine Bird appeared, carrying a Divine Zither in its beak as an offering.
When she was ten, the Daxuan Emperor asked his sons and daughters what the highest thing in the world was. Some answered with the Ninth Heaven, others with the Ordinary Abyss, and still others with the Endless Sea Area. Only Tang Xi proposed, "The sky is not the highest; the human heart is paramount."
From that moment, she was revered as the "Phoenix Princess."
Thereafter, she made significant contributions in areas such as water management and agriculture, gradually building her prestige. She came to rival Crown Prince Tang Anshi in prominence, becoming another pillar of the Daxuan Dynasty, as majestic as the Purple Gold Sky.
「Two days and two nights later.」
In the Green Heaven, Hong Yuan was cornered by a group of Martial Saints and forced into a golden ocean. He looked rather disheveled as he sank to the seabed.
"Bo Qing, obediently hand over the Holy Artifact Longsword, and I’ll give you a swift end!"
"You little whelp, don’t even think about escaping to the Eastern Wilderness Academy in Central State! Today, we of the righteous path have joined forces to lay a trap, intending to completely shatter your Divine Power. This time, you will surely be decapitated!"
"Bo Qing, you irredeemably evil fiend! For the sake of achieving Saint Achievement Immortal Transcending, you mercilessly slaughtered the people of Nanyang Prefecture and harmed innocent civilians. Your crimes are unforgivable; you deserve to die by a thousand cuts!"
Hong Yuan’s green robe was charred and tattered, his hair disheveled, and the white of bone was faintly visible on his thigh and arm. The waves plastered his green robe to his body, making it as heavy as mountains. Sharp Sword Qi continuously tried to repair his damaged Heavenly River Sword Body, but hostile spear intent, lightning gleams, and starlight clung to it, widening the wounds. After only a brief rest, the Heavenly River Sword Body had worsened.
A fatal trap had been sprung. He had no escape.
"Princess, Bo Qing is cornered. Shall we not intervene?" inquired Great General He Tui.
"Wait a little longer. Bo Qing hasn’t given up struggling yet," Phoenix Princess Tang Xi’s eyes narrowed slightly as she scrutinized Hong Yuan.
Ever since receiving the appointment from the Daxuan Emperor, Tang Xi had unsealed an ancient, decrepit, and dying eighth-order ancestor from the clan’s Divine Origin. Under the Divine Power of this eighth-order ancestor, they had traversed tens of thousands of miles to reach the Green Heaven, arriving in time for the great battle of "Saints Capturing the Jiao Flood Dragon."
This eighth-order Master was the silent, gray-robed elder, Tang Tianyi.
No, I actually still have a chance to live, Hong Yuan thought calmly. But how can a mere saint-level incarnation compare to the Way of Longevity? At best, it’s just a Skill of Protecting the Dao.
In Hong Yuan’s perception, the forces present were mainly divided into three factions: other Martial Saints, the Martial Saints from Qinglu Taoist Temple, and those from Phoenix Creek Sect.
Hong Yuan also had another identity: he was a disciple of Phoenix Creek Sect. If he were to reveal his background, then according to the rules of the righteous path, Phoenix Creek Sect would naturally take the lead in judging him. Regardless of the final outcome, he would surely be able to survive this seemingly hopeless situation.
But Hong Yuan would absolutely not reveal his true background. This Sword Tao incarnation was merely a mass-producible one, a tool he had specifically created to deal with the incidents concerning Senior Brother Mo Jiuyou and Sister-in-law Chen He.
Senior Brother Mo Jiuyou had shown him great kindness! It was thanks to that massive sum of twenty-five million Yuan Stones from Senior Brother Mo Jiuyou that Hong Yuan had transitioned from the phase of initial asset accumulation to an era where money begets money, where his assets surged dramatically. Without Senior Brother Mo Jiuyou’s substantial contribution of Yuan Stones, he would have missed multiple "Asking Heaven and Earth" epiphanies due to insufficient funds. He also wouldn’t have been able to advance his original body’s cultivation, form his Power Tao incarnation or Sword Tao incarnation, or condense his killer moves and various Divine Powers...
One must not, just because the fifth bun fills the stomach, deem the first and second unimportant.
Ultimately, slaughter is not my forte. Fortunately, I can pursue the Longevity Martial Arts, he suddenly realized.
Hong Yuan looked at the Heavenly River Sword in his hand with a hint of regret. Holy Artifacts were unique. Many Martial Saints spent their entire lives striving for a Holy Artifact, only to end up empty-handed. If the Heavenly River Sword were to perish along with the Sword Tao incarnation, it would indeed be a great pity.
BUZZ.
The Heavenly River Sword hummed. Facing death, it was as calm as Hong Yuan, showing no fear.
Hong Yuan’s gaze was serene, like the still waters of an abyss—quiet yet unfathomably deep.
The righteous path Martial Saints encircling him were variously roaring, sneering, or remaining vigilant. They had him tightly surrounded, yet they were wary of a final, desperate counterattack.
The grimly tense atmosphere persisted for more than two hours. Finally, the great sun began to rise. Dawn broke through the Ninth Heaven, and the golden ocean was bathed in light, suddenly becoming blindingly bright.
"Truly, ’Hair like silk at dawn can turn to snow by dusk; right and wrong, success and failure, all vanish in a blink.’" Hong Yuan chuckled softly, his eyes resolute. "But I? I insist that ’The green mountains shall remain, to witness countless sunsets more!’"
Hong Yuan was mentally prepared for failure. The methods he had used for revenge were entirely of the Demon Tao—disregarding good karma and driven solely by benefits—yet he was, undeniably, exceptionally talented. One could only say that the course of events often defies human will. Fortunately, he had succeeded in eliminating those nine individuals.
It’s over... Hong Yuan squinted, and the Heavenly River Sword began to radiate an intense Sword Qi.
"Quick, hand over the Holy Artifact Longsword!"
"Not good, this fiend is trying to detonate his blessed land!"
"Everyone, attack! Don’t give him a chance to counter!"
As the Martial Saints pressed forward, a RUMBLE echoed, and the usually stable space of the Green Heaven began to tremble violently. An ancient war chariot, exuding an air of decay, forged from silver and engraved with dense Destiny Divine Bird Tao Patterns, appeared. It was drawn by nine mighty Kylin beasts, accompanied by the clash of wind and thunder, shaking the very firmament.
"Bo Qing, wait!" Tang Xi called out loudly.
Hong Yuan looked towards Tang Xi, who appeared as radiant as a goddess, and slowed the ongoing collapse of his blessed land. The Destiny Divine Bird was the emblem of the Daxuan Dynasty’s royal family.
My Sword Tao incarnation... it seems there’s a way out after all!?
"I didn’t say you could leave!" Martial Saint Ansheng brandished his Golden Yin Yang Fish Tao Picture, and a murky, gray light descended.
"Hmph." Aboard the silver chariot, the gray-robed elder snorted lightly, and the murky light instantly dissipated.
A unique aura, that of an eighth-order Martial Saint, slowly emerged. It was like the advent of the great sun or the awakening of Chaos—terrifyingly potent. Wisps of this pressure squeezed the surrounding space, causing fissures to appear.
The Martial Saints on the field all frowned, looking at the gray-robed elder with puzzlement. One Martial Saint, well-versed in ancient texts, said hesitantly, "Tang Tianyi!?"
The other Martial Saints were stunned upon hearing the name, their faces etched with disbelief.
"How could it be Tang Tianyi? Tang Tianyi was the ninth Daxuan Emperor!"
"Wasn’t it said that Tang Tianyi attempted to establish a Supreme Dynasty, suffered a calamitous backlash, and perished midway?"
"The Divine Origin! He must have been sealed within the Divine Origin. Don’t be afraid, he can’t live for much longer!"
Tang Tianyi’s gaze shifted, landing on the Lightning Martial Saint who had been particularly vocal. A flicker of crimson energy appeared, and the Lightning Martial Saint was instantly engulfed in flames mid-air, burning to death despite employing various Divine Powers and techniques.
"Today, my Daxuan royal family will take Bo Qing. I’d like to see who dares to stop us," Tang Tianyi spoke coldly, his voice laced with an overbearing aura that washed over them, as if he alone were peerless between Heaven and Earth.
Indeed, when Tang Tianyi had been at the helm of the Daxuan Dynasty, all the Overlord Sects had bowed before the ever-strengthening central authority of the dynasty. An emperor’s imposing aura was something cultivated by circumstance.
