Chapter 2457: The Long Life

Far ancient, upper ancient, middle ancient, near ancient. These four periods collectively divide history, encompassing all the years before the new beginning of the Dao Calendar.

The last era belonging to the near ancient period was named One True.

The One True era, a brief three hundred years, caused immense trauma to this world.

The end of the One True era echoed throughout the confused myriad heavens. A great war overturned ancient and modern, nearly destroying the present world and restarting the myriad heavens. It caused all eternal transcendents to return to eternal sleep.

The "Haotian Gaoshang End Tribulation Alliance" that Ji Furen demanded from the Original Heaven God on Tianma Plateau was a product of this period.

After the end of the One True era and the re-establishment of the present world's order, the new beginning of the Dao Calendar commenced, continuing to the present, three thousand nine hundred and thirty years later.

Although the One True Dao Master was eliminated, the One True Dao has not disappeared.

It is a carbuncle attached to the bones of the Dao Gate, a vital illness of the Dao Sect.

Jing Country's history of nearly four thousand years has almost always been shrouded in the cloud of doubt: "Who is the One True Dao?"

Who is the One True Dao?

Yin Xiaoheng was a member of the One True Dao! And he was the One True Dao's cruelest, most cold-blooded executioner!

Unlike the "evil demon outer ways" many people in the outside world believe, the core members of the true One True Dao are instead all the most ancient and orthodox Dao Gate cultivators.

Each of their Dao lineages is pure, their inheritance precious.

They guard the ancient glory of the Dao Gate, harboring pride that continues from the far ancient times to the present. They do not recognize any doctrines, faiths, or even... everything outside of the Dao Gate.

They believe "all things in the world are within the Dao. All righteousness in the world is the principle of the Dao."

Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, three gives birth to all things.

The One True Dao believes that only the "one" they believe in truly exists. This "one" is the beginning, and also the only. Everything else is false.

Hence the saying, "All under heaven are illusions, the eternal is one true."

Since they are false, they should not exist; they should be wiped away.

Thus, the nine great immortal palaces fell, immortals were completely killed, and Immortal Emperor Li Canghu had his immortal body shattered face-to-face and was killed into eternal sleep!

Thus, You Jinglong, who dared to refuse the One True Dao and show strong hostility towards it, was to go from the most dazzling heaven's pride in the world to the most useless waste person.

The One True Dao could have arranged an accident to let You Que die in a magnificent battle. Many incidents during Jing Country's war against Wei were manufactured accident opportunities.

Yet they went to great lengths to perform a "Jinglong Shattered Heart" for him.

Because You Que, this heaven's pride of the Dao pulse, insulted the Dao Gate.

Breaking the heart is more painful than killing the person!

You Que did not suspect it at first.

When Yin Xiaoheng was brutally slaughtering the Wei Country civilians that year, a casual push just shattered his heart.

Everything was too natural. Everyone felt, including he himself initially felt—only he himself could not accept that cruel behavior, thus his Dao path collapsed.

As the commander attacking Wei, Yin Xiaoheng even reported his sin to the Son of Heaven at that time for not taking good care of a national heaven's pride.

But what sin was there?

Even he himself had no face to blame Yin Xiaoheng.

Just like his elder brother, You Yan, who later died in the Jing-Mu war, it was impossible to blame it on Ying Jianghong.

Setting aside Yin Xiaoheng's cold-blooded behavior, leading troops in battle since ancient times is not about inviting guests for a meal. Everyone puts their heads on their waists and fights desperately. One who doesn't go to fight and plunder merit still needs to be specially taken care of?

Only later did he know that he was not only "specially taken care of," but also offered the highest courtesy—personally wielded the knife by the Demon Execution Marshal, Yin Xiaoheng!

Yin Xiaoheng is a master of leading armies and an expert at manipulating hearts. He easily created terrifying pressure for him, accumulating it step by step without a trace until his "Dao heart could not bear the heavy burden."

He indeed could not accept the behavior of slaughtering civilians, and indeed could not resist his inner compassion, but he could have been firmer. His final collapse, kneeling before that innocent child, was actually the final echo of his will, spirit, and thoughts being comprehensively crushed.

For a very long time, even after he knew that his Dao heart's collapse was a huge plot, a target laid out by the One True Dao from behind, he was always unable to confirm who the pusher in the dark was.

Yin Xiaoheng, as Jing Country's highest-level military commander, an absolutely high figure, and as the core of Penglai Island, representing Penglai Island in the central great hall, some suspicions really couldn't lightly fall on him.

Moreover, in the entire war against Wei, Yin Xiaoheng was the main commander of the three armies. Under him were many great generals from various aspects, overall managers of the war line. At that time, he, You Que, was just a rising star who had just shown his head, separated from Yin Xiaoheng by who knows how many levels. Contact opportunities were also few—in the entire war, too many people had the opportunity to play tricks, and Yin Xiaoheng performed too naturally!

These years he has joined Equality Country, not a moment has passed without him searching for traces of the One True Dao. Of course, he has also been investigating step by step the person who had the ability to represent the One True Dao and "execute the shattered heart" for him in that year's war against Wei.

The Jing Country's war against Wei, which happened in the Dao Calendar year three eight nine eight, has long since passed, but in his heart, it feels like yesterday, vivid in his mind!

Until three years ago.

Ji Yan Yue, a member of the Great Jing imperial clan, died on her way back to Jing.

Solely discussing this matter, it was Qin Guang Wang of Hell No Door's revenge for Ba Xia harming his country.

But if linked to the purpose of Ji Yan Yue's trip, the matter becomes complicated.

The dignified true person of the Great Jing imperial family, secretly envoy to Sheng Country, held secret talks with Sheng Country's "Xun Wang" Li Yuan She. Their purpose was to communicate matters of joining hands to sweep away the One True Dao. Sheng Country, as the first Dao vassal state, has quite a large influence within the Dao Gate. At the same time, it is also impossible to avoid the erosion of the One True Dao.

The One True Dao, a blood-colored monster parasitic within the Dao Gate, has already become a malignant tumor for Jing Country, and it is the same for Sheng Country.

The situation at that time was that Jing Country forcibly pushed Sheng Country to the front line, using the complete and immense consumption of Mu Country on Sheng Country, and then using a Jing army victory against the Mu army to stabilize the northern situation. It can be said that it was one stone killing two birds, a great victory. Sheng Country's national power greatly declined, and it had to obediently listen in the following days, continuing to transfuse blood for the central empire. Xun Wang Li Yuan She also suffered heavy injuries in the Jing-Mu war and could only recuperate behind closed doors.

At such a moment, the One True Dao stirred, wanting to take the opportunity to control the first Dao vassal state, and actually directly conducted an assassination attempt on Li Yuan She! This was an extremely secret, very sudden action, one could say it exceeded everyone's imagination. Once successful, Sheng Country would no longer have anyone capable of stopping the spread of the One True Dao.

Fortunately, Li Yuan She had the Cave Heaven treasure tool, Wuchang Summon Soul Banner, which the previous generation Sheng Son of Heaven secretly left him before death. He flipped it out at the juncture of life and death, thus preserving his life and waiting for the rescue of West Heavenly Master Yu Xi, who was stationed in Wei Capital at that time.

This treasure tool was refined from the thirty-second ranked of the thirty-six small cave heavens, "Liang Chang Fang Ming Cave Heaven." After the previous generation Sheng Son of Heaven obtained it, he did not expose its existence until death. This preserved Li Yuan She's life many years later, and also preserved the state and altars of soil and grain of Sheng Country.

In order to avoid court situation turbulence, the news of this assassination was suppressed, but the resulting human heart waves were not so easy to smooth over.

Li Yuan She has since deeply hated the One True Dao and stands on the same side as the Jing Son of Heaven.

This led to the cooperation between the two sides to sweep away the foundation of the One True.

In order to cover people's eyes and ears, the communication was done by Ji Yan Yue, who held no official position whatsoever.

But this matter was known by the ubiquitous One True Dao.

The final result was that Ji Yan Yue's whereabouts were exposed, she was sought for revenge by Yin Guan, and the Yan Luo of Hell No Door went all out to surround and kill her on her way back to Jing.

The One True Dao urgently wanted to probe how far the plan of the Jing Son of Heaven and Li Yuan She had progressed, so they had to make a move on Ji Yan Yue. And Ji Yan Yue was directly wiped out by Hell No Door, but the more key part of this plan was not disturbed, which precisely explained that the One True Dao only knew bits and pieces.

In order not to expose the full picture of this plan, Jing Country has covered up Ji Yan Yue's death until now. The revenge targeting Hell No Door has all been carried out secretly. This both expressed the anger of the Emperor Party and kept the One True Dao guessing in the fog.

Ji Yan Yue was a core member of the Emperor Party.

She was not only deeply involved in the action against the One True Dao, her connection to the Jing Sea Plan was also an unprecedented big move by the Emperor Party. It relates to whether the Jing Son of Heaven can achieve an unprecedented great undertaking in ancient and modern times, win unprecedented prestige, and truly possess strength that is tidy inside and outside, unifying the six directions.

Precisely because Ji Yan Yue's position was so key, and her person always maintained a posture like idle clouds and wild cranes, not bearing any official position, her whereabouts were thus so difficult to obtain.

During her secret trip to Sheng Country, her whereabouts were especially concealed.

On the Sheng Country side, only Xun Wang Li Yuan She, the Sheng Son of Heaven, and the Sheng Empress Dowager, three people, knew. On the Jing Country side, those who knew were also few.

Using "people capable of knowing Ji Yan Yue's whereabouts" as a circle, and past events with other suspicious points as large and small circles, of course also including the circle of "people who had the opportunity to crush You Que's Dao heart on the Jing-Wei battlefield."

Under the overlap of many suspicious point circles, the Demon Execution Commander, Yin Xiaoheng, was thus exposed.

Although he was very cautious and fundamentally did not personally make a move, only delivering Ji Yan Yue's secret route map, inviting the assassin Qin Guang Wang, who already had enmity with Ji Yan Yue, to play a hand of borrowing a knife to kill.

But the action route he obtained was also special! Lüqiu Wen Yue had set many routes for Ji Yan Yue at that time, roughly coinciding, yet with subtle differences. Intelligence obtained through different channels would have differences.

The Emperor Party, by tracing back the ambush route of Hell No Door, instead further confirmed Yin Xiaoheng's identity!

After confirming Yin Xiaoheng's identity as a member of the One True Dao, the Jing Son of Heaven was not anxious to make a move.

Instead, he calmly suppressed the situation and continued to push his Jing Sea Plan—obviously, this was a kingly move. If he achieved the great merit of Cang Hai Yong Jing, he could turn back to sweep both inside and outside, making everything twice as effective with half the effort.

At the same time, he also utilized this period to see others behind Yin Xiaoheng.

Yin Xiaoheng was already considered an absolute big figure, but he still couldn't dig up the root of the One True Dao.

Why did Sun Yin know this?

Because Xun Wang Li Yuan She secretly had cooperation with Equality Country!

Equality Country joining hands with Sheng Country to deal with Jing Country, and joining hands with Xia Country to deal with Qi Country. These are open secrets.

For a long time, Sun Yin was the person representing Equality Country and communicating with Li Yuan She!

Li Yuan She stands on the same side as the Jing Son of Heaven in confronting the One True Dao. In confronting the hegemony of the hegemonic country, he stands on the same side as Equality Country. In confronting Mu Country, he is again on the same side as Jing Country.

This kind of political creature, who lives for Sheng Country, only has a national stance and national interests. There are no personal emotions and choices, no ideals and aspirations.

This time, Yin Xiaoheng secretly going to Tianma Plateau to seek historical remains inside the Eternal Dusk and seek the final leap, was just news that Li Yuan She obtained through his influence within the Dao Gate, secretly informing Sun Yin, letting Sun Yin go to prevent it.

Whether belonging to the One True Dao or the Jing Country Emperor Party, a Yin Xiaoheng who has the ability to command a hegemonic country's full-country war is not someone Li Yuan She wishes to see. So his killing intent towards Yin Xiaoheng is firm and irrevocable. But he absolutely dare not personally make a move; as long as he leaks a bit, Sheng Country will perish at dawn and dusk.

And just as Sun Yin received the news, he gathered with Zhao Zi and Qian Chou, and before they even set out, Yin Xiaoheng was already killed!

And in the semi-public information, he was killed by Sun Yin, Zhao Zi, and Qian Chou joining hands.

The matter was not yet handled, the killing had not yet begun, but the charge was already smashed onto their heads.

And at the same time as the charge was laid, Jin Wang Ji Xuan Zhen just killed his way to Tian Gong City, destroyed Tian Gong City, then chased and killed Li Mao for ten thousand li, using him as bait to trample on the ideals of Equality Country people.

Equality Country had to respond, with irrevocable determination, killing Qiu Tie Lei Huang Tai, and at this moment surrounding Kuang Ming.

Everything happened too fast.

This world changed suddenly overnight with wind and clouds, as if all things were cut off from time, developing rapidly with the momentum of mountains collapsing and seas roaring.

Various forces seemed to be thrown onto a high-speed galloping official road. The horses had already gone mad, everyone was still whipping, all the way dust rolled and they didn't turn back, everyone only desperately moved forward, even if the front was a cliff!

Sun Yin's purpose in joining Equality Country was very clear, solely for revenge.

Just like Wu Si even hates to exterminate the entire Jing Country to complete his revenge on the One True Dao. Although Sun Yin claims he is not that extreme, he also doesn't mind letting Jing Country bleed and accelerating its decline—because if it weren't for the Jing Court's long-term appeasement of the One True Dao, how could the One True Dao be so rampant now, and how could he have walked to this day!

Now Kuang Ming asks—why are you willing to pay any price to kill Yin Xiaoheng?

He felt this question was very ridiculous!

But he actually couldn't laugh.

How could he use so many past years to answer this question?

Finally, he could only say:"A little bit of personal grudge!"

You Que is already dead.

Today, only Sun Yin stands here alone.

"Then I will no longer ask," Kuang Ming said."I don't know who wants to kill me, perhaps I really blocked someone's path. I also don't know what problem has occurred outside, perhaps everything just ends here. Fighting for the country, for the Dao Gate for so many years, this is the first time I know nothing about anything and just fall into such a situation."

At this moment, he instead grinned. Strands of killing intent steamed on his body surface, like strange spirits wandering around:"This feeling... gentlemen! Unprecedented!"

He lifted his iron spear and leaped:"Then let's hand everything over to the unknown—I've come to enjoy the danger!"

Above his heavenly spirit, a mirage-like illusory world was reflected.

On the barren vast land, layers upon layers of giant shadows, intertwined and roaring to the sky.

Killing intent endlessly exploded, constantly stimulating the spiritual awareness of all true persons present.

And see the dust roll, divine fog filled the sky, a dark yellow Teng snake flew out, its ferocious vertical pupils wide open, blood flying from its teeth like floating ribbons!

A profound black divine dragon broke through the air and appeared, pieces of evil scales erect like knives, striking horizontally at the body of this Teng snake.

The Teng snake suddenly turned back and fought with the divine dragon, entwining each other, roaring non-stop, falling straight down!

The huge fluctuations of the two spirit entities fighting instantly brushed open the dust in this world, making all the shadows on that land retreat—

Only countless Teng snakes and profound dragons were seen, piling up and entangling.

The killing intent in this world was too fierce.

Rumble!

Jing Mountain has a technique called "Inner Scene Divine Bell."

Here in Kuang Ming, it is no longer a natural embodiment at all.

He refined the Inner Scene Divine Bell into a great contending kill technique, carving out a most pure killing world with soldier evil—

Supreme Inner Scene, Dragon Snake Contend Fate!

Once this world appeared, it was like clouds and fog, supporting the sky.

Zhao Zi's long hair flew, one hand lifted up, five fingers undulating like pressing a qin, white chess pieces falling down one by one, constantly adding to the suppression force of the chessboard world, but also unable to immediately crush this Dragon Snake contending world.

World within a world!

"Three breaths."

Kuang Ming looked at the sky:"In the time of three breaths, I will take away one of you all, or stay here forever."

The "Dragon Snake Contend Fate Bell" temporarily resisted the suppression of the chessboard world. He needed to find a breakthrough in this gap, in the siege of the three protectors of Equality Country.

The cold edge of the iron spear lifted up, pointing straight at Zhao Zi's face.

Zhao Zi retreated a step, Sun Yin advanced a step!

They were in different positions, but with this advance and retreat, Sun Yin was already facing Kuang Ming.

Sun Yin combined his two hands, then pulled them apart, both hands wearing black gloves. His left hand drew back, like water embracing the moon, holding profundity and emptiness. His right hand then probed forward, using his palm as a knife, without seeing how he chased, just chopped forward, and it chopped exactly on the spear tip!

The silly tiger-head mask emitted a brilliant smile:"You think you can do it?"

"This is very difficult, but difficult... isn't that precisely the meaning of fighting!?" Kuang Ming gripped the iron spear with one hand, pushing forward a step.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

This push was connected non-stop explosions, colliding in an instant.

Kuang Ming walked forward with large strides, criss-crossing chess lines under his feet blurring one by one.

Endless heavy earth, from beneath his military boots, opened up vast cracks.

It was a mountain flood surging, yellow earth cracking, and the fate path collapsing.

The exorcise evil commander at this moment showed individual killing power. Even without borrowing a soldier array, he was first-class among true persons.

Pa! Pa!

Kuang Ming's pair of eyeballs directly exploded open.

Fresh blood wound down from the corners of his eyes.

But the cracks in the fate path were also smeared onto the bodies of the three Equality Country protectors—those blood-colored patterns, like poisonous snakes simultaneously climbing onto the bodies of the three protectors. They seemed like the most poisonous flowers, the most evil spirits. Once attached, they would not rest until death.

Soldier Dao secret technique · Fighter Evil Solution.

Extreme technique killing method · Blood Sea Tang.

Jing Capital Honorable Decree · Fate Awareness Law.

None were techniques for fighting for life, extremely fierce and extremely evil killing moves, and only a person like Kuang Ming, who took pleasure in hanging his fate with life and death, could connect them so completely and so magnificently!

The iron spear in his palm is named Criminal, and Kuang Ming is a profound cultivator of the Jing Capital!

Criminal harms fate!

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

His young handsome face was covered in bloodstains!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

He murmured, repeating non-stop.

Military orders are like mountains!

He lifted his sword, walking among corpses strewn everywhere.

"Kill. Kill."

He numbly opened and closed his lips, but no sound came out.

The soldiers were all killed and scattered!

Everywhere were pigs and dogs, waiting for brave warriors to chase and slaughter!

Human lives were cheap as grass.

He aimlessly went forward, entering an alley alone.

Everything in front of him was blood red.

But his body's instinct was still there; he still possessed a powerful cultivator's awareness.

Behind the door on the left front, someone!

Pa la!

Pupil force directly pushed the door open.

Behind the door stood a child... scared silly.

A child!

Small, short, lower than a cartwheel.

He sat on the ground, hands supporting him from behind.

Kill—

A... child!

The young man suddenly sobered up a bit, looking at the snow-bright sword edge in his palm, having an impulse to insert this sword into his own heart.

The sword blade reflected his young face, how strange it was?

Two years ago at the Yellow River Meeting, he had just been selected as the top scholar of the inner mansion. At that time, he was so high-spirited, full of vigor. He only felt that the world was so big, there was nowhere he couldn't go; the world was so broad, there was nothing he couldn't achieve.

A short half month of war, actually just like this...

His eyes were godless, his face gloomy, his intent full of vicissitude!

"Lie down, pretend to be dead."

He opened his dry mouth, only at this time discovering his own voice was terribly hoarse.

That child was also scared, terrified and stunned there.

He turned his body, conveniently closing the door.

But a warning light suddenly flashed in his mind—

He vaguely remembered that the child was holding something behind his hand, just about to take it out!

Hates me?

Resents me?

Wants to sneak attack me?!

His body moved before his spiritual awareness, the door he had just closed was chopped open again by one sword, and the sword light swept across the courtyard.

That child!

Split open.

That small hand that had just moved forward tightly grasped a mask in its palm, seeming to obtain infinite courage from the mask.

It was not some harmful magic tool.

Only a festive zodiac mask that adults buy to coax children during festivals.

It was drawn with a silly-headed, silly-brained stupid tiger.

Its mouth still bit an embroidered ball, and the tiger ears had red ropes.

"Families who accumulate good deeds are bound to have surplus blessings."

He didn't know why, he suddenly thought of this sentence.

"Kill—ah! Ah!!!"

Whether the sword fell first, or the person fell first, he no longer remembered.

He only remembered kneeling before that innocent child, and the entire world collapsed.

Later, he could no longer lift his sword.

Even after reshaping his Dao heart!

Kuang Ming's iron spear had already deflected Sun Yin's palm knife, and also penetrated that defense of embracing the virtual and grasping the moon, then there was almost no blockage, going straight forward—

But just at the moment of colliding and killing Sun Yin's heavenly spirit, those eyes that had fallen into fate loss suddenly woke from their muddled state.

That was a pair of fresh red, transparent gemstone-like eyes, only the pupil part was a complete uniform snowflake.

Legend has it that when lonely souls perish in the world, the sky will snow for them.

Divine ability, View Lifespan!

Sun Yin's hand grasped the spear tip.

His five fingers were stained with blood, but the iron spear named Criminal stopped at his brow.

He just looked at Kuang Ming like that.

He seemed to have been looking for a very long time.

"Guess what I saw?" he asked.

This chapter is 6K, of which 2K is added for the great alliance "Hug what use". (2/3)