Chapter 196 - Zhang Sanfeng's Fighting Spirit, The Old Man In Hemp Robes, The Extraordinary Woman In Yellow

Wudang Mountain, Wudang Sect.

When Zhang Sanfeng saw that Cang was ranked as the number one on the Dao Immortal Ranking, his eyes narrowed slightly.

His entire aura became focused and condensed.

"Master, do you know this senior Cang?"

Yu Daiyan looked at Zhang Sanfeng in surprise.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so visibly shaken just now.

With Zhang Sanfeng's level of self-cultivation, very few people could stir his emotions.

Clearly, Zhang Sanfeng definitely knew Cang.

"That's right. Years ago, I met him once."

"Right here on Wudang Mountain."

"What? That's impossible!"

"I've been on Wudang Mountain for years and never left."

"If anyone had visited you, I surely would have known."

Yu Daiyan looked confused.

"With his strength, how could you possibly detect his presence?"

Zhang Sanfeng shook his head and sighed.

"Then what happened between you and him afterward?"

"We fought."

"No, more accurately, I was instructed by him."

"In fact, even my Taiji Profound Exercise was improved and perfected because of him."

"Otherwise, with just my own skills, the Taiji Profound Exercise would never have made it onto the Cultivation Technique Ranking."

"Nor would I have made it onto this Dao Immortal Ranking."

"To be honest, I owe him a great debt."

"In the future, if any of you encounter him out in the world, you must show the utmost respect and courtesy."

"If your fate is good enough and you receive a few pointers from him, you'll benefit for life."

Zhang Sanfeng gently stroked his beard and spoke with a sigh.

Although he did not understand Cang's mystery or his purpose.

Nor did he know why the other man had guided him.

It did not change the fact that he owed him deeply.

If there was ever a chance in the future, that debt had to be repaid.

At the same time, a hidden desire began to rise in his heart.

He hoped that one day, he could truly stand before Cang.

To fight him in a real duel.

Even if he could not win.

He wanted to last a few more moves, not be defeated in just one strike like before.

However, right now, he has no such opportunity.

At the very least, he had to reach the God Demon Realm.

Then, perhaps there would be a sliver of hope.

Below that realm, there was no comparison at all.

==========

Beyond the Nine Provinces.

In a nameless sea region.

A small fishing boat sailed steadily through raging waves.

Though the giant waves crashed around it, the small boat remained completely unharmed, utterly stable.

On the boat sat an old man in a hemp robe and bamboo hat, holding a fishing rod and calmly fishing amidst the storm.

He paid no mind to the surrounding storm.

Instead, he thoroughly enjoyed the peace of fishing in such an environment.

He was content.

Whoosh!

The fishing rod lifted slightly.

In the next moment, a tuna several meters long was pulled out of the water.

No matter how much the fish struggled, it couldn't break free from the hook.

"Today's harvest is pretty good. This will last me for quite some time."

The old man chuckled softly.

With a flick of his hand, the giant fish fell onto the boat.

Even far out at sea.

He could clearly see the ranking board high in the sky.

When he saw the name "Cang" on the Dao Immortal Ranking, his eyes lit up.

Years ago, he had fought with this Cang.

That battle remained vivid in his memory.

It was the only match in thousands of years where he had ended in a draw.

Naturally, he remembered Cang very clearly.

He even made several secret visits to the Nine Provinces over the years to look for Cang, hoping for a rematch.

Unfortunately.

No matter how hard he searched, he could never find him.

Every time he thought back to that fight, he always felt something wasn't quite right.

It seemed every strike from the opponent was subtly restrained.

As if the other man had never used his full strength.

In other words, Cang had been holding back deliberately during their fight.

This only made him more curious to see Cang's true combat power.

"Hahaha, Cang, you've finally shown yourself again!"

"You're the only one in thousands of years who has ever ignited my fighting spirit."

"Our last battle wasn't satisfying. You deliberately held back."

"This time, I'm going to have a proper fight with you."

"I will force out your true power."

"I want to see whether your Great Perfection God Demon Realm is stronger than mine."

"Maybe, through this battle, we can both find a way to break through the bottleneck of the Sage Realm!"

Unexpectedly, this old man in hemp robes turned out to be Xiao Sanxiao, who had lived for over four thousand years.

He had even fought Zhu Houzhao once.

Unfortunately.

He did not realize.

This Cang was not the same Cang from back then.

If he were to meet Cang again, he would likely no longer qualify to be his opponent.

Because the opponent he once held in his heart had long since reached an entirely different level.

Far beyond what he could compare to.

==========

Xiangyang City.

The army of the Yuan Dynasty under Temujin was stationed here, planning to rest and prepare for the next phase.

Upon seeing the name at the top of the Dao Immortal Ranking in the sky.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

Cang!

No sect or affiliation.

A rogue cultivator!

Such a talent must be tightly grasped.

Although he now had the National Master Phagpa and Golden Wolf Hall Master Dong Tianbao, both at the Mythical Realm.

When it came to the God Demon Realm, however, he sorely lacked strong personnel.

If he could recruit this Cang, his chances of defeating Zhu Houzhao of Ming Dynasty would greatly increase.

Moreover.

With someone like Cang present, the other cultivators under him would be pressured to work harder and earn more merit.

This would be immensely helpful to his grand ambitions.

He immediately issued an order to search all of the Nine Provinces for Cang.

Do everything possible to recruit him.

Power, wealth, glory, whatever he wanted, he could name it.

As long as it was within his means, he would not hesitate.

In terms of boldness, he was far more generous than the other Emperors.

At the very least, he was much better than Li Shimin and Yang Guang.

==========

Ming Imperial Palace.

"Your Majesty, we have just received a secret report!"

The Dark Guard Leader, Dark One, appeared before Zhu Houzhao and handed over a secret message.

"The plan targeting the Qing Dynasty has begun?"

"Well done. In that case, Dark One, give the order to proceed with the second phase of the plan!"

"When we reach the fourth phase, it will be the moment our Ming Army officially launches the campaign against the Qing Dynasty!"

With a surge of internal energy from his hand, Zhu Houzhao instantly turned the secret report to dust.

Then he calmly addressed Dark One.

The Yuan Dynasty had already broken through a defensive line of the Southern Song Dynasty, and from here, their advance would only grow stronger.

If no effective countermeasures were taken, their destruction was only a matter of time.

Given that, the Ming Dynasty could not afford to fall behind.

At the very least, he had to destroy the long-time enemy, the Qing Dynasty.

"Understood, Your Majesty! I know what to do!"

"Very well, you may leave now."

Zhu Houzhao nodded.

Hmm?

He looked up at the sky.

At that moment, the Nine Provinces Golden Ranking glowed again, and new characters appeared.

[The Dao Immortal Ranking of the Nine Provinces has been fully updated]

[A new ranking will be released in one month]

After the update, the ranking slowly closed a few moments later.

It turned into a beam of light and disappeared from the sky.

However, Zhu Houzhao was somewhat confused.

It had been exactly one year since the first appearance of the Golden Ranking.

Why hadn't the Nine Provinces Hidden Dragon Ranking been updated?

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Houzhao didn't dwell on it.

Even if it were updated, he was still under the age of twenty-five.

Who else could take the Rank 1 but him?

Thinking back to the Dao Immortal Ranking just now.

The identity he had used, "Cang" and the things he had done under that name.

Most likely had already alarmed many "old friends"!

Back then, under the name "Cang" he had done many outrageous things in the Nine Provinces.

In order to perfect the Daoist section of the Azure Lotus Immortal Scripture, he had deliberately sought out the top figures in the Nine Provinces and engaged in countless intense battles.

Tempering his Cultivation Techniques.

He had offended quite a few of them in the process.

If those people ever discovered that "Cang" was actually Ming Emperor Zhu Houzhao.

Out of pride and vengeance, they would not hesitate to side with rival dynasties.

And go all out in opposition to the Ming Dynasty.

Thinking about it.

He decided to be more cautious for now.

This was not the time to show off.

But in the future, once the Nine Provinces were united, even if all his identities were exposed, he would have nothing to fear.

==========

Qing Dynasty Territory.

In the western frontier, the region inhabited by the Uyghur Kingdom.

What was once a land of peace and laughter.

Had now become steeped in a solemn atmosphere.

Countless Uyghur Kingdom soldiers patrolled nervously in all directions.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Suddenly, multiple black-clad figures darted through the air.

They became streaks of shadows.

Their target was the largest tent at the center.

"Who dares to trespass into our camp? Seeking death!"

A sharp, angry voice echoed.

A figure in yellow shot out from the tent.

The whip in her hand lashed swiftly at the dark figures.

"Not good, elite Qing Dynasty assassins are trying to assassinate our Queen!"

"Hurry, everyone attack! We cannot allow their plan to succeed!"

The sound of battle quickly drew the attention of all the guards.

With a loud shout.

Countless Uyghur Kingdom soldiers surrounded the battlefield.

The black-clad figures held strange weapons in their hands that emitted buzzing noises.

And they charged directly at the woman in yellow.

"This is bad, it's the Flying Guillotine!"

"It really is the Qing Dynasty's Flying Guillotine Division."

"Old Chief Muzhuolun was killed by these assassins. Miss, be careful, do not let them hit you!"

"Protect the Queen! Everyone, attack! Kill the Qing Dynasty dogs! Kill the Flying Guillotine Division!"

At the appearance of the Flying Guillotine, the surrounding soldiers erupted in fury.

The Queen's father, Muzhuolun, the former leader of the Uyghur Kingdom, had died at the hands of these assassins.

And now, they would not even spare the new leader, their Queen.

It was truly intolerable.

In an instant, all the soldiers were filled with righteous fury and charged at the Flying Guillotine Division.

"Jade Feather Yellow Cloth Huo Qingtong, today is your day to die."

"Your existence is a threat to our Qing Dynasty!"

"Prepare to die!"

The Leader of the Flying Guillotine Division spoke with a cold tone.

"The hatred for my father's death is irreconcilable. Today, I will use your lives to honor his spirit in heaven!"

The woman in yellow's whip suddenly grew fierce and terrifying.

The speed of her attacks increased dramatically.

Dozens of times faster.

Snap!

With a flick of her whip, a stream of energy shot out.

It struck one of the Flying Guillotine Division members in the neck.

In the next moment.

A line of blood appeared.

Before he could even scream, he died on the spot.

"Not good, this woman is powerful! Everyone, attack with full strength!"

Buzzing sounds erupted!!

The Flying Guillotine Division members also increased their attack power rapidly.

Surrounding the woman in yellow to kill her.

Even if it meant getting injured or dying, they were determined to eliminate their target.

At that moment.

The soldiers did not know how to assist or save their Queen.

Suddenly.

A white figure darted out at lightning speed.

Like a butterfly.

She danced gracefully among the Flying Guillotine Division.

Her movements were elegant and fluid.

With each motion, a fragrant scent lingered.

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Cold light flickered.

In the next instant.

The Flying Guillotine Division members cried out in pain as their hands were struck.

Their strange weapons dropped to the ground.

They could no longer surround the woman in yellow.

"A great opportunity!"

The woman in yellow's eyes lit up.

Her whip lashed out repeatedly, striking all the assassins that had surrounded her.

In the next moment.

Each of the assassins had a hole pierced through their chest.

Their vital points had been hit.

Though the Flying Guillotine Division members were powerful, they all died instantly.

Not a single one survived.

"Sister, are you alright?"

Seeing all the assassins dead, the woman in yellow rushed to the woman in white and carefully checked her over.

Finding no injuries, she finally sighed in relief.

"Good thing you weren't hurt. Otherwise..."

"Elder Sister, I'm really strong now! You might not even be a match for me!"

"Elder Brother Su's techniques are so fun!"

"I'm getting stronger and stronger every day."

"With my skills now, I can help you!"

The woman in white said excitedly.

Her smile was like a blooming flower.

"Your Elder Brother Su taught you those techniques so you could protect yourself, not so you could fight."

"I want you to live happily every day, not be troubled by all this chaos."

"Come, let's talk more in the tent."

The woman in yellow ordered the guards to clean up the bodies, then took the woman in white back to the tent.

"Sister, what's going on with your strength?"

"How did you improve so quickly?"

"Did you break through?"

"Yes! I feel like the techniques Elder Brother Su taught me fit me perfectly."

"The true energy in my body flows nonstop, every moment of the day."

"Just now, it fully transformed into true essence, and my cultivation advanced at dozens or even hundreds of times the usual speed."

"The Flying Guillotine Division members' moves looked like slow motion to me."

"They couldn't touch me at all."

"Really? You've already broken through to the Heavenly Human Realm?"

"Sister, I didn't know your talent was so high. You're even better than me!"

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

List of Characters:

Number One Under Heaven ( 天下第一 )

・Zhu Houzhao ( 朱厚照 ) — Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Legend of the Condor Heroes ( 射雕英雄传 )

・Temujin ( 铁木真 ) — Emperor of Yuan Dynasty

Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber ( 倚天屠龙记 )

・Zhang Sanfeng ( 张三丰 ) — Founder of Wudang Sect

・Yu Daiyan ( 俞岱岩 ) — Third Disciple of Zhang Sanfeng

The Book and The Sword ( 书剑恩仇录 )

・Huo Qingtong ( 霍青桐 ) — Queen of Uyghur Kingdom

・Kasili ( 喀丝丽 ) — Princess of Uyghur Kingdom