Xu Ying had rebelled since he was young. Starting from slaying gods in Jiang Family Fields, he had embarked on a point of no return when it came to rebellion; calling him rebellious down to his very bones was no exaggeration.
"I hear Fellow Daoist Xu calls himself a barbarian and has come to our Heavenly Immortal Realm to discourse on the Dao. Today, I shall debate with you!"
Divine light swirled in Imperial Son Mingxi's eyes as he said, "There is a Dao born before Heaven, complete and natural in itself; this is Taiyi. There is a Dao born before Heaven, evolving all living things; this is Creation. There is a Dao born before Heaven, embracing yin and bearing yang; this is Yin-Yang. When Yin and Yang fuse, it is Taiji. What does the Martial Dao amount to?"
"Well said!" a clan elder praised. "And as for the so-called Sword Dao, Saber Dao, and array formations, all of those are merely variations of Daos that already existed. Such crude, superficial things cannot even compare to natural Daos like Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Thunder, and Lightning, let alone be spoken of in the same breath as Taiyi or Yin-Yang."
The numerous dragon immortals all around nodded repeatedly.
More and more dragon immortals arrived in Jinque City. Dragon Emperor Mingdao's decree had shaken the Dragon Court, and very few did not harbor high expectations for this battle. This time, it was once again an expert from the Earth Immortal Realm—Xu Ying—who had fought his way into the Immortal Realm, styled himself a barbarian, and challenged the masters of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
This was a momentous matter. If no one from the Heavenly Immortal Realm could defeat him, they would lose all face, unable to hold their heads high as dragons.
Imperial Son Mingxi stepping forward in person to face Xu Ying was an enormous sensation that drew every eye, prompting untold numbers of dragon masters to rush in this direction.
At this moment, Jinque City was overflowing with dragons. Dragon immortals stood in the air like a rampart, blocking the sky behind Imperial Son Mingxi.
Xu Ying smiled faintly and replied, "That is the view of a fool. The Taiyi, Creation, Yin-Yang, and Taiji you speak of—if one does not study them and comprehend them, no one will master them, and they are of no use. Once studied, they become your personal comprehension, no longer innate, but acquired. These Great Daos, just like the Martial Dao, are all acquired. What right do they have to consider themselves superior?"
"Bullshit!" a white-haired elder dragon bellowed.
The other dragon clan elders cursed in succession, "Seditious nonsense!"
"Heresy intended to corrupt the Dao heart!"
"Innate is innate! How could learning it turn it into acquired?"
Imperial Son Mingxi grew thoughtful. He actually felt Xu Ying's words had some truth to them, only they were far too radical. But with all the dragon clan elders scolding Xu Ying, it was hardly his place to say much.
Xu Ying proclaimed in a clear voice, "The Martial Dao is the process by which people use acquired strength to master the innate. The so-called 'Martial' is the way people forge something from nothing and harness the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth."
His voice was accompanied by Dao sounds, suppressing the crowd's clamor.
Then he spread his feet and demonstrated the most fundamental martial forms and stances: fist, finger, wrist, palm, claw, hook, elbow, knee, shoulder, hip, back, head, foot—all became weapons under his command and refinement.
His every movement was like a Supreme magical treasure smashing downward, shattering the very space.
His fists were like bells, his palms like cauldrons, his fingers like swords, incomparably fierce. Wherever his techniques passed, Dao light overflowed and the Great Daos roared.
"My Martial Dao incorporates Taiyi!"
Without the slightest reservation, Xu Ying displayed his martial techniques in public, mobilizing his Taiyi Cave Abyss. Stepping forward, he sent a palm strike grazing past Imperial Son Mingxi's body, demonstrating the profound application of Martial Taiyi. "It can also smelt Taiji!"
He rounded his arms, and his Taiji Cave Abyss erupted as Taiji Dao power surged from his embrace! "It can transform into Wuji! It can command Taiyin! It can soar like the sun into the azure heavens! It can evolve all things like Creation!"
Xu Ying circled around Imperial Son Mingxi, move by move, mobilizing each cave abyss and commanding it with the Martial Dao. As his techniques unfolded, he showcased the characteristics and profound mysteries of each different Great Dao, exhausting the limits of variation. Including the Martial Dao, he possessed thirty-six cave abysses in total. After executing thirty-five strikes, every single blow targeted Imperial Son Mingxi's vital points, yet each miraculously grazed past his body without touching him.
Imperial Son Mingxi's expression remained unchanged, letting Xu Ying unleash his various moves. By the time Xu Ying completed all thirty-five strikes, the crowd of dragon immortals and elders behind Mingxi had fallen dead silent—an eerie, terrifying quiet.
Whether someone possessed true skill was immediately apparent in action. But when Xu Ying had defeated Man Kongming just moments ago, that brief clash had not demonstrated the subtlety and profundity of his Dao methods and philosophies.
This time, however, Xu Ying had used the Martial Dao to interpret and evolve various innate Great Daos, showing them the sheer power and vast erudition of this human youth.
Were it any of them, they might well outstrip Xu Ying significantly in terms of cultivation realm, but in terms of Dao methods and conceptual mastery, they fell far short of this youth!
"I wouldn't stand a chance..."
Cold sweat poured down the brow of a dragon clan elder as he muttered, "At the same realm, I couldn't beat him at all! I wouldn't even be able to execute a single strike..."
His voice grew lower and lower until it was barely audible. Dragon masters sharing his thoughts were by no means few. The moves Xu Ying had just performed were the most ordinary and basic of techniques, yet in the eyes of these ancient beings, there was not a single flaw to be found!
The power of his Dao methods vastly exceeded what they had possessed at the same realm!
Imperial Son Mingxi broke the silence, saying calmly, "Xu Ying, whether you study or comprehend an innate Great Dao or not, it exists there. Innate is innate; acquired is acquired! The Martial Dao is an acquired Great Dao, and no matter how you interpret it, it cannot reverse into the innate. Let me show you where the difference lies."
He mobilized the Taiyi Great Dao, and atop his head, a Supreme-grade Taiyi Cave Abyss emerged. Imperial Son Mingxi took a step forward, his techniques circulating as he said in a deep voice, "Taiyi gives birth to all things. It can transform into the Xuanhuang, into Yin and Yang, decide life and death, and shatter the void! To the left, it commands Taiji and Wuji; to the right, it grasps Creation and the Two Instruments!"
With every move he made, another Supreme-grade cave abyss appeared, intertwining and rotating with his Taiyi Cave Abyss as the two Dao powers merged into his divine arts!
Imperial Son Mingxi walked with steady steps. Move by move, clear and distinct, he displayed how the Taiyi Great Dao merged differently with other Daos.
These divine arts brushed past Xu Ying without harming him in the slightest, likewise demonstrating Dao methods!
Above his head, various cave abysses shifted continuously, yet the Taiyi Cave Abyss remained constant. In just a brief moment, he swapped through eight cave abysses to unleash eight divine art strikes before stopping and stepping back, standing once again amidst the blooming flowers.
The surrounding crowd fell quiet for a moment, then suddenly erupted into cheers.
Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng had arrived in Jinque City at some unknown point. Seeing the eight divine art strikes Imperial Son Mingxi demonstrated, he could not help but show delight and chuckled. "Imperial Son Mingxi's skills carry much of His Majesty's former brilliance. The Ming family is truly of the Far Ancestor's bloodline. Mingxi studied at the other shore and returned with Dao methods that have reached perfection, unpredictable and governed entirely by thought."
The dragon clan elders accompanying him also possessed unfathomable cultivation. Hearing this, they could not help but praise, "The Prime Minister speaks truly. The Imperial Son stands a very strong chance of breaking through to the eighth fold of the Dao Realm and advancing toward immortality."
Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng's gaze fell upon Xu Ying, his expression solemn as he said, "However, this Xu Ying is exceedingly formidable as well. If Imperial Son Mingxi fights him, his chances of victory are high."
The dragon clan elders nodded silently.
Just moments ago, Xu Ying's use of the Martial Dao to command innate Great Daos had genuinely stunned everyone—a realm where, upon reaching the pinnacle of one path, all ten thousand paths are mastered.
The outcome of this battle was difficult to predict.
As the most powerful elders of the dragon clan, they were reluctant to admit it, yet such was the reality.
That Xu Ying, with a human body, had cultivated to the point where even Imperial Son Mingxi would find victory difficult did not necessarily prove the Dao methods of the Earth Immortal Realm surpassed those of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. But if Imperial Son Mingxi were to lose, it would deal an immense blow to the morale of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
*No matter what, the Imperial Son cannot lose this battle,* Yuan Heng said quietly to himself.
Xu Ying had also realized Imperial Son Mingxi's strength and extraordinariness, and could not help saying, "Words alone prove nothing. Why not see the truth through our hands?"
Imperial Son Mingxi's eyes brightened, also feeling the urge to test himself. Just as he was about to speak, Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng suddenly chuckled. "To fight here would be far too hasty. Xu Ying, our dragon race will not bully you for being a barbarian. If you want to fight, go fight at the Dragon Court Imperial Capital. A duel held there will be known to all the world, win or lose. What say you?"
Imperial Son Mingxi was startled and looked back at Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng.
Yuan Heng wore a smile and nodded gently. Imperial Son Mingxi said nothing further.
Xu Ying smiled. "In that case, let it be the Imperial Capital!"
Seeing him agree, Imperial Son Mingxi said, "If so, we shall meet again in the Imperial Capital."
He turned and boarded his treasure carriage. String music sounded as four dragons pulled the carriage away.
Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng gave Xu Ying a deep look, then turned and caught up with Imperial Son Mingxi's carriage, smiling. "Your Highness."
Imperial Son Mingxi rose to greet him and asked, "Prime Minister, why did you stop me from competing with Xu Ying?"
Yuan Heng smiled and said, "Though Your Highness has a very high chance of winning, this battle concerns a matter of the utmost gravity. We cannot afford not to be cautious."
Imperial Son Mingxi asked in confusion, "What matter warrants such caution?"
"His Majesty's resolve."
Seeing his incomprehension, Yuan Heng explained, "Back when total Zangification was implemented, His Majesty had his hesitations. After attaining immortality, he once said to me that total Zangification might have been somewhat rushed. This time, he moved to capture the Far Ancestor, Ancestral God, and that little barbarian, yet he did not kill them. This old minister feels His Majesty's resolve has wavered. If Your Highness were to suffer defeat in this battle, I fear His Majesty might return to the old path from back then."
Imperial Son Mingxi's heart trembled slightly. "Father could not possibly be so foolish. If he were to return to the old path, wouldn't the other dragon clans seize the opportunity to oust him? Behind those dragon clans stand the Immortals of the other shore! The standing of our Ming family would be impossible to preserve!"
Yuan Heng smiled. "Therefore, Your Highness must win this battle. Though Your Highness's Dao methods are exquisite, your experience in bloody combat is truly lacking. In the few days before your duel with Xu Ying, this old minister will arrange for some old fellows to clash with Your Highness."
The old fellows he referred to were the twenty-seven beings who had defeated Holy Venerable Yuan Yu. Every single one of these dragon immortals was at the peak perfection of the eighth fold of the Dao Realm!
With them personally honing Mingxi, even if he were a block of stubborn iron, he could be forged into a sharp blade!
Mingxi bowed in gratitude.
Yuan Heng supported him, not daring to let him bow, and said, "As long as you defeat Xu Ying, His Majesty will not make a mistake. Your Highness will have a hard time these coming days."
Imperial Son Mingxi said solemnly, "I will not fail my mission!"
Yuan Heng took his leave and watched Imperial Son Mingxi's carriage depart into the distance, pondering. *That Xu Ying looks quiet and gentle, yet he dared to charge into the Heavenly Immortal Realm, calling himself a barbarian and challenging the entire realm. At a glance, he is an extraordinarily savage thug. If the Imperial Son fights him to the death, he will surely lose.*
He frowned slightly. Simply having Imperial Son Mingxi spar with beings at the peak perfection of the eighth fold of the Dao Realm was not enough; he also needed slaughter experience forged through risking his life.
And that was very difficult to attain.
*Unless that Xu Ying is injured before the decisive battle.*
Yuan Heng's eyes flickered. There were still several days' journey to the Dragon Court Imperial Capital. If Xu Ying were injured along the way, he would no longer be Mingxi's match during the final duel.
Xu Ying walked toward Jinque City with Princess Mingman when Man Kongming struggled to his feet and called out with a laugh, "Fellow Daoist Xu, if you don't mind, we could travel together. I have some things I would like to consult you about along the way."
Xu Ying halted and gladly agreed, smiling. "If Brother Dao has anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."
Suppressing his injuries, Man Kongming mumbled hesitantly, "It's not that I don't understand something..."
Xu Ying cast an astonished glance at him. Man Kongming's face flushed red, and he hurriedly said, "Regarding the Supreme Dao, I do have just a little bit I don't understand."
Princess Mingman chuckled. "You dragon, you look forthright, but you aren't honest at all."
Man Kongming wished he could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
Xu Ying paid it no mind and said, "The Supreme Dao is incomplete, and completing this Great Dao is something I cannot manage either. I only achieved what I have because Daoist Wukong imparted it to me. Let us simply exchange insights."
Princess Mingman extended two fingers and walked them along like legs, signaling to Man Kongming that Xu Ying had offered him a way out.
Man Kongming came to a sudden realization. *Fellow Daoist Xu is offering me a way to save face. He doesn't want to 'exchange insights'; he wants to guide me. This human girl is truly considerate, terrified that I wouldn't understand.*
The three traveled together. Along the way, Xu Ying taught Man Kongming the remedy techniques for the Supreme Dao. Man Kongming felt boundless gratitude and declared, "I've fought that brat Mingxi the most times. None of his tricks can hide from me. Once you're familiar with his Dao methods, you'll surely win right off the bat!"
He jumped up, demonstrating Imperial Son Mingxi's divine arts and techniques, then taught Xu Ying how to break them.
Watching this scene from afar, Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng frowned deeply.
*Man Kongming, that brute dragon, look what he's done! Give him a tiny benefit and he turns traitor!*
Fury rose in his heart. He retrieved an umbrella and opened it. The moment the umbrella unfurled, a light drizzle immediately began pattering down from the sky.
Holding the umbrella to obscure his face, Yuan Heng walked toward Xu Ying.
*Once Xu Ying senses danger, he will be forced to act prematurely!*
Right then, he saw a patch of Dao snow suddenly appear amidst the falling rain—snow formed of Dao ash.
*The Great Daos of Heaven and Earth from the primordial era have revived! No, not revived—someone has mastered the Heavenly Dao of that era, and I have walked into his Dao Realm!*
Yuan Heng's heart skipped a beat. Holding the umbrella, the space beneath it formed a world of its own, maintaining the contemporary Heavenly Dao to contend with that Dao Realm.
He walked forward, and soon saw a burly, towering, dragon-headed elder standing ahead with his back to him.
"Junior Yuan Heng pays respects to the Retired Emperor." Holding the umbrella, Yuan Heng greeted him.
Former Emperor Ming Xun kept his back turned to him and said, "The human Xu Ying—We intend to protect him."
Yuan Heng raised his brows and smiled. "Retired Emperor, your era has passed. This junior fears you cannot protect him."
Former Emperor Ming Xun said calmly, "You may try."
As Yuan Heng stepped forward, he underwent Zangification and suddenly threw his umbrella upward. The umbrella transformed into a firmament, shrouding an area tens of thousands of li around!
Yuan Heng sprang forward, launching an attack at Former Emperor Ming Xun.
The very instant he struck, the momentum of Zangification around his body disintegrated at once. The Dao snow fluttered down thickly, and even the firmament formed by the umbrella began decaying at rapid speed!
Yuan Heng ignored all of this, closing in directly behind Former Emperor Ming Xun and mobilizing his ancient god primordial spirit to unleash his strongest strike!
Former Emperor Ming Xun remained facing away from him, simply raising a palm to clash with the ancient god primordial spirit. Yuan Heng's body shook violently; not even the ancient god's will could shake this former emperor in the slightest.
Deciding decisively, Yuan Heng coughed blood and retreated, his voice echoing from afar: "Retired Emperor, seeking to oppose the Heavenly Immortal Realm, seeking to oppose the other shore, is nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot! When the other shore intervenes and descends upon the Heavenly Immortal Realm, you won't even be able to protect yourself!"
Former Emperor Ming Xun did not pursue him. Instead, he said in a low voice, "The Immortals of the other shore? I would dearly love to know why they sought to destroy the Three Realms. But what I want to know even more is: after they destroyed the Three Realms, why do you bastards still remain so utterly loyal to your enemies? What on earth made you forget your hatred?"
He let out a low roar, as if longing to shatter this twisted world.
Chapter 690