radicalducati Page 163
Page 163
Moreover, there must be a deeper meaning behind Zhang Xiaoshan leaving it there.
"Alright, from now on, all of you will switch to cultivating the Nine Yin Divine Skill and abandon the cultivation of the Bright Jade Skill!"
This set of Nine Yin Divine Skills is not only as powerful as the Mingyu Skill, but also has a unique feature:
If combined with the Pure Yang Limitless Skill I cultivate, the combined cultivation speed is several times that of my usual cultivation speed, and there are hardly any bottlenecks to speak of.
But the Mingyu Gong is different. You have not been practicing since childhood, so the eighth level is considered the limit.
On the contrary, the Nine Yin Manual does not have this drawback!
Secondly, the Flying Immortal Sword Technique, which was previously only us and Palace Master Yaoyue could use, can be perfectly fused with the pure Yin and pure Yang Qi once the Nine Yin Divine Skill reaches the tenth level, reaching a supreme and wonderful state!
Rather than a unique, unparalleled skill specific to a particular context.
"The tenth level?"
Where did the tenth level of the Nine Yin Manual come from?
Seeing Huang Rong's curious expression, Zhang Xiaoshan said irritably:
"The absence of a tenth level does not mean there is no tenth level. The tenth level is the Grandmaster realm—the Pure Yin realm!"
Alright, let's stop having unrealistic ambitions and focus on improving our true qi first.
The attributes of the Nine Yin Divine Skill encompass the extreme yin and coldness of the Bright Moon Skill, the formlessness and intangibility of the Lesser Formless Skill, the pure and righteous nature of the Nine Yin Internal Energy, and the vast and all-encompassing nature of the Northern Darkness Divine Skill...
Therefore, everyone found their cultivation process smooth and unhindered, sensing that it was very similar to their previous cultivation methods.
Like all streams flowing into the sea, it broke through three bottlenecks in just a few days.
It was only at this point that things started to become a bit sluggish.
The higher the level of attainment, the more difficult it becomes.
After sending a group of women to cultivate in the secret room, Zhang Xiaoshan took the Flying Fish Dragon Wings to the wilderness, intending to test whether the thing could really fly.
If it could fly, how many restrictions would there be?
This is real flight, not gliding or a hot air balloon resembling a Kongming lantern.
Even with control of the Dragon Ball, Zhang Xiaoshan could only float in the air for ten feet.
We've arrived at the summit of the mountain where the new government building is located!
Zhang Xiaoshan spread his wings, which were as thin as cicada wings and looked so light that they could not support a person's weight at all.
He wouldn't have dared to try it directly if he hadn't personally tested the quality of the wings.
Sa!
As the true qi flowed into the dragon wings, the points of contact between Zhang Xiaoshan's arms and the dragon wings seemed to merge into one.
It has a texture as smooth as an open folding fan!
call!
Suddenly, Zhang Xiaoshan raised his arm and soared into the air.
In that instant, Zhang Xiaoshan felt as if he were a bird soaring in the sky.
However, vibrating the wings consumes a considerable amount of true qi. Even a top expert could probably only sustain it for a few dozen breaths at most, let alone soar through the sky.
Hehehe, the consequences of suddenly running out of fuel in the air are predictable.
hum!
With the output of true qi maximized, a white shadow streaked across the sky, like the fastest supercar suddenly passing by, with a speed of at least a thousand kilometers per hour, or even several Mach.
At maximum power, the speed of the Dragon Wing exceeded Zhang Xiaoshan's imagination.
However, Zhang Xiaoshan could only sustain this level of exertion for a maximum of fifteen minutes.
This is still in the supreme state where the two true energies merge.
"Truly wondrous!"
After landing, Zhang Xiaoshan folded his wings; the value of these things was absolutely comparable to that of Dragon Balls.
The feeling of soaring through the sky just now, a hundred feet in the air was not his limit. If his internal strength had no limit, Zhang Xiaoshan felt that he could cross the desert and the land of the Western barbarians in a single day.
Unfortunately, he can only last for a quarter of an hour at most now.
Even if one breaks through to the Grandmaster level and their internal energy surges, it will only take at most half an hour.
····
Splash splash splash...
The spring floods have arrived as scheduled. During the rainy season, rivers become turbulent, converging into streams that eventually flow into the sea.
Compared to before, the reinforced dikes, while perhaps not lasting for decades or centuries, can at least weather this crisis. There's also a plan worth 20 million gold coins to further develop dikes and open canals…
Unfortunately, the floods were merciless, and this year's flood situation exceeded the standards of previous decades.
This was a calamity brought down by heaven, and memorials to the emperor kept pouring into the capital.
boom!
Suddenly, a loud bang shook the area for miles around, and the extremely sturdy dam suddenly burst open!
The residents near the dam, relieved by the reinforcement, never imagined that the dam would have any problems.
As the dam collapsed, the breaches quickly spread out of control.
The floodwaters, reaching a height of three zhang (approximately 10 meters), mercilessly swallowed lives and spread downstream.
Water benefits all things without striving!
But the instant it transforms into a flood can be described as the most terrifying demon that devours life.
In their sleep, how many people were drowned in the flood?
Overnight, the floodwaters swept across an area of hundreds of miles, killing as many as 100,000 people.
Moreover, this only accounts for the number of direct deaths; the number of people indirectly affected is likely to exceed one million, or even more.
This catastrophe was not limited to one place, but rather caused multiple dikes to suddenly collapse, resulting in widespread flooding and devastation of the surrounding areas.
Overnight, the devastating damage caused by the floods was terrifying!
More than a million people have died from floods, and tens of millions have been displaced and left homeless.
"May the Eternal Mother live forever; with a heart full of concern for the mortal world, she universally saves all beings..."
In times of peace and prosperity, when people live and work in contentment, no one will join in a rebellion!
Only when people are starving, displaced, and in despair can they incite public sentiment; this is the origin of cults.
The White Lotus Sect was undoubtedly a heretical sect certified by all the major imperial courts!
Every major natural disaster, coupled with man-made calamities, is the greatest test for a dynasty.
Because the Taiping Dao and the White Lotus Sect repeatedly launched uprisings and misled the people, they rose up again each time the imperial court suppressed them, proving that even a centipede with a hundred legs cannot die easily!
Chapter 215 Fang La in the South, White Lotus in the North
"Haha, my chance has come!"
The Minzhou branch of the Zoroastrian Church in the South.
When Fang La, the head of the main altar, saw the news about the disaster area nearby, he couldn't help but laugh.
This was because the Zoroastrian Church had suffered a series of losses during this period, including the elites of the Five Elements Banner and three independent members. The Zoroastrian Church, which was already in disarray at the top, was now in a precarious situation.
Inside the main altar, if it weren't for the intervention of the Left Envoy of Light, it would probably have already disbanded.
And those branch altars are having an even harder time.
You should know that those major martial arts sects have started to suppress them because of the incident of robbing the gold-protecting teams.
How could these branch sects contend with those martial arts masters? Most of the leaders and disciples in these branch sects were just scattered individuals, with few orthodox cultivators.
What awaited them was only slow decline and even eventual extinction.
But unexpectedly, a godsend turned into a disaster, giving them a chance to catch their breath and even expand their Zoroastrian faith.
"Zhang family?"
Who is the culprit behind all this?
In the end, Fang La gave up on the idea and decided to develop in a low-key manner.
The Zhang family is so formidable that even the Guangming Main Altar at its peak might not be a match for them, let alone the fact that he is merely the leader of a southern branch altar.
Right now, playing it safe is the best strategy.
···
In Langya, there stands a vast and magnificent palace.
At this moment, at the head of the palace, stood a stunningly beautiful woman who looked to be around thirty years old, with a pure and refined demeanor.
Wearing a lotus crown on her head and a pure white lotus robe, her exquisite figure beneath the cloak was alluring and captivating.
Below them are numerous White Lotus Sect followers dressed in white robes and wearing white headscarves.
At this moment, all the believers looked at the woman above with fanaticism, not with blasphemy, but with fervent faith.
The White Lotus Sect is an absolute pyramid scheme.
At this moment, the woman held a sacred scepter in one hand and a cup of holy water in the other, and said in a clear, cold voice:
"This natural disaster is an opportunity given to us by the Holy Mother of No Birth to save those mortals suffering in the sea of suffering!"
"Fellow believers, the holy water of our religion is ready. Those suffering mortals need the salvation of the Holy Mother. Drink this holy water today, and I, the Holy Mother, await your return!"
"Yes, Holy Mother White Lotus!"
Holy water was a means for the White Lotus sect to develop its followers; it was rumored to cure all diseases and strengthen muscles and bones.
Every White Lotus Altar has a sacred pool, where, according to legend, bathing in it purifies the body and grants ascension to immortality—a supreme opportunity for White Lotus followers.
···
Chaos!
A massive natural and man-made disaster, exceeding everyone's imagination.
Even more serious damage would have occurred if the dikes had not been repaired and the river channels dredged previously!
Such natural disasters, whether occurring within a 60-year cycle or a lifetime, carry far too many meanings.
Not only were rumors rampant among the common people, but there were also many conflicting opinions within the imperial court.
Rumors that the emperor was incompetent and that calamities had befallen the dynasty, leading to its downfall and a change of regime, had spread throughout the streets and alleys.
"Master, young master, during this period, the Zhang family has suffered losses of up to 100,000 taels of silver from over a hundred shops."
Uncle Yang reported on the situation in various places, and even Zhang Xiaoshan couldn't help but frown.
The loss wasn't too great; 100,000 taels of silver was a drop in the ocean compared to the Zhang family's wealth, and any treasure Zhang Xiaoshan had was worth tens of thousands of taels of gold.
But this was clearly aimed at the Zhang family.
Otherwise, even if the Zhang family didn't operate, it wouldn't be possible for each family to receive an average of one thousand taels; their goods would likely have been stolen.
"There should be regional divisions, right? I'd like to know where the main incidents are taking place?"
“Young Master is right. These locations are all in or near Lingzhou. According to the information gathered by the various managers, they all have one thing in common: traces of White Lotus Sect activities can be found there!”
White Lotus Sect!
Even Zhang Xiaoshan frowned upon hearing this; the White Lotus Sect was not to be trifled with.
Their main strength lies in their ability to spread rumors and mislead the public, even more so than the Buddhist monks' eloquent tongues. However, the most crucial factor is the timing of their appearances.
They don't usually show their faces, but when they do, they inevitably incite public sentiment, adding man-made disasters to natural calamities.
In contrast, most Buddhist temples had already closed their doors at this time, and many of these temples had large tracts of fertile land at the foot of the mountains, making them similar to landlords who did not pay grain taxes.
Therefore, the temple must have enough food to weather this crisis!
They won't sell them for money, but they also won't donate them easily.
Of course, there are also some temples with ascetic monks that open their gates wide to provide medicine and disaster relief.