In the wind and snow, the monarch walked alone.
Emerging from that small courtyard, he strolled slowly along the long street. This big and tall man walked amidst the wind and snow, lost in thought. The wind and snow were intense at this moment, carrying an aura of solemnity.
With only one day left until New Year's Eve, the bustling atmosphere in Xuanling Commandery had come to an end after the common people finished buying New Year goods and completing their preparations. At this moment, they were all returning to their respective homes.
The entire Xuanling Commandery naturally became quiet.
At a street corner, the man encountered a passerby who was also in a hurry at the moment. When the two met, the passerby strangely raised his head to glance at the man before him, seemingly surprised by the sight of this man walking alone in the wind and snow, clad in tattered clothes.
However, after a brief look, the passerby did not think much of it. Holding an oiled-paper umbrella and carrying his newly purchased New Year goods, he swiftly brushed past the man without saying a word.
But just as the two men truly passed each other, a terrifying murderous intent suddenly emerged under the umbrella. The seemingly ordinary oiled-paper umbrella suddenly vibrated, and the accumulated snow on its surface scattered in all directions, resembling sharp swords shooting in every direction with astonishing power!
Beneath the oiled-paper umbrella, a dagger slipped out from the man's sleeve in an instant. Once the dagger fell into his palm, without hesitation, he swiftly thrust it toward the abdomen of the Great Liang Emperor. The attack carried an unparalleled ruthlessness, executed in the blink of an eye.
Assassination, or one might say, the battle, began at this moment.
Whether was it in terms of the timing of his attack or his ability to conceal his presence, that person excelled in every aspect. The timing of this attack was exceptionally well-chosen, indicating that the man before him had engaged in many similar activities, assassinating countless times to attain such a seasoned and ruthless level of assassination proficiency. This must be an extraordinary assassin; definitely well-known on the assassin's list.
However, the dagger failed to penetrate the abdomen of the Great Liang Emperor as intended. The blade suspended in mid-air, unable to get any closer. The Great Liang Emperor made no move, simply looking into the distance quietly.
Yes, this peerless martial artist of the Great Liang Dynasty did not even spare a glance at him.
This assassin who had never been so belittled before showed no signs of anger at this moment. It was because he knew who this man standing before him was. Attempting to assassinate him was a near-certain death endeavor in the first place. Even if he failed, he felt no shame too. Except... he never expected that his carefully planned assassination would fail like this.
What surprised him even more was that the Great Liang Emperor standing before him had returned from the desolate north of thirty thousand miles, and he was still so powerful.
The gaze of the Great Liang Emperor extended into the distance, then he reached out to take the oiled-paper umbrella held by the assailant.
After taking it, the Great Liang Emperor truly passed by the assassin, maintaining an eerie posture. The assassin, who had been unable to thrust his dagger, collapsed with a resounding crash into the wind and snow.
He appeared as if he had been cut into countless pieces with a blade or crushed by a punch. But regardless, he was now dead. His life as an assassin came to an abrupt end here.
Holding the oiled-paper umbrella, the Great Liang Emperor continued forward. After a few steps, the wind and snow in the sky suddenly ceased.
A burly figure rose from the northeast corner, then soared into the sky, finally descending towards the location of the Great Liang Emperor with a determined posture!
The Great Liang Emperor did not lift his head; his entire body was under the oil-paper umbrella. Even though he sensed a powerful aura coming at him, he did not look up. He just used one hand to support the umbrella, standing in place.
A ray of Buddhist light flashed by, and amid the vast whiteness, a unique color suddenly appeared.
The burly man enveloped in golden Buddhist light appeared like a genuine Vajra of Buddhism at this moment, with a dignified and awe-inspiring appearance.
Soon, the burly figure borrowed the force of thunderous might and landed on the surface of the umbrella. The unbelievably ordinary oiled-paper umbrella instantly bore the weight it should not have been able to bear. The umbrella frame pressed down in an instant, and the umbrella surface abruptly caved in. Despite facing such a tremendous force, the umbrella frame did not break, and after the umbrella caved in, it stopped. The Buddhist Vajra now squatted on the umbrella surface, and his fist radiating golden light slammed down with a loud bang. However, the umbrella surface rippled, instantly straightening out, directly sending the Buddhist Vajra flying.
The burly man slid several yards down the long street before gradually coming to a stop. This first exchange between the two had come to an end.
Looking at the umbrella which had returned to its original state, the burly man sincerely exclaimed, "Your Majesty's cultivation is exceedingly formidable, truly admirable."
The voice of the Great Liang Emperor emanated from under the oiled-paper umbrella, "A Vajra of Buddhism, I'm afraid you have yet to achieve grand completion in your technique."
The divine ability of Buddhism's Great Vajra Technique was indeed a unique type among the secret techniques of Buddhism. While it was considered special, it was not easy to cultivate. The burly man before them, despite cultivating for many years, had not completely grasped its essence and still had flaws.
"Your Majesty has a discerning eye, but this poor monk is slow-witted. I'm afraid I may never progress further in this lifetime. Hearing that martial artists also possess a similarly tough body, I thought to seek guidance from Your Majesty."
Though the words were casual, they held much meaning. Out of all the martial artists in the world, there was no doubt that the Great Liang Emperor was the number one person. Especially when he returned unharmed from the hands of the Demon Emperor, the title of the number one martial artist was undeniably his.
This burly man seeking guidance from the Great Liang Emperor clearly had an ulterior motive. It seemed he harbored the thought that if I can defeat you, the world's number one martial artist, as a Vajra of Buddhism, doesn't that mean that the so-called tough physique of martial artists is still inferior when facing the Great Vajra Technique of Buddhism?
This also implied that their battle was not a simple life-or-death struggle but more like a contest caused by personal feelings.
The Great Liang Emperor slowly said, "If you cultivate diligently for another two sixty-year cycles, you might have the qualification to have a battle with Us."
Hearing these words, the burly man's expression changed subtly. Two sixty-year cycles equated to one hundred and twenty years, and the contemptuous undertones of the statement were hard to ignore.
The burly man laughed heartily without saying much, both hands continually forming hand seals. Beams of Buddhist light emanated from his body, and then a phenomenon appeared. The burly man who was already taller than the average man began to swell up after forming the hand seals. His monk's robe burst apart with a loud bang, revealing the upper body covered in golden light.
In the blink of an eye, the burly man grew several dozen feet in height, now resembling the wrath-eyed vajras mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures!
The Great Liang Emperor still remained calm. He had heard of the secret techniques of Buddhism before, and this method of causing the body to surge in size was not something he witnessed for the first time. After all, when demons released their dharma idols, they often became incomparably gigantic. The Buddhist Vajra before him seemed somewhat comical in comparison.
The burly man who became extremely towering began to run on the long street, causing the entire street to tremble.
When he sprinted, he stirred up a storm of snow, making it howl along with him.
Yet, the Great Liang Emperor who was situated at the center of the storm remained unmoved, allowing the wind and snow to assail him. He seemed like an ancient pine standing resolutely amidst an avalanche.
A fist carrying boundless force smashed down once again, landing on the surface of the oiled-paper umbrella!
The collision between the fist and the umbrella surface was like an encounter that had never happened before.
Ripples spread across the umbrella surface, undulating continuously. However, the fist failed to crush the oiled-paper umbrella and the man beneath it.
If someone were watching the battle from a distance at this moment, witnessing such a scene would undoubtedly be incredibly shocking.
……
……
There was really someone watching the battle from afar at this moment.
A grey-robed old daoist and the blind sword immortal, who had long lost the ability to see, were on a rooftop in the distance, watching this scene.
The old daoist in the grey robe lamented, "Buddhism's Great Vajra Technique, at the peak of cultivation, one becomes as indestructible as a Vajra. Even a powerhouse at the peak of Nepenthe might not easily tear his body apart. However, this one hasn't reached that level of attainment yet."
Although the old sword immortal was blind, ever since losing his sight, his other senses had become much more acute compared to thirty years ago. At this moment, even though he could not see the great battle between the two, he could deduce the current situation quite accurately through the flow of energy between heaven and earth.
"Martial artists are uncouth, that is what you all have always thought. But when a martial artist reaches the end of Nepenthe, they are no longer associated with boorishness."
The grey-robed old daoist chuckled, "The one before us is of course the number one martial artist in the world. However, after the battle with the Demon Emperor, he is seriously wounded. After journeying southward and passing through the thirty thousand miles of desolate north, encountering an unknown number of great demons, and the hidden injuries sustained when breaking out of the formation, I'm afraid he's only left with a fraction of his strength compared to his peak. A martial artist losing his bodily strength will only be left with an empty shell."
The blind sword immortal said solemnly, "Even so, among the three of us, one is bound to die at his hands."
The grey-robed old daoist neither confirmed nor denied, saying calmly, "Killing a peerless martial artist is no easy task. Let's each rely on our own abilities. However, let me warn you first, we must go all out and not hold anything back."
The blind sword immortal nodded slowly and said in a low voice, "My sword has yet to leave its sheath for thirty years. People believe my sword heart collapsed thirty years ago. But back then, when I was defeated, my sword remained unbroken, and I didn't die. Where does the talk of a collapsed sword heart come from? Is it just because my eyes can no longer see?" "But who would know that every night, after losing my sight, I can still hear the sword flying in my sheath, making humming sounds."
