212: Chapter 212 The Road Ahead

Even for the well-informed Gong Qianxue, her eyes were filled with undisguised shock; such a method of making withered wood spring to life and reversing life and death had completely exceeded her cognitive scope of martial arts.

However, there was not the slightest hint of surprise on Gao Feng's face.

He stared intently at Evelyn and the rejuvenated poplar tree, and in his deep eyes, a light more brilliant than ever before, named "contemplation" and "realization," flickered.

He did not focus on the magical appearance, but instead used his powerful Divine Sense, which had already vaguely merged with the heavens and earth, to perceive the essence of this "Natural Power."

In his perception, Evelyn did not erupt with powerful energy from within her body like a Martial Artist.

On the contrary, she was more like a "medium," a "bridge."

Through her unique Mental Energy, she established a profound and mysterious connection with the omnipresent "Wood Law" filled with the breath of life between heaven and earth.

Then, she "borrowed" this Law power that already existed between heaven and earth and guided it into the body of the withered tree, thereby activating its long-dormant life Origin.

This was a way of utilizing power that was completely different from the Central Plains martial arts!

Central Plains martial arts emphasize "refining essence into Qi, refining Qi into spirit, and refining spirit to return to the void," with its core lying in constantly excavating and strengthening one's own potential, cultivating oneself into a powerful individual independent of heaven and earth, pursuing the Heaven-Defying path of "my fate is determined by me, not by heaven."

As for Evelyn's "Natural Power," its core lies in "communication" and "Fusion"; she does not oppose heaven and earth, but rather conforms to, understands, and borrows the infinite power possessed by heaven and earth itself, pursuing the path of conforming to heaven known as "the unity of heaven and man."

Neither path is superior or inferior; they simply have different directions, but the ultimate goal is to catch a glimpse of the supreme ultimate mystery of the Laws of heaven and earth.

"So that's how it is... So that's how it is..." Gao Feng murmured to himself, as if countless stars were being born and dying in his deep eyes.

This power system of Evelyn's was like opening a window to a brand-new direction on his martial arts path, which had long since reached a dead end!

Although he could not and disdained to learn this "heterodox path" that required borrowing external forces, this brand-new way of thinking gave him a fresh understanding of his own Eighth-Rank Martial Saint Peak Realm, which had long been stagnant, by drawing inferences from other cases!

He felt that the layer of window paper that had been blocking him, which he could see but not touch, leading to the Ninth-Rank Human Immortal Realm, seemed to have thinned just a little bit at this moment.

Although it was only a little bit, for him, who had long been trapped in a Bottleneck, this was already a tremendous gain!

After witnessing Evelyn's magical "Natural Power," Gao Feng's state of mind became increasingly clear and expectant; he no longer obsessed over intentionally breaking through the Bottleneck, but instead devoted more energy to observing and comprehending this world.

Their party finally arrived at the legendary Kunlun Mountains.

Kunlun is known as the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains and the source of Dragon veins; the mountain ranges here are far more majestic and magnificent than any famous mountain in the Central Plains.

Snow-capped Peaks towering into the clouds stood like pillars supporting the azure sky, and the glaciers that never melted all year round reflected dazzling, colorful light under the sunshine.

And the legendary Secret Martial Sect was hidden deep within these inaccessible snow-capped mountains, in a mysterious place known as "Longevity Valley."

With Evelyn's innate keen perception of natural aura and Gao Feng's incomparably powerful Divine Sense, they easily found the entrance to Longevity Valley, which was shrouded in layers of illusion arrays.

When they passed through the invisible barrier that rippled like water, the scene before their eyes suddenly opened up!

They saw that in a huge valley surrounded by towering snow-capped Peaks, it was surprisingly as warm as spring, with birds singing and flowers blooming, completely different from the bitter cold of the ice and snow outside!

A clear river wound its way out from the depths of the valley, nourishing the fertile land on both banks, and stone buildings full of ancient charm were scattered in an orderly manner throughout the valley, with countless Secret Martial Sect Disciples dressed in peculiar attire working diligently or cultivating in the fields or on the martial arts practice grounds.

This place was like a true paradise isolated from the rest of the world.

However, just as Gao Feng and his party stepped into the valley, an ancient and long bell toll suddenly rang out from the most magnificent stone temple in the depths of the valley!

"Clang—!"

The bell toll was melodious, as if it could cleanse a person's Soul, and immediately after, an old and majestic voice echoed over the entire valley like rolling thunder.

"I do not know which Imperial Majesty has arrived at my Longevity Valley. This old man failed to welcome you from afar and asks for your forgiveness."

This voice actually revealed Gao Feng's identity directly!

Gao Feng's eyes narrowed slightly; he knew he had found the right place. This Secret Martial Sect was indeed full of hidden talents and unfathomable!

He did not hide his aura but responded in a loud voice: "Gao Feng of the Wu Dynasty has come to pay a visit to the mountain, wishing to seek instruction on the true understanding of the Dao from you, Senior."

As soon as he finished speaking, the gates of the magnificent temple opened silently and slowly.

A withered old man wearing coarse linen clothes, with white hair and beard but a rosy face like an infant's, walked slowly out of the temple, leaning on an ordinary wooden staff.

He looked just like an ordinary old mountain farmer, with not the slightest fluctuation of Internal Energy on his body, but the moment Gao Feng's gaze met his, he clearly felt that the other's seemingly cloudy old eyes seemed to contain a vast and boundless starry sky!

This person was definitely an unparalleled expert of the same level as himself, who had long stood at the Eighth-Rank Martial Saint Peak!

"Your Majesty has come from afar, please enter the hall for a chat." The old man smiled slightly at Gao Feng and made a "please" gesture.

Gao Feng nodded. He let Big Fool, Gong Qianxue, and the others wait outside the hall, while he walked into the ancient temple, which was filled with the atmosphere of the vicissitudes of time, all by himself.

Inside the temple, it was spacious and simple; apart from a few huge stone pillars supporting the dome, there was nothing else.

"This old man is the current Sect Master of this Secret Martial Sect, with the Dharma name 'Kong Wen'." The old man introduced himself, "Your Majesty has come here for that legendary Ninth-Rank Human Immortal Realm, right?"

Gao Feng did not hide it and said straightforwardly: "That is correct. I have stayed at the Eighth-Rank Peak for several years, yet I have never been able to break through that final step. I heard that your Sect is the lineage left by the ancient Human Immortal, so I came here, hoping to get some guidance from you, Senior."

Upon hearing this, Kong Wen sighed heavily, shook his head, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, you have come too late."

"The road to the Ninth-Rank has not been cut off, but the 'bridge' leading to this road has already been broken."

"Oh?" Gao Feng raised an eyebrow, "I ask that you please enlighten me, Senior."

Kong Wen raised his head, his deep eyes seemingly able to pierce through the barriers of time and space, looking toward the distant and unknown West.

"Since the last Human Immortal Ancestral Master shattered the Void Realm and left a thousand years ago, the Laws of heaven and earth in this world have begun to undergo a subtle change that we cannot understand."

"This heaven and earth seem to be 'sick.' The 'Luck' it can carry is no longer enough to support the birth of another Ninth-Rank Human Immortal."

"To break through to the Ninth-Rank, relying solely on personal hard cultivation is no longer a possible task."

"Then what must be done?" Gao Feng asked.

Kong Wen's gaze fell back onto Gao Feng, his eyes filled with complex and indescribable emotions.

"To let this heaven and earth recover its 'health,' a great 'Karma,' or rather, a great 'calamity' is needed."

"Your Majesty ended the centuries of chaos in the Central Plains with your own strength, unified the world, and allowed the people to rest and recuperate; this is a tremendous Karma. It is precisely because of the blessing of this Karma and Luck that you were able to reach your current unprecedented Realm at such an age."

"However, this Karma is not enough."

"Because an unprecedented great calamity, sufficient to affect the entire world, is coming."

Kong Wen said slowly: "Although this old man lives in the deep mountains of Kunlun, I can vaguely feel that in the distant West, a massive darkness filled with the aura of 'aggression' and 'destruction' is rapidly gathering and extending its tentacles toward our ancient land."

"Your Majesty, you are the person destined to face this great calamity."

"Only when you lead the civilization behind you to defeat that calamity capable of destroying everything, and perform a world-mending feat for this heaven and earth, will you possibly be able to obtain the supreme Luck sufficient to push open the Ninth-Rank door and continue the Human Immortal path!"

Gao Feng could not help but fall into deep thought upon hearing this. Could it really be like this?

His Dao was not in these mountains and rivers, nor within this Sect!

His Dao lay in the future of the country and the civilization he shouldered!

Defeating the Western Empire was his only ladder to heaven leading to the Ninth-Rank Human Immortal Realm?!

Gao Feng felt that he had cleared away all the fog before his eyes, allowing his heart of a strong man, which had been slightly anxious due to being unable to break through for so long, to return to an unprecedented clarity and firmness.

He bowed deeply to the old man before him, who appeared withered but was actually as wise as the sea, his eyes filled with gratitude and respect.

Kong Wen calmly accepted his bow, a trace of gratification appearing in his cloudy old eyes; he knew that the young emperor before him had truly found his own "Dao."

In order to enable this person destined to face the calamity to possess stronger power to confront the impending monstrous disaster, Kong Wen pondered for a moment and made a decision that would shake the entire Secret Martial Sect.

"Your Majesty, since your Dao is connected to the fate of all living beings in the world, I, and this Miwu Sect, will naturally lend you a helping hand."

Although Kong Wen's voice was aged, it carried an unquestionable resolve.

"Our Sect possesses a supreme Cultivation Technique inherited from our Ancestral Master, named the 'Three Elephants Technique,' which is the fundamental method pointing directly to the path of the Ninth-Rank Human Immortal Realm."

"This technique is divided into three chapters: 'Dragon Elephant,' 'Divine Elephant,' and 'Saint Elephant.'"

"It is said that if one can fuse all three, one can possess the supreme power to suppress the heavens and earth and shatter the Void Realm."

"Today, I will teach you this method in its entirety, hoping to add another measure of assistance to Your Majesty on this thorny path."

Gao Feng was shaken upon hearing this; he knew deeply what a Legacy of this level meant to a Sect; it was the Foundation and lifeblood of a School, and would never be shown to others lightly.

Kong Wen's action undoubtedly meant he had staked the entire future of the Miwu Sect on him, the Emperor of the Wu Dynasty.

He did not feign modesty or refuse, because he knew clearly that in the future, in that cruel war capable of deciding the life and death of civilization, any increase in strength could become the key to changing the final outcome.

He bowed solemnly to Kong Wen once again, accepting this heavy burden of kindness and trust.

Over the next month or so, Gao Feng remained in this secluded Longevity Valley, and under the personal guidance of Sect Master Kong Wen, he began his closed-door meditation to comprehend the "Three Elephants Technique."

This Cultivation Technique was truly worthy of being a supreme treasure pointing directly to the Ninth Rank; the profundity of its cultivation method and the harsh requirements for the practitioner's Aptitude were simply shocking.

The first chapter, "Dragon Elephant Technique," focuses on the strength of the Physical Body. It emphasizes drawing upon the Divine Might of the Dragon and absorbing the immense strength of the Elephant, fusing them into one's own muscles, bones, skin, and membranes. When cultivated to Perfection, the Physical Body can rival that of an ancient Dragon Elephant; with every movement, one possesses the power to collapse mountains and break cliffs.

Even with Gao Feng's Eighth-Rank Martial Saint body, which had long been tempered and was indestructible, he found the cultivation extremely strenuous. However, relying on his perseverance and Comprehension Ability, which far exceeded that of ordinary people, he achieved Perfection in just ten days. He felt his Qi and blood surging like a great river, and his strength had increased by more than thirty percent out of thin air!

The second chapter, "Divine Elephant Technique," focuses on the strength of the Divine Soul. It involves visualizing an ancient Divine Elephant suppressing Hell to hone the Divine Soul and strengthen the will. This chapter is extremely dangerous; with the slightest carelessness, there is a risk of the Divine Soul collapsing and one becoming an idiot.

However, Gao Feng's will was as firm as ten-thousand-year black iron. Immersed in the visualization world, he collided with the will of the ancient Divine Elephant suppressing Hell time and time again. Not only was he not obliterated by it, but his Divine Soul became increasingly condensed and pure. His sensory abilities grew exponentially, and every movement within a hundred miles could be clearly reflected in his heart.

However, when he attempted to Cultivate the most critical and profound third chapter, "Saint Elephant Technique," and tried to fuse the power of the Dragon Elephant with the power of the Divine Elephant to reach the legendary state of "Three Elephants Fusion," he encountered an unprecedented and insurmountable Bottleneck.

The "Saint Elephant Technique" emphasizes merging body and mind with the heavens and earth, using Divine intent to guide the Law, and reaching the supreme Realm where man and nature are one, and one's words become Law.

But no matter how Gao Feng tried, he always felt that there was an invisible, intangible, yet indestructible barrier between himself and this world.

He could clearly sense the vast starry sky above the Ninth Rank, but he could never pierce through that thin layer of window paper.

He forcibly urged the Dragon Elephant and Divine Elephant powers to fuse, but the two massive forces did not merge; instead, they generated a violent repulsion that nearly caused him to suffer Qi Deviation and sustain severe injuries.

Only at this moment did he truly understand the real meaning of Kong Wen's words: "The bridge has already broken."

It was not that the Cultivation Technique was flawed, nor that his Aptitude was insufficient, but that this world and this Law no longer allowed, or rather, no longer possessed sufficient Luck, to bear the birth of a new Ninth-Rank Human Immortal!

After staying in Longevity Valley on Mount Kunlun for over a month, engaging in discussions with Sect Master Kong Wen of the Miwu Sect, and completing that closed-door meditation—which, despite regrets, yielded great gains—Gao Feng's state of mind truly opened up.

He was no longer obsessed with personal closed-door cultivation, for he had personally verified that this path was blocked. He cast his gaze back toward the ever-changing trends of the world, his eyes burning with an unprecedented, raging fire called "Mission."

He knew that his opportunity to achieve the Dao did not lie in the mountains and forests or in the imperial court, but in the upcoming epoch-making war against the entire Taixi civilization!

Only by winning that war and performing a world-mending, unparalleled feat for this "sick" world could he obtain the supreme Luck sufficient to reconnect the broken bridge and ascend to the Ninth Rank!

Having figured all this out, Gao Feng had no more attachments. He took Big Fool, Gong Qianxue, Evelyn, and his newly accepted Disciple Ye Chen, bid farewell to Sect Master Kong Wen, left this paradise-like Mount Kunlun, and returned to the majestic Divine Capital, which symbolized the center of the Empire's power and responsibility.

Upon returning to the majestic capital city that symbolized the center of the Empire's power, Gao Feng immediately convened a supreme war cabinet meeting. He shared, without reservation, the conclusions he had obtained from Kong Wen regarding "Luck" and "calamity," as well as the detailed intelligence he had received from Evelyn concerning the Taixi Empire, with all cabinet members.

The atmosphere inside the entire Imperial Study was extremely heavy.

All the ministers, whether they were civil officials who strategized or generals who had experienced a hundred battles, clearly realized after hearing the Emperor's account that an unprecedented, decisive battle concerning the life and death of the entire civilization was no longer a distant threat, but an unavoidable destiny right before their eyes.

"It seems that a war between us and the Taixi is inevitable, and it will be a fight to the death."

Liu Chengfeng's face was full of gravity. "This matter concerns the national destiny and the survival of our civilization; we must exhaust everything and go all out!"

"Your Majesty!" Du Wei stood up abruptly, cupped his fists towards Gao Feng to request battle, his eyes burning with raging flames of war.

"I request that, starting from this moment, the entire country enters the highest state of combat readiness! I am willing to personally lead the Dragon Steed Iron Cavalry to march into the Western Regions and burn the flames of war onto their own land! Rather than sitting and waiting for the enemy to come to our door, we should take the initiative and strangle the danger in the cradle!"

Du Wei's proposal was immediately echoed by all the generals. In their view, given the current national strength and military might of the Wu Dynasty, taking the initiative was the best strategy.

However, Gao Feng slowly shook his head. He walked to the huge sand table, his gaze falling upon that vast and unfamiliar Western continent, and said in a deep voice, "Taking the initiative is inevitable, but not now."

"Our understanding of the Taixi Empire is far from enough. Although the intelligence provided by consultant Evelyn is detailed, it is, after all, only her personal perspective."

"Before we have completely figured out the enemy's military deployment, logistics supply lines, and the specific power of their so-called 'Divine Arts' and 'Alchemical Golems,' rashly launching an expedition is a taboo in military strategy."

"Furthermore," a deep glint flashed in Gao Feng's eyes, "I need an 'excuse.' An excuse that will allow me to launch this war with justification, an excuse that will allow all the people of the world to share a common hatred for the enemy and unite as one."

"I want all the citizens of the Wu Dynasty to know that it is not that I am bellicose, but that the enemy has already put blades to our throats, and we have no choice but to fight!"

In the spring of the eleventh year of Qiyuan, when the first ray of warm spring breeze blew across the towering and precipitous Tianshan Mountains, melting the white snow that had accumulated all winter on the mountain pass, a special team escorted by three thousand elite soldiers of the Panshi Army quietly arrived at a remote valley located at the westernmost side of the Tianshan pass.

This team was personally led by the Wu Dynasty's top artisan master, Minister of Works Gongshu Ban.

The purpose of their trip was not to fight, but to establish an outpost base and tentatively mine a special vein of ore that Gongshu Ban had named "Thunder Crystal."

This crystal vein was first discovered by scouts of the Heavenly Net when they were surveying the terrain of the Western Regions.

According to Gongshu Ban's research, this crystal contained an extremely violent and pure lightning energy. If this energy could be successfully guided out, perhaps it would be possible to create an epoch-making new type of weapon with power far exceeding existing cannons.

The scale of this newly established outpost mine was not large, but the defensive fortifications were built to be impregnable.

Three thousand Panshi Army soldiers dug deep trenches around the valley, erected sharp deer antlers, and even set up over a dozen of the newest "Divine Might" small cannons.

The person responsible for guarding this place was none other than Ma Qianli, a fierce general known for his fiery temper and bravery in battle.

Although this move by the Wu Dynasty was secretive, it was like throwing a giant stone onto a calm lake, immediately attracting the high attention of the Taixi Empire's border defense army.

Marcus, a Centurion of the Third Cohort of the Fifth Legion of the Taixi Empire's border defense army, was a burly middle-aged man with short flaxen hair and a full beard, and he was also an incredibly devout believer in the god of light.

In his perception, the towering Tianshan Mountains were the boundary between civilization and barbarism designated by God.

West of the mountains was the land covered by the grace of God and illuminated by light; while east of the mountains was that barbaric land, full of heresy and sin, which had never been purified by the glory of God.

For these past few days, he and his soldiers had observed more than once, through an alchemical creation called a "telescope," that those yellow-skinned, black-haired Easterners dared to openly cross that sacred boundary and engage in construction in the valley that belonged to the land of God's grace, making clanking sounds and not knowing what they were up to.

This was simply the most serious blasphemy against our Lord, the god of light!

"Sir! Those heretics from the East are transporting things into the valley again! It looks like they intend to stay there for a long time!" A young soldier reported to Marcus while holding a telescope.