Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 83: Yuan Tiangang Repels Jidi with His Sword

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Yuan Tiangang Repels Jidi with His Sword

Between the Great Tang Empire and Tianzhu Country the situation was tense beyond comparison. That day, Li Zhi issued an imperial decree, appointing Li Ji as the Grand Marshal in charge of the troops, leading a million elite soldiers straight to the border between the Eastern Divine Region and the Western Heavenly Buddha Land—Two Realms Pass!

Two Realms Pass was easy to defend but difficult to attack, with walls thirty zhang high, a hundred thousand soldiers, abundant provisions, and eight hundred thousand arrows. The person in charge of defending the pass was a Zen Master, known as the Fierce Fire Zen Master, whose mana had reached that of a Great Immortal. He possessed a Great Seal, which was a replica of the Sky-Overturning Seal, called the Mountain-Suppressing Seal, extremely formidable—striking down the enemy with certain death!

Li Ji ordered Cheng Yaojin to be the vanguard on the left flank, Qin Shubao to be the vanguard on the right, and Yuchi Gong the vanguard of the main force. The three divisions of the army, with three hundred thousand on each flank and four hundred thousand in the main force, marched mightily towards Two Realms Pass.

This movement by the Great Tang Empire shocked the Buddhist Sect and caught Tianzhu Country unprepared.

On hearing the scout’s report, the Fierce Fire Zen Master immediately ordered the soldiers to move logs, boulders, and pots of oil to the top of the city walls and sent for reinforcements from Tianzhu Country.

Tianzhu Country was under the governance of the Western Heavenly Buddha Land and its ranks were mostly filled with Buddhist monks, Zen Masters, and Holy Monks. However, these were not ordinary people; they were not to be compared with those who spent their days only reciting "Amitabha Buddha" and "Well said, well said."

The vanguard of the left flank, Cheng Yaojin, arrived twenty li from Two Realms Pass, set up camp, prepared food, and rested for two hours before launching the attack on the city!

Cheng Yaojin’s mana level was at that of a Profound Immortal and he possessed an indomitable strength; even Immortals usually had difficulty matching up against him. On the surface, he appeared crude but was in fact as cunning as an old demon, dubbed "Cheng the Demon," often infuriating both Emperor Li Shimin and his successor Li Zhi. However, it was undeniable that he was an excellent leader in warfare.

After the soldiers prepared the food and rested for two hours, Cheng Yaojin gave the order.

Upon the sound of the cannon, like thunder on the ground, a hundred thousand soldiers remained to guard the camp, while the remaining two hundred thousand launched a direct assault on the city.

This assault was also to test the strength of Two Realms Pass.

A city wall thirty zhang high, defended by a hundred thousand troops, was assaultable from only two sides, and only a fool would attack head-on.

After an hour of fighting and the loss of over a thousand soldiers, Cheng Yaojin had to order a retreat.

During the siege, arrows from inside Two Realms Pass flew like locusts, falling stones and rolling logs were incessant, and everyone’s morale was high, evidently well-prepared. The strong assault gained no advantage but instead resulted in the loss of over a thousand soldiers. Cheng Yaojin was somewhat annoyed; it had been too long since he had fought in war, his eagerness for glory had led to recklessness. It was better to wait for Qin Shubao’s arrival before proceeding. Now, the loss of troops was not the only problem, but more importantly, morale had been damaged.

With an initial burst of energy emphasizing sharpness, Cheng Yaojin’s impulsive temper for seeking merit injured the sharpness and morale, truly a source of annoyance.

"Damn it, what’s wrong with me, old Cheng? After years without war, has my mind been clouded by lard?" Cheng Yaojin bitterly clenched his teeth.

A day later, Qin Shubao led the troops of the right flank and reached the camp, setting up camp three hundred zhang from Cheng Yaojin’s camp.

With the Tang army gradually approaching the location, a great battle was about to commence, the origin of which was a contest between Buddhism and Taoism. Below the Saints, all were but ants, and even the Emperor was but a pawn unwittingly manipulated.

Li Shimin said to Yuan Tiangang with a sigh, "Master, Li Zhi, the boy, is keen on surpassing what I’ve done before, wanting to expand our territory, which indeed aligns with the aspirations of those in the Taoist Sect. As for this war between nations, what do you think will be the outcome?"

Yuan Tiangang replied, "Now that Water Curtain Cave is rising and the power of the Demon Tribe is growing, subtly contending with the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Sect. According to Sun Wukong’s style of doing things, he will certainly not miss this chance to hit the Buddhist Sect with a surprise attack. If this war turns unfavorable, we can seek reinforcements from Water Curtain Cave."

Li Shimin then cast a talisman, attaching a message within it, he offered it to the sky, and the talisman flew towards the Imperial Palace.

Li Shimin declared, "This is the last time I concern myself with the affairs of the Mortal World. In the future, even if the empire falls, I will no longer care; I shall devote myself solely to cultivation."

Having said this, Li Shimin closed his eyes and began to recite a Chapter from the "Tao Te Ching."

Yuan Tiangang nodded slightly, very satisfied.

As the Emperor, Li Shimin, possessed an aura of sovereignty, which gave him advantages upon entering the path of cultivation. After a year of practice, he had achieved some success, reaching the Realm of Combining the Void with the Dao, and it seemed he would attain Earth Immortality in another two years. While it seemed easy for Li Shimin to cultivate, it would take decades or even a hundred years for ordinary people to reach the level of Earth Immortal.

"Audacious Li Shimin, although you have entered the path of cultivation, you still meddle in the struggles of the Mortal Sovereigns!" A furious shout came, a flash of golden light revealed a figure on the platform at Qingyang Temple. This person was resplendent in golden light, draped in a Kasaya, one of the five great guardians, Jidi of the Golden Light.

With a cold snort, Li Shimin retorted, "Audacious Jidi! How dare you reproach me so! I was once the Sovereign of the Mortal World, carrying the fate of the Human Path. You have no right to reprimand me!"

Jidi, enraged, shouted, "Li Shimin, once you have embarked on the Taoist path, you cannot intervene in the struggles of the Human Path anymore! Once you step onto the Taoist path, the past becomes smoke. How dare you rebuke me! You seek death, come with me to the Celestial Palace to face the judgment of the Supreme Jade Emperor of Heaven!"

Yuan Tiangang’s hand flashed with a green light, and a peach wood sword appeared, as he spoke softly, "Jidi’s Dazzling Golden Light is a bit too overbearing, coming into Qingyang Temple to take someone. Do they really want to slap Yuan Tiangang’s face?"

Jidi, who is also a presence at the level of Taiyi Golden Immortal, is not well known for combat prowess, seldom taking action and usually acting as a supervisor and messenger. However, it’s speculated that he must be extraordinary; otherwise, the Buddhist Sect wouldn’t have appointed him as a protector deity.

Jidi rebuked, "Yuan Tiangang, it is you who fail to keep to the rules. How can you blame me for wanting to strike your face?"

Yuan Tiangang snorted coldly, raised the peach wood sword to the sky and performed a ritual, immediately causing myriad peach blossoms to bloom. The sword blossomed with seven giant peach flowers arranged in the formation of the Big Dipper, charging straight towards Jidi! This peach wood sword, made from millennium-old peach wood that had been struck by lightning, crafted from the core of the peach tree, and tempered for eighteen years, had only recently been completed; it was an extremely formidable Magical Treasure.

Jidi raised his Demon-Subduing Pestle and began to chant. Sanskrit characters floated out and met the oncoming peach wood sword with a strike!

Upon contact, the peach blossoms burst open, and the petals scattered, enveloping Jidi in a swarm!

Jidi took out a sarira and lifted it into the sky, positioning it in the void. The peach blossoms and leaves were immediately blocked and could not fly through.

Yuan Tiangang changed the Dharma Decree in his hand, transforming the peach wood sword into countless blades. With a flick of his sword technique, myriad Sword Qi burst forth, each faintly imbued with the power of thunder tribulation, exceptionally intimidating! Pointing his finger like a sword towards Jidi, the peach wood sword shot forth, peach blossoms filled the sky, and the Sword Qi was as cold as frost—it was a certain kill formation.

Jidi was secretly shocked, "When did Yuan Tiangang refine such a powerful Magical Treasure, even tainted with the force of thunder tribulation!"

He had no choice but to display his Dharma Body, revealing Three Heads and Six Arms, each holding a Magic Artifact to defend, creating a lively battle.

"Myriad Swords as One!" Yuan Tiangang fiercely lifted a finger, and all the sword energies unified into a single beam several hundred feet long that slashed down.

Jidi cursed, "Yuan Tiangang, today you are formidable!"

Immediately he executed the Soaring Earth Golden Light technique to escape. Jidi, who usually supervised the Earth Immortal Realm and reported to both the Jade Emperor and the Buddha Ancestor, had naturally perfected his Escape Technique. It was even more powerful than those of the wandering officials in the Celestial Palace. With a single flash of the Soaring Earth Golden Light, he was tens of thousands of miles away. Yuan Tiangang’s Sword Qi fell, hitting nothing.

Upon seeing Yuan Tiangang put away the peach wood sword, Li Shimin said, "Master, by fighting Jidi, you’re making an enemy of the Buddhist Sect. Aren’t you afraid of them coming for revenge?"

Yuan Tiangang laughed, "This is the Eastern Divine Region, not the Western Heavenly Buddha Land. It is not a place for them to wreak havoc at will. If they send few people and fight me fairly, the Taoist Sect will not intervene. But if they think to bully with numbers, the martial figures of our Eastern Taoist Sect will not stand idly by."

Li Shimin nodded and said, "I see."

Yuan Tiangang continued, "This current war between Tianzhu Country and the Great Tang is extremely perilous, one wrong move could escalate it further."

Li Shimin frowned and said, "Master, are you suggesting there might be a puppeteer behind the scenes, inflaming the tensions between the Tang Dynasty and Tianzhu Country?"

Yuan Tiangang shook his head, "Tianzhu Country is under the Buddhist Sect’s rule, and the Great Tang under the Taoist Sect’s rule. A war between them will inevitably involve both the Buddhist and Taoist camps, just like the Deification Conflict. During Zhou Wu’s campaign against King Zhou, Shen Gongbao refused to submit to Jiang Ziya and sought to obstruct him everywhere, leading to a conflict between the two major Taoist Schools, Chan and Jie, and eventually forcing the Saint to intervene. A simple event that was supposed to follow the Heavenly Dao and replace the Shang with the Zhou became excessively messy and troublesome."

"Moreover, you’ve entered the Taoist Sect but are still meddling in the business of the Sovereigns of the Human Path, breaking the rules. I reckon that after Jidi returns to the Western Heaven to report, there might be trouble," Yuan Tiangang analyzed with keen insight.

Li Shimin’s brows stayed furrowed as he said, "Who would have expected this conflict between Buddha and Dao to be so fierce!"

Yuan Tiangang sighed, "You were the former Sovereign of the Human Path, with great power and influence. Although you have joined the Taoist path, you have drawn numerous eyes. If it were a common man acting as you have, the Buddhist Sect might not care. But considering your actions, they will surely seize the opportunity to criticize. As the old saying goes, ’the bird that sticks out gets shot.’ That is the principle. Although you were a Sovereign of extraordinary vision, this conflict between Buddha and Dao is no trivial matter, and your foundations are still shallow for you to understand it fully."

Unable to hold back, Li Shimin asked, "Master, how should I deal with it?"

Yuan Tiangang shook his head and sighed, "If the Buddhist Sect comes for you, the Taoist Sect won’t be able to say much, but Emperor Gaozong won’t just watch. It may invoke the destiny of the Great Tang. Given the brewing storm, even I cannot foresee the outcome. Let’s just wait and see how it unfolds."

Li Shimin felt that the struggle within the Mortal World was already perilous enough, but the conflict between Buddhism and Daoism was even more so. One misstep, and he feared nothing would be left of him.