Chương 231: The Great War Begins, A New Era Arrives

"Except for the vast wilderness in the deepest part of the Pangu Continent near the Arctic, the areas inhabited by humans have been occupied by the Great Zhou Dynasty."

"With the support of the government, the various factions successfully brought back most of their martial arts comrades. However, due to limited transportation capacity, the two fleets only brought back 100, 000 ordinary people."

"The Shang dynasty has already occupied the coastline. We can no longer send warships there."

"9

"They are on their way back now."

Master Qingyang replied.

Hearing his words, Zhao Rui fell silent for a moment. The Song territory was not very large, with a population of less than ten million. In recent years, there had been frequent wars and the long-standing conflict with the Shang Dynasty had severely reduced its population.

Even so, there are still millions of them.

Only tens of thousands of people have been rescued so far, which is indeed not many.

Human strength has its limits.

Faced with the overwhelming power of the Shang Dynasty, the Central Plains court's willingness to send troops to its aid was already an act of utmost benevolence.

Moreover, this is not the time to be sentimental. Before long, the Great Zhou will attack, and the alien beasts will run rampant.

The Central Plains were also in imminent danger.

"Yes, I'm sorry to have troubled you all these days."

Zhao Rui smiled and looked at everyone, expressing his gratitude.

After returning from Mount Hua, he went straight to the summit of Mount Tai to use the pure Yang energy there to forge himself.

The Purple Cloud Divine Skill he learned was transformed into a misty purple aura.

It also improved their physical fitness.

Although his cultivation level was high in the past, he had only opened up his acupoints, and his physical body was not much stronger than that of an ordinary Dharma Aspect Master.

Now, nourished by the misty purple aura, it has undergone a complete transformation.

Not only has physical strength been greatly improved, but the body's vitality has also undergone tremendous changes.

This purple aura is the result of mastering the Purple Cloud Divine Skill to its ultimate level. In addition to cultivating the purple aura, he also added all the advancement points he had gained during this period to his acupoints, opening up all 108 acupoints in his body.

With all acupoints open, the speed at which true qi is absorbed and circulated is incomparable to before, and the power of a single move is several times greater.

However, these are not the biggest gains from this period of cultivation.

His biggest discovery was that the 108 acupoints were not the end point at all. After the acupoints were opened, the system even prompted that the Yuan acupoints could be opened.

After studying it for a while, Zhao Rui discovered that he had actually come into contact with this Yuanxue point before, but he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

This acupoint is actually the location of the hidden meridian within the body.

Hidden meridians can be understood as innate spiritual meridians. The human body is composed of the physical body and the spirit. Acupoints are the nodes of the physical meridians, while Yuan acupoints are the nodes of the hidden meridians of the spirit.

The deeper cultivation of martial arts is to unite the physical body and the soul into one, to understand the mysteries of heaven and earth, and to reach the pinnacle of martial arts.

Of course, this information is not provided by the system; the system only provides basic information about the acupoints.

These future cultivation directions were what Zhao Rui had figured out on his own during this period of time based on his acupoints.

Whether it's right or wrong, we'll have to explore that gradually in our subsequent practice.

"You're too kind, Master. It is a great opportunity for Mount Tai that you were able to achieve enlightenment here."

Mu Huazi stroked his beard and smiled.

"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me."

After exchanging a few polite words, the group descended the mountain and returned to the Taishan Sect's headquarters.

That night, Zhao Rui summoned Miao Miaomiao to his residence and, under cover of darkness, taught her a magical technique derived from comprehending the Yuan Acupoints, called the Heavenly Heart Technique.

This technique can cultivate both the physical body and the soul simultaneously. Those with exceptional talent can acquire supernatural abilities at the Dharma Aspect level in the Divine Void Realm. Although it is not as enduring as that of Dharma Aspect Realm experts, it is still a top-tier martial art for improving one's skills in battle.

However, this martial art has very high requirements, and only martial artists like Miao Miaomiao who specialize in soul techniques can possibly master it.

After teaching her this set of techniques, Zhao Rui also passed on to her a Cloud Sea Azure Wave Palm technique that he had refined by integrating various martial arts.

This martial art was something Zhao Rui had figured out during this time; it belongs to the palm technique category and is quite powerful.

"You may pass on this palm technique to the disciples of the Mount Tai Sect as payment for borrowing their aura of purple energy."

After finishing his instruction, Zhao Rui said loudly.

Upon hearing this, Miao Miaomiao immediately understood Zhao Rui's good intentions.

This means that the favor of passing on the skills has been bestowed upon oneself.

"Are you leaving?"

She also sensed Zhao Rui's intention to leave. The two rarely saw each other and, although they had not consummated their relationship, they both understood each other's feelings.

He was leaving after only a short time together, and Miao Miaomiao couldn't help but feel a little lonely.

"With a major battle imminent, I must return to Qingcheng Mountain. At times like these, the more military strength we have, the fewer sacrifices we will suffer."

Zhao Rui smiled and stroked her dark hair, kissed her forehead, and said softly.

"Understood. If it weren't for these Guixu people, we might still be watching the moon in the grove on campus right now."

Miao Miaomiao couldn't help but recall the days when the two of them hid in the grove to practice martial arts.

Although that time was brief, it was the happiest and most cherished period of her life.

"How about we play a duet on the zither and flute?"

"OK!"

The two exchanged a smile, each took out their zither and flute, stepped out, and leaped towards the summit of Mount Tai.

Upon reaching the mountain palace, Zhao Rui casually waved his hand, and the distant sea of clouds instantly surged towards him like a dragon sucking water.

In a short while, a cloud surged up beneath the two of them.

The flute begins, the zither music rises!

A sea of clouds rises, and the rosy dawn appears!

As the two began their duet on the zither and flute, Zhao Rui activated the sea of clouds, lifting them up as if they were riding the clouds.

Just then, the first rays of the rising sun pierced through the clouds and fell squarely upon the two of them.

Suddenly, the two were surrounded by a dazzling array of light and mist, appearing as ethereal as immortals.

The Taishan Sect members who were doing their morning prayers below were all speechless with astonishment at this scene. If they hadn't recognized the person above, they probably would have exclaimed that a deity had descended to earth.

"Junior brother, do you know what I admire most about Master Zhao?"

Below, beside the main hall, Master Qingxu, the head of the Taishan Sect, who had been summoned by the sound of the zither and flute, stroked his beard and spoke.

Beside him, Master Qingyang asked with slight curiosity, "What is it? Talent or luck?"

"No, it's youth!"

Upon hearing his senior brother's words, Master Qingyang smiled slightly and looked up at the clouds, where the two figures, graceful and elegant like a divine couple, stood.

Three months later!

The warships that traveled to the Pangu Continent to bring back the masters of various sects have already arrived.

Each sect naturally brought its own masters and their families back to their mountain gates to live. Other martial artists who followed were either recruited by the government or absorbed by certain groups and organizations, and they have all been registered.

- As for the nearly 100, 000 ordinary people in the Song territory, the imperial court arranged for them to be relocated to the Suzhou area, where the land was vast and sparsely populated, and a small amount of infrastructure construction was carried out to build a relocation town.

After disembarking and heading to Suzhou, the people of Song had never seen the convenience and development of modern society before. Trains, cars, skyscrapers, and wide roads left them speechless with amazement.

When we arrived at our accommodation, we saw rows of temporary container houses, bright and clean, with warm and comfortable bedding inside. It felt like a dream.

He couldn't help but exclaim in his heart: Even officials probably don't live like this.

When it was time to eat, they lined up to receive the meals provided by the government and were so happy that they cried tears of joy. They probably had never eaten such a sumptuous meal in their entire lives.

These meals included meat, vegetables, large white steamed buns, and rice.

For modern people, it is nothing special, but for the people of Song Dynasty who were often starving, it was a delicacy.

Perhaps life itself is the greatest advantage a person can have.

With the return of masters from various schools, the military strength of the Shang and Zhou dynasties was also revealed to the authorities in more detail. The entire Central Plains, from top to bottom, began a general mobilization in preparation for war.

On one hand, there was the Central Asian Shang dynasty, which they had always been hostile to; on the other hand, there was the potential emergence of the Great Zhou dynasty in the south.

There are even mysterious and unpredictable wild beasts that could return at any time.

At this moment, ordinary people truly realized that the greatest test was finally about to begin.

The disasters in America and other places that happened some time ago have been widely circulated online, but there is always a sense of unreality through the internet.

Now that war is imminent, they realize that peace had become a distant dream two years ago.

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as everyone was preparing for battle, the newly launched special satellite detected the first wave of abnormal signals.

The horde of strange beasts is riding the waves, having already crossed the entire ocean and is approaching the Southeast Asian region.

The Southeast Asian countries, which survived thanks to the protection of the Central Plains, were the first to be hit and became the first stop for the strange beasts to land.

The artillery fire ignited instantly!

Countless cannonballs poured out, bombarding the horde of strange beasts in the sea.

These strange beasts range from top-tier beasts that are enormous, comparable to high-level Dharma Masters, to ordinary beasts that are small and relatively weak.

They charged toward the shore in groups, in an organized and disciplined manner.

Clearly, this is not a desolate wasteland, nor is it homeless, free-roaming herds of strange beasts.

Instead, it was a vanguard force of strange beasts controlled and manipulated by the wild people who had submitted to the Great Zhou.

"roar!"

A strange beast emerged from the sea, opened its blood-red maw, and a beam of red true energy shot out instantly, accurately striking the shore-based air defense position.

The missiles launched in response were completely unable to intercept this beam of force.

One, two, ten extraordinary beasts, comparable to masters of the Dharma Aspect realm, stepped out of the water at the same time, and after a round of impact, destroyed all the large-scale defensive forces on the shore.

"Quickly request aid from China!"

The Southeast Asian countries then realized that they alone could not possibly fall short of the mark.

Just as they were calling for help, the Central Plains of China had already dispatched troops.

As the saying goes, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," meaning that keeping the enemy outside the country's borders is always better than having the battlefield on one's own soil.

However, before the army could arrive to provide assistance, a group of strange beasts secretly followed the ocean currents and headed directly towards the coastal areas of the Central Plains.

Fortunately, scientists recently developed a satellite capable of adapting to the force field of the new blue planet and launched it into space.

This allowed the Chinese side to discover the enemy's whereabouts immediately.

Meanwhile, satellite data also showed that a large number of flying alien beasts were rushing towards the region between the Pangu Continent and the Blue Star Continent.

These must be the forwards of the Great Zhou.

"The Taishan School, martial arts clubs of various universities, and martial arts associations at all levels, in cooperation with the Dongqi Army, are guarding the peninsula; the Songshan School and others are in cooperation with the Zhejiang Army to guard the Zhoushan Islands."

With war looming, all available forces, whether military or martial arts practitioners, were mobilized to the front lines.

Zhao Rui's Qingcheng Sword Sect was also dispatched to the coastal area of Fuzhou to participate in the defense of Fuzhou.

"When will we have to wait?"

My hands are shaking a little!

The young disciples and young martial arts practitioners from various social groups who were waiting all looked nervous and had sweaty palms.

Although they had been training and adapting, many of them still felt trembling all over and unable to control themselves when they actually got to the battlefield.

The longer the wait, the harder it is to endure.

"Sea monsters are coming!"

Finally, as the warning sound of the shore-based radar rang out, hundreds of strange beasts of all shapes and sizes with ferocious heads gradually emerged on the boundless ocean.

They are coming.

The army's artillery fire was immediately unleashed on the sea, with huge explosions rising and falling, flames shooting into the sky, and limbs and pieces of flesh flying everywhere.

"roar!"

The military's firepower provoked the roars of the beast horde. Several enormous creatures reared up and howled, then charged toward the shore.

These strange beasts are all top-tier beasts comparable to Dharma Aspect masters. They are not only thick-skinned and tough, but they can also control true energy and unleash their unique supernatural powers.

Some can breathe fire, some can release ice from their bodies, and some have tails that can change size at will.

Some can even control their inner energy to form a protective barrier or launch an attack.

Coupled with their enormous bodies, their strength is unimaginable.

"Gentlemen, follow me to the battle!"

As Cang Zhenzi of the Qingcheng Sect shouted, all the Dharma Aspect True Persons of the Qingcheng Sect moved out, transforming into their Dharma Aspect True Forms and rushing towards the strange beast.

Two incredibly powerful forces collided, instantly unleashing a terrifying force. In the center of the battlefield, true energy surged and spread, crushing small beasts before they could even get close.

Long-range anti-aircraft missiles passing through this area will also instantly explode and burn.

Ultimately, it is these extraordinary forces that determine the course of the battlefield.

Other martial arts organizations preparing for battle in the rear, such as university martial arts teams and martial arts associations, were all horrified when they saw this scene.

Originally, they practiced martial arts to fight and kill people. Who would have thought that after reaching such a level, they would eventually face the most primitive beasts to fight.

"The reaction speed and bone strength of these strange beasts are far beyond what ordinary creatures can match. Hunting them will not be easy. Everyone must be extremely careful."

The giant beasts were held off by experts of the Dharma Aspect level, while the rest could only be dealt with by soldiers and warriors.

Soon, the entire battlefield was divided into two parts.

Part of the battle consisted of high-level alien beasts fighting against Dharma Aspect True Persons, while the other part consisted of ordinary alien beasts fighting against human soldiers and martial artists.

Roars, explosions, and screams rose and fell.

The entire sea surface was tinged with reddish-brown.

"So the remnants of the Song dynasty are indeed here. They're of the same lineage, and they do possess some strength!"

In the distance, several warriors dressed in strange attire stood atop a flying beast, gazing at the distant battlefield.

"Aguli, how long can your beast hold out?"

A burly man with a round face and a thick beard looked at the battlefield ahead with a gloomy expression and spoke.