Chương 239: Epilogue, Mountain Sealing

The matter of Viper King is over!

But the impact of this matter is far from over.

This momentous event changed everyone's perception, and martial arts ascended to a divine status, a true "divine" altar.

The martial arts prowess displayed by the man and the beast has surpassed the scope of martial arts as understood by ordinary people, transcending the concept of a martial artist.

Calling them "immortals and gods" wouldn't be an exaggeration.

With every gesture, he exudes earth-shattering power, an exaggerated attack range, terrifying defense that fears no damage, and an unpredictable, lightning-fast figure, enough to keep all forces awake at night.

No matter how many mercenaries you have, they are like ants in front of them, easily wiped out with a single hand.

The ultimate martial art, I am supreme!

From this day forward, warriors will no longer be swords in the hands of those in power, nor will they be bound by worldly constraints.

Their strength is enough to change the current situation.

"Cultivation, martial arts practice!"

The fire in the hearts of ordinary people has been reignited, and those with talent have raised their goals considerably.

Reaching the Grandmaster realm is no longer surprising; without reaching the Dharma Aspect realm, how dare one claim to be a martial arts master?

The practice of universal military force has been going on for several decades now.

At this moment, all the sparks were completely ignited.

After a brief stop on the coast, Zhao Rui disappeared from sight.

He didn't even meet his two younger brothers.

At this point, his identity was too sensitive.

Emperor Zhao was no ordinary name.

"These bored netizens, can't they even come up with a decent name!"

"Emperor Zhao, no matter how you look at it, sounds like he's asking for a beating."

After making a couple of complaints, Zhao Rui took Yun Hao and flew back to Qingcheng Mountain.

Accompanying them were also Qingcheng Sect masters such as Master Weiyan.

"Junior brother, if I could, I'd still prefer to go by myself!"

In mid-air, Yun Hao said awkwardly.

As the only swordsmanship master in the Qingcheng Sword Sect besides him, Yun Hao's progress can be described as rapid, but compared to him, his current strength is really too weak.

Zhao Rui was also helpless. No matter how powerful the martial arts technique was, apart from evil and demonic arts, every martial art had to be learned step by step.

The Qingcheng Sword Sect is still not up to par!

"Since you're idle anyway, Senior Brother, calm your mind and concentrate. I will teach you the technique of transforming sword energy into rainbows."

"Need not----" Before Yun Hao could refuse, Zhao Rui had already secretly transmitted his secrets and insights on transforming sword energy into rainbows to him.

Seeing this, Yun Hao quickly closed his eyes and pondered, trying to comprehend the profound meaning imparted by Zhao Rui.

Why should one seek out a renowned master when becoming an apprentice?

Because renowned families produce renowned teachers, and renowned teachers are all experienced individuals who can help you resolve your doubts and answer your questions, and help you avoid the detours you have taken.

Often, it may take you a year or two to figure out a little insight on your own, but with a famous teacher, a little guidance is enough for you to surpass others' years of practice.

The group flew all the way, crossing high mountains and great rivers, and soon arrived at Mount Qingcheng.

After flying over the top of Qingcheng Mountain, Zhao Rui and his group slowly descended and landed on a martial arts training ground at the summit.

At this moment, hundreds of disciples from the Qingcheng Sect and the Qingcheng Sword Sect stood here, eagerly awaiting his arrival.

The great emperor of martial arts!

It's actually from the Qingcheng Sect!

Thinking of this, they all straightened their backs a little more.

As Zhao Rui's figure appeared, everyone's eyes turned to him, their eyes brimming with admiration and excitement.

"Greetings to Emperor Zhao!"

"Greetings to Emperor Zhao!"

Hundreds of people chanted in unison, their powerful internal energy causing the mountains to tremble.

Zhao Rui, who was originally graceful and smiling, couldn't help but twitch his face.

The Dharma Masters behind him were even more bewildered.

Should they move aside?

Zhao Rui quickly waved his right hand, and an invisible domain force instantly enveloped the entire training ground.

It isolated it from all outside prying eyes.

"What's going on here?"

Zhao Rui was somewhat bewildered; why was his own sect engaging in such trivial matters?

"This was strongly requested by the disciples."

Master Weichen glanced at Master Yu Zhengnan beside him, stroked his beard and smiled.

I believe you.

Zhao Rui shook his head speechlessly, released his grip on Senior Brother Yun Hao, looked at his disciples, and said loudly, "What outsiders say is not important; what matters is that we cannot let our own Dao hearts be disturbed."

"The path of martial arts is about pursuing the ultimate in martial arts, the sublimation of the body and spirit, and the joy of transformation time and time again, rather than being complacent and arrogant."

"There are countless martial arts masters in the world, but have you ever seen a spiritual beast like the Viper King before?"'

"Nothing should be done in excess; one should always be cautious."

"Of course, maintaining humility is a form of self-discipline, but one must not lose the edge of martial arts. You should all carefully ponder the balance between these two aspects during your practice!"

Taking this opportunity, Zhao Rui taught his disciples a lesson.

In the past, as an elder of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, his words might not have carried much weight.

But now, his words are a warning to the world, and no one dares to ignore them.

"I will obey the elder's decree!"

Hundreds of people responded with a resounding roar, displaying great momentum and high morale.

As a disciple of Emperor Zhao, how could I possibly lose this sense of pride?

Even Yun Hao, who was standing to the side, unconsciously bowed and paid his respects.

In the path of martial arts, those who achieve mastery come first!

Today, he witnessed Zhao Rui's display of the Thunderclap Sword Technique, and gained even more insights into the Way of the Thunder Sword.

The indomitable spirit in my heart burned even brighter.

"Everyone, disperse!"

Zhao Rui waved his hand, then looked at the Qingcheng Sect leader and the elders, as well as Yu Zhengnan and Yun Hao, the two lone high-ranking members of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, and said, "Everyone, things are much more serious than you think. Let's go! We'll talk in the main hall."

Upon hearing his words, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, especially the many elders of the Qingcheng Sect, who all felt somewhat confused.

With Zhao Rui's current strength, what could possibly make him so concerned?

Isn't this the perfect time to be full of vigor and show your skills?

Without asking any further questions, the crowd followed Zhao Rui into the main hall of the Qingcheng Sect.

After some polite exchanges with Zhao Rui, Sect Leader Wei Chen finally took the seat of honor and said with a smile, "Although the rampant beasts and the suffering of countless lives are a great calamity, for Qingcheng Mountain, the emergence of a great master whose power over the entire land is truly a blessing in this chaotic world."

"Amitabha Buddha!"

Everyone bowed and chanted mantras.

"Elder Zhao, you must have gained a lot from your battle with Viper King. Why don't you share some of it with us? Let us, the frogs at the bottom of the well, get a glimpse of the splendor of the pinnacle of martial arts."

Sect Leader Weichen said with a smile.

Hearing his words, Zhao Rui did not decline, but nodded and said, "This battle has indeed been very rewarding. I'm sure Brother Weiyan has a sense of the Viper King's strength."

"Elder Zhao is absolutely right. I have lived for nearly a hundred years and almost capsized in a ditch. I thought that with my Domain Realm strength, I could not only dominate the world, but at least no one could hurt me."

"Today's battle, I only exchanged a few blows with this beast, and it was fraught with danger. The perilousness of it still sends chills down my spine when I think about it now."

As a major participant in this "beast hunting" battle, Wei Yan Zhenren naturally has many feelings to share.

As he recounted the story, the elders felt as if they were there, and the ferocious power of the mythical beast seemed to leap out at them.

After Master Weiyan finished speaking, Zhao Rui added some more information about the characteristics of Viper King's strength.

This serves as a supplement to the image of "it".

"This beast is no less intelligent than a human. There must be many such strange beasts in the wilderness. Gentlemen, the most dangerous time has arrived."

Zhao Rui's expression darkened slightly as he continued, "I propose that from today onwards, Qingcheng Mountain shall be closed off from the mountains and everyone shall devote themselves to cultivation. The sooner you all step out of the realm, the safer Qingcheng Mountain will be."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Sect Leader Weichen.

Without hesitation, Wei Chen nodded and said, "This is a very good idea. Whether it is to consolidate the strength of Qingcheng or to temporarily avoid the limelight, closing the mountain is the only option."

Seeing that Master Weichen was so supportive of him, Zhao Rui nodded slightly.

He made the suggestion directly, also to see Wei Chen's attitude.

Let's see what the Qingcheng Sect is thinking.

Fortunately, he was very satisfied with Weichen's performance.

"Why close the mountain? In the Song Dynasty, not a single one has been seen in a hundred years—" An elder asked, puzzled.

"I only have a vague understanding of this matter myself, and I will explain it to you all later. Just know that there is definitely more than one strange beast like the Viper King, so please be careful."

3 Zhao Rui said seriously.

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped asking questions and nodded in agreement.

Something that makes Zhao Rui so cautious must be something significant.

"Tomorrow, I will teach you a set of Demon-Slaying Mixed Yuan Formation. This is a combined attack technique to deal with powerful demon beasts like the Viper King. Although it cannot defeat the enemy, it can protect you for a period of time."

Hearing Zhao Rui say this, everyone was overjoyed. No matter how wonderful the experience sharing was, it was not as practical as the actual teaching of techniques.

The group chatted for a while in the main hall before dispersing.

In the following days, Zhao Rui taught this newly created formation to the elders at Qingcheng Mountain.

This was derived from his previous battle with the Viper King, where he copied his innate divine power, the Viper Dragon Transformation Technique, and deduced it from the reverse.

Zhao Rui's understanding and knowledge of martial arts are now absolutely top-notch.

Leaving aside the possibility of creating top-tier martial arts techniques at will, it is still quite easy to condense martial arts techniques with mutual reinforcement and restraint based on existing techniques.

Zhao Rui passed on to everyone a set of formations that could counter the power of the Dragon Transformation Technique. It used the innate five elements of true qi, with the five elements generating and restraining each other, to create a certain amount of chaotic aura to resist the energy invasion of the alien beasts.

All the elders were only at the Dharma Aspect Realm, and their understanding of the domain was still superficial. Now they had the opportunity to learn such a top-level technique.

This is undoubtedly of great help in breaking through to the next realm.

While diligently teaching, they also humbly absorbed knowledge, immersing the entire sect in an atmosphere of martial arts practice.

On the very day Zhao Rui began teaching martial arts, the Qingcheng Sect announced to the outside world that it would be in seclusion for a year and close its gates.

Upon hearing this news, all the various factions that had planned to visit Zhao Rui were turned away.

Many political and business leaders were deeply troubled, unable to understand the meaning behind the Qingcheng Sect's actions.

In today's world, martial arts are revered. These once powerful figures from the old world naturally want to find a powerful patron to cling to and continue their former glory.

Even without glory, at least you can find a talisman.

The newly emerged "Emperor Zhao" is undoubtedly the best choice.

Zhao Rui's identity is easy to find out; he is a "clean" local scion who has been studying and practicing martial arts since childhood.

Although his family was not poor, they were not wealthy either.

It seems easy to handle.

However, the Qingcheng Sect's move caught them completely off guard.

What does this mean? Is it the Qingcheng Sect's intention? Or Zhao Rui's?

Or perhaps some force exerted pressure on Qingcheng Mountain?

"Find out his family and friends; I need the most detailed information!"

"I need all the information about the women around him, even those he's prostituted with."

Immediately, various speculations arose among the powerful and wealthy elites, and many people began to take action, seeking opportunities to obtain information about Zhao Rui.

Compared to the disappointment and confusion of political and business figures, the thoughts of ordinary people are much more complex.

"Emperor Zhao is injured!"

"He must be seriously injured. How could such a powerful beast be driven away without paying a price? The Great Emperor saves the world and its people!"

"Is it possible that Emperor Zhao has already died in the East Sea, and what returned was just a phantom?"

"You know what, it's actually quite possible. A lot of novels have this theme: the protagonist risks his life to save the world."

"The Great Emperor is mighty!"

"I wonder if the Emperor secretly brought the Dragon Root here? Is he hiding in Qingcheng Mountain, drinking alone?"

"Damn, your angle is so tricky!"

Various wild thoughts and chaotic ideas, mixed in with the hostility of the internet, appear particularly disorderly.

However, all these messy and scandalous things had absolutely no impact on Zhao Rui.

Because after teaching the techniques, he had quietly left Qingcheng Mountain and headed to the land of Da Shang.

He was able to sense the goodwill of that wealthy merchant.

Although the Shang Dynasty occupied Central Asia at this time, with its vast territory and large population, most of its warriors were those brought from Guixu.

What truly proved effective were the modern military forces, which, while not as formidable as those in the Central Plains, were still a formidable force.

In the Central Plains, martial arts strength is the weakest, but military power is the strongest and technological firepower is the most formidable.

Both sides were inherently weaker than the Zhou in martial arts. At this time, the Three Kingdoms were in a tripartite balance of power, so forming alliances and counter-alliances would probably still be useful.

Of course, these things have little to do with him as a martial artist, but in this situation, it at least shows that, temporarily, the Shang Dynasty is not an "enemy".

Zhao Rui flew into the stratosphere and arrived at the border region in the blink of an eye.

At this time, the border area between the two countries was already a desolate place. In addition to being ravaged by artillery fire, the main reason was that the two sides were not connected.

Only sporadic camel caravans exchanged supplies.

Zhao Rui had cleaned this area before, and now, looking down, it's clearly much better.

On the surface, the camels were walking steadily, and the people on their backs all looked relaxed, as if they had not been harmed.

"Only long-term stability can promote the development of people's livelihood."

Zhao Rui sighed. If possible, he would rather be an ordinary martial arts master living in a peaceful era than a top master living in war.

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