In the Great Zhou Dynasty of Dongzhou, Emperor Kong Huai established the capital in Yangjing and renamed it Huaidu. Seventy or eighty years have passed. The Great Zhou Dynasty, with the secret techniques inherited from the ancient heaven, established the Divine Capital Army and swept the world with force, suppressing all major sects and aristocratic families in the world. It was the most powerful dynasty among all dynasties and royal families.
In the first year of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Emperor Kong Huai started the imperial examination to recruit scholars, which completely suppressed the power of the aristocratic families and brought students from all over the world into the imperial court.
Inside, there are scholars and literati who are upright and righteous, maintaining the order of the world and suppressing the aristocratic families. Outside, there are the two armies of Shendu and Shenwu who terrorize the imperial dynasty, suppress the immortal sects, and kill the demons and monsters.
The entire sacred land of Dongzhou was gradually brought under the control of the Great Zhou. There was no longer the situation of aristocratic families ruling one side, or gods and demons occupying the mountains as kings. Even the major sects were no longer as aloof as before, sitting back and watching the ups and downs of the world.
Various factions began to send disciples to join the Great Zhou Dynasty, either to serve as officials or to join the Imperial Observatory to monitor the gods, ghosts, and monsters in the world and become a part of the Great Zhou.
The Great Zhou of today no longer looks like an ordinary mortal dynasty, but seems to have the flavor of a divine dynasty.
Huaidu, the sacred capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, has, after several expansions, now directly bordered a river. The mighty river, like the Milky Way, has become the moat of the sacred capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty. An endless stream of ships comes in and out, reflecting the prosperity of Huaidu.
Unlike the capital cities of previous dynasties, Huaidu has no city walls. At a glance, there are thousands of tall buildings and a prosperous scene with crowds of people, which further shows the difference between the Great Zhou Dynasty and previous dynasties. From Huaidu, one can see its momentum and courage to suppress the world.
Inside the imperial city of Shenjing, the blood and energy of warriors rose to the sky, and the powerful Shendu Army was suppressed here.
Generation after generation of martial arts geniuses from all over the world have joined in, and over the years, there are countless martial arts masters among them, not to mention that the skills practiced by the Shendu Army can integrate the power of millions of people. Relying on the Shendu Army, no one dares to invade Huaidu. Even if the cultivators in the realm of immortality break in here at the same time, they cannot withstand the impact of the martial arts skills of millions of people.
Not to mention the white rays of light rushing towards the sky. Almost all the civil servants in the court are upright and righteous, and the heads of various departments are direct disciples of saints from various academies and colleges. They can kill ghosts and gods and shock monks to death with a roar.
There are almost no real mortals among the civil and military officials. Under such circumstances, Huaidu has become the most dangerous and terrifying place in the world. For demon monks, it is like a dragon's den and a tiger's lair.
At this moment, inside the imperial study of the palace, Emperor Kong Huai had a head full of silver hair and his body was still strong, but his eyes were beginning to become cloudy, with only an occasional gleam of brilliance flashing across them, letting people know that this was an emperor who suppressed all the aristocratic families, sects and gods in the world to the point that they could not raise their heads.
Kong Huaiyang did not have much time left, and he had already prepared to enter the underworld to become the emperor. Especially some time ago, news came from the underworld that shocked the entire human world. After the road to immortality was reopened, Kong Huai began to arrange for the prince to govern the country and began to make arrangements for the aftermath of this huge dynasty change.
Because the appearance of Emperor Yin gave the underworld gods of the status of emperors the opportunity to become immortals. Even Kong Huai could not suppress his eagerness, especially when his own body began to deteriorate with aging.
As the founding emperor of the Great Zhou, he conquered the world and dominated the world, but he could only feel the powerlessness of aging and death.
Kong Huai's eyesight was not very good, and his spirit was gradually weakening. The prince waited by his side and read memorials to him. When Kong Huai read one of the memorials submitted by the Imperial Observatory, which was about the major sects ready to make moves, he snorted coldly.
"A bunch of evil spirits from the dark den, waiting for my death all day long, right?"
"Everyone thinks that after I die, there will be no one to suppress them?"
Kong Huai sneered: "Wishful thinking!"
After the introduction of the imperial examination system, the aristocratic families in the world had been suppressed and weakened for so many years that they were no longer a force to be reckoned with. With the re-establishment of the Shinto order, the gods of all kinds also began to be brought under the control of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
However, what made Kong Huai most afraid and dared not to move easily were the immortal sects in the world. The power of these immortal sects far exceeded those of the aristocratic families, and they had deep roots. They had even taken root in Dongzhou during the Dahuan era or even the earlier barbaric era.
Behind them stand great gods or powerful beings. Even the Great Zhou Dynasty has always tried to win them over and intimidate them, but did not dare to actually take action.
However, this time Kong Huai decided to take action and eliminate the sects that posed the greatest threat and were the most restless, those that did not have immortals or Buddhas like Fengdu Taoist, Jia Yi Zhenjun, and Nanhua Zhenjun behind them.
In fact, those restless ones are actually some medium-sized sects. Behind these sects are mountain gates close to the existence of immortals and Buddhas. Most of them don't even focus on Dongzhou. If Kong Huai hadn't been afraid of the chain reaction that would provoke strong resistance from all sects, he would have taken action long ago.
He immediately said to the prince: "Mobilize the Shenwu Army and send an order to General Lin Xin. Tell him that I want all the evil sects on the list to be eradicated. No one should be left alive!"
The Divine Capital Army guards the Divine Capital Huaidu and is the royal guard, while the Divine Martial Army guards the borders and suppresses the armies of warriors in all directions. As soon as the imperial edict was issued, all the immortal sects within the spiritual realms of the immortal mountains were immediately surrounded by the army.
In the spiritual realm of the mountains dotted with Taoist palaces and pavilions, a raging fire was burning. The rich blood energy and martial arts magical powers transformed into a black dragon or various Dharma images, suppressing the entire sky.
Sharp arrows were shot out one after another, carrying the magical powers of martial arts to kill the flying monks and disciples of the sect one by one. The entire sect was killed, and the elders and powerful men in the sect rushed out, but were also killed in the sky by the martial arts masters in the army.
Not just one mountain gate, but all the mountain gates in the hinterland and border of the Great Zhou were besieged at the same time. Some sects that were unwilling to lose their former influence and control over the Shinto way were wiped out or fled in all directions.
The whole world was shocked. No one had expected that at this time, the Great Zhou would choose to take action against the spiritual sects.
However, several top sects did not take any action. Other sects, big and small, feared the power of the Great Zhou Dynasty and obeyed its orders. Especially at this time when Emperor Kong Huai of the Great Zhou Dynasty was running out of time, no one wanted to anger this existence that was as scorching as the sun and become the afterglow that sets with the sun.
At the same time, faced with this situation, many sects chose to leave Dongzhou and go overseas.
Not everyone is willing to submit to the Great Zhou, especially those practitioners who have no fear and only pursue immortality.
At the large dock of Songdong County, many painted ships, pavilions and large spiritual boats gathered. One could see cultivators boarding the ships to head overseas. There were also large treasure ships in the sky, carrying the entire sect away from Dongzhou.
Every day, the common people and fishermen of Songdong County could see fairy ships that were so beautiful and luxurious beyond their imagination rising into the clouds or leaving the sea.
On a treasure ship, hundreds of practitioners wearing the same thin green Taoist robes stood on the deck. There were also tens of thousands of disciples' families on board, watching the ship rise up into the sea of clouds little by little, and the gradually hazy Dongzhou.
A disciple of the Jurchen sect couldn't help but sob: "The mountain sect that has been around for hundreds of years has just given up like this! Why is the Great Zhou so powerful and overbearing!"
The old Taoist in green standing in the front had an immortal demeanor. It was he who resolutely gave up the sect and moved his entire sect overseas: "The Great Zhou Emperor Kong Huai has not much time left, so he wants to clear the world while he is still alive and leave the most stable situation for the Second Emperor."
"Moreover, it is rumored that the Yin Emperor has been born, the road to immortality has been reopened, and the emperors of the underworld have all achieved the status of immortals. Kong Huai can't wait any longer!"
The old Taoist in green robes looked at the earth slowly becoming illusory under the clouds and mist, and said calmly: "This world is nothing but a big play, you sing and I come on stage! Dahuan, Shao, Gao, Zheng, Bai, Li, until the later Dapan and the current Dazhou. Kong Huai is ambitious and wants to create an eternal dynasty. Let's see when this Dazhou will end!"
“Hoo-hum!”
Above the sea of clouds, there was a sudden sound of breaking wind, and a huge object passed through the top of the treasure ship. The black shadow completely blocked the sunlight above the sea of clouds.
All the disciples on the treasure ship and many people on the stained glass windows looked up at the sea of clouds, and saw a white-feathered crane flying out from the sea of clouds. The sea of clouds fluttered as it flapped its huge wings.
"Heavenly demon? The body of this heavenly demon is far superior to ordinary heavenly demons!" Although several young disciples came from large sects and were knowledgeable, they were still shocked when they saw the white crane's wings that covered the sky and the sun.
The young and handsome male and female disciples on the boat were all looking up at that demon.
White clouds, white cranes, blue sky and white sun merged into one. Many disciples were moved by this beautiful and shocking scene, their eyes brimming with excitement.
"The Heavenly Demon White Crane? There are only a few such beings in the entire world. Could it be the legendary Taoist White Crane immortal?" The old Taoist in green robes looked at the white crane that broke free from the sea of clouds and swept through the flowing clouds, and was also shocked. He did not expect to encounter such a being here.
"The Taoist White Crane! Legend has it that he traveled overseas, or even reincarnated to cultivate a second life. How could he appear here?"
This Baihe inherited the true teachings of the legendary Fengdu Taoist, who left the ghost fairy inheritance and a magic treasure to this Baihe. Although he has not yet become an immortal, he is considered one of the people most likely to become an immortal, so he is called a wandering immortal.
“There is someone on the head of the celestial demon. This is the mount of some existence!” Some disciples had sharper eyes and looked high up in the sea of clouds. They saw a Taoist in white sitting cross-legged on the huge head of the celestial demon.
The sun's light sprinkled on the sea of clouds and refracted into thousands of rays. At this moment, it was flowing through the Taoist in white, accompanied by the cranes, making him look even more otherworldly, like a real immortal.
“There aren’t many people in the world who can ride a celestial demon as a mount! And it’s such a wild and exotic species!”
"What? There's someone!" The Taoist master in green robes immediately raised his head and looked over. When he saw the shadow, his whole body was shocked.
"Fengdu... Taoist!"
Looking at that figure, a small figure in white, it seemed as if Gaia had passed through the entire world in his eyes, and the name that he uttered seemed to carry some kind of magic, which made people feel excited.
"ah!"
"The ancient immortal Fengdu?"
"The Taoist priest from Fengdu who is said to have become an immortal?"
All the disciples were silent, looking up at the Taoist priest in white riding a white crane. Even in the records of the immortal sect, his existence was almost indelible. For practitioners, he was almost equivalent to an immortal god.
Many sects even directly call him an immortal. Although he may not have become an immortal yet, in their eyes, he is destined to become an immortal and will definitely stand at the top of the immortal path.
The Taoist monk in green robe bowed his hands and bent his waist, performing the etiquette of a disciple, paying homage to the oldest cultivator in the legend, the Taoist monk who almost pioneered the initial practice of the immortal way.
“Chiu!”
The white crane let out a joyful cry, flying across the sea of clouds. The Taoist in white robes who was sitting cross-legged looked down, indifferently swept over the treasure ship and the people on it, then looked into the distance.
In just that instant when his gaze fell, everyone felt that time slowed down, and each disciple's eyes showed longing, as if they had seen a real immortal, exactly the same as they had imagined and expected in their childhood.