35: Chapter 35 The Battle of the Grandmasters, Opening the Path to All Heavens

(PS: 5000-word two-in-one chapter)

The Central Plains region enjoyed a brief period of peace.

The imperial decree to reduce taxes spread to the prefectures and counties; the common people ran to tell each other the news, weeping and embracing—for years, harsh governance had made it hard to breathe, but now they could finally catch their breath, no longer needing to sell their children.

Prince Ruyang purged the administration, and local officials dared not act recklessly anymore; trade was opened up, allowing Han and Mongol people to exchange goods; the once tense border passes became bustling markets, filled with the warmth and peace of daily life everywhere.

Yet Zhang Sanfeng saw clearly: this peace was merely a stopgap measure by the Yuan Court, forced by the Wulin Alliance and internal and external troubles; it was not a sincere submission.

The pro-war faction in the imperial court remained covetous, ready to ignite a conflict at any moment.

Only by establishing ironclad rules could this peace last.

At this time, a secret letter from Princess Zhao Min had already reached Wudang: Tuotuo had allied with the Western Regions Tantric Sect and various Mongol princes, petitioning the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, claiming that Prince Ruyang was colluding with Wudang and that his weakness was harming the nation.

They demanded the dismissal of Prince Ruyang and the mobilization of a large army to encircle and annihilate the Wulin Alliance.

The Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, dim-witted and indecisive, had already begun to waver, and the storm was gathering in the imperial court once again.

After reading the letter, Zhang Sanfeng picked up his brush and wrote a letter to the messenger, his words as sharp as a blade: he exposed the Yuan Court's predicament of internal corruption and external chaos, teetering on the brink of collapse.

He stated bluntly that if they continued to impose harsh governance and launch military campaigns, Wudang and the Wulin Alliance would join forces with the rebel armies to overthrow their rule.

The final line read: "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

The secret letter quickly reached the Ruyang Princes Mansion in Dadu.

Upon reading it, Princess Zhao Min was alarmed and immediately handed it to Prince Ruyang.

The thunderous words in the letter made Prince Ruyang's hands tremble and his face change color; he was both shocked by Zhang Sanfeng's audacity and forced to admit that what he said was true.

"Present this to His Majesty!" He gritted his teeth and decided, "Only by letting His Majesty see the reality will the pro-war faction restrain themselves!"

At the morning court the next day, Prince Ruyang presented the letter to the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty.

After reading it, the Emperor on the dragon throne turned deathly pale, and the letter slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.

"Presumptuous!" Tuotuo roared angrily, "A mere old Daoist from the Jianghu dares to threaten the imperial court! I request an imperial decree to mobilize troops to encircle and annihilate Wudang, capture Zhang Sanfeng, and execute him by slow slicing!"

The pro-war officials chimed in, clamoring to send troops.

Prince Ruyang coldly retorted, "Zhang Sanfeng is already a Great Grandmaster; he could dispose of The Xuanming Elders with a flick of his finger. No one in the Great Yuan can match him!"

"Now that rebel armies are rising everywhere and the main army is tied up, if we start a war with the Martial Forest again, we will surely be attacked from both sides, and the empire will be lost! Although Grandmaster Zhang's words are hard to hear, they are the truth!"

The court fell silent instantly.

The Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty was scared out of his wits, and hurriedly grabbed Prince Ruyang's hand, saying tremblingly, "I will listen to you, think of a solution quickly!"

Prince Ruyang bowed and requested, "Issue a decree immediately to rebuke the pro-war faction, reduce taxes in the Central Plains for three years, severely punish corruption, and send an envoy to Wudang to establish a non-aggression pact."

The Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty nodded repeatedly and immediately issued the decree—dismissing Tuotuo and banishing him from Dadu; then, he sent an envoy with generous gifts to Wudang to establish a pact of friendship with Zhang Sanfeng.

The imperial decree and generous gifts arrived at Wudang, and the Central Plains Martial Arts World was shaken.

The Yuan Court bowing to a Jianghu sect was an unprecedented event.

The common people were even more grateful to Zhang Sanfeng, with every household erecting longevity tablets to worship him day and night.

But just on the eve of the imperial envoy's arrival at Wudang Mountain, a figure came stepping through the air from the direction of Dadu.

The figure was enveloped in surging golden waves of Qi, heading straight for the Golden Summit of Wudang's Tianzhu Peak.

This person was draped in a saffron Tantric monk's robe; his face was gaunt, but his eyes were bright like torches.

In his hand, he held a vajra pestle made entirely of gilded gold.

With every step he took, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi would fluctuate violently, and the air would ripple visibly.

He was none other than the once-in-a-century genius of the Western Regions Tantric Sect, a newly ascended Great Grandmaster Realm powerhouse—Phagpa.

He had come on the secret order of the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, using the name of "discussing the Dao at Wudang" to carry out a life-or-death challenge.

Although the Yuan Court had set a policy of seeking peace, they were still unwilling to lose face completely, so they had Phagpa use force to intimidate Wudang.

If he could defeat Zhang Sanfeng, the Yuan Court would be able to regain the initiative in the negotiations; even if he lost, they would be able to probe the true strength of this Wudang Ancestral Master.

On the Taiji Platform at Wudang's Golden Summit, Zhang Sanfeng had long been waiting there.

He wore a simple Daoist robe and held the True Martial Sword as he stood in the center of the platform.

There was not a shred of sharp energy around him, yet he was completely integrated with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi of the entire Wudang Mountain.

The spiritual mist in the mountains flowed slowly with his breathing.

With every inhalation and exhalation, he stirred the tidal pulse of the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi; this was the state of unity between Heaven and man that only the Great Grandmaster Realm could achieve.

"Grandmaster Zhang, I trust you have been well."

Phagpa landed on the edge of the Taiji Platform, pressed his palms together, and chanted a Buddhist title.

His voice carried the Zen rhyme of the Tantric Sect, causing the surrounding air to hum, and his tone was filled with undisguised sharpness.

"This monk is here on the order of His Majesty to 'seek advice' on the martial path from you, Grandmaster. Your Excellency used a single letter to force our Great Yuan Court to demote the Prime Minister and establish a pact; this is going too far in bullying others."

"Today, I will use the vajra pestle in my hand to test my skills against yours, Grandmaster, and let the Central Plains Martial Arts World know that our Great Yuan is not without capable people!"

Zhang Sanfeng nodded faintly, his tone calm and unruffled: "If the benefactor insists on fighting, this Daoist will oblige. Just do not harm the innocent people down the mountain or disturb the quiet cultivation of Wudang."

"Naturally!"

A cold light suddenly flashed in Phagpa's eyes.

He stomped hard on the ground, and the hard bluestone platform instantly shattered like a spiderweb.

The Buddhist flames around him surged violently; he directly drew upon the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from several miles around, gathering it all to his side and transforming it into golden Buddhist phantoms filling the sky.

His supreme Tantric Mind-Cultivation Technique was running at full power, and the vajra pestle in his hand, carrying the force of ten thousand jun, slashed straight at Zhang Sanfeng's face!

This strike was no longer merely driven by internal energy; it was the use of Great Grandmaster Realm cultivation to forcibly control the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, condensing it into a single strike.

The wind from the pestle whistled past, the air emitted bursts of ear-piercing explosions, and the air along its path was torn directly apart.

Even the sunlight was obscured by the golden Buddhist flames; it was as if a Vajra had descended to the world, intending to crush everything before it into pieces!

Facing this world-destroying strike, Zhang Sanfeng did not dodge or evade.

He lightly flicked the True Martial Sword in his hand, and his fingertips drew upon the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, transforming it into a Taiji Yin and Yang fish phantom that spread out following the momentum of his sword.

Ding—the sword and the pestle collided with a boom.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only an extremely dull hum that shook the entire Golden Summit, causing it to tremble slightly.

Phagpa felt a force that was gentle yet extremely domineering surge into his body along the vajra pestle.

The violent Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi he had drawn upon was unexpectedly pulled away by this Taiji circular force, like a rushing river flowing into the sea, instantly dissipating into nothingness.

His internal energy was suddenly thrown into chaos, and his body uncontrollably retreated three steps, shattering another patch of bluestone beneath his feet.

"What exquisite Taiji Dao Rhyme! To be able to draw upon Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and dissolve my attack into nothingness!"

Phagpa's face darkened slightly, his heart filled with shock.

He understood that this Wudang Ancestral Master before him had reached a level of mastery over the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi that was nothing short of miraculous.

Although he and Zhang Sanfeng were both in the Great Grandmaster Realm, they were walking two completely different paths.

His Tantric martial arts relied on his own cultivation to forcibly control and plunder the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to use as his own.

He followed a path of domineering, fierce strength that broke through techniques with sheer power, like a Vajra subduing demons, indestructible.

Zhang Sanfeng's Taiji Great Dao, however, integrated and harmonized with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, complying with the rules of Heaven and Earth.

Using softness to overcome hardness and stillness to control motion, all Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi could be used by him; he followed the Daoist principle of unity between Heaven and man, perfect and unobstructed.

Phagpa let out a fierce roar, and the sound of his Zen chanting echoed through the clouds.

He brandished the vajra pestle with both hands, unleashing his supreme Tantric technique, "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Sect," at full power.

He actually drained all the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within a ten-mile radius, condensing thousands of golden Buddhist phantoms in mid-air.

Every Buddhist phantom held a Vajra Magical Artifact, carrying the power to suppress everything, and they came crashing down upon Zhang Sanfeng like a landslide!

For a moment, the entire Wudang Golden Summit was shrouded in golden Buddhist light.

The sky was layered with Buddhist phantoms, as if a Buddhist kingdom had descended, and a heavy pressure swept in all directions.

The bluestone ground of the Taiji Platform kept cracking under this pressure.

The sea of clouds in the mountains was completely stirred up, churning endlessly, and even the cliff face of Tianzhu Peak began to shed falling rocks.

Below the platform, the Seven Heroes of Wudang and the Masters from various sects visiting Wudang had already been shaken to their cores by the power of this Great Grandmaster battle.

Song Yuanqiao and Yu Lianzhou were already at the half-step Great Grandmaster Realm, but even they had to exert their internal energy to the fullest just to barely steady themselves.

Watching the duel on the platform, their eyes were filled with shock.

"The might of a Great Grandmaster is truly this terrifying!"

Yu Lianzhou said in a deep voice, "Master Phags-pa is actually able to draw upon ten miles of Spiritual Qi to manifest a Buddhist kingdom. If it weren't for Master having long since merged with Heaven and Earth, anyone else would be unable to withstand this move!"

Meanwhile, Grandmaster Realm experts like Kongwen, Miejue, and Left Emissary Yang Xiao were already pale-faced.

Their inner Qi was suppressed by the aura of the two combatants to the point where it could barely circulate, forcing them to retreat repeatedly for fear of being caught in the aftermath of the battle.

The Innate Realm Disciples of the various Schools felt their legs go weak, the world spinning around them, and their chests feeling as if they were pressed by a ten-thousand-catty boulder, making even breathing extremely difficult.

As the sky full of Buddhist shadows descended, Zhang Sanfeng moved his feet lightly, stepping in the Bagua pattern, his figure like a wandering Dragon, moving calmly amidst the Buddhist shadows.

The True Martial Sword in his hand occasionally flicked lightly, drawing upon Spiritual Qi to deflect the offensive of the Buddhist shadows;

Occasionally it thrust, using a wisp of Pure Yang Dao Rhyme to shatter the condensed form of the Buddhist shadows;

Occasionally he held the sword horizontally in front of him, unfolding the Taiji circular power, encompassing all the attacks within the flow of Yin and Yang.

The Dao Rhyme circulated around his body, connecting completely with the Spiritual Veins of the entire Wudang Mountain.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi that Phags-pa forcibly extracted, upon reaching him, was like a wanderer returning home, instantly assimilated and dissolved by the Taiji circular power.

Regardless of the thousands of Buddhist shadows and the violent offensive, he remained unmoved.

The two sides fought for over a hundred moves. Above the Golden Summit, the red-robed monk's shadow and the plain-colored Daoist shadow crisscrossed, Buddhist flames and golden light constantly colliding with the Taiji Dao Rhyme, stirring up ripples of Spiritual Qi across the sky.

Phags-pa's forehead oozed cold sweat, and his inner Qi was being consumed rapidly.

What shocked him even more was that every time he drew upon Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to launch an attack, it would be guided by Zhang Sanfeng, instead making the opponent's connection with Heaven and Earth even tighter. As one waned and the other waxed, he had long since fallen into a disadvantage.

"I have cultivated bitterly for thirty years to enter the Great Grandmaster Realm; I do not believe I will lose to you!" Phags-pa's eyes were about to split, and he finally made up his mind to fight to the death.

He bit his tongue hard, spraying a mouthful of his Origin essence blood onto the Vajra Pestle. The Buddhist flames around his body instantly surged to several zhang high, forcibly gathering all the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within a radius of dozens of miles to condense a Vajra Dharma Image several tens of zhang high in mid-air!

"The ultimate technique of the Western Regions Tantric Sect — Demon-Subduing Pestle!"

Phags-pa shouted angrily, and the Vajra Dharma Image held the giant pestle, carrying the might to destroy Heaven and Earth, and smashed down towards Zhang Sanfeng with a roar!

This blow gathered his life's cultivation and Origin essence blood, and was also wrapped in the might of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from dozens of miles away. Not to mention one person, even the entire Wudang Golden Summit would be completely crushed by this strike!

Everyone under the stage was terrified, and the Seven Heroes of Wudang stepped forward together, intending to set up the True Martial Seven-Section Formation to assist.

"Great Master is too impatient, and has lost his original heart."

Facing the sky-covering Vajra Dharma Image and the shocking strike, Zhang Sanfeng sighed lightly and slowly raised the True Martial Sword in his hand.

In an instant, the Spiritual Veins of the entire Wudang Mountain range awakened, and endless Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi gathered from all directions.

Following his sword intent, the Spiritual Qi condensed into a Taiji Phantom in mid-air that covered the entire Golden Summit.

The Yin-Yang fish rotated slowly, the Yin fish soft and moist like water, the Yang fish scorching like fire. Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi circulated within it, endless and inexhaustible, subtly resonating with the rules of the entire Yitian World.

This was the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi gathering spontaneously, honoring him as Master; it was the supreme Realm of a Daoist Great Grandmaster.

"Taiji · Return to One!"

Zhang Sanfeng gave a soft shout, and his sword intent suddenly exploded.

The True Martial Sword was swung lightly towards the giant pestle, and the huge Taiji Phantom rotated and met it.

The moment the giant Vajra pestle collided with the Taiji Phantom, the golden Buddhist flames in the sky instantly extinguished. That Vajra Dharma Image, several tens of zhang high, actually dissolved at a speed visible to the naked eye amidst the flow of Yin and Yang, like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun.

The violent Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi that Phags-pa had forcibly gathered was completely encompassed, dissolved, and fed back to Heaven and Earth by the Taiji circular power. Not a single bit leaked out, and not even a blade of grass on the Golden Summit suffered any damage.

Only an irresistible counter-shock force followed the Vajra Pestle and slammed into Phags-pa's body.

He groaned, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining the monk's robe in front of him.

The Vajra Pestle in his hand flew out of his grip, carrying a sharp whistling sound as it pierced deeply into the bluestone at the edge of the Taiji Platform, the pestle body buzzing and ringing for a long time.

Phags-pa staggered, kneeling on one knee, his face as pale as paper. The Meridians in his body were damaged inch by inch under the counter-shock force, and his foundation in the Great Grandmaster Realm was almost completely shattered.

He looked up at Zhang Sanfeng, who was still standing in the center of the stage with steady breathing, his eyes full of shock and unwillingness, which eventually turned into utter dejection.

"Great Master, I concede." Zhang Sanfeng put away his sword and stood still, the Dao Rhyme around him and the Spiritual Qi in the sky slowly dissipating, his tone calm and waveless.

Phags-pa smiled miserably, struggled to stand up, put his hands together towards Zhang Sanfeng, and bowed deeply.

"This poor monk... has lost. Grandmaster Zhang's martial arts are divine; his understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth is far beyond what this poor monk can reach. This poor monk is convinced."

He knew that in today's battle, he had completely lost.

Not to mention that his foundation was damaged now, even in his prime, he could never be Zhang Sanfeng's opponent.

Great Grandmaster Realm might seem to be the same rank, but the control over Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and the understanding of the Great Dao were already worlds apart.

Only then did the world, which had been suppressed by the power of the two's battle for a long time, slowly return to calm.

The surging sea of clouds gradually subsided, and the restless Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi returned to stability. Only the shattered bluestone on the Taiji Platform and the Vajra Pestle deeply inserted into the ground told of the terrifying power of this Great Grandmaster battle.

The experts of the various Schools under the stage finally came to their senses, looking at the two Great Grandmasters on the Golden Summit with awe in their eyes.

They finally understood why the arrogant Yuan Court would bow its head to Wudang —

Such a Zhang Sanfeng with heaven-reaching cultivation was no longer an existence that a Mortal could contend with.

Carrying his heavy injuries, Phags-pa returned to Dadu all the way and reported the ins and outs of the battle at the Golden Summit to Emperor Shun of Yuan and Prince Ruyang.

In the imperial court, upon hearing that even the newly promoted Great Grandmaster Phags-pa had been miserably defeated by Zhang Sanfeng, and was even on the verge of having his foundation shattered, the war faction, who were still unwilling, instantly became silent, not daring to mention sending troops to encircle and suppress Wudang.

They finally recognized the reality — even a Great Grandmaster could not shake Zhang Sanfeng, so even if they mobilized a large army, it would only increase casualties.

Prince Ruyang took the opportunity to advise again, reiterating the importance of making peace with Wudang and appeasing the people. Emperor Shun of Yuan completely dispelled all lucky thoughts and repeatedly urged the envoys to speed up their journey, ensuring they would set a non-aggression covenant with Wudang with the greatest sincerity.

A few days later, the imperial envoy arrived at Wudang Mountain, presented the imperial edict and generous gifts, and solemnly established a covenant with Zhang Sanfeng in front of the various sects of the Central Plains Martial Arts World:

Reduce taxes in the Central Plains for three years, severely punish corrupt officials, never actively invade the Central Plains Martial Arts World, and both sides will not invade each other, guarding the peace of the Central Plains together.

The news spread, and the people of the Central Plains cheered, while the people of Jianghu respected Wudang even more.

Zhang Sanfeng's reputation for chivalry not only spread throughout the Central Plains, but also far to the Mongolian grasslands and the countries of the Western Regions, becoming a guardian god in the hearts of countless people.

Just as the imperial court compromised, the System prompt sounded suddenly in Zhang Sanfeng's mind:

[Detected that the host has completed the side quest [Protect the Common People of the World], task completion 100%!]

[Reward issued: Yitian World's faith of all people, World Origin recognition 100%, World Fusion 100%, Yitian main world low-martial stage Perfection!]

Immediately after, a more solemn prompt fell:

[Detected that the Yitian main world Fusion degree is 100%, low-martial stage Perfection!]

[[Wudang Daoist Lineage, Yitian Foundation] main quest final settlement complete! Rating: Perfect!]

[Ultimate reward, about to be issued!]

The majestic World Origin gathered from the Yitian World like a tsunami and poured into Zhang Sanfeng's body.

On the Golden Summit of Wudang Mountain, bursts of Dao Rhyme and Sanskrit sounds rang out, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged wildly, and the entire Yitian World began to transform quietly.

Zhang Sanfeng stood on the Golden Summit, feeling the surging power in his body, his eyes bursting with brilliance.

The main quest was completed, and the path to the heavens officially began from this moment.