The six-winged angel thrust his saber at Long Sanqian, leaving him nowhere to retreat.
However, Long Sanqian suddenly stepped forward and swung his weapon.
Buzz!
Bang!
That angel’s saber hit nothing but air.
The saber strike that should have cut Long Sanqian open did nothing to him.
“Indeed, it is the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array? One of Guan Qi’s nine inheritors?” Long Sanqian raised his eyebrows.
Heaven had already taken the Go Dao’s laws away. Therefore, if one wanted to lay a Go Dao ritual array, one needed the Heavenly Go Stone or boundless energy. Previously, Gu Hai used vast amounts of spirit stones to supply his ritual arrays. The Azure Emperor used the Lianshan Ritual Array to connect to the world and draw boundless Spiritual Energy for the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array.
All the angels charged at Gu Hai’s group, killing everyone in their path.
Ao Shun led the defense. Naturally, he fought against the strongest, the Supreme Genesis.
Although Long Aotian’s jiangchen zombie was incredible, it was no match for the Supreme Genesis. Even when it worked with Ao Shun, the Supreme Genesis suppressed it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The impacts produced powerful shock waves. However, the foggy ritual array absorbed them; nothing leaked into the outside world.
To the other places in Divine Farmer City, it only looked like fog encased the plaza. No one could see the intense battle happening there.
——
The emperor’s study in the palace, Gen District, Divine Farmer City:
The Yan Heavenly Emperor, Jiang Lianshan, worked on the memorials to the throne.
“Huh?” The Yan Heavenly Emperor’s brush suddenly stopped. Then, he turned his head to look at the Qian District.
As the Yan Heavenly Emperor glanced over, he frowned, entering deep thought. However, he did not bother in the end.
——
The central plaza in the Qian District:
Many angels surrounded Gu Hai, Sima Changkong, and Gongyang Sheng. Many vines came out of Gu Hai’s Vine World Calabash. However, the Supreme Genesis shattered them. Now, the angels surrounded the three.
The many angels overwhelmed Sima Changkong and Gongyang Sheng in the blink of an eye.
However, Gu Hai moved and dodged the attacks of the countless angels.
Gu Hai could understand the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array. Sometimes, he clashed with the angels’ weapons. However, like Long Sanqian, he strangely managed to dodge all the angels.
Search Hosted Novel for the original.
——
On the periphery of the fog:
The Azure Emperor narrowed his eyes. “Humph! This Gu Hai’s Go skills improved again. To think that he has comprehended the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array so deeply. Unfortunately, you can only dodge for a while. The ordinary angels can only move on the Go board according to the rules. However, that is not the case for the Supreme Genesis cloud beast. Humph! After it deals with Ao Shun and the others, it will be your turn to die!”
“Argh!” Long Aotian let out a miserable cry nearby.
The jiangchen zombie maintained a stalemate with the Supreme Genesis, but many angels immediately surrounded Long Aotian. As the weapons swung down, they covered him in blood.
It looked like Long Aotian had already sustained severe injuries and would soon be killed by the angels.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a green vine wrapped around Long Aotian and yanked him back.
Whoosh!
Long Aotian flew out of the angels’ encirclement and landed before Gu Hai.
“I’m not dead?” Long Aotian looked at himself in shock.
“Had I not paid attention, you would be dead,” Gu Hai said coldly.
Long Aotian quickly turned his head. He saw Gu Hai dodge the angels, and the vine wrapped around his waist came from Gu Hai. Gu Hai saved me?
Long Aotian’s expression turned stiff. Then, he said through gritted teeth, “Jiangchen, are you dead? This marquis nearly died!”
Whoosh!
The jiangchen zombie shifted to Long Aotian’s side.
With one less thing occupying him, the Supreme Genesis immediately landed a punch on Ao Shun.
Blargh!
Ao Shun went flying back, spewing blood from his mouth.
“Argh!”
A miserable cry suddenly rang out nearby.
Gu Hai turned his head to look and happened to see Gongyang Sheng’s head fly off.
Boom! Another angel flew over and burst Gongyang Sheng’s head with a punch.
“Lord Gongyang!” Sima Changkong yelled in startlement.
“Argh!”
A few angels stabbed Sima Changkong with their weapons.
Long Aotian’s expression changed. “What should we do? What should we do? Gu…Hall Master, what should we do? We can’t deal with the Supreme Genesis.”
“That is not the Supreme Genesis. This is one of Guan Qi’s nine inheritors. This is the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array,” Long Sanqian yelled anxiously.
“What? It’s not the Supreme Genesis?” Long Aotian’s expression changed.
“My father is Long Shenying, and my grandfather is Long Zhanguo. I don’t care who you are, but if you dare to kill me, my father and grandfather will take revenge for me!” Long Aotian roared.
Far away, the Azure Emperor showed a mocking smile, not caring at all.
“Hall Master, what should we do now?” Ao Shun asked anxiously.
“After all is said and done, we are Qian Nation envoys. Azure Emperor? It’s you, right? Killing us is a public declaration of war against the Qian Heavenly Emperor!” Gu Hai suddenly shouted in a rage.
The Azure Emperor narrowed his eyes.
Gu Hai guessed it is me? So what if he did? As long as I do not admit to it, no one can do anything about it. You will all die later. That will solve the problem. Humph!
“The Azure Emperor? It’s the Azure Emperor? Jiang Lianshan is not going to bother with this?” Long Aotian said in shock.
“No sound will leak from the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array,” Long Sanqian said anxiously.
“What should we do? What should we do?” Long Aotian said with horror on his face.
“Shield me. I’ll inform Jiang Lianshan,” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!” Ao Shun shouted in response.
“Damn it!” Long Aotian felt incredibly depressed as he used the jiangchen zombie to shield Gu Hai.
The Supreme Genesis charged over with many angels.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battle inside the ritual array was extremely intense. The ground of the plaza had shattered long ago, and gales blew everywhere.
The Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array contained the shock waves from everyone’s attacks. No one could leave; they could only stubbornly resist.
Suddenly, Gu Hai used the brush dipped in golden ink to write on the stele with the Lianshan Classic, matching the order of the Lianshan Classic.
“Lianshan Classic: The Gen Hexagram is the first of the hexagrams. The Gen Hexagram predicates restraint. If you restrain yourself from the back so that you will not be tempted, you will not receive any blame. It is as if you did not see your companion when you walk back to back in the courtyard.
“Classic of Changes: The Qian Hexagram is the first of the hexagrams. The Qian Hexagram represents what is great and fundamental, prosperous, advantageous, correct and firm.”
The stele suddenly lit up as though responding to this line. However, there seemed to be a clash.
“Huh?” The distant Azure Emperor narrowed his eyes.
Gu Hai was not just finding flaws but was actually reordering it.
The Classic of Changes?
The Lianshan Classic is also called the Classic of Changes. What do you mean by writing another Classic of Changes? Don’t tell me that you are thinking of comparing a Classic of Changes that you cooked up on the spot to the Lianshan Classic?
“Ignorant! How laughable!” the Azure Emperor shouted coldly. However, he stared at the clashing words from the two Classics of Changes.
Just one line could not show anything. Gu Hai continued writing.
“Lianshan Classic: Gen is formed by two mountains over each other. In accordance with this, the superior man’s thoughts do not venture beyond his place.
“Classic of Changes: Heaven gives the idea of strength. In accordance with this, the superior man ceaselessly improves himself.”
[TL Note: Qian also means heaven.]
The line “Heaven gives the idea of strength. In accordance with this, the superior man ceaselessly improves himself” was apparently an explicit statement, causing that stele to give off a dazzling golden light.
Rumble…!
The stele trembled, seeming to resist this line.
——
At the same time, in the emperor’s study:
Jiang Lianshan’s brush suddenly stopped, and he narrowed his eyes. “Huh?”
Jiang Lianshan looked towards the Qian District with some surprise.
——
In the Qian District, Gu Hai wrote continuously.
“Lianshan Classic: Six-One: Restrain yourself at the very beginning, and you will not receive any blame. Potentiality lies in eternal perseverance.
“Classic of Changes: Nine-One: The dragon lies hidden; it is not time for action.”
The dragon lies hidden; it is not time for action? Although the words appeared simple, deep draconic growls seemed to come from under the stele.
Rumble!
The dragon’s deep growl seemed to awaken something. The entire stele trembled.
Gu Hai continued writing.
“Lianshan Classic: Six-Two: Restrain your steps even though you may feel unhappy when you stop following others.
“Classic of Changes: Nine-Two: The dragon appears in the field; it is advantageous to meet the ruler.
“Lianshan Classic: Nine-Three: Restrain yourself straitly, and what you repress will dominate your thoughts.
“Classic of Changes: Nine-Three: The superior man grows stronger every day as though in great danger. However, there is no mistake.
“Lianshan Classic: Six-Four: Restrain yourself properly, and you will not receive any blame.
“Classic of Changes: Nine-Four: The dragon appears as if leaping up but is still in the deep. There will be no mistakes.”
Gu Hai matched line for line. Long Aotian did not understand what Gu Hai wrote, but as Gu Hai wrote, the steles in all sixty-four districts trembled, not just the Qian District’s stele.
Rumble…!
The trembling of the sixty-four steles affected the Lianshan Ritual Array. Fog immediately surged over the entire Divine Farmer City, emanating draconic might.
All the citizens suddenly paused, raising their heads to look at the sky.
Everyone saw golden light connecting the sky and the ground in the fog in the Qian District. There seemed to be a large golden dragon in the golden light, about to charge out.
——
In the emperor’s study:
Jiang Lianshan narrowed his eyes and stepped out of the study slowly.
“The Qian Hexagram is the leading hexagram? How preposterous! The Gen Hexagram represents the mountain. It is immovable as a mountain, the foundation of the world. It should be the first. Back then, Guan Qi said that the Kun Hexagram [earth/ground] was the first. He said that earth is the foundation, the origin of all life. He could debate that with us. However, the Qian Hexagram? The Qian Hexagram as the first? Qian represents the sky. The sky is void, with nothing there. How can it explain the world? The Qian Hexagram?” Jiang Lianshan peered into the distance.
Although Jiang Lianshan rejected the idea of the Qian Hexagram being the first, as Gu Hai wrote out the various lines, Gu Hai managed to illustrate a brand-new supreme truth of the world. Furthermore, this supreme truth of the world was not seeking out flaws in the Lianshan Classic but completely overthrowing it.
“Lianshan Classic: Six-Five: Restrain your mouth so as to speak in order, and your regret will disappear.
“Classic of Changes: Nine-Five: The dragon soars in the sky; it is advantageous to meet the ruler.”
Roar!
The golden dragon flew out from the Qian District, soaring into the sky. A powerful draconic might pressed towards the Gen District.
The Gen District represented the Gen Hexagram, the lead hexagram of the Lianshan Classic.
Buzz!
Apparently controlled by the Lianshan Ritual Array, an enormous black mountain towered into the sky, growing increasingly taller, as though to prove that the mountain was the foundation of everything, that the mountain was important while the dragon was insignificant.
Roar!
The golden dragon roared but could not shake the mountain.
The golden dragon showed no results for its efforts. However, Jiang Lianshan narrowed his eyes. “The Qian Hexagram is the first? That is someone who understands the eight trigrams. Is it someone who reincarnated from eight hundred thousand years ago?”
“Lianshan Classic: Nine-Six: Restrain yourself with noble virtue, and you will have good fortune.
“Classic of Changes: Nine-Six: The dragon transcends the limits. There will be an occasion for regret.”
Roar!
The golden dragon competing with the giant mountain in the sky roared sonorously. After that, it turned its head as though in regret at failing to defeat the Gen mountain.
The Azure Emperor let out a drawn-out breath, then sneered, “That scared me. Humph! Trying to challenge the Lianshan Classic? In your dreams!”
Countless Yan Nation officials and citizens let out bated breaths as well.
It was very obvious that someone was challenging the Lianshan Classic earlier. Furthermore, the challenger appeared very imposing, able to force out the Lianshan Classic’s Gen mountain.
The golden dragon represented the Qian Hexagram.
The challenger used the Qian Hexagram to challenge the Gen Hexagram, disputing which was first and causing an upheaval in the Lianshan Classic.
However, when Gu Hai finished writing the six lines, the golden dragon failed to defeat the Gen mountain. It lost in the end. My Yan Heavenly Dynasty’s Lianshan Classic is indeed the most incredible!
However, when the line “The dragon transcends the limits. There will be an occasion for regret” appeared, Jiang Lianshan’s expression changed. “Something’s not right. ‘The dragon transcends the limits. There will be an occasion for regret’? This Qian is not that strong?”
Indeed, Gu Hai added one more line.
“All-Nine: A leaderless group of dragons is an auspicious sign.”
[TL Note: The Qian Hexagram is made up of two Qian Trigrams; hence, it consists six undivided Yang lines or all nines.]
After Gu Hai wrote that, the dragon that turned its head away in regret immediately exploded.
Boom!
A loud sound rang out. That golden dragon had not exploded but turned into tens of thousands of giant dragons. Suddenly, golden dragons filled the sky.
Previously, there was only one, and it could already challenge the Gen mountain. Now, there were tens of thousands of dragons roaring at the Gen mountain.
Roar!
Rumble…!
The large Gen mountain suddenly shook violently. As it did, the Yan Heavenly Dynasty’s palace grounds shuddered.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!”
Many officials and citizens fell over, letting out flustered cries. Draconic might erupted as if heaven was destroying the world.
“Scatter!” Jiang Lianshan shouted.
Boom!
The sixty-four steles suddenly stopped. Jiang Lianshan had dissolved the Lianshan Ritual Array. The golden dragons in the sky and the vast fog vanished. The large Gen mountain also dissipated.
——
At the same time, in the central plaza of the Qian District:
When Jiang Lianshan scattered the Lianshan Ritual Array, the Azure Emperor could no longer use the Lianshan Ritual Array to draw Spiritual Energy. Thus, the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array dissipated.
With the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array gone, the Supreme Genesis and the countless angels that Ao Shun and the jiangchen zombie resisted vanished into thin air.
Boom!
Suddenly, all the cloud beasts were gone.
The attacks of Ao Shun, Long Sanqian, and Long Aotian struck air, which shocked them.
“It’s over!” Gu Hai let out his bated breath.
At this moment, the central plaza in the Qian District was in a sorry state. Corpses littered the ground. Countless citizens and soldiers had died. Even Gongyang Sheng’s corpse got chopped into eight pieces.
Sima Changkong fell to the ground, covered in blood. He seemed to be on his last breath.
Ao Shun, Long Aotian, and Long Sanqian were also covered in blood.
On the other side, the Azure Emperor and the others felt stunned. The Azure Emperor looked sullenly at Gu Hai.
The terrible situation in the plaza set the surrounding citizens abuzz.
