541: Chapter 542 Living in Harmony with the World!

The wind in the Qianyuan Domain lacked refreshing Spiritual Qi and instead carried a dry, earthy smell.

Lu Ming walked through the air, his pace unhurried, yet the soaring Qi and blood behind him condensed into an invisible wave.

The blood Qi soared to the heavens, churning like boiling water, with the faint sounds of clashing weapons and galloping horses emanating from within, as if an invisible army were clearing the way for him.

This imagery was not deliberate; it was a natural manifestation that appeared after his Martial Dao Luck had accumulated to a certain level.

One man was a thousand armies; one word was ten thousand horses.

Wherever he walked, the earth beneath his feet trembled slightly.

Along this journey, starting from Iron Blood City, he had fought through one hundred and eight cities and challenged thirty-six commanderies.

From the Refining Essence stage up to the Body Integration stage, he had beaten almost every capable Martial Artist in the Qianyuan Domain.

Every time he defeated someone, he would imprint all the local scriptures and the treasured Martial Dao secret manuals of each family into his mind.

Thus, by gathering sand into a tower and collecting fur to make a robe, he had collected the fist techniques, movement techniques, blade techniques, and sword techniques of all the opponents he had defeated...

All their memories and insights regarding the Martial Dao were gathered into his possession.

His understanding of the Martial Dao had long since surpassed that of most people in this world.

Not to mention that he had now gathered nearly ninety percent of the Martial Dao Luck of the entire Qianyuan Domain, making it no exaggeration to call him the current Martial Ancestor.

However, Lu Ming always felt that something was still missing.

Although the Luck was bestowed upon him, it was like duckweed without roots, never truly merging with him.

He needed the final push to fully step into it and completely control the Martial Dao Luck.

However, the opportunity for this final step lay in the Imperial Capital of Saint.

Lu Ming, while walking, stopped and looked up.

In the distance, a towering Imperial City stood at the edge of the land.

The city walls soared into the clouds, constructed entirely of black iron rock, shimmering with a heavy luster under the sunlight.

Banners fluttered atop the city towers, each embroidered with a golden Dragon baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

At this moment, the city gates were tightly shut, the drawbridge was raised high, and the entire Imperial City was like a crouching behemoth, silently watching the newcomer.

The Imperial Capital of Saint, the national capital of the Great Qian Imperial Dynasty, was the center of this world.

Lu Ming looked at the Imperial City from afar but did not rush over; instead, he watched the dense army formation in front of the city gate with great interest.

Thirty thousand cavalry in blood-colored armor were arrayed on the wilderness outside the Imperial City, their warhorses stamping their iron hooves on the ground, their snorts sounding like thunder.

The lowest cultivation base among the cavalry was the Void Imperial Realm, and the people in the front row were at the Body Integration stage.

The general leading the troops had Qi and blood churning like the sea, clearly a Void-Shattering Martial Artist.

They did not move, simply standing in formation, like a sword suspended in the air, yet to fall.

But an indescribable, terrifying Aura was surging toward Lu Ming.

"Interesting!"

Lu Ming's lips curled up slightly; in his perception, what appeared before him was not an array of tens of thousands of people at all.

Instead, it was more like a single, towering mountain.

At this moment, the breathing, heartbeats, and pulses of all the soldiers were perfectly synchronized, and the weapons in their hands resonated as one.

Using the art of battle formations to link their life force, they actually displayed a profoundness that could rival a Golden Core True Person.

Lu Ming could not help but marvel at the sight.

The wisdom of Mortals should not be underestimated; judging by their posture, they clearly intended to use their superior numbers to exhaust him to death.

Under normal circumstances, no matter how high one's martial arts, when facing a relentless army, one would eventually run out of strength.

If ten thousand weren't enough, then twenty thousand; if twenty thousand weren't enough, then thirty thousand. Sooner or later, you would be ground to death by continuous waves of attacks.

And charging into a formation alone was simply courting death.

Even a Void-Shattering Martial Artist, who was said to be able to rival an army alone, would face the danger of death if trapped in a bitter battle.

"Your calculations are not bad."

Lu Ming praised them, but unfortunately, they did not yet understand one principle.

They were never facing some highly skilled Martial Artist.

They were facing an Immortal Dao mighty figure who had sealed his own cultivation.

Great Elder Lu Chenyuan, after all, possessed a Physical Body with a False Nascent Soul, and was an existence capable of traversing the Void Realm with his Physical Body.

These blood-Qi cavalry and Martial Dao experts were nothing more than a group of Mortals in his eyes.

They could not break his defense, nor could they exhaust his Qi and blood.

After all, only his cultivation was sealed; what should exist still existed.

To want to exhaust the Qi and blood of a False Nascent Soul was simply wishful thinking.

Thus, Lu Ming only took a few glances before withdrawing his gaze.

He naturally did not come here just to fight.

Although seizing Luck and feeding the Hunyuan Law were his main goals, there was another matter that interested him even more.

Who exactly was that Nascent Soul True Monarch who had sealed this place and locked the Martial Dao Legacy?

Who had such a grand ambition to Seal an entire realm and lock the Legacy of an entire system?

Were they just bored?

Lu Ming did not believe that a dignified Nascent Soul True Monarch would spend so much effort to deal with a group of Mortals for no reason.

There must be a reason behind this, and if he could figure it out, it might bring him even greater benefits.

After all, ever since he ascended to Nascent Soul True Monarch, Lu Ming had gradually realized one thing.

Because he had not obtained all the memories of True Lord Qingxu, his foundation was definitely ranked at the bottom among all the True Monarchs.

Moreover, a disguise was ultimately just a disguise; he could not let his cultivation stagnate forever.

However, his method of cultivating the Hunyuan Law was too difficult and consumed too many resources.

Although Great Elder Lu Chenyuan was responsible for collecting "talent" for this matter, doing this too often would inevitably reveal flaws.

He did not believe that the other cave-heaven factions would not plant spies among each other.

So even though he had repeatedly emphasized that this matter must be kept secret, it would eventually be exposed one day.

And with the cunning of those old fellows, they would definitely figure something out from it.

At that time, he might face the combined opposition of all the Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

If he did not have sufficient strength, he might have to make a strategic retreat again.

Lu Ming did not want to abandon a masterless cave-heaven that he had managed to obtain for free with great difficulty.

Therefore, he was eager to improve his foundation and enhance his strength to prevent future trouble.

As for those Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the Profound Spirit Domain, Lu Ming also discovered that they were not a monolithic block among themselves.

They each had their own calculations and their own schemes.

If he could tear open a gap and defeat them one by one, he would have more opportunities to fish in troubled waters.

Therefore, he was not afraid of turning the entire Cultivation World upside down; on the contrary, the more chaotic, the better.

Only in chaos would he have the opportunity to snatch chestnuts from the fire and seek victory amidst the turmoil.

Therefore, he was patient enough to accompany this group of Mortals in playing this game of house.

It was also to test the degree of attention and care the True Monarchs had for this place.

Lu Ming already had a plan in his heart.

If completed successfully, the benefits to him would be immeasurable.

However, it was too early to talk about this now; he had to take it one step at a time.

In this process, for those Martial Artists who were defeated and had their Luck stolen by him, this experience was not pleasant.

Those city lords and commandery governors who once dominated a region not only lost their reputation but also their Luck after being defeated by him.

Some never recovered, or even had their personalities drastically change, but Lu Ming did not care.

The weak are prey to the strong; whether in the Cultivation World or this Martial Dao world, it is the natural order of things.

Lu Ming withdrew his thoughts and looked again at the Imperial City and the thirty thousand cavalry in formation.

Then he looked past them toward the depths of the Imperial Capital of Saint.

At that very instant, his vision blurred for a moment.

When he looked again, he saw a giant red-gold Dragon circling and hovering above the Imperial City, looking at him with an indifferent and majestic gaze.

"Oh? A Golden Dragon of Luck? It has actually condensed national Luck!"

Lu Ming truly did not expect to see something like national Luck in this small Qianyuan Domain.

It seems the rule of the Great Qian Imperial Dynasty is very stable, which is why it has the atmosphere of a flourishing national dynasty.

"Since that's the case, I will first slay your dogs, and then come to collect your head!"

Lu Ming grinned; he had thought he would only harvest Martial Dao Luck, but he didn't expect an unexpected surprise.

National Luck might not be of much use to Lu Ming.

But it would be of great benefit for later retrieving the human emperor banner and allowing it to transform into a Spirit Treasure.

Thinking of this, Lu Ming descended from mid-air unhurriedly.

Below, the thirty thousand cavalry in blood-colored armor raised their heads simultaneously.

At the very front of the formation, an old man with white hair and beard gripped the spear in his hand tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He was the Grand Marshal of the Great Qian Imperial Dynasty, He Lanshan, a Void-Shattering Great Grandmaster.

He had fought on the battlefield for decades and had never met an opponent.

At this moment, he felt unprecedented pressure.

Setting aside the soaring blood-Qi anomaly of the opponent, the terrifying record of the opponent alone was enough to make him feel it was troublesome.

This person must be a Void-Shattering Great Grandmaster.

Although he did not know from which corner the opponent had emerged, or why he had never heard of the opponent's name before, none of that mattered now.

The Imperial Capital of Saint was under the feet of the Son of Heaven, and for the opponent to come with such fanfare clearly violated a taboo.

Therefore, he decided to offer a word of advice before taking action.

He Lanshan took a deep breath, his voice deep and resonant.

"Your Excellency, why not listen to a word of advice from this old man? Turn back before it is too late, and follow me into the palace to see the Emperor, apologize, and show some humility. Perhaps the Emperor will be greatly pleased and spare your life."

He said these words not only because he cherished talent but also because he wanted to subdue the enemy without fighting.

If a Void-Shattering Great Grandmaster were to take action, even with the support of the army formation, there would inevitably be casualties.

And these people were the elite of the Imperial Dynasty; he would be heartbroken if anyone died.

Therefore, if they could avoid fighting, he still hoped to resolve it peacefully.

However, it was obviously just his wishful thinking.

Lu Ming glanced at him without speaking.

He could feel the good intentions of this person, but the other party could not understand his purpose at all, so why say more?

However, because of this, Lu Ming's intention to slaughter was slightly dampened; he would try to be restrained when he took action in a moment, so as not to cause devastation.

Thus, Lu Ming did not intend to stop at all and continued to step forward.

As he took a step, his figure suddenly flickered.

As if shrinking the ground to an inch, when he appeared again, he was already dozens of feet away.

In just a few breaths, he had already approached the army formation that felt like dark clouds pressing down.

Seeing that this person was so stubborn, He Lanshan sighed, knowing that this battle was inevitable, and immediately did not hesitate any longer.

He shook the long spear in his hand and shouted in a deep voice.

"By the Emperor's order, this thief has disturbed our Great Qian nation and society—he shall be executed according to the law!"

"Hah!!"

The thirty thousand cavalry in blood-colored armor raised their weapons simultaneously, their warhorses neighed, their iron hooves stamped the ground, and the earth trembled violently.

In an instant, Qi and blood surged like a tide, and the entire wilderness was enveloped by an invisible killing intent.

Clearly, they had long been in battle formation, ready to strike.

"Form up!"

"Kill!"

A unified roar raised a visible wave of air.

At the same time, all the soldiers simultaneously formed hand Seals, their Qi and blood soaring into the sky, turning into countless points of light that gathered in the high air.

Those points of light intertwined, entangled, and condensed, eventually evolving into a blood-colored armored giant that stood between heaven and earth.

The giant was over a hundred feet tall, clad in heavy armor, with a blurred face, only a pair of scarlet eyes coldly watching Lu Ming below from under the helmet.

Then, it saw it slowly raise its right hand, with a blood-colored long blade condensing in its hand, the blade body as red as blood, and dark red light flowing on the edge.

Then, without hesitation, it slashed down from the sky!

This slash was like a heavenly punishment.

Lu Ming looked up, and all he could see was that blade light that seemed capable of splitting the firmament.

He noticed that although this slashing giant gathered the power of the entire battle formation, only half of the people activated their Qi and blood to merge into it, while the other half remained in the rear as reserves.

If he blocked this strike, they would take turns to slash a second blade, with the first batch retreating to rest, repeating this cycle, not giving him a moment to catch his breath.

"Good idea, but unfortunately you met me."

Lu Ming did not want to waste too much time on this group of people.

If he only revealed the power of the Void-Shattering Realm, he might be able to rival them, but he could not crush them easily.

Since that was the case, he would try his newly realized Martial Dao Divine Ability.

Immediately, Lu Ming raised his foot and stomped heavily on the ground.

In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains swayed.

With him as the center, large swathes of earth and stone flew up, surging and undulating like waves, rippling out in all directions.

The ground cracked with countless fissures, spreading in all directions like a spiderweb.

The soldiers who were forming the array did not expect this situation; their footing became unstable, and the formation shook.

Some were directly swallowed by the cracking earth, disappearing into the closing fissures.

Some fell into the fissures along with their horses, their screams drowned out by the roar of the earth.

The monolithic formation also shook, and the blade light in the hands of the towering blood-colored giant dissipated slightly.

Although it quickly re-formed, it revealed a momentary flaw.

That momentary flaw was enough for Lu Ming.

So he did not stop, and his second foot was already stepping down.

This time, it was heavier than the first.

The earth trembled violently again, and along with the surging waves of earth and stone, wider and deeper fissures appeared on the ground.

Now the formation was completely chaotic.

Countless people were thrown into the air by the waves of earth and stone, and when they fell, they were swallowed into the fissures.

Even under mutual pressure, they became a chaotic mess, leading to stampede incidents.

This time, the blood-colored giant could no longer hold on, emitted a heaven-shaking wail, and collapsed with a bang.

The sky full of blood Qi dissipated, turning into countless points of light that drifted down.

This was the Divine Ability Lu Ming had realized by gathering countless Martial Dao secret manuals and scriptures, combined with his own understanding of heaven and earth.

He named this Divine Ability—"One With the World".

It was to use Qi and blood to trigger the power of heavenly phenomena and earth veins, thereby inducing resonance.

In essence, it was borrowing the momentum of heaven and earth to shake the power of mountains and rivers!

This was the unique advantage of the Immortal Dao!

After all, a group of martial men only knew how to Cultivate themselves but did not comprehend heaven and earth.

How could they have imagined that a Martial Dao Divine Ability could be used in such a way.

This time, they suffered a huge loss.