In truth, when ambushed outside the capital, Xiao Yunlong didn't refrain from making that call simply because he didn't want to. The reality was that all major exits from the capital city had been sealed. Even if he had called, his hidden mysterious forces within the imperial city likely wouldn't have been able to emerge.
Moreover, the situation was so urgent; theoretically, there wasn't enough time!
In fact, if the major aristocratic clans of the imperial city hadn't misjudged his strength and had dispatched true peerless experts, Xiao Yunlong would not have been able to escape.
Of course, this was also a stroke of luck amidst misfortune!
Xiao Yunlong shook his head, dispelling these past thoughts that held no meaning, and focused on driving.
He didn't return to Sucheng. After all, Liu Ruyan had already gone to the imperial city, and Sucheng held no further appeal for him. After merging onto the highway, Xiao Yunlong headed directly back to Jiangdong.
As he entered the provincial capital, it was already dark. Xiao Yunlong considered going to the Tang family's old mansion first. Since Ziyun Villa was now empty, with even the servants dismissed, it would be better to have dinner at the Tang family's and chat with his grandfather before returning.
The Tang family was as warm and welcoming as ever, especially his two aunts, whose attentiveness was almost excessive. After dinner, he played chess with his grandfather in the courtyard.
"By the way, Yunlong, when do you plan to return to Chuan City? I always feel you should go back, at least to pay respects to your mother!"
Grandfather Tang Zengshou suddenly looked up and asked him.
Xiao Yunlong frowned slightly, then pondered before replying, "I certainly must go back, but I need to handle matters here first. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll have to go to the Eastern Domain before returning to Chuan City!"
Tang Zengshou nodded slightly and sighed, "Grandfather is getting old. Although you cured my illness, I understand my body; I don't have many years left. An old man cherishes returning to his roots. I only hope to return to Chuan City before I die!"
As Xiao Yunlong was about to speak, Tang Zengshou quickly waved his hand to interrupt, "Let me finish first. Grandfather is a bit superstitious. Perhaps because I heard old tales since childhood, they say if a person dies away from home, their soul can never return, becoming a wandering ghost!"
Xiao Yunlong didn't say anything further, only nodding heavily. "Don't worry, Grandfather. One day, in the near future, I will ensure you return with great honor!"
"Good, then Grandfather will eagerly await that day's early arrival!" Tang Zengshou finally smiled, and then the two of them focused on their chess game.
It wasn't until ten o'clock at night. Unable to refuse the warmth of his two aunts, Xiao Yunlong had a late supper before returning to Ziyun Villa.
Following this, Xiao Yunlong announced that he would be closing his doors to visitors for the next month and a half to focus on his cultivation at home. Unless it was a matter of life and death, he was not to be disturbed.
Time flew by like a white steed in a blink, and a month and a half had passed.
After this period of dedicated cultivation, Xiao Yunlong's martial arts prowess advanced by leaps and bounds. He successfully opened and connected sixty-eight of the Three Thousand Divine Kingdoms techniques.
The accompanying benefit was that the internal energy in Xiao Yunlong's dantian more than doubled. Through internal observation, he discovered that the internal energy in his dantian was now like a hazy white mist, giving it a somewhat mystical appearance.
What shocked Xiao Yunlong even more was that as the number of divine kingdoms opened within his body continued to increase, not only his bones, tendons, and flesh were strengthened, but even his dantian seemed to be subtly expanding towards its edges!
"This Three Thousand Divine Kingdoms technique is truly miraculous. It's one thing for the meridians to be widened, but to be able to expand the dantian as well, this is simply incredible!"
Xiao Yunlong couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
For a martial artist, the dantian is undoubtedly the most crucial element. The size and carrying capacity of the dantian vary for each martial artist based on their innate talent and physique. In essence, this is almost predetermined from birth and is very difficult to change.
The larger the dantian, the more internal energy it can hold. Of course, those with larger dantians usually have thicker meridians, which is the most direct and important manifestation of powerful martial arts talent!
The surge in his martial arts cultivation naturally brought Xiao Yunlong greater confidence, and his grasp on the upcoming Shaoshi Mountain expedition undoubtedly increased.
Jun Bufan had returned half a month ago, but since Xiao Yunlong had announced his seclusion, he didn't dare to disturb him, only silently performing his guard duties.
"Big Brother, you've finally emerged from seclusion. Tomorrow is the Zhongyuan Festival. If you hadn't come out soon, we'd likely miss this so-called martial arts讨伐大会 (tǎofá dàhuì -讨伐大会) of the three ancient martial sects!" Jun Bufan said, rushing forward as he saw Xiao Yunlong emerge from the secret chamber.
Xiao Yunlong smiled, "What kind of person is your Big Brother? Since I've promised something, I naturally won't miss it!"
"That's for sure!" Jun Bufan replied with a chuckle.
"By the way, did you see the King of the Eastern Domain? What did he say?" Xiao Yunlong asked as he walked towards the main hall upstairs.
"I saw him. The King of the Eastern Domain said this is a matter within the martial arts world, and he will not interfere!" Jun Bufan replied.
Xiao Yunlong stopped abruptly, his eyebrows involuntarily raising. "Did the King of the Eastern Domain say that personally?"
"Absolutely true. After receiving the letter you asked me to deliver, he took it very seriously and summoned me privately to his study!" Jun Bufan stated truthfully.
"That's not right. This doesn't seem like the King of the Eastern Domain's style!"
Xiao Yunlong shook his head and said, "Let's not worry about him for now. Since the Eastern Domain won't get involved, this matter will be handled by me, the King of Zhenbei!"
"Right, what was the reaction from the three ancient martial sects? Do they have any plans to cancel the讨伐大会?"
After pausing and sitting down on the sofa, Xiao Yunlong asked again.
Jun Bufan replied with a furrowed brow, "No, the martial arts讨伐大会 on the Zhongyuan Festival will proceed as scheduled by the three ancient martial sects!"
The corners of Xiao Yunlong's mouth curved slightly, and he chuckled coldly, "Courageous indeed. If that's the case, I'll see what you have to challenge me with!"
"Bufan, go and make preparations. We'll depart this afternoon, heading directly to Southern Shaolin!" Xiao Yunlong called out.
"Yes, Big Brother!"
Jun Bufan immediately cupped his hands in salute and retreated.
At two in the afternoon, everything was ready. As Xiao Yunlong settled into the back seat, Jun Bufan closed the car door and took the driver's seat. With a press of the accelerator, the car roared out of Ziyun Villa. Half an hour later, they merged onto the highway, heading directly towards Southern Shaolin.
At the same time, Zhang Houwen, the third elder of the Zhang family in Jiangdong, received a phone call.
"Good, good! This dog named Xiao is finally going. He's actually going to Southern Shaolin for the appointment. He's going to his death!" After hanging up the phone, Third Elder Zhang Houwen couldn't help but laugh wildly.
"Are you absolutely sure? Is that dog named Xiao really heading towards Southern Shaolin?" Zhang Quanlin, sitting in a wheelchair, asked.
"Absolutely true. Alright, our mission is complete. I'll notify Quan Che now and tell them to prepare. There's nothing more for us to do here. We'll just wait at home for Quan Che to bring back that dog named Xiao's head to pay respects to the souls of Quan Ming and Hou Xiu in heaven!"
Third Elder Zhang Houwen gritted his teeth and snorted coldly, then took out his phone again, likely to call Zhang Quanche.
In the blink of an eye, it was dusk. Since Jiangdong was quite a distance from Southern Shaolin in Funan, departing from Jiangdong in the afternoon meant they would likely only arrive by morning if they maintained their current speed.
Xiao Yunlong sat in the back seat, resting with his eyes closed. Perhaps feeling a bit stifled, Jun Bufan, who was driving, thought for a moment and then asked, "By the way, Big Brother, how is Brother Bowen doing? Didn't you send him to the Northern Territory before? How is it now?"
"Everything is normal!" Xiao Yunlong simply said four words.
"And what about what you mentioned earlier, the Four Great Divine Generals, Thirty-Six Heavenly Kings, and Seventy-Two Dragon Blood Guards? Can they make it?"
Jun Bufan continued to ask, after all, if it were just the two of them going to Southern Shaolin, he felt somewhat uneasy.
Xiao Yunlong didn't open his eyes and just smiled, "You'll know when we get there tomorrow."
Jun Bufan opened his mouth as if to speak but then held back. Silence returned to the car.
However, for Jun Bufan, while he felt nervous, he was also excited and expectant. Firstly, this was a grand martial arts gathering, a rare opportunity for ordinary people; ordinary martial artists were not qualified to participate. Secondly, he was looking forward to seeing his Big Brother sweep away the three major sects with his kingly presence. How magnificent would that be!
Wouldn't he, as his follower and junior brother, also be able to bask in the glory and make a name for himself?
Jun Bufan always had a blind trust in Xiao Yunlong. After all, he was the King of Zhenbei, the faith of the Dragon Country!
After a night of driving, as the sun slowly rose the next day, the mountains of Southern Shaolin began to appear in the distance.
The Funan Mountains were the largest mountain range in the southeastern part of the Dragon Country, and Southern Shaolin was situated on the highest and most majestic peak of the Funan Mountains.
Following the winding mountain road, after an hour, they finally reached the foot of the main peak. Looking up, they could vaguely discern the magnificent buildings and pavilions of Southern Shaolin at the summit.
A winding ancient bluestone path led to the mountaintop. However, in recent years, for the convenience of ascending and descending, Southern Shaolin had spent a large sum of money to hire people to build an asphalt road, so they no longer had to climb on foot.
"Stop!" Xiao Yunlong suddenly spoke, and at the same time, he slowly opened his eyes and pushed the door open to get out.
Through the window, they could clearly see the morning light casting colorful rays on the leaves in the forest. Birds and beasts chirped in the surrounding woods, and the mountain breeze of late summer brushed by, refreshing the spirit.
"There's a pavilion over there with a congee stall. Let's go there for breakfast first!" Xiao Yunlong said, then walked forward.
Jun Bufan parked the car in an open space and followed closely behind.
It was a four-sided pavilion. Although dilapidated, it exuded an ancient charm. The congee seller was an old man, with a pot placed on a charcoal stove. The white congee in the pot emitted steaming hot vapor under the burning charcoal.
A bowl of white congee and a small dish of pickled radishes constituted breakfast. Although simple, Xiao Yunlong ate it with relish.
"Two distinguished guests, it seems you also intend to go up the mountain to burn incense. What a coincidence, but Southern Shaolin has sealed its gates these past two days and is not receiving visitors!"
The old man's face was deeply lined, but his smile was simple and sincere.
"Old man, we are not pilgrims!" Jun Bufan replied.
"Then you are here for tourism? That's also an unfortunate coincidence. As I said, the mountain is sealed, and Southern Shaolin is not receiving tourists these past two days either!"
The old man said, fiddling with the charcoal. "Let me tell you, many cars have been driving up the mountain these past two days. From what I see, something big must have happened up there. So, if you have nothing important to do, it's best to turn back early and don't go up the mountain!"
Jun Bufan asked curiously, "Old man, do you know roughly how many cars have gone up the mountain these past two days?"
"How would I know that? In short, many. Shiny new sedans. I only know they were all luxury cars!" the old man said vividly.
Xiao Yunlong had finished a bowl of congee and smiled slightly. "Bufan, when paying the bill, give the old man some extra money for the congee!"
Without a word, Jun Bufan took out ten hundred-yuan bills and handed them over.
"No, no, this is too much. For this much money, not only can I buy two bowls of congee, but even selling myself wouldn't be worth this much!"
The old man glanced at the ten-yuan bill in Jun Bufan's hand and said, "You two are kind and good people. Good deeds are rewarded. Just take this ten yuan; it's more than enough!"
Saying this, he took the ten-yuan note and turned to fiddle with his charcoal.
However, at that very moment, five black cars roared down the mountain and quickly arrived in front of the pavilion.
Following this, over a dozen monks with shaved heads, dressed in monk robes, got out of the cars. An old monk walked briskly towards Xiao Yunlong and, with his palms pressed together, said, "Benefactor Xiao, you have indeed come. This old monk admires you!"
Xiao Yunlong remained seated and said indifferently, "Southern Shaolin only sends such an insignificant old bald donkey to greet me. Isn't that too much of an insult?"
"You are presumptuous! We are not here to welcome you. Don't flatter yourself!" a young monk immediately retorted coldly.
Xiao Yunlong's expression immediately darkened.
The leading old monk, seeing this, quickly said, "This poor monk came down the mountain specifically to tell Benefactor Xiao that we have sealed the mountain road leading up!"
"Sealed the mountain? What does that mean?" Jun Bufan asked.
"It means you can no longer drive up this road. You can only climb up step by step via the ancient cloud ladder path in front!"
The young monk who had spoken earlier said coldly, his demeanor extremely arrogant.
"You want me to climb up step by step? I don't know who gave you the courage to speak to me like that. Even if I agreed, I'm afraid they wouldn't!"
Xiao Yunlong said, then casually pointed in the direction they came from.
Instantly, off-road vehicles roared towards them, kicking up a vast cloud of dust.
The cars stopped in an open space about ten meters from the pavilion. Then, four individuals with imposing auras stepped out and quickly approached the pavilion, followed by a procession of agile figures alighting from the vehicles.
The four individuals with sharp auras led the way, followed by thirty-six murderous figures, and then seventy-two battle-hardened soldiers marching with resounding steps.
The four arrived in front of the pavilion and knelt on one knee towards Xiao Yunlong. The thirty-six divine generals also knelt simultaneously, followed by the seventy-two iron-blooded warriors bending their knees in submission.
"Your subordinate, Azure Dragon General Zhuge Wushuang!"
"Your subordinate, White Tiger General Tu Fu!"
"Your subordinate, Black Tortoise General Li Jiuxiao!"
"Your subordinate, Vermilion Bird General Nangong Qingzhu!"
"We pay our respects to the Master!" the four generals shouted in unison.
"We pay our respects to the King of Zhenbei!" the thirty-six Heavenly Kings and seventy-two Dragon Blood Guards shouted in unison.
"Your subordinates arrive late to protect the king, and we beg for your punishment!"
At this moment, deafening shouts echoed throughout the valley, startling birds and beasts in the surroundings. The dozen or so Southern Shaolin monks turned pale.
However, the old man selling congee, squatting at the corner of the pavilion with a weathered face, continued to fiddle with the charcoal as if the situation had nothing to do with him, giving off an air of detachment.
Xiao Yunlong couldn't help but glance at him with a meaningful look!