"Among the Thirteen Great Clans, the Li Family is not the strongest. However, during the opening of the Western Ox New Continent, the Li Family produced two supreme powerhouses, possessing two great treasured compendiums, a culmination of the world's Daoist methods."
Outside Western Capital, in front of a tea stall, two elderly men with completely white hair were drinking tea while playing a game of Go.
Beside their Go board, each had placed a tea jar. Tea stalls like these outside the city were mostly prepared for sedan chair carriers, woodcutters delivering firewood, and other laborers. The tea was cheap, just a few copper coins, and the tea leaves weren't good either—coarse stems, large leaves, with mottled traces left by insect bites and gnawing.
The tea jars weren't very clean either, covered in thick tea stains and scratches from fingernails when scrubbing the jars.
These two white-haired elders were dressed exquisitely, clearly from wealthy families, yet they sat drinking tea at this tea stall alongside those poor laborers.
The tea in the jars before them was perfectly still, like a mirror's surface, but what it reflected wasn't the sky, but the scene of Wenchang Alley.
Behind them stood many powerful experts from the Ma Family, motionless, eyes fixed on their noses and hearts, but their auras were simply too strong, leaving the tea stall with no one else besides them.
These two white-haired elders were the two ancestral elders of the Ma Family. They looked about the same age, both very old, but in reality, they were grandfather and grandson.
The one on the left was called Ma Jun, the Great Ancestor Lord of the Ma Family. The one on the right was Ma Yu, the Founding Ancestor of the Ma Family.
Ma Jun placed a Go piece, unhurriedly saying, "Li Chunfang left behind the 'Yi'an Hall Collection,' recording the Li Family's most top-tier cultivation techniques and immortal methods, practiced by the main lineage since ancient times. Li Zongyi left behind the 'Southern City Sect Yi Collection,' recording Daoist methods only slightly inferior to the 'Yi'an Hall Collection,' studied by the external lineage disciples. The Li Family's inheritance has lasted thousands of years, passing on the torch, continuing unbroken. These two great treasured compendiums of Daoist methods have made immense contributions. Who could have imagined that the Li Family's Four Ancestors, having been in closed-door cultivation for so long, would lose two of them upon emerging this time and coming to Western Capital."
Ma Yu delayed placing his piece, his gaze fixed on the tea water in the jar.
The tea water was like a mirror, reflecting Wenchang Alley.
In Wenchang Alley, it looked like nothing more than an insignificant brawl between a young man beating up two octogenarian elders.
However, the two elders in the alley were old but vigorous, their movements extremely agile, their footwork shifting like ghosts, not resembling old men at all.
It was just that their heaven-piercing, earth-penetrating divine powers and spells, the moment they manifested, seemed to be eaten by something. One could only vaguely see a flash of brilliant light, and the external manifestation of the divine power or spell vanished completely, leaving only the power hidden within their physical bodies.
But the moment this power made contact with that young man, it was like clay oxen entering the sea—vanishing without a trace.
For those passing through the alley, this was just an ordinary fight, nothing special. But for Great Ancestor Lord Li Yiran and Great Ancestor Li Qianfeng, this was a life-or-death duel!
They were already covered in wounds, having been continuously and severely injured by Creation Little Five.
The successive deaths of Li Xinshu and Li Kunyu had made the two elders tense as well, fighting with their lives on the line.
Yet it was so frustrating.
The top-tier Daoist methods from the 'Yi'an Hall Collection' seemed to suddenly lose all their dazzling external trappings before Creation Little Five, stripped down to their essence, leaving only simple moves, only a life-and-death struggle.
They were like ordinary old men fighting in the streets, having at most learned a bit of martial arts methods, crude and vulgar, brawling with the equally crude and vulgar Creation Little Five, getting beaten bloody by Creation Little Five's even cruder moves.
"What Creation Little Five is using should be a Ghost and God Domain."
Ma Yu carefully examined the brawl in the tea jar, pondering. "These three Ghost and God Domains are subtle and silent, with three variations. The Heaven-Earth Variation, where heaven and earth are inverted. The Yin-Yang Variation, where yin and yang are reversed. The Cosmic Variation, where the cosmos is displaced."
Ma Jun didn't urge him to place his piece, smiling as he said, "Can you see the origins of these three Ghost and God Domains of his?"
Although Ma Yu could see two, he had always been well-mannered and didn't want to show off. He shook his head. "Your grandson does not know. Please enlighten me, Grandfather."
Ma Jun stroked his snow-white beard, smiling. "The first, the Heaven-Earth Variation, comes from the Taishang Eight Trigrams Protective Talisman. This talisman can be a talisman, can be a cultivation technique, can transform into a Dao Field, a Ghost and God Domain. Since ancient times, talisman methods and Daoist methods are inseparable. Comprehending Daoist methods from talismans, comprehending Dao Fields and Ghost and God Domains, that is also possible, but it requires heaven-defying talent."
Ma Yu said, "The talisman pattern of the Eight Trigrams Protection Talisman, any talisman master can draw it. But how many can comprehend a peerless technique from it? What about the second?"
Ma Jun said, "The second, the Yin-Yang Variation, comes from the Yin-Yang Two Scenes Diagram, similarly a peerless technique derived from talismans, nearly an immortal art. And this third, the Cosmic Variation, originates from the Grand Cosmic Sacrificial Rite, dividing this Ghost and God Domain into three hundred and sixty-five gradations, enveloping Western Capital, dividing Western Capital into three hundred and sixty-five parts. As the gradations change, Western Capital's geography also changes, palaces interweave, streets crisscross, up and down are reversed, geography is indistinguishable. It is the most formidable of the three variations."
Ma Yu was sincerely impressed, praising, "Grandfather truly knows so much."
Ma Jun stroked his beard, smiling. "You little rascal, you actually know too, you just don't say it."
Ma Yu said earnestly, "Your grandson understands the Yin-Yang and Heaven-Earth Variations, but the Cosmic Variation, I don't understand. Without Grandfather's guidance, I would also be completely in the dark. The Li Family's Four Ancestors don't understand either, which shows they are not as knowledgeable as Grandfather."
Ma Jun shook his head. "It's not that they don't understand, but that they are within it, helpless. Actually, the origins of Creation Little Five's three variations are traceable; they come from Vice Minister Chen Yindu's talisman methods, but he has gone further, comprehending the profound principles of talismanic seals."
He also knew quite a bit about Chen Yindu.
Back when Chen Yindu served as Vice Minister in the Ministry of Rites, compiling the 'Heavenly Heart Righteousness Technique' and teaching it to all those in the world aspiring to cultivate, causing the number of scholars to increase a hundredfold, the court and the public were shaken, and it also startled him.
At that time, the court was in an uproar, believing this act allowed ordinary people to learn spells and cultivation, shaking the foundation of the court, and should be banned. Later, a compromise was made: Vice Minister Chen was not allowed to compile the subsequent cultivation techniques for the Golden Core realm, Nascent Soul realm, and Spirit Transformation realm of the 'Heavenly Heart Righteousness Technique,' and that was the end of it.
Chen Yindu, disheartened by this, resigned his post and left Western Capital, becoming a freeholder.
The second time he saw Chen Yindu was when Chen Yindu slaughtered Western Capital.
He was also startled, emerging from seclusion to come to Western Capital, joining the Li Family's Four Ancestors and others in a battle of attrition against Chen Yindu, forcing Chen Yindu to stop the killing. After that, Chen Yindu retreated into seclusion, single-mindedly searching for a way to resurrect Chen Shi.
Ma Yu sought advice. "Dare I ask, Grandfather, how to break Creation Little Five's three Ghost and God variations?"
Ma Jun's eyes lit up, smiling. "The name 'Three Ghost and God Variations' is good, but I think it should be called 'Three Ghost and God Startling Variations,' more fitting. When these three variations are unleashed, even ghosts and gods would be startled."
He pondered briefly, then said, "Creation Little Five uses Western Capital as his Ghost and God Domain, unleashing the Three Startling Variations. To break it, one must suppress his Ghost and God Domain. I believe the Realm of Emptiness is the Dao Field of us cultivators, evolving heaven and earth, sharing the same origin as the Ghost and God Domain. One can use the Realm of Emptiness to suppress the Ghost and God Domain. Once his Ghost and God Domain cannot operate, it can be broken."
Ma Yu was sincerely full of admiration, praising, "Grandfather has piercing eyes, seeing the essence at a glance. Your grandson admires you. Pitiful that the Li Family's Four Ancestors failed to see this point, leading to the loss of two. The Li Family will likely suffer a significant loss of vitality because of this."
Ma Jun smiled. "The Li Family is going to suffer a significant loss of vitality, but the ancestral spirits are still there, it won't damage the foundation, just injure the muscles and bones."
He looked at the tea jar's water surface; the brawl-like scene in Wenchang Alley was reflected in his eyes. The Li Family's two ancestors' injuries were getting heavier, their lives hanging by a thread.
He stood up, smiling. "Our Thirteen Great Clans share the same breath and branches. While we are happy to see the Li Family suffer damage, we cannot let the Li Family fall. Back then, we old bones gathered in Western Capital to face the Western Capital Butcher. Today, gathering again in Western Capital to face Creation Little Five will also be a fine tale!"
Ma Yu casually paid with silver notes, smiling. "Only now does your grandson truly understand what it means to carry the Ming Dynasty's rivers and mountains on our shoulders. Although we have retreated into seclusion, when the Ming Dynasty's rivers and mountains are shaken, we still must bravely emerge from seclusion to deal with demonic transformations, extending the life of the Ming Dynasty's rivers and mountains!"
Ma Jun laughed heartily. "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every common man. Moreover, we are not common men!"
Grandfather and grandson, both in their octogenarian years, walked together to Wenchang Alley.
At this moment, three more elders walked towards Wenchang Alley from outside, two men and one woman, all with white hair and hoary heads, extremely aged—they were the Three Ancestors of the Xia Family.
Everyone met, nodding to each other in acknowledgment, not exchanging pleasantries.
At this moment, the Li Family's two ancestors were in critical condition, leaving no time for pleasantries.
They had timed their arrival precisely to intervene when the Li Family's two ancestors were severely injured but not yet dead, to lend a helping hand—that would be delivering charcoal in snowy weather.
"Child, get farther away!"
Ma Yu approached, pushing the child holding the umbrella aside, instructing the Ma Family experts who had arrived, "Seal off Wenchang Alley, no one is allowed to enter!"
At the same time, at the other three alley entrances, the ancestral elders of the Yan Family, Zhang Family, Gao Family, Xu Family, and other great clans also arrived, instructing their clansmen to guard the alley entrances before entering Wenchang Alley.
The Qingzhou Red Horse Bandit case had shocked the Thirteen Great Clans, forcing the ancestral elders of the major clans to emerge from seclusion, intervening in worldly affairs to set things right.
The Li Family's Four Ancestors' decisive battle against Creation Little Five, with two ancestors dead, hung in the sky by Little Five to become part of the corpse cloud, naturally hadn't escaped their notice. They could watch Li Xinshu and Li Kunyu die, but if all four ancestors were wiped out, that wouldn't align with their interests.
The Thirteen Great Clans share the same breath and branches, flourishing or withering together.
They could suffer a little damage, but not all be damaged.
Now that Li Qianfeng and Li Yiran were in danger, they naturally had to rescue them.
Now, the various ancestral elders had seen through Creation Little Five's methods. Stepping into Wenchang Alley, full of confidence, they each manifested their Realm of Emptiness, intending to break Little Five's Three Ghost and God Startling Variations.
The Ma Family's two ancestors, Ma Jun and Ma Yu, each manifested their Realm of Emptiness, suppressing downwards. However, after entering the alley, the Realm of Emptiness couldn't suppress anything. It wasn't as they had anticipated—the moment the Realm of Emptiness appeared, it would suppress the Three Ghost and God Startling Variations!
"There's been a slight miscalculation." Ma Jun's old face flushed slightly red.
Fortunately, the others' old faces were also slightly red. They all seemed like they had drunk fake wine; no one could criticize the others.
They unleashed divine powers and spells, attacking Creation Little Five. Their divine powers and spells also behaved like those of the Li Family's two ancestors—the external manifestations vanished completely. There were no earth-shattering commotions, no dazzlingly brilliant lights, no myriad spinning flying swords, nor any ground-shaking, mountain-moving scenes.
It was just several dozen old men and women, stumbling forward with unsteady steps, charging at Creation Little Five.
Their strides were still extremely fast, the power hidden within their physical bodies was still earth-shattering, but stripped of the dazzling external trappings of divine powers and spells, it appeared somewhat laughable, even slightly clumsy.
At the entrance of Wenchang Alley, the child holding the umbrella still hadn't left, craning his neck to peek.
"Child, go away!" a Ma Family official's face darkened as he pointed at the umbrella-holding child.
The umbrella-holding child laughed. "Several dozen old men and women ganging up on a young man, what kind of ability is that? It's not even as good-looking as my parents fighting. I'm not leaving; I still have to return someone's umbrella."
Everyone's faces flushed red as they looked back into the alley.
In the alley, several dozen old men and women were running swiftly, exchanging punches and kicks, ganging up on a scholar.
Creation Little Five fought while retreating, soon forced out of Wenchang Alley by the group's encirclement and arriving at Chang'an Street.
Chang'an Street was named after Chang'an City of the Divine Continent, holding some commemorative significance. It was also an extremely prosperous main street in Western Capital. Even with light rain falling from the sky, it was bustling with people and traffic.
On the street, people stopped one after another, showing shocked expressions as they watched this rare brawl.
They saw several dozen old men and women chasing after that scholar while swinging punches and kicks at him, fighting quite heatedly.
The old men and women didn't fight with finesse, and the scholar fought back fiercely. From time to time, an old man or woman would be beaten until they spat blood, sent flying several *zhang*. The scholar also had over a dozen bloody holes stabbed through him, his clothes disheveled.
Sometimes he would be slammed to the ground by an old woman or sent flying several dozen steps.
Two old men also fell to the ground, unable to get up—they were precisely the Li Family's two ancestors, Li Qianfeng and Li Yiran.
Many officials from the Western Capital Li Family, faces flushed red, hurried over with stretchers, placed the two ancestors on them, and quickly carried them away.
The two ancestors' injuries were the most severe. This fall, without treatment, might cause them to depart for the west riding a crane ahead of time.
However, the Li Family members also saw this fight. They had thought it would be a god-like duel, but it turned out to be only slightly better than country bumpkins who had learned boxing for two or three years, making them feel somewhat ashamed.
They even harbored the arrogant thought, "I could do that too."
Of course, this was the scene in outsiders' eyes.
But in the eyes of Ma Jun, Ma Yu, and the others, this battle was magnificently brilliant!
The entire Western Capital was divided into three hundred and sixty-five districts. As Creation Little Five's footsteps moved, the three hundred and sixty-five districts overlapped, folded, interwoaved, and crisscrossed. People intersected with people, space-time overlapped with space-time, yin and yang reversed, heaven and earth inverted, making their eyes spin.
They exerted their utmost to press forward, but only four or five people could form an encirclement, unable to attack Creation Little Five's back, unable to form a complete siege.
If they could form an encirclement, they could leisurely kill him.
But unable to form an encirclement, Creation Little Five could roam within the cosmos, using the Cosmic Variation to evade fatal attacks.
Soon, the ancestral elders of the various great clans also gradually sustained wounds, and the wounds showed a tendency to increase. Creation Little Five had even more wounds. Everyone felt a sense of being unable to continue.
Creation Little Five fought while moving along Chang'an Street, with the crowd of old men and women chasing him, fighting from Chang'an Street to Nanjing Street, from Nanjing Street to Hangzhou Alley.
From time to time, an old man or woman would be beaten and fall to the ground, only to stubbornly get back up, disregarding being covered in mud as they pounced forward to continue the fierce fight.
Many pedestrians and carriages passed between them, also as usual, without any unusual phenomena occurring.
"Stop fighting!"
A passerby kindly stepped forward, intending to pull back an octogenarian elder. Before his hand even touched the elder, suddenly the world spun before his eyes, yin and yang went haywire. Western Capital City seemed to decompose into countless fragments—streets, city walls, buildings, the imperial city—all flying about and reassembling chaotically.
Fortunately, with a *bang*, the kind passerby exploded, turning into a cloud of blood mist.
"I'm not fighting anymore!"
Suddenly, Creation Little Five shouted loudly, leaped up, and jumped into the azure sky, vanishing from before the elders' eyes. His voice came from afar, "I know why my father retreated! I can't beat you all either, I'm not fighting anymore!"
The elders all stopped, looking around, still searching for his whereabouts.
Ma Jun coughed repeatedly, raising his hand. "Don't chase! Let him retreat knowing the difficulty!"
The various Founding Ancestors of the Thirteen Great Clans looked at each other. Seeing everyone injured, they couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.
Back then, when they dueled Chen Yindu, it was a battle of attrition, not a siege!
But now, they were besieging Creation Little Five. Who would have thought so many supreme experts not only failed to keep the other party here but also got injured themselves.
Creation Little Five was stronger than Chen Yindu back then!
