On the green mountain, among the white clouds, outside the gate of a Taoist temple.
"Ling Zuo, what are you planning to do when you go out?"
"Probably join the army. Make some contributions to our Great Han Dynasty and guard a certain region then."
"Then I'll go too in the future and fight against the foreign invaders."
Ling Zuo reached out and touched the head of the child in front of him, laughing and saying,"Hahaha, great! When I become a general, I'll appoint you as my deputy general. We'll conquer all directions together."
Since joining the army, Ling Zuo had gradually stood out in the military by virtue of his bravery and wisdom.
He treated his subordinates as if they were his own brothers. Every time he won a battle and received rewards, he never kept them all to himself but always shared them with the soldiers under his command.
Time flew by. Ling Zuo, who had become a general, returned to the Xuandu Temple. From a distance, he saw the sky lit up by a huge fire and heard the sounds of fighting. Realizing that something was wrong, he quickly flew over.
He saw that the gate of the temple had been broken down, with ruins everywhere inside. There were sounds of hacking, spells being cast, and laughter coming from within the temple.
Ling Zuo walked into the temple in disbelief. The once bustling Sanqing Hall, which used to have a thriving incense business, was now in a complete mess.
The incense burners were lying on the ground, the glazed tiles on the roof of the hall were shattered, and the holy statues of the Three Pure Ones in the main hall, which had once been revered by thousands of people, were now desecrated. The golden bodies of the holy statues were scratched, and all their former glory had gone up in smoke.
Inside, a monk wearing a kasaya laughed loudly and said,"Amitabha. The Marquis of Zhenbei has also come to get a share. However, this Pure Jade Vase, this old monk will take it back to use as a chamber pot. Hahaha."
Ling Zuo waved his palm and directly smashed him into mincemeat.
Jiang Li's divine soul was immersed in the images that were pouring in like a tide. It was as if he had been caught in a storm that spanned across time and space. Helpless yet completely focused, he witnessed that long-buried history.
The experts from the Xuanyuan Clan, the Great Xiangguo Temple, the Qinglian Sect, the Wuji Sect, and all sorts of other forces gathered together. Their eyes revealed undisguised ruthlessness and greed. It seemed that the Xuandu Temple was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, and they were the executioners holding the butcher's knives.
The little boy who had once made an agreement with Ling Zuo under the green mountains and white clouds to conquer all directions and protect the homeland together was now full of horror. The innocence in his eyes was replaced by despair.
Before he could even put up any resistance, a cold light flashed, and a sharp blade ruthlessly pierced through his tender chest.
The little boy's body suddenly stiffened, and then he fell heavily to the ground like a broken doll. Blood spread wantonly on the cold ground, and the breath of life dissipated, leaving only a cold body lying on that blood-soaked ground.
At the sight of this, Ling Zuo's eyes were instantly bloodshot, as red as fire, which was a sign of extreme anger.
"Ah!" Ling Zuo let out a earth-shattering roar. The sound echoed like thunder within the Xuandu Temple, making the surrounding ruins seem to tremble slightly.
He rushed towards those who were committing the atrocities recklessly. At this moment, Ling Zuo's bravery and determination were fully displayed.
Among the chaotic crowd in the melee, Jiang Li's gaze was suddenly drawn to one person.
That person's face actually bore some resemblance to Jiang Zhenting. The expression between his eyebrows and eyes gave off an air that was strangely familiar yet also sent a chill down one's spine. It was Jiang Shanhai. Jiang Li had seen his portrait in the ancestral hall when he was a child. He hadn't expected that he would be here.
Not far away, Xuan Yuan Aoxiong - the father of Xuan Yuan Tian, the current emperor, was standing aside.
The majesty of a superior was pressing down like a tangible force. It seemed that with just a single look, he could decide one's life or death, making people tremble with fear.
Ling Zuo's eyes were bloodshot, as red as fire, like a furious lion, and he rushed towards those who were committing the atrocities recklessly.
Xuan Yuan Aoxiong took the lead in making a move. He quickly formed seals with his hands and muttered incantations. In an instant, a pillar of scorching flames rushed towards Ling Zuo like a dragon emerging from the sea. Wherever it passed, the air was instantly distorted and deformed by the heat, making a"sizzling" sound. The oncoming heat wave seemed as if it could devour everything.
At the same time, an old monk from the Great Xiangguo Temple shouted loudly. He raised the Buddhist staff in his hand high and smashed it hard onto the ground.
With a deafening"boom", the ground split open instantly. Cracks spread towards Ling Zuo like a spider web. Broken stones flew in all directions, and some even shot towards Ling Zuo like hidden weapons, with sharp whistling sounds of"swish, swish" as they cut through the air.
Ling Zuo's figure was as swift as lightning. He suddenly dodged to the side. The pillar of flames just brushed past the corner of his clothes, burning a patch of his clothing, and the flying stones also flew past him one after another.
Taking advantage of the momentum, he turned his body, and the wind of his fists howled. With each punch he threw, it carried a tremendous power capable of splitting mountains and breaking rocks, smashing towards the enemies with great force.
Wherever the wind of his fists passed, the air seemed to be torn apart, emitting sharp whistling sounds one after another, just like the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves, which was truly terrifying.
The shadows of his fists collided with the enemies' attacks. For a moment, lights shone brightly and explosions rang out one after another.
The impact generated by each collision spread out in all directions like surging waves, shaking the surrounding ruins violently. Some stones that were already on the verge of falling came crashing down one after another, raising a cloud of dust.
Ling Zuo moved nimbly among these attacks all over the sky. However, as time went by, the disadvantage of being outnumbered by the other side gradually became apparent.
The number of wounds on his body kept increasing. Blood gushed out like a spring and dyed his clothes red. His originally vigorous posture also became a bit unsteady.
Jiang Shanhai slashed out a sword light that seemed to split the sky. The sword light shone with a biting cold light, like a meteor cutting through the sky, and it chopped straight towards Ling Zuo.
At this critical moment, a Taoist in a purple robe who suddenly appeared rushed to block in front of Ling Zuo and propped up a protective shield with his own spiritual power.
With a deafening"boom", the sword light that seemed to split the sky slashed hard on the protective shield, splashing out a dazzling burst of sparks.
Although the Taoist in the purple robe blocked this blow, he was also pushed back a few steps by the powerful impact and returned to Ling Zuo's side.
Then he pushed Ling Zuo backward with a palm and transmitted his voice, saying,"Run! Survive! You must survive!"
Xuan Yuan Aoxiong shouted,"Yun Youzi, hand over the True Scripture of Human Origin quickly, and I can still leave a good name for your Xuandu Temple."
In the end, all that could be seen was that Moyuan transformed into a giant fish and started to fight with the opponents.
[Jiang Li murmured to himself,"Moyuan is something belonging to Ling Zuo's master. It can be used actively. Then how should I use it?"]
"Master... I..." Ling Zuo gritted his teeth. His figure swayed, and he endured the intense pain of his meridians breaking. Then he turned into a stream of light and galloped away into the distance.
Ling Zuo's back was filled with endless sadness and unwillingness, like a lone wolf driven by fate. He disappeared from everyone's sight and there was no news of him since then, as if he had been completely erased from this world.
The scenes continued to flash by like a revolving lantern, and time passed quietly.
When Ling Zuo appeared again, he had already changed his identity and become a hall master of the Xuantian Society.
As the scenes unfolded, inside the attic, a person said in a panic,"Hall Master, the news has leaked. The informant is running towards Jiang Zhenting's place. We couldn't stop him."
Ling Zuo made a prompt decision and said,"You guys go first. Hide yourselves well. You must take this news back. I'll figure out a way on my own. Hurry up and pack your things and retreat."
Jiang Li then understood why he had attacked the examination hall back then. Although he was instantly killed by Jiang Zhenting, he did buy some time indeed.
When all these scenes like a tide flashed through Jiang Li's mind, he had mixed feelings in his heart.
Once upon a time, he had always thought that the Xuandu Temple was an evil cult. Those negative rumors about the Xuandu Temple were like shackles that confined his perception.
But now, through these memory scenes of Ling Zuo's, it turned out that history was also a lie that had been wantonly distorted and fabricated by others. The Xuandu Temple was not an evil cult at all. They were just innocent victims who had attracted too much attention and were jointly suppressed by those who were envious.
Jiang Li clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. In this short period of time, Jiang Li seemed to have undergone a baptism of the soul.
"Is this the so-called truth, the so-called history? History is nothing but the drawing board of the victors, and I'm also in that drawing board..."
"No! I want to be the painter, I want to be the victor, and I'll compose my own history myself!"
With these thoughts, streaks of golden light emerged from Jiang Li's body, slowly seeping out and gradually spreading all over his body.
Each ray of golden light seemed to contain endless vitality and power, flowing continuously around him, like lively golden streams flowing with a majestic momentum.
In Jiang Li's eyes, the previous confusion gradually faded away, replaced by a deep and clear light, as if they were the divine eyes that could see through all the vanities in the world.
His consciousness seemed to break free from the shackles of his physical body and enter a mysterious and wonderful realm.