Simultaneous Transmigration: My Strength Comes Entirely from My Own

Page 114

He was later highly regarded in the court and made seven voyages to the Western Ocean. After Emperor Taizong passed away and Emperor Renzong ascended the throne, Zheng Daban went into seclusion in the deep palace and became one of the foundations of the Ming Dynasty.

He is now over a hundred years old, not much older than Zhang Sanfeng. Although his martial arts skills are not as good as Zhang Sanfeng's, he is still a formidable opponent. The eunuchs in the palace all call him "Grand Ancestor," and even Cao Zhengchun is no exception.

"I've met my ancestors."

Cao Zhengchun couldn't stop the cold sweat from pouring down his forehead.

Although Yu Huatian's swordsmanship was extraordinary and unpredictable, Cao Zhengchun possessed unparalleled and domineering Tiangang Yuanqi, making him impervious to blades and spears. His skill far surpassed that of Yu Huatian. Why would he tolerate Yu Huatian taking charge of the West Depot and forming a pincer movement against him?

The reason is that Yu Huatian was personally trained by Zheng Daban, the most senior eunuch among them.

While Cao Zhengchun was in awe of Zhu Houzhao's imperial power, in the end, Cao Zhengchun was only in awe of imperial power, not of Zhu Houzhao himself.

However, Zheng Daban was indeed capable of taking his life at will, which was why Cao Zhengchun was so apprehensive.

Without a doubt, Zheng Daban, who was discovered by Emperor Taizong and served several emperors, was extremely loyal to the royal family. Although some emperors may have died due to illness or weakness, none of them died at the hands of others, precisely because Zheng Daban, their personal bodyguard, was always by their side.

Of course, there was an unexpected incident in the matter of the Ming Dynasty's Ming emperor, Zheng Daban, who was captured by the Mongol Empire when the emperor personally led an expedition against the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

Otherwise, even amidst a massive army, Zheng Daban was confident he could lead the fortress to charge back. Unfortunately, Zheng Daban was not present at the time.

Later, when Emperor Daizong of Ming ascended the throne, Zheng Daban followed him to his side.

Ultimately, Zheng Daban's loyalty was only to Emperor Taizong. He didn't care who ascended the throne of the Ming Dynasty, as long as they were descendants of Emperor Taizong.

Of course, whoever ascended the throne, Zheng Daban would stand on their side, so even if Emperor Taizong's descendants wanted to rebel, Zheng Daban would not tolerate it.

Of course, if you have the ability to bypass Zheng Daban and ascend the throne, Zheng Daban won't care. Even if he tries his best to support you, what good will it do if you're incompetent?

Chapter 207: The Comprehensive Martial Arts Chapter: Heaven and Earth and I were born together, all things and I are one.

"When that palm strike came down, I felt as if the sky was collapsing and the earth was sinking. I was powerless to resist. At that moment, it seemed that my opponent was not him, but the whole world was targeting me. I couldn't dodge or avoid it, and I could only take it head-on."

Even now, recalling that palm strike again, Cao Zhengchun still feels lingering fear and trembles involuntarily.

Zheng Daban lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.

"I see. No wonder you were no match for him. He is indeed a master, having reached the realm of oneness with heaven and man."

In this world, martial arts do not actually have any special realm divisions. The depth of skill can be roughly sensed, but how can the so-called realms divide who is stronger and who is weaker?

If we really have to categorize them, the Taoist concepts of refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, refining spirit to return to emptiness, and refining emptiness to unite with the Tao might be more suitable.

However, ordinary people in the martial arts world, while not necessarily illiterate, also do not specialize in Taoist classics.

However, the unity of man and nature is universally acknowledged as the supreme realm of martial arts.

Heaven and earth were born with me, and all things are one with me.

This 21 represents the state of harmony between humanity and nature.

By opening the bridge between heaven and earth, one can connect with the energy of heaven and earth during battle and use the power of heaven and earth to suppress the mind of the enemy.

"call!"

Suddenly, Zheng Daban lightly struck Cao Zhengchun with a palm strike.

Cao Zhengchun looked closely and saw that Zheng Daban's palm strike, though seemingly effortless, contained boundless power.

He could almost feel the air around him become heavy under that palm strike, as if it were solidified syrup and difficult to circulate.

His breathing became incredibly difficult in that instant, as if a hand was choking him, making him feel suffocated.

His body instinctively wanted to retreat, to escape the space shrouded in the force of the palm strike, but he found that his feet were pressed down by a weight of millions of pounds, making it difficult to move even an inch.

A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart, as if he were facing not only Zheng Daban, but the oppression of the entire world.

Large beads of sweat appeared on Cao Zhengchun's forehead, sliding down his face and dripping to the ground.

His breathing became rapid, each breath feeling like a struggle against heaven and earth, each breath requiring immense effort.

"Is this the power of harmony between humanity and nature?"

Cao Zhengchun exclaimed inwardly. Although he had heard of this legendary realm, he had never witnessed it firsthand, much less experienced such terrifying power.

Zheng Daban seemed to have noticed Cao Zhengchun's predicament, and suddenly withdrew his palm, and the surrounding air instantly returned to normal.

Cao Zhengchun let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had returned to the human world from hell.

Fortunately, Zheng Daban only casually swung his palm and did not target him, but even so, Cao Zhengchun was sweating profusely and his face was as pale as paper.

He knew that this was just a casual strike from Zheng Da, which had already left him almost powerless to defend himself. If Zheng Da had gone all out, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand even one of his attacks.

"Did you feel it?" Zheng Daban asked calmly.

Cao Zhengchun nodded, still feeling a lingering fear, and said, "I felt it. This power was terrifying, as if the heavens and earth were about to crush me."

Zheng Daban smiled slightly and said, "This is the power of the unity of heaven and man. It can use the power of heaven and earth to suppress the enemy and make them lose the power to resist. However, you don't need to worry too much. This kind of realm is not easy to reach. Even I had a fortuitous encounter overseas some time ago and accidentally achieved this realm. It seems that your defeat this time was not unjust!"

When Zheng Daban made his seven voyages to the Western Ocean, he encountered a shipwreck on his last voyage. Amidst the raging waves, lightning, thunder, and torrential rain, he comprehended the principle of the unity of man and nature. He used his own inner energy to propel the ship through the storm and escaped.

It was just a coincidence that occurred during the period when potential was being unleashed. After returning to the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Daban secluded himself for nearly twenty years before finally reaching this level during the Xuanzong era.

Later, he also sought instruction from Master Zhang of Wudang, mainly because his martial arts skills had greatly improved and his confidence had soared, so he wanted to challenge Master Zhang.

The result, of course, was a crushing defeat, without a doubt.

"Zhengchun has learned a lot today. Thank you for your guidance, Ancestor."

Cao Zhengchun respectfully expressed his gratitude to Zheng Daban.

Although Zheng Daban's words were simple, they were a great gain for Cao Zhengchun.

Diligent practice is the foundation of martial arts training, and talent is just a booster, but the key is in which direction you strive.

Having reached Cao Zhengchun's level, his talent had long been realized through his hard work. Now, all that was missing was the direction to move forward so that he could take another step. How could he not be excited?

Zhu Houzhao became interested and said, "I didn't expect there to be such a master. I wish I could meet him."

Zhu Houzhao's martial arts talent was not outstanding, but he was very fond of martial arts and had a decent talent for military strategy. He often practiced military tactics in his Leopard Chamber, so he understood what role a master like Zheng Daban could play in war.

So at this moment, Zhu Houzhao had a bold idea: if possible, he would like to recruit that mysterious masked master to his own cause.

Although he knew it was impossible, it didn't stop him from imagining the possibility.

"Your Majesty, this person is far too dangerous. You must not even entertain such thoughts!"

Upon hearing Zhu Houzhao's words, Cao Zhengchun was terrified, fearing that this young master might suddenly have another crazy idea and do something unreliable.

After all, this little emperor was known for being unreliable among all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Can you believe that an emperor would also hold the official title of Grand General?

Zhu Houzhao glanced at Cao Zhengchun with displeasure and said with dissatisfaction, "Are you the emperor or am I the emperor? Do I need you to teach me how to do things?"

Cao Zhengchun immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."

In the original novel, Zhu Houzhao would never have had the ability to make Cao Zhengchun tremble with fear. However, with Zheng Daban by his side, even though he knew that Zhu Houzhao would not do anything to him because of his words, Cao Zhengchun dared not remain silent. Otherwise, Zheng Daban might really have taken his head.

Back then, Wang Zhen was extremely favored by Bao Zong, but even in front of Bao Zong, Zheng Daban dared to break his legs, let alone his current status, which is far inferior to Wang Zhen's back then.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, and the tightly closed door of the Imperial Study was blown open.

Chapter 208: Martial Arts Chronicle: The Battle of the Imperial Garden

Zheng Daban suddenly frowned, and in the next instant he was in front of Zhu Houzhao, blocking his way. At the same time, he said in a deep voice, "It seems I really am getting old. I only just noticed you after you've been here for so long. Please show yourself!"

Before the words were even finished, a chilling aura filled the air, and the air in the imperial study seemed to freeze.

Cao Zhengchun and Zhu Houzhao's expressions changed drastically. They never expected that someone could approach the Imperial Study so quietly, and they never expected that this mysterious person's strength was so great that even Zheng Daban failed to detect it in time.

The next moment, a figure wearing a Nuo god mask and dressed in a blue robe appeared in the imperial study. He gave a perfunctory bow and said with a hint of mockery in his tone, "Your Majesty wanted to see me, so here I am."

This sudden turn of events startled both Zhu Houzhao and Cao Zhengchun. They stared intently at the mysterious man, trying to discern some clues from him.

However, this mysterious person seemed to have emerged from the void, without revealing any aura, making him impossible to fathom.

"Ancestor, it is this person. He is the one who helped Gu Santong escape from the Heavenly Prison."

Cao Zhengchun looked horrified, and his injuries were throbbing.

Zheng Daban stared intently at the mysterious man, his eyes sharp, and said in a deep voice, "What brings you here so late at night?"

The mysterious man chuckled and said, "Naturally, I have come at His Majesty's invitation. However, the presence of this eunuch is somewhat unexpected."

Zhu Houzhao had calmed down by this time. He looked at the mysterious man and said, "Since you are here, please take off your mask and let me see your true face."

The mysterious man shook his head and said, "True face? Why is Your Majesty so fixated on this? I am merely a wanderer of the martial world; my true face is of no importance."

Zheng Daban had already secretly activated his internal energy. He could sense that this mysterious person was no ordinary person and that he had to be careful.

He said in a deep voice, "Since you are unwilling to show your true face, then don't blame us for being impolite."

The mysterious man remained calm and composed, and said with a smile, "Why is this eunuch so nervous? I have no ill intentions here; I simply wish to have a chat with His Majesty."

Zheng Daban snorted coldly and suddenly flicked his sleeve. His palm, carrying a surge of powerful internal force, struck the man in the blue robe like a crashing wave.

The palm strike was far stronger than Guo Jing's Shocking Wave Palm, as if it would split the entire Imperial Study in two.

The man in the green robe remained still, but a layer of silver aura suddenly rose around him, as bright and deep as the moon in the sky.

Zheng Daban's palm strike collided with the blue-robed man's qi, like two wild seas crashing against each other, stirring up strong air currents that splashed everywhere, making the air in the entire imperial study seem to vibrate.

Upon seeing this, Cao Zhengchun quickly unleashed his Heavenly Gang Yuan Qi and stood beside Zhu Houzhao.

His vital energy acted like a protective shield, firmly protecting the two of them.

Although the aftershocks of the battle were extremely powerful, fortunately, Zheng Daban and the man in the blue robe seemed to have deliberately avoided Zhu Houzhao's side, so the impact of the battle did not harm them.

Although Zhu Houzhao was at the center of the storm, he appeared quite calm. His gaze was fixed on the man in the blue robe, and his eyes gleamed with a burning light.

This mysterious master was clearly the most powerful person he had ever encountered in his life, and even a master like Zheng Daban would find it difficult to suppress him easily.

After blocking Zheng Daban's palm strike, the man in the green robe advanced instead of retreating. He gently raised his hands, as if plucking the strings of a zither, and instantly, a series of mysterious forces swept towards Zheng Daban.

These forces appear gentle, but in reality they conceal deadly intent, as if they could penetrate any defense.

Zheng Daban's expression turned solemn. He retreated rapidly, his hands moving quickly to unleash a series of palm strikes that collided with the mysterious forces.

Each collision would trigger a powerful energy surge, causing the entire Imperial Study to tremble.

"Go outside to fight. What if you damage the Imperial Study? It's free, isn't it?"

Seeing that the imperial study was about to collapse, Zhu Houzhao suddenly let out a strange cry.

Cao Zhengchun was terrified. "My little ancestor, is this the time to be thinking about this? Are you really not afraid that someone might just slap you? I can't stop them."