Chapter 110: The Dim Glow of the Moon

What a colossal leg it was—neither elephant nor tiger, yet reminiscent of both. At times it was pitch black, at others pure white, and then again, it shimmered with a myriad of iridescent colors. It was clearly not of flesh and blood, but rather a limb condensed from some form of energy.

Lu Xin could not imagine what kind of creature in this world could grow to such a massive and mysterious size.

Zhuque Street in Chang’an was hundreds of meters wide; it could be called the greatest thoroughfare in the world. And Chang’an itself was the largest city of its era, and would remain so for centuries to come. Yet, the leg extending from the black clouds seemed capable of obliterating the entire city in an instant.

The ground shook violently. Lu Xin and his companions struggled to remain standing, forced to lean against the walls for support. It was less like a giant leg and more like a manifestation of some arcane power. Its ever-changing colors mirrored the heavens and earth, shifting in the blink of an eye. When Lu Xin tried to perceive it with his spirit, he felt as if he had entered another realm—boundless, vast, and ethereal. It felt like an entirely different universe.

"What is going on? There is clearly a giant beast lurking in the depths of those black clouds. But this leg... it isn’t made of flesh, and... why is there only one?"

Lu Xin and Yang Qin leaned against the wall, swaying with the tremors. Looking toward Zhuque Street, the giant leg descending from the black clouds stood like a pillar of heaven, its majesty making all living things tremble.

Boom!

Just then, the giant leg took a step forward, heading straight toward the imperial palace. Though it was only a single step and the distance was short, the terrifying shockwave instantly enveloped all of Chang’an. Lu Xin felt a sharp pain in his ears and a buzzing in his head; he had no choice but to forcefully shut down his six senses.

Strangely, despite its immense size, the leg was exactly as wide as Zhuque Street. Its power did not spill over to damage the surrounding houses.

"Senior Brother, all things in heaven and earth possess spirit. The scriptures say that every blade of grass, every tree, every grain of sand, and every stone can attain Buddhahood. But in this world, there are always some creatures who refuse to lay down their butcher’s knife. This tribulation in Chang’an must be Li Shimin’s sin."

"The virtue of the earth is supreme; it is the origin of all things and follows the will of Heaven. The Emperor of Man governs the earthly realm, bearing the weight of billions of lives. Li Shimin has spent years on the battlefield; his aura of slaughter is too heavy, even for Heaven to tolerate. If this trial can be overcome, the Great Tang will surely usher in a golden age. If not, the throne will change hands, and the land will flow with blood!"

"Sigh, it seems the Master was right about everything. But there is one thing I do not understand, Junior Brother. With Xuanzang’s cultivation, he could not have failed to foresee today’s tribulation. Why, then, did he choose to set out on his journey to the West at this very moment?"

"Amitabha! Some things, even if seen, cannot necessarily be stopped. Some people, even if misunderstood, are not necessarily acting wrongly. No one in this world can shoulder the burdens of all things alone. From what we see today, this Tang court still holds some measure of the people’s hearts."

In the South City, at Ci’en Temple, the monks Huijing and Huineng stood before the Buddha hall, gazing at the night sky with grave expressions. Yet, these two "Bodhisattvas" showed no intention of intervening to subdue the demon. From the moment Shangguan Yunyi entered the city, they had not taken a single step outside the temple. Meanwhile, on the balcony of the Taiji Hall, Li Shimin watched the "giant leg" take that slight step forward, his expression darkening sharply. The supreme emperor gripped the railing before him tightly, his gaze indescribably fearsome.

Behind him, Wei Zheng’s expression also shifted violently, and he drew a sharp breath. As for Tan Zongxiao, he glanced at Li Shimin with a furrowed brow, wanting to speak but hesitating, seemingly wary of something.

After a few moments, Li Shimin lowered his voice and said, "When I was young, I read an inscription on a bronze vessel from the Shang Dynasty. It spoke of Pangu creating the world, the chaos dividing into Yin and Yang, and his eyes becoming the sun and the moon. As Yin and Yang converged and the sun and moon alternated, two beasts were born: Zhuzhao of the Sun and Youying of the Moon. One Yin, one Yang, one good, one evil—both were incarnations of the Great Dao. I once thought those were merely legends of the ancients, but I never expected..."

"Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin’s voice grew softer, his tone increasingly despondent, devoid of the spirited vigor of a man who once conquered vast territories. Seeing the Emperor’s emotional state, Wei Zheng shouted urgently. The shout made Li Shimin freeze for a moment. Beside him, Tan Zongxiao lowered his head slightly.

"The tale of Youying of the Moon is but an ancient myth, with no proof of its existence. But Your Majesty is a true Emperor of Man. To my eyes, what we see before us is nothing more than a nightmare conjured by someone manipulating celestial phenomena. We have all been drawn into this dream."

"A dream? Are you saying my eyes are failing me, Immortal Master?"

Li Shimin flared with rage and slammed his hand against the railing, though his voice regained some of its strength. Seeing this, Wei Zheng hurried forward from behind.

"Your Majesty, pray, calm your anger. Look at the past dynasties: the Qin destroyed the six states, struck the Xiongnu in the north, and conquered the Baiyue in the south—how much slaughter did they cause? During the chaos of the Three Kingdoms, the people suffered, but did the heroes of that age care for the lives of the common folk? And the Yangs, father and son, were so arrogant and decadent that they forced the world to rise against them. Compared to them, Your Majesty is truly benevolent and sagacious! If Heaven were to judge, it would punish them, not Your Majesty. This so-called Youying of the Moon must be someone’s conspiracy. If Your Majesty does not believe me, we shall enter those clouds and see for ourselves."

With that, Wei Zheng composed himself. Without waiting for Li Shimin’s command, he leaped from the balcony. Flames of white, gold, and red erupted around him, wrapping him tightly as he shot straight into the black clouds. Seeing this, Tan Zongxiao frowned, muttered "Three-Corpse Karmic Fire," and followed him into the sky. In the blink of an eye, the two greatest experts at the Emperor’s side had left the Taiji Hall.

At the same time, Li Chunfeng, standing before the Zhuque Gate, shifted his gaze from the "giant leg" toward the depths of the black clouds. He saw countless flashes of lightning flickering within the gloom, the chaos churning in a way that mimicked the very beginning of the world.

"Youying of the Moon is said by some to be an incarnation of the Great Dao, and by others to be an ancient divine beast. But regardless of what it is, its appearance at this moment signals that the fortune of the Great Tang is at its weakest. Yuan Tiangang, the Emperor’s life is in your hands."

After saying this, nine talismans manifested behind Li Chunfeng, each with a ball of flame hovering above it. His form gradually blurred until he vanished entirely. Yuan Tiangang frowned as he watched Li Chunfeng leave, took a deep breath, and turned to walk toward the Zhuque Gate.

The sky was pitch black. The stars and moon were completely obscured by the dark clouds, allowing not a glimmer of light to pass. At this moment, time in Chang’an seemed to stand still. Lu Xin could hear nothing, see nothing; even the thoughts in his mind had faded away. With his level of cultivation, he could not withstand the pressure permeating the heavens and earth. Yet, others in the darkness were moving quickly toward the imperial palace.

On Zhuque Street, a woman wearing a black veil, accompanied by four subordinates, moved with agile grace. The five of them were incredibly fast; they skirted the "giant leg" in an instant and appeared before the palace gates. Because the Zhuque Gate had been damaged by the impact of the "Ba Serpent," they were able to slip into the palace with ease.

Passing through the gate, the woman swept her hand through the air, and her form instantly dissolved into a cloud of iridescent dust. The other four vanished immediately after, as if they had turned invisible.

Two minutes later, the balcony where Li Shimin stood suddenly burst into flames. Screams echoed in the Emperor’s ears, and a figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

Li Shimin’s pupils contracted, his gaze grim, yet he showed not a shred of fear.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... They say the Prince of Qin of the Great Tang is a brilliant commander and a peerless martial artist. Seeing you today, you truly are extraordinary. This pavilion will soon be reduced to ashes, yet I feel not a hint of fear from you. That... does not seem like a monarch who clings to his life. Ah, right, you are the Emperor now. Calling you Prince of Qin is likely improper, my apologies, hee hee hee."

With a light laugh, the veiled woman drew closer. In Li Shimin’s view, the visitor was tall and slender, draped in a semi-transparent gauze gown. Her skin was white with a rosy tint, and her full breasts were faintly visible, exuding an uncanny charm. Any ordinary man seeing such beauty would likely have a physiological reaction, unable to restrain himself. But Li Shimin remained expressionless.

"Judging by your attire, you must be from the Western Regions. Since my ascension, I have sent envoys to all the nations of the West, and they have all submitted to the Great Tang. I have never treated them poorly. I did not expect that there would still be those who do not know what is good for them and would come to assassinate me."

"Hee hee hee... Your Majesty the Emperor of Tang, pray, calm your anger. I am not here to assassinate you; I am here to kill you openly. And, Your Majesty is mistaken. The world is vast, and beyond the Western Regions lie endless territories. The people of the Central Plains are arrogant, and the Emperor is no exception. It is truly laughable."

"Humph, a foreigner, daring to speak so brazenly before me. Little girl, do you think I, Li Shimin, have spent all these years leading armies just for play?"

Li Shimin’s words came to an abrupt halt. Immediately, a faint golden light began to radiate from his body, growing brighter and denser until it seemed like the rising sun. The entire pavilion shook, and the spreading flames suddenly halted. Seeing this, the woman’s expression shifted, her mouth agape in shock.

"So you are..."

Before she could finish, she swallowed her words. In the next second, a white figure descended from the sky above the pavilion, standing before Li Shimin. It was Yuan Tiangang.

"The Emperor of the Great Tang shall not be offended by anyone."

Yuan Tiangang let out a low shout. Without giving her a chance, he flashed in front of the woman. With a single point of his finger, white light erupted, blurring the void. The woman met his palm with her own, yellow light swirling around her; her aura was just as powerful, matching Yuan Tiangang’s strength. But after holding out for only three breaths, she let out a sharp grunt and vanished into thin air.

"The descent of Youying of the Moon marks the fall of the Great Tang! Yuan Tiangang, we shall meet again."