Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 732 Mirror Lake Dragon King

Lu Zheng visited several newly occupied areas and found that the local people of all ethnic groups were very cooperative and no one caused any major conflicts.

Within the Northern Region, the power relationships among various ethnic groups are chaotic, and the social status among them is clearly defined, which has made the region chaotic and disorderly, making it difficult to form a unified large power.

Even the most famous demon kingdoms in the Northern Region, because managing other races was too troublesome, simply occupied their own territories and did not waste their national strength on excessive expansion.

However, Lu Zheng established the Taiping Domain and rapidly integrated the surrounding forces, large and small, with the speed of an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, which was beyond everyone's expectations.

The reason he was able to achieve this was because Lu Zheng possessed advantages that no other person or force had.

Firstly, Lu Zheng was powerful enough to intimidate the region; secondly, Lu Zheng brought a superior management system, and under that almost absolutely fair system, most of the humans, demons, and monsters in various places were naturally willing to submit.

After all, in such a land, most humans, demons, and ghosts lead uneasy lives. Even those with a certain level of cultivation have to worry about their personal safety all the time...

No one doesn't yearn for a peaceful life, especially the large and small demon clans who are always embroiled in conflict.

In the past, those demon races not only had to fight for survival, but also had to offer tributes to the stronger ones, inevitably suffering various forms of exploitation.

Now that Lu Zheng has arrived, although they have to contribute a lot and do a lot of work, Lu Zheng has brought fairness, prosperity, and hope...

This gave countless humans, demons, and monsters a glimpse of a bright future.

As for the other small group of people, those who already lived very privileged lives and were used to bullying others, they naturally did not expect Lu Zheng's arrival.

But what Lu Zheng is going to do will not be swayed by the thoughts of those people.

As a result, those people either fled at the first sign of trouble, or, finding no better place to go, chose to stay and atone for their sins after weighing the pros and cons.

After Lu Zheng finished inspecting another area and showed his face to everyone to deter certain unstable factors, someone came over and delivered a letter.

Lu Zheng took the letter and saw that it was a reply to an invitation.

After reading the letter, Lu Zheng pondered for a moment, then turned and headed east.

After traveling about a thousand miles east, a lake came into Lu Zheng's view.

From a distance, the entire lake appears calm and still, like a giant mirror embedded in the earth, reflecting a vast expanse of sky.

As you get closer, it feels as if you are between two skies, making it hard to distinguish between heaven and earth.

This lake is known as Mirror Lake.

Mirror Lake covers an area of ​​hundreds of miles, and within it lies a spiritually rich land occupied by a powerful demon.

The great demon is said to be a dragon, with profound strength and awe-inspiring presence in the region, and is revered as the Dragon King of Mirror Lake by some nearby forces.

Lu Zheng stepped on a white cloud and floated away to the depths of Mirror Lake.

In the distance, a ripple appeared on the calm lake surface, and a white figure appeared in the blink of an eye, slowly approaching Lu Zheng's direction.

The newcomer was a young-looking man, tall and slender, with a thin face that exuded an eerie aura.

The man, with his hands behind his back, saw Lu Zheng approaching and immediately smiled, a glint of light flashing in his jewel-like blue eyes.

"Lu Zheng, a human?"

The man looked at Lu Zheng with undisguised scrutiny in his eyes.

Lu Zheng smiled slightly, "Do I not look like a human?"

The man chuckled and said, "You're too young..."

The man paused, then said, "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ao Jing, but they like to call me the Dragon King of Mirror Lake."

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "Hello."

Ao Jing grinned and said, "Are you thinking about something?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng asked, "What?"

Ao Jing raised his chin slightly and said leisurely, "There are many rumors about me around here, and you should know some of them. I won't hide it from you, some of the rumors are true."

"Oh."

Lu Zheng's expression remained unchanged, and he showed no interest whatsoever.

Ao Jing narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but say, "Don't you want to know?"

Lu Zheng said calmly, "So what if I know, and so what if I don't? I'm not that interested in those rumors about you. I'm more interested in this place. If you're willing to join us, I'd be happy to hear some of your stories."

Ao Jing raised an eyelid and couldn't help but say, "You're really boring. But even if you don't want to hear it, I'm going to tell you anyway."

"I, Ao Jing, am, as some rumors say, a member of the Ao clan of the Dragon Clan, the East Sea Dragon Clan, a true dragon lineage!"

Lu Zheng nodded and said calmly, "Mm."

It is said that the East Sea Dragon Clan is the purest bloodline among all dragon clans.

Of course, this doesn't mean that all members of the East Sea Dragon Clan possess the bloodline of a true dragon.

Lu Zheng wasn't surprised that Ao Jing introduced himself.

Lu Zheng then said, "Although you have some background, I'm sorry, but I still want this area. I'll have to trouble you to find another place."

"He has some background..." Ao Jing's lips twitched, feeling somewhat insulted.

Ao Jing's expression turned cold, and he said, "I heard you are a scholar. Are all human scholars so unreasonable, forcibly seizing other people's territory?"

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "You want to reason with me? Well, that's a good point. First of all, this place didn't originally belong to you, did it? Secondly, I've also written you an invitation letter, hoping we can work together to bring a more stable and prosperous life to the people of all ethnic groups here..."

"You should know my character and conduct. In terms of moral high ground, who do you think stands higher, you or me?"

Ao Jing was speechless. He really couldn't refute these words. He couldn't find any fault with what Lu Zheng had done.

Lu Zheng continued, “You think I’m not like a scholar, but I act according to the principles of sages. My hands have killed more humans, demons, and ghosts than I have read or written, and perhaps more sins than you have committed… but I have a clear conscience.”

Hearing Lu Zheng say such words so calmly, Ao Jing felt a chill run down his spine.

Lu Zheng looked at Ao Jing and asked, "So, what do you want to choose?"

Ao Jing did not sense any fluctuation in Lu Zheng's aura, but his intuition told him that Lu Zheng was prepared to deal with anything.

Ao Jing's thoughts flashed, then he smiled and said, "They all say you're very young, not even thirty yet, but you have abilities far beyond your peers. I don't quite believe it. How about this, you and I will have a fight, using only the power you've cultivated, without relying on anyone else. If you can defeat me, this place is yours."

Many people speculate that Lu Zheng is able to act so boldly in the Northern Region by relying on the methods and power of certain strong individuals.

Even Ao Jing didn't believe that Lu Zheng could suppress those powerful demons with his own abilities; he was too young.

So he wanted to take this opportunity to verify it.

And this wasn't just his opinion...

Without hesitation, Lu Zheng replied, "Alright! But what if I invite a sage to come?"

Ao Jing's lips curled into a smirk. "If you can summon a saint on your own, then you're something else! Go ahead and try summoning any saint from your human race right now. If I can't hold out for three breaths, I'll head straight back to the East Sea." Ao Jing figured that if Lu Zheng truly possessed such power, he could stall for a while, perhaps even launch a counterattack...

Lu Zheng thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Never mind, it would be a waste."

That's a bit wasteful... Ao Jing's expression was somewhat unnatural.

This is an insult. Using the methods of inviting a saint on him is a waste. How much do they look down on him?

Ao Jing's expression darkened slightly. With a thought, he flashed and created a distance of over a thousand feet between himself and Lu Zheng.

He knew that the literary style of Confucian and Taoist scholars had a certain scope, so if they were to exchange ideas, they should first maintain a safe distance.

Then, Ao Jing slightly raised his hand, and a silver-white armor covered his entire body, while a silver spear appeared in his right hand.

Ao Jing stood there, poised to strike, and said leisurely, "I can give you some time to prepare."

Lu Zheng nodded upon hearing this and said, "I'm ready."

Ao Jing's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Seeing that Lu Zheng made no move and did not take out any objects, he couldn't help but feel displeased and became more vigilant.

Ao Jing tightened his grip on the spear, his armor instantly gleaming, and he vanished from his spot.

Lu Zheng raised his eyes, and in a very short time, Ao Jing disappeared from his sight and the range of his divine sense.

Lu Zheng remained calm and composed, and the righteous energy of heaven and earth spread out in all directions.

Time passed slowly, as if Lu Zheng were the only person in this world.

After a short while, both skies between Lu Zheng and Lu Zheng began to ripple.

One after another, almost invisible figures formed from water rushed out.

These figures, like Ao Jing from before, wore silver armor, wielded long spears, and exuded a menacing aura.

One group of people came from above Lu Zheng, and another group came from below Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng's thoughts flashed, and two powerful streams of righteous energy from heaven and earth rushed towards the crowds on both sides.

Under the immense pressure of righteous energy, those figures were instantly scattered, turning into a flurry of water droplets.

Countless water droplets fell from below, quickly returning to calm.

The water droplets above did not fall down, but instead returned to the original area of ​​the sky.

Lu Zheng could sense that both of the water-shaped figures that appeared were real.

As for the two identical patches of sky above and below, are they the sky itself, or the lake surface...?

Lu Zheng hasn't noticed any difference yet.

Lu Zheng slowly asked, "Is this your domain?"

"Hehe, you noticed quickly..."

Ao Jing's voice echoed from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint his exact location.

Ao Jing said quietly, "Here, can you distinguish between reality and illusion?"

Lu Zheng remained calm and composed, casting a spell with one hand while chanting incantations.

"All forms are illusory..."

Lu Zheng's eyes widened, and several mysterious auras gathered in his eyes, causing them to flash with brilliant light as he intently surveyed the world around him.

Ao Jing: ? ? ?

If he wasn't mistaken, Lu Zheng was using a Taoist hand seal, and if he wasn't mistaken, he was reciting Buddhist scriptures.

Ao Jing couldn't help but ask, "What exactly are you cultivating?"

These are supposed to be Confucian and Taoist scholars, so why are they using such... outrageous methods?

Lu Zheng did not respond to Ao Jing's words, but noticed a barely perceptible anomaly while Ao Jing was speaking.

Lu Zheng quickly raised his hand, and a dazzling bolt of lightning shot out, hurtling towards the sky above.

A terrifying burst of lightning struck the sky in an instant, creating a huge splash of water.

At the same time, an identical burst of water erupted in the sky below.

The power of the thunder, still carrying its residual force, vanished into the sky in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace.

Lu Zheng looked around again, but couldn't see any difference between reality and illusion; perhaps they were all real.

Hidden in the shadows, Ao Jing was slightly startled. He hadn't expected Lu Zheng to be able to detect his location through the slightest clues. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and was not struck by the lightning.

Otherwise, once they are tainted by the aura of thunder, they might be immediately exposed.

He didn't want to face Lu Zheng so soon and wanted to observe Lu Zheng's methods as much as possible.

Lu Zheng only showed him a skill, but it gave him a bit of a shock.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zheng was also proficient in skills other than Confucianism. Ao Jing really couldn't understand how such a young man had the time and energy to master these things.

Ao Jing guessed that besides Lu Zheng's extraordinary talent, he must have had a master guiding him, and not just one master...

Thinking of this, Ao Jing felt a little uneasy, realizing that his chances of winning were not high.

Even if it's just a friendly spar, I'm afraid I'll have to suffer a bit.

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have gone for that little bit of benefit... Ao Jing couldn't help but mutter to himself.

On the other side, Lu Zheng composed himself. Since he couldn't figure anything out, there was no need to waste any more energy. He should just try to destroy this area.

Even if we can't destroy it, we should at least make this place less stable.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and his body was filled with the righteous energy of heaven and earth, which resonated with the source of water within his small world.

"The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without striving, and dwells in places that others disdain..."

As soon as these words were spoken, an invisible force swept outwards, reaching the sky on both sides.

Ao Jing immediately sensed something amiss; his domain was being affected by Lu Zheng's power.

Ao Jing's lips twitched, his expression indescribable. He had even recited the Taoist scriptures, yet it still caused such a big reaction. Was he a Taoist or a Confucian scholar?

Lu Zheng remained expressionless, attempting to use his mastery of the Way of Water to deal with this world.

Confucius said, “Water, it pervades all living things without doing anything, like virtue. Its flow is downward, and all things follow its course, like righteousness. Its boundless flow is inexhaustible, like the Way…”

In an instant, Lu Zheng's body radiated light, and streams of water surged from his body, carrying an incomparably mysterious aura, rushing towards the heavens and earth above and below.

The rushing water quickly shattered the tranquility of the two sides of the world.

The once mirror-like sky and earth suddenly began to ripple, and the ripples grew increasingly intense.

Ao Jing's eyes narrowed, and he quickly used his divine power to strengthen his domain, resisting the intrusion of Lu Zheng's power. (End of Chapter)