This is a voice and memory I haven't recalled for a very, very long time, yet it was already blurred and indistinct, and then... completely forgotten.
This innate master laughed... a silent laugh.
"I've forgotten my past self! But I haven't forgotten the Heavenly Palace's wish!"
"We, the Jinglun Heavenly Palace, since the founding of the New Celestial Master Dao, have always had only three objectives. The first is to assist the state and support destiny! To aid the nation and support the true Son of Heaven!"
"Only the true Son of Heaven can guide the Great Dao of the surface world. The construction of the Heavenly Palace is also for this purpose! It must be built so high that no rooster crows or dog barks can be heard, and it will connect with the Heavenly Dao!"
"The Heavenly Palace has never lost its original form. From the very beginning, we came for the Great Dao!"
The innate master had completely dropped all pretense, but he did not attack Ji Xiang. Instead, he said:
"Northern Pole True Lord, you are indeed worthy of being an ancient ascendant. When it comes to debating scriptures and distinguishing between good and evil, right and wrong, I find myself unable to gain the upper hand in verbal exchanges."
"I must thank you for helping me re-establish my goal: to be born for the Heavenly Palace, to seek the Dao for the Heavenly Palace, and to die for the Heavenly Palace. The Great Dao is before me, and I see it ever more clearly. Who I was in the past no longer matters."
"I offer you my deepest respects. Today, you must give me an answer. Regardless of your answer, I will not lay a hand on you. You are a person of true great wisdom and great morality, and I cannot bear to take advantage of your situation to end your life. Therefore, after your physical body achieves the innate realm, I will seek your counsel."
With that, he actually performed a deep bow to Ji Xiang, a sincere salutation.
Ji Xiang, however, remained resolute and said, "My answer is that I will not join you, and the sins you have committed must be repaid here."
"As for you saying you cannot bear to deal with me... you do possess some integrity and morality. I had thought that people from the inner world were all hot-tempered individuals who would resort to violence at the slightest disagreement. It seems there are also honest and upright people."
"But if I do not kill you, these incense-worshippers will regroup. That physical body of yours was provided by them, wasn't it? This is your stronghold, and I must destroy it."
"I also cannot bear to kill such an upright person as yourself, yet I must. It would be better if you surrendered to me..."
The innate master smiled, "As you know, that is impossible."
Ji Xiang sighed softly, "Indeed, it is impossible."
The innate master, adhering to martial ethics, continued, "This time, I came to the surface world, exerting great effort, even suffering a two-realm drop in my cultivation, from Pure Yang to the early Innate stage. My losses are considerable. Besides recruiting you, our Heavenly Palace also desires something from you."
"That is the Seven Treasures Yellow Lotus of Guanyin Bodhisattva."
"If I happen to defeat you in a future battle, I still will not kill you, but will only take the Seven Treasures Yellow Lotus. I also hope you will continue to consider whether it is worth abandoning the pursuit of the Great Dao for these foolish beings of the mortal world."
Ji Xiang also showed some respect for him, "Then I too will make a promise. If I happen to win, I will escort you to the Eastern Chang Le Pure Land and perform a complete salvation for you, protecting your soul, so that it will not be taken advantage of by spirits.
"As for whether you can return to the inner world to be resurrected... I imagine that merely losing your physical body and primordial spirit in the mortal world should not be a significant matter for you. I have seen followers of the Yellow Heaven Cult before, and according to them, they can even be resurrected with just a mere thought... this method is likely what you are using, isn't it?"
"You people, daring to cross realms, would not come unprepared."
The innate master immediately laughed.
Indeed, it was as he said.
Thus, the two had no further unnecessary words. The recruitment failed, and it was time for a true contest of skill.
The innate master sighed and shook his head, "We have finally reached this point!"
"After your battle with Mi Long, how much strength do you have left?"
Yin energy surged around him, instantly drawing upon the Dharma Realm and engulfing the entire county town! He was a great figure of the Pure Yang realm who had fallen in cultivation, and some of his residual power from that stage remained. Therefore, even in the early Innate stage, he was far superior to ordinary innate masters!
As a Dharma Realm descended, he raised one hand, and five different colored bolts of lightning lit up on his five fingers!
Heavenly Thunder Divine Incantation, Three Heavens Nurturing Origin, Jingxiao True Punishment, Issuing Commands, Responding to the Stars Above!
Earthly Thunder Divine Incantation, Profound Qi Wandering, Dan Tian Order Executed, Roaring Through the Void, Fiery Order Declared!
First, he raised two fingers, and the Heavenly and Earthly Thunders were unleashed. Then, his three fingers moved again, and Divine Thunder, Water Thunder, and Earth Thunder all appeared simultaneously!
"The Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Constellation, Mastering the Five Thunders!"
The lightning struck, and the true Great Five Thunders pressed down upon him! These Heavenly, Earthly, Divine, Water, and Earthly thunders corresponded to heavenly gods, earthly demons, wicked people, water monsters, and spirits!
This was a divine ability, a grand and righteous manifestation of divine power, even though the opponent was now shrouded in yin energy!
And on his body, a divine position also appeared!
Ji Xiang's eyes reflected the name of this divine position.
[Nogou Taiyin Great General:宗 of Ten Thousand Gods, Tenth Rank of the Heavenly Department's Great Karma! Soul, return! Why do you wander to the four directions? Leave your joyful abode and depart from this ill-omened place!]
[The Taiyin Great God spoken of in "Baopuzi," this deity has existed since the Spring and Autumn period. Legend has it that its true form reaches a thousand ren, suppressing all hellish evil spirits in the east. Its magical power can inform the sun, moon, and stars, summon the Great Zhou's thunder, summon the souls of all beings in the world, preside over the changes of life and death, and know the names of all ghosts and spirits, making it the ancestor of all ghosts and gods in the world!]
[......]
Ji Xiang had also completely read through the method of破解.
This person manifested the aura of the underworld yet could unleash thunder. The integration of yin and yang was astonishing! Ji Xiang was submerged in the torrential lightning, but the innate master's gaze remained steady:
"How could an ascendant master not withstand an innate strike?"
Indeed, from within the lightning, Ji Xiang's voice was heard. Hearing the man's self-posed question and answer, Ji Xiang couldn't help but secretly praise him. He was certainly more cautious than Zhao Xuanlang back then, who had been overjoyed to see Ji Xiang as a crippled ascendant.
As the lightning permeated the area, Ji Xiang's image shifted among the Four Sacred Ones of the Northern Pole. The White-faced Zhenwu had made his roll call, and then he transformed into the appearance of Marshal Tianpeng!
Legend had it that no Daoist sorcerer could wield lightning without Marshal Tianpeng's permission.
"Come then."
Ji Xiang raised a single finger: "This battle will be decided in one strike."
Behind Marshal Tianpeng, a colossal Heavenly Gate appeared, and the light of Fu Li shook the surrounding Dharma Realm. The innate master's eyes gradually widened, his entire body illuminated by the light of Fu Li!
Thirty-six thousand heavenly soldiers shook their banners, beat their divine drums, wore stars and moons, welcomed the sun and followed the light, descending to the mortal realm!
"Good, excellent!"
The Nogou Taiyin Great General, at this moment, transformed, becoming a thousand ren tall, his head touching the sky and his feet on the earth. He walked from the Dharma Realm towards the Heavenly Gate. Facing the encirclement of thirty-six thousand heavenly soldiers, he moved with casual grace, wielding the Five Thunders in his hand. He transformed into a great reed rope, carried a long axe, and had a bronze greatsword at his back.
He didn't need the heavenly soldiers to capture him; instead, he charged towards the Heavenly Gate himself!
As he took the next step into the Heavenly Gate, Ji Xiang here also employed the divine ability of "Fa Tian Xiang Di" (Manifesting Heaven and Earth)!
Upon entering the Heavenly Gate, the power of the ascendant realm was restored.
Ji Xiang's aura surged, breaking through the heavens. He stood ten thousand zhang tall, with three heads and six arms, wielding six divine weapons, comprehending the creation of heaven and earth!
The Nogou Taiyin Great General, upon seeing this towering divine being, felt no fear, but instead, immense joy.
He advanced and engaged the heavenly soldiers in battle. With a swing of his thousand-ren-tall arm, he swept away a mass of heavenly soldiers. However, the reed rope was still captured by numerous heavenly soldiers. Thus, he brandished his great axe and raised his bronze greatsword, tearing apart heaven and earth, causing the yin energy within him to surge and boil!
The light of Fu Li continued to shine down from the sky onto the earth!
Ji Xiang spoke not a word, silent as the form and shadow of heaven and earth. He simply raised another finger and quietly watched him.
The ten-thousand-zhang giant god mirrored the thousand-ren-tall sovereign. The Nogou Taiyin General raised his bronze greatsword.
And Ji Xiang's three heads and six arms had now raised a colossal axe.
Splitting the azure sky, extinguishing incense smoke, shaking the thunder city!
This axe was unstoppable. The divine weapon roared once and slanted into the mortal world! With a single strike of this Heaven-Splitting Great Axe, Fu Li was rent asunder. The complete power of the ascendant realm struck the Nogou Taiyin Great General squarely. Upon receiving this blow, his form and spirit were split in two. The physical body he had just acquired in the mortal world instantly disintegrated, and in an instant, both his physical body and primordial spirit turned to dust!