Ji Xiang departed from Fuli, but the changes within Fuli did not cease. Instead, it seemed that Ji Xiang's confrontation with the Dragon of Destiny within Fuli had influenced other secondary national destinies.
Thus, the decaying and bizarre eight-headed serpent suddenly began to speak, surprisingly capable of uttering human words:
"The world sealed by the Dragon of Destiny is not just Great Ming. In fact, this secret technique of the Ming court has far-reaching influence, as it has been passed down from the Qin and Han dynasties, augmented by successive dynasties."
"The Dragon of Destiny is merely the external manifestation of this secret technique of sealing the heavens. Its three eyes are the legendary Taiyi Three Stars."
"..."
"Who is it that broke the Dragon of Destiny's horns and blinded its eyes?"
"This... how is that possible? Could it be... that an immortal of the Heavenly Heart Realm has descended?"
"No, the matter of the Great Teacher of Virtues should not be repeated... In the Heavenly Heart Realm, those at the Mahayana level no longer concern themselves with the mortal world, precisely to prevent a second Great Teacher of Virtues from personally descending. Therefore, the four individuals who currently oversee the mortal world are all dispatched by them... They are individuals of the Lesser Vehicle level within the Heavenly Heart Realm..."
"It can be asserted that the Heavenly Heart has not descended."
"And this Dragon of Destiny is now weakened. This should be a good thing for me..."
The eight-headed serpent had originally been staring blankly at the Dragon of Destiny, while tenaciously缠绕ing the emaciated yellow-skinned tiger. But at a certain moment, a distant and eerie voice emanated from its eight serpent mouths, describing the existence of the Dragon of Destiny.
"This dragon sealed the world... This is a curse set by the accursed Emperor Wu of Han and Dongfang Shuo. They gathered the pinnacle of Qin Dynasty alchemical arts and utilized the Confucian concept of the unity of heaven and man. The powers of alchemists and Confucianism merged to create a brand new curse... As an alchemist myself, I cannot undo it. Before their methods, I have become like a junior... Dongfang Shuo's attainments in alchemy were indeed superior to mine... I hate it so much..."
"If... if I had not chosen to go to sea for Qin Shi Huang back then, or rather... if I had ultimately chosen to return, instead of avoiding that accursed emperor, and had not lingered in the land of Dongying... and then, if I had lived to the era of Emperor Wu of Han, I would now be in the Heavenly Heart Realm, perhaps even the Hunyuan Realm..."
"I would not have fallen to this state, nor would I be confined to this insignificant place, in this world where demons run rampant, to be the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons and Myriad Evils! My avatar would never have been this small eight-headed serpent; I should have been a part of that dragon!"
Someone, through the eight-headed serpent, saw the current situation within Fuli.
His name was ancient, Xu Fu, an alchemist from the time of Qin Shi Huang.
The Dragon of Destiny was slightly weakened and had sustained damage. Therefore, its secret technique of sealing the heavens should have loosened slightly.
He himself could take advantage of this slight loosening to usher in a more powerful divine position.
The gap in divine positions could cause a reversal of fortunes between nations!
To... the generals on the Korean battlefield, or to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was in Japan itself...
"When will you, this dragon, die? When you disappear, it will mean... that the secret technique of sealing the heavens has also vanished. By then, I will become powerful, and you will be like a collapsed mountain, rushed upon and killed by countless enemies."
"Without you, there should have been many powerful nations here, and I would not have been trapped in the Ascended Realm for nearly two thousand years!"
"Two thousand years! Two thousand years of charting the mountains and rivers, do you know how I survived!"
"During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, he acted as an envoy to the Western Regions, sealing the heavens of the Western Regions and spreading secondary beliefs among the people of the Western Regions, causing the scope of heaven-sealing to expand further. Transmitted through the Tang Dynasty, the secret technique of heaven-sealing had almost spread throughout the entire world..."
"The origin of all heaven-sealing is you, this dragon left by Emperor Wu of Han and Dongfang Shuo!"
The voice of the eight-headed serpent finally seemed to attract the attention of the Dragon of Destiny. When the Dragon of Destiny's remaining two eyes, transformed into stars, looked over, the "will" on the eight-headed serpent had already disappeared, leaving only the dazed eight-headed serpent and the half-dead emaciated tiger.
Then, the Dragon of Destiny began to self-repair, and it was about to "crash" for a period of time.
Seizing this opportunity, the will on the eight-headed serpent began to fly towards the depths of Fuli. However, being rejected by the gods of the Central Land, it could only usher in deities condensed from their own native aspirations.
The will let out a sigh of satisfaction, sensing a powerful divine position:
"The era of gods has descended once more!"
"My divine position has been promoted!"
"Soon, after devouring the destiny of Joseon, gathering the aspirations and incense of Joseon, and combining it with Western methods, our gods will soon be able to advance further!"
"Your suppression has failed; you cannot stop us, the rulers of secondary destinies!"
At this moment, fluctuations appeared around this will, manifesting as a human head in Fuli in the form of incense.
"Tenth of the Celestial Pantheon, Ancestor of Ten Thousand Gods, K瓊瓊杵尊."
Now that the Dragon of Destiny was dormant, slowly repairing its injured state, Xu Fu prepared to gradually transmit the aspirations of his own country through this period of weakness, through the gaps in the heaven-sealing.
As long as the divine position could be elevated, many ancient gods worshipped since antiquity could also be created and ushered in through aspirations.
In this era, human aspirations can create deities from ancient myths and give them divine positions.
First, a large amount of faith and incense is needed, which can give rise to a large amount of aspirations.
If the people of one country are not enough, then the people of two countries. Thus, temples and shrines exist for this purpose.
And on the lands of the Ming court, the White Lotus Society members were also using similar tricks, wanting to create their "Eternal Mother."
...
Boom!
The spiritual will returned to its本体, and Ji Xiang's gaze once again clearly saw the situation within the temple.
From this trip to Fuli, a large amount of incense from the gods had been unexpectedly gained, greatly accelerating the recovery speed of his form and spirit. After all, the incense of the thirty-six heavenly gods, in both quality and quantity, far surpassed the accumulation of Yue Yinping's small temple.
As the saying goes, if everyone in the world gives me one dollar, I become a billionaire.
Crowdfunding incense was naturally very fast.
Within the temple, the overwhelming illusion of flames had disappeared. Yinping Niangzi had mastered the divine tablet of the Fire Virtue Star Lord, but it seemed she could not unleash the full might of this Star Lord. After all, her own cultivation was only at the Nascent Soul level. Although not low, it was still too weak compared to the "power" bestowed by the Fire Virtue Star Lord!
The Fire Virtue Star Lord, thirteenth of the Celestial Pantheon, corresponded to the Innate Realm!
"With a divine position, within the same cultivation level, one possesses the basic ability to challenge opponents of a higher level. And some divine positions that have received the blessings of abundant incense and aspirations will appear in a highlighted state, allowing one to further exert divine power beyond their own limits."
Ji Xiang originally intended to use her to lure out the mastermind behind the demons of Phoenix Mountain. This was also beneficial to Ji Xiang himself, not only dealing a heavy blow to Wanshou Palace but also assisting Ji Xiang in the next stage of his cultivation of the Yuqing Hidden Scripture!
The thirteenth lesson of the Yuqing Hidden Scripture could not be cultivated by oneself; it required personally eliminating a sufficient number of demons to learn and practice. In other words, if Ji Xiang did not actively lure out and eliminate those powerful demons, the subsequent chapters of the Yuqing Hidden Scripture could not be cultivated.
This was unacceptable. This Great Celestial Demon Tome was Ji Xiang's current primary cultivation method. Upon entering the Earth Immortal level and forming the Purple Gold Elixir, Ji Xiang could mobilize more Ascended Realm cultivation, and his strength would undergo a qualitative leap. If he could unlock the thirteenth lesson of the Yuqing Hidden Scripture, the "Chapter of Majestic Spirits," with his current strength, he might even have a chance to contend with a complete Ascended Realm expert!
The Ascended Realm experts who could appear in the mortal world now, those who came from the inner mountains and rivers or from the underworld, either could only descend their form and spirit, or appear in a state of possession. This method of crossing realms had the defect of not being able to exert their full strength;
Or they would damage their own cultivation, fall in realm, and then use the method of reverse corpse-releasing to transform from death to life, and then revive in the Yang world by borrowing a corpse from a sacrificial site. This method of revival was used by the Jinglun Heavenly Palace and also had significant flaws.
Although the "strategy" of the blank divine tablet was very useful, Ji Xiang did not forget an important point: most of the cultivators or immortals encountered now focused on "techniques."
And among immortals, there was a type of immortal who practiced in a similar way to Quanzhen Dao, not emphasizing "techniques" but "strength." "Techniques" were merely a manifestation of their "strength"!
They did not even need to cast spells; merely relying on their immortal-level physical bodies, they could tear through divine abilities, shake the void, and with the powerful physical body circulating immortal qi, they could manipulate the five elements and four symbols.
And the most famous among this type of immortal was the Qin Dynasty Sword Immortal!
At this moment, Yinping Niangzi had roughly adapted to the divine position of the Fire Virtue Star Lord. Her aura became transcendent and ethereal. Just standing there, she seemed to emit dazzling firelight and flames. When she actively manifested her divinity, she should have been radiant in the eyes of mortals.
However, Yinping Niangzi stood before the statue of Zhenwu, momentarily unsure how to speak. It was Ji Xiang who took the initiative to say:
"You should go and attend to your own matters. Remember to bring gold artifacts."
Yinping Niangzi heard the voice from the statue, but upon hearing Ji Xiang's request, her rosy face was filled with confusion:
"Great Emperor, this junior does not understand why the Great Emperor wants me to bring gold artifacts on this journey?"
"Phoenix Mountain's name contains the element of fire. If I go with gold artifacts, won't I be suppressed by it?"
She could not understand. After all, the word "phoenix" alone could stir the fire element qi in heaven and earth. The imperial palace of Phoenix Mountain was the former palace of the Song Dynasty. Although she did not fully understand all matters related to fire virtue in the Song Dynasty, she knew a little. Bringing artifacts of the metal element to a place rich in fire virtue was the most taboo thing.
As for now, there was a large group of demons and monsters there, with deep Yin energy... Ghost fire was also a manifestation of fire virtue.
She had just fought with the Yin Fire of Heaven. The flames appeared in Yin or Yang forms, related to Yin and Yang qi. The Song Dynasty palace was destroyed, becoming a mass grave for hundreds of years, with demons wandering through it, which was normal.
Just as Ji Xiang was about to explain, indicating that he could help her, Yue Yinping suddenly clapped her hands.
"So that's how it is! I understand, Great Emperor's wisdom!"
Ji Xiang: "?"
Yinping Niangzi smiled sweetly: "Metal gives birth to water! The Zhenwu Dharma Spell is a water-element spell, which precisely suppresses fire. Carrying gold artifacts will greatly strengthen the power of the Zhenwu Dharma Spell!"
Ji Xiang pondered.
Ji Xiang contemplated.
Ji Xiang gave up thinking.
"Ah..."
"Yes, you are very clever."
As expected of you, you have completely grasped this Emperor's intention. This is exactly what this Emperor meant. Go ahead and do it. No matter how you rationalize it, as long as this Emperor uses the gold artifacts to use the Golden Escape to directly intervene, the final outcome will be the same!
As long as the outcome is the same!
You have been strengthened.
The villain has been eliminated.
Isn't that enough?!
Yinping Niangzi bowed gratefully: "Thank you, Great Emperor, for your guidance on the secret technique for subduing demons. This is indeed very useful. I never thought of this before, only focusing on the cycle of water and fire, and neglecting that the five elements themselves are mutually generating and restraining."
For hundreds of years of worship, many people had come here to offer incense, so quite a few gold artifacts had been collected. Since she often manifested her divinity, the temple keeper did not dare to steal those gold artifacts.
Golden knives, gold armbands, gold ingots, gold bracelets, gold belts, gold bells.
Her whole body was radiant with golden light. If she were not wearing a black and green incense armor, she would have been even more stunning.
"Then, I shall depart now!"
She borrowed the divine power of the Fire Virtue Star Lord. Instead of walking out of the temple, she looked at the incense burner in front of the Zhenwu statue. She lit three long incense sticks. As the flames on the long incense sticks flickered, she took a step forward and disappeared into the flames.
"Fire Escape Technique? After obtaining the divine position of the Fire Virtue Star Lord, it can be immediately used?"
"However, the Fire Escape can only reach places where there are obvious flames. Phoenix Mountain is a dead land of withered bones. Although there may be ghost fires in its mountains... it seems Phoenix Mountain is still quite far from here."
Ji Xiang naturally did not remain idle. Incense coiled around the Zhenwu statue, and his form and spirit were also recovering at an extremely rapid pace!
However, at this moment, Ji Xiang suddenly felt a fluctuation of demonic energy.
...
Master Jingxian of Lingyin Temple, along with the white-robed monk, arrived here in a panic, not even using the art of flying. Master Jingxian had multiple wounds and bloodstains on his body, and his expression was one of extreme fear!
Behind him, Buddhist light boiled, transforming the sky and earth. Golden dragons flew with fire, constantly rotating, seemingly intent on taking his life!
Master Jingxian shouted loudly. The Yan Yan Dharma Spell transformed into a line of pure golden Buddhist light engraved in the sky, blocking the assault of the golden dragon fire. However, after those spells disappeared, three other masters of Lingyin Temple appeared!
They unleashed an attack on Master Jingxian from a distance. Master Jingxian could not resist and quickly said to his disciples and the white-robed monk:
"Quickly go to the temple of Yinping Niangzi! As long as you obtain the power of the Ming King within the Zhenwu statue, Lingyin Temple will have a chance of salvation!"
"Within the temple, the Buddhist disciples have been tainted by corrupt and evil Dharma, and demons have descended. I will be unable to resist. You must quickly find the statue and make the Ming King protect my Buddha!"
In front of Master Jingxian appeared the eminent monks of Lingyin Temple. Their eyes were cold, staring at Master Jingxian and the white-robed monk, and they cursed: "Jingxian! You have become the demonic transformation of the Buddha, defying Buddhist Dharma and betraying the Great Temple!"
"You still dare to seek protection from evil spirits, truly chilling the heart of my Buddha!"
"You still dare to go to the temple of Yinping Niangzi? I see that the temple does not contain a Ming King, but a great demon that brings disaster to the world!"
"The Buddhist Dharma has already revealed the future scene, causing shock in my heart. This is an evil spirit, and I shall destroy it now!"
Master Guandao, Master Zhengxin, and Master Chongben were also present. Their auras were powerful but carried a trace of demonic energy. Half of their faces were Buddhist visages, but the other half appeared distorted.
Master Guandao unleashed the Worldly Freedom Seal!
"At that time, there was a Buddha named the King of Freedom in the World!"
"His radiance was majestic, his divine power boundless. Such was his blazing light, with no equal!"
This Worldly Freedom Seal descended from the heavens, a full-power strike from a Third Fruit Arhat, with intertwined Buddhist and demonic qi within, inseparable!
The great seal turned the temple gate into dust, and was about to obliterate the temple!
However, at this moment, an impatient and angry voice emanated from the temple of Yinping Niangzi!
"Heavenly Cave Scripture!"
"Three Capital Great Seal!"
The qi of heaven, earth, and man gathered, transforming into the Three Capital Great Seal, which collided with the Worldly Freedom Seal!
It was as if the earth cracked and the heavens collapsed, the vast roaring sound reverberating for a hundred miles!
This sound momentarily caused the demonic energy within the three demonic-Buddha masters to falter!
An angry roar came from the temple of Yinping Niangzi!
"Demonic energy?"
"Little demons of the mortal world..."
"Do not be too presumptuous!"