The most terrifying aspect of the Fire遁 technique was that if the flames at the destination were extinguished during the遁, one's own遁 would gradually fail over time, ultimately trapping them in the fire to be burned alive.
However, the Incarnation of Emperor Huaguang was originally a Fire God. Beings of the Fire God lineage could exist in the world of flames for extended periods. Theoretically, by embedding oneself within the Fire遁, one could appear anywhere there was a flame, and others would have no way of knowing their exact location.
Therefore, the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master remained calm. Even the Master of Biyou Palace or that Yin Lingzi could not locate his true form by means of his Fire遁. Regarding Ji Xiang, he evaluated him as very powerful, but far from being able to break the Fire遁.
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master, through the flames, began to transmit a message to a certain location.
In the flames before him, a brilliant lamp light emerged.
The face of Prince Lu appeared in the illusion of flames.
"Master Zhu Shou, it's been so long. It seems you've been doing well. The fame of the Great Manifestation Huaguang Sect spreads throughout the south, and even I have heard of it. You've made quite a name for yourself at Xiaomao Mountain."
"Is there anything your disciple can do to help you?"
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master looked at Prince Lu. "I have always been hidden within Xiaomao Mountain, and later took refuge in Biyou Palace, cultivating with the Huaguang Dharma Altar to help you stabilize the territory here. But now, I fear I can no longer remain hidden. Someone has begun targeting Biyou Palace, and their strength is unprecedented, not of ordinary cultivators, but likely of the celestial beings."
"Do you know who the current master of the Great Ming Dao Record Bureau is?"
Prince Lu's face flickered in the flames. "The master of the Great Ming Dao Record Bureau? Grandmaster Zhang, of course. Who else could it be."
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master shook his head, refuting Prince Lu's words. "No, I don't recognize him. I know Grandmaster Zhang; I've met him a few times."
Prince Lu's eyes moved. "Then I wouldn't know. There have been many matters recently, and the imperial court has encountered some major problems, leading to frequent personnel changes. I have also suffered some losses and encountered troublesome insects causing disturbances. The court is no longer at ease with me. My good elder brother has even sealed my Northland Prince's Mansion."
Coincidentally, neither of them knew Ji Xiang's name. Ji Xiang had only stated his identity, not his given name. As for Prince Lu, the one who had always thwarted his plans was the Fire Lord's father, Zen Master Tiger Eye, not some Ji Xiang.
Thus, while they were speaking of the same person, there was a strange disconnect.
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master was startled. "Emperor Wanli sealed your Prince's Mansion? Didn't he cherish you greatly? Did you do something wicked that he found out about?"
Your imperial prince account has been sealed by Emperor Wanli?
Did you post something inappropriate?
Try appealing to the capital to see if it can be resolved.
Prince Lu laughed heartily. "You are far away, so naturally, you don't know what has happened in the Forbidden City. The Emperor trusts no one now, especially not us princes. Perhaps he now remembers his past kindness to me and is already sweating profusely..."
"Alas, alas. I used external techniques to defy fate and become an immortal. This life is destined to have no connection to the throne. I can only be an unnamed ruler, and must never expose my name to the Great Dao of the dynasty."
"Otherwise, perhaps I would have been the one to sit on the throne... Ah, how many 'what ifs' are there in this world! Don't you agree, Master Zhu Shou? Your birth was not by your own will either!"
Prince Lu's tone suddenly changed:
"Having left Fengyang for over seventy years, transforming from a sinner to the renowned Dharma Master of Xiaomao Mountain, cultivating to the Innate realm, and receiving the incense offerings of the masses, shouldn't I be grateful for the Emperor's gifts?"
"Without Emperor Zhengde's Leopard House, how could you, a leopard spirit, manifest a human form?"
"One leopard raised in the Xiyuan Leopard House."
Prince Lu chuckled.
You are Leopard Head Ling Chong, I already know this.
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master's expression immediately turned surprised. "You... you know my identity?"
Prince Lu smiled. "I didn't know before, but I found out later. Because the person who helped you leave Fengyang seventy years ago was the person behind me."
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master was shaken. After a long while, he burst into laughter:
"No wonder, no wonder he asked me to teach you magic back then! So that's how it was, he had already set his sights on you..."
"The Forbidden City, that is truly a place that exists only in memory. I have long forgotten it, and Xiyuan no longer exists... Due to the Emperor's protection, I was not discovered as a leopard spirit. When the ministers were handling Emperor Zhengde's affairs, they merely considered me one of Emperor Zhengde's one hundred and twenty-seven adopted sons. By chance, I was sent to Fengyang. After all, they dared not act rashly against these adopted sons. Since they were of the Zhu family, they were sent to Fengyang for confinement..."
"Otherwise, if a demon were to appear in the Forbidden City and be discovered, I might not have escaped death."
"I have always avoided people from the court whenever possible, striving to keep things peaceful. When I did appear, it was mostly through my disciples. I never expected that after seventy years, someone from the court would still find me and force me to reveal my true form. Fortunately, seventy years have passed, and no one recognizes me anymore."
"Emperor Zhengde's story has ultimately been erased by Emperor Jiajing, which is a good thing."
"But I never expected that now, with the calamity of the Dharma Altar, although it is not directed at me, it has drawn me in. This is a tribulation."
Prince Lu: "The more you avoid it, the more you can only delay the problem, not solve it completely."
"You say the Dharma Altar has been harmed, and the master of the Great Ming Dao Record Bureau has come to trouble you, and you cannot resolve it, so other Dharma Masters will notify Biyou Palace?"
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master: "Precisely, that's how it is. And as far as I know, those closely associated with Biyou Palace have gradually become erratic and strange in their actions. Although they are from Dharma sects and rogue cultivators, they have become more arrogant than demons."
Prince Lu was surprised. "That is indeed interesting. Even I, when I gather demons under my many divine generals, make them act cautiously and rarely reveal their true forms. For peace of mind, I also use the Five Injuries and Seven Damages technique to control them. After all, killing is not my goal; it is to nurture those people that is my goal."
"And actually, killing makes me... uncomfortable."
"I never expected Biyou Palace to act in the opposite way, fearing that the world would not know of their arrogance?"
Prince Lu stated a strange reason, and the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master felt puzzled. Prince Lu had been ferocious and perverse since childhood, killing had almost become second nature, so how could it make him uncomfortable?
But he didn't ask, overlooking this doubt:
"Therefore, I fear that the people of Biyou Palace have tampered with their lineage, causing them to exhibit these signs of qi deviation as they continue to cultivate. Thus, since my six sects pledged allegiance to Biyou Palace, I have rarely contacted them."
"Now, I need to borrow something from you. To preserve my lineage, I have already persuaded the other five Dharma Masters to undertake a large-scale borrowing of life, just like the great plague seventy years ago, using a great disaster to avert a great tribulation. This time, I will likely have to borrow many lives to overcome this great tribulation."
Prince Lu's smile faded. "You want to borrow... an immortal artifact?"