Inside the divine plaque, text emerged:
[Five Manifestations Grand Commander Emperor (True God, Huaguang Incarnation): Five lights of flame, lamp fire before the Buddha! Twenty-five ranks of human great positions!]
[The Great Emperor Huaguang has various manifested divine positions in Taoism, Buddhism, and folk religions.]
[Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master (Zhu Shou): Leader of the Great Manifestation Huaguang Sect in folk religions, head of the Six Sects of Dingjia City. The primary deity worshipped is the Great Emperor Huaguang, followed by the Bodhisattva Jizhitou (███████).]
[Dharma Master of folk religions, possessing means to summon powers from the Dharma Realm; human cultivation, Innate Realm.]
[This person carries the incense and offerings of myriad people!]
[Use the technique of Summoning Spirits and Expelling Spirits to control his Six Ding Six Jia Heavenly Soldiers.]
[Use the Divine Spell to Purify Heaven and Earth to counter his Spell of Repentance for All Evils.]
[Use the Myriad Luo Precious Light to cover the body, rendering immune to the technique of Golden Light Incineration.]
[Three Heads Six Arms Azure Body Free Form: Invoke the divine power of the Upper Saint, and with the aid of the offerings of myriad people, strength can be elevated to the Spirit Refining Realm, avoiding the calamities and dispelling the energies of the Five Elements.]
[Various Flying Heavens Wind and Fire Techniques: Fire Gourds, Fire Crows, Fiery Majestic Spirits! The Great Emperor Huaguang is the God of Fire, and his manifested divine positions all possess the ability to control great winds and fires! With the aid of the offerings of myriad people, various flames can be unleashed.]
[Recite the 'Secret Key Dharma Secret · Great Emperor's Hidden Prayer Fifteenth', and the object of worship for the myriad people's offerings will change to the reciter!]
[Fire遁 (Dùn): One of the thirteen great Dùn techniques, it erases form and spirit, escaping into the void of flames, with numerous miraculous uses (you have no method to restrict Fire遁, you can try to attack with Shattering Void the moment the opponent escapes).]
[Great Technique of Spiritual Connection: Outer Path technique! Its function is ██████████████! Using the Jade Clarity Hidden Book, the chapter on subduing demons from the Heavenly Demon Eradication Scenery Dharma, can repel it (only repel, the source of the Dharma is unknown, unable to subdue)!]
[After repelling the Great Technique of Spiritual Connection, you will be watched by the Great Emperor Huaguang (his divine position has already been claimed by someone)! All practitioners of the Huaguang Dharma lineage will regard you as an enemy! Returning to the Forbidden City and seeking the protection of the Jade Emperor's divine position can prevent being spied upon by the Great Emperor Huaguang!]
Ji Xiang's brow twitched.
More black bars appeared in the manifested information?
Is this happening a bit too frequently?
It seemed that, unintentionally, he had taken a step closer to the mastermind behind these black bars.
And the Jade Emperor could shield Huaguang's gaze. Ji Xiang mused that perhaps it was because during the Song Dynasty, the Song court had invoked the name of the Jade Emperor to enfeoff the Great Emperor Huaguang. To Huaguang, the Jade Emperor was a superior, so naturally, he wouldn't pry.
But Ji Xiang feared offending others the least!
"Young man, such big words."
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master merely mocked Ji Xiang's arrogant speech. He then said no more, deploying the Six Ding Heavenly Soldiers and Six Jia Divine Generals to attack. Unexpectedly, a vast white smoke erupted from Ji Xiang's body. This white smoke seized the Heavenly Soldiers and Divine Generals, and Ji Xiang recited:
"Summon spirits, expel spirits, Heavenly Soldiers and Divine Generals, heed my command!"
Swords, spears, sabers, halberds, silks, and magical belts – these Heavenly Soldiers and Divine Generals withdrew from the white smoke and turned their muzzles towards the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master!
Over a thousand Heavenly Soldiers rebelled on the spot. This scene invigorated the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master. He immediately recalled the previous incident where the connection between the Earthly Soldiers and the altar disappeared, and his expression became solemn.
Folk religions were most adept at commanding troops and generals, from Yin soldiers and ghost soldiers, to demon soldiers and earthly soldiers, and even heavenly soldiers and generals. But if these troops rebelled on the spot, it would be equivalent to a remote mage losing their frontline, losing powerful troop assistance, and their strength immediately dropping by a major level.
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master inwardly thought that the opponent possessed the technique of expelling spirits, the Expelling Spirits technique from the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Arts. It had appeared before; it was a young Taoist whose methods seemed to originate from Shangqing, who easily seized the troops of some masters from other sects of Xiaomao Mountain.
Ji Xiang waved his hand: "Take him down!"
The Heavenly Soldiers surged forward. The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master flicked his palm, grasped a piece of thunderwood, and lightly tapped the void.
With this tap, the heaven and earth were immediately shrouded in gloom, and the sound of thunder rumbled. All the Heavenly Soldiers and Divine Generals gradually transformed into pure energy and ascended into the sky, their forms and spirits also dissipating in an instant.
Shangqing Daoist: "To summon and call gods, one taps the thunderwood."
"This is a Shangqing technique."
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master looked coldly at the Shangqing Daoist: "Shangqing Maoshan is Maoshan, so Xiaomao Mountain cannot use it? Half of the Shangqing Dharma Realm is in our hands, so if you say you are Shangqing, we are not necessarily not Shangqing."
"These Heavenly Soldiers and Divine Generals that our Dharma Master summons, although they cannot be called at will, they can be dismissed at will."
"Expelling spirits... it seems you are the disciple of that young immortal master from the Shangqing Sect, Yin Lingzi."
Ji Xiang asked curiously: "Yin Lingzi?"
The Shangqing Daoist explained in a low voice that it was Yin Changsheng.
Ji Xiang suddenly understood, then chuckled and said, "We are fighting, why bring up a dead person."
"A dead person? That young man is dead? His magical power was even higher than mine, and he died just like that? Who killed him?"
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master was startled by the remark. Immediately, his gaze became somewhat suspicious as he looked at Ji Xiang without speaking, his desire to verify the information growing, and a thought of retreat began to form.
Acting on the thought without delay! His body suddenly ignited with flames on the outside, twisting and dissipating in an instant. Ji Xiang immediately used the Immobilization Technique, but it had no effect.
Minor divine abilities could not restrain those with great magical power. They possessed the energies of heaven and earth circulating within their acupoints and bones, making it impossible to fix the circulation of these energies.
"Ultimately, the power is limited, but to use Fire遁 to escape, it might not be so easy."
Ji Xiang clasped his palm, recited the Great Emperor's Hidden Prayer, stripping away the opponent's offerings, and at the same moment the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master disappeared, the void shattered consecutively. Approximately three breaths later, the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master emerged from the void, his body covered in shattered flames!
Simultaneously, the second divine ability of the Ascension Realm was unleashed!
A divine sword pierced through his head, but the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master's physical body was not damaged!
"Oh?"
Ji Xiang let out a soft exclamation, while the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master's thinking slowed by a beat. Only after the divine sword pierced his head did he react, turning and disappearing into a patch of lamplight once more.
"When using Fire遁, there is no physical body?"
No, there was no physical form. When escaping, one could be harmed by Shattering Void, but at the moment of re-coalescing, one was not affected by Shattering Void.
He had thought that erasing form and spirit would leave something like the primordial spirit, but it turned out that the entire being was erased, allowing it to evade Ascension divine abilities.
This was a novel piece of knowledge, and Ji Xiang was very interested in it.
The divine abilities of the Ascension Realm also had limitations, but upon careful consideration, it was as it should be. Fire遁 seemed to be one of the thirteen great Dùn techniques, and the primary purpose of Dùn techniques was to escape death.
Human遁 could adapt to the environment at will, and Fire遁 could use fire to erase form.
And he currently had no method to restrict such Dùn techniques. These Dùn techniques clearly could not be broken by spells; they likely required necessary means.
Besides this, Ji Xiang had prepared a batch of counter-spells, intending to have a good fight with this person.
He hadn't expected the opponent to run away directly before they could be used.
However, it had to be said that this was a wise choice. Upon realizing he was at a disadvantage, he chose to retreat and seek reinforcements, which was the operation expected of a master.
Running fast was also a skill.
"Only a portion of the offerings was collected, and he ran away very quickly, but the monk can run, the temple cannot. Earth God, come quickly!"
Ji Xiang stomped his foot. The Earth God from the previous dojo had not yet returned to his temple when Ji Xiang caught him again. Looking at the devastated main altar before him, the Earth God's face turned pale with fright:
"You again! You killed our Dharma Master?"
Immediately, the Earth God thought that if the Dharma Master were killed, there would be no need to capture him, a small figure. As expected, Ji Xiang asked the Earth God to lead the way, then used a lightning technique to lift the dojo into the sky and directly obliterate it!
Ji Xiang sneered, "Your Dharma Master is amazing, truly powerful, running very fast. He's not even fighting anymore and directly abandoned his altar. Doesn't he know what suffering his altar is enduring here!"
The Earth God's face was pale and trembling. He cursed, "You destroyed my Six Sects' altar, and you will surely be afflicted by disaster, with karma and retribution that will never cease...!"
But Ji Xiang paid no mind:
"Stop the nonsense. If you have the ability, then resolve my spirit-summoning, otherwise, hurry up and lead the way. I'm in a hurry to blow up your other altars!"
"Until your Dharma Master appears!"
...
In Dingjia City, lightning and fire spread. The other five Sect Masters learned that the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master had nearly been killed, and they were all as if struck by heavenly thunder. After a moment of paralysis, they decided to utilize the power of the Shangqing Dharma Realm and simultaneously sent a message to the Immortal of Biyou Palace, stating that this matter was beyond their ability to handle.
"How did the Shangqing Sect find such a powerful figure? This initial show of force failed, and instead, we brought shame upon ourselves."
"If you, Zhu Shou, have lost, how can we be his opponent? It seems we should inform Biyou Palace about this. It's not worth us suffering this great misfortune; let stronger people deal with him!"
"Wait! He's blowing up altars, and it's my altar that's being blown up! Truly arrogant to the extreme! How hateful! The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master offended you, so why are you blowing up my altar!"
The five Dharma Masters watched the flames. At this moment, the Dharma Master of the Five Thunder Summit Sect's expression suddenly turned grim. His small altar had cracked, clearly indicating that Ji Xiang had begun to move into his territory.
Someone nearby made a sarcastic remark. The Guangze Dharma Master chuckled,
"He's using lightning techniques, yet he's destroying your altar of lightning techniques and annihilating your dojo. It seems different lightning techniques are difficult to reconcile. Why don't you invite the Thunder King to descend and fight him? Perhaps his lightning techniques will be useless!"
"Besides, the Six Sects are united. What you just said is not right!"
At this moment, the voice of the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master came from within the flames:
"Don't be happy. He won't just blow up my altar; no one will escape. Moreover, this person is extraordinary. Yin Lingzi, who fought me briefly before, seems to have been killed by him. He has a young Taoist boy with him, who should be a disciple of the Shangqing Sect. This is likely true."
"Everyone, at this point, the treasures of the Six Sects must not be taken by others. The day he reclaims the Shangqing Dharma Realm, our Six Sects will be removed from the Seventy-two Sects."
"Therefore, we cannot hand over the Dharma Realm, nor can we tell him the location of Biyou Palace, and we must not notify Biyou Palace."
Among the five Dharma Masters, the Guanyin Dharma Master said with a solemn expression: "He's already at our doorstep. What's wrong with telling him the location of Biyou Palace? Can he still defeat the Palace Master?"
"Going to Biyou Palace is going to one's doom."
Unexpectedly, the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master chuckled amidst the flames:
"Do you think the Biyou Palace you know is truly Biyou Palace? Do you think the Palace Master you see is the true ruler of Biyou Palace?"
"What you see is only what Biyou Palace wants you to see."
"This person now, I'm afraid, is not just here to cause trouble for the Palace Master, but to find the true ruler behind the Palace Master."
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master knew some things.
"I'm telling you, in fact, Biyou Palace and the Shangqing Sect seem to have some unclear relationship, but I'm not sure about this either. Because regarding that Yin Lingzi incident, I once asked the Palace Master, and the reply I received was ambiguous, and I was directly fobbed off."
"Therefore, the Seventy-two Sects of Xiaomao Mountain are all chess pieces of Biyou Palace, their swords and halberds. If a precious sword becomes rusty and breaks, is it still useful? The purpose of swords and halberds is to clear obstacles, not to be cleared by obstacles."
How to preserve one's strength in high-level struggles and retreat safely, this was his top priority. If he informed Biyou Palace of the incident here now, then even as a chess piece, he would cease to be one.
The Six Sects had operated in Dingjia City for seventy years. They must not damage their lineage and foundation.
The five Dharma Masters frowned upon hearing the words of the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master:
"True ruler?"
"Even if we are chess pieces, we are pawns that have crossed the river. To discard us so easily is too arbitrary. I think it's better to inform them."
"We are not afraid of death, nor do we retreat without a fight. We try our best but fail, and that is not a big deal."
"That's right. Even if there is a true ruler, they wouldn't abandon us for such a small matter. There are too many difficult things in the world. We are not a sect of the Three Mountains level, and for them to find a powerful figure of the Heavenly Human level, this is a disaster that we cannot handle."
Some of the five Dharma Masters still believed they should inform Biyou Palace. This was all for the sake of preserving their lineage. Before the answer was revealed, no choice made by anyone was right or wrong.
However, the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master cautioned:
"I did not say that Biyou Palace would abandon us, but I know some things. Some Taoist lineages of folk religions in Xiaomao Mountain seem to be gradually changing. Having too much contact with Biyou Palace is not a good thing."
"The Six Sects guard Dingjia City, only looking at this area. Haven't you noticed that the folk religions that frequently interact with Biyou Palace are becoming more and more eccentric and strange in their actions?"
The flames reflected in the eyes of the five Dharma Masters, their minds were unsettled, and they did not know what to do at this moment.
The Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master continued: "This is ultimately our great tribulation. Therefore, to overcome the tribulation, we will use the old method."
"Let's borrow lives. We have borrowed once before, and that borrowing brought seventy years of stability to the lineage of Dingjia City. Now, let's borrow again. We have helped these citizens of Dingjia City by subduing demons and eliminating evil; now it is time to claim our reward."
"Seventy years of peace is not easily obtained. Announce to all families, we need to borrow lives."
The five Dharma Masters looked at each other. The faces of each of them receded behind the flames, their forms twisted, and they each disappeared into their respective main altars.
Only the Great Manifestation Huaguang Dharma Master remained within the flames, not yet having emerged.