The Xuan Tian Coffin was welded shut by Ji Xiang with the Five Thunder Technique, rendering it unusable for anyone. As Ji Xiang was about to have Nan Yangzi leave Shangqing, the latter hesitated for a moment:
"Immortal Master, although the Shangqing Sect committed grave errors, their transgressions stem from their ancestors. To preserve their lineage, they were forced to resort to such measures..."
"I am not making excuses for Shangqing, I almost lost my life here myself. It's just that I suddenly recalled what the Mountain Master of Maoshan said about the Biyou Palace..."
Nan Yangzi gave a wry smile. "Now that Shangqing is destroyed and their lineage is somewhat broken, their mountain protection formation has also collapsed. If we leave like this, the Shangqing Sect will be without a leader. If the seventy-two sects of Lower Maoshan and the Biyou Palace learn of this, they will surely come here. I fear it will result in great casualties..."
Ji Xiang understood Nan Yangzi's meaning:
"You are reminded of the destruction of your own Xuanmiao Temple and feel empathy?"
"Speaking of which, I was the one who destroyed Xuanmiao Temple, and I am also the one who destroyed Shangqing now... If the imperial court people arrive, it won't be anything good, will it?"
Nan Yangzi repeatedly gave wry smiles, indicating that was not his intention.
"It was truly a helpless move for the Immortal Master to take action. Now, with the Immortal Master's help, I can still survive and ensure the lineage of Xuanmiao Temple does not end. If the Immortal Master had been a little softer back then, I might not have even survived. How could I dare to blame you."
Ji Xiang waved his hand and began setting up a formation at the entrance of Maoshan.
"I understand what you mean, but it seems that the Biyou Palace might also have some hidden secrets."
Nan Yangzi asked in confusion, "Secrets?"
Ji Xiang nodded. "I'm just saying, perhaps the Biyou Palace was deliberately released by the ancestors of Maoshan."
Due to the incident with Jinglun Tiangong, Ji Xiang understood that some ancient Daoist palaces in the inner mountains and rivers would seek out their inheritors in the outer mountains and rivers to carry out tasks. At that time, the cultivators from Jinglun Tiangong had also stated that unregistered folk organizations like the White Lotus Society were the best enforcers.
Regardless, any chaotic sect was the White Lotus Society. Since the imperial court couldn't distinguish between Dharma sects and the White Lotus Society, their severe crackdowns only harmed those in the Dharma sects, while the White Lotus Society ran rampant everywhere.
Nan Yangzi was shocked. "That can't be! Shangqing is a righteous major sect. They would deliberately release demonic individuals..."
Ji Xiang replied, "There's nothing they wouldn't do. The so-called righteous and evil methods are merely distinctions in the outer mountains and rivers. The people in these mountains and rivers have no distinction between righteous and evil. As long as the techniques are effective and the actions achieve their goals, nothing else matters."
Nan Yangzi fell silent, sighing. "Since ancient times, to ascend to Celestial Immortality, one must accumulate thirteen hundred good deeds and possess an unyielding heart of compassion. The inner mountains and rivers are like the immortal realm to us, but how did the immortal realm become like this..."
Ji Xiang said, "That is not for you or me to know. Without entering the inner mountains and rivers, how can one understand the situation within? Perhaps a thousand years is not enough to change the heart of an immortal, but after ten thousand years, how many people will still recognize the distinction between good and evil?"
"The heavenly courts spoken of in storybooks ultimately do not exist."
Ji Xiang used his great magical power to set up some formations to protect the outer parts of Maoshan. Since Maoshan had already sealed its gates, there would be no pilgrims or cultivators coming during this period. Although there might be intruders like themselves... Ji Xiang could do nothing about that. He could only say that those people would have to consider themselves unlucky.
"Let's go to the Yinshan Sect!"
Ji Xiang announced their next destination. Now that the matter of Maoshan was settled, Nan Yangzi no longer hesitated. He immediately performed a遁术 (Dùn Shù - Evasion Technique), and he knew of a Daoist temple of the Yinshan Sect. Thus, the group was transported by the Dùn Shù, crossing mountains and rivers in an instant, arriving at the location of the Yinshan Sect Daoist temple known to Nan Yangzi.
"The Human Evasion Technique is indeed quite convenient, but it can only transport one to places they have been before. That's a bit inconvenient," Feng Menglong remarked from the side. Nan Yangzi chuckled, "All thirteen major Dùn techniques have their unique merits. If I could freely enter places I haven't seen..."
Nan Yangzi was about to say such a thing when he remembered being trapped by the Suo Tian Formation earlier, and the words caught in his throat. He felt his old face burning with embarrassment.
Although Maoshan was renowned for its formations, his Dùn technique was not a minor art. Yet, when the two clashed, he suffered a great loss, making it impossible for him to boast about it.
Seeing Nan Yangzi suddenly fall silent, Luo Po Xian quietly said, "Senior Brother, don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your predicament in the formation."
Nan Yangzi glared fiercely at him, "You talk too much!"
In front of this Yinshan Sect Daoist temple was a large earth temple. The surrounding environment was filled with floating dust and a faint mist, appearing eerie and sinister. On the earth temple at the entrance, there were also many blackened bloodstains.
Feng Menglong shivered after looking at it. "This is the Yinshan Sect? Is this truly a Dharma sect and not an evil cult?"
"No!"
Nan Yangzi interrupted, "I've been here many times before. Although the entrance was eerie, there were always divine fires burning, and there weren't so many bloodstains on the walls!"
Ji Xiang raised his hand and summoned the Five Thunder Divine Ability, directly blowing apart the main gate of the Yinshan Sect temple!
"Carry firearms. If you see ghosts or similar things, shoot directly."
"The Yin energy within is heavy."
Ji Xiang threw the Five Thunder Divine Machine to Feng Menglong.
The Yinshan Sect primarily cultivated the Ghost Dao. They were genuine Ghost Immortal lineage cultivators, so firearms were a great killer weapon for them. In this sinister realm, firearms could exert their greatest power, being more effective than attacking people.
Ji Xiang intended to carry the Xuan Tian Coffin inside. Feng Menglong, however, said again, "Isn't it a bit risky to carry this coffin inside? What if something goes wrong?"
Ji Xiang chuckled, "There's no need to worry about that. This Xuan Tian Coffin, named Coffin, is actually a cabinet. Inside, apart from that Immortal, there is nothing else. When an immortal awakens from corpse decomposition, it is from Yin returning to Yang. This Yinshan Daoist temple is filled with heavy Yin energy. I fear that Immortal will smell it and immediately lie back down."
"Therefore, this Yin energy has a suppressing effect on corpse-decomposed immortals."
After the main gate of the earth temple was blown apart, the scene inside was terrifying.
Directly facing them was a stone pagoda. This pagoda suddenly appeared in the center of the inner courtyard of the Yinshan stronghold. On the pagoda was a hanged corpse, densely covered with strange talismans drawn with black sand.
"It's the talisman art of the Yinshan Sect. The talismans of other Daoist sects are drawn with incense ash and cinnabar, but the talismans of the Yinshan Sect are drawn with black sand. Their talismans are different from other sects..."
"That's the Yinshan Great Talisman!"
Nan Yangzi's expression changed drastically. The hanged corpse was entirely wrapped in black sand talismans, and there was a large talisman on its face!
The Yinshan Great Talisman...
The so-called Talisman is a powerful document used in the Daoist sect to summon the gods of the ten directions and perform supreme magical arts. It can be considered an upgraded version of a talisman.
And the Yinshan Great Talisman is naturally used to summon the great Dharma Lords of Yinshan. However, at this moment, there was a Yinshan Great Talisman on this corpse's face, and the strokes written on this Talisman all followed the rules of the Yinshan Sect. Only the place for summoning the Dharma Lord's name was blank, with no text at all!
It was as if they were trying to turn the soul of this corpse into a divine general!
Nan Yangzi tried to take down the hanged corpse, but the corpse remained motionless, as if being pulled by a large hand, firmly fixed on the pagoda.
There were blood-red characters on the pagoda.
"After receiving the Talisman, your name is registered in the Heavenly Bureau."
As Luo Po Xian read these eight characters, even though there were three powerful cultivators present, they couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines.
"All the cultivators in this Yinshan Sect Daoist temple have been killed. Was it a vendetta?"
"It is said that the people of the Yinshan Sect refine soul-blood and summon Yin Masters. Perhaps they offended someone, but this is too coincidental... Are we arriving at the wrong time..."
"Could it be that the cultivators from Lower Maoshan collectively attacked here..."
Nan Yangzi's mouth felt dry. The atmosphere here was truly unsettling.
Ji Xiang was more considerate. Many Golden Light Charms appeared in his palm, flying in all directions and sticking to various locations, emitting a blazing light and gradually dispelling the Yin energy.
Then Ji Xiang recited the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Spell.
Nan Yangzi and Luo Po Xian also recited the "Purification of the Body Divine Spell" from the Eight Great Divine Spells to protect themselves from being tainted by evil energy.
Feng Menglong held his head high. He had no talismans, relying on his upright spirit.
The little fox immediately affixed a Golden Light Charm to its forehead. It didn't matter if it was useful or not; it made her feel at ease, like covering her ears to steal a bell. You don't need to ask if the thief was caught; just ask if he touched the bell!
"I came here to resolve the Soul Locking Technique, but I didn't expect the Yinshan Sect to suffer a catastrophe themselves. This matter is difficult to handle. Do you know of any other Yinshan Daoist temples?"
Ji Xiang asked Nan Yangzi. Nan Yangzi's expression was complicated. "Even among the Dharma sects, the Yinshan Sect is one of the more secretive factions. Not many people cultivate the path of Ghost Immortality. They are strict in accepting disciples, and their Daoist temples are very difficult to find."
"I only know of this one..."
This made Feng Menglong anxious, but anxiety was useless. Ji Xiang's gaze shifted, and he thought, could it be the work of those two old ancestors from the Shangqing Sect?
Did they use the Soul Locking Technique to forcibly pass down their lineage, and to prevent their Dao脉 (Dào Mài - Dao lineage) from being passed on, they destroyed the Yinshan Sect? No, Nan Yangzi brought him to this Daoist temple, which was far from Shangqing. Perhaps there were other Yinshan Daoist temples elsewhere. If they were to destroy them, they would destroy them all, not just this one.
The Shangqing Sect had no connection with Yinshan. To deal with a simple Soul Locking Technique, they would have to destroy all Yinshan Daoist temples. This wasn't a question of whether they could do it, but whether it was pointless.
After all, the Yinshan Sect was already secretive in its operations. Playing hide-and-seek with them while destroying their Dao lineage was simply a waste of time.
"It seems that the matter of Yinshan Soul Locking will be put aside for now. We must find out why this place was annihilated. Nan Yangzi, you have been here several times. What is the significance of this stone pagoda?"
"The Dao Pagoda is used to suppress the demons of the ten directions. Its appearance in the inner courtyard of the Yinshan Sect's Daoist temple is not normal."
Ji Xiang was not in a hurry to take down the corpse; he still needed to figure out what was wrong with this pagoda. Currently, it looked like an ordinary object, with no other strange features. If it were a precious artifact or a spiritual artifact, the Inner Scenery Divine Tablet would have reacted.
"This pagoda is a Soul Nourishing Pagoda, mainly used to store the three souls of wild ghosts. I discovered it when I first entered. This pagoda is empty inside and has lost its function. All the wild ghosts have also disappeared. I fear they were released during the annihilation battle and were all killed."
Nan Yangzi provided an explanation that was easy to understand. This Soul Pagoda was like a barracks for ghost soldiers. If something happened, they would summon ghosts from here to help.
Now that it was empty, it meant all the ghost soldiers had been wiped out.
Ji Xiang suddenly fell silent again.
In his heart, he was secretly pondering.
Due to deducing the Suo Tian Great Formation, he was entangled with the Tribulation of the Mortal World. The suicide of the Three Corpse Gods could not resolve it. He originally thought the Tribulation of the Mortal World would manifest as the Immortal striking the coffin, but now it seemed... could the sudden annihilation of the Yinshan Daoist temple also be related to his calamity?
It shouldn't be related, as the blood had turned black, clearly indicating that the annihilation did not happen yesterday, but a long time ago. However, Ji Xiang felt that perhaps his misfortunes were also related to the Tribulation of the Mortal World.
Wherever he went, trouble appeared...
Speaking of which, he went to the Milong Casino, and the Milong Casino was annihilated. He went to the East Great Ascension Temple, and the East Great Ascension Temple was annihilated. He went to Gusu City, and the Xuanmiao Temple was annihilated. He went to the Shangqing Sect, and the Shangqing Sect was almost annihilated. He went to the Yinshan Sect, and the Yinshan Sect Daoist temple was annihilated...
He was perhaps a Death Daoist.
The only place not affected by his curse was the Forbidden City. This suggested that Emperor Wanli had a stronger fate.
"There are no clues, so I can only deduce it myself."
Ji Xiang decided to deduce a quick-start Heavenly Eye technique himself. Although quick-start things were not very effective, they were at least usable, and perhaps he could see some clues. As long as he could see clues, the remaining problems would be handed over to the Inner Scenery Divine Tablet.
Sacrificing a Shangqing cultivation technique, Ji Xiang quickly began to cultivate on the spot. Rolling Yang energy spread in all directions, completely dispelling the Yin energy in this place. Apart from the dried corpses of those who died violently and the hanged corpses, the surroundings were no longer eerie and terrifying.
Soon, a faint condensed light shone in Ji Xiang's eyes.
According to the "Ling Shu Jing," it is said that the Yang energy rises to the eyes and becomes the pupils.
The eyes are truly the windows to the soul, and they are also the place where Yang energy condenses. People with strong Yang energy will feel a stinging sensation and discomfort when they look at others, which is caused by their gaze being too piercing.
Ji Xiang produced the Bright Light Heavenly Book in his hand, using the Heavenly Book to assist his new Dharma Eye. After all, a quick-start Dharma Eye could not immediately utilize its full capabilities; it had to be assisted by the Heavenly Book to display its full power.
Yang energy condensed in the eyes could pierce through the techniques of obscuring haze. Ji Xiang's eyes shone like flashlights in all directions. Of course, for Ji Xiang, this Dharma Eye was a bit ostentatious.
The power was not great, but the effect was outstanding.
Where his gaze fell, the most peculiar Yinshan Great Talisman on the corpse's face showed nothing unusual, perhaps because it was not finished...
At this moment, a strange darkness flashed and disappeared inadvertently under the divine light of his Dharma Eye.
Ji Xiang himself did not even notice it.
However, the Inner Scenery Divine Tablet noticed it and immediately provided feedback, causing Ji Xiang to instantly look in a certain direction.
Deep within the Yinshan Sect Daoist temple, in a small hut, Ji Xiang broke down the door and saw the statue of the Yinshan Dharma Lord sitting in the main position. From the outside, there was nothing unusual. The next moment, Ji Xiang directly overturned the altar, knocking down the statue of the Yinshan Dharma Lord. The statue fell to the ground, its head shattered, and a Great Talisman emerged from within.
However, the runes on this Talisman were strange, twisted, and eerie, and there were three words: You have arrived.
Ji Xiang, however, curled his lips into a cold smile. This thing could scare other cultivators, but scare him?
It seemed they had long anticipated that someone would come here.
"Fortunately, it wasn't caused by me that the Yinshan Sect was annihilated. They had their own problems. But the world is truly going to be in chaos."
"I haven't seen these ghosts stir for so long, and they really haven't been quiet."
Following that, the entire hut emitted waves of ghost energy. Those clay and wooden statues began to move, but Ji Xiang destroyed them all with a single Five Thunder Technique. The entire hut exploded and flew into the sky!
The text in the Inner Scenery Divine Tablet still appeared in his eyes:
[Statue of the Old Ancestor of Yinshan (occupied by Tianluo King): Usurped incense offerings, severed its Dao lineage, and seized the methods of Yinshan.]
[The Dharma Realm of the Yinshan Sect has been eroded, and its Dao lineage is damaged. When summoning ghost soldiers, there is a certain chance of summoning Ghost Immortals from Wanshou Palace!]
[Wanshou Soul Summoning Talisman (suppressed by the statue of the Yinshan Dharma Lord): Those who see this talisman will have their souls swapped.]