"Qing Luo... found."
The Southern Sea region possessed numerous ancient texts. After the Thunder King's "death," the two Immortal Masters of the Dharma Sect immediately defected, pledging allegiance to the imperial court. However, Ji Xiang understood that for individuals like them, allegiance was merely a matter of who held the greater power.
Should the Biyou Palace, the Esoteric sect, or even the Song Dynasty gain control of this territory, they would undoubtedly surrender without resistance and switch their loyalties once more.
Therefore, Ji Xiang subtly sowed seeds of demonic influence within their hearts.
Should any aberrant thoughts arise, these seeds would sprout and grow. The demonic trials faced by Immortals were far more potent, especially for these two low-ranking Immortals who had not yet undergone such trials and, based on their current behavior, would certainly fail the Primordial Demon Trial.
Subsequently, Ji Xiang searched through the various Dharma Sects for ancient texts, seeking any mention of Qing Luo. He finally found a record within a Dharma sect known as the Primordial Dharma宗.
The leader of this sect informed Ji Xiang that his Primordial Dharma宗 originated from a book found in a dilapidated Taoist temple where he had cultivated in his early years. The Taoist priest had poor innate talent and low cultivation. Furthermore, during those years when Japanese pirates were rampant, he died bravely resisting an invasion.
He inherited the assets of that dilapidated Taoist temple and established the Dharma sect in the south, named the Primordial Dharma宗, to alleviate disasters and resolve difficulties for people. Many of its profound techniques were derived from their foundational scripture, which was not a contemporary work.
According to his account, his teacher had once told him that the book had been passed down from the Tang or Song dynasties, with its true compilation possibly occurring within those two dynasties, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
It was a remarkable feat for it to have survived such a chaotic era.
The current Taoist canon was still undergoing revisions. Since the compilation during the Yongle era, new Taoist books had been continuously discovered and incorporated into the canon, from the Zhengtong to the Jiajing, and from Jiajing to Wanli.
This particular book had not been included in the Taoist canon.
"The Sutra of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable on the Eleven Luminaries and Great Disaster Aversion Divine Incantations."
Ji Xiang opened the scripture. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Taoism had a worship of the Eleven Luminaries.
"At that time, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, in the Great Luo Heaven, within the Jade Capital Mountain, beneath the Qian Lin tree, struck the great Dharma drum and rang the great Dharma bell, gathering all the heavens and earths of the ten directions and three realms, the sun, moon, stars, and all holy beings, to expound on the karmic retribution of good and evil, and the causes and conditions of blessings and disasters for all sentient beings in the past and future. At that moment, a true immortal named..."
"Qing Luo!"
Ji Xiang uttered the name, and a tremor arose in his heart. In the unseen, it was as if countless threads of karma extended from the void like tentacles. As soon as the name was spoken, the Dharma followed the sound. Ji Xiang closed his mouth, and as the Heavenly Demon Qi surged within his mind, those threads gradually retreated.
"Karma..."
This was the manifestation of karma in his sea of consciousness. The initial karma that had ensnared him had been confined within the world of the Sea of Suffering. Ji Xiang dared not easily release this peculiar entity.
He then examined the scripture. The text stated that Qing Luo inquired about the karma of all sentient beings, including the calamities of war, water, and fire, as well as disasters and misfortunes. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable performed rituals for him, and Qing Luo then transmitted this scripture to the world, bringing joy to all immortals.
Undoubtedly, Qing Luo was a cultivator of the Jade Purity realm. Moreover, although this scripture appeared during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, it bridged the Tang and Song dynasties, suggesting Qing Luo might have been a Tang dynasty cultivator.
The Primordial Emperor's invocation of Qing Luo's name could frighten away Jade Purity evil beings. However, if other Jade Purity cultivators, such as himself, uttered this name, it would attract a karmic connection. If this person were in the Celestial Heart realm, they would undoubtedly be aware of his existence. If not in the Celestial Heart realm, was he still alive?
"Future Sight, focus and observe."
Ji Xiang employed Future Sight, utilizing the divine ability of Reverse Qian Kun, attempting to glimpse events related to Qing Luo. As time flowed, in the next moment, a figure enveloped in demonic energy suddenly appeared before his eyes.
"Who?"
This demonic energy was boundless, akin to his own. Ji Xiang looked closer, only to see the demonic shadow turn, revealing his own face. But in the next instant, that face vanished, replaced by that of a stranger.
[Reflecting the Future.]
A voice suddenly echoed from the unseen. The demonic shadow, whose face had changed, suddenly met his gaze. In the next moment, it seemed as if it would emerge from the illusion of Future Sight, but Ji Xiang narrowed his eyes and began chanting the False Gospel.
*Crack!* The demonic shadow vanished. Future Sight extended to a more distant future, rendering all that had just occurred as false. The so-called reflection was non-existent, becoming a situation that existed only in the future and would never come to pass.
[Karma, wondrous and unfathomable. To think such an existence as you would appear.]
The voice from the unseen resonated. Ji Xiang offered no response, for the Inner Scene Divine Tablet suddenly displayed text!
This meant that the voice carried hostility!
Was it Qing Luo?
No, it wasn't Qing Luo!
Ji Xiang observed the text on the Divine Tablet with surprise. He had initially assumed it was Qing Luo's power, but it turned out that the one who seemed to have usurped his demon king identity in the future was not Qing Luo!
[Mr. Gu (Trapped in the Future): A Jade Purity cultivator, a person of the past, who cultivated the Heavenly Venerable Dharma of later generations!]
[Mr. Gu, as the incarnation of Primordial, taught in border regions, expounding on the Three Vehicles of Liberation and the cultivation of future fruits for sentient beings.]
[After this person ventured into the future, various divine demons, engaged in slaughter and sacrifice, gathered to practice the Way, crying out for annihilation; or contemplating divine forms. Though scriptures exist, true Dharma is absent. Evil and righteousness are mixed in the world, and sentient beings cannot attain the Dao.]
[Supreme Divine Ability: True One.]
[All Jade Purity are True One. Your foundation is laid, and it is also within the ancient person.]
[Resolution: Cannot be resolved, only delayed by finding a way.]
Ji Xiang: "..."
This was the second time he had encountered an unresolvable divine ability. The previous instance, the Subduing Demon, was unresolvable because it was something born from a rule under the Heavenly Dao.
And now... in a more distant future, he had encountered something inconceivable.
[All futures are my body. Whether it is you, Qing Luo, or anyone else, you are all me. Qing Luo's karma is what I have set for you. You accept the karmic connection, become immortals and demons, and in the afterlife, gods and demons are indistinguishable, all becoming my body.]
[Be careful. I will be waiting for you in the future... When you peer into the secrets of the future, have you never considered that you might also be spied upon by someone from the future?]
[Curiosity from the past ultimately guides the future True One to return... I am that final True One, neither good nor evil.]
The voices from the unseen continued to resound, emanating from all directions, repeating the same sentences, creating countless echoes. No one else could hear them except Ji Xiang.
Trapped in the future? Truly astonishing.
Ji Xiang, while reading the text on the blank Divine Tablet, listened to the threatening voice from the future. He hadn't expected such a person among the Jade Purity cultivators. This individual was not Qing Luo, but the karmic connection belonging to Qing Luo had been bestowed by him.
Then, where had Qing Luo gone? What was Qing Luo's relationship with the Jade Purity evil beings?
Or perhaps...
Were the Jade Purity evil beings Qing Luo himself?
"I think... I need to meet the Primordial Emperor."