Having lost the divine position they were refining and handing over the Heavenly Palace Secret Incantation, the Chuma Immortals departed from the deep mountains. Time was a constraint, and they couldn't stay away for too long. While Shurhaci was respectful towards his Chuma Immortals, the Ming generals accompanying him were not as amiable.
Similarly, after several dozen days had passed.
Old Master Huang, using incense and spirit communication, a unique method of Chuma Immortals, remotely possessed a designated incense boy. After informing Changbai Mountain of all matters in Joseon, Grand Elder Fox and Elder Bai merely acknowledged the news, and there was no further word for over ten days.
It was only two days ago that in the Jianzhou Guard camp, a soldier who had been blessed by a shaman in his childhood suddenly trembled, possessed by a fox immortal, and walked into the command tent to converse with Old Master Huang.
The Emperor Kaitian Hongsheng urgently summoned all Chuma Immortals to return to Changbai Mountain.
Therefore, after a simple packing of his belongings, Old Master Huang bid farewell to Shurhaci, needing to withdraw from Joseon early and no longer able to protect the land. Facing the Emperor Kaitian Hongsheng's summons, Shurhaci naturally dared not delay, and politely gifted Old Master Huang some incense ash.
The Jianzhou Guard had previously advanced to the front lines of Kaesong, then pushed south to Wangjing, engaging with Hondo Tadakatsu and others alongside Liu Ting's troops. Upon entering Wangjing, Shurhaci had people retrieve incense ash from the ancestral temples of Joseon.
"This incense ash cannot be accepted!"
Old Master Huang was startled, not expecting Shurhaci to be so opportunistic, having visited Wangjing for only two days and already obtaining incense ash from their ancestral temples. This item was useless to ordinary people but extremely beneficial to divine beings who cultivated through incense, especially the incense ash from national ancestral temples, which accumulated countless wishes burned over time, leaving behind the residual power of wishes.
It could serve as a medium for communication between heaven and man, and consuming it could also boost one's cultivation.
Although Old Master Huang verbally refused to accept it, his eyes were fixed on the pile of ash, and even the younger ones behind him kept glancing at Old Master Huang, giving him looks that urged him to "accept it quickly."
"This, this, how can this be done? This cannot be accepted."
"It can be done, it can be done! Please, sir, don't be polite!"
Shurhaci very enthusiastically pushed the incense ash into Old Master Huang's arms, pressing down with his hands.
"Please accept it, sir. We can't have come all this way for nothing, can we? We helped the King of Joseon fight the Japanese, so what's a few dozen pounds of incense ash from his temple?"
He implied that they had traveled thousands of miles to help fight, and upon returning, they would not accept any monetary reward, only asking for some ash. Where else could one find such a good deal?
"Then, then I shall accept it. Thank you, thank you. If you need anything in the future, just give me a call. As long as I am still alive, I will certainly help."
Old Master Huang accepted this favor, but he added to himself, provided he could still appear alive.
This trip to Changbai Mountain, even if not a matter of life and death, was likely a fifty-fifty chance of survival.
Moreover, with this incense ash from the national ancestral temples, he would have something to show for it upon his return.
"Shurhaci, which temple is this incense ash from? You say it's from an ancestral temple, but what or whom was it originally used to worship before it was burned and left behind?"
Liu Xiaoqi suddenly interjected, inquiring in detail.
Old Master Huang glanced at him but said nothing. Shurhaci, baring his teeth, patted his chest and explained to Liu Xiaoqi:
"This, young sir, please rest assured, this is all pure."
Shurhaci meant that all these dozens of pounds were taken from the main ancestral temples, with no incense ash from the original temples.
"All from the main temples, not the original ones?"
"Yes, but in Joseon, the distinction between main temples and original temples is a bit muddled."
Main temples were those where the successive kings were worshipped, i.e., the Tai Miao. Original temples were the private ancestral temples of each monarch, some of which were specifically for worshipping their fathers and previous kings, and some even included the spirit tablets of their consorts to receive incense.
Main temples were filled with the national destiny, while original temples only contained the wishes of a single emperor, lacking national destiny, and also had the mixed incense of various consorts, meaning the quality was poor.
Liu Xiaoqi showed no embarrassment and directly questioned the purity of this "gift" from others.
This was impolite behavior, but Old Master Huang did not object, nor did Shurhaci get angry. After all, the origin of this item was not entirely clean. However, it was likely that since Wangjing had been breached twice, the King of Joseon would not care whether the incense ash in his temples was still there, as this item held no significance for him.
Once something was removed from the altar, it was no longer important.
Shurhaci said, "The original temples were destroyed and dismantled to build defensive fortifications. These were constructed by the Japanese when Wangjing was breached. They did not touch the main temples, likely to harvest the national destiny, which is why they were preserved intact."
"That hall is called Fengxian Hall. You young sirs should have heard of it. That is the ancestral temple where the Taizu of Li Joseon is worshipped, along with the posthumously honored ancient rulers from four generations prior. However, there was a gap in between. The Japanese did a good deed by moving the spirit tablets from another main temple into this one."
"Another ancestral temple?"
Old Master Huang was puzzled. He had also been to Wangjing at the time, so how did he not know there was another ancestral temple?
"It was dismantled. I only found out later."
Shurhaci explained, "This is an internal matter of the Joseon court, and I'm not entirely clear. In short, for a period, two main temples were built, and the spirit tablets of several monarchs were in the other main temple, which has now been dismantled and abandoned by the Japanese."
"That one was called Wenzhao Hall. It is said to have been converted from a temple of the previous dynasty by the Taizu. That was during the Song Dynasty in the Central Plains. Its previous name should have been..."
"Jingling Hall."
Old Master Huang subconsciously repeated, "Jingling... Hmm?"
The moment he uttered the word, for some unknown reason, he shivered all over. Old Master Huang's consciousness flickered for an instant, and then he regained his senses in the next moment.
He shook his head, finding it strange.
Within the incense ash, a dark aura, imperceptible to ordinary people, began to emerge.
Whoosh—!
At this very moment, an anomaly also suddenly occurred outside!
Instantly, the sky darkened, the mountains and forests became even more secluded, and waves of divine power spread from the distant land. The soldiers in the military tents fell into chaos, Shurhaci's expression also changed, and the Ming generals stationed in the city emerged from their temporary residences to look at the sky.
Even the sunlight was obscured, and as the anomaly occurred, the solar energy in the sky began to descend, forming beams of light.
The Chuma Immortals observed with their divine eyes. Old Master Huang, in particular, his expression changed upon seeing a dark-robed underworld celestial deity appear, whom he did not recognize at all!
"This... it can't be! It shouldn't be this fast?"
Refining a celestial deity requires a very long time. Even with a secret incantation, the inherent magical power and the crucial Dharma realm are not something that ordinary immortals can master. Thinking of this, Old Master Huang's face instantly turned pale.
Could it be... m..oΓg
That the dark-robed Dao Master was not a Celestial Immortal.
But a Flying Immortal?!