The assembled cultivators erupted in a clamor! It wasn't the phrase "Heavenly Demon descends," but rather that Bai Wuzi and Jiang Quzi, esteemed cultivators of Laoshan and Chongyang Palace, both Grand Masters in the Spirit Refining realm, were in such a sorry state. They were covered in wounds and bloodstains, their bodies scorched black, a testament to the brutal lightning strikes they had endured!
To be brought here so casually and made to kneel like common criminals was a profound humiliation for the many cultivators from Laoshan and Chongyang Palace, igniting a fire of rage within them!
An unprecedented disgrace!
"For many years, no one has dared to treat a Great Cultivator of Laoshan in such a manner!"
The Spirit Refining realm expert from Taiqing Palace, his face contorted with fury, demanded, "Who exactly are you!"
Ji Xiang replied indifferently, "For many years, no one has dared to treat them in such a manner."
"Today, I have done so. What do you intend to do about it?"
The leader of Taiqing Palace felt a surge of anger constricting his chest. His eyes blazed, his square face turning ashen, a red glow appearing on his forehead – a sign of extreme rage, his blood and qi surging uncontrollably towards his head.
He clenched his fists, the sound of his knuckles cracking echoing in the silence. His leisurely demeanor from when he was snatching the Heavenly Horse was gone, replaced by a gnashing of teeth, a desire to skin and devour the black-robed Taoist before him. His killing intent surged, as if he were about to strike and slay Ji Xiang at any moment!
"I truly don't know what crime our Great Master of Laoshan has committed to be treated this way!"
"Did he harm your kin, or kill your dearest friend? Or perhaps destroy your dojo?"
"If you, fellow Taoist, cannot provide a convincing explanation, then regardless of whether you are an immortal envoy or a celestial being, you will fall here today, your head severed and hung in the sky!"
At the same time, he was scrutinizing Ji Xiang.
A black-robed Taoist...
He had never seen such a thing!
This did not align with the etiquette of the Taoist sect. Black attire was not something anyone could wear, in fact, it was practically forbidden for anyone to wear!
Wearing black Taoist robes was akin to the "Black-Robed Prime Minister" of old. Buddhism, after the Northern and Southern Dynasties, absolutely forbade the wearing of black. To wear such taboo garments was a grave violation of one's sect's rules.
To dare wear black was to equate oneself with the gods; it was an act of absolute heresy!
"You even dare to wear black divine robes! Even if you are truly an envoy from the Inner Mountains and Rivers, you cannot be an immortal! Have you truly placed yourself on par with the gods!"
The Grand Master of Chongyang Palace was also enraged, his old face darkened, his long white beard slowly rising. The wrinkles on his face stretched outwards, resembling a furious tiger. "Our Chongyang Palace is the leader of Quanzhen Dao. Even if we have declined in this era, we cannot be humiliated like this."
"Fellow Taoist claims to be from Wudang Mountain, but according to my knowledge, the ancestral lineage of Wudang is the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace. The Heavenly Palace of the Tang Dynasty has likely perished long ago. Since the Yuan Dynasty, this place has been a gathering spot for various reclusive cultivators, and the notion of an ancestral lineage has long since vanished."
"If you do not reveal your identity, fellow Taoist, we will not be polite."
Ji Xiang sat astride the Heavenly Horse, while the young girl from the Shen family looked somewhat fearful of these fierce-looking cultivators.
A sneer descended.
"Your Chongyang Palace cultivators colluded with a vassal king to rebel, attempting to carve out territory and declare themselves emperor. If this is not a grave offense, then what crime in the world is greater than treason!"
"Cultivators are still cultivators, not immortals! To aspire to transcend worldly laws and etiquette, even quasi-immortals in the Pure Yang realm would not dare to harbor such ambitions!"
Upon hearing this, the two leaders were immediately startled, and the other cultivators from Laoshan Taiqing Palace and Chongyang Palace also revealed expressions of surprise.
Naturally, among them were other collaborators under Prince Lu. They were now mixed among the many cultivators, their eyes flickering, secretly contemplating their future paths.
The idea of relying on the towering tree that was Prince Lu had been completely shattered. They wondered if the "Immortal" who supported Prince Lu still needed them, these mortal cultivators?
In any case, they would have to choose another prince...
If they were to contend for the power of the Heavenly Dao with the Emperor in the north, then the legitimacy of a dynasty's royal family was a necessity. If a vassal king had no one to support, perhaps they would have to choose from those criminals in Fengyang...
These individuals' thoughts were in turmoil, their greatest fear now being that Bai Wuzi and Jiang Quzi would expose them.
Indeed, Bai Wuzi and Jiang Quzi now showed signs of panic, their gazes shifting among the cultivators, as if seeking someone to take the blame.
But they would not readily admit their guilt!
After all, these people before them were their peers and friends. As long as they held firm to their story, Ji Xiang would become an enemy of the world.
Bai Wuzi already had a hundred ways to exonerate himself.
Even in the worst-case scenario, if Ji Xiang were to blast him with a firearm and destroy his soul, the cultivators of the world would condemn Ji Xiang. As for himself, a dead man with an excellent and unblemished record within Laoshan and the entire cultivation world, no one would ever believe Ji Xiang over him!
"Taiqing Leader! We have known each other for decades, do you not know my character! Furthermore, the imperial court issued a conscription order to me earlier. If I were a spy for Prince Lu, would the court not have investigated?"
Bai Wuzi shouted urgently. Hearing this, the Taiqing Leader's expression became conflicted. He then looked at Ji Xiang and said to the surrounding cultivators:
"Our Laoshan cultivators have never committed treason!"
"You claim he committed treason, then produce evidence!"
The Taiqing Leader pressed Ji Xiang for evidence. Ji Xiang calmly pointed, "He himself is the witness."
"Witness and material evidence."
Ji Xiang held up a bronze mirror, which contained the events that transpired in Ying Tian Fu. It was originally intended to capture the Lantern Festival on the Qinhuai River to show off to Feng Menglong, but it turned out to be convenient for recording. The partial scene displayed caused a great uproar among the cultivators.
Bai Wuzi and Jiang Quzi exchanged glances and immediately began to exonerate themselves!
"The scenes from a magical artifact can be forged! Witness testimony is merely one-sided! The truth or falsehood in this world lies not in words, but in the heart! Don't you all know what kind of people we are, and how much do you know about this person!"
"He is a Heavenly Demon, not a benevolent being! Seeing how I am being tormented, are the methods of this person considered righteous?"
The two immediately cried out in distress, as if they had suffered immense injustice. However, they kept their heads bowed, tacitly avoiding any resentful glances towards Ji Xiang, focusing solely on inciting their fellow cultivators.
After all, there were hundreds of people here, with several experts in the Spirit Refining realm. With Qin Nvxu, that flawless immortal, absent, Ji Xiang was ultimately a damaged immortal. Could he withstand a group assault from so many cultivators from renowned sects?
There was still a glimmer of hope!
Indeed, upon hearing this, the Taiqing Palace Leader strongly agreed!
"Absurd! You say it, and it is so? You claim our sect's cultivators committed treason, and it is treason? Arrests require evidence. Even if you were the King of Heaven, you cannot do as you please!"
"You need further evidence! Irrefutable proof! You claim Prince Lu committed treason, so where is Prince Lu now? Do you have his head?"
Ji Xiang shook his head, "No, I do not. Prince Lu has escaped, how could I catch his fox's tail?"
"However, the events in Ying Tian will soon be known to the imperial court, as there are eyewitnesses, the entire population of Ying Tian Fu."
From the Heavenly Horse, the young girl from the Shen family also poked her head out and said crisply, "Dear immortal uncles! What my brother says is true! That prince also wanted to kill us. These people are all bad!"
The young girl from the Shen family pointed at Bai Wuzi and Jiang Quzi. Jiang Quzi immediately reprimanded, "You impudent child, speaking nonsense, how can you be a witness!"
"We are now captured, what can we say to refute the words of the powerful!"
Ji Xiang glanced at him. Jiang Quzi immediately lowered his head a bit. Ji Xiang disdainfully said, "No need to fear me decapitating you to silence you. Say whatever you wish to say, and preferably, let me hear your theories clearly."
"It's just about twisting black into white, wanting your peers to save your lives. So speak freely. I already knew they wouldn't believe me today. After all, I am an outsider, and you are their fellow disciples and brothers."
Jiang Quzi and Bai Wuzi's expressions changed slightly, and then they hardened their hearts, exchanging glances.
"This is you seeking your own death!"
"There are hundreds of cultivators here, all of them fresh and unspent. Now that you don't have Qin Nvxu's help, can you still wield the same authority as you did in Ying Tian?"
The two secretly mused. They immediately began to defend themselves, wanting to see Ji Xiang stumble and fall, which would surely be a humiliating and embarrassing sight. At the very least, Ji Xiang could be forced to retreat by the crowd, and they themselves could regain their freedom.
As expected, after the two had spoken with added embellishments and distortions, the Taiqing Palace Leader's temper flared. His square, noble face was as dark as a deep pool, and his black beard fluttered, accompanied by angry shouts.
"If you cannot produce more compelling evidence, we will seize the prisoners! There are hundreds of cultivators here, all from major sects, cultivators above the Innate realm. Even if you are an envoy from some Heavenly Palace in the Inner Mountains and Rivers, you cannot possibly defeat us."
"Furthermore, are you not afraid of offending our ancestral temples!"
Ji Xiang uttered an "oh," and from the swirling mist, several more individuals were tossed out.
These cultivators who had followed Prince Lu in his escape to Ming Xiao Mausoleum were captured and imprisoned in Fuli. Ji Xiang had placed them into the mist one by one, and they now appeared here, their appearances even more tragic than the two Spirit Refining realm cultivators.
Their flesh was torn and burnt by lightning, and their strength was far weaker than those two Spirit Refining cultivators. Several of the Nascent Soul realm cultivators could no longer speak, barely clinging to life with their innate qi.
In the parlance of cultivators, as long as this innate qi remained, the physical body was not considered dead. The punishment of the lightning tribulation was measured. These individuals, with their lower cultivation, had not committed any major offenses, resulting in them being accomplices. The lightning city had only struck them symbolically a few times.
However, in this world, there were not many who dared to undergo the lightning tribulation.
The rumbling thunder, the crashing lightning! The lightning tribulation was not something used against righteous cultivators. Only those who had committed great sins, or when a demon transformed and gained heaven-defying cultivation, would the lightning tribulation descend. Great cultivators could actively draw down the lightning tribulation, but this meant facing immense risks.
No one wished for their years of arduous cultivation to turn to dust in an instant with a single bolt of lightning, along with their own demise. Since the lightning tribulation was optional for righteous cultivators with good deeds, they simply chose not to undergo it.
For Nascent Soul cultivators, those with exceptional talent would take one to three, five years; those with superior talent, seven to eighty-one, two years; those with average talent, or inferior talent, would take decades of arduous cultivation. Not to mention those in the Yellow Court realm, or above the Innate realm. Even if one were born an Earth Immortal, the cultivation time would definitely exceed twelve years.
But now, these cultivators with bright futures, figures of respect within their respective sects, the cream of the crop among Earth Immortals, lay like dead dogs and withered trees, kneeling on the ground. Some had their bones shattered by lightning, and upon appearing from the clouds, they immediately collapsed to the ground. They could not even move, let alone kneel.
"Layman Xiao Sen of the Seeking Heaven Pavilion!"
"Mr. Chan You of Qingming Cave!"
"Venerable Yue Gou of Gu Zhu Dao Academy!"
"Immortal Yin Xiang of Yun Xiao Temple!"
"Hall Master Zhao Yin of the Ghost King Hall on Three Terraces Mountain!"
Familiar faces appeared one after another. Even though they were disfigured by lightning, appearing like charred ashes, their faint auras could still be recognized. This caused a great stir among the many cultivators, as some of them were their own sect members!
"How dare you!"
Several individuals stepped forward, their anger uncontrollable. They immediately attacked without regard for the consequences, intending to save their people and kill the enemy!
"How can the Ghost King Hall of Three Terraces Mountain be so insulted! Zhao Yin!"
The Hall Master Zhao Yin, who was half-dead from being struck and had barely survived from Ming Xiao Mausoleum, was gasping for breath. Upon hearing the voices of other Hall Masters from his sect, he thought it was an illusion. He was stunned for a few breaths, and then, like a child who had suffered immense grievance, he wept bitterly!
"Help me! Hall Master Duan Yan! Hall Master Qing Jue! Hall Master Gao Han! Quickly save my life!"
Hall Master Duan Yan did not hesitate. He instructed two of his subordinates to rescue the people, while he and the other two Hall Masters attacked Ji Xiang!
The great dharma rolled up a fierce wind. The distance between them was already very short, and they attacked instantly. The figures of the three Innate realm experts twisted and turned, transforming into streams of light. Wielding their magical artifacts, they unleashed the secret techniques of the Dumen, intending to cleave Ji Xiang on the spot!
"Three fellow Taoists are so eager!"
The followers of the Ghost King Hall of Three Terraces Mountain were affiliated with the Suishan Sect, belonging to the Quanzhen lineage. However, they were of the Laoshan faction and had come with Taiqing Palace to seek an explanation. They did not expect to encounter one of their own Hall Masters captured like a criminal. At this moment, as they attacked, other cultivators from the Laoshan faction also immediately moved to harm him!
However, those three moved extremely fast!
And they returned just as quickly!
Ji Xiang reached out and with a single flick of his finger, sent the first person who rushed towards him flying back instantly. This person was immediately overwhelmed by immense force, blood gushing from all seven orifices, their eyes bloodshot, no longer able to see any worldly sights!
The attacks of the other two had already reached Ji Xiang!
Hall Master Qing Jue practiced the Outer Scenery Illuminating Jade Great Scripture, manifesting numerous forms and spirits, holding an iron seal, and executing the Subduing Demon Great Heart Seal!
Hall Master Gao Han practiced the Shining Soul Dark Profound Scripture, spewing forth dark and cold qi, holding a pale treasured sword, and executing the Fourteen Swords of Furious Cold!
Boom! Two Innate great dharmas struck Ji Xiang squarely, but in the next moment, a hazy light flashed, and their expressions changed drastically!
Ji Xiang was enveloped in a fluctuating golden-blue light!
Miro Treasure Light!
"You don't strike me with a powerful artifact, and you expect to break my protective Dharma light?"
Ji Xiang's body trembled lightly. The Miro Treasure Light obtained from the Profound Mystery Temple finally had an opportunity to display its divine power! Instantly, thousands of golden lights shot out like sharp swords, filling all directions; waves of green smoke surged out like a torrential storm, evolving into the profound phenomena of tigers, leopards, and green clouds!
Although this Miro Treasure Light was the treasure of the Profound Mystery Temple, it was of little use against experts at the immortal level. Ordinary cultivators, on the other hand, found it difficult to harm Ji Xiang's indestructible golden body cast from Yanfutan gold. Therefore, releasing it now was merely to enhance his prestige!
Once the Profound Mystery Temple rebuilt its mountain gate, Ji Xiang planned to return this Miro Treasure Light to them, as it was of little use to him.
Except for being forced to elevate his status!
"Wow!"
A cry of pain, in unison! The two Hall Masters were injured by the golden light and torn apart by the tiger and leopard profound phenomena. Their protective Dharma robes were instantly riddled with holes! Ji Xiang took out some inexpensive magical artifacts from the Tai Xu Treasure Light. Two streams of thirty-two beads flew out, smashing onto the foreheads of the two Hall Masters like thunder pressing down from the sky, causing their bones to nearly shatter. They intended to stand up but were struck again, immediately collapsing to the ground, unable to rise!
At this moment, the subsequent attacks from other cultivators had just begun.
A great cultivator from the Suishan Sect spat out a golden seal and hurled it towards Ji Xiang!
Then came magic swords, command flags, tokens, divine wood, iron wheels, master swords, precious beads, spiritual spears, jade spears, treasure staffs, gold coins, cloud-swallowing bags, sky hammers and earth chisels, peach wood great clubs, convenient shovels, and various other magical and precious artifacts. In an instant, a great momentum arose, all directed towards Ji Xiang!
A hundred dharmas roared, as if to alarm even the gods! Ji Xiang's fingertip emitted Tai Xu Treasure Light, and with a gentle turn, he collected all these useless inanimate objects!
The cultivators were instantly filled with great terror!
"My magical artifacts! My magical artifacts have lost contact with me!"
"Precious sword return! Return!"
"Yimu Lightning Flag, summon lightning! Hurry as the law commands! Fire! Fire!"
"Iron wheel decapitation!"
"My heart-calming coin has been stolen!"
"You thief! Give it back to me!"
The magical commands were issued, but there were no artifacts to receive them. The cultivators' faces changed, and they all demanded their magical artifacts from Ji Xiang!
The moment the Tai Xu Treasure Light appeared, those cultivators under Prince Lu's command, who were kneeling on the ground, were collectively terrified! Bai Wuzi immediately shouted loudly:
"That is Tai Xu Treasure Light! It sweeps away everything below Pure Yang! Everyone be extremely careful!"
"Tai Xu Treasure Light!"
The leader of Chongyang Palace, a Spirit Refining realm cultivator, immediately focused his gaze, his expression extremely solemn.
He had heard of the Tai Xu Treasure Light's name in the Taoist scriptures and texts. This light originated from the Tai Xu Treasure Artifact, and that Tai Xu Treasure Artifact could even swallow the sun, moon, stars, celestial beings, ghosts, and even the dust and sand worlds of the heavens.
Profound and mysterious, extremely powerful. The descriptions in the classics were naturally formidable. However, the leader of Chongyang Palace had also seen the name Tai Xu Treasure Light in other classical secret writings, and even its methods of restriction.
"Chant the Precious Proclamation of Primordial Heavenly Venerate! Sacrifice the incense and fire of all sects!"
"What? What kind of magic is this?"
The Taiqing Palace Leader immediately inquired. He felt that the Tai Xu Treasure Light sounded familiar but could not recall what it was.
The leader of Chongyang Palace explained, "This is the radiance emitted by the Heavenly Venerate! It is a power that does not belong to mortals! The method to eliminate this Tai Xu Treasure Light does not exist among us cultivators. This light is described in ancient scriptures as 'nothing can escape below the Supreme Four Heavens'! However!"
"If there is no container, the power of the Tai Xu Treasure Light will gradually weaken with increased usage!"
And the Tai Xu Treasure Artifact simply does not exist in this world! Because no one is qualified, nor dares, to draw down the position of "Primordial"!
"The only thing that can resist the Tai Xu Treasure Light and suppress its devouring power is the Heavenly Venerate's Precious Proclamation, combined with refined incense and fire from all the people!"
Ji Xiang also knew this. Against some particularly powerful opponents, the Tai Xu Treasure Light would not be very useful if directly deployed, precisely because the opponent often possessed a large amount of incense and fire. Therefore, in most cases, this light could only be used for killing.
Without a container, the Tai Xu Treasure Light would gradually weaken. Ji Xiang also knew this, which was why, by chance, he had taken the Treasure Gathering Basin to compensate.
"How long can he sustain the Tai Xu Treasure Light alone? We have hundreds of cultivators, and the incense and fire refined by all the sects, if not tens of millions, then at least one to two million people! Can we not suppress him alone!"
The leader of Chongyang Palace gave an order. Hundreds of cultivators began to chant the Precious Proclamation of Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and at the same time, a large amount of incense and fire surged from them, transforming into a world of incense and fire!
Various scenes of flying immortals, divine palaces, feathered heavenly mountains, waterfalls, and great rivers, all like the ramparts of heaven and earth, materialized and stretched across, contending with the Tai Xu Treasure Light!
This... made Ji Xiang... frown deeply!
It was indeed well done. The wishes of one cultivator were equivalent to ten mortals, and Earth Immortals and above were converted even more. These were all cultivators in the Yellow Court, Innate, and Spirit Refining realms, considered the most powerful in the human world. Their wishes were each equivalent to a thousand or a hundred people. The incense and fire power refined and used by their own wishes, in terms of quality, was indeed equivalent to one to two million people, if not tens of millions.
However, these numbers, whether fifty, eighty, or one million, were not the number of wishes, but the number of incense and fire.
How could the incense and fire of ten thousand people compare to the wishes of ten thousand people? How could one wish give birth to a hundred incense sticks, and how could one incense stick give birth to a hundred wishes?
It was indeed well done.
So much incense and fire power.
Ji Xiang's brow relaxed.
It brought him great joy!
"This will allow me to feast! I have never eaten such a sumptuous meal in my life!"
It was more than just four dishes and one soup! This was a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast!
Ji Xiang was greatly moved, then opened his mouth wide and swallowed towards the sky!
Rumble! Winds rose and clouds churned. The tens of thousands, the hundreds of thousands, the eight hundred thousand! The incense and fire qi, calculated in such vast numbers, were all swallowed by Ji Xiang!
The celestial phenomena were magnificent, and the heavens and earth trembled. Even the clouds in the sky churned restlessly. A million incense and fire could break through the clouds and swallow mountains and seas, but they were all ingested by Ji Xiang alone. In the blink of an eye, the earth shook and the mountains swayed. The world formed by incense and fire collapsed and disintegrated, like a hundred rivers entering the sea, all falling into the abyss of the Great Guixu!
"Wuwuwu!"
Ji Xiang had never eaten such a rich meal in his eight lifetimes. A million incense and fire almost burst him. Fortunately, he still had the Blank Divine Tablet as a backup storage. No matter how much incense and fire was injected, it was like a bottomless pit, accepting all that came.
As for the Heavenly Marshal Peng and the other three divine tablets, Ji Xiang also briefly switched them while devouring the million incense and fire, leaving ample backup incense and fire for these three divine tablets. In the future, switching would be even more convenient. After advancing to the Nascent Soul realm and manifesting a clone from his Yang Shen, Ji Xiang felt that perhaps he could directly manifest three of the Four Heavenly Lords of the Pole Star.
This wave was simply a huge profit! Except for the White Face True Warrior's divine form which did not benefit, the power of incense and fire had infinite uses everywhere!
The incense and fire on the cultivators' bodies were forcibly drawn away. In an instant, hundreds of people slumped to the ground, filled with terror, pointing at the sky and cursing, their voices filled with dread!
The Tai Xu Treasure Light hung in the sky, its nine-colored radiance flowing like a fish, causing people to tremble with fear!
Even the leader of Chongyang Palace felt his spirit weary, a deep sense of dread welling up in his heart, which he could no longer suppress!
"Who exactly are you! Are you going to slaughter us mortal cultivators today!"
He could only shout this, but Ji Xiang scoffed and warned:
"I made it clear from the beginning! It was your people who committed treason and rebellion! I also expected that you would inevitably not listen to my advice but follow their words! After all, they are the ones you know, and who am I?"
"Therefore, I reveal the Tai Xu Treasure Light and devour your million incense and fire. Now do you know who I am?"
"You say that even if the King of Heaven came, he would have to give me a good look? I will tell you now, I am the King of Heaven, and you cannot give me a good look. In fact, you yourselves will turn pale and surrender to death!"
Upon hearing this, the cultivators' faces changed drastically.
They felt that Ji Xiang was about to slaughter them!
But Ji Xiang's tone shifted, "However, I am benevolent and uphold the will of heaven, so how could I kill people indiscriminately? You did not understand the situation and believed the words of these villains. You were defeated by me, and you should not hold grudges, because this is due to your own poor judgment of people. I am merely waking you up!"
"Are you satisfied with this show of force?"
The cultivators' expressions shifted between green and white, all remaining silent. They were clearly unconvinced but dared not speak loudly, for fear of alarming some "celestial being."
The ancient poetry that captures the spirit is unparalleled! The Tang people had foresight!
"Since everyone is silent, it seems you are all quite satisfied with my display of force this time."
"You have truly, genuinely, and completely endured it."
"Now, let's see clearly who I am!"
The Heavenly Horse carried the little girl to the side. Ji Xiang dismounted and returned from the sky. His black robes fluttered in the wind. He then grabbed a piece of his robe and solemnly warned the cultivators before him.
"There are only two people in this world who can wear these black Taoist robes."
"The first is Grand Master Zhang."
"The second is me. Personally enfeoffed by His Majesty the Emperor, the Head of the Taoist Registry, the Leader of the Righteous Path, the True One of Alliance and Might, the Northern Pole True Person!"
"I am Ji Xiang. As for my Taoist name, you can call me Bei Jizi, or Heavenly Demon, either is fine. From now on, the rules of this world are decided by me!"
The cultivators were startled. The leader of Laoshan Taiqing Palace immediately cried out:
"You are Ji Xiang? The one from Wudang Mountain?!"
Ji Xiang narrowed his eyes, "Not from Wudang Mountain, are you from Laoshan? Would you like to invite me over for a visit?"
With a glance from Ji Xiang, the previous arrogance of the leader was forced to subside. However, the veins on his forehead bulged, and he realized something. He looked at Bai Wuzi, who was imprisoned on the ground, and sternly questioned:
"Is he truly from the imperial court?"
The Taiqing Leader looked up again, "Where is your Taoist Registry Master token!"
Ji Xiang took it out. Seeing the confused look on the Taiqing Palace Leader's face, he couldn't help but mock, "Even if I show it to you, you won't recognize it, and if I show it to you, you'll say it's fake. What can be done? Wouldn't I have to punch you to make you obedient?"
"To put it bluntly, your principles of conduct are like this. It's strong and unreasonable. It's right to protect your sect and friends, but sometimes, if you misjudge people, it can bring you a lot of disaster."
The Taiqing Palace Leader's face turned ugly.
Bai Wuzi feigned ignorance and continued to argue, his expression filled with grief and anger, "He is lying! How could the imperial court employ a Heavenly Demon as its pawn! I am certain this person has deceived the Emperor and made the world unaware of his true ferocious nature!"
"He harms us with demonic great dharma, and this is considered the leader of the righteous path?"
"Do not believe his one-sided words!"
The Taiqing Palace Leader remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Is he really Ji Xiang?"
Bai Wuzi pondered. There was nothing to hide about this. He nodded, "He is Ji Xiang, and he is the one who committed all evils and murdered our fellow disciples!"
Ji Xiang paid no attention to what Bai Wuzi was saying.
The Taiqing Palace Leader's heart was in turmoil, filled with shock!
He was bragging! Weren't those ruffians from Wudang Mountain saying that the Ji Xiang they knew was just sweeping the streets in the Forbidden City?
He looked at the leader of Chongyang Palace, who happened to be looking at him as well. The sunken sockets of his eyes proved his current fear.
"Is he really that Ji Xiang?"
"It seems so!"
The two exchanged a few words, then fell into a deathly silence. The cultivators behind them were unable to calm their minds. The Taiqing Palace Leader broke the silence and said proactively:
"It seems that Wudang has deceived us?"
The leader of Chongyang Palace's expression shifted between cloudy and clear, and then he exclaimed, "Perhaps... not necessarily?"
"What do you mean?"
The Taiqing Palace Leader asked in a low voice. At this moment, Bai Wuzi was still fanning the flames, but unfortunately, these cultivators no longer dared to attack Ji Xiang... at least not alone, three or five people dared not. If no one acted, and the enemy did not act, and allies did not act, then in the end, they would all be like wooden figures.
The leader of Chongyang Palace pointed out to the Taiqing Palace Leader:
"Grand Master Zhang once guarded the gate of the Forbidden City. Those ruffians from Wudang claimed that this person was sweeping the streets in the Forbidden City... Could it be a veiled boast?"
"Is he imitating the precedent of Longhu Mountain?"
The Taiqing Palace Leader's face immediately turned extremely ugly, as if he had eaten two bowls of feces.
If this were the case... then today's events, the ruffians of Wudang, had already planned for this?
........
On Wudang Mountain, a group of cultivators were awakened by the previous incense and fire power. They flew out and rushed towards the mountain gate, all whispering to each other, unsure of what had happened. The martial artists at the entrance, as well as Old Daoist Zhang, also poked their heads out to look.
Unfortunately, the clouds surged below, separated by a stretch of land. Even though they could sense the incense and fire power, they could not see clearly without leaving the mountain gate. There were too many cultivators below, and they had also set up a barrier, obscuring the mountain gate of Wudang, forbidding everyone from descending the mountain.
"Could it be that they had an internal conflict? But what was with the thunder earlier?"
The martial artists were puzzled.
The disheveled old Daoist grinned, frowned, and scratched his chest.
In a voice that no one could hear, as if questioning the sky, he muttered:
"This is truly an unexpected event. How could this have happened... The Heavenly Demon has taken over my disciple's body. I must demand an explanation."