"Your Highness, be careful!"
In an instant, Bai Wuzi and Jiang Quzi flashed forward! But this world-shattering white rainbow came too fast, and its power was astonishing. The mere surge of air it generated shattered all the colorful auspicious clouds in the sky!
The entire Qinhuai River churned with great waves. The two Refinement masters almost lost their lives under this attack. Fortunately, Yi Xingseng had just moved away from Ji Xiang’s side, and Prince Lu himself was an ultimate expert at the Pure Yang level. This was also his first time fighting someone head-on!
Under the combined defense of the two Pure Yang experts, a vast curtain of light enveloped the heavens and earth, transforming into the phantom of a giant blue bell that shattered the sword rainbow!
"Hundred Zhang Qinggui!"
Yi Xingseng waved his hand, and the phantom of the blue bell suddenly spun from the royal boat into the sky, rising majestically from the river! Sanskrit script coiled around the bell phantom, filled with Buddhist precepts and commandments!
The monk chanted Buddhist scriptures, and tens of thousands of characters transformed into bricks and stones, each weighing thousands of pounds, filling the sky and plummeting downwards!
Prince Lu also frowned, but he did not attack. Instead, he watched Yi Xingseng go to confront the woman of unknown origin.
Next, he was about to ascend to immortality, so how could he allow this person to ruin his great plan at this moment?
He shouted from behind:
"Who are you, daring to attack this Prince? Are you rebelling!"
Qin Naxiu did not answer. Seeing Yi Xingseng attack with Buddhist Dharma, she merely raised an eyebrow contemptuously, then turned one finger into two!
She thrust forward!
The power of the sword qi long rainbow was twice as strong as before. The Sanskrit bricks and stones were split into dust by a single sword, transforming into golden light and wind that rained down upon the ordinary people in the Qinhuai River!
The golden light of Buddhist Dharma scattered in all directions, like rain, falling into the river water, causing countless screams! Waves of dark energy surged and rolled out from the river. The thirteen hundred demons, who were already prepared, were forced to reveal their true forms by this Buddhist light, exposed to the world!
The power of Buddhist Dharma was like bone-gnawing poison to demons and fiends, like raging fire burning the body. Once contaminated, it was difficult to escape, and it would cause severe damage to their bodies until it was completely resolved!
"Roar!"
Great demons and fierce fiends leaped from the river, disregarding Prince Lu's prohibition. They pounced on the mortals to devour them, not caring whether the target was within the thirteen hundred or not!
As long as it was a living creature, devouring it would restore their injuries. While devouring the opponent's flesh and blood, they would also devour the opponent's vital essence!
"This is bad, don't mess around!"
Crown Prince Lie Jie was greatly alarmed. The golden boat they were on was prepared as a sacrifice, but now this pervasive Buddhist light had forced all the demons to reveal their true forms and was burning their bones and hearts, driving them into a frenzy. They no longer obeyed Prince Lu's orders!
If they ate ordinary people, not the thirteen hundred sacrifices, the success rate of Prince Lu's ascension to immortality would be greatly reduced!
Without these righteous individuals as catalysts, the thirteen hundred demons would not be judged as malevolent by heaven and earth, and Prince Lu would gain no benefit from killing them. The Great Dao of the dynasty would not provide any feedback!
As for the panic of the populace, that did not occur. Due to the influence of wishes, the people on the Qinhuai River already had a subconscious, ingrained thought: no matter what appeared here, even if monsters appeared, as long as Prince Lu was here, everything would surely be pacified.
But... Qin Naxiu's sudden attack was outside the scope of influence!
Therefore, shouts echoed through the heavens!
"Someone is assassinating the Prince!"
"There's an assassin!"
In fact, this "assassin" had already begun to fight with many cultivators, while the mortals had only just reacted, their faces changing drastically. The guards also began to gather here and send people to mobilize more soldiers from the Thirty-Six Guards to the banks of the Qinhuai River!
"Ruining my good deed!"
Prince Lu's brows furrowed into a tight knot. The full moon hung high in the sky, the wishes in Ying Tian Prefecture were like the sea, and the national prestige of the Great Ming floated within the clouds. Everything was ready, only the thirteen hundred merits were missing.
As things stood, many cultivators had already flown out, intending to engage the unidentified Qin Huai woman. Yi Xingseng glared and shouted, "Sword Immortal, you dare to assassinate the royal carriage! Who are you? State your name quickly!"
"The cultivators of this world are gathered here, and the great formation in Ying Tian has not yet been activated. This humble monk advises you not to resist stubbornly. Surrender and you might have a sliver of hope! Otherwise, today the Bodhisattva's wrath will descend, and the Vajra will subdue the demons!"
Jiang Quzi and Bai Wuzi also flew closer, riding colorful auspicious clouds, their faces still showing signs of lingering fear.
Jiang Quzi said with shock, "This woman's sword qi is extraordinary! She shattered my protective divine garment with a single blow. She must be a master at the Pure Yang level!"
Bai Wuzi exclaimed, "I haven't seen a sword cultivator reach this level in many years! It is now the era of spells and talismans. Sword cultivators... legend has it they originated in the time of the Yellow Emperor and flourished in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. But after the Wei and Jin dynasties, sword cultivators became rare, and with the southward migration of the Five Barbarians, the changes of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the An Lushan Rebellion, the Southern Dynasties, the Liao, Jin, and Western Xia... all the way to our Ming Dynasty, pure sword cultivators who could injure people with their qi have almost become extinct in the world."
"I know sword cultivators are divided into four lineages. You are not from the still-existing but declining Dan Jian lineage. Who is your master, and whom do you study under?"
"If you do not speak, after we capture you, we can still use soul-searching secret techniques!"
Prince Lu had dealings with the Song court in the past, so there were still many people who knew how to perform soul-searching, a truly "underworld" technique. After all, summoning souls and interrogating them were basic skills of Yin generals. Forcibly searching souls was merely the specialty of high-level Yin Immortals, but it was rather difficult for those not of the Ghost Immortal path to learn.
Bai Wuzi and Jiang Quzi had somber and serious expressions. Jiang Quzi also added a warning:
"Here today, there are two Pure Yang experts. We two are also at the peak of Refinement. Within our respective sects, we are second only to the sect masters. Naturally, we have means to deal with Pure Yang experts, otherwise, we would not be able to roam this world."
"As for others, such as Innate Yellow Court, Nascent Soul Golden Core, cultivators are as numerous as clouds, too many to count. Even if they cannot cause you much harm, they can disrupt your attacks and obstruct you by operating the formation nearby, which is not a major problem."
As he spoke, Bai Wuzi, standing beside him, took out a small purple bronze mirror, only two inches in circumference:
"As for the Yang Shen avatars of the Pure Yang realm."
"I think you should stop using them!"
The Pure Yang realm has eighty-four thousand Yang Shen avatars, which are slightly weaker than the main body. This is unlike the Ascension realm, where the Yang Shen avatars are almost as powerful as the main body. However, with eighty-four thousand avatars, the cultivators here, combined, do not even reach three thousand!
The Pure Yang realm, one person is an army of cultivators, and can be called a quasi-immortal, which is not just talk. Although in front of ascension, the Pure Yang realm is completely insignificant, but below Pure Yang, all are like ants!
The purple bronze mirror in Bai Wuzi's hand vibrated, and a sealing power instantly permeated the heavens and earth, adding to Qin Naxiu's body!
"Gather form, scatter form, hundred gods of heaven and earth!"
Bai Wuzi laughed heartily, "Yellow State Divine Mirror, this mirror is two inches in circumference. It reflects people as tiny, and can gather a hundred forms of a person, making them indistinguishable!"
In just a flash, Qin Naxiu's form and shadow were reflected in the divine mirror. Qin Naxiu tried to separate her Yang Shen and found that she indeed could not summon it.
"It is indeed a good thing."
Qin Naxiu nodded, then shook her head again:
"But to deal with mere mortal cultivators like you, do I need to split into one hundred and twenty thousand Yang Shen?"
Bai Wuzi was stunned, "One hundred and twenty thousand? What nonsense are you talking about? The Pure Yang realm is eighty-four thousand..."
Yi Xingseng's eyes widened at this moment. He waved his hand to summon Buddhist Dharma and shouted to the cultivators!
"Not good! She is a Celestial Immortal! Retreat quickly!"
However, Qin Naxiu now joined three fingers and unleashed a horizontal slash into the heavens and earth!
This strike was not sword qi!
It was saber light!
The saber light covered the sky and the earth, transforming into the frost and snow of deep winter!
The entire Ying Tian Prefecture was instantly transformed into a land of flying frost. What made the cultivators break out in a cold sweat, feeling the great fear of being on the brink of death, was the vast and piercing cold wind, which was all saber wind!
Amidst that vast saber wind, only Yi Xingseng's roar echoed!
Activate the formation, activate the formation!
And so, above the thirty-six guards around Ying Tian Prefecture, golden lotuses bloomed!
Thirty-six phantom Bodhisattvas appeared in the sky...
The royal boat was also destroyed, turning into dust. Ji Xiang, suspended in the sky, watched the fierce battle in the sky above the Qinhuai River, feeling delighted.
Now he had helpers.
This was truly an unexpected joy.
He had sensed a celestial-level existence near Ying Tian before, and thought it was Chen Taichu or an enemy he didn't know. He didn't expect it to be his good elder sister.
"Your Highness, what should we do now? How should we deal with the ascension and the pilgrimage?"
Ji Xiang had no intention of making a move. Prince Lu stared at Ji Xiang for a while, then suddenly laughed, "Ascension is not a good opportunity now. All my preparations have gone wrong. If I ascend now, the demonic tribulation will be difficult to overcome."
Ji Xiang's gaze shifted, "Your Highness means that according to the original arrangement, you could avoid the demonic tribulation when ascending?"
"Not exactly, but it could make the demonic tribulation very easy."
Prince Lu smiled, "The demon king's examination always targets the human heart, not physical destruction and torment. The examinations of the Five Heavens and Eight Emperors, and the Thirteen Demon Kings are always different."
"However, if according to the original arrangement, those with righteous energy were devoured by demons, heaven and earth would resent them and classify them as extremely malevolent beings. The thirteen hundred merits I gain from killing these thirteen hundred demons now are different from ordinary merits."
"These thirteen hundred merits will not disappear. Until I complete my ascension, these thirteen hundred merits will protect me. Because I killed beings classified as evil by heaven and earth, I will receive the favor of this world, and then... a virtuous cloud of merit will manifest."
"Therefore, I will become an immortal through this method, possessing the abilities of both medicinal bait and immortal merit. I will not be harmed by poison, and I will have the art of returning the dead to life."
"And this virtuous cloud of merit... in fact, the demon king's examination, although it is a trial tribulation, is also a form of harm within the favor of heaven and earth. At this time, it can be used to safely pass the demon king's examination."
Ji Xiang trembled in his heart.
Good heavens.
So that's how it works.
Simply put, after completing the preparations, he would receive a guaranteed pass from heaven.
He had heard of guaranteed admission to school, but never of guaranteed ascension to immortality. This loophole was exploited so skillfully that the ancients who had painstakingly achieved immortality through merit or by consuming immortal pills would be so angry they would spit blood if they heard this.
However, it must be said that in the past, the population was not as dense, and those with righteous energy did not appear frequently. Due to the prosperity of urban culture in the Ming Dynasty, those with righteous energy appeared frequently in the mortal world, but the holders were quite interesting.
Either they were scholars who had descended, or elderly people who had voluntarily resigned from their posts and returned home, or idle people who had been exiled.
And in the imperial court, there was still no sign of righteousness.
In the final analysis...
Ji Xiang suddenly realized that one of the important reasons for the appearance of righteous energy might be related to this turbulent and bitter world, and the joy found amidst suffering. In short, those favored by heaven and earth would possess heaven and earth's righteous energy. The specific reason still depended on heaven's will.
"Your Highness means... if you receive the favor of heaven and earth, your body..."
"Will also possess righteous energy?"
Hearing Ji Xiang's question, which seemed to draw inferences from one instance, Prince Lu suddenly fell silent, only to reveal a mysterious smile.
Perhaps this was the case!
The two looked at each other, and Prince Lu spoke first, but asked:
"Does the Northern Pole True Person not want to attack this Prince? Or are you waiting for the moment of my ascension to strike when I am vulnerable?"
Ji Xiang smiled, "Your Highness is truly judging me by your own low standards. Your Highness can ascend with confidence. This body of mine will absolutely not attack Your Highness. I am willing to make a great oath with this body."
Prince Lu was surprised, "Oh? I am speaking frankly with the Northern Pole True Person, and actually, I don't trust you very much. But now, an expert has suddenly appeared to assassinate me. This aura does not seem to be at the Pure Yang realm."
"Naturally, it is not the Pure Yang realm."
"It is a Celestial Immortal."
Ji Xiang explained faintly, "Master Yi Xingseng and the others probably won't last long. You must ascend to become an immortal to have the strength to fight. To be honest, I am far inferior to her now."
Prince Lu was not stupid; he knew how many celestial immortals there were in the world. After a moment of thought, he recalled.
"It's the Corpse-Shedding Immortal who killed the King of Zhenjiang."
Prince Lu fully remembered.
This female immortal who was assassinating him was not the original wife of the King of Zhenjiang for his thirty-third grand wedding?
Can this woman be married?
This woman definitely cannot be married!
The King of Zhenjiang did not die unjustly. This was not a wedding at all; it was a Corpse-Shedding revival. You turned from a living person into a corpse. There was no solution.
"Forget it, this Prince will still trust the Northern Pole True Person."
"Even if she is a remnant immortal, her cultivation still exists. And since her physical body has been cultivated to the Earth Immortal level, her true strength is probably not much different from the Pure Yang realm."
"When this Prince ascends, if you truly intend to make a move, Mr. Yao will not be able to stop you."
"As for the demons, they have already gone mad and lost my control. For heaven and earth to classify them, these demons must actively devour those scholars, and those students and scholars must not willingly sacrifice themselves. My subordinates must not actively send students into the mouths of demons, otherwise, those who will be resented by heaven and earth are Lie Jie and Huo Jun."
"Every move we make is under the scrutiny of heaven and earth. This heaven and earth is also the Great Dao of the dynasty. The operation of all things, the succession of dynasties, heroes and beauties, the change of dynasties, everything is under its watch."
"However... I still have the art of witnessing wishes."
"This Western magic was collected as a precaution."
Prince Lu gathered the vast and heavy wishes from the entire Ying Tian Prefecture!
To use a miracle-like method to instantly reverse everything that was happening!
Ji Xiang grinned slightly, and the shadow behind him stirred:
"The wishes of millions of people."
"Truly extraordinary momentum."