Red dust swirls and smoke connects. Ying Tian Fu was originally the first capital of the Ming Dynasty. Even after the capital was moved to Shun Tian, Ying Tian Fu still maintained a complete set of six ministries. Due to its location in Jiang Nan, its population density and prosperity made it seem as if all the beautiful words in the world were bestowed upon this ancient capital.
Shun Tian Fu, being close to the border, often presented scenes of imperial guards patrolling amidst prosperity. Occasionally, heavenly generals would appear. Weapons and armor were the most common sights for the people of the north.
In Ying Tian, however, these things were not visible.
Here, there was only everything that most captivated the world.
Here, there was no disaster of war.
Here, there was song and dance, and peace.
Here were men of great ambition, who discussed great affairs of the world with a laugh, and officials and nobles who spent money like dirt.
The pleasure boats on the Qin Huai River were like stars in the sky, connected bow to stern. Melodious singing emanated from them day and night. Famous courtesans always drew countless scholars and poets who vied to catch a glimpse of their beauty. Within the city, there were one hundred and three trades and sixteen prosperous large markets.
Ji Xiang's friend, Matteo Ricci, had visited Ying Tian before going to Shun Tian. Upon arriving here, he was almost reluctant to leave. If not for his missionary duties, he would not have wanted to return to his homeland.
Therefore... even though thirty-six military garrisons were distributed around Ying Tian Fu.
The people of Ying Tian Fu had not seen battle for many years.
Swords were sheathed, and horses were put out to pasture.
Moreover, the urban scale of Ying Tian Fu was far greater than that of Shun Tian Fu.
Upon arriving in Ying Tian, the Great Ming's national prestige, which had been dormant for a long time, began to stir within Ji Xiang.
Gradually, it began to merge with the divine power of national prestige contained within Ying Tian Fu.
"The national prestige can be mobilized. After all, it is one of the two capitals. Even though the soldiers of the garrisons have become corrupt, the national prestige still protects the people here."
"But it is only limited to confronting demons. This thing is not foolproof."
Anyone who had experienced the Forbidden City incident would no longer believe that national prestige was a power that could fully counter demonic means.
Just as cultivation was about capturing a sliver of life, there was nothing perfect in this world. As long as something existed, there would always be loopholes to exploit.
The guardian deity of Shun Tian Fu was Dou Mu Yuan Jun.
The guardian deity of Ying Tian Fu was Zi Wei Yan Du Di Jun.
Both were great deities who managed the arrangement of stars in the sky.
"They are indeed identical. Shun Tian Fu is truly like a replica of Ying Tian Fu... no, it should be called a high-quality imitation."
Similarly, there was a palace here.
This palace was also called the "Forbidden City"!
From afar, one could see the heavy national prestige covering the palace, as dense as dark clouds, making it suffocating even from a distance. Of course, those who were not cultivators could not see it.
The population density here was too great, and the urban scale was the largest Ji Xiang had ever seen. Not to mention the temples, there were at least seventy to eighty of them. As for the locations of the headquarters of the White Lotus Society, which the branch leaders had revealed, Ji Xiang could not find them at all.
Fortunately, the news of the Ascension Assembly had already spread throughout the city. The common people naturally did not know what would happen. They only heard that this grand event was initiated by the authorities, and in short, it was a carnival. The vendors smelled the scent of making big money, while the scholars smelled the fragrance of famous courtesans.
Ji Xiang couldn't help but think of Feng Menglong.
That fellow seemed to have said he would come to see the Qin Huai River Lantern Festival, but by now, he was probably almost at Wudang, and likely wouldn't be able to see it.
However, fortunately, he had obtained some useful little treasures when he plundered those White Lotus Society branches before.
He didn't get many scriptures, but he did get quite a few strange and unusual items.
Ji Xiang held a small mirror the size of his palm. This mirror was called a "Liu Ying Jing" (Image Retention Mirror), and its effect was similar to a camera, able to capture scenery within the mirror for preservation. It was originally created by a branch leader of the White Lotus Society with great effort to deceive the masses.
Ji Xiang planned to leave more images to show Feng Menglong later. After all, that fellow had followed his advice and rushed back to Wudang Mountain with the little fox and the others to take refuge instead of coming to this grand event. He should compensate him a little, so that he would have a more legitimate reason to borrow books and wishes from him in the future.
As he was taking pictures, he saw many scholars reciting poems and composing couplets to the ladies in the pleasure boats on the shore.
"No wonder ghost stories are always about scholars mingling with demonesses and almost never about successful candidates. It's probably because successful candidates are all preparing to advance in their official careers. Those without money are at home preparing for exams, and those with money are colluding with officials to smooth the way. They simply have no time to flirt. In other words, scholars are idle because they have failed their exams."
"Speaking of which, when I came here before, I felt somewhat uneasy, as if some calamity was about to occur, but this feeling quickly disappeared. This is truly strange."
Ji Xiang shook his head. After clearing out the demons on Phoenix Mountain last time, the number of demons at the Nascent Soul stage and above killed by the "Fu Mo Zhi Zhang" (Demon Subjugation Chapter) only reached nine. He was only one short of cultivating the second level, but unfortunately, along the way, powerful demons on the ground seemed to have vanished, making them impossible to find.
"Could it be that the wild demons elsewhere heard my name so quickly after I annihilated the demons on Phoenix Mountain and were terrified into submission?"
Ji Xiang slightly turned his head. Among the crowd, there were a few people who looked like cultivators. They dared not meet Ji Xiang's gaze, but their eyes carried hostility, and the traces of magic power on their bodies felt familiar to Ji Xiang.
Moreover, after Ji Xiang looked at them, they seemed to "wake up" from some state.
His ears twitched. In a place covered by such powerful national prestige, Ji Xiang's five senses were enhanced to a certain extent. Therefore, even though they were a moderate distance away, he could still hear what they were saying.
"...For some reason, I feel resentment as soon as I see this person."
"...Could it be that this person has had a feud with our Hua Guang Sect?"
The few cultivators whispered to each other. This time, their expressions were genuinely unfriendly, not influenced by some power.
Ji Xiang also understood their identities. They were from the Hua Guang Sect. Due to the spiritual communication incident in Ding Jia City, he had been noticed by the Great Emperor Hua Guang, and all cultivators of the Hua Guang Sect would passively regard him as an enemy. Furthermore, he could not use any spells of the Hua Guang Great Emperor's superior true form, namely "Tai Yi Lei Sheng Bu Dong Tian Zun" (Supreme Unity Thunder Sound Immovable Heavenly Venerable).
"Stop."
Ji Xiang watched them approach aggressively, not wanting to deal with these junior cultivators. He casually raised his hand. In their eyes, they only saw Ji Xiang raise a finger and open his mouth.
The word "stop" seemed to ring clearly in their ears, despite the distance.
Buzz! The few cultivators suddenly froze, maintaining their walking posture, standing in the middle of the road motionless. Those behind them, not paying attention, bumped into them and began to curse.
"Why are you standing in the middle of the road! Are you sick!"
The passersby looked strangely at these motionless cultivators. Some Westerners looked on with curiosity, wondering what new custom of the Ming Dynasty this was. However, those scholars who had nothing better to do saw the commotion caused by these people and confidently came forward to pontificate, their faces flushed and mouths frothing:
"You don't understand, this is an old story from the Wei and Jin dynasties, a noble act!"
"It is said that Emperor Wen of Wei once imitated the movements and sounds of a donkey because it would constantly bring him inspiration. The Seven Masters of Jian'an also did similar things, so if these gentlemen are standing still, they must be imitating the behavior of turtles!"
The few cultivators watched helplessly as Ji Xiang disappeared into the vast crowd. Seeing Ji Xiang's lips move, they could read his lips, which seemed to say... stay put right here.
Finally, all that was left for them was a meaningful back.
The eyes of those Hua Guang Sect cultivators blazed with anger. They were cultivators and their consciousness was not completely frozen, so they still retained the ability to think. Hearing the idle scholars pontificate so pompously, they gritted their teeth in hatred. Fortunately, Ji Xiang did not freeze them for too long. The few of them saw Ji Xiang disappear into the vast crowd. After a while, those scholars had not left, and the cultivators felt their mobility restored!
Then, one of them punched a garrulous scholar in the face!
"You, a mere scholar, imitate a turtle! Crawl for me!"
The Hua Guang Sect cultivators fiercely dealt with the scholars. Of course, some scholars had backgrounds and cried out, demanding that these "gentlemen" pay a bloody price. The cultivators directly announced their identities and stated that they would meet them at their bedside that night.
The scholar was so frightened that he ran away with a whoosh, covering his face and cursing.
"Where did that person go? He ran away!"
"What kind of spell is this? A body-immobilizing spell?"
The Hua Guang Sect cultivators tried to find Ji Xiang's trace again, but naturally, they couldn't. They had just seen him disappear and felt a slight fear of this unfathomable body-immobilizing technique.
...
However, Ji Xiang's actions were still noticed by those who were paying attention.
Although it was seen unintentionally.
But fate often comes from unintentional encounters.
"?"
"A... celestial being?"
A gorgeously dressed young girl, by the pleasure boat that had docked, saw the spot where Ji Xiang had disappeared. She widened her eyes, trying to find him but unable to. She still held a pipa inlaid with jewels in her hand.
"Sister, there's, there's a celestial being!"
The curtain of the pleasure boat was lifted, and the exposed half-face was none other than Qin Nvxu.
"Celestial being? There will be more celestial beings in a few days, but they are just cultivators. There are only three true celestial beings in this world."
"One is the old grandfather, one is my younger brother, and the other is me."
"Wu Xia'er, from now on, you are my disciple. Don't be so surprised when you see cultivators; it's too embarrassing for your master."
"This Ascension Assembly, it seems like true celestial beings will come. If you see your two grand-masters, you must greet them properly."
Qin Nvxu fiddled with the girl's face. The girl looked somewhat bewildered and reserved, nodding vigorously.
Inside the pleasure boat, the madam of the brothel was kidnapped by Qin Nvxu, her eyes wide with terror, not daring to look at this beautiful woman.
The girls around gathered around the madam, their expressions somewhat bewildered, not knowing what this woman intended to do.
"Madam, this pleasure boat is now mine, is that okay?"
The madam shook her head like a rattle drum.
Qin Nvxu glanced at her, the knife in her hand trembling slightly, and said playfully:
"Oh, and one more thing."
"Madam, I smelled it, why do you have demonic energy on you?"
...
A calling sound emerged, causing Ji Xiang to sense it.
"Is it... a Trial Tribulation?"
With the intention of observing the situation, Ji Xiang stepped out along the call, and the scenery around him shifted slightly.
This was entering the range of a "Ten Demon Minor Tribulation."
Someone was undergoing a Ten Demon Minor Tribulation, and Ji Xiang realized at this moment that he could actually enter the demonic tribulation.
Not far away stood a trial demonic entity, a true trial-taker, not a fake one like those on Phoenix Mountain. Therefore, the moment Ji Xiang entered the illusion of the demonic tribulation, the trial demonic entity sensed his appearance.
He was surprised, wondering how there could be a second person in the demonic tribulation.
A job is a job, and exams do not allow outside help.
However, his expression then changed from surprise to confusion, then to anger, then to shock, and finally to fear.
That oppressive feeling emanating from a higher-level heavenly demon was an absolute gap in rank!
A Demon King!
The trial demonic entity was utterly bewildered!
How could a mere cultivator undergoing tribulation possibly alarm a heavenly demon king to descend?
"Insufficient tranquility; encountering an object on the path and harboring greed, causing the realm demon to manifest... this is a mind demon."
In this illusion of the demonic tribulation, there were many treasures, wealth, rare delicacies, even immortal treasures, and even Nine Revolutions Immortal Pills, but all of them were mere illusions.
The cultivator undergoing tribulation was in the process of eliminating these monetary treasures and immortal treasures, which were manifestations of his demonic thoughts. Suddenly, upon seeing Ji Xiang appear, he was also stunned.
It was truly strange. He had never seen this person before, so why would he appear in his "greedy mind demon"?
Therefore, the cultivator attacked Ji Xiang, thinking that Ji Xiang was a manifestation of demonic thoughts. This greatly frightened the mind demon, which immediately emerged to stop him. Instantly, a vast expanse of golden mountains and silver mountains engulfed the tribulating cultivator, and the latter was greatly alarmed!
The difficulty of this exam is not right!
With so many golden and silver mountains... I'm not that greedy!
"Eh?"
Ji Xiang, who had been focused on studying the illusion of the demonic tribulation, now noticed the commotion between the mind demon and the cultivator. Seeing that the cultivator was about to be crushed to death by the mountains of gold and silver in the illusion, he gently waved his hand, causing the entire expanse of golden and silver mountains to dissipate into smoke and disappear.
The mind demon was also terrified and quickly manifested, bowing and stating that the cultivator's tribulation had been perfectly passed.
Ji Xiang nodded, then moved towards other directions, sensing more illusions of demonic tribulations.
"There are quite a few cultivators in Ying Tian Fu."
Thus, on this day, many cultivators undergoing demonic tribulations suddenly saw a young Taoist priest in black clothing within their tribulations. This Taoist priest helped them pass their tribulations and subdued all demons, preventing them from causing trouble. Tribulations that would have taken a long time to pass were completed in an instant.
Moreover, some cultivators heard the name of a Demon King being spread by demonic entities within the illusions of their tribulations, but they had never heard of any Demon King being like this.
This caused many people to suddenly become excited due to this accidental event.
A Demon King recommended by the heavens, proclaimed in the realm of the Three Pure Ones, is a precursor to becoming an immortal!
So I myself am that legendary favored child of heaven!
The degree to which one's mentality inflates determines the success or failure of the next demonic tribulation encountered in the future, but these people were unaware of this.
Ji Xiang also suddenly discovered that by constantly manifesting within the demonic realm, the demonic thoughts could be gathered by him.
As these demonic thoughts accumulated, becoming more and more numerous and larger, their danger level also increased. If they were allowed to fly out and possess someone, within a few years, a terrifying great demon would appear in this world.
But Ji Xiang endowed these demonic thoughts with a complete form and spirit.
After the form and spirit were endowed, the demonic thoughts let out terrifying grinding sounds, but in the next moment, they were severed by Ji Xiang's single finger!
Buzz! A profound and mysterious supreme artistic conception appeared!
The Inner Scene Divine Tablet displayed! The tenth demon of the Nascent Soul level required by the Fu Mo Zhi Zhang was killed here!
"The demonic thoughts of all the people gathered together, endowed with form and spirit, also form a great demon."
"Fu Mo Zhi Zhang, second level!"