The ruins and relics buried beneath were the potent desires of the Yin world. Thunder rolled across the sky, completely engulfing the area.
Destroying these demonic mountains and temples was still not enough.
Ji Xiang had also set up a thunder tribulation formation in this place.
The formation arts of the Shangqing Sect were top-tier in the world, not something ordinary mortals could easily unravel.
With flashes of golden light and flames, Ji Xiang and Yin Ping Niangzi vanished in an instant, leaving this dim world.
When even beings of the immortal level disappeared from here, and the Phoenix Mountain region was also destroyed, with no power left to prevent outsiders from entering, this dim world manifested itself in the mortal realm.
What Sima Shen and Ishida Mitsunari saw was a black space suddenly appearing before them, like an opened portal, yet with slight, irregular tremors, revealing a faint glow within.
"Alright, the portal is open. This is the entrance to the Earth Realm. We can go in now."
The samurai followed the excited Sima Shen inside.
Ishida Mitsunari waited outside.
He waited for a long time.
The entrance to the Earth Realm began to close, and Sima Shen did not appear. Ishida Mitsunari became uneasy. When he entered the Earth Realm, he saw thunder filling the sky!
"Ishida-san, help me!"
The tribulations struck down towards his head. Sima Shen was constantly killed and resurrected within the thunder tribulation. He saw Ishida Mitsunari and wanted Ishida to take him away, but Ishida Mitsunari ran out of the Earth Realm without looking back.
The spatial portal closed, and Ishida Mitsunari gasped for breath, disheveled and terrified.
But what was even more dire was the sound of government troops' footsteps from outside the mountain.
The magistrate of Qiantang saw Ishida Mitsunari, dressed as a samurai, and immediately roared, ordering the surrounding government troops to charge and apprehend Ishida Mitsunari!
"I knew long ago that the Longyou Merchant Guild was colluding with Japanese sea merchants to search for the Treasure Gathering Basin here. The commotion in the mountains and the recent strange occurrences are indeed your doing!"
The government troops advanced menacingly. Ishida Mitsunari's eyes flashed with ferocity. He drew his sword, and the blade's light took dozens of heads. Amidst the spurting blood, he fled without looking back.
Killing some of the local government troops was meant to deter them from pursuing further. However, if he massacred them all, it would attract the regular army of the Great Ming, possibly even alarming some stationed heavenly generals, and making activities within Ming territory more difficult in the future.
The magistrate of Qiantang stared with wide eyes as Ishida Mitsunari escaped.
But now, both Lingyin Temple and Yulong Daoist Academy were in peril. The monks of Lingyin Temple were severely weakened, their cultivation levels having fallen, requiring recuperation. The Daoists of Yulong Daoist Academy were also in a daze, their memories stuck years in the past. This greatly shocked the Qiantang magistrate, making him aware of the terrible undercurrents hidden beneath the calm of Qiantang County for many years.
"These damned cultivators!"
...
At Yulong Daoist Academy, Ji Xiang saw a large group of dispirited Quanzhen cultivators. Through conversation, he learned that they had been in a daze for several years, completely unaware of what they were doing, their minds now blank, unable to recall anything.
After helping them extract the demonic energy from their bodies, the Daoists' expressions improved. This was because along with the demonic energy, the accumulated and immensely powerful demonic thoughts also vanished.
"After slaughtering the entire demonic realm, the number of demonic entities at the Nascent Soul level or above was only nine. There's still one missing, preventing the second stage of the Demon Subduing Chapter from being cultivated."
These demonic thoughts were also the wishes of many cultivators during their prayers and meditations, carrying various misleading voices, as if guiding people into a pure realm of heavenly demons. However, Ji Xiang was unaffected by the illusions presented by these demonic thoughts. Fortunately, the Inner Scene Divine Tablet indicated that these demonic thoughts could be consumed, thus giving them value in Ji Xiang's eyes.
Normal cultivators would try to resolve such demonic thoughts. Ji Xiang, however, could intervene from the void and consume them, leading to the growth of his own aspirations.
This was very helpful in resisting mental erosion. The Ten Thousand Demons were Ji Xiang's strength. Demonic thoughts that normal cultivators avoided like the plague were, for Ji Xiang, thoughts that aided his cultivation.
"All demonic thoughts in the mortal world arise from desire. If one desires nothing, demons cannot exist in the heart, and the concept of testing the Dao would be meaningless."
The Daoists in Yulong Daoist Academy listened to Ji Xiang's admonishment, each lost in thought.
With the Golden Escape transformation, Ji Xiang returned to the Yin Ping Niangzi Temple.
"You have obtained the divine position of the Fire Virtue Star Lord. Do you know if you can sense someone?"
Yin Ping Niangzi had many questions she wanted to ask, but Ji Xiang spoke first, so she couldn't interrupt. She replied, "I do have some sensing. It seems the Fire Virtue divine position was occupied by someone before, but it was never truly invoked. It's truly strange."
"That woman is called Puzhao. Her divine position is the Heavenly Empress of the Human Realm, possessing the special ability to steal the Fire God's status. Perhaps you will meet her in the future. Be careful of her."
"My form and spirit are now complete. I will also depart from your temple. I owe you a favor this time. If you reach a high level in your cultivation in the future and face a demonic tribulation, pray to the heavens. If you see a clear blue sky, that will be me arriving."
After Ji Xiang finished speaking and prepared to ride the clouds towards the Shangqing Sect, Yin Ping Niangzi seized the opportunity. She immediately inquired, "Great Emperor, who exactly are you fighting against?"
"That Chen Taichu gives me a vague sense of familiarity."
Ji Xiang replied, "He is an immortal from the Song Dynasty. Of course, you are familiar with him. He lived under the same sky as you."
"All things of the Yin world are now under the jurisdiction of the Song Dynasty."
Yin Ping Niangzi was too astonished to speak. Seeing Ji Xiang about to leave, she suddenly asked, "My father is also alive?"
"He died and exists as a soul or a ghost immortal. Can that still be called being alive?"
"Perhaps, it should be called that. He might still exist... who knows."
Ji Xiang rode the clouds and soared into the sky. Yin Ping Niangzi watched Ji Xiang leave, her thoughts in a whirl.
She felt that since she had obtained such important information.
Perhaps she should try her best.
To find some cultivators who could summon souls and begin investigating matters of the Yin world. And if there was any sect in the common folk that understood the Yin world the most, it would undoubtedly be the Yin Mountain Sect.
Unfortunately, the Yin Mountain Sect was now hiding very well. There were no traces of them in Qiantang County. In fact, even if one searched further afield, they would not be found.
The Yin Mountain Sect's Dharma Realm had been seized. All their dojos had been cleaned out by themselves, hidden away, never allowing outsiders to discover their whereabouts.
Soon, Yin Ping Niangzi also learned about the Qiantang magistrate leading government troops to the Phoenix Mountain region. Dozens of people had died, one Japanese samurai had escaped, and the Treasure Gathering Basin was missing. Yin Ping Niangzi naturally knew who had taken the item, but she would not say.
The matter was dropped. The Qiantang magistrate immediately reported the incident to the prefectural government. The stationed heavenly generals from above soon arrived. The Longyou Merchant Guild suffered a severe blow, with merchants fleeing in all directions. Those arrested were willing to reveal many things about their collusion with Japanese sea merchants.
Although the incident seemed significant, the direct impact on Yin Ping Niangzi was a sudden decrease in the incense offerings at her temple.
The statue of Zhenwu still existed, but there were no longer merchants who had done wrong coming to offer incense there.
The Daoist Master of Yulong Daoist Academy came to the Niangzi Temple. Seeing the sparsely offered temple and recalling Ji Xiang's words, the Daoist Master, with his white hair and youthful face, a cultivator in the Spirit Refining realm, couldn't help but sigh:
"Demons are in the heart, as it has always been. Because of the desires born from the heart, people hope for deities to descend and subdue demons here."
"Everyone has a way to subdue demons, they only need to control their desires."
...
The sea of clouds churned. Ji Xiang still couldn't find any trace of the Shangqing Daozi and the others. However, after flying for a while, a humming sound suddenly echoed through the heavens and earth.
The sound approached from afar. It was a flying sword.
The flying sword was entwined with aspirations and transmitted a message to Ji Xiang. The voice was grand, carrying various celestial and illusory scenes, as if an immortal was speaking directly to him.
"The Xuanyuan Coffin will be left with you. I will take this child from the Shangqing Sect and that ghost immortal as well. Thank you for letting me out. I will repay this favor in the future."
"Yuqing Heavenly Demon, you will become powerful. We will have opportunities to meet again. I bear goodwill towards you, simply because you are an enemy of another Yuqing cultivator."
"Remember, all Yuqing cultivators you encounter from now on are connected to evil beings, all twelve of them! Never believe anything they say!"
Ji Xiang's brows furrowed deeply. "You are one of the immortals from the Xuanyuan Coffin. Can you tell me who you are?"
The flying sword's transmission paused noticeably. The immortal's voice seemed to have anticipated Ji Xiang's question. Instead of answering directly, he continued transmitting his voice:
"I knew you would ask my name."
"It's fine to tell you, to show my sincerity. Because as long as one is an immortal, their name must exist in the world, able to be sensed or called upon by people. Immortals cannot be nameless, it's just that mortals cannot easily know it. If you chant it daily, there will be a response."
Ji Xiang: ".....You are?"
The flying sword transmitted: "This humble Daoist is Ge Xuan, a Corpse-Released Immortal! Although not the ancestor of Shangqing, I once cultivated in Gēzào Mountain, under the tutelage of Immortal Zuo Ci. I can barely be considered an ancestor of the Lingbao Sect."
"Ancient immortals are gradually awakening, not just me."
"We should have woken up much earlier, but for some reason, we slept for fourteen hundred years."
The flying sword gradually disintegrated and disappeared. Ji Xiang could not hide the astonishment on his face. Then, he thought to himself, this is another old immortal from the late Han Dynasty. His earlier words have come true. A group of late Han immortals are indeed reviving?
Revealing his identity? Not really. They don't recognize him anyway. There are many reclusive individuals in famous mountains and rivers. Who knows whom?
It's just that after a span of fourteen hundred years, meeting each other might be a bit... intimate?
"But why choose this era to awaken?"
Ji Xiang pondered for a moment. If Qin Nvxu's awakening was an accident, and Ge Xuan's awakening was also an accident, then these accidents were too coincidental. Could it be, as Chen Taichu said, that as the inner and outer rivers and mountains gradually merged, and Dao and Dharma became intertwined, this group of corpse-released individuals were all reviving at this time?
Holding back the cloud, he decided not to go to Shangqing Sect. The intentions of this awakened ancient immortal were unclear, and he couldn't find his location. It was very easy for immortals to hide. In fact, let alone immortals, even folk magical sects like the Yin Mountain Sect, once they went into hiding, the entire cultivation world would find it difficult to locate them.
The essence of hide-and-seek lies in the word "hide."
The original mission could not be carried out for the time being. The Qingping Sword of the Shangqing Sect was now placed within the Shangqing Dharma Realm. And before Ji Xiang reached the Nascent Soul realm, apart from the Great Fuli Earth, he could not communicate with other Dharma Realms.
Although the Great Fuli Earth itself was the highest-level Dharma Realm, Ji Xiang had never felt any special power in the Great Fuli. Rather, he himself had descended from the Great Fuli, perhaps having already adapted to that part of the power.
It might also be due to the lack of established connection, as only the Nascent Soul level could establish a connection with a certain Dharma Realm.
And without the ability to go to Biyou Palace, he couldn't use the Divine Descent Platform of Biyou Palace to project illusions into the inner mountains and rivers to scare Zhu Huogong.
The current Biyou Palace could essentially be seen as the projection of Zhu Huogong in the human world.
"Once I reach the Nascent Soul realm, I will go to the Dharma Realm to cause havoc in the Heavenly Palace. It's unrealistic to retrieve the sword now. I am still one realm short, and cannot go to other Dharma Realms."
"Since that's the case, I'll return to Wudang first."
The clouds spread out, and Ji Xiang flew towards Wudang Mountain. With the art of cloud-riding, he no longer needed to take river boats. However, if he encountered the White Lotus Sect on the way, he would still have to borrow some interest-free loans.
Thus, after flying for a short while, Ji Xiang successfully found a White Lotus Sect stronghold.
It was the same familiar recipe, the same familiar taste, the same familiar hiding method. The White Lotus Sect disguised themselves as folk magical sects. Upon entering the temple gate, he saw idols of some unclear deities enshrined on a platform.
Ji Xiang was no longer the Ji Xiang who had just left Shuntian City. He was now a true Earth Immortal level powerhouse, possessing the Golden Purple Pill, which qualified him for immortality. The strength he could unleash was not much different from the early stage of Pure Yang.
Of course, the strength he could unleash was not important to Ji Xiang.
With the counter-strategy of the Inner Scene Divine Tablet, combined with a special effectiveness against unorthodox paths, and the power of the Golden Purple Pill, he could even beat a banished immortal. If the Tai Xu Bao Guang was included, he might not be the number one in the world, but he would definitely be in the top three.
Strength is for show.
Practical combat performance is what truly affects you.
"Is this scripture authentic?"
Ji Xiang took a copy of the White Lotus Sect's scripture and flipped through it a couple of times. Confirming that the scripture could indeed be used for sacrifice, he immediately started causing trouble, throwing the scripture directly at the face of the scripture-reciting person opposite him.
"You dare to blaspheme the deities and pick a fight?"
The White Lotus Sect members gathered in a dense crowd!
Most of them were ordinary civilians. Ji Xiang waved his hand, and a strong gust of wind rose from the ground, blowing them all away. The remaining White Lotus Sect members were stunned. Sensing the panic of his followers, the local sect leader came out to appease them and angrily denounced Ji Xiang for being too arrogant!
"Wusheng Laomu, aid me!"
He roared three times, but the statue remained unresponsive.
The sect leader was dumbfounded.
Ji Xiang looked at the statue and shouted:
"Wusheng Laomu!"
He unleashed the Divine Driving technique, and the statue immediately responded with a glow!
The local White Lotus Sect leader's face changed drastically!
"Holy crap, am I a fake sect leader?"
Ji Xiang pointed a finger, splitting the statue in half. Then, he calmly looked at the now panicked sect leader and, with a sense of pressure, stated his demand:
"Robbery. Hand over all your worthless scriptures."