Within the Demon Suppressing Kingdom, eighty thousand Heavenly Demon phantoms began to descend. Ji Xiang's body surged with demonic energy, the Heavenly Demon Qi enveloping the Earthly Demon Qi and pouring entirely into his physique!
The Solar Refinement of the Form, meant to eliminate pure Yin, with Heaven as Yang and Earth as Yin, the vast Yin energy entering his body alleviated the pain of the Solar Refinement. However, due to Ji Xiang having consumed too much auxiliary vital energy recently, the pain of the Solar Refinement had almost vanished.
If things continued in this state, completing the three hundred days of Solar Refinement would be as simple as eating and drinking. If that were the case... Ji Xiang mused, though the thought was somewhat audacious, there was no better opportunity than the present.
To shorten the time of Solar Refinement with the Seven Treasures Yellow Lotus!
During his first descent into the Yellow Springs, Ksitigarbha King had muttered to himself that certain Buddhist treasures could shorten the duration of Solar Refinement. Of course, this wasn't entirely accurate, for regardless of the realm from which one ascended to immortality, the bottleneck of twelve years in the Yellow Court to reach the Innate realm could not be rushed. Even with immortal elixirs, this twelve-year period was compressed into thirty-six days and integrated into the total three hundred days of Solar Refinement.
And if Buddhist treasures were used, this fixed thirty-six days could be shortened by eighteen days!
However, similarly, in doing so, during those eighteen days of Solar Refinement, the refiner would endure immense pain and face the danger of perishing!
And such Buddhist treasures were items like the Seven Treasures Yellow Lotus.
Ji Xiang opened his palm, revealing a yellow, seven-petaled lotus that emitted a soft glow, imbued with profound Buddhist nature.
"My Solar Refinement was achieved by consuming a second-grade immortal elixir. During the refinement process, a great deal of Yin energy is required for neutralization, much like how a raging fire needs abundant firewood. Although I have already consumed the immense Yin energy of the Eastern Yellow Springs, it is still insufficient."
"Now, the demonic energy of this Heaven-Conquering Demon King, though mixed and impure, can significantly supplement the power of Solar Refinement once refined, perhaps leading to unexpected improvements."
Regarding the duration of Solar Refinement, a subordinate of King Lu had once mentioned that ordinary ascenders could only endure a hundred days, which was the limit. Only those with exceptional talent could withstand three hundred days. The further into this process, the greater the power of Solar Refinement became, and this was merely the state of refining to pure Yang!
He had consumed an immortal elixir and did not require the final leap of ascension. Once Solar Refinement was complete, he would immediately attain immortality!
It was precisely because Solar Refinement was so agonizingly painful that entering the Pure Yang realm was incredibly difficult. To enter Pure Yang, one had to endure at least a hundred days, and only those who endured three hundred days qualified for ascension.
Demonic energy churned around Ji Xiang, the Heavenly Demon Qi acting as a furnace, the Earthly Demon Qi being refined. Ji Xiang stood motionless, about to consume the Seven Treasures Yellow Lotus, when he suddenly sensed something, as if he had been discovered by someone.
"Speaking of which, this is Kyoto. Honnō-ji Temple is in Kyoto, as is the Heian Shrine. I summoned the great demons of Honnō-ji and destroyed the Heian Shrine, so Toyotomi Hideyoshi should know by now."
"But what if he knows? I heard that old geezer Xu Fu needs at least seven days to recover. It's only been a day or two. Given his personality, he wouldn't dare to show himself and seek death after discovering my recovered powers. As for Toyotomi Hideyoshi... he wouldn't want to be hanged on a tree branch before ascending, would he?"
So, his whereabouts had been discovered, but the other party hadn't taken any further action yet?
Demonic energy surged, and the refinement of Earthly Demon Qi entered its grand intermediate stage. Ji Xiang temporarily ignored the matter of being discovered. At this moment, all the acupoints on his body shone with divine light, the Earthly Demon Qi was continuously refined and replenished into the Heavenly Demon Qi, and as it was replenished, the Heavenly Demon Qi also began to change.
The most ferocious, pure, great, and rigid Heavenly Demon Qi, and the most evil, filthy, resentful, and lowly Earthly Demon Qi, Heaven and Earth united, returning to the Taiji.
Even the nature of the Golden Core Dao underwent a certain transformation. Ji Xiang's own purple-gold core was veiled in a hazy aura, and his entire body began to breathe in unison with heaven and earth. His breaths generated wind, his voice was like thunder, and his meridians manifested on his flesh, appearing blood-red like rivers.
In Taoist cultivation, it is believed that the human body possesses spirits, and the body is like heaven and earth, capable of giving birth to the sun, moon, and stars. Before creation, pure and turbid qi were mixed together, and the so-called union of heaven and earth was a return to Taiji. Taiji was merely the last state before creation.
The Heavenly Demon Qi on Ji Xiang's body was undergoing a transformation, evolving towards a more ancient state. At this moment, the blank divine tablet within his body began to vibrate, and subsequently, the Grand Void Divine Light was activated by it. Something the size of a finger fell from Ji Xiang's sleeve, growing upon landing into a treasure-gathering basin. From within, the Grand Void Divine Light spewed forth a divine weapon, which was actually the Heavenly Jade Spear obtained from the Yellow Springs Realm.
The blank divine tablet manipulated the Tongtian Mingyan, wrapping around the Heavenly Jade Spear. The power of this divine weapon was also temporarily suppressed, and in that moment of suppression, a change occurred!
Centered on Ji Xiang, the power of Solar Refinement began to expand. Due to the mutation of the Heavenly Demon Qi, the refinement from within affected the outside, and the tip of this Heavenly Jade Spear, upon contact with the Heavenly Demon Qi, actually began to be refined!
The divine weapon slowly melted away, and from within the Heavenly Jade Spear, specks of peculiar white dust continuously flew out, accompanied by wisps of ancient chaotic energy!
"It's being refined!"
Ji Xiang was aware of the movements of the blank divine tablet, but as he was in the process of refining the Earthly Demon Qi, he did not intervene. Furthermore, this blank divine position never did anything meaningless. As long as it acted on its own, there would surely be a great harvest.
As expected, this time it was another significant gain!
"The timing is perfect, thank you."
Ji Xiang knew what this dust was. It was described in the text of the blank divine tablet when he first obtained the Heavenly Jade Spear. It stated that this spear was a divine weapon forged from Tai Su dust in ancient times, indestructible. However, if a method of refinement could be found to melt it, one could obtain Tai Su dust and chaotic energy, the "primordial substances" from the time of creation!
One-third of the Heavenly Jade Spear was refined, and Tai Su dust and chaotic energy entered his body. Ji Xiang had only absorbed a tiny bit when he suddenly felt a strange sensation.
That sensation was as if his body, which had already been full and abundant, suddenly became empty again. This emptiness was not due to the depletion of power, but rather because the water缸 that was filled with water had been replaced, suddenly becoming like a water pond.
The upper limit of what could be contained had increased!
His physical body seemed to have truly transformed into a galaxy, and the power emanating from the Solar Refinement was like a star at the center of the galaxy.
And it didn't stop there.
Although the Tai Su dust was only a small amount, Ji Xiang could feel the rhythm within his body. The vital energy he had swallowed from Xu Fu and integrated into himself had formed vortices in various parts of his body, and thus, extremely powerful forces began to be born from the centers of those vortices! m..oΓg
And the chaotic energy acted as an accelerant. The Heavenly Demon Qi boiled more and more intensely, the Earthly Demon Qi was refined even faster, and the mutations produced by the Heavenly Demon Qi accelerated even more rapidly!
......
Two pairs of footsteps stopped not far from Honnō-ji Temple. The two swordsmen, carrying the Amatsukami no Hissatsu and the Ten-gū Kumo-ken, had finally located Ji Xiang's whereabouts.
"Demonic... such immense demonic energy!"
Miyamoto Musashi, still looking like a youth, gazed at the pillar of demonic energy rising into the sky from Honnō-ji Temple, and couldn't help but reveal an expression of profound shock.
He had initially thought the opponent was weakened, and that killing him would bring him fame throughout the land. Now, it seemed things were not so simple!