Ji Xiang was momentarily stunned by the word "senior." He quickly recovered, as Old Zhang and Jiajing had directly addressed him as "brother" upon meeting, and the little fox had clung to him, calling him "Ancestor." As for the dragon, it was so young and spirited that it refused to call him senior.
"Please, speak, Your Highness."
Consort Dowager Shang continued, "I bestow this Seven Treasures Yellow Lotus upon Senior. In return, Senior promises to return the Golden Striker in twelve years, as agreed, and to lend me a hand in transforming myself, regaining a new life."
"This matter is of utmost importance to me, hence the need for a Heavenly Dao oath. To compensate Senior, if you have any other conditions, please do mention them. I will fulfill whatever is within my power."
Ji Xiang glanced at the Seven Treasures Yellow Lotus.
It seemed the Buddhist sect had not tampered with this lotus.
Seeing Ji Xiang's thoughts, Consort Dowager Shang said, "Guānzìzài would not tamper with such a treasure. Doing so would invite criticism and commit an evil deed, yielding no benefit. However, accepting a treasure from the Buddhist sect does indeed entail obligations. This is the connection of karma. It doesn't necessarily require your active participation; simply by accepting the Buddhist treasure, you might unknowingly help them accomplish certain tasks."
"Guānzìzài does not force others. If one doesn't even know what they've done, taking it is perfectly fine."
"Karma, in this sense, is repaid in unseen ways."
This sounded quite reasonable. Ji Xiang pondered; if Consort Dowager Shang wasn't trying to deceive him, her relationship with Guānzìzài's manifestation, Empress Dowager Li, had been at least twenty years, if not thirty. She must have found Guānzìzài trustworthy and reliable.
"Guānzìzài Bodhisattva is indeed trustworthy."
"As for my own conditions, I do have one question that I hope Your Highness can answer."
Consort Dowager Shang had been with Emperor Jiajing for a long time. Although Emperor Jiajing's cultivation realm was not high in his younger days, his knowledge of the path of cultivation was extensive from the perspective of cultivators in the outer realm.
Ji Xiang asked, "Are there any techniques that can reverse truth and falsehood, harness the wishes of the masses, and transcend the path of external cultivation?"
"Primarily, regarding the use of wishes."
Wishes were difficult to manage. A single wish attached to the Jade Emperor's divine tablet could be like a stubborn patch, impossible for powerful figures like Old Zhang to remove. In the current era's cultivation methods, the application and involvement of wishes were still limited, an area ripe for development.
Ji Xiang also wished to acquire similar texts for study.
Furthermore, this question was mainly to guard against masters of the Heavenly Heart realm subtly influencing him, as changes in the Heavenly Heart were undoubtedly related to wishes.
Concurrently, it was to prevent the wishes of the masses from being manipulated by the agents of the inner realm to target him.
After listening, Consort Dowager Shang pondered for a moment and then smiled, providing her answer:
"Legend has it that such a method existed during the Tang Dynasty, allowing one to transcend external cultivation and thus be unaffected by spells within the Dao. However, most Tang Dynasty cultivation methods were destroyed in the An Lushan Rebellion. Nevertheless, there is indeed one Tang Dynasty classic that still exists intact in the world today."
"This classic is called 'The Collection of Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit,' located on the eastern island of Fusang. It was the profound scripture of techniques passed down by the ascended master Bodao to Abe no Seimei, the progenitor of Onmyōji, during the Tang Dynasty. It might contain records of such matters..."
Consort Dowager Shang shared what she knew. After all, while contemporary methods were numerous, many ancient techniques were lost. Whether old or new, it was hard to say which was superior; they simply shone brightly in their respective eras, adapting to the changes of time.
Ji Xiang's spirit was immediately uplifted! He hadn't expected this Consort Dowager to provide such a suggestion. Thinking back, Old Shen had indeed mentioned in the prison of the Northern Military Guard that Toyotomi Hideyoshi had shown him the usage of 'The Collection of Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit,' though without specific explanations. Of course, Hideyoshi wouldn't explain while demonstrating.
However, this book did contain some methods for utilizing wishes.
But with his current insufficient strength, venturing to Japan would likely be disastrous. He would need to cultivate for a period before attempting it.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Following this, Ji Xiang and Consort Dowager Shang exchanged Heavenly Dao oaths, guided by the laws within the Heavenly Edicts. Any violation would result in severe punishment. Once the oaths were established, they ascended to the heavens and resided between the Great Dao and Fúlí. However, Ji Xiang's situation was peculiar.
The fulfillment of the oath did not receive feedback from the Heavenly Dao, yet it was successful.
As for where it was fulfilled...
It appeared on the blank divine tablet within his inner landscape!
This left Ji Xiang bewildered!
(What does this mean? Could it be... the final interpretation rests with myself?)
Even outer-realm celestial demons received such benefits, where the interpretation of Heavenly Dao oaths was not governed by the Heavenly Dao itself!
Consort Dowager Shang seemed entirely unaware that there was an issue with the oath; what she sensed was different from what Ji Xiang perceived.
Ji Xiang pondered briefly.
Was he, the Grand Master of the Great Ming's Northern Pole Dao-Enlightened Benevolence, the kind of person who would go back on his word!
Even without this Heavenly Dao oath, he would certainly fulfill what he could for her!
Consort Dowager Shang also thanked Ji Xiang, "Thank you, Senior."
As for the next twelve years, Emperor Wanli decided to continue supporting this Consort Dowager. After all, according to the karmic debts of the Daoist sect and the karma of the Buddhist sect, in terms of these relationships, by supporting her through the crucial twelve years, she would, in turn, protect the Great Ming for at least another twelve years. Having an additional expert above the Innate realm, at the level of Spirit Refinement through Emptiness, or even a half-step Pure Yang master, was a decision with no hesitation.
Moreover, during these twelve years, she would have no cultivation. According to Old Zhang, Emperor Wanli understood that worrying about her was less pressing than worrying about the Buddhist sect on his mother's side.
However, at this moment, Ji Xiang looked at Emperor Wanli again, bowed solemnly, and uttered words that made Emperor Wanli's expression change:
"Your Majesty, this minister wishes to resign!"
...
Ji Xiang had already made up his mind to resign. Upon learning this, Emperor Wanli tried his best to dissuade him, but Ji Xiang's resolve was firm.
"What this minister must do now is to temper his cultivation, lest he tarnish the reputation of an ascended master. Otherwise, possessing the ability to ascend but being unable to utilize it would mean that, although nominally the Great Ming has two ascended masters, in reality, there is only one."
Ji Xiang's goals were clearly defined.
Strengthening the physical body, integrating spirit and form, tempering the Dao heart, accumulating thirteen hundred merits, and most importantly...
"Furthermore, the crisis in Liaodong has been resolved. With Nurhaci's death, Liaodong will inevitably fall into chaos and internal strife. The destiny of five dynasties has passed, and the Great Ming's fortune is rising, signaling an unprecedented turning point."
Emperor Wanli could not retain him and could only approve Ji Xiang's resignation. However, Ji Xiang also stated that he remained Emperor Wanli's subject and would return to assist if any emergencies arose on the front lines!
These were polite words, meant to save face for the Emperor, as they shared a life-and-death bond.
Having an ascended master acknowledge him as a subject made Emperor Wanli quite pleased. It was a win-win situation for both parties.
Ji Xiang also mentioned that if His Majesty needed anything, he should have Old Zhang contact him. Old Zhang had his contact information, and his Daoist communication tail number was four eights...
Of course, Ji Xiang was not one to break his word. After all, if the Ming court were to fall now, it would undoubtedly be a catastrophe for all beings in the outer realm!
Whether this two-hundred-year-old decadent dynasty could usher in a great reversal during the Wanli era depended on the next few decades!
Even if they couldn't withstand it, they had to try!
...
The next day, before his departure, Old Zhang came to visit, even bringing several peculiar-looking firearms that exuded a powerful aura.