“Senior Brother, are you returning now and not going to the Korean battlefield?”
“You’re putting me in a difficult position!”
Ji Xiang smiled, seeing Old Zhang’s awkwardness. This was clearly a question the Wanli Emperor had asked him to relay.
The situation on the Korean battlefield was complex and unpredictable. If a Ascended expert from the Great Ming were to forcefully intervene now, the war could be ended instantly. Moreover, Ascended experts would not need to fear anyone below the Pure Yang realm. Even if Japan mobilized all its invading forces in Korea, their unique resentment techniques would have little effect on an Ascended realm expert.
At worst, several Yang God avatars could simply fly out and pick them off one by one before they could even form.
Therefore, he said to Old Zhang again, “Don’t worry, if you can’t win, I will definitely come back to help you… and to help the Ming court!”
“The Ming court is not an excellent dynasty, but as long as it’s a dynasty, it’s fundamentally riddled with illness. This cannot be changed. The Great Ming is considered good, and I believe the Wanli Emperor will become a ruler of resurgence.”
“After all, without the protection of the Great Ming, I would be hunted by many people. Therefore, staying on Ming territory is safer.”
He would develop slowly, and when the time was right, he would emerge and strike them unprepared.
“I would also like to go. With the 'Golden Crow Jade Rabbit Collection,' I will definitely bring this Great Tang Dharma scripture back to the Central Plains! Of course, these are just polite words… you mustn’t tell the Wanli Emperor the details.”
“But my physical body is too weak now. I have the Dao cultivation but am greatly restricted. Furthermore, I am likely already on the kill lists of many sects in the Inner Rivers and Mountains. Entering the Korean battlefield now would surely invite attacks from all sides. Korea is a small country with weak national prestige, making it easy for people from the Inner Rivers and Mountains to interfere…”
Old Zhang also nodded with a serious expression, “Indeed… Nurhaci also has Heavenly Heart experts behind him this time, which makes me uneasy. Such figures are only sparsely recorded in ancient texts. Since the Great Tang, the Outer Rivers and Mountains have not seen any Heavenly Heart experts appear.”
“What kind of divine abilities and methods do these celestial beings of this caliber possess, we have no idea. This is the most dangerous. Moreover, Senior Brother bears the mark of the Jade Emperor. It is indeed best to remain within the Great Ming. Once the physical body’s realm improves and the form and spirit gradually merge…”
Old Zhang chuckled at this point.
By the time Ji Xiang grew stronger, the Korean war would likely have long since ended. After all, if necessary, Old Zhang would personally intervene. For now, he had to remain in Shuntian to prevent external attacks.
“I believe this predicament will be resolved. Wudang also has experts close to ascension. As long as your Flying God Ancestor achieves enlightenment, or Ancestor Dongyun awakens from his madness, with their talent and years of cultivation, they can absolutely ascend and become immortals!”
“Of course, my Longhu Mountain also has experts close to ascension… but unfortunately, this final step has stumped so many Pure Yang cultivators! The pursuit of Dao requires great compassion, great courage, great simplicity, and great purity… but the Demon King’s trials often strike at the most vulnerable parts of the heart, leaving no room for retreat.”
“Not everyone can withstand the test. Many people ask themselves: I have cultivated my entire life, and the world has not changed. So, what have I been cultivating for all this time?”
“This is not just a problem of the Azure Sky Demon King’s trial…”
Ji Xiang’s gaze shifted, “The Azure Sky Demon King’s trial is a crucial key to passing into ascension. From what you’ve said, it seems there are other aspects to it?”
Old Zhang smiled, “Senior Brother is an ancient immortal and doesn’t know the changes in the demonic trials. After experiencing all ten demons and nine tribulations, the Dao heart only lacks the final breakthrough to be complete.”
“Cultivation methods were gradually explored and perfected by later generations. Therefore, ancient immortals did not have a Dao heart, but rather a heart of great freedom, devoid of desires. In ancient times, Huang, Lao, Zhuang, and Lie experienced the Heavenly Heart and attained the Great Dao. Saints, divine beings, and transcendent beings – these three realms above originated in ancient times. Later generations, unable to see the Great Dao, thus heard nothing of it.”
“The immortals of the Han Dynasty lost their hearts of freedom, often displaying their miracles through magical arts rather than the tenacity of their pursuit of Dao.”
“However, in later times, people gradually understood the importance of the Dao heart. The thirtieth Heavenly Master of my Longhu Mountain said, ‘The heart is the root of all Dharma, the master of the nine orifices, the origin of life and death, the source of good and evil. It is born with heaven and earth and is the ruler of the divine.’”
“This heart is inherently clear and always knowing.”
“And in the Azure Sky Demon King’s final examination, those entering the demonic trial will enter a state of ‘Dao aversion.’ This is a tempering of the spiritual will, unrelated to the physical body. Therefore, even Pure Yang intent cannot resist it, and this causes the Dao heart to fluctuate violently!”
Ji Xiang was surprised.
So that was how it was. He hadn’t experienced the ten demons and nine tribulations and had gone straight to the final exam. Therefore, his Dao heart was completely absent, and there was no assessment for this particular aspect. After he passed the assessment, his Dao heart was directly perfected…
Ji Xiang touched his chin, feeling a moment of awkwardness, almost speechless.
Ahem, one couldn’t call what a cultivator did cheating; it was a reasonable exploitation of heavenly loopholes.
Old Zhang shifted the topic back at this point:
“Regarding the Korean war, we will observe for now. Japan’s actions are somewhat strange. I still need to stay in Shuntian for a while, and you cannot act, for fear of being targeted. When fighting abroad, the country’s prestige loses its amplifying effect. Staying in your homeland, at least with your current title, ordinary curses and evil arts cannot affect you.”
Ji Xiang smiled, “You said ordinary. If people from the Inner Rivers and Mountains want to kill me, the level of magic used must at least be of the middle tier. As for the curses from the Outer Rivers and Mountains, they are indeed not worth worrying about.”
This statement made the curses and other evil arts of the Outer Rivers and Mountains seem rather awkward.
Compared to the higher realms, they were far inferior. And compared to the lower realms… he was already at the bottom of the food chain, where else could there be a lower level?
Old Zhang said, “Even if Japan madly bestows titles upon gods and spirits, their soldiers will eventually be depleted. Japan’s territory is narrow, and its endurance is weak. It is merely a small, insignificant country, showing temporary bravery now, but its follow-up will inevitably be weak.”
“However, I will still dispatch Yang God avatars to the Korean battlefield to influence the situation. If all goes well, it should take less than a year.”
Avatars are not the main body. Losing a few out of twelve thousand Yang God avatars is not a big problem. Old Zhang meant using Yang God avatars to overwhelm and kill the enemy experts.
Kill one, another comes. Die again, another comes.
As strong as I am, there are still 129,600 of me. If one me falls, thousands upon thousands of me will rise.
This is the arrogance of Ascended experts. Only the wishes gathered by tens of thousands of people can influence an Ascended expert.
On the battlefield, resentment and anger emerge endlessly, and thoughts of killing fly through the heavens and earth. Entering such a region of dense malevolent energy, those with shallow cultivation will have their Dao cultivation damaged. In severe cases, they may even be unable to cast spells.
Not to mention, the center of the battlefield is where national prestige clashes and grinds against each other. National prestige will also influence each other! Deities in military formations bestow blessings upon the soldiers, and some fierce generals can even charge into the backlines while enduring spells… the situation on the battlefield is constantly changing and extremely complex.
Ji Xiang patted the little fox’s head. The little fox was fully armed, serving as Ji Xiang’s mobile storage.
The Grand Ancestor and the young disciple were both ready to set off.
Old Zhang chuckled from behind:
“So you’re returning to Wudang like this. Senior Brother, please don’t forget to visit Longhu Mountain often.”
That was natural, after all, the Flying God Ancestor was still in seclusion at Longhu Mountain.
Ji Xiang pondered for a moment, nodded, and said solemnly to Old Zhang:
“The road is underfoot, one must forge ahead with determination…”
“On this journey, I wish to attain Celestial Immortality and accumulate thirteen hundred good deeds. I will return in a few years. Heavenly Master, take care!”
Ji Xiang walked out of the Forbidden City, looking at the vast world in the distance. On this journey, upon his return, he hoped to have attained the Nascent Soul and completed his good deeds… If his good deeds were insufficient, Ji Xiang wouldn’t mind making a trip to the Korean battlefield. After all… killing to protect life, a war of anti-aggression, is also a great act of good.
He who kills shall be killed, he who harms shall be harmed, he who loves shall be loved. This is the cycle of heaven and the retribution is unfailing!
Not for profit, nor for any other entanglement, but solely for the vows he made and the inextinguishable righteousness in his heart!
Ji Xiang began reciting scriptures, admonishing himself not to slacken on this journey:
“Who understands longevity like I do? Refined true qi descends to the three stages;”
“Knowing all, ascend to heaven in broad daylight, and now I descend to the mortal world, following the red dust!”