The master of Maoshan was about to bid farewell to Ji Xiang, but Ji Xiang paid no mind, his attention entirely captured by the Zhen Ling Wei Ye Tu before him.
Like a bottomless vortex, the world in Ji Xiang's eyes gradually darkened, accompanied by the chanting of Daoist scriptures. The phantom figures of celestial gods detached themselves from the Zhen Ling Wei Ye Tu, emerging one by one.
These divine phantoms moved towards Ji Xiang. The faces of each celestial god were blurred, their features indistinct, yet their eyes emitted light, appearing even brighter and more fervent in the dim illusion.
These divine phantoms began to bow to Ji Xiang.
It was as if they were paying homage to a deity of supreme status.
"Are they paying homage to the Four Saints of the North Pole, or the True Martial form and spirit within me?"
Ji Xiang, in his dazed state, his thoughts drifting to unknown heavens, only saw the gods making way for him. Ahead, amidst swirling clouds, several more deities appeared as guides. He was unaware that a faint white light was manifesting upon his own body.
The white radiance emitted by the blank divine tablet enveloped Ji Xiang's form, and at this moment, Ji Xiang's image also began to blur.
Ji Xiang suddenly had an inspiration and leaped forward!
This step was no small matter.
The master of Maoshan had just turned around when a gust of wind suddenly arose beside him. He turned to look and was immediately struck with great alarm!
In his sight, Ji Xiang suddenly took a step forward, leaped, and his human form gradually shrank, becoming like a portrait. Finally, he glanced back at the master of Maoshan, and the next moment, he merged into the scroll, transforming into an immortal depicted on the wall!
As if he had never set foot in the mortal world!
"Senior?!"
The master of Maoshan walked before the Zhen Ling Wei Ye Tu. His gaze trembled violently, for the scroll had undergone a tremendous change!
Originally, the gods arranged in seven tiers of heaven and earth had all retreated to the sides. The gods were no longer standing tall and proud, holding jade tablets and divine weapons, but had all adopted a posture of bowing. Their gazes were fixed upon the clouds beneath their feet, and their jade tablets and divine weapons were extended forward.
The supreme gods of the seventh tier of heaven remained seated, but their eyes were also lowered, no longer looking straight ahead.
Within the painting, a new figure had appeared.
Ji Xiang stood within the painting, resembling a divine statue.
The master of Maoshan was greatly astonished!
The Book of Northern Qi once recorded a story about a man named Cui Ziwu who was lodging in Yangzhou. He had a dream of a rendezvous with a woman, and later, in a mountain god's shrine, he saw a painting that was precisely the likeness of that woman.
Stories of figures within paintings have existed since ancient times, but they were mostly about objects coming to life or divine essence creating them, or souls trapped within scrolls unable to leave. However, there was never a tale of a physical body entering a painting and causing all the gods to yield!
"Incredible... what exactly is this...?"
The master of Maoshan wished to continue observing the unfolding events, but a second message arrived via a talisman, indicating a further deterioration in the Dao Child's condition. With no other choice, he spoke to the portrait, then took his leave and departed the Great Yuanbao Hall.
However, Ji Xiang at this moment was completely unaware of anything happening in the hall.
The world within the painting was a sacred realm of immortals. Immortals came and went, clouds floated in the air, celestial lamps and colorful music played, divine maidens strummed zithers, and the seven tiers of celestial gods advanced progressively. Here, there was a vast and boundless collection of aspirations, seemingly the source that formed this sacred realm of immortals.
Ji Xiang felt on the verge of losing himself, forgetting where he came from. He only felt that he was somehow out of place among these immortals.
"I seem to have forgotten something very important. No, why am I here?"
"Aspirations... aspirations are a crucial factor in the birth of gods..."
Ji Xiang clutched his head, gradually forgetting even what he was thinking. His inner divine tablet also resonated strongly with this realm, as if it were melting from within, intending to merge with this world.
This power caused the surrounding immortals and gods to tremble. Their previously serene expressions turned to fear.
Those immortals and gods dared not approach, but they pointed Ji Xiang in a direction. Far away, among the seven tiers of celestial gods, it seemed a Dao enlightenment assembly was being held. Gods emerged from clouds in all directions and arrived in a certain part of the sky, where they sat in meditation and enlightenment.
Other immortals and gods strongly urged Ji Xiang to go to that place.
At this moment, a towering stairway also appeared, reaching into the clouds, leading to that part of the sky.
Ji Xiang had forgotten many things, but his basic judgment remained, causing him to hesitate.
It was this moment of hesitation that made Ji Xiang stop in his tracks.
"Immortal guests, you must not proceed further!"
A woman's voice echoed from the sacred realm of immortals, accompanied by the sound of a bell that shook the mortal world. Upon hearing this voice, those immortals and gods immediately vanished without a trace, and the stairway also disintegrated and melted away.
Ji Xiang, as if waking from a profound dream, recalled everything he had almost forgotten!
"That was close!"
Ji Xiang had not felt such danger for a long time. He had gone from clarity to confusion, and this change seemed to be brought about by his inner divine tablet, not by any external force from this place.
Did his inner divine tablet resonate with this place?
What was happening?
"I do not know who you are, but you are not from Shangqing. When you proceed to the highest place of enlightenment, the moment you attain enlightenment, you will merge into this realm and be assimilated by it."
"All the aspirations in this realm are also influencing you. Do not be affected by them, or you will truly become a painting on the wall."
The voice that had previously enlightened Ji Xiang appeared again.
"Thank you. May I know who you are and why you are here?"
Ji Xiang expressed his gratitude and inquired about the other's identity. At this moment, clouds surged, and a female immortal appeared in the sacred realm of immortals. She wore flawless white robes, a purple sash, and a golden hairpin, carrying a small green bell.
"You ask me why I am here? That is amusing. If we speak of seniority, I am also an ancestor of Shangqing. You, who are not of Shangqing, ask me why I am here?"
"I am a disciple of the Green Boy Lord, Donghua Jade Maiden Yan Jingzhu."
Ji Xiang was greatly astonished.
"Legends of the Shangqing Sect state that when Lady Wei received her teachings, the North Cold Jade Maiden Song Lianjuan played the 'Nine Qi Ao', the Donghua Jade Maiden Yan Jingzhu struck the 'Western Ying Bell', the Cloud Forest Jade Maiden Jia Quting blew the 'Phoenix Li Xiao', and the Flying Profound Jade Maiden Xianyu Lingjin beat the 'Nine Harmonious Jade Scepters'."
"The legendary Donghua Immortal Maiden? Are you a manifestation of aspirations, or do you truly exist?"
"You are a person from legend, even more ancient than Shangqing. How can you appear in the treasure map created by the Nine Patriarchs of Shangqing?"
Yan Jingzhu said, "I died long ago. What remains here is merely a remnant soul. As for the treasure map, this map was originally transformed from a page of an immortal scripture, which Tao Hongjing borrowed to create the Zhen Ling Wei Ye Tu."
"After my death, my soul returned to the immortal scripture. The Nine Patriarchs of Shangqing created the treasure map to exist in the world, allowing future generations to transmit Daoist techniques and ensuring the unbroken lineage of Shangqing."
"I await the day when I can pass down this page of immortal scripture. Unfortunately, many who entered in previous generations were not qualified to see it."
Ji Xiang was startled, "Could it be the Shangqing Ancestral Scripture?"
Yan Jingzhu chuckled, "Not quite. I am not yet qualified to protect the Shangqing Ancestral Scripture. However, the origin of this Zhen Ling Wei Ye Tu is the 'Donghua Jade Scripture' that my master and I cultivated."
Ji Xiang thought to himself that the Green Boy Lord was a renowned figure among the ancient immortals, but where did this talk of immortal scriptures come from?
The ancient immortals were all recluses, with no grand scriptures to cultivate. Did this scripture perhaps originate from the Green Boy Lord himself?
Yan Jingzhu blinked her eyes, "So, can you answer me now? You are not of Shangqing, why did you enter the Zhen Ling Wei Ye Tu of my sect?"
Ji Xiang shook his head, "I don't know. I just had an inspiration and leaped towards the diagram, and then I arrived here."
Yan Jingzhu said, "No one has entered for centuries. I thought the Shangqing methods were no longer practiced. It seems you have a connection with this place. It was wrong of me to stop you."
"I thought I had stumbled into this place by mistake, but I didn't expect you to be summoned here actively... Is the Dao diagram sentient? Do those phantom immortals greedily desire your reality, attempting to descend to the mortal world using your true form... But why are they keeping their distance from you?"
"You seem to be somewhat different from many people I have met?"
Ji Xiang looked up and turned his side to gaze at the high heavens of enlightenment.
"Let's go up and see, perhaps then we will know."
Yan Jingzhu chuckled and instructed Ji Xiang,
"I must tell you in advance, although you seem different from those of the past, you are not of Shangqing. Even if you truly attain enlightenment in the heavens of enlightenment, I will not pass this Donghua Jade Scripture to you. The importance of the Donghua Jade Scripture is different from other scriptures; it is not something given lightly."
"Furthermore, if you go up on your own and something happens again, I will not save you."
Ji Xiang perceived, "Oh? So, to obtain the Donghua Jade Scripture, one must go to that heaven of enlightenment? It seems you mean that one cannot obtain the Donghua Jade Scripture, but can obtain other scriptures?"
Yan Jingzhu started, then turned her head and covered her mouth.
"Oh no, I let it slip."
She then frowned slightly and said irritably, "Even if I let it slip, you won't be able to attain anything!"
Ji Xiang looked at that part of the sky, "That's not necessarily true."
Then they stared at each other. Yan Jingzhu asked curiously, "Why aren't you going up? Why do you keep looking at me?"
Ji Xiang replied frankly, "I can't fly. Fairy, would you mind giving me a ride?"