Sima Shen had not expected a mere immortal of the Ascended Realm to look down upon his master, and this thought was captured by Chen Taichu, who immediately mocked him:
"You uncastrated slave, you think I look down on your master, and that insults him?"
The pressure of the Ascended Realm descended, and Sima Shen's physical body was once again destroyed. He "died" once more, but in an instant, he revived from nothingness.
However, Sima Shen showed no anger. Instead, he smiled broadly: "I was merely lost in thought and inadvertently angered you. This is my fault, my sin. I offer my apologies here."
Chen Taichu snorted, "The thoughts of mortals like you are written all over your face, and cannot be hidden from immortals like us. Moreover, I am a person nearing the peak of ascension, and half of my blood has already transformed into azure energy. If I were to truly fight the master behind you, this old ghost of the Qin Dynasty might not be my match!"
"Enough, it's time for the main business."
In front of Sima Shen, Chen Taichu consumed the Dew of the Azure Candle. As the immortal medicine entered his throat, the transcendent aura on his body gradually diminished, indicating he could remain in the mortal world for a longer period. Simultaneously, streams of nameless black energy emerged from the void. Upon closer inspection, they were emanating from his body – those were the energies of Black Omen!
Beginning in the Qin Dynasty, disrupting the Han, Jin, Sui, and Tang dynasties, floating through the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, and manifesting and causing trouble multiple times in the history of the Southern Dynasties, it seemed to have an inseparable connection to the demise of the Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen dynasties!
"Black Omen, an anomalous energy of disaster and ill omen, giving rise to events contrary to Yin and Yang."
Chen Taichu exhaled, and as these Black Omen energies flew out from his body, they dispersed, gradually transforming into scattered drops of blood. In an instant, immortal blood rained down upon the hall. Sima Shen was splattered with much of the immortal blood, and his physical body vanished. With a look of bewilderment, he revived once more.
However, his companions, the vengeful spirit warriors, were not so fortunate.
When the immortal blood landed on them, the vengeful spirit warriors cried out in agony. They were products of the Qin Dynasty's Taoist sorcery, aggregates of living beings transformed into wishes, which then became vengeful spirit warriors, thereby gaining the uncanny power of immortality and adaptability.
But this immortal blood, transformed from Black Omen, could contaminate the vengeful spirit warriors. As Sima Shen was startled, Chen Taichu said to him, "No need to be alarmed. To be stained by my immortal blood is their fortune."
"If they can withstand it, they will become heavenly generals or malevolent demons walking the earth, possessing incredible divine power. If they cannot withstand it, all their wishes will return to nothingness, evolving into new Black Omen energy. Touch it, and perhaps you will gain some strange magical abilities."
Sima Shen was astonished, "Black Omen! These are the Black Omens that are said to have caused trouble in every dynasty?!"
"Are these the nameless resentments?"
Sima Shen only knew that the Dew of the Azure Candle contained nameless resentments, but he had never expected it to be this strange and ominous energy that had been circulating throughout this land since ancient times!
Chen Taichu smiled faintly, "Doesn't Xu Fu know? That's right, how could someone like him, who is not welcomed by either the human world or the immortal realm, know the origin of Black Omen, only calling it nameless resentment. After all, in his era, such power was probably not yet abundant."
"You all said you would give me the Wu Wang Immortal Medicine. As a token of my gratitude, after you return, bring a message to your master."
"Ask him if he desires these Black Omen energies. These ancient energies can save your master from the suffering of physical and spiritual decay!"
"Although in the eyes of mortals, these ancient energies are considered malevolent, in reality, their origin is the essence of the Heavenly Dao. As for more, I cannot reveal it to that old ghost."
"Ultimately, what is right or wrong in all things? As long as it is useful!"
"He is a sorcerer; he will know how to use these things! Consider this my deposit."
Chen Taichu glanced at Sima Shen, who pondered briefly before bowing, "I will certainly deliver the message to my master completely."
Chen Taichu nodded, "Then when can I receive my Wu Wang medicine?"
Sima Shen: "About three days."
He said this, extending three fingers. Chen Taichu was somewhat surprised, "I wouldn't be surprised if you said thirty years, but three days? Are you sure you're not tricking me?"
"I am bringing sincerity. Your master behind you, don't just give me empty promises."
Chen Taichu was somewhat skeptical, while Sima Shen smiled, "If master says three days, then it will be three days. He has already calculated the time. He can foresee when I will arrive here and when I will converse with you."
"That's true." Chen Taichu's gaze shifted, "Before, he could glimpse the future, know my existence, and even know my current location, allowing you, a mortal, to find me accurately."
"So, after three days, don't tell me the divine medicine will descend from the sky."
Sima Shen: "Divine medicine is rare. After three days, the void will manifest the method, and you can then operate according to the displayed scriptures."
Upon hearing this, Chen Taichu stopped speaking to him for the moment. The truthfulness of the other party's words would have to be verified after three days. If he dared to deceive him, then the other party would face eternal damnation.
At this time, Chen Taichu had also fully restored his worldly form and spirit, his strength having "increased" significantly compared to before. He extended his hand, conjuring a blazing flame.
"The Five Virtues Fire."
The theory of the Five Virtues and Five Successions originated from the sorcerers of the Qin Dynasty's Yin Yang school, who changed the virtues of dynasties, creating unique Five Element powers belonging only to their respective dynasties. These Five Virtues were different from the ordinary Five Elements cultivated. These Five Virtues could inherit the destiny of the previous dynasty, but they would also be suppressed by the Five Virtues of the next dynasty.
Chen Taichu looked at this radiant flame and exclaimed with genuine joy:
"Song was the Fire Virtue, and Ming was also the Fire Virtue. There have been no dynasties with better compatibility, nor has there ever been a situation where the destiny of a previous dynasty and that of a later dynasty mutually consumed each other."
Sima Shen was perplexed and even chuckled, "The previous Yuan Dynasty was the Metal Virtue. According to reason, Fire Virtue restrains it, but why did the Song Dynasty fall? So this thing is not as useful as you imagine."
Chen Taichu responded faintly, "As a merchant, you truly do not understand the changes of the Five Elements. The Five Elements not only have mutual restraint but also mutual generation. Moreover, do you know how many historical records the Yuan Dynasty compiled?"
"Song was the Fire Virtue, Liao ruled Song and was the Water Virtue; Jin conquered Liao and was the Earth Virtue. The Jingkang Incident saw the Fire Virtue generate the Earth Virtue; Yuan conquered Jin, and the Earth Virtue generated the Metal Virtue."
"When the Metal Virtue became powerful, like the forging of a sharp sword, its brilliance had already greatly increased. At this time, even the most violent flame would merely be forging a peerless sword embryo. And this peerless sword would ultimately overturn the furnace fire used for its creation."
"This is the fate of the times, caused by the rotation of the Five Virtues."
"However, I have been in the Ming Dynasty for a long time, nurturing demons and plundering the Ming Dynasty's Fire Virtue. As you said, the Wu Wang medicine will be out in three days. At that time, I will use this Five Virtues Fire, along with the Three Essence Divine Medicine, and throw them into the Azure Liver and Green Blood to refine that immortal elixir."
Sima Shen: "My master only knows that when the elixir appears, it will bring about drastic changes to heaven and earth, but he does not know what kind of elixir it is."
Chen Taichu sneered, "Why do you need to know so much? Do your part, and inquire less about things that are not your concern. This immortal elixir is not for you to consume; you cannot bear such heavenly fortune."
"Don't worry, if there's any left from your master's share, I will leave it for him. As long as he sincerely helps me, I will not mistreat him."
After speaking, Chen Taichu opened his mouth and spat out the Pearl of Cave Light. He then clapped his hands. At this moment, from the depths of the Jade Dragon Daoist Academy, people were brought out – they were all young Daoist disciples, not Daoist priests.
Sima Shen's gaze shifted, "Why does the Jade Dragon Daoist Academy have so many young Daoist disciples?"
The disciples recited Daoist scriptures with pious expressions, their voices clear and their minds lucid, with handsome features, completely resembling an immortal Daoist academy. Yet, Sima Shen, the "immortal," felt a chill of terror.
Because in his eyes at this moment, these disciples bore a slight resemblance to him. That aura was neither of the living nor the dead. Although there was an ethereal and transcendent aura, their various expressions always revealed a kind of inhuman strangeness and indifference.
Just like puppets.
Are these what he initially mentioned... flesh puppets?
"Do you think they are all my flesh puppets? Ridiculous! I, a dignified immortal of the Ascended Realm, would not stoop to the evil path of refining puppets."
Chen Taichu saw the anomaly in Sima Shen's gaze and corrected him very seriously.
"I have merely enlightened them. As the ancestor of the Daoist Academy, how could I prevent them from achieving immortality?"
Sima Shen, upon hearing this, found the scriptures the Daoist disciples were reciting to be seemingly faultless at first glance. However, upon listening carefully, even though Sima Shen did not understand these Daoist scriptures well, he could discern some strangeness and incoherence within them, yet they recited them very fluently.
"Are the scriptures these Daoist disciples are reciting a bit off?"
Sima Shen asked cautiously, forcing a smile. Chen Taichu said faintly:
"It's nothing, it's just the technique of planting demons in the Dao heart. As you know, to cultivate the Wu Wang medicine, a large amount of wishes and popular support must be gathered. Therefore, I have planted a strand of energy in the body of every cultivator under this heaven. I am like a diligent farmer, tending to my fields."
"All who have a Dao heart have a wisp of demonic energy... By the way, perhaps even you, an immortal being, have a wisp of demonic energy in your heart."
"This demonic energy will transform into a demonic seed..."
Sima Shen forced a smile, "You are joking with me again."
Chen Taichu's smile gradually faded, "This is no joke. Demonic energy is formless and traceless. It loves to attach itself to people with great evil nature like you. It can quickly become a demonic seed and then transform you into a true demon."
Chen Taichu's tone even carried a hint of happiness.
"There are many types of demons. The Demon Kings who test the Dao in the heavens are actually Divine Kings, while the Daoist sects in the mortal world have ten types of obstructing demons, and Buddhism also has many demon spirits that corrupt the Dharma."
"I scatter a field of demonic seeds, and after a few years, I will harvest a vast demonic heaven."
"Thus, with the support of all demons, sincerely reciting, a large amount of popular support and wishes will come, and it can even manifest a terrestrial demon kingdom, right there in the Phoenix Mountain Imperial Palace."
"In the Phoenix Mountain Imperial Palace, I nurture many demons, and these demons are actually cultivators whose demonic seeds have already been born in their Dao hearts. They can consume various incantations and are fearless of the demon-subduing techniques in the mortal world. They are already half-step trial demons."
Sima Shen listened, his throat dry, his breathing slowing considerably. He asked cautiously, "For such a large, large-scale operation, creating so many demon heads, what is it... for?"
Chen Taichu gradually raised his head, his expression filled with arrogance, "To take its destiny, one must first disrupt its methods. My Immortals of the Myriad Longevity Palace will transform into trial demons. From then on, all methods of the surface world will return to their original form."
"Then, the true enlightenment methods cultivated by the many cultivators here will finally bear fruit. They can ascend to become immortals, achieving the status of demigods ahead of time."
What Chen Taichu intended to do was quite simple.
The direct seizure of the Forbidden City had failed. The Fire Lord he controlled was too rash, and Zhao Xuanlang's avatar was killed by the experts of the Ming Dynasty. The plan was foiled, not only did he fail to obtain the Divine Sword of the State, but he also lost the Jade Emperor's Divine Tablet.
This time, the act of seizing the Ming Dynasty's national destiny was slightly more cautious, but caution should not be without grandeur.
Before seizing its destiny, first change its methods!
Does the Ming law follow heaven, or the Song law follow heaven? The immortal officials of the Myriad Longevity Palace will become trial demons, and soon a large number of experts in the mortal world will ascend to become... demigods!
Exploiting a loophole, increasing the combat power of a large number of immortals in a short period, and promoting the "orthodox law," even Chen Taichu felt self-感动 by his identity as an "old farmer."
"As for the immortal elixir I will refine in three days, it is not for humans to eat, but for heaven to consume. Reversing the heavenly destiny is a crucial step. I hope we do not stab each other in the back at the last moment."
"Finally, the last step is to refine the soul of that Silver Bottle Maiden and extract the Azure Liver and Green Blood."
"She is a descendant of Yue Fei. After her death, a trace of her remnant soul drifted, gathered by the wishes of the common people. Such a soul of extreme loyalty, after death, can condense the heart of Azure Liver and Green Blood."
"Seeing her ability to gather reputation, and remembering that she was also a person of my previous dynasty who received imperial favor, I commanded my demon heads to erect a temple for her. I originally intended to nurture her like this, but I didn't expect her to repeatedly cause trouble, killing demons and subduing them... In the past, I only considered her as minor trouble. As long as I obtained the Azure Liver and Green Blood, she could kill any small demons she wished. However, I did not expect her strength to advance by leaps and bounds recently, and she has begun to kill the Nascent Soul realm demon heads under my command."
"I originally intended to capture her. Although it would result in some loss of popular support and wishes, it would be better than her continuing to kill the primordial spirit demons I nurture. I did not expect your master to bring me good news. Then, there is no need to keep her any longer. It is time to refine her."