Shangqing San Zu was beaten back to the front of Zhu Huo Palace in Li Shanhe, spitting blood and cursing at the sky before passing out. The fact that a Flying Ascension realm expert was so heavily injured naturally alerted the powerful figures of the Shangqing Sect within Li Shanhe.
Meanwhile, in Biao Shanhe.
Ji Xiang's single strike had shattered Shangqing San Zu, and he then used the chapter of Void Step and Ascension to send him away. Within the Shangqing Nine Heavens Palace, winds and thunder had raged, threatening to collapse the entire hall into ruins, with only the radiant white Heavenly Gate opening in the center.
The surrounding sect leaders had either fled during the chaos or were physically incapacitated, their bodies destroyed, forcing them to send out their primordial spirits and abandon their physical forms. After all, the clashes between Flying Ascension experts were extremely terrifying; a slight misstep could instantly turn them into dust.
With a rumble, half of the Shangqing Maoshan's top palace, the Nine Heavens Palace, collapsed.
Palaces turned to dust, and Ji Xiang emerged from the Heavenly Gate!
"Wu Gen Talisman, crafted by Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng... it can actually injure people across realms! Truly formidable."
Ji Xiang marveled at the talisman's power. Now that he knew how to draw the Wu Gen Talisman, it was a divine skill akin to striking a cow through a mountain!
From this moment on, it wasn't just that others could strike him, but he could also strike them. Not only would he strike their ethereal forms, but also their true bodies!
"However, lead qi cannot be used carelessly. The source of lead qi is the body's life essence. Unless one's physical body is extremely powerful and their primordial essence and qi reserves are immense, one cannot squander it."
"As the saying goes, 'He who recognizes true lead and mercury shall become an immortal of eternal life.' Besides replenishing it through one's own life force and cultivation, another source of lead qi is elixirs..."
Ji Xiang was familiar with lead qi, as the three flowers that appeared during the Three Flowers Gathering on the Crown were in the form of golden, silver, and lead flowers.
It was just that lead qi was usually mixed with the world's primordial qi, and he had never considered such a usage.
Afterward, Ji Xiang rode the clouds and ascended, searching for that Pure Yang expert!
Seeing no one around, Ji Xiang circulated his qi, his voice shaking the heavens and earth!
"Shangqing Pang Zu is dead, San Zu is annihilated. If you return now, I will spare your life!"
His voice, accompanied by thunder, rolled outwards. The Pure Yang expert naturally heard it. He sensed carefully and indeed, the气息 of Shangqing Pang Zu Yin Changsheng and Shangqing Third Ancestor was gone!
He was greatly shocked, his face turning ashen!
"How could this be? Two Flying Ascension experts joined forces to attack one person, and he killed them both!"
Two against one, and he was counter-killed? Did you two patriarchs even know how to play!
What was he supposed to do now!
Going out meant certain death. This Pure Yang expert was convinced that Ji Xiang would not let him go and would surely kill him for revenge. The Daoists of the Great Ming Dynasty were not known for their mercy; the court's hounds always dealt with captured individuals with extreme prejudice!
"Where did that group of people hide? I can't find them..."
"Without them as leverage, how can I make this person hesitate!"
Fear and impatience surged within the Pure Yang expert. He desperately needed to find Feng Menglong and the others. With their lives as a threat, and as long as he could return to the secret realm, everything would be safe.
Although the two patriarchs were defeated in such an absurd manner, as long as he returned to the secret realm, he would no longer have to fear Ji Xiang.
After searching fruitlessly, Ji Xiang's voice echoed from beyond the heavens once more!
"If you don't come out soon, I will bombard this place with the Grand Heavenly Thunder Formation, ensuring your complete annihilation!"
The Pure Yang expert's face changed drastically. Immediately after, he saw lightning in his eyes and heard thunder in his ears. He saw Ji Xiang activating the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Array, launching it from the peak of the Nine Heavens Palace and smashing down in all directions!
"Doesn't he fear killing his companions!"
"It seems he already knows where his companions are, so this formation will surely avoid that area!"
The Pure Yang expert dodged the heavenly tribulation and observed the positions where the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Array was falling. There was a clear gap, and he immediately rejoiced, starting to rush towards it!
The Pure Yang expert fled at full speed, arriving at that location in mere moments!
He wasn't afraid of exposure. After all, while the opponent's strength was immense, some techniques required matching realms to be performed. The Pure Yang expert possessed the art of rainbow transformation, allowing him to reach a distance of a hundred miles in an instant!
There were so few Pure Yang experts in this world!
What was Flying Ascension? Merely a remnant immortal!
He instantly arrived at the gap in the thunder tribulation, but what appeared before him was an inch of nine-colored radiance!
"What is this?"
He didn't know about the Tai Xu Bao Guang. He reached out to touch it.
The nine-colored radiance suddenly became immensely large, engulfing him completely!
The Tai Xu Bao Guang instantly wiped the Pure Yang expert from existence!
The clouds descended, and Ji Xiang arrived leisurely. Seeing the floating Tai Xu Bao Guang, he knew the Pure Yang expert had been killed. He waved the talismans again, dispelling the invisibility. At this moment, several people were huddled together, gathered around Qin Nüxiu's white jade saber.
"Grandfather, sob!"
Little Fox's mouth pouted, and he began to fake cry.
Ji Xiang patted his head. Feng Menglong said cleanly, "Daoist Ji, you're finally here! These people really had ill intentions. They suddenly changed their tune. How could the dignified Shangqing Sect become such a mess!"
"What exactly is going on?"
Ji Xiang asked, "I killed them too quickly, so I didn't have a chance to question them."
Feng Menglong blinked, "Ah? Killed too quickly... this... alright!"
Since ancient times, there had only been talk of killing too slowly, never of killing too quickly to the point of not being able to interrogate. How could you say that!
Those were two Flying Ascension experts and one Pure Yang expert!
Seeing Feng Menglong's strange expression, Ji Xiang shook his head, "You're overthinking it. I only killed about two and a half Pure Yang experts at most."
"The power of those two Flying Ascension experts was incomplete. One could only borrow a form to descend, and the other, although possessing the cultivation of Flying Ascension, could not unleash his Flying Ascension realm divine abilities. He didn't use them at all throughout."
"For people from Li Shanhe to come to Biao Shanhe, they must pay a price. I know they came from a place called Zhu Huo Palace, but I don't know what that palace does."
"Perhaps, the price they paid to come to Biao Shanhe was to seal a portion of their Flying Ascension cultivation and simultaneously seal their three divine abilities."
Feng Menglong listened, feeling bewildered. He was completely clueless about these matters. In any case, he still explained the great changes of the past few days to Ji Xiang, though he himself wasn't entirely clear on the specifics.
"That young man in the sky-blue Daoist robe, as soon as he arrived, he wanted me to be the Sect Master of Maoshan! What a joke! I am a dignified... a dignified scholar, a man of seven feet, how could I accept such charity!"
"So I righteously refused him!"
Feng Menglong then pulled Ji Xiang, "This isn't very important. I don't know him anyway, and he's dead now. Quickly, check on my wife!"
Ji Xiang looked at Hou Niangzi. At this moment, her consciousness was somewhat dazed, and she wasn't speaking, appearing as if her soul had been lost.
Ji Xiang recognized this as a soul-locking technique.
"Among a person's three souls, the soul of life governs wisdom. If the soul of life is locked, a person's consciousness sinks into chaos, turning them into a puppet for others. However, it is common for the souls of heaven and earth to be lost, but the soul of life is almost never lost or shaken."
Feng Menglong found it strange, "I've heard of the three souls. Last time you also said that if a person dies, the seven spirits scatter first, and then the three souls depart..."
Ji Xiang explained, "The souls of heaven and earth are always external, while the soul of life resides alone. Therefore, the three souls are not things gathered together. What we commonly refer to as 'soul' refers to the soul of life."
"The first soul a person is born with is the yang soul. The soul of life is the main body of the yang soul. The soul of heaven primarily governs your contact with heaven and the outside world, as well as your memories and the bits and pieces of your life. Simply put, it is your subconscious. The soul of heaven is your true will, but this will is not governed by your wisdom."
"And your karmic retribution is reflected upon the soul of earth. All your perceptions, whether good or evil, originate from the soul of earth. When your soul of life falls into slumber, the soul of earth will enter the body from the outside to take charge, and simultaneously attempt to awaken the soul of life."
"The soul-locking spell locks the soul of life. At this time, the soul of earth cannot enter the body, and the soul of heaven will not record what is happening. Your will, wisdom, and perceptions are all locked. Although your three souls are still present, you can only be reduced to a puppet and plaything for others."
Feng Menglong's mouth gaped open, greatly astonished:
"Daoist, how come you seem to have experienced this?"
Ji Xiang's eyebrows twitched. He hadn't experienced anything like this himself. After all, when the young Daoist died, his three souls were gone. He had taken over directly.
However, in the mortal world, there was indeed a sect that was skilled in such techniques.
"Do you know that Maoshan's corpse refining technique primarily uses the spirits of all beings, not their souls? Maoshan has soul-searching techniques, but no soul-controlling methods. Soul-controlling techniques are extremely difficult to learn; it's not that you can learn them just by being told how. Moreover, if you learn them but cannot lock the opponent's soul of life, you will suffer severe backlash."
"When I was at Wudang Mountain before... I saw people who could lock souls."
Ji Xiang rummaged through his predecessor's memories. In his memory, a group of people skilled in soul control had indeed come to Wudang Mountain. These people were not orthodox Daoists but a very famous sect among folk magical teachings!
The Yinshan Sect!
"The Yinshan Sect originated from Maoshan and combined with the ancient witchcraft of the Lushan Sect to establish its own lineage. Although its numbers are not large, its primary methods involve pursuing and controlling souls. It is normal for folk magical teachings to excel at things that orthodox Daoism does not..."
Feng Menglong was immediately confused, "Then why don't you humbly learn from them?"
Ji Xiang burst into laughter, pointing around, "Look at the area where this heavenly tribulation passed. This is the result of Maoshan's formations. I ask you, if you have the means to overcome ten with one, would you still go and learn these minor arts?"
"The power of minor arts lies in their strangeness and difficulty to decipher. When combined with great methods, they can instill fear. However, when taken out on their own, they are not powerful spells. They are only for the competition among mid-level experts. The leading Daoist sects like the Three Mountains do not care about these spells, because they cannot lock or take away the souls of the Three Mountains' orthodox methods. And with a single spell from the Three Mountains, these magical teachings would be severely weakened."
"Of course, it seems now... the situation has changed slightly."
Ji Xiang looked at Hou Niangzi, "The Three Mountains' orthodox methods combined with folk magical teachings have resulted in this new soul-locking technique..."
"By the way, what about those two from Quanzhen Dao?"
Little Fox and Feng Menglong exchanged glances, both shaking their heads, indicating they didn't know where they were locked.
Ji Xiang's brow furrowed. At this moment, he suddenly slapped Hou Niangzi!
Feng Menglong was immediately anxious!
But seeing Ji Xiang's solemn expression, he forcefully suppressed the urge to speak!
Daoist Ji must be doing this for my wife's sake!
He thought so!
With this slap, Ji Xiang exuded hostility, stimulating Hou Niangzi's instincts, but it had no effect.
Ji Xiang fell into thought.
Without hostility, the other person was like a piece of wood, without wisdom, without thought, without a subconscious. The Blank Divine Tablet would not be able to assess a vegetative state.
"Without hostility, I don't know how to solve her problem. I'll go rescue those two fellow Daoists from Quanzhen first. If they can't help, we'll go to the Yinshan Sect!"
Ji Xiang patted his head, "The return to Wudang will be delayed again."
"It's already August. Going down the river, I don't even have a boat anymore. Coming to Maoshan, I encountered these troubles. The Sect Master of Maoshan has disappeared, Li Shanhe has descended, and there might be disasters..."
Little Fox was utterly bewildered, "What disaster?"
Ji Xiang said, "The Shangqing Sect is a leading Daoist sect, one of the Three Mountains. It could be replaced by a substitute, and the ancestor from Li Shanhe directly descended to seize power. Not a single sect leader dared to object... no, perhaps those who objected have already been killed, like the missing Sect Master."
"If Shangqing is like this, what about other major sects?"
"Longhu Mountain's Heavenly Master is currently absent... I'm not familiar with Gexu Mountain... The Three Sects, Nine Dao, and Twenty-Six Clans, I'm afraid none of them can escape this situation... Even worse, some folk magical teachings will be manipulated by people from Li Shanhe and turned into their propaganda machines..."
"Fortunately."
Little Fox asked, "What is fortunate, Grandmaster?"
Ji Xiang sighed, "Fortunately, my Wudang doesn't have any formal patriarchs."
Without patriarchs, they were all contemporary powerhouses. Wudang Mountain was a gathering place for rogue cultivators in ancient times. Most of them cultivated casually and did not leave behind any sects or lineages. Just like Yin Changsheng, who attained enlightenment on Taihe Mountain and then ran to the Shangqing Sect to become an ancestor.
Most ancient immortals did not leave behind sects, so they were not related to the contemporary Wudang Mountain. Moreover, the contemporary Wudang Mountain was a mixed bag, with cultivators, martial artists, and hermits. The oldest were merely some "Old Yuan Dynasty remnants," as Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng referred to himself.
Ji Xiang looked around, handed some talismans to the group, and then ascended into the clouds, once again making a declaration to the heavens and earth:
"This Pure Yang has been subdued. I am too lazy to ask his name, but I imagine he is your ancestor! All you sect leaders, why don't you come out to meet me!"
"Where are my two fellow Daoists from Quanzhen currently trapped? Are you unwilling to tell me?"
"Shangqing has fallen to such a state, do you do whatever your ancestor says? If Shangqing's ancestor tells you to do wrong, are you also willing?"
Three voices, carrying wind and thunder, emerged. People appeared in the mountains and wilds; it was the Eighth Sect Leader.
He looked ashamed. Ji Xiang descended from the clouds. The Eighth Sect Leader performed a kowtow: "Thank you, Immortal, for rectifying the spirit of Shangqing."
"The two from Quanzhen Dao are trapped in our Shangqing secret realm. I will lead you there now... however, that secret realm is perilous, so please be prepared, Immortal..."