The true meaning of the Three Teachings in his hands allowed Ji Xiang to face any situation. As long as it wasn't too urgent, he could use deduction to render the opponent's spells useless before him.
The blank divine plaque and the true meaning of the Three Teachings perfectly complemented each other. Ji Xiang mused that this might be one of the reasons why the blank divine plaque found the true meaning of the Three Teachings; this item held immense attraction for the divine plaque.
"Just as the true meaning of the Three Teachings describes... a hundred techniques converge, none surpassing the realm of the Three Teachings!"
All magical techniques have a lineage. Even techniques later created independently are derived from the Three Teachings. Even in the description of the blank divine plaque, which allowed Ji Xiang to deduce the "Heavenly Demon Technique" and establish his own school, the Heavenly Demon Technique itself was a branch of Daoism.
Therefore, the true meaning of the Three Teachings could derive the deducible Heavenly Demon Technique.
Otherwise, if this technique originated entirely from nothingness, the true meaning of the Three Teachings would be unable to deduce it. Clearly, no magical technique could escape the deduction of the true meaning of the Three Teachings!
As for the techniques from other lands, after missionaries entered the land of the Great Ming, they called themselves Western Confucian scholars. They had previously engaged in fierce debates with Buddhism in India. During the deduction of the true meaning of the Three Teachings, Ji Xiang had already attempted to understand the complex attributes of the "Window of God," but its core was close to Confucian methods.
This was certainly not Christianity derived from Confucianism. Instead, it was likely Christianity entering the Great Ming and calling itself Western Confucianism, thus causing the true meaning of Confucianism to reciprocate to Christianity... Ji Xiang planned to observe this issue more closely later.
As for the magical techniques from other lands, most had clear origins. Even Japan's Onmyōjutsu and Korea's Immortal Dao were extensions and branches of Daoism, which was beyond doubt!
An astonishing aura surged from Ji Xiang, causing the grand formation within the Kunlun Cave to tremble with this aura!
This aura gradually spread outwards, sensing the key points of those formations!
The Eight Sect Masters' faces showed obvious fear. Even though he had entered the Kunlun Cave with his life disregarded, he still felt terror when truly facing a powerful being who could completely crush him. Human emotions do not end with facing death directly.
After all, one could still become a ghost after death and continue to feel fear...
Ji Xiang silently recited the holy words: "There are no two ways under heaven, and the sage has no two hearts!"
After sacrificing a relatively powerful formation from Mount Mao, the true meaning of the Three Teachings began to help Ji Xiang deduce!
A new formation gradually took shape, visibly covering the outer layers of the Heaven Locking Formation. This scene filled the Eight Sect Masters with horror and disbelief!
"What... what formation is this? I don't recognize it!"
The Eight Sect Masters looked at the newly appeared formation patterns, arranged within the Kunlun Cave, gradually spreading towards the Xuan Tian Coffin. The outer Heaven Locking Formation was being dismantled and replaced!
This indicated that the new formation was not a means of brute force destruction!
Rather, it was a true counter-formation corresponding to the Heaven Locking Formation!
He found it difficult to comprehend the situation, constantly shaking his head, stepping back a few paces, and then looking around at the formation patterns, his eyes unblinking:
"Many formations in the world have no way of being reversed or broken. The so-called method of breaking them often involves specific means, and never a corresponding counter-formation. After all, formations are born to trap and kill enemies; killing enemies at a higher level is the true meaning of formations..."
"If every formation had a counter-formation, then cultivators of formations would likely be terrified, and this matter would surely cause a huge uproar among these cultivators!"
"Because once these counter-formations are leaked, they become a death sentence!"
"Once the decryption techniques of those secret formations are mastered by their enemies, their own fate would naturally be death and the destruction of their Dao!"
The Eight Sect Masters muttered to themselves while looking at the surrounding formation patterns, engrossed in them. Within those patterns lay the most excellent decryption techniques. He yearned to learn them. Even if this new formation's origin was unknown, it could break the Heaven Locking Formation...
Therefore, with deep study and research, sooner or later, the principles of formations contained within these patterns would be mastered by them, and then they could extrapolate from it to break other formations.
The formation patterns continued to spread... and then stopped.
Ji Xiang slowly opened his eyes and saw that the formation patterns had not completely broken the Heaven Locking Formation, only dismantled the outer layers. He couldn't help but frown.
"I've already sacrificed a grand formation, and the calamities of the mortal world are already encroaching. This Heaven Locking Formation is of a very high grade. Exchanging it for a grand formation from Mount Mao has only dismantled the outer layers?"
Ji Xiang did not hesitate further. Next, he continued his deduction. This time, it wasn't the sacrifice of a grand formation, but the direct sacrifice of a heavenly formation.
After all, heavenly formations were lightning formations. It made no difference whether one was present or not. Many of the formations within the grand formations had profound uses. Sacrificing them all to break this single Heaven Locking Formation would be too much of a loss.
With the sacrifice of a heavenly formation, the second deduction began. This time, rumbling thunder echoed within the Kunlun Cave!
The formation patterns began to change. This was the second stage of dismantling. The internal formations also began to collapse. Countless formation patterns filled the Kunlun Cave completely, then crawled onto the Xuan Tian Coffin!
As the formation patterns locking the Xuan Tian Coffin were replaced, Ji Xiang's gaze sharpened. He leaped into the formation. The outer grand formation had been completely dismantled, and those formation patterns were slowly receding!
"Wait a moment, I haven't memorized it yet!"
The Eight Sect Masters looked at the disappearing formation patterns with some panic and anxiety, as he hadn't fully memorized many of them. Now they were disappearing before his eyes, so he busied himself with outsmarting the stone walls, but Ji Xiang didn't care what he was doing!
Arriving before the Xuan Tian Coffin, he pushed his palm forward. The coffin lid spun twice in the air and flew upwards!
"What is this thing!"
The coffin was pitch black, but the contents inside startled Ji Xiang.
There was another Mount Mao inside this coffin!
Mountains, rivers, regions, divine palaces, and immortal pavilions, all complete. Ji Xiang even waved his hand, and that world could change. Ji Xiang saw a second him inside, as if looking down at the lower realm from the heavens!
He suddenly turned his head. Above him was the Kunlun Cave ceiling filled with formation patterns. There was no second him looking down at him!
"This thing is not a coffin."
Ji Xiang was startled. There was a world inside this coffin that was identical to the outer world?
It was like looking at a miniature person when opening a box, and this miniature person turned out to be yourself!
Ji Xiang looked at the coffin lid he had overturned.
Then he activated his magical power and slammed the edge of the coffin!
Divine light surged from within the coffin. At this moment, the Inner Scene Divine Plaque reacted, providing an explanation:
[Xuan Tian Stone Coffin: In the year of Yang Chun, Xuan Tian had sun and moon.]
[The本体 is a stone chest, appearing as an ordinary object externally, but internally containing the universe, sun, and moon, and the vast world. It belonged to Sima Jizhu, an immortal official during the Qin and Han dynasties, and was placed in a stone chamber in Changshan. Later, the Shangqing Sect learned the "Wei Yu Mountain Immortal Technique" and brought this item back to the Shangqing Kunlun Cave.]
[Above the Xuan Tian Stone Coffin, there is also the Changshan Bronze Cabinet.]
[The Xuan Tian Stone Coffin can reflect the desires in people's hearts, creating illusory worlds for those who enter the coffin to become lost in; it is "said" that the Changshan Bronze Cabinet can create real worlds...]
[Heaven Locking Formation: The core of the Heaven Locking and Escape Formation is in the world within the coffin (currently operating).]
[Shangqing False Form: The Shangqing Sect imprinted the appearance of the entire Shangqing Sect within it. If Shangqing is destroyed, opening the stone coffin will cause the world within the coffin to be imprinted onto the real world, restoring everything to normal.]
[Reflection of Desire: Creates the world of the human heart (locked). Due to the locking of the Reflection of Desire, those who enter the mountains and rivers within the coffin will lose their original true memories and become survivors within the illusion.]
[Human World Divergence: Identical to the outer mountains and rivers. Actions and memories created within the world of the coffin will be fed back into the real world, but will not affect the situation in the real world.]
[Truth Becomes Falsehood: Entering the world within the coffin with one's true body can cause corresponding reflections in the outside world.]
[Immortal Treasure: Within the mountains and rivers of the Xuan Tian Stone Coffin, somewhere lies a Wei Yu Mountain Immortal Technique (with dormant immortals!)]
The coffin was powerful, and it even contained an immortal?
Ji Xiang looked back and saw the Eight Sect Masters still struggling with the stone walls. He then summoned him with a wind talisman. The Eight Sect Masters prostrated themselves before the stone coffin. Upon seeing Ji Xiang's face and noticing that the coffin lid was missing, his expression was one of extreme shock!
"You actually opened it!"
Ji Xiang grabbed his neck: "Stop the nonsense and tell me what this thing is, and why there's a world inside that's identical to the outer world? You'd better explain it well, and if there's half a lie..."
"If you don't behave, I'll throw you in to see!"
He pinched and then released his hand. The Eight Sect Masters breathed a sigh of relief. Having cultivated to his level, he certainly wouldn't be choked to death by a neck grab. If he wanted to, he could even stop breathing.
After all, holding one's breath was a basic Daoist skill. At a high level of cultivation, the entire body could breathe in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
"This thing is called the Xuan Tian Coffin. Some of the techniques of our Shangqing Sect's Patriarch Qingxu's lineage originated from Sima Jizhu during the Qin and Han dynasties. This item is Sima Jizhu's spiritual artifact..."
Everything the Eight Sect Masters said was consistent with what Ji Xiang had seen before. Ji Xiang narrowed his eyes and was about to throw the Eight Sect Masters into the stone coffin!
The Eight Sect Masters were greatly surprised: "What are you doing..."
Before he could finish speaking, he fell into the stone coffin and was immediately swept away by a bizarre cloud of mist, disappearing without a trace.
Ji Xiang rubbed the mist with his hand and quickly found the Eight Sect Masters. He seemed to have forgotten how he appeared in this world within the coffin and was standing bewildered at the entrance of Mount Mao.
"As expected, entering the mountains and rivers within this coffin makes one forget their original situation..."
Exposing oneself within the mountains and rivers was not a wise move. Ji Xiang extended his hand and unleashed lightning. Instantly, the entire world within the coffin was filled with lightning, thunder, wind, and rain. A heavenly tribulation descended, striking the Eight Sect Masters through and through!
The latter, struck by the heavenly tribulation, was completely bewildered. Ji Xiang was merely testing, and he hadn't expected that external interference would have a reaction within the world of the coffin...
"It's not time to worry about you now. I'll come back to see you later."
Ji Xiang manipulated the mist and found the Small Kunlun Cave within the illusion of the Shangqing Sect. The two people from the Quanzhen Dao were trapped in this Small Kunlun Cave, and their location was precisely where he had just broken the formation.
However, the core formation of the Heaven Locking Formation was in the world within the coffin...
"In other words, what I just broke was merely a false formation reflected in the outside world from a formation within the coffin?"
Ji Xiang could not enter the world within the coffin himself due to the risk of amnesia. Moreover, within the Kunlun Cave, Ji Xiang always feared that after entering the coffin, a hand would emerge from some corner and slam the coffin lid shut!
Furthermore, there was a hidden immortal within the world of the coffin. However, despite the commotion Ji Xiang had caused on the coffin, this immortal did not appear, likely being in hibernation or being a corpse-released immortal.
Combining this with the techniques he had previously obtained, the body of a corpse-released immortal could be used to refine a guardian puppet comparable to a Flying Ascension realm cultivator. However, if the other party suddenly regained consciousness, Ji Xiang's actions would be rather awkward.
Ji Xiang himself would not engage in such reckless grave robbing.
To break the core formation within the coffin, Ji Xiang sacrificed another grand formation for deduction. Soon, he received the answer. Dense formation patterns appeared in the illusory world within the coffin. Ji Xiang beckoned, and the mist lifted the almost dismantled formation. Ji Xiang immediately rescued them!
The two Quanzhen Dao disciples were rescued without incident. Nanyangzi and the Fallen Immortal appeared outside in a daze. This was still the Kunlun Cave within the formation, but it was different from just now. Ji Xiang was now present.
"Daoist Ji!"
"Immortal!"
The two fellow Daoists from Quanzhen were overjoyed and relieved. They had truly escaped from the brink of danger this time.
However, Ji Xiang asked them a strange question:
"Did you see me just now?"
The location where the two were just now was still the Kunlun Cave within the world of the coffin. When Ji Xiang first opened the coffin, he saw that place, but just now, there was a miniature him inside the coffin's world.
"You? When did you appear before us? You are only appearing before us now."
The two Quanzhen Dao cultivators exchanged glances. Nanyangzi shook his head: "I couldn't escape with my遁术. This is the first time we've seen you."
Ji Xiang pressed further: "Just now, when I opened the coffin lid, there was a miniature me inside. Didn't you see it?"
Nanyangzi and the Fallen Immortal shook their heads again.
Ji Xiang then looked down and saw that the world within the coffin still manifested as the Kunlun Cave. However, within the Kunlun Cave, there was only himself, and Nanyangzi and the Fallen Immortal were not reflected.
Ji Xiang's gaze became suspicious. He carefully observed the two, which made them very nervous, and they began to examine each other.
Nanyangzi: "Could it be... we've been possessed and don't know it?"
Fallen Immortal: "Immortal, please don't look at me with such strange eyes. I'll get scared."
Ji Xiang asked them to look. The two peered into the world within the coffin. There were no abnormalities within the Kunlun Cave, and no one appeared.
However, soon the illusion changed and became the Xuánmiào Temple.
Nanyangzi exclaimed, and his eyes gradually became dazed. Voices could be heard from within, the chanting of monks from the Xuánmiào Temple. But soon, Ji Xiang kicked the coffin lid shut. The deafening roar jolted Nanyangzi, and he quickly retreated several steps in fear!
"The Xuánmiào Temple has already been destroyed, how can it be inside this coffin!"
Ji Xiang reprimanded: "Guard your heart! This is not the real Xuánmiào Temple!"
"This stone coffin seems to have a problem. Ancient spiritual artifacts are not very reliable either."
Ji Xiang looked at the stone coffin again. The "locked" tag in the "Reflection of Desire" entry... suddenly disappeared!