The Jiajing Emperor could not tolerate the feeling of his life and death not being in his own hands. Even though he had built altars, they still required devout sacrifices… ultimately relying on external forces.
Thus, he wished to cultivate with Tao Zhongwen, hoping to obtain a method for rapid cultivation. Tao Zhongwen frankly stated that Emperor Jiajing's aptitude was insufficient, and forcing cultivation would only allow him to reach the Divine Ability realm in this life.
Emperor Jiajing then took a wrong turn. Through various demands, threats, and enticements, he finally obtained a danfang. This elixir was made from Autumn Stone, refined with the urine of young boys, and Red Lead, refined with the vital blood of palace maids, further mixed with cinnabar… This type of elixir was not part of orthodox external alchemy.
This event led to the infamous Renyin Palace Mutiny, where palace maids rebelled and almost strangled Emperor Jiajing in the middle of the night. Afterward, sixteen palace maids were subjected to Lingchi, two consorts were executed, and Empress Fang herself perished in a bizarre fire.
"........"
"However, the elixir was eventually completed, allowing him to shed his mortal coil and finally be born with immortal bones. Emperor Jiajing's wish was finally granted. There are many details involved here, which are not for outsiders to know."
"Finally, it is said that before Emperor Jiajing's corpse sublimation, he visited the Dongyue Temple one last time. That was thirty-one years ago, but what he saw was not the plaque of Dongyue Temple, but 'Jingling Palace'... And Jingling Palace was originally a sacrificial palace built during the Song Dynasty to venerate the 'Song Shengzu'."
"Furthermore, an important anomaly was discovered: the operational principles of Tao Zhongwen's Divine Firmament Altar technique were actually somewhat similar to the sealing techniques within Dongyue Temple… In the past, Emperor Jiajing's cultivation was shallow, and he couldn't discern the profound mysteries, but after he achieved some success, he understood."
"To this day, this curse still lingers within the imperial palace of the Great Ming, drifting endlessly within the Forbidden City. As for what truly lies beneath Dongyue Temple, no one knows."
The old man Lei Xuan's story stopped abruptly here. Liu Mengyin hurriedly pressed, "You mean Emperor Jiajing didn't die, he underwent corpse sublimation?"
"That's right, corpse sublimation. In the Daoist tradition, there is a method of transformation called the Taiyin Refining Form technique."
"The 'Nine Capital Dragon True Scripture' states: Those below the rank of immortal must first die, pass through the Taiyin to refine their bones and flesh, traverse the Earth Gate, and only then can they achieve corpse sublimation and depart."
"Although cultivators attain the Dao, due to the many sins committed before cultivation, they cannot immediately transform after achieving it. This requires a process of shedding the old and embracing the new, perhaps taking one, two, ten, or even more years to complete the transformation."
"Someone with an extreme desire for control like Emperor Jiajing, how could he tolerate anyone sitting above him, controlling his life and death? Of course, he desired eternal longevity."
"To be the emperor in the outer mountains and rivers, and now to become an immortal in the immortal realm, in the inner mountains and rivers, he also wished to be the supreme sovereign, to be the 'sacred and unparalleled ruler'!"
"Emperor Jiajing was a great greedy person in the world. The mountains and rivers, all things, were merely his playthings. You are too, and so am I."
Old man Lei Xuan walked to the doorway, opened it, and looked up at the sky. In his eyes, the national prestige that permeated Shuntian had a great hole in it, and above this hole was the Zhu Tian (Heavenly Court).
The Taiyin Tribulation Fire had damaged the national prestige. This young girl was foolish, thinking she had gained a great opportunity, unaware that it was deliberately given to her.
Allowing the young girl Huojun to enter the Forbidden City, and even letting the Taiyin Tribulation Fire burn a hole through the heavens, was merely a tactic to fish.
Old man Lei Xuan, also known as the Old Man of the Heavenly Pool Angler, was the most formidable angler. He never fished empty-handed, nor did he reel in his line prematurely. Only by casting a long line could he catch big fish.
Of course, Emperor Jiajing himself spread the Yellow Heaven Teachings, and their distortion made him quite displeased.
In the past, he greatly promoted the Yellow Heaven Teachings, spreading their doctrines and collecting vast amounts of aspirations. The aspirations born from all things and deities beneath the Zhu Tian of the Great Ming ultimately all went to him alone, beneath the Zhu Tian, without exception.
But since the Yellow Heaven Teachings had been corrupted and their doctrines altered, it was time to rectify them. They had not yet reached the point of destruction, and the young girl Huojun also needed a warning.
Stop thinking about getting opportunities for free all day. What is obtained for free is the most expensive. What you consume today, you will have to repay in the future.
Don't be so naive and innocent, just like her father. After gaining some magical abilities, he was too eager to "save the common people."
As for Wanli, that kid is really lucky. Just after his backside was scorched, now he's about to have ghosts and spirits demanding his life.
Take it slow, line up, and everyone will get what they deserve.
Longqing, that foolish child, moved away the things he left behind. That's understandable. He thought the Zhenwu statue was merely a fire-prevention facility. Seeing it was useless, he just moved it away. He didn't sell the statue as junk, which was already quite considerate.
But without that statue, the sky has another hole. The points that needed to be stepped on have been stepped on, and the curse of "two dragons not meeting" has been reversed for so many years. They must have had their suspicions, and now, the things beneath Dongyue Temple have finally emerged.
If you're cleaning the house, how can you do a thorough cleaning without bringing out all these messy things?
Of course, whether Wanli lives or dies is irrelevant. When an old dragon dies, a new dragon will replace it.
Liu Mengyin looked at the back of old man Lei Xuan, his expression filled with surprise. He was about to ask what "outer and inner mountains and rivers" meant, but old man Lei Xuan, just like last time, tapped his fingers twice on the wall. In the next moment, Liu Mengyin suddenly collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"I have also received your aspirations. Sleep well. I am waiting for you to publish your book. Books are the convergence of sentient beings' aspirations, stories that themselves can create illusions. For Jiajing, they are great supplements and the foundation for the existence of all deities."
"But most people are unwilling to spend half their lives writing tales of gods and ghosts. Four Books and Five Classics are everywhere, but they are useless to Jiajing now… Many years ago, Jiajing met someone, but did not obtain his manuscript, which is a regret."
Lei Xuan said this to the unconscious Liu Mengyin, then murmured to himself:
"Back then, Tao Zhongwen said 'two dragons do not meet,' and if they met, there would be a death. The root of this curse, I have finally seen. Thus, as one of the eighty-four thousand Yang Shen thoughts, my task is also complete."
"The Taiyin Tribulation Fire, as expected, is related to you. This appeared during the Southern Dynasties, when Song and Qi alternated. It should have disappeared long ago. That's why the doctrines of the Yellow Heaven Teachings are so chaotic and have become this way."
"Yuan Dun originally meant to generate something from nothing, the path of the Dan Yang Immortal. But now it has come to mean liberation from reincarnation and heading towards death."
"Although I don't know what you are, or why you want to reverse the formation and reach the mortal world from Yuan Dun, it cannot be for a good cause. The Great Ming is Jiajing's plaything, and the inner mountains and rivers will eventually be the same. You entities, who knows where you've emerged from, also want to contend with Jiajing for this land?"
"That young girl obtained this Taiyin Tribulation Fire from somewhere in the inner mountains and rivers, and it was also you entities who guided her to find it..."
"Jingling Palace, this name should have long been buried in the dust of history. Let me see what you entities truly are. This doubt that has plagued Jiajing for sixty-four years is about to be resolved."