After dispatching one fire spirit, Ji Xiang immediately addressed the remaining one, "Do you believe me now?"
"Lead us there, and I'll ensure you don't die! Refuse, and I'll kill you right now!"
The little fire spirit was terrified and immediately let out whimpering sounds of plea. Ji Xiang smiled, becoming very amiable. He held his sword tip against the fire spirit's head and said, "That's a good child."
Then, he channeled his imperial might and shouted, "Lead the way!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was also unfamiliar with the paths within the inner palace. In fact, if they were familiar, they would be waiting for death. The inner palace was the emperor's private courtyard. The Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Palace Guard, the Banner Guards, and the Great Han Generals all stood guard in the outer palace. Previously, when Emperor Wanli summoned Luo Sigong into the inner palace, he had also returned the same way, to the Longde Hall in the outer palace.
Thus, the little fire spirit was unbound. It hopped up from the ground, with the blood-stained crossbow bolt pressed against its body.
The two Embroidered Uniform Guards were quite astonished.
So these divine creatures were also afraid. In reality, as long as one mastered the method to kill them, they would be like mortals.
This scene of a mortal threatening a spirit creature greatly stimulated the body's excitement.
It was like a child from Sanshui casually holding the life of an evil spirit in their grasp!
Among the two Embroidered Uniform Guards, especially Zhuo Deyuan, his blood boiled with excitement.
Slaying gods and demons, flying through the heavens and escaping through the earth—this was what the Embroidered Uniform Guard should be doing, not just idling away their days and taking orders from that useless Commander!
Ji Xiang's series of actions also made both Embroidered Uniform Guards "look at him with new eyes"!
"Daoist priest, if you joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you'd definitely be a formidable figure."
"Daoist priest, you have such a refined and handsome appearance, why are your methods of threatening others so skilled?"
The two Embroidered Uniform Guards' words seemed like teasing, but they were also genuine praise. Ji Xiang handled the operation of killing someone and then threatening the living with such practiced ease, his expressions changing as easily as flipping a book.
Of course, they felt no pity for these seemingly pathetic little fire spirits.
Among killings, those done for amusement were the most terrifying. A mischievous child was not scary, but a child who treated casual killing as play was.
Life and death could not be treated as a game. These little fire spirits treated human lives as playthings, which was inherently chilling. No matter how much they feigned fear, it only evoked dread.
Ji Xiang and the two Embroidered Uniform Guards followed the little fire spirit, passing through the grand avenue outside the Tai'an Gate. They began to walk along a long corridor at a corner. The locked gates here had all been opened. As they reached the first corridor, they could faintly hear shouting from outside.
Light was filtering in; the fires in the front three halls had become uncontrollable, with flames and thick smoke soaring into the sky.
"The outer palace is also on fire!"
"These damned fire spirits!"
The little fire spirit leading the way dared not utter a word, with the blood-stained crossbow bolt pressed against its forehead, it scurried along.
The surrounding temperature also rose. The fires had burned half the sky of the Forbidden City a bright crimson, obscuring the starlight cast by Doumu.
The wide corridor where Ji Xiang and the two guards were walking was beside the West Six Palaces. This corridor was very long, and at its end, the glow of burning flames began to appear.
"It's just ahead. Go out the door in front, turn right for a hundred paces, and you'll reach the Xizi Gate. Once inside, it's the West Second Long Street of the West Six Palaces. The Emperor is trapped inside by Chi Zhi Ge Ge and the others."
The little fire spirit spoke at this moment, slowing its pace and pointing ahead. The passage ahead was already engulfed in flames.
"Daoist priest, look quickly, what is that!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard, Shi Xiang, exclaimed. Ji Xiang also turned his head to look. The little fire spirit, intending to seize this opportunity to escape, was about to bolt, but Zhuo Deyuan shouted sternly, "Where do you think you're going? Stop right there!"
The crossbow bolt pointed at it, the little fire spirit pouted and immediately stood still, not daring to move.
"Who do you think is just watching the show?"
Zhuo Deyuan sneered, "It's useless for me to watch and unable to help, so I'll just focus on you! Don't cause trouble for the Daoist priest!"
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ji Xiang saw a colossal monster standing up in the direction of the Xizi Gate leading to the West Six Palaces!
Roughly estimated, it was about three to five stories high, standing taller than the palaces of the West Six Palaces by a head. Its body was like a great Bodhi tree, and it constantly spewed fierce flames from its mouth, exuding immense power!
In his inner vision, the blank divine tablet displayed text!
[Ju Kou Gui: Ghost and God type! According to the Fo Yuan Zhu Lin, the Ju Kou Gui is a ghost whose mouth constantly spews fierce, blazing flames without end. Its form resembles a fiercely burning Dharani tree, and this appearance is due to its extreme stinginess in life.]
[The Dharani tree is a treasure tree on Mount Sumeru, capable of inciting five types of desires in sentient beings: the desire for stolen life, greed, delusion, attachment, and the inability to detach.]
[This tree does not exist in the outer mountains and rivers!]
[This tree grows in the inner mountains and rivers!]
[Those whose five aggregates are empty and whose minds are like withered wood are unaffected by this tree. Reciting the 'Abhidharma-kosa-shastra' (authored by Xuanzang) can eliminate this ghost and god.]
Ji Xiang was stunned.
He didn't know what "outer and inner mountains and rivers" were for now, nor did he need to think about it.
But reciting a whole scripture to kill a ghost—he didn't understand Buddhist scriptures!
Fortunately, the text on the blank divine tablet paused only briefly before providing a strategy.
[This ghost and god impersonates the Fire God. Not having achieved true divinity, it manifests in the Forbidden City by borrowing the Dharani divine wood. Calling its true name is useless. Instead, say, "All sentient beings have inherent gods who follow their actions," then loudly proclaim, "Yama King is here!" Repeat this three times, hold a jade stone and throw it into the flames. This ghost and god will flee on its own.]
Only then did Ji Xiang's spirits lift!
It wasn't that he *had* to rely on a strategy, but with his third-realm Golden Tendon Jade Bone, facing something three to five stories tall... without using the Great Majestic Divine Mantra, he truly couldn't fight it!
He only had one Great Majestic Divine Mantra, and he couldn't easily reveal his trump card!
Besides, there was also that "Fire Lord" mentioned earlier! That was the real mastermind. It would be a huge waste not to use the Great Majestic Divine Mantra against him!
"If it runs away, it's fine. If this thing runs out of the Forbidden City, the heavens are outside. Will it still live?"
Problems within the Forbidden City were unknown to the outside. The celestial officials were all outside and couldn't get in, but if it ran out, things would be different.
This was Ji Xiang's first time personally participating in a giant boss battle, and he was quite excited, yet also a little unnerved.
However, with invincibility and a strategy, he should be able to pass.
Beside him, Shi Xiang asked,
"Daoist priest, what do you think this thing is? Will it also be put up for sale with a price tag?"
Ji Xiang sighed, ignoring the question from the Embroidered Uniform Guard officer, and instead asked him, "Do you have any jade on you?"
Shi Xiang immediately laughed, "Daoist priest, what are you talking about? Where would we lowly soldiers get jade?"
"In this Forbidden City, the most likely jade one might have on them is a jade belt, but those are things only princes, marquises, dukes, and first-rank civil and military officials possess."
A jade belt was a belt made of jade.
"Oh, His Majesty also has one..."
Shi Xiang's expression changed noticeably as he said this.
Why would the Daoist priest want to get his hands on this jade belt? People of insufficient status couldn't covet such things.