Mount Tai, the Bi Xia Yuan Jun Mansion.
Ji Xiang traveled south, deliberately passing through the territory of Mount Tai. The majestic great mountain stood between heaven and earth, with eighteen layers of hell located below. Now that the underworld had changed hands and the netherworld was counter-attacking the mortal realm, it was difficult to predict what changes might have occurred beneath Mount Tai.
To this day, Ji Xiang had never forgotten the scene he had seen with his future sight: the shadow of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai appeared at the Fengchan site of Mount Tai, followed by countless smaller shadows surging from all directions and plunging beneath Mount Tai. Afterward, Mount Tai collapsed, and the "Underworld Mount Tai," truly composed of the eighteen layers of hell, rose from the ground. Then, the Lord of Mount Tai crossed the East China Sea and joined forces with the Great Emperor of Mount Tai in battle.
And from beginning to end, Bi Xia Yuan Jun had not reappeared since the shadow of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai appeared.
That could perhaps be understood as her being "devoured" by the Great Emperor of Mount Tai.
As the weakest and most recently born divine position among the three main deities of Mount Tai, Bi Xia Yuan Jun's power was inherently inferior to the other two. The Great Emperor of Mount Tai suppressed the eighteen layers of hell, residing in the netherworld, while the Lord of Mount Tai traveled to Japan to become the pillar of the Yin-Yang Dao for eight hundred years. Compared to these two, Bi Xia Yuan Jun possessed no remarkable abilities.
Ji Xiang still ascended Mount Tai and arrived at the Fengchan site. From the summit of Mount Tai, he surveyed all directions, with all other mountains appearing small. Immediately, a great door opened in the sky before him, and a beautiful female immortal clad in a green celestial robe manifested before the luminous gate.
Judging by her aura, she was indeed a cultivator in the Pure Yang realm.
"True Person Beiji has arrived at Mount Tai, may I ask the reason for your visit?"
"Are you here to check on the stability of the underworld?"
Bi Xia Yuan Jun was very polite to Ji Xiang. Although she had never met Ji Xiang and did not recognize his appearance, she knew that among those who wore black Daoist robes, only the court-appointed leaders of the Daoist sect, namely the Heavenly Master and Beiji, were qualified to do so.
The Heavenly Master preferred to wear deep green robes and a small cap, disliking overly ostentatious attire. Therefore, the only person wearing black attire was Beiji.
She observed Ji Xiang. Before Ji Xiang's appearance, apart from the leaders of the Three Mountains, the anomaly of Wudang, and the southern Daoist sects, the leaders of the northern Daoist sects, the Quanzhen Sect, had no strong practitioners left, with only an old Pure Yang cultivator residing in the mortal realm. Zhongnan Mountain had previously been attacked by Zhou Sheng, suffering countless casualties. Thus, the strongest at present was merely a Divine Refinement cultivator.
As for herself, she had cultivated since the reign of Emperor Jiajing and was now at the peak of the Pure Yang realm, only a step away from transcending the Heavenly Demon Tribulation and ascending to immortality.
However, there were many paths to immortality. She did not wish to ascend as one of the celestial beings by accumulating Yang energy. Instead, she aimed to sever the three corpses before attaining immortal status. Among the celestial beings, those who achieved immortality by severing their corpses possessed immortal bodies. Furthermore, she had cultivated on Mount Tai for seventy years, her Yang energy being pure. If she were to achieve Dao by severing her corpses, the power of Yang energy within her would not be inferior to that of the celestial beings.
At the same time, for her to ascend to immortality, someone needed to take over the task of suppressing Mount Tai. Therefore, without a command from the court, she could only suppress her cultivation.
Thus, Ji Xiang's appearance caused her some displeasure.
Her position, originally second in the north, had fallen to third. She observed Ji Xiang, secretly feeling a sense of alarm. After all, the aura of her Sun Refining Form was unreservedly displayed, like a walking sun.
However, she did not believe herself to be inferior to Ji Xiang.
As long as she willed it, she could enter the stage of Sun Refining Form at any moment.
"Indeed. I shall not engage in pleasantries and will speak plainly."
Ji Xiang nodded. "Does Yuan Jun know of the underworld's repeated harassment of the mortal realm? I have learned some things through various channels, and there are rumors of unusual activity in the eighteen layers of hell beneath Mount Tai. Has Yuan Jun inspected it recently?"
Bi Xia Yuan Jun smiled. "I patrol the eighteen layers of hell every seven days and have never discovered any anomalies. Within the eighteen layers of hell, the Dharma Realm's order is maintained, and the numerous ghost soldiers and generals are all in their positions, just as before. None have resigned or perished."
"I am, of course, aware of the underworld's repeated harassment of the mortal realm. However, Mount Tai has been officially recognized by successive dynasties, with emperors performing Fengchan ceremonies here. It is not something that a mere underworld dynasty can shake. True Person Beiji may be worrying unnecessarily."
Ji Xiang's brow furrowed slightly. "Just as before...?"
"Are you saying that since you took charge of the eighteen layers of hell beneath Mount Tai, it has been exactly as it is now?"
"Precisely. If True Person does not believe me, you may accompany me to tour the eighteen layers of hell."
Bi Xia Yuan Jun satisfied all of Ji Xiang's questions, and Ji Xiang readily agreed.
"Then let us descend to hell and see."
Before setting off, Ji Xiang waved his hand, and a portion of Mount Tai's essence was drawn in. Bi Xia Yuan Jun looked at this with some confusion. Ji Xiang explained:
"I merely wish to take Mount Tai's essence to forge a divine sword."
"I see."
Mount Tai's essence was not uncommon. There was plenty of it on the peak. Over the centuries, the Five Sacred Mountains had received numerous sacrifices, each bearing the dragon脉 of their respective regions. The essence of the mountain peaks was merely a small portion of their own overflowing power.
Through the heavenly gate, they arrived at the Bi Xia Yuan Jun Mansion. This mansion was located within Mount Tai, where a separate realm had been opened as its foundation. From this realm, below lay the gateway to a vast Dharma Realm.
The first layer of the eighteen layers of hell, the Tongue-Pulling Hell.
This was Ji Xiang's first time entering a hell-like Dharma Realm. Across the desolate plains in all directions, there were wild grasses, and wild fires spread among them. Everywhere, small ghosts pushed carts laden with iron tongs. Whenever they encountered wandering sinful souls, the small ghosts would immediately push their carts forward, capture the sinful soul, and pull out its tongue.
The Tongue-Pulling Hell, the uppermost and weakest layer of the eighteen layers of hell, was where most people who were glib-tongued and fond of speaking would end up after death to receive punishment.
"I never imagined there would be green grass in this hellish Dharma Realm."
At this moment, Ji Xiang's heart suddenly felt a stirring.
Amidst the wild grass and wild fires of the desolate plains, the appearances of the small ghosts seemed to change slightly in Ji Xiang's eyes. Their hunched backs gradually straightened, and their exposed bodies were clothed.
"It's a fire illusion."
Bi Xia Yuan Jun spoke, explaining to Ji Xiang:
"The origins of the eighteen layers of hell Dharma Realms are said to be varied. The first layer, the Tongue-Pulling Hell, has existed since ancient times. In ancient times, it was not called by this name, nor did it involve the pulling of tongues. Instead, it was a resting place for countless ancient souls. In ancient times, within Mount Tai, it was an ancient Dharma Realm naturally generated by Mount Tai's dragon脉."
"When the wild fires in the desolate plains burn the grasslands, illusory scenes of flames appear, manifesting ancient ghosts. Legend has it that Emperor Wu of Han once wrote a secret letter to the Heavenly Emperor and buried it in a secret place east of Mount Tai during his eight Fengchan ceremonies. Some also say that this secret place eventually transformed into this Dharma Realm."
"Emperor Wu of Han first went to Mount Liangfu and offered sacrifices to the earth god with proper rituals. On the day of Yimao, he ordered his attendants and Confucian scholars, dressed in solemn ceremonial robes, wearing leather caps and trailing sashes, to perform the ritual of shooting a bull. Subsequently, Emperor Wu of Han performed a ritual of earth sealing at the foot of the mountain east of Mount Tai. The sealed earth was twelve feet wide and nine feet high. Beneath it was buried a jade document, a letter to the Heavenly Emperor, the contents of which were unknown."
"Later, Emperor Wu of Han also built a 'Kunlun Path' on Mount Tai leading to the Heavenly Emperor's residence. However, that ancient path, at least for now, does not exist, and I have not seen it."
"As for which Heavenly Emperor this Heavenly Emperor refers to, I believe the Heavenly Emperor of the Han Dynasty would be the Supreme Emperor of Heaven, Hao Tian Shang Di, right?"
After speaking, Bi Xia Yuan Jun looked at Ji Xiang again. "Apart from the fire illusion, are there any other anomalies?"
Ji Xiang observed for a long time and shook his head.
However, before leaving, the feeling of unease in his heart reverberated again.
It was his divine form responding.
It was Guang Du Chen Lun Tian Zun.
And also... the divine ability that flew out from the land of crow cries.
Ji Xiang felt a little strange.
"Mount Tai is indeed not simple. The first layer alone has such legends. However, if something left by the Han Dynasty is calling out, why would my divine form and divine ability respond spontaneously?"
Ji Xiang knew very well that although he outwardly claimed to be an ancient cultivator from the late Han Dynasty, he was essentially an extraterrestrial celestial demon. The scriptures and divine forms in his possession could at most be traced back to the Wei and Jin dynasties.
As for the Four Saints of Beiji, such as the deities who only fully formed and reached their peak after the Five Dynasties and in the Song Dynasty, there was no need to mention them further. Even Guang Du Chen Lun Tian Zun, whose lower limit was the Tang Dynasty and whose upper limit was at most the Wei and Jin periods, was not to be expected. After all, ancient Heavenly Venerables of Daoism could not be traced back to the early to middle Han Dynasty when Confucianism was dominant.
"It's truly strange..."
Ji Xiang thought, and when he returned later, he would search more thoroughly to see if he could find anything.
Bi Xia Yuan Jun showed Ji Xiang the scenery of hell, and then the two continued downwards, passing through several more layers of hell.
Scissors, iron trees, mirrors of sin, steamers, copper pillars.
Mountain of knives, mountain of ice, oil cauldron.
"We've already reached the Oil Cauldron Hell. Are there any anomalies?"
Bi Xia Yuan Jun looked at Ji Xiang, a hint of mockery in her pretty face. She thought that although this young True Person was rumored to be a resurrected Corpse-Release Immortal who had cultivated anew, the eighteen layers of hell Dharma Realm did not exist during the Han Dynasty, did they?
Regarding the eighteen layers of hell, she, the controller of hell, understood it better than this young "old man," didn't she?
"It seems there are no anomalies."
Ji Xiang observed his surroundings. The Oil Cauldron Hell was filled with the aroma of meat, but this was all an illusion. The souls were being boiled in the oil cauldrons; there were no living people.
Just as Ji Xiang thought there were no anomalies here, his body suddenly trembled.
Among all the objects that the Inner Scene Divine Tablet had once absorbed, there was "black energy."
This was at the Phoenix Mountain Song Dynasty imperial palace ruins, within those demonic mountain territories. He had wrapped a wisp of black energy with the Tong Tian Ming Yan, and then it was absorbed and sealed by the Inner Scene Divine Tablet. From that time until now, it had been without change.
However, upon reaching this ninth layer, the Oil Cauldron Hell.
That black energy, within the Inner Scene Divine Tablet, suddenly became uncontrollable, and even overflowed from the Inner Scene Divine Tablet!
And under the influence of this black energy, Ji Xiang looked at the Yin soldiers and ghost generals and suddenly found that their physical forms and auras beneath their shells were gradually twisting and transforming!
These were not Yin soldiers and ghost generals from hell.
They were rotting skeletons, vengeful spirits bound with talismans, and Yin spirits and ghost immortals whose bodies overflowed with auspicious light but whose interiors were a mass of black mist!
This was not a trick of the eye.
This was a transformation technique of extremely high caliber!
And even the scenery of the entire Oil Cauldron Hell was no longer the same as before.
This Dharma Realm was no longer the Oil Cauldron Hell.
It was a certain Dharma Realm that had been transformed to resemble the Oil Cauldron Hell!
Ji Xiang was deeply shocked by such a transformation technique that could alter an entire world, and he had never heard of anything like it.
"Boom!"
Thunder suddenly erupted in hell, and Bi Xia Yuan Jun was startled, but her action was too late. Ji Xiang had already activated his lightning magic and pointed at the nearest ghost general!
The thunderclap split the sky and echoed through hell!