Chapter 402 Heavenly Divine Weapon

In the depths of the unseen, something was watching him. Ji Xiang was not unaware, but he could not sense the presence from any direction in heaven or earth. The Dharma Realm offered no trace, nor did the sky, the land, the mountains, or the rivers. The flow of qi remained undisturbed, and no wandering spirits or ghosts appeared. The yin and yang energies circulated in accordance with the world, without any anomalies.

"The Art of Spiritual Connection?"

This sensation of being watched reminded Ji Xiang of the Great Art of Spiritual Connection from before, a pair of eerie eyes. The feeling of being targeted was almost identical to that moment.

The source of the Art of Spiritual Connection seemed to be surfacing. Which of the Five Patriarchs and Three Kings possessed this technique?

"And can the Five Patriarchs and Three Kings truly be spoken of together?"

When encountering such matters, he instinctively excluded the three Song Emperors. It wasn't that they weren't powerful, but rather that the so-called Five Patriarchs behind them were even more formidable. Moreover, almost no one had ever truly revealed even a sliver of their true form in the manifested world. Even when intervening in human affairs multiple times to deal with Yuan Huang, they could only rely on proxies or reanimated corpses to act on their behalf. The events they influenced were ultimately limited.

Unable to pinpoint the source of the peeping power, Ji Xiang abandoned his search. The mountains and rivers here had been completely reshaped, with vast topographical changes. Ji Xiang had no intention of reorganizing this landscape because the time for his Dharma Manifestation was drawing near, and he needed to conserve some of his magical power. If he exhausted it all, he would be unable to protect himself if danger arose.

"Small!"

With a spoken incantation, the colossal body that towered into the clouds returned to its original form. Numerous wounds appeared on his body, but most of what flowed from them was no longer blood, but the innate essence of heaven and earth. It flowed with crystalline clarity, signifying that the refinement of his solar form had deepened, rapidly approaching the realm of immortality.

With a thought, the five divine positions of the Five Sacred Mountains appeared in his palm. Ji Xiang then laid out his five swords and formed a supreme intention.

Ji Xiang retreated into the Sea of Suffering, isolating himself from all scrutiny.

Then, the True Meaning of the Three Teachings was activated!

Instantly, a vast number of scriptures and classics began to fall from heaven and earth. As they materialized, they hung suspended in the sky, burning fiercely, and then turned to ash.

One scroll, ten scrolls, a hundred scrolls.

In mere moments, the hundreds of scriptures from the White Lotus Sect were completely annihilated, thoroughly depleting Ji Xiang's entire stock acquired from them. The remaining Buddhist scriptures salvaged from Honnō-ji were also all sacrificed at this time.

The Shangqing scriptures began to burn.

Ji Xiang selectively sacrificed the Shangqing scriptures. The disappearance of each Shangqing profound method caused Ji Xiang considerable heartache. After sacrificing ten scrolls, Ji Xiang ceased this prodigal behavior, as the "method" he intended to create this time seemed to be of extremely high caliber.

"Are the requirements so stringent? After sacrificing so many scriptures, this is already more than what was needed for the Emergency Aid Formula."

Ji Xiang sighed regretfully. It was a pity that Joseon had been ravaged, otherwise, there were folk cults rampant in various places. A quick visit to two or three dens could have yielded a considerable amount of "recyclable documents."

"I wish to use the Five Divine Swords as vessels, and integrate the divine positions of the Five Sacred Mountains upon them, to forge the Five Sacred Mountain Divine Swords. It seems this idea will not be easily realized. I need to find more White Lotus Sect dens and borrow more religious scriptures."

What was even more regrettable was the absence of a Sixth Mountain. If the Wheel Cannon could also be upgraded, and immortal artifacts could be forged, the power... would likely be quite formidable.

However, it was not entirely without gain. The True Meaning of the Three Teachings was activated, and the black talismans erupted with radiance. A large expanse of worldly calamities was cast upon Ji Xiang. This expanse of worldly calamities was immense, at least twice as large as that brought about by the Emergency Aid Formula. Following closely behind, a brilliant immortal radiance appeared in this vast world, accompanied by fierce heavenly fire. The immortal scriptures descended, illuminating all directions, leaving no shadows!

A fourth-grade immortal scripture, lower tier!

However, while called an immortal scripture, it was actually a method for forging divine artifacts, and it was the "Upper Scroll."

"Only half a scroll? No, perhaps only one-third..."

Upper scroll, middle scroll, lower scroll. Or perhaps only upper and lower divisions?

Just the upper scroll alone was of the level of a lower-tier fourth-grade immortal scripture. If it were a complete artifact forging technique, it might approach the level of a third-grade immortal scripture. A third-grade would be extraordinary.

Previously, in the True Spirit Registry, Ji Xiang had caught a glimpse of the ancient scriptures of Louguan Dao. Due to their unique nature, they were barely ranked as fourth-grade. This meant that this method for forging divine artifacts, in terms of its level, was comparable to the ancient scriptures of Louguan Dao.

"To forge divine artifacts by integrating divine positions, such divine artifacts should be stronger than ordinary divine artifacts?"

Ji Xiang reasoned that this must be the case, and therefore, the method for forging artifacts he created with the power of the True Meaning of the Three Teachings should be more precious than ordinary methods for forging divine artifacts.

Opening the scripture, immortal light continuously emanated. As Ji Xiang pressed his hand down, the very first sentence was enough to make ordinary cultivators tremble in fear.

[To forge the Five Swords, one needs the Five Divine Swords and the divine positions of the Five Sacred Mountains as a foundation. For any immortal, divine, demonic, or demonic artifact, a震 (zhen) artifact, a spiritual artifact, or a treasure artifact, to be merged with a divine position, in the hope of forging a superior weapon, one must use the stones of Kunlun as an anvil, and take the essence of the mountains and rivers' qi; use the waters of the East Sea for quenching, and take the vastness of the ocean; use the blood of demon immortals as the soul, and take the strength of all spirits; use the fire of Zhurong for forging, and take the ferocity of earth fire; use the Ruyi of the Thunder Ancestor as a hammer, and take the sharpness of heavenly thunder.]

[To forge the Five Sacred Mountain Divine Swords, one must also collect the essence and qi from the peaks of the Five Sacred Mountains and integrate them with the divine positions of the Five Sacred Mountains.]

Mountains and rivers, oceans, all living beings, earth fire, heavenly thunder.

Even Ji Xiang was momentarily stunned, speechless for a long time. After a while, he recovered, shaking his head repeatedly in amazement.

No wonder such immense worldly calamities were upon him. It was for this reason.

"This is merely the introductory guidance. This means that to forge new divine weapons that integrate with divine positions, these five types of conditions must be met."

"The waters of the East Sea are good; the ocean is vast and can be taken freely. The stones of Kunlun, though the journey is far, are not difficult to obtain. However, whether there are still ancient blessed lands within the Kunlun Mountains, with illusions set up to prevent outsiders from peeking, that remains unknown."

"But these last three: the blood of demon immortals. Where in this world are there true immortals of the demonic path? Even if there were, how could they be easily killed? Without any enmity, to take a person's essence and blood, I, Ji Xiang, am not such an unreasonable person."

"There is no good reason for this either. Without a proper cause, killing is not righteous."

"This fire of Zhurong... Ling Xiao Nü?"

Speaking of the fire of Zhurong, Ji Xiang recalled that Ling Xiao Nü had once stolen the divine power of Zhurong and even obtained the Taiyin Tribulation Fire. According to what Prince Lu had revealed, the place where the Taiyin Tribulation Fire appeared was near Kunlun.

Therefore, to obtain the fire of Zhurong, one must first find the divine position of Zhurong. Not all divine positions exist in Fu Li. Divine positions that have been guided to the mortal realm naturally do not exist in Fu Li.

Zhurong is not in Fu Li, which means it is somewhere in the mortal world.

"Ling Xiao Nü was pursued by Lady Yue last time and has been unheard of since. To know where she is, I need to return to Qiantang Town. If Yue Yinping returns, I might be able to obtain some information from her."

"The Heavenly Palace behind this woman seems to have changed as well... Does the Jinglun Heavenly Palace still protect her?"

Ling Xiao Nü was backed by the Jinglun Heavenly Palace of the New Celestial Master Dao. However, she had failed to protect Prince Lu last time and had fled. Although she was a proxy, she had not completed the task given by the Heavenly Palace. Her failure to burn down the Forbidden City last time and her ineffectiveness by Prince Lu's side, two major setbacks, meant that the immortals in the inner mountains might reconsider her.

And the last one... the Ruyi of the Thunder Ancestor.

This is not something that can be easily borrowed!

"Nine Heavens Responding to Yuan Thunder Sound Universal Salvation Heavenly Venerable! The Ruyi scepter in his hand is a thunder hammer, and it is also the supreme divine artifact of the Thunder Department. Whoever can guide the Thunder Ancestor's position can wield this thunder hammer. Compared to the previous items, this last one is the most difficult."

In Fu Li, the Thunder City of the Thunder Department held a position no lower than the Demon Cities where the demon kings resided. Entering the Demon City, Ji Xiang was merely on par with Demon Kings like Qing Tian, and not yet at the forefront. The Five Great Demon Kings like Qing Tian were far inferior to the Demon Vanquishing Great King Bei Di, and the Demon Vanquishing Great King Bei Di was inferior to the Thunder Ancestor.

With his current strength, he could only temporarily give up.

At the very least, he had to achieve immortality before he could forge the Five Sacred Mountain Divine Swords. And within the remaining hundred-plus days until he ascended, he had to gather all the other conditions except for the Thunder Ancestor's hammer.

.........

In the Joseon capital, the officials of Joseon had already descended into chaos. The sudden disappearance of their monarch without a trace had thrown them into panic. After requesting assistance from the nearby Ming army for a search, they still received no definitive response.

Some privately speculated that the Ming army had abducted the King of Joseon. However, this conjecture lacked a solid foundation. After all, if they intended to hold the king hostage for leverage, capturing the King of Joseon seemed like a poor choice, as he would be useless.

The Ming dynasty's garrisons had received orders from Emperor Wanli and had also forcibly obtained permission from the Joseon monarch to establish garrisons and cultivate land on Joseon territory. There was no reason to abduct the Joseon monarch at such a sensitive juncture; doing so would only deepen the animosity between the two nations.

Now that Japan had just been defeated, and the Ming dynasty was not withdrawing its troops, Joseon felt as if they had driven away a wolf only to fall into a tiger's den.

Simultaneously, large chunks of flesh began to appear in the Joseon capital. These chunks of flesh could emit cries. Most were not in human form, but some had transformed into human shapes and appeared on the streets. The already terrified populace was naturally subjected to another scare. Amidst continuous screams, the human-shaped flesh chunks would often emit strange, high-pitched sounds and utter nonsensical words!

"A fallen kingdom shall have a king!"

A fallen kingdom shall have a king? This was not a nursery rhyme or a prophecy, but direct words spoken by these monsters. Even ordinary people could understand them. The officials of Joseon, and the princes who had survived the war, all became excited upon hearing this.

The monarch had been missing for several days, and the country was in disarray. According to the system of succession by the crown prince, Prince Gwanghae should have inherited the throne. However, before him was the illegitimate eldest son, Prince Imhae. When the Great Joseon War began in the twentieth year of Wanli, he was captured by the Japanese army and, due to his arrogant and overbearing behavior, had been deposed from his position as crown prince.

Now that the monarch had disappeared, the dispute between the new crown prince and the deposed crown prince reignited. Officials were drawn into the vortex of this struggle. After several days, it escalated into military conflict, and the capital, which had only recently stabilized, was once again plunged into war. Refugees fled the capital for other places. Officials, disheveled, were dragged away by soldiers in a fit of rage, their necks bound by ropes and dragged to death by weak horses. Dozens met such a fate, and the signs of a fallen kingdom were immediately apparent!

And the deposed crown prince, Prince Imhae, began to sing loudly in the capital, filled with joy!

A fallen kingdom shall have a king!

"I am the king, I am the new monarch of Joseon! Those who disobey me will be dragged to death!"

Prince Imhae believed that the prophecy of these flesh monsters had come true. However, Prince Gwanghae's forces were greater than his as a deposed prince. Soon, he began to attack the capital as a savior, gathering the Joseon armies from Gaeseong and nearby areas. Furthermore, as the new crown prince, he had remained in Joseon to manage affairs when the Joseon monarch had fled to the Ming dynasty. Therefore, the Ming dynasty was relatively familiar with him.

Now that the monarch was missing, if they were to offer support, it would naturally be to the legitimate heir. Thus, at Prince Gwanghae's request, the Ming army also dispatched troops from nearby cities to attack the capital.

In mere moments, the capital was breached. This farce concluded with fratricide, the elder brother being stabbed to death by his younger brother.

Prince Gwanghae ascended the throne. The other brothers were "heartily convinced." His forces were vast, and his popularity was high. No brother could contend with him. After seeing off the Ming reinforcements, Prince Gwanghae proceeded to the ancestral shrine and the altars of state in the capital to perform a sacrifice.

However, to the surprise of most, Prince Gwanghae, upon entering the ancestral shrine, became furious. He overturned all the ancestral tablets and smashed them to pieces with an iron hammer!

The destruction of the ancestral shrine and altars, and the abandonment of ancestors, greatly alarmed the Joseon officials. As they were discussing what to do next, a young man appeared outside the ancestral shrine.

His appearance bore a seven-tenths resemblance to the King of Joseon, as if he had been rejuvenated!

The officials were astonished. At this moment, Prince Gwanghae emerged from the temple and bowed to the young man, calling him "Father King!"

The young man remained silent, merely nodding at Prince Gwanghae before disappearing. The officials were in an uproar. Prince Gwanghae then pointed to the sky and the earth, telling the officials that his father king had gone to cultivate with a true immortal of the Celestial Dynasty. His root bone was exceptionally rare, hence he was valued and bestowed with an elixir for rejuvenation.

As for his smashing of the ancestral tablets of past generations, it was also at his father king's behest. Now that the world had been restored, and his father king had attained the Dao and ascended to immortality, these ancestral tablets would be recast and enshrined in other temples. The ancestral shrine and altars would also be moved from here, as they had been plundered by the Japanese, and there was no guarantee against lingering effects of the nation's fortune being stolen.

His words were reasoned and logical, making it difficult to refute.

Of course, some old officials harbored doubts about this explanation. In the past, cultivators of the Hwarang Dao from Joseon had examined the King of Joseon's root bone and found his talent to be merely mediocre, with no necessity for cultivation. His aptitude was ordinary and not special. How could he be "exceptionally rare"?

However, since it was said by a celestial immortal of the Great Dynasty, perhaps the past cultivator who examined the king's bone structure had poor eyesight.

The officials discussed this heatedly but could not prevent Prince Gwanghae's "forced reforms." As for Prince Gwanghae, he looked at the spot where the young man had disappeared and murmured to himself:

"A fallen kingdom shall have a king. Whose kingdom has fallen? It is my own kingdom, the Joseon of the Li family, not the Joseon of the Korean people."

"Thank you, celestial immortal, for bestowing this position upon me. I will not repeat my father king's mistakes!"

Prince Gwanghae only wished to be king, to be his own king, the king of this Li family's thousand-mile territory. His father king had made a deal with those bizarre entities. He was too afraid of his position being usurped. He had established himself as the crown prince, yet dared not relinquish his power. In the end, he became like that, was it not also due to his own inner demons?

Now it was time to choose sides. Given the circumstances, could the flesh monsters of Jingling Palace compare to a living true immortal?