"Could it be... Guo Pu!"
The yellow-robed Taoist from the Huaguang Sect blurted out!
The leaders of the various Dharma Sects were not illiterate. They had to read extensively to establish their own sects. Ancient figures known as "wandering immortals," the patriarchs of geomancy, masters of burial arts, calendrical calculations, and divination, who knew everything about astronomy and terrestrial numbers, were the foremost experts in arcane arts during the Jin Dynasty!
Therefore, upon hearing the name Guo Pu, many faces showed extreme astonishment!
"You all actually know of this person's reputation? He is an ancient figure."
Fo Gui smiled, expressing his surprise, which was genuine. After all, the Dharma Sects were merely branches of Buddhism and Taoism, and it was already difficult enough to understand their own domains. He had not expected these half-baked Dharma masters to even know the name of a Fangshi.
Over thousands of years, Fangshi had become integrated into Buddhism and Taoism, appearing before the world through Buddhist or Taoist practices. They mastered the arts of all three teachings and could restrain them, absorbing the strengths of the three to compensate for their own weaknesses. They were also the only ancient sect that had survived from the ancient pre-Qin era to the present day.
The yellow-robed Taoist's eyes gleamed: "How could we not know? All the sects of our Dharma Sect practice the methods of Buddhism and Taoism, but we also promote the art of geomancy. To help people avert disaster and eliminate demons, or to drive away ghosts and capture zombies, we must examine the local geomantic patterns. Although both Buddhism and Taoism have such methods, how could we not know the patriarch of geomancy?"
"Not to mention, legend has it that during the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin, Guo Pu displayed the art of reviving the dead..."
"Reviving the dead, one of the thirty-six Heavenly Dipper transformations. But this itself originates from ancient magic. Later generations, seeing the reversal of life and death, deified it, but failed to grasp its essential principles, thus mistaking it for a divine ability attained through enlightenment, rather than a spell that can be cultivated.
"The so-called thirty-six Heavenly Dipper transformations are merely a collective term for thirty-six categories of powerful divine abilities and spells. When performing these thirty-six types of spells, there are no taboos."
As he spoke, he seemed to realize something, restrained the gleam in his eyes, and quickly said to Fo Gui, "Of course, although we have heard that Patriarch Guo is a prominent figure of the Fangshi lineage, and we admire him, with Master personally visiting, we would never harbor any disloyalty!"
Fo Gui chuckled, whether sincerely or not, he spoke words of comfort and then addressed the Dharma Sect leaders, "You all need not be alarmed. If it were merely due to his connection with the Fangshi, would Buddhism have sent me here to discuss matters with you?"
"In fact, the Fangshi of Lishanhe are not easy to get along with."
The smile on Fo Gui's face gradually faded, "You all know that the Great Ming is currently at war with Japan."
"Who exactly are the Shinto priests of Japan, and which Emperor is it?"
Several sect leaders blurted out, "Who cares who it is! What does it have to do with us! As long as they don't cause trouble in the South Sea, let them fight! If the court is defeated, perhaps it would be even better, making it easier for us to rebel!"
In this era, there was no sense of national sentiment, only struggle and competition. If Japan could suppress the court in the north, it would be something the leaders of the Dharma Sects would gladly see. Of course, the first to jump up and cause trouble would not be them; there would be someone else to take the lead, and that "someone" would be very enthusiastic.
And that would be the White Lotus Society.
The leaders of the Dharma Sects looked down on the White Lotus Society, considering them a low-class sect, worshipping wild demons, or dabbling in superficial magic. Their origins were varied, but they were surprised that one of the main altars of the White Lotus Society was in Ying Tian Fu, which was like looking for a ghost with a lantern – utterly impossible to find.
Fo Gui shook his head, "You are all mistaken! It is of great importance!"
"The Fangshi are currently on the side of the court!"
"What did you say!"
The sect leaders, who had been laughing and joking moments before, immediately changed their expressions, exclaiming like clowns.
The Fangshi lineage, one of the four major powers of Lishanhe, was involved with the Ming court?
"How did you know?"
"The Great Ming is at war with Japan, and before that, the Yin Realm caused trouble in various places, but without exception, these incidents were quelled within two days."
Fo Gui then revealed some information that even the Ming court itself did not know.
Following the Soul Snatching incident in Xiangyang, the Yin Court used similar methods in several regions, from villages and townships to prefectures and administrative divisions. However, without exception, these attempts failed within two days, and the aftermath was handled completely. Consequently, the local authorities merely believed them to be some ordinary diseases that were not contagious and had weak effects.
This was because there were Fangshi!
"Impossible, do the Fangshi of Lishanhe possess a collective method for entering the mortal world?"
Lei Wang's eyes flickered when he heard about the Yin Realm's actions, but after hearing that they were resolved by the Fangshi, his expression became one of disbelief.
The methods of the Myriad Longevity Immortal Palace were bizarre, and with five masters of myriad ghosts and gods presiding over numerous Yin realms, and even some connections with the Yuan Emperor, to be so easily eliminated by the Fangshi, did it mean that there were also several immortals descending from the Fangshi?
"Incorrect. As far as I know, no Fangshi have descended. However... the method to break the Yin Realm's techniques originated from Wudang."
"Wudang has a True Immortal residing in the mortal world."
The news, like a bolt from the blue, was uttered by Fo Gui. Before the other sect leaders could say anything, he immediately followed up with, "And this True Immortal, Lei Wang, Qingzhu Guanyin, Guangze Zunwang, you three have all met him before."
"Then the destruction of Dingjia City..."
At this statement, the three Dharma Sect leaders' eyes immediately shot open, like lions startled or beasts encountering enemies!
First came surprise.
Then came shock.
Finally came fear!
A chill spread from all their acupoints, permeating their skin, piercing the crown of their heads, and rushing out of the forehead's mystic gate, making them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar!
"Impossible! That was just a newly appointed Taoist Master of the Ming court, how could he possibly be a True Immortal!"
"Are you saying he is someone who ascended in this lifetime!"
Guangze Zunwang, who had been silent all along, questioned loudly. He wore a vibrant red robe, his hair disheveled, looking like a madman.
"The only person who ascended in this lifetime is the Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain! This is known to everyone in the world!"
Fo Gui said, "Calm yourselves. He is not a contemporary immortal. As far as I know, he is suspected to be a 'Shenyou Immortal'."
"'Shenyou Immortal'?" Qingzhu Guanyin did not understand the meaning. "The three of us once divined his fate and found that he was not among the ten categories of beings in the world. Does this have something to do with it?"
"A 'Shenyou Immortal' is similar to a 'Shijie Immortal.' It is said that his primordial spirit wanders in the Great Fuli Realm and cannot return to his physical body. Upon waking from a dream, he finds himself in the present era. There are rumors that he is from the late Han Dynasty."
Fo Gui naturally knew this "information" because the Heavenly Heart behind him was Huiji Vajra.
"My Buddha's intention is to befriend him, not to make an enemy of him. Therefore, the purpose of conversing with you all and uniting to belong to my Buddha's side is true. Another purpose, to cede a province to you all, is not only to give you an opportunity to advance in Lishanhe but also to show respect to this True Immortal."
"And you all should stop fighting. If you continue to fight, my Buddha will not be very pleased."
"In fact, I am about to invite him to the South Sea to meet His Highness Prince Chu. The next Son of Heaven of the Great Ming must be seen by an immortal."
Fo Gui looked at the silent, youthful man beside him. Prince Chu appeared frail, and at this moment, he merely smiled without speaking.
"As for why the Fangshi stand with the court, it is because they wish to kill the ancient immortal of Japan. Their interests align, thus they stand with the court..."
The leaders of the Dharma Sects were momentarily stunned, not knowing what to say. Guangze Zunwang's eyes revealed fierceness, but he was also pragmatic. Qingzhu Guanyin offered a smile, though it was somewhat stiff, "This matter still needs discussion... Furthermore, this immortal owes a debt of gratitude to the current Emperor, how can he approve of this... Prince Chu?"
"Moreover, he has a grudge with us for destroying our altars. This... if it gets out, how can we establish ourselves in the South Sea after surrendering to the court? Have all our previous plans become futile?"
Fo Gui chuckled, "How could that be! If you intend to rebel, you must outwardly obey. Do you think that with a few Pure Yang masters, or by uniting, you can resist the national prestige nurtured by millions of miles of rivers and mountains? Do you even dare to think of attacking the Forbidden City?"
"If you truly provoke them, and if Empress Bixia Yuanjun appears, you all might end up buried beneath Mount Tai! Without a Heavenly Master in the mortal world, this person is the strongest figure of this era, a deity officially recognized by the court."
"Rebellion is not done like this. You can only steal the sun and moon, but you have never heard of snatching the sun and moon."
Fo Gui implied that these people had read too many storybooks. Even in the popular Journey to the West of the past few decades, Sun Wukong, after wreaking havoc in the heavenly palace, was still slapped by the Buddha and pinned under the Five Elements Mountain with his backside facing out.
Not to mention that you cannot even deal with Empress Bixia Yuanjun, they also have two True Immortals. If they become displeased, the Old Heavenly Master might come and deal with each of you with a single blow.
And there is another important point.
Fo Gui indeed did not wish for these Dharma Sect leaders to engage in conflict with the two True Immortals of the Great Ming, because... the Vajra needed these two True Immortals as vanguards for Buddhism. While the Heavenly Master could not be won over, the other, the True Immortal of the North Pole, was very promising.
The Second-Turn Immortal Pills were not given away for free. They also brought immense benefits to Qin Nu Xiu. Now that Qin Nu Xiu was in the Buddhist camp, Huiji Vajra had high hopes for this ancient immortal. After all, "putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha instantly" was nothing more fitting for these words than for her, a killing immortal. Once converted to Buddhism, she would instantly become a Bodhisattva.
And as long as Qin Nu Xiu wanted to know the whereabouts of Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao's corpses, she would have to rely on Huiji Vajra, because...
With his thoughts racing, Fo Gui snapped back to attention. The surroundings were in a state of uproar, with other Dharma Sect leaders analyzing the unfavorable situation for the Dharma Sect. Guangze Zunwang was lost in his own thoughts, his hair disheveled like a possessed demon, while Qingzhu Guanyin, the beautiful female Bodhisattva, stared at Fo Gui with a fake smile.
"Master... please give us some time to consider, how about it?"
Qingzhu Guanyin knew that this matter could not be resolved so easily. The destruction of altars was a major issue, and Dingjia City not only involved the annihilation of her subordinate sects but also the shadow of the Biyou Palace, a major sect that had recently appeared in the South Sea.
It was rumored that this was a force placed in the mortal world by Shangqing, aiming to unify the entire Dharma Sect. However, the Biyou Palace acted too ruthlessly, leading to fierce resistance from the Dharma Sect, hence the current negotiations with Buddhism.
From the intelligence obtained earlier, the current Taoist expert governing the mortal world, the youth with the title of Purple-Robed God, acted so domineeringly. Even his style of conduct was described as "whenever he emerges, the world plunges into war."
He sought to integrate everything through force. It was said that internal strife had occurred in Shangqing, leading to the sealing of their mountain gate, and it was unknown if this domineering Purple-Robed God had interfered.
As for Confucianism... these scholars, who considered themselves noble, looked down upon those like them who were like bandits. Therefore, among the three teachings, only Buddhism could be relied upon and was the easiest to deal with. It was a relationship of mutual assistance, as Buddhism needed the Dharma Sect, and the Dharma Sect needed the backing of Buddhism.
And the other one, Lei Wang.
His expression was gloomy, and he had even closed his eyes, seemingly making a decision.
Lei Wang indeed had important matters to consider.
This concerned the promise made to him by the Heavenly Net King!
A trace of imperceptible black energy circled in Lei Wang's eyes!
The reason why he could awe the various sect leaders with a single word from the thunderous pronouncements of Buddhism and Taoism was that this place was not without powerful figures at the Pure Yang level. The Dharma Sect had been established in the southeast for many years; without a few Pure Yang masters holding the fort, they would have long been eradicated by the court. However, these Pure Yang masters fought individually, did not unite, and even harmed each other behind their backs.
But their foundation was not strong. If one generation produced a Pure Yang master, the next generation might not possess such capabilities, and the sect might decline, perhaps within three generations.
Although the Dharma Sect accepted all kinds of people, allowing anyone to learn its methods as long as they abided by the rules, in reality, the Dharma Sect did not have a complete foundation for tailored instruction. Therefore, it was most dependent on the disciples' talent and comprehension!
Whoever could thoroughly grasp the limited inheritance would become the pillar of a sect.
If the next generation could not grasp it, then the sect would decline.
Before this, Lei Wang had made a deal with the Yin Realm, which was to obtain the "inheritance" of the Myriad Longevity Immortal Palace!
A large number of figures in the Yin Realm had ascended to immortality within this past year. Although their attempt to cause chaos in the Forbidden City had failed and they were repelled by the Heavenly Master, it was because it was difficult for people from the Yin Realm to enter the mortal world. To this end, they had made numerous efforts. The soul snatching, body snatching, life snatching, and form borrowing that occurred in various places were all experiments conducted by the Yin Court.
The experiments naturally yielded results, and the result was that the path of Ghost Immortality had opened a new path.
He was unaware of the specific details of the opening of the Ghost Immortal path, but in short, it was no longer the path of relying on incense offerings to become an immortal as in the past. The Myriad Longevity Immortal Palace had abandoned the path of incense offerings, and now one could ascend to immortality without incense offerings!
And before ascending to immortality, there was a level called "False Immortal"!
Lei Wang also learned of the existence of False Immortals through them. It was said that there were many such people in Japan. They did not possess the form and spirit of immortals but had the power of immortals. Therefore, they could not overuse immortal power, as immortal power would cause the mortal form and spirit to decay and eventually perish in the world.
However, with the help of the black energy, the False Immortal was no longer in a state of being a mere pawn.
Even Lei Wang did not believe that False Immortal was his ultimate goal.
The South Sea had trade with many countries overseas. The southeastern region was not only a place for sea merchants to smuggle goods but also a major disaster area for Japanese pirate raids. However, the leaders of the Dharma Sect naturally had their sources of overseas intelligence, so Lei Wang knew that there was an ancient immortal in Japan, and his state of existence was unique.
"False Immortal is not the end."
"I want to become a Pseudo-Immortal!"
Since True Immortals were not born, Pseudo-Immortals were not much different from True Immortals. The only difference was that they could not move freely. However, once a nation was established, like Japan's Dao-enlightened divine kingdom, the power of a Pseudo-Immortal could suppress a True Immortal!
It was like a "domain"!
Pseudo-Immortals were not false, and True Immortals were not true. Even if one became a Pseudo-Immortal first and then a True Immortal, it would not be too late. With his current talent, he would definitely be able to ascend to the immortal throne.
Therefore...
Even if Fo Gui needed the Dharma Sect to reconcile with the Great Ming, even if this was the intention of the Heavenly Heart...
That Taoist Master named Ji Xiang.
He must be buried in the South Sea!
Just a True Immortal of the Great Ming.
As long as he killed him and proved his worth, these people from Lishanhe would immediately become turncoats!
"I agree to reconcile with the Great Ming, and I also agree to invite this immortal to the South Sea to meet."
Lei Wang smiled and looked at Fo Gui.