Along the Japanese coast, after various unexpected events, Ieyasu, Terumoto, and Nagamasa finally led their remaining forces back to their homeland. However, Todo Takatora and his men did not return. Ieyasu waited by the coast for a period, resting his troops, until a week had passed.
Todo and Honda and the others were likely dead.
"It's a pity the divine artifacts were not recovered."
Ieyasu was still very grateful to Todo Takatora, as he had saved him from dire straits at the beginning. However, Todo's overconfidence in his combat power with two divine artifacts had led to his annihilation by the Ming army, and the subsequent loss of the artifacts was entirely due to Todo Takatora not obeying his command.
"The Kanpaku actually didn't send anyone to meet us. He couldn't possibly not have received the news, could he?"
Mori Terumoto, noticing that seven days had passed without anyone coming from Kyoto, couldn't help but feel suspicious. He had heard that Osaka had been utterly destroyed. Could it be that Hideyoshi had actually died but announced he was still alive?
"Perhaps he's dead."
Kuroda Nagamasa narrowed his eyes, on the verge of defecting on the spot.
If Hideyoshi were truly dead, the world would effectively return to the Sengoku period.
"Nonsense."
Just as the thought of rebellion arose, a laugh was heard not far from them. The three were instantly chilled. They saw a eunuch-like figure with a pale face as if painted with makeup, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks. They initially thought it was some kind of monkey demon, but upon closer inspection, it was none other than Hideyoshi himself.
When he had appeared there, the three had no awareness whatsoever. However, their survival instincts compelled them to immediately step forward and kneel to beg for forgiveness.
Before they could even utter the customary words of seppuku to atone,
Hideyoshi appeased the three: "Why do you speak of sin? This battle was lost to immortals, not to mortals. It was lost due to insufficient national strength, not the lack of bravery in our generals."
"I already knew this battle would be lost, which is why I sent you letters agreeing to the withdrawal. Please rise."
Seeing that Hideyoshi was not as gloomy or furious as they had expected, but rather very amiable, the three, though bewildered, seized the opportunity and immediately stood up.
"Whatever could be taken has been taken. The nation's destiny is now in our hands, and half of Korea's life is in our grasp. You have all done exceptionally well, enough to be famous throughout the land and recorded in history."
Ieyasu spoke at this moment: "Lord Kanpaku, Todo Takatora covered our retreat, leading three thousand naval forces to cover our rear. Seven days have passed without any news of him. It is likely he was killed by the Ming army. He also possessed two Dragon Pearl divine artifacts... they are probably also..."
"Divine artifacts are mere trifles. As long as you are alive, what are mere divine artifacts? As long as you are alive, we will still have opportunities to fight again."
Hideyoshi smiled.
"F-fight again?"
Upon hearing Hideyoshi's words, Mori Terumoto's expression immediately paled. He quickly clasped his hands together, attempting to dissuade him: "My Lord, the nation's strength has been utterly depleted. Must we truly face a land devoid of even the crowing of roosters, with white bones scattered in the wilderness? Is this war truly over?"
"My hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians have perished in a foreign land. Even the souls of the fallen warriors can return to our nation's underworld, but the dead are truly dead and will not rise again. If we continue to fight, the entire realm will likely rebel!"
Although Mori Terumoto harbored rebellious thoughts, Hideyoshi's statement that they could "fight again" truly terrified him.
If they narrowly escaped death this time, wouldn't they be made the grand generals next time? That would be like tying their heads to the battle standard and waiting for others to take them.
Enough was enough! If they continued, they might not even survive. If that were the case, it would be better to defect now.
Hideyoshi was taken aback by this, then instead of anger, he burst into laughter. While laughing heartily, he also appeased Mori Terumoto:
"There is no need for such fear. The next great war will require a considerable amount of time, and we must prepare meticulously. Now, the poisons left over from the Sengoku period have all been scattered in Korea, leaving only the essence accumulated over the years within our homeland."
"Everyone, feel this brand new Japan! Although it is currently in ruins, in the near future, both Korea and the Ming Dynasty will prostrate themselves at our feet!"
The three were still bewildered, but the next moment, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who possessed more information, suddenly showed a shocked expression. After a few breaths of silence, he tentatively inquired:
"Has the Divine Nation... been perfected?"
Hideyoshi smiled: "Although many important places were damaged by the Ming Dynasty's immortals who crossed the sea, and many false immortals were sacrificed to maintain the operation of the Divine Nation, fortunately, Korea's destiny was timely to fill these gaps. And the calamities that have existed since ancient times have also been eliminated by the hands of the Ming Dynasty's immortals."
"Emperor Jinmu has completed all the preparations."
The destruction of Taoyuan, the land of origin for many gods, returning to the Divine Nation, instead became the most crucial piece of the puzzle. Ji Xiang's actions brought fortune to Japan, and the damage suffered was merely a temporary setback.
The war was not over so quickly; it had merely entered a temporary ceasefire.
"The destiny of one nation is insufficient to achieve the Divine Nation, thus requiring the destiny of a second nation to be integrated. Originally, it was difficult to seize the destiny of the Ming Dynasty, so we plundered Korea's destiny to compensate for ourselves. Next, we will attack Ryukyu. Although it is a small maritime nation, by attaching itself to the Ming Dynasty, its acquisition will provide a powerful boost."
"With the destinies of three nations combined into one, we can achieve the true goal of the Divine Nation's ascension."
"Once the Divine Nation is established, we will no longer need to pursue the Heavenly Dao."
"We will replace the Heavenly Dao! And then, govern the world on behalf of Heaven! All our actions will be as divine decrees, which the world cannot defy!"
————
In the northern mountains of Korea, the Heavenly Gate opened, and Ji Xiang returned to the human world from the upper realm.
"It should have been a considerable amount of time..."
Time flows differently in the heavens. Ji Xiang spent a considerable amount of time refining the lost heavenly demon army, to the extent that the time for refining the sun had passed by nearly half. There were still over 160 days remaining, and his own realm and state had already been elevated to an extremely high level!
Boom!
A surge of blood qi transformed into a storm, shaking the mountains and rivers in an instant. All gravel and dust settled, and all clouds and mists in the sky were driven away for hundreds of miles.
In terms of his realm, he had advanced to the Innate Realm.
During the three hundred days of sun refinement, those who did not reach the Pure Yang level would have their realms slowly increase from the moment sun refinement began. After breaking through from the Nascent Soul to the Yellow Court, and then from the Yellow Court into the Innate Realm, the twelve years of time were compressed into thirty-six days. These thirty-six days were also extremely dangerous "death days."
Death and the dissipation of the Dao would occur at this time.
However, Ji Xiang had already consumed the Seven Treasures Yellow Lotus, not only safely passing through the "thirty-six days of death" but also successfully compressing the thirty-six days of advancement. Furthermore, with the power of the Buddhist Sword, he had integrated several powerful auras, giving birth to the essence of the Heavenly Root of Heaven and Earth.
He had crossed the threshold of entering the Innate Realm from the Yellow Court, and from then on, there would be nothing to restrain him! The Innate aura continued to rise, and he would soon break through to the Spirit Refining Realm, and then enter the peak of the human world, the Pure Yang Realm!
Ji Xiang sensed the surrounding mountains and rivers, able to perceive the life force of living beings within hundreds of miles at will.
A special aura, neither demonic nor mortal, neither like a cultivator nor not, appeared very clearly in Ji Xiang's perception.
"Who is it?"
Ji Xiang did not approach openly but concealed his aura. However, the commotion caused by the opening of the Heavenly Gate and the subsequent Innate Realm aura seemed to have alerted these mysterious existences. Their auras remained stationary, not moving at all, as if they were dead. Only their vibrant life force told Ji Xiang that those emitting these strange auras were not wooden carvings or clay statues of deities.
Ji Xiang transformed into a shadow, hiding among the mountains and rivers, undiscovered by anyone.
.........
"What was that feeling just now? Innate Realm? Are there such powerful beings in Korea?"
"What is the Innate Realm? We are also at the Innate level. Korea and Japan have been at war, and within a month, three capitals have fallen and eight provinces have been lost. Those Hwarang Dao cultivators who relied on national prestige and Ming Dynasty protection in Korea were like vulnerable chickens and dogs before the false immortals of Japan, collapsing at the slightest touch. Now, even their corpses have turned to dust."
"That's true... Even if the Innate Realm entered the battlefield, it wouldn't change the outcome of the war. I heard that it was a True Immortal from Mount Wudang who entered Korea and eliminated all those false immortals? That's truly amazing. Mount Wudang is truly deeply hidden. Fortunately, we didn't fall out with the court..."
"It's that Dao Master, who caused quite a stir in the region east of Mount Tai. Nurhaci was killed by him. I wonder if there's any connection to Zhou Sheng who challenged the mountain last time."
"I don't think so. What is Zhou Sheng? He is a heavenly monster formed by black qi. In ancient times, he would be considered a natural disaster sent by Heaven to bring tribulations to the human world. Those who have achieved immortality would avoid such things like the plague, so why would they actively associate with them?"
"Right, speaking of Korea's Hwarang Dao, those who cultivated to a high level should have entered the inner mountains and rivers, belonging to a part of the Daoist sect?"
"Precisely. During the Tang Dynasty, Daoism brought the land of Korea under its control, spreading its doctrines. There is even a legend that the progenitor of the immortals in the East, True Immortal Huan Ren, was a disciple of Ming You Xianren, a disciple of Guangchengzi's disciple. Hwarang Dao is also called the Immortal Dao, but there have not been many immortals appearing throughout the dynasties. Besides the Eastern Progenitor Huan Ren, there are also the three New Era Immortals Cui Chenggu, Jin Keji, and Monk Cihui. The founder of the遁甲元流, Jin Yan, is said to have later fled to Japan and opened the遁法流, from which ninjas arose..."
"Buddhism also fought in Korea for a period. Although they converted several princes, their influence on the Andong Protectorate was not significant. Who would care about those New Era princes? Thus, seeing that Korea was difficult to extract benefits from, and considering the existence of the Andong Protectorate and the Tang Dynasty's promotion of Daoism, they could only continue to advance eastward and spread their doctrines to Japan. Although they are now impacted by other religions, they can be considered to have deep Buddhist roots and have integrated into Japanese culture."
"Later immortals also include the Sea East Founder, who is said to be the daughter of a Song Dynasty emperor who died and her soul drifted to Korea, becoming a spirit of Mount Taoshan. I don't understand how the ghost of a Bianliang person could go to Korea."
"There is also Xue Li. It is said that he was so fierce in attacking Goguryeo that the Goguryeo people even worshipped him. This attack on Goguryeo was requested by Silla to Emperor Taizong of Tang, so the Silla people also revered him as a malevolent god, and this tradition continues to this day in Korea."
"Oh... Old Master Huang... you know a lot about these matters?"
"Of course. I, this old man, know everything without leaving my home."
"You say you know everything without leaving your home, yet you've come to Korea now? Following Shurhachi?"
"Master is here to borrow national destiny! Haha! The kind that is borrowed and never returned!"
"Pah! You kid from the Grey Family, don't speak carelessly! Your voice is too loud! This is not to be spoken of! If Shurhachi hears it, and reports it to Shun Tian, we will all be in danger! Kai Tian Hong Sheng Emperor cannot withstand the True Immortal of Longhu Mountain!"
Thump, thump, a cane gently tapped on a stone. The surrounding laughter instantly subsided. To outsiders, the conversation just now sounded like the cries of foxes and snakes, the squeaks of mice. In the wilderness, the words of wild beasts would not be known to humankind.
"Shamanism cannot support the heavens of Changbai Mountain, nor can it support the eternal heaven of the Tatars. Those old witches should be buried. From the grasslands to the White Mountains and Black Waters, it has been like this for thousands of years. It is time for change. Only through change can we preserve ourselves in the coming turmoil."
"We need to establish a great religion! We cannot borrow the destiny of the Great Ming, nor dare we. Taking advantage of Japan's war with Korea, and openly coming here to assist Shurhachi, we will borrow some national destiny to make our divine positions the legitimate ones in Korea, and then gradually transform them into the spirits of the Great Ming."
The old man, dressed in yellowish-brown clothes with a long beard, had white spots in his pupils and looked emaciated. He stood in the wilderness, with a small mound in front of him, built with stones, appearing like a strange formation. Within it, fire seemed to erupt, as if something was being fired.
A group of demon cultivators in long robes gathered around him. However, due to their long-term consumption of incense, being half-demon and half-god, their auras were mixed, making it impossible to discern their true forms.
"I have lived from the Bohai Kingdom era to the present, what haven't I seen?"
"Don't talk about it, I really haven't seen the major events of twenty years from now! If we can't withstand it, we will all be skinned and dismembered, and used as medicinal ingredients for alchemy! As for relying on the court, it's better to rely on ourselves. The areas outside the pass are dependent regions. Killing Nurhaci to deter Shurhachi was a good move by the court, but for us, it's not such a good thing."
"That Zhou Sheng works for the Eternal Heaven Palace and is a member of the Daoist sect. As long as the righteous path does not decline, we cannot rise. That's the reason. Now that we have borrowed Korea's national destiny to preserve ourselves, when the righteous path weakens and fights fiercely with those old thieves in the inner mountains and rivers, our era of rise will come."
Old Master Huang shook his head, then looked at the heat. He reached into the grave-like structure and took out a divine position. This divine position was radiant with incense, illuminating the ten directions. He covered it with his long sleeve, suppressing its brilliance.
"You little things haven't seen that kind of heaven-shattering, earth-splitting scene. How prosperous was the Great Tang, yet its capital fell six times, and its emperor fled nine times? Now you laugh and treat these things as mere stories."
"Is that so? Then tell me these stories?"
The sudden voice caused all the laughter in the forest to disappear instantly.
Old Master Huang immediately turned his head, and a tremendous demonic aura erupted from him, accompanied by waves of divine power and the might of incense!
However, in the next moment.
A monstrous demonic qi overwhelmed and crushed all his demonic, divine, and incense power! Like a vast ocean, it enveloped him!
Old Master Huang broke out in a cold sweat instantly!
He was trapped in the swirling demonic qi, as if falling into an abyss, unable to move. Looking at the black-clothed figure standing not far away, it was the greatest "Demon King" in the world!
"Innate... No, you are a demon of the Pure Yang level!"
The realm of Innate was deceptive, but this vast demonic qi was by no means something that the Innate could bear. Thus, a level comparable to Pure Yang emerged in his mind. However, Old Master Huang's exclamation made Ji Xiang chuckle:
"What is a demon?"
"I am a Heavenly Demon!"
Then, he reached out, and a large stone nearby was drawn to him, transforming into a stone chair in mid-air, falling behind Old Master Huang.
Ji Xiang reached out again, and a voice like thunder from the nine heavens shook the human world!
"Sit!"
Bang! Old Master Huang dropped his cane on the ground, his body uncontrollably falling onto the stone chair.