"You cannot hide, come out for this old man."
Zhang Tianshi was getting angry. In the Forbidden City, there were still strange things that could evade his detection. Such an abnormal event should not and could not happen. The only explanation was that this thing was part of the Forbidden City itself.
Had the Wanli Emperor foolishly enfeoffed some lonely ghosts and caused trouble?
The black shadow left no trace and no scent. Zhang Tianshi controlled the divine position of the Jade Emperor and searched the entire imperial city.
The national prestige fluctuated, and the divine position of Doumu Yuanjun descended. The Milky Way poured down like a curtain. In the Longde Hall, the black shadow reappeared, taking the form of a child before the eyes of the Wanli Emperor.
The Fox Dragon, the Emperor's personal guard, struck first!
But a dragon's roar hit empty air, shattering the incense-laden barrier in the hall. The Fox Dragon was startled, and the Wanli Emperor reacted in this brief moment, grabbing the precious sword by his pillow and slashing forward!
An supreme sword intent that could make ghosts and gods cry out erupted!
The Jingzhen Divine Sword was swung without hesitation. The black child was cut in half at the waist. The lower half stood straight on the ground, while the upper half was swept far away by the sword qi, piercing through the closed palace doors and falling into the courtyard.
"You impudent scoundrel, how dare you try to take my life!"
Ever since he possessed the Jingzhen Sword, the Wanli Emperor's words had become much more confident!
Now, what demons or monsters dared to jump around in front of him?
Eat my sword!
Almost the moment he swung his sword, Zhang Tianshi arrived. Theoretically, he should have set up a magic array and barrier to prevent this monster from escaping. However, with the Emperor present, Zhang Tianshi did not dare to act rashly, fearing he would be misunderstood.
But fortunately, the Tianshi had many methods. At this moment, a divine talisman descended and stuck to the chest of the black shadow child.
Countless Daoist rhymes transformed into special characters for the Taoist worship of heavenly gods, firmly locking the black shadow child.
"No scent, no trace, its presence is so faint. It can freely enter and exit the Forbidden City. Your Majesty, could this be..."
The Tianshi asked for confirmation with suspicion. The Emperor's denial was immediate: "I have never enfeoffed such a strange thing!"
The Jin Yi Wei's divine generals also surrounded them, all looking at the Tianshi. Zhang Tianshi felt that the severed half of the shadow seemed to contain incredible power.
However, there was another force outside, pressing it, causing it to shrink inward and suppressing its outer shell.
The Wanli Emperor's chest suddenly felt more and more stuffy. Fortunately, he had undergone the Tianshi's marrow cleansing and bone washing before, and his physical fitness was now comparable to a second-rate martial arts master. Compared to before, his physical strength had changed dramatically. The difference between being unable to lift a chicken and being able to lift a five-hundred-jin tripod was enormous.
"This shadow seems to be affecting me."
The Wanli Emperor's senses also became sharper. After the Jingzhen Divine Sword cut the black shadow child, the sword strike itself would destroy the root of the opponent's existence. But the resulting injury seemed to affect himself through a strange connection.
And this connection...
In an instant, a powerful cognition suddenly entered the Wanli Emperor's mind. The vast national prestige, a power he had never seen before, now appeared before his eyes. And within the black shadow child, there was actually another strand of national prestige, suppressed by the national prestige of the Ming Dynasty, preventing it from leaking out.
"It's... a monster formed from the essence of a nation's prestige."
The Wanli Emperor's sudden utterance surprised even Zhang Tianshi. A divine change seemed to have occurred. For monsters, they were the so-called "Ten Directions Divine Fiends," born from the spirituality of heaven and earth or certain special objects. They were mysterious and profound, neither demons nor devils, nor ghosts or zombies. Because they were unpredictable, they could only be summoned by calling their names or through spiritual sensing, hence the name "Divine Fiends."
"A Divine Fiend formed from national prestige...? I have never heard of such a thing."
This was clearly beyond Zhang Tianshi's knowledge as well.
From the level of Golden Core Earth Immortals, upon reaching the tribulation, they would attract the Ten Directions Divine Fiends, indicating that the cultivator's own spirituality could resonate with the mind of heaven and earth.
But could national prestige also transform into Divine Fiends?
Who was resonating with it for it to appear now?
"Things unheard of in the past may not necessarily not exist. Perhaps it is because we have lived too short a time."
Fox Dragon spoke appropriately, and Zhang Tianshi stroked his beard and nodded, "That is also true."
"Everything that has happened in history cannot be recorded in detail. Only heaven and earth themselves know everything."
"Then, did Your Majesty resonate with it?"
The Wanli Emperor's face was a little pale: "It wasn't me. This national prestige is not from my Ming Dynasty."
"Your name..."
The Wanli Emperor was about to call the monster's name. For Divine Fiends, monsters, and even fire gods and fire demons like Song Wuji and Chi Zhi Tongzi, calling their names would bring about all sorts of miraculous changes.
For monsters, calling their true names might cause them to lose their magic power or their forms to dissipate.
For Divine Fiends, calling their true names would bring many miraculous changes to the caller.
Monsters on the road like wild men were called Ji. If you called its name when you were lost, it would guide you.
The spirits of houses were called Man Cai. They appeared in houses uninhabited for three years. Calling their names would bring you good fortune.
Lonely graves not only had wild ghosts but also grave spirits called Wu Zhuang. If you called its name, it would bring you food.
The spirits of opening and closing doors were called A Lun Ran. If you called its name, it would help guard your door.
And so on.
"Xue Chan!"
The Wanli Emperor called out the monster's true name. Instantly, the stuffy discomfort in his chest lessened. The upper half of the black shadow, unable to move, responded to the Wanli Emperor's call. From the place where it was cut by the divine sword, a dragon-patterned five-colored qi suddenly rushed out!
"Xue Chan? What does that mean?"
Luo Sigong, the commander of the Jin Yi Wei, was somewhat confused. After all, he was a rough soldier and did not understand what this distinctly Tatar name meant.
A monster with a Tatar name appeared in the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty?
"Xue Chan refers to a wise sage. Only Mongolian rulers who meet certain conditions can possess this title. It is said that those who have the title of Xue Chan possess divine power. They are the favored children of heaven, loved by the Eternal Blue Sky, destined to be the king of kings, the lord of lords, and can gather the blessings and fortunes of the world."
Zhang Tianshi provided a brief explanation to Luo Sigong.
"However, to be precise, this was a title of the Yuan Dynasty rulers."
"Since this essence of national prestige is the title of a Yuan Dynasty sage, its origin is self-evident. It's just that we don't know who enfeoffed it in the Forbidden City. Perhaps, it has been suppressed by the Forbidden City from the very beginning."
"After all, this place... in the past era."
"Was Dadu of the Yuan Dynasty."
Everyone looked at the dragon-patterned five-colored qi. The Wanli Emperor reached out, and the qi descended, as if to merge into his body.
"Your Majesty!"
The Jin Yi Wei were startled. After all, according to Zhang Tianshi's previous speculation, since this thing was suppressed by the Forbidden City, it might not be a good thing. Now that the Wanli Emperor was absorbing it, they didn't know what problems would arise.
The Wanli Emperor waved his hand, indicating that he would not be too reckless, and therefore did not reach out to receive the five-colored qi.
"Speaking of which, there is a legend," Fox Dragon seemed to recall something and said to Zhang Tianshi, "During the time of Emperor Hongwu, there was a historical anecdote called Geng Shen, which said that Emperor Gong of Song, Zhao Xian, after surrendering to the Yuan, was enfeoffed as the Duke of Ying. Later, Kublai Khan sent him to Tibet to become a monk."
"When passing through a temple in Ganzhou, Prince Zhao came to visit. Pitying Emperor Gong of Song for being old and lonely, he gifted him a Hui woman. In April of the seventh year of Yan You, a son was born. Coincidentally, Heshiguan, who was then Prince Zhou, passed by the temple. Seeing a dragon-patterned five-colored qi above the temple, he entered the temple and took the mother and son as his own. This was the origin of Emperor Shun of Yuan."
"Therefore, during the Hongwu era, some people said that this was the continuation of the Song Dynasty's virtue, causing 'Heaven's Way' to retaliate against the Yuan and destroy the Song imperial family, thus giving birth to the ruler who would lose the Yuan Dynasty."
Fox Dragon pointed in the direction of the Wanli Emperor: "This dragon-patterned five-colored qi might be of this kind!"
"However, this dragon-patterned five-colored qi seems to only symbolize the destiny of an emperor. It has no other use."
Zhang Tianshi chuckled: "The destiny of an emperor is still not useful! However, Emperor Shun of Yuan was not captured by Emperor Hongwu, and now this dragon-patterned five-colored qi has appeared within the black shadow, which does not seem to match the legend in the historical anecdote."
"Besides, things from the ruler of a fallen dynasty, if I speak more mysteriously, this is not a good thing!"
Zhang Tianshi stated that if it were truly according to this legend, then his friend! This five-colored dragon qi should not be taken!
It might be a time bomb planted by the Yuan Dynasty, waiting for the emperor of your dynasty to dig it out and then have a big explosion.
However, the Wanli Emperor said that he had also read the history of the Yuan Dynasty, and Emperor Shun of Yuan was a famously lazy emperor.
When the Red Turban Army had already reached Shangdu, he looked at the celestial phenomena and said that whoever was blessed should come, and this matter was not a big deal, he did not need to leave. Later, when Zhu Yuanzhang reached the gates of Dadu, he looked at the celestial phenomena while fleeing. Several foxes darted past his seat. The Censor-in-Chief said this was a sign of the nation's downfall. Emperor Shun of Yuan immediately said that downfall was also heaven's will, and if he didn't fall, would heaven's will not let him fall? He had to fall.
However, falling was one thing, fleeing was another. He was merely complying with heaven's will to lose the country, not to die for it.
Such a lazy person could not have set up a time bomb to try and change his destiny.
And at this moment.
"In any case, if there is a problem, this sword should react. Let me try."
"Thinking from another angle, if such a thing can be suppressed under the Forbidden City, and the Forbidden City is a palace built by Emperor Yongle imitating the Southern Forbidden City, then doesn't it mean that this thing has already been subdued and is a treasure left by the former emperors of my Ming Dynasty?"
"The five-colored qi, containing the destiny of emperors, itself has a sense of bestowed grace."
The Wanli Emperor prepared to act. Zhang Tianshi offered to try. Thinking of the Tianshi's profound strength, Wanli said nothing. The Tianshi took the five-colored qi and felt nothing amiss, looking at the Wanli Emperor.
The Wanli Emperor understood and used the Jingzhen Divine Sword to stab the five-colored qi.
At first, nothing happened. Just as everyone thought there was no problem with this thing...
The relaxed expression on Zhang Tianshi's face vanished without a trace.
He suddenly sensed a call within the five-colored dragon qi, and the entire Forbidden City seemed to be changing!
Whoosh—!
The blowing wind, the flowing water, the flashing lightning, the crackling fire, the movement of dust, the voices of people, the cries of animals, the songs of the bustling city, the storytelling, the hawking...
Not only Zhang Tianshi, but all the divine generals, cultivators, and even the Wanli Emperor himself around the Longde Hall clearly heard these voices that encompassed heaven and earth! And the immense, vast noise almost shattered their minds!
"This is... the influence of the Heavenly Way!"
Zhang Tianshi was the first to react. When one truly comprehends the Dao, such a situation would occur, where one could instantly hear all the sounds in heaven and earth. This was the influence of a brief touch of the mind with the Heavenly Way, not a phenomenon that occurs with enlightenment itself!
This dragon-patterned five-colored qi contained not only the destiny of emperors but also... a certain power that could stir the Heavenly Way!
.......
The Treasure Gathering Basin swallowed a large amount of national prestige, repairing the collapsed pillars, allowing the Forbidden City's Dharma Realm to release greater power and extending the time before its collapse.
It was for this very reason that Ji Xiang was brought here.
The existence representing the will of heaven awakened the slumbering essence of Qian Yuan.
Within the Dharma Realm, the black shadow, existing on the phantom of Emperor Jianwen, swayed, sensed the major event happening in the north, and sighed:
"Finally, the power suppressed beneath Dadu of the Yuan... has also emerged."
Ji Xiang: "Is it... the changes here that have caused some anomaly in the Forbidden City to the north?"
Black Shadow: "When touching the Heavenly Way, it has arrived."
"But they are destined to fail."
"However... although they will fail."
"They can leave something else behind. That is superfluous heavenly mandate, extending the time for the dynasty to lose the Way... Perhaps, it cannot become a turning point to reverse the final fate, but at least... it is a glimmer of hope..."
Ji Xiang: "Fatalism is displeasing. The matter of reincarnation is false, and the underworld is merely a collection of several Dharma Realms. There is no need to say more."
Black Shadow: "........Not so."
"They are destined to fail because the Heavenly Way has not descended for a very long time."
"It was precisely because of this point that... the creation of this Dharma Realm failed."
"If the Heavenly Way does not descend, how can one touch it?"
Ji Xiang blinked his eyes.
The answer to such a question was easily answered on the surface.
That would naturally be to constantly ascend, constantly, and continuously upwards, until one could touch it!
"What will happen? Will the Forbidden City to the north fly into the sky?"