It was unexpected that the sister he casually recognized, whom he intended to use as muscle, would actually remember him when there were benefits to be had.
In the end, they were merely acquaintances. He was, after all, a fake Han Immortal. Although he had gifted many inexpensive treasures at the beginning, compared to the treasures of ascension, those items were no different from scrap metal.
"Take it. I still need to find Prince Lu. I don't know where he fled to with his fire遁 technique. If I don't kill him, I'll feel uneasy accepting his favor."
Qin Nvxiu glanced around. "But what's going on in Yingtiian Prefecture now?"
"Confucius is hitting people?"
Not far away, Confucius was grabbing a Earth Immortal by the face and slapping him repeatedly, muttering that rotten wood cannot be carved and walls of dirt cannot be defiled.
"Ah, this... this is a little trick of mine. I've summoned some divine soldiers and generals. The thirty-six guards of Yingtiian Prefecture are currently being mobilized, likely under Prince Lu's orders. However, with these divine soldiers and generals, the thirty-six guards won't be able to rescue him."
Qin Nvxiu pondered for a moment, then asked curiously, "Thirty-six guards, that doesn't sound like a lot. Prince Lu wants these thirty-six guards to rescue him, how many people is that?"
Shadow Soldier explained calmly, "In the Ming Dynasty, one guard consisted of five thousand four hundred men."
Qin Nvxiu was stunned for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully. "Then... that's quite a lot."
Tens of thousands of defending soldiers, this force was indeed terrifying. Even if most of them were members of the White Lotus Society and useless soldiers who just ate and waited to die, the national prestige they carried was real. Qin Nvxiu had mingled in the human world for two months and had a rough understanding of what Ming Dynasty national prestige was. In essence, it was a power that had never appeared in previous dynasties, a higher form of utilizing national destiny.
And this method of utilization was extremely effective against cultivators. As long as a cultivator had not been officially appointed by the court, meaning they had no official position, using magic to attack these officers and soldiers who carried national prestige would not be very effective. Their power would be weakened to the maximum. What might have been the power to shatter a mountain with a single punch could only damage an opponent's armor by one layer.
Simply put, it was a damage reduction state specifically for cultivators. When officers and soldiers possessing national prestige gathered, they could exert a significant influence on cultivators who had not been officially appointed, which was a damage amplification state.
This was the means by which the imperial army countered cultivators. The army would not become mere sandbags, nor would there be situations like in the "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties" where Li Yuanba single-handedly defeated a million soldiers, averaging an AOE of fifty-five people per second.
National prestige was also a way for the court to recruit cultivators. With national prestige, one had to obey the court's deployment, otherwise, this power could be withdrawn at any time.
Therefore, cultivators looked down upon the officials of the Imperial Court's Directorate of Taoism. After all, these officials of the Directorate of Taoism were those who had no hope of further cultivation and had gone to become minor officials. At least with national prestige, they were not easily bullied by ordinary cultivators. However, except for the officials of the Directorate of Taoism in Shuntian Prefecture, the local Taoist officials in some smaller counties did not fare very well. It could only be said that their success was too dependent on the national prestige of the local government and the personal abilities of these Taoist officials.
People without ability were the same everywhere, even flattering required skill.
"It's impossible to rely on these soldiers to fight abroad, but even a mob, when gathered, carries immense national prestige. Moreover, they have all been influenced by Prince Lu's wishes. Even if their physical fitness and combat skills cannot compare to elite troops, at least they are not afraid of death now."
Shadow Soldier said appropriately.
The brainwashing of the White Lotus Society was indeed quite effective. Coupled with the effect of the wishes, these trash soldiers had now become formidable. Their lack of quality didn't matter as long as they weren't afraid of death. The influence of millions of wishes on them was already very deep. It was estimated that if they were to protect Prince Lu, they would all act like national prestige bombs, charging forward and self-destructing.
"Hmm..."
"Hmm?"
Shadow Soldier's gaze suddenly froze, and then a look of surprise appeared on his face.
As Qin Nvxiu was about to leave, Shadow Soldier called out to her:
"Sister, I know where Prince Lu went."
"Truly, it came without effort."
...
"I thought he would go to the Southern Forbidden City, but I didn't expect him to come here instead of the Forbidden City. It seems we have the same brilliant idea. Prince Lu is quite a character, so my thoughts are likely the same as his."
With the smoke of Da Fuli swirling, Ji Xiang returned to the human world and descended onto a mountaintop. At this moment, many cultivators from the Xishan Taoist Academy were unconscious here. At the request of Ying Liouzi Min, Ji Xiang did not hesitate to help him. After all, these were minor matters. Moreover, the Xishan Taoist Academy spreading his name could also gather many cultivator wishes, which would be useful in the future.
It was said that planting willows without intention could lead to shade. A casual act of help at an unknown time might prove useful later.
The true bodies of the Shen father and daughter were also here. As for the students of the Imperial College, they were currently in the Qinhuai River, but with Confucius leading the Confucian dark forces, they should be able to ensure the safety of these students.
"There should be no problem."
"Confucius personally took action. Those Earth Immortals cannot defeat the Master."
Shen Gong wore a look of terror.
He could hardly imagine what the "Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations" looked like when he was fighting.
However, Ji Xiang's true body had entered the Temple of Confucius at that time, giving Confucius a physical form and shaping him into a divine general. Shen Gong had witnessed it from the side. Although he felt it was somewhat disrespectful to Confucius, if it could save those students, then disrespecting him was acceptable.
He believed that these demons and monsters, by dying under the Master's fists, were also helping Confucius to propagate Taoism.
In any case, it would be over soon.
Setting aside the matter of the invincible iron-fisted Kong Zhongni.
Ji Xiang took out a wooden puppet from his sleeve and played with it in his hand. He walked forward to a tomb.
This place led to the depths of Meishan, the starting point of the divine path where the founding emperor of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, was buried.
Here stood a tomb, where Wu Da Di, Sun Quan, was buried.
He threw the wooden puppet out, and its form and spirit attached to it. Following that, the vast incense power from the tombstone was guided out, gradually forming a divine general.
"There are quite a few people who have offered sacrifices to Sun Quan here over the centuries. The tombstone actually contains such rich incense power."
However, this incense power was not enough to make Wu Da Di a guardian deity. At most, it was equivalent to the Yellow Court level. This was still thanks to the founding emperor of Ming. After all, many years had passed since the Three Kingdoms era, and Sun Quan was the main force in the novel who tricked Guan Yu. It was natural for his incense power to be less vigorous than Guan Yu's.
Therefore, creating only one Sun Quan, his strength was only slightly higher than that of eight hundred Guan Yu.
He dared not use the Tai Xu Bao Guang, because the source of Tai Xu Bao Guang was Yuan Huang. Although Yuan Huang, this Heavenly Heart expert, could only use the power of causing effects from the past once every three months, the Heavenly Heart incantation that Prince Lu had shouted earlier was the incantation that Wu Bao Yi had used to control Tai Xu Bao Guang.
If a Heavenly Heart expert were to pay a small price, perhaps it would not be impossible to control Tai Xu Bao Guang.
Therefore, to be safe, Ji Xiang did not intend to use Tai Xu Bao Guang against these people this time. Moreover, Tai Xu Bao Guang was not omnipotent.
After all, even in "Investiture of the Gods," Kong Xuan's Five-Colored Divine Light, which was said to brush away anything, was not broken by the Dharma body of Daoist Zhunti?
And Zhunti Vajra was a Buddha who actually existed in reality, at the same level as Huiji Vajra.
"I'll deal with that Pure Yang. You... just help me stall for some time."
"I don't expect you to be able to defeat them, after all, there are still two Refinement of Spirit cultivators."
Ji Xiang muttered. Just then, the national prestige in the Ming Xiaoling mausoleum fluctuated.
A large amount of incense power and wishes rose from Meishan and poured towards the tomb of Wu Da Di!
Ji Xiang watched for a while and exclaimed, "The figures from the Three Kingdoms are indeed highly sought after. And the words spoken by Emperor Taizu of Ming when he built the Ming Xiaoling mausoleum, about guarding the tomb, have actually made the incense power in the tomb of Wu Da Di a part of the Ming Xiaoling's national prestige, allowing it to be preserved for a long time."
"I didn't expect to borrow the incense power of Emperor Taizu of Ming. This is incredible. It seems he can be elevated significantly from the Yellow Court level..."
"He's probably at the Innate Realm now."
Although the other imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty were in Yingtiian, at least Emperor Jianwen and Emperor Chengzu had been here.
The wishes and incense offerings of the emperors were immense, and they had existed under the preservation of national prestige. The tomb of Wu Da Di was itself a part of the Ming Xiaoling. When Ji Xiang used the incense power to guide, it was equivalent to guiding the other incense power within the Ming Xiaoling.
"In this case, your strength will have a leap in improvement..."
Ji Xiang looked at the divine general before him and said slowly,
"There is no Zhang Liao in this era."
"Now, your combat power should be guaranteed, right?"
"You just need to slightly block them and prevent them from entering the divine path."
"Qin Nvxiu cannot enter the Ming Xiaoling, so only I can resolve this matter."
Qin Nvxiu would arrive here shortly.
As long as the opponent did not enter the divine path, they were nothing but vulnerable targets.
And for Sun Quan.
As long as there was no Zhang Liao opposite him.
He would be instantly defeated!
...
Flames flickered. The officers of the Xiaoling Guard who were stationed here lit torches. Huo Jun and Crown Prince Lie Jie appeared from the flames, bringing the heavily wounded Prince Lu. In the distance, in the void, Monk Yixing, Jiang Quzi, and Bai Wuzi all arrived, as well as the agile Innate cultivators mentioned by Qin Nvxiu.
The Sect Master of Qingxian Palace, the Sect Master of Qingjin Palace, the Sect Master of Bai Guang Guan Qi Yang, the Sect Master of Santai Mountain Ghost King Hall, and Fairy Yinxiang of Yunxiao Temple.
"We've escaped! Where are the other fellow Daoists?"
Sect Master Qi Yang looked around with lingering fear, noticing that many of the initial experts were no longer present, and none of the Primordial Spirit or Yellow Court cultivators had escaped. It seemed only those at the Innate level or above had survived, which filled his heart with great sorrow.
Gu Bi They were fine when they came, but they didn't escape when they ran. Decades of hard cultivation turned to nothing, and their lives were extinguished.
"Fellow Daoist Yongshui of Jinmen Mountain, Fellow Daoist Linxia of Zigge Cave... they are all dead."
"The might of a Heavenly Immortal is terrifying. There are true immortals in the human world. If we offend this celestial being in the future, where shall we hide?"
For a time, the several Innate cultivators were in a state of panic and confusion, as if their souls had left their bodies, their minds completely filled with the terror of that Celestial Immortal. Jiang Quzi and Bai Wuzi told them, "As long as His Highness recovers and acts with Master Yixing, there might be a possibility of killing her. We can also assist from the side."
"It's useless," Monk Yixing suddenly sighed. "Even the Golden Light Bodhisattva of Yingtiian Prefecture could not stop that celestial woman. I have exhausted all my means. Even if His Highness recovers, the two Pure Yang cultivators should not think of confronting an Unblemished Immortal."
"Killing a remnant immortal or a banished immortal might be possible, but the opponent is a true Celestial Immortal, without flaws, perfect and all-encompassing, with an incorruptible body. In our eyes, she has no weaknesses. To defeat her, we can only rely on brute force; there are no shortcuts."
"However, she should not be able to enter this Ming Xiaoling. I have been observing for a long time, and she does not possess the national prestige of our Ming Dynasty. As long as she does not possess national prestige, it means she has not been officially appointed, and it is impossible for her to enter Meishan where the Ming Xiaoling is located."
As long as she enters the Ming Xiaoling, it's like going home.
Mortals can enter, but immortals cannot.
The Xiaoling Guard led the crowd up the mountain. Before the divine path, they saw the majestic stone archway of the mausoleum. Behind it, along the divine path, stood stone beasts and stone figures. Entering here meant entering the inner area of the Ming Xiaoling.
However...
The cultivators' footsteps paused. They stood in a dense crowd, all seeing a divine general with six swords on his back standing under the stone archway, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Then, a rumbling sound began to spread!
The stone beasts and stone figures that guarded the tomb all came alive, stepped down from their stone platforms, and gathered behind the sword-wielding divine general.
"Xiaoling Guard, is this your superior?"
"Are you blind? Look who this person is! It's Prince Lu!"
Someone rebuked, but the sword-wielding divine general did not clear the path. Thus, they ordered the Xiaoling Guard soldiers who were leading the way to communicate. However, the expressions of the Xiaoling Guard soldiers were filled with terror.
"Reporting to all lords, this person... is not our superior!"
As the words fell, the sword-wielding divine general had already charged forward!
The sword light split into six, and sword energy crisscrossed!
The divine general's own strength was naturally far superior to Wu Da Di himself. In the end, folk deities were born from the fusion of various ancient legends, strange tales, storybooks, and theatrical arts, based on the fusion of folk traditions.
The common people would not know how to recite Taoist scriptures, nor would they know the divine power of Buddhist scriptures, nor would they have read too many Confucian poems and books. However, it was these folk deities that were created under the wishes of millions of people, a faith unique to the populace!
It was the people first, who transformed them into gods, and then the imperial courts of successive dynasties conferred titles upon them.
Thus, the righteous gods of the folk were born!
Wu Da Di had six precious swords!
One was Bai Hong!
One sword flashed, like a white rainbow piercing the sun, severing the head of an Innate cultivator!
The second was Zi Dian!
As lightning flashed, other cultivators fled in panic, and those three Xiaoling Guards were affected by the lightning and died!
The third was Pi Xie!
Jiang Quzi cast a spell, but it was blocked by this sword, which easily dissolved it with a single rotation!
The fourth was Liu Xing!
The sword's momentum was vast, and the flying sword spun like a comet's tail, injuring Sect Master Qi Yang!
The fifth was Qing Ming!
A wave of green energy swept out, creating a gust of wind that blew away and extinguished the fire techniques in Huo Jun's hands!
The sixth was Bai Li!
Within a hundred paces, sword light crisscrossed, encompassing all directions!
The six swords hung in the air, spinning with brilliance, filling many cultivators with awe and fear!
"Incense God! Equivalent to the Innate Realm!"
The cultivators were terrified. The tomb-guarding stone statues also attacked, their momentum astonishing.
The two Refinement of Spirit cultivators quickly attacked, blasting Sun Quan. But in the next moment, incense power gathered, and the form and spirit remained intact. The six swords turned again, directly injuring the two Refinement of Spirit cultivators!
Having already suffered heavy injuries while dealing with Qin Nvxiu, being wounded by an incense god at the Innate level made Jiang Quzi and Bai Wuzi grit their teeth in hatred.
They were already severely injured.
Monk Yixing could not stand idly by. As the only Pure Yang cultivator with most of his combat power preserved, he immediately attacked. However, at this moment, five thunder commands flew from the sky, emitting thunderous power!
However, the power of the magical artifact was not enough to shake a Pure Yang cultivator. Yet, after the thunder commands, Ji Xiang appeared!
At the end of the divine path, Ji Xiang appeared. Monk Yixing's hair stood on end, and he gritted his teeth:
"I cannot defeat an Unblemished Immortal, but can I not deal with a remnant immortal!"
"Northern Pole True Person, do not underestimate me!"
Saying that, he roared at the others, "I will drag him into the Dharma Realm. You quickly escort His Highness into the divine path!"
The Buddhist Dharma Realm was summoned, and Ji Xiang was dragged into it. Monk Yixing chanted incantations, his aura magnificent. At this moment, he manifested eighty thousand Yang God avatars!
"Eighty thousand avatars cannot defeat a Celestial Immortal, but can I not defeat this remnant immortal!"
Monk Yixing was extremely enraged. The Buddhist Dharma Realm transformed into a Grand Hero Hall, and hundreds of lotus platforms flew out, carrying the true bodies of the Ten Directions Bodhisattvas. Inside the Grand Hero Hall, Tang Xianzu was chanting scriptures and was also startled, looking bewildered.
What happened? What's going on?
Ji Xiang, however, let out a sneer:
"Eighty thousand Yang Gods are indeed numerous. If they were eighty thousand Ascended level avatars, I would be terrified."
"But now, eighty thousand is indeed a bit too few."
His face changed, and a giant celestial umbrella was summoned from the sky. Following that, two ancient giant doors rose from the Buddhist Dharma Realm, crushing all the Ten Directions Bodhisattvas and hundreds of lotus platforms!
Then, a loud shout was heard!
"Open!"
The Qi of Fuli permeated the Buddhist world!
The Heavenly Gate opened wide!
Thirty-six thousand heavenly soldiers manifested and engaged the eighty thousand Yang God avatars in the Buddhist Dharma Realm!
"All heavenly soldiers, listen to my command!"
"It is not necessary to force a kill, but do not let any Yang God avatar escape!"
If even one of the eighty thousand Yang Gods escapes, the Pure Yang will not die!
Ji Xiang transformed into Marshal Tian Peng, wielding various weapons, and waved his large sleeve!
An unparalleled and vast gale force blew out!
Monk Yixing's Yang Qi was scattered. The mighty gale force blew, severing his form and spirit, shattering his physical body, and destroying his soul!
Ji Xiang clenched his five fingers, and the gale force transformed into a magnificent giant hand!
Nine Heavens Gale Giant Seal!
He obtained the Nine Heavens Gale from the Dragon of Fortune and spent some time refining it. Although it consumed a large amount of vital energy to use, its power was undeniable!
The giant seal was thus forged!
"This seal has only one strike! But below the Immortal level, almost no one can resist it!"
With a single strike, Monk Yixing's physical body as a Standing Bodhisattva immediately collapsed and was completely destroyed!