Xishan Daoist Academy, as one of the famous Daoist sects near Ying Tian Prefecture, was not spared by the demonic tribulation.
The collective wishes of the populace could only alter a portion of their perceptions. This was not mind control or puppetry. Consequently, after some within the academy successfully passed their demonic tribulations, they began to question the existence of Prince Lu.
Fierce fluctuations of vital energy signaled the conflict between cultivators. The sight of fellow disciples turning on each other caused the young Daoists in the academy to flee outwards.
Liu Zimin was one such Daoist disciple. Among the younger generation of Xishan Daoist Academy, he was considered among the top tier. During the previous demonic tribulations, he had secretly rejoiced. The demon kings, proclaimed from the heavens, spoke of the Three Pure Ones’ realm. These past few days, the demonic tribulations had been particularly easy to pass. It was said that the demons were chanting the name of a certain demon king.
Perhaps, much like the myriad heavenly gods worshipped in the mortal realm, the trial demons also offered sacrifices at specific times to the Five Heavens and Eight Emperors in the sky, or even the Great King of Northern Emperor Demon Extermination?
Once this pattern was discovered, the probability of successfully passing the tribulation could be greatly increased. This should have been a good thing. Even the elders and high-ranking Daoist masters in the academy were excited and had been pondering this matter for the past two days.
Out of caution, they did not allow everyone to undergo the tribulation at first.
Therefore, the venerable head of the academy and the sect's high-ranking masters underwent the tribulations selectively. This happened today.
Originally, as it was yesterday, their merits should have been achieved.
However, those who had passed their demonic tribulations yesterday began to encounter problems at this time. They heard that Prince Lu was holding an Ascension Assembly in Ying Tian Prefecture, preparing good things for cultivators and celebrating with the common folk.
Immediately after, their expressions drastically changed.
Perhaps cultivators from other regions were unaware of an unspoken, potential rule in the Ming Dynasty.
But how could they, who had lived in Ying Tian for so long, not know!
Following this, the cultivators who had passed their demonic tribulations discovered that the elders and high-ranking Daoist masters of the academy seemed indifferent to this matter. Instead, they were determined to obtain the Sun Moon Heavenly Marrow that would appear at the Ascension Assembly.
Moreover, there were many new statues of deities within the academy. Several of the deities' names were ones they had never even heard of. Yet, the academy's high-ranking Daoist masters could recount the origins and past experiences of these deities as if reciting a familiar tale.
And they were very puzzled, because these cultivators who had passed their demonic tribulations should also have "known" these things!
The contradiction and intense dissonance then erupted into conflict!
The elders and high-ranking Daoist masters believed that these fellow disciples had encountered problems during their demonic tribulations, their minds corrupted by demonic energy, or perhaps their spirits wounded by demonic thoughts, causing them to create illusions out of thin air.
But the tribulation-passing cultivators vehemently denied it!
It is you who have the problem!
"This is wrong, this is wrong! Why is Prince Lu in Ying Tian?"
"Why did it feel so natural before?"
"There are no feudal princes in Jiangnan, no feudal princes in Jiangnan! This is something we people of Ying Tian Prefecture all know. Wu Yue is a fertile land, and no feudal princes should ever be enfeoffed here...!"
Liu Zimin listened as his senior brothers, or perhaps his uncles, those who had passed their demonic tribulations, were apprehended by the academy's high-ranking Daoist masters as if they were mentally ill. They were even to undergo a ritualistic sacrifice to expel the "demonic thoughts" from their bodies.
But...
Was there truly demonic thought!
"I... I also remember, there shouldn't be feudal princes in Jiangnan!"
"How dare Prince Lu hold some Ascension Assembly here!"
"Just because he is Emperor Wanli's favorite brother, the foremost among all imperial princes?"
"It's so strange!"
Liu Zimin felt a sense of dread. He had secretly undergone his demonic tribulation without realizing any issues. Now, he realized that either he was abnormal, or everyone in the academy... everyone who had not undergone the demonic tribulation, was abnormal.
He fled the academy. However, when the high-ranking Daoist masters took stock of the numbers, they found someone missing.
But not all disciples stayed within the sect at all times, so they did not pay it too much mind.
However, in Ying Tian Prefecture, the cultivators belonging to the White Lotus Main Sect, under Prince Lu's command, had already begun to make their move.
The excessive appearance of trial demonic tribulations caused the collective wishes of the populace to be consumed too rapidly. The wishes of mortals and the wishes of cultivators were not an equivalent exchange at a one-to-one ratio. It often took the wishes of ten commoners to equal the wish of one ordinary cultivator. And if the cultivator was at the Earth Immortal level, it would take at least a hundred sincere prayers from commoners to influence their spirit.
Liu Zimin concealed his aura and went out to ask some passersby. Both mortals and cultivators of the Dharma Sect seemed to find Prince Lu's presence there perfectly normal.
No, this was not normal.
Liu Zimin warned himself. An echo resonated in his mind.
Then, he saw a middle-aged scholar in his thirties or forties. Although he was dressed simply, his demeanor was extraordinary.
"Prince Lu shouldn't be here, right!"
Liu Zimin grabbed the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man was holding a little girl's hand. Upon hearing Liu Zimin's words, he was first stunned, then fell silent, and then looked utterly bewildered:
"This... this old man... I don't know."
The middle-aged scholar shook his head. "This old man hasn't heard any news about the imperial court for about two or three years. Perhaps... His Majesty's affection for Prince Lu is exceedingly great, and he is highly favored."
Liu Zimin's expression immediately turned to disappointment.
He walked away, somewhat dispirited, and even began to question his own existence.
Was this person also going to give a similar explanation?
But at that very moment, a childish girl's voice emerged.
"Indeed, why would Prince Lu be here?"
Liu Zimin looked to the side and saw a clean-looking little girl of seven or eight. She seemed to have just overheard Liu Zimin's question and was looking curiously at the middle-aged scholar beside her.
"Father, didn't you say there are no feudal princes in Jiangnan?"
The middle-aged scholar also patted his head. "Yes... but, that's Prince Lu..."
"No, no... Prince Lu shouldn't be here either, his fiefdom isn't here..."
The middle-aged scholar suddenly felt a headache. Following this, a faint aura of righteousness began to manifest around him.
Immediately after, the people of the White Lotus Sect suddenly noticed him.
Countless gazes filled with suspicion and ill will made the young Daoist from Xishan Daoist Academy, who had just walked away, feel his hair stand on end.
At this moment, it seemed as if only he and the father-daughter pair were out of place in the entire world.
"Seize them!"
The people of the White Lotus Sect saw this and heard the dialogue between the father and daughter. Liu Zimin's heart leaped into his throat. At this moment, he saw the astonished expressions of the middle-aged scholar and the little girl!
But he did not speak.
Mere mortals, if captured, would simply be captured.
What was important was to figure out why this was happening!
Liu Zimin sensed the aura of these cultivators.
Each one was stronger than him.
But he did not recognize them at all, had never seen these people before.
Various questions churned and boiled in his mind. He clenched his fists, not daring to act.
"Oh, the White Lotus Sect."
At that moment, a young Daoist's voice appeared beside Liu Zimin.
"Not helping? This is not the behavior of a cultivator. Which demon king helped you pass your demonic tribulation? With such a disposition, lacking courage, you are unqualified."
Ji Xiang glanced at him.
Then, under the gaze of the White Lotus Sect cultivators, he lightly flicked his finger.
"Freeze!"
Instantly, several cultivators with low cultivation levels froze in place like wooden figures.
Among these cultivators, the leader stiffened for a moment, then seemed to have used some secret technique to forcefully break free from the immobilization. This still shocked him. The middle-aged scholar also reacted, realizing that he had likely been targeted for his inappropriate remarks. He immediately picked up the little girl and prepared to run.
However, mortals could not outrun cultivators. The White Lotus Sect cultivators seized them and vanished from Ji Xiang and Liu Zimin's sight in an instant.
"This is bad, this is bad!"
Liu Zimin broke out in a cold sweat. He felt several gazes beginning to focus on him!
It was all that person's fault just now, he had exposed him!
"Who are you? Don't just casually speak to others...?"
Liu Zimin was about to reprimand Ji Xiang when he found that there was no one beside him.
And in the next moment.
Ji Xiang's profile appeared before the White Lotus Sect cultivators who had fled.
The White Lotus Sect cultivators' hands were empty. The middle-aged scholar and the little girl both appeared beside Ji Xiang and had returned to the ground.
The scholar stood, while the little girl was held by Ji Xiang.
"The White Lotus Sect also has Earth Immortal field agents, how strange. You are the strangest person I have seen. It seems your Grand Sect Leader is quite capable."
Ji Xiang looked at the White Lotus Sect member with amusement. This遁术 (escape technique) was indeed very useful.
It was a pity that 金遁 (Golden Escape) still had limited scope for application.
The White Lotus Sect cultivator's face changed drastically. He was wise enough to shout "Escape Technique!" and immediately turned to flee, transforming into a streak of flying clouds to escape!
Ji Xiang did nothing.
He merely stared at his retreating back.
Then, a divine sword appeared before his brow!
The little girl watched these bizarre scenes unfold.
A brand new world gradually opened up in her eyes.
The middle-aged man, at this moment, seemed to have finally regained his senses. His chest heaved, and Ji Xiang's voice reached his ears, striking his heart like thunder.
"You, you actually have righteousness on you?"
"But it doesn't seem to be your own. I wonder who you associate with. Could you introduce them to this poor Daoist?"
The middle-aged scholar was utterly bewildered.
He saw Ji Xiang's black robe, which was official attire of the imperial court. He recognized it at once and exclaimed in surprise:
"Black robe? This is the attire of the Daoist Registry, the symbol of the highest Daoist masters conferred by the imperial court!"
"Eh? Who are you?"
Ji Xiang also became curious. He hadn't expected this person, who seemed to be dressed simply, to be an official of the imperial court!
The officials in Ying Tian did not seem to be this poor, did they?
"My father is Shen Xun, the Academic Official of the Imperial Academy in Ying Tian. My name is Shen Yixiu."
The little girl spoke at this moment, her voice crisp and clear.
The middle-aged man's expression flickered a few times, fearing his daughter might say something wrong. Fortunately, Ji Xiang did not seem to recognize his family background, which relieved him. However, he also did not know who Ji Xiang truly was and could only cautiously inquire about his identity.
"This poor Daoist... is the current head of the Daoist Registry. Emperor Wanli has conferred upon this poor Daoist the title of True Man of the Northern Pole."
"You are an Academic Official of the Imperial Academy? Coincidentally, this poor Daoist was also once affiliated with the Imperial Academy."
Ji Xiang said, looking into the distance. Liu Zimin still seemed to be standing stiffly among the crowd, as if he had not yet recovered from everything that had just happened, still unsure of reality and illusion.
The middle-aged scholar, however, was greatly astonished!
"You are the Immortal who is ranked alongside Grand Master Zhang...!"