The leader of the White Lotus Society really wanted to say that their scriptures were all valuable, and what was the immortal speaking of? Look at their followers; even if they lost everything, they still paid money to buy scriptures!
If you don't buy, I don't buy, how can the leader get rich? Wealth, companions, dharma, and land; without wealth, how can one cultivate?
Ji Xiang said, "You speak well, and in the next second, those words will be mine."
Adhering to the noble principle of robbery being robbery, never killing, and keeping things separate, Ji Xiang took all the scripture collections from the White Lotus Society. He then read them all in front of them and was able to perform some spells that they had been unable to use for a long time.
Sometimes, when the spells you can't cultivate are cultivated by your enemies, it can be considered a form of cuckoldry.
The next day, the local county magistrate was standing at the entrance of the county office. Suddenly, he saw a "cult" with a relatively strong incense in the local area on the street not far away. From the leader to the followers, they were all wearing loincloths, scattering money everywhere, and had wooden signs on their heads that read: I am an evil cult, I am a troublemaker.
The first White Lotus Society stronghold was brutally ransacked, and Ji Xiang did not stop there.
To wield the true meaning of the Three Teachings at any time, one must have high-level spells for one-on-one sacrifices. Most of the scriptures and classics in the White Lotus Society were fabricated. A small portion could be used, but the level of the scriptures was too low to exchange for advanced spells.
However, as the saying goes, for a religion to develop, there must be a source of development. If the scriptures of the branches are not up to par, their locations, including the headquarters and other branches, can naturally be extracted from their mouths.
The wind and clouds changed in the world.
The second White Lotus Society branch to suffer appeared.
Ji Xiang, following his usual routine, went to rob. Upon entering, he first smashed the idols, then grabbed the leader's head and smashed it against the ground. He only stopped when the local White Lotus leader cried out for mercy, calling him grandfather.
To be honest, Ji Xiang considered himself a very kind person.
He strictly adhered to the principle of "robbery with a code" and neither sought wealth nor harmed lives. He only wanted some worthless scriptures from them. How could this be considered causing trouble? If one has good spells, everyone should share them. Keeping the secret of becoming an immortal and not including me, how can that be right?
Don't you know I'm the examiner? So you want to chant scriptures to become an immortal without going through the demon king's trial?
Such immortal records are not recognized by the Heavenly Court, do you understand? No Heavenly Court department will accept you then.
The second White Lotus Society branch was completely looted, followed by the third, then the fourth.
The wind and clouds surged across the land.
"One, two, three, four, five, eight, nine, ten flowers... I've probably robbed ten White Lotus Society branches, it's time to go to headquarters."
"There are no useful scriptures, most of it is just stuff the leaders made up themselves, without any deduction. But there's a benefit: although it's made up, it's not entirely baseless. Most of it is still based on Daoist and Buddhist scriptures, so some sentences in the scriptures can be used..."
"Hmm... why is there Christianity sewn in here?"
Due to the active presence of missionaries like Matteo Ricci in the Ming Dynasty, Christianity had spread quite widely in the southern regions. Although it was still a niche circle, with the release of the first translated volume of the Lord's Prayer, some White Lotus followers had begun to use some of the more impressive-sounding sentences from the Lord's Prayer.
Daoism, Buddhism, Christianity.
"What is this? The Mother of Formless learned from Sakyamuni, and later gave birth to Adam... This is truly the true meaning of the Three Teachings."
"Can this cultivation method be practiced? Which school is it from? Practicing it will surely lead to qi deviation."
Upon appraisal, it was of quite high grade, after all, it incorporated many true methods. It could be practiced, but whether the person would die from it in the end was unknown.
It was like going to the West having two paths: one path was to cultivate Buddhism, and the other was to commit suicide. The former required a lifetime of cultivation, while the latter only took a second. Whether one could become a Buddha was unknown, but one could certainly reach the West.
The White Lotus Society headquarters was near Ying Tian Fu, relying on the bustling metropolis, mainly because the printing capacity of large cities was higher. Ji Xiang was not surprised by this.
With two days left until the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Qinhuai River was already decorated with lanterns. Scholars and literati recited poems and composed couplets in painted boats, while singing and dancing courtesans swayed their willow-like waists, attracting the gaze of many gentlemen.
Among these singing and dancing courtesans, there was a woman of unparalleled beauty, captivating many. However, as she casually glanced around, she suddenly stiffened.
Ji Xiang appeared in the crowd. Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, and he was far from the painted boat, only appearing briefly in the market on the riverbank, it still caused the woman's eyes to fill with fear.
Huo Jun was astonished, and cold sweat began to break out.
How could that scoundrel Ji Xiang be here!
Huo Jun immediately stopped dancing and apologized to the scholars, using poor health as an excuse to retreat to the depths of the painted boat. Then, she woke up Lie Jie, the Crown Prince, who was meditating.
Hearing that Huo Jun's nemesis had appeared, a fierce glint flashed in Lie Jie, the Crown Prince's eyes.
"Kill him...?"
"No!"
Huo Jun stopped Lie Jie, the Crown Prince's thought, her expression slightly nervous. "I just caught a glimpse, I didn't see clearly, but his aura seems to be on par with mine now."
"I only entered the Earth Immortal realm half a month ago. Normally, it would be impossible for him to cultivate his physical body to the Earth Immortal level in such a short time!"
Lie Jie, the Crown Prince, was confused. "Just an Earth Immortal? You are an Earth Immortal, and I am an Earth Immortal. No matter how strong he is, he is still just one person. Prince Lu is holding the Ascension Assembly on the Mid-Autumn Festival here, and many Earth Immortals will appear. Why should we fear him?"
"Ying Tian Fu is our territory."
"Two months ago, you weren't an Earth Immortal, yet you dared to charge into the Forbidden City and set it on fire. Now he's alone here, and you're still afraid? Has your courage been scared out of you by him?"
Huo Jun's eyes widened, her expression turning ferocious.
"If I had known he was a reincarnated and re-cultivated Ascended Being, I wouldn't have set fire to the Forbidden City!"
Lie Jie, the Crown Prince, remained expressionless. Even when Huo Jun grabbed his collar, he had a deadpan face. "If you hadn't set that fire, he wouldn't have been revived. In the end, it's your own doing. Therefore, this person is the tribulation caused by your wickedness. If you don't kill him, this tribulation cannot be overcome, and he will still appear somewhere from time to time."
Huo Jun took several deep breaths and stated that she needed to talk to the powerful being behind her.
She asked Lie Jie, the Crown Prince, to notify Prince Lu that there might be unexpected events on the Mid-Autumn Festival and that Ji Xiang should be guarded against causing trouble.
Unexpectedly, Prince Lu heard about this matter and became very interested in Ji Xiang.
"So that expert has arrived here. Interesting. I've always wanted a high-level expert at the Ascended level as my right-hand man. I didn't expect him to actually come..."
Lie Jie, the Crown Prince, was curious. "You know him?"
Prince Lu's message via spirit talisman stated, "Some incidents occurred in Ding Jia City, causing me to lose an immortal artifact. It is said that the Dao Master of Great Ming went to cause trouble. I thought about it; the events in the Forbidden City, although I did not witness them, I only heard about them. But setting aside those useless people, the one I haven't seen should be him."
"In the Ding Jia City incident, he didn't seem to stay until the end... Speaking of which, that damned Biyou Palace also destroyed my immortal artifact..."
"If this immortal had been on our side back then, my immortal artifact might have been preserved."
"Go and try to recruit him. Tell him I have excellent Heavenly Marrow here, which can help him quickly recover his strength and stabilize his immortal form. He can choose whatever he wants from this essence of moon and sun. Don't be unappreciative. Although he has the cultivation of an Ascended Being, his outward manifestation is merely an Earth Immortal. I could have easily killed him with one hand twenty years ago."
Prince Lu had to confront the imperial court, so he naturally needed to recruit skilled cultivators. The Ascension Assembly on the Mid-Autumn Festival was organized by him, and even heavenly generals who had defected from the Ming court would appear to testify.
To recruit cultivators, one must offer higher salaries and benefits. What the Ming court cannot give you, this prince will give you. What the Ming court can give you, this prince can also give you.
At the same time, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, many demons would gather. Prince Lu's arrangements were not only to recruit cultivators but also to prepare to ascend to the Ascended realm by using the wishes of the masses.
Prince Zhenjiang's previous instigation of demons to defect from Prince Lu and his eloquent betrayal were things Prince Lu was not yet aware of. At that time, Prince Lu was merely immersed in the grief of attending Prince Zhenjiang's funeral feast.
But at least one thing was correct, as Prince Zhenjiang had guessed.
The demons gathered on the Mid-Autumn Festival were indeed intended to be sacrifices for Prince Lu's ascension.
Thirteen hundred good deeds, aren't they right here? They are alive and moving.
Thirteen hundred demons, killing thirteen hundred mortals, committing thirteen hundred evil deeds.
Nourishing evil to cultivate good, ascending to become an immortal, is effortless.
The time required to nurture demons for a thousand days is now, all at once.
"Hmm, speaking of which, the leaders of some White Lotus Society branches have gone out of contact recently. Perhaps they were wiped out by the government. I must recruit more cultivators. The magic of these White Lotus followers is too inferior; they are of no use."
"As the Grand Leader, I cannot have only these useless people under my command. Although the White Lotus Society has great momentum, they are ultimately a mob."
Prince Lu's spirit talisman call ended.
Lie Jie, the Crown Prince, suppressed his killing intent and prepared to contact Ji Xiang, so he needed Huo Jun to help identify him.
But Huo Jun was anxiously contacting the powerful being behind her.
"Jing Lun Heavenly Palace, I am in trouble now, you must help me solve it! You promised me that when I encountered him again, I would definitely obtain the power to kill him!"
"But now I haven't gained great power, and he has become stronger than me!"
Huo Jun described the attack she might face. The immortals of Jing Lun Heavenly Palace remembered.
"It's that person from the Forbidden City."
"This matter is a bit troublesome, Huo Jun. We originally intended to help you, after all, he killed General Nuo Gao Da Yin, so there's a grudge. But after our discussion, we believe this person is still worth trying to win over."
"After all, the overall situation is important. Immortals will descend to the mortal world soon. If you dare not contact him, then pretend he doesn't exist. We will cast a spell on you that will make him unable to sense your existence. In his perception, and even in the perception of other cultivators, you will become a mortal."
The immortals of Jing Lun Heavenly Palace were very pragmatic.
Previously, they helped Huo Jun and promised various benefits, only because they valued Huo Jun's courage to set fire to the Forbidden City. After all, courage is extremely important on the path of cultivation, and they were also looking for an agent.
Now, it seemed that Huo Jun's courage was not enough compared to that person. After being defeated once, upon seeing him again, she lost the courage to act and instead came to the Heavenly Palace for help, which was a typical sign of being scared out of her wits.
Her courage should have developed an irreparable rift. To repair this rift, one must kill this person and break through the inner demon.
"Your inner demon is quite deep. If it continues like this, be careful. If you suddenly start to undergo a demonic tribulation, you haven't eliminated your ten demons and nine difficulties yet. Sometimes you need to calm your state of mind, be cautious in your words and actions."
"It is possible to give you power immediately, but such forced growth in cultivation is like a rootless duckweed, easily shattered. Moreover, he has the means of ascension. Even if you are raised to the Pure Yang realm, you may not be his opponent, let alone the fact that we cannot raise you to the Pure Yang realm."
"Cultivation still needs to be done step by step."
Huo Jun laughed in anger.
Didn't they value her just because she set fire to the Forbidden City? Now that they saw a better option, they were going to cast her aside? This was truly the style of Li Shan He: use them if they are useful, discard them if they are not!
"You are descending to the mortal world soon, how soon?"
"About twenty years, maybe twelve years if it's faster."
Huo Jun gritted her teeth. "Don't you have immortal pills? Aren't there many pills like those that allowed people to ascend on the spot in ancient times!"
"If you want me to be your agent, haven't you considered that if I die, and you still can't recruit him, who will help you then? At least my talent is decent, right?"
The immortals of Jing Lun Heavenly Palace replied, "Immortal pills for instant ascension... Indeed, there were some in the past, but Emperor Jiajing stole the divine position of Supreme Lord Lao Tzu, and the Eight Trigrams Furnace in the Great Crimson Heavenly Palace has been extinguished. Now, not only can we not obtain immortal pills, but the entire Li Shan He can no longer refine immortal pills."
"Therefore, the remaining immortal pills in each Heavenly Palace are very precious and cannot be given to you just because you want them. You must demonstrate corresponding value."
Huo Jun took a deep breath.
For her, this was bad news.
"None of the Ming Dynasty emperors are willing to die obediently."
Hatred flashed in her eyes. She could have obtained immortal pills, and there was no need to prove any worthless value at this time.
The immortals of Jing Lun Heavenly Palace immediately bestowed a gift upon Huo Jun, changing her state to that of a mortal. This was an extremely clever illusion, capable of deceiving even beings at the immortal level.
"Here is some benefit for now."
Afterward, the divine spirits of several immortals descended across dimensions. They had no faces, manifesting like wandering souls from the void. Although they could not use their true magical powers, they could possess Huo Jun and provide remote protection without issue.
"This is...!"