Chapter 58: Daoist Emperor

"Have they left the city?"

Zhao Ji was flipping through the Daoist scriptures in the study, carefully pondering the true meaning of every word, especially looking back and forth at the words "Pure Yang" many times.

When the Chief Eunuch came in to report the whereabouts of the three immortal disciples, Zhao Ji didn't say a word, still looking at the Daoist scriptures with a calm expression.

After a long time, Zhao Ji suddenly asked: "Old companion, do you know why I am deeply convinced that the visitors are true immortals?"

The Chief Eunuch lowered his head slightly and said: "This old slave dares not speculate on the Emperor's will."

Zhao Ji smiled: "You old slave, just say it."

The Chief Eunuch was silent for a moment before saying: "Is it because there is no Yin evil?"

Hearing this, Zhao Ji sighed deeply, but did not speak for a while.

After a long time, Zhao Ji put down the Daoist scriptures and stood up. He walked slowly back and forth in the Imperial Study and practiced a set of slow Daoist boxing frames before finishing and saying: "It is precisely because of this 'no Yin evil'."

Zhao Ji recalled, thought, and spoke: "There are thousands of Daoist arts, evil arts, and sorcery in this world, and many have great power. For example, the Tianmen Array. Initially, the Yang family was almost wiped out by it. That array stretched for dozens of miles, with ghosts crying and wolves howling, heaven collapsing and earth cracking. It can be called the great power of heaven and earth, not weaker than the true immortal's 'refining sword into silk'. But that Tianmen Array still does not belong to the power of the immortal family. The reason lies in the two words 'Yin evil'."

"All power in the world is divided into Yin and Yang. Yang lies in the body, which is why there are bloody and courageous warriors who endure hardship, temper their bodies, and condense the killing aura of soldiers. From ancient times to the present, they have achieved countless legendary names of 'enemy of a hundred', 'enemy of a thousand', and even the legendary 'enemy of ten thousand'. But they do not increase their lifespan; instead, they reduce it. The reason is that 'isolated Yang does not grow'."

While speaking, Zhao Ji actually rolled up his long sleeves. His originally thin arms actually began to bulge with muscles in a thought, forming a sharp contrast with his old and thin body. He saw him reach out and strike forward, and a spiral energy actually broke the sound of the wind, traveling three or four meters away before dissipating.

However, after one strike, Zhao Ji's face was pale. He stood on the spot and took dozens of deep breaths before his face turned rosy again.

"Alas, old, really old."

Zhao Ji sighed and said: "The bloody and courageous aura lies in the physical body. Enduring hardship and condensing the killing aura of soldiers, the physical body has the power to break evil. But once the bloody and courageous aura is practiced, the whole body's essence, Qi, and spirit will merge into one, and the soul will never be able to leave the body. And the killing aura of soldiers damages the body; the deeper it is condensed, the more the lifespan is reduced. From ancient times to the present, how many heroic generals have been able to grow old?"

The Chief Eunuch suddenly said: "In ancient times, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, perhaps it was possible."

Zhao Ji was stunned, pointed at the Chief Eunuch and laughed: "You old thing, are you teasing me here?"

The Chief Eunuch lowered his head respectfully: "How dare I tease the Emperor."

Zhao Ji shook his head, both regretful and yearning: "You didn't lie. From ancient times to the middle ages, those who achieved the Dao through the physical body were not extinct in history books. The most famous is the Yellow Emperor, who ascended to heaven in broad daylight. Even in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there were old and brave warriors like Lian Po. But since the Han Dynasty, it has gradually withered. Why? Because the treasures of heaven and earth are also drying up."

"To practice bloody and courageous aura and resist the killing aura of soldiers, one needs to eat meat and blood daily. When one is an 'enemy of a thousand', one needs three dou of food per meal. If one reaches the 'enemy of ten thousand', eating a cow a day is not enough. But this is just to maintain the body's consumption. To repair damage and go further, one needs various great tonics. Hundred-year or thousand-year ginseng, ganoderma, and fleeceflower root are just common. One also needs spiritual objects like vermilion fruit, nine-leaf snow lotus, and purple eggplant to resist the killing aura of soldiers."

"Only by going a step further, with that ten-thousand-year stone milk, nine-colored spirit flowers, and spirit men and spirit horses, is it possible to achieve the Dao with one's physical body."

Speaking of this, Zhao Ji's face turned bitter: "But nowadays, even hundred-year ginseng is a rarity, and thousand-year ones are hard to find, let alone vermilion fruit. As for ten-thousand-year stone milk, nine-colored spiritual flowers, Ginseng-Man and Ganoderma-Horse, etc., they are all legends of legends. Achieving the Dao through the physical body is difficult, difficult, difficult……"

The Chief Eunuch said again: "Emperor, achieving the Dao through the physical body is difficult, but there is also magic and soul that can achieve the Dao."

Zhao Ji's face was even more bitter. He shook his head: "Since ancient and middle ages, achieving the Dao through the physical body has become increasingly difficult. By the Jin Dynasty, cultivators finally found another path…… Corpse-dissection Immortal."

"The physical body is useless, only the soul is eternal. This is the choice of cultivators after the treasures of heaven and earth withered in ancient and middle ages. They only practice the soul, so that consciousness is eternal. The idea is good, but the result is very bad."

Zhao Ji flipped through a Daoist book and pointed to the text on it: "All non-physical body cultivation can be attributed to spiritual cultivation or Dharma cultivation. But just like physical body cultivation requires eating meat and spiritual objects, the pure soul and spiritual sense are like duckweed without roots. If you don't absorb external supplies, even if you do your best in inner visualization, it will dissipate directly after leaving the body for a moment. There is absolutely no exception."

"But what the soul and spiritual sense absorb are these Yin attribute energies of 'Xi', 'Yi', and 'Wei'. Over time, people are neither human nor ghost, and will eventually turn into monsters. The so-called Corpse-dissection Immortals, in the end, which one didn't become a monster and was then abandoned and eliminated by the world?"

The Chief Eunuch was a qualified supporter. He spoke again: "Emperor, there is also the saying of qualitative change in a hundred years of cultivation."

Zhao Ji's face was even more bitter: "There is indeed this saying, and all dynasties have confirmed it. Cultivating a hundred years of cultivation, the Yin attribute has its first qualitative change. Part of the Yin evil in the aura will turn into pure Yin. Although it is pure Yin, it has a trace of Yang. By two hundred years, more Yin attributes turn into pure Yin. At three hundred years of cultivation, the Yin attribute almost completely turns into pure Yin. This can be called a Ghost Immortal."

"But it is difficult for a ten-thousand-calamity Yin spirit to enter the Saint. Even a Ghost Immortal still belongs to Yin, but it is partially weakened by the suppression of the killing aura of soldiers and bloody Qi. If it leaves the physical body, it still needs to absorb a large amount of 'Xi', 'Yi', and 'Wei'. Over time, it will still be polluted and deformed, eventually turning into a terrifying ghost, and it will still not be itself…… According to the analysis and summary of the great merits of past dynasties, it needs to accumulate nine hundred years of cultivation to be truly pure Yin, without any flaws, and then accumulate another hundred years. When breaking through a thousand years of cultivation, the soul will have a trace of pure Yin turning into Yang. After that, it will suffer a thunder tribulation every thousand years, and pass it nine times in a row. It takes nine thousand years in total to turn into pure Yang, which is a True Immortal!"

Zhao Ji shook his head repeatedly, his face so bitter that it seemed like water could drip from it. He sighed for a long time before saying: "Nine thousand years, nine thousand years old…… How can a mortal live for nine thousand years? Can't do it, can't do it……" The Chief Eunuch said at the right time: "But a seventh-grade immortal has a lifespan of over ten thousand years."

"Right!"

Zhao Ji hurriedly flipped out a white paper from the imperial desk. The white paper recorded in detail the conversation between Wu Pifu and the three and Zhao Gou, and even described the expressions and actions of each person on the side. He looked obsessively at the record of "Ordinary citizens live for a thousand years, seventh-grade citizens live for ten thousand years."

"The reason why I determined that the visitors are immortals is because their Qi and their Dharma are pure and unblemished, Yang and fierce. The Golden Dragon of Great Song's National Fortune can indeed suppress all Dharma cultivators, but its essence is actually to suppress the Yin attribute. If there is a hundred years of cultivation, the suppression effect will be discounted. The higher the cultivation, the weaker the suppression. But it has no suppression on True Immortals, but instead suffers damage, because True Immortals are not Yin attributes, but thorough Yang Qi!"

Zhao Ji said decisively: "This must be a Pure Yang True Immortal!"

The Chief Eunuch lowered his head and said again: "Perhaps, this ten-thousand-year lifespan does not refer to immortals? But to the relatives of immortals?"

Zhao Ji carefully put down the paper, then pointed at the Chief Eunuch and laughed: "You old slave, you only know how to say nice things to fool me."

The Chief Eunuch lowered his head further and whispered: "This old slave dares not. It's just that past dynasties have clearly stated that immortals exist with the world, rise with the sun and moon, and are immortal forever. How can they only have a mere ten thousand years? And since immortals have relatives and disciples similar to mortals, could it be that this so-called ten thousand years does not refer to immortals, but to the relatives of immortals?"

Zhao Ji nodded vigorously: "I think so too. And seventh-grade, no, seventh-rank, isn't this the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng System? It's just that nine is the extreme of numbers, so the ninth rank is the highest. And the True Immortal who arrived is seventh-rank. Could there be ninth-rank supreme True Immortals in Penglai?"

The Chief Eunuch didn't speak at this time. He knew very well when to say what; this was his instinct.

Zhao Ji didn't expect the Chief Eunuch to speak at this time. He immediately shook his head: "No, no, thinking like this is too blasphemous to the True Immortal. Seventh-rank is enough, seventh-rank is enough. Ten thousand years of longevity, I can also slowly practice the Dao to enter Pure Yang……"

!

Zhao Ji was full of reverie in this Imperial Study, flipping through the Daoist scriptures from time to time, talking about immortals and the Dao with the Chief Eunuch from time to time, and asking about Yongfu Imperial Princess Zhao Fubao and Wu Pifu from time to time.

Time passed slowly like this. Suddenly, a little eunuch came to the door of the Imperial Study. The Chief Eunuch walked over lightly. After a while, the Chief Eunuch returned to the Imperial Study and said to Zhao Ji: "Emperor, they have returned to the city."

Zhao Ji was visualizing with his eyes closed. Hearing this, he opened his eyes and said: "They have returned. I said that even if the immortal disciples are still weak in strength, it is impossible for them to be so cowardly and run away…… Did they bring back any objects, or are they followed by anyone?"

The Chief Eunuch shook his head: "No, it's still the three of them."

Zhao Ji nodded. He pondered for a moment and said: "Since that's the case, tomorrow send the three great offerings of Heaven, Earth, and Man from the Offering Building to protect them in secret. Do not easily reveal their tracks. They are here to experience the mortal world and fulfill their Dao hearts. This cannot be neglected. We must let them experience it, but also ensure their safety. If they want to go, let them go. The Ghost Fan Tower Master has made a vow with the Great Song's Golden Dragon of National Fortune and knows the severity."

The Chief Eunuch nodded in agreement, but hesitated and said: "Emperor, what if the immortal disciples use their trump cards?"

Zhao Ji smiled softly: "If they use them, let them use them. If they don't use them, it's hard for me to arrange. And the trump cards are probably very powerful, but how many can they have? How many times can they use them? What big trouble can they cause? It's just right to see the immortal means. You don't need to worry about it."

The Chief Eunuch immediately lowered his head: "I will follow your orders."

Nothing happened that night.

The next day, Wu Pifu and the three got up early, practiced and ate, not to mention. By about two o'clock in the afternoon, the human skin invitation emitted a pale faint light, and a path appeared on the invitation. Clearly, this was the guide to the Ghost Fan Tower.

The three looked at each other, and smiles appeared on their faces…… ferocious smiles.

"It's a pity that the power of the N5 bomb was weakened too much, and it could only blow up an area of twenty square meters," Xu Shilan sighed.

Wu Pifu was speechless: "No, Big Sister, twenty square meters means completely blown up, not just affected!? And if it really came to five thousand square meters, wouldn't we be blown up too?"

Amida didn't say a word, and began to hand N5 bombs to the two, metal beads the size of a thumb, one, two, three…… ten, twenty, thirty…… one hundred, two hundred, three hundred……

Finally, five hundred each, a total of one thousand five hundred N5 bombs!

Then……

"Set off!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 59 =====