Chapter 58

"Have they left the city?"

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

When the Chief Eunuch came in to report the whereabouts of the three immortal disciples, Zhao Ji did not say a word, still looking at the Daoist scriptures with a calm face.

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 servant dares not speculate on the Emperor's intentions."

Zhao Ji smiled: "You old servant, 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 and 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 for a while, and performed a set of slow Daoist boxing stances before finishing and saying: "It is precisely because of this 'no Yin evil'."

Zhao Ji thought while recalling and speaking: "There are thousands of Daoist arts, evil arts, and demonic arts in this world, and many have great power. For example, the Tianmen Array. Back then, the Yang family was almost wiped out by it. That array stretched for dozens of miles, with ghosts crying and wolves howling, and the sky collapsing and the earth cracking. It could be called the great power of heaven and earth, not weaker than the true immortal's 'refining sword into silk'. But the 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 blood-brave warriors who endure hardship, forge their bodies, and condense military baleful Qi. From ancient times to the present, they have achieved many legendary names of 'hundred-man enemies', 'thousand-man enemies', and even the legendary 'ten-thousand-man enemies'. 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 began to bulge with muscles in a single thought, forming a sharp contrast with his old and thin body. He reached out and struck forward, and a spiral force actually broke 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 returned to a ruddy color.

"Alas, old, truly old."

Zhao Ji sighed while saying: "Blood-brave Qi lies in the physical body. By enduring hardship and condensing military baleful Qi, the physical body has the power to break evil. But once blood-brave Qi 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 military baleful Qi damages the body; the more condensed it is, 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 said at this time: "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 making fun of me here?"

The Chief Eunuch bowed respectfully: "How would I dare to make fun of the Emperor."

Zhao Ji shook his head, both regretful and yearning: "You are not lying. From ancient times to the middle ages, those who achieved the Dao through the physical body were not absent from historical records. 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 warriors like Lian Po. But since the Han Dynasty, it has gradually withered. What is the reason? It is because the treasures of heaven and earth are also drying up."

"To practice blood-brave Qi and resist military baleful Qi, one needs to eat blood and meat daily. When one is a 'thousand-man enemy', one needs three dou of food per meal. If one reaches a 'ten-thousand-man enemy', 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, lingzhi, and fleeceflower root are just common things. One also needs spiritual objects like vermilion fruit, nine-leaf snow lotus, and purple eggplant to resist military baleful Qi."

"If one goes further, there are ten-thousand-year stone milk, nine-colored spiritual flowers, and mushroom-men and mushroom-horses. Only then is it possible to achieve the Dao through the physical body."

Speaking of this, Zhao Ji's face was bitter: "But nowadays, even hundred-year ginseng is a rare item, and thousand-year ones are hard to find, let alone things like vermilion fruit. As for ten-thousand-year stone milk, nine-colored spiritual flowers, and mushroom-men and mushroom-horses, they are legends among legends. Achieving the Dao through the physical body is hard, hard, hard..."

The Chief Eunuch said again: "Emperor, it is hard to achieve the Dao through the physical body, but there are also magic arts and souls that can achieve the Dao."

Zhao Ji's face was even more bitter. He shook his head: "Since the 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 was the choice of cultivators after the treasures of heaven and earth withered in the 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 magic cultivation. But just like physical body cultivation requires eating meat and spiritual objects, a pure soul and spiritual sense are like duckweed without roots. If you don't absorb external supplies, even if your inner vision meditation is done well, it will dissipate after leaving the body for a moment, without exception."

"But what the soul and spiritual sense absorb are these Yin-attributed Qi of 'Xi', 'Yi', and 'Wei'. Over time, a person is neither human nor ghost, and will eventually turn into a monster. The so-called Corpse-Dissection Immortals—in the end, which one did not 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 after a hundred years of cultivation."

Zhao Ji's face was even more bitter: "There is indeed this saying. Every dynasty has confirmed that after accumulating a hundred years of cultivation, the Yin attribute will have its first qualitative change. The Yin evil in the Qi will partially turn into pure Yin. Although it is pure Yin, it has a trace of Yang. By two hundred years, more of the Yin attribute will 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 saintly realm. Even a Ghost Immortal still belongs to Yin, but it is partially weakened by the suppression of military baleful Qi and blood Qi. If it leaves the physical body, it still needs to absorb a large amount of 'Xi', 'Yi', and 'Wei'. Over time, it will also 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 takes nine hundred years of cultivation to be truly pure Yin, without any flaws, and then another hundred years to break through a thousand years of cultivation. Only then will the soul have a trace of pure Yin turning into Yang. Afterward, 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. This 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? It can't be done, it can't be done..." 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 piece of white paper from the imperial desk. The white paper detailed the conversation between the three Wu Pifu and Zhao Gou, and even described the expressions and actions of each person on the side. He looked foolishly at the record of "ordinary citizens living for a thousand years, seventh-level citizens living for ten thousand years."

"The reason I determined that the visitors are immortals is because their Qi and methods are pure and unblemished, Yang and fierce. The Great Song's Golden Dragon of National Fortune can indeed suppress all magic cultivators, but its essence is actually to suppress Yin attributes. 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; instead, it is damaged. This is 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 the immortal? But the immortal's relatives?"

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

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

Zhao Ji nodded vigorously: "I think so too. And seventh-grade—no, seventh-grade, isn't this the Nine-Rank 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-grade. Could there be ninth-grade supreme True Immortals in Penglai?"

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

Zhao Ji did not expect the Chief Eunuch to speak at this time. He immediately shook his head: "No, no, no, thinking like this is too blasphemous to the True Immortal. Seventh-grade is enough, seventh-grade 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 the Imperial Study, flipping through Daoist scriptures from time to time, talking about immortals and the Dao with the Chief Eunuch from time to time, and asking about the matter between Princess Yongfu Zhao Fubao and Wu Pifu from time to time.

Time passed slowly. 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 meditating with his eyes closed. After hearing this, he opened his eyes and said: "They have indeed returned. I said that immortal disciples, even if their strength is still weak, cannot be so cowardly to run away... Did they bring back any objects, or follow 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 that Dao heart. This cannot be neglected. We must let them experience it, and also ensure their safety. Let them go if they want to. The Ghost Fan Tower Master has made a vow with the Great Song's Golden Dragon of National Fortune and knows the importance."

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

Zhao Ji smiled softly: "Use them if they want. If they don't use them, it's hard for me to arrange things. And the trump cards are estimated to be very powerful, but how many can they have? How many times can they be used? What big trouble can happen? It's just right to see the methods of the immortal family. 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, the three Wu Pifu got up early, practiced, and ate. By about two o'clock in the afternoon, the human skin invitation card emitted a pale light, and a path appeared on the invitation card. 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 can only blow up an area of twenty square meters," Xu Shilan said with a sigh.

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

Amadai did not speak and began to pass N5 bombs to the two, one thumb-sized metal bead after another, one, two, three... ten, twenty, thirty... one hundred, two hundred, three hundred...

Finally, five hundred each, a total of 1,500 N5 bombs!

Then...

"Let's go!"