Chapter 42 Conspiracies Abound

The students of the Southern National Academy, filled with excitement and anticipation, stepped through the mountain gate of the Great Bao'en Temple. Seeing the Prince of Lu personally greeting them, they were even more impressed by his courteous demeanor towards scholars. In their hearts, they were all thinking similar things, wondering what kind of questions the Prince of Lu would ask to test them.

Looking at the group of students from the Southern National Academy before him, Ji Xiang curiously inquired of the Prince of Lu:

"What kind of wishful influence has Your Highness placed upon them?"

"Those who are valued by this Prince can gain the Emperor's favor, and from then on, rise steadily in their careers, achieving great success... It's still the same as before, just making them ignore why this Prince would appear in this Jiangnan region... only ignoring that point."

The Prince of Lu smiled slightly: "When this Prince was in the Forbidden City, it was like this. Even after arriving at my fief, those I recommended would be actively received by the Emperor, my brother."

"The Arctic True Person once served in the Forbidden City, doesn't he know that this Prince also had some face in the Forbidden City back then?"

Ji Xiang praised, "Your Highness is being modest. That wasn't just a little face; it was a great deal of face!"

"Since the Yongle reign, the feudal princes have had no real military power. The so-called nobility is no longer the same as in the past, with the division of land and territory. It is merely because of the identity of the imperial family. And some of the things that Your Highness did in the Forbidden City and in your fiefdom, I have heard a little about."

"Recruiting private soldiers as domestic servants, spending 670,000 taels to build the Prince's Mansion, transporting treasures and possessions with 500 ships, and possessing a large amount of land under actual control..."

"Your actions have long been inconsistent with the regulations for princes of our dynasty. According to past standards, your movements are so rampant that they are no different from treason. Those censor officials would probably be pointing at your spine and scolding you endlessly."

"However, the Wanli Emperor suppressed all these matters. Those censor officials, known for their fierce tongues, did not dare to say a single word about your affairs."

"Such great favor and glory have never been seen in our dynasty."

Although there was some irony in Ji Xiang's words, the Prince of Lu did not care. Instead, he generously said:

"The Emperor, my brother, treats me with such kindness that this Prince naturally remembers it in his heart, always grateful and never forgetting. Therefore, even if this Prince openly rebels now, it is not to destroy this Great Ming, but simply to be with the Emperor, my brother..."

"To shine like the sun and the moon together!"

The Prince of Lu smiled: "Within the world, the Emperor, my brother, controls the cultivators of the Three Teachings. Outside the world, this Prince controls the demonic ways. One yang and one yin, one manifest and one hidden, one sun and one moon, one good and one evil, which is in accordance with the Great Dao emerging from the Wuji (Limitless), and the Wuji giving rise to the changes of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate)."

"As for the Lishanhe cultivators who are helping this Prince, True Person, you can rest assured. Although this Prince has no control over him, and should not make any guarantees for someone stronger than this Prince, at least, the difficulties he faces now are much more troublesome than ours."

"Even if he wants to do something, he can hardly do it without relying on us. Speaking of which, it was you who destroyed his plans before, and even fought with him many times."

Ji Xiang was surprised: "Are you talking about... Yuan Huang?"

"Indeed."

The Prince of Lu nodded: "In Lishanhe, there are countless cultivators and immortals, ascending to immortality by various methods, such as Lie Xian (Ranked Immortals), Shijie Xian (Corpse Liberation Immortals), Gongde Xian (Merit Immortals), Danxiang Xian (Elixir Image Immortals), Yaore Xian (Medicinal Bait Immortals), Jian Xian (Sword Immortals), Dianhua Xian (Enlightenment Immortals), Zhan Shi Xian (Three Corpse Severing Immortals), Xianghuo Xian (Incense Offering Immortals), and Zaohua Xian (Creation Immortals)... Although the names are different, they are in fact all at the initial stage of ascension. The reason why they have different names is because they used different methods to ascend to immortality."

"Ascending and attaining immortality by different methods will naturally give rise to a unique power specific to that type of immortal."

"For example, the Yang Qi of Lie Xian is the purest, and Shijie Xian can perceive the nothingness within the void."

"Gongde Xian are not afraid of curses or poisons, and Danxiang Xian have a strong Fire element that can unleash heavenly lightning and fierce fire."

"Yaore Xian have the magical power to cure diseases and bring the dead back to life, and Jian Xian have their natal flying swords that can kill people invisibly and slay enemies from thousands of miles away."

"Dianhua Xian often have the opportunity to gain enlightenment, and Zhan Shi Xian, because they have severed the Three Corpses and eliminated their names from the Book of Death, are immortal."

"Xianghuo Xian are promoted from Gui Xian (Ghost Immortals), so they retain the heavy Yin energy techniques. Zaohua Xian often have great luck, and everything they do goes particularly smoothly."

"All of the above are just classifications of immortals, and in theory, they all belong to the 'Celestial Immortal' realm of ascension. As the saying goes, 'Superior scholars lift their forms and ascend to the void, they are called Celestial Immortals.' It is a complete transformation of both form and spirit, belonging to the form of an immortal, not the form of a mortal."

"Only cultivators who have reached the peak of the ascension realm, whose blood has turned into green Qi, are then called Flying Immortals! Only then can they be considered a rising star in Lishanhe."

"After ascension, one needs to comprehend the Taiyi (Grand Unity) and Daluo (Grand All-Encompassing) realms. Comprehending one of them proves the Heart of Heaven. Failure to comprehend will lead to a fall in realm, retreating from the peak of ascension. Although the Dao Heart remains, it has been transformed into scattered Taiyi numbers or scattered Daluo realms. Their strength is only slightly higher than that of ordinary Celestial Immortals, and after the realm has retreated, it is difficult to prove the Heart of Heaven again."

Ji Xiang listened with interest: "Then what is the difference between Taiyi and Daluo? I have never heard of them in Biaoshanhe."

The Prince of Lu smiled: "That's natural. Since the great chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, there has been no ascension in Biaoshanhe for two hundred years, so today, you and True Person Zhang are the peaks of the human world. The names of Taiyi and Daluo are only passed down in ancient books, leaving only their names."

"Taiyi calculates the numbers of Heaven, Daluo comprehends the fruit of the Dao! Taiyi is easy to prove, Daluo is difficult to seek, because Taiyi can be calculated by everyone, while Daluo must have a high talent to have the opportunity to comprehend the Dao."

"However, the ultimate goals of Taiyi and Daluo are only different in emphasis. What this Prince means by easy to prove and difficult to seek refers to the difficulty of comprehension, and not the difference in superiority between the two."

"Let me put it back, there are not only four Hearts of Heaven in Lishanhe... It's just that only those four people can affect Biaoshanhe. They are the representatives sent by the four great Heavenly Palaces, corresponding to Fangshi (Esoteric Practitioners), Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, respectively."

"And Yuan Huang is a wanderer outside of those four, a rebel who violates the plans of the four great Heavenly Palaces, so the four Hearts of Heaven have been searching for his whereabouts. Therefore, Yuan Huang does not dare to come out unless it is necessary. He can only rely on surrogates like us to indirectly act in the human world."

"He also wants to support a force. Speaking of this, you should know what's going on."

The Prince of Lu grinned, his smile even wider: "I heard that the Song court has caused you some trouble several times."

Ji Xiang also understood.

"Fangshi, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Fangshi preceded the Three Teachings, and the Three Teachings were transformed after Fangshi. Lishanhe probably can't accommodate a fifth force. This fifth force is..."

"The Netherworld corresponding to the Heavenly Palace."

"So, he is the boss of the Ghost Immortal Dao."

The Prince of Lu shook his head slightly: "Not quite. The Ghost Immortal Dao is just a force in the hands of Master Yuan Huang. Here in the human world, we still have the final say."

"After all, those Ghost Immortals have difficulty gathering the combat power to ascend. Even if there are pure Yin experts comparable to the Pure Yang realm, they are not of much use."

At this time, Ji Xiang fell into some confusion.

Since Yuan Huang is being pursued by the four Hearts of Heaven, and the Prince of Lu calls him the master of the Netherworld Ghost Dao, and since he has offended all the forces of Lishanhe, then the Yuanmiao Great Sage once helped the Song court.

The Yuanmiao Great Sage belongs to the Divine Firmament Sect, which is still inherited in Lishanhe today, but Biaoshanhe can hardly see any Divine Firmament cultivators.

The Divine Firmament Sect is also one of the Taoist sects. Yuan Huang's spells seem to encompass all three teachings. Since he is the master of the Song court and has a bad relationship with the Heavenly Palaces of Lishanhe, why do the Divine Firmament Sect and the Jinglun Heavenly Palace dare to borrow the path from the Yin World Netherworld to return to Yang?

Or is it...

Is the existence of this rule, which helps them return from the Yin World to Biaoshanhe, one of the reasons why they tacitly allow Yuan Huang to exist?

"It seems that in this world, inside and out, there are some unspeakable rules everywhere."

The martial world is not about fighting and killing; the martial world is about human relationships. Today you make things convenient for me, and tomorrow I'll let you off the hook.

And those who really shout about fighting and killing, and exert great strength, are either have deep-seated hatred, or are simply Daoist or martial arts fanatics, or are young and inexperienced calves.

And some people are kept in the dark and used as weapons.

During their conversation, the students of the National Academy had already come over to pay their respects.

The Prince of Lu turned sideways and called for Shen Qiu. The latter came over silently. Seeing the surprised expressions of the students, it seemed difficult for them to believe that the director of studies of the Southern National Academy had long been working under the Prince of Lu.

The Prince of Lu then smiled brightly and cheerfully:

"This Prince has already set up a vegetarian banquet in the Great Bao'en Temple. Let your director of studies take you there to prepare. At the banquet later, this Prince will test you all."

"You are all pillars of the future of my Great Ming. You must always encourage yourselves. Although the beauties on the Qinhuai River are good, you must not indulge in the gentle embrace and forget your fame and career."

The Prince of Lu's approachable words immediately made the students of the National Academy feel a sense of goodwill, and several students who had a strong smell of powder on their bodies showed embarrassed expressions.

Ji Xiang watched this scene and thought to himself: This attitude and tone of speech, where does it seem like a prince, it is clearly the Emperor on a micro-service visit, showing off in front of these students.

There are quite a few people, and the people behind cannot see the people in front. Ships continue to stop along the riverbank one after another.

These students have righteousness on their bodies. Ji Xiang already knows part of what the Prince of Lu wants to do, and the rest is not difficult to guess. It's just a pity that these hundreds or thousands of students, their lives are no longer their own.

Fortunately, before the Immortal Ascension Conference, they are still safe and will not die.

Prince Liejie and Fire Lord also came ashore.

Ji Xiang's eyes moved slightly, and he looked over, finding the beautiful woman in front of him somewhat familiar.

She used some kind of transformation technique. This feeling is relatively familiar. After all, the transformation technique is related to the methods of form and spirit. He, who has mastered part of the usage of the Central Jade Book, can of course feel this subtle strangeness.

However...

Since it is not the main body here, it is difficult to see through the other party's disguise.

The shadows cannot be seen under the shade of the trees. The willows swayed on the banks of the Qinhuai River. Fire Lord also narrowed her eyes and bowed.

Mr. Yao, who was following the Prince of Lu, saw that the Prince of Lu was dealing with the students at this time, so he took the initiative to introduce Ji Xiang:

"This is Prince Liejie, you recognize him."

"This one... just call her Lady Lingxiao..."

Ji Xiang oh-ed, and smiled strangely:

"So it's you."

No wonder she wanted to change her image. It wasn't to avoid himself, but probably to avoid the Wanli Emperor's bounty order.

Causing a big mess in the Forbidden City, letting the demons and ghosts of the world see how lax and outrageous the defenses of the Forbidden City are now, is a huge trouble.

But...

Ji Xiang frowned slightly. Although he could feel that Fire Lord's form and spirit had changed, there was still a more strange feeling, but it was difficult to describe, as if...

Several forms and spirits existed on one person.

This is really strange.

How can a living being have several forms and spirits at the same time? This means that several different images will exist in the eyes of outsiders at the same time. Can a living being be a sparrow, a frog, an elephant, and a whale at the same time?

That is to say, in the eyes of outsiders at this time, perhaps the image of Fire Lord that everyone sees is somewhat different.

Is this the level that a transformation technique... should have?

Fire Lord did not notice the subtle details in Ji Xiang's eyes, but just thought that Ji Xiang was going to make trouble for her, so she bit the bullet and smiled: "From now on, you will be our superior. Please let bygones be bygones."

"After all, you are okay, I have not died, and the Emperor is still alive and well. Everyone is happy..."

Ji Xiang sneered: "A big fire in the Forbidden City, planned for two years, killing hundreds of people at once, and you call that everyone is happy?"

"But now, I really can't make trouble for you."

Ji Xiang's words meant that because he was not his true body now, but just a shadow.

A shadow naturally cannot hit people.

But Fire Lord felt that this was giving the Prince of Lu face, so she breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him again.

"Since we are both serving before the Prince, let the past grievances be burned away."

Ji Xiang waved his hand, but he was happy in his heart.

This is really good luck.

Those who should come and those who should not come are all here.

Fire Lord's expression softened, and she thanked him again and again, and said: "Recently, the Prince has had a few troubles, mostly related to me. True Person does not bear grudges, please say a few good words for me before the Prince."

That's what she said, but Fire Lord hated in her heart. If it weren't for those bastards from Jinglun Heavenly Palace who didn't keep their word, she wouldn't have to be here and try to please Ji Xiang, but they at least gave her some immortal-level power, which is still okay.

Those illusory forms are not the true bodies of immortals descending, but only a part of their forms and spirits borrowed. However, with the image of an immortal, it can have a certain impact on all things in the world. When you need to use them, awaken their forms and spirits. The effect is like a god possessing your body. In fact, the immortal uses their own body to have a medium to interfere with the world, but using it for too long will damage your own form and spirit. After all, immortals and mortals are different...

"What's the matter with you?"

Ji Xiang asked her, and Fire Lord said that in the past period of time, her father did not know what happened, but he was resurrected, and he seemed to remember that she killed him in order to gain control of the Yellow Turban Sect, so he began to retaliate against her, setting off great wind and fire in the Prince of Lu's Qianzhuang (bank) and temples...

Maze Dragon Casino?

Ji Xiang thought to himself.

That's really what your dad burned.