Chapter 36 Anomaly in Yinfan

Ji Xiang picked up the purple incense, confirming its authenticity. He looked at the great demon kneeling before him and asked, "You wish to join the imperial court? Why? I see you have at least three to five hundred lesser demons under your command. The mountains are remote, and the surrounding villages could serve as your 'food and clothing parents.' Wouldn't you be more comfortable and free in these mountains?"

The great demon thought to himself, wasn't it because I ran into you? How could I be comfortable! The biggest reason, aside from my last bit of dignity for not immediately bowing down at first sight, was your extraordinary aura.

It didn't even require rounding off to know I couldn't win. When else would I admit defeat if not now?

But on the surface, polite words still had to be said clearly:

"Being a demon in these mountains ultimately leads nowhere. If I kill Wang Sen today, I'll be killed by someone else tomorrow! But now the imperial court is in need of talent. If I join, it may not be like giving charcoal in the snow, but it could be likened to a light in a dark room. In the future, I can earn an official identity, shed my demonic form, and attain the rank of a divine general. My descendants can enjoy the benefits. What could be better than this?"

"In the past, many of us great demons were controlled by the Prince of Lu, using the Five Labors and Seven Injuries technique, burning our internal organs with the wisdom fire of Buddhism. Now that the Prince of Lu is dead, we naturally want to turn to the righteous path. This is also a path to survival!"

The ultimate goal of the universe is to get a position in the government. There's a natural difference between demons with an official identity and those without. Even if it means being bound by many rules, entering this gateway means being psychologically prepared. Being carefree is temporary, but latching onto the imperial court's thick leg makes everything easier in the future, including cultivation and the transformation of descendants, which can be better accomplished with the dynasty's national fortune.

Ignoring long-term benefits for the sake of temporary pleasure is foolish.

"You speak clearly... your name is Gan Lang."

"Yes, that's this little demon's name. This little demon is from Osmanthus Mountain..."

"You are a thousand-year-old tree spirit capable of creating waves in the water. You possess two swords that belonged to the Tang Dynasty hermit immortal Tao Zhenbai, one called Shanten, and the other Baosheng. These two swords can fly through the air and kill."

"!"

The great demon Gan Lang was shocked!

His mouth agape, unsure what to say, Ji Xiang chuckled: "If you go to the capital to meet the emperor, these two swords of yours are quite dangerous."

The great demon Gan Lang quickly removed the two treasured swords. Ji Xiang reached out and erased the "form" of the two swords. In that instant, the sword shapes disappeared from Gan Lang's eyes.

"Now, what do these two swords look like to you?"

Ji Xiang asked Gan Lang, then returned the two swords to him. Gan Lang stared intently at the two swords, but he could no longer discern their sword shapes. In his eyes, they looked like short sticks, two lumps of constantly wriggling mud.

Erasing the swords' forms did not diminish their power, but it prevented them from flying through the air to kill. Although there was spirit within the treasured swords, without a form to command, they naturally could not perform the "flying sword technique."

The Way of flying and controlling objects to kill requires a form to be manipulated.

"The swords are still swords, but I have erased their form. The spirit within the swords has no way to fly through the air to kill, but the power remains if you wield them."

Looking at the lesser demons around him, Ji Xiang said, "What about your subordinates?"

Gan Lang suddenly came to his senses. His mind worked quickly, and he immediately said, "Please decide, superior official!"

Ji Xiang opened his mouth to test him: "What if I ordered you to kill them, leaving none alive? What would you do?"

Gan Lang's heart trembled. After a moment of consideration, he said, "Superior official, you must make it clear. If you truly intend to first incorporate this little demon into the imperial court's system, this little demon would not dare disobey your command. Even if you ordered this little demon to kill these brothers, this little demon would do it! When superiors give orders, how dare subordinates disobey!"

"But if you insist that this little demon must kill these brothers before you are willing to incorporate this little demon into the imperial court's system, then this little demon must defy your wishes."

"When working for the imperial court, one listens to the orders of one's superiors. When not working for the imperial court, one values the loyalty between brothers. If you insist that this little demon must kill these demon brothers before you allow this little demon to join the imperial court, then this little demon would rather die than betray these brothers."

Hearing this, Ji Xiang laughed loudly: "Good, good, very good! You have both wisdom and strength! You can be a divine general! The fate of these lesser demons is for you to decide!"

This great demon was very clever, knowing how to express his attitude. Entering the imperial court meant becoming a general, and generals must obey orders. Not entering the imperial court meant remaining a demon, and demons act according to their whims. It sounded like he was fighting for his own benefit, saying that even killing his brothers wouldn't matter if he entered the imperial court, but in fact he was telling the imperial court that if he became a divine general, as long as he didn't die, none of his lesser demons would dare disobey the imperial court's orders. Therefore, this statement was actually saving the lives of these lesser demons.

This was much better than a simple pledge of allegiance.

Ji Xiang was very satisfied.

A wise demon general could be a commander. Someone who only knew how to charge forward could only be a general. It's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a single commander. But with a thousand generals in hand, how many commanders could you pick out?

It was a good thing that such an outstanding demon talent actively sought to join.

Gan Lang bowed in thanks, then shouted to the surrounding lesser demons: "Those who are willing to follow me and join the imperial court, follow me! Those who wish to leave me and live freely in the mountains, I will not stop you! But today's parting is different from the past. If I truly become a divine general of the imperial court, and you commit evil and harm people in the mountains, I will come to punish you! We are all brothers, and no one wants to end up in such a tragic ending!"

The lesser demons whispered among themselves. Soon, a portion of the lesser demons were willing to follow Gan Lang. Having official status as demon soldiers, they wouldn't be heavenly soldiers, but they could be considered low-level divine soldiers or the like. At least their demonic aura would be eliminated, and they could openly use the power of incense offerings without having to steal.

The remaining lesser demons kowtowed to Gan Lang, then scattered into the mountains.

"Remember what you said. If they commit evil, you must personally kill these lesser demons. This is not difficult for you, is it?"

"It is not difficult. This is what this subordinate should do!"

"Very good. Then go to the capital. I will give you a letter..."

Ji Xiang casually tore off a White Lotus Society propaganda leaflet, then attached his own incense to it, telling Gan Lang to take it to the capital to find Zhang Tianshi.

"I wonder what the Celestial Master looks like?"

"The old man guarding the gate at the Forbidden City is him."

Ji Xiang reached out, and the Ucchusma Vajra Hell mark opened, sucking Wang Sen's head into it!

The demons were immediately terrified, hearing the shouts of joy from the ghost face, carrying a chill and malice that even they feared!

Ji Xiang was also taking this opportunity to warn them in order to knock them into shape:

"The ghost face in my palm leads to Avici Hell. So far, I have sent hundreds of demons and ghosts into it. Those who enter Avici Hell will never be reborn, and they will be devoured by hellish demons every day. Those who are lucky may be reborn as one of the Avici ghosts after their first death."

The demons were silent as cicadas in winter, their limbs stiff. The sound of the evil ghosts still echoed in their ears, lingering and not dissipating! The heavenly horse neighed, carrying rolling thunder. Ji Xiang flew into the clouds, heading towards the location of the last incense mark!

Gan Lang took the incense propaganda leaflet and breathed a long sigh of relief. From now on, he would shed his demonic form, join the officialdom, and a good life would be just around the corner.

As expected, there would be major changes in the world. The imperial court now didn't care whether the strong individuals who came to join them were human or demon!

.......

The White Lotus Society was like mushrooms after the rain, growing more and more. Every day, you could pick a lot of them on the mountain, but they would grow again in two days.

However, the White Lotus Society did not have the ability to replicate the operation of "the Azure Sky is dead, the Yellow Sky shall rise."

With the death of the Prince of Lu, the various teachings resurfaced, and the Prince of Lu's confidants, who held the last vermilion incense, knew that disaster was coming.

Yinfan Township was filled with a gloomy wind, and gray mist covered the heavens and earth. The sun set, night fell, and thunder rumbled in the sky. A pure white heavenly horse appeared in this gloomy mountain range, shaking open large swaths of haze and mist!

"Wuwu—"

The sound of ghosts howling was endless, and the sounds of wailing were constant. Lonely wild ghosts, disturbed, crawled out, uttering murderous curses and pouncing on Ji Xiang!

*Pa!* A big slap sent the lonely wild ghost spinning in place, becoming a Wheel-Turning King. Ji Xiang grabbed it and asked, "What powerful ghosts are in this mountain?"

The last temple was in these mountains, expected to be a ghost land. After all, ordinary people wouldn't dare to come to such a ferocious place.

The lonely wild ghost covered its face, bared its teeth, and looked at Ji Xiang in disbelief.

Could a human hit a ghost?

What was the background of this black-robed Taoist?

"An idiot? Seems to be a little ghost from the roadside, doesn't understand anything."

Seeing that this guy was confused, Ji Xiang slapped him again. This slap was extremely powerful, scattering the lonely wild ghost's body, leaving only an eyeball rolling on the ground. Then, he lifted his leg and moved forward.

Not far ahead, the sounds of ghosts increased greatly. A group of wedding ghosts appeared, carrying a blood-red sedan, with stiff smiles, drumming and beating gongs. When these ghosts saw Ji Xiang, a living person, they tried to drag him into the sedan. Ji Xiang calmly asked:

"Where are you taking this bride, and where is she from?"

"Is the ghost king in this mountain your bride?"

The ghosts, forever with stiff smiles, looked at each other, not answering Ji Xiang's question at all. A powerful female ghost was sitting in the blood-red sedan. At this moment, she lifted the sedan curtain and floated out. A gust of yin wind blew as she called out, "Husband, don't you recognize me?"

"Don't call anyone 'husband' you see. As a woman, how can you be so debauched? Look at my gun and say that again."

Ji Xiang took out the Five Thunder Divine Machine, and the ghosts retreated in fear.

Firearms countered ghosts, and they countered them to death. The Five Thunder Divine Machine also had Celestial Master Zhang's Big Dipper Divine Curse on it. One shot would send them to oblivion, not even needing reincarnation.

The female ghost was silent for a moment, then a resentful voice came out: "You start with affection and end up abandoning... no man in the world is good...!"

"Blind your dog eyes! See who I am!"

Ji Xiang narrowed his eyes, and demonic energy surged!

The might of a demon king roared!

Where could the ghosts withstand this kind of pressure? They were directly crushed to the ground by an overwhelming force! Their souls were almost shattered and destroyed, and their stiff smiles turned into crying faces!

Even the female ghost was startled!

"A demon! Not a living person!"

Ji Xiang raised his gun to shoot, and the female ghost quickly fled, even abandoning the sedan. But how could she escape! Ji Xiang fired a shot, and the Five Thunder Divine Machine launched a fire bullet, directly amputating her below the waist.

"Fly, keep flying. Harming people all your life, today you are harmed by others. Did you know there would be such a day?"

Ji Xiang walked over, and the female ghost trembled, surrendering: "This little girl did not know a great demon was before me, I was very offensive, please forgive me."

"I ask you, there is a ghost king in this mountain, it shouldn't be you, right? Where is he?"

"No, no! Great demon, do you have a grudge with my king?"

"No."

"Then... ah? No?"

The female ghost was stunned for a moment.

No hatred, so you are just here to cause trouble?

"Can't I look for him without hatred?"

"No... but... yes, you are here to subdue ghosts at someone's request?"

The female ghost muttered.

"This demon is helping mortals kill ghosts... this, this world?"

"Hmph! You're making a fuss over nothing! We demons are the will of Heaven, it is our duty to act on behalf of Heaven!"

Ji Xiang scolded, thinking that this mountain was the territory of a certain ghost king. This ghost king must be a subordinate of the Prince of Lu. The Prince of Lu had a bunch of demons and ghosts under his command. Now that he had gotten rid of the Five Labors and Seven Injuries, he must be enjoying the beauty of life like Gan Lang.

The last stick of vermilion incense was in his hands, and this mountain reeked of blood from a distance, definitely harming a lot of people. Whether he knew him or not, killing him wouldn't be a mistake.

"But my king's strength is extremely high, although you are majestic, you are only an Earth Immortal-level demon..."

The female ghost saw Ji Xiang's own strength. Compared to her, he was indeed much stronger, but after all, he was only an Earth Immortal.

Ji Xiang raised his muzzle, and the female ghost immediately lowered her head and surrendered: "I'll take you there, I'll take you there!"

"No need to take him there!"

At this time, the yin wind rose again, and formations of yin soldiers appeared in the depths of the mist.

Several ghost generals appeared, their eyes flashing with scarlet light:

"Unexpectedly, it's a demon and not a human! My king already knows your intentions! All soldiers, advance! Just an Earth Immortal, kill him!"

Ji Xiang moved the muzzle away from the female ghost's head. Yin soldiers were everywhere, covering the mountains and fields, and ghosts howled! This place was more like the underworld than the underworld itself, with countless ghosts emerging from the ground, from the grave soil, from the depths of the mist!

They brandished their claws and bared their teeth!

"Alas!"

Ji Xiang sighed, then raised his left hand.

A huge ghost face phantom appeared out of thin air, opening its fangs, carrying laughter that filled the entire Yinfan heaven and earth!

The leading charging ghost general was crushed by the Ucchusma Vajra ghost face in one bite!

The wind and clouds reversed, instantly swallowing three thousand yin soldiers! The other ghosts immediately stopped in their tracks!

The huge ghost face made a satisfied chewing sound, and from inside its mouth came bursts of cheers. At the same time, several powerful auras seemed to be crossing the boundary!

Ji Xiang's expression shifted, but his face remained unchanged. He heard the conversation coming from hell.

The ghosts were greatly alarmed! As ghosts, they were more sensitive to the aura in the ghost face, all showing expressions of shock and horror!

The aura of Avici Hell!

......

Deep in the mountains, the last temple door was smashed open by Ji Xiang. Standing inside was a ghost god of the Innate Realm.

Great Luck Azure Ghost, a ghost god of the Crowing Nation, three zhang tall, with 490,000 lesser ghosts under his command, wielding a crimson staff to brutally kill the people.

"What Vacant Home, Perfect and Sudden Land."

"Could it be the Crowing Nation Dharma Realm?"

The crimson staff struck at Ji Xiang's head, but in mid-air, it suddenly shattered into pieces, along with the Great Luck Azure Ghost himself!

He opened his mouth and exhaled.

A white light flashed!

The vermilion divine incense fell into Ji Xiang's palm!

At the same time, the Demon Subduing Chapter entered the third level!

.......

The wind and thunder howled. Another day passed, and Ji Xiang returned to Yingtian, bringing the Shen family's little girl with him. It only took half a day. The heavenly horse soared through the sky, and the sea of clouds churned. This great divine power and great freedom completely stunned the little girl. In the blink of an eye, the clouds above Mount Wudang could already be seen, the golden palace flashing with lightning, and the mountain gate was right in front!

All three incense sticks had been obtained by Ji Xiang, allowing him to open the path to the Free Sky Dharma Realm. And the treasure that Qin Nvxiu had given him, obtained from the Ucchusma Vajra, Ji Xiang finally had the time to open and take a look at it.

The box was cast from immortal gold, itself of considerable value, but the treasure placed inside shook Ji Xiang even more!

Light red smoky clouds flowed around, actually a Second Revolution Immortal Pill!