Chapter 1 The Uprising

The Shangqing sect leaders were surrounded by the sea of lightning, unable to escape. Immediately, some of them pleaded anxiously:

"We didn't intentionally become enemies with the imperial court! It's just that the Ancestral Masters are pressing us too hard. If we don't stand with them, our Dao lineages will be severed!"

"They want to replace us, to usurp our Dao traditions! We are not afraid of death, but really..."

Ji Xiang pointed a finger, and a ray of lightning struck down. The sect leader was knocked to his knees on the spot. Even though he had tried his best to resist just a moment ago, his vital energy was greatly damaged!

"Dao Master Ji! Please spare us!"

The sect leader vomited blood, his face covered in dirt, begging for mercy. Ji Xiang's tone was calm: "I've already heard similar words from the Eight Sect Leaders. Don't say you're not afraid of death, and don't say you're afraid of your Dao lineages being replaced. Your Dao lineages were also taught by them. All the methods of Maoshan are derived from the ancient Shangqing sect, unless you yourselves say that your own methods have nothing to do with Shangqing."

"Fifteenth Sect Leader, you are from the Tianxin School, what do you say?"

Ji Xiang looked at the Fifteenth Sect Leader, whose expression changed. He quickly said, "Although I am from the Tianxin School, I also entered Maoshan to cultivate the Shangqing Heart Sutra, so I can't say that there is no connection at all..."

Ji Xiang nodded: "That's it then. The Fifteenth Sect Leader of the Tianxin School has already stated his position, what else do you have to say?"

For a moment, the Fifteenth Sect Leader's face was unsightly, and the surrounding sect leaders also harbored some resentment.

Ji Xiang waved his hand, a gesture that frightened the sect leaders into pinching their fingers to resist. Ji Xiang was stunned by this, and sneered:

"I don't want to entangle with you all too much. Now I just want to ask you something."

"Does Biyou Palace have any secret relationship with your Shangqing sect?"

The sect leaders all shook their heads. One sect leader explained, "Although the Ancestral Masters asked us to stand with them, we really don't know anything about the Biyou Palace. We don't know what you want to ask."

"Whatever the Mountain Lord says is what it is. The Ancestral Masters didn't tell us anything else about the Biyou Palace."

The other sect leaders nodded one after another. For a time, the place was noisy, all trying to exonerate themselves and prove that they really didn't know any new information about the Biyou Palace.

"It seems that you haven't been trusted as confidants by your Ancestral Masters!"

Ji Xiang mocked, and the sect leaders all lowered their heads: "We are all forced, how can we be considered sincere?"

"Our strength is also of no use to the Ancestral Masters, so they naturally won't tell us important news."

Ji Xiang was a little impatient: "Since you don't know, then forget it. Where is the previous Maoshan Dao Child, I want to take him away."

"This!"

Now the sect leaders were a little unwilling, looking at each other, revealing an unspeakable expression. Ji Xiang narrowed his eyes, and with a thought, the surrounding sea of lightning churned and rolled!

The sect leaders hurriedly explained together, talking endlessly. Ji Xiang shouted angrily, and the place fell silent.

"Old Fifteen, you speak!"

Ji Xiang named him, and the Fifteenth Sect Leader could only curse his bad luck, but he didn't dare to disobey, so he had to bite the bullet and say:

"The Dao Child is related to our Maoshan Dao tradition. The Mountain Lord is not here, and we have offended the Ancestral Masters, so it's not good to hand over the Dao Child to you..."

Ji Xiang laughed: "I just heard you say that you are afraid of the Ancestral Masters and not afraid of the imperial court, so it's true."

The sect leaders' faces changed drastically, and they were panicked. They immediately pushed out the person who had just said this!

"Old Eighteen said it, not us!"

"Dao Master, please be aware, we are completely loyal and dare not betray the imperial court!"

The Eighteenth Sect Leader's face was as ugly as if he had eaten a dead fly, but Ji Xiang didn't care: "I don't care who said it, when he said it, didn't you object too much?"

"Not objecting is tacit agreement."

The sect leaders collectively froze.

Ji Xiang's face also changed suddenly!

"So you are really afraid of the Ancestral Masters and not afraid of me? It's ridiculous! A local official is not as good as the current administrator. I am standing right in front of you, and one move will kill you all. Your Ancestral Masters have to cross the barrier between two realms to come and hunt you down. Can't you tell what's more important?"

"Besides."

Ji Xiang's tone was stern at first, but now it became gentle:

"The Maoshan Dao Child is the key for your Ancestral Masters to descend. The Mountain Lord has disappeared, leaving only this one Dao Child. If you hand over the Dao Child to me, your Ancestral Masters will look for me, and it will have nothing to do with you. Aren't you afraid that your Ancestral Masters will trouble you? Now you can pass the trouble to me, isn't that a good thing?"

"I'm helping you, but I didn't expect you to not appreciate it!"

"I am very easy to talk to, provided I don't get angry."

After a round of threats and intimidation, coupled with earnest persuasion, the sect leaders were already facing a dilemma. Hearing what Ji Xiang said, some of them began to agree and nod, whispering to each other, saying that it would be better to follow Ji Xiang's wishes and hand over the Dao Child.

"What the Dao Master said makes sense. Why should we keep the Dao Child here? Otherwise, when the Ancestral Masters descend, they will cause us trouble, and there will even be a danger to our lives. Why take this risk?"

"That's right. The union of Shangqing doesn't need a Dao Child to maintain it. Now is a tense moment. It's completely reasonable to abandon a Dao Child in exchange for the continuation of our Dao traditions."

More and more people believed that the present was more important. Moreover, with the Dao Child gone and Kunlun Cave destroyed, Zhu Huo Palace would have no means of descending. They could also run away calmly. The Shangqing sect had a large foundation, and even if the great tree of Maoshan fell, the Shangqing sect's signboard would not fall.

The sect leaders were willing to hand over the Dao Child to Ji Xiang. Ji Xiang still asked the Fifteenth Sect Leader to bring the person. Soon, the Dao Child was brought over, but the little Daoist's appearance was much more haggard than the last time.

"Greetings, Dao Master Ji."

The Maoshan Dao Child was not in a good state of mind. Ji Xiang asked directly:

"Do you know the relationship between Biyou Palace and your Shangqing sect?"

The Dao Child was slightly silent, and then nodded gently.

Now even the sect leaders were puzzled, but this was their own family's matter, and it was not convenient to ask at this time. Sometimes it was better to be confused.

"Can you guide me to the location of Biyou Palace?"

The Maoshan Dao Child nodded again, but shook his head slightly:

"I can guide you, but the location of Biyou Palace is extremely hidden. Only the people in Lower Maoshan know where it is. I know a Lower Maoshan stronghold, and I can go with you."

He turned his head to look at the sect leaders. At this time, many of the sect leaders had unsightly expressions, but some of them said hypocritically:

"Today, the Dao Child follows the Dao Master away. In the future, he doesn't have to worry about the Ancestral Masters blaming him, and he has a bright future, a bright future."

"Today, we are grateful for the merits of the Dao Child. On the day of the Shangqing revival, we welcome the Dao Child's return. At that time, the Dao Master will surely commend the Dao Child, report to the imperial court, and bestow titles and honors, which can glorify our Dao traditions."

"We, respectfully send off the Dao Child."

Ji Xiang took him away, carrying the coffin in one hand and catching the person in the other. The surrounding sea of lightning gradually dissipated, and Ji Xiang soared away on the clouds, leaving behind only faces rejoicing at surviving the disaster.

"It's really interesting, your decision to stay or go is not up to you at all. I told them to hand you over, and they handed you over. How do you feel now?"

Ji Xiang's tone was mocking, like those villains who had done evil deeds.

The Maoshan Dao Child said calmly:

"Entering the door of cultivation, one's body is like a rootless duckweed. I have been drifting for a long time."

"It's just following the water, flowing with the current, to one place, one stop, to one place, one pause."

Ji Xiang's eyes moved slightly, just about to say something, when suddenly the inner scene divine tablet reacted!

[Dao Nature: Exists in the True Ultimate, fully equipped with all things. Sentient beings are not the Dao, but can cultivate and attain the Dao. The Dao is not sentient beings, but can respond to the cultivation of sentient beings.]

[People with strong Dao Nature are more likely to attain the Dao and become immortals. The use of various spells lies in "forgetting" rather than "remembering". They can naturally be cast, and the effect is better.]

[In normal cultivation, the higher the cultivation, the lower the Dao Nature, and the longer the retreat time. This is because cultivation must produce words, and words must become scriptures and classics, while Dao Nature is a spontaneous understanding rather than an understanding of scriptures and classics.]

[The words in scriptures and classics, as well as the natural world itself, may be tampered with, but Dao Nature is constant and unchanging.]

[The ancient immortals of the Lingbao School have spoken about this, and also pointed out that cultivating the mind can restore the pure and natural nature, which is to restore one's Dao Nature, but one must cut off one's seven emotions and six desires to return to a pure and innocent state. However, because the cultivation of the mind still requires scriptures and classics, Dao Nature will gradually be lost while recovering.]

[The Lingbao School is secretive about the existence of Dao Nature, as well as the main methods of cultivation, and rarely speaks to outsiders.]

[Those who are close to the Dao understand: Approaching people with Dao Nature can be inspiring, called "Dao Breaking" or "Enlightenment" or "Utmost Sincerity". There is a certain chance to restore and increase your lost Dao Nature.]

[Using Tongtian Mingyan to separate their form and spirit, or refining this person into a pill, can greatly increase Dao Nature.]

"Dao Nature...!"

This harvest was truly an unexpected joy. Ji Xiang didn't expect to encounter a character with such a special entry. This was like drawing a golden legend.

No wonder the Shangqing Ancestral Masters valued this kid.

Perhaps they didn't know about the existence of Dao Nature, and Shangqing and Lingbao were not one family, but this kid had the characteristics of enlightenment, which was enough to make him a Dao Child-like existence.

Young age, not old, but experienced a lot.

Ji Xiang figured that he was actually a person over a hundred years old, although when bragging, he lied that he was a thousand years old....

As for the last entry, Ji Xiang skipped it directly.

If he had to kill or eat someone with talent, then he would be no different from those people in Li Shanhe.

Above the clouds, Ji Xiang asked the Dao Child to tell him in detail about the many things that had happened before, including the relationship between Biyou Palace and Shangqing. After listening, Ji Xiang sighed deeply:

"It's just as I guessed, the immortals of Li Shanhe are really good at finding trouble. But how would you know these things, could it be that those old immortals regarded you as a confidant?"

The Maoshan Dao Child explained: "Although I was in a coma before, it was because the immortals descended and wanted to borrow my form and hide my soul. The one who was going to descend was the Third Ancestor, and he had talked with the Mountain Lord before. I heard these voices."

"Actually, I still need to thank Dao Master. If that Lady Hou hadn't sworn not to enter Shangqing, I wouldn't have gotten so much time to recover my consciousness, and the Third Ancestor wouldn't have been busy with the new Dao Child, and would have temporarily put me aside."

"After the Third Ancestor's illusion disappeared, I woke up. It was Dao Master who saved my life."

Ji Xiang sneered: "Your Ancestral Masters still have a lot of tricks. For the sake of the Shangqing Ancestral Scripture, they can abandon the Dao traditions of Biao Shanhe, and even break it up and start over! If I get your Ancestral Scripture, do you think I will become your true Ancestral Master?"

The Maoshan Dao Child showed a weak smile: "If you get the Shangqing Ancestral Scripture and cultivate it, then you will naturally be the Ancestor of Shangqing."

"But when the Ancestral Scripture will be born and where it will be, these are also things that only the Ancestral Masters know. We Biao Shanhe cultivators cannot know, and they will not let us know."

The clouds rolled, and Ji Xiang's Tengyun Jiaswu technique was too slow. At this time, birds flew in the sky, looking strangely at Ji Xiang, who was stepping on the clouds. The Maoshan Dao Child saw this scene and was filled with emotion:

"In the morning, I travel to the North Sea, and in the evening, I rest in Cangwu, eating morning dew and consuming clouds."

His haggard face recovered some color, and Dao Nature gradually restored the vitality in his body, and even affected Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang felt a flash of inspiration in his mind, and the true meaning of the Three Teachings automatically operated, revealing methods to improve the Tengyun Jiaswu technique.

This surprised Ji Xiang greatly!

"This is enlightenment!"

"This is Dao Nature?"

Ji Xiang felt that he had found a treasure!

He had only grabbed the Maoshan Dao Child as a guide, but he didn't expect this kid's talent to be so heaven-defying!

Just a heartfelt feeling had given Ji Xiang some inspiration. Ji Xiang admired this talent and felt that this kid shouldn't return to Shangqing.

Ji Xiang followed the improvement methods that had just emerged, and with the help of the clouds and sea in the sky, integrated his own clouds into them. Suddenly, he rose into the sky, riding the wind. The sea of clouds rolled like huge waves, and the heavenly wind blew as if sailing in the sea. In the blink of an eye, the wind and clouds changed, and he had arrived at a city.

"The seventy-two sects of Lower Maoshan, six of which are gathered in this place."

Ji Xiang's dharma eyes shone. Although these dharma eyes were a low-level spell derived temporarily, he could still see the most basic divine light and demonic aura without concealment or alteration.

"What kind of city is this? I find it a little strange. Is this not a city of the human world?"

"The divine light inside is floating, not like a place where evil arts gather. Of course, my dharma eyes are not very useful, can you give me an explanation?"

The Maoshan Dao Child opened his mouth: "The six major sects of Lower Maoshan are here. They did not participate in the Biyou Palace's killing activities, but the Mountain Lord once speculated that the calm water surface must have undercurrents surging beneath it."

"I once heard that this city where the six major sects are located once had a major epidemic, and many people died, but afterwards not many people mentioned this epidemic, and some people had never even heard of it."

Ji Xiang looked at this strange city. The Dao fields of the six sects were all in the city. The Fa teachings were different from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. They were sects that had developed from the folk, possessing their own unique spells, and living in the same way as the people.

"To conceal the disappearance of the population, a major epidemic is indeed a very good reason."