Chapter 130 A Condition from Shang Taifei

Ji Xiang was slightly stunned to hear the title “Senior,” but quickly recovered. After all, both Lao Zhang and Jiajing had come right out and called him “Senior Brother,” while the little fox had hugged his leg and called him “Grandmaster.” As for the fox dragon... it was so young and vigorous that it didn't even want to call him “Senior.”

“Please speak, Your Ladyship.”

Shang Taifei said, “I will give this Seven Treasure Yellow Lotus to you, Senior, and in return, you must promise to return in twelve years as scheduled, return the Golden Strike Mallet, and help me to be reborn and rejuvenated.”

“This matter is of utmost importance to me, so we must swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao. To compensate you, Senior, if you have any other conditions, you may as well state them. I will definitely do anything within my power to fulfill them.”

Ji Xiang glanced at the Seven Treasure Yellow Lotus.

It seemed that the Buddhist school hadn't tampered with this lotus.

At this time, Shang Taifei seemed to see through Ji Xiang's thoughts, and said, “Guānzìzài wouldn't tamper with this kind of treasure, because that would invite criticism and commit evil deeds, which is not a good thing to do.”

“However, accepting treasures from the Buddhist school does mean you have to do things for them. This is the connection of cause and effect, and you don't necessarily need to do it actively. As long as you take treasures from the Buddhist school, you may unknowingly help them accomplish certain things.”

“Guānzìzài doesn't force others. Even if you don't know what you've done, it's generally okay to accept them.

“Cause and effect are repaid invisibly.”

It sounded good. Ji Xiang thought to himself, if Shang Taifei wasn't trying to trick him, then her relationship with Guānzìzài's incarnate, Li Taihou, even if it wasn't thirty years, was at least twenty. Did she think Guānzìzài was reliable and worth dealing with?

“Guānzìzài Bodhisattva is naturally trustworthy.”

“As for my own conditions, I do have one more question. I wonder if Your Ladyship can answer it for me?”

Shang Taifei had followed Emperor Jiajing for a long time. As a man who wanted to cultivate immortality to the point of madness, Emperor Jiajing, although not of high cultivation, knew a great deal about the path of cultivation, at least from the perspective of cultivators from the Visible World.

Ji Xiang asked, “Is there a method that can reverse the true and the false, and drive the wishes of the people, while freeing oneself from the Outer Path?”

“Mainly, regarding the use of wishes.”

Wishes were difficult to deal with. A wish hanging on the Jade Emperor's divine tablet could be like a dog-skin plaster, impossible for even a powerful figure like Lao Zhang to tear off. In the current world, the application and involvement of wishes was still relatively limited, and this aspect needed to be developed.

Ji Xiang also wanted to get some similar books to study.

Moreover, this question was mainly to guard against experts in the Heavenly Heart Realm from unconsciously influencing him. This kind of change in the Heavenly Heart must also be related to wishes.

At the same time, it was also to prevent the wishes of the people from being manipulated by the agents of the Hidden World to deal with him.

After listening, Shang Taifei pondered for a moment, and then smiled, giving her answer:

“Legend has it that there was such a method in the Tang Dynasty, which could free oneself from the Outer Path, so that one would not be affected by spells within the Dao. However, most of the cultivation methods of the Tang Dynasty were destroyed during the Anshi Rebellion. However, there is indeed a Tang Dynasty book that still exists completely in the world.”

“This book is called *Jinwu Yutu Ji* (金乌玉兔集, Collection of the Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit), and it is on the island of Fusang in the east. It was the great scripture of spells passed down by the Taoist Bo from the Tang Dynasty to Abe no Seimei, the ancestor of the Yin-Yang Masters. There may be records of this kind of method in it...”

Shang Taifei told him what she knew.

After all, although there were many methods in the present world, many methods from previous dynasties had also been lost. Old methods and new methods, it was impossible to say which was superior, they just adapted to the changes of the times, and shone brightly in that era.

Ji Xiang was immediately invigorated! He didn't expect that this Your Ladyship would actually give him a suggestion. And on second thought, Lao Shen had indeed mentioned in the prison of the Northern Garrison Office that Toyotomi Hideyoshi had shown him the usage of the *Jinwu Yutu Ji*, but without specific explanations... That's right, Toyotomi Hideyoshi wasn't stupid, how could he explain and demonstrate his skills at the same time?

But there was indeed a part of this book about the methods of using wishes.

However, with his current strength, if he went to fight on the Japanese mainland, he would probably be defeated. He needed a certain amount of time to cultivate.

“Thank you, Your Ladyship!”

Immediately afterward, Ji Xiang and Shang Taifei made oaths to the Heavenly Dao, guided by the laws of the Heavenly Mandate. If they violated their oaths, they would be severely punished.

Once an oath was established, it would reach the High Heavens and exist in the floating Li of the Great Dao, but Ji Xiang's situation was a little strange.

The fulfillment of the oath did not receive feedback from the Heavenly Dao, but it was indeed successful.

As for where it was fulfilled...

It appeared on the blank divine tablet in his inner world!

This left Ji Xiang stunned!

(What does this mean? Could it be... that I have the final say in the interpretation?)

Even the extraterrestrial demons had this kind of welfare benefit. The right to interpret the oath to the Heavenly Dao didn't belong to the Heavenly Dao!

Shang Taifei didn't seem to notice that there was a problem with the oath. What she could feel was different from what Ji Xiang perceived.

Ji Xiang thought to himself.

Am I, the dignified Grandmaster of the Arctic Daoist Transformation and Benevolent Might of the Great Ming, the kind of person who would go back on his word!

Even without this oath to the Heavenly Dao, I would definitely do what I can for you!

Shang Taifei thanked Ji Xiang, “Thank you, Senior.”

As for the next twelve years, the Wanli Emperor still decided to support this Taifei.

After all, according to the Daoist concept of responsibility and the Buddhist concept of cause and effect, from these relationships, if he supported her for the crucial twelve years, she would at least protect the Great Ming for twelve years in return. There was no need to hesitate about adding another master above the Innate stage, a Nascent Soul realm, or even a half-step Pure Yang expert.

Moreover, she would have no cultivation during these twelve years. According to Lao Zhang, the Wanli Emperor also understood that worrying about her was better than worrying about the Buddhist school on his own mother's side.

At this time, Ji Xiang looked at the Wanli Emperor again, and bowed solemnly, saying something that made the Wanli Emperor's expression change:

“Your Majesty, I wish to resign!”

.........

Ji Xiang had already made up his mind to resign. After the Wanli Emperor found out, although he tried his best to persuade him to stay, Ji Xiang was determined to leave.

“What I should be doing now is to hone my cultivation, and not disgrace the title of an Ascended Master. Otherwise, having the ability to ascend but not being able to use it, although in name the Great Ming has two ascended masters, in fact, there is only one.”

Ji Xiang had a very clear plan for his goals.

Strengthen his physical body, integrate his form and spirit, hone his Dao heart, establish one thousand three hundred merits, and most importantly...

“Moreover, the crisis in Liaodong has been resolved. With Nurhaci's death, Liaodong will inevitably be in chaos, with endless infighting. The fate of the Five Dynasties has passed, and the Great Ming's fortune is rising, a sign of an unprecedented turning point.”

The Wanli Emperor couldn't persuade him to stay, so he could only approve Ji Xiang's resignation, but Ji Xiang also said that he was still the Wanli Emperor's subject, and if anything happened on the front lines, he would definitely return to help!

Nice words, said to give the emperor face. After all, they had a life-or-death friendship.

An Ascended Master claiming to be his subject in person made the Wanli Emperor very happy. Everyone was happy.

Ji Xiang also said, “Your Majesty, if you have anything you need, just have Lao Zhang contact me. He has my contact information. The last four digits of my Daoist sound transmission number are four eights...”

Of course, Ji Xiang wasn't the kind of person to break his word. After all, if the Ming court fell now, it would definitely be a huge catastrophe for the sentient beings of the Visible World!

Whether this decaying dynasty of more than two hundred years could usher in a major reversal during the Wanli reign depended on the next few decades!

Even if he couldn't bear it, he had to bear it!

......

The next day, before leaving, Lao Zhang came here, even bringing a few strangely shaped firearms that looked very powerful.