Chapter 1 Ji Xiang's Performance

Ji Xiang gathered all the actors, grabbed a few cultivators at random, found a wild fox spirit from the mountains, and added the scholar Zhang Yaofang.

Scholar Zhang's expression was not very good, as if he had lost his parents. He really didn't expect that he would come to collect folk songs out of curiosity, but would fall into a monster's den, and now it seemed that he was going to be used as cannon fodder.

"Great King, I really can't do it. Look at my legs and feet, they're not flexible. I have old cold legs. I have an eighty-year-old mother at home, and a newborn son. Great King, I haven't passed the *juren* exam yet. Please let me go, and I'll bring my son to recognize you as his adoptive father."

"Goodness, Scholar brother, you can't just casually say someone is your adoptive father."

Ji Xiang patted him on the shoulder, acting very familiar: "I have a friend who is similar to you, he took the *juren* exam several times, and failed every time. Now he doesn't take the exam anymore, and his whole spirit seems to have been sublimated. What's wrong with being a scholar? That poor and sour taste is very authentic. This is close to people's livelihood. Listen to my advice, don't take the exam anymore."

Scholar Zhang: "Don't! Great King! Passing the *juren* exam is my life's dream! When I was born, the fortune teller said that I had the face of a *juren*. My great-great-grandfather was once the top scholar. The fortune teller said that a great talent would surely emerge from my family in the future!"

"If not me, then who else would be this great talent! My family has had four generations of fame, and I will definitely reach a higher level in my generation. I also want to enter the inner cabinet as the chief assistant!"

Ji Xiang: "Is it possible that the fortune teller was talking about your son?"

Scholar Zhang: "Absolutely impossible! When my son was born, he couldn't even cry. I thought he was dead. Later, he was熏 by the incense and then he cried out. The doctor at the clinic said that he was born weak, and perhaps had congenital diseases. Such a weak body cannot study..."

Ji Xiang said meaningfully: "Oh, so your son might die. Then you should go with me to explore the road even more."

Scholar Zhang was shocked: "Don't! Great King! My son is very weak now, but the fortune teller said that he will definitely be rich and noble in the future. His road is still long! I can't die, I can't die!"

But no matter how Scholar Zhang argued, he was still brought to Taiping Ancient Town. As soon as he entered the tomb area of the ancient town, the *yang sha* qi (positive baleful energy) fluctuated. The fox demon inside felt uncomfortable. Ji Xiang helped it neutralize the *yang sha* qi around it, while the three cultivators were bright-eyed and felt light in their bodies. Even some hidden scars left in their bodies in the past disappeared.

"That Demon King, the *yang* energy here is so abundant, you brought us here, saying that you are looking for ghosts. Where are the ghosts here!"

"That's right, you also asked those little demons to seal this place. Isn't this just a few graves? And over the years, even the *yin* energy has dissipated. I'm afraid there are no dead bodies in these graves, just cenotaphs."

Ji Xiang looked at that person: "You wandering Taoist, you have good eyesight."

The wandering Taoist immediately proudly said: "That's natural! *Feng shui* to find tombs, this is one of the housekeeping skills of walking the *jianghu*! If you can't learn great spells, learn these, and you can live well for a lifetime."

"These are indeed cenotaphs..."

Ji Xiang didn't finish his sentence.

Suddenly, the *yang* energy around him rioted!

Scholar Zhang was at a loss at this time, but Ji Xiang could see at a glance that the Haoran Qi (righteous energy) reacted with these *yang* energy, and it even dissipated from Scholar Zhang, actively merging with the surrounding *yang sha* qi!

"Golden Light Charm."

Ji Xiang stretched out his hand, and dozens of golden light talismans instantly surrounded him, enveloping several people.

In the blink of an eye!

The world turned upside down!

The original ancient tomb disappeared, replaced by a prosperous ancient town!

The town was bustling with people, and the town was performing Nuo opera (ancient Chinese drama). The people around them did not seem surprised to see Ji Xiang and the others suddenly appearing here, and the light of the Golden Light Charm also disappeared here. Those talismans disappeared, but the three wandering cultivators and the fox demon were not teleported to other places.

"The Golden Light Charm replaced the teleportation, so that's how it is. When the Haoran Qi attacks, the cultivator's body will react, and these *yang sha* qi will distinguish between those who have cultivation and those who don't."

Oh, is that so.

Hmm? Then Fox Xiao Shi was also judged to have no magic power... Hmm, that's not right, the Archmage must have special privileges.

"What, what, what is this place! Weren't we still by the graves just now!"

"There really are ghosts!"

Scholar Zhang was terrified at this time, while the other cultivators had just felt the fluctuation of the Haoran Qi, and immediately grabbed Scholar Zhang and questioned loudly:

"You poor scholar, what did you do!"

"Just now, there was an aura fluctuation on you!"

Scholar Zhang's mouth was dry, and he shouted for injustice:

"I swear to God, I didn't do anything just now!"

"Everyone, don't slander me!"

The three cultivators were relentless. Although they didn't recognize the Haoran Qi, the fluctuation of the aura could not be wrong. Scholar Zhang was unable to defend himself, and quickly asked Ji Xiang for help:

"Great King! Great King, help! I really didn't do anything!"

"Great King, do I look like a ghost!"

Because the Haoran Qi on Scholar Zhang was far less than that of Feng Menglong, Ji Xiang looked at Scholar Zhang, thinking that perhaps the stronger the Haoran Qi, the greater the reaction caused by attacking the surrounding *yang sha* qi. Therefore, the faster they tore apart the disguise of this "Yang Sha Illusion" and transferred to this world.

I don't know why this state occurs for the time being, so let's call it the "Yang Sha Illusion" for now.

But it looks more like a teleportation or transfer formation.

"That's right, I've seen this kind of change before. You don't need a visible formation. You only need a few specific locations, infect them, and they can be used as beacons to invade the present world. If you want to do this, first of all, someone must have been here before and made a 'mark'."

"There is a proxy!"

Ji Xiang suddenly remembered.

This is extremely similar to the transfer incident in Shuntian Prefecture!

That time, it started from the Dongyue Temple, and then gradually infected the surrounding seventy-six divisions of the Yin Si (netherworld government), and under the Dongyue Temple, there was a hidden formation arranged by the Xuanzhong Archmage.

Ji Xiang looked around, and demonic energy began to rise. The three cultivators around him showed surprised expressions.

"Sure enough, there are traces of the power of the Dharma Realm!"

Song Ting obtained the Yin Mountain Dharma Realm, and the Yin Mountain Dharma Realm itself was the Dharma Realm used by the Yin Mountain Sect to connect the human world and the ghost world. They could use ghosts as their magical servants through the Yin Mountain Dharma Realm, and they could raise them in the ghost tower as the source of the Yin Mountain magic power.

But before, several dojos of the Yin Mountain Sect had been wiped out, and the statue of the Yin Mountain Ancestor had been seized. The Dharma Realm was divided into two, half controlled by Biyou Palace, and half controlled by Song Ting.

Although it was only half.

But with the Yin Mountain Dharma Realm, connecting the *yin* and *yang* realms from the underworld, and even suddenly transferring such things, was no longer difficult!

"You don't need a hidden formation like the Dongyue Temple that reverses *yin* and *yang*."

"You don't need the Jade Emperor as a medium."

"You don't need to send ghosts and gods to enter the world first to investigate."

"You don't need to infect things related to the Yin Si first!"

"Many steps have been omitted."

"The Dharma Realm opens the door of convenience for Song Ting!"

Taiping Ancient Town has no *yin* energy, full of peace, everyone is smiling, Nuo opera seems to be a frequent performance in the town, people gather on both sides of the street to watch those dance performers who play gods and ghost generals.

Everyone has fear in their hearts, approaching the street where the performance is taking place. What the three wandering cultivators saw were smiling faces, but Zhang Xiucai said that he saw purple angry faces, and the eyeballs were still spinning around.

"There is no mistake now, it is indeed the same."

Ji Xiang looked over himself, and what he saw was also a smiling face.

Without Haoran Qi, you can't see the true face under the mask.

Those purple angry faces are probably not masks, but the true faces of these "ghosts and gods"!

People are cheering, ghosts are acting, and everyone is playing their role well.

Following the acting team, soon, he saw the great temple for offering sacrifices to gods in the distance.

"Golden and brilliant."

"Brightly lit."

"Decorated with lanterns and colored banners."

The three cultivators answered this way.

"Carved beams and painted pillars."

The fox demon answered this way.

"What about you, do you see Senluo Hall (the palace of Yama, king of hell)?"

Ji Xiang asked Zhang Xiucai, who tremblingly looked into the distance: "Ah? No, what's written on it is..."

"Jingling Palace."

The difference in information was eliminated here. Zhang Xiucai said that he did not see Senluo Hall, and the others all said that they saw Jingling Palace.

The crowd surged, crowding and shoving. Ji Xiang expanded a space around him with magic power, not allowing others to enter this range. Those people turned their heads strangely, and then saw Ji Xiang's attire, and then they realized that Ji Xiang did not seem to be a person who was sacrificing to the gods.

"Hey! Look, this Taoist is wearing black clothes!"

"It's strange, Taoists wear yellow clothes, how can anyone wear black clothes!"

During the Song Dynasty, Taoists wore yellow robes. Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals in Taoism, was portrayed in the Song Dynasty as wearing a blue scarf, yellow Taoist robe, black belt, straw sandals, and holding a palm hat.

During the Ming Dynasty, Taoists generally wore blue clothes.

Those commoners laughed at Ji Xiang's attire, thinking that he was neither a person who sacrificed to the gods, nor a Taoist practitioner.

"A person like you, worshiping the Heavenly King, will anger the Heavenly King!"

The commoners began to approach Ji Xiang, not allowing Ji Xiang to continue forward, and scolded him with all kinds of foul language.

"You lowly wretch, imitating a Taoist but not wearing yellow sacred clothes, a mill servant but not holding a long banner, learning from others but turning into a raccoon cat, so ridiculous, this place does not welcome someone like you, quickly take off your clothes, and kowtow in front of Jingling Palace to plead guilty!"

"If the Heavenly King sees you like this, he will not invite you in to worship him. If you do not admit your guilt, he will bring down the most terrible punishment on you, so that you will not be at peace after death!"

"If you want to be at peace in the afterlife, you cannot violate the rules since ancient times! If you don't take off your clothes, we will call the officials!"

The commoners tried to drive Ji Xiang away, and some even rushed up, trying to break through the barrier set by Ji Xiang and tear off Ji Xiang's clothes.

Ji Xiang laughed loudly:

"That's really interesting! You things should consider yourselves lucky for three lifetimes to see these clothes, and you dare to ask this seat to take them off and plead guilty in front of that Jingling Palace! Immortals are all defeated by this seat. What Heavenly Kings and Dharma Kings dare to talk to this seat like this? This seat thinks it's a bastard!"

Ji Xiang's tone also became stern, no longer referring to himself as "I", but with a more majestic "this seat."

"Leaving aside whether your words insult this seat, at least you insult these clothes, and insult the position of this seat. This seat, who is in charge of the Taoist records of the world, are these clothes something that you can drag?"

"Today, I'm here for him! You things are not living people either. If you dare to block my way again, don't blame me for delivering you to the Pure Land of Eternal Bliss!"

Ji Xiang waved his sleeve, and his five fingers opened forward!

Lightning flashed!

Lightning instantly swept away everything in front of him!

The surrounding commoners were immediately taken aback, and Zhang Xiucai also jumped up and shouted: "Great King, Great King, you can't kill people indiscriminately!"

But in the next moment, those places swept by the lightning reappeared with the previous commoners, as if they had changed out of thin air, without any gradual process, they suddenly stood here, and at this time, they also changed.

The smiles on everyone's faces disappeared, and all turned into purple angry faces!

This startled the three cultivators and the fox demon!

The purple faces of the commoners spewed anger: "Good fellow! We asked you to admit your guilt, but you still dare to insult the Heavenly King. The officials will come to arrest you soon!"

"Wa ya ya, wa ya ya ya ya!"

A wandering cultivator took a breath of cold air:

"What are these things! Ghosts! Not very similar! Where can lightning not restrain ghosts!"

"Monsters! Evil spirits! Great demons!"

The three cultivators trembled, and at this time they greatly regretted it, secretly saying that they should not have come here!

Ji Xiang raised his hand and struck again with a bolt of lightning, clearing the commoners here, and then said to several people: "Hurry up and move forward! You have no other choice now!"

The three cultivators and the fox demon immediately ran forward in terror. Zhang Xiucai asked when he ran past:

"Are these things ghosts?"

Ji Xiang snorted: "How would I know!"

After the lightning swept through, a path was opened, leading to Jingling Palace, and those who performed Nuo opera disappeared before Jingling Palace.

Dong, dong, dong!

A huge shaking sound appeared. Ji Xiang turned his head and saw a large group of soldiers wearing armor...

Not soldiers of the Song Dynasty, but armor of the Jin Dynasty!

Iron Pagodas!

These zombie soldiers were huge in stature. The Iron Pagoda heavy cavalry armor was still easy to move in. They were incredibly strong, with faint blue light in their eyes, holding rusty huge battle knives, and rushing from a distance!

[Corpse Fiend: Similar to but not a Jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampire), like a ghost but not a ghost, appearing and disappearing between the formless. When there is a place of governance, their form is not obvious. When no one is taking care, the ghost form appears, killing people in an invisible world!]

[Among the ancient mounds and tombs, there are these formless yet substantial ghosts, who can kill people across the world, ignoring the changes of *yin* and *yang*. They are ghosts and monsters that appeared in *Lu Yiji* (Record of Anomalies), fierce demons that manifested in large numbers during the turbulent period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms! The era of their initial birth is unknown (suspected to be during the Qin Dynasty (altered)).]

[This ghost can be killed with *wuhuan* wood; or by chanting the name "Yao Mao", this ghost will retreat completely.]

[Erect the Jade Emperor's hidden name talisman and chant the "Du Ju Spell" to kill these kinds of ghosts.]

"Easy to handle!"

A talisman appeared in Ji Xiang's hand. Seeing the group of ghosts covered in Iron Pagoda armor rushing to the front, Ji Xiang immediately shouted:

"Yao Mao!"

Buzz! The name contained tremendous power. The Corpse Fiends instantly stopped their charging formation, and then retreated dozens of steps in panic!

[Yao Mao: The name of a divine shaman. In the past, there was a divine shaman named Yao Mao who could use talismans to attack hundreds of ghosts, capture imps, and kill them with *wuhuan* wood.]

Although it sounds like "dick hair", but...

The talisman with the Jade Emperor's hidden name written on it burned out of thin air, and Ji Xiang chanted the Du Ju Spell, raising lightning with both hands!

"Yin spirits, *yin* spirits, heaven and earth startled and darkened. Magical powers are vast, swallowing the sun and eating the stars."

"The three *qing* are full of *qi*, the five emperors are pure and bright. Leading the three realms, directing the thunder."

"The community orders of the nine provinces, employing the west and east. Five lakes and four seas, twelve stream truths."

"....."

"Those who resist thunder die, those who follow thunder live. The Jade Emperor's righteous *qi*, refines and tempers the thunder!"

"Eliminate evil and slay demons, save and protect all living beings!"

Boom! The Du Ju Spell rushed out with thunderous *qi* in all directions. The armor of the Corpse Fiends that were swept away immediately shattered, and the zombie's appearance instantly turned into nothingness. Finally, wisps of green smoke floated out of the armor. These green smokes hovered in the sky for about three finger flicks, and then quickly drilled into the depths of the ground.

"Kill, killed them all!"

Zhang Xiucai was stunned when he saw it from behind! Shocked!

"Are these ghosts? Great King, your magic power is really high!"

Afterwards, a faint dark red light appeared in Zhang Xiucai's eyes.