One of the Holy Emperor's sleeping halberds stolen by the Wu Hua clan, a low-grade spiritual artifact. This halberd has been enshrined in the Holy Mausoleum for thousands of years, impervious to all evil and difficult for worldly evil spirits to defile.
One of them was in the hands of Wu Hua, but after Wu Hua was killed, it was naturally lost. This one originally belonged to Rong Dun, but after Rong Dun was killed, it fell into Jiang Liu's hands.
This halberd was less powerful than a flying sword, but fortunately it could withstand the corrosive effects of the tainted blood. So they clashed with the halberds. With the help of Jiang Liu, a great supernatural being, they managed to kill the seven hungry ghosts without serious injury, despite paying a heavy price.
"Fellow Daoist, your superb skills are truly remarkable! This sword control technique is even more exquisite than that of Li Chungang, the Two-Sleeve Green Serpent!"
The Great Master of Fate looked exhausted. She had put in the most effort in killing the Hungry Ghost Spirit, and her energy had been greatly depleted. However, her phoenix eyes were fixed on Jiang Liu, with a hint of curiosity mixed with admiration.
Such a young Qi Refiner could not possibly be unknown. He must be either an inner disciple of a major immortal sect or a disciple of an immortal. She hadn't examined those flying swords closely during the battle, but she could deduce that they were definitely spiritual artifacts capable of withstanding the corruption of hungry ghost spirits.
Spiritual artifacts are nothing special, but it's not easy to produce five flying swords of spiritual artifact level in one go.
What she didn't know was that there was also a top-grade spiritual artifact, the "Invisible Sword," hovering above her head.
Jiang Liu pointed to the ceiling and said, "How long are they going to fight like this?"
"That Gui Li possesses numerous magical artifacts, and his strength has already reached the eighth level of Refining Essence into Qi. Although Li Jian is invincible due to his large army, taking him down will not be easy... cough cough..."
The Great Master of Fate coughed violently. Although she hid it well, Jiang Liu still saw a trace of blood on her blood-red palm.
"Are you injured?"
"It's an old problem!"
Jiang Liu looked at the sky and said, "That Gui Li is trying to escape!"
As if a massive explosion had occurred in the sky, black energy scattered in all directions, and Gui Li, along with the explosion, transformed into a streak of black light and fled.
Jiang Liu leaped into the air, and a bronze mirror with a bluish-green luster appeared in his hand. In the mirror, colorful flowers rained down, golden clouds shimmered, and wind, clouds, water, and fire shifted and changed endlessly.
"Behold my Haotian Mirror!"
Jiang Liu roared and chanted a sacred incantation. A strong white light burst out from the mirror, shooting straight at Gui Li like a searchlight.
"ah!"
A series of shrill screams came from the black mist that had condensed yin energy, and then the black mist gradually contracted, or rather, dissolved.
"I've immobilized him, capture him quickly!"
Upon seeing this, Li Jian channeled his blood energy, wrapping the ghostly figure layer upon layer like a cocoon.
In just seven breaths using the "Haotian Mirror," Jiang Liu felt that his vital energy at the seventh level of "Refining Essence into Qi" was almost completely depleted.
Chapter 127 The Alchemy Stream Reappears
"Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. Li Jian bows to you in gratitude!" Li Jian bowed to Jiang Liu and said, "You deserve the greatest credit for this battle. Once the invasion is quelled, the Great Tang Dynasty will surely reward you handsomely!"
"After this battle, Jiangnan will be pacified, and demons and monsters will have nowhere to hide. Jiangnan will surely be well-governed. General Li, let me first request an official title for Qianlong Temple on Qianlong Mountain!" Jiang Liu clasped his hands in a respectful but not arrogant manner.
A glint flashed in Li Jian's eyes. He was the son of Li Jing, and had been favored by the Tang Emperor to quell the major events in Jiangnan. He was a descendant of the Hundred Schools of Thought and the Military School. The era of the Hundred Schools of Thought had passed. Since Dong Zhongshu of the Han Dynasty dismissed the Hundred Schools of Thought and exclusively honored Confucianism, Confucianism had become the dominant ideology.
In times of chaos, military strategists may flourish, but the Tang Dynasty already showed signs of a golden age. With the Tang emperors using the imperial examination system to select officials, Confucianism was about to reach new heights, while other schools of thought would never have a chance to rise to prominence.
The Mohists are about to be integrated into the Ministry of Works, solely to forge military weapons for the state, and will no longer practice the ideology of "universal love and non-aggression"; the Legalists exist in name only, with only the Ministry of Justice remaining in the world, and no more Legalists, which is in fact Confucian legalism; the Military Strategists are relegated to the Ministry of War, and since the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world has produced many Confucian generals, while the sons of the Military Strategists have only been reduced to generals who charge into battle and kill enemies, and it is difficult to entrust them with important responsibilities and the position of commander.
The Hundred Schools of Thought represent the path of worldly engagement, not the path of Qi cultivation. Unless one has great fortune and perseverance, there is perhaps only a slight chance to break through the realm of refining essence into Qi and reach the realm of Earth Immortal.
Otherwise, after a mere hundred years, one becomes nothing more than a skeleton.
Li Jian couldn't help but recall his master's sigh as he faced the vast sea of clouds when he left the mountain: "Confucianism has already lost its momentum. If the other schools of thought want to survive, they must find another way. Integrating into the imperial court is merely a short-sighted solution; they will eventually be devoured by Confucianism and absorbed into its doctrines. If our military school wants to survive, it can only hope to regain its former glory by cooperating with Qi cultivators. If you are willing, then find a way out for our sect!"
A hundred thoughts raced through Li Jian's mind as he said, "As one of the three sacred mountains of talismans, Maoshan has the duty to subdue demons and monsters and protect the Tang Dynasty from evil. But now it has abandoned the army, which is why the army has suffered this calamity... If you wish to glorify your sect, I, Li Jian, although I do not have great abilities, can still offer you my humble contribution."
"Then thank you very much, General!" Jiang Liu smiled slightly. Befriending Cheng Tieniu and Li Jian, both sons of high-ranking officials in the court, was a valuable resource. If Qianlong Temple were to establish its own government one day, it would undoubtedly be a great asset.
Jiang Liu had two unresolved matters on his mind. One was to avenge his master and slay the Corpse Demon of the White Bone Cave. Having just obtained many magical treasures from the "Shushan" world, he was full of confidence and was waiting for the right opportunity to cause trouble for the Corpse Demon.
The second task is to pass on the legacy of Qianlong Temple, and Jiang Liu's goal is to develop Qianlong Temple into a major sect like "Longhu," "Wudang," and "Maoshan." To achieve this, the support of the Tang Dynasty is indispensable.
As you can see, the eastward transmission of Buddhism also required the intervention of the Tang emperor.
The two exchanged a glance, but their alliance was established without a word.
“Now that we have captured that Gui Li, Fellow Daoist Jiang, why don’t you come with me? He has some magical artifacts on him that you can take.”
"good!"
The two entered a heavily guarded tent, where they saw a human-shaped black mist bound by several blood-red iron chains in the center—it was none other than Gui Li.
Besides him, there were more than a dozen other people, all dressed in Taoist robes, and the leader was the red-robed Grand Master of Fate.
"Great Master of Fate, have you made any progress?"
"Junior brother, we've been waiting for you."
The High Priest waved to the Taoist man behind him and said, "These are some treasures I obtained from him."
As he spoke, he presented a wooden tray with a scroll of eerie scripture, a small jade bottle, a white bone banner, a piece of green jade, and three broken magical artifacts.
Li Jian took it and handed it to Jiang Liu.
Jiang Liu didn't stand on ceremony and first opened the eerie scripture to take a look. This was the Ghost King Sect's cultivation technique—the Ghost King Manual, a method for cultivating the ghost path. He flipped through it and then closed it; he had no intention of cultivating the ghost path, and this thing was of no use to him whatsoever.
That small banner is a low-grade spiritual artifact that can summon 108 white bone skulls to attack enemies.
Among the three damaged magical artifacts, there was also a high-grade spiritual artifact, but it was already destroyed. Judging from the blood aura attached to it, it should have been destroyed by Li Jian's supernatural powers.
The pills in the small jade bottle were three high-grade human-level Yin Gathering Pills, which could condense Yin energy and were extremely important to ghost cultivators.
These items are very precious. Even before Jiang Liu transmigrated, his master, Daoist Xuanming, only had two spiritual artifacts in all the possessions of Qianlong Temple!
One protective artifact was directly destroyed by the corpse demon of the White Bone Cave, and the Thunder Tribulation Sword was defiled and dropped to the treasure stage.
This shows how precious the magical treasures Jiang Liu obtained in the "Shushan" world were; if compared, they were even more abundant than those of an ordinary Earth Immortal.
Things are different now, so he naturally looks down on these things.
After he held the piece of jade in his hand, he let out a soft "Eh," and said with a smile, "General Li, I'll take this piece of jade. The rest of these things are of little use to me, so you can take them back! You all go about your business..."
With that, he sat down cross-legged on one side of the tent and began to sense the information within the jade.
Li Jian and the Grand Master of Fate exchanged a glance, seemingly asking a question. The Grand Master of Fate whispered, "It's the alchemy formula from the ancient alchemy cauldron school!"
"If I remember correctly, that alchemy technique requires a lot of resources to cultivate! This isn't ancient times anymore! Unless a country's resources are supported, or an Earth Immortal helps... By the way, what grade of alchemy technique is it?" Li Jian asked.
The Grand Master of Fate narrowed his eyes and said, "It's the eighth-grade Feather Cauldron Cloud Essence! I already copied it before. I didn't expect the Ghost King Sect to have obtained such a high-level pill-making technique. Although it requires a massive amount of resources, it's still something to aspire to. If one is fortunate enough to obtain the treasure needed for cultivation, it's not impossible to cultivate it. Junior brother, with your conditions, you have a good chance of successfully cultivating it, and perhaps even a chance to step into the Earth Immortal realm!"
Li Jian smiled bitterly, "It's not that simple. This Dan Ding Liu cultivation method is a trap. The more you cultivate, the more resources you need. I've seen the seventh-grade Yin Yang Nine Revolutions before. Even if I sold my entire Li family, I still wouldn't be able to gather enough resources!"
After reading the information in the jade, Jiang Liu realized it was the eighth-grade alchemy technique of the "Dan Ding Liu" school, "Feather Cauldron Cloud Essence." He opened his eyes, his face full of smiles. He hadn't hidden anything from Li Jian, who had just spoken, and had heard it clearly. He clasped his hands and asked, "General Li, where is the seventh-grade alchemy technique? Please tell me!"
"In the treasury of the Tang Dynasty imperial palace!"
"The Tang Dynasty Imperial Palace?" Jiang Liu frowned.
“If you want it, I can get it for you! But…”
Chapter 128 The First Appearance of the Nine Provinces Barrier
"However... as you know, such ancient cultivation methods cannot be passed on to outsiders. After I obtain the alchemy manual, I may have one day to examine it before returning it. You also know that the higher the level of the cultivation method, the more its mysteries cannot be fully expressed in words. The seventh-grade alchemy manual of the Pill Cauldron Flow is already a cultivation method of Earth Immortals. Even if I copy it down, it will be useless to you, fellow Daoist. If you really want it, go to Chang'an after this battle, I will obtain the alchemy manual, and you can examine it."
Jiang Liu frowned. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Since he'd given so much, it seemed he needed to reciprocate.
What do you need me to do?
"Fellow Daoist, you're too kind. It was just a small favor..."
Seeing Jiang Liu's gaze, Li Jian gave a wry smile and said, "Alright! I'll tell you the truth, I need your help!"
"Who to kill?"
Li Jian was taken aback, knowing there was nothing he could hide from him, and still answered truthfully, "Ghost King!"
Then, pointing at Gui Li, he explained, "The Ghost King Sect was destroyed ten years ago. The Ghost King and his son escaped and their whereabouts are unknown. For hundreds of years, the land of Kyushu has been in turmoil, and the city gods and spirits in various places are of mixed quality. Furthermore, there are evil ghost cultivators who have stolen divine positions and secretly colluded to cause chaos in the human world. This time, they have even colluded with the Eastern Island Kingdom to invade. If we cannot kill that Ghost King and his cronies, just like ten years ago, they will surely make a comeback as soon as they have the chance."
Jiang Liu frowned. What he was talking about was the greater good of humanity. Appealing to emotions and reason, supplemented by incentives—a good tactic.
However, those who cultivate the Tao are detached from worldly affairs and rarely fight alongside large armies. Jiang Liu had no choice but to lend a hand in order to accumulate merit for the Yangzhou Cauldron and to ensure the prosperity of the Qianlong Temple.
But that doesn't mean he can ruin his future for these things! Moreover, now that he has obtained many magical treasures from "Shushan", his momentum is already established, and he is strong enough to protect himself. Whether or not the Tang Dynasty helps him is irrelevant.
The greatest karmic force in the human world is no greater than a large-scale military war. When cultivators fight, only one or two people die, but when armies wage war, tens or hundreds of thousands of lives are reincarnated.
Qi cultivators rarely even enter the mortal world, let alone participate in it. Only when their cultivation has reached its limit and there is no further progress will they enter the mortal world to seek worldly wealth and status.
Otherwise, being entangled in karmic consequences will have a huge impact on breaking through to the Earth Immortal realm. It may even bring about three calamities and six tribulations during the breakthrough, which could result in a drop in cultivation level or even death and the dissipation of one's cultivation. Therefore, it is best to avoid it if possible.
Even possessing the "one that has vanished" cannot guarantee that one will not be affected. Of the fifty Great Daos, the "one that has vanished" is, after all, only one of them.
Upon realizing this, Jiang Liu said directly, "I'm sorry, I probably can't help you."
Li Jian's face darkened. Although he hadn't held out much hope, he was still somewhat disappointed to hear Jiang Liu's refusal. He said, "That's right. Qi cultivators are different from us philosophers. It's already extremely fortunate that we were able to capture Gui Li with your help. We can't force it any further. As for the pill formula, I will definitely fetch it for you when you go to the Li residence in Chang'an."
"General, you fight for the country, Jiang Liu admires you! What do you intend to do with Gui Li?" Jiang Liu asked, changing the subject to avoid embarrassment.
The Grand Master of Fate spoke up at the opportune moment, saying, "Fellow Daoist, my Yin-Yang School possesses a divine ability called Mind Reading. Moreover, I have brought with me the Yin-Yang School's most precious treasure, the Illusionary Sound Box, which is sufficient to peer into the secrets within his sea of consciousness!"
"Mind reading? Illusionary sound box?"
Just as Jiang Liu was wondering, Da Siming had already walked towards Gui Li, holding a treasure box in his blood-red palm. The box was exquisitely crafted, and from the outside it looked like an ordinary music box. There were four lines of text on the box: "Twelve Illusory Laws, Five Modes of Non-Music, Heavenly Melody of Ultimate Bliss, Myriad Demonic Sounds".
After the music box is opened, a tower-shaped pavilion appears inside. The pavilion has five stories, and each story has twelve eaves.
A melodious tune, seemingly both real and dreamlike, drifted out, transporting the listener to a fairyland.
"Hmm!" Jiang Liu suddenly woke up after a brief moment of distraction, thinking to himself: What a powerful hallucinatory sound! I almost fell into a hallucination.
Then, the Great Master of Fate's blood-red palm was seen pressing down on Gui Li's head from a distance. The blood-red light on the palm gradually seeped into it, and under the permeation of the melody and the vital energy, the black shadow could be clearly seen to twist slightly.
"The City God of Wu County... the Land God of Taihu Lake..."
After uttering two names, blood flowed from Da Siming's nose, clearly indicating that he had been harmed by the mind-reading technique.
"Jiangyin City Judge..."
"It was him! No wonder the information about the army was obtained by the East Sea!" Li Jian's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
The Grand Master of Fate named several more, all of them local land gods, mountain gods, and city gods. When she said "City God of Huaiyin," blood was already flowing from her seven orifices. She went limp and was immediately embraced by Li Jian. He then fed her several pills, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.