Sure enough!
Strangely, after the shocking news was spoken, the two were not overly shocked, but rather felt a sense of relief, as if a mystery had been unraveled.
Neither of the two men was foolish.
Wang Boan, being in Tiandu, had already received countless hints from people, intentional or not, and he had early suspicions.
Although Gu Ji was located in Northwest Dao, holding a high position meant he naturally had his own sources of information. While he may not have a thorough understanding of the matters in Tiandu, he certainly was not oblivious to such a monumental issue.
The fact that Wang Qiong pointed out this matter did not surprise them, as they had already prepared themselves mentally.
The study fell into a brief silence; nobody spoke.
Seeing their expressions, Wang Qiong silently nodded in approval.
If they had shown shock or confusion, he might have doubted whether these two were truly worth entrusting with crucial matters. After all, whether the shock was genuine or feigned, it represented either their lack of seriousness or sheer stupidity.
"So, the rumor that has been circulating in Tiandu is true?" Gu Ji asked solemnly, turning to Wang Qiong and asking, "Given the present situation, which has seen the emperor's death kept a secret, does this mean that no decision has been made about the successor?"
Despite only having been back in Tiandu for a few days, this news had reached him.
"Indeed!" Wang Qiong did not deny it, he just admitted it.
How could he be unaware of this rumor that has been widely circulated in Tiandu?
But so what if he knew? Regarding this piece of gossip, he could only turn a blind eye, pretending to be oblivious.
After all, letting it be would be better; if he were to intervene, it would be akin to admitting the rumor's validity.
Wang Boan frowned and asked, "Regarding the issue of the successor, the emperor should have made a decision long ago. Why is there still conflict, and why has there been no definitive decision on the heir?"
Although Wang Boan was very dissatisfied with the emperor, who had pushed him into retirement and forced him to resign,
He did not believe that this emperor, who had ascended the throne for a long time but did not have an heir, had not left instructions about the successor. Indeed, this emperor, though outrageous, would not have been that negligent.
Gu Ji had the same thought.
"Ah!" Wang Qiong sighed softly, saying faintly, "This is precisely the reason for the ongoing dispute. While the emperor had intended to handle this matter, he merely mentioned it verbally and did not actually issue a decree. To avoid causing any significant impact, even the daily records did not document this matter."
Wang Boan and Gu Ji glanced at each other; they had not expected such a situation.
Gu Ji asked a key question: "Given this scenario, it seems that the Grand Elder and the First Advisor had conflicting opinions?"
Currently, the two most powerful people in the court were the First Advisor Yang Tinghe and the Grand Elder standing in front of them.
No matter what the others thought, as long as these two reached an agreement, no one could stand in their way, not even the noble officials.
Wang Qiong stayed silent, Gu Ji was right. The dispute over the next emperor had indeed been caused by a disagreement between him and First Advisor Yang Tinghe, and hence made it impossible to settle this matter.
Seeing Wang Qiongs embarrassment, Wang Boan took the initiative and asked,
"Whom does the Grand Elder favor?"
"The current King Xing, who is the cousin of the emperor!"
"According to the ancestral teachings of Great Ming, it's fair and reasonable that the younger brother should succeed when the elder brother dies. However, what is the First Advisor's opinion?"
"Choose a young child from the royal family and adopt him as the Emperor's son, following the precedent of Emperor Renzong of the former Song Dynasty."
"In that case, it seems reasonable as well."
Whether it's the younger brother succeeding the elder or adopting a young child from the royal family as a son, both are reasonable, especially without a written will, it's hard to distinguish right from wrong.
Wang Qiong sneered and asked in a deep voice, "Do we still have time to wait for a young king to grow up in such a tumultuous state?"
Upon hearing this, the two were speechless and didn't know what to say.
Because this involved a very sensitive topic: The Cabinet and Ministry strife.
Almost simultaneously, Pei Xuanjing said to Yu Zhenzi on Dragon Tiger
Mountain, "The dispute between Minister of War Wang Qiong and First Assistant Yang Tinghe seems to be just about the new emperor, but it actually represents an irreconcilable contradiction behind the scenes, including the Cabinet and Ministry strife and the future direction of the Great Ming policies."
Ever since the Cabinet was formed, its power has continuously increased. It gradually rose to a level equivalent to the six ministries, trending towards being above them in these years.
In other words, the fight between the First Assistant and Wang Qiong has always been about the power struggle between the Cabinet and the six ministries.
How the new emperor will be decided also determines the future policies of the Great Ming.
After all, during the time that the emperor was in power, despite being somewhat absurd, he had been preparing the military, compiling the Martial Classics, and had already shown a tendency toward sending troops outside the border.
But if a young king were to ascend to the throne, this matter would definitely be put on hold or postponed.
For Wang Qiong, who had been preparing and planning for this for over a decade, this was unacceptable.
Although King Xing was young, he was already fifteen. After his enthronement, he wouldn't need too many years to manage political affairs personally and could continue to pursue this plan.
Yu Zhenzi was highly impressed by Pei Xuanjing's analysis. "Sage, you have remarkable insight. I feel ashamed for my lack of such wisdom."
Just by relying on the scant information delivered by Bai Xiaosheng, he was able to analyze such situations, something he himself couldn't do.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "Who do you think will win in the end, Sage?"
"Who will win?" Pei Xuanjing laughed heartily, looking up at the sky with a demeanor of condescension.
His faint voice reached Yu Zhenzi's ears, "I do not know who will win among them, but the ultimate winner will certainly include us."
If Pei Xuanjing had previously remained disinterested in the throne, things might have proceeded according to the original trajectory.
But now that Pei Xuanjing had decided to join forces with various factions, the end result would surely serve their interests.
Otherwise, whichever side the new emperor came from, he would inevitably not ascend to the throne.
Yu Zhenzi was shocked upon hearing these words.
The reverence and admiration in his eyes as he looked at Pei Xuanjing were self-evident.
Pei Xuanjing, gazing at the vast starry sky, said to Yu Zhenzi standing behind him, "I'll leave the matters to come to you, I need to retreat for a while."
Yu Zhenzi nodded and said, "Rest assured, sage."
Baiyun Temple, located in the suburbs of the capital city of Tiandu, was full of incense.
Night fell, Bai Xiaosheng walked in slowly, and a Taoist had already been waiting for him.
He said leisurely to the Taoist in front of him, "I hope Master Guan will forgive my unannounced late-night visit."
The Taoist shook his head and said, "If a scholar travels a long distance to visit, how can I refuse to meet him?"
Bai Xiaosheng did not mind the slight rejection in his words, and smiled and said, "I have come today to discuss with Master Guan a matter of great importance to the world.."
In the depths of the night, when Bai Xiaosheng came to call, his words were so shocking that they wouldn't die down.
In the outskirts of Tiandu, one of the imperial capital's vital areas, if it were anyone else, they would likely be scared to the point of their face turning pale.
However, the Taoist only shrugged and laughed, "I as a humble Taoist, already feel overwhelmed managing this small Taoist Temple. You may have mistaken me for someone who could handle such worldly affairs you speak of."
"Hehe." Bai Xiaosheng drained the cup of wine in one gulp, laughing sarcasticallv: "If it were someone else from the Taoist School who claimed to be ignorant of worldly affairs, I would believe it. But if a Taoist from the Baiyun Temple says that they do not understand these matters, that would be a big joke."
The Taoist in front of him was none other than the famous Master Guan of Baiyun Temple, Daoist Xuanming.
Baiyun Temple is one of the three main ancestral homes of Quanzhen, highly valued by the imperial family of the previous dynasty.
The deeds of the Baiyun Ancestor, who single-handedly entered the army camp and resolved conflicts with a few words, are still revered by many Martial Artists today.
Among all Taoist Schools, perhaps only the True Martial Sect could rival it.
He came here today because the message conveyed by Pei Xuanjing clearly stated that if Bai Xiaosheng agrees to this matter, he can visit the Baiyun Temple in the outskirts of Tiandu, and that it would be best to first probe the other party's intentions.
With efforts from both Bai Xiaosheng and Dragon Tiger Mountain, this matter could be settled.
Hence, Bai Xiaosheng's unexpected visit tonight..
"My Baiyun Temple has been closed for a long time, concentrating solely on the pursuit of the divine path, with no intention of meddling in worldly affairs." Daoist Xuanming lightly shook his head with a smile.
Even after his lie was just exposed by Bai Xiaosheng, he simply acted as if he hadn't heard.
Bai Xiaosheng pretended to be regretful: "What a shame, it seems I have disturbed Taoist Priest's cultivation, I am truly sorry."
Although Baiyun Temple has kept a low profile and refrained from worldly affairs since the founding of the Great Ming.
But Bai Xiaosheng knew, that Baiyun Temple was once the great sect leading the Taoist School, its influence was formidable, even more so than Shenxiao Sect.
They are only laying low now due to the pressure from the Ming Imperial Court, for fear of their previous sins being brought up; otherwise why would they willingly downplay themselves.
Since the other party agreed to meet with him today, Bai Xiaosheng knew they were already interested. Everything now depends on whether the terms he offers can convince the other party.
Plus, his main aim of the day is to test the other party's attitude, not necessarily needing an immediate affirmation.
"Sir, do you know where this place is?"
"Oh?"
"This here is the outskirts of Tiandu. Aren't you afraid of getting noticed for talking about the imperial court's affairs in such an irrational manner?" Daoist Xuanming replied indifferently.
Bai Xiaosheng countered with a question, "So, do you, Taoist Priest, plan to report me to the imperial court in exchange for rewards?"
Bai Xiaosheng dared to pay a solo visit tonight, showing his cards without hiding anything, fully confident that even if Baiyun Temple ended up disagreeing, they would definitely not betray them.
Very simply, even if we don't take into account Chunyang sect potentially joining us.
Judging from the current four-party alliance: Bai Xiaosheng, True Martial Sect, Dragon Tiger Mountain, and Shenxiao Sect, this is already a major force capable of affecting the world's situation.
As a major Taoist sect, Baiyun Temple understands better than any other power, just how terrifying this alliance can be.
Even at the peak of Baiyun Temple's prosperity, they would not want to mess with such opponents, let alone now.
"He he." Daoist Xuanming laughed without comment.
He was just saying it casually, not intending to follow through.
If they indeed went down that path, it would not only consign themselves to the Taoist School, but also provoke joint attacks from the four forces, something that Baiyun Temple would never want to see.
Exactly as Bai Xiaosheng guessed, he was actually testing the waters, he would not have allowed him to visit if he had intended to reject completely.
What Bai Xiaosheng doesn't know, is that by now, a VIP from the Baiyun Temple had already secretly left for Dragon Tiger Mountain.
High on Dragon Tiger Mountain, ever since Pei Xuanjing killed the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu and the Seven Kills Sword Master, he secluded himself after leaving words with Yu Zhenzi, no longer caring about miscellaneous matters.
Even after representatives from Baiyun Temple and Chunyang Sect arrived, he never made an appearance, choosing to leave everything to Yu Zhenzi and Pang Hong to deal with.
Having previous experiences with refining pages of the Netherworld Book, Pei Xuanjing's speed of refining the Netherworld Book increased significantly this time. Approximately a month later, he refined a page of the Netherworld Book and gained a hundred thousand Taoyun.
[Taoyun: 187,413 points.]
[Would you like to use the Life Simulator? Using it once would consume 100,000 Taoyun.]
Pei Xuanjing did not wait for gathering enough Taoyun this time, and directly activated the Life Simulator.
[Life Simulation activated: ]
At the age of thirty- three: You kill the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu and the Seven Kills Sword Master, and once again become the focus of everyone's attention.
However, you who are wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao, do not place any importance on these empty titles, and begin to seclude yourself on Dragon Tiger Mountain.
In order to find out whether the test of the illusory trial was a coincidence or something else, you spent most of your time researching the Netherworld Book.
With your persistent efforts, you finally obtain a "Divine Soul Refining Skill" from a page of the Netherworld Book.
Even though you just start practicing this skill, you can feel that your spirit is constantly strengthening. With the aid of martial arts truth, you feel like you are about to reach the elusive Divine Soul.
As time goes by, your spirit continuously strengthens.
One day, you discover that your spirit can leave your body. In the midst of your joy, you find that your spirit starts to dissipate.
Turns out, when the spirit is initially formed, it cannot stray from the body for too long. When you try to return to your body, it is already too late. In the end, your spirit dissipates and you die.
[This life has ended.]
"I didn't even survive past the age of thirty-three again!" Pei Xuanjing's brow furrowed, finding it unexpected that the result of this Life Simulation was the same as the last one, where he didn't even survive past the age of thirty-three.
He had originally thought that as his strength grew, his lifespan in the Life Simulator should lengthen as well.
But to his surprise, as his strength grew, it seemed to be somewhat counterproductive.
"Could it be that with the growth of my strength, increasing the number of secrets in this world that I get to know, increases the number of mysterious incidents that I encounter, thereby raising the number of dangers I face?" He pondered in his heart.
He shook his head, dismissing these baseless thoughts, and focused his attention on the current Life Simulation.
"Divine Soul Refining Skill? Spirit leaving the body?"
What luck finding a pillow when feeling sleepy.
Currently, in his cultivation, he did not lack skills for Refining Essence or Refining Qi; but he had little experience with Refining Spirit and had never obtained any related martial arts skills.
To his surprise, he obtained the skill in this Life Simulation.
Even if this Life Simulation didn't award him the skill, Pei Xuanjing felt that his gains were immense.
He could sense his spirit and even have it leave his body. Although Pei Xuanjing died in this Life Simulation due to this,
It confirmed his conjecture about the way of the Divine Soul, providing validation for his speculations regarding Refining Spirit.
So, out of the Integral parts of cultivation: Essence, Energy, and Spirit, at least the path forward is correct for now..
[Simulation ends, you can choose to keep one of the following rewards.] [First: Obtain the cultivation technique "Divine Soul Refining Skill".]
[Second: True Qi accumulation at the age of thirty-three.] [Third: Divine Soul cultivated at the age of thirty-three.]
Pei Xuanjing did not hesitate at all and chose the third reward.
For Pei Xuanjing, the second reward, True Qi accumulation, would simply be icing on the cake. After all, given the current circumstances, it would be impossible to break through the Spirit Realm with the Path of Qi Refinement while Heaven and Earth remain dormant.
As for the cultivation technique offered in the first reward, if he could comprehend it from the Netherworld Book during the life simulation, he didn't believe he couldn't do it again.
Therefore, the third reward, an already cultivated Divine Soul, was the best choice for Pei Xuanjing.
After making his choice, Pei Xuanjing distinctly felt an indescribable change taking place in his spirit.
In an instant, his originally excited expression calmed down. His eyes half-closed, his heart was as calm as water, and there was no ripple.
Pei Xuanjing's surroundings fell into silence, as if even time had stopped. At this moment, his consciousness seemed like chaos, and then there was a huge roar, and Heaven and Earth parted.
At this moment, he seemed to see another version of himself sitting on a meditation cushion, his eyes slightly closed, and his true Qi slowly circulating around his body, with heated Blood Qi rising and falling.
After a long while, Pei Xuanjing opened his eyes, his eyes were like lightning, and he exuded an inexplicable aura. Even without using any True Qi or Blood Qi, he still gave people a feeling of extreme oppression.
The Divine Soul is a transformation of spiritual power.
From this moment on, he had a drastically different difference from ordinary martial artists. This was a qualitative change, an evolution of life.
Having just gathered his Divine Soul, Pei Xuanjing was not yet fully in control. After a while, when he fully understands his Divine Soul, he won't still feel such pressure.
"I never thought that I would be the first to step into the extreme boundary of the Mortal Realm in the Way of Soul Refinement, and glimpse the gate of the Spirit Realm." Pei Xuanjing murmured with a complex tone.
Whether it was the Path of Qi Refinement or the Way of Essence Refinement, he had cultivated for decades. He didn't know how many life simulations he had gone through and how much hard cultivation he had done to achieve today's success.
But even so, he only knew how to break through to the Spirit Realm. The distance from truly opening the gate and stepping into the Spirit Realm was still substantial.
He never thought that just experiencing this life simulation, the unpracticed Path of Soul Refinement, would condense the Divine Soul, reach the extreme of the Mortal Realm in the Path of Soul Refinement, and only one opportunity away from transforming the Divine Soul into the Yin Spirit would allow him to become a true cultivator of the Spirit Realm.
He couldn't help but sigh, "Yin and Yang are in order, but fate is unpredictable."
The reason why Pei Xuanjing was able to reach the extreme of the Mortal Realm immediately after condensing his Divine Soul without having ever practiced the Divine Soul Refining Skill, and thus touch the gate of the Spirit Realm, was because of his incredibly powerful martial arts intent.
The martial arts intent is a form of the Path of Soul Refinement. The condensation of martial arts intent happens to be a way for martial artists to showcase their spiritual power.
"The victory of Master Sanfeng over Bhasiba must have been because of this too!" Pei Xuanjing thought to himself.
Now that he had reached this state, he had completely understood what level of cultivation Master Sanfeng had achieved at that time.
Although Heaven and Earth haven't revived yet, with restrictions and shackles preventing Qi refining martial artists from breaking through, given Master
Sanfeng's unparalleled talent, he must have also gone far in the Path of Soul Refinement.
Pei Xuanjing guessed that Master Sanfeng, who made a move on Taihe Mountain that day, must have at least condensed his Divine Soul and touched the gate of the Spirit Realm.
Only in this way would the other party say that he had already perceived that realm.
At the time, Pei Xuanjing simply thought the other party had only touched the shackles of the Path of Qi Refinement. Now, thinking about the other party's last move against him, he realized it was more than that.
Master Sanfeng six hundred years ago, did not only reach the extreme of the Path of Qi Refinement, but also condensed the Divine Soul and touched the gate of the Spirit Realm.
"The only question is, did Master Sanfeng step into the Spirit Realm and cultivate the Yin Spirit back then?" Pei Xuanjing still had unresolved doubts.
At this moment, he no longer has any doubts about the cultivation of the Path of Soul Refinement.
The Path of Soul Refinement can be cultivated like ordinary martial artists at the Mortal Realm stage, or it can not cultivate Qi and blood, physical body, only cultivate spirit, and finally condense the Divine Soul, reaching the ultimate condition of the Mortal Realm.
Transform the Divine Soul into a Yin Spirit, step into the Spirit Realm and become a real cultivator.
Afterwards, the Yin Spirit can transform, leave the body, possess objects, attach to bodies, materialize and other Divine Abilities. After the Yin Spirit is tempered and transformed to the extreme, it can break through the barrier of life and death, possessing the ability to seize and reincarnate.
However, based on the information Pei Xuanjing has, even if the Yin Spirit has the ability to seize, there should be unspeakable restrictions. Otherwise, unlimited seizing and reincarnation would be equivalent to an alternative form of longevity, wouldn't it?
"Hehe." Pei Xuanjing stood up, his eyes brilliant, filled with unprecedented
The Path of Soul Refinement came from behind, reached the ultimate condition of Mortal Realm martial artists, and its strength has improved countless times compared to before.
At this moment, he dares to fight against the old Heavenly Master who holds the Dual Swords of Slaying Evil even with an ordinary Thousand Refinement Divine Weapon.
According to his deduction, the final outcome should be nine to one with him having the upper hand.
It can be said that without any accidents, Pei Xuanjing should now be the world's top martial artist.
After striving hard for more than twenty years, no one can block him when he reaches the top today.
Roaming thousands of miles, who can stop him!
This is Pei Xuanjing's mentality now. No matter what else is said, this state of mind of superiority, when facing anyone, his strength will not be affected at all. On the contrary, it may even give the opponent a sense of oppression.
When Pei Xuanjing emerged from his solitude, it was already more than two months later.
After such a long time in solitude, the first thing Pei Xuanjing needed to do, of course, was to understand the current situation and find out what had happened in these two months.
He also needed to know whether the plans he had laid down before his solitude had been executed smoothly according to his original plan.
If there was a problem with the plan, has it been solved, or does he need to personally resolve it?
All these matters needed Pei Xuanjing to take care of himself.
"This plan concerns my future cultivation. As long as it can succeed, with the martial arts and cultivation techniques collected by the Great Ming imperial family alone, who knows how much Taoyun it can provide me." Pei Xuanjing thought.
With such a reward in front of him, which would allow him to start countless life simulations, how could he not care?