After Pei Xuanjing receded his aura, both of them couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. However, they didn't care about this and looked at Pei Xuanjing with excitement in their eyes.
Daoist Xuanming asked excitedly: "You mentioned before about Refining Essence, Refining Qi, and Refining Spirit, you have achieved the breakthrough with the way of Refining Spirit, right?"
They had discussed these ideas in the past. Of course, Daoist Xuanming understood the three aspects of essence, qi, and spirit that Pei Xuanjing proposed. The theory of Pei Xuanjing can be said to have the same effect as some of the theories in Baiyun Temple.
"Correct!" Pei Xuanjing nodded, "By a fortunate coincidence, I managed to transform my Divine Soul into a Yin Spirit. The recent thunder was gathered because of this Yin Spirit."
"The Sect Master's talent is divine, he can be regarded as the first person in the Tang Dynasty." Yu Zhenzi complimented.
Pei Xuanjing shook his head modestly, but Daoist Xuanming on the side didn't think so. He believed that Yu Zhenzi's words were well-deserved.
No wonder, Pei Xuanjing made a breakthrough before the revival of Heaven and Earth, he could be regarded as the first Martial Artist to step into the Spirit Realm under the constraints of Heaven and Earth since the Tang Dynasty.
It's worth knowing that, regardless of the founder of the Quanzhen lineage or Master Sanfeng from the True Martial Sect, and many other strong people, even if their martial arts had reached the peak, they were finally trapped by the shackles of Heaven and Earth and were unable to break free and ascend to the Spirit Realm.
If it's only based on this point, no Martial Artist after the Tang Dynasty could compare to Pei Xuanjing. Thus, calling him "the first person in thousands of years since the Tang Dynasty" is not an exaggeration.
Pei Xuanjing continued to be modest: "It's nothing more than a fortunate coincidence!"
Although many people were incredibly curious about the strange phenomena and terrifying aura emerging from Baiyun Temple, no one dared to probe easily due to the presence of Pei Xuanjing.
Like Daoist Xuanming's original perception, most strong individuals also assumed that Pei Xuanjing had simply mastered some terrifying, invincible martial arts skill, greatly enhancing his strength.
Not a single person would believe that Pei Xuanjing had already broken through to the Spirit Realm, a realm they didn't even dare to think about.
Even amongst the powerful forces with long-standing heritage, many of them understood that being a First-grade Martial Artist was not the end of Cultivation, and that there was a higher realm above it. However, they didn't even know the name of the next realm of Cultivation, let alone the path of Cultivation, so it was even less possible for them to Imow about Pei Xuanjing's breakthrough.
In the following days, Pei Xuanjing chose to go into seclusion first to slowly familiarize himself with the uses of his Yin Spirit and to experience the mysteries of the Spirit Realm.
Unfortunately, on one hand due to the threat of Thunder Tribulation, and on the other hand due to the constraints of Heaven and Earth, Pei Xuanjing found that he couldn't freely release his Yin Spirit.
However, it wasn't that he gained nothing. Through continuous exploration, Pei Xuanjing gradually developed the use of Yin Spirit.
Firstly, his Yin Spirit could leave the body. After entering meditation, Pei Xuanjing could carefully release his Yin Spirit from his body and move freely within a certain range around his physical body.
He also discovered that Yin Spirit was extremely afraid of sunlight and could only leave the body at night. Pei Xuanjing wasn't clear about the specific names of Cultivation after entering the Spirit Realm, so he temporarily named his current state of the Yin Spirit realm as: First Tribulation Yin Spirit•Night Travel Realm.
In this realm, Yin Spirit is newly formed and fears the sun during the day, can only roam freely at night, and can move within a certain range around the body.
According to Pei Xuanjing's speculation, his current Yin Spirit was newly
formed, and the essence of life had changed. However, because he was lacking some teachings about the path of Refining Spirit, it could be said that other than using brute force to suppress others, he temporarily didn't possess other offensive methods.
"Unfortunately, with this realm breakthrough, the amount of Taoyun needed for a life simulation has increased again." Pei Xuanjing sighed.
Indeed, after this realm breakthrough, the Taoyun required for life simulation increased from 100,000 to 200,000.
But having had the simulator for such a long time, he was somewhat immune. Therefore, when he wanted to take advantage of this realm breakthrough, he had already prepared himself mentally.
Now, Pei Xuanjing was not worried about having insufficient Taoyun. Given the current cooperation between them, it was easy for Pei Xuanjing to borrow their martial arts teachings for viewing as long as it did not involve their secret teachings.
And if successful, he would have the chance to view martial arts skills collected by the imperial family through the Emperor's help.
Considering the wealth of the Great Ming imperial family, six hundred years of accumulation, and many martial arts skills obtained from previous dynasties, it is unknown how profound their collection is.
Therefore, Pei Xuanjing was not currently worried about accumulating Taoyun.
The fact that Pei Xuanjing had stepped into the Spirit Realm was secretly passed to several partners. Whether they were Daoist Qingxu, Elder Heaven Master, Bai Xiaosheng, or the Chunyang Sect leader who had never met Pei Xuanjing, they were all extremely excited.
Because this type of news, to them who had almost reached the peak of the Mortal Realm, was undoubtedly a timely rain after a long drought.
They were originally like fumbling around in the vast darkness not knowing what lies ahead, advancing forward by carrying heavy burdens just following their insistent beliefs.
But now, Pei Xuanjing's breakthrough is like a suddenly lit lamp in the vast dark night, illuminating their path ahead and giving them hope.
This let them understand that they hadn't taken a wrong path, that their perseverance and efforts weren't in vain…
They were so stirred that they immediately prepared to meet with Pei Xuanjing. They wanted to see the first powerful person who had broken through to the Spirit Realm after thousands of years since the Tang Dynasty, trying to find their breakthrough opportunity from him.
But Bai Xiaosheng talked them out of it, stating that they had already waited for so many years for Pei Xuanjing's breakthrough, so they won't miss out much if they wait a little longer. On the contrary, their plan had reached a critical stage now, no mistakes could be afforded.
Therefore, they decided it would be better to set a time and meet at Taihe Mountain, where they could discuss important matters.
Even Bai Xiaosheng who was in Tiandu and in close proximity to Pei Xuanjing suggested this, so of course, others wouldn't say much and could only agree.
Indeed, after receiving news of Pei Xuanjing's breakthrough, Bai Xiaosheng considered changing the plan. He decided to push the plan forward without any worries.
After some time in seclusion, Pei Xuanjing had just come out when he received these messages, for which he didn't have any objections.
He knew clearly in his heart that this was the impact of his strength breakthrough. His breakthrough gave them hope, and also made them more eager to step ahead.
After all, speaking of real age, Pei Xuanjing was their junior.. Now that a junior had surpassed them, how could they willingly remain behind?
In fact, Pei Xuanjing truly supported the acceleration plan that was being pushed forward from the bottom of his heart.
After all, if you speak of the Pei Xuanjing of the past, he might have made mistakes when faced with attacks from multiple strong people. But now, having stepped into the Spirit Realm, Pei Xuanjing had no such worries, regardless of how many people made a move, he could easily suppress them.
"Master." Pang Hong respectfully greeted Pei Xuanjing.
After Pei Xuanjing was granted the title of 'Great Real Man', under the witness of Daoist Xuanming and Yu Zhenzi, he formally accepted Pang Hong as his disciple, officially entering Pei Xuanjing's sect.
Many people were envious of Pang Hong for this, feeling that sometimes, one's luck really couldn't be compared with others.
When it came to aptitude, Pang Hong may not be considered excellent. Some might even say average, but he was able to learn under Pei Xuanjing, a chance that not many high-achieving talents could have.
Given Pei Xuanjing's current strength, he could be considered the unquestionable number one person in the world, and countless talents wanted to learn under him.
Moreover, both Pei Xuanjing's power and status had now reached a peak. Even in the case where Pei Xuanjing was not accepting other disciples, Pang Hong could be said to be the future definite successor of the Shenxiao Sect.
"You have worked hard during this time," Pei Xuanjing said.
During this time, he had been in seclusion, and many things were handed over to Pang Hong to handle on his behalf, together with Yu Zhenzi.
Pang Hong hurriedly said, "All of these are my duties, Master, there's no need to mention it."
He knew that meeting Pei Xuanjing was the greatest fortune in his life. The great kindness he bestowed on him was beyond repayment which made him willingly do anything without any complaints.
Pei Xuanjing nodded and asked, "Do you have come because there is something you need to discuss?"
Pang Hong should be by Gu Ji's side during this period. Pei Xuanjing's actions at the initial Great Morning meeting also displeased Wang Qiong and made Gu Ji worry about whether Pei Xuanjing was just deceiving him.
So, Pei Xuanjing sent him over, as a liaison to express his intentions, and also to learn how to handle things with Gu Ji.
"Master, the Emperor has sent a message, saying that as soon as Master leaves seclusion, he should be notified, it seems he has some important matters to discuss with Master personally," Pang Hong told the truth.
"Good! You go and inform him!"
"Yes!"
Three days later, by the stream on the back mountain of Baiyun Temple, Pei Xuanjing held a fishing rod and sat leisurely on a reclining chair.
"The Great Real Man is doing this, intent on imitating the matter of T'ai-kung angling King Wen, intending to hook the destined one?"
A voice came, and it was indeed an Emperor in common attire.
The Emperor's guards retreated to a hundred feet away, leaving him to walk towards Pei Xuanjing with a smile on his face.
The guards also knew who the Emperor was going to see and were even more aware that their existence held no meaning to that person. If that person really wanted to harm the Emperor, they couldn't stop him.
So, when the Emperor asked them to retreat, there was no refusal from them. The Emperor slowly walked towards Pei Xuanjing, and was for a moment, in
awe.
Even though his martial arts skills were not high, he could feel the change in Pei Xuanjing's demeanor. In such a short time since they had last met, it seemed there'd been a complete change; there was transcendent and detached feeling like that of an immortal.
As he understood, for a powerful person at Pei Xuanjing's realm, every bit of progress was extremely difficult and required enormous time and experience.
But Pei Xuanjings strength seemed to increase again in such a short time, which was truly astonishing.
Thinking of the guess from the expert by his side not long ago, the Heavenly Thunder that day was triggered by Pei Xuanjing. The Emperor had no doubts left in his heart and only felt admiration.
Pei Xuanjing, without turning his head or even standing up, said lightly, "How dare I compare myself to T'ai-kung, who assisted King Wen in opening up the Heavenly Zhou dynasty."
Having said that, he pulled up his fishing hook, and there was nothing on the bare fishing hook. He laughed and said, "T'ai-kung angling King Wen used a straight hook to get him, but I've not even been able to get a single fish with my hook. "
"Haha." The Emperor laughed heartily, not minding Pei Xuanjing not standing up to greet him, and sat down without ceremony in another reclining chair next to him. He said indistinctly, "As a Great Real Man, you did not catch a fish, but you used a book to attract me."
Before Pei Xuanjing went into seclusion, he sent a book to the Emperor through Yu Zhenzi.
At first, the Emperor did not understand what he meant, but after studying it, and consulting with a few masters he trusted, he understood the purpose and value of the book. Then he realized the meaning behind Pei Xuanjing's gift of the book.
For the Emperor, who was not exceptional in martial arts, he knew that he would not be able to reach the peak like strong experts such as Pei Xuanjing, using martial arts to seek the Path of Longevity.
Because of this, he asked Pei Xuanjing on that day if there was a method for longevity.
At that time, Pei Xuanjing's answer was vague, telling the Emperor to wait patiently for the right moment.
But now, the Emperor understood that Pei Xuanjing's gift of the book was actually the answer to that question he'd asked in the side hall that day.
Pei Xuanjing was telling him that he really had a method for longevity.
The Path of Refining Spirit is different from the prevalent physical body and True Qi cultivation methods today.
Pei Xuanjing gave a faint smile, threw his fishing rod back into the stream and said, "It seems that Your Majesty has made up his mind."
The Emperor looked where the hook fell into the stream and replied, "Today
I've come here, is the Great Real Man still unsure of my intentions?"
Pei Xuanjing watched the calm stream and asked, "Just how committed is Your Majesty?"
"How committed does the Great Real Man think I need to be?"
"In all matters in this world, if you want to succeed, you must pay a price. How much you pay, determines how much you can gain." Pei Xuanjing leisurely said, his tone indifferent, but his words moved the Emperor, "If successful, it's a matter of great joy. But if it fails, it means death, destruction, and the end of the 600-year reign of the Great Ming in Your Majesty's hands, making you the eternal culprit. Can Your Majesty accept such a cost?"
Death and destruction, the end of the 600-year reign of the Great Ming all at once.
The situation described in such light words was actually very scary.
The Emperor imagined the scene if things failed, the world in chaos, wars everyvvhere, mountains of corpses, seas of blood, countless of the royal family being slaughtered like pigs and dogs, himself abandoned by all, bearing endless curses and dying in infamy.
For a moment, the Emperor was hesitant, struggling to make a decision, and unable to speak for a long time.
Seeing his hesitation, Pei Xuanjing wasn't surprised nor did he urge him. He just waited quietly for the other's reply..
Ultimately, regardless of how much thunderous tactics the emperor before his eyes might exhibit after ascension to the throne, how wisely he might perform, or how heroic his actions, he still was, at the root, just a sixteen-year-old boy.
If he could stay unmoved by the horrific price Pei Xuanjing talked about, if he had no feelings about it and agreed decisively…
Then Pei Xuanjing would be somewhat worried – worried that the other party was playing him or if he was just innately heartless and ungrateful.
Either of these possibilities would reveal how terrible the other party could be, certainly not the type of collaborator Pei Xuanjing wished for.
Pei Xuanjing would rather slow down his plans than to seek a partnership with a cold, ruthless person, because that would leave a major catastrophe.
The emperor's face showed a struggling, hesitant expression, having trouble making a decision in this moment.
The current emperor recently ascended the throne as a teenager, holding dreams and ambitions within his heart. He desired immortality and was willing to pay the price. But the price Pei Xuanjing spoke of was undoubtedly too heavy, making him struggle to decide.
He wished for immortality, but likewise, he didn't want to become a tyrant despised by all in the future.
Suddenly, he looked at Pei Xuanjing who seemed tranquil, an idea flashing through his mind, leading him to some crucial points.
"If the plan fails, what would become of you, Master Pei?" He asked Pei Xuanjing solemnly.
Exactly, if he chose to cooperate with Pei Xuanjing, should he fail, what would happen to Pei Xuanjing?
In recent times, other than dealing with court matters, a significant portion of his thoughts were on this grand master's experiences, carefully studying them.
He found that this grandmaster, rising from insignificance, despite encountering numerous dangers and perilous situations, seemed blessed by heaven each time, turning danger into safety, not only overcoming threats but also emerging the largest beneficiary.
Since the other party wished for his involvement in the plan, it was undoubtedly driven by tremendous faith. The consequences of failure he described were indeed frightening, but did not mean inevitable failure.
If failure was inevitable, then why would the other party waste so much effort?
"If one day failure does occur, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape unscathed," replied Pei Xuanjing.
Indeed, although Pei Xuanjing had confidence in his plans, he was not blindly self-assured, believing himself infallible and that everything would go according to his design.
He understood how grand his plan was, the great rewards success would yield, but also the unimaginable prices failure would cost.
Even with his power and the simulator in his hands, there was no guarantee of coming out intact when that time came. Even whether Pei Xuanjing would be Willing to nang on to dear lite remained uncertain.
The establishment of a divine kingdom on earth and the founding of a supreme imperial court were merely the first steps in Pei Xuanjing's plan.
What he desired more was to take advantage of another chance for Heaven and Earth to reset, swallow up the world, and encompass this world, then use it to upgrade, for all beings to ascend with him to immortality.
Going it alone to become immortal may offer freedom, but it's too lonely.
Pei Xuanjing wanted: when one achieves the Tao, all others become immortals.
He wanted to pave a path to immortality, for the people of the world to follow him and become immortals, to be the pioneer, the supreme of the immortals, the ancestor of all ways.
He wanted to step into the river of time, to travel upstream, to see what really happened in the grand eras of the Tang Dynasty, Divine Han, Pre-Qin, and so forth, to see what was eradicated in the flow of time.
This grand idea surfaced in Pei Xuanjing's heart during his time on Dragon Tiger Mountain.
The emperor didn't know of Pei Xuanjing's ambitions. He could only sense the aura emitted from Pei Xuanjing.
The aura mixed with complex emotions of the unknown future, immense ambition, and overflowing confidence.
"If the grand master is willing, how could I dare not?" The emperor spoke solemnly, his youthful face filled with determination.
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuanjing met the emperor's gaze directly. The emperor held Pei Xuanjing's gaze steadily, full of determination and resolution, not yielding an inch.
"Excellent!" Pei Xuanjing laughed heartily, loudly saying, "I admire your highness's ambition."
"I just hope the great sage doesn't disappoint me!" declared the Emperor solemnly.
He had already made a decision and naturally hoped not to lose.
He knew what a huge cost was at stake behind this, a cost that was too great for him to bear.
Originally, Taigong hoped to directly hook Angling King Wen to establish the Heavenly Zhou Divine Dynasty.
So today he did not know if Pei Xuanjing, with a single book, had managed to hook his heart for longevity and whether it would allow him to achieve eternal life.
Pei Xuanjing responded with a calm smile, his confidence underscoring his words.
Deep breaths…
The Emperor took a deep breath and made another decision.
He addressed Pei Xuanjing: "I, for a long time, have admired the great sage, I want to apprentice under you. I wonder if you would accept me as your student. "
He knew that his collaboration with Pei Xuanjing was not solid due to their superficial relationship. Accepting Pei Xuanjing as his teacher could strengthen their bond.
Although he did not think that Pei Xuanjing, as a strong figure, would be bound by such a relationship, it was preferable to stand under a big tree for shade. Having Pei Xuanjing as a teacher would be greatly beneficial in handling court affairs.
Pei Xuanjing understood the Emperor's thoughts but did not respond immediately, remaining silent as he pondered.
Contrary to the Emperor's expectations, Pei Xuanjing was very cautious about taking on apprentices. It was not a matter he took lightly.
If it was indeed so, he would not have taken Pang Hong as his disciple after such a long period of following him; he was rightfully on his list of disciples.
He spoke slowly: "If Your Majesty is indeed sincere, I can only accept you as a nominal disciple. Whether or not you become my personal disciple in the end is something to be seen in the future."
Hmm?
The Emperor paused, initially irritated by Pei Xuanjing's response. He felt insulted to be considered only a nominal disciple despite his status.
However, he quickly understood that this was likely not the case and that he might have misjudged Pei Xuanjing. If Pei Xuanjing had been a desperate ambitious figure, he wouldn't have made things difficult for him in this matter; he could have easily taken him in as a disciple.
Having pondered this, he let his anger dissipate. He stood up and bowed to Pei
Xuanjing: "Disciple Zhu Houji pays respects to the teacher."
Pei Xuanjing did not avoid it, he accepted the Emperor's bow and said: "As I have agreed to take you as a disciple, I should give you a welcoming gift."
After pondering over, he pulled out the half of the Shenxiao Blade from the sleeve of his robe, and passed it over.
"This was originally part of my Shenxiao sword. Although it's only a Thousand Refinement Divine Weapon, it bears my sword intention and has extraordinary power. When activated with True Qi, it can inflict unmeasurable harm. It can serve as a protection weapon for you."
At this moment, he addressed the Emperor as "you", obviously considering him as his disciple rather than the Emperor of the Great Ming.
"Thank you, teacher!" Zhu Houji respectfully accepted it.
At this moment, he also considered himself as Pei Xuanjing's disciple rather than the emperor.
Pei Xuanjing continued, "I shall give you a Taoist name so that I can address you appropriately in the future, is that okay?"
"Thank you, teacher."
"Since you are wholeheartedly seeking longevity, why not take the name 'Ziji'?" suggested Pei Xuanjing after some thought.
Ziji
The Emperor was very satisfied with the Taoist name: "Disciple Ziji pays respects to the teacher."
At this moment, the fishing rod trembled, as if a fish was hooked..