The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 123 When will I ascend to the Heavenly Palace? How can I become an immortal?

The wind rustled through the sparse woods, leaving only deathly silence.

Taishan Gong is the highest-ranking mountain god in the human world.

The foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains.

All eyes fell on the retired Emperor Li Longji and the Taoist-robed youth with the knife. The terror and fear of demons that had just passed vanished in an instant, replaced by an absolute trust in the face of dire straits.

Zhou Yan felt that most of the incense power he had used up when facing the invasion of his soul by the Qingming Fangzhu had been consumed. This was instantly replenished by a considerable amount. Based on a thousand households as the basic unit, the people here had instantly provided him with ten units of incense power.

Including what was left before, Zhou Yan can now mobilize fourteen units of incense offerings.

In other words... although the number of people is small.

However, the power of incense that erupts under such dire circumstances is even purer and more powerful.

Pei Angju's face turned almost pale.

Zhou Yan knew that Li Longji was using the title "Duke of Mount Tai" to dispel the people's fear of demons.

If an ordinary person were to utter this title, it would have little effect; and if it were not the name of Mount Tai, but some other deity, it would not have the power to instantly calm the people's hearts.

Only the sage personally addressed Mount Tai as "Lord of Mount Tai".

It can produce this instant effect of calming people's minds.

Li Longji even regained the righteousness of having the Duke of Taishan on his side.

However, this was tantamount to Li Longji roasting Zhou Yan as well.

A vein throbbed on Zhou Yan's forehead.

Li Sanlang, you old bastard, you schemed against me!?

Li Sanlang smiled and instructed Gao Lishi to appease the people. As he walked over, Pei Angju, who was kneeling there, turned around on his knees. Li Longji lowered his eyes and looked at this noble scion who was almost prostrate on the ground, his forehead heavily pressed against the ground.

"Saint, saint..."

Li Sanlang said calmly, "They are slandering the Duke of Taishan and sowing discord before the battle."

"Xuanli, what is your punishment?"

Chen Xuanli said, "He should be executed."

Li Sanlang said, "Hmm."

He said calmly, "I will go back and talk to the Pei family in Hedong. They do have some talented people."

"A sage! A sage!"

"This humble subject has more news to report, Your Majesty, I..."

Pei Angju's face turned deathly pale. He wanted to say something, but Chen Xuanli held him down, drew his sword, and beheaded him while he was kneeling on the ground. Blood gushed from his neck, and his head rolled twice on the ground, dying with his eyes wide open.

The headless body, dressed in brocade robes, swayed and fell to one side.

Even with the power of a seventh-rank Xuan official, he offered no resistance when beheaded, falling to the side like a stray dog. The surrounding people were not frightened by the beheading; on the contrary, their morale seemed to be strengthened.

Li Longji ordered Chen Xuanli to help Pei Xuanniao up and praised, "These are truly fine sons of the Tang Dynasty. The Pei family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. I have seen all of you working hard for the country and the people!"

"A family with a thousand-year history, truly worthy of the name Pei; a pillar of the nation, no less than the five great surnames!"

Pei Xuanniao and the others breathed a sigh of relief, because it seemed that the Sage did not intend to implicate the entire Pei family because of Pei Angju's matter, and they also felt a sense of honor and pride.

Only Zhou Yan saw the coldness in Li Longji's eyes as he smiled.

The remaining soldiers, including Luo Zheng, were somewhat at a loss. They bowed and saluted, but Li Longji directly helped them up. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty supported his soldiers with a complicated expression. In the eyes of that political creature, there were still ripples.

"It is I who have wronged you."

"You did a good job, you are soldiers of our Great Tang!"

He pressed down hard on the shoulders of the remaining soldiers, trying to calm them down. Chen Xuanli and Gao Lishi comforted the civilians, while the remaining soldiers and the remaining members of the Pei family restored order, rested briefly, and allowed the civilians to recover their strength before continuing on their way.

Li Longji went to meet with Zhou Yan and the other two.

They kept a distance from the public to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed.

Chen Xuanli originally wanted to come over, but Li Longji dismissed him, saying, "Given the current situation, why worry? What benefit would you gain from coming here?"

Li Zhenyue lowered the heavy shield in his hand.

Shen Cangming did not retract his Mo Dao, but held it at an angle, the blade touching the ground, gleaming like snow. Li Longji looked at Zhou Yan and said with a smile, "Grandfather, you don't seem so happy?"

Zhou Yan said, "I think I've already said that I am not the Duke of Taishan."

"Li Sanlang."

Zhou Yan looked at Shen Cangming and said, "It was when I pretended to be the mountain god that the mountain god of Wuyin Peak lent me some power..." Then he looked at Li Longji, who said knowingly, "Shen Cangming, Li Zhenyue, could you two step back a bit?"

“I want to speak with this ‘Lord Taishan’ alone.”

Li Zhenyue paused for a moment, then picked up the heavy shield, slung the iron shield over his back, and retreated while gripping his horizontal sword. At his waist were also a mace for armor-piercing and a crossbow with bolts already loaded.

As they moved, the weapons clashed, producing a soft, tinkling sound.

With broad shoulders, even without armor, he exudes a majestic and awe-inspiring presence, like a mountain range, a walking military fortress. When he becomes an opponent, he only inspires fear and dread.

If they are teammates, they will give you an absolute sense of security.

Shen Cangming remained unmoved.

Li Longji said, "In my current state, this kid is better than me."

Shen Cangming looked at Zhou Yan, who said, "I'm fine, Uncle Shen."

Shen Cangming then picked up the Mo Dao in his hand, withdrew his gaze, turned around, and walked away with the ten-foot-long double-edged sword in his hand. Li Longji sighed and said, "Shen Cangming of Xingxiuchuan, I still remember him. I gave him a gold medal for his meritorious service in the Battle of Shibao City."

Zhou Yan said, "Let's not bring up the past anymore."

"Li Sanlang, I told you I am not the Duke of Taishan." Li Longji did not directly preach any grand principles. The old man reached into the inner pocket of his brocade robe sleeve, took out a box, and threw it directly to Zhou Yan, who caught it.

With a tap of the thumb, the box opened.

A fragrant aroma wafted from the box.

Inside, on a pale gold satin, lay a pill.

It is the size of a pigeon egg, covered with nine layers of purple cloud patterns on the outside and containing a vortex of stars inside. Touching it feels like holding thunder.

Zhou Yan felt his physical strength, honed from the fierce battle, rapidly recover, and even his mental fatigue seemed to be soothed. Li Longji looked at the pill and said calmly:
"Taiyi Nine-Turn Purple Extreme Pill".

"The chalcedony is used as a vessel to melt cinnabar. It is forged and tempered nine times by water and fire, turning metal and stone into jade liquid. It also gathers the purple fairy maiden from the top of Kunlun Mountain, which absorbs the essence of the sun and moon for thousands of years to become spiritual. It can replenish the five internal organs and rebuild the foundation."

Zhou Yan's pupils contracted slightly.

The white-haired Li Sanlang said, "This is the elixir offered by the Louguan Daoist sect back then. It is enough to restore vitality and save lives. Shen Cangming lost an arm and went blind in one eye. Even for someone who has been through many battles, his foundation must have been greatly damaged."

"Give him this pill."

"We can't say he's back to his prime. After all, losing his arm also caused his meridians to be incomplete, and the flow of his internal magic power was disrupted, which is why he fell to the level of a seventh-rank Xuan official."

"But even if he doesn't fully absorb the medicinal power after taking this pill, it will be enough for him to return to the sixth rank."

Zhou Yan found himself unable to refuse the pill.

Shen Cangming was too important to him.

He was a lifesaver, a mentor who taught him, and though they were called uncle and nephew, their relationship was like that of father and son.

Li Longji said, "Take it. No matter what your decision is, this pill is at least safe. As for the identity of the Duke of Taishan... well, there's no need to rush to deny it. After all, I was once the Emperor of this Great Tang, a sage. My eyes can see some special things."

“You possess the Dao fruit of the [Lord of Mount Tai].

"I have known the Duke of Taishan for a long time. When we performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, he was proud and I was proud too. Now that the world has collapsed to this point, he is disappointed and I am disappointed as well. Having fallen to this state, I also want to know about the situation of my old friend."

Zhou Yan organized his thoughts, realizing he needed to be open and honest.

He then concealed the jade book and began to recount his experiences from the beginning.

From his near-selling out and being eaten alive, to his feud with the Qingming Pavilion Master, to his pursuit by the Black Wind, he had to pretend to be the Mountain God in order to repel his pursuers, but because of his identity as the Mountain God of Wuyin Peak, he was further targeted.

After slaying Hei Feng, the divine wills of the Azure Netherworld Master clashed.

Zhou Yan only said that he was able to break the deadlock with Li Zhiwei's help, and that he risked his life to obtain a fragment of the Dao Fruit of the Duke of Taishan. He also witnessed the fall of the Duke of Taishan and the destruction of his Dao Fruit.

Zhou Yan kept his story brief and covered up a lot, only promising to make sure that the story about the Duke of Taishan was as true as possible.

Li Longji tapped his fingers and muttered to himself, "Buddha, Tao, demon, general, human destiny, it seems there are quite a few who want to bring down the Duke of Taishan and who want to obtain his power."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhou Yan inquired about the situation and said:

"Is it to break through to a higher realm?"

The white-haired Li Longji smiled and said:
"You have no idea what kind of treasure you've obtained."

"From ancient times to the present, there have been pursuits of extraordinary cultivation during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, and struggles during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. When the Qin Emperor conquered the various states, he integrated the lineages and inscribed them on stone tablets. These tablets were then passed down through the ages and obtained by figures who left their mark on history. Through their study and comprehension, the lineages we have today have become a complete system."

"However, throughout these vast thousands of years, the upper limit for almost all cultivators has been the [Fourth Grade]. No matter how high their cultivation level or how abundant their magical power, it is difficult to break through to the next level..."

"A fifth or sixth rank is already considered a hero of our time."

"A fourth-rank official can be considered a master."

"But those ethereal immortals are still above the Grandmaster level."

"Just like Hu Ziyang, the founder of Canxia Tower, who integrated the Daoist path of Dan Ding School, re-comprehended and created the art of Neidan (internal alchemy). Although it has all sorts of mysterious and supernatural powers, it is still ultimately a mortal art."

Li Longji said, "The realm of a third-grade immortal god is like an insurmountable chasm. No one can cross it. Humans cultivate quickly, and their lineages are passed down in a systematic way. Often, a dozen or twenty years can be equivalent to a hundred or several hundred years of cultivation for a demon race."

"Demons live long lives, but their cultivation is slow."

"Therefore, those trapped in this fourth-grade realm are some of the great demons who have survived from ancient times to the present, with lifespans of thousands of years and cultivation of two thousand years. These great demons roamed freely in ancient times, establishing their reputation as fierce gods."

"At that time, the human race suffered greatly from oppression."

"It is only because our human race has passed down its lineages and the lineages have become clearer over the generations that we can ensure that each generation has a large number of Xuan officials below the seventh rank; after Qin Shi Huang, every era can ensure that each lineage has a fourth-rank Grandmaster, which is why the human race has gradually prospered."

Li Longji's white hair fluttered slightly in the wind as he said:

"Now it seems that some of the great demons who have survived since ancient times and have a reputation for ferocity are nearing the end of their lifespan. They crave the title and power of a demon god."

"If arduous practice cannot yield results, then seek the Dharma lineage; if the Dharma lineage cannot be obtained, then seek the supreme treasure."

Zhou Yan said, "So, those beings who yearn to become immortals and gods want to obtain the things left behind by those who have stepped into the realm of immortals and gods, and then place their hopes on these relics of immortals and gods to suddenly comprehend the methods and techniques, and bypass that threshold?"

Li Longji said, "That is indeed the case."

"Therefore, the so-called immortality and revival are all illusions. This Reclining Buddha Temple is probably just a huge alchemy furnace. I just wonder which great demon wants to try the path to immortality."

Zhou Yan looked at the distant Reclining Buddha Temple.

His pupils, the Dharma Eye, rippled with pale golden light, while Li Longji's eyes shimmered with purple energy. Both of their eyes had surpassed the [Dharma Eye] supernatural power possessed by ordinary lineages.

In their eyes, the energy of the Reclining Buddha Temple flowed and transformed into a huge blood-red egg. The blood-red color was intertwined, yet there were golden rays of light that fluctuated, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, like breathing, like a fetus moving.

Zhou Yan noticed that the hairs on his arms were about to stand on end.

Damn it, what on earth is being nurtured here?!
Insect demons, cicadas, two lotus flowers representing the fundamental wisdom and Dharma eye of Buddhism, along with Buddhist light, resentment, and the powerful demon Weaver Girl, who is comparable to the Azure Netherworld Monk who has seized the Dao Fruit, all come together...

It must be stopped.

Li Longji exhaled, made his decision, and said:

"Then, Zhou Yan."

"Should I become the true [Lord Taishan] here?!"

(End of this chapter)