Taoist priests in the supernatural world

Chapter 87 The Immortal Emperor, the Imperial Preceptor of the Celestial Dynasty

"Yuou?"

"Is Prince Yu here?"

Hai Rui heard the sound and turned to look in the direction from which it came.

A group of people were walking briskly from a distance, accompanied by guards with embroidered spring knives hanging from their waists and wearing the uniforms of the Imperial Guards.

The flickering torchlight illuminated the figure of the leader.

The man was in his early twenties, dressed in fine clothes, with a gentle demeanor and an air of nobility that came from long-standing positions of power.

Hai Rui never met Prince Yu.

But intuitively, he vaguely guessed that the young nobleman in the middle was the most likely successor to the current emperor, Prince Yu, Zhu Zaiji.

At this moment, Prince Yu bowed deeply and could not rise, adopting an extremely humble posture.

He didn't rush to look up, as if waiting for the deity's reply.

The people on the riverbank looked at each other in bewilderment.

No one expected that after watching the gods perform a ritual to deliver the souls of the dead, they would soon see Prince Yu from the capital.

One is a celestial being, the other a prince on earth.

Tonight, the banks of the Xin'an River seem to have become a place where the fates of the world converge.

Yellow and white flapped their wings and slowly fell from mid-air.

A gust of wind swept across the river, causing the prayer flags on the altar to flutter wildly.

His white hair fluttered in the wind, his wings gradually folded in, and the light in his golden eyes slowly faded.

"No need for formalities." Huang Bai glanced at Prince Yu and said, "Does Jiajing wish to see me?"

Prince Yu then slowly rose to his feet, not daring to display the slightest air of a prince.

"Exactly."

"My father heard of the legends of immortals and specially ordered me to come from the capital to invite them."

"My father repeatedly instructed me that if I were to meet a deity, I must sincerely invite him and not be negligent."

Prince Yu spoke very politely.

At this moment, the doubts he had when he arrived were gone.

He originally opposed the emperor's pursuit of immortality, mainly because he did not believe in those ethereal and unrealistic gods and immortals.

In his view, the so-called pursuit of immortality was nothing more than a waste of national resources, just like Emperor Wu of Han, which ultimately led to the exhaustion of the country and the decline of its power.

Now I have witnessed firsthand the winged figures soaring through the air, the spirits of the dead manifesting, and golden light guiding the souls of those who perished in the flood.

This is no longer an ordinary sorcerer's trick.

After actually seeing the immortals, Prince Yu couldn't help but have a glimmer of fantasy in his heart.

Perhaps, with divine guidance, the Ming Dynasty's national fortunes could be salvaged somewhat.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Huang Bai looked to the north. "I also want to meet this famous Emperor Wanshou."

He had long wanted to meet the Jiajing Emperor.

I wanted to see if this man, later known as the Emperor of Alchemy, truly possessed any real skills.

More importantly, the secret of the Heavenly Dao's Demon Extermination Order in this world may very well lie with this Jiajing Emperor.

Prince Yu looked at Huang Bai and asked, "May I ask how the immortals are addressed?"

"Huang Bai," Huang Bai said, "My Daoist name is Huang Tian. You can call me Daoist Huang or Immortal Huang."

Prince Yu memorized the name.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Immortal Huang, could you allow me to settle matters in Jiangnan before we go to the capital together?"

"Although my father ordered me to invite the immortals, the situation in Jiangnan is extremely complicated, and I'm afraid Magistrate Hai alone cannot handle it."

"Can."

Huang Bai did not refuse.

Next, Prince Yu, acting on the emperor's decree, promoted Hai Rui to the position of Prefect of Hangzhou.

He then ordered Hu Zongxian, the Governor-General of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and other relevant officials to cooperate with Hai Rui in thoroughly investigating the matters of colluding with Japanese pirates, destroying dikes, and embezzling disaster relief funds and grain.

The officialdom in Jiangnan was immediately shaken.

Soon, Huang Bai boarded the carriage and followed Prince Yu and others to the capital.

Hai Rui remained in Jiangnan.

With Hu Zongxian in charge above, Qi Jiguang's military power outside, and the imperial decree brought by Prince Yu to support him.

He could finally unleash his full potential and launch a sweeping overhaul.

Crack down on powerful local magnates, clear land, and investigate granaries, river embankments, and disaster relief funds.

The first target of Hai Rui's sword was the Xu family, who had shown him great kindness.

This incident caused an uproar among the gentry of Jiangnan.

No one expected that Hai Rui would disregard even Xu Jie's reputation.

But Hai Rui is Hai Rui; gratitude is gratitude, and national law is national law.

Reforms in Jiangnan are proceeding vigorously.

The fate of the Ming Dynasty, too, reached an unprecedented turning point thanks to the flapping of a pair of winged human wings.

……

The capital city, Wanshou Palace.

The sun was blazing, but the air was crisp and clear.

Above the palace and temple, faint purple mist could be seen.

The Wanshou Palace is filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs, and is surrounded by jagged, chaotic rocks.

The palaces and temples stretch out in a continuous line, with upturned eaves and glazed tiles that gleam with a golden luster in the sunlight.

The Taoist priests were busy going back and forth.

Inside the hall stands a large tripod with three legs and two handles.

The body of the tripod is engraved with cloud patterns, dragon designs, and the sun, moon, and stars.

The deep blue flames beneath the cauldron burned brightly.

Several highly experienced Taoist priests kept watch over the furnace fire day and night.

These Taoist priests mostly practiced external alchemy and had extremely profound control over furnace fire, medicinal properties, and the transformation of metals and minerals, which earned them the deep trust of Emperor Jiajing.

There are 108 officially registered Taoist priests in Wanshou Palace.

Including servants, laborers, cooks, and medicine boys, the number exceeded one thousand.

The Jiajing Emperor had to pay a huge price every year to support these Taoist priests.

These costs will ultimately be passed on to the people of the world.

Time passed little by little.

The fire in the alchemy furnace was gradually extinguished.

Streams of purple mist shot out from the dragon head atop the furnace, rising high into the sky.

A unique fragrance permeated the surrounding area.

"It's done."

A Taoist priest said in a low voice.

Soon, the pill flew out.

Emperor Jiajing personally received the elixir on a jade plate.

All the Taoist priests gathered around, holding their breath and watching the emperor use the alchemy technique.

Jiajing extended his finger.

A faint golden light appeared at his fingertips.

The golden light was as fine as a spider's thread, yet extremely concentrated.

Wow!

The originally white pill quickly became tinged with a layer of golden light.

The white elixir transformed into a golden elixir.

Jiajing picked up the golden pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

After swallowing the pill, he closed his eyes for a moment.

Soon, the hair at his temples began to grow back.

This unusual phenomenon shocked the surrounding Taoist priests.

"A strange phenomenon involving a white crane!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on your first glimpse into the realm of immortality!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on your ascension to the path of immortality!"

May Your Majesty live forever and enjoy eternal bliss!

The Taoist priests all knelt down and kowtowed.

Inside the Longevity Palace, congratulatory greetings rose and fell, echoing throughout the halls.

Perhaps influenced by erysipelas, Jiajing's mind gradually became restless.

He no longer concealed his unusual appearance as usual, but instead allowed the white feathers at his temples to be revealed.

In his view, the arrival of immortals in the capital was a sign that he, the emperor, was destined to be blessed with immortality.

With the help of true immortals in the future, I will surely be able to easily resolve the poisoning from the pills and attain the path to immortality.

Emperor Jiajing was an exceptionally intelligent man.

But he was equally selfish and indifferent to human life.

Before he received the so-called righteous teachings, he repeatedly listened to the slander of demons and used the blood of palace maids to refine red lead pills.

To keep the blood clean, Jiajing Emperor even prevented the palace maids from eating normally, only allowing them to eat mulberry leaves and drink dew, and forcibly stimulated blood production with drugs.

Many palace maids died from postpartum hemorrhage as a result, and some even starved to death.

It wasn't until he encountered the righteous execution that Jiajing stopped acting in this way.

As his erysipelas worsens, the darker side of his heart gradually emerges.

In recent years, he has become increasingly disregardful of the lives of ordinary people, frantically accumulating gold from the populace to refine elixirs.

The policy of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields was ostensibly the work of Yan Song's faction, but in reality, it was tacitly approved by the Jiajing Emperor.

In the Wanshou Palace, a thousand people offered their congratulations.

Standing before the great cauldron, Jiajing felt the flow of internal energy within his body, and truly felt a sense of accomplishment in his cultivation.

One day, he will become an immortal who "stands atop the red pine tree, riding a swan and traversing purple mist."

To forever overlook the world and forever rule over all people.

Wow!

Just then, a whooshing sound suddenly arose in the sky.

The prayer flags outside the hall were fluttering violently.

The Taoist priests in the palace all looked up.

What was that sound?

"There's something in the sky!"

Everyone looked up at the sky.

A streak of light could be seen hurtling towards them from the distant clouds.

At first, they were only the size of a grain of rice.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived above the Longevity Palace.

Above the clouds, a golden and white jade carriage was parked.

The carriage body is carved from white jade, with gold inlaid on the edges, and the curtains flow like clouds and mist.

The thing pulling the cart was not an ordinary horse, but several flowing clouds and winds.

Colorful lights hung down beside the car, like rainbows transformed into ribbons.

The entire car was suspended in mid-air, creating a truly magnificent scene.

The carriage curtain was gently lifted, and the immortal stepped out of the carriage slowly.

He wore a bird-shaped crown, his eyes shone with brilliant golden light, and his white hair hung down his back.

Its wings are outstretched, and its white feathers gleam like jade in the sunlight.

Yuren.

These are winged beings from mythology!

The Taoist priests, who had just stood up, knelt down again.

This time, they did not submit to imperial power, but truly developed awe for the master.

The Taoist priests kept kowtowing.

Some people were so excited that they trembled. They had cultivated Taoism and refined elixirs for many years, and had searched through countless immortal books, but they had never seen a real winged person with their own eyes.

Seeing it today, I realize that what was said in the book is not unfounded.

Jiajing's gaze was completely drawn to the yellow and white.

He looked at those pure white wings, at that white hair, at those golden eyes.

For a moment, I was somewhat lost in thought.

This is a deity as graceful as a white crane.

He trained until his body resembled that of a crane.

At this moment, Jiajing finally got his wish and saw a true immortal who was like a white crane.

Compared to the extraordinary white crane appearance on Huang Bai's body, the white feathers growing on his temples were pitifully weak, like a child's haphazard scribbling on a portrait of an immortal.

Jiajing was sizing up Huang Bai, and Huang Bai was also sizing up this emperor who practiced alchemy.

The emperor did indeed possess the unusual appearance of a white crane, but it seemed slightly different from his own.

His own white crane-like appearance was like clouds and mist, carrying the clear and refreshing spiritual light of the mica pill.

The white crane in Jiajing's painting carries a faint trace of the metal element, making it even sharper and more intense.

Perhaps it's due to different alchemy techniques, or perhaps it's due to different mica materials.

Of course, more importantly, Jiajing was plagued by peculiar ailments and his vital energy was unstable.

On the surface, he appears ethereal and otherworldly, but inside, there are subtle signs of decay.

Jiajing took a deep breath and bowed deeply.

The mighty Emperor of the Ming Dynasty bowed to Huang Bai in front of everyone at the Wanshou Palace.

"I beg the gods to assist me!"

He adopted a very humble posture, but his voice carried an irrepressible fervor.

"I will appoint you as Imperial Preceptor, a position equivalent to that of a prince, second only to the emperor, above all others."

"In the future..."

Jiajing paused slightly, a hint of fervor flashing in his eyes.

"I am the Emperor of Immortality, and you are the Imperial Preceptor of the Celestial Dynasty."

This is what he considers his most sincere attitude.

The emperor was considered the son of Heaven and even possessed the power to bestow divine titles.

In various myths and legends, even deities often show respect to emperors.

Emperor Jiajing had never seen a real deity and could only speculate based on his own understanding.

In his view, the position of Imperial Preceptor, the honor of a king, and the joint rule of the Celestial Dynasty were already the highest honors in the human world.

Such a generous reward made the surrounding Taoist priests extremely envious, and many of them breathed heavily.

If they could receive such a reward, even if they died immediately, their lives would not have been in vain.

But Huang Bai showed no appreciation whatsoever.

He looked at this alchemy emperor and suddenly smiled.

"Zhu Houcong, did erysipelas damage your brain?"

Huang Bai's words were like knives, and he continued, "How could my status be bestowed by imperial decree?"

"Or is it that the emperor has a divine law granting him immunity from death?"

"If a palace maid can strangle you, surely I can too?"

Upon hearing this, the Wanshou Palace fell into a deathly silence.

Almost simultaneously, all the Taoist priests, eunuchs, and guards lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

The Renyin Incident was the biggest taboo in Jiajing's heart.

No one dared to bring it up to his face.

Huang Bai not only mentioned it, but he said it so bluntly.

He was intentionally trying to put Jiajing in a bad light.

During his more than forty years in power, the Jiajing Emperor controlled all the people and subjects of the empire.

With a single thought, he can cause blood to flow for miles.

In such an environment, it is easy to develop an arrogant and condescending personality.

Moreover, Huang Bai was right; Jiajing was indeed affected by the poisoning of erysipelas.

Without treatment, he will live for a maximum of six months.

"this……"

Jiajing opened his mouth, but was speechless for a moment.

He finally realized that the deity before him was neither a court official nor one of the alchemists who relied on his rewards for their livelihood.

This deity could not only strangle him, but also cast spells from afar to take his head.

The legends of gods worshipping the emperor were nothing more than fantasies concocted by pedantic scholars and sorcerers to curry favor with imperial power.

In the presence of a true immortal, there is no essential difference between an emperor and a common laborer.

Jiajing's expression changed several times.

After a moment, he lowered his head and said, "I...I was blind to your greatness and offended the immortal."

"I hope the gods will forgive me."

In the past, Jiajing, who was quick to anger and reprimand his subjects and controlled their fate, was now as docile as a kitten in front of Huang Bai.

Huang Bai waved his hand and said, "It's alright, come in and talk."

After saying that, he took the lead and walked towards the deserted side hall.

At the same time, the strange phenomena on his body slowly returned to normal.

Jiajing looked at Huang Bai's retreating figure, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and then followed him.

Inside the side hall.

People outside were kept out.

After Huang Bai sat down, he got straight to the point.

"Where did you get the Longevity Pill you took?"

Without hesitation, Jiajing immediately said:

"It comes from the White Ape Heavenly Book passed down by Liu Bowen."

Huang Bai's eyes flickered slightly.

"Liu Bowen?"

"good."

Emperor Jiajing slowly said, "When Emperor Taizu established his dynasty, Liu Bowen was ordered to sever all the dragon veins in the world to eliminate the troubles caused by ghosts and gods."

According to the White Ape Heavenly Book, there were originally one hundred dragon veins in the world.

"Liu Bowen beheaded ninety-nine of them. Since then, humans, gods, ghosts and monsters have been separated, the classics of immortals have been lost, and cultivation in the world has almost ceased."

"The Longevity Elixir Method I obtained is a fragment of an external alchemy method preserved in the White Ape Heavenly Book."

At this point, Jiajing's eyes flickered slightly.

"However, this method is incomplete. Over the years, I have used all the resources of the world to search for Taoist scriptures and formulas, and recruited extraordinary people, and only then have I been able to barely make up for it."

Huang Bai fell into deep thought.

"Liu Bowen..."

The root of the problem lies with Liu Bowen.

This is one of the key aspects of the Heavenly Decree mission.

Sever the last dragon vein in the world.

Huang Bai looked at Jiajing, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer.

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