Chapter 496: No Longer a Threat

Chapter 496: No Longer a Threat



In the Great Ming Dynasty's court, there were currently five Grand Secretaries.

Aside from the leader of the group, Grand Secretary Zhou Mingzhe, the current Vice Grand Secretary was the equally aged and respected Elder Zeng Kui.

During the battle at Penglai, he was injured by the temporarily revealed true identity of the Buddha of Universal Light.

In that battle, Zhou Mingzhe also lost his most favored disciple, Xi Zhichang.

After that, Zeng Kui recuperated for a long time, and only today had he mostly recovered his former appearance.

If it were any other Daoist lineage, at his current age, it would be difficult to maintain his strength, let alone recover from injuries.

Emperor Han Zhenning's gaze shifted towards Zeng Kui, "Your Excellency Yuanfu, I know you are busy, but please make the trip to summon the Shushan Sect's Yuan Qingci to the capital."

Zeng Kui immediately stepped forward, "This subject obeys Your Majesty's command."

Standing beside him was the third-ranked Grand Secretary in the cabinet, Chao Feng.

Compared to Zhou Mingzhe and Zeng Kui, he was much younger.

He was the favored disciple of the late Grand Secretary Chen Yu.

Even before Chen Yu's passing, he had advocated for Chao Feng's entry into the cabinet.

In terms of seniority, Chao Feng was still behind the recently reinstated Zeng Kui.

However, after Chen Yu's death and the heavy blow to the Wu Party, Chao Feng kept a low profile, respecting the elders and willingly taking a step back behind Zeng Kui.

Now, he had gradually regained his footing in the Great Ming court and had become the new leader of the Wu Party. Although it was not as prosperous as it was during Chen Yu's time, he was still not to be taken lightly.

However, in terms of time, it was still a bit rushed.

Under the support of the Great Ming's Neo-Confucianism and ritual system, there were countless people waiting for their predecessors to vacate their positions.

With a normal transition, everything would be stable and orderly.

But the battle at Mount Sumeru in the west had caused a severe loss in one go.

Therefore, after Chao Feng and others took over, their progress was rapid, but they still needed some time to accumulate and refine their skills.

Chao Feng entered the cabinet early, and although he was not as good as Zhou Mingzhe and Zeng Kui at present, he had also reached the fourth layer of the Ninefold Heaven realm.

Standing next to him was another Grand Secretary, Sima Cheng, who was even younger and looked middle-aged. He was the most favored student of the late cabinet Grand Secretary Liu Chong.

The leader of the Qin Party, Liu Chong, also perished in the battle at Mount Sumeru in the west.

Fortunately, Sima Cheng, as his successor, quickly took over the faction and gathered the remaining members of the Qin Party.

However, compared to the gradually recovering Chao Feng and the Wu Party, Sima Cheng and the Qin Party were more low-key. They were still quietly recuperating, and Sima Cheng was the last among the five cabinet Grand Secretaries.

At this moment, he stood quietly, as low-key as Chao Feng, without saying a word.

But when they heard Grand Secretary Zhou Mingzhe mention that the Daoists were seeking the Shushan Sect's inheritance and treasure on behalf of the Great Ming, Chao Feng and Sima Cheng's faces remained unchanged, but they both had the same question in mind:

Those Daoists... or rather, the Great Ming Dynasty, the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Residence, and the Dragon Tiger Mountain behind them—could they really have such intentions?

After Emperor Han Zhenning issued an edict summoning the Shushan Sect's leader, Yuan Qingci, to the capital, he turned to Grand Secretary Zhou Mingzhe, "Although the north is very important, under these special circumstances, we cannot relax our guard in the south and should not be as lenient as before."

Zhou Mingzhe replied, "Your Majesty is wise."

Emperor Han Zhenning pondered, "Someone from the capital should go to the southwest to take a look. As for the Nine Borderlands... we may have to make some moves there as well."

Zhou Mingzhe said, "It's not advisable to act rashly in Jizhou and Liaodong, or Xuanfu and Datong. It's better to transfer people from Shaanxi and Gansu, and as for the capital..."

His gaze swept past Chao Feng and Sima Cheng, who remained silent.

The fourth-ranked Grand Secretary, Li Rui, stepped forward and calmly bowed to Emperor Han Zhenning, "This matter concerns the nation, and I am willing to share Your Majesty's burden."

Emperor Han Zhenning nodded, "Thank you, Li Qingjia."

After the court session, Zhou Mingzhe was once again summoned for an audience with the Emperor.

Emperor Han Zhenning's face was as calm as still water, "Those demon cultivators fear my great cause and have come to obstruct it."

Zhou Mingzhe sighed inwardly.

If it were just for the Heaven Earth Sun Moon Flask and the Immortal Heaven Bell, the other side wouldn't need to detain the Governor of Sichuan and Guizhou, Zeng Qing.

If it were just a show of force, the appearance of a group of high-ranking Daoist cultivators in the Great Ming's human realm would have been enough.

Even a simple hint to the Great Ming's Bodhimanda Monastery Abbot Guang Shu, who had previously gone to Kong Sang to investigate their intentions, would have sufficed.

It was true that it was inconvenient for immortal cultivators to travel in the human realm.

But it wasn't impossible.

Tang Xiaotang's personal pursuit and killing of Venerable Wisdom in the human realm had already proven this point.

Although it might be a loss of national dignity, facing such a powerful enemy, the Great Ming might not insist on keeping the Heaven Earth Sun Moon Flask and the Immortal Heaven Bell.

At most, they would ignore it on the surface but secretly return the treasures to the Shushan Sect without making it public.

If the other side didn't have the intention to take advantage, they wouldn't make it public either, and there might be further interactions in the future.

But now, not only had a group of high-ranking Daoists come to the Great Ming's human realm, but they had also directly broken into the office of the Governor of Sichuan and Guizhou, showing an attitude of...

Unfriendly intentions! At the very least, their appetite was not limited to just the Heaven Earth Sun Moon Flask and the Immortal Heaven Bell.

Zhou Mingzhe and Emperor Han Zhenning's guesses were the same—the other side was here to disrupt Emperor Han Zhenning's plan to become an immortal.

Emperor Han Zhenning wanted to become an immortal, which would require a greater level of manipulation and disturbance of the nation's dragon veins.

This would inevitably attract the attention of everyone.

"Currently, we can only stall for time and try to stabilize the situation as much as possible."

Zhou Mingzhe spoke, "We are incompetent and unable to share Your Majesty's burden. Please punish us."

Emperor Han Zhenning's expression was solemn, but there was no anger in his eyes. "Your Excellency, this is a challenge that the Great Ming must face together."

He stood up and slowly paced in the hall, "The Southern Border, another human realm, the Pure Sky, and the Spiritual Mountain over there, what is the current situation?"

Zhou Mingzhe replied, "Currently, there is no response."

This was not entirely unexpected.

It seemed that the reason why the Daoists who came to the Great Ming this time were mainly from the Furnace Dao and Forge Dao Sects was because of this.

Not to mention the two Daoist Enlightened Immortals from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Residence, even the other high-level Talisman Sect experts had not shown themselves.

Tang Emperor Zhang Wantong, and according to rumors, another Furnace Dao Sect's Primordial Spirit Immortal, also had no movement at the moment.

Obviously, they were being cautious of the former Remnant Celestial Palace side.

Unfortunately, even so, the power that the Daoist cultivators could gather was already quite impressive.

If Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang never set foot in the mortal world, and everything was limited to human affairs, then the Great Ming would not be afraid.

But they had to consider that there might be other problems that could erupt simultaneously.

For example, the White Lotus Rebellion, which had been suppressed with great difficulty, would undoubtedly resurface.

Although the Great Ming's top demon, the Four-Winged Sky Serpent King, was no longer there, there were still many powerful demons active in the four directions of the Great Ming Dynasty.

Then there was the Vajra World's Karmic Division, which had previously merged with the grassland barbarians and retreated to the eastern part of the Northern Border.

They were originally the most concerning threat to the Great Ming Dynasty.

Before the Great Ming Dynasty could personally pacify them, the Kong Sang Buddhist Sect was directly defeated by the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Residence.

Unfortunately, before the Great Ming could celebrate this good news, the enemy changed to the more formidable Tang Dynasty's cultivation world.

In this situation, Han Zhenning and Zhou Mingzhe couldn't even consider allying with the Vajra World's Karmic Division to counter the enemy, as it would be like joining the weak to resist the strong.

It wasn't that they couldn't grasp this concept.

In the Celestial Dynasty, when repelling invaders and defending against enemies, as long as they held onto the righteousness of subjugating the four barbarians to serve the Celestial Empire, there was nothing that couldn't be turned around.

But on the one hand, the Great Ming's Buddhist sacred sites rarely got along with the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Residence due to the White Lotus Sect, and the Great Ming court needed to consider the attitude of the Buddhist sacred sites. The Central Plains Buddhist Sect also had a strained relationship with the Western Regions Buddhist Sect.

On the other hand, it was because...

The Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Residence had just conquered Kong Sang, and Tang Xiaotang, who had ascended to immortality, was willing to enter the mortal world to pursue and kill Venerable Wisdom to the end.

If the Great Ming Dynasty accepted the Vajra World's Karmic Division, it might instead attract Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang to personally descend to the mortal world.

This would be unfavorable for the Great Ming at the moment.

"They are here to obstruct my path to becoming an Earthly Saint."

Emperor Han Zhenning stopped walking and stood in the hall, "The more this is the case, the more it shows that this is a critical moment for us, and... we must succeed."

Zhou Mingzhe said, "I am willing to share Your Majesty's burden."

Han Zhenning asked, "What does Your Excellency think? How much time can we buy with those two Daoist treasures?"

"The Immortal Heaven Bell is one thing, but the Heaven Earth Sun Moon Flask is the founding treasure of the Shushan Sect. Not only will Yuan Qingci not easily accept it, but the other Shushan cultivators in the mortal world won't either."

Zhou Mingzhe spoke, "Since we have a request, there is room for negotiation. We just need to be cautious of their Immortal Realm cultivators making an exception to personally come to the mortal world, so the timing and degree of this negotiation need to be carefully grasped."

Although he said this, Zhou Mingzhe's heart was not very confident.

When the situation was not in their favor, what could they do?

Now they could only try to see and delay as much as possible.

"This timing mainly depends on Your Excellency's control."

Emperor Han Zhenning said, "After Yuan Qingci arrives, you handle it carefully. As for me, I will continue to study behind closed doors."

His gaze was deep, "Combining the Heaven Earth Sun Moon Flask with the ritual ceremony can provide assistance while preventing others from coveting it.

Whether it's Kong Sang in the north, Guizang in the southwest, or the void portal leading to another human realm in the Southern Border, they must all be closely monitored.

When an immortal descends to the mortal world, the commotion is significant and difficult to conceal. If anything is discovered, it must be reported to me immediately!"

Zhou Mingzhe replied, "I obey Your Majesty's command."

...

The Southwest was in turmoil, and Guizang had reappeared in the mortal world.

As the Great Ming Dynasty trembled, they tried to block the news in other places, especially to stabilize the White Lotus Sect in Qingzhou and Xuzhou.

But the White Lotus Sect soon received the news.

When an immortal descended to the mortal world, it was hard to hide due to the dissipation of their immortal energy.

On the contrary, high-level cultivators of the Nine Heavens who were skilled in concealing themselves could move about in the mortal world more secretly.

Therefore, the Tang Dynasty's White Lotus Saint Master Huiyin, who had been quietly researching the Buddhist handprint lineage in Kong Sang, once again arrived in the Great Ming's mortal world.

This time, he not only met with the future White Lotus Sect's Maitreya, the Heavenly Tree Monk, but also faced the current White Lotus Saint Master, the Jinghai Monk.

"What path will the Tang Dynasty lineage take in the future?" Jinghai Monk asked slowly.

Huiyin Monk replied, "Just focus on quiet cultivation."

Upon hearing this, both Jinghai Monk and the Heavenly Tree Monk fell into deep thought, not speaking immediately.

Huiyin Monk didn't bring up the Tang Dynasty's affairs much, only introducing the situation regarding the Daoist cultivators entering the Great Ming's mortal world to Jinghai Monk and the Heavenly Tree Monk.

The White Lotus Sect members were greatly encouraged by these words.

However, at the end, Master Huiyin also mentioned the news about the Ghost Emperor Zheng Baiyu that Lei Jun had previously informed him about.

Upon hearing this, Master Jinghai and Master Tian Shu's expressions turned solemn.

After a moment, Master Jinghai spoke up again, "Regarding the Shadow Abyss, we've had some contact with it over the years, but we still feel that our understanding is limited."

He slowly introduced the relevant information he had and exchanged messages with Master Huiyin.

Later, Master Huiyin bid farewell to his counterpart and left.

Although Masters Jinghai and Tian Shu were shocked by what they heard about the Shadow Abyss, they seized the opportunity to accurately grasp the chance for the high-ranking Taoists to enter the Great Ming realm. Thus, the White Lotus Sect also resumed its actions.

However, Master Jinghai immediately encountered an old nemesis who had also returned from Kong Sang.

It was the Abbot of the Great Ming Bodhi Temple, Guang Shu.

Thus, the two high-ranking monks, both at the Ninth Heaven of the Buddhist realm, once again engaged in an epic battle.

The White Lotus Sect regained its momentum, causing the Great Ming Court to feel a sudden pressure.

Although Abbot Guang Shu was accompanied by Buddhist experts to counter them, it still drained the Great Ming's energy.

The communication between the Great Ming Court and the high-ranking Taoists was not going smoothly.

Yuan Qingci did not refuse the summons of the Ming Emperor and calmly went to the capital.

When he met with the Prime Minister of the Great Ming, Zhou Mingzhe, he was straightforward and honest, directly stating the purpose of the high-ranking Taoists' visit: "The upheaval in the mountains and rivers is intensifying, and if this continues, it will inevitably lead to the suffering of the common people. The Celestial Master is deeply worried about this."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingzhe immediately felt that his previous premonition was coming true.

The other party was indeed aiming to prevent the birth of an immortal expert in the Great Ming Dynasty.

He quietly gazed into Yuan Qingci's eyes, "Elder Yuan, do you and the other Shushan Sect elders share the same view?"

Yuan Qingci calmly replied, "The Celestial Master values life, and it is a blessing for all living beings. As cultivators, we all admire him.

The treasures of Shushan are indeed precious, but Heaven has the virtue of nurturing life, and as cultivators, we should follow the will of Heaven and respond to the needs of the people.

If Your Majesty and Prime Minister Yuan can grant us the favor of returning the Shushan treasures, it would be a great blessing within a great blessing. I am eternally grateful."

Zhou Mingzhe slowly said, "The people are of utmost importance, and so is the Great Ming nation. Both are one, and one is two. Why do you insist on separating the two as enemies? All the people of the realm are Your Majesty's subjects, and they regard you as their father. Your Majesty also loves the people as your own children.

Recently, Your Majesty has been diligently studying because of the changing situation. A sage is needed to protect the country and its people.

In the midst of this turmoil, we, as your subjects, should unite and work together to share Your Majesty's worries, stabilize the situation, and overcome these difficult times.

Especially now, we should eliminate suspicions and be vigilant against external forces trying to drive a wedge between the ruler and his subjects."

Before Yuan Qingci could respond, Zhou Mingzhe spoke up, "The Dragon Tiger Mountain's leader, Lei Zhenjun, is also well-known. He values life, but since he has left the mortal realm, he may not understand our dynasty's situation, leading to some misunderstandings, or even someone misinterpreting his true intentions.

Elder Yuan, you have always been detached and peaceful. At this time, we need someone like you, an enlightened cultivator, to mediate and act as a bridge, resolving this calamity that arose from misunderstandings."

After speaking, the Prime Minister stood up and bowed to Yuan Qingci.

Yuan Qingci stepped aside and did not accept the bow, "Prime Minister, there's no need for this."

Zhou Mingzhe said, "When the ruler is insulted, the subject should die. I, as an old subject, should share the ruler's worries."

Yuan Qingci looked at him and slowly said, "The Prime Minister's loyalty to the ruler is evident, but... what you just said seems to underestimate the Celestial Master Lei."

Zhou Mingzhe straightened his body, "I dare not underestimate Lei Zhenjun, who has already attained immortality. But... does Lei Zhenjun intend to sever the connection between Heaven and Earth?"

Yuan Qingci said, "Although I haven't had much interaction with the Celestial Master, he is known for his calm and detached nature, with a broad mind. It is publicly acknowledged in various mortal realms. I don't believe that he would want to sever the connection between Heaven and Earth after attaining immortality.

However, what His Majesty is doing now goes against Heaven's will and is an act of chaos. Forcing it will only make it more hopeless. I hope the Prime Minister can provide more advice."

Zhou Mingzhe said, "It seems that Dragon Tiger Mountain truly cannot tolerate our Great Ming producing its own Confucian sage."

Yuan Qingci shook his head, "Please reconsider, Your Majesty and Prime Minister."

After a slight pause, he said with some emotion, "The Celestial Master once said that Prime Minister Yuan is a great Confucian scholar, with talent that reaches the sky. If he had cultivated other Confucian traditions, he might have already attained sagehood after all these years..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingzhe's face turned solemn.

He did not say much on this topic but spoke coldly, "It's not false that Dragon Tiger Mountain has more than one person who has opened the Immortal Gate. But for our Great Ming to bow down and surrender, losing our sovereignty and national dignity, is just a dream.

When the ruler is insulted, the subject should die, but it will only result in mutual destruction. Our dynasty has never lacked loyal and virtuous scholars who are willing to die for the country. Although I am not talented, I will surely share the ruler's worries.

Elder Yuan, what about you?"

The leader of the Great Ming's Shushan Sect sighed lightly and suddenly said, "Elder Mu of Zhenwu Monastery, it's been many years since he last returned to the Great Ming."

Zhou Mingzhe's tone turned cold, "In the past, he had ulterior motives. Otherwise, Elder Chen might not have had to leave Mount Sumeru."

Yuan Qingci continued, "At the end of the Great Ming's western expedition to Mount Sumeru, the country was in turmoil, and rebellions broke out. It was the most vulnerable time for our dynasty. But Elder Mu did not choose to return to the Great Ming.

This was because, at that time, the Great Ming faced internal troubles and external threats. In addition to internal weakness, there were also powerful and rampant demonic tribes at the four borders."

At that moment, if Mu Daoxiong returned to the Great Ming, it might cause the demon infestation to spread, bringing disaster to the common people. Thus, he forcibly restrained himself, only returning to his homeland after many years...”

Zhou Mingzhe listened without speaking, his gaze fixed on the speaker.

Although the Four-Winged Sky Serpent and other powerful demons were absent, there were still numerous formidable demon clans active in the four directions of the Great Ming.

The Master of the True Martial Monastery, Mu Chunyang, had previously feared that his own involvement would exacerbate internal turmoil in the Great Ming, potentially benefiting the demons.

But now, he had returned to the human realm of the Great Ming alongside other powerful cultivators from various human worlds, boldly marching as if an army was invading.

Had he stopped considering the threat of the demons?

As the leader of the Chu Party, Zhou Mingzhe was the court official who had the most interactions with Mu Chunyang, the Master of the True Martial Monastery, in the past.

Based on his understanding of Mu Chunyang, the latter would not compromise or collude with the demons to oppose the Great Ming.

This meant that, in Mu Chunyang's current judgment, the powerful demons in the four directions of the Great Ming were no longer a threat.

What was he relying on?

Were there more high-level cultivators from the Tang cultivation world or other human worlds secretly infiltrating the human realm of the Great Ming?

Did they no longer care about the former subjects of the Heavenly Palace?

Or was it that Lei Jun, Tang Xiaotang, and the others were personally entering the human realm, specifically to help the Great Ming eliminate demons?

Zhou Mingzhe was filled with doubts and uncertainties.

Just then, his student Nie Song arrived, looking at Zhou Mingzhe and Yuan Qingci, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"What happened?" Zhou Mingzhe asked.

Nie Song quickly replied, "An urgent report from the southwest—there's a gathering of powerful demons, and signs of a demon uprising.

The Snow Mountain Ape from the snowy plateau and the Tree Sea Toad from the Nan Zhao region seem to have left their original territories, but the specific details are unclear!"

...

The Snow Mountain Ape was a top-tier demon with a notorious reputation in the human realm of the Great Ming, almost equivalent to a human cultivator at the peak of the Ninth Heaven. It was often mentioned alongside the Four-Winged Sky Serpent.

At this moment, it had rarely left the snowy plateau and headed south, crossing the Hengduan Mountains and approaching the Nan Zhao region.

Accompanying it were numerous other powerful demons from the snowy plains, all of them fierce and formidable, and they had always been the greatest threat to the southwest of the Great Ming Dynasty.

The Snow Mountain Ape stopped in the Hengduan Mountains, gazing into the distance.

Its journey to Nan Zhao was not to engage in battle with the demons there.

On the contrary, it had come to form an alliance with the Tree Sea Toad, the overlord of the Nan Zhao demons.

Recently, a new crisis had emerged within the Great Ming Dynasty.

Now was the time for the demons to make their move.

To ensure success, the Snow Mountain Ape did not act alone this time but managed to convince the Tree Sea Toad to join forces.

Although its strength was not on par with the Snow Mountain Ape and the Four-Winged Sky Serpent, the Tree Sea Toad was still a powerful demon, leading the Nan Zhao demon horde.

By joining forces and avoiding the currently chaotic Bashu region of the Great Ming, they could further penetrate the territory of the Great Ming.

The Snow Mountain Ape continued to survey its surroundings.

Suddenly, in its field of vision, a beam of light seemed to streak across the sky.

The beam of light vanished in an instant, almost like an illusion.

But even in broad daylight, it remained dazzling and bright.

However, its speed was so fast, and the flash was so brief.

Only cultivators with higher cultivation levels could detect its existence.

Only the Snow Mountain Ape had seen it, and it even doubted whether it was a hallucination.

But...

That beam of light descended from the sky, vertically slicing through the sky. In the heart of this demon, who was traversing the human realm, a sense of danger suddenly emerged, making it feel extremely threatened.

As this thought crossed its mind, it suddenly felt as if the earth and mountains were shaking violently from afar.

The Snow Mountain Ape looked around in all directions but saw no danger.

It gazed into the distance again, faintly sensing that the source of its danger was that beam of light that had just slashed through the sky and landed.

A meteorite from the heavens?

After a moment of hesitation, the Snow Mountain Ape did not approach to investigate personally but instead ordered one of its subordinates, a Snow Ape, to go and check.

After a while, the Snow Ape sent to investigate returned safely.

But it stumbled and staggered back, its soul shattered, filled with terror.

Even before reaching them, the Snow Ape roared, "Dead! Dead! The Tree Sea Toad is dead!"

The Snow Mountain Ape was shocked and grabbed the Snow Ape with its giant claw, demanding, "What happened?"

Snow Ape: "The Tree Sea Toad was just waiting over there, but... but it's dead, killed by a sword!"

The Snow Mountain Ape was even more startled and looked into the distance again. At this moment, he could vaguely see smoke and flames rising in the distance.

There, at that moment, there was only a deep valley.

Thunderfire raged, and the jungle trees had already been reduced to ashes in an instant.

Numerous local Nan Zhao demons were scattered and severely injured, and even those who survived wailed incessantly.

In the center of the valley, there was an extremely large body, like a giant rock, and one could barely make out the limbs of a toad. But at this moment, its massive body had been split in half, broken and battered, with no sign of flesh and blood, only charred remains. The thunderfire continued to spread, burning its remains.

Below the split body of the giant demon toad, in the center of the valley, stood a seven-foot-long giant sword, emitting a purple glow and shining like a star.

A slightly short figure, dressed in a purple Daoist robe, slowly descended into the bottom of the pit. With its furry bear claws, it helped its master retrieve the Seven-Foot Northern Pole Sword that was stuck in the valley floor.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end