Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1118 The Path of the Divine General

The Yellow Springs Palace is located at the southern end of the Western Regions of Wanhua, not too far from Spring Sun Valley, but not too close either, about 30,000 li away.

After Hong Fuxiu's Core Formation Ceremony concluded, Xuanzhen, Yunxiao, and Kota led several Foundation Establishment cultivators and over a thousand divine generals on their journey to the Yellow Springs Palace.

This is the first expedition of the Divine Army. Calling it a Divine Army is still an exaggeration. To date, the Spirit Source Land only has more than two thousand Divine Generals, who have already taken over the guard duties of the Immortal Palace.

However, the Celestial Palace doesn't need so many divine generals to guard it, so they take turns on duty.

The divine generals do not need to cultivate themselves, but they need the nourishment of spiritual energy and the Golden Light Divine Mantra. They do not occupy houses or cultivation grounds, but the Divine General Nurturing Array of Wuzhen Dao Palace is their residence and cultivation place.

They usually stay at the chessboard, receiving nurturing from the disciples of Wuzhen Dao Palace.

Divine generals are different from cultivators and ghost cultivators. Although they have their own consciousness, it is not strong. When they are on the Divine General Chessboard, they are mostly in a dormant state.

This state of deep sleep does them no harm and makes them feel uncomfortable; on the contrary, it is their favorite state.

In fact, Yang Zhengshan did not restrict their freedom and allowed them to roam around the Spirit Source Land, but when they had nothing to do, they still liked to stay in the Divine General Chessboard.

As the number of divine generals increased, they became familiar to everyone in the Land of Spiritual Origin.

Of course, there are also some oddballs among these divine generals. A very few of them do not like to stay on the divine general chessboard and always prefer to wander around, lingering in the streets and alleys of Yujing City.

The most bizarre one of them is An Nianjiu.

This An Nianjiu is the soul of An Yuxing. He lost all his memories from his previous life, but he still retains many of his habits, especially his love of alcohol, which is exactly the same as before.

Above the vast clouds, the fiery red Vermilion Bird Cloud Boat rides the wind and waves in the sea of ​​clouds.

The other generals stayed obediently in the cabin, either sleeping or chatting. Only An Nianjiu sat on the ship's railing, gazing at the vast sea of ​​clouds, holding her wine gourd, leisurely savoring the spiciness of the wine.

Unlike the disheveled An Yuxing of the past, An Nianjiu was now dressed in a black scale armor, her jet-black hair was neatly combed, and her brows exuded a heroic air. She carried a fierce aura, like a valiant general on the battlefield.

He was no longer slovenly not because he had become more hygienic, but because the gods belonged to the realm of yin spirits, and everything about them was formed from yin energy. They did not need to take care of themselves; they could change their appearance with just a thought.

An Nianjiu at this moment is actually An Yuxing in his youth, who was once a great general on the battlefield.

"I knew you old codger would hide here drinking!" Xuanzhen said with a half-smile as he approached An Nianjiu.

An Nianjiu glanced at him and said disdainfully, "Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?"

"Hehe, I just wanted to see my old friend, didn't I?"

"Old friend! Humph, your old friend is dead. I am who I am now, not your old friend!"

"It's all the same, it's all the same!"

Xuanzhen casually lifted his Taoist robe and straddled the railing on the side of the boat.

Is An Nianjiu or An Yuxing okay?
This question is actually meaningless.

You can say he is, or you can say he isn't.

An Nianjiu originated from An Yuxing's soul, but he possesses an independent personality different from An Yuxing and has his own self-awareness.

Strictly speaking, he is not the An Yuxing of the past; he is a new existence.

Like the other divine generals, they are new beings.

Even those who transformed from ghost cultivators are different from the previous ghost cultivators because their self-awareness has also changed.

However, many people in the land of spiritual origin still like to continue the lineage of some gods and generals from their past lives, and Yang Zhengshan is no exception.

"Give me a glass!" Xuanzhen took out a wine glass and handed it to An Nianjiu.

"Don't you have any wine yourself?" An Nianjiu looked at the wine glass and said with dissatisfaction, but he still poured a glass of wine for Xuanzhen because he couldn't beat Xuanzhen.

If he could beat Xuanzhen, given his temper, he would have slapped that annoying old Taoist priest away long ago.

Xuanzhen completely ignored his dissatisfaction. He took a sip of the somewhat strong wine and gazed at the vast sea of ​​clouds. "Don't feel bad. Some things are unavoidable, and some things are just natural!"

"Your existence is not just a continuation, and your future should not be immersed in someone else's past."

"You still have your future!"

An Nianjiu looked at him. "The future? What future do I have?"

“Of course you have a future. As long as you exist, you have a future!” Xuanzhen said seriously, a rare occurrence for him.

“We, the divine generals, have no path to follow, so how can we talk about the future?” An Nianjiu said.

This is the biggest flaw of the Divine Generals. They cannot cultivate on their own and can only passively receive nourishment from others. Although their strength can also improve, this passive improvement makes them feel helpless and causes them to lose the motivation to move forward.

Xuanzhen said, "The path to enlightenment is also forged by people. How do you know that there is no path to enlightenment for divine generals in this world?"

"Is there?" An Nianjiu asked thoughtfully.

“Of course there is.” Xuanzhen looked at him intently.

"Where is it?" An Nianjiu frowned.

Xuanzhen chuckled, "It's on you!"

"On me?"

An Nianjiu examined his own body, but he wasn't looking at his appearance; he was looking at his internal organs.

The god belongs to the spirits, and his body is actually a soul body.

"Ghost cultivator?"

"It can be, or it can not be!"

"no?"

Xuanzhen adopted a profound and unfathomable expression and said, "Golden Light Divine Incantation!"

An Nianjiu was taken aback, then fell into deep thought. After a long while, he suddenly looked up and asked, "You want to use me as an experiment?"

"How can you say that? I just want to help you find a path that belongs to a divine general!" Xuanzhen grinned, but his expression was full of ill intent.

Xuanzhen would never harm An Nianjiu. He genuinely wanted to help An Nianjiu find a path to becoming a divine general, and of course, he also wanted An Nianjiu to help him verify some of his ideas.

These divine generals are all based on the Golden Light Divine Mantra. They have two cores: one is their soul body, and the other is the soul seed nurtured by the Golden Light Divine Mantra. The two are integrated into one, thus becoming the special existence of a divine general.

An Nianjiu knew that Xuanzhen would not harm him, so he seriously considered Xuanzhen's thoughts.

Most of the divine generals have relatively simple minds. Although they have self-awareness, their thinking seems to be somewhat limited. Just like the Yin soldiers of the Impermanent Ghost Sect, they also have self-awareness, but it is relatively weak. Most of them can only obey orders and act in a rigid manner.

The same applies to divine generals, but they are also different. The limitations on their thinking are not constraints, but can be opened and expanded. What An Nianjiu lacks is actually basic common sense and understanding of the path of cultivation. After all, he has lost An Yuxing's memories and only retains some instincts and habits.

"The Golden Light Mantra is the foundation of the Eight Great Mantras and the origin of the other seven. To understand the Golden Light Mantra, you must first understand the origin of the Eight Great Mantras!"

"Since I have nothing else to do, I'll teach you how to cultivate the Golden Light Divine Mantra!"

Xuanzhen explained the basics and profound meanings of the Golden Light Divine Mantra, pouring all his understanding of the mantra into An Nianjiu.

An Nianjiu was initially confused, but as Xuanzhen explained, he came to understand some of it.

Whether he can cultivate the Golden Light Divine Mantra is still unknown.

However, he was genuinely considering whether he could find a path for a divine general within the Golden Light Divine Mantra.

Xuanzhen wanted this outcome; he wanted a method for divine generals to improve themselves, so he wouldn't have to spend his energy and time nurturing them.

……

The Yellow Springs Palace is not just a palace, but refers to a vast abyss, which is a place for ghost cultivators.

Just as Xuanzhen and the others arrived at the Yellow Springs Palace, the palace also welcomed a new master.

Xiang Yuan, the deputy island master of Ghost Island of the Impermanent Ghost Sect, has now been appointed as the hall master of the Yellow Springs Hall.

The Impermanent Ghost Sect has three halls, but in addition to the three halls, the Impermanent Ghost Sect also has some other institutions, such as the Sea of ​​Corpses, Ghost Island, and the Land of Impermanence.

The Land of Impermanence, the Sea of ​​Corpses, and the Ghost Island actually refer to grotto-heavens. The Land of Impermanence is the main grotto-heaven of the Impermanent Ghost Sect and the core of the sect.

The three main halls, namely the Soul-Hooking Hall, the Soul-Refining Hall, and the Soul-Controlling Hall, are located within the Land of Impermanence.

The Corpse Sea, as the name suggests, refers to a grotto-heaven specifically used to store Yin soldiers and blood puppets. It is like the warehouse of the Impermanent Ghost Sect, and countless Yin soldiers are stored within the entire grotto-heaven.

Similarly, Ghost Island is also home to countless ghost cultivators. The reason why the Impermanent Ghost Sect is named the Ghost Sect is not because they have many Yin soldiers, nor because they cultivate Yin attribute techniques, but because they were once a ghost cultivation sect.

Ghost Island is the birthplace of the Impermanent Ghost Sect and also its most mysterious place.

Each of the three main halls has its own hall master, but Ghost Island has only one island master, namely the Impermanent Island Master, who is also the sect master of the Impermanent Ghost Sect.

In other words, Ghost Island is an institution directly under the jurisdiction of the sect leader of the Impermanent Ghost Sect, and its status in the sect is even higher than that of the Three Great Halls.

However, Xiang Yuan, the deputy island master, cannot compare with An Wusheng, the master of the Soul Control Hall, because Ghost Island does not have only one deputy island master, but four, and Xiang Yuan ranks last among the four deputy island masters.

Inside the Yellow Springs Hall, Xiang Yuan sat in the main seat, looking down at the group of ghost cultivators below.

The doors of the Hall of the Underworld are made of ebony, carved with ghostly figures and intertwined branches, the black patterns shimmering with a ghostly blue phosphorescence. Inside, the pillars are all covered in black iron, and bronze candlesticks line both sides, their flames a ghastly green. The floor is paved with bluestone slabs, from which seeps a chilling aura, condensing into faint, flickering will-o'-the-wisps. The hall is eerily dark, yet imbued with a sense of solemnity.

A black jade table is placed in front of the main seat, on which sits a bronze tripod. Smoke from the tripod floats and curls into the shape of a banner.

At this moment, besides Xiang Yuan, there were more than twenty ghost cultivators in the hall, all of whom were ghost generals and each had an extraordinary aura.

These ghost cultivators were the high-ranking members of the Yellow Springs Palace. However, half of the high-ranking members of the Yellow Springs Palace perished outside the Yang Family Blessed Land. At that time, when Xuanzhen captured the myriad ghosts, he was targeting the ghost generals with profound cultivation.

Therefore, most of the high-ranking officials of the Yellow Springs Palace who went to war with the Yellow Springs Ancestor became Xuanzhen's prisoners, and only a small number escaped back.

After returning, they lived in constant fear, terrified that the Yang family would come knocking on their door.

Therefore, they repeatedly sought help from the Impermanent Ghost Sect, which eventually sent Xiang Yuan to oversee the overall situation in the Yellow Springs Palace.

Since the Yellow Springs Palace has joined the Impermanent Ghost Sect and become its fourth palace, the Impermanent Ghost Sect will naturally not give it up.

Moreover, the Yellow Springs Hall has a special significance for the Impermanent Ghost Sect. The three halls of the Impermanent Ghost Sect are all institutions of immortal cultivators. Although they all cultivate Yin-attribute techniques and can command ghosts and Yin soldiers, they are all genuine immortal cultivators, only their cultivation techniques are biased towards Yin attributes.

Absorbing the Yellow Springs Hall and making it the fourth hall is the wish of all the ghost cultivators of the Impermanent Ghost Sect. The ghost cultivators need to establish an institution within the sect that is on par with the three major halls, an institution exclusively for ghost cultivators.

This is one of the main reasons why Huangquan Laozu was able to easily join the Wuchang Ghost Sect.

Therefore, the Impermanent Ghost Sect will not abandon the Yellow Springs Palace.

Inside the hall, Tianfeng Old Ghost stood at the head of the group of ghost cultivators. He bowed his head and made a humble gesture, but he secretly glanced at Xiang Yuan in the main seat out of the corner of his eye.

Xiang Yuan was tall and imposing, exuding an aura of power. His face was resolute, but his expression was flippant. When he looked at the group of ghost cultivators in the hall, his dark eyes were filled with undisguised contempt and indifference.

Sensing his gaze, Tianfeng Laogui tensed up and quickly lowered his head even further.

The original Yellow Springs Palace had four top ghost generals under the Yellow Springs Ancestor: Tianye, Tianfeng, Tianwu, and Tianyi. These four ghost generals were all disciples of the Yellow Springs Ancestor, trained by him personally, and were his most capable assistants.

Normally, the four of them are responsible for managing all affairs of the Yellow Springs Palace.

However, in the battle at Yang Family Blessed Land, Tianye and Tianwu became Xuanzhen's prisoners, while Tianfeng and Tianyi escaped because they did not go to Yang Family Blessed Land.

"To be honest, I don't like you bunch of good-for-nothings. In my heart, you are utterly useless!" Xiang Yuan said in a calm tone.

Upon hearing this, the ghost cultivators inside the hall dared not even breathe, all hanging their heads, dumbfounded.

Circumstances are more powerful than people!
With the fall of the Yellow Spring Ancestor, these ghost cultivators became wandering ghosts.

It's not that they have nowhere to go; with their strength, it would be easy for them to find a place to settle down.

It's easy to find a place to settle down under a big tree, but once they leave the Impermanent Ghost Sect and the Yellow Springs Palace, they lose their future.

With powerful backing, they can access more resources.

They also wanted to become Ghost Kings and sit on the throne, so they could only stand there obediently, listening to Xiang Yuan's humiliating words.

"However, since the sect has appointed me to take charge of the Yellow Springs Palace, it is my responsibility to urge you all on!"

Xiang Yuan's gaze swept over the group of ghost cultivators, his tone growing increasingly cold, "The sect will not be assigning any tasks to the Yellow Springs Palace at the moment, but you must not slack off. Strive to improve your cultivation. I do not want my subordinates to be a bunch of useless trash!"

Do you understand?

"Understood, we will obey the Ghost King's decree!" Tianfeng replied shrewdly.

Then, the other ghost cultivators sparsely chimed in.

Xiang Yuan gave Tian Feng an approving look and said, "Very good. Since you all understand, then you may all step down!"

In truth, he didn't want to come to the Yellow Springs Palace. If it weren't for the sect leader's personal arrangement, he would never have wanted to come and become a palace master.

The Lord of the Yellow Springs Palace sounds like a local tyrant.

But Xiang Yuan was a Ghost King with ideals. He preferred to stay on Ghost Island because the Yin energy on Ghost Island was more concentrated and the resources on Ghost Island were more abundant. He could obtain more resources on Ghost Island and also stay by the sect leader's side.

In other words, he was essentially transformed from a close advisor to a powerful regional official.

The power seems to have increased significantly, but the benefits are not many.

(End of this chapter)