If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1408 The Common Enemy of the Xuanmen
Liu Ji suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. Immortal energy is just one way to activate the laws of the Dao, while the Human Emperor can directly 'command' the rules of the Great Dao."

His words became law; without casting spells, he could unleash the power of the laws of heaven and earth.

At this point, a look of suspicion appeared on his face. "Teacher Wuyazi, is it true that most hidden dragons, as well as heroes who compete for dragons, find it difficult to cultivate powerful immortal techniques and become immortals?"
After all, they possessed dragon energy within their bodies.

Take Jingju of Dang County, for example. Many people say he is the master of the imperial aura of the southeast.

The purple-haired old demon by the White Cloud Marsh previously said that Peng Yue was a hidden dragon and should also possess dragon energy.

Wu Yazi countered, "Have you heard the rumors of a prince cultivating immortality?"

Liu Ji paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "I heard that Yu Yu, the King of Lieyang of Great Qin, has become an Earth Immortal, but he seems to be a bastard."

Wu Yazi said, "Becoming an immortal is not just about adding things together—it's about constantly gaining something."

To cultivate immortality, one must first subtract, one must give up some things.

The reason why Yu Yu was considered an illegitimate child was mainly because he had almost no Qin Dynasty dragon aura when he was born.

This brought him controversy, but it also prevented him from encountering any obstacles in his spiritual practice.

If other princes or potential emperors wish to enter the path of cultivation and immortality, they must first expel the earthly dragon energy from their bodies.

Liu Ji pondered for a moment and said, "If the prince cannot inherit the throne, even though entering the path of cultivation and immortality is fraught with difficulties, it is still a promising path."

"A hidden dragon has not yet risen to prominence; it is unlikely that it will be willing to relinquish its destiny."

Take himself as an example, would he be willing to abandon "Old Man's Joy" for the sake of cultivating immortality?

If one is unwilling to accept defeat, is filled with inner turmoil, and cannot achieve clarity of thought, one will certainly not become an immortal.

Giving up everything, yet failing to become an immortal, dying of old age after a hundred years, achieving nothing in life—isn't that tragic?

It's better to follow your heart.

"If that's the case, what are the heroes of China after when they enter the White Cloud Immortal Mansion?"
"I've acquired so many extraordinary techniques and powerful abilities, but I can't cultivate many of them." He became conflicted again.

Wu Yazi countered, "Did the appearance of the White Cloud Immortal Mansion naturally carry the responsibility and purpose of enabling you to master all the secret techniques?"
Did your brother Fan Kuai open a dog meat shop to satisfy customers completely, or to make more money?
Even if you can't cultivate that many immortal techniques, as long as you have enough good fortune.

You yourselves possess the value to extract a great deal of wealth, and you can all see a great deal of supernatural powers and secret techniques in the White Cloud Immortal Mansion.

As for whether he can learn it, and whether failing to learn it would be a waste of his good fortune, do you think the master of the White Cloud Immortal Mansion cares?

"Damn it, Baiyun Mountain is really evil!" Liu Ji cursed a few times with a look of bad luck, then looked up at the old Taoist priest pitifully, "Master, can you use your great supernatural powers to help your disciple change his fate and luck?"
I don't seek boundless good fortune.

"As long as I can recover the lost blessings of the White Cloud Immortal Abode and prevent myself from becoming listless for the next two years, that will be enough."

Wu Yazi said calmly, "It's the same old saying: everyone has their own destiny. Entering the White Cloud Immortal Mansion is your own choice, and you will bear the consequences yourself."

Liu Ji said helplessly, "I have many questions about 'Old Man's Joy'. Please give me your guidance, teacher."

Wu Yazi pondered for a moment and said, "Your own feelings are difficult to describe in words."

Your description is unclear, I can't understand it, and naturally I can't help you.

I have a supernatural power called 'mind-to-mind communication'.

If we use the "heart-to-heart" method, I can become you. I can clearly perceive even the most subtle feelings you have when you are practicing "Old Man's Joy" and the problems you yourself have not even noticed.

Would you like to give it a try?

Liu Ji immediately became alert, "What is the principle behind telepathy?"

Wu Yazi explained the principle in detail.

Liu Ji became even more wary, thinking, "It sounds like an evil technique that eavesdrops on thoughts."

—I changed the name to "Mind Communication" because I was worried that "telepathy" would upset you, in order to reduce your aversion.

Wu Yazi muttered to himself, but said aloud, "You've already mastered the basics of 'Old Man's Joy,' so how can you not protect your own heart?"

At the Baiyun Water Marsh Market, how many eccentrics and unorthodox individuals are there? You've wandered for so long, haven't you encountered a single cultivator who dares to probe your mind?

Liu Ji nodded repeatedly, "I have indeed encountered several such people! I can immediately sense when they use evil magic."

I don't even need to expose them. If I were to vent my anger and circulate the "Old Man's Joy" internal energy, they would at best groan and bleed from their seven orifices, and at worst, their yin spirits would be ruptured!

At this point, he realized that while the old Taoist Wuyazi could transmit his thoughts from heart to heart, he didn't do so directly. Instead, he consulted with him and obtained his consent before he could sense the details of his body.

This shows that "Old Man's Joy" was also effective for the Taoist Wuyazi!

In order to better cultivate the "Old Man's Joy," Liu Ji compromised. Like his wife Lü Zhi, he kept his unspeakable secret to himself, allowing the old Taoist Wu Yazi to subtly perceive the process of cultivating the "Old Man's Joy" through his telepathic abilities.

Wu Yazi once again obtained a large amount of useful data, and based on the situation of both Liu Ji and Lü Zhi, he upgraded "Old Man's Joy" to a brand new version.

—The two versions of the Emperor's Skill, "Old Man's Joy" and "The Lady of the Pavilion," one yang and one yin, have both been upgraded. Shouldn't we also upgrade Hu Hai's "The False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill"?

With the wealth of useful data gleaned from "Old Man's Joy" and "Lady's Skill," Hu Hai's "False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill" might be able to develop "False Human Emperor's Authority," giving him some of the power of Qin Shi Huang!

Wu Yazi immediately felt an urge to go to Xingyang to see Hu Hai.

It's not just about putting the newly acquired "Human Emperor's Skill Experience" into practice.

The situation in Xingyang is not good right now, and it needs a boost.

Once Hu Hai possessed the power of a false emperor, he would no longer need to fear the true immortals of the Xuanmen sect.

From now on, he only needs to guard against underhanded schemes and sabotage. He can roam freely on the battlefield with few rivals.

Well, the reason we're not afraid of the great immortals of the Xuanmen sect, but only wary of heretical sorcerers, isn't because the great immortals of the Xuanmen sect aren't powerful enough. It's because they're too clean-loving; they killed Hu Hai, who possessed the power of a false emperor, incurring a lot of bad karma, and the price was too high.

Grand Tutor Yu's attempts to reform Hu Hai were consistently heading in the direction of turning him into a piece of garbage.

I don't expect him to be that strong, I just hope that the cost of killing him will be too high.

To prevent unorthodox methods from clashing with him, he enhanced his strength, making him unkillable by evil sorcerers.

“Teacher Wuyazi, you previously said that ‘Old Man’s Joy’ could directly command the rules of the Great Dao in another way, achieving the same result as immortal techniques.”

Why does your newly revised version of "Old Man's Joy" still only contain methods for refining the spirit, without any accompanying supernatural or secret techniques?

Time has no bearing on dreams, and Liu Ji had no idea how long he had stayed there.

Anyway, he felt like meat on a chopping board, tossed and turned by Wuyazi for a very, very long time.

Driven by the belief that "I want to be stronger and make 'Old Man's Joy' even more perfect," he endured his discomfort until the end.

As a result, the new version of "Old Man's Joy" only modified the fundamental law and did not add the divine power method.

He also hopes that "Old Man's Joy" can surpass the Thirty-Six Extraordinary Arts of the Heavenly Gang!

Wu Yazi asked, "Can a county magistrate wield the power of the emperor? You are nothing now, you've even lost your position as a village head. If it weren't for your wife bragging about you every day in Pei County to maintain your prestige and reputation, you would have already lost everything."

"You're about to lose even the power of a village head, yet you still want to control the rules of the Great Dao and leave Mount Mangdang? You're nothing!"

Liu Ji was both embarrassed and annoyed, muttering, "Teacher, don't look down on your disciple. As the saying goes, fortunes change every thirty years, so don't underestimate a young man's potential. I am still young, and this period of dormancy is just a crouch before the starting line."

Wu Yazi waved his hand, "Go down the mountain! Wake up your brother Liu Jiao and have him come over alone."

Liu Ji looked up at the night sky. The moon's position had hardly changed; the power of the stars was truly immense.

Has he quietly returned to reality?

That old Taoist priest really has some amazing skills!

He bowed three times to the old Taoist priest, then used his lightness skill to quietly return to the cave.

"Brother, where have you been?"

As soon as he approached Liu Jiao, before he could even utter a sound, Liu Jiao opened his eyes and woke up on his own.

"You're not asleep?" Liu Ji asked in surprise.

"I feel very uncomfortable right now. I can hear the chirping of insects down the mountain; I can smell the stench of excrement and urine in the ravine; the night wind is blowing on my body, making my feathers itchy, and I want to spread my wings and soar."

Liu Jiao's golden eagle face was full of distress. "I feel like I've really become an eagle demon. I don't like the cramped and confined cave. I want to soar into the clouds and fly freely."

Liu Ji said, "I originally planned to wait until tomorrow morning to help you adapt to the new power, but now..."

He switched to a secret internal energy incantation: "Get up quietly, don't make any big movements, and go to the top of the mountain."

"What are we going to do at the top of the mountain?" Liu Jiao asked, puzzled.

—You can hear even the chirping of insects down the mountain, so why don't you know where I went or who I met?
Liu Ji felt even greater reverence for the old Taoist Wuyazi, and his voice became even softer, "Don't ask any more questions. You'll know when you get to the top of the mountain."

Liu Jiao was enormous and had been hiding on the outer mountainside platform. Now, with just a slight control of his strength and a few flaps of his wings, he floated lightly to the mountaintop.

"Ah, Daoist Wuyazi!"

Upon reaching the mountaintop, Liu suddenly realized the truth and immediately knelt down, pleading, "Teacher, have mercy and save your disciple!"

Wu Yazi explained to Liu Jiao the consequences of consuming the Pengjing Fruit and the results of his previous discussion with Liu Ji before asking, "Would you be willing to take me to the Immortal Mountain to cultivate?"

How could I not want that? I couldn't be happier!

Liu Jiao knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Disciple greets Master!"

Wu Yazi said, “You can worship me, but you don’t need to call me ‘teacher.’ I will find you another teacher to teach you the ‘Way of the God of War.’”

Liu Jiao asked excitedly, "Daoist Master, what is the 'Way of the God of War'?"

"That is the 'God of War' in the Immortal Path, who is in charge of fighting, battling against heaven, earth, and ghosts and gods, and is known as the 'Fighting God of Heaven'!" Wu Yazi said.

Overjoyed, Liu Jiao once again kowtowed to the ground, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Daoist. This disciple is very willing to become a Fighting God."

Wu Yazi smiled and nodded. "In that case, let's go!"

She first used her hidden sleeve to capture Liu Jiao, then leaped across the vast land of China and returned to Xianyang in Guanzhong.

However, it did not stop, but continued northwest along the Wei River, eventually landing at Shouyang Mountain.

"Divine Mace Protector!" Wu Yazi removed his disguise, revealing the true face of Grand Tutor Yu.

After a call, a golden light descended from the Middle Realm.

The Divine Mace Protector said with a complicated expression, "It's only been a short time since we parted ways, and you've already caused such a big commotion!"

“I’ve been keeping a low profile lately, just vying with the state advisors of Qi and Wei for control of the northern part of the land. What could I possibly be up to?” Xiao Yu said.

Taibao said, "You killed the Hengshan Emperor, you dared to threaten the Fengdu Emperor, you have become a Heavenly Demon, and you have harmed tens of thousands of cultivators in the Jixuan Dayuan Heaven."

"Sigh, that's all old news," Xiaoyu said dismissively.

"What old almanac? Right now, the immortals of Shouyang Mountain Grotto are holding a meeting to discuss how to deal with the Heavenly Demon Yu Fengxian!"

Taibao's expression was strange, and his gaze towards her was even more eerie. "Yuanshi Tianzun personally spoke up, asking the Xuanmen of the Three Realms to participate in the discussion."

First, each of the major Taoist sects within the various grotto-heavens will discuss this amongst themselves.

Once the research findings are available, representatives will be sent to the celestial realm to participate in the 'Great Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals'.

After the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals concludes, immortals with outstanding research achievements will be selected to participate in the Great Luo Dharma Assembly in the Upper Pure Heaven.

Together with the Great Immortals of the Three Realms, we will study how to destroy you, the newly promoted Demon Ancestor.

This is not the end.

After the Grand Luo Dharma Assembly of Shangqing Heaven concludes, the Dao Ancestor will step forward to invite all the great masters of the Xuanmen sects within and outside the Three Realms to jointly create the 'Xuanmen Divine Incantation to Counter the Yu Clan's Demonic Curse'.

Even at this point, it's still not over.

You should know that the Jade Pool hosts the Peach Banquet every year in Heaven.

Before the Peach Banquet, Laozi would invite the great immortals of the Three Realms to preach together on the Zhuling Dantai.

All celestial children, generals, officials, and clerks of the Heavenly Court, as well as gods and immortals of the celestial realm, are welcome to attend and listen, and to study the Daoist arts together.

Each year, there is a theme to the sermons.

The theme of this year's sermon has been decided long ago: "A Discussion of the Divine Curse of the Old Demon of the Rebellion."

Xiaoyu's pretty face began to contort.

But the Divine Mace Master hadn't finished speaking yet.

He continued, "Don't think this is the end. The study of your spell is just the first step."

The second step is to create a method to counteract your curse.

The third step is to promote the newly researched divine incantations within the Xuanmen (mystical sect).

The fourth step is that once the new divine incantation is confirmed to be effective, all the Great Luo Golden Immortals will work together to imprint the divine incantation into the heart of heaven, solidifying it into the Great Dao rules that permeate the Pangu world.

At this point, from now on, even ordinary Taoist practitioners, even those who merely recite scriptures and loudly chant relevant incantations, can invoke the power of the Great Dao's rules, unleash divine might, and suppress you.

"You are facing the entire Xuanmen alone! The Xuanmen Dao Ancestor, the Xuanmen Daluo, the Xuanmen Immortals are all working together to thoroughly study you and completely break your curse. Are you afraid?"

The Divine Mace Protector stared curiously at her face and eyes, observing her carefully.

(End of this chapter)