He Ping shook his head inwardly upon hearing this.
"It seems that, just as I guessed, the Six Doors are a good place for cultivation. Even in this world, it is easier to cultivate if you have power, because this way you can mobilize manpower and resources and obtain a lot of resources. You can also take life and death over any opposing forces, and you also have the righteousness and legitimacy of the world. The imperial court is the largest holy land for cultivation in the world, no less than the Three Primordial Dao Gates."
"Haha, that's right."
Chixinzi also expressed his agreement.
"However, it is unknown what the first Emperor You was thinking. He did not like the cultivation world, nor did he like any cultivators. He was a tyrant and despot rarely seen in thousands of years, who regarded the entire world as his own private domain and the people as livestock of the You Clan, allowing them to be dominated by his whims."
"After he ascended the throne, he broke with all the cultivation forces in the world. The Primordial Unity Sect was one of the victims. The subsequent 'extermination of Buddhism' and 'extermination of Daoism' were all caused by offending him. After all, the vast majority of cultivators in the world were unwilling to oppose the imperial power. The first Emperor You, by his own strength, forced the vast majority of cultivation forces in the Great You Dynasty to rebel."
"Furthermore, several emperors of the later Great You Dynasty, under the pretext that 'the laws governing Buddhism and Daoism have gradually deteriorated, leading to rampant killings of monks and Daoists, which has affected the governance of the Great You Kingdom,' carried out three campaigns against Daoism and four against Buddhism. This included attacking the first ancestral temple of Stone Zen Temple, destroying numerous temples and monasteries throughout the land, burning Buddhist scriptures, driving out monks, and destroying pagodas... They also plundered temple and monastic properties from the people. Later, they attacked various sects of Daoism and swallowed up the fertile fields owned by numerous monasteries and their descendants. Hehehe, these events all bear the shadow of this first Emperor You to some extent..."
"Wait a minute, senior brother."
He Ping noticed a problem.
"According to the records of our ancestors, the first Emperor You ascended the throne and died after 37 years in the You Kingdom, and was buried in the imperial mausoleum... During this period, there were three persecutions of Daoism and four persecutions of Buddhism, spanning at least 170 years. How could he possibly...?"
He realized halfway through his sentence that he had overlooked a crucial point!
That means the first Emperor You was very likely a cultivator. Moreover, how high would an emperor like Emperor You, who could gather the resources of the world for cultivation, have been?
"Could it be that the first Emperor You did not die? According to some of the current dynasty's records and records, Emperor You was born into humble circumstances, a commoner, and rose to prominence in a war-torn land after the age of thirty, struggling amidst the chaos of the world... If that's the case, if he was a master cultivator back then, he could have lived at least two hundred and fifty years, or even longer!"
Upon hearing his words, Chixinzi shook his head slightly.
"Junior brother, the records in the history books may not be true. At least, we can get a glimpse of the whole picture from a small part. We know that the first Emperor You's cultivation was unfathomable. He was a powerful figure that even the Three Primordial Dao Gates were wary of. His strength was extraordinary and could not be measured by ordinary standards."
Moreover, your judgment is also wrong. Since the history books of this dynasty were all compiled by the first Emperor You, you actually believe him when he said that he only became famous after the age of thirty... Hehe, but judging from some clues left by the cultivation world, Emperor You may not have been born after the fall of the Great Offering Dynasty. He may have even existed as early as the period when the Offering Dynasty encountered great calamity and personally experienced everything that happened at that time.
Furthermore, I suspect that he may not have been born in the Offering Dynasty, but rather from an era even older than the previous Xian Great Xian ..."
He Ping was startled when he heard this. After the Great You Dynasty was established, it burned a large number of ancient books and historical records of previous dynasties, resulting in very few historical materials and documents from previous dynasties that have survived. Even some Confucian scholars who were well-versed in the Book of Poetry only knew that the previous dynasty was called Great Xian, and knew nothing about the history before Great Xian.
On the other hand, the cultivation world preserved some records and was not greatly affected. However, the cultivation world did not care about secular changes, and there were not many who specifically talked about the history of the previous dynasty. As for the few historical books that could be "factually recorded" that remained in the private sector, they were extremely rare, because the burning of books and records had a devastating impact on these records.
"This... could it be that the first Nether Emperor You was intentionally concealing his origins? He was an ancient person who existed before the Offering Dynasty. After a cultivator enters the Dao, he can have a lifespan of about 250 years. If he achieves the Manifestation God Realm, his lifespan can be increased by another 500 years. In addition, the increase in lifespan is related to cultivation level. The Emperor You could live to be at least 800 years old..."
He Ping gasped.
"Has the first Emperor You not died yet? If so, where is he?"
"Currently, the most likely location is the imperial tomb of the You Clan. Whether that old fellow is dead or not is a secret that everyone in the cultivation world fears. Whether that old fellow has passed away peacefully in the Great You Imperial Mausoleum or is secretly plotting something, no one outside the You Clan has any chance of knowing."
Chixinzi slowly raised his head, a strange glint flashing in his murky green eyes.
"The only thing we're certain of is that if Emperor You is not dead, then with his cultivation level, he may have already broken through to an incredible level, and the person hidden in the You Clan's imperial tomb might be a powerful Earth Immortal."
"So that's what happened?"
He Ping immediately realized something; he seemed to have thought of something, and a deep frown appeared on his brow, his expression becoming very serious.
" The Three Primordial Dao Gates — Xuantian Temple, Wanqing Sect, and Chongyang Palace —even a cultivator of my meager strength can see how powerful these three cultivation forces are, even with only a glimpse of the sky through a pipe and a sea through a gourd. The fact that they withdrew from this land after the founding of the Great You Kingdom suggests that the only one they could fear was the First Emperor You himself!"
"You're right. Xuantian Temple, Wanqing Sect, and Chongyang Palace are lawless and unrestrained in the cultivation world. They are not afraid of the Evil-Slaying Bureau within the Great You, nor do they care about the You Clan of the Blood Law Bureau, nor are they afraid of other cultivation forces. The only one that these three major sects fear is that Earth Immortal in the Great You Imperial Mausoleum, whose lifespan is unknown."
Chixinzi: "In this world, with the Celestial Person and Human paths severed, a single Earth Immortal is practically invincible. No one can withstand the sharpness of an Earth Immortal. Even the three great Dao sects can only choose to retreat from the Great You to avoid its edge."
He Ping remained silent upon hearing this.
The three great Daoist sects were incredibly powerful beings. Even without direct contact, he could glimpse their immense and boundless will from the God of Sacrificial Fire, which he sensed through another soul within his body!
However, even the three great Daoist sects could only choose to lie low and retreat into secret realms before a powerful Earth Immortal like the First Nether Emperor You. They had to carefully avoid the overwhelming power of an Earth Immortal who dominated a region, which shows just how formidable the First Nether Emperor You was.
"Junior brother, your senior brother must remind you again, you must never recklessly use the ' Three Yang Calamity Power' again. The three major Daoist sects serve the gods, and there are many secrets that outsiders cannot understand. You made a great show of yourself at Great Canopy Mountain this time. Once you used it, the Azure Yang Undying Body, which could 'stain half the sky with azure,' was such a ostentatious act that even cultivators with a little insight could see it from ten miles away..."
Chixinzi offered a word of advice.
"What we did in Suian City was indeed secretive, but in the eyes of the great beings in this world, it may not be without trace. The eminent monks and virtuous masters of the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle of Buddhism can see the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination and understand the flow of causes and conditions in the vast world, or listen to the voices of sentient and insentient beings. When they reach this level of cultivation, what many people consider to be secrets are not secrets at all in their eyes!"
However, once you reach the level of these powerful individuals, once you've reached their height, trivial matters won't even register with them. They're like ants beneath your feet—how could they possibly attract your attention?
He continued to offer guidance to He Ping, but this was not based on the will of the living puppet itself, but rather on the "functions" nurtured by the remaining spirit within the puppet's body.
"For example, if you killed that red-robed demon monk Abula, with the vast sensory abilities of those bald monks in Buddhism, you might not be able to hide it from everyone. It's just that ordinary people in Buddhism can't interfere in the affairs of the Great You, and top-level experts are unwilling to go to the Great You territory to invite trouble!"
"The situation is the same for the three major Daoist sects. Chongyang Palace has many experts, but in order to avoid offending the first Nether Emperor You and angering a powerful Earth Immortal of this era, Chongyang Palace will at most send experts at the Dao Entry level. People at the Manifestation level will definitely not appear in the Great You territory. Even if they send experts at the Dao Entry level, they will be very careful and dare not confront the power of the imperial court directly."
"Of course, the key is still your own strength. If you enter the Dao as early as possible, the risk will be reduced by more than half. In today's world, a Daoist master is considered a powerful force. With the foundation of entering the Dao, even if you encounter a force that you cannot resist, you can simply hide in the Great You Capital, Yujing City, and see if the Daoist masters of the Chongyang Palace have the courage to storm into Yujing City to cause you trouble."
"Perhaps I can join the Great You Dynasty."
He Ping smiled faintly.
"That organization called ' Eastern Esoteric School ' must be a force within the imperial court. I can rely on ' Eastern Esoteric School's ' protection to fight against the experts of the Chongyang Palace."
"Hahaha, this way of thinking is very much like yours, junior brother."
Chixinzi laughed loudly, then suddenly turned and asked a question.
"If we think in this direction, Junior Brother, you could also join Chongyang Palace. Your special ability seems to be that you are not susceptible to assimilation or infection, and you can steal the power of the God of Sacrificial Fire to drive the power of the Three Yang Calamity."
I suspect Chongyang Palace will be very interested in you. If you're willing to serve the God of Sacrificial Fire, they might even look at you favorably. It's not impossible that you could infiltrate the Zhuhuang Hall and become a member of the Chongyang Palace's clan in the future."
"Join Chongyang Palace?"
He Ping pondered for a moment, feeling that matters of the divine path were too mysterious and certainly not a good choice. However, if he were to truly join Chongyang Palace, what would Wu Yousheng, hiding in the shadows, do?
"I am also very interested in the true path to enlightenment of the Three Yang Calamity, but I have never had the chance to see it. Perhaps I should really find an opportunity to seize this true path from the cultivators of the Chongyang Palace... If I could take advantage of the situation and cause a conflict between Wu Yousheng and Chongyang Palace, that would be even better!"
Of course, he only thought about it briefly and quickly put it aside, because his superior, "Lord Indaluo," began to summon him through the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant.
" Moxiuluo, how is your injury healing?"
Indaluo's voice sounded more tired than before.
"Lord Indaluo, thank you for your concern. I was struck by Chixinzi of the Immortal Puppet Sect, which injured my internal organs, but it wasn't a serious injury. Thanks to your medicine, I've recovered about 70-80% and am fine now!"
"That's good."
Indaluo said calmly, "This ' Life-Seizing Pill ' is extremely precious. I only have half a bottle, so use it sparingly!"
After his subordinate He Ping was injured, Indaluo even sent someone to deliver precious healing pills, which really made him get a free ride.
"Lord Indaluo," He Ping tried his best to mimic Moxiuluo's tone, "I know nothing about Gongpilu either. After I was injured by Chixinzi that day, I immediately fled. As for Gongpilu, she was alone and helpless at the time. She fled in another direction, and I don't know if Chixinzi caught up with her. I'm afraid she is already..."
"No need to say anything more."
Indaluo's voice sounded somewhat helpless.
"You've done quite well this time. Chixinzi is a successor of the Immortal Puppet Sect, and he's a notorious and vicious Old Devil known to all in the cultivation world. You haven't been cultivating for very long, but you managed to hold your own against him for a long time using the Sibi Art, which is already quite impressive... As for Gongpilu, hmph, who would have thought that this woman, as one of the ' Twelve Golden Generals,' would have another identity?"
"My lord, what is the meaning of this?"
He Ping feigned considerable surprise.
What other identities does Gongpilu have?
"This woman has another identity; she is the head of the Incense Hall of the Fragrance Sect. She must be a spy planted by the Fragrance Sect Gongpilu into our ' Eastern Esoteric School Buddhism.' What a Gong Piluo, what a Xiang Yuqing! Even I was deceived by her..."
Indaluo snorted coldly.
"If she hadn't died, even our Eastern Esoteric School wouldn't have been able to uncover this secret. Xiang Yuqing, also known as Gongpilu, hid herself extremely cleverly; her identity was only revealed to us after her death—"
Upon hearing this, He Ping muttered to himself.
What kind of tricks are you guys playing with, Eastern Esoteric School? The two tasks we gave you before were finding Luo Jiuzhao and investigating a traitor in the upper echelons...
After all that, it turns out another traitor has emerged from among our own Twelve Golden Generals. Oh, right, I'm a mole too!
Are all members of your secret organization undercover agents?
As he was pondering this, Gongpilu sent him a new task.
"Within Jinhe Prefecture, there are probably still several strongholds of Wenxiangtang hidden. Xiang Yuqing once moved all the branches of Wenxiangtang right under our noses. This woman is truly shrewd, but..."
Indaluo's tone carried a hint of murderous intent.
" The Fragrance Sect has gone too far. Moxiuluo, now that your injuries have almost healed, take your men and wipe out these Fragrance Sect strongholds. Leave no one alive among these bastards of the Fragrance Sect! Kill them all!"