"The human spirit delights in clarity, yet the mind disturbs it; the human mind delights in stillness, yet desire pulls it astray. Constantly dispel desire, and the mind will grow still of its own accord; cleanse the mind, and the spirit will grow clear of its own accord. Naturally, the six desires will cease to arise, and the three poisons will be extinguished..."
But Jiang Ziya had, after all, cultivated at the Jade Void Palace for forty years. Though he lacked the destiny to become an immortal, he still possessed considerable knowledge and ability. After only a moment of bewilderment, his lips began moving as he silently recited the Stillness Sutra!
In an instant, a clear stream seemed to flow through Jiang Ziya's mind. Its cool freshness washed over him, immediately restoring his clarity. Then a chill spread across his body as well!
When Jiang Ziya looked down, he immediately discovered that, in those few brief moments, he had already taken off his upper garments, exposing his aged, wrinkled flesh. A little breeze blew past, sending shivers through him...
"To think an old Daoist like you, at your advanced age, still has a belly full of lecherous schemes. Look at your disgusting antics!"
Daji looked at Jiang Ziya and sneered repeatedly, her face full of contempt.
[Negative emotion points from Jiang Ziya: +999. Total: +15094...]
As soon as she spoke, Di Xin saw a string of numbers flash across his system's backend.
???
Di Xin stared blankly at the record of incoming negative emotion points, his thoughts surging.
This system can actually collect the negative emotion points Daji earns for me to use, too?
What kind of logic is that? Could it be because Daji and I did... that?!
Still, whatever the reason, it'll be easy enough to find out. Once Queen Jiang and I do that, everything will become clear!
[Detected: Daji's affection and loyalty toward the host are at 60. Therefore, the host receives 60 percent: +599.4. Total: +14694.4...]
Just then, another system notification appeared in Di Xin's mind.
Motherfucker, what a rip-off!
When Di Xin saw those numbers, he nearly burst into curses!
A full four hundred negative emotion points had vanished into thin air, just like that!
Four hundred! Round that up, and it was a thousand negative emotion points-enough for a fifth of a lottery draw!
"Demon fox, I will burn you to death today!"
Just then, Jiang Ziya flew into a rage born of humiliation. He could not even spare a thought for covering his bare, aged upper body. Clenching his teeth, he opened his mouth and spat forward. Samadhi True Fire blazed up and swept toward Daji, intent on burning her to ashes.
"Paltry tricks!"
Daji snorted coldly and opened her mouth. A demon core wrapped in pink mist emerged and spun in midair. In an instant, the Samadhi True Fire, which had been raging like a prairie blaze, vanished completely, leaving nothing behind...
"Sister Daji is an immortal-and so is His Majesty!"
Queen Jiang stared at the scene before her, dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open wide enough to swallow a duck egg!
This was something she truly had never expected.
Then unease stirred in her heart. Sister Daji was an immortal, and His Majesty was an immortal. She was the only one in the entire family who was not. This was terribly worrying!
"Immortals, my ass! Didn't you hear what that old immortal said? That little slut Daji is a fox demon! A tyrant and a fox seductress-truly a match made in heaven. The six-hundred-year foundation of Cheng Tang's realm will be destroyed in one stroke by that shameless pair!"
Huang Yu spat disdainfully and sneered.
Smack...
But before Huang Yu finished speaking, something blurred before her eyes, followed by a burning sting across her cheek.
She focused her gaze and saw that Queen Jiang had raised her hand and delivered that heavy slap.
"You... you actually dared to hit me!" Huang Yu clutched her face in disbelief and stared at Queen Jiang, even more shocked than when she had learned Daji was a fox spirit.
In all her years in the palace, the Queen Jiang she knew could not bear to step on even an ant. Yet now she had slapped her?
Had the tyrant corrupted her, too, turning her wicked as well?!
"Huang Yu, listen to me. If you dare say another word insulting His Majesty or Sister Daji, I'll slap you again. No, I'll sentence you to a ten-foot crimson!"
Queen Jiang glared at Huang Yu with overwhelming authority, enunciating every word.
Facing Queen Jiang's fierce bearing, Huang Yu parted her lips, but in the end... she lost her nerve.
Seeing this, Queen Jiang gave a smug little snort. Her five slightly aching fingers twitched, but her heart brimmed with satisfaction.
So this is how good it feels to slap someone you hate!
If I'd known, I would have slapped Huang Yu long ago!
And just what is that ten-foot crimson His Majesty mentioned? I don't know what it is, but it sounds terribly powerful and commanding. Once this is over, I must ask him.
Your Majesty, Sister Daji, you must defeat that foul Daoist!
Queen Jiang interlaced her fingers and murmured a prayer in her heart.
In truth, how could she not have heard what Jiang Ziya had just said? How could she not know Daji's identity?
At first, she too had been startled and frightened. But when she saw Daji standing shoulder to shoulder with Di Xin, attacking that Daoist, she no longer felt afraid.
In this world, so many demons and monsters had more loyalty and affection than so-called humans like Huang Yu!
"Wretched creature, take this!"
Just then, Jiang Ziya suddenly opened his mouth again. A gleam of cold light flew from his abdomen and shot toward Daji.
The instant that cold gleam appeared, ringing sword cries sounded, yet it moved even faster than those cries!
Without a doubt, this had to be the Sword Qi Jiang Ziya had nurtured in his dantian. Now, pushed beyond endurance, he unleashed it, bringing his strongest means to bear against Di Xin and Daji.
"Wind blade!" Di Xin's heart tightened at the sight. He hurriedly activated the Basic Wind Technique, condensing a clear, gleaming wind blade and sending it slashing toward the Sword Qi.
But Jiang Ziya was, after all, a disciple of the Jade Void Palace. The exquisite techniques he cultivated far surpassed Di Xin's basic arts. At the first touch, the Sword Qi shredded the wind blade, scattering its fragments in every direction and across the ground!
Hiss!
After shattering the wind blade, the Sword Qi struck Daji's demon core, cutting a tiny fissure into it. The blood instantly drained from her face. Her body sagged, and she staggered backward, blood spraying from her mouth!
"Thousand-Mile Ice Seal! Die, you vile beast!"
Seeing his strike land, Jiang Ziya's face lit up with wild delight. He immediately activated another secret art. In an instant, a bitter chill filled heaven and earth, and streams of blue energy converged on Daji, threatening to freeze her into a block of ice!
"You're courting death!"
Di Xin erupted in fury. As he slashed the Pinewood Juque Sword toward Jiang Ziya, he also unleashed the Heaven-Overturning Seal, bringing it crashing down toward Jiang Ziya's head.
"How did Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi's spiritual treasure end up in your hands?!"
The sight of the Heaven-Overturning Seal made Jiang Ziya's heart sink. Unease crossed his face as he cried out in alarm.
He naturally knew this was not the genuine Heaven-Flipping Seal. But in all the world, only his senior brother Yun Zhongzi could refine a Replica Heaven-Flipping Seal to this degree of power!
He simply could not understand how Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi's Heaven-Flipping Seal had ended up with Di Xin!
Back when he was in West Kunlun, he had heard that quite a few third-generation disciples had asked Yun Zhongzi for this seal without success. Yet now it was in the hands of the tyrant Di Xin...
Especially when he considered how much Di Xin knew about his past, a bold suspicion suddenly rose in Jiang Ziya's heart: Could the mole within the Chan Sect be Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi?!
Boom!
The attack was incomparably swift, and both spiritual treasures had been crafted by Yun Zhongzi. Though neither was genuine, their power was considerable. The Heaven-Flipping Seal in particular swelled in the wind as it fell, transforming into something like a small mountain and crashing down toward Jiang Ziya, intent on pounding him into pulp.
What misery!
At the sight, Jiang Ziya inwardly lamented his plight. He knew that, with his strength, escaping the Heaven-Flipping Seal's strike would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Had he known Di Xin possessed such a formidable treasure, he would not have dared to act even with ten times the courage!
Hum...
But just as the Heaven-Flipping Seal reached a point three feet above Jiang Ziya's head, its mighty assault abruptly stalled. Then Di Xin's heart trembled. From Jiang Ziya's body, he actually sensed an extraordinarily peculiar rhythm.
That rhythm was light and ethereal, utterly unlike anything wrought by human power. It seemed more like the Heavenly Dao, whose course had long since been ordained by the unseen!
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