Pei Xuanjing nodded at the words, understanding the other's intentions.
Thus, he was even more curious about the identity of Mr. Wu.
Hum!
The silver spear used by Ying Zhong just now hovered in the air, trembling as if sorrowful over the passing of its master…
"Your Highness!"
"You dare to kill His Highness!"
"With His Highness dead, how are we to account for this…"
The group of Black-armored Guards revealed expressions of grief, their eyes filled with murderous rage. They could not believe that their Highness, a Spirit Realm Sixth Level powerhouse, would fall here. This was something they simply could not accept.
But the fact stood before their eyes. They had no power to change it, let alone the flash of the fight between Pei Xuanjing and Ying Zhong that happened in the blink of an eye.
Even if they could react, how could they interfere in the fight between these two powerhouses? The strongest among these guards was no more than Spirit Realm Fifth Level. They had no qualification to intervene.
It could be said that everything was predestined.
"Kill!"
A loyal guard immediately burst out with killing intent, set his own life ablaze, and rushed to attack Pei Xuanjing.
Those guards chosen to accompany Ying Zhong were carefully handpicked by him. Each guarded him loyally.
Seeing Ying Zhong dead, these guards did not wish to live any longer.
"Loyal people, let me, Xuanjing, help you to fulfill your wish!" Pei Xuanjing opened his mouth indifferently.
Although suppressing these people was simple for him and might even yield some benefits, he respected their choices. He admired their loyalty, even though they were his enemies.
Therefore, he didn't hold back at all. With a single sword strike, a sword aura like a long river swept across the sky.
When the sword aura dissipated, all the guards had perished, falling from the sky.
Everything once again returned to tranquility.
However, everyone was left shocked, especially the countless powerhouses in Tiandu, who witnessed Pei Xuanjing's divine might, killing the Spirit Realm Sixth Level powerhouse.
After all, for many of them, the Spirit Realm was a distant goal and a Spirit Realm Sixth Level powerhouse was almost legendary.
However, such a powerhouse was still killed by Pei Xuanjing, his title as the first of the world could no longer be shaken.
His honor, from this day forward, was bound to attract countless martial artists.
But at this moment, Pei Xuanjing didn't care about these. His spiritual sword dissolved and he refocused his attention on the sky where gold and jade were still condensing.
Not just him, other powerhouses were doing the same.
Pei Xuanjing's divine might displayed today left many powerhouses shocked, and gave rise to many thoughts in the minds of the powerhouses of various forces.
Especially about Pei Xuanjing's proposal for factions to put aside their differences and to exchange skills and knowledge.
If they previously refused resolutely, they now began to consider making some concessions in the face of the tremendous power of Pei Xuanjing, even if he didn't force a request.
After all, although many of their skills were precious, they seemed to be lacking compared to this powerhouse. It would be better to present them in order to gain favor, possibly reaping even greater benefits.
This was the influence of strength. When one's strength is sufficient, there is no need to force anyone. Naturally, there will be people fawning over them.
Of course, this is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two. Although various forces were tempted, they did not speak out immediately. They also put down their thoughts for the time being and focused on the sky above.
The light gradually faded, and countless qi luck also calmed down. The warm and gentle golden book and jade scroll gradually appeared in front of everyone.
"It turned out to be a high-grade gold book and jade scroll!" Mr. Wu could not help but exclaim.
Even if he took the initiative to use the Xuanhuang Qi, he only expected to condense a medium-grade golden book and jade scroll, because a high-grade one was too precious and beyond the capabilities of the current Great Ming.
However, the result completely exceeded expectations, even he, a well-informed person, was moved by it.
A high-grade gold book and jade scroll is an unprecedented potential for such a divine dynasty, even if its current power is somewhat inadequate.
"Could it be, the opportunity of becoming an Immortal has really appeared!" A thought emerged in his mind.
Rumors about the opportunity of becoming an Immortal had circulated for a long time, but he had always been skeptical. But now, he started to believe a bit.
Golden Book and Jade Scroll, bestowed by the heavens.
Enfeoffing Gods, exercising power on behalf of the heavens.
In the eyes of many powerhouses throughout history, stepping up to the divine dynasty, condensing the golden book and jade scroll, enfeoffing gods, and exercising power on behalf of the heavens, is the first step towards immortality.
The successful condensation of a high-grade golden book and jade scroll means that with the recovery of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, the master of the divine dynasty, no matter what his original cultivation level was, can exert at least the power of Spirit Realm Ninth Level with the help of the golden book and jade scroll.
Spirit Realm Ninth Level, the final step of the Spirit Realm, is known as the supremely powerful. Only with such powerhouses can a force be considered top-tier.
Like the ancient countries of Da Xue and Great River, and powers like Heart Moon Lake, no matter how ancient their heritage, if there is no supremely powerful being of Spirit Realm Ninth Level, they can only remain first-class, and never reach the top tier.
A high-grade golden book and jade scroll represents the entry ticket to the top-tier forces, and the qualification for immortality.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Wu!" Zhu Houji thanked Mr. Wu.
In his view, it should be the Xuanhuang Qi handed over by Mr. Wu that played a significant role, thus enabling the golden book and jade scroll to undergo such a transformation.
Pei Xuanjing and Taoist Qingxu also had similar thoughts and thanked Mr. Wu.
Clearly, they owe him a great favor. After all, there is a world of difference between a medium and a high-grade golden book and jade scroll.
Mr. Wu explained that the credit for the promotion of the golden book and jade scroll this time should not all belong to him. Although the Xuanhuang Qi is precious, it isn't the main factor. There might be other reasons.
However, the three of them argued, regardless, the Xuanhuang Qi was the catalyst. Without this opportunity, they would not have been able to achieve this. They were grateful for Mr. Wu's kindness.
Before Mr. Wu could speak again, the golden book and jade scroll shone brightly, turning into two rays of light that fell down. One shot towards Emperor Zhu Houji of Great Ming, and the other, surprisingly, fell into the hands of Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing's eyes widened in surprise. He reached out and grabbed the ray of light, and a book that looked like gold but not gold, like jade but not jade, appeared in his hand.
[High-grade Golden Book and Jade Scroll (Sub-volume): Heaven-sent divine item, with the ability to enfeoff gods. If it can fuse with some divine items of Heaven and Earth, it will undergo mysterious changes. Refining it can gain 5,000,000 points of Taoyun.]
The moment the Golden Book and Jade Scroll fell into his hands, the simulator in Pei Xuanjing's mind immediately reacted, giving a description of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll.
"It's the replica. I wonder why it fell into my hands," a hint of surprise flashed in Pei Xuanjing's deep eyes.
In the description given by the Life Simulator, he didn't care about the ability to bestow Gods' Enfeoffment. That was something he already knew. However, the latter part, about merging divine items of Heaven and Earth, would result in a mysterious transformation. He was extremely curious about what kind of divine items could be incorporated and what kind of change would happen.
"As Mr. Wu said, the rumored Golden Book and Jade Scroll relate to the mystery of Becoming Immortal. If it could be transformed into the legendary Gods Sealing List, it could promote the Divine Dynasty to the Heavenly Court and bestow the gods with immortality," Pei Xuanjing thought to himself.
Leaving these things aside for now, according to the simulator's statement, the replica of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll contains as many as five million Taoyun. If fully refined, it would be enough to support a round of life simulation.
A total of four people were on the altar. The Golden Book and Jade Scroll turned into two parts, falling into the hands of Pei Xuanjing and Zhu Houji, leaving Taoist Qingxu and Mr. Wu empty-handed.
Looking at the two individuals who had closed their eyes and fallen into silence, obviously having gained some insights, Taoist Qingxu didn't want to disturb them. He turned to Mr. Wu and asked, "The Golden Book and Jade Scroll have split into two volumes. Sir, do you know why this happened?"
In the information they received, they had some understanding of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, knowing that they were divine items bestowed by Heaven and Earth, also serving as the highest authority for the master of the Divine Dynasty.
According to records, there should only be one copy of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, held by the master of the Divine Dynasty, and it served as the power for him to command the world.
This anomaly surprised everyone, and they had no idea why this had happened.
Mr. Wu sighed, "Originally, I thought this kind of thing was just a rumor, but I didn't expect to see it happening today."
"Originally, there should indeed only be one copy of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll bestowed by Heaven and Earth when the Divine Dynasty ascended. However, there was a rumor that if someone made a great contribution during the ascension of the Divine Dynasty, a replica would be split off for that person when Heaven and Earth bestowed the Golden Book and Jade Scroll."
As for this piece of news, it had been mentioned in the records of the Witch Deity Teaching, and one of its predecessors had once held this Golden Book and Jade Scroll.
Mr. Wu had initially dismissed this record, thinking it was nothing more than an exaggeration. He believed that it was a story fabricated by the descendants of the Witch Deity Teaching to glorify their ancestors.
He never expected that what was in the rumor would indeed occur before his eyes.
"I see." Taoist Qingxu nodded as if he suddenly understood.
Seeing the expression on his face, Mr. Wu added, "It is said that this replica bestowed by Heaven is different from the one created by the master of the Divine Dynasty. It is commanded by Heaven, and apart from a few core positions that cannot be bestowed, it can master most features of the main volume."
However, Mr. Wu was also aware that although Pei Xuanjing was known as the national master, he actually did not participate in the affairs of the imperial court and did not care about his own power.
In his actions, he promoted the Divine Dynasty Plan, killed Howling Moon Gray Wolf outside the border, and just now he killed Ying Zhong who intended to steal the Golden Book and Jade Scroll. These merits caught the attention of Heaven and Earth, hence the rich rewards.
"Hmm?" A glint of joy emerged in Taoist Qingxu's eyes.
Their original apprehension towards the Great Ming court lay here. After all, once the Divine Dynasty ascended and the emperor obtained the Golden Book and Jade Roll, his power was bound to rise. Whether the two sides' smooth cooperation would be broken was yet unknown.
That's why Bai Xiaosheng initially was not willing to fully hand over the Incense Fire God Refining Skill to the emperor, to avoid giving rise to a situation where the tail wags the dog. It was only after Pei Xuanjing persistently promoted the idea that they agreed.
Just now, Pei Xuanjing's action undoubtedly demonstrated his strength. Even after the Divine Dynasty ascends, the other side still has the mighty power that can suppress the world, so they don't need to worry.
But now that the Golden Book and Jade Scroll had split into two parts and fallen into Pei Xuanjing's hands, that gave Taoist Qingxu a pleasant surprise.
If the Golden Book and Jade Scroll could be held in his hands, they could be used as a means of checks and balances to balance both parties.
Mr. Wu chuckled to himself and said nothing more.
He could also guess the other's thoughts, and what he said was meant to show his goodwill.
While the two were talking, Pei Xuanjing and Zhu Houji had already awakened.
Pei Xuanjing looked calm and hadn't opened his mouth when he heard Zhu Houji say, "Since it's a gift from Heaven, we can let Master Pei hold onto this replica. What do you think?"
Although Zhu Houji had been immersed in the Golden Book and Jade Scroll just now, he had heard every word the other two had said, and understood the ins and outs, knowing that it was bestowed by Heaven and Earth.
Let alone whether he could retrieve it from Pei Xuanjing, even if Pei Xuanjing was willing to give it back to him, it was likely that the Taoist School, or the other alliances, wouldn't want him to hold both copies of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll.
So, he took the initiative to mention it to avoid disagreement on this matter. After all, the main volume in his hands is much stronger than the replica and can still serve as a means of restraint.
"If that's the case, then I will humbly accept it." Pei Xuanjing didn't refuse and accepted directly.
If the Golden Book and Jade Scroll were only one volume, then Pei Xuanjing would definitely not want to fight for it. He would only borrow it for research and eventually return it to Zhu Houji. After all, the Golden Book and Jade Scroll can only exert the greatest effect in the hands of the master of the Divine Dynasty.
But now, since he also had a replica, he certainly wouldn't give it away. After all, apart from refining the five million Taoyun, he found many aspects of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll that were worth researching.
Everything returned to tranquility. This grand ceremony of Heaven and Earth praising, and the ascension of the Divine Dynasty finally came to an end.
Despite some twists and turns, they achieved their goal and promoted the Great Ming Empire to a rarely seen divine dynasty on Earth over thousands of years, which in the future can be referred to as the Great Ming Divine Dynasty.
After discussing with each other on the altar, in order to avoid attracting too many targets and preventing the return of the ancient forces in the Sky Wasteland, they hid some details and announced that the Golden Book and Jade Scroll was only at a medium level, which lowered its rank by one level.
After all, the implications of a medium and high level Golden Book and Jade Scrolls were totally different. Revealing it now without sufficient power would definitely make them targets and attract the covetous gazes of many powerful beings and forces.
However, even a medium-grade Golden Book and Jade Scroll excited countless people when they heard the news.
After all, they were aware of the significance of a medium-grade Golden Book and Jade Scroll. As long as the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi continues to rise, the combat power that the Great Ming Divine Dynasty can bestow will reach the ultimate Spirit Realm Eightfold, which can be considered a top-level force in the Sky Wasteland.
For the Great Ming to reach this point within six hundred years shocked countless people.
The rise of the Divine Dynasty on earth is a successful one, with the emergence of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, Zhu Houji, as the master of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, once again amplified his power, instantly becoming one of the top powerhouses in the world.
Many people secretly speculated whether Zhu Houji, who possesses the Luck Golden Dragon and controls the Golden Book and Jade Scroll in Tiandu, would be able to confront Pei Xuanjing.
However, unfortunately, the news that Pei Xuanjing has grasped a subsidiary of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll has been released, much to the disappointment of many. They realized that as long as Pei Xuanjing could safely handle the subsidiary, it meant that the cooperation between the two parties could continue, and would not break up for the time being.
Originally, having cleansed the plains and eradicated the remnants of the Former Yuan, an achievement as grand as expanding the territory by thousands of miles should have warranted rewards for the arm, and awards for all officials.
However, previously, because of the Divine Dynasty Plan ahead, all matters had been temporarily put on hold in the face of such an important occasion.
Now that the Divine Dynasty had promisingly risen, with the grandeur of this prosperous era coupled with the previous awards, there was no need to delay the awarding anymore.
Moreover, during the initial stages, those important figures of the Great Ming court, Council Elders, Noble Officials who were so supportive of this matter, had given up substantial benefits for this moment, hadn't they?
Next, everything proceeded in an orderly manner, a grand awarding ceremony was about to be held, and countless officials began to move and discuss in private.
The benefits this time were tremendous, at least for the countless officials of the Great Ming court. Except for some who had confidence that their cultivation could advance them to the Spirit Realm, most Martial Artists knew that without significant fortune, there was likely little chance of significant progress.
Even those who had talent and power knew that they might become stronger if they could acquire the Enfeoffment and control the Heavenly Authority.
However, right now, this opportunity was laid out before them.
The Great Ming Divine Dynasty, the Enfeoffment to the Divine Position, if one could seize this opportunity to get the Enfeoffment, not only would their strength increase, but they could also gain a longer lifespan.
Yet, nobody knew how many Divine Positions could be assigned in the current situation, whether everyone was eligible, or they were allocated according to merits and official positions, where only a portion of people could share the benefits.
The Emperor's heart was inscrutable. His Majesty was fundamentally a monarch of extraordinary means, nobody could fathom his thoughts, and no one knew how many Enfeoffments would be given next.
If the distribution was based on official positions and merits, then perhaps only a few people would be able to acquire it.
Even if all officials could get the Enfeoffment, different official positions would inevitably entitle people to different Enfeoffments.
After all, this was just like the Imperial examination. There were countless educated scholars participating, but how many would be nominated in the end?
Moreover, even among the nominated, the treatment of the top scholar and the ordinary scholars were vastly different.
Even more so, some astute individuals had come to realize: future official promotions would probably not be easy and would be more difficult than ever.
After all, in the past, those top-ranking officials would have to step down and turn over their positions to successors, no matter for how many years they had occupied their positions, as they all eventually succumb to old age and physical deterioration.
But now with the establishment of the Divine Dynasty and the Enfeoffment to the Divine Positions, their lifespans had increased by several times compared to before, which meant they could comfortably sit on their positions for even longer.
No one voluntarily relinquishes power, especially when the power directly correlates to one's lifespan.
If the lifespans granted by different Divine Positions vary, then perhaps the person in the senior position might remain the same, but the subordinate officials could have changed several times over.
Therefore, for one's sake, if they could advance even further right now, it would undoubtedly be the best.
Also, numerous martial artists in the Jianghu and various forces had begun to make moves. Ordinary martial artists, with no connections, were merely hoping to join the Great Ming court in order to gain the Enfeoffment.
Those from the major forces, however, collectively turned their attention towards Pei Xuanjing, bringing up the matter that had taken place in Shenxiao Mountain previously, hoping to have a share of the benefits.
Above the loft, Pei Xuanjing was playing with the Golden Book and Jade Scroll in his hands, slowly refining the Taoyun of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll.
"Master." Pang Hong ascended the loft and bowed to Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing looked at him and heard Pang Hong say, "Master, the items have been delivered. However, according to the other party's response, this Divine Material is special. If we want to smelt it and forge a Divine Weapon, it might take several years."
Pei Xuanjing had already finished refining the Taoyun of the Purple Lightning Divine Gold, then had Pang Hong take it along with the silver spear of Ying Zhong, whom he had slain, to the Tiangong Workshop's refining master craftsman, asking them to use them as materials to forge a Divine Weapon for him.
"It doesn't matter, I can wait for this bit of time." Pei Xuanjing laughed.
For Pei Xuanjing now, a few years of this time was but a blink of an eye and didn't matter at all, it was merely like the time for one seclusion.
"I will keep a regular check on matters there." Pang Hong said.
Pei Xuanjing shook his head and said, "No need."
He swished his robe, and two tokens shot out from it. Pang Hong instinctively reached out and caught them.
These two tokens turned out to be Shenxiao tokens; one of them was what Pei Xuanjing had obtained when he explored the Forbidden Place of Shenxiao Sect with the Qingxu Taoist and Bai Xiaosheng, and the other was obtained after killing the Lord of Shenxiao Gate.
"Master?" Pang Hong looked at the Shenxiao token in his hand and a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes.
"This Shenxiao token is related to a true Secret Inheritance left by the Shenxiao Sect. With these two tokens, you can enter it." Pei Xuanjing explained, "Next, you and Yu Zhenzi will go together to explore and look for the Forbidden Place, to find the true inheritance left by the Shenxiao Sect, which may help your cultivation a lot."
Pei Xuanjing had gone through the experience of exploring this Forbidden Place in his initial life simulation, but even with his strength at that time, he didn't fully acquire the true inheritance in the simulation, and had only experienced a few stages before he failed and died.
Originally, Pei Xuanjing had thought of looking for this Secret Inheritance after he had obtained the Shenxiao token, but then things took a deviation. After all, he didn't know where this Secret Inheritance was, and it was too difficult to look for it.
Another reason was that his power grew very quickly. By the time he reached this Realm, although he had initially practiced some skills from the Shenxiao jade book, he had already carved out his own path, which was completely different from those inheritances. Therefore, Pei Xuanjing left it aside the whole time.
However, Pei Xuanjing was very curious about many of the secrets of the Shenxiao Sect, after all, Jinmen Feather Guest, who had been in a high position, had gained a lot of unknown secrets. Perhaps there were records in the inheritance that could answer some of Pei Xuanjing's doubts.