"As for the strength aspect, I can now at least demonstrate the initial Sixth Level, which would also be the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm in this world." The Deer Elder voiced his recent experience to Pei Xuanjing.
Embarrassed, he added: "However, should I receive the support from your Power of Faith, even if I encounter a cultivator of Spirit Realm Eightfold, I might stand a chance in a fight."
In the current Daming World, if anyone comprehends Pei Xuanjing most profoundly, that would probably be the Deer Elder himself.
Having accompanied Pei Xuanjing in the Sky Wasteland for hundreds of years, he had witnessed Pei Xuanjing's fierce battles against numerous enemies. Later, when Pei Xuanjing had ascended to the divine position, he had enhanced himself with the Power of Incense Fire, and as his mount, the Deer Elder naturally received attention and blessings as well.
Therefore, he understood clearly that if he could acquire the Power of Incense Fire, it would significantly increase his own strength, and he didn't hesitate to speak about this.
"Heh, you are quite straightforward," Pei Xuanjing chuckled, "In that case, I actually have something I need you to do."
He trusted the Deer Elder very much. As the latter expressed his wishes so frankly, Pei Xuanjing naturally would not reject it. To him, the Power of Incense Fire was insignificant, but lending it to someone and getting a vital force in exchange sounded like an excellent deal.
Moreover, once the Deer Elder's strength was restored, he could assign some tasks to him.
"Master, please give your orders. I am willing to die for your cause," said the Deer Elder, his face suddenly turning solemn.
Pei Xuanjing waved his hand and said, "The matter is not that severe, I just need…"
...
Taihe Mountain, True Martial Sect.
This majestic mountain has been the primary goal of countless people in the Taoist Sect, a holy land for cultivation, ever since Ancestor Sanfeng founded the sect. Even after the promotion of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, the True Martial Sect has remained a famous major power in the world.
However, as spiritual cultivators have become more abundant with the increasing revival times of Heaven and Earth, many have intentionally or unintentionally downplayed the presence of the True Martial Sect, leading many to forget the sect. They have forgotten that the current Sect Leader of the True Martial Sect was once a supreme figure who shocked the martial world.
Over the past few decades, many new forces have emerged, and the True Martial Sect has become more unobtrusive. If it weren't for the regular interactions with the many fellow members of the Taoist Alliance, many would assume something had happened to the True Martial Sect.
The recent actions of the demonic leaders, Zhao Baiyang and Xue Wuheng, have rekindled long-buried memories in many and reminded them of the once awe-inspiring supreme powers in the martial world. Sect Leader Taoist Qingxu of the True Martial Sect has once again entered many people's sight.
Everyone was waiting. Since Zhao Baiyang and Xue Wuheng have already made their moves, Taoist Qingxu is bound to have his shocking moment in the martial world. Even the returned forces from the Sky Wasteland were silently watching this sect, which has only a history of over 600 years.
Unexpectedly, the True Martial Sect seemed indifferent to everything, giving no reaction to the events in the martial world. They continued to maintain their original low profile as if they were a stagnant pond.
Because of this, no one knew what the True Martial Sect was thinking or doing. They wondered whether Taoist Qingxu hadn't exited his seclusion or had he fallen behind in this Great World.
In a secret location of True Martial Sect, many cultivators in the Spiritual Realm sat on meditation cushions. Each of them took a position that subtly corresponded to the Eight Trigrams, forming a huge formation resembling a Yin Yang Fish.
At the center of the Yin Yang Fish, two Taoists sat in the void. Their bodies faintly shimmered, an apparent symbol of refining the Divine Position. The heavy divine lights indicated a long duration of refining the Divine Position.
If Pei Xuanjing and the old Heavenly Master were here, they would recognize these two figures: Taoist Qingshi and Taoist Baishi.
These two were those who broke the Heaven and Earth seal together on the peak of Taihe Mountain and triggered the revival of Heaven and Earth. They obtained godly positions using the Enfeoffment and were the first to do so in the Daming World in thousands of years.
However, after the two obtained the godly positions through Enfeoffment, they became only the guardian god of Taihe Mountain. According to Pei Xuanjing's prediction, they were at most at the Spirit Realm Onefold and couldn't leave Taihe Mountain.
That's why, even though Pei Xuanjing never returned to Taihe Mountain or heard any news about the two, he didn't think much of them.
If the now stronger Pei Xuanjing saw what was happening on Taihe Mountain today, he would discover that these two people had changed entirely contrary to his prediction.
At this moment, the strength radiated from the bodies of Taoist Qingshi and Taoist Baishi was definitely more than just Spirit Realm Onefold. In fact, they had already reached Spirit Realm Fivefold. This was unbelievable; even Pei Xuanjing would be astounded to see this.
Although the godly position can be enhanced, to do so is not an easy task. The cultivation realm aura currently released by the two could only mean that they have raised the level of their godly position. Regardless of how the True Martial Sect achieved this, they did it without a doubt.
"Based on your estimations, how much longer is needed to complete it thoroughly?"
From a distant mountain peak, Taoist Qingxu asked the surrounding elders of the Zhenwu Sect.
Despite his calm demeanor, his eyes betrayed him; he cared deeply about the ongoing events and did not want any accidents.
"If all goes well, we will need three more times, approximately three years, for success," replied an elder, stroking his long beard and emphasizing his words, not daring to take the matter lightly.
"Very well, I hope things go as planned. Otherwise, my True Martial Sect will lose the chance to rise, and might even get wiped out in this Great World," warned Taoist Qingxu in a grave voice.
"Yes, Sect Leader Qingxu. We will do our utmost, and even at the cost of our lives, we will ensure the success of this plan," the elders confidently responded.
"Good!"
Taoist Qingxu nodded, and turned to leave.
Qingxu who left was feeling incredibly complicated. He didn't know if what he did was right, but there was no doubt that there was no turning back now. If they succeed, the True Martial Sect will have the strength to protect itself in the upcoming Grand Era, but if they lose…
If they were to fail, then perhaps the foundation of the Taihe Mountain True Martial Sect, which had been handed down for hundreds of years, would be completely destroyed at his hands.
Taoist Qingxu reflected in his heart:
"It's a breathtaking gamble, but it's also a desperate fight. After all, the timeline for the True Martial Sect is too short, and the speed of Heaven and Earth's recovery is too fast. We don't have many choices."
He had a crystal-clear understanding of what he was doing now, there was no one in the world who understood better than he, how crucial this decision was for the True Martial Sect.
But he didn't have any other choices; this solution was the most suitable and likely one for him.
If the pace of Heaven and Earth's recovery had been slow, allowing the True Martial Sect enough time to adapt and not have the imminent forces of Sky Wasteland realm as a threat, then Taoist Qingxu wouldn't be in a hurry and wouldn't feel the pressure.
However, the times have changed.
The existence of many ancient powers in the Sky Wasteland realm imposed immense pressure on the True Martial Sect, leaving him almost breathless.
He knew that once those forces from the Sky Wasteland realm returned, if the True Martial Sect didn't have sufficient power, then everything present would be lost, including all their glory. This was something he couldn't accept or tolerate.
Accordingly, under these circumstances, he and several other elders in the Sect came up with a plan to enhance their divine position!
Yes, it was to elevate their Divine Position, train powerful individuals, ensuring that they had a say when confronting the forces from the Sky Wasteland Realm. They weren't seeking to overpower the others, but at least vying for an equal opportunity to shield the True Martial Sect and gain more time for growth and development.
How were they to elevate their divine position?
Some of the elders in the Sect mentioned how they enfeoffed the divine positions of Elder Qingshi and Elder Baishi. Coupled with the part of the divine position they acquired from the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, they had a wild idea.
They planned to transfer the power and authority from this part of the divine position onto the Gods of Elders Qingshi and Baishi, making them even more powerful.
After all, these two elders were not like the others who had refined their divine positions. They were directly enfeoffed as Gods and not under the control of The Great Ming Divine Dynasty.
For most powers and individuals who obtained divine positions, their authority and basic rights were partly granted by Heaven and Earth, and partly funded by The Great Ming Divine Dynasty. They would undoubtedly be restricted by the Golden Book and the Jade Scroll unless they had a higher power. If they didn't have approval from Pei Xuanjing and Emperor Zhu Houji, who held the Golden Book and the Jade Scroll, it wouldn't matter how much Power of Incense Faith they acquired, they couldn't enhance their divine position authority.
However, this wasn't the case for the Taoists Qingshi and Baishi. Their divine positions were directly claimed from Heaven and Earth when the world seal was broken. Although it seemed weak and confined to Taihe Mountain, it held endless potential and wasn't restricted by the Golden Book and Jade Scroll.
Over the years, the plan of the True Martial Sect was to train these two divine positions. Firstly, they would have their disciples refine all the divine positions obtained from Pei Xuanjing's hands. After the refining, instead of cultivating these divine positions to enhance their own strength like other forces, they completely turned these divine positions into cultivation resources. Eventually, all the nutrients were offered to the divine positions of Taoists Qingshi and Baishi through the Array Method, thereby accelerating their enhancement process and making them more powerful.
"If the Zhenwu Plan is successful, the True Martial Sect will not only have a place in this world, but also, when the Immortal Path emerges someday, we can completely rely on the Zhenwu Plan to pave our way of immortality.", said Qingxu with a sparkle in his eyes, as his thoughts whirled.
The plan they were implementing now was referred to as the Zhenwu Plan by the True Martial Sect.
The True Martial Sect worshipped the renowned Jade Purity True Monarch, who was a mythological Northern God, and the famous Immortal God, Zhenwu Demonslaying Emperor. It reflects the name of the True Martial Sect.
Similar to Pei Xuanjing who sought to obtain the divine position of the Jade Purity True King and the Emperor of the South Pole Eternal Life, the True Martial Sect also desired the positions of Zhenwu Demonslaying Emperor and Xuantian God.
However, Qingxu and the others were realistic enough to understand that with the current resources of the True Martial Sect, even if they put all their energy into it, it would be impossible to achieve a truly honorable position as the True Martial Emperor.
So, they decided to settle for less or rather follow a step-by-step approach, aiming first to consolidate other divine positions.
Legend has it that the Devil-Sweeping Great Emperor resides in the Northern Divine Heaven, eliminating demons. He is flanked by the Deity Turtle and Divine Snake, both of which are highly skilled and have extensive divine abilities.
What Qingxu and the others aimed to do was to offer the divine position's authority and power to the Taoists Qingshi and Baishi, helping them consolidate the divine position projections of the Deity Turtle and Divine snake, and attempt to harness the Power of Faith of these two divine protectors in their favor.
Notably, the True Martial Emperor is the god worshipped by the True Martial Sect, but it doesn't end there. There are countless people in this world who worship the True Martial Emperor, and the two divine protectors under his command also enjoy abundant Power of Incense Faith.
If they managed to project the faith of these two divine protectors, then the divine position powers held by the Taoists Qingshi and Baishi must be very strong.
According to the Zhenwu Plan, this was only the first step. If this step succeeded, validating the following steps' feasibility, they would gradually consolidate the divine soldiers and divine weapons under True Martial Emperor. When the time was ripe, they would attempt to consolidate the divine position of the True Martial Emperor, harnessing all the Power of Incense Faith in this world to create an incomparably powerful divine position.
This was indeed the Zhenwu Plan. The day it succeeded, the True Martial Sect was bound to become one of the most powerful forces in the world.
"It's a long journey ahead, but I will explore up and down! For the honor and heritage of the True Martial Sect, I would not regret it even if I had to die nine times!" thought Qingxu, with determination.
He knew that this plan was arduous and would encounter countless dangers and obstacles, but he made up his mind to carry it out without any hesitation. He didn't want to miss this era or see the True Martial Sect fall.
The Great World is imminent, and everyone is striving for their goals and perseverance in this Great World, not willing to give up lightly.
A grain of sand from a great era, landing on anyone's head, is like a towering mountain, pressing on them to the point of breathlessness.
As the Sect Leader of the True Martial Sect, the Taoist Qingxu does not want his sect to decline under his leadership during its most prosperous era. Therefore, he strives to persevere, even if it means facing death without regret.
DescriptionQingxu Taoist returned to his room, entered his meditation chamber, sat cross-legged on his meditation cushion, and started to circulate his Mysterious Skill within his body.
How talented Qingxu Taoist is, not many can exactly say, but his cultivation at the Spirit Realm Sixth Level gives some hint.
Obviously, over these decades, besides managing the various affairs of the True Martial Sect and caring about the progress of the Zhenwu Plan, he has never stopped striving in his cultivation.
...
The frontier between the human race and the Demon Race, the human camp.
Wang Boan, the commander of the human army this time, dressed in scholarly clothes, thoughtfully reading a book, seems completely unconcerned about the imminent tension between humans and the Demon Race.
However, his casual and carefree attitude as the commander has invisibly influenced his soldiers. Their original tension has been eased considerably by him, and they have become calm and composed.
"Brother Boan, you seem to have everything under control. Are you not worried about the Demons taking action?" Gu Ji walks into Wang Boan's tent and jokingly starts the conversation.
He was sent by the imperial court to assist Wang Boan. Although he is not an expert in military affairs, he is not ignorant either. Moreover, his main tasks are mostly logistical, such as overseeing food supply and military equipment.
The factions within the Great Ming Divine Dynasty might be on the same page now, but that doesn't mean there's no desire to outshine each other among them. At least Wang Qiong, the high-ranking Minister of the Ministry of War, and Wang Boan, the natural-born commander holding a large army in his hand, form a strong power in the court with their close cooperation, which makes many people very wary.
They understand the immense benefit these two have for the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, and it would be unwise to damage either of them, but does not mean others will not make small moves behind the scenes to disrupt this partnership and make it less formidable.
The experienced Wang Qiong knows this well. He also understands that Wang Boan at this stage is no longer the junior official who needed to rely on him and be taken care of by him. His former subordinate has become a world-renowned commander trusted by the emperor.
Even though Wang Boan still treats him as a master, Wang Qiong doesn't presume to treat Boan with his former indifference. Sending Gu Ji to assist Boan in military affairs is to express his supportive attitude and prevent others from making mischief.
Nevertheless, overall, the two old friends are still cooperating well.
Seeing Gu Ji walk in, Wang Boan sets down his book and laughs. "Under the current situation, the Demons won't want to start a war. For them, now is not the best time."
Wang Boan certainly has a full grasp of the situation of the Demon Race.
The resurgence of Heaven and Earth has been going on for several decades. Nurtured by the rich Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, many animals have gained wisdom and started their path of cultivation, transforming into the Demon Race.
Although numerous, these Demons are very weak, utterly incapable of standing up against human warriors. If it weren't for the coercion of the Great Demons from the Sky Wasteland, these weak Demons would have neither the will nor the courage to confront the human army head-on.
In these years of fighting, the weak Demons have not only failed to inflict significant damage on the human race, but have also become resources for humans to get stronger, making the army and cultivators increasingly powerful.
Furthermore, with the return of powerful forces from the Sky Wasteland, they have made up for the lack of high-end combat power in the human race, bringing the situation back to a stalemate where neither humans nor Demons can do anything about the other.
If the Demon Race wishes to break the current deadlock, they need more powerful creatures. But for now, even if the Demon Race had strong creatures, it wouldn't be much different from the human race, so they can't break the deadlock.
"So, as time goes on, we and the Demon Race are going to be in a long-term standoff situation like in the Sky Wasteland." Gu Ji asked thoughtfully.
He's not a fool. Hearing Wang Boan's words, he understands Boan's judgment and views of the upcoming situation and what they imply.
After all, if the current situation can't be broken, and when the forces of the Sky Wasteland from both races return, they would be back to the old stubborn stalemate.
"That's right," Wang Boan nodded. "You could say that the Demon Race has already missed their chance, and now this is going to just be a stalemate."
The Demon Race did have a chance. At the beginning, shortly after the resurgence of Heaven and Earth when several Demon Races, like the Howling Moon Gray Wolf, descended. If they weren't so impatient and chose to hide and wait patiently before launching an attack, they might have caught the human race off guard.
Unfortunately, the Howling Moon Gray Wolf was too arrogant. He thought no one in Ancestral Land could challenge him, so he was eager to overrun the human race. As a result, he was killed by Pei Xuanjing, and both his life and the Demon Race's chance were lost.
Gu Ji didn't bother to consider this. What he was worried about was: "If so, does this mean that these millions of troops have to stay here indefinitely, unable to leave?"
This is the problem he needs to consider, and is also a worry for the elders and officials of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty. Millions of troops consume a lot of food and supplies every day. If they stay here indefinitely, it would be a great burden for the Great Ming Divine Dynasty.
What's worse, there are many elite warriors cultivated by the Great Ming Divine Dynasty in the millions strong armies; they are the cornerstone of the dynasty. What should be done if the dynasty needs these armies for other purposes while they are stuck in the standoff with the Demon Race?
The situation of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty now seems flourishing, but it is actually turbulent underneath. With the return of the Sky Wasteland's forces, they're in an unfortunate and awkward position.