Journey to the West: I have Nine Golden Crows Inside Me
Chapter 1168: Is 821 Sanqing a ghost?

Chapter 1168: Is 821 Sanqing a ghost?

"Dare I ask the ancestor, where lies the life force of ghosts?"

Upon hearing that ghosts indeed possess a life force, the Lord of Dongcheng was thrilled and couldn’t help but step forward to inquire.

"Humans have the Martial Dao, immortals have the Immortal Dao, gods have the Divine Dao, Buddhas have the Buddhism Dao, and demons have the Demonic Way. Then naturally, ghosts have the Ghost Dao."

"The life force of ghosts resides right here."

"In the future, the Ghost Dao shall arise in response to fate, carving out a path of transcendence for countless ghosts."

There was nothing to hide; this was a part of Jiang Chen’s plan, so he spoke of it directly.

The Ghost Dao is the life force for innumerable ghosts and also the path of Dao Establishment for the Great Emperor of Fengdu.

How could the Great Emperor of Fengdu qualify to become the ruler of the Netherworld, to preside over the Office of the Underworld, to rule over ten thousand ghosts? It’s because he would, in the future, carve out the Ghost Dao, creating a path of transcendence for countless ghosts, thereby becoming the supreme sovereign of the Ghost Dao, revered by all ghosts, and ascending to the esteemed throne of the supreme ruler of the Netherworld in one fell swoop.

After all, the Netherworld is the world of the deceased, and countless ghosts are the deceased; gaining their support naturally qualifies one to be the lord of the Netherworld and contend for the supreme position.

"The Ghost Dao?"

Shaken by these two words, the leaders of the five cities fell to their knees in unison, bowing down before Jiang Chen and pleading, "We earnestly beg the ancestor to bestow upon the ghosts of the Netherworld the teachings of the Ghost Dao, to resolve their grievances."

All five were among the first batch of disciples to join the Shangqing Palace, truly blessed by the Saint; their talents might not be the highest, but their fate certainly far surpassed their peers.

Therefore, as soon as Jiang Chen mentioned the Ghost Dao, they, as if gifted with divine inspiration, realized their moment of opportunity had come. They quickly bowed down and implored Jiang Chen to pass down the Ghost Dao to the myriad of ghosts in the Netherworld.

Opportunity!

An opportunity of monumental proportions!

At this moment, the five felt as if an enormous opportunity was presented before them.

How to put it, their current act of prostration meant that if Jiang Chen did not transmit the Ghost Dao, it would be of no consequence, yet if he did transmit it, wouldn’t it mean that it was because of their pleading that Jiang Chen decided to do so?

In an instant, the five found themselves in an elevated position. In the future, all beings who stepped onto the Ghost Dao, whether they liked it or not, would owe them a debt of gratitude.

After all, the transmission of the Ghost Dao would certainly credit them with some merit, which necessitates repaying kindness; if the beings of the Ghost Dao did not wish to be accused of ingratitude in the future, they would inevitably have to acknowledge the favor.

With this favor in their possession, the future prospects of the five became much brighter.

Even if the Ghost Dao isn’t powerful, they could still leverage it to achieve the Dao Fruit of a Great Luo Golden Immortal. If the Ghost Dao becomes exceedingly prosperous in the future, they could rise with the tide and, at the very least, secure for themselves the status of an Innate Dao Sovereign.

A simple request, if fulfilled, would be enough to change their destinies for life. Why wouldn’t they seek such a boon when the payoff could be immense and the loss negligible upon failure?

"You five are quite astute!"

Seeing their response, Jiang Chen was momentarily taken aback before he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

The five were indeed clever, knowing exactly how to seize an opportunity. Such is the way of the world; choice is more important than effort.

Just like the five of them did, seizing one opportunity could spare them countless years of arduous cultivation. Or rather, they could ascend to heaven in one step, reaching heights they could never have achieved by any other means.

Concerning the Ghost Dao, Jiang Chen, planning to become the Great Emperor of Fengdu, was naturally prepared; he had already developed a general concept long ago.

Or rather, it was his ace in the hole in becoming the Great Emperor of Fengdu. Before he received the support of Mother Earth, Jiang Chen had planned to reveal the Ghost Dao at a critical moment for a decisive kill, defeating all his competitors.

But now, with Mother Earth’s support, the position of the Great Emperor of Fengdu was practically guaranteed, leaving his prepared trump card without a stage. He might as well bring it out early to garner some fame for himself.

"So be it; after all, you are my grandchildren in the Tao. I shall bestow this opportunity upon you. I plan to stay in Wrongful Death City for a year to expound upon the path of Ghost Cultivation to the ghosts."

"This matter will be yours to prepare for."

The five were disciples of Zhang Daoling, and thus Jiang Chen’s grandchildren in the Tao. That relationship was quite close. So, when it came to giving away such an opportunity, it would be better to give it to one’s own people.

"Thank you, ancestor!"

Upon hearing his words, the five knew that the matter was settled, their destinies were changed at that moment, and their future prospects were boundless.

In that moment, they were too excited to put their feelings into words. Had they not been mindful of Jiang Chen’s presence, they would have longed to howl to the heavens to vent their overwhelming emotions.

"Dare I ask the ancestor, when do you plan to give the sermon, and may you inform us in advance so that we, your disciples, can prepare?"

It took a long while for the five to calm down before they thought of Jiang Chen’s earlier words and respectfully asked.

"Let’s set it for three days after the Ghost Festival," Jiang Chen decided after some thought.

His decision to preach was entirely spontaneous with no intention of holding a grand sermon, but to conduct a small-scale preaching meant to spread the concept of the Ghost Dao, ensuring all ghosts were aware and prepared for its sudden emergence.

As for when he would truly establish the Ghost Dao through a formal sermon, that would naturally wait until the moment Jiang Chen became the Great Emperor of Fengdu.

When the Great Emperor of Fengdu ascends the throne, the entire Netherworld, including all ghosts in the world, would resonate, and that would be the optimal moment to expound upon the Ghost Dao. It would not only be completely appropriate, but would also allow all spirits to clearly hear his sermon.