The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 397 - 243 The Legend of the Ascender_2

Chapter 397: Chapter 243 The Legend of the Ascender_2

Speaking, he received a triangular Azure Dragon flag from his subordinate, "Hanging this flag while sailing can reduce many misunderstandings."

"Thank you very much, sir."

"You’re welcome."

After inspecting, the speedboat quickly departed.

Indeed, having hung the triangular Azure Dragon flag, no navy came to obstruct them, and they effortlessly reached the Yichang ferry.

This navy was clearly intended to intimidate the enemy.

Above the Yichang ferry, merchant ships still bustled, but armored soldiers patrolled, making everyone from the pugilistic world much more subdued.

Upon entering the city, the atmosphere had changed as well.

The streets were still lively, but now and then, armored soldiers passed by, whether they were locals, Han people, or merchants from Ba Shu, everyone spoke in much lower volumes.

He remembered the last time he was here; people were hot-tempered; on the streets, a disagreement would escalate into a fight, and in desperate times, knives were drawn.

But now, that was almost non-existent.

When Li Yan and his companions were stopped and questioned several times and saw the people tied to the stakes at the street corners, they immediately understood the cause and effect.

"This Yichang City is no place to stay."

After being stopped once again, Sha Lifei immediately expressed his dissatisfaction, "With so many eyes watching, it’s impossible to do anything."

"Yes, let’s leave after completing the task."

Li Yan also nodded in agreement.

Wartime laws were harsh, which they could understand, but having been accustomed to freedom, being checked repeatedly and unable to do anything was frustrating.

Fortunately, their various documents and Daoist certificates were in order, and upon inspection, the soldiers were sensible enough not to cause more trouble...

...

"Ha ha, Young Hero Li, it was indeed right to have you come here."

Upon arriving at the City God Temple, the plump old Daoist, Yu Lingzi, greeted them with a broad smile and eagerly ushered them into the temple.

"Everyone, you have truly accomplished great feats!"

After personally pouring tea for Li Yan and the others, Yu Lingzi exclaimed anxiously, "The Ghost Sect has reemerged, and the Fengshui grand formation of the Ancient Chu, had it been someone else, they might have been killed, and Zigui City could have fallen."

"Several masters from the Zhenwu Palace were quite shocked when they heard the news, they asked me to express their gratitude and ordered that the three Mystical Realms in Wudang Mountain be available to you all from now on!"

Li Yan was somewhat surprised, "No need for a token anymore?"

"That’s for ordinary magicians."

Yu Lingzi waved his hand and said solemnly, "You may not realize how serious this matter is. The Nine-headed Bird Phoenix Vein, accumulating grievances for thousands of years, might have bred some demons."

"It is located above the Great Dragon Vein of Divine State, once it emerges, Divine State will be in turmoil, crying blood for miles, resentments spreading everywhere, possibly spawning countless evil spirits."

"And by then, the Southwest might split off into its own domain – although its Qi Fortune won’t last long, the murderous nature is very strong, certainly causing bloodshed for miles and countless beheadings."

Li Yan frowned slightly, "That sounds quite mystical; isn’t it a bit exaggerated?"

Yu Lingzi shook his head, "This concerns the Qi Fortune of Divine State and changes in the Human Dao; we cannot afford any negligence."

"Anyway, that Blood Jade Cong has already been sent to Wudang Mountain overnight by a master, even if the Ghost Sect finds other Blood Jade Congs, they won’t be able to activate it."

"The war in Yunyang Prefecture is intense, but still, two masters have been sent to Zigui County to personally handle this matter."

"That’s good."

Li Yan nodded, pulling out a letter from his chest, "Predecessor Yu Lingzi, this letter, I wish to forward to Luo Mingzi of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect in the Capital."

"Very well."

Yu Lingzi nodded in agreement, "Currently, with the war in the southwest being critical, the court’s resources are majorly leaning toward this area, the courier stations along the way are smooth, and through the Ministry of War’s channels, it can be delivered to the Capital in four days."

Li Yan heaved a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

The contents of the letter naturally concerned Zhao Changsheng.

He had a good relationship with Luo Mingzi, and if the latter could use this opportunity to establish a foothold in the Capital, it would also benefit them in the future.

It was a small stratagem.

The Great Xuan Dynasty was now at its peak, and also with astonishing Qi Fortune, it seemed for a very long time, the power of both the court and the Taixuan Orthodox Sect would be very strong.

Although he had no interest in officialdom, having connections in the court certainly made things easier.

Huang Qianhu, originally of the Hundred Households, Luo Mingzi... Although none of them held high positions, they were indeed pillars of the community.

Lending a helping hand now would make it easier to ask for favors in the future.

Of course, he didn’t forget about Yu Lingzi either, and directly shared with him the intelligence Wang Daoxuan had gathered at King of Chu Lake.

"Young Hero Li is considerate."

Yu Lingzi was an old hand and naturally knew what was going on, showing gratitude, his expression then turned grave, "Right, there’s another matter you all should be aware of."

"Upon learning of the emergence of the Ghost Sect, I immediately consulted the scriptures and past records overnight, finding some clues."

"During the reign of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song, in the Ezhou area, the leader of the Ghost Sect was named Master Huang. He set up an altar in southern Jingzhou, having countless disciples and under his command were three top experts, named Tongtian San, Meng Gongshi, and Huang Sanlang."

"These three individuals were extremely dangerous. Rumors had it that their Dao was as high as six or seven stories, their spells could communicate with God, and they were even worshipped by the local people who built temples for them. Even the County Magistrate and the scholar from the County School of Jingzhou, Li Xueyu, were his disciples."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, "Ascenders?"

Yu Lingzi was taken aback and said meaningfully, "It seems Young Hero Li knows quite a bit."

Finally, Li Yan couldn’t help but ask, "Senior, what exactly are Ascenders?"

Yu Lingzi was silent for a while, then gritted his teeth and said, "Well, this is a secret of the Mystical Sect, but since Young Hero Li is extraordinarily talented and is also a living Yin messenger, you will inevitably come into contact with it."

"I’ll tell you in advance so you can be on your guard."

With that, he sighed, "The ’Inner Canon of Huangdi’ states that there were True Men in ancient times, and Perfect Men in middle times, whose lifespans were long, even everlasting as heaven and earth."

"Though it’s said that Pre-Qin Fangshi made these claims in the name of the Yellow Emperor, within the Mystical Sect it’s recorded that during the era of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, there were many whose longevity rivaled that of the immortals."

"However, since Yu the Great, the Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure has become increasingly rare, and such people have grown fewer and fewer. After the Battle of Sealing God, no more immortals appeared."

"The events of ancient times are from a distant era, many records have grown unclear. Fangshi from Qin and Han desperately sought immortality, even secretly digging through the remains of the battle of Sealing God and creating the ’Eternal Immortal Vault,’ which proved to be nothing more than evil techniques."

"Yet within the Mystical Sect, there are no lack of individuals of exceptional talents who, after generations of accumulation, finally found the method of transcendence."

"This method is Ascension!"

"I only know that many ancestors of the Magic Veins, sages of past generations, are famous and their power can be invoked because they are Ascenders."

"The most direct manifestation is the Heavenly Talisman Soldiers and the Underworld’s yin soldiers. Hearing that Young Hero Li used Yin Bureau’s Ghost Soldiers to suppress the ’Red Maiden,’ you must have the deepest understanding."

"Know that the Beiyin Fengdu Emperor is called the Great Court, belonging to the Fuxi clan, and although not manifest in the human world, still exists to this day."

Li Yan’s eyes showed shock, "Senior means..."

"That is what Ascenders are."

Yu Lingzi sighed, "I have practiced for many years with mediocre success in Dao, having no chance to reach that level, only catching glimpses."

"In any case, the path to Ascension is arduous, and it’s easy to stray and fall along the way, with numerous brilliant talents failing."

"And there are the rules of this world, life and death are fated, once one’s time nears, some Ascenders who cannot accept it resort to crooked and evil ways."

"You, as a living Yin Constable, should know the consequences of such actions..."

Li Yan listened silently.

This Daoist spoke somewhat indirectly.

Being a living Yin messenger imposed greater restrictions on him, and should he disturb the balance of life and death, Yin and Yang, his fate would likely be worse than others.

Fortunately, he was still young, and all this was far too remote.

Seeing his reaction, Yu Lingzi didn’t say more and redirected the conversation, "During the Southern Song period, the judge of this case was Hu Shibi, who destroyed all the temples and Magic Artifacts built by these individuals."

"But somehow Master Huang escaped the charges, only receiving a caning and a transfer to a neighboring province, from where his disciples rescued him halfway and he went underground."

Sha Lifei exclaimed, "A caning? You’re joking, right?"

Yu Lingzi shook his head and sighed, "You can’t imagine the power of the Ghost Sect at that time; even officials and gentry were involved in large numbers."

"Were it not so, would the Mystical Sect have risen to attack, helping the Great Xuan overthrow the Song?"

"The demon found in the river in Zigui County by Young Hero Li has been identified as Luo Xing, a disciple of Tongtian San under Master Huang."

"Master Huang and the others have already been suppressed by the orthodox, but Tongtian San has disappeared."

"Her disciple Luo Xing survived till now. I’m afraid this old witch also used the Longevity Evil Technique and is hiding somewhere in Ezhou, waiting to stir up trouble."

"Back then, neither the orthodox Talisman Soldiers were effective against these few Ghost Sect demons, nor was it until Sa Tianshi from the West River Sect used Thunder Technique to suppress them."

"Young Hero Li, remember, if you encounter this demon, your yin soldiers will probably be useless, turn around immediately."

"Run as far as you can!"