"That's just nonsense."
Any Daoist with a bit of insight knew about this matter; they just didn't know how to do it.
But it was the first ti the Jiajing Emperor had heard this argunt.
Daoists living under the feudal dynasty, suppressed by the Dragon Vein inhibiting their mana, how could they dare to say in front of the Jiajing Emperor, "Your Majesty, if you want to pursue the Dao, you must stop being the Emperor, no longer be a part of the Zhu family."
That much would have been enough, but a reckless Dao Cultivator might just blurt it out.
Then the Jiajing Emperor would continue to ask how to separate the Dragon Vein and how to cultivate while still being the Emperor.
Impossible? Treasonous, extermination of nine generations, no, this was the Ming Dynasty, ten generations would be exterminated.
Li Changzhou was not afraid.
Summoning Wind and Snow, Soaring Clouds and Running to the Moon, Seizing Fire to Form a Dragon, Slaying the Evil Flood Dragon, Breathing, and Exhaling—all these seemingly futile actions had solidly earned the trust of the Jiajing Emperor.
Moreover, the Jiajing Emperor had no way to deal with him.
If push ca to shove, he could just pat his bottom and teleport away, perhaps even recite a poem by Du Fu before leaving—"The Celestial Emperor calls but I board not the boat, for in my inebriation I deem myself an Immortal."
Though he seldom drank.
After chatting casually for a while, Li Changzhou said his goodbyes and left to continue reading in the Inner Court. He was pressed for ti, and speaking with Yang Qinglan was one thing, but the books could wait.
After he left, the Jiajing Emperor prepared to continue his practice of Breathing and Exhaling, but suddenly rembered and ordered so food to be brought in.
While eating, an eunuch walked up to Huang Jin, who was serving him, and whispered a few words.
Before today, the Jiajing Emperor wouldn't have been able to hear them clearly, but today he caught a bit of what was said.
He took a bite of the Lingzhi cream, glanced at the distance between himself and Huang Jin, and started contemplating what Li Changzhou said about the Dragon Vein.
He definitely wanted the kingdom.
Without the kingdom, what was the point of immortality?
The kingdom didn't just an land; it represented status and power. He wanted no one above him, no so-called sky to fall; he wanted to be the sky himself.
If not, immortality was aningless.
But just having the kingdom without immortality was equally unacceptable!
He only hoped that Li Changzhou could think of a way to have both.
At that mont, Huang Jin, after hearing the report, walked up to the Jiajing Emperor and while helping him pick dishes from afar, said, "My lord, Real Person Shao and Real Person Tao have arrived."
"Is the matter resolved?"
"Yes," Huang Jin hesitated for a mont, then added, "Many have died in the Harem—Empress Dowager Zhang, Consort Zhuang, Consort Chang, Consort Kang, Consort He, Consort Jing passed away and over three hundred palace maids and eunuchs, along with so cats, dogs, and birds."
The Jiajing Emperor put down his chopsticks: "Snow Brow (cat) and Lion Cat (cat)—"
"Both young masters are fine."
The Jiajing Emperor put down his chopsticks, rinsed his mouth, wiped his lips, and leaned back, "Let Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zhongwen co in."
By the ti Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zhongwen entered the Nuan Pavilion, everything was already tidy, with the nearly hundred dishes that had only been sampled already whisked away.
"Your Majesty, the evil spirits have been eradicated by Real Person Tao," said Shao Yuanjie, bowing.
"Truly, Real Person has divine skills!" The Jiajing Emperor was pleased. He had been afraid to visit the Harem because of the evil spirits.
This ti, it was indeed Tao Zhongwen who resolved the issue. Shao Yuanjie's health had long ago deteriorated, and he should have died in 1539 but had clung to life until 1540 thanks to the Dragon Vein.
He intended to let Tao Zhongwen take his place in the heart of the Jiajing Emperor.
Earlier in the Harem, he had lent his Dragon Vein power to Tao Zhongwen, allowing him to perform divination in the palace and locate the main body of the Zombie Fungus, which he then directly eradicated.
Huang Jin sent palace maids and eunuchs to check the situation in the Harem to confirm that the evil spirits had indeed been eradicated.
The Jiajing Emperor was no longer concerned about this matter. He pondered for a while and shared Li Changzhou's theory on the Dragon Vein with Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zhongwen to hear their opinions.
The two exchanged looks.
"Your Majesty," Shao Yuanjie bowed, "There is sothing I wish to report to Your Majesty!"
"Please speak, Real Person."
"Your Majesty cannot cultivate, indeed because of the Dragon Vein, but the Dragon Vein is also the key to becoming an Immortal!"
The Jiajing Emperor looked at him and slowly asked, "A key to becoming an Immortal?"
"Yes! To beco an Immortal, the Dragon Vein is essential!" Shao Yuanjie said urgently, "These past few days I have been investigating Li Changzhou's identity. A Dao Cultivator so young, with mana not less than mine, cannot be without a background. That claim of being a descendant of the Duke of the East is completely false!"
"False?"
"False, I have checked."
"Since it's false, then who is he?"
Shao Yuanjie said: "In this vast world, only a few can possess such powerful mana.
"Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng is lecherous, Wu Cheng'en has gone to the Western Heaven to seek the Dao, the Gu She Divine Woman is a woman, Li Shizhen is a skilled physician yet lacks in mana, and he is employed at the Imperial Hospital, so it's not him either.
"Besides, so masters from the Demon Sect might be considered, but among them, only the Divine Sect Emperor and Heavenly Empress have such abilities, and these two happen to be husband and wife!"
"The Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Empress…" The Jiajing Emperor narrowed his eyes.
Outside the capital, mbers of the Demon Sect lying in ambush all looked toward the capital, where a golden Qi Dragon Vein circled above the Forbidden City. Under the vast outpour of Dragon Qi, they couldn't even catch their breath, let alone use their mana.
"Just now, Real Person Tao's divination showed that those two indeed are the Divine Sect Emperor and Heavenly Empress."
The Jiajing Emperor looked towards Tao Zhongwen.
Tao Zhongwen, unlike Shao Yuanjie, was not very talkative and rely gave a bow.
"Your Majesty!" Shao Yuanjie called out, "Those two are only a step away from becoming Immortals and are here to seize the Dragon Vein!"
The Jiajing Emperor rembered that Li Changzhou had indeed said he was only a step away from becoming an Immortal.
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