In Gu Ji's view, even if it doesn't last for hundreds or thousands of years, as long as Wang Boan can continue his success in the next hundred or so years, his lineage is bound to flourish and attract countless disciples and followers, becoming a big branch in the Confucian Gate and even possibly standing shoulder to shoulder with the Confucian forebears in the future.
As for himself, he's just an ordinary person. The fact that he could reach his present state is already a blessing from the heavens, far beyond his own imagination.
It's for this reason that he willingly devotes his time and labor to the two men, hoping to benefit from their company, which he considers to be virtuous and moral.
"You, always you…"
"Mr. Gu, there's no need to be so modest…"
The two talked and laughed.
Wang Qiong has countless disciples under his command, but the person he truly relies on the most is Gu Ji. As for Wang Boan, since he has made such great achievements, Wang Qiong no longer treats him as a subordinate, but as an ally.
In Wang Qiong's view, even though Gu Ji was not extremely talented, he was sincere and diligent, truly a dependable official.
Gu Ji modestly declined the praise, they exchanged pleasantries, and eventually, the conversation turned to the primary reason for their gathering.
Wang Qiong took out a book from his sleeve and placed it on the table, saying, "This is a cultivation method taught by His Majesty, saying that it can be used by the officials of the imperial court for their cultivation after the Divine Dynasty is promoted to the next level."
Incense Fire God Refining Skill!
The eyes of Wang Boan and Gu Ji simultaneously fell on this book, and the name of the book was engraved in their sights.
Their expressions, however, were noticeably different.
"I heard His Majesty visited the Taoist temple of the National Master. Is this the method gifted by the National Master for our cultivation?" asked Gu Ji.
Isn't this what he has been working so hard and hoping for?
Wang Qiong nodded, "Yes, it was indeed gifted by the National Master. It's said to be a supreme skill from the Sky Wasteland. Today, Bo'an, you should try it and give me some reference."
As per their original agreement, Pei Xuanjing provided the skill they can cultivate, they were naturally pleased.
But these council elders are wise old foxes. They are cautious about everything and wouldn't directly cultivate it, but rather let Wang Boan, presently the strongest person in the Court of the Great Ming, to test it and see if there are any issues.
As for His Majesty, the Emperor, who had handed over this skill to Wang Qiong so early, did he also have a similar idea? Nothing was certain.
Wang Boan's eye flashed a brilliant light, and many thoughts naturally arose in his mind. However, he didn't reveal anything and started flipping through the book.
Seeing him reading, Wang Qiong did not disturb him, instead inviting Gu Ji to step aside and asking about other matters.
Although Gu Ji was as curious about this skill as a scratching cat, he understood that he shouldn't be impatient about such matters, so he suppressed his eagerness, composed himself, and started discussing official matters with Mr. Wang.
Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was almost twilight. Just as Wang Qiong was about to call someone to light the lamps, he saw Wang Boan finally closing the book and looking up.
Wang Qiong and Gu Ji simultaneously paused their discussion and looked towards Wang Boan, but they did not push him. Instead, they simply waited for his reply.
"This method is mysterious; indeed, it's extraordinary. Furthermore, in terms of suitability, it should be the best method for all the council elders to cultivate." Wang Boan slowly began, offering his initial assessment.
As a high-ranking official in the court, a connoisseur, and even one of the main executors of the Divine Dynasty Plan, Wang Boan has been contemplating while fulfilling his tasks.
As part of the Great Ming Court, although the implementation of the Pei Xuanjing's Divine Dynasty Plan is advantageous to the Great Ming, they, or rather the people in the court, always feel a bit uncomfortable or pinched by it.
There is a tremendous difference between doing something voluntarily and being pushed to do it by others.
They are willing to implement the Divine Dynasty Plan because they see the benefits, thus choosing to cooperate. However, this does not mean they wish to succumb beneath Pei Xuanjing and entrust all their initiative to him.
This plan was beneficial to the Great Ming, and thus they executed it, reaching a win-win situation.
So, what if there's a next time? If the next task does not benefit them, but is beneficial to Pei Xuanjing, should they still agree to it?
This isn't just a concern for Wang Boan, but a worry for all the Council Elders and many in the royal family.
Thus, even while implementing this Divine Dynasty Plan, how to enhance their own strength – not to surpass others, but to maintain their independence, balance, and autonomy so as not to be manipulated by others – is something Wang Boan and others have been seeking.
He has been pondering what kind of skills could be used to make the elders more powerful after the establishment of the Divine Dynasty on earth, as they simply do not have enough talent or time to practice ordinary skills.
"So, it seems that there's no problem with this method," Wang Qiong confirmed.
Wang Boan reiterated, "Indeed, this method is most suitable for us, it's the most appropriate method for the council elders and His Majesty."
"Who would have thought, we still end up accepting his items," Wang Qiong sighed, "It seems he has calculated everything till this step."
In his opinion, Pei Xuanjing's claim that this method originated from Sky Wasteland was just a pretext, and he must have prepared for this a long time ago, otherwise, it wouldn't have been so timely.
After all, Pei Xuanjing's confident demeanor during their original agreement is still vivid in his memory.
Wang Boan remained silent, even for him; creating a method suitable for everyone was not easy.
And yet, Pei Xuanjing happened to produce such a method. Even though he claimed it to be a method from the Sky Wasteland, but such a fitting method, to say that it was purely a coincidence…
Not to mention Mr. Wang, none in the court would believe it.
If Pei Xuanjing knew of their speculations, he could only feel helpless, after all, they believed what they were certain about and would never believe such a coincidence.
And the fact that this method appeared here so coincidentally was a surprise even to Pei Xuanjing, let alone them?
"Does this method have any flaws?" Wang Qiong asked about their most pressing concern.
No matter what, they are currently weaker, so they don't have much room to ponder. What they can and need to do now is to grit their teeth, endure, and plough forward.
Therefore, as long as this method has no problems, then it's worth cultivating first. Raising their capability is the most important measure.
He understood very clearly that the moment Pei Xuanjing stepped into the Imperial City, the rules of the world had been rewritten or had reverted to their original state.
All the conspiracies and schemes of the past cannot compete with actual power. In front of power, everything else is like paper mache.
If one doesn't want to be controlled by others, then they must become strong themselves. That's the most critical point, and everything else is illusory.
"From my perspective, there's no problem." Wang Boan said with confidence.
Even though he was only at the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm, his judgement was trustworthy. Since he said there was no problem, then there was no problem.
"However, if possible, can I take this method with me to study it further?" asked Wang Boan, "Even though I can't fundamentally alter it, I can still improve this method."
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiong's eyes brightened, and he agreed without hesitation.
In a room within the Taoist Temple, this was where Pei Xuanjing had secluded himself for cultivation.
Throughout this period, the philosophical debates he had with these individuals yielded fruitful outcomes. Especially when Pei Xuanjing was willing to share his cultivation technique, the "Shenxiao Heaven's Will Skill," with them, although these people were unable to share the core of their respective power inheritances, they shared their knowledge willingly.
Everyone's perception of cultivation differed. Their divergent perceptions and cultivation methods collided and sparked wisdom during this period, resulting in mutual benefits.
Xue Wuheng, for instance, originated from the Demonic Cult. His Dao involved seizing the essence of Heaven and Earth to nourish his own body, a doctrine of plunder.
Zhao Baiyang's practice strove for the contrast of brightness and darkness, the continuous struggle of good and evil, truth and falsehood. He rooted his essence in the idea of the rotation of green sun, red sun, and white sun, with his name, 'Baiyang', bearing this significance.
Meanwhile, Daoist Qingxu, the successor of the True Martial Sect, naturally bases his practice on the Tai Chi doctrine of Yin and Yang synergism, as taught by Ancestor Sanfeng. However, Qingxu's Yin-Yang method is completely different from Sanfeng's Tai Chi doctrine. Sanfeng promotes the mutual help of Yin and Yang, while Qingxu only uses Yang to control Yin, and Yin to restrict Yang.
The oldest of the bunch, the old Celestial Master, has arguably traveled the farthest and steadiest path, excluding Pei Xuanjing.
Following the doctrine of Zhengyi of the Dragon Tiger Mountain, one aligns with the Gods, makes use of their power, vanquishes demons, and commands Ghost Gods.
Now that the Divine Dynasty is about to be established, if the old Celestial Master can actually bestow Gods, his gains will far exceed others'.
Although Daoist Xuanming broke through to the Spirit Realm the latest and is the weakest among them, his understanding of the harmonious concept of Heaven and Earth as taught by the Baiyun Temple's Complete Truth Daoist Law was extremely enlightening.
When Pei Xuanjing finally demonstrated his Shenxiao Heaven's Will Skill and projected his Daoist Foundation, symbolizing the Great Dao of Four Seasons and Five Orders on display, and the Creation and Destruction of Thunder, it induced awe in these men.
Even though they already had a deep prediction of Pei Xuanjing's strength, the power he demonstrated was still far beyond their expectation.
The projection of the Daoist foundation, the Magical Domain, talisman skills…
Pei Xuanjing's pointers undoubtedly gave them considerable gains, showing them the way ahead.
With the mention of 'Three Daos: Essence, Qi, Spirit,' they were shocked by the interpretation and speculation of the Taoist School's Golden Core Dao idea. No one expected that Pei Xuanjing had deduced the path of the Golden Core based on bits and pieces of clues.
Regarding all this, each of them also presented their own comprehension and viewpoints.
The essence, the Qi, and the Spirit are almost inseparable in the path of practice. Although these strong individuals mostly tread the Path of Qi Refinement, due to Pei Xuanjing's influence, they also conducted some research on the path of Refining Essence and Refining Spirit.
Under the influence of the old Celestial Master's proficiency in Body Refining, and the numerous spiritual secret techniques in the Demonic Cult's inheritance, the reclusive Master Xue truly demonstrated his deep understanding of the Path of Spirit Refining.
Engaging in reciprocal exchanges and verifying what they've learned provided Pei Xuanjing with a wealth of experience.
At this point, Pei Xuanjing felt almost like a never-satiated sponge, recklessly absorbing these nutrients and converting them into his own sustenance, laying a foundation for his cultivation.
"Learning from the old to understand the new", this phrase certainly holds true.
In his debates with these individuals, he reiterates some of his conjectures and understanding of cultivation and gains further insights. This gives him a clearer understanding of his own path of cultivation.
And that's not all. This round of debate about their respective Dao of cultivation allowed Pei Xuanjing to gain quite a few Taoyun points. After a month of such discussion, he had accumulated nearly a million points of Taoyun, almost matching the amount provided by the Door Incense Refining God Skill.
Regrettably, he wasn't sure if he'd encounter such a rewarding debate again. Moreover, after this debate, if these people did not gain new insights, he wouldn't be able to gain more Taoyun.
However, Pei Xuanjing wasn't the perpetually dissatisfied sort. He was already contented with the Taoyun he had received from this occasion.
Pei Xuanjing was seated on a meditation cushion. The Heaven and Earth Essence Qi slowly gathered around him and began to circulate. The entire room was filled with the rich aura of the Essence Qi.
He flicked his sleeve, and countless jade talismans flew out, landing on the ground and forming the skeleton of a human.
The next moment, he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of essence blood onto the jade talismans, which began to glow brightly. Pei Xuanjing suddenly released his momentum and started the jade talismans with the technique of two hands.
The jade talismans turned into a black hole in an instant, absorbing the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. The Essence Qi then solidified, finally taking on the form of a being identical to Pei Xuanjing.
Flesh and blood formed, an external incarnation; Pei Xuanjing deployed this magical ability once again.
To create a powerful incarnation, one not only needs to dissolve these traditional jade talismans and essence blood but also needs the flesh and blood of the true body as a framework.
However, this incarnation does not need to be a genuine incarnation formed by Pei Xuanjing himself; it's just for experimental purposes.
The next moment, Pei Xuanjing closed his eyes, focusing his main attention on his incarnation.
His incarnation opened its eyes and sat on the ground. It continued to absorb the spiritual energy between Heaven and Earth.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing circulated his skills, harmonizing the essence, Qi, and spirit within this body. By combining them in the Dantian, he attempted to form the Golden Core.
As Pei Xuanjing continuously circulated his skills, an intangible Essence-Qi-Spirit inner alchemy was formed inside him. The inner alchemy continued to be hammered and polished, rotating and emitting an everlasting aura…
Boom!
Suddenly, the fast-spinning inner alchemy exploded. A massive force erupted from his Dantian, reducing his entire incarnation to a cloud of blood mist.
Apparently, Pei Xuanjing's experiment had failed once more!
"Too bad!" Pei Xuanjing's true body opened its eyes and sighed lightly.
But for this failure, he was not much surprised. After all, this was no longer his first failure.
During this time, he has already attempted six times with his incarnation. This was his seventh time failing, although it lasted longer than the previous six attempts.
"After this attempt, I have gained more experience in condensing the Golden Core. If I can elevate the Yin Spirit Realm to the third level of Spirit Realm, I should have a good chance of successfully forming a Golden Core using the incarnation." Pei Xuanjing thought.
Creating a method was never an easy task to begin with. Even when Pei Xuanjing had previously used life simulators to create skills, he had often lost his life in the simulations.
Now in reality, he was creating a method using incarnates for experiments. Even though there could be some damage, in comparison to many strong beings, he was undoubtedly at a huge advantage.
And after these tries, he had completely identified the problem. It was none other than the imbalance of his essence, qi, and divine force. The Golden Core or the Golden Core he condensed was unable to perfectly blend together flawlessly. Once it got refined repeatedly, the crack within it grew bigger and bigger. In the end, the Golden Core could no longer be refined and it finally shattered.
However, he had almost did the experiment for the rest of the steps. He just needed to increase the force of the Yin Spirit and there would be a high possibility of condensing a Golden Core.
Next, Pei Xuanjing calmed his mind and started running his methods, healing the wounds he had just received.
The Imperial City, Yangxin Palace.
The Jiajing Emperor was sitting on the couch, pinching a letter just sent by Wang Qiong. His face was cold, it was unknown what he was thinking about.
What was written in this letter was none other than Wang Boan's reply after studying the Incense Fire God Refining Skill.
"State Preceptor, how should I treat you?" He muttered to himself, his expressions complex.
Actually, Zhu Houji's feelings towards Pei Xuanjing's existence was very complicated. He couldn't clearly differentiate how he should treat him.
From the boy who was crowned at first, he had sat on the emperor's throne for more than ten years. He grasped the entire court and gathered his soul. He was only one step away from transforming into a Yin Spirit.
But he still had a sense of discomfort in his heart. As the emperor of the Great Ming Empire, he should have been the most respected and noble person in the world. Yet in front of him, there was still a man standing like a mountain. The other party's glory was just too abundant, already concealing his existence.
But after his crowning, a boy who was originally supposed to be the prince somehow ascended the throne by coincidence. He faced the complex royal disputes and court with unknown depths. His situation was extremely dangerous.
He was clear that if it wasn't for his collaboration with Pei Xuanjing and accepted him as the State Preceptor, making use of Pei Xuanjing's reputation, it wouldn't have been easy for him to overhaul the court.
From this point of view, the other party actually did him quite a favor.
If everything before was part of a transaction, then the kindness of imparting the doctrine was even harder for him to repay.
If it wasn't for Pei Xuanjing proactively giving the method of cultivation, his talent would certainly have been wasted. He could only waste his youth on the Path of Qi Refinement and Refining Essence. How could he be just one step away from the Spirit Realm?
"I originally wanted to wait for the Divine Dynasty to ascend and break off our kindness then. From then on, we could be treated as equals. There would no longer be a sense of indebtedness to you in my heart. But now, you unreservedly gave me such top level techniques again. What should I use to repay you?" Zhu Houji looked complicated.
He did want to wait for the Divine Dynasty on Earth to ascend and both parties could then take what they needed. This way, he could repay Pei Xuanjing's kindness and truly face him as a pure collaborator.
But when Pei Xuanjing took out the Incense Fire God Refining Skill, Zhu Houji knew he gained another favor from the other party.
He passed the techniques to Wang Qiong, allowing Wang Boan to appreciate them. But he wasn't sure what his inner thoughts were.
Was he looking forward to the techniques having no problems or having problems? Perhaps even Zhu Houji himself wasn't clear about it.
Just as Pei Xuanjing initially said, to treat others sincerely, one did not need to use any means. Let Zhu Houji have the choice and let him decide the relationship between them in the future.
Zhu Houji, who just got the results, fell into silence for a while, not speaking for a long time.
"Huang Jin, what kind of person do you think the State Preceptor is?" He suddenly opened his mouth and asked the eunuch who was serving him by his side.
This Huang Jin was an attendant eunuch who read together with Zhu Houji when he was in the Royal Mansion. He was greatly trusted by him.
When the emperor was thinking just now, Huang Jin was standing quietly at one side, not making any noises. If it wasn't because the emperor took the initiative to speak, almost everyone would ignore his existence.
With Huang Jin's words, a smile appeared on his face and he carefully complimented, "How would such a prestigious person like the State Preceptor dare to make casual evaluations?"
"Speak, I will pardon you."
"Then can I make a presumptuous guess?" Huang Jin knew if he didn't say anything, it wouldn't work, so he pretended to smile bitterly.
"In my opinion, a prestigious person like the State Preceptor certainly has great ambitions. In the future, he will surely become immortal and become an ancestor…"
Great ambitions, to become immortal and become an ancestor.
Hearing these two phrases, Zhu Houji's eyes were filled with a gleam as he fell into deep thought.
Time went by swiftly, the activities in Tiandu never stopped and those outside the border who searched for the location of the dragon vein, prepared to bring the dragon vein's Qi Luck into the Divine Continent, were almost ready.
One day, suddenly, the Qi Luck Golden Dragon of Tiandu manifested itself, roaring towards the sky. It was clear to the naked eye that this Qi Luck Golden Dragon grew several times bigger in an instant.
"What is this…"
"The Qi Luck of the dragon vein outside the border entered the Divine Continent!"
"Such a majestic Qi Luck, it's simply beyond imagination!"
"It's fortunate, if this Qi Luck of the dragon vein hadn't entered the Divine Continent, maybe a hegemon would have appeared outside the border in the future!"
Countless strong beings were startled by this momentum. Their gazes turned towards the Qi Luck Golden Dragon roaring towards the sky, shocked beyond compare.
Pei Xuanjing looked at the majestic and grand Qi Luck Sea from afar, the light in his eyes flickering.
"Such majestic Qi Luck, it's indeed worthy of being a unified empire's ancestral land." Mu Binghua sighed.
This majestic Qi Luck, although the present Great Ming Empire's power was a bit inferior to that of the kingdoms in the Sky Wasteland, this majestic Qi Luck was even better than the Qi Luck accumulated by some ancient countries.
"The Qi Luck accumulated by our Great Xue for thousands of years is just a bit stronger than this." Xue Hanyi also looked complicated.
This was the advantage of a unified empire. After they unified the world, they would receive the favor of Heaven and Earth, and Qi Luck would flourish.
Although the Qi Luck of the Great Xue was a bit stronger, that was the Qi Luck that Great Xue had accumulated over thousands of years. But this Great Ming was just a mere six hundred years old, not even a fraction of the Great Xue's.
"Wait until Great Ming successfully ascends to become a Divine Dynasty, this Qi Luck will definitely grow again. Even if it can't compare to the Qi Luck of the top sects, it won't differ that much." Mr. Wu said.
By then, the difference between the two would just be the strength of the experts. As long as this Great Ming waited for the complete revival of Heaven and Earth after their revival, to make up for the gap in the strength of experts, it would at least be a top power.
It could be said that in Mr. Wu's memory, every empire or dynasty that ascended to become a Divine Dynasty was at least a top power.