"Zhu Chongba overestimated this net and underestimated me," Jin Mingzi said.
"Even if this net is connected to the dragon vein, it cannot stop me. Moreover, he only knows that fire overcomes metal, but he doesn't know that golden lotuses can also grow in fire."
My current corpse body was nurtured in the fire caves of the northwest mountains, tempered by yin fire for seven hundred years, nearly flawless, only lacking the refinement of yang fire.
I have wandered the world for centuries, searching for underground yang fire but never finding it.
That's why I thought to continue absorbing metal energy to sleep.
Instead, he used the fire virtue of the Central Plains' national fortune to suppress me, not realizing that this was precisely the yang fire I had been seeking.
"So, while refining my corpse body, I had the leisure to slowly damage his dragon vein, forcing his descendants to come and explain themselves to me."
Jin Mingzi spoke with disdain for the Zhu family, but he was also puzzled.
"However, the Zhu family emperor has been remarkably patient. Over a decade of dragon vein deterioration should have first affected the throne. Logically, his health should have deteriorated, nearing death. Yet, there has been no sign of that. Instead, it was you outsiders who noticed first."
Cheng Xinzhan felt something was off and asked Zhu Jianmo, "Brother Daoist, after Emperor Taizu of Ming halted the construction of the Central Capital, did the Hongwu reign ever resume it?"
Zhu Jianmo nodded affirmatively.
"Later, was it only Emperor Yongle who ordered the continuation of the Central Capital?"
Zhu Jianmo realized, "Are you referring to Emperor Yongle?"
Cheng Xinzhan continued, "Was there someone like Liu Bowen by Emperor Yongle's side, capable of altering the grand formation?"
Zhu Jianmo's eyes widened, and he nodded, "Yes, there was one! People called him the Black-robed Prime Minister."
Cheng Xinzhan nodded and said to Jin Mingzi, "Senior, perhaps there has been a misunderstanding. I have a guess I'd like to share with you."
Jin Mingzi looked at Cheng Xinzhan and said, "Go ahead."
Cheng Xinzhan cupped his hands and explained, "Senior, you may not know that Emperor Taizu's eldest son died young, missing the throne. He was posthumously titled 'Prince Yiwen.' Emperor Taizu passed the throne to his grandson, the second son of Prince Yiwen.
These secrets, including the agreement with you, should have been told to the grandson." The grandson ascended the throne as Emperor Jianwen.
However, Emperor Jianwen focused on reducing the power of the feudal lords.
At that time, the Prince of Yan, the fourth son of Emperor Taizu, launched a rebellion, seized the throne, and became Emperor Yongle.
Most of Emperor Jianwen's descendants perished, and those who survived likely didn't know the details.
"Emperor Yongle, having long resided in the Yan estate, ascended through rebellion and probably knew nothing of these secrets. Perhaps one year, he suddenly felt that the half-finished Central Capital was too wasteful and ordered its continuation as a residence for the people."
However, before the continuation, the Black-robed Prime Minister saw the original construction plans of the Central Capital and recognized the 'Golden Qilin Devouring Metal' formation.
Believing it unfavorable for the ancestors' rest, he altered the formation to the 'Fire Cooking Metal' formation, absorbing the metal energy from the imperial mausoleum to strengthen the Zhu family's dragon vein.
"But he didn't know, and Emperor Yongle didn't either, that the Central Capital's formation was connected to the net you designed and the Zhu family's dragon vein. His alteration turned the protective formation into a restraining one—not exactly imprisonment, but it bound your hands and feet."
When you acted against the Central Capital's dragon vein, the Zhu family emperor might have been gravely ill, but Emperor Yongle's descendants didn't know about the past beneath the Fengyang ancestral mausoleum, so they never came to confront you.
"Jin Mingzi listened quietly and, after a moment of silence, said,"Is it really that simple?
""Perhaps it is.
""Wasn't Zhu Chongba deliberately doing this?
I never told him about my true form.
Perhaps he thought I was just a corpse demon.
Once he ascended the throne, he disdained to deal with me and wanted to use the dragon vein to suppress me?
""Probably not.
"Cheng Xinzhan lowered his head and said. Jin Mingzi fell silent again, then suddenly laughed,"Alright, perhaps it really is that simple.
"Indeed, it had been nearly five hundred years since he last saw Zhu Chongba. Mortals had long turned to dust, and even his designated lineage had changed. Why should he dwell on these matters?"
Fine, but the mistakes of your ancestors must be cleaned up by you descendants.
You juniors up there, go and sever the connection between the capital's dragon vein and this place.
You two, shed some blood, and I'll dissolve this net.
"However, after Jin Mingzi finished speaking, Cheng Xinzhan and the others remained motionless, heads bowed in silence. Seeing this, Jin Mingzi laughed in frustration,"You're all quite cunning for your age.
Fine, let me show you my power!
"With that, Jin Mingzi grabbed the fire net in front of him and pulled hard."
Boom—"The earth shook, and rocks rained down from the cave ceiling, stirring up dust."
Senior, wait!
We'll go right away!
"Someone shouted from the passage above. Cheng Xinzhan recognized it as Sun Miaoshu's voice, which quickly faded away."
Hmph, do you believe me now? Did you think I was a demon trapped here?
"Jin Mingzi looked at the two. They shook their heads repeatedly, saying they didn't dare."
Each of you, give me two taels of heart blood.
"Zhu Jianmo nodded this time, circulating his heart blood through his meridians to his fingertips. He used his hand as a blade, cutting his fingertip. Bright red blood flowed out, caught by his magic, forming a ball in the air. Cheng Xinzhan said,"Senior, my physical body is unwell.
I travel as a spirit, so I have no blood to offer.
""No matter, no matter.
I'll give more.
Four taels of blood won't kill me.
"Zhu Jianmo quickly said. Jin Mingzi looked at Cheng Xinzhan and shook his head,"You still don't understand what I said about the unity of essence, energy, and spirit.
You may lack physical blood, but do you not have the energy of your heart?
"Cheng Xinzhan seemed to realize something. With a thought, the energy from his heart, a mix of solar fire and three-flavored true fire, surged out."
That's enough.
"Jin Mingzi said, using a method Cheng Xinzhan couldn't comprehend to grasp the energy he had released."
Your heart energy contains not only the fire of the Zhu Ming dynasty's fortune but also the fire of the heavens and the fire of the mortal world.
"Cheng Xinzhan replied,"I was fortunate to gain some opportunities.
""However, although your bloodline is closer to Zhu Chongba's, the fire of the dynasty's fortune within it is very weak.
It seems the one sitting on the throne is indeed far removed from your lineage.
""That has nothing to do with me.
"Cheng Xinzhan replied. Before this, he hadn't even heard of the fire of the dynasty's fortune. But what good could it bring to a cultivator? Later, he would need to find a way to remove this fire. Jin Mingzi said no more. He grabbed the blood and energy from the two in mid-air and scattered it, creating a mist of blood. The blood mist fell on the fire net, extinguishing the flames and revealing the net's true color—gold, like ropes or condensed light. The net extended deep into the cave, connected to the Central Capital's dragon vein."
Once those youngsters sever the dragon vein's connection to this place, the net will dissipate.
"Jin Mingzi said. Cheng Xinzhan and Zhu Jianmo could only hope the four would act quickly. They didn't know what method they would use in such haste, but they certainly couldn't directly destroy the land or the city—that would bring great karmic consequences. While waiting, Jin Mingzi spoke again,"Assuming what you said is true, and Zhu Chongba didn't break his promise, I agreed with him that upon awakening, I would do one thing for his descendants.
But now, that's unnecessary.
Even if he didn't break the promise, he failed to discipline his descendants.
However, you two are his descendants and have helped me escape today.
I will allow each of you to ask one question.
As long as I can answer, I will tell you everything.
You can ask now, but remember, only one question each.
"Cheng Xinzhan and Zhu Jianmo were pleasantly surprised. This was a being who had lived two lives as an immortal, a peer of their ancestors! In terms of knowledge and techniques, he was unparalleled in the current era. Zhu Jianmo thought for a moment and was about to ask, but Cheng Xinzhan suddenly interrupted,"Senior, perhaps we should wait until my fellow Daoists return to ask.
That way, if they fail, we won't waste your time.
"Zhu Jianmo quickly agreed. Jin Mingzi, being who he was, saw through Cheng Xinzhan's little scheme."
I don't have much time.
Ask quickly.
You can share my answers with them or with the disciples of the Immortal Elder.
As for my origins, it's been a long time since I've seen living people, so I've spoken a lot.
These matters should only be known to the current leader of Mount Sanqing.
He should know the limits.
Don't spread it.
"The two agreed. Cheng Xinzhan gestured for Zhu Jianmo to ask first. Zhu Jianmo thought for a moment and asked,"Senior, do Golden Immortals truly exist in this world?
Was our ancestor a Golden Immortal?
"Cheng Xinzhan didn't expect Zhu Jianmo to ask this and quickly perked up his ears. Jin Mingzi replied,"That's two questions, but I'll answer about the Immortal Elder.
Golden Immortals do exist, but not in the current heavenly realm.
After I ascended, I couldn't find the Immortal Elder in the heavenly realm, nor do I know if he became a Golden Immortal.
"This was an unexpected answer. The short statement left the two in silence for a long time. What did he mean by"the current heavenly realm doesn't have them"?
Where had their ancestor gone? "Your turn, kid.
Remember, only one question.
"Cheng Xinzhan thought carefully and asked,"Senior, you are a Golden Qilin who attained the Dao, and in your second life, you became a Golden Corpse.
I wish to cultivate the metal element.
May I ask, what is the nature of metal?
""The nature of metal?
"Jin Mingzi repeated. Cheng Xinzhan nodded. Jin Mingzi fell silent, as if this question was much harder to answer than the previous one."
Good question.
"Jin Mingzi said, then fell silent again, deep in thought. After a while, he slowly said,"My clan calls itself the Golden Qilin, and the world thinks it's because our scales and horns are indestructible and impenetrable.
But that's not the case.
As you can see, in my first life, I was killed, my scales shattered, horns broken, and my blood drained.
"My clan is called the Golden Qilin because our bones are hard, symbolizing unyielding resilience and true gold tempered by fire. Hmph, those in the heavens wanted to subdue me, not knowing my bones are harder than their immortal tools!"
As for what the nature of metal is, I dare not speak recklessly.
The Golden Core is the beginning of cultivation, and the Golden Immortal is the beginning of immortality.
Who dares claim to understand the nature of metal?
"If I were to give my own view, the nature of metal is not just about being indestructible or wielding sharp weapons. The nature of metal is immortality."
"Immortality?"
Cheng Xinzhan pondered these words.
"Exactly. Those people destroyed my physical body and extinguished my soul, so what? As long as a single thought remains, or rather, as long as that thread of metal nature exists in the world, I can still attain the Dao through my corpse and return to the heavens! In this life, I am stronger than in my previous one!"
Even if they destroy this corpse, with this metal nature, can't I live a third life? If I live ten lives, who wouldn't call me a Golden Immortal?!
"At this moment, Jin Mingzi was filled with an indomitable spirit. Cheng Xinzhan listened intently, memorizing every word Jin Mingzi said, while Zhu Jianmo also looked enlightened. Just as Jin Mingzi finished speaking about the nature of metal, a loud noise came from the northeast, and the ground shook slightly. The light net above Jin Mingzi's head gradually dissipated, indicating that the others had succeeded. Jin Mingzi laughed heartily,"Kids, since I fell as a corpse in the northwest, it has been over fourteen hundred years, with twelve hundred of those spent in the earth's caves.
I've tasted both yin and yang fire, but they are nothing special!
"Today, I will ascend once more as a Corpse Immortal! Those in the heavens, don't die too soon!"
Jin Mingzi laughed, his body emitting boundless light as he flew towards the heavens.
"Boom—"
Within the walls of the imperial mausoleum, the ground began to collapse, while the land outside remained untouched.
A dazzling golden light flew out from the depths of the mausoleum, soaring into the sky.
Cheng Xinzhan and Zhu Jianmo also flew out of the cave with Jin Mingzi before the ground collapsed.
Once outside, they saw the sun rising in the east, its golden light illuminating the earth.
In the sunlight, the golden light transformed by Jin Mingzi was almost blinding.
For a moment, there seemed to be two suns in the sky, competing in brilliance.
Cheng Xinzhan forced himself to keep his eyes open, as did Zhu Jianmo.
This was ascension!
Cheng Xinzhan saw that within the golden light, Jin Mingzi seemed to have transformed back into his Qilin form.
The scarred Qilin corpse came to life, bathed in golden light, running through the void, striving towards the heavens.
"Boom!"
After the ground collapsed, thunder roared.
Despite the bright sunlight, thunderclouds gathered in the direction of the Golden Qilin's ascent.
Silver-purple lightning poured down like water, drenching the Golden Qilin.
"Earth fire is nothing to me, and heavenly thunder is no different!"
The Golden Qilin roared arrogantly.
The falling lightning didn't slow him down.
He continued to run through the void, reaching heights above the thunderclouds.
"A thorn buried in rotten grass since youth, now gradually rising above the weeds. People don't recognize the towering tree until it reaches the clouds!"
Jin Mingzi recited a poem before the entire world, laughing heartily as he stepped into the heavenly realm.
Cheng Xinzhan watched in awe.
The Qilin's scales, horns, body, and its run through heavenly thunder and earth fire were all imprinted in his mind.
Along with them echoed the words,
"The nature of metal is immortality."
At this moment, witnessing the Qilin's ascent to seek vengeance, he naturally added,
"Thus, the Corpse Immortal is the War Immortal."
At this moment, he envisioned a Golden Qilin corpse, an immortal corpse.
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(End of Chapter)