CHAPTER 782: CHAPTER 657: MO LONG IMMORTAL SWORD

Shi Feiyang was surprised to see Zhu Yitai. This young Emperor, though not very old, had indeed achieved considerable cultivation, having already reached the realm of an Independent Immortal.

Zhu Yitai was also very pleased to see Shi Feiyang and released a brilliantly shining Flying Sword. It danced back and forth within the grand hall, its cold light dazzling, illuminating the hall as bright as day.

After displaying a set of swordsmanship, Zhu Yitai retracted the Flying Sword, eagerly asking Shi Feiyang for guidance: "State Preceptor, how is my swordsmanship?"

Shi Feiyang had left Daoist books for the Zhu family, but they mainly focused on revealing the Dao and enhancing wisdom. Since the era of Wanli, emperors of successive generations desired to cultivate immortality but were unsuccessful. It wasn’t due to the insufficiency of the cultivation techniques left by Shi Feiyang, but because emperors had too many political schemes to consider, coupled with the oppression from various palaces, leading to a loss of Essence Energy and Primordial Spirit, making it difficult to achieve success.

It was the first time someone like Zhu Yitai had refined a Flying Sword.

Having an emperor master Daoist skills was not a bad thing, provided one remained realistic; achieving success meant success, and failing meant failing.

Could this youngster indeed possess the appearance of a Human Emperor? With the end times looming, a Human Emperor with Divine Skills emerges, conforming to the number of saints in the salvation model?

Shi Feiyang performed a simple divination in his mind, indeed finding signs of a wise and divine leader destined to save the world.

If this youngster could truly become the Human Emperor, it would save Shi Feiyang considerable heart power. However, beneath the surface of the divination lay numerous variables, very twisted and bizarre, evidently altered by a high master.

Shi Feiyang asked Zhu Yitai about matters of Daoist skills. Zhu Yitai had recited the Daoist books left by him from a young age, and he truly knew them by heart. Whatever verse Shi Feiyang asked, Zhu Yitai could quickly recite the following one and accurately explain its meaning.

He indeed had talent for cultivation!

Shi Feiyang asked, "Your Majesty, is the harem still full? How many concubines do you have?"

Zhu Yitai proudly replied, "Since childhood, I abstained from women, focusing on pure and tranquil cultivation. It was not until two years ago that I accepted a concubine, whom I titled as Noble Princess Consort. She’s very good, proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, versed in philosophy, history, poetry, and classics. What’s rare is that she also understands the Dao of ’The Book of Changes’ and Huang-Lao. Not only does she advise me to be restrained and pursue few desires, but she also gives me much guidance. My swift mastery of swordsmanship is largely thanks to her assistance."

"Does she also use Flying Sword Techniques?"

Zhu Yitai nodded, "But she seldom uses them. The Noble Princess Consort said that when she was young, while enjoying the moon in the rear garden, she met an extraordinary person—Lady Immortal Shi Longgu, renowned for her Divine Needle Tribulation. The two were well-matched and she was taught the immortal cultivation and flying needle techniques by Lady Shi, even receiving a set of Lady Flying Needles."

Could she be Lady Shi Longgu’s apprentice?

Having someone proficient in Daoist skills suddenly close to the Emperor, and even becoming his sole consort, would make anyone cautious.

However, as she was the daughter of the Minister of Revenue and learned Daoist skills from Lady Shi Longgu, her background was clear, so it was acceptable.

Yet, having cultivated to Shi Feiyang’s realm, a hint of vigilance usually indicated that there was indeed something amiss, especially with such a divination sign.

He turned towards the harem, his eyes flashing with purple-blue light, piercing through countless walls, directly seeing the Noble Princess Consort inside the harem.

Indeed, she was a very beautiful and quiet girl, dressed in white gauze, sitting in front of a frame, embroidering a Golden Dragon Sea Map.

Her hands formed incantation gestures, white light flickered as she manipulated twenty-eight embroidery needles. With threads of various colors dancing back and forth on the silk, the head and tail of a golden dragon quickly took shape, vividly animated, poised to fly.

Indeed, she was Lady Shi Longgu’s disciple!

Shi Feiyang nodded, withdrawing his gaze. There was nothing amiss, but the more things seemed fine, the more he felt something was off.

To be on the safe side, he told Zhu Yitai, "Your Majesty’s swordsmanship is excellent, but the quality of this sword is somewhat lacking."

Zhu Yitai said, "This Immortal Sword was refined based on my grandfather’s Immortal Sword."

Since the establishment of the Mingyu Immortal Market, the emperors of Great Ming have constantly purchased various immortal items. They dreamed of owning a Flying Sword of their own, hoping to control the sword and soar, entering and exiting Qingming.

But they never truly achieved becoming Sword Immortals. Upon nearing death, what each emperor passed to his successor, in addition to imperial edicts and regents, was the Flying Sword he had refined.

By Zhu Yitai’s generation, he had finally refined a Sword Immortal, and the Flying Sword had been repeatedly refined by emperors over generations, becoming increasingly mystical. It was indeed an excellent Flying Sword, comparably superior even among the circle of Sword Immortals; many of the side paths and unorthodox methods’ swords and flying knives were vastly inferior.

But how high were Shi Feiyang’s standards, as he directly brought out a dark flying sword, appearing pitch-black as ink, with the sword hilt shaped like a dragon. With a gentle shake, the entire hall dimmed.

"What a fine sword!" Zhu Yitai exclaimed in admiration.

And why wouldn’t it be? This was the Mo Long Immortal Sword left by Gongye Huang. Even a Flying Sword used by a Sword Immortal cultivated for a thousand years could hardly compare to this sword.

The reason for presenting this sword to Zhu Yitai, apart from Shi Feiyang himself not needing a Flying Sword, was more because the prophecy showed that Zhu Yitai was the key to opposing Chi You this time. He couldn’t afford to fall; if he did, everything would be lost, and the billions of creatures in Central Earth would suffer. Although Shi Feiyang himself would not be harmed, he would have to retreat to the Outer Heaven Divine Mountain, relinquishing the Central Earth Continent and the Four Seas.

As soon as Zhu Yitai laid eyes on the Mo Long Immortal Sword, his eyes went wide, feeling that compared to this Immortal Sword, the divine weapon in his hand seemed like scrap metal.

"This Immortal Sword is temporarily lent to you, but it depends on whether you have the ability to wield it."

Zhu Yitai knelt down and took the sword with both hands, "State Preceptor, rest assured, I... your grandson will surely do his utmost to refine this sword, and will not disappoint your expectations."

"Very good, first, you need to spend a hundred days of hard work, taking it into your body. During this period, you must not engage with any women, or all efforts will be wasted."

"That is easy, your grandson can definitely do it!"

Shi Feiyang handed the sword over to Zhu Yitai. If Noble Princess Consort Yous indeed had any problems, within these one hundred days, she would certainly try every means to disrupt him and thus reveal herself. If she was without issues, then Zhu Yitai, after a hundred days, would have successfully refined the sword without fearing any dangers.

With the sword issue resolved, Shi Feiyang inquired about the state affairs. Zhu Yitai responded fluently, addressing the majority of matters orderly and clearly.

There was just one thing, nowadays within the Great Ming not only the Emperor practices Immortal Cultivation, even the ministers are cultivating; civil servants practice Sword Refining Technique, military officials cultivate Thunder Skill. It has become a trend.

The papermaking and printing industry in the Great Ming Dynasty is very developed, even leading to booksellers commissioning writers to write novels, print and circulate them for sale and profit. If readers liked the book well enough, they would write to booksellers urging for more content. The booksellers would then prompt the author to continue writing. If money could still be made, even if the author were stuck, the bookseller would hire another to continue writing.

Nowadays, the style in novels about divine demons and ghost marvels is: a certain scholar travels to the capital for exams, stays overnight in an ancient temple in the wild, and while sitting and reading on a mat at night, a demon suddenly appears. The scholar lifts a hand, the Flying Sword from within a box flies out like lightning, returning after a moment, and following a shrill scream, the demon has already been slain by the Immortal Sword.

The style of novels describing battles with banners and robes is: the generals on both sides engage in dozens of rounds but remain undecided. One side releases a Magical Treasure, while the other conjures, reciting a spell and unleashing a Spell...

The nationwide trend of Immortal Cultivation allows those who originally controlled abundant mortal resources to more easily and extensively acquire cultivation resources. They also join together forming various parties and associations, and once their powers grow, they use their resources to gain more, rolling the snowball ever larger, accumulating more resources, and eventually beginning to seize various powers, including political ones...

All ministers in the court form factions and associations, such as the Donglin Party, Zhe Party, Jin Party... all backed by large groups, engaging in open and covert strife, with all sorts of tactics being used, creating turmoil.

During the reign of Emperor Tianqi, the struggle was mainly at the level of ordinary people. With the Eunuch Party composed of marginalized small factions gathered by Duke Wei, it could still be suppressed. As for Zhu Yitai’s reign, suppression gradually became impossible, most evidently in the ceaseless reduction of tax revenues year by year, with national treasury income only being one-fifth of what it was during the Tianqi era. The internal treasury shrank rapidly, and taxes on ore and tea from Jiangnan were exhausted, with even less than two hundred Dragon Coins collected yearly from a single province’s tea taxes.

Whenever the young Emperor attempted to collect taxes, ministers accused him of competing with the people for profits, claiming the Emperor aimed to swell the internal treasury, living extravagantly, indulging in luxuries, and writing extensively about the crimes of the Eunuch Party, from eunuchs to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and onto the Emperor himself, drenching them in outrage to the point where regime change was nearly imperative.

Even issues surrounding the suppression of cults in past years were dragged in, with many remnant cultists speaking out, narrating tales of a dark court and the oppression of ordinary citizens.

Besides this, the young Emperor also mentioned unusual movements among the thirty-six tribes of the North Sea, having committed border violations several times over the past years, only to be repelled. However, in recent years, those barbarian clans have somehow all cultivated Divine Power Techniques, reportedly growing to a height of thirty feet, with copper heads, iron foreheads, immune to blades and spears, even able to resist some generals’ Flying Sword and Thunder Skill.

Furthermore, in the Southern Border, it is said many demons have emerged causing chaos, and scores of poisonous snakes and gu worms are rampantly harming people. Initially, there were just an increase in Poison Insects, which was manageable, but later on there were increasing incidences of deaths caused by these creatures, until just recently villages would be entirely exterminated overnight.

Shi Feiyang listened to it all, saying to the young Emperor: "I will help you solve these matters; your most urgent task now is to practice well with the Mo Long Immortal Sword and properly supervise the court affairs."

He stood to leave, while the young Emperor hesitated, his face full of a pitiful expression.

Shi Feiyang asked him, "Is there anything else?"

The young Emperor replied, "State Preceptor, once you leave, who knows when we’ll meet again. I’ve instructed the Imperial Kitchen to prepare the best feast. Though it might not mean much to you, it is my genuine sincerity. Why not stay for the meal?"

Shi Feiyang smiled: "I will be staying in the capital for a long time this time, usually residing at Yuan Yang Palace. I’ll be coming to the palace to see you quite often afterward. Besides, I’ve long avoided cooking fumes, so I won’t eat now. Hmm, when free, I’ll prepare a meal and invite you to dine."

Upon hearing this, the young Emperor grinned broadly, his canines showing, and bowed in salute: "Then your grandson respectfully sees off the State Preceptor."