The changes in the An Mountain Imperial Mausoleum made Li Yi halt; he originally didn’t want to pay attention to these Yin Emperors, as the timing was not yet ripe. However, the other party seemed unwilling to watch Li Yi merely pass through An Mountain, causing a stir—it was uncertain whether it was meant as intimidation or a threat.
Li Yi looked on calmly; if this Yin Emperor called Emperor Shenzong wished to make a move, he wouldn’t mind dealing with him right here.
With the gradual dissipation of the beam of light above An Mountain, a middle-aged man wearing a dragon robe, exuding a light like the sun, manifested. Additionally, divine generals were guarding him, and Yin officials accompanied him. The whole mountain resonated with the loud sounds of bells and drums playing music.
This is the emperor’s entourage.
"Emperor Shenzong?" At this moment, Li Yi’s gaze was locked onto him. Indeed, the other was worthy of being a Yin Emperor who had enjoyed hundreds of years of national fortune incense; merely releasing his aura was enough to stir the nature’s spiritual energy within a three-hundred-mile radius.
The incense fire energy accumulated to an extreme was too filled to absorb, it could only be allowed to diffuse, condensing near An Mountain. Over time, it formed an incense canopy.
"Is the visitor the State Preceptor, Master Taiyi, who has recently been breaking mountains and demolishing temples?" At this moment, Emperor Shenzong slowly opened his mouth; his voice instantly echoed through the heavens and resounded between heaven and earth.
"The other’s strength is formidable; Taiyi, be cautious. If necessary, use the Divine Bow Black Gold Arrow left by that Great Demon. My new body has not yet been nurtured, making it difficult to mobilize mana or perform Tao skills as I wish, so the help I can offer is limited."
At this moment, on the golden Xiangyun, as Xiang Xiangzi familiarized herself with her Seven-Colored Stone body, she spoke.
Li Yi said: "Immortal, there’s no need to worry. I will confront this Emperor Shenzong. If the other side decides to act, it’s just as well to test the incense method; with so much Power of Incense gathered on oneself, it would be too wasteful not to use it."
"Indeed," Xiang Xiangzi said.
Immediately, Li Yi stepped on the golden Xiangyun and flew towards An Mountain, soon appearing before this emperor.
He appeared calm and performed a courtesy: "Is it Emperor Shenzong? I am called by the Tao name Taiyi, and indeed the current State Preceptor."
Emperor Shenzong stood with his hands behind his back, squinting slightly as he observed the young Daoist before him. Truly extraordinary, not only young, but his cultivation was extremely profound, with faint traces of Five-Colored Qi floating around him, and he possessed the majesty of dragons and tigers. Though called a true man, he seemed more like a martial artist conquering the realm.
"The cycle of time rotates, and hundreds of years have passed in the blink of an eye. I realized today that a true man, such as this renowned figure, appeared in the world, aspiring to lead three thousand Jinyi Guards as State Preceptor, to break mountains and demolish temples, and to destroy all the Incense Fire Gods." Emperor Shenzong sighed: "Had it not been for the sudden abnormal increase in my Power of Incense recently, I may have still been asleep in the mausoleum, missing this opportunity for a new era of peace."
He was the sixth emperor of the Zhao Dynasty.
After Li Yi broke mountains and demolished temples, gathering the world’s incense fire energy, Emperor Shenzong also benefited.
However, for him, incense was no longer useful, and additional incense was merely an embellishment.
Li Yi said: "Since Emperor Shenzong knows what I have done, why did you suddenly appear to hinder my actions?"
"Master Taiyi, don’t misunderstand; my appearance this time is not to stop the breaking of mountains and demolishing of temples. Although this will offend all the Gods of Incense Fire, it is irrelevant to me. In life, I dedicated myself to cultivation, and even in death, I remained in the mausoleum, focusing on the Great Dao," Emperor Shenzong sighed: "My talent is limited; I may have some insight as an emperor, but regarding cultivation, I’m likely not as adept as a spirit monster in the wild, hence my limited cultivation gains over the centuries."
"After death, only the soul remains, even when benefiting from the Power of Incense to remain undying, attempting to walk a spiritual path is fraught with difficulties," Li Yi said.
Emperor Shenzong said: "Indeed, I’ve discovered this, so I appear now seeking guidance from the true man. At a young age, the true man possesses such remarkable cultivation, fighting against all the Gods of Incense in a fleshly form. I have heard of the spectacular battle at Taihu; thus, I hope the true man can enlighten me on the spiritual path."
So saying, he performed a courtesy to show respect.
Li Yi was taken aback, not expecting the astuteness of Emperor Shenzong, who saw the greatest value in him. Other Incense Fire Gods wanted him disposed of quickly, neglecting the fact that they lacked a cultivation method. If obtained, it would bring transformative change to this world.
His father, Li Jiye, managed to train formidable Golden Eyes Guards using the Evolution Method. If Jinyi Guards emerged, given time, they would form souls and gather incense, and thus each could ascend to divinity, radically changing the world’s order.
But could the cultivation method be given to the Yin Emperors?
The Power of Incense of these Yin Emperors is vast, accumulated over centuries; obtaining the cultivation method would cause them to soar, becoming the eternal rulers of this realm, even father Li Jiye would struggle to balance them.
"My cultivation method is not suitable for the Incense Gods."