bullyxtreme Chapter 1148 Seeking Help from the Imperial Advisor
Chapter 1148 Seeking Help from the Imperial Advisor
Looking at the spirits flying all over the sky, Wang Ai picked one to consume.
After swallowing it, a chilling sensation slid down his throat and into his dantian, and the previous feeling reappeared.
Although the improvement was small, it was incredibly clear, which fascinated him.
"It's feasible... This 'spirit absorption' method is feasible; it can truly and permanently enhance one's cultivation level."
Wang Ai was somewhat excited. She looked around and found the spirit that looked the most pleasing to the eye and was the most palatable. She grabbed it and swallowed it.
The feeling of increased power was still very noticeable. But this time, after the initial thrill of power faded, he suddenly felt a strange sense of unease creeping into his heart.
He suddenly remembered some recent troubles: the crushing defeat on the main battlefield, and the continued economic downturn in the United States due to the Great Depression and the war. In order to change this, they enacted a war law.
The tax rate suddenly jumped to 94%, which can only be described in one sentence.
Transfer 100 to me and I'll give you 95. You know my methods. Don't waste the remaining 5. Transfer 4.8 to me tonight. Don't touch the remaining 2 either. You'll need 10 cents the day after tomorrow. Remember the remaining 10 cents. Give 5 cents to your child to find a way out. Consider the remaining 5 cents as my deposit.
In short, he was all-powerful and menacing, handing over all his personal wealth, treating the rich list like a bank statement, and whenever there was a problem, he would go to the capitalists to extort money, extorting money every time he attacked.
The key is that there's no escape. There are only two sunlit paths, one to the north, which shine like streetlights, and the other to the south, which are like a giant bar of soap.
Although Wang Ai had taken many countermeasures based on Zhang Zhiwei's previous warnings, she still paid a considerable price under this bill.
The situation is somewhat better in the United States. Although those who make money there are suffering losses, the overall economy is on an upward trajectory. However, the domestic economy is in a much worse state.
Over the past decade, inflation has increased more than five hundred times. Although he either converted his money into gold and silver or directly converted it into material goods to send out during this period, no one can escape unscathed when the nest is overturned. The overall environment was bad, and no matter how he tried to cope, he could not reverse the decline.
However, because of these things, some arrangements had been made before Senior Brother Zhang went into seclusion, so although it was very troublesome, it was not an insurmountable obstacle, and he was never overly anxious about it.
But today, he suddenly became very angry, as if all his past troubles had come flooding back. He wanted to vent his anger, to kill those officials and gentry who were scheming to target the Tiantong Steel Plant, to kill those unscrupulous merchants who valued money over the country, and to kill those who displeased him.
Ultimately, this feeling of frustration materialized.
He looked at the spirits in front of him, wanting to devour them all in one go and then elevate himself. If he had the power of Senior Brother Zhang, all these troubles would be gone.
Wang Ai's breathing became heavy as he reached out and grabbed a wailing infant spirit.
Just as he opened his mouth wide, about to take a bite, a sudden wave of cold water washed over his mind.
"and many more!"
He stopped what he was doing, a hint of surprise and uncertainty flashing in his eyes.
When did I become so impetuous?
Since becoming the archbishop of the Tiantong Church, he has led the believers in reciting the Tiantong Bible every day without fail. He also often uses divine methods to write scriptures and draw images of gods, both of which are very good for self-cultivation.
Over the years, his sexual cultivation has improved significantly, and he hasn't experienced this kind of agitation in a long time.
Even though she was somewhat flustered after learning that she had obtained one of the "Eight Extraordinary Skills," she shouldn't have lost her composure like this!
"Something's wrong!"
Wang Ai, being a seasoned veteran, clearly sensed something was amiss. He calmed himself and looked at the spirits floating in the sky.
The spirits witnessed him using his ability to control spirits one after another. They all looked at him with fear, trembling, but unable to resist. They could only stay where they were and wait to die.
Wang Ai looked at it for a moment, then reached out and absorbed the remaining spirit into his body. Afterward, he strode towards the Tiantong Cathedral.
After returning to Tiantong Cathedral in Chongqing, Wang Ai contacted Master Huang. Master Huang had previously worked in Shanghai, but after Shanghai fell to the Japanese, he came to Chongqing with Wang Ai and opened Tiantong Medical Clinic there. He and Wang Ai had a close relationship.
Not long after receiving his message, a middle-aged scholar with a folding fan in hand, wearing a yellow robe, and with a pair of silkworm eyebrows, phoenix eyes, and a long, flowing beard arrived at Tiantong Church. He looked quite elegant.
The middle-aged scholar, fanning himself, looked at Wang Ai and asked, "What brings you here, Master Wang?"
Looking at his attire, Wang Ai felt a sudden, inexplicable resurgence of the pent-up irritation she had been harboring. She frowned and said in a somewhat sharp tone:
“Uncle Huang, I’ve said it before, this outfit is a bit outdated. I asked you to have a set of clergy robes made for you, why don’t you wear them? It’s really damaging to our church’s image when you go out like this!”
"Also, do not call me Hall Master, call me Bishop!"
Perhaps because she was still a little emotional, Wang Ai spoke a bit loudly, and her tone even carried a hint of scolding.
Master Huang sensed something keenly. His sharp eyes gleamed as he looked Wang Ai up and down, but he wasn't angry.
“Bishop Wang, you seem a bit off today,” said Master Huang slowly. “What’s wrong? Did something bother you? You’re so irritable.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Ai was stunned. Master Huang was the immortal she had the best relationship with in the church. In the past, whenever she saw Master Huang, she would praise him for his tasteful attire. Among the immortals, there was only one who was as good at spreading rumors as him. The others had strange aesthetics and spread rumors in a completely different way. But today, he actually revealed his true thoughts.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable irritation in his heart, and clasped his hands in apology to Master Huang: "I'm sorry, Master Huang, I was rude just now. The domestic war situation has been tense lately, and the allocation and collection of various supplies at the front line has been really too troublesome. I haven't slept well for several days, and I've been a bit irritable. Please don't take it to heart!"
Grandpa Huang nodded and sighed. He knew how bad the current situation was, and it was normal for Wang Ai to have a headache.
"Alright, I'm not that petty. You seem a bit off right now. Is it because you've mastered that new, amazing technique?" Master Huang asked.
“A little,” Wang Ai said.
"Some things are best done within your means; haste makes waste!" Master Huang advised, then said, "Speak, what's the matter that you've been in such a hurry to see me?"
Wang Ai hesitated for a moment and did not mention the matter of using spirits, after all, Master Huang was a deity, and he was afraid that saying it would cause a rift.
He only said that he had discovered a spirit medium from a certain shrine who went to a mass grave and found a few wandering ghosts to try consuming, and he wanted to ask if there were any drawbacks to eating these things.
After listening, Master Huang sneered, "It's obviously the work of those weak-willed little devils. This is actually quite common among immortals. But this method..."
Master Huang paused, then emphasized, “This is the demonic path. Even we old immortals would never dare to do this frequently! Even if we occasionally eat one, we will cultivate ourselves for the next month or two, abstaining from meat, until we have completely refined those distracting thoughts and restored peace to our hearts.”
"Because if you continue to indulge in this, you will let your nature become succumb to bestiality. Gradually, your bestiality will surpass your humanity, and you will eventually become a beast. Do you understand? A beast!"
Wang Ai sensed the hidden meaning in Master Huang's words and thought to himself, "Sure enough, Huang Xian holds grudges." But Master Huang's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing his restlessness. He didn't argue with Master Huang, but nodded and said sincerely:
"Thank you for the reminder, Master Huang. I will warn that little spirit in the temple."
"You'd better watch yourself!" Master Huang was such a clever immortal that he naturally knew Wang Ai was making things up out of nothing. However, he didn't expose her, but because of what had happened before, he didn't linger either.
After seeing Master Huang off, Wang Ai sat in her chair, still feeling uneasy. Master Huang's words were insightful, but he was, after all, just a celestial being with limited cultivation. To ensure everything went smoothly, Wang Ai decided to consult the Vice Master again.
Since Zhang Zhiwei went into seclusion, Wang Ai has liked to pay his respects to the "Imperial Preceptor" whenever he has nothing to do. After all, this was once his biggest backer, and the relationship that needed to be maintained could not be neglected.
Moreover, he genuinely respected this "National Preceptor." After all, this was the manifestation of Senior Brother Zhang's inner demon. Although he had become an independent individual, he could still be considered half of Senior Brother Zhang, no matter what.
With Senior Brother Zhang in seclusion, the Imperial Preceptor can be considered the trump card of the Tiantong Church. Although he is currently inside the statue and has not yet come out into the world, Wang Ai believes that even so, the Vice Leader still possesses considerable power.
Wang Ai sat down cross-legged, entered the hall space, and began to call upon the vice leader.
Then, right there on the towering Seven Star Platform in the hall's space, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky and condensed into a figure.
The vice leader was still dressed as the Monkey King, wearing a purple-gold crown, chainmail, and a bright red cloak, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.
But there was a hint of divinity in his eyes than before, an indescribable solemnity that made people afraid to look directly at him.
"Greetings, Vice Leader!" Wang Ai hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully performed a deep bow.
The vice-leader glanced at him and laughed, "Little fatty, you have a lot of problems!"
Wang Ai was taken aback and quickly asked, "A problem? What problem?"
"Have you eaten anything weird lately?" The vice-leader didn't answer directly, but asked instead.
Upon hearing this, Wang Ai was immediately filled with admiration for the vice leader. He was indeed an expert, having spotted the problem at a glance.
He hesitated before Master Huang, but before the 'National Preceptor,' he made no secrets and told everything, including the effects of summoning spirits and commanding generals, as well as the process of increasing power after devouring evil spirits through the spirit-summoning method, but also the resulting irritability.
After listening, the "Imperial Advisor" laughed and said, "Little Fatty, you usually seem like a very shrewd person, how could you make such a foolish mistake? Do you really think there's such a thing as getting something for nothing and becoming stronger by eating a few ghosts?!"
Wang Ai quickly asked, "Then... Vice Master, are there any drawbacks to this method of absorbing spirits?"
The "Imperial Advisor" said, "In this world, everything has a spirit. The more spiritual something is, the more drawbacks it will cause when you eat it, especially the dead. If it's a living spirit, you can excrete it after eating meat, but can you excrete it after eating a dead spirit?"
Wang Ai's heart skipped a beat: "What will happen if I don't pull it?"
“Then it will naturally accumulate deeper and deeper within the body!” the Imperial Advisor said.
"What will happen if it gets deeper and deeper?" Wang Ai pressed on.
"If it accumulates deeper and deeper, your true nature will be suppressed, and slowly you will lose yourself and become a beast indulging in desires!"
As he spoke, the Imperial Advisor suddenly appeared beside Wang Ai and gently touched him, revealing a hideous human face. That face was the same traitor who had been eating him at the beginning.
The Imperial Advisor pointed again, and another face emerged from Wang Ai's body—the same traitors he had recently devoured, their expressions shifting between anger, weeping, and resentment…
Upon seeing this, Wang Ai was immediately horrified: "Vice Leader, what's going on? This...this..."
He reached out to peel away the faces covering his body, but found he couldn't touch them at all.
"Master, Master, what should we do? What should we do?"
Wang Ai was so anxious she was pacing back and forth.
The "Imperial Advisor" looked at him with a smile, seeing a bit of himself in Wang Ai.
Speaking of which, back then he consumed the souls of many people, which led to him being haunted by vengeful spirits, extorted by the Big-Faced Thief, and forced to do a lot of hard labor. In the end, he was burned to death by the Big-Faced Thief using Samadhi True Fire.
"Don't panic, this is nothing serious. You can handle it yourself or with external help."
The "Imperial Advisor" said.
Upon hearing this, Wang Ai calmed down somewhat: "Master, how can we resolve this using external force?"
Upon hearing this, the "Imperial Advisor" jumped up and flicked him on the head, causing Wang Ai to clutch his head and cry out in pain. This was the realm of the mind, and the blow was so painful it went straight to the depths of his soul.
The "Imperial Advisor" said irritably, "You good-for-nothing, can't you even solve this yourself?"
Wang Ai winced in pain, clutching his head, and asked cautiously, "How can I take care of it myself?"
The "National Preceptor" said, "All living beings in the world are composed of sex and life. Your life has the ability to digest the lives of other living beings, and your sex also has the ability to digest the sex of other living beings, but you need to use it yourself."
"How do you use it?" Wang Ai asked hurriedly.
The "National Preceptor" said, "Taoism divides human nature into the primordial spirit and the conscious spirit. The primordial spirit is yourself, while the conscious spirit is the self you think you are, but that is not actually yourself."
The statement was a bit obscure, but Wang Ai understood it immediately and asked, "Is this what Senior Brother Zhang meant by 'subjective'?"
The "National Master" nodded: "Very clever. That big-faced thief likes to turn some classic Taoist terms into easy-to-understand colloquial language."
"The primordial spirit is your subjective consciousness, while the conscious spirit is the worldview that is shaped by the outside world."
"The former is innate, while the latter is formed later in life."
"The innate subjective nature, or in Buddhist terms, self-nature, is neither increased nor decreased, neither born nor destroyed; you can't digest it even if you eat it."
“The worldview, outlook on life, and values formed later in life are called delusions. If you absorb them, you will only suffer the consequences.”
"The reason you feel stronger is because you have absorbed those delusions."
"Although they are delusions, they are also part of sexuality, possessing a portion of soul power. When you consume them, the conscious part of your sexuality becomes stronger, thus giving you a false sense of power." (End of Chapter)