Chapter 571: Du Changsheng Performs Magic

Ji Yuan had a faint sense that the old tortoise had already reached Tongtian River. He had originally estimated three to four days, considering the old tortoise's respect for him. Unexpectedly, the old tortoise arrived in just over two days, suggesting it truly considered this a matter of utmost importance and rushed there.

Even though Ji Yuan was aware of this, the officials at Tongtian River still intended to notify him. Despite their current manager likely believing Ji Yuan already knew of the old tortoise's arrival, the customary notification was still necessary.

Currently, not only was the Dragon Lord absent, but so were the River Goddess and Prince Yingfeng from the Water Mansion. Several Yaksha commanders were temporarily in charge of Tongtian River. They first properly settled the old tortoise at the bottom of the river, outside Zhuangyuan Ferry. Afterwards, one of the Yaksha commanders went ashore and headed directly to the Imperial Capital Prefecture to meet Ji Yuan.

On this day, a Yaksha commander emerged from the river, transformed into a sturdy martial artist, and entered the Imperial Capital Prefecture. He then proceeded to Rong'an Street, arriving outside the Yin Residence. Upon reaching the residence, even this Yaksha commander, who served the Dragon Lord and the righteous deities of the river and possessed considerable cultivation, still felt an intense pressure.

In the Yaksha commander's perception, the vast righteous energy emanating from the Yin Residence was like powerful waves crashing against his heart, or a massive mountain about to crush him. Had he not been a demon of righteous cultivation, long nurtured by the river god's divine light, he would likely have buckled under the pressure and fled, or even had his cultivation severely damaged or destroyed by the overwhelming aura.

Seeing a seemingly martial man frequently looking up at the sky outside the residence, one of the Yin Residence guards immediately stepped forward to inquire.

"This is the Chancellor's Residence. Who are you, lingering here?"

Hearing this, the Yaksha commander awoke from the illusion caused by the righteous energy and quickly bowed to the guard.

"My surname is Ye, and I am from Tongtian River. Would you kindly pass a message to Mr. Ji inside the residence? Please tell him that Mr. Wu has arrived."

"Looking for Mr. Ji?"

The guard was slightly taken aback, as not many people knew that a Mr. Ji was temporarily residing in the residence.

"Yes, please report it on my behalf. I have other matters to attend to and prefer not to stay long in the city, so I will depart now."

In fact, by stating this, the Yaksha understood that Mr. Ji must already be aware, and thus he had no intention of disturbing him. The main reason was that entering the Yin Residence was simply too difficult; the pressure was immense.

The guard wanted to say more, but the man simply turned and left. Judging by his powerful strides, he was clearly skilled in martial arts, quickly disappearing into the distance, making pursuit impossible. Seeing this, the guards exchanged glances, and one of them entered the residence to report to Ji Yuan.

However, crucial events were also unfolding inside the Yin Residence. The situation in the rear section of the residence weighed heavily on the hearts of the Yang clan of Dazhen.

Ji Yuan remained seated in the courtyard, but the two Yin children were not present today. A guard hurried to the guest room in the back courtyard, saw Ji Yuan playing chess alone, and after bowing from a distance, spoke softly.

"Mr. Ji, a martial artist just came looking for you outside. He said he was from Tongtian River, though he didn't specify the south or west bank. He asked me to tell you that Mr. Wu has arrived."

Ji Yuan held a chess piece, appearing to be deep in thought. After a few moments, he seemed to register the message and turned to nod at the guard.

"Alright, thank you for informing me. You may go about your duties."

"Yes, I'll take my leave!"

The guard wanted to ask Ji Yuan about his master's condition but held back. Although there was no strict rule against disturbing Mr. Ji, it was an unspoken understanding within the residence.

Ji Yuan held a white piece, his gaze fixed on the chessboard, as if he could see mountains and rivers, the vastness of heaven and earth. Yet, both the scenes in his eyes and in his mind were mere appearances. The myriad changes evolving with each move in his thoughts were perhaps the true game. At the same time, Ji Yuan kept his attention on the rear section of the Yin Residence.

At this very moment, in the courtyard where Yin Zhaoxian's dwelling was located, Du Changsheng, clad in a ritual robe, wore a solemn expression. All three of his disciples were present, and a ritual altar had been set up in the courtyard, complete with incense, candles, magical artifacts, and offerings. There were also two unique plants, each in a separate pot.

One was a ginseng root, with red threads wrapped around its stem, the other ends of which were tied to several copper locks on the table. The other was a red flower, unadorned but emitting a faint, magical glow, clearly indicating it was a precious treasure.

Du Changsheng held a whisk, performing a ritual before the altar. He continuously directed his spiritual energy onto the altar, using the two spirit herbs on the table to gather more spiritual energy into the courtyard, subtly conjuring strange gusts of clear wind.

Gathered at the outer edges of the courtyard were several imperial physicians specifically in charge of Yin Zhaoxian's condition, the old eunuch Li Jingchun who served the Emperor, Yan Chang, the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Crown Prince Yang Sheng of Dazhen, and of course, members of the Yin family. Aside from these, there were no outsiders present. In fact, news of this event had been strictly suppressed to prevent it from spreading.

Initially, some of those present had been skeptical of Du Changsheng. Many had experienced the era of Emperor Yuande and had impressions of various "Heavenly Masters," most of whom possessed little true ability. However, Du Changsheng's performance so far had been remarkably impressive.

Setting everything else aside, the continuous flashes of brilliant light from the altar and the smooth, comfortable breathing everyone experienced under the spiritual wind were enough to confirm that this Heavenly Master was no ordinary person, nor a mere charlatan.

The imperial physicians also privately discussed Yin Zhaoxian's illness, as his condition was truly baffling. It now seemed evident that some extraordinary factors were at play.

Yang Sheng stood beside the Yin brothers, appearing more agitated than they were. Witnessing the various miraculous changes in the courtyard, he repeatedly turned to look at Yin Chong and Yin Qing, surprised by the Yin family's composure. Even Old Madam Yin was equally calm, as if these were merely minor occurrences.

"Minister Yin, you are always so wise. Do you think Master will recover this time?"

Hearing Yang Sheng's whispered question, Yin Qing replied in an equally hushed tone.

"Father has been ill for a long time. Although Heavenly Master Du possesses true spiritual power, he himself said that this is a battle against fate, and the outcome is uncertain. However, please rest assured, Your Highness. We, the Yin family, have long been prepared. To have reached this point is already remarkable. What is there to fear in death?"

Yin Chong added from the side.

"Your Highness, please don't worry. Father is blessed by Heaven and will certainly be fine."

As they spoke, Du Changsheng made a new move. Holding his whisk, he let out a loud shout.

"Heavenly Master's Guardians, appear at once! No mistakes!"

Then, with a flick of his whisk towards the four corners of the altar, six human-shaped paper talismans drifted down, transforming into six blurry figures around the altar. Spiritual energy immediately swirled around them, causing them to expand to half a *zhang* in height. Glimmers of light appeared around them, making their presence at the four corners appear incredibly mystical.

The two Yin children widened their eyes and covered their mouths, their hearts pounding at the sight of this magical scene.

"Daddy, Heavenly Master is even more powerful than Mr. Ji!"

This innocent remark from the child made Du Changsheng, who was solemnly performing the ritual, go weak in the knees, nearly causing him to stumble in fright. Fortunately, he reacted incredibly quickly. The moment his body tilted forward, he braced himself with one hand, then pushed off the ground forcefully with his left hand, soaring lightly as if flipping backward. He stepped on the shoulder of one "guardian," then leaped to the shoulders of the second, third, and fourth, before gracefully descending and landing steadily in front of the altar.

The entire sequence of movements flowed seamlessly, showing no sign of being an improvised response to a crisis. By the time he landed, the sweat that had beaded on his forehead had already dissipated under the influence of his water-manipulation art, preventing anyone from noticing anything amiss.

'Good heavens, children speak their minds. Children speak their minds. Mr. Ji surely won't mind, he won't...'

Du Changsheng comforted himself and continued "following the procedure," guiding the spiritual energy to flow continuously through the courtyard. It was at this moment that his eldest disciple, Wang Xiao, who had been staring at the gnomon on the table, spoke.

"Master, the time has come!"

"Good!"

Du Changsheng shouted loudly, facing his surroundings.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Captain Yin, and Eunuch Li, your vital energies are strong. Follow the three guardians and block the gates of Death, Fright, and Injury!"

From a corner of the altar, three blurry, tall guardians slowly stepped forward, each moving to a different corner of the courtyard. They didn't stop at the walls but leaped over them, heading towards the courtyard behind Yin Zhaoxian's bedroom.

Yang Sheng and Yin Chong exchanged glances and quickly used their movement techniques to follow the guardians. The old eunuch naturally dared not be slow. As they moved, they felt waves of coldness assailing them, as if they were truly crossing into dangerous gates. Once they stood in their respective corners with the guardians, a chill enveloped them, prompting them to immediately circulate their inner energy to dispel it. The surrounding winds also calmed down somewhat.

Then Du Changsheng shouted again.

"Minister Yin and Grand Astrologer Yan, both of you are vastly learned. Stabilize the gates of Openness and Rest!"

Yin Qing and Yan Chang also moved with the guardians to their respective positions in the courtyard. Once the five individuals were in place, guarding five gates around Yin Zhaoxian's bedroom, they faintly perceived several faint lights connecting them, with spiritual winds blowing back and forth, appearing truly miraculous.

"My three disciples, join me in guarding the gates of Obstruction and Scenery! Young Masters Yin, please quickly follow the guardians and stand three feet outside Chancellor Yin's dwelling!"

Princess Changping quickly patted her two sons' backs.

"Chier, Dian'er, don't be afraid. We are saving Grandpa. Go and stand properly. No matter what happens, don't run away!"

"Okay!"

After the two children agreed in unison, they quickly scurried to the outside of the tightly closed bedroom door and looked up at the blurry giants now standing beside them.

At this moment, the courtyard was awash with dazzling light, appearing ethereal and otherworldly. Du Changsheng himself glowed with spiritual radiance, like an immortal in the mortal world. The hand wielding the whisk seemed to grow heavier and heavier, and his expression became increasingly stern, even causing Yin Qing to stare in slight astonishment.

"Yin Zhaoxian is a living sage, who has cultivated virtue and fostered righteous energy; he should not perish here! I, Du Changsheng, your disciple, borrow this dharma from the Immortal Venerable. Please, Heavenly Venerable, in your mercy, turn the heavens and shift the stars—!"

Following Du Changsheng's loud cry, he flicked his whisk, and an arrow-shaped command tablet on the table shot up into the sky, rapidly soaring high.

Ji Yuan, in his guest house courtyard, heard the overly forceful shout and shook his head, not paying mind to the wordplay. He gently placed the chess piece down. The next moment, an ethereal realm manifested, and the world transformed. Anyone with conscious awareness would see the entire Imperial Capital Prefecture instantly turn from day to night, with the brightest star in the sky being the Wen Qu Star.

This sight caused Du Changsheng to tremble with excitement, while in the eyes of others, who were equally astonished beyond words, the Heavenly Master's face twisted into an almost pained grimace.

"Everyone, you must guard your respective gates! This is not my own spiritual power; I have only one chance to perform this ritual in my lifetime. If it fails, not only will Chancellor Yin be in grave danger, but I, Du, will also perish and my cultivation will be destroyed. Remember this!"

After saying this, Du Changsheng suddenly flung his whisk towards Yin Zhaoxian's room and roared with all his might.

"Heavenly spirits and earthly laws, reveal the Gate of Life, open quickly!"

"Boom!"

The door to Yin Zhaoxian's bedroom suddenly burst open. At that instant, the spiritual wind and flowing light from the courtyard surged inwards. Streaks of light also descended from the stars in the sky. For a moment, spiritual winds and a rain of starlight filled the air.