Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 537 Who Reigns Supreme in the City of Demons!

Lin Shuang was somewhat surprised that you had so easily dealt with the Demon King of the City Lord's Mansion.

You simply said, "There aren't any troublesome demons in the city; I can deal with them easily."

Wei Zhi looked around, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "But why have all the ghost soldiers in the city vanished?"

With the small banner taken away, the ghostly soldiers within lost their anchor and naturally dissipated.

[You did not answer or explain. A blue light flowed from your palm, and a small green boat billowed in the wind, instantly transforming into a two-story, ornately decorated ship.]

"Let's get on the flying boat and rest first. We need to hurry and get to the capital of Zhao."

Zhang Tong and the other two exchanged glances, ultimately swallowing their questions.

Only Lin Shuang gazed at your retreating figure, lost in thought, recalling the thunder that had just struck under the dark clouds, a feeling that it was connected to you.

[The flying boat breaks through the clouds and heads south!]

[The journey passed through several small towns, none of which were even a tenth the size of Wan City, and none of them contained demons.]

The city, its lights twinkling like beans, appears and disappears amidst the clouds, like a scene from a floating painting, imbued with a touch of human warmth.

Standing atop the flying boat, overlooking the mountains and rivers below, you feel a sense of peace.

[Not all of Zhao's territory has fallen; the demon-infested areas are only part of the land. The devastation in Wancheng is ultimately an exception.]

Thinking of this, the flying boat gradually slowed down, and as the clouds dispersed, the contours of the mountains and rivers became clearly visible.

With the aid of the Jade Emperor's Aura Observation Technique, demons and evil spirits have nowhere to hide. Throughout our journey, you have always been able to accurately land your flying boats and cleanse away evil.

Lin Shuang and the others were greatly surprised. Only weak demons would act so recklessly, but generally, demons with intelligence who had reached the Solidified Spirit Realm and could take human form would hide their forms and conceal their aura. How did you discover its trace?

Wei Zhi also found it strange. This Senior Brother Zhou rarely cultivated each day, spending the rest of his time standing on the bow of the flying boat, gazing at the mountains and rivers below the sea of ​​clouds.

Lin Shuang couldn't help but ask, "Senior brother, is this also cultivation?"

You turned to look at this most outstanding disciple of Xiao Qingfeng, who had been with the sect for two years, and smiled, "Not really, I just wanted to see."

Lin Shuang didn't ask any more questions. After finishing her daily cultivation, she would gaze at your retreating figure, sometimes imitating your posture as she looked down at the sea of ​​clouds.

Once, after a downpour, she saw you reach out to catch a falling raindrop, and inexplicably, she opened her palm as well.

Lin Shuang felt the cool raindrops in her hand, and looking at the smile on your face, she wondered what her senior brother was thinking now.

[Seven days later!]

The airship pierced through the clouds and slowly descended towards a mountainous area.

[In the distance, wisps of smoke rise from chimneys, revealing a village of over a thousand people, nestled amidst green hills and clear waters, peaceful and serene.]

Lin Shuang frowned slightly. There was no demonic aura here, and it was even a village. Why were they stopping here?

Wei Zhiyi glanced around, releasing her divine sense, but detected nothing amiss. She then looked at you.

However, people have become accustomed to the fact that demons appear wherever you land.

[Your eyes gleamed with a jade-like light. As you activated the Jade Emperor's Aura Observation Technique, you saw a hazy aura hovering above the village, within which a dazzling radiance shone. That precious light, like a flower seen through mist, indicated that something extraordinary was hidden here.]

The pale yellow aura mixed within the precious light was a sign of a ferocious beast lurking in the shadows. If it gained power, it would surely bring disaster to this village of a thousand people.

This is also why you left the cloud boat.

However, your attention is drawn to the lush greenery in the mountains and fields.

The soil in these mountains is quite good; they're planted with peas, growing so densely that you can't see a single gap. From a distance, it looks like a green carpet.

The immature bean pods are swollen and plump, at their most tender and juicy stage, and can be eaten raw.

Back then, in Qinghe County, I fought demons and monsters, farmed the land, and returned to my fields at dusk, planting a few rows of peas in front of my yard.

I haven't had it for years, and I've suddenly developed a craving for it.

"Looking at the five people, you say, 'There must be demons lurking in the mountains behind this village.'"

"After exorcising the demon, we will meet here."

The Xue sisters immediately sprang into action.

Wei Zhi and Lin Shuang exchanged a glance. Strange, you always follow behind when exorcising demons, but today you seem to be alone.

【Something's wrong! 】

However, the five of them still headed towards the back of the mountain.

You bend down and pluck a plump pea pod into your palm, the tender green peas rolling off. You pick one up and put it in your mouth; it's so tender and slightly sweet.

Now it could be considered stealing food.

You lie on your back in a clearing by a pea field, the soft soil beneath you, a few clusters of vibrant green pea pods scattered around you.

With hands behind my head, I watched the clouds drift slowly across the azure sky, a gentle breeze carrying the sweet scent of peas.

This moment of tranquility makes you realize that what you seek in spiritual practice is nothing more than this kind of freedom.

[In the fourteen years of my spiritual practice, there have been few moments of peace.]

Suddenly, the sound of rustling footsteps came from the woods.

A peasant woman carrying a bamboo basket and a man carrying a hoe walked through the bushes.

The peasant woman spotted the scattered bean pods at a glance, and her face immediately changed: "Damn it! Where did this bean thief come from!"

Upon seeing his face clearly, the peasant woman lowered her bamboo pole slightly. The young man before her was truly handsome, with an extraordinary air about him; he didn't look like an ordinary "bandit" at all.

The man, though flushed with anger, quickly calmed down. "Where in the mountains can one find such an air of nobility? Could he be a city gentleman?"

Both of them were just ordinary mortals.

If you were caught stealing when you were young, you would definitely panic, but things are different now.

You calmly stood up and brushed the grass and dirt off your clothes.

The morning light casts a hazy glow on you, making you seem even more otherworldly.

You smiled and said, "No rush, you two. I just had a sudden craving."

[You point, and the peas you picked seem to come back to life, growing again and returning to their original state, seemingly even growing better.]

【"this……"】

The two men stood frozen in place, their bamboo poles and hoes falling into the field.

You took your leave alone, taking the pods with you.

The couple immediately realized what had happened and knelt down in fear, their faces filled with dread. They didn't even bother to pick up their farm tools: "We were blind to the divine master's teachings, please forgive us!"

A gentle breeze came and helped the two of them up.

[You are already riding the wind in the air, watching the couple. Their reaction to seeing the immortal master seems no better than when they see a "demon."]

Whether they are demons or immortals, they can manipulate their lives at will.

"Immortal Master?" You don't like that title.

Even the lofty immortal masters are nothing more than cultivators, no different from mortals.

You gaze at the distant, now long since out of sight, the blessed land of Fangcun Mountain.

As for why you cultivate yourself, you yourself don't know either.

[To revitalize the Zhou family of Qinghe County?]

[Should we restore Xiao Qingfeng to the top of the Eighteen Families?]

You seem indifferent to all of this, so why bother with spiritual practice?

[You suddenly remembered what Mr. Danqiusheng told you when he left.]

"Jing'er, if you have the ability, then sweep away all injustices in the world." But where, then, is there injustice in this world?

You've been at Xiaoqingfeng for four years, and you've never felt a sense of belonging.

But you can never forget the eyes of the disaster victims in Qinghe County back then.

In his later years, the Taoist Master Taiping wrote in his book "The Essential Techniques of Taiping," "If all demons and monsters are eliminated from the world, can the world achieve peace?"

[This is both a self-questioning statement and a thought-provoking observation; even the Taoist of Peace is caught in a state of bewilderment.]

Before the Upper Inch Mountain, you thought that the supernatural powers you had learned could rid the world of all demons and restore peace to the land?

[You don't have the answer in your heart right now. Perhaps, after you go to the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury and then travel the world, you will find the answer.]

[After another incense stick burns.]

Lin Shuang and the other four returned, their faces beaming with joy.

Zhang Tong strode forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Senior Brother is truly a prophet! A crimson-scaled demonic serpent is coiled in the cave behind the mountain, guarding the remains of a Heavenly Gate Realm cultivator—"

"Besides the demonic serpent, we also obtained quite a few treasures."

The five of them also want to take out their treasures and see what you choose.

You smiled and said, "What one gains through cultivation is simply a matter of individual destiny."

Lin Shuang noticed your good mood and smiled, "Senior brother, you seem especially happy today?"

Wei Zhi also looked over and noticed the bean pod in your hand.

You said, "It's just tasting something I haven't had in a long time."

The Xue sisters sidled up, their eyes pleading, "Could our senior brother have some?"

【"certainly."】

You distributed the bean pods to everyone. After Lin Shuang and the others tasted them, they all frowned.

It didn't taste good.

Wei Zhi even vomited, but then felt it was impolite, and was momentarily embarrassed.

You simply smiled and put the bean pod into your storage bag.

Xue Ruyi asked, "Senior brother, what is this?"

【"pea."】

What are peas?

"Peas," you say, gazing at the horizon of the sea of ​​clouds, "the most common food in the mortal world."

The Xue sisters did not discard the remaining bean pods. They exchanged a glance, then carefully wrapped them in a silk handkerchief and tucked them into their personal sachets.

You set off again from here.

Another half month passed, and they finally arrived at the capital of the Zhao Kingdom.

The city was large enough to accommodate three to four hundred thousand people.

A chilling atmosphere pervaded the city; the city gates were closed, and the entire city was shrouded in churning, eerie energy, resembling a crouching, gigantic beast.

Just as you predicted, the Yin energy in the imperial city was so strong it soared to the sky; compared to it, Wancheng was truly insignificant.

You didn't arrive early.

Seven or eight teams had already set up camp three miles outside the city, and the protective barriers formed by various magical artifacts flickered in the eerie wind.

However, they were all cautious and did not risk entering.

[Upon seeing your flying boat land, several junior disciples from Qingfeng Peak quickly came to greet you.]

These were the other teams of fellow disciples who had split up during the initial operation.

Two days later, Lü Qingyu, Xiao Wan'er, and others arrived with their teams.

All twenty teams that were initially scattered have returned without a single loss.

Yang Chen led the disciples of Qi Yun Peak and Fei Lai Peak into the city to investigate.

[This revealed shocking news.]

"The capital of Zhao has become a city of demons."

Everyone was shocked. The capital region of Zhao had always been garrisoned by disciples and laypeople from Fangcun Mountain, who had spread their influence and established a lineage there. Monthly reports were even sent by stewards. How could such a vital area have fallen into a ghost town without the mountain's knowledge?

[How could this happen?]

[It's only now that we've learned about Fangcun Mountain; how come there wasn't a single piece of news about it?]

[You seem unsurprised; for nearly a month, you've heard tales circulating throughout the land of the strange phenomenon of the capital's gates remaining closed.]

Many ordinary people only learned of the disaster in the capital after the city had been under lockdown for over a month. The news had spread far and wide with the crowds, alarming other prefectures.

[Everyone says that ghostly soldiers emerged from inside and devoured everyone inside; the rumors grew increasingly terrifying with each passing day.]

Some say it was punishment sent down by Heaven for the emperor's offense.

The imperial city had over a hundred wards, with 180,000 households. Including the imperial guards and garrison troops stationed in the capital, the imperial family, palace maids, eunuchs, and families from various regions, the total population was estimated at 400,000 to 500,000.

[In the capital of Zhao, only a little over a month after I reported the news to Fencun Mountain, the changes have come so suddenly; demons have already taken hold in the city.]

[The reconnaissance report brought back by Yang Chen indicates that tens of thousands of ghostly soldiers are patrolling the outskirts of the capital.]

Even more bizarrely, statues of the "Xuanhuang Yingde Lunzhuan King" suddenly appeared throughout the city. These statues had ferocious faces, three heads, and six arms, resembling bodhisattvas in Buddhist temples, and exuded an ominous aura.

At the four city gates, besides the ghostly soldiers guarding them, numerous demons roamed among them: some were giant monsters about four or five zhang tall with skin like mountains and rocks, while others were giants with bull heads and horse faces, wielding steel forks.

[A monstrous creature with a human head and a snake's body spewed clouds of mist, accompanied by stench; and there was also a Taoist priest whose body was covered in eyes, each eye gleaming with an eerie green light.]

These demons patrolled tirelessly day and night, turning the entire capital into a ghostly realm.

Although these demons are only at the Solidifying Spirit Realm, their sheer numbers and widespread presence make them formidable.

Even more bizarrely, hundreds of thousands of people still survive in the city center, their expressions blank, devoutly worshipping day and night the eerie statue of the "Xuanhuang Yingde Zhuanlun King".

The entire city was shrouded in a deathly silence and an eerie atmosphere.

The once bustling central mansion and its pavilions were completely demolished, replaced by a high platform called "Commanding Platform," eerily quiet, its purpose unknown.

What they saw before them was eerie and sinister. Although Yang Chen and his companions possessed considerable cultivation, they dared not venture further and had no choice but to retreat for the time being and make further plans.

The night was bright, with a clear moon and few stars.

Yang Chen gathered over twenty team leaders in a tent outside the city to discuss countermeasures.

The flickering candlelight inside the tent illuminated the slightly somber expressions on everyone's faces.

[Lu Qingyu and Xiao Wan'er from the Xiao Qingfeng lineage, along with you, are all present at the table. Some are deep in thought, arms crossed, while others remain silent, lost in thought.]

Yang Chen broke the silence: "Have you all heard of the 'Xuanhuang Yingde Lunzhuan King'? Is it the work of demons or something related to an ancient inheritance?"

He frowned deeply. "I searched my memory thoroughly, but I have absolutely no recollection of it."

The people inside the tent looked at each other, and all shook their heads.

Yang Chen's gaze suddenly turned to you, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes: "Junior Brother Zhou, you are known for your extensive reading of Daoist scriptures, have you seen any relevant records?"

Inside the brightly lit tent, everyone's gaze was fixed on a young man standing at the back.

However, the boy was holding a handful of peas in his hand, which he was gently chewing.

You remained composed, swallowing with a slight movement of your Adam's apple before calmly replying, "Indeed, I've heard of it."

(End of this chapter)