Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

If we talk about the origin of Daoist soldiers, the most powerful ones are the Supreme Daoist soldiers recorded in the "Shangqing Bone Marrow Spiritual Text Ghost Law".

The *Shangqing Gushi Lingwen Guilu* describes it as follows: "Soldiers and generals within the seal number in the hundreds of thousands. They come and go like the wind, formless and boundless, their transformations endless. They are hidden within my seal, and when summoned, they appear. Sometimes I see a great body, filling the void. It wears the Kunyu Mountain on its head, carries the sun and moon on its shoulders, holds the Emperor's Bell in its hands, and treads on a Kui dragon. Sometimes I see a small body, entering into a speck of dust, within a hair. They possess great power and protect the true Dharma, transforming a thousand times."

These Dao soldiers are supreme Dao soldiers, even the Heavenly Soldiers of the Heavenly Court cannot compare to them.

Such Dao soldiers, taken individually, are stronger than most immortals. After all, they move as fast as the wind, their existence can be transformed at will, their magic power can be infinitely varied, their size can fill the void, their strength can support the sun and moon, and their supernatural abilities can be subtle and profound. This is a realm that many ordinary immortals can hardly reach.

The day after Lü Dongbin informed Fang Han that the Daoist soldiers from Chechi would arrive soon, a group of disciplined elite soldiers crossed Liangjie Mountain and arrived at the territory of the Datong Society.

Such powerful Daoist soldiers are extremely difficult to create. The fact that the Daoist soldiers were able to arrive smoothly this time was largely thanks to Lü Dongbin riding a white dragon and guiding them from the heavens.

Fang Han dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately came out to greet him personally.

"Advisor Lü!" Fang Han stepped forward and grasped Lü Dongbin's hands tightly, his excitement overflowing.

Advisor was Lü Dongbin's role within the Datong Society.

Lü Dongbin was a specially hired external advisor in the Datong Society, a unique non-staff member, but he held a very high position.

Lü Dongbin turned to the side, revealing the entire Taoist army behind him to Fang Han.

Fang Han looked up and saw that the Taoist soldiers in front of him were all extremely capable, with a kind of determination and courage in their eyes.

"Master, the Daoist soldiers have arrived," Lü Dongbin said.

Fang Gan's second gaze involuntarily brought a word to mind—gossip.

“Gossip!” he blurted out.

Lu Dongbin promptly took over the conversation, explaining, "This force before us is the Bagua Daoist Army, which Chechi Kingdom has painstakingly trained for many years; it can also be called the Bagua Heavenly Army."

Fang Han stared at the Taoist soldiers, as if he could see a huge Bagua diagram slowly turning, exuding a majestic aura.

This Taoist army is divided into eight branches, each corresponding to one of the eight trigrams: Qian, Kun, Xun, Dui, Gen, Zhen, Li, and Kan. Each branch is named after a trigram and has its own unique characteristics. The power of the eight trigrams can influence the five elements, connect with the brilliance of celestial bodies above, and draw upon the spiritual energy of the earth below. Furthermore, it can utilize the power of mountains and rivers for its own purposes.

This Bagua Daoist soldier is actually the basic version of the Daoist soldier recorded in the "Shangqing Bone Marrow Spiritual Text Ghost Law".

If this army of Dao soldiers can continue to cultivate and improve, they will eventually unite the Eight Trigrams into one and no longer be separate. At that time, each Dao soldier will possess incredible power.

"These Bagua Dao soldiers were meticulously trained by the Chechi Kingdom over more than ten years," Lü Dongbin continued. "Each Dao soldier is a formidable individual, capable of wielding Daoist magic, communicating with the divine above and the netherworld below."

"Over the past ten years, with the meticulous training of my master and the dedicated efforts of other elders from different schools, this Daoist army is truly extraordinary." Lü Dongbin's words revealed his pride in this Daoist army.

“Most importantly,” he paused, then continued, “every single one of these Dao soldiers is listed in the ‘Daoist register’.”

"Listed in the Dao register?" Fang Han was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. Since arriving in this world, he had gradually accepted various extraordinary realities.

He was naturally familiar with the term "Taoist scriptures".

In this world, Daoist scriptures are almost equivalent to immortal scriptures. Once one's cultivation reaches a certain level, one can directly become an immortal.

Even if one's cultivation level is insufficient, if one unfortunately dies, one can easily become a ghost or god and find a job in the underworld.

“That’s right.” Lü Dongbin gave an affirmative answer. “All the soldiers of this Daoist army are named Che Chi and possess the ‘Nine Extremes Alliance Majesty Talisman.’ Even if they unfortunately die in the war, their true spirits will remain intact.”

“With the abilities of these Dao soldiers, as long as they are not completely annihilated, they can use the power of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams of Heaven and Earth to reassemble their bodies,” Lü Dongbin further explained. “Once they have achieved perfect merit, they can directly enter the Dao Court, or even serve in the Heavenly Court.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Han suddenly understood. These Bagua Dao soldiers before him, besides possessing various strange powers, also seemed to have the characteristic of being "immortal and indestructible".

No matter what kind of injury or even death they suffer, as long as their military strength remains intact, they can recover or be reborn with the help of the Taoist soldiers.

"This..." Fang Han couldn't help but sigh, "An army like this can't be built up by simply developing industry or climbing a little technology!"

He knew all too well that in this world of gods, Buddhas, immortals, and demons, even if mortals developed industry and mastered technology, they could hardly bridge the gap between themselves and extraordinary powers. Just like the "monk soldiers" in the Tang army before, they could not be stopped by ordinary gunfire.

Fang Han secretly rejoiced, and at the same time began to settle these Dao soldiers and to learn more about the various abilities of the eight parts of the Bagua Dao soldiers in order to prepare for the subsequent battles.

"Fortunately, we have strong support behind us," he thought to himself. "With the help of these Daoist soldiers, the guns and cannons of the Datong Society are not a threat!"

At this moment, in a large tent at a camp on the front lines of the battlefield, Li Jing, a renowned general of the Lingyan Pavilion, sat upright. As the commander-in-chief of the Tang Dynasty in this campaign, although he was already old, he still resolutely went to war against the Tiantong Society despite his advanced age.

Looking at the battle reports from the front lines, Li Jing was filled with mixed emotions. The sudden appearance of many "monk soldiers" within the Tang army had given them an almost superhuman advantage, with most soldiers seemingly immune to gunfire. This naturally put the Datong Society at a disadvantage.

"In that case, we should press our advantage and seize the opportunity to reclaim the lost cities!" Li Jing made this decision in the main tent, intending to take this opportunity to suppress the Datong Society in one fell swoop.

After making the decision, the Tang army immediately set off with great momentum towards the Datong Society.

Meanwhile, the movements of the Tang army were quickly learned by the Datong Society.

"President, how should we deal with this?" someone asked Fang Han anxiously.

Fang Han, however, remained completely calm, confident as he held his secret weapon. "No worries, since those Tang soldiers have come, let them not leave alive!" He immediately made arrangements to prepare for the impending battle.

"Report! The Tang army has arrived at Tiger Crouching Ridge!" someone announced in the main tent of the Datong Society's military camp. All the generals of the Datong Society were gathered together, including the current vice president, Chen Maosheng. Chen Maosheng had followed Li Chunfeng in cultivation, later embarking on the path of cultivating by borrowing the energy of humanity. In a feudal dynasty, he might have been able to serve as a national advisor, but the Datong Society did not follow traditional feudal practices, hence his position as vice president.

The vice president is in charge of economic and extraordinary affairs. The president, Fang Han, is responsible for people's livelihood, ideology, and policy.

At this moment, Chen Maosheng was leading his troops on Tiger Crouching Ridge, ready to welcome the arrival of the Tang army.

"Now that we're here, let's prepare for war." Chen Maosheng said calmly, showing no sign of panic.

“Vice President Chen…” someone said with a worried look, “Among the Tang army, there are monk soldiers who can be blessed by Buddhism, so our guns and cannons will be mostly useless!”

"If we engage in a direct war, we will be the ones who suffer losses," the general expressed his concern.

Chen Maosheng smiled slightly and shook his head: "No, this battle does not require infantry to charge into battle, nor does it require other military camps to defend."

"Then how should we respond?" the other Datonghui generals asked, somewhat surprised.

The matter of Che Chi's arrival to reinforce the Daobing was carried out in secret, so many members of the Datong Society were unaware of it.

"The Tang Dynasty has monk soldiers to help them, while we have Taoist soldiers to help us," Chen Maosheng said mysteriously.

"Daoist soldiers?" Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately filled with doubt. They didn't understand when the Great Harmony Society had acquired such a strange force as Daoist soldiers.

"What kind of extraordinary troops are Dao soldiers?" someone asked curiously.

Chen Maosheng's smile became even more mysterious: "Fellow practitioners will find out soon enough."

On Tiger Crouching Ridge, the banners of the Great Harmony Society fluttered in the wind. On the other side, Tang soldiers, seen from afar, appeared as countless black dots, surging towards Tiger Crouching Ridge.

The banner of the Datong Society fluttered, but there were no soldiers guarding it. Only one figure stood alone beneath the banner. This figure was none other than Chen Maosheng, the vice president of the Datong Society and a disciple of Li Chunfeng.

At that time, he was still the "extraordinary representative" of the Datong Society.

Gazing at the approaching Tang army in the distance, Chen Maosheng remained calm and unperturbed. In his hand lay a "Daoist Soldier Seal." This "Daoist Soldier Seal" was shaped like the Eight Trigrams, precisely the Eight Trigrams Daoist Soldier Seal.

Chen Maosheng, dressed in a Taoist robe, held a magic sword in one hand and a Taoist soldier's seal in the other. He chanted incantations, reciting a spell: "Respectfully, I, the Taoist Master Lin Nan, am here by your command to request the Eight Trigrams Heavenly Soldiers to accompany me and drive away countless enemies..."

Accompanied by incantations, Chen Maosheng performed a series of powerful steps, brandishing his magic sword and connecting heaven and earth with his magical power in a profound way. At the same time, the Dao weapon seal in his hand slowly emitted light, which grew brighter and brighter, as if it were illuminating the entire world.

On the other side, the Tang army was charging forward. Their drums and gongs were deafening, their shouts were constant, and their morale was high. However, as they approached Tiger Crouching Ridge, they found it completely silent ahead, with not a single enemy in sight.

"What's going on?" The general of the vanguard of the Tang Dynasty asked in confusion. "Could it be that the Datong Society knew they were no match for the enemy and retreated from Tiger Ridge, this strategic military fortress?"

"But Tiger Crouching Ridge is a fortress. Once the Datong Society retreats, wouldn't we lose most of our strategic advantage?" Many Tang soldiers had the same question.

Layer upon layer ahead, no trace of the Datong Society soldiers could be seen on Tiger Crouching Ridge. Just as this question was spreading among the Tang army, suddenly, a gust of wind rose on Tiger Crouching Ridge.

At first, it was a gentle breeze, but in the blink of an eye, the wind grew stronger and stronger, as if it would sweep the entire world into it.

In just a short while, the once peaceful Tiger Crouching Ridge was suddenly swept by a fierce wind, the howling sound shaking the mountains and forests.

"Xun!"

A loud shout, like a thunderclap, resounded across Tiger Crouching Ridge, shattering the tranquility of the mountain range. The one who uttered this shout was Chen Maosheng.

With this shout, several figures vaguely appeared in the southeast direction, where the wind was howling, appearing and disappearing in the wind as if they had become one with it.

"Xun!"

Immediately following, a unified, thunderous voice echoed through the wind as everyone chanted the word "Xun" in unison. From within the raging wind, a troop of Taoist soldiers appeared. Clad in blue armor, they seemed to be surrounded by the wind, like gods who commanded it, their heroic bearing and imposing presence commanding respect.

Meanwhile, in the south, the air temperature rose sharply, as if a raging fire were burning, with waves of heat rolling in. From within that intense heat, a shout rang out: "Leave!"

In an instant, a group of Taoist soldiers dressed in vermilion armor and wearing red headscarves slowly emerged from the flames. They seemed to be surrounded by flames, like the gods of fire descending, and their scorching aura was overwhelming.

In the blink of an eye, Taoist soldiers appeared like ghosts from all directions of the Tang army. These soldiers were distributed according to the eight trigrams of Qian, Kun, Xun, Dui, Gen, Zhen, Li, and Kan, completely surrounding the Tang army. The Tang army had just fully entered Tiger Crouching Ridge and had not yet gained a foothold when they were caught in this sudden encirclement.

The Eight Trigrams Taoist soldiers divided into eight routes, using the eight trigrams to tightly surround the Tang army. Each Taoist soldier exuded a powerful aura, as if they were a group of mysterious warriors from ancient times, carrying an irresistible force.

"Lord Dao, Eight Trigrams Dao Soldiers, heed my command!"

In the arena, the banners of the Great Harmony Society fluttered in the strong wind. Chen Maosheng stood alone among them, like a king in control of the entire situation. He spread his arms, raising his magic sword and magic seal high into the sky. His magic power surged, as if he had merged with heaven and earth, and he was giving full command to the Eight Trigrams Dao Soldiers.

The Eight Trigrams are symbols of the changes of Yin and Yang. In the pre-heaven arrangement, they are divided into Qian (1), Kun (8), Xun (5), Dui (2), Gen (7), Zhen (4), Li (3), and Kan (6). The Eight Trigrams can evolve into Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, and Lake, and these Eight Trigrams weapons correspond to these eight powerful abilities.

Each of these Eight Trigrams Daoist Soldiers, viewed individually, is an incomparably powerful and extraordinary force, possessing unique and formidable combat capabilities. When combined, they can evolve into endless variations, unleashing astonishing power. The so-called positioning of Heaven and Earth, the communication of Qi between mountains and lakes, the clash of thunder and wind, the interaction of water and fire, the interplay of the Eight Trigrams, the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, the alternation of forward and reverse, the mutual complementation of opposites, all embody the principles of the universe's creation and the natural order. In essence, the upper limit of these Eight Trigrams Daoist Soldiers is almost immeasurable.

Currently, this Bagua Daoist army from Chechi, although having undergone more than a decade of training, has not yet reached the point of dominating the world, is by no means an ordinary force. Their Bagua formation has numerous ingenious uses, making them difficult to defend against.

"This is... the Bagua formation?"

Tang general Li Jing, with his keen eyesight, instantly discerned the origin of the formation from all directions. This Eight Trigrams Formation was renowned among mortals; back in the ancient Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang, with only the strength of a mortal, had set up the Eight Trigrams Formation and was able to withstand countless armies, demonstrating its formidable power. (End of Chapter)