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

Now, the Bagua formation surrounding them is clearly no ordinary formation. The mysteries it contains make Li Jing frown.

Li Jing couldn't help but turn to a bald monk beside him and ask, "Venerable One, can the monk soldiers withstand this Bagua Formation?"

Many "monk soldiers" had infiltrated the Tang army. These monk soldiers possessed extraordinary powers, capable of protecting their respective sides on the battlefield, giving the Tang army a significant advantage in battle, as if they had been given a "cheat code." Therefore, the monk soldiers were scattered throughout the Tang army, playing an important role.

Similarly, on the side of the monk soldiers, there was also a highly respected monk accompanying Li Jing, the commander-in-chief. This monk was addressed as "Venerable One," which was both a title of respect and a representation of his attainment in Buddhism. He was the one in charge of commanding the monk soldiers within the Tang army.

At this moment, facing Li Jing's question, the monk's expression became quite solemn, completely unlike his usual calm and composed demeanor. He slowly said, "These are 'Daoist soldiers.' Since the ancient Investiture of the Gods, Daoist soldiers have become extremely rare, almost never appearing in the world."

"The last time it appeared was at the end of the Han Dynasty, when the Great Teacher of Virtue obtained a fragmented secret scroll and trained the 'Yellow Turban Taoist Soldiers,' which swept across the world and overthrew the Han Dynasty. However, the Taoist soldiers now are not comparable to those half-baked Yellow Turban Taoist Soldiers."

This venerable monk was clearly quite knowledgeable, and at this moment he revealed the origin and power of these Taoist soldiers in a single sentence.

However, Li Jing was not interested in these things. He was more concerned about how the Tang army would deal with the powerful Bagua Taoist soldiers and Bagua formation, and whether they could deal with them at all.

"Can the Venerable One break this Daoist army?" Li Jing asked eagerly, his eyes fixed on the Venerable Monk.

The venerable monk clasped his hands together, but his face showed unconcealed sorrow and solemnity. He slowly said, "This humble monk can only do his best."

"kill!"

Under the banner of the Great Harmony Society, Chen Maosheng gave the order, and the Bagua Taoist soldiers from all directions slowly began to move and form their battle formations. In an instant, the Tang army seemed to be in a strange world, with various attacks such as wind, fire, and thunder appearing all around, mixed with the swords, spears, and halberds of the Taoist soldiers.

Within the Tang army, golden light emanated from the bodies of the monk soldiers as they attempted to withstand the overwhelming attack. However, under the powerful offensive of the Bagua Dao soldiers, they swayed precariously, appearing somewhat overwhelmed.

The area where the commander-in-chief Li Jing was located also suffered a fierce attack. For a time, shouts of battle and the clash of weapons were intertwined, and the scene was extremely chaotic.

"The best course of action right now is to capture the leader first, and kill the one who controls the Daoist weapons!" The Buddhist venerable one's body radiated golden light, protecting one side, and at the same time, he had an idea in mind.

Rumble!
On Tiger Crouching Ridge, a scene of chaos and turmoil unfolded. A howling wind swept in, carrying with it raging flames that seemed intent on devouring everything. Simultaneously, thunder rumbled in the sky, streaks of lightning ripped across the heavens, followed by a torrential downpour of large raindrops. Earth, rocks, and wood tumbled and collided violently amidst the interplay of wind, fire, lightning, and rain, as if Tiger Crouching Ridge had been plunged into an apocalyptic catastrophe.

In this chaotic scene, the Bagua Taoist soldiers completely surrounded the Tang army. Caught in the raging storm, amidst the torrential rain, flames, and lightning, the Tang soldiers were like headless flies, utterly disoriented. They stumbled around aimlessly, trying to find a way out, but remained trapped in the Bagua formation, unable to escape.

Outside the Eight Trigrams Formation, Chen Maosheng remained calm and composed. His sharp eyes took in the disheveled state of the Tang army within the formation, giving him a complete understanding of the situation. He rapidly formed hand seals, his magical sword flashing intermittently. With each swing, the formation of the Eight Trigrams Formation shifted, making it even more unpredictable for the Tang army.

Suddenly, a dazzling golden light shot into the sky from within the Bagua formation. Within that brilliant golden light and Buddhist radiance, the figure of a monk could be vaguely discerned. This monk radiated golden light, and wherever that light touched, the surrounding raging winds, flames, lightning, and other strange phenomena vanished. He flashed forward, rushing towards Chen Maosheng with an aura far beyond that of an ordinary monk.

Chen Maosheng had cultivated for many years and was no novice. He had met Lü Dongbin and seen many unfathomable cultivators, which broadened his horizons considerably. Seeing the monk's imposing presence, he immediately judged: "This old monk has probably attained the Arhatship and should be heading to the Western Paradise. Yet here he is, among the Tang army. It seems Buddhism has finally intervened directly. And this method is truly ugly."

Facing the approaching old monk, Chen Maosheng remained calm. He chanted incantations, and the "Daoist Soldier Seal" in his hand emitted a dazzling light. In an instant, a small squad of Bagua Daoist soldiers appeared around him. These soldiers were neatly arranged, surrounding Chen Maosheng and forming a Bagua defensive formation. At the same time, a Bagua phantom slowly emerged, exuding a mysterious and powerful aura.

Boom!
The old monk fell like a shooting star, crashing heavily into the illusory Bagua image. However, the Bagua image was as solid as a rock, firmly blocking his attack. The old monk frowned slightly, then suddenly spread his hands and shouted, "The Buddha has wrathful eyes, the Vajra protector, supremely mighty and unyielding!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure seemed to expand instantly, transforming into a wrathful Vajra. This Vajra was several meters tall, with a ferocious face, and exuded a chilling aura. In his hand, he held a "Vajra Pestle," on which Buddhist Sanskrit characters flowed, radiating a mysterious and powerful force; it was clearly a Buddhist treasure.

The next moment, the old monk, transformed into the wrathful Vajra, slammed his vajra down fiercely.

bang!

The illusory image of the Eight Trigrams shook violently, as if it might shatter at any moment. The Eight Trigrams soldiers surrounding Chen Maosheng also lost their footing, staggering from side to side. Although these Eight Trigrams soldiers were no ordinary beings, they were ultimately just "soldiers." Once they formed an army, they were indeed unstoppable, but that was also closely related to their numbers.

Currently, Chen Maosheng's small squad of Daoist soldiers numbered only a few dozen. Their miniature Bagua formation, while possessing considerable power, proved insufficient against this Buddhist master who had attained enlightenment. This old monk's strength was enough to enter Mount Ling; if he were a Daoist cultivator, he would be equivalent to an immortal. Moreover, he cultivated the "Vajra Method," transforming into an angry Vajra, a superior combat technique within Buddhism.

Under such circumstances, this small squad of Bagua Dao soldiers naturally could not hold out for long, and could only barely hold out for a short while. Chen Maosheng knew that his only option now was to recall more Bagua Dao soldiers to protect himself. But that would greatly reduce the pressure on the Tang army, and they might even be able to see through the weaknesses of the Bagua formation.

Chen Maosheng gritted his teeth, his heart filled with hesitation. Just then, a dragon's roar suddenly resounded throughout Tiger Crouching Ridge. The roar was long and loud, as if it came from ancient times. At the same time, the air temperature seemed to drop several degrees, making people shiver involuntarily.

The Tang army, trapped in the Bagua Formation, could only hear the deafening roar of the dragon, trembling with fear at its power, but could hardly see the dragon's figure, because they were trapped in the formation and unable to escape.

Chen Maosheng looked up and saw a white dragon shadow appearing and disappearing in the sky. A surge of joy welled up in his heart. However, the old monk, who had transformed into an angry Vajra, frowned, sensing something was amiss. Accompanied by the dragon's roar, an aura locked onto him, making him feel a powerful pressure.

"Advisor Lü, save me!"

Without hesitation, Chen Maosheng shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice echoed across Tiger Ridge, filled with anxiety and anticipation.

The white dragon arrived in an instant, and atop its head stood the figure of a young Taoist priest. This priest wore a Taoist robe and feathered crown, jade shoes and cloud-patterned boots, and a Pure Yang sword hung at his waist. He exuded an aura of transcendence. He was none other than Lü Dongbin, Lin Nan's disciple, and now the First Special Advisor of the Great Harmony Society.

When Chen Maosheng saw him, it was as if he had seen a savior; his eyes were filled with hope. "I will do my utmost."

In response to Chen Maosheng's plea for help, Lü Dongbin replied with a clear and firm voice. The next moment, the Chunyang Sword at his waist transformed into a beam of light, carrying him as he leaped down from Bai Long Ao Yu's body, heading directly towards the wrathful Vajra.

"You have transcended the mundane world and attained the status of a Venerable One, yet you still meddle in worldly affairs. You shall be executed!"

Lü Dongbin's voice was clear and majestic. His sword light, like a sudden burst of sunshine, transformed into pure yang sword light and swept towards the wrathful Vajra. Wherever the sword light touched, the air seemed to be torn apart, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

Immediately, the old monk, transformed into an angry Vajra, had no choice but to set aside Chen Maosheng and focus all his energy on blocking the fierce sword light. Although Lü Dongbin was not yet twenty, he was, after all, Lin Nan's disciple. He had been tested by the Six-Eared Macaque in his childhood and received instruction from Lin Nan in his youth, cultivating diligently every day. Furthermore, given his extraordinary talent, his magical power and techniques were now already exceptional, transcending the mundane.

Moreover, the magical treasures in his hands were personally bestowed upon him by Lin Nan, and with the power of these treasures at this moment, he was in no way inferior to a Buddhist venerable.

"Ding!"

Under the sword's light, the old monk's Vajra body emitted a metallic clang, a sound both crisp and piercing. At the same time, some nicks appeared on his Vajra body, and some of his golden light dissipated. This was precisely the sharpness of the Pure Yang Sword; even the furious Vajra body could hardly withstand it.

"Leave this old Buddhist monk to me, Chairman Chen, you should take good care of the Taoist soldiers and fight!"

During a brief pause in the sword strike, a sentence from Lü Dongbin reached Chen Maosheng's ears.

"it is good!"

Chen Maosheng responded and then focused on controlling the Bagua Dao soldiers to fight against the Tang army.

At this moment, on Tiger Crouching Ridge, the war had escalated from a mortal conflict to another level. Within the Eight Trigrams Formation, the aged commander Li Jing looked around somewhat bewildered. He saw monks bathed in Buddhist light, the Eight Trigrams in motion, and the Five Elements raging. Their own army, however, was merely a displaced element, utterly useless, like weeds.

Looking at these things, Li Jing, who had once helped the Tang Dynasty establish itself and conquer the world, was filled with confusion.

"Why has war become like this?"

"What's the point of a war like this...?"

Screams of agony echoed in Li Jing's ears. The golden light emanating from the Buddhist monks gradually faded as they were defeated by the Bagua Daoist soldiers. The entire battle was unfolding against the Tang Dynasty. The various strange phenomena gradually subsided. On Tiger Crouching Ridge, the outcome was clear.

Prior to this, although the Datong Society had developed industry and acquired firearms, it was still unable to withstand the monk soldiers within the Tang army. Now, with the assistance of the Daoist soldiers from Chechi, the situation between the Datong Society and the Tang army suddenly reversed. The Tang army was almost entirely wiped out on Tiger Crouching Ridge.

In the later stages of the battle, under such desperate circumstances, Commander Li Jing had no choice but to lower his banner and surrender in order to reduce losses and prevent more innocent soldiers from dying.

As for the original Venerable Monk, he too was defeated by Lü Dongbin's Pure Yang Sword. After all, although the Venerable Monk was strong, Lü Dongbin possessed all sorts of supernatural powers and magical treasures, and with the White Dragon Ao Yu providing support from the side, he was naturally able to deal with a Buddhist Venerable Monk.

Ultimately, the Battle of Tiger Ridge ended in the complete annihilation of the Tang army.

"Report!!!"

In the imperial court of Chang'an, Emperor Li Shimin and his civil and military officials were discussing state affairs when suddenly, an urgent report broke the silence of the court.

"Your Majesty, the army led by Duke Li Jing of Wei suffered a great defeat at Tiger Crouching Ridge. Duke Li Jing committed suicide to atone for his sins and was not captured."

"Of all the soldiers, many were captured, and very few survived or escaped!"

This devastating news was like a bombshell, shaking the entire court. Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was even more incredulous. His eyes widened in astonishment: "How is this possible? Li Jing's army was protected by Buddhist monks and soldiers. How could they have suffered such a crushing defeat?"

While incredulous, the Tang Emperor was also filled with shock and sorrow. Li Jing was one of the founding heroes of the Tang Dynasty, renowned for his military exploits and enshrined in the "Lingyan Pavilion." Even though they were emperor and subject, they had known each other for decades and naturally shared a deep bond.

Upon hearing the news of Li Jing's defeat and death, Li Shimin was not only filled with disbelief and rage, but also with a deep sense of sorrow. As the Emperor of Tang, the supreme ruler, Li Shimin quickly composed himself and began to carefully assess the current situation. As the news gradually became clearer, the atmosphere in the court became exceptionally heavy, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"What? Duke Li Jing of Wei has passed away?" A minister exclaimed in astonishment, his voice filled with disbelief.

“That was the Duke of Wei, who made outstanding contributions to the Tang Dynasty. How could he…” another minister echoed sadly, his eyes full of regret.

"How come the Datong Society has Taoist soldiers helping them? What's going on?" Another minister frowned, full of doubt.

"Our Great Tang has monk soldiers to assist us, but the Great Harmony Society has also acquired Taoist soldiers, and I've heard that those soldiers are incredibly powerful," a military general said worriedly. (End of Chapter)