Day and night tour

Chapter 461 Drawing a platform on the ground
"With the star-gazing tablet here, are our ancestors going to disregard the fate of this 'land'?"

Zhao Youting mustered his strength and spoke.

"Star Gazing Card?"

With a flick of his right hand, the Calabash Taoist grasped at the air, and Zhao Youting could no longer hold onto the jewel-like Star Gazing Tablet.

The sign flew into the hands of the gourd-wielding Taoist priest with remarkable ease.

He spread his palms, looked at the sign, and said in a long, drawn-out tone, "You Ting, in this world, how can there be so many distinctions between good and evil, right and wrong?"

"Do you think 'Di Zi' can't figure out how Zhao Qingxiao died?"

"Why doesn't he care? Because for him, it's not a big deal who Dunjia Mountain colludes with."

The gourd-shaped Taoist priest continued, "Zhao Qingxiao is aligned with the Zoroastrian sect, which is not a big deal for me and Dunjia Mountain."

There is only one crucial matter: to save the Taoist tradition and heritage of Dunjia Mountain.

"Therefore, today's arrest operation cannot be canceled."

After the gourd-shaped Taoist finished speaking, he snapped his fingers twice in succession.

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

Zhao Youting's two knees immediately burst open, and blood mist spread out. Instantly, he collapsed to his knees, limp and powerless.

“Ancestor Gourd, I am an imperial envoy sent by the ‘Earth God.’ If you kill me, you will offend the Imperial Observatory.”

"There are so many star officials in the Imperial Observatory. What's the big deal if one lives or one dies?"

"Zhao Youting, do you think I'm really senile? Do you believe your nonsense and think that the Earth God sent me to help you capture Zhou Xuan?"

You...and you...and you..."

The gourd-shaped Taoist pointed at Zhao Longhu, Zhao Youting, and Zhao Luosheng in turn, saying, "You are all cannon fodder forcibly sent to Mingjiang Prefecture by the local authorities."
You were all already dead when this sign was issued.

"The 'land' is nothing more than a way to test Zhou Xuan's true worth with your lives."

He threw the stargazing card on the ground, stomped on it, and said,

"Fortunately, this Zhou Xuan is truly exceptional! A disciple of the Dunjia sect, he's served as the watchdog of the 'Earth' for over a thousand years, working diligently and conscientiously."

This time, with Zhou Xuan captured, Dunjia Mountain will not only be saved, but will also rise to prominence, even freeing it from the constraints of its previous existence.

He savored the air around him, saying, "What powerful perception! Even the combined efforts of six Supreme Beings are like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

What extraordinary fortune! Zhou Xuan is truly a gift from Heaven to Dunjia Mountain.

"I advise our ancestors to turn back before it's too late."

Zhao Youting said, "Zhou Xuan has mastered the Valley Scripture and can leverage the power of the entire city, while your actions have only stirred up anger and high morale within Mingjiang Prefecture."

"To fight an entire prefecture with the strength of a single family is futile."

“You’re wrong about that… I have my own ways to prevent Zhou Xuan from taking advantage of the situation.”

The gourd-wielding Taoist priest's hand fell to his sides. With a flick of his fingertips, a talisman suddenly flew out, transforming into a Taoist nail that pressed against Zhao Youting's forehead.

"As for you, you are too talkative and disruptive to the morale of my followers. You deserve to die."

At this moment, Zhao Youting was no longer afraid. He had been a coward for many years, but today, he decided not to continue being a coward.

He sneered, "Gourd Taoist, my parents and elder brother were all refined into human pills by the Zoroastrian fire pit."

The Zoroastrian sect and I share a deep-seated hatred. My joining the Dunjia sect is solely to avenge this great grudge.
For many years, I have diligently cultivated myself. Although I have worked hard, in the long run, all my efforts have only proven that I am an ordinary person, without any outstanding talent. After eight incense sticks have burned, I have made no further progress, and revenge is hopeless in this lifetime.

"I didn't have the ability to earn enough cultivation, so I could only bury my hatred in my heart. That was fine, but I never expected that my sect, the sect that recited the Song of Righteousness every day, would actually be colluding with the Zoroastrian sect. What a joke, what a huge joke."

The moment Zhao Youting saw that "Zhao Qingxiao was colluding with the Zoroastrian Church and Zhexing", his faith collapsed.

Once this belief was shattered, Zhao Youting felt that his very existence was a joke. His sect had actually chosen to stand with their enemy. What was the point of all his hard work and effort over the years?

And since he was powerless to resist, he immediately felt that life was meaningless.

"However, I am, after all, a disciple of the Dunjia school, and I have offered incense in remembrance. Let me give you a piece of advice: turn back before it's too late."

"If we turn back, even if the lineage of Dunjia Mountain is truly severed, we can still linger on for a while longer. But if we don't turn back, today, the Butcher will sever the gates of Dunjia Mountain."

"My paper crane carrying my message was shot down midway. The butcher has arrived in the capital."

Zhao Youting once again served as a warning to the gourd-wielding Taoist.

"Hmph, I originally intended to nail you to death, but after hearing what you said, I'd like to keep you here and see if that butcher has the guts to come and kill us at the gate of Dunjia Mountain."

At this point, the suspended road spike fell down, piercing Zhao Youting an inch below his heart, pinning him to the side of the carriage.

"Open your eyes wide and see clearly how your ancestors captured Zhou Xuan. Look at that butcher. After I chopped off the heads of the eighteen swordsmen of Wuwen Mountain and used them as wine jugs, does he still have the guts to go and attack my mountain gate?"

After the gourd-shaped Taoist priest finished doing all this, his figure disappeared. The next moment, he appeared in the sky above Xiejia'ao and issued a challenge to Zhou Xuan.

“Master of Mingjiang Prefecture, according to seniority, you have lit our Dunjia incense, so you can be considered a disciple of our Dunjia.”

"I, Zhou Xuan, would never dare to presume upon such an honor."

Zhou Xuan's sarcastic voice came from the Guishan Taoist Temple.

"You killed Zhao Qingxiao first, then Zhao Jinjia. You have a blood feud with us, the Dunjia Sect. We won't play any tricks or fancy moves. Let's settle this with incense offerings!"

Today, according to the rules of martial arts combat, I issue this challenge: after you finish your lecture, the six Supreme Masters of the Hidden Arts will battle you, Master, and the entire Mingjiang Prefecture!

"It doesn't matter how many helpers you, sir, can summon. We are just these people, how about that?"

"That's good. I was afraid you'd run away after I finished this story. Now that you've set up the challenge, I'll save myself the trouble of looking for you. But since it's a challenge, there's no point in fighting if there's no stakes!"

"If we die in battle, our bodies will be yours," the gourd-wielding Taoist priest made the same promise as Zhao Jinjia.

"very good."

Zhou Xuan sneered, "Once Mingjiang Prefecture is rebuilt, it will be time for us to fight to the death. I, Zhou Xuan, in the name of Mingjiang Prefecture, will kill all of you orthodox noble families who have invaded Mingjiang."

“Excellent! Then we, the disciples of the Dunjia School, will wait respectfully from the side.”

After the gourd-shaped Taoist finished speaking, he appeared beside the caravan.

With a sob in his voice, Zhao Longhu said, "Grandmaster, why don't you kill Zhou Xuan now, and have all six Supreme Elders come out..."

"You unfilial grandson, brave but reckless, your brain is several levels below Zhao Youting's! Zhou Xuan possesses the Valley Scripture, and can leverage the power of the entire city..."

Just now, those common people, stimulated by Zhao Qingxiao's image, have even stronger willpower. Zhou Xuan has taken advantage of this momentum, and we may not have a chance of winning.

"Once Zhou Xuan finishes his book... Mingjiang Prefecture's power will be even stronger, wouldn't his Valley Scripture become even more powerful?"

"Once he finishes his book, the Heavenly Book will guide Mingjiang Prefecture through its final reconstruction, and during that reconstruction, a 'spiritual realm' will appear."

"A spiritual realm?"

Zhao Longhu was clearly quite unfamiliar with the term "spiritual realm".

The gourd-wielding Taoist priest kept it brief, saying, "It's one of the most mysterious spaces in the Well Kingdom. You may be unfamiliar with the Spirit Realm, but the great master of Mingjiang Prefecture is quite familiar with it. The 'Spirit Realm' appeared once before, when he rebuilt Mingjiang Prefecture."

During the last reconstruction of Mingjiang Prefecture, Zhou Xuan entered an empty space.

The Dream God was in this space, vying for Zhou Xuan's human will power. Then, the painter, Yun Ziliang, and the others entered this space and fought a fierce battle with the Dream Space's clone.

"At that time, in Mingjiang Prefecture, there were celestial-level avatars seizing the power of human desires. I saw it all clearly from the 'Riding the Wind and Appreciating the Moon' cave."

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. The reason why the Calabash Taoist dared to make a firm decision to come to Mingjiang Prefecture to capture Zhou Xuan was because he had enough information.

"Rebuilding Mingjiang Prefecture will consume a large amount of human willpower. As human willpower rapidly gathers and then rapidly disappears, it will form a new 'spiritual realm.'"

"Only those who have been incense for eight incense sticks or longer can enter this spiritual realm; ordinary people cannot."
"Ordinary people can't get in, so where can Zhou Xuan borrow the power of the entire city?"

After the gourd-shaped Taoist priest finished explaining, Zhao Longhu understood and said, "So, the best opportunity for us to take action is after Mingjiang Prefecture begins reconstruction?"

“Of course, so we must wait,” said the gourd-shaped Taoist priest.

……

Actually, I'm waiting.

Inside the Guishan Taoist Temple, the sound of storytelling continued, but the storyteller was not Zhou Xuan himself, but a paper figure not far away.

This paper figure looks exactly like Zhou Xuan, with no difference in appearance or physique.

This was the "dirty paper figure" that Zhou Xuan had arranged for the Taoist of Guishan to make in advance.

There were seven paper figures in total, each of them looking exactly like Zhou Xuan.

Therefore, while those outside were listening to Zhou Xuan reciting a book, the real Zhou Xuan was secretly plotting something with the engineer in the Guishan Taoist Temple. The Guishan Taoist was naturally also listening in.

"Sir, you say you're waiting, but what exactly are you waiting for?"

After asking, Guishan Daoren added, "Could it be... that you are waiting for the Witch God to come?"

He knew that Zhou Xuan and the Witch God Celestial Venerable had countless connections.

Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "Let's create a net that can trap everyone who came today."

"You want to trap others? Shouldn't we be thinking about how to save our lives right now?"

Guishan Daoist believed that Zhou Xuan's acceptance of the challenge was merely an act, intended to buy time while waiting for the Witch God to arrive and help.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Xuan was actually serious?
"Save your life? The people behind me haven't even stepped forward yet, and you're already thinking about saving your life? That's too early."

Behind Zhou Xuan stood not only the Witch God, but also two celestial deities—the Crippled Monk and the Master of the Longevity Cult.

"How do we set up this inescapable net?"

"It's a colorful opera, of course."

Zhou Xuan looked at the engineer and said, "Master Engineer, there are still three levels of the magic I haven't mastered. You once said that these last three levels are a method that can deceive all living beings?"

"Yes."

The engineer explained, "The final three techniques of the opera performer are called 'Drawing a Stage on the Ground,' 'A Hundred Human Performances,' and 'Deities Within the Play.'"

"If a magician who has mastered the first five levels of techniques is an extremely skilled swindler, even capable of deceiving the gods, then that is ultimately just a trick to fool a particular person."

But for those opera masters who have mastered the later levels of skill, they are the true gods of opera, capable of staging an epic play that draws tens or even hundreds of thousands of people into it.
A grand spectacle, with all living beings participating in a magnificent performance—that's what a spectacular play should be!

After saying this, the engineer turned to Zhou Xuan and said, "Boss Xuan, your 'Harmony with Heaven' incense stick is almost burned out. If you use it again, it will surely burn out completely."
The latter three methods require "harmony with Heaven" to be activated and learned.

The engineer was quite excited today.

There is no other reason than this.

There are just too many people here!

The vast majority of the people of Mingjiang Prefecture had gathered at Xiejia'ao; the exact number was countless.

If such a large population were to join Zhou Xuan's opera, the popularity of the opera would soar.

If this grand spectacle can be successfully planned, Zhou Xuan could probably burn incense continuously and master the last three layers of incense within a single day.

Once upon a time, after she descended from the Blood and Flesh Divine Dynasty to the Well Kingdom, she inadvertently created the extremely powerful "Colorful Play Master" sect.

However, she had never seen what the "deities in the play" represented by the nine sticks of incense burned by the opera performer looked like.
today,

Perhaps then she will see him.

"Thinking about it makes me a little excited."

"Don't think about that now. The important thing is to quickly teach me the last three methods and weave a net that can cover everything."

Zhou Xuan urged the engineers on.

The engineer repeatedly said, "Boss Xuan, you should first establish a communion with the heavens—however, since you are to follow my teachings, you cannot completely enter the 'spiritual realm.' Half of your mind must remain in the human world, and half in the 'spiritual realm.'"

By aligning with the heavens, once the spell is completed, Zhou Xuan will fully enter the "spiritual realm".

This space seems to be everywhere. Once Zhou Xuan enters, he will be completely cut off from the human world, and even his connection with the ancestral tree will become invalid.

"I'm trying my best to control it."

Zhou Xuan immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, concentrated, and released his spiritual power.

Suddenly, the things around him began to change.

The scenery inside the Guishan Taoist Temple began to fade slowly, while a new world gradually became clearer before his eyes.

This new world is a vast expanse of yellow sand.
On the boundless yellow sand, there were skeletons everywhere. When the fierce wind blew, one sand pit after another appeared in the yellow sand.

In the pit lay grayish-white bones.

Not far away, Zhou Xuan saw a magnificent yet eerie Buddhist temple—purple blood was flowing from the temple walls.

However, the aura emanating from the Buddhist temple was different from that of the Buddhist land of Jingguo. It lacked a certain gentleness and was somewhat too domineering.

"The people from the Buddhist kingdom have indeed arrived, and they are hiding within the 'Spiritual Realm.'"

Zhou Xuan tried his best to control the release of his spiritual power, making sure that he would not completely sink into the "spiritual realm".

Under his exquisite control
The real Guishan Taoist Temple and that "spiritual realm" appeared and overlapped at the same time.

Meanwhile, the incense in Zhou Xuan's secret realm continued to burn, reaching the next inch with almost no effort.

With a "whoosh" sound of ignition,
The engineer told Zhou Xuan, "Boss Xuan, you can learn the next level of technique—drawing a platform on the ground."

“If a theatrical performance is to deceive the masses, it must build a stage, but this stage cannot be built in the real world.”

She said, "The power of reality is too heavy and profound, which would weigh down those light and graceful thoughts and make them fall heavily to the ground. It is not suitable for building a stage for opera."

"Where should we set up the stage?"

"Spirit Realm".

The engineer explained, "This is the method of 'being in harmony with Heaven,' and the reason why 'drawing a platform on the ground' is used before. Without being in harmony with Heaven to help the magician enter the spiritual realm, the method of 'drawing a platform on the ground' is just a castle in the air."

"What is the purpose of this method?"

Zhou Xuan asked.

The engineer replied, "Once you have selected the stage, the audience, and the actors, none of the audience members or actors may leave this stage."

"The stage you build in the spiritual realm with your spirit is a cage for these people. They can neither advance nor retreat."

"Are the Buddhists in the temples now unable to leave?"

Zhou Xuan asked again.

"As long as you can fool them, they will be drawn in as actors or audience members. They can't leave until the play is over."

The engineer said crisply and decisively.

"Alright, today, none of those who come to deal with me, to steal my pills, or to steal the power of human vows will escape."

……

“Boss Xuan, you need to draw a line on the ground to create a stage. First, draw the line on the ground, then select the people. You can come up with your own ideas on what kind of stage you want to build.”

"I want to build a battlefield of carnage."

Zhou Xuan said this.

Since the Calabash Taoist has already issued a challenge to the martial world, intending to settle the score according to the original laws of the martial world,

That Asura Arena would be the perfect place.

“Then please begin the meditation and construction, Mr. Xuan.” The engineer readily agreed with Zhou Xuan’s idea.

A colorful human drama, a battlefield of carnage, romance amidst bloodshed—she found the thought of it incredibly exciting.

Zhou Xuan immediately began to meditate.

It was a huge arena, covered in bloodstains, and the walls were covered with reliefs of many ferocious beasts.

Each ferocious beast looked down at the center of the arena. Anyone standing in the arena, if their mind was not strong, would be terrified just by being looked at by those beasts, and their limbs would involuntarily go limp.

With the savage aura of a ferocious beast, it must also possess a sacred aura. Zhou Xuan placed an eye as tall as a mountain in the sky above the arena.

The gaze in the eyes was described by Zhou Xuan according to the eyes of the "Blood God's Will".

In the dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables, he did not witness the true face of the "Supreme Will," but he did witness the face of the "Blood God's Will."

As a "will," the Blood God's gaze was enough to intimidate anyone below the level of a Heavenly God in the Well Kingdom.

The Asura Arena has been completed.

"The rest is just a matter of luring them into a trap."

The engineer said, "Boss Xuan, next, it's your turn to choose the 'actors' and 'audience'."

"What is an actor? And what is an audience?"

Zhou Xuan asked...

(End of this chapter)