All the evil beasts in the world, I feed on demons and monsters

Chapter 388 The Daoist Sect Heads North
Ji Ran, carrying the severed head, immediately went to the side hall of the ancestral hall.

The place was very clean, except for a demon statue on the table.

Although the demon statue was small, only a foot in size, it wore a golden helmet, with two ferocious single horns protruding from its forehead and nose. It was clad in mountain-patterned armor and covered with a black brocade robe, with a green velvet sash like a necklace fluttering in the wind. Its figure was upright, like an ancient pine tree standing against a mountain, and it held a yellow cloth satchel, as if casually locking up a yellow dragon!
It is so lifelike, truly like a living creature, enveloped in the faint fragrance of incense. Being enshrined in the abode of these three demons, it must surely be the Tiger-Rhinoceros King.

Ji Ran ignored the statue and looked around the room.

The room was fairly tidy; all the useless items had been cleared away, leaving only a bed, a futon, and an altar for offerings.

Ji Ran sat down cross-legged, placed the severed head in front of him, and then began to examine the cicada's voice.

Sure enough, Double Flower Red Stick had returned. He was in the cave he had left during his last world.

Well, generally, the dwelling place of a lesser demon can only be called a "cave," not a "residence." If a demon below the fourth rank dares to call its dwelling a "residence," then a senior demon will come to make you understand what level you truly are.

When the Prefect of Youshan seized the opportunity to claim the title of Dao Ancestor, he did not dare to call himself a cave dwelling. Instead, he borrowed an official title from the human world to embellish the Green Mountain where he lived and elevate his status.

Ji Ran quickly finished reading the cicada's message.

He gently rubbed his fingertips, his eyes filled with thought.

A "Feast for Merit"?

The martial arts sects of the Southern Han have already reached the border.

This makes sense.

Although the battle at Guanchao Mountain resulted in heavy losses for the martial arts sects in Nanhanzhong, it also inadvertently brought together heroes and patriots from across the martial arts world.

It wouldn't be difficult for such a group of experts, especially the top experts who were "hidden" by Jiang Rao, to lead the people of the Jianghu sects northward and leave, since most of the Purple Blood Beasts are immobile.

Just thinking about the information about the Double Flower Red Stick, Ji Ran revealed a cold smile.

"Merit?"

Screw merit!

Under Jiang Rao's leadership, the heroes of the Southern Jianghu risked their lives to save hundreds of thousands of people in the county!

If they hadn't blocked the monks and ghost soldiers from the front, the rest of us wouldn't have even had a chance to see the top of the mountain! This group of people, labeled as abandoned by heaven and hated by the gods?
Meanwhile, a group of demons and monsters that emerged from the mountain gullies had already brought these righteous warriors who fought alongside them to their dining table.

"Ah."

Ji Ran's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he immediately replied to Shuanghua Honggun's message.

go with!
I want to go to the banquet with him!
With the Invisible Shadow Divine Power and the extraordinary Ghost-Headed Chariot, even if separated by tens of thousands of miles, he could arrive quickly!
It just so happens that the rice plants in the village at the foot of the mountain will take some time to mature.

Ji Ran glanced at the sun and decided to act quickly. However, he still had things to do before that.

"Immortal Technique: Reversing Life and Death!"

hum!
Ji Ran made a hand seal, and the spell immediately took effect on the head! The next moment, Lin Changfeng's head opened its eyes.

"you!"

The moment he regained consciousness, Lin Changfeng's face immediately showed terror! This extraterrestrial demon!!

Ji Ran had no intention of wasting words with him; he simply channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into the Soul Flower in his mouth!

Borrowing life!
Click——!
The Soul Flower immediately took root in his head, and his three souls and seven spirits were instantly absorbed by it! Lin Changfeng, who only had one head, was completely powerless to resist!
Seven days after death, the soul returns to the underworld. The Immortal Art of Reversing Life and Death, if used on a corpse within seven days of death, can restore consciousness. However, after seven days, it can only resurrect a living dead with only instincts. The Six Reversals always reverse the "state," not the "essence." If time could be ignored, and the dead could be resurrected with their will and soul at will, then that art would likely surpass the Immortal level.

Ji Ran naturally didn't give Lin Changfeng any idea of ​​controlling his consciousness after he came back to life, and directly let the Time Black Tree take over his soul.

Snapped!
Ji Ran reached out and placed his hand on his forehead. The Black Tree of Time transmitted his consciousness to him. It felt like watching a fast-forwarded movie, but at this moment, Ji Ran's mental strength was sufficient to handle the rapidly inputting information.

Through Lin Changfeng's memories, Ji Ran saw the true workings of this world and the secrets of the Daoist sect.

This is a world where Taoism reigns supreme. The Nine Departments of Thunder in the heavens, the rulers of the cycle of heaven, are Taoist immortals.

In the mortal realm, Taoism reigns supreme. However, ten years ago, the Thunder Department issued a decree ordering Taoism to withdraw from the Southern Han Dynasty and give way to the Maitreya Sect.

The amount of merit one accumulates is the fundamental indicator of a person's next life. High merit leads to a life of wealth and honor, like kings and nobles. Low merit results in a life plagued by illness and suffering. No merit leads to rebirth as an animal, a pig or a dog for life.

In Taoist cultivation, one must accumulate the merits required by Heaven and Earth in order to ascend to immortality after death and live as long as Heaven.

However, to Ji Ran's surprise, the Taoist sect's method of controlling the beliefs of secular dynasties was shockingly simple—rainmaking.

Even the celestial deities who control rainfall are directly separated from the Nine Departments and become the Thirty-Six Heavenly Lords of the Thunder Department, who are responsible for summoning clouds and assisting in rain. Each of them holds a position equivalent to a department head! They are only under the jurisdiction of the "Divine Firmament Jade Purity Palace," which governs the Heavenly Dao!
The Taoist sect was treated with great respect and courtesy by any dynasty simply because of its ability to perform rituals to pray for rain. Among the three major sects and seven schools, the leaders of the three major sects were even exempt from bowing to the emperor, and their secular status was higher than that of dukes and marquises!
These so-called three sects are Shangqing Sect, Longhu Mountain, and Zhengyi Sect!
These three Taoist sects have produced immortals in every generation, ensuring the continuity of their lineage and almost monopolizing 70-80% of the incense offerings in the secular world! As for Zhongnan Mountain, Quanzhen Sect, and others, they can only be counted as the Seven Sects because the lineage of immortals is sometimes interrupted.

However, the most relevant information that Ji Ran obtained from Lin Changfeng's memories was "the immortal's roll call"!
On the fifteenth of each month, the nine departments of the Thunder Department take attendance to check merits, and the three thousand Thunder Generals must report to the Thunder Commander and the Department Chief.

Today is the third day of the third lunar month, which means there are still twelve days until the Immortal's appointed time! In twelve days, Qing Kezi's death will be discovered!
At that time, I will inevitably be exposed and will most likely face the [Nine Departments' Extermination of Demons]! The reason is simple: no matter how clean I am in dealing with it, there will still be karmic consequences.

Unless... you can sever the cause and effect yourself!
At this moment, Ji Ran glanced at his own path of cause and effect.

The Way of Cause and Effect

Status: Beginner (49%)

Effect: Allows for insight into cause and effect.

Taoist arts: Crossing the cycle of life and death
Causal points: 6
He has grasped the basics of cause and effect, yet he still hasn't grasped the concept of "severance" that he had previously contemplated. If he possessed the ability to sever cause and effect, perhaps he could avoid the crisis of being "summoned by a celestial being."

The causal skill insight points collected from the "Causal Record" must be acquired within these twelve days!

Ji Ran took out the picture book and looked in the direction indicated by the flashing purple light.

We've found the location of the Dragon Horned Demon. Let's find the Double Flower Red Stick, check out the merit feast, and rescue the people of the martial world. Afterward, we'll go with the Double Flower Red Stick to slay the Dragon Horned Demon!
"You, stay here for the time being, secretly guard the village, and keep an eye on the shrine."

"Chirp!"

The golden crow cried out. As a divine beast of the celestial register, its intelligence, even at birth, was equivalent to that of a child in their teens. Although it could not yet speak human language, it fully understood Ji Ran's meaning.

Ji Ran watched the golden crow flap its wings and fly away, then picked up the shrine.

He wanted to hand the shrine over to Yuan San so that the evil thoughts of the purple blood could be purified. The supernatural power, "Standing Still Without Shadow," required the cooperation of the primordial spirit, so the shrine was without a primordial spirit present during this period.

As Ji Ran walked out, the human heads on the ground immediately scattered, and a black tree withered in an instant.

Russian qing.

A golden primordial spirit ascended into the sky, stood facing north under the blazing sun, and vanished without a trace in an instant.

(End of this chapter)