I changed the world.

The scattered fragments of the monster were absorbed by the massive array plate and then scorched by the electric fire. Several different pieces of tissue twisted and struggled like black slugs, but ultimately could not escape the fate of being refined...

Everything was eventually reduced to ashes by the electric shock...

....................................

"Aji, what... what is that?!" The girl looked at the huge array plate covering the sky and earth, and the huge black shadow that was faintly visible in the smog of the collapsed building, and asked in disbelief.

Chapter 156 The True Man of Sincerity and Emptiness

"I knew it... I knew it, this world isn't that simple!!" The blond young man with a buzz cut muttered excitedly, steadying his phone as he tried his best to capture everything in front of him.

“I’m telling you, the government is definitely hiding something!” He lowered his voice and whispered, “They must have a special agency to handle this kind of thing, and they won’t let the general public know!”

Seeing the incredibly convincing scene before them, the girl and another young man beside her nodded in unison. The latter, somewhat worried, lowered his voice and asked, "If we're discovered, will we be arrested...?"

"This...it shouldn't be." The blond-haired man hesitated for a moment, especially recalling the plots he'd read in some online novels: "Even if they arrest us, at most they'll just warn us not to say anything. They can't keep us locked up for too long, after all, they don't have any other legitimate reason. Who knows, they might even recruit us into a secret organization or something..."

"Hey, that would be so cool!" Another young man licked his lips upon hearing this. He had also read these kinds of online novels. The protagonists in those books mostly discovered the truth behind the world after witnessing a "special event," and were even recruited into some special organization. Afterwards, they gained extraordinary powers, married rich and beautiful women, and reached the pinnacle of life...

"No matter what, let's film it first. This video will definitely be worth a lot of money!"

....................................

In the underground parking lot of Yunhai Building, all the military and police personnel, including Yan Jishen, were somewhat bewildered and at a loss after surviving the ordeal.

Just now, a large number of monsters that appeared out of nowhere suddenly rushed towards them like madmen. What made them even more desperate was that the surrounding walls suddenly came to life, stretching out slug-like tentacles that, like shrinking stomachs, were about to devour them, these "intruders".

Even their concentrated firepower couldn't stop the ubiquitous black tentacles...

Just when they were almost in despair, everything, including the black tentacles, seemed to have heard some kind of call and stopped attacking. Then, the monsters that were "resurrected" and even their comrades turned into black sludge and merged into the surrounding black tentacles.

Then, this strange entity, which had merged into one, seemed to have abandoned them. Like a receding tide, it vanished without a trace in just a few breaths, and even the surrounding anomalies disappeared...

Just as everyone was at a loss and even suspicious, a huge tremor came, the entire building shook violently, and a lot of stone chips and dust fell, as if the whole building had been attacked by some heavy weapon.

Fortunately, the entrances and exits of the underground parking lot were reopened, and the underground parking lot returned to its original state. The exit that had previously disappeared reappeared in front of everyone.

So, disregarding the still-shaking ground and the pervasive smog, everyone rushed towards the exit, reminding each other to hurry, afraid that if they were even a step too slow, they would be trapped inside again...

....................................

From a perspective invisible to the naked eye, at the spot where the giant monster exploded, a huge phantom was pulled out by some force. Its appearance resembled that of the monster from before. Although it struggled and twisted, it was still dragged to the old man who had already stepped onto the ground and finally disappeared into his chest.

Then a sword rang out, and a beam of clear light descended from the heavens, piercing directly into the scabbard of his sword.

The next moment, all the strange phenomena around them disappeared, including the eight longswords and array plates around them; everything gradually vanished into the void.

The electric flames in the old man's eyes gradually subsided, his pupils returned to their original black and white color, and his wild beard and hair calmed down. Just as the electric flames in his eyes disappeared, the old man's body staggered almost imperceptibly, but he quickly regained his balance. In the hazy smoke and chaos that had not yet dissipated, no one noticed his subtle movement.

Immediately afterwards, the old man took out a vermilion wine gourd from somewhere, brought it to his lips and took a sip, then fell silent and seemed to be savoring something.

This old man was none other than Zhang Jing in disguise. Just now, he activated the power of the Heavenly Punishment Sword again, and then he once again entered the state of being "possessed".

After all, with his current strength, only in this state could he be confident of defeating that powerful demon. And the demon's final revelation of its true form confirmed his earlier observation. This mud-like monster reminded him of a demon described in the book "Nine Abyss" that he had once read.

This type of demon, called "Wangliang," is an extremely troublesome monster that enjoys devouring life, creating panic, and consuming the souls of those who are afraid to grow stronger. It is a demon with immense destructive power.

Especially the higher-level ones, which are difficult to kill, are often sealed away. Although Zhang Jing didn't know where this demon came from, he figured that a being of such a level couldn't possibly be a newly born demon. So, the most likely explanation was that someone had unearthed a sealed demon, or that, like last time, a demon had been attracted to the scene through a ritual. Either way, there would probably be some cleanup to be done.

Fortunately, he used every means possible and managed to control the situation in its nascent stage. If this demon had been allowed to develop further, it might have truly become a "disaster" event.

After another advancement, Zhang Jing's physical condition had improved significantly compared to when he was "possessed" last time. Furthermore, with his previous experience, he was more mentally prepared and cooperative in accepting the power. Therefore, overall, the burden on his body after the "possession" was slightly less than before. Although the feeling of emptiness still lingered, and his internal injuries remained severe, he at least didn't immediately faint.

The red gourd he was holding was naturally the Demon Refining Pot, which had also been disguised. After taking a sip of spiritual liquid, his body was instantly stabilized, and everything began to develop rapidly in a positive direction.

Zhang Jing casually put away the gourd, focusing on regulating his breathing to neutralize the medicinal power and help repair and adjust his body. At the same time, he adopted a calm and indifferent demeanor, since most of the surrounding attention was now focused on him.

He had noticed that several people dressed in military uniforms were walking quickly toward him not far away.

....................................

"Greetings, sir! We are truly grateful for your help this time, we are deeply thankful!" The three soldiers who approached Zhang Jing, the first of whom wore the epaulettes of a major, had a strangely forced smile on his square face. Before he even stopped, he had already bowed and saluted Zhang Jing.

According to the imperial system of etiquette, the title "True Person" could not be used indiscriminately. Only a very few Taoist priests who had been granted imperial titles could receive this title, and generally, they were highly respected religious leaders. The only exception was the Celestial Master's Mansion of Danding Mountain, which was known as the first in the south, where successive Celestial Masters automatically inherited the title of "Cheng Sheng Zhenren" (Cheng Sheng True Person).

In fact, this is the highest title that a member of the Xuanmen sect can obtain while still alive.

In addition, misusing the title "real person" can even be a crime, since the empire's management of religion is quite strict.

The major couldn't possibly be unaware of this, yet he still addressed him that way, clearly acting expediently in the heat of the moment. Despite his calm and composed demeanor, he was actually quite nervous inside. After all, no one had ever witnessed such a scene before; who knew they would suddenly encounter a "divine being"...

In particular, the face of this "real person" is always hard to remember.

The major could confirm that the person in question did not actually have a mask or anything like that on their face. He could even confirm that the person was an old man. However, the fact was that even if he tried his best to look closely, he could not see the person's face clearly.

It's a very strange feeling, as if some force is shifting and interfering with your perception.

This, to some extent, proves the other party's extraordinary nature.

The major felt that his previous values ​​had been shattered.

He wasn't even sure if the person before him was actually a member of the Xuanmen sect. He addressed him simply because he saw his feathered robes, a form of probing. Although he didn't know the true cultivation levels of those Xuanmen figures who had received the "True Person" title, given the earth-shattering power this person had just displayed, if he were truly a member of the Xuanmen, calling him "True Person" wouldn't be inappropriate…

Behind the major, a lieutenant and a second lieutenant stood expressionless, though their barely concealed curiosity and slightly wary gazes betrayed their true feelings.

"Boundless Heavenly Venerable, greetings to you all." Zhang Jing interlocked his thumb and forefinger, placed his palm in front of his chest, and performed a typical Xuanmen single-hand salute.

Seeing that he could communicate with him, the major felt much more at ease, and his smile deepened: "My name is Zhou Dingshan, courtesy name Ziming. You may simply call me Ziming. May I ask your honorable name and where your sacred mountain is located?"

"I am but a recluse; you need only call me 'Chengxuzi' if you are esteemed," Zhang Jing said calmly.

"So it was Master Chengxu in person." Seeing that the old man before him seemed to have no desire to chat, Zhou Dingshan could only bite the bullet and continue the conversation: "Master's methods just now were truly earth-shattering, the most amazing I have ever seen in my life..."

"You flatter me, sir. This is but a trivial skill, a laughingstock." Zhang Jing spoke casually, displaying the demeanor of a master, but internally he was working hard to heal his injuries. This was actually his weakest moment, and he was even powerless to use escape techniques to leave this place.

Chapter 157 The Dark Curtain Covering the Empire

Damn, such a petty trick... If I had known back then that the Xuanmen was so powerful, I wouldn't have joined the army; I should have joined a temple instead... Hearing Zhang Jing's indifferent words, even though they knew he was being modest, both Zhou Dingshan and his two subordinates couldn't help but think to themselves that he was just being modest.

After all, they had just faced this immense power that belonged to them, and they instinctively felt a longing and admiration for this kind of powerful force that they had never encountered before.

"You're too modest, Master!" Zhou Dingshan chuckled, then carefully organized his words: "To be honest, Master, I'm quite ignorant. That monster just now was truly bizarre. I wonder if you know anything about it?"

Zhou Dingshan looked at Zhang Jing with a hint of anticipation. Not only him, but also his two subordinates behind him pricked up their ears.

"I have been traveling here and have come across a terrifying aura. I know that a demon is lurking here..." Zhang Jing stroked his beard. "This demon is called 'Wangliang'..."

Zhang Jing briefly described the monster's characteristics, which amazed the three officers.

At that moment, a commotion arose from the side. It was the exit of the underground parking garage next door, where more than twenty fully armed soldiers were retreating. As soon as they reached the ground, under the command of their officers, several soldiers began to set up a simple defensive position, on guard against any monsters that might rush out.

Then, they saw the major and the old man talking not far away. An officer quickly ran over, glanced at Zhang Jing, and although he was a little surprised that an old man dressed as a Taoist priest was here, he didn't have time to think about it and saluted the major: "Reporting, sir, the officers have already brought back the police personnel who were trapped, but they just encountered a monster, and the brothers suffered heavy losses..."

When Zhou Dingshan saw his subordinate, his expression turned solemn. He was about to say something when Zhang Jing suddenly spoke up: "Now that everything is alright here and the matter is settled, I shall take my leave."

“Please wait a moment, sir. I still have some questions I would like to ask you…” Upon hearing this, Zhou Dingshan disregarded his subordinates and hurriedly tried to persuade him to stay.

"Please do not linger, sir. We shall meet again someday..." Zhang Jing simply smiled lightly, and then, without making any further moves, he abruptly vanished from the spot...

"Master..." Zhou Dingshan wanted to persuade him to stay again, but before he could finish speaking, the old man had already vanished. He looked around, but there was no trace of the old man.

"This..." Zhou Dingshan remained silent for a long time. Not only him, but also the other witnesses all had the same uncontrollable thought in their minds:

How did those people in the Xuanmen sect, and even high-ranking officials in various countries, manage to hide these secrets so well? It's led most people to believe that this is actually a materialistic world, and religion is merely a cultural symbol…

It was as if a thick black curtain was hanging over the empire and even the whole world...

What happened to the right to know?!

That's really...shady!!!

..........................................

About 500 meters away from Haiyun Building, under a tree next to a residential building, a figure flashed and Zhang Jing suddenly appeared. He tried his best to suppress the churning blood in his chest and abdomen, and it took him a while to calm down.

Using escape techniques while severely injured is indeed a bit of a stretch. Zhang Jing smiled bitterly. He was in a position where there was no one on either side, and a large expanse of greenery surrounded him, the dense canopy of trees making the surrounding light dim.

Zhang Jing's figure flickered for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, he had transformed from the old man in feathered robes into an ordinary-looking white-collar worker.

After that, he disappeared again, and when he reappeared, he was already in the Lishan Cave.

Letting out a long breath, Zhang Jing sat cross-legged and regulated his breathing for a while. Only after his internal injuries had completely stabilized did he summon the Wish Book and quickly focus his attention on the last part:

"I wish I would have good luck today..."

That wish has been fulfilled.

10000 Wishing Points deducted.

"I wish that in three minutes, under the stimulation of demonic power, the Heavenly Punishment Sword will reactivate its power and take control of my body to attack the demons hidden in the Sea Cloud Building, just like when it killed the void creature Nirkicaberon last time. After that, when the power of the Heavenly Punishment Sword subsides, I will remain conscious and able to move without falling into a coma."

That wish has been fulfilled.

13000 Wishing Points deducted.

"I made a wish that in a little while I would exorcise a demon at Haiyun Building, and that related supernatural events and phenomena would be filmed by nearby residents."

That wish has been fulfilled.

5000 Wishing Points deducted.

After flipping through the back cover of the wishing book, Zhang Jing checked the total number of wishes; there were 94361 remaining.

Although seriously injured, thankfully the biggest blow has come to an end, and the anxiety he had been feeling has subsided. However, this experience has also made him increasingly wary of the dangers of side effects. If he hadn't arrived in time and hadn't possessed the Heavenly Punishment Sword, a bug that could significantly boost his strength in a short period, resolving this problem wouldn't have been so easy.