The Hidden Immortal

Chapter 117 So What If I Burn Your Golden Body (10,000-word chapter)

"This fog is not right!" Wu Pan was the first to react.

It was not ordinary natural fog, but rather misty with a faint spiritual aura.

The dozen or so underworld deities' magical artifacts trembled slightly as they scanned their surroundings, but found nothing.

At this moment, Wenpan suddenly seemed to realize something and looked sharply towards the City God Temple.

"Soul-Scattering Talisman!"

Such talismans, specifically designed to accelerate the dissipation of the seven souls, are quite rare.

Wenpan's past life memories are that he was a Minister of Rites, a second-rank official.

He was originally a schoolteacher, and only later did he take the imperial examinations to obtain official rank.

His students are all over the world, and he has taught many good and honest officials.

He was quick-witted and reacted immediately.

"Oh no! Someone is trying to scatter the seven souls of the current general, forcing him to reincarnate!"

The atmosphere surrounding both the civil and military judges immediately became much more somber.

They could accept burning blood to prolong their lives.

But if this general of the current dynasty were to be reincarnated, he would be unable to return to report to the City God.

However, the bloodthirsty aura in the temple has not yet dissipated, so they dare not act rashly.

Once the blood demon has been burned away, they will rush into the City God Temple and take away Liao Shouyi's soul.

Inside the City God Temple, Chu Xun was covered in sweat, concentrating all his attention.

The judge's pen in his hand felt as heavy as a million pounds, imbued with spiritual energy, and slowly undulated.

A moment later, the final stroke of the brush was lifted.

The good and evil records were displayed, and a dark green light suddenly shone on them.

A complete Soul-Dispelling Talisman was thus created.

It took almost a day and a night to complete this one Soul-Dispelling Talisman.

Chu Xun directly stretched out two fingers to pinch it and came to Liao Shouyi.

At this moment, Liao Shouyi's eyes had lost all their luster.

The dozen or so ginseng slices had long since been used up.

The burning of blood and evil for a day and a night was an unimaginable pain for ordinary people, but he endured it.

Having lost the Bloodthirsty Fiend who had fought his entire life, his aura became more like that of an ordinary old man.

Seeing Chu Xun approach, Liao Shouyi slightly opened his mouth.

It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he didn't have the strength to.

Chu Xun spoke softly, "Stone, I'll send you to be reincarnated."

Liao Shouyi could hardly control his expression; only in his eyes could one clearly see a relaxed smile.

The Duke of Wei, who once roared as he charged at the enemy on the battlefield and was known for his bravery and fearlessness, looked at the person he admired most in his life.

When the last trace of blood essence was burned away, the life force of the physical body vanished instantly.

Chu Xun threw out the Soul-Scattering Talisman, which stuck to his body, its dark green light flashing continuously.

The soul left the body without much confusion.

He saw Chu Xun, and also the City God and other underworld deities standing not far away.

Liao Shouyi had already understood what was going on, and sighed, "It seems like I can't help you with anything."

"We've already helped a lot."

Chu Xun beckoned the City God over to protect Liao Shouyi's soul.

The light of the Soul-Scattering Talisman flickers on the soul, and it takes at least seven hours to completely disperse the seven souls.

The City God of Zhangnan County sensed the threat from outside and said, "Immortal, the civil and military judges under the City God of the Prefecture are about to arrive, and we can also lend our support."

They were the ones who came to the aid of the two county gods who attacked them before.

However, although the underworld deities under the City God's command have similar divine duties, they are actually quite different.

Chu Xun said, "You don't need to take action for now. Just protect his soul."

At that moment, outside the City God Temple, the judge shouted in a low voice, "Once the bloodthirsty aura has burned out, go in and claim the soul!"

The Black and White Impermanence, one holding a mourning staff and the other holding shackles, were closest to the door and were about to drift into the house.

As soon as I reached the door, I heard a sharp, piercing whistling sound of wind.

A massive, bucket-sized gust of fire struck with lightning speed.

Black Impermanence was startled and quickly put the shackles in front of him.

call-

The wind and fire swept past, shattering the shackles into pieces.

Flames enveloped Black Impermanence, burning him until his entire body was smoking.

The judge roared in anger, "Insolence!"

Unlike county-level judges, he held a judge's pen in one hand and a book of good and evil in the other, but rather a mirror of good and evil with black and white sides.

This mirror reflects evil on the shady side and good on the sunny side.

The good and evil of this life are clearly reflected in the mirror.

The judge raised the Mirror of Good and Evil and shone it on the Black Impermanence.

A flash of white light appeared, and the wind and fire enveloping Black Impermanence were directly sucked away.

Black Impermanence was burned and torn to shreds, suffering serious injuries.

If Wen Pan hadn't intervened, a single gust of wind and fire would have killed him.

Wenpan had already sensed that in the City God Temple, besides the aura of numerous underworld gods and incense offerings, there was also a repulsive aura of a wild god.

"The Pine Willow Wild God! So it was you who was causing all this trouble!"

A crimson glint appeared in Wenpan's eyes. Not only him, but all the other underworld deities from Mingxiu Prefecture also showed the same reaction.

The time for Chu Xun to reveal his divine authority had not yet come; it was Chu Xun who took the initiative to do so.

These incense gods are all single-minded; they only recognize the aura of the spirits of the pine, willow, and water gods.

Therefore, changing one's identity makes things easier.

After extinguishing the wind and fire with the Mirror of Good and Evil, the underworld deities of Mingxiu Prefecture, led by the civil and military judges, attacked the City God Temple.

Inside the temple, Chu Xun held a symbol of integrity in each hand.

As spiritual energy surged in, four bursts of wind and fire shot out from the hole in succession.

Wenpan immediately used the Mirror of Good and Evil again, and the white light collided with the wind and fire, only to be instantly dispersed.

The wind and fire collided directly with the Mirror of Good and Evil, and the white mirror made a "crack" sound, revealing several cracks.

"What an amazing magical artifact!"

A hint of heartache appeared on Wenpan's lean, gentle, and scholarly face.

Like incense-burning deities, the instruments of the underworld are maintained through incense offerings.

In the county town's City God Temple, not many people specifically went to worship the civil judge and the military judge, and the same was true in Mingxiu Mansion.

Although more people go to the prefectural-level City God Temples to offer incense, making them more powerful and their magical artifacts more difficult to repair.

The judge was naturally heartbroken that the ritual implements were damaged.

In reality, his strength is not that weak.

However, after moving from the prefectural city to Zhangnan County, it was weakened by half.

The Mirror of Good and Evil alone cannot withstand the four winds and fires.

With a flick of his judge's pen, he swept away the wine, and a few drops of ink fell, transforming into a decree of amnesty from the underworld, blocking his way.

boom-

The wind and fire shattered the pardon, and the judge's body trembled.

Fortunately, the power of the wind and fire was neutralized. He looked at Chu Xun standing in the temple, and then glanced at Liao Shouyi's soul, which was being protected by the City God of Zhangnan County.

One last glance was cast at the Wind and Bone in Chu Xun's hand.

The five wind and fire elements are almost at the limit of this magical artifact.

After all, it was made from the bones of an old bat that had not yet become a spirit, so its power was already quite remarkable.

"You insignificant evil deity, attempting to disrupt the order of heaven with the power of your magical artifacts! You—"

Before Wenpan could finish speaking, Chu De ignored him.

With a thought, the guards outside, holding swords, were all astonished to find that their longswords trembled at the same moment.

Chu Xun's voice could be heard from inside the City God Temple.

"I once read a book that explained what a sword cultivator is."

"When you encounter injustice, strike it down with your sword."

"When encountering demons causing trouble, slay them with a single sword strike."

"Even in times of great chaos, he will still slay them with a single sword strike."

"I am not a sword cultivator; I cannot annihilate all things under heaven with a single sword strike."

"But I have many swords. If I can't cut them all down with one strike, I'll cut them down a few more times, and that should be enough."

Hundreds of longswords broke free from the men's grasp at once, like thunder splitting the sky!

The hissing sound of the sword blades cutting through the air was continuous, shaking the heavens and earth.

Hundreds of sharp beams, without any obscure demonic power or underworld malevolence, only the grand spirit of "slaying injustice, slaying demons, slaying heaven and earth" as Chu Xun spoke.

The sword's cry was like rolling thunder; its gathered power could shatter evil spirits, shake the underworld, and slay injustice!

Its cold light obscures the sun; its sharpness is unstoppable!

Chu Xun glanced down at the dozen or so underworld deities before him and coldly shouted, "Slay them!"

In an instant, the sword shadows poured down like a torrential downpour, like a galaxy pouring over the sky, their sharp whistling sounds making one's eardrums ache.

A sharp sword aura rushed towards them, seemingly intent on slicing these underworld deities into dust!

Although the guards could not see the immortals and gods, the image of longswords flying through the air was clearly visible.

Their faces were filled with shock, which gradually turned into a kind of fanaticism.

Sword Immortal!

In Pinecone Village, there lives a legendary sword immortal!

Even Liao Shouyi's spirit was stunned when it saw this scene.

She subconsciously looked at Chu Xun not far in front of her and felt as if she were dreaming.

"Brother Xun—he's this fierce!?"

The civil and military judges' expressions changed drastically; they sensed a deadly threat and shouted in unison, "No need to hold back!"

Even without them saying anything, the other gods and spirits of the underworld would not hold back in the slightest.

The judge's pen splashes ink, the mirror of good and evil reflects a dark light.

The iron ruler, several meters long, shook the heavens, and the black iron token resembled a house.

Furthermore, mourning sticks were swung, creating a sky full of afterimages.

Ten underworld messengers drew their black chains and hooks.

The guards brought a total of 779 longswords.

With Chu Xun's current control over metal element techniques, at such close range, he can almost control it as if it were his own arm.

Seven hundred and seventy-nine longswords, their whistling sound deafening.

Although the power of the Underworld Incense God has been affected by the cross-realm influence, leaving it at only 50%, the magical artifact itself is not subject to this limitation.

In an instant, the sky was filled with fragments of longswords.

The civil and military judges fared relatively well, and even the Black and White Impermanence did not suffer much damage.

Even with a 50% reduction in power, they are still far more powerful than the county god.

Only ten underworld officials, roughly equivalent to a slightly weaker force than the City God.

The longsword came whistling through the air, and the black chain hook was hit, constantly emitting black smoke and becoming covered with cracks.

Several underworld officials were unable to dodge in time and were pierced by the longsword.

The longsword that clashed with it was not so "lucky".

The cracks have increased, and it is almost shattered.

With a casual wave of his iron ruler, Wu Pan shattered dozens of longswords.

He said coldly, "A petty trick, not worth mentioning!"

Their words revealed the disdain and contempt of the underworld deities for evil and wild gods.

However, after the longsword shattered, streaks of white sword shadows flew out.

Wu Pan was taken aback: "The essence of metal?"

Moreover, it's not one, nor ten, nor one hundred.

Each shattered longsword emitted a burst of golden essence.

Wu Pan immediately cried out, "Stop! Don't break the sword again!"

It's too late to realize it now.

At least two or three hundred longswords were shattered, and countless white sword shadows charged forward again.

The black iron token in front of Wu Pan stood like an impregnable wall, firmly blocking his way.

The essence of metal constantly collides with it, like white fireworks blooming in the night.

Though not dazzling, it is extremely impactful.

Amidst a series of loud bangs, black smoke billowed from the Xuan Tie token.

At this moment, Wu Pan finally put away his contempt and showed a hint of surprise.

It is already quite remarkable that a wicked and unruly deity possesses a magical artifact capable of annihilating a Black Impermanence at the level of a prefecture-level being.

This is a golden magic artifact, representing the righteous power of the Five Elements.

Only those who have cultivated themselves to attain enlightenment or are born with the five elements spirits can collect them.

But this evil, wild god, who is clearly called the Pine and Willow Water God, deliberately doesn't use any water-related methods.

One hand holds wind and fire, the other holds metal essence.

What is this called, the Water God?

Moreover, there's just too much of that golden essence!

The two or three hundred strands of golden essence quickly caused cracks to appear on the black iron token.

The other underworld deities sensed something was wrong and dared not shatter the longsword again.

Even if the golden essence within the longsword is not exposed, it still possesses extremely strong destructive power.

The Black and White Impermanence and the ten underworld messengers were the first to be unable to withstand the attack and had to shatter the incoming longsword.

Although the danger of being pierced by a longsword was avoided, an even stronger golden essence was introduced.

They all knew this was a case of drinking poison to quench their thirst, but they were helpless.

The White Impermanence swung his mourning staff, but dared not use too much force, only daring to knock the longsword away.

The longsword, however, spared no effort, striking the mourning staff until it was covered in cracks and almost collapsed.

The mirror of good and evil in the judgment has been broken in half, with one corner of the sunny side shattered and the dark side split into five pieces.

The ink splashed by the judge's pen is becoming less and less.

Although the golden essence was shattered hundreds of times by various means, as the longsword continued to break apart under attack, the incoming golden essence not only did not decrease but increased.

From two or three hundred, it has now reached nearly five hundred!

The black iron token was about to give way, with clear cracks visible, and Chu Xun could even be seen not far away through the cracks.

The two underworld officials were unable to withstand the attack and were pierced through by several white sword shadows. They screamed as they were enveloped by the rising black smoke.

The other underworld messengers were also injured and in imminent danger.

The judge, having exhausted his strength to use the Mirror of Good and Evil to save them, and seeing the situation was dire, immediately shouted, "Join forces! Please activate the City God's golden statue!"

Numerous underworld deities immediately responded, throwing out their magical implements and chanting in unison: "Wandering the Nine Heavens, the Heavenly Generals aid in destruction, evil spirits tremble in fear, demons hide in terror! The iron barrier reaching the sky, lock away all demonic radiance, City God's golden body, swiftly descend with your majestic light!"

The City God of Zhangnan County sensed something amiss and hurriedly warned loudly, "Immortal, be careful! They intend to use the power of incense to invoke the City God's golden statue!"

The underworld deities of Mingxiu Mansion held their breath in anger, took a T-shaped step, and moved their hands clockwise from Zi to Hai, then counterclockwise from Hai to Zi, pinching their middle fingers together, concealing all five fingers, and clenching their fists tightly. They summoned the incense power of the City God's golden body to flow continuously from their palms and merge into numerous underworld judicial instruments.

The power of incense and the ritual implements merged, transforming into a black and white beam of light that shot straight up to the top of the temple, pierced through the dome of the City God Temple, and soared into the sky.

Chu Xun became wary, and his golden essence surged even more fiercely as he attacked the underworld immortals.

Within Mingxiu's residence, the City God Temple trembled.

The City God's golden statue shone with a bright golden light, and the pillar of light grew increasingly intense, piercing straight into the sky, echoing the spiritual light emanating from his golden body.

The golden essence was blocked before it could reach the underworld deities.

Although the beam of light vibrated and partially collapsed, it did not cause any serious damage.

Chu Xun's eyes narrowed as he clearly sensed the immense divine power emanating from an even more powerful incense god, which was slowly descending along the pillar of light.

That oppressive aura was several times stronger than that of the county god.

The beam of light suddenly swelled, scattering the fog outside the temple.

A huge golden phantom slowly emerged; it was the incarnation of the City God's golden body.

The golden statue exudes majesty, clad in official robes, holding a jade tablet, and possessing piercing gaze.

As the sword swept across the hall, the sharp whistling of the white shadow sword lessened slightly, and its sharpness also diminished somewhat.

The civil and military judges bowed respectfully, their voices proclaiming, "Welcome the golden statue of the City God! We humbly request that the golden statue bestow its power to suppress the evil spirits and protect our underworld!"

Chu Xun stood still, his fingertips lightly twirling, looking at the golden phantom, his eyes slightly darkening.

Unexpectedly, the power of incense offerings has such a wonderful use. Even though the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture has not arrived in person, he can still be summoned by the combined efforts of the gods and immortals of the underworld to manifest his incarnation.

Although it lacks the peak combat power of its original form, it is still breathtakingly powerful.

The underworld deities of Zhangnan County trembled under the oppressive force.

Liao Shouyi also felt a great sense of pressure, but he showed no fear whatsoever; instead, he straightened his back.

You are a city god of a prefecture-level city, but only a fourth-rank official.

But I am of the highest rank!

Even if we are now under your control, so what? We may lose our heads and shed our blood, but we must never lose our integrity!

Without this backbone, Liao Shouyi could not have gritted his teeth and risen from a lowly soldier in the northern desert to the Duke of Wei.

He was like that, and Chu Xun was even more so.

So what if we borrow the City God's golden statue?

Even if the underworld has a thousand tricks up its sleeve, it will protect Liao Shouyi today!

The golden phantom of the City God swept across the sky with its cold divine eyes, before fixing its gaze on Chu Xun.

At that moment, Chu Xun felt immense pressure.

Bang bang bang bang—

All the longswords shattered at the same time, and white sword shadows filled the sky, unstoppable.

The City God of Mingxiu Prefecture, in his incarnation, slowly raised the jade tablet.

Golden light surged forth from the jade tablet.

This pure merit-making artifact is indestructible and emits a thick golden beam of light.

It crashed down with a deafening roar.

Wherever the beam of light passed, the white sword shadow instantly turned into golden fragments and dissipated.

A booming voice, like muffled thunder, emanated from the illusory golden statue of the City God: "Under the Heavenly Laws, evil worship and wild gods will not be tolerated!"

The golden light on the jade tablet grew even more intense, and the pillar of light surged, crushing down with unstoppable force, attempting to annihilate all the white sword shadows.

As the most powerful and vigorous representative of the Five Elements, the essence of metal will never back down.

Even though most of it was annihilated by the beam of light, what remained was still incredibly sharp.

However, they were too light to shake the City God's incarnation, which was summoned by the incense offerings of more than a dozen underworld deities.

Liao Shouyi, in a fit of rage, shouted at the City God of Zhangnan County, "Such a serious matter, why didn't you say so sooner!"

The City God of Zhangnan County was terrified and hurriedly explained, "This act consumes incense offerings, just like your previous burning of blood and evil spirits, only it is not against the will of Heaven."

He hadn't expected the underworld deities of Mingxiu Prefecture to be so decisive.

They spared no expense in offering incense to summon the City God's golden statue to kill Chu Xun.

The main reason is that Chu Xun is too strong.

Seven hundred and seventy-nine golden magical artifacts—I've never heard of such extravagant and wasteful use.

If the City God's statue isn't invoked, none of the underworld deities in Mingxiu Mansion will escape.

Both sides had unforeseen circumstances, which led to the current situation.

Chu Xun's heart stirred upon hearing this. Was the golden statue of the City God invited by the gods of the underworld with incense offerings?

With a thought, a dozen or so Heavenly One Divine Water Pearls were launched from all directions.

It took more than ten years to accumulate all of this, and Chu Xun had no time to think about whether it was a waste.

If I don't survive this ordeal, today will be my last day on earth.

As long as one survives, even ten or a hundred times more of the essence of Ren water can be condensed.

Compared to the fierce and powerful essence of metal, the essence of Ren water, though gentle, has a strong restraining effect on the magical artifacts of the underworld gods and immortals.

There were more than a dozen Heavenly One Divine Water Beads, each containing more than twenty-eight strands of Ren Water essence, which translates to two strands.

Although there were only a few, they still kept coming, and when there were only two or three left, they managed to drill a hole in the beam of light.

Each drop fell, then suddenly exploded, transforming into a misty rain covering an area of ​​several meters in radius.

"What is this thing?!"

"The essence of Ren water!"

"My Mirror of Good and Evil!"

Numerous underworld deities cried out, as the magical artifacts were obscured by rain and mist, their spiritual light gradually dimming.

The power of the golden beam of light weakened, and it was rippled and vibrated by the remaining white sword shadows.

"Just a few tricks."

The phantom of the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture waved his jade tablet, and the rain and mist quickly dissipated.

The merit-making ritual implement is not afraid of the essence of Ren water, and thus appears sharp.

The judge was overjoyed, for with the incarnation of the City God present, he was certain that the evil gods and wicked spirits would be vanquished.

However, Chu Xun coldly replied, "It's just incense, isn't it? If you can invite people, so can I!"

Wenpan was stunned. They had invited their superior, the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture.

You're just a wicked, wild god, who are you asking for help?

Do you have someone above you?

Chu Xun didn't understand things like the Heavenly Gang Steps or incantations, but his years of research on incense made him quite familiar with them.

This item can bless the incense gods with their cultivation, maintain their longevity, and is also the wish of all living beings.

Just as all beings have desires that can be fulfilled, so too do people worship incense and deities.

With a single thought, thousands of incense points accumulated over the years vanished instantly.

"May the spirits of the Pine and Willow Water Gods be invoked!"

Upon hearing this, all the gods and immortals of the underworld were stunned, and even the illusory figure of the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture paused in his movements.

In an instant, a phantom image also appeared on Chu Xun's body.

He was tall, but had no face.

He held two snakes, one green and one white, in one hand, and stepped on a black tortoise with the other. His body was engulfed in invisible and colorless flames.

As soon as it appeared, it flew towards the illusory golden body of the City God.

The movement was so swift, without the slightest hesitation, that it slammed headfirst into the pillar of light.

The beam of light, capable of shattering the golden essence, was instantly burned with a large hole upon contact with the invisible and colorless flames.

"What is this! Karmic fire!?"

A gasp of astonishment rang out, and the illusory golden statue of the City God trembled violently.

The spirits of the pine and willow water gods passed through the pillar of light and fiercely pounced on the illusory golden body of the City God.

The flames continued to burn everything around them, including the yin energy, the yin judicial artifacts, and even the illusory golden body of the City God.

A low, incredulous voice, filled with rage and terror, rang out: "You wild god!!"

"Damn it!"

The illusory golden statue of the City God vanished instantly without the slightest hesitation.

The golden pillar of light suddenly vanished, leaving many underworld deities exposed.

The karmic fire spread rapidly; this stuff is far more potent than the essence of metal and the essence of water.

Once you're tainted, you'll be burdened with karma, and there's no escaping it.

The gods and immortals of the underworld, being beings similar to souls, are especially afraid of this thing.

They screamed in terror, but no one paid any attention.

Chu Xun glanced at his incense points and saw that what was originally fourteen or fifteen thousand incense points had now been reduced to half.

His eye twitched immediately: "How could it have consumed so much energy—"

Little did they know that the person who invited the City God's statue actually existed, and that the person was cooperating, with the help of many others.

Chu Xun invoked the spirit of the Pine and Willow Water God, but in reality, no one had ever seen this incense god.

Even their appearance was fabricated.

It's like creating a god of incense out of thin air, without any thought of its own, existing only because it is attached to Chu Xun's existence.

Perhaps one day Chu Xun will disappear, his soul scattered, and only then will he be able to truly exist in the world amidst countless offerings of incense.

Before this, it was something that seemed to exist but not really.

Therefore, Chu Xun spent a lot of incense money to invite him out.

Nothing is more taxing than something you can imagine out of thin air.

With a thought, the spirits of the pine and willow water gods immediately returned, merged into himself, and disappeared.

The civil and military judges and other underworld deities were both shocked and terrified.

Why is he fearless in the face of karmic fire?!

Chu Xun naturally wouldn't explain any of this to them; he would strike while the iron was hot!

The remaining golden essence, numbering over a hundred, all rushed towards the underworld immortals and gods.

Amidst the clash of swords, these confident incense-offering deities who had traveled a long way from Mingxiu Prefecture were all slaughtered.

A thick cloud of black smoke enveloped almost the entire Chenghuang Temple in Zhangnan County.

Without the blessing of the underworld gods, all sorts of magical artifacts fell to the ground.

The karmic fire could not find a host to spread to, and that's why it gradually went out.

Meanwhile, in the City God Temple of Mingxiu Prefecture.

The golden statue of the City God, several meters tall, made a "crack" sound.

A series of muffled thunderclaps, sounding both furious and exasperated, continued to resound.

"Damn it! What terrible sins he committed, how could he be burning with karmic fire!"

"Why didn't the karmic fire obliterate his soul?!"

Although the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture was just a golden phantom in the past, the karmic fire is a manifestation of cause and effect, regardless of whether it is an incarnation or the original body.

Once it's on you, you can't get rid of it.

Even though he returned very quickly, he still brought some back with him.

The golden light of merit on the jade tablet surged, illuminating the karmic fire and gradually extinguishing it.

However, the golden light of merit was thus dimmed somewhat.

Karmic fire is a consequence of karma, and can only be resolved through accumulating merit. There is no other way.

Incense offerings can be accumulated through believers' donations, but merit is earned from one's past life.

Now that I'm in the underworld, I have no chance to accumulate merit anymore.

Every penny spent is a penny less.

The loss of the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture was far greater than the loss of the incense gods under his command.

The day-roaming deities and night-roaming deities, who were not involved in the matter, appeared one after another.

Seeing that the golden light of merit on the jade tablet had dimmed, and turning around, one could see that the golden statues of the Civil Judge, the Military Judge, and the Black and White Impermanence were all shattered and scattered on the ground.

He was immediately alarmed: "Your Majesty, what's going on?"

All they knew was that the civil and military judges had gone to Zhangnan County to bring back the soul of the current general.

Who could have imagined that the entire army would be wiped out?

Even when the City God himself was invited, he suffered a loss.

The City God of Mingxiu Prefecture did not provide details; instead, after his initial rage, he gradually calmed down.

A moment later, a deep voice rang out: "Order the city gods of all cities and counties under your command not to fight against the wild gods of pine and willow."

"escape!"

Having said that, the City God vanished without a trace, and there was no more sound.

Faced with the unknown Songliu Water God, the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture was not very confident.

The main reason he was so wary was that his opponent could ignite karmic fire.

"He's nothing more than a wicked, wild god; no matter how strong he is, he's nothing special!"

The City God of Mingxiu Prefecture had every reason to believe that the other party would not dare to cause trouble here.

After all, the prefecture-level city has a much higher chance of receiving offerings than the county-level city.

If he dares to come, I will show him just how powerful I am in my prime!

The day-roaming god and the night-roaming god looked at each other in astonishment, not knowing what the world was like.

It has always been the gods and immortals of the underworld who actively destroy evil and wild gods. When have you ever seen one that is invincible?

Moreover, the word "escape" was used.

The two incense gods of Mingxiu Prefecture looked at the tall, golden statue of the City God with utter horror.

What exactly is the Pine Willow Wild God?

Even the City God is so wary of it!

In the City God Temple of Zhangnan County, Chu Xun looked at the Yin Judgment Instruments scattered on the ground and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I felt sweating all over and was even a little unsteady on my feet.

This battle was the most difficult and dangerous he had ever faced in this world.

They used almost all their trump cards, even employing the "summoning the gods" method, which they had never used before.

But then again, if the incense god of Mingxiu Mansion hadn't invited the incarnation of the City God, he wouldn't have needed to go through all this trouble.

The City God of Zhangnan County approached nervously, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Immortal, please forgive me. This humble god truly did not know they would use such methods, and almost caused a great disaster."

Chu Xun waved his hand, indicating that he held the power of the City God of Zhangnan County. Although the local deities still belonged to the underworld, they would never harm him.

If you say you don't know, then you really don't know.

However, Chu Xun was quite interested in this kind of "inviting the gods" technique.

He sat down on the ground, panting heavily, and asked, "As long as there are enough offerings, any god can be summoned?"

"Logically speaking, you should only invite people you know well who are willing to come."

The City God of Zhangnan County said, "But if other immortals or gods want to come, it's not impossible."

As he spoke, the City God of Zhangnan County conjured up another book and presented it to him.

Chu Xun took it and glanced at it. The cover had the words "True Book of Shangqing Invocation Ritual" in large characters.

"Immortal, this method originates from the Daoist Canon, and is a way of offering incense. It is divided into Yin Invocation and Yang Invocation, corresponding to the immortals and gods of the underworld and the immortals and gods of the heavenly realm."

"There is also the Examination and Summoning Chapter, which requires no incense offerings. It uses the earth's energy to bind the spirit and employs magic to restrain the body, forcibly summoning the true form of the immortals and gods. However, one must have extremely high cultivation, otherwise, one may be countered by the immortals and gods, resulting in damage to one's soul."

"This text is not available here; you will need to find it elsewhere, Immortal."

Chu Xun nodded slightly as he listened. Just the "True Book of the Shangqing Invocation Ritual" and the Soul-Dispelling Talisman he had learned earlier were enough to keep him studying for a while.

He couldn't bite off more than he could chew; he had too many things to do these days and didn't have much time to spare.

At this moment, Chu Xun felt something.

Metal Element: Extremely high control over the metal and wood elements within a thousand feet. Wood Element Technique 17238/100000: Limited control over the wood elements within a thousand feet. Chu Xun was delighted to see this. Killing the Yin God of Mingxiu Mansion had brought him many benefits once again.

The metal element spells were directly perfected, and even the wood element spells were upgraded again.

Now, we are only a little over 80,000 short of achieving perfect harmony of the five elements.

Once the five elements are complete, they can be integrated to form the Five Elements Daoist Method.

Aside from extremely special entities like karmic fire and merit, all the great paths are inseparable from the Five Elements.

By then, there will be virtually no Daoist arts in the world that Chu Xun cannot learn.

It's all about skill level.

For Chu Xun, who has the hope of achieving immortality, mastering the skill should be the easiest thing on the path to immortality.

If one year isn't enough, then a hundred years; if a hundred years isn't enough, then a thousand years, ten thousand years—there's plenty of time.

"It's a pity that the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture only came in an incarnation and did not descend in person. He didn't even bring the City God's seal. Otherwise, we might have had a chance to directly seize his power this time."

Chu Xun secretly regretted that the chance of weakening a prefectural city god by 50% was not many.

If it were in Mingxiu Prefecture, one would have to face the prefectural city god at his peak.

Judging from today's battle, the strength of the prefectural city god is at least ten times that of the county city god.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have manifested in person and yet still exuded such a strong sense of oppression.

"If this level of promotion is true, wouldn't the City God of the Capital be more than ten times that of the City God of the Prefecture?"

Chu Xun frowned slightly; this was not good news.

I knew these incense gods were hard to deal with, but I didn't expect them to be so capable.

"No rush, take your time."

Chu Xun took a deep breath, got up from the ground, and turned to look at Liao Shouyi.

The remaining essence of over a hundred golden spirits flew out of the City God Temple, transforming into palm-sized swords that landed in the hands of the guards.

"Guard this place well. Anyone or anything that dares to trespass will be killed without exception!" Chu Xun's voice was clear and distinct.

The guards, their faces filled with reverence, held their small white swords, clenched their right fists, and slammed them heavily against their chests.

"Yes, sir!"

Although they hadn't witnessed the battle clearly, they could still feel the chilling, majestic aura emanating from the City God Temple.

That was a more terrifying sense of oppression than a thousand troops charging head-on.

The sight of countless swords falling like rain was a legendary scene they would never forget.

The distinction between immortals and mortals has existed since ancient times, and is far greater than the difference between officials and commoners.

Although there are those who cultivate immortality and attain enlightenment, they still dabble in the mortal world and mingle in the mundane realm.

But it is not something that those with the right affinity can see or know.

Now that they have one right beside them, how could they not be overwhelmed with emotion?

Inside the temple, Chu Xun approached Liao Shouyi and asked, "Are you alright?"

Not much time had passed. The Soul-Scattering Talisman had just destroyed most of the first Soul, Corpse Dog, but the remaining six Souls—Hidden Arrow, Sparrow Yin, Devouring Thief, Non-Poison, Purifying, and Stinky Lung—remained completely untouched.

Liao Shouyi glanced at the gate of the City God Temple and asked, "Have those things returned?"

The City God of Zhangnan County listened with a slightly strange expression. Those things?

But after glancing at Chu Xun, he remained silent.

Never mind, anyway, it wasn't about me.

If you really argue with him, you'll inevitably displease the immortals, so why bother?

Chu Xun shook his head and said, "I don't know, but they probably won't be coming anytime soon."

With both civil and military judges present, the Black and White Impermanence died, and the forces under the command of the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture lost more than half.

With the added threat of karmic fire, Chu Xun didn't believe that the City God would dare to risk being consumed by karmic fire just to snatch Liao Shouyi's soul away.

These old bastards who steal human merit and whose bodies don't stiffen even after death are the most afraid of dying. How could they bear to die?

Liao Shouyi looked at him, his eyes shining: "You've always been this amazing?"

"No, not exactly."

"I should have learned Taoist magic from you. Why did I run off to become a soldier? That's just crazy."

"I can't teach you."

"Was that sword control? That was amazing! Even more powerful than the volley of arrows from our army!"

Chu Xun scratched his head, "Didn't you hear what I said?"

But he could tell that Liao Shouyi really wanted to speak.

Because if we don't say a few more words now, once our seven souls dissipate and we are reincarnated, we will never be able to say them again.

For a moment, I felt a pang of sorrow.

I simply calmed down and listened to Liao Shouyi's rambling.

Since the soul has no saliva, it naturally has no concept of a dry mouth and tongue.

After a long time, the last lingering stench of lungs dissipated.

The Soul-Scattering Talisman then transformed into shimmering points of light and vanished without a trace.

Liao Shouyi seemed to know something and asked, "Am I leaving?"

The City God of Zhangnan County walked over, cupped his hands, and said, "The hour of Yin is approaching, the human realm is about to open, it's time to reincarnate."

Liao Shouyi seemed not to hear what he said, not even glancing at him, and stared at Chu Xun, asking, "Will I be able to see you again in the next life?"

The reluctance in his eyes was so clear.

A lifetime of acquaintance, now parting ways, how can it be so easy to let go?

Chu Xun was also unsure, so he could only look towards the City God of Zhangnan County.

The City God said, "If one has a predestined affinity with the immortals, one can summon Shuangling to break free from the illusions of the womb and awaken memories of her past life."

Liao Shouyi laughed upon hearing this and said, "That's good."

"Brother Xun, live a good life. In my next life, when I become an immortal, we'll fight side by side against the enemy!"

A chance encounter with immortals is not so easy to obtain; there have been very few throughout history.

Chu Xun did not dash his hopes, and nodded solemnly: "Okay, I'll wait."

Liao Shouyi laughed heartily, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the cycle of reincarnation.

The hour of Yin has arrived, and humanity begins.

Before stepping inside, he turned his head and glanced at the City God Temple of Zhangnan County.

"You almost caused Xun-ge'er to suffer today. If I become an immortal in my next life, and this happens again, I will make sure your soul is scattered to the winds!"

Before the City God of Zhangnan County could speak, he stepped inside and disappeared.

"Don't be afraid, he's just trying to scare you, it's okay," Chu Xun comforted her softly.

The City God of Zhangnan County didn't know what to say. Was it really just a bluff?

It doesn't sound quite right.

"But things that should be told to me shouldn't always make me ask."

The City God of Zhangnan County turned around and saw the dissatisfaction in Chu Xun's eyes.

I couldn't help but shudder. Although the incense god relies on incense for a living and won't die easily.

But given his abilities, it's not impossible for him to destroy the temples here and forbid anyone from making offerings.

Without incense offerings for a long time, he really died.

The City God of Zhangnan County hurriedly replied, "Whatever you wish to know, Immortal, this humble deity will answer to the best of my knowledge!"

"Just tell me everything you know," Chu said.

"This—" The City God of Zhangnan County really didn't know where to begin.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "The Jing Kingdom has only appointed the City God as its principal deity, because the country is too weak to appoint others—"

Through his narration, Chu De gained a better understanding of the investiture of the righteous gods.

There are countless immortals and gods in the world.

Countless examples have survived from ancient times to the present day.

Of all those immortals and deities, aside from those who truly attained enlightenment through their own cultivation, the rest all require offerings of incense.

The stronger a power is, the more offerings it needs.

Therefore, small countries bestow titles upon minor gods, while large countries bestow titles upon major gods.

The fact that Jing Kingdom was only qualified to appoint a city god shows that its national strength was at the bottom.

There are many countries that are even stronger than that.

Chu Xun listened to Wei Ting's account of the surrounding countries in Fenggu City, and they were all like this.

How could a mere bodyguard, a mere镖师 (bodyguard/escort), have ever witnessed the true power of a distant, powerful nation?

The righteous gods enfeoffed there are incredibly powerful.

Leaving aside Kui Xing and the God of Wealth, the eight main deities—thunder, fire, plague, fighting, water, wind, cloud, and earth—are beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Layer upon layer, relying on countless mortal kingdoms, a vast system of celestial gods and immortals was constructed.

It also included cultivators, founders of various sects, and so on.

Furthermore, there are magical techniques such as talismans, formations, and elixirs.

Until the City God of Zhangnan County had nothing more to say, Chu Xun was also dizzy from listening.

I originally thought I understood a small part of it, but now it seems I'm just a wooden leg under a high platform.

Layer upon layer of pavilions, towering into the clouds.

However, the wooden pillars and beams that support this pavilion are actually substitutes, rotten and decayed.

"A thousand years from now, ten thousand years from now, let's see how many more blows this pavilion can withstand!"

Much later.

Chu Xun carried Liao Shouyi's corpse out of the City God Temple.

The guards all turned to look at them with reverence.

Seeing Liao Shouyi's corpse, his spirits darkened once more.

These men, who had never flinched in the face of danger, knelt on the ground in sorrow.

The seventh year of Changning.

A military genius of the Jing Kingdom has passed away.

The world is filled with sorrow.

Only the City God of Zhangnan County has an indeterminate golden statue.

"He probably doesn't have any affinity for immortality, does he?"

a few days later.

Tianqiong County, Qingbo County, Yingjing County, and Haixing County are under the jurisdiction of Mingxiu Prefecture.

Overnight, all the statues of gods and immortals in the underworld of the four counties were destroyed.

Of the three cities and ten counties under Mingxiu Prefecture, the power of eight counties has already fallen into the hands of Chu Xun.

The golden statue of the City God of Mingxiu Prefecture trembled, and more than half of the gray area on the seal was affected.

A somber rumble of thunder echoed and boomed over the city.

"Pine and Willow Wild God, this City God awaits the day you come to Mingxiu Mansion!"

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