Taoist priests in the supernatural world

On the altar, Zhang Jiao raised his nine-section staff to offer sacrifices to the Yellow Heaven.

Flames soared into the sky within the city, and shouts of battle echoed from all directions.

Black cigarette smoke billowed over the walls of Guangzong.

Yellow flags fluttered on the city wall, their tattered corners scorched black by sparks.

Prayer flags fluttered in the night wind around the altar.

He initially thought this was just another formality to appease the troops.

The Yellow Turban Army had reached its end.

The Han army launched a night attack, using fire to assault the entire camp.

The extraordinary general led his troops in a charge, plunging the city into chaos.

Even if he mastered the Thunder Technique, he could not possibly stop an army of 100,000 men on his own.

All he could do was offer another sacrifice to the Yellow Heaven, hoping to keep the believers in the city a little longer.

Just as he finished reciting the eulogy.

Suddenly, a golden light shone in the sky.

At first, the golden light was just a small dot, as faint as a firefly.

However, in just a few breaths, the golden dot grew larger and larger, and its light became more and more dazzling.

Eventually, it gradually occupied half of the sky.

The darkness was torn apart, and the firelight pressed down.

Even the battle cries paused for a moment at that instant.

Both the Han army and the Yellow Turban army subconsciously looked up at the sky.

Under the watchful eyes of the world, the Purple Star in the sky shimmered.

Five elements of spiritual light simultaneously illuminated the five directions of the sky.

Five-colored spiritual light intertwined, as if heaven and earth had been recreated.

Boo!

A clear, melodious cry resounded throughout heaven and earth.

The Vermilion Bird spreads its wings, its crimson feathers like fire, trailing a trail of rosy light across the sky.

Then two dragons danced.

The dragon was entirely crimson, its scales like fire, and wherever it passed, the clouds and mist burned.

The dragon was translucent like ice, surrounded by a chilling aura, with clouds and frost all around it.

White cranes soar, their wings spread wide, bringing a thousand auspicious omens.

Amidst the churning clouds, various unusual phenomena appeared, all for the purpose of protecting the winged sun-born being in the center.

The golden light emanated from this person.

The winged sun-drenched figure was bathed in golden light, with a halo rotating behind its head.

He sat high in a white jade dragon chariot, pulled by nine white dragons, descending majestically from the heavens above the earth, treading through clouds and mist.

On both sides of the chariot shaft, cloud banners fluttered and lightning flashed.

Golden rays of light filled the night sky.

At this moment, Guangzong City, which was originally shrouded in flames and slaughter, took on a mythical aura.

"Riding on a dragon-drawn chariot and thunder, carrying cloud banners that meander and undulate."

Amidst the chaos of battle, Liu Bei gazed at the sky, and this line from the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) came to mind.

He had seen extraordinary people and heard about the supernatural abilities of many aristocratic families, but those abilities were essentially still within the scope of physical combat and supernatural powers.

Even if it were a formidable force, it would never be as grand as what is before us.

Liu Bei's fingers tightened slightly, his heart filled with both shock and unease.

At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind.

Which side is this deity on?

Soon, the gods in heaven provided the answer.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Suddenly, the ground split open in front of the Han cavalry's charge.

Thick trees sprouted from the ground.

With its verdant trunk and lush foliage, it quickly grew into more than ten towering giant trees.

Between the giant trees, thorny vines intertwine and grow, forming a natural barrier.

Tiny runes shimmered on the vines.

Each spike gleamed with a cold, hard luster.

The charging Han cavalry had no time to stop.

The warhorse crashed head-on into the wooden stakes and vines, causing both rider and horse to fall over.

Some cavalrymen got their hands and feet tangled in vines and were dragged off their horses.

A warhorse crashed into a giant tree and broke its neck on the spot.

The cavalryman in front fell, and the cavalrymen behind, unable to stop in time, crashed into him one after another.

The once-solid formation of the Han army was torn apart by this suddenly growing giant tree.

What's even more terrifying is yet to come.

Boom boom boom!

The Five Elements Thunder Technique descended from the sky.

The golden lightning was sharp and fierce, falling like a golden sword piercing the sky.

When the lightning struck, vines sprouted from the wound and entangled the soldiers' armor.

The water mines were cold and icy; a flash of lightning froze a piece of armor into white frost.

The fire and thunder were intense, exploding into crimson fireballs upon landing.

The earthen mine, heavy as it was, crashed down, burying men and horses in the mud.

Bolts of lightning struck the Han army formation with pinpoint accuracy, killing their commanders one by one.

Even though the extraordinary generals were usually invulnerable to swords and spears and possessed strong blood and qi, they could not withstand the thunder magic for more than a breath.

One of the extraordinary generals roared, his muscles bulging and his body covered in bluish-black scales, as he attempted to withstand the lightning.

The next moment, golden lightning struck.

He immediately knelt down on the ground, smoke billowing from his seven orifices.

"Brother!"

"Be careful!"

Guan Yu reacted swiftly and tackled Liu Bei off his horse.

boom!

As the lightning struck, Liu Bei's warhorse was instantly reduced to charred remains.

A wave of heat swept past Liu Bei's back, startling him so much that he broke out in a cold sweat.

Zhang Fei roared and raised his spear to block Liu Bei.

Guan Yu looked up at the sky, a solemn expression appearing in his phoenix eyes for the first time.

Liu Bei was scrambled to his feet and it took him a while to recover.

He stared blankly at the sky, his eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.

Is the mandate of heaven for the Han dynasty about to come to an end?

"Is this also fate?"

Rumble!

Thunderbolts continued to fall.

In the era of cold weapons, air superiority was virtually invincible.

Moreover, Huang Bai possessed not ordinary bows and crossbows, but extremely powerful Five Elements Thunder Techniques.

He stood high in the sky, overlooking the entire battlefield, everything clearly visible to him.

He can kill almost anyone he wants.

Even a superhuman cannot withstand the ultimate strike of lightning magic.

Dozens of bolts of lightning struck in succession.

The medicinal power of the mica inner elixir gradually diminished.

The Han army had suffered heavy casualties, its various units had lost command, and its ranks were in chaos.

The night raid, which had been unstoppable, turned into a rout in an instant.

On the altar, Zhang Jiao finally came to his senses.

He stared blankly at the winged sun figure in the sky, then his eyes burst with uncontrollable ecstasy.

He had never truly seen the Yellow Heaven.

At that moment, he knew what he had been waiting for.

Zhang Jiao suddenly raised his nine-section staff high and roared hoarsely:

"The Yellow Heaven descends! Peace returns to its source!"

"kill!"

"Peace reigns throughout the land!"

Upon hearing Zhang Jiao's shout, the Yellow Turban soldiers in the city were instantly energized, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

The believers, who had been routed by the Han army's fire attack, now picked up their weapons again.

"kill!"

The Yellow Turban army marched out of their camp and charged into the chaotic Han army.

Flames raged, the battlefield was in chaos, shouts and howls echoed through the night, the ground was drenched in blood and mud, and severed limbs and remains were scattered everywhere.

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and the Han army camp completely collapsed.

At this moment, Huang Bai, accompanied by Zuo Ci, slowly landed on the altar in Guangzong City.

The dragon chariot and the strange phenomena gradually dissipated.

The Vermilion Bird transformed into flames and disappeared into the yellow and white sleeves.

The two dragons circled the altar once and then disappeared.

Only the golden glow of the sunset remained.

The three brothers, Zhang Jiao, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang, immediately stepped forward to greet them.

The three of them bowed down in unison.

"Zhang Jiao!"

"Zhang Bao!"

"Zhang Liang!"

"Greetings, Immortal Elder of Penglai!"

"Greetings, Immortal Nan Hua!"

The moment Zhang Jiao saw Zuo Ci, he understood most of the situation.

It must have been the Immortal Elder who chose the Old Immortal of Nanhua, and the Old Immortal of Nanhua who in turn chose himself.

He has been spreading the word in the name of the Yellow Heaven for many years, and today he has finally seen the true source of the Yellow Heaven.

Huang Bai looked at Zhang Jiao and said, "Your thunder magic is quite good."

Having traversed multiple worlds, Zhang Jiao was the first descendant he had ever seen who had mastered thunder magic.

Although the lightning technique was still crude, it already showed some promise.

The fact that Zhang Jiao could reach this level of skill in a chaotic world with just one book, "The Essential Techniques of Peace," is enough to show that he was quite talented.

Zhang Jiao quickly put away his nine-section staff and bowed his head, saying:

"You flatter me, Immortal Elder. I was merely fortunate to have entered this path."

His lightning magic was already considered powerful in the mortal realm, but it was still far inferior to the scene of Huang Bai striking down lightning from the sky and killing all the generals.

Huang Bai looked around.

Outside the altar, the flames had not yet died down.

The shouts of those chasing the Han army could still be heard in the distance.

After a moment's thought, he took the Heavenly Dao tablet out of the Muchen Pearl.

As soon as the memorial tablet was presented, golden light shone brightly on the altar.

The Yellow Heaven Flag, which had been swaying precariously, seemed to have found a foothold and instantly stabilized.

The three Zhang brothers gasped for breath, sensing that the memorial tablet contained an extremely ancient and vast spiritual meaning.

Huang Bai handed the memorial tablet to Zhang Jiao.

"From this moment on, you are the temple keeper of the Heavenly Way Temple."

"Responsible for spreading the Tiandao Temple belief."

"At the same time, you will receive the Yellow Heaven Dharma Register, which grants you the qualification to borrow the Dharma."

The words fell.

A ray of golden light flew out from the memorial tablet and landed between Zhang Jiao's eyebrows.

Zhang Jiao was startled as some magical information flooded his mind.

Zhang Jiao immediately understood.

From this day forward, he will no longer act merely in the name of "Huangtian"; he will truly be connected to the Huangtian lineage.

They finally gained Huang Tian's approval.

From then on, the Yellow Turban Army was no longer a hastily formed rebel army.

Instead, they are the genuine Penglai Protectorate Army.

Zhang Jiao solemnly accepted the Heavenly Dao tablet, his hands trembling slightly.

"Your disciple obeys!"

Huang Bai continued:

"From now on, I will be known as the Eastern King Duke, and you may all be given the titles of Thunder God, Wind God, Rain Master, and Old Immortal of Nanhua."

Since we're going to rebuild the immortal kingdom, let's just change our identity.

Zhang Jiao and his two brothers, along with Zuo Ci, all bowed down.

"yes!"

Looking at the crowd bowing down, Huang Bai felt a slight stirring in his heart.

In the future, everyone will have a place to become an immortal, which can be considered as satisfying the perverse pleasure of becoming a Buddha or an ancestor.

However, to be fair, the magical power of the sorcerers present is actually quite strong.

Zhang Jiao's thunder magic is fierce, while Zuo Ci's paper-folding magic is profound.

In the eyes of ordinary mortals, they are not much different from gods.

Myths have always been exaggerated over time, often involving plucking stars from the sky and seizing the moon, or destroying the world.

In reality, the abilities of ancient immortals may not have been as exaggerated as those in later legends.

Let alone comparing them to Huang Bai today, even if we only compare them to Zhang Jiao, probably 80% of the immortals in "Biographies of Immortals" would not be able to defeat Zhang Jiao.

This matter is not over yet.

Huang Bai then took out another map and handed it to Zhang Jiao.

The map marks famous mountains and rivers, as well as various dangerous passes.

Zhang Jiao took the map, puzzled:

"Your Highness, what does this mean?"

Huang Baidao:

"Conquer these places, and then set up altars and formations here according to the method I will teach you later."

The Eastern Han Dynasty was about to fall.

This is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the dynastic fortune that dissipated when the Eastern Han Dynasty fell, and to cultivate the art of circulating qi.

Using the dynasty's fortune as a catalyst, the third elixir of immortality is propelled, and the Dharma realm is shaped incidentally.

This is what Huang Bai truly values.

Although Zhang Jiao did not know the full meaning behind it, he understood that this matter must be of great importance.

His expression was solemn.

"yes!"

"I will certainly not fail the trust placed in me by the king and the nobles."

He accepted the mission and then continued to command the Yellow Turban Army in battle.

The Han generals were either killed or wounded, and the rest either fled or were captured by the Yellow Turban army.

On the battlefield, the towering flames gradually died down.

The sounds of fighting gradually subsided into silence.

Guangzong City.

The commanders from all sides sounded the retreat and gradually gathered at the central command tent.

At the main altar in the tent, a young Taoist priest wearing a golden crown and yellow robe had taken his place.

The young man had a magic sword and hand seal hanging from his waist, and his expression was calm.

The three Zhang brothers knelt beside him, with the majority appearing to be young men.

Zuo Ci stood to the side and behind, holding a whisk, appearing to be a protector of the Dharma.

One by one, the chieftains and commanders entered the camp and respectfully presented the prisoners.

"Chief Zhang Yan, Zhang Niujiao, and Wang Dang pay their respects to Lord Wang!"

"We have captured over thirty Han army officers and soldiers. We request that Your Highness dispose of them as you see fit!"

Among the prisoners brought up were the three brothers Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.

Liu Bei lowered his head, feeling uneasy.

He secretly raised his eyes and cautiously looked at Huang Bai on the main seat.

The divine being who had just descended from the sky had now concealed his extraordinary appearance and transformed into an ordinary young Taoist priest.

The more this was the case, the less Liu Bei dared to underestimate them.

Even when concealing their divine power, such beings are not to be offended by mortals.

Guan Yu stood behind Liu Bei, his expression calm.

Zhang Fei was full of resentment, but Guan Yu held his shoulder down, preventing him from moving.

The three brothers were urged forward to pay their respects.

Liu Bei lowered his head, trying his best not to be noticed by the other party.

The next moment, Huang Bai's voice rang out.

"Liu Bei, with your large ears, are you willing to surrender to the Way of Peace?"

Liu Bei suddenly looked up and met Huang Bai's ambiguous smile.

His heart sank instantly; the other party actually knew him.

Seeing that his identity had been exposed, Liu Bei stopped pretending.

He straightened up and spoke with righteous indignation:

"I am a member of the Han imperial family, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan. How could I surrender to traitors?"

"Heaven's mandate is with the Han. Don't think that just because you won this time, you can destroy the Han Dynasty."

"Fate will not grant your wish!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Yellow Turban leaders in the tent all glared angrily at him.

If Huang Bai hadn't been seated in the main seat, he probably would have already started cursing.

Only Huang Bai's expression remained unchanged, and he smiled:

"The Mandate of Heaven is with the Han? During the transition from Qin to Han, Liu Bang rose to power with my support."

"The destiny you speak of, are you referring to me?"

As they spoke, an ancient silk scroll appeared in the void.

The silk scroll floated down gently and came to rest in front of Liu Bei.

The inscription above is written in ancient seal script, detailing Huang Bai's past deeds and titles.

Finally, there is Liu Bang's signature, and the Imperial Seal, symbolizing the emperor's most precious treasure.

When Ying Zheng possessed Yi Xiaochuan's body and assumed the name Liu Bang, he left this document for Huang Bai when he became emperor.

I never expected it would come in handy today.

The moment Liu Bei saw the seal, he was completely stunned.

He had personally seen the imperial seal on the edict when his teacher Lu Zhi was demoted.

It is exactly the same as the mark on the silk scroll in front of us.

So, the Mandate of Heaven mentioned by the Han Dynasty actually refers to this Yellow Heaven deity before us?

Liu Bei's resolve wavered.

The pride of being a member of the Han imperial family was shattered at this moment.

The destiny he had longed for was right before his eyes.

Liu Bei's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Since His Majesty once bestowed the Mandate of Heaven upon the Han Dynasty... why is he not helping the Han Dynasty this time?"

Huang Bai lowered his gaze and said calmly:

"Liu Xiu's allegiance to the Queen Mother of the West signifies his abandonment of his original destiny. The Later Han dynasty claimed to be of the Fire element, seemingly inheriting the Han lineage, but in reality, it had already deviated from its foundation."

"My purpose in descending to the mortal realm this time is to punish Liu Xiu's lineage."

At this point, Huang Bai looked intently at Liu Bei:

"Liu Bei, are you willing to accept this new mandate from Heaven?"

The tent fell silent for a moment.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both looked at Liu Bei.

Zhang Jiao didn't have any objections upon hearing this.

Prior to this, Huang Bai had already given Zhang Jiao two choices.

One is to become the ruler of the Dao Kingdom, and the other is to become the ruler of the human world.

Immortality and power are mutually exclusive.

Zhang Jiao naturally chose the former.

He initially raised an army for peace, and although he later harbored ambitions of domination, now that he has truly seen the light, he understands his own path.

He would rather become the ruler of the Dao Kingdom than be mired in the power struggles of a human dynasty.

Once Zhang Jiao withdraws, someone must take over the future human authority of the Yellow Turban Army.

Since Huang Bai chose to be a member of the Han imperial family, Zhang Jiao had nothing to say.

Liu Bei naturally understood the meaning behind Huang Bai's words.

He came from humble origins, and although he was a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, he was already far removed from the main line of the royal family.

That is why he did not possess the special abilities passed down from Liu Xiu's lineage, and was only skilled in martial arts.

As a member of the Han imperial family, his rebellion against the Han was a hurdle he couldn't overcome in his heart.

If the person before him is truly the source of Emperor Gaozu's divine mandate, then his surrender to the Yellow Turban Army at this moment would not be considered a rebellion.

Instead, it was about correcting past mistakes.

He was merely carrying on the work of his great-grandfather.

Moreover, without this destiny, how long would it take for a mere weaver of mats and seller of shoes to truly stand on the stage of the world's affairs?

With this thought in mind, a sense of determination gradually appeared in Liu Bei's eyes.

He bowed down.

"Xuande pays respects to the Prince! I am willing to inherit the Mandate of Heaven for the Han Dynasty!"

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei exchanged a glance and then knelt down as well.

Huang Bai nodded slightly.

"The Former Han dynasty believed in the virtue of Earth, while the Later Han dynasty considered itself to be associated with the virtue of Fire. Now that you have inherited the Mandate of Heaven, you are inheriting the virtue of Earth from the Former Han dynasty."

"This is the time for the Yellow Heaven to rise."

In just a few words, Huang Bai laid the foundation for Liu Bei's destiny to inherit the Han Dynasty.

Those inside the tent were deeply shaken.

They originally only knew that the Yellow Heaven should stand, but they did not understand the deeper meaning behind it.

Only now do I realize that the so-called Yellow Heaven is not simply a replacement for the Azure Heaven.

Furthermore, the virtue of Earth was revived, and the Former Han Dynasty was re-established.

"Exactly!"

Liu Bei accepted the silk scroll with both hands.

From this moment on, he officially inherited the will of Huang Tian.

This silk scroll will serve as proof of his legitimacy.

The will of the Yellow Heaven also replaced the concept of Heaven in Liu Bei's mind.

……

On the vast wilderness, the remnants of the Han army fled in panic.

Cao Cao abandoned his armor and weapons and left the battlefield under the escort of his personal guards.

He glanced back in the direction of Guangzong.

The sky was overcast, the mountains stretched like a sea, the setting sun was like blood, and the shouts of the Yellow Turban Army still echoed in the distance.

Cao Cao remained silent for a long time, and finally whispered:

"The world is in chaos; it's best to make plans as soon as possible."

He originally wanted to take advantage of the Yellow Turban Rebellion to make a name for himself.

What he saw tonight completely shattered his judgment of the world situation.

If deities could truly intervene and support a region, how long could the so-called righteousness of the imperial court and the military might of powerful families last?

As the Han army collapsed, the news quickly spread far and wide.

Some say the Yellow Turban Rebellion summoned ghost soldiers, while others say the Way of Peace invoked the true immortals.

Some people believe the rumors of gods and immortals descending to earth, while others do not.

After all, Emperor Guangwu received the teachings from the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden and established his rule over the world nearly two hundred years ago.

The emperors of recent generations have long lost the divine lineage that allows them to communicate with the gods.

Therefore, all the officials and civil and military officials believed that the immortals and gods had gone into hiding.

We live in an age of ordinary people.

When the news of the divine descent arrived, many people's first reaction was disbelief.

Luoyang.

above the hall.

The courtiers were arguing fiercely.

"This is the result of sorcery by the Taiping Dao, not a divine incarnation!"

"Indeed, the Moth Thieves are masters of deception and trickery; how can we believe them?"

"The imperial army has been defeated, and the Moth Rebels have occupied the entire Ji Province. The catastrophe is imminent, and you are still discussing sorcery?"

"In my opinion, the governor should be deposed and replaced with a prefect, and all prefectures and counties should be ordered to recruit soldiers to suppress the bandits!"

"No!"

"If the governorship is abolished and a local governorship is established, the local governors will inevitably hold military power and become powerful."

"If this policy is implemented, how will the imperial court maintain control over the realm in the future?"

"If the Yellow Turbans are not controlled now, what future will the court have?"

In the imperial court, the debates grew louder and louder.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Liu Hong lay sleepy-eyed.

He listened quietly to the ministers arguing, his face grim.

Upon hearing the words "abolish the historian and establish a governor," he remained silent for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

Liu Hong naturally knew that this policy would lead to a surge in local power and subsequent chaos throughout the land.

However, with the Yellow Turban Rebellion looming, he had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure in order to preserve his empire.

One minister, forcing himself to remain calm, said:

"The people's hearts are with the Han, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion is nothing to fear. As long as the various prefectures and counties raise troops to defend the emperor, the Yellow Turban rebels will be destroyed sooner or later."

As soon as he finished speaking, a palace servant rushed into the main hall.

"Urgent! Liu Bei, a member of the Han imperial family, has usurped the throne in Guangzong! His reign title is Huangtian, and his pseudo-title is Han!"

The entire court fell silent instantly.

The ministers who had been arguing just moments before were all frozen in place.

Liu Hong suddenly sat up straight.

"What did you say?"

The palace servant knelt on the ground, her voice trembling.

"Liu Bei summoned the scholars of Ji Province and displayed the so-called silk scroll of Emperor Gaozu."

"Proclaiming that His Majesty is..."

The palace maid looked distressed, and cold sweat streamed down her forehead.

Liu Hong's eyes were icy cold.

"explain."

The palace maid gritted her teeth and said:

"It was a false emperor and a false dynasty; he claimed to be the rightful heir of Emperor Gaozu."

"Liu Bei also criticized the current emperor's policy of persecuting partisans and adopted a posture of widely recruiting talented people."

"and……"

"And he also wrote a poem."

Liu Hong remained expressionless.

Only those who know him well understand that this is a sign of extreme anger.

Tell me about it.

The palace maid took out bamboo slips and carefully began to read aloud.

"Let us drink and sing, for life is short..."

"The Duke of Zhou spat out his food to welcome guests, and the world turned to him."

The main hall was completely silent.

This poem is too arrogant.

That's incredibly impressive.

It's not simply a criticism of the imperial court.

Instead, it was a clear message to scholars across the land: I, Liu Bei, am eager to seek out talented individuals and am willing to treat them with the same respect as the Duke of Zhou.

At the end of the list of officials, Cao Cao paused slightly and couldn't help but scratch his head.

For some reason, when he heard this poem, he felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness.

It's like something extremely important was taken away from us beforehand.

boom!

Liu Hong slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"Rebellion! Rebellion!"

"A mere mat weaver and sandal seller dares to claim legitimacy as the successor to the founding emperor!"

"Summon all the lords of the land! Besiege the traitor!"

The court officials all knelt down, their hearts filled with fear and unease.

The Yellow Turbans were no longer just Yellow Turbans, and Liu Bei was no longer just a collateral branch of the Han Dynasty.

If that silk scroll from Emperor Gaozu is genuine, then the world is likely to descend into chaos.

(Long chapter, one more tonight, 10,000 words update today, please vote with monthly tickets)