Taoist priests in the supernatural world

Dust billowed along the official road.

The horse's hooves pounded the yellow earth as it headed east.

"carefree!"

On his horse, Huo Shan burst into laughter.

His laughter pierced through the wind and sand, carrying a joy he hadn't felt in years.

To thank Huo Shan for leading the way, Huang Bai gave him a pill.

After the elixir was taken, Huo Shan's childhood ailment was completely eradicated.

Now, riding a horse at full gallop, I feel a sense of exhilaration, as if I could travel a thousand miles in one go.

"It's good that you're alright."

Huang Bai said casually.

It seems that the alchemists of this world do not have a truly systematic lineage.

They're either fraudsters, shamans, or practicing more classical methods like ingesting herbs, minerals, and cinnabar—far from being considered complete spiritual practice.

"This is a world dominated by demons."

As Huang Bai looked at the mountains and rivers along the way, he gradually made a judgment in his mind.

Perhaps the worlds in the entire Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio series are all like this.

The mortal world is in chaos, and demons and monsters live together.

Although mortal dynasties have order, they cannot truly restrain the evil spirits hiding in the mountains and cities.

"This place is suitable for promoting the Taoist traditions of the immortal kingdom of Penglai."

If the Penglai Immortal Kingdom were to settle in this realm, it would have virtually no competitors.

It doesn't even need to retreat from the world; it can easily become the state religion of a secular dynasty.

Based on healing the sick, warding off demons and ghosts, and refining elixirs to prolong life, they gradually replaced those charlatan sorcerers.

However, this step requires the assistance of an earthly emperor.

With that in mind, Huang Bai stopped delaying.

With a flick of his sleeve, he conjured more than ten white horse talismans.

The talisman floated lightly to the ground.

call!

A gust of cold wind blew by.

The white horse talisman paper instantly swelled up and transformed into a series of magnificent white horses.

These white horses were pure white, their hooves swift as the wind, and their manes fluttered in the breeze.

Although it was formed from talisman paper, it was even more wondrous than an ordinary warhorse.

"What incredible power!"

"What a magnificent horse!"

The accompanying cavalrymen couldn't help but marvel.

They were all connoisseurs of horses, and could tell at a glance that these white horses were no ordinary breed.

Huang Bai looked at everyone and said, "Let's go, this will be faster."

Everyone quickly mounted their horses.

With a neigh, the white horse galloped off the road, its hooves pounding the wind.

They sped along, traveling day and night.

In just a few days, the magnificent city of Chang'an gradually came into view.

……

Wei Residence.

The maid hurried along.

The doctor carried his medicine kit back and forth.

The room was filled with the aroma of medicine, yet mingled with a faint smell of blood.

"He's gone mad, he's gone mad, this old man has gone mad."

Inside the house, a middle-aged woman dressed in a dark-colored blouse paced back and forth.

The hairpins and earrings on her head jingled with her movements.

Her beauty, unmatched in the imperial harem, is still evident in her eyes and brows.

At this moment, however, her face showed only anger and heartache.

It was Empress Wei Zifu.

On the bed, Liu Ju's head was wrapped in a white cloth, and he was leaning against the headboard, with blood faintly visible beneath the cloth.

He was pale and forced a bitter smile.

"Mother, please don't be angry. It was I who angered Father, and he lost his temper and that's why he did it."

"A slip-up?"

Wei Zifu turned around abruptly, her eyes filled with coldness.

"He's gone mad. This country will perish in his hands sooner or later."

She made no attempt to hide her feelings when she said this.

His tone showed absolutely no respect for Emperor Liu Che.

The maids and doctors inside the room all lowered their heads, pretending they hadn't heard anything.

Wei Zifu walked up to Liu Ju and said solemnly:

"Ju'er, if one day Liu Che wants to harm you, you must be the first to act."

Liu Ju remained silent for a long time.

He looked up at his mother, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Don't tell anyone else what Mother said."

Liu Ju did not care about the throne.

At least they don't care as much as outsiders might imagine.

He cares more about his mother.

If his mother is humiliated, he will fight that old man to the death.

Just then, a hurried report came from outside the door.

"Report! The champion has arrived!"

Wei Zifu's expression shifted.

"Shan'er is back?"

The mother and son exchanged a glance and quickly walked to the front of the courtyard.

The courtyard is deep and secluded.

Two young people stood under the willow tree by the pond.

A man dressed in armor, with a sword at his waist, exuded vigor and his brows held the sharp edge of a warrior.

The other person wore a golden crown and a feathered robe, with a pure and otherworldly demeanor, as if he were not an ordinary person.

Huo Shan stepped forward and bowed.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty."

Then, he stepped aside to make way for Huang Bai and introduced him:

"Let me introduce you both. This is Huang Tianxianweng from Penglai. He helped me kill the fox demon in the border town; otherwise, my Huo family would have been tormented by the demon long ago."

Huo Shan quickly recounted the events at the border town.

The more Liu Ju and Wei Zifu listened, the more solemn their expressions became.

"The Immortal Elder discovered that the sorcerer who paints skins is in Chang'an, possibly a sorcerer serving His Majesty. Therefore, I brought the Immortal Elder here to slay the demon..."

As Huo Shan was speaking, he suddenly noticed the white cloth on Liu Ju's forehead.

"Hey, Your Highness, your forehead..."

Wei Zifu gave a cold laugh.

"The emperor hit him. The crown prince advised the emperor to stop seeking immortality and medicine, and as a result, the emperor smashed it like this."

Huo Shan's face immediately darkened.

He suddenly punched a large tree next to him.

boom!

Leaves fell to the ground with a soft rustling sound.

"These treacherous villains are truly despicable."

"Let's stop talking about this."

Liu Ju interrupted the conversation.

"Immortal, in three days, the Emperor will offer sacrifices to Heaven at Jianzhang Palace. At that time, the three great alchemists will gather, and after the ceremony, they will depart overseas to search for elixirs. If you wish to subdue demons and monsters, you may choose this day to expose the alchemists before the world."

"it is good."

Huang Bai nodded in agreement.

"The sorcerer is yours to handle; be prepared when the time comes."

Huang Bai did not specify what he was preparing.

No one asked any further questions.

Crown Prince Liu Ju suddenly bowed down.

"Thank you for your trouble, Immortal Elder. I'll leave the great man to you now."

Huang Bai glanced at him.

"It's alright, the Han Dynasty is rightfully yours."

As soon as he finished speaking, he extended a finger and gently tapped Liu Ju's forehead.

A gentle medicinal force flowed into the wound.

Liu Ju felt a cool sensation on his forehead.

The white cloth slid off automatically, and the previously bloody wound healed rapidly under everyone's watchful eyes.

In just a moment, Liu Ju's forehead was as smooth as new, without even a single scar.

"Thank you, Immortal Elder."

Liu Ju touched his forehead.

Such miraculous abilities made him even more convinced of Huang Bai's skills.

……

Three days later.

Jianzhang Palace.

This was the palace that Liu Che (Emperor Wu of Han) spent the most manpower and resources on.

In addition to the nearly 50-meter-high Immortal Dew-Collecting Plate, the surrounding area is also designed to resemble mythical islands at sea, creating images of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou in the Taiye Pond.

The pond is vast and the pavilions stretch endlessly.

A celestial bridge spans the sky, and jade steps rise one after another.

It is so beautiful that it is like a fairyland on earth.

Beneath this paradise lies a mountain of people's hard-earned money.

At this time, Jianzhang Palace was packed with people.

The bronze pillars soar into the clouds, and the dew-collecting plate rises to the sky.

The bronze immortal stretches out his palm to receive the sweet dew.

Banners fluttered all around, armored soldiers stood in a circle, and officials knelt in worship.

Palace attendants, carrying sacrificial offerings such as golden tripods, jade discs, red silk, and cinnabar, stood in turn below the platform.

Luan Da, Shao Weng, and Gongsun Qing appeared in turn, each positioned in one of the three locations on the bronze pillar.

All three were dressed in feathered robes and wore unusual crowns.

Liu Che, dressed in a black imperial robe and wearing a twelve-tassel crown, stood personally under the dew-collecting plate.

At this moment, he is still the emperor who has been powerful all his life.

Deep within those eyes lay a fear of aging and death.

"Gongsun Qing".

Liu Che looked at the three sorcerers.

"Is there really celestial dew this time?"

To build Jianzhang Palace, Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che) nearly exhausted the national treasury.

If these three dare to make excuses again, he will kill them at all costs.

Gongsun Qing smiled and replied respectfully:

"Last night, a celestial being in feathered robes appeared to me in a dream, saying that Your Majesty's sincerity has reached the ears of Heaven. If you offer sacrifices to Heaven today, you will receive the Elixir of Longevity."

He spoke calmly, but inwardly he was quite distressed.

This time, we really need to bring something out.

If we continue to deceive him, the emperor may really get angry.

The three of them weren't afraid of death.

However, they still need to borrow the national fortune of the Han Dynasty to refine the immortal skin, and cannot break away from the Han system for the time being.

"it is good."

Liu Che's voice was low and deep.

"Let's begin."

He stood on the stage, looking down at the people around him, his eyes burning with fierce fire.

He was willing to pay any price for the chance to live forever.

Even if the country is shattered, the population is halved, and the people are full of complaints.

He looked up at the sky, a humble plea in his eyes.

"Legendary Feather Immortal, I have shown such sincerity, so please bestow the elixir of immortality."

In recent years, Liu Che has increasingly felt his body deteriorating.

Wow!

A sudden gust of wind swept by.

Gongsun Qing's white feathered robe fluttered in the wind.

A gentle breeze lifted his body, slowly raising him off the ground and onto the dew-collecting plate at the top of the bronze pillar.

"Amazing!"

"As expected of the Immortal Gongsun!"

"They can truly rise with the wind!"

This extraordinary scene drew gasps of amazement from the crowd.

Crown Prince Liu Ju, Empress Wei Zifu, Huo Shan, and others stood at a distance, their hearts growing increasingly uneasy.

Although they believed in alchemy, this was the first time they had ever witnessed these sorcerers performing such extraordinary arts.

They feared that Huang Bai would not be able to subdue these three powerful sorcerers.

Gongsun Qing stood atop the bronze pillar, arms outstretched, and sang in unison.

"The mighty Heaven shines down upon the earth. Today, the Emperor of the Great Han has fasted and purified his heart, built a platform to collect the dew, and cast bronze to reach the heavens. He prays that the cloud gates will open, the river of immortality will descend, and the elixir of longevity will be bestowed..."

call!

In an instant, a gale howled.

Above the sky, clouds swirl.

Golden rays of light pierced through the clouds and coalesced above the dew-collecting plate into a circular celestial gate.

Golden light shone in countless rays, and the air was filled with swirling mist.

Inside the gate, it seemed as if a celestial palace and pavilions were faintly visible.

Wisps of golden mist descended from the Heavenly Gate.

The golden mist gathered in the bronze plate and quickly condensed into drops of golden dew.

Upon seeing this, Liu Che could hardly sit still.

It is true that immortals descended sweet dew.

Gongsun Qing is not deceiving me!

At this moment, everyone in Chang'an believed in the pursuit of immortality.

Countless eyes were drawn to the golden dew on the dew-collecting plate.

With everyone united in purpose, a giant, earthen-yellow dragon faintly appeared in the depths of the void.

The enormous dragon coiled above Chang'an.

It was precisely the destiny of the Han Dynasty that was transformed.

As everyone's belief in seeking immortality grew stronger, the earth dragon lowered wisps of its fortune, which slowly merged into the three people's appearances.

On the bronze plate, Gongsun Qing continued his charade.

He sometimes inhaled smoke, and sometimes breathed fire.

Sometimes it summons strange birds, sometimes it calls for wind and fog.

"good!"

"Truly a divine being!"

"His Majesty's prayers for immortality have indeed moved Heaven!"

The crowd cheered.

An unprecedented fervor appeared in Liu Che's eyes.

Just then, the golden light from the Heavenly Gate suddenly shone brightly.

A figure descended from the depths of the golden heavenly gate.

This person wore a golden crown and a colorful fairy robe.

Her robes flowed down like clouds and rosy sunsets.

His eyes and brows were clear and bright, and his demeanor was lofty and far-reaching.

Upon its appearance, it seemed completely out of place with the entire world.

Gongsun Qing and the other two were stunned for a moment.

Young Master Gongsun squinted, looked for a moment, stroked his beard, and laughed, "Mr. Gongsun's sleight of hand is becoming increasingly sophisticated."

The other alchemists were immediately relieved upon hearing this.

It turned out to be the case.

They even thought that a celestial being had descended.

Since Shao Weng said it was a smokescreen by Gongsun Qing, it must have been a ritualistic divine power arranged in advance by the sorcerer.

The officials and palace staff were overjoyed.

"An immortal!"

"A celestial being has truly descended to earth!"

Liu Che stared intently at the yellow and white figures within the Heavenly Gate, and at that moment he truly believed that he was destined by Heaven.

Only Gongsun Qing's smile gradually froze.

Because he himself knows best that this is not a smokescreen he arranged.

Gongsun Qing finally realized what was happening, his expression changed drastically, and he opened his mouth to call for help.

"save……"

The sound had not yet fully escaped.

A golden light flashed.

Gongsun Qing's head fell off with a thud.

boom!

The head rolled down from the top of the bronze pillar and crashed heavily onto the edge of the dew-collecting plate.

The crowd below fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help but applaud and cheer.

"good!"

"What incredible power!"

"Tsk tsk, even with the head off, it looks so real."

"The magic of Immortal Gongsun is indeed powerful!"

Everyone thought it was a magic spell from a sacrificial ceremony.

They even felt that Gongsun Qing's "decapitation and immortality" technique was more impressive than his previous ability to swallow smoke and breathe fire.

(Another 10,000-word update, I never lie)