The wedding was livestreamed by the sister, revealing his identity as a Taoist priest.

Qingcheng is a small town at the foot of Yunzemen Mountain.

Eight o'clock in the evening is the liveliest time of nightlife.

Inside the "Spicy Hot Pot" restaurant, the red oil broth was bubbling away, and the air was filled with a spicy aroma.

At a table by the window, several young people who had just finished get off work were drinking heavily, their faces flushed.

"Come on! Let's blow it!"

A young man with dyed blond hair raised his beer glass.

"I'm too tired to play anymore, I have to get up at 8 am tomorrow..."

Before he could finish speaking, the blond-haired man suddenly stopped, staring intently out the window, his beer glass dangling in mid-air.

"Holy crap..."

"What are you looking at? Have you seen a ghost?"

His companion followed his gaze.

Three black minivans quietly pulled up on the side of the road.

The car door slid open, and the person who stepped out instantly silenced half of the hot pot restaurant.

He's neither a tai-tai boss nor a glamorous celebrity.

He is a Taoist priest.

Eighteen.

The uniform dark blue Taoist robes stood out starkly against the backdrop of the city's neon lights.

They stood upright like pine trees, their steps were uniform, and they landed silently.

The leader was an elderly man with slightly white hair and beard, bright eyes, and a whisk in his hand.

They possessed none of the restlessness of modern cities, only a tranquility and solemnity that seemed to have come from the depths of time.

In a hot pot restaurant, a bespectacled boy's hand trembled, and the tripe on his chopsticks fell into the pot.

"Is this...is this a movie shoot? Which film crew is it? Why is there such a big production?"

"It doesn't seem like it; I didn't see any cameras or staff."

The blond-haired youth swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

Do you remember a saying that older people often say?

"What did you say?"

"In chaotic times... a Taoist priest descends the mountain."

The moment those six words were uttered, the air around the surrounding tables seemed to cool down considerably.

A girl suddenly realized what was happening, and shakily pulled out her phone, pointing it at the group of people outside the window.

With a "click," the flash went off.

The group of Taoist priests seemed oblivious, keeping their eyes straight ahead as they walked along the street toward the distant mountains.

Their figures disappeared into the night, but the shock they caused caused an uproar among the crowd.

In less than a minute, it went viral on social media.

[E-sports Prince]: Location: Qingcheng! I swear I didn't drink! Real-life Taoist priests descending the mountain! Eighteen of them! Each one looks like they stepped out of a movie! Is this a big deal? [Images][Images]

【Let's be full of energy today!】: Sisters! I think I saw a god! His aura was two meters and eighty centimeters! The old man in the lead had such scary eyes! I felt like he could wipe out ten years of my good karma with a single whisk! [Video]

[Li Dage, a sober man]: This is not a movie shoot, not cosplay. I am a former armed police officer. The spirit and energy of this team is stronger than the top special forces I have ever seen. They are heading towards Qingyuanling. What is there there?

The comment section was instantly flooded with comments.

"Holy crap! Qingyuan Ridge? Isn't that the legendary ancient tomb complex?!"

"A Taoist priest descends the mountain, his target an ancient tomb... I can already picture it in my mind! Even the Tomb Raider Chronicles wouldn't dare film something like this!"

"Could this be the end of the world? Evil spirits have resurfaced, and Taoist priests are descending the mountain to save the world?"

The speed at which the incident escalated exceeded everyone's expectations.

Half an hour later.

Weibo's trending topics list.

First, breaking news: [#Who exactly is Chen Shidu?#]

Second, the bombshell: [#FiftyMillionsOfPaper#]

Third, breaking news: [#A wooden box worth 20 million#]

Fourth, a bombshell: [#TaoistGoesDownTheMountainQingcheng#]

A brand new entry was forcibly inserted into the list dominated by the three words "Chen Shidu", and it climbed wildly at a visible speed.

Countless marketing accounts sprang into action, generating a plethora of wildly imaginative speculations.

"Shocking! A mysterious Taoist group has appeared in Qingcheng, possibly related to recent celestial phenomena!"

Exclusive Analysis: Judging from the patterns on his Taoist robe, this person is likely an elite member of the reclusive sect "Longhu Mountain"!

"Is an apocalyptic movie unfolding in real life? Insiders reveal that a thousand-year-old demon is suppressed beneath the ancient tomb at Qingyuanling!"

The entire internet's onlookers, who were initially just watching a celebrity gossip story, were instantly drawn into a fantasy suspense blockbuster.

……

At the same moment, Yunze Gate.

In a quiet room deep within the bamboo forest on the back mountain, Sect Leader Lin Shouzhen sat facing three elders, the aroma of tea wafting through the air.

"Has there been any reply from Taiqing Palace yet?"

Elder Wu put down his teacup, his brows furrowing slightly.

"no."

Lin Shouzhen shook his head.

"Elder Yingfei returned yesterday. Judging by the time, Taiqing Palace should already know about the situation at Qingyuan Ridge."

In my opinion, this matter should most likely be dropped.

Another elder, Zhao, stroked his beard and slowly spoke.

"The Seven Star Lamp has too many implications. It suppresses evil spirits and concerns the lives of tens of thousands of people in thirteen villages. No matter how talented the new Celestial Master is, he will not treat this matter lightly."

Elder Wu nodded in agreement. "That's right. The Heavenly Master's wedding is about auspicious omens, not bloodshed. To risk shaking the foundation of Qingyuan Ridge for a mere betrothal gift is not worth it. I imagine Taiqing Palace will choose something else as a substitute."

Lin Shouzhen pondered for a moment and then expressed his agreement.

"There are alternatives on the betrothal gift list. The Taiyi Star Letter has been brought out, so I suppose the Celestial Master won't be fixated on just a magic lamp."

His gaze swept over the three elders, and his tone softened.

"That being said, the Celestial Master's wedding is a major event for the entire Taoist sect. Since the Taiqing Palace has this intention, even though the matter has not yet been completed, the sentiment has been shown. Our Yunze Sect should also make preparations in advance and prepare a generous gift to be sent to the Taiqing Palace on the day of the Celestial Master's wedding to express our congratulations."

"What the sect leader says is true."

Elder Zhao's eyes lit up.

"The thousand-year-old lightning-struck bamboo heart treasured by my Yunze Sect can be used to make a magic sword as a congratulatory gift, which should be quite respectable."

"Can!"

"good!"

The atmosphere inside the quiet room was peaceful, and the four Taoist masters had already begun to enthusiastically plan the wedding gift for the new Celestial Master.

In their view, the matter of retrieving the lamp was already settled and there was absolutely no possibility of it happening again.

Just now.

"Bang!"

The door to the quiet room was flung open from the outside with such force that the door itself shook three times.

A young disciple stumbled in, breathless, pointing towards the mountain gate, his words incoherent.

"Master...Master! No...something terrible has happened!"

Lin Shouzhen frowned and said in a deep voice.

"What's the panic! Is the sky falling down?"

The disciple gasped for breath and finally managed to squeeze out a complete sentence.

"Elder Yingfei of Taiqing Palace... he... he's arrived at the mountain gate with his men!"

He said…

"By order of the Celestial Master, we have come to set up the formation and retrieve the lamps!"

"Snap!"

Elder Wu's teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the bluestone floor, breaking into countless shards.

Inside the quiet room, the four elders suddenly stood up, their composed smiles instantly freezing, replaced by disbelief and shock.

What?

Deploy troops?

Get the lamp?!

They actually... came?