Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

When Xuancheng Daoist heard what the young Daoist said, his first reaction was not shock, but disbelief.

"What did you say? The Federal Army has surrounded the Xuanzhen Temple?"

He frowned, his face looking rather grim.

What place is this?

This is Xuanzhen Temple!

To ordinary people, it is just an ancient Taoist temple with thriving incense offerings, a key religious and cultural site protected by the Blue Star Federation.

But for those who truly know the inside story, Xuanzhen Temple is one of the nine branches of Taoism, and the foundation of the Cunsi lineage in Nanjiang.

With a history spanning thousands of years, its disciples are spread throughout the Federation, encompassing the political, business, and military spheres. Countless people have benefited from the grace of Xuanzhen Temple.

Even within the Nanjiang Province, some special events require the Xuanzhen Temple to intervene and suppress them.

said with no exaggeration.

Without Xuanzhen Temple, Nanjiang would have been in complete chaos long ago.

The Federal Military dared to surround Xuanzhen Temple?

Are you kidding me!

Xuancheng Daoist instantly came up with a reasonable explanation and coldly looked at the young Daoist boy in front of him.

"Are you under the spell of mind reading?"

"Who planted illusions in your mind?"

The young Taoist priest's face turned pale, and his voice trembled with anxiety.

"Uncle-Master, it's true!"

"The front of the mountain has been sealed off by the army!"

"All tourists and pilgrims have been evacuated, and communication signals have been cut off!"

"There are also military warships in the sky!"

Master Xuancheng was just about to inspect it himself.

next moment.

hum-

A deep rumble came from the sky.

Above the entire Xuanzhen Temple, the clouds were forcibly torn apart.

Several pitch-black near-Earth orbit warships slowly descended, their massive hulls and blue engine flames standing out starkly in the morning mist.

A series of red scanning beams swept from the mountain gate all the way to the forbidden area behind the mountain.

The morning bell that was ringing at Xuanzhen Temple suddenly stopped.

Whether they were worshippers or Taoist priests from the outer courtyard, they all subconsciously looked up at the sky.

The next moment, a cold and loud mechanical broadcast voice came from the warship's loudspeaker system and spread for miles around.

"Federal Military Command High-Level Operational Notice"

"From this moment on, the area within a hundred li radius of Xuanzhen Temple is officially under military control."

"All roads are blocked, and communication signals are cut off."

"All unauthorized aircraft are prohibited from taking off."

"Those who disobey orders will be treated as hostile targets."

The sound paused.

Then it continued to play.

"A joint investigation was conducted by the Federal Special Affairs Department, the Bureau of Abnormal Intelligence, and the Military Inspectorate."

"Xuanzhen Temple has long concealed illegal supernatural powers, privately established armed organizations, illegally detained federal citizens, interfered with local administration, and monopolized the transmission of spiritual power."

"And is suspected of colluding with the Anti-True Society, cultivating Twisted Seeds, endangering the security of the Federation, and attempting to overthrow the legitimate rule of the Blue Star Federation."

"The evidence against the above charges is conclusive."

"In accordance with Articles 7, 11, and 29 of the Federal Supreme Security Act, all religious protections and special exemptions granted to Xuanzhen Temple are hereby officially revoked."

"Effective immediately, Xuanzhen Temple is classified as a top-level illegal supernatural organization."

The entire Xuanzhen Temple was deathly silent.

The ordinary Taoist priests in the outer courtyard turned pale upon hearing this.

An illegal supernatural organization? Colluding with the Anti-True Society? Subverting the Federation?

Any one of these charges would be enough to wipe the entire Xuanzhen Temple off the planet.

Even Master Xuancheng was bewildered.

How could Xuanzhen Temple possibly collude with the Rebel True Society?

The two sides have been fighting for hundreds of years.

Has the Federal Military gone mad?

The broadcast hadn't ended yet.

The last paragraph finally came to a close.

"This operation is now under the full control of General Gu Changjin, the current Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Military, Director of the Special Operations Department, and Commander-in-Chief of the Special Situation Handling Department."

"Operation code name - Cleanse Xuanzhen."

"All members of the Xuanzhen Temple, cease resistance and submit to investigation on the spot."

"Those who resist to the bitter end will be killed without mercy!"

Gu Changjin? Upon hearing this name, Xuancheng Daoist froze.

Commander-in-Chief? Director of Special Operations? Commander-in-Chief of Special Situations?

Is it just someone with the same name? Or... no! It must be someone with the same name!

Yesterday's Gu Changjin was clearly just an ordinary student who had just graduated from high school.

His parents were just ordinary employees of the Starport Group.

He had no background, no family connections, and hadn't even embarked on the journey of cultivating his mind.

How could he become the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Army overnight?

absurd!!!

"snort!"

Just then, a cold snort suddenly came from deep within the back mountain.

The sound was like thunder, instantly dispersing the clouds and mist on the front mountain.

"Since when has the Federal Military dared to come to my Xuanzhen Temple and swagger around like this?"

Two figures flew out from the back mountain.

They had no flying vehicles beneath their feet, but hundreds of distorted phantoms appeared behind each of them.

Black water churned beneath a person's feet, from which countless pale hands emerged.

Behind the other person hangs an ancient bell covered with human faces.

Every face is silently wailing.

These were the two elders who remained at Xuanzhen Temple.

Qinghe Daoren.

Xuanmu Daoren.

All of them are cultivators at the Hundred Aspects Realm.

The two landed before the mountain gate, their wide robes fluttering even without wind.

None of the Federation soldiers surrounding the mountain gate retreated in the face of these two strange mental images.

Xuancheng Daoist then came to his senses.

"All inner court disciples, follow me to the mountain gate!"

He hurriedly led several stewards and a large number of Taoist priests to the front mountain.

The closer he got to the mountain gate, the uglier his expression became.

The scene outside Xuanzhen Temple was far more exaggerated than the Taoist boy had described.

The area between the foot of the mountain and the mountain gate has been completely sealed off by the military.

Thousands of federal soldiers lined up on both sides, heavy electromagnetic cannons were mounted on distant hilltops, and countless unmanned combat platforms floated in mid-air.

Further out, near-Earth orbit warships are locking onto the entire mountain range.

What truly unsettled Xuancheng Daoist was not those technological weapons.

Instead, it was three hundred figures standing at the forefront of the army.

They wore uniform dark red combat suits covered by lightweight powered exoskeletons.

Strangely, they were not carrying electromagnetic rifles or any long-range weapons.

They were just standing there, empty-handed.

But their blood and energy were so vigorous that they didn't seem like normal people.

A faint red aura, like flames, clung to the surface of the body.

Three hundred people stood together, their masculine energy soaring to the sky.

The pale hands in the black water beneath Elder Qinghe's feet instinctively shrank back to the bottom.

The long-faced ancient bell behind Elder Xuanmu also emitted uneasy tremors.

"What is this?"

"When did the military start having people like this?"

Xuancheng Daoist felt increasingly uneasy.

Then, his gaze passed over the three hundred Qi and Blood Warriors and landed at the very front.

A group of federal generals with gold stars on their shoulders were surrounding a boy in black.

Military Minister Wei Shanhe stood behind the boy.

Vice Minister Han Zhenyue lagged behind by half a step.

Several major generals stood on the left and right.

That posture didn't seem like they were protecting him.

It's more like they're respectfully protecting a true superior.

The boy stood in the center of the crowd.

He had a calm expression and his hands were behind his back.

He was looking up at the gate of Xuanzhen Temple.

The moment Xuancheng Daoist saw that face clearly, his mind went blank.

It's him!

It's really him!

Gu Changjin, whom he himself expelled from Xuanzhen Temple yesterday!

Their eyes met across the mountain gate.

A gentle smile appeared on Gu Changjin's face.

Xuancheng Daoist felt a chill run from the soles of his feet all the way to the top of his head.

He investigated Gu Changjin.

He's just an ordinary student from an ordinary family, who just graduated from high school!

But what about this scene before us?

Thousands of federal troops and federal near-Earth orbit starships were mobilized.

He stood at the head of the crowd, surrounded by high-ranking military officials.

Could he really be the Generalissimo of the Federation?

But... just one night! Only one night!

The ordinary boy he regarded as an ant then led the entire Federal Military Department to stand once again outside the gates of Xuanzhen Temple.

Master Xuancheng's lips moved slightly.

Only one thought remained in my mind.

Ruined.