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

Tianjing.

Federal Parliament Building.

As one of the highest authorities of the Blue Star Federation, this silver-gray building floats above the central district of the capital.

It is surrounded by twelve ring-shaped floating islands.

Countless shipping lanes, data links, and quantum communication nodes radiate from here to the entire Blue Star Federation.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

Zhou Yuanli, the vice speaker of the Federal Parliament, had just entered his office.

His secretary brought him a cup of hot tea.

He had barely sat down when his personal communicator began to vibrate violently.

The call was unsigned, yet it used the highest-level emergency key from Xuanzhen Temple.

Zhou Yuanli frowned and answered the call casually.

The next instant, Xuancheng Daoist's panicked voice came through the communicator.

"Vice Speaker Zhou!"

"The military has gone mad!"

"They deployed orbital warships to blockade a hundred-mile radius around Xuanzhen Temple!"

"They even slandered my Xuanzhen Temple, accusing it of colluding with the Rebel True Society in an attempt to overthrow the Federation!"

"Elders Qinghe and Xuanmu have been killed, and the military is massacring the disciples of the temple!"

"They also announced that they would purge everyone associated with the Xuanzhen Temple!"

Explosions and screams could be heard continuously over the communication channel.

It was then completely interrupted.

Zhou Yuanli gripped the communicator, his face instantly darkening.

crazy!

Those people in the military have really gone mad!

What kind of place is Xuanzhen Temple?

That was one of the nine branches of Taoism, and the core force in the Nanjiang Province's suppression of the abnormal mental phenomena incident.

Without the Xuanzhen Temple, who will deal with the Rebel Society and handle the Twisted Seeds?

Who will stop those out-of-control minds from devouring the city?

Are those ordinary soldiers in the military going to use electromagnetic cannons to bombard hearts?

Moreover, the status of Xuanzhen Temple within the Federation is recognized by both the Parliament and various factions.

What right does the military have to deploy troops without parliamentary approval?

Who gave them the audacity to directly clean up the Xuanzhen Temple?

Zhou Yuanli grabbed the encrypted communicator from the table.

"Connect with the Federal Military."

"The highest-level route!"

The communication was quickly established.

A young woman's voice came from behind.

"This is the highest command center of the Federal Armed Forces."

Zhou Yuanli suppressed his anger.

"I am Zhou Yuanli, Vice Speaker of the Federal Parliament."

"Get Wei Shanhe on the phone right now!"

"I need to know who authorized the military to besiege Xuanzhen Temple?"

"Where is the parliamentary authorization?"

"Where is the Supreme Security Council's resolution?"

"What right does the military have to wage war against legitimate religious organizations in the Federation?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the communication.

The liaison officer was initially very polite.

But when he spoke again, his voice had become cold and serious.

"Vice Speaker Zhou."

"The siege of Xuanzhen Temple was not ordered by Minister Wei."

Zhou Yuanli asked in a cold voice, "Who is that?"

"General Gu Changjin of the Federal Military Command."

Zhou Yuanli was taken aback.

General?

When did the military add this position?

And who is Gu Changjin?

Before he could ask any further questions, the liaison officer continued, "In addition, according to a joint investigation by the Military Inspectorate, the Bureau of Abnormal Intelligence, and the Special Operations Department..."

"You have been receiving benefits from Xuanzhen Temple for a long time."

"Using parliamentary power to provide political asylum to illicit supernatural organizations."

"They condoned the establishment of a private armed force by Xuanzhen Temple, monopolized the transmission of spiritual knowledge, and illegally controlled federal officials."

"And is suspected of colluding with the Anti-True Society to endanger the security of Earth."

"Vice Speaker Zhou."

The liaison officer's tone even carried a hint of regret.

"You have been listed as a top-level suspect in the defection from the Union."

"The military's arresting officers should have arrived by now."

Zhou Yuanli was taken aback at first, then laughed in anger.

"absurd!"

"I am the Deputy Speaker of the Federal Parliament!"

"What right does your military have to arrest me?"

"This is a coup! A blatant military coup!"

Before he could finish speaking...

A loud bang suddenly came from outside the office.

boom!

It looked like something had been smashed against the wall.

Then came several familiar angry shouts.

"Who is it?"

"This is the Deputy Speaker's office!"

"presumptuous!"

These voices came from Zhou Yuanli's trusted bodyguards.

Three cultivators of the Ten Phases.

They were all experts placed by the Xuanzhen Temple to be by his side.

But the angry shout only lasted a few seconds.

Immediately afterwards, a series of dull punches came from outside the door.

boom!

boom!

boom!

And then there's that piercing scream when the heart breaks.

The office's alloy door was forcibly pushed open from the outside.

Three officers dressed in dark red combat uniforms walked in.

Their bodies were enveloped in a faint aura of blood.

Two squads of heavily armed federal soldiers followed behind.

Zhou Yuanli saw that his three Heart Guards had fallen in the corridor.

His chest had collapsed; his fate was unknown.

The lead officer walked to his desk and unfolded an electronic arrest warrant.

"Zhou Yuanli."

"You are suspected of betraying the Blue Star Federation, colluding with illegal supernatural organizations, and endangering the safety of human civilization."

"On the orders of General Gu Changjin of the Federal Military Command, you are hereby arrested."

Zhou Yuanli was so angry that he trembled all over.

"You are not qualified!"

"Parliament will not recognize this order!"

"None of the major administrative regions will recognize it!"

"You are undermining the federal system!"

The officer put away the electronic arrest warrant without changing his expression.

"take away."

Zhou Yuanli wanted to say something more.

A Bloodforged officer next to him raised his rifle butt and smashed it hard into his face.

boom!

The vice speaker, who had wielded considerable influence in the federal government for many years, suddenly blacked out and fainted on the spot.

Several soldiers dragged him out of the office.

Meanwhile, similar scenes are unfolding simultaneously across Earth.

Members of parliament, local officials, group directors, former military officers... all those who had deep ties with Xuanzhen Temple, were under Xuanzhen Temple's control, or attempted to obstruct the purge operation were all put on the arrest list.

The military was previously unable to counter the mind.

There are many things that you can only turn a blind eye to.

But things are different now.

The Blood Refining Army has appeared.

Those high and mighty cultivators of the Mind Realm are no longer untouchable ghosts.

If you can hit it and make its health bar light up, then you can kill it.

A massive purge targeting Xuanzhen Temple and the network of interests behind it has begun.

……

The back mountain of Xuanzhen Temple.

The shouts of battle from the front of the mountain faded into the distance.

Gu Changjin walked alone through several ancient halls, finally stopping in front of a precipice.

Ahead, there was a solitary peak.

The abyss was shrouded in mist and clouds, and its bottom was nowhere to be seen.

The two peaks are connected only by a very simple suspension bridge.

The iron chain was rusted and rusty.

It was covered with blackened wooden planks.

As the mountain wind blew, the entire suspension bridge creaked and groaned.

If an ordinary person were standing here, they wouldn't even be able to walk past.

Just looking down at that bottomless cliff would make your legs go weak.

Gu Changjin merely raised an eyebrow.

"Is this the true back mountain of Xuanzhen Temple?"

He stepped onto the suspension bridge.

The wooden board swayed slightly.

Fog then surged in from all around.

At first, you can still see the mountain peaks you came from.

After walking a dozen or so steps, everything behind me completely disappeared.

The roar of the military warships could no longer be heard.

The shouts of the Blood Refining Army also ceased.

Even the connection between the Dao Fruit and the projections of the true spirits of the demon kings in the outside world was forcibly severed by some force.

Between heaven and earth, only the faint creaking of the suspension bridge remained.

Gu Changjin continued forward.

The fog is getting thicker and thicker.

The only thing visible was a few planks of wood beneath my feet.

I don't know how long it took.

Suddenly, a dim yellow light appeared ahead.

The suspension bridge has reached its end.

Gu Changjin looked up.

On the solitary peak opposite, there stood an extremely ancient Taoist temple.

The walls are mottled, the tiles are broken, and the gate is half open.

Two white lanterns hung in front of the door.

There were no words on the lantern, but it seemed as if two blurry faces were looking at him through the lantern paper.

The plaque of the Taoist temple bears three ancient characters.

Xuanzhen Temple.

It is completely different from the Xuanzhen Temple, which is large in scale and has a thriving incense offering business outside.

The temple in front of us is small and ancient, carrying a strong sense of history, giving people the illusion that it has stood there since ancient times.

Gu Changjin turned around.

The suspension bridge has disappeared, leaving only billowing white mist behind us.

From the Taoist temple ahead, the faint sound of Taoist scriptures being transmitted could be heard.

Suddenly, a hoarse voice slowly drifted out from inside the temple.

"Who comes?"

"Is there anything you fear in your heart?"

Gu Changjin stood in the fog and suddenly smiled.

What are you afraid of?

"interesting."

He could sense that this place was no longer a normal reality.

It's more like a special space constructed from the heart.

It specifically reflects fear.

Dig out the things you least want to face from the bottom of your heart.

But the problem is.

This body is him/her.

The memory belongs to both him and me.

Fear is also his and my fear.

What is his relationship with Gu Changjin?

Gu Changjin lifted his foot and stepped directly into the temple gate.

"He is what I fear."

"What does this have to do with me?"