Chapter 503: Daoist methods

The Old Taoist was not fighting alone.

Although his White Jade Capital was useless in Shui Bi’s eyes, it was still quite effective among the Eighth Rank, like a great mountain, reducing the Cultivation of the demons, Yin ghosts, and monsters by twenty percent.

However, the White Jade Capital was about to be broken.

At this moment, Ouyang Zhenren, who was skilled in driving gods and ghosts, pulled out handfuls of golden beans and scattered them into the sky!

The golden beans landed, immediately took root, and grew into wood. A shell broke open from within the wood, revealing a magnificent soldier with a powerful belly and a wolf-like waist, full of vigor!

This was the method of commanding gods and ghosts.

The so-called commanding gods and ghosts mostly commanded mountain spirits, wild monsters, demonic creatures, and resentful ghosts, who would come when summoned and leave when dismissed. Li Qi could also do this.

The higher-grade ones, those truly skilled in this Dao, could command “True Gods,” which were the genuine Dharma bodies of Heavenly Court deities who received human incense.

Ouyang Dongsheng indeed possessed some skill. His technique of scattering beans to form soldiers actually caused the ethereal projections of Heavenly Court Heavenly Soldiers to descend and enter the bean soldiers made from those golden beans, indicating that his foundation was quite close to the Divine Dao.

This was also very natural. As a neutral Dao Orthodoxy, besides its own foundation, its other branches and various great Dao Orthodoxys were all very close.

There was a Taiyue faction within Dao Orthodoxy. Although they were called Taoists, they actually practiced martial arts more. Their swordplay and fist techniques were renowned throughout the world, and the Taiyue lineage was also the Ninth Blessed Land, holding a not-insignificant status.

Within Dao Orthodoxy, the Three Islands and Ten Continents, the Ten Great Cave Heavens, Thirty-Six Small Cave Heavens, and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, each had their own hierarchy, but they were all top powers of the Dao Sect. The Ninth Blessed Land directly practiced martial arts, showing how close they were.

There was also the World-Entering faction that directly joined the Human Dao, entering and exiting Chang'an, enjoying the treatment of noble dignitaries, and even showing signs of becoming the national religion of Tang Nation. There were even shadows of True Immortals in such cooperation.

Some factions of external alchemy also had quite good relations with the Dao of Reason, developing many Medicinal Pills and researching the properties of various Spiritual Materials.

There was also the Zombie Dao, a Dao Orthodoxy that had a good relationship with the Ghost Dao and specialized in controlling corpses.

Naturally, there were many Dao Orthodoxys that were close to the Heavenly Court Divine Dao, but… it was unlikely around Mount Luofu. It was unknown where Ouyang Dongsheng came from.

These Cultivators around Mount Luofu should all belong to neutral forces like Mount Luofu, focusing on their own Cultivation, emphasizing internal alchemy, typical of the reclusive faction.

It was evident that Dao Orthodoxy, as a generally neutral force, had many internal inclinations and was not united. Except for the ‘Three Islands,’ the others had no real rallying power.

This was also why no one from Dao Orthodoxy stepped forward after Mount Luofu was destroyed.

Everyone claimed to be of the same Dao Orthodoxy, but in reality, they were not united.

Of course, putting these aside, the bean soldiers scattered by Ouyang Dongsheng had already formed a Formation.

The army was filled with Killing Intent. Numerous soldiers, armed with weapons, clad in bright armor, charged ferociously, waving flags and beating drums. The surging masses of men and horses were boiling with Battle Intent, leading the army to war!

Looking at the number scattered, there were actually ten thousand armored troops, seven hundred chariots, and six thousand cavalry. Arrows and crossbow bolts rained down, drums and gongs roared, and the hordes of ghosts scattered in terror, countless of them chased, wounded, and cut down by this bean-to-soldier technique!

Another Daoist Master Zhang Zhenren, channeled his True Qi and began to cast a spell. Then he took out a Talisman, lit it, burned it to ashes, and put the ashes into water. The water immediately turned crimson and began to smoke.

He took a deep breath, drank the Talisman water in one gulp, and then violently spat it out. True Fire spewed from the Talisman water, and the Vermilion Fire of Danling rushed forward a hundred zhang, with fiery clouds stirring the wind, crimson wheels turning, and eight surges of heavenly light. The raging flames directly incinerated countless Yin ghosts!

Water casting fire, eliminating all evils, red brilliance illuminating the night, subduing ten thousand demons, the fiery ritual fire that destroys monsters and punishes evil transformed into a roaring Dragon. A fire Dragon soared into the sky, swirling among the ghost horde.

Then there was Daoist Master Liu Dewang. He was skilled in Formations, and the Town Dragon Formation that trapped the old horse earlier was his handiwork. He was seen directing his disciples and grand-disciples to gather together.

Over a thousand Taoists gathered, took out candles, and each lit one with a breath of True Qi. A lamp Formation was set up, and each person stepped on the Nine Palaces, rotating according to a specific pattern.

Liu Dewang presided over the lamp Formation in the center. Countless lamp lights shone, illuminating all directions with brilliant splendor. There were colorful rays of light extending a zhang, secret golden grids of nine layers, and seven-treasure forests shining brightly. Exquisite Qi condensed, and spiritual winds played, transforming into countless golden lights illuminating the surroundings.

Liu Dewang chanted: “Suffering souls sunken in the nine nights, hoping for the morning sun. I humbly submit that the Kun chariot carries all things, not yet established in the center of the earth’s power. The Brahma Qi flows, and the stars of Shen and Jing are to the right of the array. The virtue of the Great Spirit is widely spread, and the realm of benevolence and tranquility is high above. Ten thousand treasures are adorned, and a hundred spirits are subdued—.”

“Today, the ritual official Liu Dewang, delivers the lost souls and spirits, to be reborn in all heavens, lighting the divine lamps. Bestowing the Divine Treasure Chapter of the Serene Tusita Heaven!”

“May the nine-colored sunlight be granted, to illuminate and break through the deep darkness of Hell!”

As he spoke, the lamp Formation erupted with Divine Might. It was actually a ritual for deliverance!

Countless Yin ghosts with weak resentment and shallow Cultivation were illuminated by the golden light. Their resentment immediately dissipated, they bowed in relief, and then voluntarily left, heading towards the Ghost Gate.

Meanwhile, the fire Dragon nearby continued to spew flames. Countless unranked Yin ghosts were directly incinerated into ashes, but they didn’t truly die.

With Li Qi nearby marking them with Great Forest Wood Qi, if anything happened to them, Li Qi would directly pull them out and send them into the Ghost Gate.

Those who should be Reincarnated or suffer in Hell to atone for their sins should go and suffer. There’s no point in lingering outside as Yin ghosts. The dead should honestly go and die. What’s the use of relying on a surge of resentment to forcefully live in the Yang world?

This could be considered Li Qi’s benevolence, sending them directly into the Ghost Gate was much better than being seized by the Yin Messengers. Let it be compensation for being forcibly driven by Shui Bi.

As for Shui Bi, she didn’t pay any attention to the situation of these Yin ghosts. Her attitude towards the Yin ghosts was completely indifferent. Her main purpose was to force the procession to display its power, reveal its cultivation method or trump cards, and also to force them to move towards Mount Luofu, accelerating the resonance.

Evidently, all these objectives had been achieved.

Countless Taoists each displayed their Divine Abilities, every person using their most treasured techniques. Countless Divine Abilities and spells rushed outwards.

The brilliant light was so dazzling that even the bright moon in the sky dimmed. The forest was cleared. Countless Taoists spontaneously formed Formations on the mountain. Divine Abilities rained down, striking rapidly among them, and the ghost horde scattered in disarray.

The aftershocks rumbled like thunder, like meteors falling from the sky, shining like rain.

There were also those skilled in close combat, holding various Spiritual Tools: peach wood swords, tiger-eye whips, mountain-suppressing pagodas. All kinds of Spiritual Artifacts surged forward. Divine staffs and iron rulers rained down like a waterfall. In an instant, countless ghosts were battered beyond recognition, their limbs flying, and their Yin Qi dissipating.

With no ghosts of the Seventh Rank or above participating, and with Li Qi’s restrictions, the battle was simply too easy. Moreover, the Old Taoist’s White Jade Capital, with its descending pure Qi, suppressed the ghosts, greatly increasing the efficiency of the Taoists.

However… the ghosts’ strength wasn't in their individual power.

The overwhelming number of demons, under their own resentment and Shui Bi's coercion, charged almost suicidally. Even with the White Jade Capital suppressing them from above, it didn't stop them at all.

The ghosts didn't fear death; after all, they were already dead, and now if they died, Li Qi would help send them into the Ghost Gate, so they weren't afraid of casualties. But the Taoists still valued their lives.

Therefore, under wave after wave of impact, they had no choice but to accelerate their movement towards the center of Mount Luofu to avoid the ghost attacks.

Because only that direction had no Yin ghosts; this was intentionally controlled by Shui Bi.

After a while, Shui Bi closed her eyes and said, “I’ve seen enough. I can distinguish them now. There are a total of three thousand four hundred and sixty-one people who have a connection with Mount Luofu. Among those four Eighth Ranks, three are related to Mount Luofu. Only that Ouyang-something, his path is that of commanding gods through written decrees, and he has a shadow of the Divine Department, so he should have a foundation in that area. As for the others, they are useless; they just came to help.”

This was why she drove the Yin ghosts. It wasn't that she couldn't discern the opponent's Cultivation, but analyzing from subtle clues was not as good as letting these people fight themselves. This way, she could clearly see everyone's foundation, and distinguish how many people had a past connection with Mount Luofu, and how many were just there for the show.

Although this 'connection' was a problem, how many people truly realized their connection to Mount Luofu was also a question. Further screening would still be needed later.

Screening… then let's try with the center of Mount Luofu. After all, the resonance came from there.

Shui Bi was doing her own thing, completely oblivious to Li Qi busy saving people on the other side.

In Li Qi's view, since they had actively stirred up the ghost tide, it was not good for either side. Besides, these Yin ghosts were all resentful beings unable to Reincarnate, so it was better to take this opportunity to send them all into Reincarnation and clean them up.

This was different from the matter in the Holy Flame World. The Holy Flame World, in the final analysis, was about resisting Lu Mountain God and Heaven-Devouring Demon Lord. This was their own affair, and Li Qi was merely a catalyst.

Even without Li Qi, everything that was supposed to happen in the Holy Flame World would still happen; only the outcome would change, from a world with a certain degree of freedom to a thoroughly exploited resource world.

These were two different matters, so Li Qi's response was also different.

Both sides did their own things, but they maintained an astonishing默契. Soon, things had progressed considerably. Under the pressure of the ghost tide, the procession had already arrived at the center of Mount Luofu.

With Shui Bi guiding them, they hardly took any detours.

The Taoists below were also nearing exhaustion. After a series of actions, they found that their opponents had not decreased, but instead increased!

This was the Ghost Gate. Ghosts here were inexhaustible. They could only hold out until dawn, when the extreme Yang Qi of the sunlight would naturally suppress these Yin ghosts.

However, the Taoists naturally discovered a place without Yin ghosts.

The central core of Mount Luofu, the main bodies of Mount Luo and Fu Mountain.

The Taoists rushed in frantically, panting from exhaustion, but… upon reaching this place, all the Yin ghosts outside automatically departed.

“They don’t dare to pursue us in here. We’ve truly reached Mount Luofu!” the Old Taoist said, then withdrew his spell and quickly gasped for breath.

The golden bean soldiers were also nearly depleted and damaged. Ouyang Dongsheng wiped his sweat, waved his hand, and withdrew the spell power from them. The bean soldiers all turned to dust and vanished.

The Old Taoist rested for a moment after withdrawing his spell, but his expression was not good.

He said to the other Eighth Ranks, “I just noticed… not a single person on our side died. Those Yin ghosts never seemed to attack the severely wounded. There were over two thousand severely wounded, but not one died.”

“We… were forced in. Someone doesn’t want us to leave and forced us into the center.”

Liu Dewang frowned slightly: “I noticed that too. Could it be those thieves who came in earlier, wanting to force us to scout the way for them?”

It was Zhang Xin, the one who had resonated deeply with Mount Luofu from the beginning, who remained silent at this moment, staring blankly at Zhu Ming Cave in the distance.

One of the Ten Great Cave Heavens of Dao Orthodoxy, ranked seventh, the Zhu Ming Cave Heaven, overseen by Master Qingjing.

“Brother Dao, why do you keep staring at the mountain? Aren’t you coming to discuss our next course of action?” At this moment, Ouyang Dongsheng suddenly looked at Zhang Xin and asked.

“Oh, it’s my first time seeing Mount Luofu, and I’m amazed, so I can’t help but look a few more times. I’ve heard that this place once had Immortals, but it’s a pity, now the Immortals have either Ascended or something, and it’s completely empty, truly…” Zhang Xin shook his head and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Ascension? Where could one Ascend to? I’ve read in books that Ascension is from bottom to top, from small to large, from inferior to superior. The place we are in is already the best of all heavens, where else can one Ascend to? Perhaps they moved.” Ouyang Dongsheng laughed, then continued to Zhang Xin, “Brother Dao, please come down quickly so we can discuss what to do next.”

“That’s true. At this moment, with Yin ghosts outside, and the opponent seemingly having a way to control them, rushing out is definitely not an option. However, I see that the center of Mount Luofu is filled with Spiritual Qi, beautiful with natural beauty, and also a pure Yang treasure land, so Yin ghosts dare not enter. How about… we go further inside?” Zhang Xin suggested.

The Old Taoist heard this, frowned slightly, and said, “Staying here is fine, but why go further inside? I’m afraid it’s not appropriate, is it?”

He stopped there for a moment and didn't continue speaking.

Because he felt that this was the heart of Mount Luofu, and to go deeper would be disrespectful. But this was not convenient to say.

After all, he had infiltrated this Yang Spirit circle by showing greed for treasures. If he were to turn hostile now, he feared he would have to face the Yin ghosts alone later.

He wanted to protect Mount Luofu’s assets, but he wanted to save his life more.

So, he thought for a moment, and after a few seconds, he spoke again: “After all, it’s a place where Immortals once resided. We don’t know if there are any dangers within. It’s safer to just stay here on the edge until dawn, when the Yin ghosts retreat, and then we quickly leave.”

“No.” Ouyang Dongsheng interjected, “Since we already know that the Yin ghosts are controlled by the opponent and only dare not enter due to the Immortal Mountain, then after dawn, if we go out, we will likely face their true form. By then, with so many severely wounded and our own considerable exhaustion, how will we fight them?”