Chapter 277: Yin Essence Sends the Spirit, Zhu Qingyou's Shock, Where Are My Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals

Killing the Eight-Armed Yaksha produced a very impressive intimidating effect.

Zhao Xing, holding its head, passed through more than ten temple halls in succession, and no one dared to stop him.

There were, however, pleas for help.

As Zhao Xing passed a temple hall named "Haoguang Hong Shan Jun Hall," he suddenly heard a faint cry for help:

"Save—save me."

A Fifth-Rank priest, with only half his body, lay sprawled across the temple's threshold.

His face was contorted, tiger stripes had appeared on his forehead, both cheeks were split open, and fine fur had grown over his body.

Zhao Xing glanced over and saw that the man's lower half had already vanished, swallowed by a black rift.

This rift resembled a tiger's mouth, lined with fangs, devouring the divine light from his body.

Had it not been for the powerful vitality of a Fifth-Rank Pure Origin Realm lifeform, with only half his body remaining, he would certainly be dead.

"Hong Shan Jun Hall, this is a strange beast Yin Spirit." Zhao Xing glanced inside the hall and saw that on the altar stood a Yin Spirit with a tiger's head and a human body, holding a long spear, its face fearsome.

Most divine statues are like this, looking fierce and evil; clearly a tiger's head, yet it seems as if it has been given smoky makeup, making it extremely bizarre.

"How should I save you?"

"All halls of the Tianhe Temple have been sealed; the thoughts of the deities have fallen into violent chaos." The man's face showed pain. He seemed to have exhausted himself so much that even his hair had fallen out.

"Please—please give me a drop of your essence blood, so I may suppress the evil thoughts."

"I won't lend it."

Zhao Xing turned and left.

"For temples like this, ordinary people rarely come to worship; the incense and faith rely entirely on the Great Zhou's priests."

"How could Haoguang Hong Shan Jun kill one of its few remaining believers?"

"Isn't this cutting off its own path to survival?"

Without incense, forgotten by all, a Yin Spirit would die completely, falling directly to the "Yi" level, which is nothingness.

Clearly, this scene defied reason; Zhao Xing sneered and continued forward.

"He didn't fall for it." After Zhao Xing left, the pain on the half-bodied man's face suddenly vanished,

becoming calm.

"Your acting is too poor; he didn't fall for it." A voice emerged behind the man, and at the same time, a shadowy figure of a tiger-headed human appeared.

"That's quite normal." The Fifth-Rank bald priest laughed: "He can't distinguish right from good; caution is naturally the first priority."

"Can you read minds? What is his background?"

"I can't read them; his thoughts are all locked." The bald priest shook his head. "This Fourth-Rank official is a master; unless he enters, comes to my home ground, there's no chance of victory. He even killed the Eight-Armed Yaksha."

"The Eight-Armed Yaksha barely escaped, yet it died like this." The tiger-headed Yin Spirit sighed with regret. "Truly, no one knows how it died."

No one clearly saw the scene of Zhao Xing fighting the Eight-Armed Yaksha.

Because of Wu Xuanying, Zhu Qingyou, and the Yin Realm deities, numerous temple halls were sealed, and most Yin Spirits and priests could not get out.

Not only could they not get out, but their visible range was very small.

Beyond the temple, forty or fifty meters away, there was only mist.

"Pity—"

Zhao Xing continued walking forward.

Soon, he heard more cries for help.

"My lord, save me."

"Young friend, please stay, lend me a hand."

"Quickly give me a drop of blood; once I escape, you will have a great merit!"

"Fellow villager, don't go—"

Besides humans, Yin Spirits also tried to tempt Zhao Xing:

"Come quickly! As long as you believe in this deity, let this deity enter your body, and you will possess Third-Rank strength!"

"Sacrifice your blood to me, and you will ascend in one step!"

"No medium needed, no incense required; only believe in me and think of me, and you may borrow my power to rise like a hidden dragon!"

"I beg you, no one remembers me anymore; I am about to dissipate. If you save me, I will serve at your command—"

"Mortal, stop! You are cursed; only this Immortal Venerable can save you. Otherwise, within three days, you will surely suffer a blood calamity—"

Countless voices of Yin Spirits reached Zhao Xing's ears.

However, most of them could not get out; they could only tempt Zhao Xing to enter first.

They might be able to cast spells, affecting the area tens of meters outside, but upon seeing the head of the Eight-Armed Yaksha, they all abandoned their plans.

The Eight-Armed Yaksha was a powerful Yin Spirit capable of escaping the blockade; yet it was beheaded. Clearly, the person before them was not someone to be trifled with.

From these voices of Yin Spirits, Zhao Xing also deduced much information.

"A great change has occurred in the Heaven and Earth Palaces of the Yin Realm; many long-sealed palaces have been opened, and numerous Yin Spirits have lowered their status, even willingly serving at others' command without any price."

"Among them, there are even existences stronger than the Eight-Armed Yaksha."

"Because they are about to dissipate; if they receive no incense or faith to sustain them, they will become completely nothing." Zhao Xing thought silently.

Across past and present dynasties, how many Yin Spirits have been left behind?

Even if nine out of ten have perished, the remaining ones, constantly accumulating, would still be a terrifying number.

During the Taizu era, for the sake of stability throughout the land, such Yin Spirits were not utterly exterminated; instead, they were allowed to perish slowly, like boiling a frog in warm water.

Of course, some stubborn Yin Spirits, as long as even one person remembers them and worships them, will not die.

Thus, their activity areas were restricted; to demonstrate the benevolence and righteousness of the Great Zhou, they were given the title of a minor deity, sealed within a Yin Palace, and assigned small groups of priests to watch them.

Ensuring they did not die, yet preventing them from descending into the human world.

Time passed; the remaining believers, unable to touch that god's power, gradually ceased their faith, and slowly, this Yin God could only survive by relying on the Great Zhou's official sacrifices.

"There are too many Yin Gods. During the Taizu era, they were lavishly enfeoffed. By the time of the Wen Emperor, although their numbers had decreased, their rate of birth far exceeded their rate of demise."

"By the Jing Emperor's reign, he found this policy too slow, so he began to wield the blade against the Yin Gods. However, reducing the enfeoffment system, reforming the army, and the great war against the barbarians consumed much of his energy, so the final result was merely average," Zhao Xing thought silently.

There were many Yin Gods, but the Great Zhou had only so many priests, and the nourishment brought by the common people's faith was too little, so the conflicts among the gods of the Yin Realm grew increasingly fierce.

"This rebellion by Liang Wang, many Yin Gods are also fighting for a sliver of a chance at life. To remain content with the status quo means eventual oblivion sooner or later."

"Previously, they could not resist and had no opportunity; now they must seize the chance. The price of summoning gods has even become lower."

Of course, first-grade Yin Gods like Fu Tianyang and Wu Cheng had no such worries.

Those who followed Liang Wang in the rebellion were basically obscure Yin Gods, or those about to be forgotten.

After all, this is not the decline period of the Great Zhou; if another two thousand years pass, it will truly be chaos.

Control has weakened greatly, not to mention that opportunities for resurrection have appeared in the Yin Realm! The boundary between the Yin and Yang realms has also weakened significantly.

Even small village-level minor gods have jumped down from their altars to bring disaster to the human world.

"The Jing Emperor was truly ruthless. This rebellion by Liang Wang not only let him see the stubborn factions hidden deep within the reforms of the past two or three hundred years,"

"which he had failed to detect, but also conveniently allowed him to strike a blow against the Yin God system he had long wished to reform."

"After this, who knows how many Yin Gods in the Yin Realm will be lost? Most of these eliminated Yin Gods were the ancestors of noble families and powerful officials."

"If Liang Wang succeeds in subduing the barbarians, that would be best. He could carry supreme imperial majesty to do this. If he fails,"

"he can still clean up the mess and lay a good foundation for the next generation."

Wuu wuu wuu~

Countless Yin Gods wailed, and various thoughts echoed in Zhao Xing's ears.

These thoughts were not of low level, but were hindered by the barrier between the Yin and Yang realms and the seals of the temples, unable to break free.

With slightly weaker willpower, one would probably be unable to resist the temptation; perhaps one could gain immense power for a time, but later would become a 'Divine Servant' or a 'Puppet'.

Of course, Yin Gods like Wu Cheng and Fu Tianyang were not included in this category.

They did not need to 'compete' at all, nor would they do such evil things.

The God of Agriculture lacked nothing in incense and faith, nor did he need to participate in such messy affairs.

"Stop! Who are you!"

After walking for a quarter of an hour, Zhao Xing soon encountered another priest who could move about outside.

He looked perfectly normal, entirely in human form. Zhao Xing examined him with the Heavenly Eye Technique and found no deity possessing him from behind.

"Have we already reached the She God Temple area?"

"This is a She God priest."

Through observation from multiple angles, Zhao Xing immediately judged the other's identity.

He could not discern the other's depth, yet felt this person was somewhat dangerous.

"My name is Zhao Xing, Transport Commissioner of the Hundred Roads in Tianhe Prefecture, concurrently Inspector of the Three Levels of the Five Prefectures in the Eastern Region of Haizhou, and the Yuan Marquis enfeoffed by the imperial court!"

"I have come to request the Golden Body of True Lord Tianyang!"

The Transport Commissioner of the Hundred Roads was merely fifth rank, but the Inspector of the Three Levels of the Five Prefectures in the Eastern Region was a fourth-rank official post.

Zhao Xing's reasons were sufficient, his identity reasonable, and there was no problem appearing at the temple.

Upon hearing this, the priest opposite immediately clasped his hands and announced his own identity: "This humble official is Yao Yuanchun, Right Director of the She God Temple."

He became courteous not because of Zhao Xing's identity, for he too held the fourth rank.

The reason for this was mainly because Zhao Xing's avatar was holding the head of the Eight-Armed Yaksha.

"Are you a God of Agriculture or a priest?" Zhao Xing asked.

"A priest. I believe in True Lord Haishan," Yao Yuanchun said.

True Lord Haishan was none other than the fourth Grand Minister of Agriculture, Meng Haishan.

He was also Meng Kun's grandfather.

"I see, then we are of the same path," Zhao Xing said politely to the other.

In reality, he was scanning Yao Yuanchun with all his might.

After a moment, the supreme Heavenly Eye Technique finally revealed some clues.

"As the main hall priest, Yao Yuanchun's cultivation method should be the 'Rhyme and Meaning Concealing Spirit'. The core of the technique is the 【Divine Palace】 and 【Spiritual Terrace】, similar to the Solar Terms Orders of the God of Agriculture or the Later Earth Gravel,"

"allowing the deity to reside in his Divine Palace and Spiritual Terrace apertures when summoning."

"No wonder I could not discern his depth just now. This fellow's summoning and possession is quite extraordinary; the Yin God does not enter his consciousness sea but exists within the apertures of his entire body."

"Besides the Divine Palace and Spiritual Terrace, two Yin Gods are hidden in his eyes. There are at least nine deities throughout his body, and they seem to include gods of different professions—this is meeting a master!" Zhao Xing thought silently.

Nine gods entering the apertures, cultivating the 【Divine Palace】 and 【Spiritual Terrace】, and mastering multiple professions."

"This person's talent among priests is like my own: cultivating the Ten Thousand Methods Avatar and Pure Origin Soil while also mastering the Laws of Heavenly Timing and Earthly Advantage!"

Because he has nine gods that can all be hidden in the apertures, this means he can unleash tremendous power.

Of course, looking at his lifespan wheel, this fourth-rank Yao Yuanchun is at least two hundred years old.

Yao Yuanchun looked at Zhao Xing and felt the same.

Because Zhao Xing's avatar was not a temporary talisman body or Qi body existing for a short time, but an avatar created by the Benwo Sect's method!

Only eight avatars were visible on the surface, but dozens more were invisible!

Combining the thunder technique fluctuations that just occurred and the death of the Eight-Armed Yaksha, Yao Yuanchun also knew he had met a master.

He was now highly vigilant.

Because he did not know whether Zhao Xing was friend or foe.

But he had to ask in the end:

"Lord Zhao, for what purpose do you request True Lord Tianyang?"

Yao Yuanchun stepped forward, his gaze sharp.

"Are you loyal to Liang Wang, or are you against Liang Wang?!"

Zhao Xing placed his hand on the Yuan Yin Holy Scripture and closed his eyes.

This action made Yao Yuanchun even more tense.

He suspected Zhao Xing had seen the divine light hidden in his eyes; this was a combat stance.

It all depended on the answer that followed!

"Liang Wang is a traitor. I swear on my three souls that if I have the ability, I will surely destroy him!" After Zhao Xing spoke, his entire person vanished into the mist behind him.

Yao Yuanchun was about to strike, but hearing these words, he immediately shouted: "Wait, don't attack, we are allies!"

"I also swear on my three souls to destroy the Liang faction rebels!"

With a swish, eight clones emerged from the hidden mist; the Heavenly Thunder Fingers pointing at Yao Yuanchun instantly extinguished.

Yao Yuanchun scanned the surroundings, sweat forming on his forehead.

Because the closest of these clones was only twenty meters away from him.

Just during the time they were speaking, Zhao Xing had already made his arrangements, yet Yao Yuanchun had not known.

And in the instant Zhao Xing vanished into the mist, Yao Yuanchun had lost complete lock; seven identical targets appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.

If they were truly enemies, this gamble of his would have fallen to a disadvantage.

"My Lord Yao, forgive my rudeness." Zhao Xing ordered the clones to withdraw their Heavenly Thunder Fingers and re-enter invisibility.

"My Lord Zhao, forgive my rudeness." Yao Yuanchun also cupped his hands, the divine light in his eyes shifting from clear to murky.

"In these special times, we need not be overly polite," Zhao Xing said. "Brother Yao, introduce the situation inside the temple."

Yao Yuanchun is a master; under the current conditions where the cost of summoning gods has decreased, he could definitely kill someone at the early stage of the Third Rank.

Since he is against the Liang faction, he is a friend.

"Wu Xuanying, the official Third Rank Tongxuan Priest of the Tianhe Temple, and Zhu Qingyou, the unofficial Third Rank Tongyou Priest, each occupy four temple halls and are currently fighting over the Heroic Spirit Hall; this place is also the entrance to the passage between the Yin and Yang realms."

"Normally, when the Heroic Spirits feast, they enter the Yang Realm from here."

Zhao Xing nodded; it seemed the actual situation matched his guess.

Both sides are in a stalemate and have no mind to attend to affairs outside.

"What does Brother Yao plan to do?"

"Now the Yin Realm is in chaos, with various thoughts mixed together. The main hall is sealed. I have just escaped and have not yet made further plans," Yao Yuanchun said, his face looking somewhat grim.

This situation is a major event that is hard to encounter even in a lifetime.

It is perfectly normal for Yao Yuanchun not to know what to do.

"If Brother Yao does not know what to do, please come with me," Zhao Xing said. "It would be good to have someone to look out for each other."

"Brother Zhao intends to summon the Golden Body of the Heavenly Yang True Lord?" Yao Yuanchun said. "This might be a bit difficult. Now that all the halls are sealed, there are still many with ulterior motives there—"

"I am here to handle this matter," Zhao Xing said. "We cannot let these people defile the purity of the Heavenly Yang True Lord,"

"causing his divine power to be exploited by evil men."

"Very well, then I will lead the way for you," Yao Yuanchun said.

"I am indebted to you, Brother Yao."

Inside the Heavenly Yang True Lord Hall, two priests led the crowd, chanting endlessly before the statue of Fu Tianyang. Fu Tianyang, meanwhile, was looking at a scene within the misty vortex and could not help but feel somewhat surprised.

"This young man has good luck; he went around in a circle and still ran into Yao Yuanchun?"

"There are seven paths leading to the True Lord Hall; on six of these paths, Third Rank Yin Gods have escaped confinement and possessed the priests."

"He specifically chose the path of Yao Yuanchun?"

"No wonder my disciple asked me to look after him. Not only is his talent outstanding, but he also bears heavenly luck; even in such a place, he can turn misfortune into good fortune."

Fu Tianyang's previous manifestation was certainly not a random impulse.

It was a deployment made back in the thirty-third year of the Jingxin Era.

At that time, Li Boqian asked him to manifest and told him about Zhao Xing's situation.

And he begged him to look after Zhao Xing during the turmoil.

That is to say, no matter which prefecture Zhao Xing stayed in within Ping Haizhou, he could activate the 'Save the Grandmaster's Golden Body' mission.

As for why it was Fu Tianyang, and not the other Grand Stewards of the Heavenly Timing Sect.

It mainly involves the characteristics of the Yin God system:

First, the gods of this dynasty are usually stronger than those of previous dynasties; this is determined by the system of a luck-based dynasty.

Second: If it is a god of this dynasty, the closer the historical distance to the present, the stronger the ability. This is because the time of death was not long ago; compared to ancient gods, more people know them, and their influence is greater.

Third: The closer a god is to the current era, the more human emotions they possess.

Looking after Zhao Xing carries a certain degree of personal nature.

Li Boqian could not persuade the Grand Steward gods before Fu Tianyang.

Of course, official matters are another story.

This also resulted in the fact that among the current six Grand Steward temples, the Heavenly Yang True Lord Hall has the most priests.

Because he is the strongest, and also the easiest to 'defile'.

Having human emotions means that the seven emotions and six desires still exist.

Being easy to summon means that for rebels, it is easier to 'defile the divine thought', obtain divine power, and the danger is slightly less.

Conversely, the further the god is from the current dynasty in time, the harder they are to summon, and the more likely problems are to arise.

For example, the Eight-Armed Night Yaksha; once summoned, the one in charge is no longer the priest themselves, but rather resembles a soul usurpation.

"Brother Zhao, we have arrived."

With Yao Yuanchun leading the way, many troubles were saved.

No one disturbed them along the way, nor did any god dare to spy.

In a short while, Zhao Xing followed him to the front of the Hall of True Lord Tianyang.

Zhao Xing sensed dozens of auras inside and immediately looked at Yao Yuanchun; the latter said:

"The chief priest of this main hall is the Tianyang Priest, Ai Tianming."

"He is also of the Fourth Rank, over five hundred years old, and possesses the greatest strength."

"The rest are not worth discussing."

Yao Yuanchun said, "What I can confirm is that he has already defected."

"Why?" Zhao Xing asked.

"The moment the turmoil erupted, all priests were forced to consume ten to fifty years of their lifespan to resist the erosion of the Yin Realm," Yao Yuanchun said.

"If Ai Tianming is still alive, there is only one possibility: he accepted the edict of Liang Wang and obtained extra lifespan."

"This man rebelled in an instant and killed many priests in the five surrounding halls; he is truly hateful and must be executed!"

Zhao Xing nodded; a Fourth Rank official at the peak could live only five hundred and some years, absolutely impossible to exceed the theoretical limit of six hundred.

The reason the theoretical limit is called a limit is that ninety percent of people cannot reach it.

Therefore, Ai Tianming, who is over five hundred years old, could not have survived this turmoil.

Unless he rebelled.

"Yao Yuanchun, you are so high-minded, so great!"

Just then, a voice appeared, and at the same time, a square-faced old man wearing a green magical robe manifested in the Hall of Tianyang.

"You can stand on the moral high ground to attack this official; you are only two hundred years old and have already risen to the Fourth Rank."

"You have a vast future ahead, vast lifespan—yet what about me?"

Ai Tianming said calmly, "This official has wandered through many prefectures yet could not rise."

"On the Fourth Rank position, this breath has sustained me for one hundred and fifty-three years."

"As for magical arts, I have also mastered top-tier techniques."

"As for seniority, I have endured one hundred and fifty-three years, wandering through sixteen prefectures."

"Why could the imperial court not let me rise to Third Rank?"

"Where do I fall short compared to those who hold office without merit?"

Yao Yuanchun shouted, "You could not rise; there is a reason you could not rise. Is that your reason for killing people and rebelling? It is simply absurd!"

"Does everyone who cannot rise have to rebel? You harbor such evil thoughts; no wonder you could not be promoted!"

Ai Tianming retorted, "This official wishes to climb upward; what fault is there in that? If this is also an evil thought, why do you not resign from all your official posts?"

A sneer appeared on Ai Tianming's face: "Indeed, your rise has been smooth all along, and you are a scion of a noble family."

"Not only does the Yang Realm have people for you, but the Yin Realm does too; of course you can say you do not care about official posts, because you can rise anyway."

"Nonsense!" Yao Yuanchun's emotions surged.

"Is a battlefield prefectural city like Tianhe Fucheng some kind of lucrative post?"

"Have I ever enjoyed glory and wealth? Have I ever greedily taken even a single grain?"

"The reason I could not rise is nothing but my background," Ai Tianming said calmly; he did not even show a trace of indignation.

Zhao Xing understood that this man had passed the state of anger and belonged to those completely disheartened toward Great Zhou.

"I will not argue with you about whether Liang Wang truly counts as a rebel; even if he truly rebels, so what?"

"I only hate that this day did not come sooner!"

"Do not speak to me of great righteousness or of laws."

"You seek to right wrongs; I seek to rebel; both are merely seeking to survive!"

"Even if you turn the sky upside down, it is still rebellion," Yao Yuanchun said coldly, looking at him. "A rebel naturally must fabricate a reasonable excuse for himself; the imperial court nurtured you for five hundred years, yet you lack even the courage to die; you are the shame of the priests!"

"More words are useless; I see you are prepared; very well, I am also prepared," Ai Tianming said, looking at Yao Yuanchun; his eyes suddenly turned as black as ink: "Then let us see who can walk out of the temple alive!"

"Receive death!" Yao Yuanchun's eyes burst forth with Jin Guang.

From his left eye flew the General of Earth and Mystery, clad in golden dragon armor, holding the Overlord Halberd, six zhang tall.

After flying out, it immediately overlapped with Yao Yuanchun's form.

Yao Yuanchun's body subsequently exploded outward, also becoming three zhang tall!

The Overlord Halberd in his hand became as substantial as reality.

From his right eye flew out five figures, respectively the Five Directional Art Generals granted titles during the Taizu era.

The figures were blue, green, red, cyan, and yellow, corresponding to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Yao Yuanchun's main body charged forward while the five Art Generals cast spells from behind.

At the same time, the Sun and the Moon appeared on Yao Yuanchun's shoulders.

Yang governs soul attacks; Yin governs soul defense.

"Yin and Yang transform into Sun and Moon; divine generals divide into the five elements; one thought, eight divine arts; offense and defense both covered; what a genius priest!"

Zhao Xing watched from the side and could not help but brighten his eyes.

Ai Tianming was clearly under immense pressure.

His earlier nonsense had been to delay time; saying he was prepared actually meant he was not yet fully prepared.

In the same amount of time, he had only cast five divine arts.

They were respectively the 'Canglan True Lord Yuan-Severing Art', the 'Lingxiao True Lord Spirit-Hiding Art', the 'Haoguang Immortal', the 'Wind-Control Spirit-Striking General', and the 'Linghuan True Circle Art'.

Moreover, upon seeing Yao Yuanchun's casting state, he immediately switched from offense to defense, strengthening illusion arts to interfere with Yao Yuanchun himself, daring only to entangle, not to clash head-on.

Even so, Ai Tianming was at a disadvantage from the opening and was instantly forced back into a corner.

If not for the critical moment when seven Fourth Rank priests emerged to act as helpers.

I'm afraid it won't take more than a few moves before victory and defeat are decided.

"Both are fourth-rank priests, yet there is still a gap." Zhao Xing watched this internal war among the divine offices.

What Yao Yuanchun had said before, 'Apart from Ai Tianming, the rest are not worth fearing,' was all modesty.

That was counting his strength after receiving the enhancement.

Zhao Xing estimated that if Ai Tianming had not received the enhancement, he could only have lasted three rounds under Yao Yuanchun's hand.

The first round to break through the defense, the second round to inflict serious injury, the third round to be on the brink of death.

The rest need not even be mentioned — they were no match for a single exchange.

Even joining forces would not work.

"My luck is just too good — taking on a mission and I still run into such a great hired thug."

Seeing Yao Yuanchun holding absolute initiative, with no one guarding the hall of the True Lord of Heavenly Yang, Zhao Xing immediately flew toward the main gate.

There were still twenty-some people inside the hall.

Upon seeing over a dozen Zhao Xings burst in, they could not help but be greatly shocked.

Zhao Xing swept his gaze with the Qi-Gazing Art and immediately sneered: "All rebels — die!"

Because the rest were only fifth-rank, with realms too low, he was able to see through them.

"Clang!"

The Soul-Slaying Bell trembled, the chime sounded, and behind these people, one after another shadowy figures were shaken out.

"No, I don't want to go back—" "Come over here!"

"Dieeeee!"

"How dare you, to actually attack this god!"

"Blaspheming this god is a capital offense, a capital offense!"

Some forty to fifty Yin Gods roared, baring fangs and brandishing claws, about to pounce toward Zhao Xing.

"Clang!"

Another chime of the bell sounded.

Of these forty to fifty Yin Gods, half perished completely, while the other half, as if having lost gravity, were instantly dragged away by the surrounding fog.

Yin energy, turbid and heavy, sank downward, fleeing to the Yin Realm; having lost the priests they possessed, these Yin Gods were automatically pulled back by the Yin Realm.

In an instant, inside the great hall, only a group of empty-shell priests remained.

Their souls had all perished.

"Martial Ancestor, forgive the offense."

Zhao Xing reached out a hand and immediately carried down the Golden Body of the True Lord of Heavenly Yang.

The statue of the Agriculture God was not as exaggerated as other deities, which would be seven or eight meters tall at the slightest provocation.

The statues of the Agriculture God were basically made to human height.

Zhao Xing ordered two avatars to carry the Golden Body of Heavenly Yang and run, not daring to delay in the slightest.

Because the pulling force of the Yin Realm was equally effective on him.

The avatars had to withdraw quickly, otherwise the split-soul bodies would also be pulled out of the straw-men bodies and fall into the Yin Realm.

"Mission complete!" Outside the hall, Zhao Xing's true self snapped his fingers.

The avatars carried the Golden Body to his side.

"What?"

Catching this scene from the corner of their eyes, whether Ai Tianming or Yao Yuanchun, both were somewhat surprised, and even their exchange briefly slowed.

"How could he so easily carry the Golden Body out?"

"Impossible — we've been casting spells for so long, and we could only make the Golden Body of Heavenly Yang move an inch."

"Who on earth is this person?"

The Golden Body is not something one can just carry away at will.

Inviting a god down from the divine platform — how could it be so simple?

Yet Zhao Xing simply ran straight in like that, and then immediately invited the True Lord of Heavenly Yang out.

"Martial Ancestor." The avatar outside stood guard, while Zhao Xing's true self respectfully kowtowed to the True Lord of Heavenly Yang.

"Rise — our Agriculture Temple doesn't observe such grand etiquette." The statue of the True Lord of Heavenly Yang suddenly came alive, a smile on his face.

His mouth said not to, but one could tell he was still very pleased.

"Martial Ancestor, what should we do with this bunch?" Zhao Xing, after rising, pointed at Ai Tianming's group and asked.

As for Ai Tianming's words, the True Lord of Heavenly Yang had surely heard them just now.

He had yet to figure out this Martial Ancestor's temperament, and did not know whether he should make a move.

The True Lord of Heavenly Yang put away his smile and said calmly, "The Prince of Liang's rebellion also has many reasons behind it."

"Disciple's grandchild, you must remember. Before a rebellion, one can still distinguish right from wrong; after a rebellion, there is only立场, life and death — no distinction of right and wrong."

"Yes, thank you, Martial Ancestor, for your teaching." Zhao Xing cupped his hands.

"A mere fourth-rank rebel is not worth my Golden Body making a move. Disciple's grandchild, go help Yao Yuanchun and destroy them." The True Lord of Heavenly Yang said, "Once they are destroyed, go to the Hall of Heroes to suppress the rebellion."

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.

But just as he was about to make a move, he found that victory and defeat had already been decided.

In the plaza ahead, night and day交错, and Ai Tianming and the other seventh-rank priest were separated, head from body.

Their Yin God bodies were绞杀 along with them.

"Yin-Yang Realm God-Slaying Art — hmm, this kid is not bad. It's just that his temperament is still a bit hot-headed; a few words from Ai Tianming and he flared up in rage." The True Lord of Heavenly Yang commented.

Yao Yuanchun now stood amid a pile of corpses, his chest heaving violently.

He was truly incensed, because before Ai Tianming died, he had still been attacking his heart: "You are truly lucky. If you had no family background, your fate would be the same as mine. Heh, heh heh—."

Yao Yuanchun's entire effort had been dismissed as merely a matter of family background; how could he not be angry?

"Brother Yao, do not take his nonsense to heart." Zhao Xing ran over and let his clone rummage through the corpse.

A Fourth-Rank Priest must have mastered the Divine Talisman Art; the talismans they produce are excellent. Leaving them here would be a waste. "How could I take their words to heart? However, why were you able to summon the True Lord's Golden Body so quickly?" Yao Yuanchun voiced his confusion.

"This is a secret; it is better not to speak of it," Zhao Xing said.

He could not yet reveal this relationship with Li Boqian.

Besides, he wanted to avoid Yao Yuanchun from overthinking again.

Seeing that Zhao Xing would not elaborate, Yao Yuanchun did not press, for the other still held the identity of an Inspector.

It was quite normal to involve secrets.

"What should we do next?"

"Go to the Hall of Heroic Spirits." Zhao Xing finished searching the corpse and then ordered his clone to turn invisible.

"Very well." Yao Yuanchun immediately summoned clouds beneath his feet and took flight alongside Zhao Xing.

He had effortlessly cast the Cloud-Soaring Art again, and his speed was not slow; truly a man of all talents.

Since the Hall of Heroic Spirits was not far from here.

The two soon flew above the plaza outside the Hall of Heroic Spirits.

Zhao Xing, carrying the Golden Body of the True Lord of Heavenly Sun, also turned invisible.

At this moment, although the plaza was quiet, there was not a trace of Yin Qi; instead, it was filled with harmony.

"Not simple." Zhao Xing glanced over and immediately knew the situation here was quite thorny.

"Oh? Where is it not simple?" Fu Tianyang asked with considerable interest.

"Among the halls of the temple, only here does divinity hold the upper hand, proving that the spirits here are upright and righteous, harboring no evil thoughts, nor do they believe they are rebelling."

"Those we encountered before, whether the Eight-Armed Night Yaksha or Hong Shan Jun, were not spirits serving the court; their evil nature and resentment were very heavy."

Yin Spirits of the Yin Realm are divided into those with official positions and those without.

Yin Spirits who receive incense offerings do not necessarily have the right to act in the Yang Realm.

Such Yin Spirits naturally possess weaker capabilities. Their divine power can barely be fully exerted in the Yang Realm. Of course, the number of such Yin Spirits is also the greatest.

Yin Spirits with authority are different.

Zhao Xing scanned the surroundings and discovered that although Zhu Qingyou and Wu Xuanying were both vying for the power of Yin Spirits, neither of them had died.

It was very clear that what they were fighting for was of a higher rank.

"You guessed correctly; these two are fighting for the authority over the hundred thousand Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals of the Tianhe Prefecture," True Lord of Heavenly Sun nodded and said.

"They do not know what has happened; only the Priests can tell them."

"When Priests summon spirits, their thoughts can influence the Yin Spirits."

"Used correctly, they are righteous; used wrongly, they are evil."

True Lord of Heavenly Sun waved his hand toward the front.

The swirling mist in the sky grew fainter.

A voice came from inside the Hall of Heroic Spirits.

"—The nation has treacherous dwarves; the law is not manifest, the moral order is chaotic, and the Heavenly Dao does not exist."

"In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, heroic spirits hide in the abyss. Now I, with sincere heart, respectfully invite you to appear before us."

"The heroes of the past, whose heroic names shook the nine heavens. Their achievements are passed down through the ages, their spirit forever enduring."

"With my sincere heart, with my firm belief. Lend me the great power of the gods—"

Zhu Qingyou, speaking with great fervor, after chanting repeatedly several times, had a talisman paper fly from her body: "All soldiers and officers, you have enjoyed the incense of the Great Zhou; follow me to set right the chaos and restore order."

"Eradicate the treacherous, reestablish the law, restore the moral order, act on behalf of Heaven, and prevent the Great Zhou from repeating the mistakes of the Era of Ten Thousand Nations!"

"My heart is the heart of the gods; my thought is the thought of the gods. I, Zhu Qingyou, the Communicating-Yin Priest, invite the Ten Generals of Tianhe to appear!"

Before her words had fully faded, another voice was heard rising above, like a chant or recitation, overpowering Zhu Qingyou's voice: "—O heroic spirits, let the war cease, let the strife end—"

"Your achievements shall be forever recorded in history; your radiance shall never fade, shining through the ages."

"With the sincerity of my heart, I recite this Soul-Calming Incantation."

"Let souls return to a place of tranquility; let hearts turn toward the path of light."

Wu Xuanying and Zhu Qingyou: one was chanting a spirit-summoning incantation to mobilize the Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals, while the other recited a Soul-Calming Incantation to make the Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals rest and not act rashly.

They were completely opposite extremes.

The spirit tablets inside the Hall of Heroic Spirits would vibrate for a while, then stop vibrating.

Such repeated friction left Zhao Xing at a loss for words.

If he were a Yin Spirit, he would probably be driven to schizophrenia and a splitting headache by these Priests.

"Grandmaster, who will win?" Zhao Xing asked.

After all, he was not a Priest and was not clear which of these two high-ranking practitioners' magical duel was superior.

"Zhu Qingyou has the upper hand," True Lord of Heavenly Sun said. "Because her divine thought has received the support of fortune, making it stronger by a fraction."

"Moreover, the Yin Realm has indeed fallen into turmoil; the hundred thousand Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals of the Tianhe Hall of Heroic Spirits indeed have the duty to quell the rebellion."

"The young Wu is still too conservative," True Lord of Heavenly Sun said. "At this time, he should not be calming souls; he should be seizing control."

"Once he seizes control, whether to exonerate or to send them back to their original place in the Yin Realm is then just a matter of a single word from him."

"He is only thinking of preventing the Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals from moving rashly; he is too cautious." True Lord of Heavenly Sun shook his head.

However, this cannot be blamed on the Priests.

Rebellions of this level are rare, occurring perhaps once in several thousand years.

When encountering such a situation, not everyone can make the best decision.

"Is Grandmaster willing to intervene?" Zhao Xing asked.

"I cannot intervene." Tianyang Zhenjun shook his head. "I am the God of Agriculture of the Yin Realm. There is no military agriculture office in the Yin Realm; the authority to mobilize troops does not belong to me. The regulations state that only people of the Yang Realm may mobilize Yin soldiers and Yin generals."

"Of course, if a rebellion is currently occurring, and you ask me to intervene, relying on you, then I can intervene."

"Because when Yin soldiers and Yin generals descend to the world, they will inevitably affect the heavenly timing, causing chaotic celestial phenomena. Then I can intervene."

Zhao Xing nodded, and then had his clone standing beside Yao Yuanchun ask: "Brother Yao, can you still fight?"

"Yes."

"Can you stop Zhu Qingyou from summoning the Yin soldiers and Yin generals of the Tianhe?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I do not have this authority." Yao Yuanchun said. "This is the authority to mobilize troops; I am only a Fourth Rank Priest. The Yin soldiers and Yin generals of the Tianhe will not recognize me."

"Even if I chant until I vomit blood, I cannot get a response."

"But if they manifest in this world, I can send them back." Yao Yuanchun said. "I cannot mobilize them, but I can forcibly send them back after someone else has mobilized them. The only operational space lies in the act of sending the gods back."

Zhao Xing nodded; the rules were just like that.

Only a limited few people can mobilize Yin soldiers on a large scale.

This is a limited copyright authority granted by the Qi Fortune Dynasty.

However, once they are mobilized, they have entered the Yang Realm.

Matters of the Yang Realm are managed by the Yang Realm; there are no restrictions on 'sending the gods back,' as long as you have the ability.

And the priests capable of sending gods back are mostly mid-to-high level backbone members.

If this group opposes it, it proves that the troop mobilization by the Tongyou and Tongxuan priests is not recognized by those below,

and is unreasonable.

Overall, such bottom-up opposition is still very difficult to achieve.

Because inviting gods is easy, but sending them back is hard.

Once Zhu Qingyou grasps the authority over the hundred thousand Yin soldiers and Yin generals of the Tianhe, his strength will completely crush Wu Xuanying.

"Look, he is about to succeed." Tianyang Zhenjun pointed forward. "Boy, run out first. Within the temple's range, it is the boundary between Yin and Yang, which is not yet suitable for sending gods back."

At this moment, Yao Yuanchun also solemnly reminded: "Brother Zhao, we must retreat. At this time, we can only seek the authority of Lord He to stop Zhu Qingyou."

"Lord He cannot break free right now." Zhao Xing shook his head. "He has not yet emerged victorious from the Great Ritual Controversy."

"There is still a way; we can go ask the府 Music Master and Dance Master for help." Yao Yuanchun said.

"The Tianhe Prefecture is a military-administered prefecture; where would the Music and Dance Offices get a Third Rank? This path is also impassable."

"Then what method do you have?" Yao Yuanchun saw that Zhao Xing was not at all anxious and couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Let me try." Zhao Xing said.

"You?" Yao Yuanchun was stunned. He sized Zhao Xing up. "To speak plainly, although your strength is extraordinary, the Art of Sending Gods Back cannot be mastered to a profound level in a short time."

It is true that the God of Agriculture can invite gods and send them back, but he mostly borrows external objects, and most are his own duty gods; how can he send back the Yin soldiers and Yin generals of the Tianhe?

Zhao Xing brought out Tianyang Zhenjun's Golden Body and then displayed the Yuan Yin Sacred Classic: "With this, plus this, can we send away the ten great Yin generals of the Tianhe?"

Seeing the Yuan Yin Sacred Classic, Yao Yuanchun's eyes widened so much they almost fell out.

"A Ninth Rank Sacrificial Treasure?!"

Tianyang Zhenjun took a look and immediately burst into laughter, because he recognized the text on it, from the Li Dynasty. "Hahaha, you kid, using a code from an ancient dynasty to send back the gods of the current dynasty, you really have guts!"

"Quick, quick, quick, invite Grandmaster to possess me! I haven't done this kind of thing before!"

Fu Tianyang urged on; when he was alive, he couldn't do such things, but now that he was dead, he had to enjoy it thoroughly!

Inside the hall, Wu Xuanying spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The thirty priests following behind him also all spat out fresh blood simultaneously, their faces deathly pale.

"It's over." Wu Xuanying looked at the vibrating Hall of Heroes, and a chill instantly filled his heart.

He had stopped Zhu Qingyou from inviting the god, but not completely.

At this moment, above the Hall of Heroes, dark clouds condensed into a black vortex.

Four Yin generals, riding ghostly white horses burning with flames and holding war spears, walked out from the passage.

"Clippity-clop, clippity-clop~"

Behind the four Yin generals, ten thousand Yin soldiers each, holding banners, wearing armor, and holding long spears, appeared in perfect unison.

Four great Yin generals, forty thousand Yin soldiers!

The Yin generals are Third Rank; all the Yin soldiers are Fourth Rank!

This force is enough to overthrow the Tianhe Prefecture!

Because Yin soldiers and Yin generals also know battle formations!

A single Third Rank is difficult to resist them!

"Brother Wu, since matters have come to this, why not join me in serving the king?" Zhu Qingyou also spat out quite a bit of blood, his face appearing somewhat pale.

For this colleague he had partnered with for many years, he also held a degree of respect.

With the advantage of being prepared in advance, and having received a strength boost, he still managed to block him for so long.

Preventing him from achieving complete success was truly worthy of respect.

"You dream!" Wu Xuanying shouted. "Even if I die, the Prefect Lord can still control you!"

"The Prefect Lord?" Zhu Qingyou sneered. "Let him survive the Great Ritual Controversy first."

"Moreover, now that I command the Yin soldiers and Yin generals, the first one I must eliminate is this treacherous villain recommended by Liu Si—" "Aaaah!" Wu Xuanying roared and charged at Zhu Qingyou.

"Hmph, ungrateful! Freeze!" Zhu Qingyou's eyes turned cold. Holding a command arrow, he pointed at Wu Xuanying.

Wu Xuanying, along with the priests behind him, were all frozen in place together.

Zhu Qingyou shouted: "Yin generals of the Tianhe, listen to orders! Quickly capture Wu Xuanying's Yuan Soul and lock him in the Seven Stars Divine Prison of the Yin Realm!"

He waved the token, intending to seize Wu Xuanying's Yuan Soul and imprison it in the Yin Realm.

In this way, he only needed to lock up the body; with the body and Yuan Soul separated, this person would no longer be able to hinder him.

He could not yet kill Wu Xuanying, for Wu Xuanying was still a Tongxuan Priest; the protection upon him remained, and he could not be killed by Yin Generals.

"Peace"

A gust of wind swept through the hall; nothing happened.

"Hmm?"

Zhu Qingyou looked at the sky in confusion, then froze.

She saw that the four Yin Generals and forty thousand Yin Soldiers who had just been in the sky had vanished.

The sky had cleared at some unknown time.

The dark cloud passage closed.

It was as if the mobilization just now had been an illusion.

"Where are my Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals?" Zhu Qingyou was stunned and instinctively looked at the Assistant Official beside her.

"I-I don't know." The Assistant Official was also dazed, completely unaware of what had happened.

"Impossible, impossible. I have successfully summoned the gods; I must be too severely injured and having hallucinations—"

Zhu Qingyou murmured to herself, quickly walked out of the great hall, raised the command arrow high, and pointed toward the sky.

"Yin Generals of Tianhe, appear swiftly and heed my orders!"

"Yin Generals of Tianhe, appear swiftly and heed my orders!"

After calling out three times to Tianhe, nothing happened in the sky.

Instead, a youth holding a law code had appeared on the square at some unknown time and slowly walked over. "Stop shouting, old brother; the Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals just left."