Chapter 181: Dao Sect Guardian, Sima Ziwei

To cover up his use of demonic path methods, Qian Chen casually killed these two demons to silence them. The god-demons entrusted to manifest as Yin Demons were also secretly sent by him to lurk in Chang'an, facilitating his covert actions.

Li Bi glanced at the two god statues at the entrance of the Great Hero Hall and said: "How should these two demons be dealt with?"

The two demons who had manifested as Manjushri and Kasyapa were even more fearful in their hearts, terrified that they too would be killed to silence them.

Qian Chen swept a faint glance at them and said: "Demons fear death; they have already offered a list of temples in Chang'an that may be controlled by the demonic path, seeking to survive."

Li Bi hesitated for a moment and asked: "May I borrow them for my use?"

"You want to file an imperial complaint?"

Qian Chen guessed his intention and shook his head: "It's useless. The demonic path has already calculated everything perfectly. Even if you reach the Xuan Emperor, you won't be able to topple them."

"The temples in Chang'an all worship god-demons, and the city defense is in imminent danger. Besides His Majesty, no one else can think of a way! Only if His Majesty personally issues an order... will there be a chance." Li Bi said.

Qian Chen shook his head again: "The Xuan Emperor should have known long ago!"

"Are we just going to give up without even trying?" Li Bi frowned.

Qian Chen whispered: "What if... the Great Supreme Tian Mo is the Xuan Emperor himself?" He looked coldly at Li Bi. Cen Can and Yan Shu beside him were both shocked. Cen Can shook his head: "Impossible. His Majesty possesses the four seas. This world is all his; why would he destroy his own world?"

"Don't forget! The Empress was a Great Supreme Tian Mo. If she passed down her own demonic path inheritance, wouldn't the Son of Heaven in Chang'an have the best chance? The position of Great Supreme Tian Mo also has an inheritance. If the Empress left behind an inheritance, who would have a better chance of obtaining it than the later Son of Heaven? Moreover, just say this world..."

"In the eyes of some people, it is not as important as their own cultivation, not as important as this immortality."

Qian Chen said leisurely: "Destroying one's own world in exchange for a position of ascension—who can say if it's worth it or not?"

These words made even Yan Shu waver. Because in his view, if one could ascend to become a Supreme Tian Mo, discarding a world that would eventually be passed down was not unimaginable. After all, external objects—how could they be as important as one's own cultivation?

It was just that this was the way a Daoist thought!

He ultimately did not understand the thoughts of those emperors, generals, and ministers...

Li Bi shook his head firmly: "His Majesty... does not have such ruthlessness!"

"I know the Xuan Emperor does not have such boldness, but the demonic path only needs to make the Xuan Emperor believe that he is the Great Supreme Tian Mo!" Qian Chen whispered: "The demons in this Changancheng have existed for two hundred years. The Xuan Emperor has had too many opportunities to remove them! The only reason he hasn't acted is that these demons have already gained his trust."

"Guess how these demons managed to gain the Xuan Emperor's trust?"

Li Bi said with a trembling voice: "Naturally, by serving him as their master!"

"The position of emperor is too high, too high; it will always shield a person's eyes. The Xuan Emperor dares to command demon generals like Geshu Han, Gao Xianzhi, and An Lushan; does he not dare to command those god-demons? As long as he believes he is the Great Supreme Tian Mo, then the true Great Supreme Tian Mo can hide in his shadow. No matter what he does, he has an extra layer of convenience."

"So, we have made such a big scene here!" Qian Chen pointed to the ruins of the Great Hero Hall and said: "Where is the Changancheng God? Why hasn't the Ghost King Lord Zhong Kui struck?"

"Only one person can make the Ghost King Lord Zhong Kui turn a blind eye to these things, because he has already compromised once before!"

"When the Empress ascended the throne, she ruled the world as the Great Supreme Tian Mo. Why was Lord Zhong Kui able to survive? If he and the evil were incompatible, he should have died back then. Therefore, Lord Zhong Kui will compromise with the emperor."

"Lord Zhong Kui did not strike at these god-demons before because they were demons raised by the Empress."

"Now that Lord Zhong Kui still does not strike at these god-demons, they must have joined the command of another emperor."

"So, if you go to the Great Ming Palace to file a complaint and tell the Xuan Emperor that you want to deal with the group of demons he raised himself, can you succeed? Building trust takes time, and destroying it is the same. If there is enough time, I believe you can make the Xuan Emperor doubt their loyalty. But... you don't have that much time."

Li Bi was speechless. It had to be said that Qian Chen's conjecture was indeed the most reasonable.

"I don't oppose you going to file a complaint. Filing it now will not only put the person behind the scenes at ease, making him think that our plans stop here, but it can also test out another preparation of that Great Supreme Tian Mo. You might not even be able to see the emperor... By then, we will be able to see who is preventing you from meeting the Xuan Emperor."

"That person is another layer of the Great Supreme Tian Mo's smoke screen."

"This matter can wait until daytime, and it cannot delay the subsequent demon-clearing work!" Qian Chen said decisively.

Yan Shu took out the Demon-Subduing Sword Box, carried it on his back, and said: "These demons have extraordinary strength. Without using real skills, I might not be able to cut off their heads." Qian Chen nodded slightly and said: "That person has not yet revealed his tracks. It seems he knows much more than we do and has plenty of patience to wait. But we can't wait! Senior Brother, no need for reservations. As long as those demons are killed cleanly, no one will know who struck!"

Yan Shu's eyes lit up, and he laughed loudly: "What Junior Brother says is exactly what I think!"

Ning Qingchen hesitated. Qian Chen smiled slightly and reached out to pat her back gently. Ning Qingchen was surprised and looked sideways, only to feel a cold, ice-like pill aura pouring into her Qi Sea. She sensed it slightly and felt infinite magic power being added. Qian Chen nodded slightly, signaling her not to speak.

With the addition of this Guanghan Ice Soul external pill, Ning Qingchen should also have the ability to deal with a demon nest temple alone.

Qian Chen summoned the two gold and silver boy attendants, called over the Thunder-Light Electric Lock hanging at the Ananda Temple gate and the Magnetic Light Bottle placed on the Cool Terrace, handed them to the two boys, and said: "Later, you take these two treasures, listen to my orders, and go to that temple. When you see a demon, take the rope and the bottle mouth, point them at it, and chant the incantation, silently praying. Drive the magic tools, and you will naturally be able to deal with those demons."

The two boys hugged the bottle and held the rope, jumping with joy.

The Ear Canal God jumped out from Qian Chen's collar, flew over first, kicked the abbot who had turned into a charred mass under the thunder, and kicked the black hat on his head askew. At the same time, it returned to Qian Chen's front, looking at him eagerly, pointing at the gold and silver boys and crying out in confusion. Qian Chen pressed it down casually and laughed: "With your skills, you can't even beat a demon god manifested by a magic tool, so I won't entrust you with heavy responsibilities!"

The Ear Canal God was just unwilling, jumped down, and wanted to grab the Magnetic Light Bottle in the silver boy's hand.

The silver boy just pointed the bottle mouth at it and chanted an incantation. The bottle mouth released a beam of Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, sucking the Ear Canal God into the bottle. The Ear Canal God was born with escape techniques, and even the Yang Demon couldn't hold it, but facing this Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, it was sucked into the bottle without any resistance. Qian Chen scolded it with a laugh, only then summoned the Magnetic Light Bottle, and released it.

Seeing that the two boys had something to rely on, the Ear Canal God could only cry out a few times and ran to Qian Chen's shoulder to sit and sulk.

Seeing this situation, Li Bi asked: "I should also be able to deal with a demon nest!"

Qian Chen gave him the names of several temples and told him to kill his way through them one by one.

Cen Can hesitated. He knew his own skills were insufficient, but he had a heart to contribute to the country, so he wanted to go with Li Bi. Qian Chen called him back and said: "This time, we need to act in many places simultaneously, and manpower is tight. Brother Cen, are you willing to be one of them?"

Cen Can gritted his teeth and said: "Can... dare not refuse!"

Qian Chen handed a jade Yellow Ruyi to him and said: "When you see a god statue, throw this Yellow Ruyi. If it is smashed to pieces, that is a demon..."

"And if it is not smashed to pieces?" Cen Can took the Yellow Ruyi, feeling a little excited, and couldn't help but ask.

"Then that is a relatively strong demon. Use the mysterious light emitted by the Yellow Ruyi to control him, and we will come to reinforce you immediately!" After saying this, Qian Chen took out several jade talismans, stuffed one to each person, agreed to help each other, and arranged the methods for mutual reinforcement. They prepared to strike at more than a dozen temples in Chang'an simultaneously, clearing out the demons in one place and immediately going to the next.

"Should we call the Princess's side to act together?" Yan Shu asked.

Qian Chen shook his head slightly and transmitted his voice: "The Princess is our reliance for entering the Thousand Autumn Banquet tomorrow. It is not appropriate to move lightly at this time. Moreover, the Yuzhen Temple should also be a key location for the Chang'an Grand Array. The Princess has the Merit Seal in her hand; at a critical moment, she might be able to suppress one or two!"

While they were speaking, someone slowly walked into the Ananda Temple gate, saw the beheaded gate-guarding Heavenly King paintings at the entrance, with both heads rolling beside the stone lions, and couldn't help but marvel, calling out: "What a clean strike, Junior!" Wherever he passed along the way, there wasn't even a living insect, and seeing the bald heads rolling all over the floor in the monk's hall, he couldn't help but call out again: "Good monk! Dead monk!"

Ning Qingchen looked around at the sound and saw a Daoist priest in the distance, wearing Daoist robes, with three long whiskers fluttering, looking quite like an immortal, stepping over the moon.

Li Bi also saw the person clearly and said in surprise: "Sima Chengzhen of the Astronomical Observatory! Why would he come here?"

"Why I came, you should ask that Junior..." Sima Chengzhen pointed at Qian Chen and said: "Making such a big scene, wasn't it just to lure me over?"

Qian Chen laughed: "I have been waiting for Senior for a long time!"

"Chang'an is a key location. How could there be no one guarding the many demon remnants left behind by the Empress in the past? These many temples suppress Changancheng, faintly forming a seal covering the whole city. How could there be no one suppressing it? Senior should be the guardian responsible for suppressing Chang'an for my Dao Sect!" Qian Chen formed a Taiji seal with both hands, then turned it into a round, bead-like hand seal.

Sima Chengzhen formed a Daoist seal with both hands, then unfolded it like a scroll, and laughed: "So it is a fellow traveler of the Supreme Louguan Dao. I am the contemporary Heavenly Master of the Dao Sect, Sima Ziwei!"

"Heavenly Master?"

"Heavenly Master?"

Yan Shu, Ning Qingchen, Li Bi, and Cen Can were all shocked. Yan Shu formed the Lingbao seal, turned his right hand into a sword finger, and said: "Shaoqing disciple, greets the Heavenly Master!"

He hesitated and said: "Dare to ask Heavenly Master, have you hidden your cultivation? Why..."

"I am not yet a Nascent Soul..." Sima Chengzhen sighed: "Previously, the three Heavenly Masters were forced by the Empress. The two Heavenly Masters Yuan and Li ascended early, and the last Heavenly Master, Ye Fashan, also ascended three years after the Xuan Emperor ascended the throne. Before leaving, he hurriedly left the responsibility of Heavenly Master to me, so I have not yet been able to cultivate to Nascent Soul..."

Qian Chen's expression was a bit strange, and Yan Shu didn't know what to say.

This was the Heavenly Master with the lowest cultivation they had ever seen! Even if the Wei Jin Central Lands world was in decline, every Heavenly Master was at least a Nascent Soul True Immortal. How did it come to this blood relative of Si Qingguo, and why didn't he even have Nascent Soul cultivation?

"There should also be a Heavenly Master in Luoyang..." Qian Chen hesitated.

"Zhang Guo of your Supreme Louguan Dao!" Sima Chengzhen said strangely: "As a disciple of the Supreme Louguan Dao, you don't even know this?" He looked at Qian Chen carefully and muttered in a low voice: "Disguised face, I want to see if you are really of the Supreme Louguan Dao..." His eyes emitted a divine light, seeing through Qian Chen's disguise, and he was suddenly shocked, unable to even hold the Dao seal!

"How do you... look like..."

Sima Chengzhen suddenly shivered, hearing Qian Chen's tone containing a threat: "Senior, be careful with your words!"

Sima Chengzhen hurriedly said: "Where, where, indeed a fellow traveler of the Supreme Louguan Dao. I am also a hurriedly ascended Heavenly Master, how dare I call myself Senior. Let us treat each other as peers... treat each other as peers!"

He looked around and slapped his thigh: "There are no four-season fruit platters or fine wines here. Wait a moment, I will move some from the imperial palace! The Great Ming Palace's chefs still have some skills... Let me see, today they have prepared the Jade Treasure Banquet for the Imperial Consort... sixteen spiritual meals. I will move them over right now!"

Qian Chen hurriedly called him back: "If you move other people's meals like this, in case they can't be prepared on time over there, people will die."

"What the fellow traveler says is true..." Sima Chengzhen smiled bitterly: "Fellow traveler... how did you have the heart to come to Chang'an? You should have told the Xuan Emperor when you came. Let him welcome you properly."

"Cough!" Qian Chen coughed and whispered: "The timing is wrong. I don't know anything yet!"

Li Bi was confused. Who could make the Xuan Emperor welcome them? That Li Taibai was first a poet and swordsman, then became a disciple of the Supreme Louguan Dao. And is this person really a Dao Sect Heavenly Master? Why is he so... guilty?

Sima Chengzhen hurriedly said: "Exactly, exactly! Let's talk about business!" If he kept talking, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to help wiping the cold sweat off his forehead! A dignified Dao Sect Heavenly Master, even forced to sweat! How embarrassing was this...

"The setting up of the Chang'an Grand Array must start from the time of the Wei Jin dynasties, that great ancient demonic tribulation..." ===== CHAPTER 182 =====