Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

Just as Huang Pingan had predicted.

The situation in West River County changed that very day.

Although Pingyu rarely travels, it doesn't mean he lacks experience. He was personally taught by True Lord Liufeng how to treat people and handle emergencies. It can be said that Pingyu has learned all the kinds of teachings that a normal Xuanmen disciple should receive, and he has also learned things that ordinary Xuanmen disciples cannot learn.

Therefore, faced with the current situation in Xihe County, Pingyu did not choose to send someone to inform Xihe County to prepare, nor did he send someone in advance to confirm the situation in Xihe County. Instead, after discovering that there was a problem in Xihe County, he directly led eight hundred disciples and five thousand Dao soldiers to attack.

Regarding the attitude towards Xihe County, True Lord Liufeng's demand is to slaughter a pig.

The so-called "slaughtering the pig" is not only about completing the task required by True Monarch Liufeng and sending sufficient resources and cultivators to the sect, but also about making an example of the pig to warn the monkeys and make all the forces under the jurisdiction of Baibo Dao Palace regain their awe of Dao Palace.

Therefore, nothing is more awe-inspiring than overwhelming Xihe County with sheer force and overwhelming it with sheer power.

Less than half an hour after Pingyu left, a vast cloud of clouds covered Xihe County.

Huang Ping'an pointed to the clouds that enveloped the entire Xihe County: "They are not magical treasures or supernatural powers, but simply clouds and mist gathered together by immortals."

"Judging from those faintly visible banners, there must be at least three to five thousand soldiers, not counting the cultivators assisting that person."

"It seems this person is quite favored at Baibo Dao Palace."

Li Jianchun narrowed his eyes and focused his magic power into his eyes, and saw that amidst the vast clouds and mist, banners stood in rows, and beneath the banners were Taoist soldiers in full armor.

The armor and weapons of those Dao soldiers were exactly the same, and they were covered with dazzling spiritual light. It was clear that these Dao soldiers were wearing magical artifacts. In the entire Baibo Dao Palace domain, no one except the True Lord who was in charge of Baibo Dao Palace could have the manpower and resources to equip so many Dao soldiers with standardized magical artifacts.

Huang Ping'an and Li Jianchun were not in a hurry. It was a good opportunity for their master to observe the strength of the Qiankun Dao Sect.

Meanwhile, chaos had broken out in Xihe County.

If the initial cloud cover could be taken as an ordinary celestial phenomenon, when the cloud covered the entire county town and the sound of thunderous war drums rang out overhead, even a common beggar would know that something big was about to happen.

At this moment, everyone in Xihe County was in a state of panic. Even the governor of Xihe County and those cultivation families were terrified when they saw this scene.

But this is just the beginning.

Accompanied by the muffled sound of war drums, the clouds that shrouded the entire Xihe County slowly opened up in the center. As the sunlight shone down, all living beings in Xihe County saw the towering banners and the densely packed heavenly soldiers through the dazzling light!

Banners fluttered, engraved with the emblem of the Qiankun Dao Sect. Dao soldiers stood in a solemn array, their armor adorned with patterns from the Baibo Dao Palace.

Based on these two points alone, it is immediately clear which forces appeared in Xihe County: Qiankun Dao Sect and Baibo Dao Palace!
That Taiyi Liufeng Zhenjun has made his move on Xihe County!

Ping Yu looked indifferently at the masses in Xihe County, at the so-called cultivation families and high-ranking officials, and then uttered two words: "Attack the city!"

In an instant, five thousand soldiers lined up and gathered their energy. Above Xihe County, amidst the heavy clouds and in the open sky, bursts of thunder and lightning condensed into form.

Accompanied by the battle roars of the Dao soldiers, a massive bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck the defensive array of Xihe County. Under the power of the lightning, not only did the defensive array of Xihe County tremble violently, but the earth also shook and rumbled.

As bolts of lightning struck the defensive array, the high-ranking officials and cultivators of Xihe County either begged for mercy or dodged, while some even overestimated their abilities and attempted to resist stubbornly.

Looking at their ugly behavior, Pingyu felt even more disgusted: It was one thing for them to line their own pockets and deceive their superiors, but they also lacked self-awareness. At this moment, they had the audacity to drag the Dao Palace down, but not the courage to bear the corresponding consequences. These vermin should be thoroughly cleaned up.

With a thought, Pingyu looked at the eight hundred law enforcement disciples and said, "You should also make your move and break through this shell."

The eight hundred law enforcement disciples immediately formed an array. With the cooperation of these eight hundred disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, the already weak defensive array of Xihe County collapsed and disintegrated under the heavy burden.

As the light and shadow that enveloped Xihe County collapsed into specks of fluorescent light, eight hundred law enforcement disciples led five thousand Dao soldiers into the city like wolves and tigers, followed by killing and ransacking.

"By the decree of True Lord Liufeng, all those in Xihe County who have acted disobediently and disrespectfully shall be executed, starting with the Prefect of Xihe County!"

"All ordinary people must stay indoors. Anyone who dares to show their face will be implicated and punished!"

The sound of the Dao echoed endlessly above Xihe County. He sat peacefully in the clouds, personally suppressing any aristocratic family that dared to resist. With this disciple of the True Lord of the Flowing Wind in charge, Xihe County could not stir up the slightest trouble.

From the initial attack to the fall of the city, it took less than a quarter of an hour. The weak military of Xihe County was as insignificant as dust in front of a Dao Palace with a Celestial True Person of the Upper Three Realms in charge.

Huang Ping'an and Li Jianchun watched the changing situation in Xihe County, but their expressions remained largely unchanged. As Jiang Sheng's disciples, although they had never witnessed the Penglai Dao Sect taking action, they had still gained experience and skills in the Southern Continent. From the appearance of Ping Yu, they were certain that Xihe County could not be overthrown.

Ping Yu alone was enough to plow through Xihe County three times over, not to mention that he also brought eight hundred disciples and five thousand Dao soldiers. This grand display was less about killing people and more about establishing authority.

Huang Ping'an watched with great leisure as Xihe County was being purged: "Brother Li, what do you think of the troops this man leads?"

Li Jianchun examined it carefully for a moment and then shook his head: "It's hard to say, it's hard to say."

"But in terms of the quality of its weapons and magical artifacts, this can only be considered a low-grade Dao soldier."

"The coordination of this Taoist army is orderly and unified, as if they have undergone rigorous training. The quality of this Taoist army cannot be judged solely by their armor and magical artifacts."

"If it were equipped with superior magical artifacts and armor, and a higher-level cultivation method, it would be a genuine mid-grade Dao soldier."

Huang Ping'an nodded. Li Jianchun's assessment was very accurate; this Daoist soldier from Baibo Dao Palace was quite extraordinary.

Dao soldiers require a lot of resources to cultivate and train, not to mention the magical artifacts, robes, and even elixirs and spiritual foods needed to equip them.
The fact that True Lord Liufeng could raise such a force of Dao soldiers is enough to prove his extraordinary nature.

Moreover, he only brought out five thousand soldiers. Heaven knows how many more are hidden in Baibo Dao Palace. According to the rules of his own Penglai, a disciple can lead five thousand Dao soldiers when he goes out, which means that his master has at least thirty thousand soldiers under his command.

Huang Ping'an was thinking more about the fact that throughout Yanzhou, there were hundreds of thousands of Dao Palaces of the Qiankun Dao Sect, each guarding a region. These Dao Palaces varied in size, but even the smallest Dao Palace could support more than ten thousand Dao Soldiers.

The total number of Taoist soldiers in all the Taoist palaces, large and small, throughout Yanzhou is well over ten million.
Even though most of these Dao soldiers are low-grade Dao soldiers, that's because they are normally raised by their respective Dao palaces. But once war breaks out, all Dao soldiers are at the command of that Longevity Immortal Lord. Under the vast resources of the Longevity Immortal Palace, these low-grade Dao soldiers can quickly undergo a complete transformation.
Thinking of this, Huang Ping'an felt that this trip could not end easily: "Brother Li, if a mere Baibo Dao Palace can raise such elite Dao soldiers, what about the Dao soldiers of the other Dao Palaces in Yanzhou?"

Seeing this, Li Jianchun knew that Huang Pingan had come up with an idea, and then asked, "So, what do you think?"

Huang Ping'an said, "Next, we need to dress up properly and pretend to be disciples of a True Lord of the Qiankun Dao Sect who are on training outside, and visit various Dao Palaces."

"On one hand, we want to find out the whereabouts of Fairy Suqin and Demon Lord Zhuhuan, and on the other hand, we want to find out the details of these Dao Palaces." Li Jianchun was a little embarrassed when he heard this: "You and I don't know what kind of immortal seal is used in the Qiankun Dao Sect, and we don't know what kind of hidden traces and methods the disciples of the Qiankun Dao Sect have. It is not easy to impersonate a disciple of the Qiankun Dao Sect."

Huang Ping'an laughed and said, "It's alright. Not to mention that Uncle Lin Zhao has two True Monarchs from the Qiankun Dao Sect, and we also have a True Monarch disciple from the Qiankun Dao Sect in front of us."

Seeing that Huang Ping'an had set his sights on Pingyu, Li Jianchun smiled and said: It's quite a coincidence. If this Taoist priest Pingyu hadn't impulsively disguised himself and met with the two of them, they really wouldn't have set their sights on him. It seems that this was truly a coincidence.

Zhuzhou, Jiutou Mountain.

Inside the Seven Wonders Cave, Jiang Sheng and Lin Fan sat facing each other, playing chess.

In terms of chess skills, Jiang Sheng is naturally better than Lin Fan. This is not because Jiang Sheng is more intelligent than Lin Fan, but because Jiang Sheng is more patient when being taught by the sect elders, while Lin Fan is not.

In this game of chess, Lin Fan continued his aggressive and relentless style, employing a wide-ranging and powerful approach.

Jiang Sheng, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, laying out his moves step by step, patiently waiting for Lin Fan to fall into his trap.

“Yuan Chen, your two disciples really have some ideas.”

"Disguise themselves as disciples of the Qiankun Dao Sect who are out on training missions, and infiltrate their ranks to gather intelligence on the strengths and weaknesses of various Dao Palaces."

"If this idea hadn't come from your two apprentices, I would have thought someone had lost their mind and was deliberately trying to get themselves killed."

"But if it were applied to your two apprentices, it might actually be feasible, really."

As he spoke, even Lin Fan, who was usually a man of strong emotions, felt at a loss for words and could only smile and drink.

Jiang Sheng glanced at Lin Fan: "This method is indeed a bit risky, but it's true that neither of them has been tainted by my Penglai aura."

"They were originally in the Southern Continent, but I brought them to Little Penglai to cultivate their immortal spiritual energy. Over the years, their energy has been pure, but they have lost some traces of it."

"If you can find a way to get some information out of Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan, then there is a 50% chance that their plan will succeed."

Lin Fan looked at Jiang Sheng with some curiosity: "Yuan Chen, I remember you don't like gambling, so why are you willing to take a gamble even with a 50% chance?"

Jiang Sheng smiled calmly: "I don't like gambling, but there are always some things I have to gamble on. Since my disciples want to make a name for themselves and achieve great things, as their master, I should at least lend a hand. If things don't go well and they get exposed, I can just bring them back."

Jiang Sheng spoke casually, as if Yanzhou were a place where one could roam freely.

This act of disregarding the hundreds of Dao Palaces and countless True Monarchs in Yanzhou actually reassured Lin Fan: "Since you've said so, Yuan Chen, I have nothing more to say. Come, let's go and meet those two fellow Daoists from the Qiankun Dao Sect."

Immediately, Lin Fan led Jiang Sheng to the dungeon beneath the Seven Absolutes Cave.

Despite being called a dungeon, it was not damp, except for being rather cramped; in fact, it was exceptionally clean and tidy.

Although Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan were imprisoned and became their own prisoners, they were both orthodox members of the Xuanmen sect. Even if they were not released, they would at least not be tortured to extract confessions. The fate of those who were truly magnanimous like Long Yuan was already obvious.

With Mo Yuan and Feng Yuan's current cultivation levels, it would be common for them to go without food or drink for thousands of years. Since no one comes to see them in this dungeon, they are either meditating or resting with their eyes closed.

After a long period of peace, just when Mo Yuan and Feng Yuan thought that Lin Fan and Ling Yu had forgotten about them, Lin Fan's voice rang out again in the dungeon.

"It's been a long time, Fellow Daoist Feng Yuan, Fellow Daoist Mo Yuan, how have you been?"

Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan looked up, but they completely ignored Lin Fan and looked directly at Jiang Sheng behind Lin Fan.

Unlike Lin Fan, with his sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and resolute handsomeness, Jiang Sheng's aura was more otherworldly, and his aloof appearance seemed unlike anything that should exist in the human world, more like an immortal from heaven.

Although Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan were originally immortals who had seen countless faces and bone structures, including those who were otherworldly and those who were extraordinary, they could not compare to the one in front of them.

It wasn't just his bone structure and aura; in Feng Yuan's view, it was Jiang Sheng's inner and outer Daoist spirit that attracted her the most. At first glance, Feng Yuan knew that Jiang Sheng must be an extraordinary being.

"It's been a long time. True Lord Lingzhao brought friends with you as soon as you arrived. You really think highly of us."

"Speaking of which, this True Lord must be the legendary Ling Yuan, right?"

Feng Yuan's words surprised Lin Fan. Glancing at Jiang Sheng, who remained calm, Lin Fan asked curiously, "How did Fellow Daoist Feng Yuan recognize him?"

Feng Yuan chuckled lightly: "Although I have never met True Lord Lingyuan, I know that True Lord Lingyuan and True Lord Lingzhao are close friends, and I also know that True Lord Lingyuan is the number one Taoist master of Penglai and even the entire Shanhe region in this era."

"His aura is pure and profound, his face is as calm as a deep pool, and with this composed and indifferent demeanor as if he doesn't care about anything, who else could it be but the True Lord of Penglai Lingyuan?"

Jiang Sheng took a step forward and bowed, saying, "Penglai Lingyuan greets fellow Daoists Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan."

Even in the prison, Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan maintained basic decorum. As Jiang Sheng greeted them first, the two returned the greeting with a Daoist bow: "Qiankun Dao Sect, Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan greet True Lord Lingyuan."

After the three exchanged greetings, Jiang Sheng glanced around the cell and then gestured to Lin Fan to release Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan.

Lin Fan has no objection.

As Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan stepped out of the cage, before they could even speak, a sword light flashed past. In the next instant, the two felt a lightness throughout their bodies, their stagnant magical power began to flow again, and their imprisoned souls returned to freedom. Looking at the Immortal Binding Rope, Spirit-Binding Lock, and other restrictions scattered on the ground, they looked at Jiang Sheng in disbelief: He removed their shackles as soon as they met. What exactly is this famous Lingyuan True Monarch going to do?
Seeing the slightly wary expressions on Feng Yuan and Mo Yuan's faces, Jiang Sheng sheathed his magic sword and sat down calmly: "You two are Dongxuan Dao Fruits of the Qiankun Dao Sect, and true disciples of the Yuan generation. As fellow members of the Xuanmen Daoist school, even if it involves a dispute over the lineage, we should still save each other some face."

“I will remove those things for you two.”

Mo Yuan looked suspicious and said in a cold voice, "Does True Monarch Lingyuan trust us so much? Aren't you afraid we'll escape?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Sheng smiled slightly, showing no annoyance: "It's not that I believe in the two fellow Daoists, but rather that I believe in myself."

"I'm here, no one can escape."

"If you two fellow Daoists do not believe me, you are welcome to try." (End of this chapter)