I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

After parting ways with Wu Yuanying, he returned to the City God's Mansion and sat alone in the empty Yin-Yang Division Hall, calling out, "System, which world's battle spirit did I draw?"

He was a time traveler, and he had a deeper connection to the history of Earth. No matter how great the famous generals of this world were, they were not as endearing as the old acquaintances from his textbooks in his previous life.

The system is quite thoughtful: "The host can lock the extraction range."

"Choose the ancient elite of Earth!"

Zhong Jiu didn't even think about it.

"Random selection in progress... Selection complete! Host has obtained the Tang Dynasty's 'Xuanjia Army,' seven hundred soldiers, who can be directly transformed into the City God's Guard!"

"Holy crap! The Xuanjia Army?"

Zhong Jiu suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair. The Xuanjia Army was an elite force in the early Tang Dynasty, whose soldiers, clad in black iron armor, were invincible and roamed freely.

The Xuanjia Army is described as follows: Qin King Shimin selected over a thousand elite cavalrymen, all clad in black armor, and divided them into left and right wings, commanded by Qin Shubao, Cheng Zhijie, Yuchi Jingde, and Zhai Changsun respectively. In every battle, Shimin personally donned the black armor and led them as the vanguard, seizing opportunities to attack. They were invincible, and the enemy feared them.

This is the Xuanjia Army of the Tang Dynasty. Clad in black armor, they were unstoppable and invincible, truly a "special forces" force of the cold weapon era!

"Where is he?"

"They are already waiting outside the hall."

Zhong Jiu listened intently; it was so quiet outside you could hear a pin drop. There was no sign of the army.

He pushed open the door with a sense of doubt, and was instantly stunned by the sight before him. Seven hundred soldiers were lined up in a square formation, their military bearing so disciplined that it looked as if they had been measured with a ruler, and even their breathing was synchronized.

Everyone was dressed in full black armor, with helmets covering most of their faces, revealing only a pair of eyes as cold as ice.

The long halberd in his hand gleamed coldly, and the short sword sheath at his waist was polished to a shine. This equipment was even more imposing than he had imagined.

"Are you the Xuanjia Army?" Zhong Jiu asked in a deep voice.

"Exactly!"

The response of seven hundred people was not high, but it was like a boulder hitting the ground, so calm and steady that it made people tremble.

"From this day forward, you shall guard the City God's Temple. Anyone who trespasses shall be killed without exception!"

"promise!"

They all knelt on one knee in unison, their voices echoing throughout the palace.

At that very moment, a terrifying aura erupted from the formation, like a tangible dark cloud pressing down on people, making it hard to breathe. Once these silent warriors revealed their prowess, it was earth-shattering!

"Immovable as a mountain, plundering like fire—that perfectly describes you!"

Zhong Jiu was filled with emotion.

The Xuanjia Army was extremely efficient and quickly took over the defense of the City God's Mansion.

Every three steps along the city wall stood a soldier, unmoving like a statue; sentries guarded the gates of the city and the entrances to the various halls, while the rest patrolled in small teams, their footsteps echoing in unison. The once deserted City God's Palace was instantly filled with an aura of iron and blood.

Lei Yifang passed by, looked at the troops, and exclaimed in admiration, "Truly a fierce and powerful army!"

Zhong Jiu, however, was a little frustrated: "It's a pity there's nowhere to test my skills. All the evil spirits in Guiling City have been wiped out by General Shackles. They're heroes with no place to use their talents!"

In the dead of night, Zhong Jiu sat in the Yin-Yang Bureau and turned on his computer.

If someone saw a deity online, they would be shocked, but Chung Kau thinks that even deities need to keep up with the times.

We can't keep relying on carrier pigeons to communicate with people, can we?

The online discourse is completely polarized: local forums in Guiling City are filled with praise for the "City God," with his faith in him skyrocketing. Anyone who dares to question him is immediately subjected to a barrage of criticism.

The forums outside the city were full of ridicule, with comments like "feudal superstition" and "pretending to be a ghost" flooding the screen. These people could not give him any faith for the time being.

Zhong Jiu casually clicked on the cultivator group that Master Qingxu had added him to. He had been lurking in this group for a long time, but he hadn't missed a single message.

As soon as I entered, I saw someone bubbling up:

"@All members, anyone interested in the 'miracle cure' story from Guiling City? The link is posted here!"

A group member nicknamed "with a knife under his waist, about two and a half feet long" posted a bunch of screenshots.

"That's fake. I live in Hekou City, only a hundred kilometers from Guiling City. If there were any immortals here, would I not know?"

He replied instantly to the message "This old monk is going to ascend to heaven," his tone full of disdain.

"These scammers are getting bolder and bolder. Not long ago, some cultists pretended to be gods and ghosts and killed thousands of people. I guess it's the same group causing trouble again."

Zhong Jiu found it amusing; these cultivators themselves loved to play tricks and were actually the least convinced that gods truly existed.

Just then, Master Qingxu appeared and directly tagged Zhong Jiu: "Young brother, you're in Guiling City, come out and tell us the truth?"

Zhong Jiu simply pretended to be dead. There was no point in wasting his breath arguing with these people. Believe it or not, it's up to you. I don't have time to serve you.

Seeing that he didn't reply, Master Qingxu sent another message: "It's okay if you're not online. Zen Master Naran from Lingxiao Temple has already gone to Guiling City in person. We'll know the truth soon."

"Zen Master Naran?!"

The group chat exploded instantly.

"That Buddhist master who lived to be nearly two hundred years old? He actually emerged from seclusion?"

"The authorities have tried to persuade him to come out of retirement several times, but to no avail. Why would he do it for something so trivial?"

Zhong Jiu's heart stirred, and he opened the cultivation world information in the group files.

An investigation revealed that Lingxiao Temple is a Buddhist holy site. After the rise of yin energy, the temple was closed to avoid disaster. Zen Master Naran was a highly respected monk of extremely high seniority, said to have profound Buddhist knowledge and the ability to see through illusions.

"Is this old monk here to test my strength?"

Zhong Jiu narrowed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. Perfect timing, the Xuanjia Army was just looking for a place to practice!

Meanwhile, on a tall building outside the City God's Mansion, Zen Master Naran stood with his hands behind his back, golden light swirling in his pupils.

To the average person, the City God Temple appears brightly lit and bustling with worshippers; but to him, however, he could see beyond reality the vast underworld palace suspended above the netherworld.

A magnificent palace, towering city walls, and a moat flowing with black mist.

"Evil spirits haven't been vanquished, yet immortals and gods have already appeared?"

Na Ran frowned, a cold glint in his eyes. "Whether it's a blessing or a curse remains to be seen..."

The appearance of the City God's Mansion has seriously affected the incense offerings of his temple, which is like stabbing Naran in the heart.

Lingxiao Temple originally enjoyed the benefits of its "transcendental position." In the chaos of the times, it could either seize the opportunity to rise or close the mountain to avoid disaster. It could advance or retreat as needed, and the initiative was entirely in its own hands.

But the moment the underworld officials showed themselves, they overturned the chessboard!

If the gods truly vanquished the evil spirits and saved the world, who would still remember Lingxiao Temple, hidden in the mountains?

If someone deserts at a critical moment, it will be a disgrace to Buddhism!

Even if the underworld can't handle the chaos, it's still a legitimate deity. When ordinary people or officials have problems, they'll definitely turn to the underworld first. Why would Lingxiao Temple have a chance to step in?

This loss of status is the fundamental reason why Naran ran himself ragged to Guiling City.

"This humble monk has already investigated. There are traces of a deity in Guiling City, and he is only a minor eighth-rank official."

Naran stood on the rooftop, his monk's robes fluttering, his face full of confidence. "This underworld is most likely crippled. Either it hasn't fully recovered, or it's all bark and no bite. We'll find out the truth once we investigate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped off the roof like a roc, his figure turning into several afterimages.

This is the Lingxiao Temple's top-tier supernatural power, "Splitting Light and Illusion Technique," which he had already mastered.

Previously, three spirit generals could pass ten meters away from him without noticing him, and this confidence emboldened him to dare to break into the divine palace.

In the blink of an eye, he floated to the outside of the City God's Mansion, saw the Xuanjia Army on the city wall, and scoffed, "Is that all the minions?"

He transformed into a golden ray of light, silently sweeping across the city wall and landing steadily inside the mansion.

Before he could even look around, a chilling killing intent suddenly locked onto him!

In the instant his hair stood on end, he instinctively rolled to the side, and with a "boom," a halberd pierced the spot where he had just landed, sending stone chips flying.

Na Ran's face turned pale: "How could they have discovered me so quickly?"

A troop of Xuanjia soldiers charged in from afar, while the armored soldiers on the city wall raised their halberds, blocking all escape routes.

"This is the sacred land of the underworld! You bald thief, you've dared to trespass!

A soldier shouted coldly, and at the same time, ghostly blue flames ignited in the eyes of the seven hundred soldiers. A surging killing intent rushed in like a tide, and the Xuanjia Army from all directions was gathering here.

"Such a strong malevolent aura!"

Na Ran felt a little regretful. Who would have thought that the gatekeepers would be so fierce?