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

Na Ran feigned composure, his kind face instantly transforming into a wrathful glare: "You, as divine guards, possess such a heavy heart for killing; how are you any different from evil spirits? Lay down your butcher's knives and become Buddhas on the spot!"

As soon as he uttered the last word, he leaped up and unleashed a giant, golden handprint that slammed into the city wall. He was trying to tear a gap in the wall and escape!

"kill!"

Hundreds of armored soldiers on the city wall stepped forward simultaneously, and the power of seven hundred men instantly converged on the one at the very front.

The armored soldier drew his sword, and a silver blade flashed down like a bolt of lightning, its power causing the air to tremble.

Na Ran dared not meet the attack head-on, and abruptly withdrew his attack and retreated, feeling a tightness in his chest.

"You forced this monk into this situation!"

Na Ran panicked and immediately began chanting the "Great Compassion and Light Mantra"—this mantra is specifically designed to subdue wandering spirits, and ordinary ghosts will disintegrate upon contact with it.

But the Xuanjia Army didn't even blink. Seven hundred soldiers shouted in unison, "Our resolve to conquer this stronghold is unwavering; we will fight to the death!"

A forest of halberds and a sky full of flashing blades—their killing intent coalesced into a blood-red battle blade, which, accompanied by the howling of ghosts and wolves, slashed down toward Naran!

"This monk advised someone to lay down their butcher's knife, but the person immediately raised their knife to strike. Now he's really messed up, hasn't he?"

Zhong Jiu watched the live broadcast in the hall, becoming more and more satisfied with the strength of the Xuanjia Army.

Individual Xuanjia soldiers may not be top-tier, but their teamwork is simply divine. They are of one mind and share power, which is what makes an army so terrifying.

Na Ran was terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, and filled with deep regret: "How could I have been so arrogant? I couldn't even beat a gatekeeper, what was the point of probing their strength!"

He knew the longer he dragged it out, the more dangerous it would be. He suddenly pulled out a string of Buddhist prayer beads from his robes—a treasure he had refined over many years. It pained him to part with them, but he still tossed them into the air: "Break!"

The prayer beads exploded, and the golden light was as intense as the blazing sun, instantly melting the blood-red battle blade.

Using the golden light as cover, Naran took off running towards the city wall, with only one thought in his mind: get out of there first!

"Is the City God's Temple your private garden? You think you can come and go as you please?"

The Xuanjia soldiers roared, and seven hundred armored soldiers took to the air and formed a military formation.

The overwhelming malevolent energy surged and coalesced, transforming into a ferocious tiger several dozen feet tall, its blood-red "king" character on its forehead gleaming with a fierce light.

"cut!"

At a command, the tiger roared and pounced on Naran.

"They actually condensed a Tiger Warrior's Soul?!"

Naran was completely dumbfounded. The gatekeepers of the small Guiling City City God were all elites of this caliber?

His previous confidence now seems like a joke!

Before he could even jump onto the city wall, Tiger Soul grabbed his bald head and dragged him back.

If it weren't for Chung Kau's telepathic message to keep him alive, he would have already become Tiger Soul's snack.

Even so, he was still severely injured and beaten, receiving a severe beating. He was then tied up like a dead dog and thrown into the main hall of the Yin-Yang Bureau.

"Lingxiao Temple, what do you mean?"

Zhong Jiu held the Yin-Yang Brush, looking down at him with a calm tone.

Naran, who was pretending to be dead, suddenly shuddered. Are gods really all-knowing and all-powerful?

They even know his background!

Little did he know that Zhong Jiu had come across his "glorious deeds" in a group of practitioners. At that moment, the group was still boasting that "Master Naran will surely expose the scam," and no one knew that their idol had become a prisoner.

"My lord! This is a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding!"

Naran scrambled to his feet, trying to argue his way out.

"A high-ranking Buddhist monk, trespassing into my underworld in the dead of night, dares to claim it's a misunderstanding?"

Zhong Jiu sneered, "Speak, what are you here for?"

Naran's mind raced, and he quickly said, "This humble monk was momentarily confused, but Lingxiao Temple, where I reside, is a sacred Buddhist site. Please, sir, grant me a chance to make amends! I have a tremendous secret that you will surely be interested in!"

Zhong Jiu raised an eyebrow: "Tell me about it."

He made no promises; whether he would release the person after hearing the secret depended on his mood.

Naran gritted his teeth and dropped a bombshell: "Sir, you know that Guiling City has been blocked by demons, right? Not only Guiling City, but also 32 other third-tier cities in Nanling Province have had their nighttime access cut off by demons!"

Zhong Jiu nodded, signaling him to continue.

"These demons are each under the command of thirty-two Soul Generals, and these thirty-two Soul Generals are all subordinate to the Thousand-Eyed Demon King!"

Naran's voice trembled. "This is a grand conspiracy! The Thousand-Eyed Demon King plans to devour thirty-two cities, using the flesh and blood of millions of living people as the foundation and their souls as laborers, to build a ghost city that can blot out the sky!"

Even though Chung Kau was mentally prepared, he still caught his breath and asked, "How did you know about this?"

"Although I was in seclusion in the temple, I often had fellow practitioners visiting me. I learned about this great conspiracy from a high-ranking monk who had traveled the world."

Na Ran answered cautiously.

Just then, a system notification sounded:

"Ding! New task issued!"

"Mission 1: Protect Guiling City and resist the invasion of the Soul Generals. Reward: A complete Sitang Hall!"

"Mission 2: Slay the invading Soul General, reward: 'Soul-Slaying Banner' (can command low-level spirits)!"

Zhong Jiu's eyes lit up. This old monk had stumbled upon a perfect task.

His gaze toward Naran finally softened a bit: "This secret does have some value."

"What else do you know about the Thousand-Eyed Demon King?"

Zhong Jiu sat upright in the hall, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather, but his eyes were as fixed on Naran as a searchlight.

Na Ran secretly glanced up, trying to discern some emotion from Zhong Jiu's face, but all she saw was an unfathomable calm, and her heart instantly leaped into her throat.

He quickly smiled obsequiously and said, "This humble monk has been in seclusion for many years and knows little about the outside world, but if you, sir, allow me to return, I will surely find out the truth within three days and then come back to kowtow and report to you!"

Zhong Jiu gave him a deep look, his eyes seeming to pierce through flesh and reach the soul.

Naran was so frightened that cold sweat streamed down his bald head, and his whole body stiffened. He felt that his little scheme of "taking the opportunity to sneak back to Lingxiao Temple" had been seen through by everyone.

If his disciples and followers saw him looking so pathetic, they'd be utterly astonished.

The once lofty and powerful Zen Master Naran was now as humble as a beggar.

The hall was eerily quiet; seven or eight minutes of silence was more agonizing than torture.

Just as Na Ran's nerves were about to snap, Zhong Jiu finally spoke: "Trying to use this as an excuse to get away? You're dreaming."

One sentence made Naran's face turn ashen instantly.

Finished!

His heart skipped a beat; this Yin spirit was determined to get rid of him!

"However, considering your merit in informing us, you will be spared the death penalty."

Zhong Jiu abruptly changed the subject, his yin-yang pen flashing across the paper as he wrote, "Your cultivation is destroyed, and you're out of here. If you dare trespass into my underworld again, you'll be cast directly into the eighteenth level of hell, never to be reincarnated!"

The official seal of the Yin-Yang Bureau was slapped down with a "snap," and the black runes flashed, signifying that the verdict was final.

"My lord! You mustn't!"

Na Ran was struck dumb, and scrambled forward, crying, "I've cultivated diligently for two hundred years, and now my cultivation is gone. What difference is there between me and being dead? You might as well just kill me!"

He lost his temper completely and roared without thinking, "You're just a lowly eighth-rank official, what right do you have to judge me? I want to see the City God! My Buddhist Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva serves in the underworld, the City God's court should spare me this time out of respect for him!"

"Oh? You think I'm not qualified to judge you?"

Zhong Jiu slammed his hand on the table and shouted coldly.

Several Xuanjia soldiers rushed into the hall instantly, their long swords drawn, their cold light pointing directly at Naran, their killing intent almost tangible.

Na Ran was so startled by the murderous aura that it was as if ice water had been poured over his head, instantly sobering him up. What nonsense had he just said?

Using Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to suppress the underworld?

Isn't that just asking for death?

"The underworld has its laws, and the human world has its rules. Trespassing in the underworld is a grave crime!"

Zhong Jiu stood up and looked down at him, shouting, "Don't even mention a mere mortal monk like you. Even a true immortal would be skinned alive for trespassing! I'm already being lenient by not killing you. You dare to use Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to intimidate me? Do you even deserve it?"

Zhong Jiu thought to himself: Ksitigarbha? His City God Temple doesn't even have the Ten Kings of Hell to govern it, so where would Ksitigarbha come from?

This old monk is really desperate and will try anything, even making such boastful claims.