Having mastered the Daoist arts, you're telling me you're in a world of demons and monster

The Ling River flows slowly from the side of Lu'an City, and the banks of the river are already bustling with people.

Men, women, and children crowded around to watch. At the front, a group of people dressed in wide robes and with mysterious masks on their faces were singing and dancing, behaving strangely.

Among the crowd on the periphery, the young Taoist priest who spoke up was Jiang Xuanjing, who had come all the way from Qingshan County to Lu'an City.

He traveled at a leisurely pace, taking several hours to slowly enter the city, and along the way he witnessed a great deal about the local customs and traditions.

Before they could even begin searching for the river god, they overheard street vendors chatting about a grand festival being held on the banks of the Lingshui River to worship the river god on this special day.

As for what auspicious day it was, Jiang Xuanjing didn't know, so he followed the flow of people all the way to the riverbank.

"Is the young Taoist priest from out of town?"

The old man chuckled and said,

"This is a grand ceremony to worship the River Dragon King, it's very lively."

"Let me tell you, you've really come to the right place! Bask in some spiritual energy and good fortune here, and your luck will improve from now on!"

The old man was very enthusiastic. Before Jiang Xuanjing could even ask any questions, he took the initiative to start talking and recount the so-called River God Ceremony in detail.

It turns out that from some point onwards,

A river god temple was then built on the banks of the Ling River.

The temple keeper spread the word that if one did not sincerely worship the god of the Ling River, one would surely suffer a great calamity.

This was initially taken as a ridiculous joke, but the Ling River flooded several times in succession, destroying fields and inundating houses, causing heavy losses.

This terrified the people who relied on the mountains and rivers for their livelihood.

Over time, the people gradually came to believe the temple keeper's words and developed greater reverence for the river god, and the temple's incense offerings flourished day by day.

Today is an auspicious day, as determined by the temple keeper's divination. A grand ceremony must be held to worship the river god in order to pray for favorable weather and a year free from disasters and calamities.

People from surrounding villages also contributed money and effort, making the river god worship ceremony a grand and impressive event.

The ceremony will last for seven days, and we are now on the sixth day. Tomorrow will be the highlight of the entire festival—

We respectfully invite the River God.

That's why the old man said Jiang Xuanjing's arrival was perfectly timed.

Jiang Xuanjing listened quietly, but his gaze quietly fell on the ever-flowing Spirit River.

The Six Hearts Mysterious Transformation secretly activated, and in an instant, all the surrounding noise faded away, leaving only the slow flow of Qi in the world.

"Not here?"

He had a slight thought, but he couldn't detect the slightest trace of evil spirits like those in Yujiabao.

"Is it not the appointed time yet?"

"Very well, then we'll wait another day."

"Perhaps there will be an unexpected surprise..."

Jiang Xuanjing was not in a hurry, nor did he intend to search for the river god and evil spirit immediately.

Why bother?

I don't have much time left, so there's no need to be in such a hurry.

Those who cultivate the Tao in this world mostly dwell in famous mountains and great rivers, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. Such particularities are completely unnecessary for him.

Do not seek externally, but focus on yourself.

No matter where you are, you can calm your mind and cultivate yourself, comprehend the true scriptures and treasures, and never be disturbed by external things.

After watching the lively sacrificial ceremony for a while, he turned and left, found an inn to stay in, and waited quietly.

A day passes in the blink of an eye.

The highlight of the Dharma assembly...

Finally started!

……

……

Inside the Ming Mansion in Lu'an City, a man and a woman slowly walked out.

The man, dressed in a tall hat and brocade robes, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, possessed a sharp and intimidating aura, exuding a commanding presence.

The woman had her hair in a bun and looked very young. Her eyes were bright and lively, and she looked radiant with joy.

The two walked side by side under the corridor. The girl spoke first, her tone full of doubt: "Senior brother, why doesn't the Ming family ask the Xuanjing Division of Zhangtai Prefecture to exorcise this evil god? Instead, they've come all this way to invite you, senior brother?"

"hehe."

The man smiled faintly:

"You'll understand when you've traveled around for a while."

He looked up towards the direction of the Spirit River and said in a deep voice, "Let's go. Today is the last day of the Dharma Assembly. That evil spirit will surely appear and absorb the incense offerings and desires of all living beings. Let's take advantage of this time of alternation between reality and illusion and the fluctuation of energy to eliminate it, which will also fulfill the kindness of Master Ming from back then."

He paused, then added, "Once this matter is settled, I will take you to Cangzhou. Didn't you want to see Fairy Gu and thank her in person? She is in Cangzhou right now."

As he spoke, the man exuded composure, as if slaying the river god was an earth-shattering event that was nothing more than a piece of cake for him.

"Great! Senior brother is the best!"

The girl with the bun hairstyle was overjoyed and had no doubts whatsoever.

In her heart, she had witnessed her senior brother's prowess firsthand since she was a child.

The senior disciple of Xudao Palace has surpassed his master, excelling in both martial arts and magic, both reaching the sixth realm!

If he hadn't rarely ventured out and never competed with other geniuses of his generation, Qu Hongzhao would have thought that his senior brother was worthy of being listed on the Qingyun Ranking!

In this small Zhangtai Prefecture, there is certainly no one who can defeat my senior brother in a one-on-one fight!

The two walked and talked, moving swiftly, and were gone in the blink of an eye.

However, Qu Hongzhao glanced over unintentionally and caught sight of a young Taoist priest sitting alone in a roadside teahouse.

As if sensing her gaze, the Taoist priest raised his eyes and gave her a faint smile.

Qu Hongzhao didn't take it to heart.

An ordinary Taoist priest with no magical power emanating from him may look very appealing, but he is probably just a fame-seeker.

"Could this be the unexpected joy perceived by the Six Hearts Mystic Transformation?"

The young Taoist priest, Jiang Xuanjing, withdrew his gaze, seemingly lost in thought, but didn't take it to heart.

For him, the unexpected joy was ultimately just an unexpected event; whether he was happy or not didn't matter much.

He casually tossed down a few copper coins and followed the direction the two men were heading towards the location of yesterday's Dharma assembly.

The riverbank was still bustling with activity and filled with the sounds of people.

The difference is that a towering altar has been erected by the river, and priests dressed in temple robes are busy running around it.

Below the platform, offerings of three kinds of sacrificial animals to the river god were neatly arranged, and incense smoke wafted around them.

Qu Hongzhao looked around as she walked, when suddenly her sharp eyes caught sight of a familiar figure ahead.

The man was dressed in a Taoist robe and carried a long sword on his back.

Isn't this the Taoist priest she met in the teahouse?

"Senior brother..."

She couldn't help but tug at the sleeve of the man beside her, and exclaimed in surprise,

"Look! Isn't that the same Taoist priest we met when we left the city gate? How come he's so fast? He got here before us!"

It is normal that the Dharma assembly is held in the same location and has the same destination.

But this person was clearly behind them, so how come he's now ahead of them?

eccentric.

That's really strange!

"There's no need to complicate things."

Xie Xingchen glanced at Jiang Xuanjing indifferently, without saying anything more.

The world is vast, and the mortal realm is full of countless beings. Cultivators come and go like fish crossing a river, and it is impossible to attend to them all.

The less trouble, the better.

Jiang Xuanjing, on the other hand, never paid any attention to the two of them.

Once he got there, he finally saw the clues.