Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

Chapter 100 Intimidation

That aura, that aloof and otherworldly voice—

Xia Dong's tense body felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and the nerve that was on the verge of snapping finally relaxed.

He was all too familiar with this bone-chilling cold; the heart that had been in his throat finally settled back into his stomach.

The deathly silence and tense atmosphere in the hall were instantly torn apart by the sudden chill.

The first to be affected was the monk Cixiang.

His hands, which were forming a hand seal, suddenly froze in mid-air. The Foundation Establishment stage spiritual pressure that was as tangible as a physical entity and firmly locked onto Xia Dong was like the remnants of snow under the scorching sun in the face of this chilling aura descending from the heavens. It crumbled at the slightest touch and instantly collapsed.

An unconcealable horror welled up within the monk's Zen mind.

To his horror, he discovered that a layer of dark blue frost was visibly forming on his dark golden skin.

The chill ignored his physical defenses, freezing his blood and magical power, forcing him to frantically activate the exquisite techniques of the Red Lotus Temple. He staggered back three steps before finally regaining his footing.

The sinister smile on Deputy Commander Wang's face froze completely.

His original strategy of sealing off Lord Qian's escape route was brutally cut off.

He instinctively gasped, but felt the air he inhaled cutting into his lungs like ice scalpels.

He staggered back in horror, his eyes filled with deep terror, his body trembling instinctively from the overwhelming power.

"Such cultivation level—"

On the front line, Xiang Qianhu, who had been sitting calmly on the sidelines, could no longer maintain his harmless, clay-sculpted appearance.

He suddenly stood up, and the celadon teacup he had been holding, now covered with cracks, shattered into a pile of ice shards with a "crack".

He stared intently at the entrance to the hall, his eyes revealing an indescribable sense of apprehension and awe.

Lord Qian was taken aback at first, then a smile spread across his face.

He turned to look at Xia Dong beside him, whose face was calm, and felt relieved: Zhao Ting really didn't fool me, this kid really has a close relationship with Master Guyue.

Previously, he was somewhat skeptical of Zhao Ting's subtle hints about the connection between Xia Dong and Gu Yue Zhenren. This time, however, he stepped forward out of self-interest.

But to his surprise, it turned out to be true. Someone like him naturally wouldn't believe that Master Lonely Moon only said those things because he disliked the compassionate face—

Just as everyone was lost in thought and deeply shocked, the light outside the hall seemed to suddenly dim.

It wasn't that it was dark, but rather that all the light around us had been stolen away by the figure that appeared outside the door.

A pristine white Taoist robe with wide sleeves fluttered gently.

Master Guyue stepped into the council hall as if walking on the invisible, bright moonlight.

Her face was stunningly beautiful yet extremely aloof, devoid of any earthly warmth.

There was no deliberate display of killing intent, but as soon as she took a step, the space in the hall seemed to collapse slightly, and the invisible pressure of immortal power was as deep as the ocean, making everyone almost unable to breathe.

Her steps were graceful and ethereal, as if she were a celestial being descended from the heavens.

A layer of deep blue and clear light flowed around it—this was the Taiyin Divine Light.

This divine light did not possess any explosive power or magic, but rather exuded a supreme profound meaning that could freeze all things and bring all laws to stillness.

This is a chilling aura that points directly to the Great Dao, capable of freezing even a cultivator's divine sense and magical power.

Wherever the cool, faint light shone, the ethereal energy in the air seemed to condense into translucent ice dust, which then drifted down and bloomed into tiny ice lotuses on the ground.

In the presence of this aloof and elegant fairy, the scheming and power struggles of the officialdom and the aggressive Buddhist methods of exorcising demons that had just occurred to her all seemed rather laughable.

Master Guyue's deep, still eyes swept across the crowd in the hall without any emotion, finally settling on Monk Cixiang.

The frost in the hall continued to spread. Monk Cixiang, enduring the bone-chilling cold that felt as if his meridians were about to be completely frozen, clasped his hands together and forced himself to speak: "Cixiang of Honglian Temple greets Master Guyue." He took a deep breath, trying to salvage some of the dignity of Honglian Temple, "Master's previous words were far too unreasonable."

Master Guyue slightly turned his head, his deep, emotionless eyes landing lightly on Cixiang.

"What?" Her red lips parted slightly, her voice as cold as shattered jade striking ice, echoing eerily in the frozen hall. "Does this humble Taoist need you to teach me how to do things?"

The moment she finished speaking, the divine light of the moon surrounding her suddenly intensified.

Ci Xiang let out a muffled groan, feeling an overwhelming, extremely cold force crashing into his chest.

The spark of anger that had just risen in his heart was instantly extinguished by this absolute power, leaving only deep fear and helplessness.

He gritted his teeth, lowered his eyes, and struggled to utter two words: "I dare not."

Master Guyue withdrew her gaze, no longer looking at him, as if even glancing at this monk was a waste of time. She turned around, her gaze falling on Commander Xiang, who had already hurried down from the main seat to greet her, her tone still indifferent: "Fellow Daoist Xiang, you didn't tell me that the Red Lotus Temple would also get involved in this campaign to wipe out the Wusheng Sect bandits."

Although Commander Xiang was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he dared not be arrogant in front of True Person Gu Yue. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he coughed lightly. Instead of answering directly, he glanced at Deputy Commander Wang beside him.

Upon seeing this, Deputy Commander Wang immediately cursed Commander Xiang's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind.

This old fox always tries to shift the blame at crucial moments, clearly making him take the fall for this killer's wrath!

A higher rank can crush a lower one, especially in the cultivation world where strength is paramount.

Circumstances dictate that Wang, the deputy commander, had no choice but to swallow his grievances and step forward with a heavy heart.

He forced an extremely awkward smile, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Master Guyue, and explained, "Master, please calm down. This is a misunderstanding."

This operation to eradicate cult members is of paramount importance and cannot afford the slightest mishap. However, there's a problem with the identity of Xia Dong, the flag bearer, among those involved; it needs to be verified. Master Cixiang has come precisely to assist us in investigating this matter.

"What's wrong with Xia Dong?" Master Gu Yue asked indifferently, without even lifting his eyelids.

Deputy Commander Wang swallowed hard. Under the terrifying pressure of the Taiyin Divine Light, he carefully repeated Ci Xiang's previous statement: "There are clues that—General Xia is a remnant of the Xuantian Temple, and may possess demonic cultivation techniques. To prevent demons from infiltrating the team, that's why—"

His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, all the while cursing the monk Cixiang to death in his mind.

That damned bald monk patted his chest and assured everyone beforehand that a nobleman from the capital was going to investigate Xia Dong's background and there would be no accidents. How did he end up dragging out that old hag Gu Yue?

Others might not know, but as the deputy commander of the Eagle Wolf Guard in Lin Yuan Prefecture, how could he not know?

This woman not only reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, but also cultivated the domineering and unparalleled "Taiyin Divine Light".

Without the Core Formation stage, this old hag is practically unmatched in the Foundation Establishment stage!

Now look what's happened; they've kicked the hardest iron plate, and the ending is likely to be ugly.

Upon hearing this, Master Guyue laughed instead of getting angry: "Compassionate Prime Minister, according to you, anyone who cultivates the Xuantian Temple's techniques is a demonic monster who deserves to die, is that right?"

Despite the biting cold that enveloped him, Ci Xiang gritted his teeth and said without backing down, "The entire Xuantian Temple is filled with demons, and their techniques are naturally evil arts that poison living beings. Righteous people should eradicate such monsters completely!"

This is the absolute taboo and stance of the Red Lotus Temple.

Back when Xuantian Temple was at its zenith, it almost uprooted the entire lineage of Honglian Temple, forcing them to hide in the shadows and eke out a living like stray dogs.

Now that fortunes have turned and Xuantian Temple has been destroyed, Honglian Temple will not allow anyone, under any circumstances, to leave any room for Xuantian Temple to overturn its verdict.

"Okay, very good."

Master Guyue spoke calmly, but the moment he finished speaking, the air in the hall suddenly exploded with an unbearable roar.

In mid-air, countless icy blue, chilling magical energies converged wildly in an instant, condensing into a semi-transparent handprint over ten feet in size, radiating a bone-chilling, eerie light. This handprint, carrying a terrifying force as if it could shatter mountains, slammed down without warning towards Ci Xiang's cheek.

"Snapped!"

A crisp, deafening slap echoed throughout the hall.

With Ci Xiang's profound cultivation, which was close to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he didn't even have a chance to react to this seemingly casual attack.

His protective aura was shattered before it could even ignite, and he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the sandalwood armchair behind him, smashing into a pile of wood chips along with the chair.

Ci Xiang fell to the ground in a sorry state, seeing stars before his eyes. His cheeks, which had originally shone with a dark golden luster, swelled up at a visible speed, and in the blink of an eye, the skin was torn and the flesh was swollen, turning into a comical pig's head.

"The Mysterious Heavenly Handprint?"

Ignoring the blood and broken teeth filling his mouth, Ci Xiang stared intently at the slowly dissipating icy blue palm print, his voice filled with utter disbelief, "How could you—"

These words shocked Commander Xiang and Deputy Commander Wang, who were in the hall.

The "Mysterious Heaven Great Handprint" was once the signature divine power of the Mysterious Heaven Temple that shook the world.

The conditions for cultivating this supernatural ability are extremely demanding. In theory, one must have at least the cultivation level of the Core Formation stage to successfully cultivate it.

But that's not the worst part.

What's most chilling is that Gu Yue Zhenren, the head of one of the peaks of the prestigious Qixia Immortal Sect and a renowned and upright cultivator, has secretly cultivated the signature divine power of the Xuantian Temple.

Master Guyue looked down at Cixiang, who was slumped on the ground: "Indeed, now that I have also cultivated the supernatural powers of Xuantian Temple, am I also a heretic who must be exterminated in the eyes of your Red Lotus Temple?"

Ci Xiang's eyes were wide open in anger, and his eyes looked extremely ferocious due to extreme bloodshotness. However, his chest heaved violently a few times, but he clenched his teeth tightly and did not dare to utter another word.

He's a madman, but definitely not a fool.

There was a real murderous glint in the eyes of that ruthless old hag. If he dared to use the rules of the Red Lotus Temple to suppress her again, she would definitely kill him on the spot in this Thousand Households Office without hesitation!

Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.

In the end, Lin Yuan Prefecture is still within the sphere of influence of Qixia Immortal Sect. The signboard of Honglian Temple is here, but it cannot protect his life.

More importantly, Ci Xiang has now fully regained consciousness.

Master Guyue's sudden and ruthless actions, on the surface, were to protect Xia Dong, a junior officer with an unclear background, but in reality, he was plotting to "make an example of someone."

She wanted to use herself, as the representative of the Red Lotus Temple, as an example to establish her authority in public and completely intimidate Commander Xiang and Deputy Commander Wang.

With this unreasonable slap, True Person Lonely Moon had already set the rules: in the upcoming operation to clear out the Crimson Fire Mine, her Qixia Immortal Sect must take absolute control.

Master Guyue's slap was extremely vicious, yet also extremely skillful.

She didn't mention the laws of the imperial court at all, but only discussed the matter based on the sect's cultivation methods, directly targeting Ci Xiang.

In this way, not only was a complete falling out with the Eagle Wolf Guard avoided, but the Qixia Immortal Sect also managed to give the Red Lotus Temple a good thrashing.

People generally believe that immortals and Buddhas belong to the same righteous path and should be of the same ilk.

In reality, the two factions had just as much private conflict over resources and lineage as they did when dealing with the Demonic Sect.

It's just that we don't directly call for war and killing like we do with the demonic path.

The atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense and cold.

But in the hearts of these old foxes, today's confrontation, the so-called "suppression of religious bandits" or "investigation of demons," is nothing more than a pretext.

The real highlight is the few "Sacred Lotus Seeds" that the Wusheng Sect has secretly cultivated over the past few years by massively gathering incense and faith!

That's the kind of spiritual item that would make any Foundation Establishment cultivator envious.

By taking one pill during the process of forming the Golden Core, one can increase the success rate by 10% and comprehend more profound mysteries of the Great Dao upon successful formation.

Judging by the time, the Sacred Heart Lotus Seeds beneath the Crimson Fire Mine have reached the final stage of ripening and harvesting.

If it weren't for such a treasure that defies the creation of heaven and earth, how could the aloof and proud Master Guyue have been willing to lower himself and personally descend the mountain to wade into the muddy waters of the secular world?

In recent years, both the Eagle Wolf Guard of Linyuan Prefecture and the Qixia Immortal Sect have turned a blind eye to the secret growth of the Wusheng Sect, allowing it to grow wildly like weeds and gather believers. Isn't this all because they have the intention of "raising pigs"?

In this world, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is increasingly depleted, so the strategic significance of this rare treasure of heaven and earth, which is formed by the reversal and condensation of incense and faith, naturally rises.

It remains to be seen how many Sacred Heart Lotus Seeds will actually grow during this bandit suppression campaign.

But whoever demonstrates the strongest fist and greatest deterrent power today will naturally be able to claim the largest share when the spoils are distributed in the future.

Master Guyue's merciless slap set a precedent.

Sitting in the main seat, Xiang Qianhu lowered his eyes, looking at the teacup at his feet that had turned into ice shards, his mind racing with thoughts.

In truth, he didn't care at all about Xia Dong's so-called hidden background.

His status as a Daoist is indeed special, but at his level, who doesn't have a Daoist family as a backer?

Today's play is simply about a big shot in the capital who suddenly becomes interested in Xia Dong's background and wants to find out more.

As a seasoned veteran of officialdom, Commander Xiang naturally wouldn't be the first to take the lead. So, he went with the flow and tacitly allowed Deputy Commander Wang to act as a double agent, using Ci Xiang as a tool to test the waters.

The hatred between Honglian Temple and Xuantian Temple runs deep. The case will be presided over by Cixiang. If Xia Dongzhen has even the slightest connection with Xuantian Temple, Cixiang will absolutely bite her to death like a mad dog, with no possibility of protection.

The plan was meticulously laid out, and Qianhu had considered every detail, but he hadn't anticipated that Master Guyue would personally appear and even resort to forceful measures to protect Xia Dong!

Although from the moment he stepped into the hall until now, this peak master of Qixia Immortal Sect has not lingered his gaze on Xia Dong for even a moment, nor has he uttered a single word to him.

But the result of her actions was that she was openly protecting Xia Dong.

After a brief moment of deliberation, Xiang Qianhu knew that someone had to step in and smooth things over in this situation.

A friendly smile quickly spread across his slightly plump face, breaking the suffocating silence.

"It seems to be a misunderstanding." Commander Xiang chuckled, as if the broken ice on the ground and the slap mark on Ci Xiang's face did not exist. "The immortal Master Gu Yue has graced my Commander's residence with his presence, bringing glory to Peng Bi. Lord Qian, please ask the immortal to move to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to rest. We will go to bathe and change our clothes now, and then go to offer the immortal a toast to apologize."

However, Master Guyue didn't even glance at him.

"No need." Her tone was indifferent and left no room for argument.

Only then did she finally turn her head, her cool gaze falling on Xia Dong behind her for the first time.

"Xia boy, come with me first."

Before he finished speaking, Master Guyue casually waved his wide cloud sleeves.

A wisp of clear, deep blue divine light swept out instantly, enveloping Xia Dong like a layer of flowing water.

The people in the hall felt a blur before their eyes, and the air distorted slightly. In an instant, the figures of Master Guyue and Xia Dong vanished without a trace, leaving only a patch of frost that had not yet melted.

The hall fell silent again, but this time, each person had their own thoughts.

Xiang Qianhu's amiable smile gradually faded, and his eyes became unfathomable.

He glanced at Wang, the deputy commander, who stood there with a livid face, and his tone became completely indifferent: "Lord Wang, take Master Cixiang down to treat his injuries first."

Wang, the deputy commander, suppressed his frustration and stepped forward, reaching out to help Ci Xiang up from the ground.

Ci Xiang opened his swollen, leaky mouth, as if to speak but then stopped. Although he was arrogant, he was not blind.

The way Xiang Qianhu just tried to smooth things over said it all: with the formidable Gu Yue Zhenren standing up for Xia Dong, the Eagle Wolf Guard would never risk offending him at this critical juncture.

But there was absolutely no way he would swallow this insult.

The kind-faced man lowered his eyelids, concealing the venomous glint in his eyes.

It must be that kid surnamed Xia took the inheritance of Xuantian Temple in exchange for Gu Yue's protection. His identity is beyond doubt.

He refused to believe that the lonely moon could protect summer and winter for a lifetime.

If he gets the chance, he can kidnap the person and take them directly back to the main branch of the Red Lotus Temple in the capital for severe interrogation.

By then, the die will have been cast. Even if Gu Yue had ten times the courage, would she dare to take her sword and storm the capital to cause trouble for the Red Lotus Temple?

Upon realizing this, Ci Xiang pushed away the hand that Deputy Commander Wang was reaching out to, and despite the excruciating pain from his shattered facial bones, he stood up unsteadily.

He didn't look at Deputy Commander Wang, but instead faced Commander Xiang at the head of the table, raised one hand to his chest, and uttered a Buddhist chant: "Amitabha. Lord Xiang, this humble monk is no match for you today, and has no face to remain in Lin Yuan Prefecture any longer."

Ci Xiang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice so somber it seemed to drip water, "Let's part ways here."

At this moment, Xia Dong was led by Master Gu Yue to a quiet and elegant pavilion. The pavilions were scattered in a well-organized manner, and there was a pond in the garden where two white cranes flew in pairs, which was very pleasing to the eye.

The lonely moon stands with its back to summer and winter.

After gazing at the scenery in the garden for a long time.

The man turned around and slowly said, "I still owe you two things."

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