The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

Xue Zhiwei is a decisive and efficient woman.

She found a pen and ink and immediately wrote down the magic technique of water binding for Zhou Heng.

Looking at the delicate handwriting, Zhou Heng was both amused and exasperated.

Who said he only knows magic and not divine arts?

He also knows a bit of the Heavenly Gang Immortal Technique, okay?

Moreover, what makes you think I can master this immortal technique, Water Binding?

Despite his inner grumbling, Zhou Heng still memorized the Water Binding Immortal Technique word by word.

With his talent, he definitely can't master it; he can only wait until he gains more cultivation next time.

It is, after all, a celestial technique. If he were to exchange it himself, he would need the merit of at least an eighth-grade demon.

Fairy Xue, so bold and generous!

To be honest, Xue Zhiwei herself did not know the immortal technique of water binding, but she was very knowledgeable and had a good memory. Not to mention immortal techniques, she also remembered a lot of martial arts.

Of course, even with her background, she had only been exposed to basic martial arts, which wouldn't be of much use to Zhou Heng, who was at the seventh rank. Otherwise, she might have given Zhou Heng a few martial arts to practice.

After Zhou Heng memorized the Immortal Technique Water Binding Death Manual, he wandered around the main hall by himself.

He lingered in front of each Buddha statue for a while, trying to decipher the martial arts techniques hidden within them.

As it turned out, his comprehension and talent were only average.

He could tell that there were martial arts techniques hidden in the Buddha statue, but he couldn't tell what those techniques were.

He wandered into the side hall and stopped in front of the last Buddha statue, lost in thought.

Actually, what Xue Zhiwei said wasn't wrong.

In his previous battles, he always relied on brute force to overcome all techniques; he was strong, fast, and fierce, and ended the battle directly.

In fact, compared to his level of mastery, the martial arts skills he possessed could only be described as superficial.

One door-splitting sword technique and one set of Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), that's all.

He had mastered the Lesser Formless Force, which allowed him to use any martial arts technique.

"How about we borrow a few martial arts techniques from Miss Xue for free?"

Zhou Heng pondered to himself.

The armory of the Imperial Guard contains countless martial arts techniques, but to learn them, one must exchange them for merit points.

His achievements have just earned him the Boundless Ocean Technique.

Moreover, exchanging merits for basic martial arts techniques always feels like a loss.

Why spend money when you can get something for free?

I was just thinking of an excuse to get some freebies from Lady Xue.

suddenly.

Zhou Heng frowned slightly.

From a perspective visible only to himself, the danger countdown suddenly began to tick and flashed a dangerous red light.

【12:00:00】

【11:59:59】

【11:59:58】

…………

The numbers kept jumping, and a strong sense of crisis welled up in my heart.

Twelve hours to go! Danger level: High!

Zhou Heng had only encountered such a long countdown once before, when the Dajiang Gang set up a trap.

That time, his enemies were Yao Lie, the leader of the Great River Gang, who was at the seventh rank, and the injured sixth-rank demon Black Dragon, as well as the Leopard Fetus Tendon-Changing Pill.

This time, the danger is no less than that one.

But who brought this danger to me this time?

The fox demon abbot has been killed, and the other lurking demons have also scattered. Now, apart from the worshippers, only some monks of power and status remain in the Reclining Buddha Temple.

Clearly, the danger does not come from them.

Zhou Heng pondered for a moment, then stepped out of the side hall.

"Xiao Wu! Scholar!"

Zhou Heng shouted.

Chen Zhaowu and Lü Zian ran over from both sides, and Xue Zhiwei also heard the noise and came out of the main hall.

They are searching for clues everywhere.

"I have a bad feeling about this. Has anyone else noticed anything?"

Zhou Heng said in a deep voice.

Before he could finish speaking, the three of them had no time to react.

A sharp whistling sound rang in their ears.

The four of them instinctively looked up.

More than ten sharp arrows descended from the sky with a piercing sound, heading straight for them.

"Be careful!"

Zhou Heng shouted and slid in front of Xue Zhiwei, the Dragon Sparrow Blade leaping into his hand and transforming into a flash of light.

Ding ding ding.

Most of the arrows were cleaved to the ground, and the few that escaped were knocked down by Zhou Heng with his scabbard.

He escorted Xue Zhiwei into the main hall, glancing at Chen Zhaowu and Lü Zian out of the corner of his eye.

Chen Zhaowu's reaction was not as fast as his, but it was not slow either. He knew that Lü Zian was physically weak, so he suddenly tackled Lü Zian to the ground and used his own back to withstand the arrows.

This scene made Zhou Heng's eyelids twitch.

Xue Zhiwei had always said that Chen Zhaowu was too reckless, and this time he witnessed it firsthand.

Is this how you use the Xuanhu Overlord Body?

Pfft.

The arrow struck Chen Zhaowu's back, but bounced off after penetrating only slightly into his flesh.

Chen Zhaowu cultivated the Xuanhu Overlord Body, which made him tough and invulnerable to swords and spears, but the immense force carried by the arrow still made him wince in pain.

As soon as the first volley of arrows fell, Chen Zhaowu, carrying Lü Zian, rushed into the main hall.

Zhou Heng moved swiftly, closing all the doors and windows.

The four of them hid behind the Buddha statue again.

The clanging and jingling sounds were incessant.

Arrows kept piercing through the doors and windows and shooting into the main hall.

Fortunately, the Buddha statue was made of clay and gilded, which blocked all the arrows.

The enemy seemed to realize that the arrows could not harm them, and with a sharp whistle, the arrows stopped.

Immediately afterwards, shouts rose and fell outside the Reclining Buddha Temple.

As the four tentatively left the main hall, they heard not only the roars of the demons but also the wailing of the worshippers.

Zhou Heng and Chen Zhaowu jumped onto the roof, quickly circled around, and then returned to the front of the main hall.

"We are surrounded."

Zhou Heng said with a serious expression.

"We're surrounded by damn monsters!"

Chen Zhaowu added, "These demons are really fucking audacious! They actually dared to attack the Demon-Slaying Captain of the Guardian Division!"

"In this desolate wilderness, as long as everyone present dies cleanly, they can just throw out a couple of scapegoats later."

Xue Zhiwei said with a serious expression, "We may have stirred up a hornet's nest."

The stronger their reaction, the more it proves that we have uncovered their secrets.

There are probably still things inside this Reclining Buddha Temple that we haven't discovered yet!

Zhou Heng casually pulled out an arrow that was embedded in a blue brick; the arrowhead was sharp and menacing.

Hundreds of demons surrounded the Reclining Buddha Temple, and they even learned to use arrows!

If it were just him alone, he was confident he could break through the encirclement.

But there are also Xue Zhiwei, Chen Zhaowu, Lü Zian, and hundreds of ordinary pilgrims here.

More than ten of the pilgrims had been killed by the previous volley of arrows and were now huddled in a corner, trembling with fear.

"What does the Imperial Guard usually do in this situation?"

Zhou Heng looked at Xue Zhiwei and the other two and said, "Shall we fight to the death, or live to fight another day?"

If he puts all his effort into it, he should be able to break through with one person.

Chen Zhaowu was tough and had a good chance of escaping.

The remaining people will likely become food for the monsters.

"To protect the world and vanquish demons and monsters."

Xue Zhiwei said slowly.

She only said eight words, and Zhou Heng already understood what she meant.

The first responsibility of the Gongwei Division is to protect the world.

If they abandon the people and flee alone, they will be violating their duty. Even if they manage to escape, they will not escape the punishment of the Imperial Guard.

It's not that they are so noble, but that they enjoyed the resources of the Guardian Division, and that's the price they had to pay.

"It will be dark soon. I can use my magic to summon a strong wind to disrupt the demons' formation. Then you can take the opportunity to protect the people and break through the encirclement."

Xue Zhiwei said in a deep voice.

Faced with hundreds of demons, a group of demons who could use bows and arrows, being trapped in the temple meant certain death.

Before the demons could officially attack the temple, breaking out was their only way to survive.

"Can you summon a strong wind?"

Zhou Heng's face showed a thoughtful expression.

"I told you, I cultivate the Immortal Wind and Cloud Body Technique, and wind control is my specialty."

In the critical moment, Xue Zhiwei still explained, "Moreover, I have cultivated half of the Heavenly Gang Immortal Technique, called Wind Summoning. Although my immortal power is limited, I can still summon strong winds to disturb them for a short time."