Transcending two realms to become an earth immortal

Inside the dilapidated temple, it was as dark as ink, with only a few slivers of pale sunlight filtering down from the sky, reflecting the floating dust.

A chilling wind howled and wailed through the hall, like the curses of night ghosts, carrying with it the lingering stench of blood and decay, permeating every inch of the air and making one want to vomit.

The remaining elders and disciples of Zhengyang huddled in a corner, their faces ashen, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

In their horrified gaze, in the center of the ruins that could barely be called a temple, a circle of "people" sat on cushions and low stools.

Although it is said to be human, its appearance is extremely bizarre.

Some sat motionless, their faces ashen like those of an old corpse; others had countless slippery tentacles writhing beneath their robes; still others had their robes fluttering without wind, vaguely revealing a section of unresolved bone or fur behind them...

This is clearly a group of demons, their human-shaped outlines barely contorted and transformed!

The air was thick with demonic energy, the stench of corpses, and the stench of blood. Despite their best efforts to contain it, traces of it still seeped out, making the place even more unsettling than a demon's lair.

Surrounded by this group of "people," a handsome young Taoist priest, dressed in a Taoist robe, sat calmly in the main seat.

He was clean and serene, and his demeanor was completely out of place.

But it is precisely this normalcy that, in this context, appears incredibly bizarre and terrifying.

It was as if a peerless and ferocious demon, having cultivated to perfection in a remote mountain wilderness or an ancient demon cave, had reached the realm of returning to simplicity and truth, and had transformed into human form to descend upon the world, sending chills down one's spine upon seeing it.

At this moment, Fang Chen's clear and melodious voice broke the deathly silence:

"Fellow Daoists, it is truly a great fortune for us, the righteous sects of the Xuanmen, to gather in this turbid world. We should celebrate this moment!"

"Indeed, indeed! Fellow Daoist is absolutely right! The demons of Dao City are powerful; we, the righteous path, should join forces!"

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"Today's gathering is truly a joyous occasion!"

The demons' faces contorted as if they had eaten excrement, their expressions twisted and ferocious, yet they still forced fawning smiles and offered insincere flattery.

"Hahaha..." Fang Chen burst into laughter.

However, his smile vanished in an instant, and a look of sorrow appeared between his brows.

The surrounding demons instantly fell silent, not daring to breathe, for fear of angering this vicious man and becoming the next victim of his sword.

The scene fell into a suffocating silence once again.

Fang Chen waited for a moment, but no one responded. A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes.

The sword gourd silently appeared in his hand, its mouth quietly turning towards the old woman in black who had been transformed from a blood crow.

The Blood Raven Taoist felt the invisible and intangible killing intent approaching, and a chill ran down his spine to the top of his head, as if he would follow in the footsteps of the Ram Demon and have his soul scattered!

He cursed Fang Chen's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart, but forced a look of concern on his face:

"I wonder...why do you look so troubled, fellow Daoist?"

"Sigh..." Fang Chen sighed softly, his voice filled with helplessness. "The fierce battles and the blood tax we paid... the funds in our Daoist practice are nearly exhausted. Rebuilding the Daoist temple, training disciples, setting up grand formations... all require massive amounts of resources. We're currently stretched thin, and I truly don't know what to do!" The Blood Raven Daoist cursed inwardly, forcing a smile on his face.

"Fellow Daoist, rebuilding the temple is an immeasurable act of merit! This old woman... is willing to donate 50,000 coins to contribute my meager strength!"

Fang Chenlu exclaimed in delight, "Fellow Daoist, your righteousness is truly admirable!"

However, the sword gourd in his hand was slightly tilted half an inch towards her.

A sharper killing intent pierced the demon's soul, and the Blood Raven Taoist's heart sank, realizing that this sincerity was far from satisfying the gluttonous beast!

Her expression shifted, and she gritted her teeth as she pulled out a small, palm-sized, charred and tattered triangular flag from her bosom.

As the flag was raised, a chilling, soul-piercing aura subtly emanated from it.

"This...this is a fragment of the [Mysterious Yin Soul Gathering Banner] that I obtained by chance many years ago. Although damaged, it still contains the ancient profound meaning of summoning ghosts with mysterious yin energy. If nurtured with yin energy, it can summon wandering souls and refine them into yin soldiers..." She held the banner above her head with both hands, her voice trembling with tears, "and now I offer it to you, fellow Daoist, as a contribution to its reconstruction..."

Fang Chen was filled with gratitude.

Then, the sword gourd silently turned to its next target... the blue-faced giant transformed from the rotting corpse giant.

The giant corpse Taoist's flesh was stiff and rotting, and he longed to devour it raw, but the premonition of death on his neck prevented him from moving his fingertips.

Its facial muscles twitched, culminating in a terrifying smile:

"Fellow Daoist, you are in trouble, we should help you! This humble Daoist has obtained a [Earth Vein Filthy Spirit Mushroom], which grew at the bottom of a mass grave. It contains the essence of earth spirit and has miraculous effects on repairing earth veins and stabilizing formations..."

With trembling hands, he pulled out a dark wooden box covered in talismans and broke the seal.

The box was slightly ajar, releasing a complex aura—a heavy, sinister mix of decay and stench. Inside lay a strange, fist-sized, dark purple-black herb, its surface covered with bizarre, pus-like bumps.

"I wish to offer this to my fellow Daoists to help the Daoist temple restore its former glory as soon as possible." The giant corpse Daoist almost squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, his heart bleeding with pain.

This tainted spirit mushroom was a key resource for him to break through his cultivation level, but he never expected it would be used to "aid" his fellow cultivator today!

Fang Chen nodded slightly in satisfaction, and moved the sword gourd away a little.

With this example set, how could the remaining demons not understand the rules?

Even though their hearts bleed and they cursed hell, they still rushed to donate.

"This humble Taoist priest is willing to offer 30,000 coins! And I will also include a [Yin Bone Fan] made from the ribs of a hundred-year-old Corpse King!"

"I possess a vein of Yin Iron ore on this humble path, and I wish to offer the right to mine it!"

"I have by chance obtained half of the ancient 'Soul-Stealing Melody' score..."

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the dilapidated hall was already faintly gleaming with treasure. A small pile of various spiritual objects, spiritual mineral vein contracts, and fragments of cultivation techniques, all tainted with bloodlust, yin energy, and filth, was stacked up, along with a promise of a huge sum of hundreds of thousands of magic coins.

The remaining elders and disciples of the Zhengyang Sect standing below were already dumbfounded, as if in a dream.

In their memories, when they used to worship these demons, they were so arrogant, greedy, and insatiable, like a gluttonous beast, demanding everything and truly a vicious demon.

I have never seen them so righteous and public-spirited.

One by one, they eagerly opened their wallets, their expressions sincere, as if they had all become kind-hearted, compassionate, and virtuous individuals!

Indeed, this is the ultimate truth in the world.

When you are weak, you are surrounded by wolves, and all you see are fangs and blood. The law of the jungle is the only rule.

But when you bare your fangs and unleash the power to tear everything apart, even a man-eating demon can become gentle and refined with you, discussing civilization together!

Finally, Fang Chen clapped his hands and laughed:

"This reconstruction is largely thanks to the profound understanding and generous donations of all of you fellow Daoists; you are truly exemplars of the righteous path. Such a momentous occasion deserves our celebration!"

"Absolutely! Absolutely!" The demons wept blood, their internal organs burned, and they cursed countless times, yet their faces forced fawning smiles in agreement. "It's worth celebrating! It's worth celebrating! Hehehe..."

"Hmm?!" Upon hearing this, Fang Chen's expression suddenly darkened, and his eyes turned cold. "We, the orthodox sect of Xuanmen, the glorious righteous path, would never allow such sneaky laughter!"

The demons were startled and hurriedly fell silent, apologizing profusely.

"Fellow Daoist is absolutely right! I was out of line!"

"We who follow the righteous path should laugh heartily! Hehehe... no, hahahaha..."

"Good, good, good!" Fang Chen seemed satisfied and stood up with a smile.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the strangely shaped "people" and cowering Taoist disciples below. His clear, resonant voice suddenly rose, like the clang of metal on metal, echoing throughout the ruins:

"Today, we, the righteous sects of the Xuanmen, gather here to discuss important matters. This is truly a blessing for our lineage and a boon for all living beings!"

The pitch suddenly rises:

"Let us swear an oath here and now to slay demons and monsters and uphold our righteous path!"

Below the hall, the group of "people" twisted from demons rose in unison like puppets under Fang Chen's icy gaze. Their faces contorted with stiffness, and they hissed and cried out, their voices dry and distorted:

"Slay demons and monsters, uphold the righteous path!"