Both start in hell: but their talents are multiplied a hundredfold.

Zuo Qianhu's voice came from the third meditation room, calm and without a ripple: "Sleep, we still have to deal with that centipede demon tomorrow."

"Brother Zuo, how come you can sleep so soundly?" Yan Chixia said irritably.

"Whether you can sleep or not, the centipede demon is still there." Commander Zuo paused.

Instead of thinking about things that haven't happened yet, think about tomorrow.

Yan Chixia remained silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter echoed through the quiet temple, a sound that was hard to discern as either heroic or bitter.

"Well said!" He threw the wine gourd onto the door of Commander Zuo's room.

"Now! Have a couple of drinks with me!"

Zuo Qianhu caught the gourd and walked out of the door.

Under the moonlight, his face remained expressionless, but his hand steadied as he took the gourd of wine.

Ning Caichen looked at the two people and suddenly smiled.

He stepped forward, snatched the wine gourd from Yan Chixia's hand, and, imitating them, tilted his head back and took a swig. It was so spicy that he coughed and tears welled up in his eyes.

Yan Chixia patted his back and laughed heartily, and Zuo Qianhu's lips also curved upwards for once.

Under the moonlight, the three men shared a pot of wine, and none of them mentioned the "Heaven and Earth Righteous Qi Method" again.

But everyone knows in their hearts that after tonight, the rules of the world will likely change.

The next day, before dawn, Shen Jue's knocking on the door rang out precisely on time.

Ning Caichen rubbed his sleepy eyes and opened the door, only to see Shen Jue dressed in a white monk's robe with a red kasaya over it, holding a vajra pestle, and with a dot of cinnabar between his eyebrows.

This outfit suggests a fierce and powerful style, reminiscent of a martial monk, yet it also carries an air of solemnity and dignity.

"Did Young Master Ning sleep well?"

"It's alright," Ning Caichen replied guiltily, though he had actually had nightmares all night.

In my dreams, I keep replaying the face of that female ghost for some reason.

Thinking of this, Ning Caichen secretly glanced at Shen Jue's cuffs.

Seeing Ning Caichen's expression, Shen Jue smiled slightly and said, "Benefactor Ning, please don't be anxious. This humble monk will certainly not break his promise."

Yan Chixia and Zuo Qianhu are fully prepared.

Yan Chixia carried the Xuanyuan Divine Sword on his back, and Zuo Qianhu carried a broad-bladed longsword on his shoulder. Both of them had a restrained glint in their eyes, clearly indicating that they had adjusted themselves to their peak condition.

"Let's go," Shen Jue said with a smile, her tone as if she were inviting everyone to a temple fair.

"The place where the Bodhisattva of Compassion resides is the Cihang Temple, which is located in the Imperial City."

"This humble monk will lead the way."

As soon as Shen Jue finished speaking, he gently tapped the Vajra Pestle on the ground.

"Thump!"

A deep, resounding boom followed, and a ring of golden ripples suddenly spread outwards from him.

The moment the ripples touched the soles of the three people's feet, Ning Caichen felt a lightness all over his body, as if an invisible hand was supporting his lower back, and he was lifted into the air.

Yan Chixia and Zuo Qianhu both changed their expressions at the same time.

Both of them were seasoned veterans, but this was the first time they had ever been carried away by someone.

Yan Chixia subconsciously reached for the Xuanyuan Divine Sword on his back, but as soon as his hand touched the hilt, he felt the surrounding scenery suddenly blur.

The halls and pavilions of Jinshan Temple shrank rapidly beneath our feet, the morning mist was torn apart by a golden light, and the clouds rushed towards us.

The four transformed into a dazzling golden rainbow, rising from the sky above Jinshan Temple and soaring towards the northern imperial city.

Ning Caichen closed his eyes in fright, the wind whistling in his ears like thunder, as if he were stuck to a high-speed arrow.

After a long while, he cautiously opened his eyes a crack and saw a surging sea of ​​clouds below. Golden morning light shone from the east, dyeing the clouds a brilliant orange-red.

"Is this the work of a god?" Ning Caichen murmured, his eyes shining with astonishment.

No one answered him.

Yan Chixia was barely suppressing his instinctive urge to draw his sword. Zuo Qianhu's hand was pressed tightly on the hilt of his sword. Although his face was expressionless, the veins on his neck betrayed his tension.

They were all used to fighting on land, and suddenly being sent to the sky was a feeling that was more unsettling than facing a hundred demons and monsters.

Shen Jue stood leisurely in front, his red kasaya fluttering in the wind like a flag, and the vajra at his feet transformed into a golden stream of light supporting his figure.

His gaze was fixed straight ahead, as if he were admiring the view of the sea of ​​clouds and sunrise, showing no sign of the tension that a great battle was about to begin.

"Brother Yan."

Shen Jue suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it clearly pierced through the howling wind, each word reaching Yan Chixia's ears.

Yan Chixia frowned: "What?"

"On this journey to the capital, we will face a thousand-year-old centipede demon."

"Forgive my bluntness, but with your current level of cultivation, I'm afraid only your divine sword can break through the old centipede's skin."

Yan Chixia's face instantly turned bright red, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Yan Chixia has roamed the world for so many years, slaying countless demons and monsters. When has he ever been looked down upon like this?

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a rebuttal.

If that thousand-year-old centipede spirit truly became the imperial advisor of the court by virtue of its demonic status, and used the power of the entire world to support its cultivation.

It further devoured the popularity of the court and the imperial dragon aura.

This is something that Yan Chixia alone cannot handle.

It would probably take gathering all the cultivators in the world to fight that centipede demon to the death.

"What do you mean, Master?" Yan Chixia asked in a low voice.

"This humble monk will lend you a hand." Shen Jue tilted his head slightly, and the cinnabar between his brows flashed in the golden light.

Before Yan Chixia could react, he felt an immense force pour into his Baihui acupoint on the top of his head, as if a golden waterfall was cascading down from the crown of his head, washing over every meridian, every bone, and every inch of his flesh.

In just a moment, Yan Chixia reached the Grandmaster realm of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top.

He felt a dramatic change within himself; this power, known as internal force, even surpassed the magical power he had cultivated.

Yan Chixia looked down at his hands, then looked up at Shen Jue's back. His lips moved a few times, but he couldn't say anything in the end.

He naturally obtained the "Heaven and Earth Righteous Qi Method", the "Breathing Technique 2.0 Version", and the Yuan Magnetic Seed planted by Shen Jue.

"Could the master truly be a divine being descended from beyond the realm?" Yan Chixia asked, feeling that Shen Jue's methods were terrifying beyond measure.

Moreover, Shen Jue's methods and techniques have no basis in the human world.

Perhaps only those outside the realm can explain Shen Jue's origins.

"That doesn't matter," Shen Jue said, shaking her head.

"We've arrived at the imperial city."

As soon as Shen Jue finished speaking, the clouds beneath his feet suddenly dispersed.

Ning Caichen looked down and gasped.

Beneath the clouds, a majestic city lies prostrate on the earth.

The city walls stretched out like a giant dragon, with nine gates wide open, markets scattered like chess pieces, and palaces and pavilions layered upon each other, all leading to the magnificent imperial palace in the very center of the city.

In the morning light, the glazed tiles reflected a dazzling light.

The golden rainbow light suddenly accelerated, plummeting straight down towards the Cihang Temple, which shimmered with precious light, right in the center of the imperial city.