Why are all of us who transmigrated at the same time demons?

With wisdom far surpassing Qi Xuanzong's, Luo Lan perfected the Foundation Establishment chapter of the "Supreme Mysterious Origin Five Dragons Taiji Golden Book," and successfully established her foundation after recuperating. The identity of the Five Dragons Secret Sect was something Qi Xuanzong acquired while wandering the martial world to collect cultivation techniques. At that time, Qi Xuanzong was unaware of the true nature of the sect and single-mindedly wanted to become the revivalist of the Five Dragons Sect, completely disregarding the consequences.

The Five Dragons Esoteric Sect couldn't do anything to Qi Xuanzong at Songhe Temple, but now that Qi Xuanzong has descended the mountain, the Insect Dragon Altar has come knocking. After all, Qi Xuanzong is the leader of the Five Dragons Daoist Sect, and dragging down the leader of a sect that once regarded them as heretical is an extremely gratifying thing for the Five Dragons Esoteric Sect. Therefore, the Insect Dragon Altar is very persistent in trying to drag Qi Xuanzong down with them.

Qi Xuanzong might refuse to join the Insect Dragon Altar because of his insistence on his own lineage. But who is Ke Luolan? A heretic? A demonic cultivator? Then you've come to the right person.

Loran joined the Insect Dragon Altar without hesitation and thrived, quickly rising to the position of Altar Master. And the old Altar Master who tried to drag Loran down back then? Don't ask, it would be impolite to ask again.

Chapter 136 Ancient Chen Realm: City Sealing

The city gates were actually closed. The city guards said it was an order from the county government that wild beasts were rampant outside the city and the city gates were temporarily closed to wait for the beasts to disperse.

This is clearly self-deception. Loran was speechless. No wonder he was a bureaucratic scoundrel from the feudal era.

Loran was certain that the closure of the city gates was not caused by any ferocious beast. In the normal way that the government dealt with wild beasts, the county magistrate should have ordered his subordinates to lead the soldiers and yamen runners to hunt down the beasts.

According to the system of the Yu State, under the county-level military officer (兵曹), there was a militia unit, which consisted mostly of civilians who trained occasionally and spent most of their time farming at home. The county commandant could also command the yamen runners under his command. Some of these runners were government employees and were considered clerks, while others were temporary workers who were not government employees.

In addition, if wild animals disturbed the people to the point that the county gates were closed, the magistrate could mobilize the local garrison. If the militia, yamen runners, and garrison couldn't subdue the wild animals, then something strange must have happened.

There are only three possibilities for the county government's actions: First, there is some political conspiracy at play, and it's definitely not just the work of a wild animal. Second, the culprit isn't a wild animal, but some kind of monster or mountain spirit. Third, the local government is simply incompetent, the garrison is uncooperative, and the militia is useless.

Judging from the mountain god stories passed down by word of mouth among the people, the second possibility is the most likely.

When monsters and spirits are involved, it's not just the garrison that's mobilized; the Heavenly Heart Sect will also be involved. The Yu Kingdom regards the Heavenly Heart Sect as its state religion, and its expertise and duty lie in cutting down mountains and destroying temples, exorcising ghosts and demons.

In either case, once the city gates are closed, all four gates will be shut, and no one will be able to leave the city. As for sneaking over the walls at night like the martial arts figures in the stories of the past, Loran thinks you are too naive. Although Yu Kingdom may seem to be an ancient feudal society, it is an ancient feudal society with extraordinary power. The city walls of the county-level and above cities here were blessed by the ritual talismans of the Heavenly Heart Sect during construction. They are not only tall and large, but also have magical resistance.

For ordinary minor repairs, wanting to climb over the wall at night? It's better to just wash up and go to sleep. After all, county-level city walls are often equipped with demon-slaying crossbows and magic-breaking crossbows, specifically designed to deal with demons and cultivators.

For a great cultivator like Loran, a city wall the size of a county town is no match for him.

But he was curious about this place. The Five Dragons Secret Sect branch had been wiped out, and if he hadn't unexpectedly come here, he, the leader of the Insect Dragon Altar, would have known nothing about it. In addition, the unusual sealing of the city and the legend of the mountain god clearly indicated that this small Qinghe County was hiding many secrets.

I'm interested.JPG.

In the Five Dragons Esoteric Sect, in addition to being known as "Dragon-Swallowing Master," Loran also had another name, "No Peace for Humans and Animals," which refers to Loran's penchant for meddling in all sorts of troubles, bringing misfortune to everyone he went with.

Many people hated him to the core, but Loran was powerful and skilled, so naturally no one could do anything to him.

Loran stroked his chin, thinking, "I need to get some information about the local area. Besides the local people, who else knows the most about everything happening here?"

The answer is the local ghosts. Compared to humans, ghosts can see more things in the underworld. However, wealthy families with the means will invite statues of guardian deities from the Heavenly Heart Path to make it difficult for ghosts to enter. But if you want to understand the general events that happen in this place, finding the local ghosts is definitely not a problem.

Loran made hand seals, chanted incantations, and channeled his magical power.

"Great Sage Yinglong, your disciple is here."

"The Heavenly Emperor has decreed that I may communicate with spirits."

"The sun, moon, and stars shine forth, their wisdom penetrating and all-encompassing."

"Reaching the heavens and reaching the earth, upholding all laws."

"I obey the decree of the Five Dragon True Lord! So be it!"

Loran opened his eyes, and the black and white pupils with a hint of blue were no longer there, but a pair of golden and majestic dragon eyes. The pupils were layered, as if they were made up of pieces of golden glass mirrors, full of a sacred feeling.

This secret technique known as the Eye of Yinglong is one of the treasures left behind by the Five Dragons Sect during its heyday. Its effects far surpass most of the magic eyes, yin-yang eyes, and heavenly eyes secret techniques in the martial arts world. Whether it is observing qi, seeing ghosts, or spying on people, it is always effective.

He stood atop the large mulberry tree in the courtyard, gazing out over the county town. The five elements of energy from all directions—purple aura of wealth, pale red aura of humanity, black aura of malevolence, and gray aura of ghosts—intertwined and layered throughout the town.

Soon, Loran found a gathering place for many ghosts. He took out a black and red rope from his apricot-yellow cloth bag, with talismans hanging on it.

This is a type of ghost-catching ritual implement called the "Ultimate Yang Rope." It is made from a yang tree such as pine, decorated with cinnabar, soaked in ultimate yang substances such as rooster blood, and then adorned with talismans for catching ghosts and subduing demons. This makes it a very practical ritual implement for binding ghosts and subduing demons.

This is a small magical artifact crafted by the original Qi Xuanzong. The method of crafting such artifacts is common among wandering sorcerers and unorthodox Taoists, mainly because the materials are readily available and inexpensive, and the technique is not difficult. Legitimate sects have better alternatives, and while the Five Dragons Sect was also a major sect, it had declined. Therefore, Qi Xuanzong absorbed many techniques from wandering Taoists and unorthodox practitioners; after all, the more he learned, the more ways he could protect himself.

Loran improved upon the Yang-enhancing Rope, incorporating five metals, re-engraving the talisman, and adding Yang energy. Standing on a large mulberry tree, like a cowboy in an American Western, Loran threw the rope as a lasso towards an old house filled with ghostly energy. Soon, he lassoed a ghost back, just like a cowboy lassoing a bull. Then, he repeated this several times, and more than a dozen ghosts were lassoed back in the same way.

Loran swept his powerful divine sense across the ghosts, and all their memories were exposed before him.

Having obtained many memories of Qinghe County from the ghosts' recollections, Luo Lan took out a small green gourd, opened its mouth, and chanted a spell, drawing all the ghosts into it. This magical gourd could not only capture ghosts but also refine evil spirits into ghost dew that nourished the soul.

Loran closed the gourd, gazing at the cleansed ghostly aura. The evil spirits had been captured, but the remaining yin energy consisted of insignificant spirits, long since devoured beyond recognition by the evil spirits. Loran frowned, staring intently at the reddish-black cursed aura swaying like water plants on the decaying roof beams.

The curse aura was so weak that Loran didn't even notice it under the cover of the original ghostly aura. As he swept away the ghosts, the ghostly aura dissipated, and the curse aura hidden within was revealed.

Without the support and cover of ghostly energy, the red and black curse floated into the air like ribbons. Loran looked in the direction of the curse, which seemed to be the direction of the Liuyang Temple, a branch of the Tianxin Dao sect, which he had previously inquired about.

Previously, Loran had felt that the local ghostly aura was a bit strong and that the local Heavenly Heart Dao was a bit lazy, but he didn't take it to heart. Such things were very common in the Yu Kingdom; not just any ghost could catch the eye of the Heavenly Heart Dao.

Ghosts of this caliber are often ignored by the Heavenly Heart Sect as long as they don't disturb the people. Mainly because the Heavenly Heart Sect doesn't care about such things. What level of demons and monsters does the Heavenly Heart Sect consider worthy of its attention? They are at least beings worthy of being recorded in the local county annals.

This can be considered an unspoken rule. The Heavenly Heart Dao often leaves these little devils who can barely practice minor spells and make wild soldiers to independent cultivators like the original Qi Xuanzong. After all, as the state religion, the Heavenly Heart Dao has taken the lion's share, and even if they don't drink the soup, they should at least leave some scraps for the lesser cultivators below.

If they do a good job, the Heavenly Heart Dao might even give some outstanding cultivators a reward as encouragement for their efforts in eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path. We, the lower-level cultivators, help the masters of the Heavenly Heart Dao clean up these neglected corners, saving them the trouble of running errands, and we get a small reward in return. Isn't this a win-win situation?

Loran laughed. "The Heavenly Heart Path here doesn't follow rules or precepts? How rude! The state religion is actually associated with such a curse!"

Bah! Even our Five Dragons Secret Sect, a force labeled as heretical, has to wear masks to do this kind of thing! The Heavenly Heart Sect actually only sent a bunch of ghosts to cover for them, disgusting!

If other rogue cultivators were to pass by this place and see the wildly growing horde of ghosts, they might mistake it for a gift from nature. These ghosts would be a major problem for ordinary people, enough to destroy their families, but for accomplished cultivators, they are not a challenge at all; on the contrary, they are an aid to their magical practice.

When the ghosts are wiped out and the traces of "crime" left by Tianxin Dao are seen, will Liuyang Temple still think about silencing them?

Furthermore, the Five Dragons Secret Sect here is mainly composed of members of the Insect Dragon Altar, and the person who wiped out this group was dressed in a Taoist robe. Who could be capable of annihilating a branch of the Insect Dragon Altar, and also wear a Taoist robe? It's so hard to guess!

Loran revealed his gleaming white teeth. "To avoid being silenced, I'd better kill them first. It's self-defense. Our leader said that self-defense is not illegal."

Chapter 137 Ancient Chen Realm: Killing Intent Appears

A full moon hung high in the night sky, illuminating the streets of Qinghe County. The bright moonlight bathed the land in its glow. But even the clearest moonlight could not penetrate the deepest recesses of the human heart; in the shadows cast by the moonlight, someone dressed in black was moving about.

Outside the small courtyard where Qi Xuanzong was staying, three men in gray, carrying swords and knives, were hiding in the shadows, observing a booklet by the dim moonlight.

The booklet was a full list of names, recording the names of all the cultivators who entered the county town that day. Yu Kingdom stipulated that cultivators must register before entering the city; those caught without registration were likely to be labeled as heretics. Furthermore, their whereabouts were noted after their names. Qinghe County was a small place; only four cultivators actually entered and left the county town today. Qi Xuanzong's name was highlighted in vermilion ink, with highly suspicious notes.

The four men in grey had eyes like cat eyes, which allowed them to see in the dark. The tallest of them appeared to be their leader. He looked at the large mulberry tree that had risen from the ground in the courtyard and nodded.

“That’s right, according to the information given by our informant, this is the place, Tongmingfang Sanjing Lane, there is an extremely thick and tall mulberry tree in the courtyard.”

"Sixth Brother, shall we make our move?" asked the shortest man in gray.

The gray-clad leader nodded and began to give orders: "Old tactics, Yang Jiu, you sneak in and release the bewitching incense, Yang Shi, provide crossbow cover from above, I'll guard the entrance, and Yang Shiyi, take the True Qi Sword and block the back door."

“Yes, brother.” The three men in gray replied.

With a light leap, the slender yet extremely agile Yang Jiu scaled the courtyard wall. He moved like a gray mouse, swift, nimble, and silent. Hiding in the darkness under the mulberry tree, his cat-like eyes cautiously surveyed the courtyard. After confirming that nothing was amiss, he pulled out a black wax pill and threw it through the crack in the door with a concealed weapon technique.

These black wax pills contain a liquid called "Bewitching Incense," a product of the Heavenly Heart Dao's alchemy. It evaporates easily upon contact with air, hence the need for wax sealing. The wax pills themselves are a secret technique, as hard and fragile as porcelain yet as light as wax. To use them, simply throw or smash them, and the liquid drug inside will quickly evaporate into the bewitching incense. This small pill is said to be so potent that even an elephant would be overwhelmed by its effects.

Yang Jiu, hidden in the shadows beneath the mulberry tree, silently counted. He was quite skilled at using the Bewitching Incense, and knew better than anyone when it would take effect.

When the time came for it to take effect, Yang Jiu didn't rush to reveal himself. He flicked out another black wax pill, then with a nimble leap, changed his position in the shadows. This time, the black wax pill no longer contained bewitching incense, but a pungent liquid extracted from the glands of a toad. It wasn't very harmful, but it was extremely foul-smelling and highly irritating.

Yang Jiu listened intently, but after a long while, he still couldn't hear any sound. Yang Jiu was confident in this toad pill; unless the person had been drugged by the incense, even a man of iron wouldn't be unaffected by such a stench.

Now that's settled, Yang Jiu emerged from the darkness and gestured to Yang Shi, who was setting up his crossbow at the highest point. Only those of them, having undergone special modifications, could see each other's gestures in the dark. He opened the doors and windows, intending to air out the stench and sleeping incense before going in. Once someone was knocked unconscious by the incense, they wouldn't wake up all night, so he wasn't in a hurry to go in.

After a while, Yang Jiu waited until the stench had dissipated before entering the house. However, the house was empty, with only some simple furniture and broken wax balls on the ground; there was nothing else, let alone any living person.

Oh no, the other party may have already run away.

Just as he sensed something was wrong and was about to run out of the courtyard, a mulberry leaf fell from the mulberry tree and transformed into a green insect dragon. The tiny insect dragon, like a green lightning bolt, swiftly bit through Yang Jiu's throat and then burrowed into Yang Jiu's body through the wound.

In just a few breaths, Yang Jiu was completely devoured, leaving only a withered human skin.

The others who witnessed all of this felt their scalps tingle and turned to flee. The green dragon-snake shot out from Yang Jiu's human skin like a flying knife, splitting into four shadows that instantly pounced on the four fleeing people.

Before long, only four withered human skins remained on the scene. The green dragon transformed into mulberry leaves and drifted down to the roots of the mulberry tree. With new nutrients, perhaps this mulberry tree will grow even taller in the future.

Meanwhile, Loran arrived at the entrance of the Liuyang Temple and knocked on the temple's door.

"Here they come!" A small head popped out from the doorway; it was a rather cute-looking Taoist boy.

“Layman, it’s already night. If you want to offer incense, please come tomorrow!” the young Taoist said in a childish voice.

A golden light flashed in Loran's eyes, and she was stunned for a moment.

He looked at the young Taoist with a hint of pity, which puzzled the boy.

Loran stretched out his right hand and covered the boy's head. To the boy, the hand seemed so vast and imposing, as if there was no way to avoid it, and he could only let it firmly cover his little head.

"Legend has it that zombies are the result of a person's lingering resentment after death, with a stagnant aura causing the body to stiffen and not decompose, thus becoming an evil entity. However, zombies are evil, and are not tolerated by heaven and earth, and are subject to the restraint of all kinds of righteous energy."

"There was once a heretical master named Shi Pi Laoren who, in order to create a zombie that was not restrained by the righteous energy of heaven and earth, used the art of deceiving heaven."

“Infants and children have not yet dispersed their innate Qi. If one secretly uses infants or even young children as raw materials for corpse refining, and supplements them with secret methods, although they are half-corpses, they still retain a bit of life force. The corpse Qi is hidden, and the corpse child is just like a living person. They may even grow up happily under the knees of their parents like normal children. When the corpse child reaches adulthood, the corpse refiner comes, reveals the secret, and triggers the already strong corpse Qi. The half-corpse is completely transformed into a zombie, and the corpse child will go berserk and even kill its father and mother.”

"Those who refine corpses will specifically choose loving parents who dote on their children as the parents of the corpse child. In this way, even if they see their children being refined into zombies, their love for their children over the years will allow them to place their compassionate hearts on their children after death. In this way, the person who refines the corpse will refine the souls and flesh of the couple into corpse clothes. These are the three treasures of the corpse path. The corpse child's energy is combined with the parents' loving hearts and put on the corpse child. The great love of the human world is used to cover the evil nature of the corpse child, so that it can deceive the heavens and not be restrained by ordinary righteous laws."

"Moreover, the corpse children raised in this way are naturally gifted, fearless of water and fire, possess immense strength, and move with lightning speed. Once they are fully developed, they are comparable to Yakshas. This is the 'Corpse Child Innate Great Technique'."

As the young Taoist listened to Loran's unhurried voice, for some reason, he felt an overwhelming sense of panic.

"The actions of Elder Shi Pi back then were truly outrageous and extremely evil. He was wiped out by the Tianxin Dao. Only a few fragments of the 'Shi Tong Tian Sheng Da Fa' were passed down to posterity. The Shi Tong disappeared from then on. I never expected that I would see a Shi Tong that has not yet grown up in the Taoist temple of the Tianxin Dao today."

The young Taoist trembled like a leaf. Upon hearing Loran's revelation, the hidden corpse energy within him surged up instantly, turning his originally pink and cute baby face into a dark bluish-green color, revealing his fangs.

"Impossible, impossible!" The young Taoist shook his head frantically, ignoring the changes in himself. "I have no parents, I'm an orphan, so I could never forge the Three Treasures Robe. That's right, that's right, my master loves me so much, how could he turn me into a zombie?"

"Does your master love you?" Loran asked in a deep voice.

"Of course my master loves me. He's the one who took me in and raised me. I'll take care of him in his old age and see him off when he dies. I just don't have much talent for cultivation. He wouldn't treat me like that." The young Taoist's face was fierce, but bloody tears of blood involuntarily fell.

“Where did this half-corpse get his Taoist cultivation talent?” Loran shook his head.

"The Three Treasures of the Corpse Path don't necessarily require parents; their essence lies in the great love for the Corpse Child. Parental love is love, but isn't your master's love for you love?" Loran's tone was somewhat wistful.

The Corpse Child froze, an unprecedented sense of grief almost shattering his sanity. He struggled to maintain his last shred of reason. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times to Loran.

"Layman, I beg you. You can see my foundation at a glance, so you must have great supernatural powers. Please save my master. Please take this body of mine and I will be at your disposal without any complaints."

"No need. I'm here today to raid the Six Yang Temple. As long as the mastermind is here, he won't be able to escape." Loran looked at the Corpse Child, whose face showed despair, and sighed.

"I'll grant you liberation!" Loran's right arm instantly detached, transforming into countless strange creatures resembling dragons and insects, which devoured the Corpse Child in an instant.

"I, a mighty demon and a giant of the evil path, merely practice man-eating evil techniques. Unlike these people, who constantly toy with true feelings and love, creating human tragedies. Who is more like a demon here?" Loran sighed to the heavens.

"You heretical Taoist priests of the Six Yang Temple, die!"

Chapter 138 Ancient Chen Realm: The Demon Begins Destroying Mountains and Temples

Countless purple insect dragons, each about two fingers long, flew into the Taoist temple, directly attacking the temple's protective array.

A golden array instantly rose up, completely surrounding the temple behind the Taoist temple. The insect dragon opened its mouth full of sharp teeth and easily bit through the temple's protective array. Then, the statues of gods enshrined in the temple made their move.

First and foremost is the Guardian Deity of the First Hall, and this deity is enshrined in the First Hall of all the temples and monasteries of the Heavenly Heart Path.

Wearing a golden helmet, a Qilin armor, a blue dragon patterned robe, a mandarin duck battle skirt, and cloud-walking boots, the guardian deity manifested from the statue and wielded a steel whip, delivering a powerful blow to the attacking insect dragon.

However, the insect dragons were fearless. Their sharp teeth and claws far surpassed those of refined iron, and the guardian deity, along with his divine whip, was devoured by the swarming insect dragons in an instant. The priests serving the guardian deity's temple also failed to escape and were turned into food by the insect dragons.

The second hall, Liuyang Temple, enshrines the Five Thunder Compassionate Saint Lord. The first hall's Guardian Saint Lord is the guardian deity of the residence and temple, but he is one of the more prominent guardian deities among the many guardian deities of Tianxin Dao. This Five Thunder Compassionate Saint Lord is known as the "Number One Guardian of Tianxin Dao".

This holy ruler was clad in silver dragon armor, wore a purple-gold crown, had red hair and three eyes, held the Heavenly Gang Magic Sword in his right hand and the Five Thunder Command Flag in his left. When the flag was unfurled, a fierce wind arose and thunder roared.

The thunder magic, hailed as the foremost method of punishing sins in the Daoist sect, had no effect on the insect dragons. The numerous insect dragons swam and rolled in the thunder as if taking a bath.

"Junior brother, what are you doing?" The abbot of Liuyang Temple exclaimed in surprise from behind the main hall.

While the Taoist priest guarding him was distracted by the battle between the dragon gods, a gaunt old Taoist priest, disregarding his own wounds, used his own life essence to activate an ancient stone drum.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The stone drum emitted a sound like thunder.

“That’s the Summoning Drum.” The abbot of Liuyang Temple was pale. “It’s all over. Once this drum sounds, the Holy Monarch’s will will descend. Even if we survive under this demon, the matter of the Corpse Child will not escape the Holy Monarch’s divine eyes. At that time, we will still be unable to escape death.”

"Who told you to guard him near the Summoning Drum?" The abbot of Liuyang Temple was furious and slapped the young Taoist guarding the old Taoist, killing him on the spot.

"What powerful magic! What a wicked sorcerer!" A wisp of the Five Thunder Compassionate Saint Lord's true consciousness descended into this incarnation, and His divine eyes discerned some of the insect dragon's origins.

"Its foundation is the evil insect-dragon magic of the Five Dragons Secret Sect's Insect Dragon Altar, but this person has integrated it with the Five Elements Orthodox Method, making it even more powerful and transforming it completely. From then on, it directly points to the primordial chaos, and there is no longer a distinction between good and evil. The Five Dragons Secret Sect has truly produced an extraordinary successor!"

"You flatter me, Your Majesty!" A dragon shrouded in purple mist emerged from the sea of ​​thunder and addressed the Five Thunders Compassionate Holy Lord, "But does Your Majesty know what evil deeds the lord of this place has committed?"

“Now that my will has descended upon this place, no evil spirit can escape my discerning eyes. We, the righteous sect of Heaven, have destroyed countless mountains and temples, yet we have been brought here to destroy mountains and temples by a heretic like you because of the evil deeds of our disciples. Truly, there are no wonders under the heavens.” The Five Thunder Compassionate Saint Lord stroked his long beard and sighed.

"Will the Holy Ruler still try to stop me?"

The Five Thunders Compassionate Saint Lord laughed: "Boy, you didn't really come here to uphold justice, did you? I've slain countless demons and evil cultists, your little schemes can't escape my notice!"