This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Chapter 138 Nine Heavens Palace of Ten Thousand Blessings, Yuanfu Palace of Ten Thousand Tranquil Peace

Just as Fat Cat was about to leave, a whooshing sound came from the void. Immediately afterwards, the bronze-armored corpse in front of Ao Tianlong was lifted into the air by a pair of invisible arms.

The two brothers, somewhat bewildered, witnessed the corpse energy rapidly surging from the body of the previously ferocious bronze-armored corpse. Suddenly, a flash of silver light passed in front of the bronze-armored corpse; it was none other than the Silver-Armored Corpse King of Coffin Mountain, who was being chased by Zhong Bai.

The silver-armored zombie king fled in stealth, its corpse energy being consumed at an alarming rate. It even encountered a wild bronze-armored zombie along the way, which was just the right opportunity to replenish its corpse energy.

As for Ao Tianlong and his fellow disciples, although the blood of cultivators is more effective for the Silver Armor Corpse King, it takes time to refine the blood.

The silver-armored corpse king dared not stop fleeing for even a moment, and naturally did not want to waste time on his fellow disciples.

"Senior Brother, the Silver...Silver Armored Corpse King!"

Fat Cat's face was pale. If he and his fellow disciples were confident that they could escape unscathed from the copper-armored corpse, they didn't even have the courage to run away from the silver-armored corpse king that suddenly appeared in front of them.

Ao Tianlong was also trembling slightly, gripping the magic sword tightly in his hand. How could he not understand this principle?
"Junior brother, leave quickly!"

After forcefully pushing the fat cat away, Ao Tianlong charged towards the silver-armored corpse king with his magic sword.

Originally, the silver-armored corpse king only intended to drain the bronze-armored corpse's life force and leave, but unexpectedly, the Taoist priest in front of it drew his sword and charged towards it.

In his rage, the Silver-Armored Corpse King casually slashed at Ao Tianlong, sending him flying more than ten meters away with several bursts of corpse energy. His bones seemed to be broken, and Ao Tianlong spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

How can someone at the eighth level of Qi Refining withstand the Silver-Armored Corpse King?
Just as Ao Tianlong thought he was about to die, a streak of light flashed by.

With a whoosh, a flying sword streaked across the sky, heading straight for the silver-armored corpse king.

The moment the flying sword pierced through, the silver-armored corpse king clearly began to panic. He couldn't care less about continuing to absorb the corpse energy of the bronze-armored corpse, and directly grabbed the bronze-armored corpse and threw it at the flying sword!

A loud bang in the air...

The flying sword pierced through the bronze-armored corpse and shattered it into fragments, while the silver-armored corpse king also wanted to take this opportunity to hide and escape again.

But how could Zhong Bai, who had caught up with them, let them have their way?

"Still trying to hide...!"

Zhong Bai was already prepared, and with a wave of his hand, he unleashed a bolt of lightning. The silver-armored corpse king, who had originally wanted to hide, had no choice but to gather his corpse energy to resist the lightning.

With a deafening roar, the Silver-Armored Corpse King was engulfed in lightning. The corpse energy it had just absorbed from the Bronze-Armored Corpse King was instantly depleted. At that moment, Zhong Bai closed in and punched the Silver-Armored Corpse King in the chest. The terrifying force made the Silver-Armored Corpse King's fear of Zhong Bai reach its peak.

A faint howl escaped the silver-armored corpse king, as if it were begging Zhong Bai for mercy. Unfortunately, Zhong Bai was desperately short of exorcism points. Before the silver-armored corpse king could react, Zhong Bai grabbed its neck and channeled a torrent of lightning into it. The silver-armored corpse king gradually trembled and emitted bursts of corpse energy until its body completely lost its life force...

With a flick of his finger, a burst of Samadhi Fire landed on the Silver-Armored Corpse King, and the burning flames gradually dissipated the killing intent emanating from Zhong Bai.

[Slay 300 Jumping Zombies to gain 60000 Demon Extermination Points]

[Slay 100 bronze-armored corpses to obtain 80000 Demon Extermination Points]

[Slay one Silver-Armored Corpse King to obtain 10000 Demon Extermination Points]

Current Demon Extermination Points: 20

With such a bountiful harvest of demon-slaying points, Zhong Bai's smile was evident. Just then, Ao Tianlong also recognized that the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had killed the Silver Armored Corpse King was Zhong Bai.

Despite his injuries, Ao Tianlong managed to stand up and bowed to Zhong Bai from behind, saying, "Zhong Daozi, it turns out to be you. Thank you for saving my life. Without you, my brother and I would probably be dead here."

Ao Tianlong's eyes flashed with relief, and Zhong Bai naturally knew that it was Ao Tianlong behind him. He turned around and looked at Ao Tianlong's lowered head, but Zhong Bai showed no emotion.

"It's alright. I was the one who chased this silver-armored corpse king here. As for saving you, it was just a side effect."

Zhong Bai had a general idea that Ao Tianlong knew his identity, as could be seen from the way he addressed him as Daozi. Since the other party understood, Zhong Bai decided to remind him again.

"Fellow Daoist Ao, the road ahead is long. You have cultivated for decades and do not wish for your future path to be cut off. I will still say the same thing: go to Maoshan to receive your ordination as soon as possible. Only then will you have any hope of crossing the threshold of Foundation Establishment True Person. Without Foundation Establishment, it is all in vain..."

After Zhong Bai finished speaking, he flew away on his sword, leaving the vast darkness behind.

Ao Tianlong felt as if his heart was being pricked by needles. He wanted to go to Maoshan, but he couldn't bear to leave his daughter Xiaoshuang, even though she wasn't his biological daughter...

Behind him, Fat Cat seemed to sense his senior brother's dilemma. Looking in the direction Zhong Bai flew away on his sword, Fat Cat felt a pang of envy and then came up behind Ao Tianlong and patted him on the shoulder.

"Senior Brother, was that Master Zhong, the Taoist Master of Maoshan, just now?"

Wow, flying on a sword, truly an unparalleled genius...

Senior Brother, hesitation only leads to more trouble. Zhong Daozi is right.

Senior Brother, you have a chance to cross the threshold of Foundation Establishment True Person. Junior Brother also understands that you are worried about your niece, Xiao Shuang.

"But Senior Brother, Xiaoshuang is already eighteen years old, no longer a little girl. Perhaps you can let go."

After taking a deep breath, Ao Tianlong smiled with relief, "Let's wait another two years..."

Hearing this, Fat Cat stopped trying to persuade him; he also had a son and he understood.

......................................................

Pingan County.

This was Zhong Bai's first visit.

It was early morning when Zhong Bai arrived, and Ping'an County was already bustling with people. As the most prosperous county among the surrounding counties, the people of Ping'an County had plenty of time to offer incense and pray for blessings.

Zhong Bai arrived at Zhe Gu's temple and, looking at the people coming and going, had to admit that the temple was quite popular.

The reason is simple: in addition to the Taoist deities enshrined in the Zhegu Taoist temple so that the people of Ping'an County can offer incense and pray for blessings, there is also a fertility hall to house some miscarried ghosts who cannot be reincarnated.

These little ghosts are pitiful, but after the sow's blessing, their evil aura is washed away. As long as a woman who comes to offer incense and prays for a child is chosen by them, they can directly enter her belly to be reincarnated.

Therefore, the Zhe Gu Taoist temple is effective in granting wishes for children.

"Those who are offering incense, please move forward. Those who are asking about spirits are busy now; we'll talk about it this afternoon!"

Aunt Zhe walked out of the Taoist temple, dressed in a plain Taoist robe. To some extent, Aunt Zhe was quite good-looking. She was around thirty years old. In Zhong Bai's opinion, Aunt Zhe and Lin Fengjiao were a very good match...

"Senior Sister Zhegu, I wonder if my arrival would allow you, despite your busy schedule, a moment for a chat?"

Zhong Bai's voice rang out from the crowd, and Zhe Gu looked up and immediately spotted Zhong Bai.

"Junior Brother Qianhe?!"

Aunt Zhe could hardly believe her eyes. She quickly wiped her eyes and then realized that it was indeed Zhong Bai.

"Junior Brother Qianhe, what brings you to my dojo, you busy man?" Aunt Zhe walked towards Zhong Bai with a gentle smile. She had always thought Zhong Bai was very upright. Although she didn't know why Zhong Bai's cultivation speed was so terrifying, they were still fellow disciples with whom she had a decent relationship, and Aunt Zhe's enthusiasm was genuine.

Zhong Bai smiled faintly, "Senior Sister Zhe Gu, I have some business to attend to in Tengteng Town. I just happened to be passing through Ping'an County, so I naturally had to come and see you. Speaking of which, I also saw Senior Brother Lin in Renjia Town a few days ago."

When Zhong Bai mentioned Lin Fengjiao, Zhe Gu became somewhat depressed.

"How is Senior Brother Lin?"

Despite her low spirits, Aunt Zhe still inquired about Lin Fengjiao's situation.

Zhong Bai had already guessed that Aunt Zhe would ask this question, so he simply said with the intention of helping the two of them get together: "Senior Brother Lin has been doing well lately. By the way, Aunt Zhe, a few days ago Senior Brother Lin obtained the position of the head of the Underworld Bank in the mortal realm. Shouldn't you go to Renjia Town to congratulate him?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhe's face immediately lit up with joy.

"Hey, Junior Brother Qianhe, is it true?"

If Senior Brother Lin really gets a position in the underworld, Senior Sister will really have to make a trip there.

Zhong Bai smiled. Usually, Lin Fengjiao and Aunt Zhe are both busy with their own things, so they have very few opportunities to spend time together. The key is that they are both taciturn, and Aunt Zhe is not as bold as Cheng Wei. It will be difficult for them to break through the barrier.

Zhong Bai nodded.

"It's true, of course..."

"Senior Sister Zhe Gu, what I want to say is that forced relationships are never sweet, but they can quench thirst. If necessary, Senior Sister Zhe Gu, you can try making it a fait accompli."

Upon hearing Zhong Bai's words, Zhe Gu's eyes widened instantly. Her face showed shock, but deep down she felt an urge to try it, which made her somewhat stunned.

Zhong Bai didn't care at all. After lighting the fire, he would immediately go to the blessed land for ten years. Even if Lin Fengjiao wanted to find him, she wouldn't be able to. So what if he was tricked? Zhong Bai felt that he was doing a good deed for others.

"Haha, Senior Sister Zhegu, you can figure it out yourself. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

After saying that, Zhong Bai left Ping'an County without waiting for Zhe Gu to react.

While Zhe Gu was still in a daze, Zhong Bai disappeared. Looking in the direction Zhong Bai had left, Zhe Gu came back to her senses and bowed solemnly: "Thank you, Junior Brother Xie Qianhe, for your guidance. You truly deserve to be called a Dao Child. Not only is your cultivation fast, but your mind is also quick. Senior Brother Lin, your junior sister will be here soon..."

After leaving Ping'an County, Zhong Bai headed towards Tengteng Town.

Tengteng Town is a forbidden area jointly suppressed by Buddhism and Taoism. Although it is almost impossible for the local people to come here, Zhong Bai was still somewhat surprised when he arrived near Tengteng Town.

The towering walls were covered with talismans, and there were even chains surrounding the city walls.

Zhong Bai stood outside the city wall, listening to the howls of the corpses inside, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

"Is this Tengteng Town?"

The surrounding corpse energy was almost solidified. It should have been the time when the sun shone brightly in the sky, but the entire sky above Tengteng Town was shrouded in the soaring corpse energy, keeping Tengteng Town in a gloomy state at all times.

Even before entering Tengteng Town, Zhong Bai felt an inexplicable sense of crisis rising in his heart.

With a light tap of his toes, Zhong Bai leaped onto the city wall and stood there, looking at the scene in Tengteng Town, where dilapidated houses were everywhere.

A trail of corpse energy emanated from Tengteng Town, and Zhong Bai could see more than a dozen zombies looming before him.

Seeing the prey, Zhong Bai drew his spirit sword and instantly transformed it into countless sword energies, annihilating the dozen or so jumping zombies he encountered.

However, Zhong Bai's actions were quickly discovered by the Silver Armored Corpse King and other high-level zombies in Tengteng Town.

Five silver-armored corpse kings emerged from the ground, clearly demonstrating that their awakened supernatural power was the ability to burrow underground.

Seeing this, Zhong Bai realized he could not continue harvesting, so he simply jumped down.

"Each harvesting of a dozen or so jumping zombies yields thousands of demon-slaying points. We can harvest them within two months if we can, otherwise we can't. We can't take any risks."

Zhong Bai murmured.

The danger in Tengteng Town was far more terrifying than Zhong Bai had anticipated. On the seventh day, when Zhong Bai tried to repeat the same method, a golden-armored corpse king appeared before him in an instant.

The golden-armored corpse king seemed to have awakened a teleportation ability, and Zhong Bai barely managed to escape by exerting all his strength.

In the days that followed, Zhong Bai played a guerrilla game with the zombies of Tengteng Town. He was not greedy at all, and the zombies in the entire Tengteng Town were so annoyed by Zhong Bai that in the end, all the zombies on the outskirts simply gathered in the center and could not be stopped.

In two months, Zhong Bai collected a total of 300,000 Demon Extermination Points, bringing his total to 500,000.

Zhong Bai's return to Maoshan can be described as keeping his merits and fame hidden.

......................................................

Two months might have been tedious and bloody for Zhong Bai, but for the other disciples of Maoshan, it was a shocking experience!
The shocking news came from Lin Fengjiao and Zhe Gu. No one knew what methods Zhe Gu had used, but Lin Fengjiao, who usually maintained a senior-junior relationship with Zhe Gu, had invited a fellow Maoshan disciple she knew to hold a wedding banquet half a month ago, and Lin Fengjiao and Zhe Gu became Daoist partners.

Zhong Bai is currently unaware of this matter, but even if he did, it probably wouldn't matter; he would simply offer his blessings.

Maoshan.

After returning to Maoshan, Zhong Bai devoted himself to cultivation for about half a month. Before he knew it, it was time for Zhong Bai to go to the Maoshan Grotto-Heaven to cultivate.

Ascension platform.

This is where the predecessors of Maoshan have passed away and ascended to heaven. At this moment, Zhong Bai has come here with the sect leader Xuanmingzi and his grandmaster uncle Ming Wanqian.

"Three months, Zhong Bai, how are your preparations going?"

Ming Wanqian looked at Zhong Bai with admiration and anticipation in his eyes. He wanted to know what terrifying realm Zhong Bai would reach after ten years in the blessed land.

"Reporting to Grandmaster Uncle, this disciple has made full preparations, please rest assured, Grandmaster Uncle!"

Zhong Bai bowed and replied, while Xuan Mingzi looked at Ming Wanqian and said, "Uncle-Master, you can open the blessed land now."

Upon hearing this, Ming Wanqian nodded, intending to give Zhong Bai a few final instructions.

“Zhong Bai, the Maoshan Patriarch within the Grotto Heaven is divided into two palaces: the Nine Heavens Myriad Blessings Palace and the Yuanfu Myriad Peace Palace. Once you arrive within the Grotto Heaven, a Patriarch will greet you, and your destiny lies in the Nine Heavens Myriad Blessings Palace. Do you understand?”

"I will remember this!"

Zhong Bai's answer was firm and resolute, which put Ming Wanqian at ease.

"In that case, let's open the blessed land!"

(End of this chapter)