A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

Among the towering mountains and deep valleys, the clouds appear very low; standing atop a mountain, it seems one could reach out and touch them. This easily inspires awe and reverence for such magnificent peaks.

These are awe-inspiring mountains.

Hidden beneath the ravines in the underground palace evokes a sense of insignificance, like that of a rat.

Over thousands of years, this feeling has gradually led people to develop distorted thoughts and ways of thinking, and they even believe that these are the normal thoughts.

A dragon's roar made everyone in the underground palace raise their heads to look up.

But they couldn't see the sky; they could only see the top of the underground palace.

Although the buildings were ornately decorated, they couldn't see the sky during the day. Even if they could, they could only sneak out at night to see the stars and moonlight.

"Ow—"

The dragon roared again.

The people inside the underground palace were filled with doubt and their expressions changed.

For the first time in many years, they felt that something was threatening their survival, and everyone's eyes were filled with fear.

Teams of men in black arrived at the center of the underground palace, which was a huge square.

Here are the leader of the underground palace, as well as elders and protectors.

For the first time, they felt panicked.

From the report rushed over by those on guard outside, they learned that a dragon was emerging from the clouds, emitting a dragon's roar.

On the sacrificial altar in the underground palace, the black-clad patriarch sat in the center, flanked by elders and protectors on either side.

The black robes are their cover, but also a stubborn way of cutting themselves off from the world.

"Chieftain... a dragon, a huge dragon, it poked its head out from the clouds, and the smaller ones below its head looked like ants..."

The scout was trembling all over as he spoke.

Half of me was excited, and half of me was afraid.

Seeing a dragon for the first time in my life was the source of my excitement. However, the oppressive feeling this dragon gave me, and the uncertainty of whether its appearance in the territory of the demons was a blessing or a curse, also instilled fear.

A large number of guards rushed to the bunker of the underground palace, lay down at the entrance, and looked out at the sky.

Indeed, a dragon was seen plunging down from the sky.

They were so frightened that they quickly stepped back.

The clan leader almost fell to the ground from being squeezed so much.

"What's the panic? What's the panic!"

The clan chief roared.

"They haven't even charged over yet, have they?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the giant dragon suddenly landed on the ground and turned into a white horse.

The black-armored horse stared blankly as the dragon charged down, transforming into a white dragon horse, and then turned to look at Zhang Zhengdao.

Zhang Zhengdao slapped the white dragon horse on the head and cursed, "You gluttonous fool, just don't come back! Don't follow me anymore, get lost, and don't come back!"

Upon hearing this, the white dragon horse's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Master... do you mean I'm free?"

Zhang Zhengdao glanced at it sideways and snorted, "Hmm?"

The white dragon horse immediately laughed: "Just kidding, how could I possibly be separated from the abbot? Putting aside everything else, my feelings for the abbot have been tested..."

Black Armor Horse: "Then I'll go back into the gourd?"

Zhang Zhengdao said, "Then you should go back."

Then the black-armored horse transformed into a beam of light and entered the gourd.

The group of people at the cave entrance watched in horror as the Taoist priest led the white dragon horse, which was transformed from a dragon, slowly walked towards them.

"Everyone, get out!" the black-robed patriarch sighed and gave the order.

So all the guards filed out of the cave entrance, forming a neat and orderly line. They were like ants crawling out of the cave, then standing tall and proud in a dense formation, confronting Zhang Zhengdao.

Nearly 20,000 people emerged from the water.

It was practically a hidden troop shelter, and in fact, the Oni tribe did use it as one. The fact that they could gather 20,000 people in such a short time demonstrates their strong cohesion and execution capabilities.

This is also the reason why the ghost race was able to survive and make a living.

Zhang Zhengdao and the white dragon horse stopped.

Because the crowd was so dense, and people kept crowding towards them, Zhang Zhengdao stopped and watched as they kept emerging from the cave, carrying weapons.

Swords and spears stood like a forest, gleaming blindingly in the sunlight filtering through the clouds.

The formation in front is a long spear formation.

Following behind were shields and a barrage of blades.

The archers are at the very back.

The order was impeccable, and under their commands, they exuded a subtle air of solemnity and authority befitting a military formation. With sunlight peeking through the thick clouds and illuminating the weapons, they resembled an elite army.

Zhang Zhengdao and the White Dragon Horse suddenly felt very small when faced with such a dark and imposing army formation.

It has a kind of solitary courage, like facing a thousand troops alone.

The white dragon horse whispered, "Daoist, there are so many people... can we handle them? Or... should we retreat two miles first? Is that alright?"

Zhang Zhengdao: "If you transform into your original dragon form, can you kill these 20,000 people?"

The white dragon horse shook its head: "Never tried. Don't want to try."

Zhang Zhengdao: "I didn't expect you to be afraid of death? Aren't you afraid I'll beat you to death?"

The white dragon horse chuckled twice: "Master, I'm afraid that if I kill these 20,000 people and commit such a great atrocity, the Heavenly Court will send heavenly soldiers and generals to capture me. If the Master doesn't protect me then, won't I have to go to the Dragon-Slaying Platform? Just thinking about it is terrifying."

Zhang Zhengdao scoffed.

"The Heavenly Court? Heh, I am the Heavenly Court!"

The white dragon horse looked up at the sky, but despite its arrogance, there seemed to be no reaction from the heavens.

Is this God's tacit approval?

"There are still too many people!"

The white dragon horse finally revealed the reason.

The ghosts are different from ordinary soldiers. They all cultivate secret techniques, and their combat power is several times, or even dozens of times, that of ordinary soldiers.

This is also why the imperial court has never dared to truly conquer the valleys and directly annihilate the ghost clan.

"Hoohoho!"

The demon guards shouted in unison.

The combined voices of 20,000 people echoed through the valleys, creating a powerful sound that caused even the white dragon horse to involuntarily take several steps back.

Zhang Zhengdao abruptly pulled the horse back by grabbing the reins.

"a shame."

The white dragon horse was also a little embarrassed: "It's my first time... I'm inexperienced, please don't be offended!"

Suddenly, the group split into two paths.

A man in black robes stepped forward from the crowd and walked to the very front of the group, maintaining a distance of about ten zhang from Zhang Zhengdao. At this distance, an entire army could charge and reach Zhang Zhengdao in an instant.

A dozen or so elders and protectors also wanted to come out with the ghost clan chief, stand together, and look out for each other.

The demon clan chief waved his hand, stopping them.

The two stood facing each other, remaining silent for a long time.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive for the demons, but they remained solemn, gripping their swords, spears, and halberds tightly in their hands.

Twenty thousand people would be enough to fill this entire valley.

This is a major taboo for any military formation. Because it is flanked by two peaks, if troops are ambushed on both sides, falling rocks and rolling logs would be enough to kill 20,000 men in the ravine.

"I am Kui Wangsheng, the patriarch of the Ghost Clan, and I have met the renowned Peach Blossom Immortal."

The Ghost Clan already knew everything about Zhang Zhengdao.

The ghost race has spies everywhere, wearing human skin, walking in the human world, shuttling between the human and ghost realms, constantly transmitting information from the human world to the ghost clan's underground palace.

How could I not have heard of such a great name as Peach Blossom Immortal?

Zhang Zhengdao cupped his hands in greeting: "It's alright. I didn't know you before, but I do now. You're wearing a mask, so you probably haven't had time to put on human skin yet, right?"

The Ghost Clan Chief, Kui Wangsheng, solemnly said, "For the Ghost Clan to survive, they must possess some secret methods of self-preservation; it is truly a last resort. For thousands of years, we have eked out a living, merely seeking a place to dwell. If we did not have our own unique secret methods, we would likely have been swallowed up by the dynasties and chivalrous heroes of the human world. Where would the Ghost Clan still exist in this world then?"

Zhang Zhengdao asked, "Does that also include skinning?"

The Ghost Clan Chief, Kui Wangsheng, twitched his face, but still kept a low profile. If there really was to be a battle, he felt it would likely be a battle for the Ghost Clan's survival.

Putting everything else aside, this dragon alone could inflict huge casualties on the Ghost Clan.

"We want to survive!" Kui Wangsheng said, his voice filled with grief and indignation. "When humans kill our people, their methods are even more cruel. The law of the jungle is the rule of the martial world... Does the Master intend to deprive my ghost race of our way of survival for the sake of so-called morality? We just want to live..."

The last sentence seemed to carry a sense of tragic indignation.

Zhang Zhengdao said, "I did not come here for the sake of morality."

Kui Wangsheng was taken aback.

Why has the real person come?

Zhang Zhengdao said, "My wife ran away and went to the heavens. So I had some thoughts that were not clear. So this year I traveled the world, to see places I had never seen before, to see people I had never met before, to pass through cities I had never been to, and to kill people I wanted to kill."

Kui Wangsheng shouted loudly, "What is the purpose of that True Man's visit?"

Zhang Zhengdao said, "I think the Ghost Clan should be exterminated."

Kui Wangsheng shouted sternly, "If a true man kills so indiscriminately, Heaven will not think that what he is doing is right."

Zhang Zhengdao looked up at the sky.

"I don't care what God thinks, I care what I think..."