I have the face of a great demon.

About fifty li north of Xunzhou City, there is a Yuqing Mountain, on which stands a Taoist temple that is celebrated by the locals.

This Taoist temple is nestled against rolling green hills and faces a shimmering river, resembling a meticulously crafted painting by nature.

The Taoist temple is surrounded by ancient trees and swirling clouds and mist, giving people a sense of transcendence from the mortal world.

The Taoist temple itself is a masterpiece of art, with its antique architecture, upturned eaves, green bricks and tiles. Every scene is so beautiful that it makes people linger, as if they have stepped into a fairyland.

A plaque hangs above the main gate of the Taoist temple, with the three large characters "Yuqing Temple" written in seal script, giving it a solemn and dignified appearance.

The Taoist temple's reputation spread far and wide, attracting many pilgrims who came to offer incense, with a constant stream of visitors from morning till night.

On this day, two immortals descended from the sky and landed in the backyard of the Taoist temple, startling the Taoist priests in the courtyard who hurriedly kowtowed and worshipped them.

The arrival of the immortal made the abbot of the Taoist temple feel both honored and somewhat apprehensive, and he hurried to welcome the immortal.

"Please come in, esteemed immortals. My humble abode may be small, but it has been carefully arranged. I hope it will meet your discerning eyes."

As the abbot led the way, he spoke cautiously, afraid of slighting these distinguished guests.

Yun Wulu smiled slightly and comforted him, "You don't need to be so reserved. We are only staying at Guibao Temple for one day and will leave tomorrow."

Upon hearing that the immortals wanted to stay here, the abbot felt honored.

The arrival of the immortal filled the Taoist temple with a mystical aura, making even the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees seem more vibrant.

If he stays here for another day, that'll be enough for him to brag about for a lifetime.

The abbot immediately expressed that it was a great honor for the immortal to requisition his temple, and he immediately drove everyone out of the temple to leave the immortal a space for quiet cultivation.

Yun Wulu waved his hand and said, "Oh, there's no need for that. It's good to have mortals here; it makes the place feel more human and lively."

He was quite perceptive; if all the mortals in this Taoist temple were driven away, the commotion would be too great. The great demon might even notice something amiss.

It's better to just stay like this, blending in with ordinary people, which will make it easier for them to hide.

Yun Wulu told the abbot to treat them as distinguished guests who had come from afar.

So the Taoist priests busied themselves, preparing the best rooms, the most exquisite dishes, and the most fragrant wine for the immortals, fearing that they might neglect them in the slightest.

On this day, immortals kept descending from the sky and arriving at the Taoist temple, and soon more than twenty immortals gathered there.

Qingfeng gathered fifteen disciples from his sect, and with him and Yun Wulu, there were seventeen of them.

This is only one person short of the minimum requirement of 18 players for the formation.

This will depend on the scattered cultivators we gather.

Qingfeng then led the 12 scattered cultivators he had gathered to meet Yun Wulu.

Yun Wulu sat high in the main seat, looking like a sage. His gaze swept over each rogue cultivator, and he nodded slightly as a greeting.

"Fellow Daoists," Yun Wulu said without beating around the bush, getting straight to the point.

"Our sect has recently encountered a minor problem and needs to set up an array to deal with an enemy. Due to a shortage of manpower, we have taken the liberty of inviting you all here."

"Everyone can rest assured that we only need to deal with one person in this battle, and he is hiding in the formation. Using the formation to deal with him is a sure thing, with almost no risk."

"As long as you all assist me in the formation as I request, you will certainly be rewarded handsomely afterwards."

Hearing the words of this elder-level leader, the worries on the faces of the rogue cultivators dissipated considerably. They exchanged glances and discussed amongst themselves in hushed tones.

One of the bald, rogue cultivators stepped forward and said:

"Elder Yun, I have a request. I don't want spirit crystals or magic treasures. If it's done, could you let me join your sect? I'm willing to start as the lowest-ranking disciple."

Yun Wulu laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoists, you need not worry. As long as you contribute to our sect, we will never treat you unfairly."

"I can make a promise to you all now. As long as you do your best, you will still receive the spirit crystals and magic treasures after the task is completed. If you want to join our sect, I can recommend you to be inner disciples."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the rogue cultivators lit up. They rubbed their hands together, eager to help in any way they could.

Yun Wulu smiled and nodded to himself. He knew that although the strength of these rogue cultivators varied, with their addition, the formation could be successfully set up.

For such a small gain, so many cannon fodder have been gained; this deal is far too good to be true.

"Alright, it's settled then." Yun Wulu clapped his hands and stood up. "Qingfeng, you are responsible for showing everyone the formation setup. Make sure everyone understands their responsibilities."

"In addition, our Heavenly River Sword Formation needs to be set up with eighteen array eyes. Currently, we are short one person to preside over the array eye. We need to select the person with the highest cultivation level among you to preside over this array eye. The rest of you will follow the instructions, move around in the formation, and act according to the situation."

As he spoke, Yun Wulu scanned the assembled rogue cultivators with his spiritual sense, then pointed to one of them and said:

"This fellow Daoist has already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, making him the most powerful among us. We'll choose you. May I ask your name?"

The chosen man, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This humble Taoist, Hua Wufeng, is willing to serve you."

"Very well, Fellow Daoist Hua, then you may stay and help us set up the formation."

Old Master Hua spoke again:

"Elder Yun, I have another request."

"My disciple Tiezhu has not been cultivating for long and his experience is still shallow, making him unsuitable for acting independently. I would like to keep him by my side to guard the array's core with me. Is that alright?"

Yun Wulu followed Hua Wufeng's gaze and saw a burly young man standing there. His body was as strong as an iron tower, but his expression was somewhat immature. He was obviously a novice in the world of cultivation, so Yun Wulu nodded.

"In that case, you two can guard the core of the formation together."

After this arrangement, everyone dispersed and busied themselves preparing for the upcoming formation.

On the way, Tie Zhu seized a moment when no one was paying attention, quietly approached Hua Laodao, and whispered:

"Master, weren't we out looking for someone? Why did we rush to help when we encountered the Tianhe Sect gathering people on the road? Does Master want to join the Tianhe Sect?"

Hua Laodao replied, "That's not it. We are already members of the Wuhua Sect, so why would we join the Tianhe Sect?"

"But I feel there's something fishy about the Tianhe Sect thing."

“This area is the territory of the Tianhe Sect. What kind of person could they be worth such a big fuss about, and even calling on outsiders for help? There must be something big going on behind this.”

"If I'm not mistaken, they might be targeting that person."