Transcending two realms to become an earth immortal

The hall was deathly silent, with only the flickering candlelight.

The elders and disciples held their breath, their gazes fixed on the upright figure in the hall, their faces showing surprise mixed with admiration.

Occasionally, a ghostly green phosphorescent light would drift past the window, casting a half-light and half-shadow on Mingjun Daoist's face, obscuring his expression.

After a long while, Daoist Mingjun closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and slowly asked:

"So, junior brother... what are your plans?"

"This matter is of great importance and must be handled with caution." Fang Chen pondered for a moment, then slowly paced around the hall with his hands behind his back.

Resistance cannot be based solely on momentary bravado; the key factors, chances of victory, and contingency plans all require careful consideration.

Seeing Fang Chen walking with his hands behind his back, exuding a calm and composed demeanor, the elders and disciples below the hall couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

This senior disciple from the inner sect was clearly just an ordinary person before, always taciturn. Now that he has entered the Dao and seen through his true nature, his demeanor has changed dramatically, which is truly admirable.

After a moment, Fang Chen stopped and stood still before speaking:

"Even if we are determined to fight, we must not act rashly. Otherwise, we will attract demons to attack us, and our foundation will be in danger of collapsing. Therefore, there are two important matters at present: First, we must distinguish between friend and foe; second, we must clarify the priorities."

Having said that, he turned to look at Daoist Mingjun and asked in a deep voice:

"May I ask, senior brother, how should I categorize my greatest enemies in this city, in order of priority? And which faction among them might I be able to enlist your aid?"

Daoist Mingjun turned his gaze to the steward elder beside him.

The elder pondered for a moment, then stood up and said:

"Brother Huifang, if we're talking about enemies, the whole city is full of demons. But if we're talking about truly serious threats, there are only three right now."

"The first one is the [Livestock Creation Sect]." The elder's voice was deep. "This is the evil branch of the Beggars' Sect, one of the lowest of the low. In the old days, they specialized in the evil arts of harvesting, mutilating, and creating livestock. Now they are even more unscrupulous, daring to perform these acts in public."

"They hunted down those refugees from the old world, turning them into corpse slaves, eating their hearts, livers, spleens, and lungs with their wine, and some even went so far as to refine living beings into so-called magical artifact embryos..."

At this point, the elder paused slightly, his expression growing increasingly grave:

"The second one is the [Yin Bone Workshop]. They inherit the [Yuan Chen White Bone Demonic Path] and are skilled at refining the bones of those who died violent deaths. Their refining method is extremely vicious. They first take away the food of a group of refugees, and then use a small amount of millet as bait to drive the starving people to kill each other."

"Fathers and sons kill each other, relatives kill each other... When their blood is flowing all over the ground and they are dying and howling in agony, their spines are extracted using a secret technique and refined into vengeful bones. Vengeful bones refined by this method are filled with hatred for killing each other and resentment of despair. They are insidious and vicious, a hundred times more powerful than ordinary demon bones. The cultivators under his command have killed countless people for this, and their crimes are too numerous to count."

The elder's tone became even stronger:

"The third one is called the Soul-Seizing Society. This is a sinister heresy among the top-tier sorcerers. They especially like to skin people alive, pull out their tendons and bones, and cut open their abdomens to remove their genitals. They also enjoy eating raw brains to refine souls and steal spirits. Their methods are so cruel that they are appalling."

"Moreover, they often extend those Yin Soldier Loans to landless refugees and impoverished cultivators. These loans are not repaid with gold or silver, but rather require the offering of the souls of designated blood relatives or disciples as interest. If the loan is not repaid on time, the interest will compound, and eventually the souls of the entire clan will be used to pay off the debt, condemning them to eternal damnation..."

After mentioning these three families, the elder's tone softened slightly:

"The other demonic forces in the city, while also devouring humans, are not as cruel. For example, the great demon Qingqiu fox clan, though it drains the life essence of living people, causing them to age prematurely, can still live for thirty or forty years. The demon cave occupied by the Blood Demon only demands blood as tax; paying it ensures peace. Even the [Delusion Academy] established by the Heart Demon teaches some Taoist methods; although it harbors calamities, it provides temporary peace..."

He concluded by adding:

"The reason these three families are so focused on my path is because the mortals under my protection are considered superior talents in their eyes. Their flesh and blood are fresh and delicious, and their souls are pure and clear, making them the most suitable for increasing cultivation. Therefore, they target me at every turn and are truly my mortal enemies."

Fang Chen listened quietly for a long time, then suddenly let out a cold laugh:

"I don't want to think that in this turbid and evil world, the cruelest people to mortals are still their own kind."

He looked at the deputies:

"Then which faction might become an ally?"

"The remaining Taoist sects in the city are all struggling to survive, let alone seek help," the elder in charge shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and said, "If we're talking about those who are neither entirely righteous nor entirely evil, perhaps we could try to persuade them... it's probably the White Lotus Music Academy!"

"White Lotus Music Academy?" Fang Chen frowned slightly.

"Indeed. The foundation of this sect's practice lies in the power of incense offerings and vows, and these offerings must be pure and free from impurities. Therefore, it cannot treat the common people like livestock, unlike evil sects." The elder in charge sighed, "Nowadays, the air is thick with the aura of death and evil spirits, and its incense offerings and deities are greatly affected. It increasingly needs to protect its believers to survive. Although the people under its rule live in poverty, they can still live and have the opportunity to enter the path. Moreover, it is also coveted by those three sects, so they are united against a common enemy."

Fang Chen was silent for a moment, then said:

"What was once a cult has now become a protector of this region... What a twist of fate."

"Junior brother, do you understand?" Daoist Mingjun sighed. "Let alone the demons outside the city, the evil sects from all walks of life are already like a pack of wolves surrounding us. Among them, three families even have Yin Shen True Persons guarding the execution grounds."

His voice was deep:

"In the old world, heaven and earth were orderly, and yin and yang each had their place. Although the Yin God True Person could communicate with yin and yang and protect a clan, he was also limited by heaven and earth. At most, he could come and go without a trace, transform between reality and illusion, and use some divine soul dream techniques. If it comes to direct combat, unless one cultivates to the Sun Travel Realm, it is difficult for a True Person to use his skills within three feet."

"But now..." Daoist Mingjun's tone was grave, "Yin and Yang are out of order, heaven and earth are tainted by demons, and although the path of the Yin God True Person is more perilous, it has also become increasingly unpredictable. They can now transform an entire place into a ghost realm, invert the five aggregates, and bewitch people's hearts, and the power of all kinds of evil arts has greatly increased! It's not that I'm afraid to fight, it's just that..."

He hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head.

Fang Chen stood still for a moment, then suddenly said:

"In that case, let's confine the struggle to the foundational level."

"Hmm?" Daoist Mingjun frowned slightly. "How could those people from all walks of life possibly act according to our rules?"

"At most, Yin Shen Zhenren will test the waters. If he dares to personally intervene, it will be a fight to the death. Dao Master and the elders are merely out on an outing, not fallen. Do they really dare to fight to the death?" Fang Chen's gaze was icy. "Moreover, demons are inherently selfish and self-serving. Why would they risk their lives and cultivation for a moment of anger, engaging in a life-or-death battle with my Zheng Yang Dao?"

He took a step forward, his voice turning deep:

"The attack on the manor outside the city and the provocation from the underworld tax collectors are all tests of our path. If we show the slightest weakness, they will surely pounce on us like wolves. Therefore, we must fight! We must not only fight for a sliver of hope, but also kill them until they are terrified and dare not act rashly again!"

Fang Chen turned to face Ming Jun and said, word by word:

"From now on, I will bear all the tests and battles. If things don't go well and disputes arise because of me, my senior brother... will simply push me out to take the blame."

"Junior Brother!" Daoist Mingjun's face darkened, and he swept his sleeves, shouting, "Even if the Zhengyang Sect is in decline, it would never do something like using its own disciples to take the blame and save its own life!"

"How could I not understand what you mean, Senior Brother?" Fang Chen looked at the dim light outside the hall, his tone melancholy yet firm. "But once the conflict escalates, the thousands of ordinary people outside the city, and all the elders and disciples under our sect, will either be separated from their families or, in severe cases, become food for the dead. Although we are barely clinging to life now, there is still a glimmer of hope."

He withdrew his gaze and looked directly at Mingjun:

"If war breaks out because of me, resulting in the destruction of families and the deaths of fellow disciples, how can everyone not feel hatred and resentment? Moreover, if I merely shout slogans while hiding behind the elders and disciples, watching them die for the path I've spoken of, how am I any different from a petty person?"

Fang Chen's fingers slowly clenched in his sleeve, his voice growing increasingly firm:

"Therefore, I am willing to bear all the causes and effects, and all the sins in between. This is not a struggle over one person or one matter, but a battle for the survival of the Great Dao, a life-or-death struggle. Since I have decided to move forward, there is no turning back. As for what others say, or how future generations will judge, it will all boil down to one thing—"

At this point, his voice deepened slightly:

"Those who know me will judge me; such judgments will be recorded in history!"