Darkness enshrouded the moon, and a fierce wind swept through the night, while silence engulfed the small town, save for a few lanterns still burning near the city walls.
A gentle breeze fluttered through, rustling the rice paddies.
Li Qingshan slowly opened his eyes and found himself inside this serene, dimly lit space, the words "Heavenly Gate" above him shining brightly. The statues of the deities were faintly visible within the grey mist.
"This is... oh..."
"This has beco the abode of the Six Paths of Reincarnation."
His mind cleared, and he realized he had been resurrected once again in the Taoist Temple of Qingshi Town.
Clutching his slightly dizzy head, he felt a nauseating confusion. Although his last death in the cycle of reincarnation had not been overly painful, it still left so ntal aftershocks, especially the mont when he was pierced by the green monster, which seed to have injured his soul.
He couldn’t afford to lant his situation; he imdiately stood up, left that space, and reported the news he had just received to the pioneering team.
Five minutes later, the team, jolted from their sleep, gathered in the eting room with bleary eyes.
Li Qingshan’s resurrection in the town ant he had once again experienced death, bringing new information.
"Ladies and gentlen, the situation is urgent, so I’ll get straight to the point. During this investigation, I stumbled upon a disaster in the city."
"The Divine Turtle’s Great Mother has escaped!"
"The Evil God might ascend to power, and when that happens, Fenghua City will witness a massive loss of life."
Li Qingshan briefly recounted the events.
Upon hearing the news of the impending disaster in the city, the drowsiness vanished from everyone’s faces, replaced by a hint of solemnity.
Comrade 24 furrowed his brow. "So, you an to say, a part of the city’s high ranks had been seduced by ’Lifeless Enchantress’ over the past few years, intending to usurp the Divine Turtle’s Great Mother’s position, and you happened to witness it?"
"Did the Divine Turtle’s Great Mother’s avatar flee because of this commotion?"
"Yes," Li Qingshan replied. "The green apparition that pursued was not after the Divine Turtle’s Great Mother; it couldn’t have managed both. If the Divine Turtle’s Great Mother was clever enough, she should have successfully escaped."
"And I also set that temple on fire, making quite a scene."
"The only problem now is that those at Mountain Bombs might expose Qingshi Town. We’ve used them before in our campaign against the Water Ghost Pirates. They were witnessed by locals, so rumors must be circulating."
"However, the situation is dire. The Divine Turtle’s Great Mother could be enslaved at any mont; we had no choice but to use the bombs."
Pan Hao sighed and offered so comfort, "You did right. When faced with two evils, you must choose the lesser. Since the city’s higher-ups have been infiltrated by the Evil God, it was only a matter of ti before they would confront us. Don’t be too downcast, Li. If we’re exposed, so be it."
"Besides, rescuing the Divine Turtle’s Great Mother also counts as weakening the enemy’s strength... Otherwise, she too would have joined them against us."
He tapped the table lightly. "But the Lifeless Enchantress’ position seems pretty high from the looks of it. Otherwise, how could it enslave a local deity? Is our current strength sufficient?"
At this point, the group was worried, but so were also rubbing their hands together in anticipation, discussing tactics. Most thought they had a chance to capture the "Lifeless Enchantress" using the Corpse Wrapping Cloth and Immortal Binding Rope.
Capturing her alive could lead to a substantial reward.
The most pressing issue now was her quick movent and ability to fly; utilising the Strange Objects effectively was a considerable challenge.
"I’m still a bit slow to react, even with bullet ti..." Li Qingshan frowned, "which ans she must be beyond certain factors."
"Moreover, we’re not just facing the threat of anomalies, but also the local military forces, with a considerable number of yellow turban warriors..."
"Yes, using the at Mountain Bomb could indeed raise suspicion."
Just then, Pan Hao sensed sothing; the Dragon Turtle Staff he carried glinted in the turtle’s eyes, signaling that the "Sorelife Great Mother" was calling for him. "I’ll be back shortly; that old turtle has suddenly summoned , possibly having discovered sothing."
After about two minutes, Pan Hao returned with strange news: "Sothing very peculiar has happened. The fleeing Divine Turtle’s Great Mother has appeared at Lake Entrance and is fighting with the Sorelife Great Mother!"
"Having lost her source of the Power of Incense, she might be trying to seize Sorelife Great Mother’s territory!"
"Ah... such a coincidence?" The veins on Li Qingshan’s face throbbed.
The deity of Lake Entrance, the "Water Ghost King," was cast into the Hell Path, and now that lake had beco the Sorelife Great Mother’s domain.
Each day that old turtle swam happily in the lake, basking in the offerings of incense from the neighboring villages and enjoying the fish and shrimp, in pure bliss.
In the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Power of Incense is akin to "anchoring."
A robust anchor keeps one firmly in place within the Etheric Abyss.
Without it, one must resist the force of Idealism through their strength alone, leading to a continuous loss of power.
"And so, the Divine Turtle’s Great Mother must be in a state of utter desperation now."
"Both Lake Entrance and the hidden Dragon River are connected. The Divine Turtle’s Great Mother, having lost her city territory, has absurdly rushed to contest the minor Lake Entrance—it’s simply indescribable."
"This is but strife among kin—why the rush to violent confrontation?" Pan Hao chuckled, "That Divine Turtle’s Great Mother is not too bright, with her foundation damaged and territory taken, she’s hurried here to provoke. Why this fight amongst turtles?"
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