Xuanwu Mountain, headquarters of the Door of Wonders.
Traces of dicinal fragrance wafted from the central Taoist Temple.
Ju Wuba’s face was pale as he lay on the bed, coughing incessantly.
His once towering figure had beco a burden, rendering him bedridden.
"Master, I fear I cannot make it, cough cough..."
That battle back then revealed the terrifying might of the Black Sky.
As the Underground Master, Song Lin was ultimately no match for him on his own turf.
In that battle, ten Taoist Soldiers perished, 120 Rampant Soldiers were annihilated to ashes, Zhang Fuheng was gravely injured and fell into Taiyin Refinent—he wouldn’t awaken for another Jiazi.
Ju Wuba bore the severest wounds, his Dantian shattered, ridians severed, and the Red Dragon True Qi in his Dan Zhong Acupoint broken. He didn’t even have the chance to embark on Taiyin Refining.
"Sigh, you’ve worked hard." Song Lin let out a sigh. He wasn’t a coldhearted man; while ruthless to his enemies, he was generous to his own.
Ju Wuba had followed him for over a century. Even without monuntal achievents, his loyalty was undeniable. Song Lin had exhausted every ans to save him, but to no avail.
"Cough cough, I recomnd Langya Zhuge Yuan as the next Taoist Master. He’s my second disciple, with decent talent and quick wit."
"Very well."
Both were n who could pick things up and put them down without hesitation. Even at death’s door, they exchanged no sentintal words.
Suddenly, Ju Wuba’s face flushed red as if experiencing one final surge of energy before death.
"Master, I wish to go out and ride the tiger!"
Granted permission by Song Lin, Ju Wuba made his way to the Tiger Leopard Army in the back, where a massive white tiger awaited.
Mounting the tiger’s back, he let out a sharp cry as the tiger galloped off.
"Haha, off I go!"
Before long, he arrived at the edge of a cliff. It was a thousand-zhang abyss where one would normally stop, yet Ju Wuba hesitated not, spurring the tiger to leap and disappear over the edge.
Song Lin didn’t stop him, rely standing at the cliffside for a long while, lost in thought. Only after so ti did he return to the Taoist Temple.
"Black Sky..."
The murals he had once seen in the Western Region were not as he had believed.
He had thought that the seven shamans who attacked the moon intended to resurrect the Heavenly God Yayu.
In truth, one of the shamans had harbored malicious intent, killing the others and collecting the Exotic Treasure for himself.
Could it be that he sought to consu undying dicine alone?
At that mont, a middle-aged man with a commanding presence entered—it was Zhuge Yuan, the second-generation Taoist Master.
"Master, Dou Xian has brought news."
"Speak."
"Upon investigation, the deities worshipped by the Xiongnu, Qiang, and Wuhuan are none other than Kunlun’s Black Sky."
"Just as I thought."
Underground Masters are typically minor deities and Ghost Officials within the Netherworld, not conforming to the doctrines of the Nine Palaces.
The Daoist scripture states: "Underground Masters are scattered in outer shelters, uninstructed by the teachings of the Nine Palaces, with no knowledge of transformation arts. Such masters are the lowest rank."
This is the lowest level of Underground Master.
The highest level of Underground Master, however, can join the ranks of the Immortals, with positions equivalent to minor mortal officials.
This rank doesn’t even qualify for incense worship in the Central Plains.
Evidently, the Black Sky aid to spread belief through the barbarians to gain influence.
"The Xiongnu’s White Wolf King also ca from Kunlun and serves as Black Sky’s demonic slave. Legends speak of a Demon Country within Kunlun; the White Wolf King guards it while the Demon King is Black Sky, from whom all the world’s demons originate."
"Hmm, I understand."
If his guess was correct, that individual sought undying dicine to ascend to Mountain and River Master.
Becoming a Mountain and River Master would an attaining true divine status.
It was not yet ti to traverse Kunlun’s snowy peaks.
"Additionally, the Great General discovered several secret manuals in the shaman’s residence."
With that, Zhuge Yuan presented a thick booklet.
"Oh?"
Song Lin opened the booklet; most of its pages were filled with healing witchcraft, such as the Curse Date Technique and Ash Consumption for stopping bleeding—many overlapped with spells he already knew, leaving him uninterested in cultivating them.
Two seed practical, however: the "Grain Stripping Technique" to eliminate the need for food and the "Invisibility Concealing Technique" for stealth.
"I’ll wait a little longer, break through Qi Refinent first, and then accumulate more Taoist Soldiers," Song Lin planned silently.
Later, he ordered the withdrawal of mundane forces, sending over 300 core disciples to the moon aboard the Moon-piercing Raft, where they beca free laborers for Moon Cultivation work.
Unbeknownst to them, they were being exploited as naive tools, yet they bead with joy, believing they were partaking in a sacred endeavor.
This act violated the Moon Cultivating Clan’s rules, but since there were no Moon Cultivators in the area, no one intervened.
Thus, Song Lin entered secluded Qi Refinent training, occasionally descending the mountain to capture barbarians for refining Taoist Soldiers.
Ti passed, and before long, it was the Late Eastern Han Dynasty.
anwhile, in the real world, three months had flown by.
...
Xuanke Temple.
Longevity Palace.
This was the training ground of Temple Master Master Jiuyou.
Ghosts and Rampant Soldiers guarded the skies, the earth, and the ten directions.
Inside the hall, five-colored cloth inscribed with intricate runes covered every corner of the Taoist Temple.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing the runes and banners to flutter.
A Taoist sat cross-legged at the hall’s center, five dharma altars worshipped behind him.
These represented five Ghost Kings—Eastern Green King Direct Spirit Ghost, Southern Red King Direct Spirit Ghost, Northern Black King... and others.
In life, all five Ghost Kings were princes of Wu Country; Master Jiuyou had paid a trendous price to obtain their corpses.
At this mont, Jiuyou’s body was half blackened, his skin inky and overflowing with Demonic Qi, while the other half remained human.
Half man, half ghost, the ghostly side continued to devour his human one.
Suddenly, Jiuyou Taoist’s eyes opened, revealing evil green vertical pupils.
"No, it’s past the halfway point. If this continues, I’ll completely transform into a Netherworld Ghost."
While Xuanke Temple used ghost techniques, with so practitioners even making themselves part ghost, these were controllable spells.
Becoming a ghost ant a change of species, bringing risks to mory and reason—not to ntion the Taoist School would never recognize a demon as a Temple Master.
Old foes would also seize the opportunity to strike.
To turn ghost completely would an his death.
At this mont, a young boy erged from the ground, holding a bamboo tube in his mouth.
Jiuyou opened the tube, and a letter fell out.
"To the Temple Master: Rain Tigers and Cloud Dispelling Envoys have been sighted in Wanquan River’s Yinyang Basin. Destructive demon rain may soon descend..."
Rain Tigers summon torrential rains, while Cloud Dispelling Envoys command storms.
Their combined presence caused rainfall spanning hundreds of miles—destructive rains capable of reducing everything to ruin.
One such rain turned a million lives to bone overnight.
"Perhaps this is an opportunity..." Jiuyou Taoist murmured, exhaling a stream of green energy. The energy coalesced into a ghostly figure. "Pass the order: On the next full moon, conduct a Flood Control Grand Ceremony. All Taoists must participate!"
The wave of demons was the largest event in the past decade, requiring all forces from the temple.
Elsewhere.
North Manor Spirit Hall.
The great hall had an opening through which lunar rays, focused and amplified by an array, shone onto the Dog-headed Taoist.
Swoosh!
The Dog-headed Taoist revived!
"Haha, it worked! Lifespan of three years!"
Ziyuan patted Song Lin’s shoulder and exclaid, "Well done, young man, how did you figure it out?"
"A guess. It occurred to that if demons absorb Sun Essence and Moonlight to attain longevity, might Taoist Soldiers follow similar principles?"
Song Lin spoke casually, reluctant to reveal that he knew this through Taiyin Moonlight True Qi.
"Quite insightful. You have great potential. From now on, you’ll learn Ghost Cultivation and Soldier Refinent from . Tell , what reward would you like? Don’t hold back!"
"Thank you, Lord. It’s only my duty. I dare not ask for a reward."
Relying on knowledge from the Otherworld, Song Lin had successfully earned Ziyuan’s trust.
Seizing the mont, Song Lin feigned nonchalance, asking, "Lord, do you know of the Underground Master? They seem comparable to our Immortal Official ranks, no?"
"Nonsense! Underground Masters are re loose officials and generals, with no recognition from the Great Dao. We, however, are proper Taoists with ranks. How can they compare? Why do you ask?"
"What would be the thod to subdue one, should we encounter them? To be frank, I purchased a tip in the Ghost Market that a minor Underground Master resides in Black Mountain to the city’s north, and I was considering subduing them as a Dharma Guardian Ghost General."
Song Lin spun another tale; later, he could claim to have failed or been misled without consequence.
"Simple. Aren’t you of the Secondary Ninth Rank? Use the Dharma Seal Order Flag and talismanic certificate granted by the temple to suppress them via dharma altar."
After all, a Taoist is a Heavenly Official, and even a Ninth Grade is an official position.
"Understood..." Song Lin hesitated briefly before continuing, "Lord, may I borrow your Rampant Soldier Tiger Talisman? I feel it’s still not entirely secure."
After much buildup, he finally revealed his true motive.
Ziyuan stroked his beard, appraising the Dog-headed Taoist with approval. Sharing the credit with Song Lin, lending so forces wasn’t out of the question.
"Very well. How many forces do you need?"
"Ten thousand!"
"Alright... Hm? Are you planning to conquer a territory?"
"Cough cough, just being cautious."
"Sigh, fine. When do you set out?"
"Tomorrow."
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If Black Sky were to hear of this, he’d surely howl at the heavens, crying foul, cursing Song Lin as shaless! Why was he allowed to call for reinforcents?
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