Chapter 280: Great Ceremony Discussion, Patriarch's Task, Yaksha Yin God (Major Chapter)

"What?" Zhou Huai and Lei Guangming's hearts pounded instantly.

Danger! Extreme danger!

As ninety-seven Heavenly Lightning Bolts struck, both men felt as if the sky had turned black. Ninety black lightning-edged vortexes sealed off all directions. There was no escape! They could only endure it head-on!

"Thunderous Apocalypse Body!" "Boundless Wind Fiend!"

Both immediately unleashed their strongest spells. Lei Guangming used lightning magic to counter lightning magic, while Zhou Huai's strongest was wind magic. Both were proficient in top-tier spells, having reached the Minor Accomplishment stage of Spell Fourth Transmutation.

"Rumble~" A supremely condensed lightning barrier, shaped like a human, emerged around Lei Guangming, completely enveloping him.

"Boom boom boom boom boom boom!!!" Lei Guangming withstood nineteen Heavenly Lightning Bolts in succession. The two types of Yang thunder energy collided and annihilated each other. But by the twentieth bolt, his Thunderous Apocalypse Body could no longer hold.

"Puff!" A black breach suddenly appeared in his otherwise flawless Daoist body defense.

"Puff puff puff puff puff puff puff puff!" After the defense was breached, forty-five more Heavenly Lightning Bolts surged through the opening, directly striking his physical body. Lei Guangming's body seemed to become a sieve, leaking dozens of lightning glows. The next moment, his entire being turned into plasma, exploding into dust!

As for Zhou Huai, his Boundless Wind Fiend was an offensive spell, and from a defensive standpoint, it was nowhere near as strong as Lei Guangming's. By the sixth Heavenly Lightning Bolt, the wind fiend around him was pierced through. The Heavenly Lightning Bolt itself was a spell with extremely high penetration, derived from an ultimate art. Zhou Huai's Boundless Wind Fiend merely deflected the first six Heavenly Lightning Bolts slightly before it could no longer sustain itself. He shattered even faster than Lei Guangming. Two streams of plasma spread outwards.

The Fourth-Rank Agricultural Officials watching from the Logistics Department turned completely horrified. They retreated frantically, even though they had already moved to a safe enough distance during the previous magical duel between Zhang Ping, Zhou Huai, and Lei Guangming. But now that Zhao Xing had taken action, they realized this distance was still not safe enough.

"Ahhh—" "My Daoist body!"

Two primordial souls emerged from beside the exploding bodies. At the Third-Rank realm, the life soul could separate from the physical body and exist independently for a period. However, as soon as the two primordial souls appeared, they began to disintegrate. This was because Heavenly Lightning Bolt was a Yang Thunder spell! As a top-tier Yang Thunder spell, it had a destructive effect on Yin souls.

"Whoosh whoosh~" The moment their primordial souls appeared, they tried to burrow into the netherworld. The faster of the two, Zhou Huai, had even managed to get half his head into the void of the netherworld. This was an ability of a Third-Rank primordial soul: to travel through the netherworld. However, with only half his head through, his soul body had already completely vanished. Lei Guangming fared even worse; his primordial soul was crushed by the violent plasma vortex the moment it appeared.

"You, you—" Zhang Ping looked at Zhao Xing, his heart filled with immense shock. Especially with so many Zhao Xings present, each casting the top-tier Heavenly Lightning Bolt, he was completely silenced. Who would have thought Zhao Xing could turn a single-target spell with extreme penetration like the Heavenly Lightning Bolt into an area-of-effect attack!

"All who received titles from Prince Liang shall die!" Zhao Xing, without hesitation, his gaze like lightning, locked onto the thirty-six people around him. Among them, five were Fourth-Rank, and the rest were Fifth-Rank. Sensing danger, half of the thirty-six began to flee, while the other half knelt, begging for mercy.

"Clang! Clang!" Zhao Xing completely ignored them. His life soul within him extended a hand, holding a large golden bell formed from soul power, which began to vibrate. The Soul Annihilation Bell was activated!

"Thump~" "Thump~" All who had taken flight crashed down, their bodies hitting the ground heavily. Their bodies were intact, but their souls had vanished, leaving only empty physical shells. Some who tried to burrow underground became stuck, their bodies impossible to preserve, crushed into fragments by the powerful geomantic energy of the prefectural city.

"Don't move!" Zhang Ping, regaining his senses, immediately warned the other subordinate officials to stop moving. He didn't know how Zhao Xing distinguished them, but this fellow truly killed without batting an eyelid! It chilled Zhang Ping to the bone.

"Everyone spoke of how formidable Liu Tianning was, but I had never seen him in action. Only today do I realize that seeing is believing," Zhang Ping thought to himself. If his disciples were this powerful, what strength would Liu Tianning, with his tens of thousands of Dharma Bodies, possess?

In fact, Lu Tingzhi had also tried to run just now, but it was purely out of fright. From Lu Tingzhi's perspective, everything that happened today was simply terrifying. First, two Third-Rank deputies disregarded imperial law and challenged their superior, Zhang Ping. Then, other superiors and colleagues suddenly acted like different people, beginning to purge dissenters. And then, Zhao Xing, clearly only a Fifth-Rank official, emerged and utterly annihilated two Third-Rank Agricultural Officials. What on earth was happening in this world? He had only slept for one night, but it felt like decades had passed.

"Hmm? You actually weren't granted a title?" Zhao Xing eyed Lu Tingzhi with suspicion. He observed Lu Tingzhi with the Great Derivation Aura-Viewing Technique and found that this person had not betrayed them.

"Let me see what's going on." Zhao Xing grabbed Lu Tingzhi's hand, and seven stars lit up in his eyes. "Look into my eyes!" Hearing this, Lu Tingzhi instinctively looked at Zhao Xing. The stars rolled like grinding stones. Lu Tingzhi's face showed pain. His current state was as if he were cultivating the Derivation God Art in the Star Palace, yet the secret pattern stars had no cultivation effect on him, only pain and illusions.

"What did you do last night?"

"Your, your subordinate was—enjoying carnal pleasures with Zhen Ji, Cai Nü, Ming Zhinü, Madam, Madam Ya Mei, and Madam Ying. Zhen Ji and Madam Ya Mei were skilled at gambling, so we stripped off our clothes—"

Zhang Ping: "..." All officials: "..."

"What were you doing between midnight and dawn?" Zhao Xing asked again.

"I got tired from playing and drank some Thousand-Year Drunk, then fell asleep. I didn't wake up until seven quarters past Sishi (about 11:45 AM)," Lu Tingzhi answered foolishly. "After waking up, I heard Master Zhou Huai calling me to the yamen. But I was too exhausted, so I delayed until noon sharp to arrive."

Zhao Xing glanced at Zhang Ping, who nodded. This person indeed arrived at the yamen exactly at noon. At this, Zhao Xing's expression became extremely complex. This Lu Tingzhi, just because he was having fun with his wives and concubines and drank Thousand-Year Drunk, actually missed the Yin God delivering the decree of enfeoffment to him.

"Have you ever engaged in corruption or bribery?" Zhao Xing asked again.

"Yes, but I was discovered by Master Liu at the New Calendar year 29... and punished once. Since then, I haven't been corrupt; I've just focused on indulging in beauties."

Zhang Ping: "..." All officials: "..."

This was truly absurd. This fellow actually reformed, stopped being corrupt after being punished by Old Liu, devoted himself entirely to carnal pleasures, and didn't even participate in the rebellion. How could you be like this? You are Lu Tingzhi! Could it be that you had no choice in your previous life? And now you want to be a good person?

After a moment's thought, Zhao Xing released Lu Tingzhi's collar.

"Huh?" Lu Tingzhi regained his senses, and remembering what he had just said, a cold sweat broke out all over him. This person showed no signs of social death. To be able to hold such a position, his skin was already thicker than the city's defensive arrays. Lu Tingzhi was simply grateful to have escaped a calamity. Although he didn't even know what calamity he was supposed to have faced.

"Master Zhao?" Lu Tingzhi straightened his attire. "May I ask if Master has any further instructions?"

"Just stand by and await orders." Zhao Xing looked at Lu Tingzhi's head with some regret. What a fine head! It was a real pity that it couldn't be chopped off.

"Master Zhang." Zhao Xing cupped his hands towards Zhang Ping. "Now that chaos has erupted in Tianhe Prefecture, does Master Zhang have a strategy?"

Zhao Xing was only a Fifth-Rank official in the Logistics Department, far inferior to Zhang Ping in rank. If a Fifth-Rank official were to command a Third-Rank one, it would be overstepping authority and subject to criticism. His other identity as an Inspector could oversee both civil and military officials, but that was only for officials below Third-Rank. Killing Zhou Huai and Lei Guangming was an emergency measure because they had committed offenses. As for how to arrange the logistics routes of the five prefectures in eastern Pinghai Province and how to transfer prefectural treasury resources, these matters were all up to Zhang Ping. If Zhang Ping were a corrupt official or a rebel, it would be easy to handle. But he wasn't. So, they still had to act according to imperial law. In these special times, it was even more crucial to abide by imperial rules so that their actions could withstand scrutiny later.

Zhang Ping recovered from his shock: "Tianhe Prefecture cannot fall into chaos, especially the City Defense Mechanism Department and the Divine Temple. These three places must be controlled as quickly as possible."

"As long as the prefectural city remains orderly, the eleven garrisons of Tianhe Prefecture will not dare to act rashly."

The Agricultural Bureau of Tianhe Prefecture, with the Logistics Department as its largest agricultural agency, meant that all other departments—the Land Registration Department, the River Management Department, the Grain Management Department, the Imperial Storage Department, the Granary Department, the Imperial Treasury, the Attendant Treasury, and the Yuanfeng Treasury—had to follow the leadership of the Logistics Department. Therefore, Zhang Ping was the head of Tianhe Prefecture's Agricultural Bureau and the highest-ranking agricultural official. With Zhang Ping unharmed, the celestial phenomena would not fall into disarray, and the three major logistics treasuries and their respective warehouse masters would remain secure. Only the River Management Department still posed a hidden danger, as its waterways connected multiple prefectures. If neighboring prefectures suffered floods, Tianhe Prefecture would not be able to remain unaffected. Of course, the immediate priority was to ensure that the City Defense Mechanism Department and the Divine Temple remained stable.

"What about the Patrol Department and the Judicial Guard, led by the Prefect?" "And the Imperial Censors, the Ritual Hall, and the scholars of rites from various academies?" The scholars of rites posed a significant threat, being most adept at swaying public opinion.

Zhang Ping explained: "The martial artists within the prefectural city are security forces; they are not many, nor are they strong. The strong ones are all outside the city... Battles between scholars of rites often take a long time to determine a winner."

"The Land Official, Minister Wang, has already protected the city's land with the Yellow Register, so there's no need to worry about the enchanting spells of the scholars of rites for two days."

"Tianhe Prefecture has few and weak academies and scholarly halls; there are not many powerful scholars of rites present."

"I believe he can control the situation."

Zhao Xing nodded upon hearing this. Zhang Ping was indeed capable, and Liu Tianning had not erred in placing him in this position. Had Zhou Huai and Lei Guangming not significantly increased in strength after being enfeoffed, they truly wouldn't have been able to stir up much trouble.

"Zhao Xing, do you have any suggestions?" Zhang Ping asked.

"None. I'll follow your plan, Master," Zhao Xing replied. "First, stabilize the celestial phenomena and the City Defense Mechanism Department."

Zhang Ping immediately shouted, "Zou Yong, Ouyang Zhen!" "Here!" Two Agricultural Officials immediately stepped forward. Zou Yong and Ouyang Zhen were Zhang Ping's subordinates, both holding the rank of Upper Fourth-Rank Official.

"Bring all Fifth-Rank Agricultural Officials and immediately ascend with me to rectify the celestial phenomena above the prefectural city. Use this as a base to spread the effect throughout the entire Tianhe Prefecture."

"Yes, sir!"

"All five County Transport Commissioners, immediately issue orders to the county cities to rectify the great celestial phenomena according to 'Wu Ji's Treatise on Celestial Phenomena: Four-Week Scrolls' and maintain a unified pace with the prefectural city."

"As you command!" Another group of Agricultural Officials departed.

"Thirty-six Fourth-Rank Agricultural Officials from the Imperial Treasury, Attendant Treasury, and Yuanfeng Treasury, immediately proceed to the three major treasuries and guard them."

"Yes, sir."

"All main officials of the Hundred Paths Department, bring your water vein instruments and monitor the sixteen Tianhe waterways for twelve hours. Report any abnormalities immediately—"

"As you command—"

Zhang Ping's command was impeccable. Soon, the Agricultural Officials within the prefecture immediately sprang into action.

Just as Zhao Xing was waiting for Zhang Ping to assign him a task.

"Puff~" Zhang Ping, who had ascended halfway into the sky, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Zhao Xing's main body and clones immediately surrounded Zhang Ping. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, and no one else saw it.

"Master Zhang." Zhao Xing quickly supported him and transferred some vital energy.

"I'm fine," Zhang Ping shook his head.

"Master, you're heavily wounded." Zhao Xing grasped his hand and realized that Zhang Ping's Five Elements Qi was wildly surging within his body. Threads of vital energy had permeated his bones, meridians, and flesh, like steel wires, severing many of his meridians and even breaking several bones. Before this, he had also activated the Solar Term Command and ascended to stabilize the celestial phenomena. This exertion had left him severely wounded.

"Master, if you don't treat your injuries soon, they might worsen. Your inner world is already in chaos, generating an Extreme Yuan Storm that is ravaging your body," Zhao Xing said. "If you cast another spell, there's a high chance you'll suffer a qi deviation, explode, and die."

"I'm fine, don't worry," Zhang Ping smiled faintly. "I won't die for now." With that, he was about to bend his finger to issue a command.

"Let me do it," Zhao Xing pressed down on his finger. "Your subordinate will use the Solar Term Command to stabilize the celestial phenomena."

"Chen An, what realm have you cultivated your Solar Term Command to?" Zhang Ping asked. "The grand celestial phenomena of a prefectural city are not like those of counties."

"It's early February now, and the grand celestial phenomena naturally operate under the Beginning of Spring. Your subordinate's Beginning of Spring Solar Term Command has achieved minor success."

Seeing Zhang Ping about to say more, Zhao Xing said, "With so many people assisting, let me give it a try."

"If it doesn't work, Master can step in."

Zhang Ping nodded upon hearing this. "Alright."

Zhao Xing's main body flew up another ten meters, surpassing the other Agricultural Officials. Zou Yong and Ouyang Zhen, seeing that Zhao Xing was leading them, felt a little uneasy.

"Being strong in spells doesn't necessarily mean one knows how to stabilize celestial phenomena."

"Adjusting changes in celestial phenomena requires years of immersion in the 'Solar Term Command' and understanding various theories of the Celestial Phenomena School."

"Can Zhao Xing do it?" Zou Yong was somewhat skeptical. "Did something happen to Master Zhang?"

"Restoring celestial phenomena, where even a slight excess or deficiency of Yin and Yang Qi matters, is a profound study." Ouyang Zhen, however, was somewhat expectant. "You're right, there's a big difference between the practical school and the theoretical school, which also led to the distinction between civil agricultural officials and military agricultural officials."

"But since he can already cast top-tier lightning spells with his myriad Dharma Body clones, what else is impossible for him?"

"Let's just watch," Zou Yong nodded, quietly waiting for Zhao Xing to cast his spell.

After Zhao Xing ascended, the twenty-four Solar Term Commands within his Dantian began to spin rapidly. Soon, one of the pale green Beginning of Spring Solar Term Commands lit up.

"Celestial seasons, heed my command!" "Beginning of Spring!"

Zhao Xing pointed a finger, and the magical Solar Term Command immediately floated upwards. At the same time, the Great Li Solar Term Command, fused within his Dantian, also lit up faintly. Zhao Xing's original realm was Foundation Establishment Sixth Transmutation. But with the enhancement of the Solar Term Token, he immediately reached Foundation Establishment Grand Completion. The three major realms of Solar Term Command were Knowledge, Stability, and Alteration. Foundation Establishment Grand Completion was essentially the upper limit that Third-Rank Agricultural Officials could achieve. Among high-ranking officials, even those at Second-Rank rarely reached the third realm, capable of altering celestial phenomena. Only First-Rank Agricultural Officials would enter the third realm. And even then, it was usually only a single Solar Term Command that reached it. As for the Grand Agricultural Minister, they would fully enter the third realm, and with the aid of treasures, all aspects of the third realm would undoubtedly be perfected.

The moment Zhao Xing released the Beginning of Spring Solar Term Command, the world immediately fell silent. A surge of vitality emanated from the earth, and the thunderclouds above the sky dissipated.

"What? His Solar Term Command spell is actually at Foundation Establishment Grand Completion?" Zou Yong was instantly stunned.

"Talented individuals emerge in every generation," Ouyang Zhen excitedly squeezed his palms. "My Celestial Phenomena School has produced another peerless genius!"

Although Zhao Xing was a Fifth-Rank official, he was at the Fourth-Rank Grand Completion realm. He could use celestial phenomena magic to slay Third-Rank cultivators, and now his celestial phenomena command was also at the second realm's grand completion.

"This young man's future is limitless." Zhang Ping also glanced at the sky, then focused on recovering from his injuries.

"The celestial phenomena will reset to one quarter past Wei hour (1:15 PM)," Zhao Xing's voice spread. "Lord Yang, Minister Fire, and Circulation Qi will return sixteen rotations and four quarters. Eastern Lesser Yang advances nine rotations and eight quarters; Western Greater Yin eight rotations and four quarters."

Zhao Xing had, of course, also read "Wu Ji's Treatise on Celestial Phenomena: Four-Week Scrolls." This treatise on celestial phenomena, written by Wu Cheng, the Grand Agricultural Minister who founded the dynasty, was compiled after observing the celestial phenomena of the Xuanguang Realm for nearly a millennium. His treatise on celestial phenomena was applicable to astronomical phenomena after time interference. It emphasized the compatibility of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches with the four seasons, and de-emphasized the compatibility of the Five Elements. Wu Cheng believed that as long as the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches and the four seasons were in balance, the Five Elements Qi between heaven and earth would not become chaotic and would naturally return to its correct position. Because the environment of each province differed, the Five Elements Qi in some places was quite chaotic, and the Yin Qi in the earth's veins, along with the Five Elements' power, would constantly cause interference. Therefore, weakening the circulation of the Five Elements Qi and emphasizing the compatibility of the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, and four seasons made the theory universally applicable across the entire Xuanguang Realm. This comprehensive celestial phenomena theory has been used by the agricultural officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty to this day.

"Today, it was still before Maoshi (5-7 AM), yet the sky was already bright. This is due to Prince Liang's rebellion, using divine artifacts to split the qi fortunes of two provinces, causing inherent disorder in the celestial phenomena."

"All almanacs were disrupted, and it was easy for agricultural officials to make mistakes when adjusting celestial phenomena," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "Now, leading people to rectify it, I'm probably also making a mistake, but at least not an outrageous one."

"Because my inner Five Elements celestial phenomena have always been stable, the internal alignment with the external means there's no time difference. This is a supplementary effect of the Yin-Yang True Self Scripture." As for why there was still a deviation, it was because the celestial phenomenon changes caused by Prince Liang were powerful enough. Zhao Xing, residing between heaven and earth, had to abide by the rules of this world in his understanding of the Dao and his perceptions. To correct it completely, only Li Boqian could do it, because only he could truly achieve perfect rectification. His rectification truly conformed to the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, as he had already reached the Grand Completion of the Third Realm. Of course, what Zhao Xing was doing now was already sufficient.

"The Six Qi have returned to the level they were at on the eve of the rebellion. At least in my perception, they are completely consistent," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "To me, it's perfect." He overlooked the area around Tianhe Prefectural City. With the celestial phenomena restored to their correct positions, the Five Elements Qi in this region no longer rioted and ceased to develop in a worse direction. The impact was comprehensive; even the fluctuations of the earth's veins would slowly calm down over time. "This is governing from the root. Simply casting spells to target a specific area is merely treating the symptoms."

This was Zhao Xing's first time casting a large-scale Solar Term Command to regulate the celestial phenomena of a prefectural-level region. And he had the assistance of several Fourth- and Fifth-Rank officials. He gained a deeper understanding of wielding the supreme-grade Eighth-Tier Solar Term Token.

"Through practical combat, my control over the supreme-grade Eighth-Tier Beginning of Spring Solar Term Token has deepened by another half a percent."

Zhao Xing's gaze fell upon a mountain outside the city. Faint red light from a volcanic crater was visible. "The magical duel between Zhou Huai, Lei Guangming, and Zhang Ping caused a volcano to appear outside the city."

"If left unattended, based on the frequency of the fire vein's fluctuations, it will erupt in seven days."

With a thought, Zhao Xing immediately summoned a cloud. "Go!" A plump dark cloud immediately flew above the volcanic crater. It completely covered the crater.

"Whoosh~" Large amounts of water vapor were evaporated, then absorbed and gathered by a small gate above the cloud.

"Celestial phenomena magic can also govern geomantic forces, it just depends on how it's used." Zhao Xing commanded the cloud to continue covering the volcano. He then carefully observed the area around the prefectural city for any unusual phenological changes.

"There were ninety-six abnormal phenological changes." However, Zhao Xing chose not to handle these personally this time. With so many Fourth- and Fifth-Rank Agricultural Officials present, there was no need for him to do all the work.

"Master Zhang, there are ninety-six abnormal phenological changes around the prefectural city. Please instruct the Agricultural Officials skilled in this area to cast their respective spells."

"Alright," Zhang Ping immediately called out names. There were also Agricultural Officials of the Celestial Phenomena School present.

The sky grew slightly darker. This was because the time had been reset, returning the previously inverted celestial phenomena to normal. Therefore, the sky at this moment had become dim.

"Buzz~" Suddenly, a tremor came from the prefectural city below.

"Hm?" Zhao Xing immediately looked down. He saw the Tianhe Prefectural Yamen erupt in a burst of white light, with countless characters floating out, sealing off the yamen. Various three-dimensional characters intertwined in the low air. Each character was pitch-black like ink, resembling independently thinking soldiers attacking each other.

"Void as paper, spoken words as soldiers. How many is Prefect He fighting alone?"

Zhao Xing immediately dispatched fifteen clones to descend. The yamen, usually solemn and dignified, was now eerily silent. Light snow was falling around. This was not real snow, but an illusion created by the spells of the scholars of rites. Zhao Xing felt a slight chill.

"Illusions affecting reality, this is 'Words become Law'." "However, this portion of power comes from the dynasty's own system." Zhao Xing gave a slight shake, and the chill dissipated.

Zhao Xing's current Third-Rank life soul, aside from lacking the ability of a primordial soul to leave the body, was superior in resistance, willpower strength, and overall quantity compared to a Third-Rank at the initial stage. The ability for the primordial soul to leave the body was cultivated at the Third-Rank. At that time, the primordial soul needed to merge with the vital energy of heaven and earth, driven by the power of the Five Elements. This also involved changes in the physical body, and the primordial soul leaving the 'house' of the seven corporeal souls without damaging the house itself. Currently, Zhao Xing possessed most of the abilities of a Third-Rank Primordial Soul realm, but could not make his primordial soul leave his body. It was like a roaming mage in some game who hadn't learned their ultimate skill even after dozens of levels, but it didn't affect them much; some even specialized in playing that way.

He walked to the entrance and stopped, now able to see the scene inside.

"—A heartless ruler shall be punished!" "Therefore, no crime is greater for a subject than regicide!" "To abandon righteousness and act disloyal, plotting rebellion."

"Kin slaying kin, ruler and subject at odds, what meaning is there in this?"

"This is Prefect He Zhengchen; he's refuting Prince Liang's proclamation," Zhao Xing watched silently.

One of them, Wang Chengsi, loudly declared: "Liu Si, upon receiving his mandate, reformed laws and regulations, changing them easily, disregarding established systems, oppressing the imperial clan, encroaching upon the feudal lords. His vassals are not loyal, his kinsmen are not close; this is a great evil, an offense punishable by ten thousand deaths!"

Yu Tianhai interjected: "Liu Si's governance caused rulers to envy subjects, subjects to distrust rulers, and rites and laws to cease existing. For over two hundred and thirty-six years, common households withered, and people suffered separation and death. Is the ruler without fault?"

He Zhengchen sneered: "You, who secretly accepted titles from the Prince, dare to speak presumptuously of rites and laws?"

Yu Tianhai completely ignored this point and continued: "The national traitors harm the people, secondly harm their ruler, and thirdly cause the ancestral Yin spirits to lose their fire, leading to a multitude of lonely souls and wandering ghosts, their grievances and malice unabated—"

Meanwhile, the weaker scholars of rites around them began to feel dizzy and lightheaded, collapsing unconscious. Afterward, He Zhengchen began refuting them one by one. Zhao Xing watched this scene, secretly clicking his tongue in amazement. "The Grand Rites Debate among scholars of rites truly kills without shedding blood. In such a short time, hundreds of civil officials have died."

The confrontation continued. Zhao Xing left two clones here to await the outcome. He then flew towards the Divine Temple.

The Divine Temple was still shrouded in a black vortex. Having visited the Altars of Soil and Grain before, he understood a bit about the ways of ancestral worship. Within this black vortex, there were no living people at all, only groups of Yin souls crying out.

"Eighty percent of the Divine Temple's eighty-nine halls are already empty; all have descended from their altars," Zhao Xing, using his top-tier Heavenly Eye technique, still clearly saw through the dense mist. "Most couldn't remain unaffected; only those ancient legendary statues of gods and First-Rank true gods remained as statues."

"I wonder how our Agricultural God fares."

Zhao Xing directed his gaze to a certain area of the divine hall. From the Ancestral Emperor to the present, there had been a total of seven generations of Grand Agricultural Ministers. There were six First-Rank Agricultural Gods, all statues of previous Grand Agricultural Ministers. Li Boqian was still alive; if he were to die, he would also receive incense offerings. Prefectural-level divine temples would generally enshrine these six Agricultural Gods. Among the six Agricultural Gods, four had individual halls dedicated to their worship. The other two were Grand Agricultural Ministers who originated from the Geomantic School, so in their halls, they occupied secondary positions, with the Earth God as the primary deity. The Earth God statue had a thousand faces, and this particular one looked rather fierce and menacing. There were also Agricultural Gods from the True Self School. The hall of True Monarch Wu Cheng was located precisely in the east, and it was larger. The positions of the six halls also had significance.

When Zhao Xing looked over, Wu Cheng's divine statue suddenly opened its eyes. Zhao Xing was startled. He hadn't invited any gods. "Please don't descend; my life still has purpose." Wu Cheng seemed to know Zhao Xing's thoughts, a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, then he closed them again. It was as if what had just appeared was an illusion.

Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief, intending to look away. However, in the divine hall to the northeast, another statue suddenly came to life. "Wait," a voice echoed in Zhao Xing's ear. Zhao Xing's expression stiffened, and he could only turn back.

At this moment, the statue within the northeast hall had vanished. Outside the temple gate, an old man holding an ink-jade scepter suddenly appeared. He was also the teacher of Li Boqian and Wang Tianzhi.

"Greetings, True Monarch Tianyang," Zhao Xing bowed.

"Why call me True Monarch? Call me Grandmaster," Fu Tianyang said.

Zhao Xing was momentarily stunned.

"You've cultivated the 'A Step to the Horizon' technique, making you Li Boqian's student. Shouldn't you call me Grandmaster?" Fu Tianyang asked.

"Yes, Grandmaster," Zhao Xing saluted again. "May I know what instructions Grandmaster has?"

"Quickly move my golden body out!" Fu Tianyang cursed. "Tianhe Divine Temple has been turned into a murky mess by them, and there are schemers constantly buzzing in my ears, asking me to help them 'cleanse the ruler's side'. I can't stand it anymore."

*Wait*, learning 'A Step to the Horizon' from Li Boqian could actually activate such a task? Zhao Xing had not intended to get involved in the Divine Temple's disputes at this time because he had noticed that while the main hall priests in Tianhe Prefecture's Divine Temple were vying for power, the Imperial Faction still held more influence than Prince Liang's Faction. This was because Prince Liang's operations in Pinghai Province were mainly concentrated in the northern and southern parts. He hadn't managed the eastern and western parts for long. So he planned to wait for the priests of Tianhe Divine Temple to fight it out and determine a winner before getting involved. There was no need to seek trouble unnecessarily! He hadn't expected that merely taking a look would trigger a quest. What a coincidence! The golden body of the previous Grand Agricultural Minister only contained a clone soul; it wouldn't matter if it were gone. Could Li Boqian have arranged this for him?

As Zhao Xing was pondering, Fu Tianyang spoke again. "Boy, are you going to save me or not? Why are you being so slow?"

"If you save Grandmaster's golden body, and then invite me, your Grandmaster, to possess you, it will only require incense, not consume your lifespan," Fu Tianyang said. "Decide quickly, I won't wait if you're too late."

"Save!" Zhao Xing immediately said. "Please wait, Grandmaster!"

"Then I'll be waiting for your rescue!" Fu Tianyang smiled and disappeared. Zhao Xing shook his head, finding no figure in front of the divine temple; it was as if he had experienced an illusion. Inside the Tianhe Divine Temple, the statue of True Monarch Tianyang remained motionless.

"Derivation Six Qi Luck, or Li Boqian's arrangement?" Up in the sky, Zhao Xing's main body couldn't help but glance at his system panel. "Perhaps both. My qi luck has risen to Derivation Six, but nothing good has happened yet."

"In that case, I'll charge into Tianhe Divine Temple."

"I didn't expect to encounter the priests so soon." He could now multitask completely, doing other things while maintaining the Solar Term Command. "Even so, I still need to be extra cautious." The clone souls of the Great Zhou Yin Gods could also be turned in this chaos. For example, Fu Tianyang's main Yin soul might not know what its clone soul had done. Unless it was recalled, just as Blood Spirit Venerable had his divine power tricked by Zhao Xing, only realizing what had happened after recalling and absorbing the memories of his clone soul.

"Cloud Gate!" Zhao Xing pointed a finger, and above the Tianhe Divine Temple, clusters of golden auspicious clouds immediately appeared. The auspicious clouds connected with each other, rapidly forming a large gate. The gate quickly descended, reaching an extremely low level, almost pressing down on the Divine Temple.

"Whoosh~" The black vortexes inside the Divine Temple suddenly shrank. The Cloud Gate had the effect of stabilizing boundary walls. The reason the channel vortexes between the netherworld and the great mortal world became smaller was because tearing open netherworld channels became more difficult.

Inside the Divine Temple, Tianhe Priest Wu Xuanying immediately looked up. "Top-tier Cloud Magic? Is someone attacking the temple?" "Has the city fallen?" Wu Xuanying's face immediately darkened. In an instant, he thought of many terrible scenarios, but never considered it to be friendly forces. This was because at this time, the Agricultural Bureau's best course of action was to stick to its duties. Doing anything else would easily invite suspicion. Moreover, Zhang Ping did not know cloud magic. That meant an unfamiliar high-rank agricultural official had appeared in the city.

"I must deal with Zhu Qingyou quickly," Wu Xuanying gritted his teeth, spat out a mouthful of heart blood, and then placed a talisman on his forehead. He walked out of the divine hall carrying a statue of a mighty god on his back.

"What's going on? Where did this military agricultural official come from?" Another main hall priest, Zhu Qingyou, looked up at the sky. "Zhang Ping absolutely cannot possess such top-tier spells."

"Could it be that the rebellion has been quelled, and someone has come to assist the temple?"

"No, I must quickly deal with Wu Xuanying and take control of the situation!" "Puff," he punched himself in the chest, then spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, accelerating his reception of divine power at the cost of his lifespan.

"Everyone, quickly absorb divine power!" "Don't fear the consumption; it can all be replenished after the matter is resolved!"

"Yes, sir." Many priests responded in unison. Zhao Xing had no idea that his appearance had caused the two factions of priests inside to accelerate their confrontation.

After casting the Cloud Gate, he was still not satisfied. He took out a large handful of talismans from a box, some to stick on himself, others to fly into the air. There was no other way; the Primordial Yin Sacred Scripture could only be used by his main body. Relying solely on clones to activate a Ninth-Tier treasure was extremely difficult. The burden would be too great, so it was better not to use it. Otherwise, a clone carrying the treasure scripture could easily have it snatched away. If that happened, it would be quite entertaining.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh~" The myriad Dharma Body clones in the sky rapidly retracted, appearing around Zhao Xing. They formed a clone guard, tightly protecting his main body. The Heavenly Lightning Bolt was a Yang Thunder spell, and it was also a spell that could contend with priests.

"Boundless Starlight! Boundless Vortex!" Zhao Xing also erected an underground palace. He did not choose the Vast Sea Underground Palace or the Black Water Underground Palace. Because these two spells were not specifically for killing enemies, nor were they suitable for use here. Unless he wanted to flood Tianhe Prefecture. If he did that, he wouldn't be quelling any rebellion; he'd become a rebel himself!

"That's enough." Zhao Xing summoned a gust of Yin wind to swirl around his formation, then swiftly walked into the Divine Temple.

"Hissing~" The fierce wind howled. At this moment, all the palace complexes in the Divine Temple area became eerie.

"Who goes there?!" A Fourth-Rank priest appeared in front. Zhao Xing looked closely; his appearance was very strange. His ritual robes were torn, eight arms had appeared, two horns sprouted from his head, and he held a trident in his hand.

"Eight-armed Yaksha? Isn't this an evil god?" Zhao Xing couldn't help but be surprised. How could an evil god be summoned? That shouldn't be possible.

"Hmph, ignorant whelp! I am a Rakshasa clan deity bestowed by the Ancestral Emperor! The Second-Rank Moonlit Night King!" the Fourth-Rank priest shouted. But it was clear that it wasn't the priest himself speaking, but the Rakshasa clan Yin God behind him.

"Oh, it seems there is such a deity. Then I suppose you are legitimate," Zhao Xing nodded. This lineage of Yin gods, being non-human, was rarely worshipped and was considered a relatively obscure minor deity.

"Nonsense! What do you mean 'I suppose'? You're just ignorant!" The Yaksha roared in fury.

"Then, Moonlit Night King, could you please step aside?" Zhao Xing said. So he didn't know if this Yin god was a rebel.

"Are you here to rebel, or to quell the rebellion?!" Before Zhao Xing could ask, the Yaksha asked him first.

"To quell it, of course! I'm here to invite the Agricultural God."

"Very well," the Yaksha's eyes darted, and it stepped aside. "Then I'll escort you."

"No need, just move aside."

"Alright, you may pass."

Zhao Xing immediately sent a clone to lead the way. As he passed the Yaksha Yin god.

"Boom!" "Whoosh!" The trident sliced through the void, heading straight for one of Zhao Xing's clones. At the same time, sixteen black lightning bolts shot directly at the Yaksha Yin god.

"Boom boom~~" The Yaksha's arms bled, four of its eight arms were severed. One of Zhao Xing's clones also lost an arm.

"Damn it, I was expecting this." "Treacherous!"

Zhao Xing and the Yaksha Yin god spoke in unison. Neither the man nor the deity trusted each other from the start!

"The Yaksha Kings among the Rakshasa clan are notoriously cunning and treacherous. Do you really think I'm ignorant?"

"And 'followed the Ancestral Emperor to achieve glorious feats'? You're just a broken doorkeeper! You only got enfeoffed because you surrendered early!"

The Yaksha King's severed arms reattached themselves rapidly. It seemed Zhao Xing's words had struck a nerve: "Bastard! How heartless is the Zhou royal family?!"

"They promised my clan eternal incense offerings, yet from the Chengan calendar onward, my lineage of Yin gods has been sealed and their spirits locked away."

"Only this year did Prince Liang release us—Heh, even after achieving great merits, you all still look down on us!"

"Ji Mingjing, he's an unenlightened ruler! Die!"

The Yaksha King roared, then violently launched a punch in Zhao Xing's direction. Zhao Xing thought he was going to fight to the death and was constantly wary of surveillance from other directions, but the fellow unleashed a sky full of shadow fists and then turned and fled. However, before he could get far, he was intercepted by eight suddenly appearing clones. The Yaksha Yin god was immediately startled.

"Puff puff puff puff puff puff puff puff!" Heavenly Lightning Bolts struck, instantly blasting it into fragments, leaving only its horned head intact.

"You didn't even figure out my main body, and you still want to play petty tricks, feigning a breached defense to stall for time—those are all old tricks I've long since discarded," Zhao Xing sneered. Little did the Yaksha Yin god know that Zhao Xing was also stalling for time, blocking its escape routes.

However, the Yaksha Yin god's rambling had indeed provided Zhao Xing with some useful information. "If Prince Liang opened the sealed Yin God Palace so early, would he also open the netherworld's prisons early?"

"Who knows how many resentful Yin gods are imprisoned in the netherworld's jails," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "This Tianhe Temple 'quest reward' is truly difficult to obtain, Grandmaster, why didn't you just come out yourself?"

But since he was already here, Master Zhao wasn't afraid. After killing the Yaksha Yin god, the lurking gazes significantly decreased. He immediately had his clones carry the head of the combined Yin god and priest and advance deeper into the Divine Temple.