"They're courting death!" Li Jian gritted his teeth, then said to his personal guards, "Send a message to the Tian Ce Mansion, requesting His Majesty to issue an edict stripping these Yin Gods of their divine positions."
At dawn, Jiang Liu and his group had already left the main army and headed towards Qianlong Mountain.
Jiang Liu looked back and saw that the army had already begun to break camp in the rising sun. War is cruel, and Jiang Liu did not want to ruin his cultivation, so he naturally wanted to stay away, but that did not mean he did not want to do something for the Nine Provinces.
A small bronze cauldron appeared in his palm; it was the "Yangzhou Cauldron," which had taken shape after absorbing the Yu Cauldron!
During the pre-Qin, Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the Nine Tripods absorbed the fortune of humankind to suppress the world, forming a barrier over the Nine Provinces. All evil spirits and demons fled, the land of the Nine Provinces was well-governed, and the human race prospered for ten thousand years.
After the Spring and Autumn Period, the Nine Tripods were lost, the barrier over the Nine Provinces dissipated, and demons returned in force.
Although the small cauldron in Jiang Liu's hand cannot compare to the Nine Cauldrons, it is, after all, derived from the "Yangzhou Cauldron" and possesses the ability to suppress ancient Yangzhou. Now, upon its appearance, it instantly connects with the earth's dragon vein energy.
An invisible ripple emanated from the small cauldron, causing all the demons and monsters in the ancient Yangzhou region to feel a sudden weight. The strange phenomena of those demons with less karma returned to normal, but those demons who had committed too many sins felt as if they were being weighed down by a heavy object.
"The Nine Cauldrons have appeared?"
As this ripple appeared, all the Earth Immortals cultivating in the ancient Yangzhou region simultaneously opened their eyes, chanting the three words "Nine Provinces Cauldron".
Seeing the unusual phenomenon emanating from the "Yangzhou Cauldron" in his hand, Jiang Liu smiled. With this cauldron in hand, he wouldn't be able to run rampant in the ancient Yangzhou region, but he would certainly be able to protect himself. As long as he didn't court death, with the protection of this cauldron, no one below the Earth Immortal level could kill him.
"However, I am going there to kill a Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation Realm Earth Immortal Corpse Demon!"
Meanwhile, in the distant city of Chang'an, Li Shimin, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, his face filled with murderous intent, said in a deep voice: "The Yangzhou Tripods have reappeared? He who possesses the Nine Tripods possesses the world, this is an ancient saying! Find out who has obtained the Nine Tripods! Please have Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng calculate the Nine Tripods!"
Having said that, he turned and left, leaving only his ministers kneeling on the ground.
An emperor's anger is almost as powerful as the wrath of the heavens.
Chapter 129 The Heavenly Demon Zhen Water Worm
Qianlong Mountain, Qianlong Temple!
Jiang Liu gazed at the ruins of the Taoist temple in the distance, his face as cold as ice. Even Xie Chou and Bai Lu felt a chill that penetrated to their very souls; the killing intent and murderous aura seemed to emanate from his body. Like the calm before a volcanic eruption, like the calm before a storm, what lay beneath was a fury capable of destroying the world.
The bull demon Xie Chou felt a chill in his heart. Although he had been defeated by Jiang Liu and had to guard the mountain gate for ten years, that was an exchange—an exchange made for the revival of the Xie clan. He respected and feared Jiang Liu, but he had not yet completely submitted to him.
However, within just a few days, he practiced the "Dan Ding Liu" technique, killed the divine envoy, captured the Ghost King Sect's Ghost Li alive, and personally witnessed him advance rapidly from the early stage of Refining Essence into Qi to the seventh level of Refining Essence into Qi. Then, after the battle a few days ago, his strength reached a level he could not have imagined, and his magical treasures appeared one after another.
They completely surrendered, without a trace of disloyalty!
"Master, I'm here to capture this fellow!" With that, Xie Chou raised his "Baxia Axe" and ran towards Qianlong Temple.
Jiang Liu's face was cold, and his eyes were filled with barely suppressed killing intent.
At this time, Qianlong Temple had become a ruin, with only broken walls and rubble.
It seemed as if some enormous monster was churning underground, with soil and rocks constantly gushing out.
Without a doubt, they were searching for a spiritual vein, a spiritual vein that had been completely absorbed by "the vanished one".
On the ruins stood a person dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask, resembling a grotesque and evil god with four eyes and two noses.
Xie Chou, wielding a blood-red axe, charged forward with murderous intent. Without a word, he leaped into the air like a cannonball, raised the "Baxia Axe" and cleaved down with a powerful blow. The force of ten thousand jin accompanied a streak of blood-red light, and the air resounded with the sounds of wind, thunder, and clouds!
The man in the black robe narrowed his eyes, let out a strange cry, and raised a huge shield from his wide black robe!
The shield was extremely rough, seemingly forged directly from the shoulder blade of a giant beast. It was deathly white, yet wisps of black energy swirled around it.
The axe swung down, and a deafening crash echoed through the air.
With a "crack," the black-robed man's feet sank deep into the ground, and because he couldn't dissipate the immense force, the bones in his feet were completely shattered.
The giant white bone shield in his hand shattered into dust in an instant, but unexpectedly, a large amount of black gas gushed out, which then transformed into a huge ghost head image, exactly the same as the mask on its face, baring its teeth and aiming at Xie Chou to devour him whole.
Immediately, Xie Chou cried out in alarm and activated the "Blood Fiend Qi" supernatural power inherent in the "Baxia Axe".
Bloodlust shatters all laws!
The blood energy collided with the ghost head, giving Xie Chou a chance to retreat. The ghost head snapped its sharp teeth shut, only managing to bite his left forearm.
Xie Chou retreated continuously, and upon raising his arm, he saw that the bitten area was rapidly turning black and rotting, and the wisp of black energy on the wound was showing signs of expanding. Xie Chou used his vital energy to stop the corrosion, but a large part of his forearm was corroded to the point of exposing the white bone, and the black energy on the wound was impossible to remove!
"Such strong corrosiveness!" Jiang Liu narrowed his eyes and stared at the man in black robes.
"Haha, now that you've been poisoned by my Witch Bone Poison, you can just wait to die!" The Black Cannon Man painfully pulled his feet off the ground.
Even with the administration of healing medicine, a comminuted fracture is difficult to heal in a short period of time.
Then, he muttered incantations, and the black energy that Xie Chou had just suppressed suddenly surged up and began to spread into Xie Chou's body under his control.
"Really? Just a mere curse!" Jiang Liu stretched out his palm and pressed it on Xie Chou's wound. A purple light leaked out from between his fingers, which was none other than the supreme Yang treasure - the Ten Thousand Year Warm Jade.
Just as Jiang Liu was treating the water buffalo, the ground shook, as if a giant beast was churning underground! Immediately afterwards, a huge, blood-red monster that resembled a snake but was not a snake emerged from the ground, circled around the black-robed man, and protected him in the middle of his body.
Jiang Liu's "Invisible Sword," which was originally aimed at the black-robed man, struck the monster with a thunderous crash, scattering sparks before piercing its body.
A flash of sword light revealed a wound the size of a washbasin, from which dark green blood flowed.
With the invisible sword in hand, Jiang Liu swept his palm away, wiping the blood off the sword, which once again became colorless and formless.
Then look at the monster that suddenly appeared. Its body is like a snake, coiled around the black-robed man. It is as thick as a water bucket, and its body is covered with a layer of blood-red, ferocious carapace.
It's not snake scales, but rather has sharp, long spines, much like an alligator snapping turtle's shell. It possesses not only strong defensive capabilities but also formidable offensive power, making it a truly awe-inspiring sight.
This monster has a very strong defense; even the invisible sword's sneak attack could only slightly break through its defenses. If one were prepared, it's uncertain whether they could even injure the monster.
A sneak attack pierced through the defenses, and dark green blood flowed all over the ground. The monster raised its head like an angry cobra, letting out a sharp hiss.
What surprised Jiang Liu was that the monster's head was extremely bizarre. It had no eyes or nose, and the only thing exposed was a huge chrysanthemum-like mouth, which was filled with countless sharp teeth. It seemed that anything that fell into its mouth could be torn into tiny pieces.
"What kind of monster is this?" Jiang Liu frowned. He had never seen such a monster in a science fiction movie in his previous life. He had actually encountered it in the Journey to the West world.
Xie Chou tightened his grip on the "Baxia Axe." Under the suppression of the ten-thousand-year-old warm jade, the wisp of corrosive black energy was dispersed, but he was not relieved. His pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints, and he said in a deep voice, "Master, this monster has the bloodline of a celestial demon!"
"A celestial demon?!"
Jiang Liu suddenly realized.
The so-called Heavenly Demon Bloodline refers to a demon that has awakened the bloodline of an ancient great demon. This type of demon is born with supernatural powers and a powerful physical body, which is incomparable to ordinary demons.
Bai Lu stared at the monster with the Heavenly Demon bloodline for a long time, a look of realization appearing in her pupils. She exclaimed loudly, "It's the Zhenshui Earthworm bloodline! The same bloodline as the Zhenshui Star Lord among the Twenty-Eight Constellations!"
Before the words were finished, a stream of acid sprayed out of the mouth of the Heavenly Demon Waterworm, engulfing everything like a torrential downpour.
At the same time, the man in black robes took out a large seal, which looked very ancient. It had a strange beast shape on it and was covered with verdigris. As he cast a spell, four beams of light—black, ashen, pale white, and indigo—swirled around the seal and instantly merged into the acid rain, shooting straight down at the river with the force of Mount Tai.
Chapter 130 The City God of Huaiyin
The river flowed forward instead of retreating, and the "Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler" was raised. Nine golden flowers bloomed, protecting the body!
The heavy rain fell like arrows, striking the golden flowers and causing them to sway precariously, but it could not break through their defenses.
The four rays of light that merged into the acid were the four kinds of plague toxins. Fortunately, there was the pure yang treasure, the "Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler," which was the nemesis of these evil substances.
Otherwise, if they get drenched in heavy rain, they will not only suffer from acid corrosion, but also be given all sorts of negative "buffs".
The acid rain instantly pelted the ground, corroding the boulders. When Jiang Liu stepped on them, the corroded stones became as soft as coal slag.
Seeing that the acid rain could not harm the enemy, the large seal flew out of his hand. As it flew into the air, it emitted a colorful glow that enveloped the river.
With a deafening roar, a thunderclap exploded, and a bolt of lightning struck down, hitting the large seal squarely.
As soon as the lightning struck, a clear, crisp sound rang out in the air, and fine cracks appeared on the seal.
"Ah!" The man in black robes cried out in pain, summoning the seal back, clearly heartbroken.
After Jiang Liu summoned a "Nine Heavens Thunder", his eyes turned and the small cauldron in his hand flew towards the Zhenshui worm. After leaving his hand, it grew larger and larger, reaching a size of 10 feet in mid-air, standing upright on three legs.
Seeing a cauldron flying towards it, the Zhenshui worm swung its huge tail and forcefully lashed it against the "Yangzhou Cauldron".
There was only a muffled thud, and the scene that Tianyao Zhenshuiyin had imagined did not occur.
Based on normal circumstances, a huge, powerful tail striking an object suspended in mid-air would be like a home run, sending it flying.
But the moment it was struck, a sharp scream emanated from the worm's terrifying mouthparts.
The Yangzhou cauldron remained motionless, continuing to slowly press down on it, while the enormous tail, which looked extremely terrifying, was mangled and bloody, scattering a cloud of flesh and revealing the pale white bones inside.
"retreat!"
The man in black robes had somehow gotten into a cross-legged position on Zhen Shuiyin's body. He raised his hand, and several beams of white light shot towards Jiang Liu, trying to stop him from pursuing.
Before the white light could get close, it was blocked by nine golden flowers and could not get near. From afar, several white bone arrows fell.
Jiang Liu grinned maliciously, revealing his gleaming white teeth.
"Behold my Haotian Mirror!"
A blinding white light shot out from Jiang Liu's hand, engulfing the fleeing demon and human. Instantly, the demon and human were frozen in place.
In the nick of time, the water buffalo had already launched itself away, its "Baxia Axe" already cleaving down towards the head of the Heavenly Demon Zhen Water Worm.
The "Baxia Axe," a low-grade spiritual weapon, combined with Xie Chou's supernatural strength, was far more powerful than a flying sword. Instantly, the hideous and terrifying head fell to the ground.
With Zhen Shuiyin dead, the black-robed man was outnumbered and outmatched. Xie Chou had wanted to capture him alive, but Jiang Liu beheaded him with a single sword strike, leaving him to die a miserable death on the spot.
Xie Chou searched the man in black robes and found nothing but a small seal covered in cracks and a few pills; there was nothing else that could identify him.
"Abbot, this person..."
Jiang Liu narrowed his eyes, holding the small seal in his hand. He squeezed it tightly, turning the seal into a lump of scrap metal. He said in a deep voice, "A man from the City God of Huaiyin! Since he has repeatedly offended my Qianlong Temple, it would be impolite not to retaliate. I'll give him a surprise too! I'll go to Huaiyin City first, you..."
The two stayed at Qianlong Mountain to prepare for the reconstruction of Qianlong Temple!
...
The City God Temple is the dwelling place of the underworld deities in the mortal realm. The underworld's administrative offices in the mortal world are not limited to the City God alone. Compared to mortal government offices, the City God Temple is on par with a county government office. Besides the highest-ranking official, the City God, there are also ghost messengers and servants. If further subdivided, it includes civil and military judges, various departmental gods, General Ganliu, General Fan and Xie, General Niu and Ma, the Day and Night Patrol Gods, General Shackles and Chains, and other City God deities.
Furthermore, depending on the size of the city guarded by the City God, the administrative team would be divided into three, six, or even twenty-four or thirty-six departments.
For example, the City God Temple in a small county town has three departments. The City God Temple in a large county town has six departments: Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works, supplemented by other departments, with the Department of Yin and Yang being the head of all departments. The Department of Yin and Yang is the first assistant official of the City God, coordinating the various departments, supervising all cases, and then reporting to the City God.
Huaiyin City was a large city, with as many as twenty-four departments.
After more than twenty years of diligent governance by the Tang Dynasty, and with Jiangnan being a prosperous region, Huaiyin City was very prosperous. The City God Temple had just been renovated and appeared to have been expanded.
Although the City God of Huaiyin colluded with the Ghost King, he knew that all his abilities came from the incense offerings and merits of the people, so he would not sever his own foundation. On the contrary, he governed his territory very well, and the incense offerings were very prosperous.
Jiang Liu flew to the outside of the city on his sword, passed through the city gate, and went directly into the City God Temple.