The crowd inside the temple was startled.

Among them were magicians and blade hitmen, and they had released yin souls in the mountain beforehand for vigilance and observation, never expecting someone could sneak in.

Clang clang clang!

The bladesmen drew their swords one after another, their Hidden Energy erupting.

Originally sitting cross-legged, they leaped up instantly, breaking through the air towards the outside of the temple.

They were Death Soldiers cultivated by the Du Family over the years.

Without family, controlled by drugs, and quite talented in martial arts, after training by masters, most of them had stepped into the realm of Hidden Energy.

This force was powerful enough to dominate the locality.

But before these people landed, they saw outside the dilapidated temple, at some unknown moment, a mysterious figure had appeared—Li Yan.

Seeing the blade hitmen jump out, Li Yan moved even faster.

He had already taken out the flintlock, directly pulling the trigger.

The narrow gate of the dilapidated Mountain God Temple made the blade hitmen's charge outside form a line, which was more suitable for shooting.

Li Yan suddenly spoke to create this opportunity.

Boom!

The fire roared, smoke scattered everywhere.

Li Yan used shrapnel rounds, and as the gunfire rang, the fine bullet rain instantly covered the entire area.

The bullets were full of power, although the force was dispersed, the penetration remained formidable, causing blood splashes on both the front and rear blade hitmen.

With just one shot, a large group fell.

Li Yan quickly changed the magazine but didn't fire.

The people from the Shu Prince Mansion used Divine Fire Guns, which were long gun models, meaning their magazines didn't match his.

Without the proper tools at hand, he dared not casually disassemble the magazine to reload, so he had to conserve what little he had.

These people had been pierced through the viscera by the bullets. Though not dead, they were mortally wounded, and without a miraculous elixir, there was little hope of survival.

Striking further would be wasteful.

He shot just to eliminate interference.

The true enemy was still inside the dilapidated temple.

Whoosh~

Inside the dilapidated temple, the candlelight suddenly went out.

The eerie sound of spells echoed in the darkness.

The spells were incomprehensible, filled with a significant amount of tongue-twisting sounds.

Ancient Witchcraft?

Li Yan's brow furrowed slightly, raising his vigilance.

Spells are things that involve the evolution of language.

The people of ancient barbaric tribes used a substantial number of tongue-twisting sounds. Even the ancient tones of the Central Plains were like this until they gradually became more precise and articulate later on.

In many countries around the world, there are still a significant number of tongue-twisting sounds.

And the evolution of witchcraft also has a process.

Those ancient witchcraft practices still retained bloody sacrificial methods.

So many tongue-twisting sounds, the inheritance must be long-lived.

Afterward, the Hook Paper in his bosom suddenly began to heat up.

Li Yan's eyes brightened. He suddenly leapt back swiftly, hiding in the nearby dense forest, and only then did he start receiving tasks.

He was a bit confused in his heart. Although these were followers of the Ghost Sect, with the probing ability of the Hook Paper nowadays, he should have sensed them from a kilometer away.

But now, they suddenly appeared.

What he didn't know was that these fellows had foolishly provoked the reincarnation of Immortal Master Erlang, nearly causing the collapse of the divine statue they offered as tribute.

Their aura weakened and internalized, only now being activated.

Li Yan couldn't afford the time to think too much, hurriedly passing through the mist.

Since obtaining the jade accessories, the scenes he could see through the Hook Paper increased, but repeatedly they were still the same, nothing extraordinary.

It was still that bizarre space, and in the distance, at a blurry table, a figure cloaked in red robes could faintly be seen.

Li Yan seemed to have been shrunk down onto a sand table.

The figure also appeared extraordinarily tall, like the Immortal of Colossal Spirit.

This should be the Divine of the Yin Bureau. Li Yan dared not let the other side detect anything unusual, pretending he hadn't seen anything, he quickly made his way to the side of the well.

Indeed, there appeared Black Well Blood Water.

This indicated a connection to the escaped Demonic Qi.

Li Yan couldn't help but show a bit of disappointment in his eyes.

Although the Divine Astral is more precious, he already has accumulated several within his Hook Paper. What he needs now is the Astral Order as a trump card.

But having some is better than none.

He learned from those within the Yellow Springs Organization that getting a chance at a Yin Bureau mission is not so common.

Previously, it was so frequent due to the intense activities of the Ezhou Ghost Sect.

This time, coming to Shu, there hasn't been any task for a long while.

Thinking of this, Li Yan hurriedly observed the Black Well Blood Water.

But just at that moment, in the distance, accompanied by the rumbling sound of armor, a massive figure approached and spoke: "Oh, it's him again. What has he found this time?"

While observing the Black Well, Li Yan's heart skipped a beat.

He had heard this voice before.

Back then at Xian Mountain, he discovered a nest of yin criminals, reaping great rewards, and it was upon hearing this voice discuss it that he opted to abandon so many Astral Order rewards in favor of the "Five Directions Luo Feng Flag."

Honestly, he now feels misled.

The "Five Directions Luo Feng Flag" is indeed excellent, equivalent to having the Five Camps soldiers, and unlike other Magic Veins, it doesn't require a fixed mountain gate, training soldiers, recruiting soldiers, suppressing fiends, and releasing fiends, which demands significant effort annually.

However, this magic treasure also comes with numerous inconveniences.

For example, it requires prior setup and someone to open the magic platform and control it when in use.

And his combat style is often close-quarters melee.

Thus, this treasure has become a team magic treasure, typically used in conjunction with Wang Daoxuan, where he opens it while the latter controls it, resulting in smooth operations.

Now, being alone, with battles often occurring unexpectedly, there's hardly an opportunity to use it effectively, leading to inevitable chaos.

Furthermore, the item's effectiveness varies greatly depending on the location.

Without support from the massive Evil Qi of the Yin Bureau and Underworld, the combat power of the yin soldiers diminishes. Only in areas rich in Yin Sha Qi can it deliver decisive results.

Overall, it's not as convenient to use as it seems.

While Li Yan was deep in thought, two figures in the distance had started conversing.

"Reporting to the Five Dao General, it's the Demonic Qi of Zuo Shouquan."

"Hmm, then let me capture it this time."

The other voice, slightly hesitating, spoke: "General, your previous release of the Five Directions Luo Feng Flag has violated the 'Yin Law,' being a private endowment of precious Dharma Realm treasures, hence you are prohibited from entering the Human World again."

The Five Dao General?

Upon hearing that, Li Yan was shocked.

This deity might be unknown to ordinary folks, but it is in fact a major god of the Yin Bureau, responsible for patrolling the Human World, reaping souls.

Moreover, the position is quite significant.

According to rumors, though it does not preside over the Netherworld Palace, it commands the Hell ghost pawns and even has the duty of inspecting the Yin Bureau to prevent wrongful judgments.

Even as a General, its authority rivals that of King Yan.

Unexpectedly, it's such a god...

"Hmph, ridiculous!"

But the Five Dao General angrily retorted: "I haven't shown myself to the world in many years, the incense isn't prosperous, and the Astral Orders are insufficient, so I naturally must find replacements."

"And as for you all, sullying my reputation, when did I become a thief, feared like a tiger by everyone, how absurd!"

"Do you think Luo Feng Mountain has no one to defend it!"

Goodness, there's a major scandal!

Li Yan, excited, tried hard to remain calm.

The Five Dao General is a Divine recognized by both Buddhist and Tao cultures, holding significant influence among the people, with many rumors of showing compassion to the weak, fulfilling lovers and absolving the innocent.

In the hearts of some local people, its reputation surpasses that of King Yan.

There is a saying: "Turn around and meet the Five Dao, open your eyes and see King Yan."

Yet, in some places, it is regarded as an ominous sign.

Jin Yu in "Three Kingdoms Chronicles" records: When Cui Jishu was yet unharmed, his wife suffered a nightmare in broad daylight, dreaming of a person standing a ten-foot-tall covered in black hair, seemingly pressing against her.

The local wizard explained that this was the Five Dao General, whose appearance signals misfortune.

Now, some have distorted it as the "Five Thief General," transforming a singular Divinity into five, with an altered origin, claiming they were five bandits during the Yongguang years of the Deposed Emperor of Song.

More absurdly, there are rumors that the Five Dao General delights in entering dreams, seducing women and capturing beautiful female ghosts.

So much so, in the story of The Golden Lotus, Madam Wang warned Ximen Qing that Pan Jinlian was the daughter of the Five Dao General, a major misfortune.

A perfectly respectable divine of the Yin Bureau has turned into a lecherous ghost.

In the past, Li Yan would have brushed it off as mere folklore, but now he knows that the power of mortal worship can influence the Dharma Realm.

Both the Heavenly Court and the Underworld have undergone several transformations.

Like the True Lord Erlang, now both surnamed Yang and Li, still remain ambiguous.

It seems as if some power is intentionally smearing…

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