Taibai Jinxing took great pains to explain to Peng Zu that Fang Jian was not the transformed Monkey King, and even took out the edict from the Jade Emperor.

"So you are here just to put your name on it?" Peng Zu said to Fang Jian after reading the imperial edict.

Fang Jian bowed and said, "Yes, I was trying to wake you up just now, so I had to disturb your mind. Please forgive me."

Peng Zu waved his hand, which had already subsided due to swelling, and said calmly: "It's okay, it's okay. I am kind-hearted and plump."

After that, Peng Zu looked at Fang Jian and asked, "You call me senior? How long have you been practicing?"

Fang Jian thought for a moment and said, "Almost two hundred years."

"Oh, almost two million... Wait, how many years did you say?" Peng Zu was shocked and asked Fang Jian again.

Fang Jian laughed and said, "It's been almost two hundred years... more than a hundred years to be exact... I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Senior."

Peng Zu immediately covered his chest, looked at Fang Jian with a gloomy gaze and said, "Boy, you are here just to destroy my Dao heart, right?"

“…”

When registering Fang Jian's name on the list, Peng Zu's face turned black and purple. After registering the name, he presented the list and the Jade Emperor's edict to the Zhenqing Palace.

Soon, Zhenqing Hall came down with a receipt. It was a white jade tablet with inscriptions. Peng Zu handed the tablet to Fang Jian with a dark face and said, "This is the 'Dongshen Jianzhang'. It is your certificate for entering and leaving Dongshen Hall. Keep it safe."

Fang Jian took the Cave God Brief and said to Peng Zu, "Thank you, Senior. But... Senior, why do you look so grim? Are you feeling unwell?"

Peng Zu was silent for a long time after hearing this, then he sighed slightly and said, "Nothing, I'm just a little depressed."

"Ah? Do gods also get depressed?" Fang Jian asked in surprise.

Peng Zu looked at Fang Jian with a gloomy gaze, and then said, "Gods and immortals are not supposed to be depressed, but I feel depressed just by looking at you."

“…”

After the registration was completed, Fang Jian and Taibai Jinxing left the Cave God Hall. After leaving the Cave God Hall, the two parted ways. Taibai Jinxing returned to the Lingxiao Palace to report, while Fang Jian rode on the Third Prince and headed towards the West Heaven Gate.

But when he passed by the palace and temple, he saw a familiar figure.

"Fellow Daoist He Xiangu?" Fang Jian called out to the figure.

He Xiangu, who had just walked out of the palace temple, raised her head. When she saw that the person calling her was Fang Jian, she couldn't help but reveal a very forced smile. It can be seen that she was in a very bad mood at the moment.

Fang Jian was a little surprised. Why did He Xiangu see that he was also depressed?

He Xiangu came before Fang Jian, bowed to him and said, "Master Hongqing."

Fang Jian dismounted, bowed to He Xiangu in return, and asked, "Didn't you go to the Southern Continent to deal with the Buddhist sects and the Xuanjiao sect? Why are you here in this temple?"

He Xiangu's face was filled with sadness when she heard this. She said, "I have come back to send the true spirits of all of you Taoist friends to be nurtured in the palace temple."

"Huh?" Fang Jian was startled when he heard this, and then asked, "What happened?"

He Xiangu said, "The altar of the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave was attacked by the Xuan Sect. Six of us, Li Tieguai, Cao Guojiu, Zhang Guolao, Lan Caihe, Han Xiangzi, and Zhongli Quan, were killed on the spot. To protect me, fellow Daoist Lü Dongbin broke through the encirclement and fought dozens of Xuan Sect cultivators alone. In the end, he died from exhaustion. I was the only one who escaped."

Fang Jian was horrified when he heard this and asked, "Has the situation in Southern Continent become so dire?"

"Alas!" He Xiangu sighed and said, "This is the great catastrophe of the Dharma Ending Age. This time, our Taoist sect suffered heavy losses in the Southern Continent. There are many people in the Buddhist and Xuanjiao sects who cultivate the flesh body, while our Taoist sect has too few people who cultivate the flesh body, so we are at a disadvantage."

"So what's the situation now?" Fang Jian asked.

He Xiangu shook her head and said, "The situation is not optimistic. The Buddhist sect and the Xuanjiao sect have been pushed back 700,000 miles. My Taoist sect has also lost more than 500 Golden Immortals and more than 30 Taiyi Golden Immortals."

Just by hearing He Xiangu's description, Fang Jian could already imagine how fierce the battle in Jambu Continent was.

This is the purpose of the Xuanjiao to stir up the great calamity of the Dharma Ending Age. During the great calamity of the Dharma Ending Age, magic weapons and spells are of little use. What matters is the physical body and supernatural powers.

Many Buddhist monks cultivate physical martial arts, not to mention the Xuan Sect. Not only do all of its disciples cultivate physical strength, but even the ghost puppets they refine possess powerful physical strength. It seems the Xuan Sect's stirring up of the 'End of Dharma Great Tribulation' was premeditated...

Although there are also people in Taoism who practice physical martial arts, such as Lu Dongbin and Zhang Sanfeng, most Taoist gods only practice physical martial arts as well. Naturally, their strength cannot compare to that of Buddhist monks and Xuanjiao monks who practice physical martial arts in depth.

"Then you... still want to go to Jambudvīpa?" Fang Jian asked.

He Xiangu shook her head and said, "The Grand Envoy has issued an edict, forbidding me from participating in the dispute between Taoism and Buddhism in the Southern Continent."

The Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave are both Taoist monks and immortal officials of the Heavenly Court. Now only He Xiangu is left among the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave, and the Heavenly Court must retain a trace of vitality for the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave.

"Yes, you are the only one left among the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave. It will naturally be your responsibility to convert the other seven Taoist friends and help them return to the ranks of immortals in the future," said Fang Jian.

He Xiangu nodded and said in a somewhat depressed tone, "Yes."

Fang Jian looked at the depressed He Xiangu and didn't know what to say for a moment. Comforting girls was not his strong point.

After thinking for a moment, Fang Jian could only say, "My condolences, fellow Daoist. The seven Daoists are merely entering the world to gain some experience. They will soon be reinstated in the ranks of immortals."

He Xiangu smiled slightly upon hearing this, looked at Fang Jian and said, "Thank you, Master Hongqing, for your kind words of comfort. I know what to do, but I am still a little sad for a while."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!