Self-exposure
The sound of chanting could be heard from inside the gymnasium.
"If there are good men and women in this world, they may suffer from annual disasters, monthly misfortunes, the misfortune of roaming red rats, the misfortune of being caught in a net, the misfortune of having their life calculated to end... the misfortune of being caught in earth and stone bridges, the misfortune of being poisoned and cursed."
The power of the prayers in the scriptures is transmitted through sound waves and further transformed into the healing power of the gods.
The wound on the back of Yu Shi's head no longer hurt, and the extremely exhausted Wan Taian, Ao Botong, the Twelve Golden Hairpins and others gradually recovered their spirits. The fainted security guards and night patrol members woke up one by one and got up from the ground.
"Is this... 'The True Scripture of Lingbao Tianzun for Averting Disasters and Overcoming Misfortunes'?" Mrs. Fude was both happy and confused.
Glancing into the gymnasium with his Dharma Eye, he saw a single man in pink, holding a microphone, leading a large group of monks, disciples, and guests in chanting sutras. "Most of the guests aren't spiritually gifted; they're just filling in the gaps and won't be of much help. However, there are many monks and dharma masters here, and one is worth a hundred. They're truly helpful."
Hu Ziyu was confused and asked, "Madam, what are you talking about?" "It takes time to explain. Come!" Madam Ford raised her sword and wrote several spells in the air.
Wherever the fingertips reached, several golden words appeared.
Mrs. Fude grabbed the golden incantation and slapped it into Hu Ziyu's forehead. "This is a technique that can completely destroy sight and hearing. When you return, you can ask the black-robed immortal to teach you, or you can look for it in the scriptures yourself."
When he opened his eyes again, the gymnasium before him was no longer just a red-walled, domed building. His gaze penetrated through the layers of red tiles and sashes, reaching the wooden court at the very heart of it.
Among a group of people sitting on the ground, Yuan Tianqi put his arm around Hu Zilin's shoulder, and Sun Huilian was beside him. The three of them sat shoulder to shoulder, staring at the tablet in Yuan Tianqi's hand and chanting scriptures aloud.
"I only wish to confess my sins to the Jade Emperor and the Great Saint, and to help them get rid of the disasters in my body. I will disperse one by one, and do not make things difficult for you. I will command all the gods in the heavens to send down their holy power and the power of Tao, and to accept the power of this scripture and protect my disciples." He would hold another microphone in his hand and walk around, asking who did not have a scripture in their hands.
If someone didn't have it, he would immediately turn on Bluetooth, or add them as a friend, and send them the entire "True Sutra for Averting Disasters and Overcoming Misfortunes".
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but Hu Ziyu always felt that the man in pink who led the recitation not only made eye contact with him several times, but also gave him a meaningful smile.
As early as the beginning of Weimingtang, Linghong had a hunch that this person was no ordinary person, and he even asked the personnel department to investigate his personal information, but so far, no results have been received.
"I'm probably overthinking it, but... who exactly is this uncle?" Hu Ziyu called out his PAD and secretly recorded the pink-clad man's actions. His heart was still mostly on his brother and his ex-lover. If he could return safely later, he would pass the video to Xingjun, Linghong, and the personnel staff for review, and they would identify him.
Mrs. Fude also said: "This man has an extraordinary appearance and strong spiritual power. He is a good material for cultivating Taoism and ascending to immortality.
I don't know which palace his temperament and talents are most compatible with, but it's probably not our Land Administration Palace."
Mrs. Ford's attention was quickly drawn to the bearded man with the clairvoyant ability, and she no longer paid attention to the man in pink.
She called Wan Taian over and asked, "What do you think of that boy?" Wan Taian squinted his eyes and looked at him for a while, then replied, "He's extremely nearsighted, a nerd, skinny, and a weak pretty boy."
"You idiot!" Mrs. Ford smacked him on the head. "He wears such thick lenses to prevent the images of the immortals from being projected onto his retina at any time. That's why he uses artificial props to cover them up."
"So..." Although Wan Taian's physical strength had recovered, his mental and spiritual powers hadn't caught up. Or rather, the latter two had never caught up.
"Token, soul-binding rope, and fixed-form medium contract!" Mrs. Ford shouted, "Have you brought them? Catch him quickly! So he can become Tiger Lord's exclusive medium!"
"He..." Wan Taian's face turned sour, he smacked his lips and shook his head: "This guy looks like he has congenital defects and acquired disorders. It seems that he can't even kill an ant. I think it's more appropriate to use him as a medium for Zhu Huaizi!" Mrs. Ford hesitated for a moment, thinking: "That's right. Lord Tiger wants to subdue demons and monsters. It won't work if he just finds a weak scholar to play the role. However... there are very few outstanding psychics in modern times. It's almost impossible to find one by chance. I wonder how long I have to wait before I can find the next decent one." Langhua Zhenjun, Wu Gang, and Liang Yanqi were protected by the magic dragon cover on their heads. They quickly supported the wounded one by one and retreated to the shade around the gymnasium to rest.
The Twelve Golden Hairpins also automatically divided into three groups, with each person lifting one limb and transporting our soldiers who were unable to walk to a safe area.
"Everyone, please find a place to meditate and rest, and don't get in the way of the senior!" shouted True Lord Langhua.
Thanks to the true scripture, his hand injury has healed by 50%.
Hu Ziyu divided the remaining peach spirits into three parts, giving one to him, one to the Rain Master, and one to the uninjured. The immortals, still shaken by their narrow escape, were running low on mana, stamina, and ammunition. Although they wanted to help, they didn't know how.
The person with the most abundant mana and physical strength at the scene, apart from the Marshal of Zhongtan, is Hu Ziyu.
But aside from poking a few palm-sized mana balls and firing a few mana bullets with the same power as rubber bands, he had no other skills. "Anyone need mana? I still have over 18,000 points." His first thought was Mrs. Ford, but she seemed too busy arguing with Wan Taian to deal with the captured Suzaku in the sky.
The second person that came to mind was the God of War Langhua Zhenjun, but Zhenjun's arms were injured and his weapons were damaged. After the arrival of the Marshal of Zhongtan, he simply became lazy and lay down in the shade of a tree to cool off.
Ao Botong, Liang Yanqi, and Wu Gang. Ao Botong waved his hand and said, "Don't teach me your magic power, or the Jade Rabbit Temple's Black Master will be unhappy." Liang Yanqi also said, "It's okay. As a police officer, chronic fatigue is common. A few meditations and breathing exercises will recover." Wu Gang thanked him briefly and shook his head.
Finally, it’s the Fifth Division.
The holes in the ground needed to be repaired, so Hu Ziyu gave some to the geomancer; the rubble and debris needed to be cleaned up, so he also allocated two thousand each to the geomancer and the waterman.
Master Lei said, "It's fine with me!" and politely declined Hu Ziyu's kindness.
The Rain Master said that having the Peach Spirit was enough.
Looking up at the sky, where was there any need for the wounded soldiers to intervene? The young martial god was unstoppable, invincible, and powerful enough to move mountains and rivers, completely faithfully presenting the descriptions in classical fantasy novels.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration suddenly entered Hu Ziyu's mind - although Mingyue Pass cannot communicate with the outside world, it does not mean that the immortals in the human world cannot communicate with their companions in heaven, the underworld, and the human world. He took out his PAD and checked the signal strength of Lingxiao Telecom. As expected, there was not even a bar showing, indicating that the network was disconnected. After switching to the human channel "Chenhuan Telecom", he tried to send a picture of the Jade Rabbit's probe to Linghong and Ao Botong. Linghong's message was not sent successfully, and Ao Botong immediately replied: "Zi Yu, I'm here, what's the matter?" Hu Ziyu turned around and smiled sweetly at him: "Although we can't contact heaven, at least the internal network is not disconnected. The suspect is too self-righteous and made a mistake, which cut off our channel for help."
Lang Hua Zhenjun said: "Yes, that's why I can ask for help from Senior."
Liang Yanqi interjected, "Although the underworld switchboard didn't respond, I was able to call back, which means the external network isn't completely disconnected. At least, the human and ghost worlds can still communicate with each other."
Ao Botong said happily: "Great, I will contact the Undersea Dragon Palace City immediately! Please wait for a moment, I will ask the Tianlong Boat to take everyone back!" After all, it is not easy to completely cut off communication between the three realms.
The criminals were eager to start an uprising and did not lay sufficient groundwork, so they resorted to using students with limited magical powers and intelligence, and resorted to methods that were not really that clever, such as breaking into Mingyue Pass and inciting the family.
Wan Taian finished chatting with Mrs. Ford and offered a suggestion: "Where is the nearest land temple? To contact the heavenly palace, we need a PAD and the internet. Or we can just pray there!"
Mrs. Fude said: "This is a good idea, but it's a bit slow. Secondly, if the land god is not powerful enough, the speed of communication will be slow, and I don't know how long it will take to reach Hou Tu Niangniang." Hu Ziyu is a freshman at National Taiwan University, and Ao Botong is an exchange student in the doctoral program. Both of them had heard of the "Zhu Zai Lin Fude Zhengshen" at the National Taiwan University's Bogong Pavilion, but had never visited it in person.
Mrs. Ford said hello and immediately relayed the location information to Wan Taian, asking him, despite his fast pace, to transform into tiger form again and help everyone make this trip. Seeing Hu Ziyu and Ao Botong's close friendship, the Black Vermilion Bird lowered its head and let out a low, whimpering cry.
The Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover swallowed up all the stray fire and falling rocks. The next step would be to absorb Him who was about to become a demon.
The smoke and black fog dissipated, and after the clouds and moon cleared, Hu Ziyu and others finally got a clear look at the beautiful face of the God of War.
His brows are held high and he looks majestic and imposing.
The hairstyle she wore was not the double buns in the scroll, but the bun commonly worn by military generals; the clothing she wore was not the dragon-patterned robe and lotus-leaf skirt, but the ordinary double-breasted cape.
"There is a god, hurry up and worship him!" Wan Taian, in tiger posture, rushed forward, put his palms together, and bowed to the young man several times.
The Twelve Golden Hairpins burst into laughter one by one. Someone said, "Year of the Tiger, the tiger is here to wish you a happy new year!" Someone else complained, "You're a god yourself!"
Liang Yanqi bowed in respect. "Night Patrol Team Two, we sincerely thank Marshal Li for traveling thousands of miles to rescue us."
Hu Ziyu also put his palms together and closed his eyes in worship.
The god in front of him was the prince he had worshipped since childhood! How could he not express his sincere gratitude to him for saving him from danger?
"For some reason, I'm quite popular in the Taiwan and Fujian regions, and there are quite a few psychics who claim to be my agents. It would be better if the offerings could be changed a little, and if I were no longer treated like a seven-year-old kid." Marshal Zhongtan laughed a few times, his voice as loud as a hanging bell and as clear as a jade chime.
"Who is that? If you want to call me 'the strongest martial god in the East', just do it in private. If you say such nonsense, don't you take the people like Old Yang, Old Huang, and others who were deified with me back then, as well as Old Sun who traveled to obtain the scriptures, seriously?"
True Lord Langhua, who had turned on the fanboy mode, blushed and hesitated to argue.
"The last time I killed a phoenix was over three thousand years ago. I really miss it when I think about it. I don't know which bastard in the sky gave me the opportunity to relive my old dream." Marshal Zhongtan said again.
After hearing this, Hu Ziyu and Ao Botong were both shocked.
Hu Ziyu asked: "Wait, you want to kill him?"
“Kill them, I’ve always killed them.” Marshal Zhongtan reached for the tiger-patterned brocade bag on his waist and pulled out a bright golden object—the “Gold Brick,” an ancient magic weapon bestowed upon him by his master, Taiyi Zhenren.
"This guy's merit points are almost negative 10,000, and his eyes are about to turn into demons. How can he be saved if we don't kill him?"
As he said this, he picked up the gold brick and was about to hit Black Suzaku on the head.
Black Vermillion Bird stopped struggling, closing its eyes tightly, waiting for the pain before breaking through. Ao Botong was quite surprised and froze in his tracks, but Hu Ziyu beside him made a quick decision and sent a ball of magic power straight towards the wrist of the Marshal of the Central Altar.
With a "pa--" sound, the gold brick suddenly lost its aim and fell just one foot in front of Zhuque's nose.
"I'm sorry..." Hu Ziyu was sweating profusely and kept backing away, hiding behind Ao Botong.
"I know the pain of being killed by a blunt object, so please don't..."
"That's fine." Marshal Zhongtan put away the gold bricks and drew the Yin-Yang swords from his back. "I am a merciful, upright, incorruptible, and powerful Martial God General. Whether I smash him to pieces or splatter blood everywhere with my sword, I will give him a quick death."
"No, no!" Hu Ziyu wanted to stand in front of Zhuque, but the double-edged sword was so sharp that he was really scared.
"Suzaku has wreaked havoc on the world, perhaps his crimes are unforgivable, but the reasons remain unclear. It seems inappropriate to execute him first and report him later..." The Central Altar Marshal sighed and shook his head, "It's not inappropriate. The red flames turning black is a sign of transformation into a demon. He should be thankful that he's a phoenix, able to face death and then survive. If he were any other immortal, he would have long been abandoned by the heavens, and even the Daluo gods would be unable to save him."
After a while, Ao Botong finally came back to his senses and requested: "Marshal, please leave his meridians, soul and spirit, and let me escort him back to Phoenix Valley for recuperation." "Okay! Chu, it's his first time to bath in fire and practice the ten-turn rebirth technique, so it's bound to be hard. However, this is all his own fault. By the way, if the heavens punish the Phoenix Residence, I wonder if 'that guy' will be implicated as well... Haha, it's really exciting!" Marshal Zhongtan was about to raise his hand when Hu Ziyu wanted to speak again.
"Brother Suanni! How could you allow your friend to be killed and only his flesh and blood remained? No matter how Suzaku looks at it, it seems like he was instigated by someone. He just likes you too much, so he was used to deal with me. Even if he doesn't die, it will be extremely painful..."
"I don't want to either, but..." Ao Botong stammered. Although he wanted to say in his heart, "He was the one who harmed you first, so he deserves to be punished and put to death," he couldn't bear to let the overly kind-hearted Hu Ziyu hear it.
Marshal Zhongtan whistled, seemingly pleased.
"I seem to remember you. Are you the new priest who was so eloquent at the official banquet that he could even win over the heart of the Queen Mother? Are you begging for mercy for the people who want to kill you? What a great, noble and foolish mind of a saint! Once you say this, your merits will increase by thousands..." Although he couldn't bear to lose face, just by looking at the degree of heat in his ears, Hu Ziyu knew that he must be blushing now.
"I'm not from the Criminal Law Department of the City God Temple. Before the execution, I have to give the prisoner a general anesthesia first." There is still a glimmer of hope for survival, but letting the person go is not an option.
The Zhongtan Marshal, unwilling to waste any more time with the newcomer, flashed a cold light in his hand. He should have severed Suzaku's neck with a single strike, but with only two feet remaining, he suddenly stopped. "I don't know when you'll wake up next time. Do you have any last words?" For Suzaku, the black flame tattoo was a searing pain that penetrated deep into his bones; the pain of his lover colluding with others was a deep, bitter pain; being wrapped impenetrably in a blood-red silk, like a chicken covered in aluminum foil, facing the dilemma of whether to kill or not, was another kind of unspeakable pain.
"I... don't need your sympathy! Especially... you!" Although covered by layers of red silk, Hu Ziyu could still feel the sharp and resentful gaze coming through the inner layer of the cloth.
Marshal Zhongtan smiled in amusement, as if thinking, "Look, you stupid donkey... no, stupid rabbit, save your breath. This guy will never be grateful."
Suddenly, the Hun Tian Ling covering Zhuque expanded into a ball shape, the color of black flames penetrated the silk cloth, and thick black liquid overflowed.
"Oh no! Hide behind me!" shouted Marshal Zhongtan.
Without waiting for instructions, Ao Botong grabbed Hu Ziyu and held him tightly in his arms.
The sounds of explosions, objects breaking and heavy objects falling were heard one after another. The red silk could no longer withstand the impact and began to make sounds of cloth tearing.
"It's over, it's over! This magic weapon is going to break down again! Master will probably ask me for a huge sum of money to repair it again!" The Marshal of the Central Altar shouted again, "My monthly salary, my seniority salary, my performance bonus! No matter what, I must ask 'that guy' for money. He's the one who got me into this mess!"
Sure enough, in a flash, the red satin that was more than ten feet long shattered into several pieces of scattered rags.
Marshal Zhongtan sighed, opened the tiger-skin pouch at his waist, and let it absorb the food automatically.
If it weren't for the Hun Tian Ling, the shock wave of the explosion would have turned all the immortals and gods present into dust, except for the Marshal Zhongtan who still had the strength to open his magic shield.
Amidst the drifting red silk, a few black feathers with a hint of light crimson slowly fell down, and other than that, nothing was left.
Hu Ziyu stretched out his right hand and caught one of the feathers at random.
"What on earth is this..."
"Self-destruction of magic power." Ao Botong replied.
Although his tone was calm, his heart was full of knots.
The adorable, lively, and cheerful young man, draped in golden feathers, had passed away. He felt as if he had lost a troublesome problem, but also a close friend who was like a brother. Self-destruction of magical power? Hu Ziyu's heart trembled. Why did this phrase sound strangely familiar? Wait...wasn't this the prelude to Senior Hu Tianbao's descent into the mortal world? What was he seeking? Were there any alternatives? After self-destruction of magical power, how could immortals not of the Phoenix clan regain their lives? He would have to make a note of this and delve into it when he had time.
The most important thing right now is Suzaku's safety.
"Can it be saved?" Hu Ziyu carefully picked up the fallen feather on the ground and murmured.
Ao Botong understood and squatted down to put the collected feathers into the left and right pockets in the front of his coat.
Marshal Zhongtan put his hands on his hips and yawned.
"Yes, of course! Feathers are also part of the body. Keep them carefully and take them back to Phoenix Residence to refine them again, so you can save the trouble of recreating the essence." Hu Ziyu discovered that the Marshal of Zhongtan seemed to be several years older than two quarters ago. His heroic spirit and handsomeness also increased exponentially. It was not appropriate to describe him as a "teenager". He should be called a young man in his early twenties.
Mrs. Ford lifted the ban on the stadium and the guests walked out.
At the front were Taipei City councilors, legislators, and a few township officials who needed to rush to the event, followed by students, faculty, and journalists, and finally the group of monks and masters.
In order to avoid accidents such as people being trampled on or tripping over meteorites, Mrs. Ford also specially assigned Wu Gang, Bai Yuzhan and others to take on human form, pretending to be righteous friends, and direct the movements at various entrances and exits.
This is a rare opportunity, and Hu Ziyu wants to catch up with his brother and Yuan Tianqi and say it's the last time.
However, to be able to meet the God of War whom one has believed in and admired since childhood is an opportunity that only comes once in a thousand years.
"I really don't understand about the self-destructing magic power, and I would like to ask the seniors for help to solve it." Although he could also ask Ao Botong, Madam Fude, True Lord Langhua and others, but now everyone has their own tasks. Only he, the Twelve Golden Hairpins and the Rainbow Flower Fairy are the most leisurely.
The Central Altar Marshal hummed, then began, "The term 'self-destructive power' is a high-level knowledge item in the Three Realms Encyclopedia, accessible only to gods of the third rank and above. In short, for the Suzaku kid, it's a way to quickly sever his tail and survive, avoiding transformation into a demon."
Avoid becoming a demon? Hu Ziyu vaguely remembered that once the merit value of an immortal god became negative, it would not be long before he fell into the path of evil.
For ordinary immortals and gods, severing their tail to survive isn't an option, but it can at least prevent them from becoming demons and wreaking havoc on the world. However... after self-destructing their magical powers, how can they survive? What risks and costs will they bear?
"According to historical records, there are three circumstances in which one self-destructs magical power. The first is self-destruction, like Suzaku; the second is punishment for a crime, forced to commit suicide by the High Heaven Palace or the City God Palace; and the last is desperation. During past wars between gods and demons, many immortals, unable to win, chose to self-destruct in times of crisis, hoping to perish alongside the enemy."
The Marshal of the Central Altar walked with his hands behind his back and his head down.
"Ah, I forgot there's a kind of 'self-destructive magic'. It involves stabbing a magic weapon into your own heart, extracting your essence, and then crushing it with your bare hands... Wait, isn't this what I did as a kid? Honestly, it was fucking painful! It's all because of my youth and ignorance back then..."
Hu Ziyu saw that he was talking excitedly and felt too embarrassed to interrupt him.
After a while, he finally got a chance to ask, "Excuse me, senior, in the recent season, have you heard of any other immortals or gods self-destructing their magical powers?" The Marshal of Zhongtan was a little confused.
"No, what's wrong?"
Hu Ziyu shook his head. It seemed that Hu Tianbao's abandonment of his post and escape had been regarded as a dark history in the heavenly realm. Since even the Taiyin Palace was unable to get to the bottom of it, he was afraid that he would not be able to get any information no matter what he did.
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