Encounter I

"Please forgive me for using the word 'suddenly,' because he really did just appear out of nowhere. He told me not to worry and to come to Dan Province to hide. There will be a lot of trouble later," Zhang Qingzhi said helplessly.

"Speechless. It seems he had it all planned out long ago." Zhang Rongfang was also speechless.

"Yes. I don't know what he was thinking, but in the end I obediently brought Xiao He over." Zhang Qingzhi nodded. "He also asked me to write you a secret letter. I thought about it for a long time before I came up with that way to inform you."

"When you were at the Heavenly Treasure Palace, did you notice anything unusual in your daily interactions with your master?" Zhang Rongfang continued to ask.

"Something's not right? What do you mean?" Zhang Qingzhi asked, puzzled.

"Well... has he suddenly become someone who doesn't seem like the person he used to be?" Zhang Rongfang didn't know how to describe it for a moment.

"No, Master has always been very good to me. When he was talking to me before, he expressed his regret and sadness over His Majesty's passing. He and His Majesty used to be very good friends."

"Is that so?" Zhang Rongfang recalled the situation when he met Ling Emperor and felt that the situation was not quite the same as what Zhang Qingzhi had described.

"Oh, Zhang Qingzhi, there is something I suddenly remembered."

"What?"

"That's right...that's right," Zhang Qingzhi paused, "One night, my master suddenly returned to that Small Pavilion and started drawing the portrait of that mysterious master's wife again. I was in a bad mood at the time and was drinking in a corner, so I didn't pay attention."

I just sensed that he seemed to be in a very bad mood.

"Mysterious Master's Wife." Zhang Rongfang unconsciously recalled the portraits of women hanging everywhere in that Small Pavilion.

"That's all. It's just what I just mentioned," Zhang Qingzhi continued.

He gave a wry smile. "Actually, I just heard the news that my master had become incredibly powerful, claiming to be the best in the Number One Under Heaven or something. I didn't believe it, but then..."

"Oh, right." He suddenly remembered something. "Master also told me to break up with Xiao He. If I couldn't break up, I should live in seclusion here peacefully. As for the position of Grand Master of the Great Dao Sect, he planned to hand it over to you, junior brother."

"Master really said that?" Zhang Rongfang in surprise.

"It's true, and because you're always causing trouble, he often sighs in private and likes to scold you for being ignorant. But outside, he'll praise you to everyone he meets, saying that among the Daozi and Saint Child of the major sects, you're in a league of your own and the most capable."

Zhang Qingzhi's words quickly conjured up in Zhang Rongfang's mind the image of his Lao Yue's usual hypocritical manner.

In comparison, the mysterious and unpredictable Xue Tong gradually became somewhat elusive in his mind at this moment.

He had no idea which side was true.

However, now it seems that Master Yue's kindness to him was perhaps genuine.

Of course, he couldn't just take Zhang Qingzhi's side of the story at face value.

We still need to find a real opportunity to check and test them in person.

But there's no rush now.

*** The Sun Holding Peak.

"Golden Toad Skill!?"

Halfway up the mountain, the many grandmasters of the Sensing Gate, blood dripping from their mouths, retreated in shock, forming a semicircle. Led by three Great Grandmaster, they confronted Yue Dewen once again.

Moon Empress, she stood alone to one side, staring intently at Yue Dewen with a serious expression.

"You have passed two of the three tests: literature, martial arts, and sincerity. Your Civilian Skill are impeccable, and you have even reached the Return to Emptiness. You are truly unprecedented and unparalleled."

Your martial arts skills have reached their limit, the pinnacle of Great Grandmaster.

Now, only the hurdle of sincerity remains!

She paused, Moon Empress stared intently at Yue Dewen. "Do you need to rest?"

"No need. Continue." Yue Dewen smiled, still as usual, without any sense of danger or intimidation.

However, after the test they had just gone through, all the experts present no longer dared to underestimate this person.

They had never heard of such a powerful person before, someone who could cultivate their Civilian Skill to the highest level of Return to Emptiness.

The martial arts skills further demonstrate the ability to seize the Enemy Anticipation and Absolute Defense.

Furthermore, the profound and mysterious domain of willpower attack, which can only be accessed by Great Grandmaster and above, immediately suppressed the three Great Grandmaster, causing them to retreat one after another before they even exchanged blows.

"In the art of martial arts, the highest level, reaching the Great Grandmaster realm, is a clash of spirit and will. It involves accumulating power, nourishing the spirit, seeking opportunities to advance, using strength to attack weakness, and striking the enemy's vitals. You are already invincible when it comes to the vitals of the mind," the Moon Empress commented.

"Enough with the nonsense, what tests are there in the test of sincerity?" Yue Dewen asked directly.

"It's very simple."

Taiyuan Vein Master stepped forward.

"Sincerity has only one request, and that is..."

"Change God!"

"No need to change it." Yue Dewen's smile grew even wider. "I've always worshipped the Moon God!"

"!!?!!"

The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment, then quickly became agitated.

Yue Dewen, as the Grand Master the Great Dao Sect, actually didn't pay homage to the sect's own Yujing Hanshi Celestial Lord, but instead truly worshipped the Moon God of the Sensing Gate!? This is simply unbelievable!!? Not only ordinary experts, but even several grandmasters, Great Grandmaster, and even the Moon Empress were dumbfounded.

This Worship God is unique; only sincerity can qualify one to become Spirit General.

However, not everyone can receive the gifts from the Spirit General.

Granting Spirit General is also a considerable burden for a god.

But now, Yue Dewen, a person who changed his faith midway, was actually granted the status of Spirit General by the Moon God!? To become Spirit General, one's own aptitude is one aspect, but sincerity is also essential. Although there are no specific conditions, many Spirit General have been worshipping Gods and Buddhas for decades before finally receiving this honor.

After all, the position of Spirit General is itself a representation of power, status, and strength.

Gods and Buddhas are naturally entrusted to people they can absolutely trust.

"But if Yue Dewen has become a Moon Goddess Spirit General, wouldn't that mean he has already switched his faith to the Moon Goddess?!" the Moon Queen couldn't help but ask.

"Jin Yuyan," Yue Dewen replied with a smile. "I am the Moon King, but I was only temporarily residing under the guise of the Great Dao Sect to conceal my identity. Now, I am simply returning to the Holy Gate and reverting to my original position."

So, you've all misunderstood me. I've been enduring humiliation all along.

Upon hearing this, the people around him immediately became somewhat skeptical.

Indeed, from this perspective, the 'Yue Dewen' in front of us might actually be an undercover agent that their Sensing Gate has been planting in the Great Dao Sect.

"Whether you are or not, try and you'll find out," the Moon Empress said coldly.

"Do you dare to invite the Moon God!?"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Yue Dewen replied.

"Alright!" The Moon Empress gave him a deep look.

Immediately, with a solemn expression, she raised her right hand and pointed her index finger to the sky.

"All Worship God, follow me in inviting the gods!"

She was the only one present whose identity as the Spirit General of the Sensing Gate was confirmed.

Only she is qualified to lead the invocation of the gods.

"Yue Dewen, have you thought this through? If you're invoking a spirit and you're just lying, what will happen?"

"The result will be nothing more than death," Yue Dewen laughed. "Actually, how about I lead everyone in invoking the gods?"

Moon Empress, he remained silent and did not answer. His raised index finger began to slowly glow with a silvery light.

Like her, everyone who raised their right index finger also had their fingertip glow silver.

"Close your eyes!"

A cold shout came Moon Empress.

Everyone closed their eyes at the same time. Strangely, even in the darkness after closing their eyes, they could still see the silver index fingers that everyone was raising.

From countless fingertips, silver threads gradually flew up.

The densely packed threads, with their curved trajectories, converged on the open ground in front of Yue Dewen, weaving together a blurry human face outline.

A giant human face, seven or eight meters tall.

The gale whipped Yue Dewen's robes, pulling and fluttering them backward, but he remained standing straight, staring at the enormous human face in the darkness.

"With my radiance, I illuminate the God River."

The silver-faced figure lowered its head slightly, looked at Yue Dewen, and uttered a strange sound.

The voices sounded as if countless men, women, and children were speaking simultaneously, in a neat and orderly manner.

"Greetings, my god!" Yue Dewen clasped his hands, bowed, and paid his respects.

The giant face did not reply, but simply opened its mouth.

The mouth opened wider and wider, until it deformed the entire face, taking up most of the face.

It's like a black hole.

Pfft!

It lunged forward and suddenly swallowed Yue Dewen whole, enveloping him in its mouth.

***January 4th.

Yue Dewen secretly proclaimed himself the Moon King, leading the remnants of the Sensing Gate and re-establishing the Holy Gate's name.

Yan Shun Wang led his troops to Great Capital, but was intercepted halfway. The Black Ten Pope, Saint Heaven One, allied with the Thousand Sect Alliance and repelled the invading enemy.

The Shunwang army temporarily retreated a hundred li and set up camp to await an opportunity.

Meanwhile, Zhang Rongfang finally collected the Main Herb and returned to Qingchuan in Ze Province to prepare for refining the medicine.

Inside the Aloeswood Palace Mansion in Qingchuan Prefecture.

In the Backyard, a bronze Pill Furnace, taller than a person, had flames rising from its base.

The furnace was steaming hot, and the viscous, asphalt-like liquid medicine kept emitting a strong medicinal aroma as Zhang Rongfang stirred it with his large spatula.

"This time, Jackie Chan and the worm will both be gone in one fell swoop!"

When the alchemy reached a critical moment, Zhang Rongfang had to concentrate fully and keep a close eye on the changing heat.

Soon, the flames gradually weakened, and then charcoal and coal fires were used to maintain the heat.

He started adding large amounts of seasoning to the pot. No, large amounts of medicinal herbs.

Gradually, an enticing fragrance drifted up with the steam.

With a muffled clang, Zhang Rongfang suddenly picked up Hot Towel, grabbed the two handles of the Pill Furnace, quickly lifted it up, and placed it into a large basin of cold water that had been prepared on the right.

Hiss! A large amount of white smoke and water vapor rose into the air, obscuring the view.

Strange things happened.

The ointment in the pot dried and hardened quickly, turning white, especially near the pot wall.

The white color continued to spread towards the center.

It only stopped slowly when only a fist-sized area remained.

Zhang Rongfang reacted quickly, and with a whoosh, he precisely dug a circle around that small area with his shovel.

They dug it out.

This made it a Medicine Pellet that was white on the outside and black on the inside!

"It's done!" He breathed a long sigh of relief, tossed the small ball into the oil tank, then took it out and placed it in the basin of molten wax.

Finally, I picked it up, shook it, and threw it into cold water.

Everything is now complete.