Yellow Heaven Dao

Actually, aside from their sudden appearance and the fact that they managed to conceal their whereabouts and evade Divine Sense detection, which was somewhat unexpected by Li Fan, these yellow-robed figures, once revealed, numbered less than ten, all of whom were at the Golden Core stage. They were not worth mentioning at all. He could easily deal with them. Sparing Liu Zhuo's life was already giving him face.

But Li Wugou suddenly broke free from Li Fan's embrace, and surprisingly, instead of reacting immediately after being held by Li Fan, she pulled him close and whispered, "Wait a minute! This is perfect! Let these Yellow Heaven break their coffins and bear the karma first, then we can snatch the magic treasures without losing a single thing. Isn't that wonderful!"

Heh, so you're still fixated on magic treasures... Well, that makes sense. Rogue cultivators live a hard life, Gen Province, a single coin dropped on the ground can kill someone. Three Nascent Soul Stage magic treasures are practically priceless.

Upon closer inspection, Li Fan also noticed that the monk's whisk that Li Wugou had been clutching so carefully appeared to be nothing more than a piece of trash, a mere first-rate Magic Treasure. The seemingly magical aura she possessed earlier, resembling that of the Nascent Soul Realm, was merely a facade she had created using talismans. Now, with Li Wugou concealing her aura and feigning her cultivation in front of these Yellow Heaven Demonic Path cultivators, even these two pieces of trash had fallen to the Golden Core realm...

Wow, that's so poor...

Li Fan couldn't say anything then. Li Wugou had probably been eyeing these three magical treasures for a long time, wanting to seize them for himself, but he was worried about digging up graves and shortening his lifespan. This time, he gritted his teeth and came to get them in order to find a famous teacher from the Xuanmen sect to tutor him. If the Yellow Heaven Path helped him clear the way, how could he miss the opportunity to obtain the treasures?

Li Fan didn't rush to make a move. He silently stepped aside and stopped blocking the men in yellow.

Liu Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief, walked over to Li Fan and the others, and whispered, "Thank you so much for saving us last time, Liu Zhuo. I have no way to repay you. This time, I can only swallow my pride and beg you again to show mercy and spare our lives."

Li Fan watched as the yellow-clad figures filed into the sacrificial hall, surrounding the three spirit coffins as if setting up some kind of ritual to break the magic array. He glanced at Liu Zhuo and asked, "I heard you're cultivating demonic corpses and are being besieged by the Heng Hai Army? Are you planning to release these three immortal zombies and go slaughter Dizhou City?"

Liu Zhuo remained silent for a moment, knowing that his life was in someone else's hands and that trying to fool Li Fan would not end well. He gritted his teeth and decided to take a gamble. "It's not us who are refining the Fiend Corpse, it's the Heng Hai Army!"

I am Xiao Fang, the leader of the Yellow Heaven Dao Heng Hai Army. I thought it was government troops coming to steal our winter food, so I led my brothers to help. But I found that the Heng Hai Army was releasing corpse poison, intending to refine my Yellow Heaven Dao followers into corpse soldiers and recruit them for their own use!

I broke through the encirclement and gathered the surrounding commanders for help in order to save people!

His accusation was too extreme. Li Wugou frowned, did some calculations with his fingers, and asked Liu Zhuo, "Once the evil spirits transform into corpses, it will be like a calamity on earth. There is no way to control it except to forcibly eradicate it. It may also cause soldiers to be infected with the corpse poison, causing endless harm."

Therefore, once the Fiendish Devil Embryo appears, even if the armies are fighting fiercely, they must cease hostilities and make peace to suppress the demon god first. How could they possibly spread corpse poison on their own territory and even think of taking it over for their own use?

Liu Zhuo shook his head, "I saw it with my own eyes, Yellow Heaven above is watching; every word is true!"

This time, the Heng Hai Army not only released corpse poison into our camp, causing our followers to turn into ferocious zombies and resulting in numerous casualties, but these ferocious zombies were also different from those in the past. They seemed to be attracted by some kind of sorcery and would throw themselves into the Heng Hai Army to serve! Many of my brothers were killed by the ferocious zombies driven by the Heng Hai Army when I broke out!

The cult members trapped in the mountains also seem to be infected with the evil energy, and some are turning into zombies from time to time. We dare not rashly organize a rescue force! Otherwise, if there are too many people, the Heng Hai Army might take the opportunity to attack and kill them. If the zombie virus spreads, it will be even more difficult to control!

Li Wugou remained unconvinced. "These days, corpses of evil spirits appear frequently, and I've never heard of any method to control them. Even if what you're saying is true, do you think Yellow Heaven Dao can cure the corpse poison if you steal three more immortal corpses?"

Liu Zhuo nodded and said, "It can be cured! My followers can exorcise evil spirits and ward off evil by reading the <Yellow Heaven Book of Peace>! There is also the Great Virtuous Holy Water, which can save lives and bring the soul back to life! As long as there is no corpse transformation, there is a way to cure evil and remove poison!"

However, this time the Heng Hai Army is numerous and powerful, and their offensive is fierce. Moreover, too many of their followers are injured or infected, and most of them are women and children, making evacuation difficult. The remaining talisman water in the mountains is almost used up. We must break through the Heng Hai Army's encirclement as soon as possible and go to other camps for treatment! Otherwise, who knows how many people will die!

Li Fan frowned. "So you still want to release these demonic corpses to cause trouble in the rear, diverting the attention of the Heng Hai Army, while you try to escape on the other side?"

Liu Zhuo shook his head and explained, "Those warlords plunder wherever they go, they don't care at all whether the rear is in chaos or not."

When I broke through this encirclement, I discovered that the Heng Hai Army had set up a large formation in their camp. They first used evil energy to gather and attract evil corpses, and then used secret methods to refine the corpse soldiers one by one. In fact, most of the evil corpses were still uncontrollable in the formation, but they had only refined about ten of them, and they were already able to kill and injure many of my brothers. Once they were all refined, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Several times I nearly lost my life while being chased by those ghoul soldiers, but those ghouls suddenly went out of control and went berserk, which gave me a chance to escape. It seems that the evil method by which the Heng Hai Army controls ghouls is not perfect.

Therefore, we plan to fight fire with fire, gathering all the suppressed demons, gods, immortals, and zombies in the vicinity of the Heng Hai Army to unseal them. These Devil Embryo will inevitably be attracted by the evil energy and rush to attack the camp, thus drawing the attention of the main force of the Heng Hai Army and their corpse soldiers. Our Yellow Heaven Dao reinforcements can then take advantage of the chaos to launch a counterattack, coordinating with the outside to lead our troops in a breakout."

Li Wugou still seemed unconvinced, so he specially transmitted his voice and said, "This Yellow Heaven Path has repeatedly gathered crowds to rebel, and has been attacked by the Three Great Sects throughout the ages, but it has never been eradicated. Moreover, these demons often possess demonic and unorthodox arts, and their actions are quite cunning and treacherous."

Although Hebei was ravaged by war and warlords were tyrannical, the demonic Devil Embryo would be sealed and suppressed by cultivators immediately. Where would the Heng Hai Army get the ability to control demonic corpses? Their words cannot be entirely trusted...

Li Fan's face darkened, and he shook his head.

The Heng Hai Army might not have the ability, but plenty of people do. And... they weren't the first, and probably won't be the last, to use humans to create ghoul soldiers...

Seeing Li Fan shake his head, Liu Zhuo assumed he didn't believe him and grew anxious. He subtly blocked the Yellow Heaven Dao cultivator who was setting up the magic array behind him, gripped the hilt of his sword beneath his robe, and gritted his teeth, saying...

"Everything I have said is true. You two only need to go north to see for yourselves. If you truly do not believe in this demonic Liu, then there is nothing I can do. However, this matter concerns the lives of hundreds of thousands of my followers. Please forgive me for having no choice but to draw my sword against my benefactor!"

Li Fan looked at the middle-aged man who had fled earlier with some surprise. After thinking for a moment, he asked Li Wugou for his opinion, "Since you say you can tell at a glance, then let's go and see for ourselves what the situation is like on the Heng Hai Army's side. We absolutely cannot let the Devil Embryo Corpse become a curse and wreak havoc on the region."

After a slight hesitation, Li Wugou surprisingly nodded in agreement.

Seeing that he had actually persuaded two immortals to help him, Liu Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you!"

Then he simply turned around and went to assist the other members of the Yellow Heaven Dao.

Li Fan looked at Li Wugou with some surprise, "You're actually being so agreeable? Or are you just saying it and planning to find a chance to steal the treasure later?"

Li Wugou rolled her eyes at him, "I've already been very reasonable. Besides, why bother with such deception when dealing with a few Yellow Heaven Dao demons? Yellow Heaven Dao usually only instigates rebellions among the people and fights with local warlords and powerful clans for territory. They don't have much direct involvement with cultivation sects. It's just that some individual Cultivation Family would take action against them for the sake of mortal land and property."

Compared to those Demon Path who kill people at will to refine treasures, there are still some differences. In all my years in Gen Province, I haven't heard of Yellow Heaven Dao going too far. On the contrary, those warlords often massacre entire cities. If someone were to actually control a demonic corpse, I actually think that the Heng Hai Army is more likely to be the one."

Li Wugou pointed to the Yellow Heaven Dao followers who were breaking through the magic array and then binding the spirit coffin with chains affixed with talismans, and said...

"According to that Liu's plan, they still need magical artifacts to suppress the immortal zombies. They'll secretly transport them to the vicinity of the Heng Hai Army before opening the coffins and breaking the seal. Who knows, they might have more than just these three by then. We can seize the treasures then. Maybe we can even steal some more..."

"But you, Li Erlang, a true disciple of the Xuanmen sect, actually listened to a Yellow Heaven Demon for so long? You even seem to have saved him? Shouldn't the Xuanmen sect kill these Demon Path on the spot? Who was it that said associating with demons would lead to expulsion from the sect?"

Li Fan stroked his chin and asked instead, "Fellow Daoist Wugou, are you so eager to join the Xuanmen? What if you fail the exams repeatedly and Emei refuses to accept you? Or have you considered that even if you join the Xuanmen, you might still be ostracized by your fellow disciples and not be given important positions?"

Li Wugou was quite decisive. "I'm not afraid. At worst, I'll just be expelled from the sect again! The Xuanmen isn't the only sect in the world with the Xuan Girl Heavenly Book of Orthodox Methods. Isn't the Blood Record Heavenly Book also a famous method of proving the Dao? If the Xuanmen won't accept me, I'll join the Divine Sect! The Divine Sect rewards merit, and with my True Person level abilities, I'm sure they won't treat me unfairly!"

Li Fan nearly slipped and fell. "No way! You're saying you want to join the Divine Sect in front of me, a disciple of the Xuanmen sect? That's incredibly audacious! Besides, if you've already been planning to join the Divine Sect, why don't you just go directly?"

Li Wugou rolled her eyes at him again, "Do you think I don't want to? Gen Province may look chaotic, but those regional military governors have long since submitted to different factions, and most of the Ten Jiedu military governors are secretly supported by Xuanmen forces. For so many years, the army of the Immortal Palace has been unable to invade, so where are we going to find connections with the Divine Sect?"

I only recently survived my tribulation and stabilized my cultivation before emerging from seclusion. I had originally planned to retrieve these magical treasures and cross the river to the Western Kingdom to try my luck after learning that the Three Great Sects in the west were engaged in a fierce battle. But since I've encountered you, it seems my luck has turned around and my destiny with immortality has returned.

"There's no harm in trying. If I really can't join Emei, then this is just another path I'll have to take."

Li Fan thought for a moment. It was normal for rogue cultivators to be inclined towards the Divine Cult. Since the other party had mentioned the opportunity to become an immortal, he might as well be frank with her now, "Fellow Daoist, I actually suspect that there are members of the Divine Cult behind the Heng Hai Army."

Li Wugou was startled and raised her eyebrows to look at Li Fan.

"The great defeat suffered by the Three Enclosures in their western expedition against the Kun Country is said to have been caused by the Fiend Corpses, created using secret methods by the Divine Cult, which colluded with them from within and without, achieving great success and breaking the Three Enclosures' army. Perhaps the Corpse-Controlling Soldier Technique in the hands of the Heng Hai Army was obtained from the Divine Cult."

Li Wugou seemed to understand. "You came to investigate this matter specifically because you heard rumors about it?"

Li Fan didn't correct the other party's misunderstanding, and said, "If you can kill someone from the Divine Sect and obtain a piece of God Lord Jade, it will be a great achievement in the Xuanmen, and you might even gain the favor of Emei. On the other hand, you will definitely offend the Divine Sect and ruin your future."

So, since I've given you all these textbooks, let's part ways here. You can join the Heng Hai Army or the Divine Cult; I won't stop you. With your True Person Realm cultivation, even if you can't get in touch with the Divine Cult, obtaining a position as an honored guest in the Immortal Palace will be a piece of cake. What do you say?

Of course, I don't need to say more. The Three Great Sects are most averse to having two minds. There are so many paths to choose from; it's up to you to decide.

Li Fan knew that Li Wugou was following him around and refused to leave, showing off her skills and wealth, probably hoping to find a way in and gain a better social standing, ideally through an introduction from a Xuanmen disciple to join the main sect. If Li Fan proposed that she become his Dao Companion consort or concubine, although she would be unwilling, she would probably eventually agree.

After all, this is a world of immortals and heroes. It's perfectly normal for mortals to encounter immortals, relentlessly pursue them, and seek their guidance and apprenticeship. Conversely, when cultivators encounter such a scenario, they can't just fly away and leave. Every encounter is a matter of cause and effect, and you have to give them a chance. At the very least, you have to come up with a seemingly legitimate reason to send them on their way.

Li Fan now possesses some knowledge of divination and fortune-telling. He also senses that he couldn't shake off Li Wugou despite his previous attempts to escape, and she repeatedly caught up with him, indicating that there is indeed some predestined connection between them. However, he is currently overwhelmed with his own troubles and has neither the desire to form a partnership for dual cultivation nor the time to teach and take on disciples. Therefore, he can only try to resolve her karmic entanglement and persuade her to give up on her own.

"Is Erlang afraid I'll betray him to the Heng Hai Army? Or is he testing my sincerity in seeking the Dao?"

Li Wugou was also clever and quick-witted. Moreover, she had already missed her chance at immortality once, so how could she give up now? She immediately said bluntly, "I cultivate in Gen Province and have old and new grudges with most of the Ten Jiedu. How could I possibly become a slave to armored men again! If Erlang doesn't believe me, you can inquire about the names of the Blood-Clad Demoness, the Crimson-Skulled Ghost Woman, and the Face-Tearing Woman. They all refer to me."

Li Fan looked at her with the same expression he'd given a bus-bus-older man, "... What kind of nicknames do you have?"

Li Wugou's cheeks flushed slightly, and she coughed lightly. "I already said, I only recently broke through my limits and started anew..."

Li Fan looked at her face and saw that it was indeed bright and flawless, without a single wrinkle or crack, as if it were brand new. Considering her nickname, he couldn't help but shudder.

At this moment, Liu Zhuo returned and said, "Two esteemed masters, we are ready and will set off ahead."

Li Fan initially didn't understand what Li Wugou meant by going ahead first, but Li Wugou immediately pulled out a talisman from his sleeve. "If what you say is true, once the fighting starts, light this talisman. We will also seize the opportunity to attack the Heng Hai Army camp, providing assistance from the sidelines to eliminate the evil corpse Devil Embryo, and help the people escape their predicament."

Li Fan Li Wugou had taken the initiative to express his stance of opposing the Divine Sect, Li Fan nodded in agreement.

"Thank you both, righteous men."

Liu Zhuo clasped his hands in gratitude, then stood with the Daoists wrapped in yellow robes, surrounded the three spirit coffins, raised the talisman flags, and a strong wind arose, whipping up a yellow gust of wind that vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Hiss... What kind of weird move is this..."

Li Fan was taken aback. He had seen many things like teleportation and flying through the air, but he had never seen anything like this before, where someone could magically transform into a whirlwind and disappear from his Divine Sense in an instant.

He hurriedly went forward to examine the magic array on the ground, only to find that it wasn't a proper magic array from the Xuanmen school. It looked more like a few randomly drawn circles with some strange yellow markings that didn't appear to be Chinese characters or talismans. They spun and flickered in front of Li Fan for a while, which dampened his spirits.

"Yellow Heaven Dao's left-hand techniques, what are you looking at?" Li Wugou asked. "Aren't you going to check the strength of the Heng Hai Army?"

Li Fan turned to look at her, pointing to the yellow runes crawling like worms on the ground. "Can't you see these characters?"

Li Wugou shook his head. "Why are you, a member of the Xuanmen sect, always interested in these sorcerers and unorthodox techniques? How about I steal a copy of Yellow Heaven Dao's Heavenly Book and give it to you? By the way, you have connections with that Liu chieftain, just ask him for a copy."

The followers of the Yellow Heaven Dao all listen to their virtuous Heavenly Master preach and spread the Dao. Each person has a copy of the Heavenly Book. It is not considered a secret transmission. It is said that there are various secret methods in it, which only a few Yellow-robed Heavenly Masters can comprehend. However, I have fought with them in the past. Most of them were just strange and unorthodox methods. There were no particularly powerful methods. They are not worth mentioning.

Anyway, I have no affinity with Yellow Heaven Dao; I can't see a single word of their heavenly book."

"Yellow Heaven Dao's Heavenly Book..." Li Fan lowered his head again, silently memorizing the various changes in the characters "Huang". "There's no rush. Let's deal with the Hengbo Army and the Sha Shi first."

Happy Chinese New Year! Wishing you all the best in the Year of the Tiger!