Chapter 91

In the scorching summer, Fang Ling walked slowly on the road leading to Qudu, the capital city of the State of Lu. Originally, Fang Ling thought he would spend the next period of time cultivating on the Seven Star Peak, but he never expected to come down the mountain so soon. At this moment, Fang Ling was still constantly reflecting on the conversation with Fu Jingbo.

"Junior Brother, the position of the State Protector of Lu is rotated every ten years. Now it is our True Dao Sect's turn. After the recommendation of our fellow disciples, the sect has decided to send you to Qudu to take on the position of the State Protector of Lu!" Fu Jingbo's words were gentle, but his tone left no room for refusal.

"This position of State Protector usually has no significant responsibilities. You will only represent our five major sects in Qudu. The ten-year term will pass in a blink, and when it is over, it will be the time for Junior Brother to return to the True Dao Sect."

Fu Jingbo patted Fang Ling's shoulder and sighed, "Junior Brother Fang, Junior Brother Bai has a special relationship with Senior Master Li. For the harmony of the sect, you should temporarily take the position in Qudu. Besides, although the position of State Protector may slightly hinder your cultivation, the offerings are substantial, sufficient to meet your needs."

Although Fang Ling was not afraid of Bai Yuqi, he was somewhat wary of the Golden Core cultivator Li Zhengqi. Moreover, since this was an arrangement by the sect, opposing it would be futile.

So, early this morning, he packed his belongings and set off for Qudu. After riding the white tiger out of the Thousand Yuan Mountains, Fang Ling put the tiger away. He had plenty of time to reach Qudu, so there was no need to rush. Besides, Fang Ling had another idea: to see if he could encounter any small spatial realms along the way to add to his secret realm map.

The road to Qudu was bustling with travelers, and there were many solitary travelers like Fang Ling, so he did not stand out. Despite his efforts to gather information, he did not hear of any small spatial realms like the Lashan Secret Realm.

Three days later, Fang Ling arrived at Moutu, the second largest city in the State of Lu. Moutu covered an area of a hundred miles, with over thirty to forty thousand households. Walking through the streets of Moutu, he saw a constant stream of people.

"Oh!" Just as Fang Ling was thinking about finding a place to stay and exploring the city, he suddenly heard someone exclaim.

Although Fang Ling was not one to seek trouble, he instinctively looked toward the source of the sound. He saw an elderly man in his fifties lying unconscious on the ground. Beside him, a young man in his twenties was frantically calling out.

In an instant, a crowd gathered around the elderly man and the young man. Some people offered suggestions: "Young man, there's a pharmacy not far from here. Take your father there quickly!" "Doctor Zuo specializes in difficult cases. If you go quickly, your father might still be saved!"

Amidst the chaotic voices, someone suddenly shouted, "Make way, the Great Mage is here!"

Half of the onlookers quickly moved aside, looking at the approaching Great Mage with respectful eyes.

Fang Ling also looked at the Great Mage, who was in his forties, with a neatly trimmed beard, giving off an aura of a sage. However, what was more important was that Fang Ling noticed the Great Mage had the cultivation of the Seventh Level of Qi Practice.

"Your father has been plagued by impure spirits these past few days. Fortunately, he has been virtuous, which allowed him to hold on until today." The Great Mage approached the elderly man, touched his forehead, and said calmly.

Encountered impure spirits? Fang Ling frowned. The elderly man was clearly just heatstroke. The idea of impure spirits was pure nonsense. With the Great Mage's Seventh Level of Qi Practice cultivation, even if he was not a doctor, he would not make such an inaccurate diagnosis.

"Young man, your father is fortunate to have encountered the Great Mage. Quickly kneel down and beg the Great Mage to show mercy and save your father's life." An elderly man who looked very kind gently said to the young man.

"Great Mage, please save my father's life. My whole family will be forever grateful to the Great Mage." The young man spoke, kneeling on the ground and repeatedly bowing.

The Great Mage smiled lightly and said, "The Lotus Venerable has the virtue of saving lives. Since I have encountered this matter, it means you have a connection with our Lotus Venerable Sect. How can I let you die?"

As he spoke, the Great Mage touched the elderly man's forehead and said sternly, "Wretch, show yourself, or what are you waiting for!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a black shadow eerily floated out from the elderly man's head, then knelt on the ground, pleading, "Great Mage, spare my life, spare my life. I will never disturb the human world again. Please spare my life, Great Mage!"

"Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth. The Lotus Venerable blesses all beings. Go and be reborn." As the Great Mage spoke, a flame struck the black shadow, which instantly vanished without a trace!

"The Great Mage's divine powers are profound, benefiting all beings. This is our fortune!" A man in his thirties suddenly shouted loudly. Following his shout, others also joined in, shouting, "The Great Mage benefits all beings, bringing blessings to the world. Boundless Lotus Venerable!"

More and more people joined in, and the voices grew louder. With their shouts, the elderly man who had fallen to the ground quickly stood up. After hearing his son's account, the father and son both knelt down, thanking the Great Mage for saving their lives.

"You all have the pure yang fire within you, which makes it difficult for impure spirits to approach. You just need to recite the name of the Lotus Venerable a hundred times each day, and the Lotus Venerable will protect you and keep you safe." The Great Mage spoke solemnly, then knelt on the ground and loudly recited, "Boundless Lotus Venerable!"

"Boundless Lotus Venerable, Boundless Lotus Venerable!"

Fang Ling's eyes flickered, and a hint of mockery appeared at the corner of his mouth. The Great Mage could deceive others, but not him. The black shadow that had flown out from the elderly man's head was clearly just a spell. However, Fang Ling did not intend to expose this deception. For a Seventh Level Qi Practitioner to personally develop followers, there must be at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator behind them. Why should he create an enemy for himself over something that offered him no benefit? However, as Fang Ling walked to the inn, he noticed that about half of the shops and houses had yellow paper with the name of the Lotus Venerable posted on their doors and windows.

"Young man, by believing in the Lotus Venerable, you can have a better life in your next life." Just as Fang Ling was about to enter the inn, a woman in her forties handed him a yellow talisman, speaking with great solemnity.

Fang Ling ignored the middle-aged woman, took the talisman, and walked into the inn. The woman shouted, "By believing in the Lotus Venerable, you can remove misfortunes. If you feel unwell, just recite the name of the Lotus Venerable, burn the talisman, and drink the water, and you will recover."

Fang Ling entered his room and opened the talisman. The chaotic symbols inside were meaningless to him. However, the paper itself carried a faint trace of spiritual energy. This spiritual energy was almost negligible for cultivators, but it could have some effect on ordinary people, at least making them feel more at ease.

As Fang Ling studied the talisman, he felt a slight shadow in his mind. This shadow was very small, and if not for his mental cultivation, he would not have noticed it.

As his mental energy surrounded the shadow, it instantly turned into countless fragments. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Fang Ling was not invulnerable to all spells, but ordinary things could not harm him. With a thought, Fang Ling picked up the talisman and, after carefully examining it with his divine sense, he noticed a faint trace of impure energy on it. "Hmph," he coldly snorted, and a flame appeared on his finger, instantly burning the talisman to ashes.

In a luxurious mansion ten miles away from Fang Ling, a middle-aged man who was meditating on a soft couch showed a hint of surprise.

"Master, what's wrong?" A slender woman in black stood beside the middle-aged man. She was completely covered in black gauze, but her voice had a magnetic quality.

The man smiled and said, "Nothing, just one of the three thousand ghostly talismans I created was destroyed."

The black-clad woman was taken aback and then said, "Master, should I go and investigate what happened?"

"No need. It might be that the person who received the talisman was a cultivator, which led to its destruction. This has happened before. Let it be. A cultivator is not worth our attention. What's most important now is the event in four months."

The man frowned and said, "Have someone keep an eye on the news about Old Qiu. The Yin Soul Banner he is responsible for is crucial to our sect. If anything goes wrong, even I will be in trouble!"

"Yes, I will have someone prepare immediately." The black-clad woman respectfully replied and left the room. The man sitting on the couch slowly closed his eyes, and a faint dark aura slowly enveloped and consumed him.

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