Chapter 55

The twenty-four heavenly generals of the Thunder Department all came from the disciples of the Supreme Clarity Sect, and they were ancient sages who died in the Ten Absolute Arrays during the great calamity of the ancient gods.

None of them could be resisted by Xuankong, who had only practiced Dao for a mere twenty years.

His only trump card now was the true energy of Laoshan that he had temporarily infused into his Daoist robe, hoping his guess was correct. If so, he and the little fox might still have a chance to survive.

Fortunately, the immortal maiden was willing to speak, indicating that there was room for negotiation.

Xuankong mustered his courage, flew into the air, and bowed, saying, "Xuankong, a junior disciple of the Laoshan Sect, greets Immortal Maiden Hanzhi."

As soon as he spoke, his heart sank, and he inwardly cursed his bad luck. In this world, accomplished Daoist priests could be renowned and venerated by the people. However, there were no such ancient sages from the截教 (Jie Jiao) among them, as they were far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.

The immortal maiden was indeed greatly surprised. Her phoenix eyes scanned Xuankong's body, and frankly, Xuankong was not particularly handsome. He did not compare to the legendary beauties like Pan An and Long Yang, but his cultivation gave him a certain grace, making him not unpleasing to the eye.

The immortal maiden examined Xuankong for a moment, closed her eyes to divine, and then opened them in surprise, saying, "You are a reincarnated disciple of Daoist Brother Wen!"

Xuankong's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he slowly exhaled, confirming his suspicions.

Before he could speak, the immortal maiden descended from the clouds, her phoenix eyes slightly open, and scolded, "You have no sense, using such a deceptive method to trick the heavenly tribulation. Do you not know that the heavenly laws are now strict, and the law enforcement deity is ruthless? You have offended him!"

Xuankong was puzzled, "Law enforcement deity? Who is that?"

In his memory, among the deities of the three realms and six paths, there was no such figure as a law enforcement deity. Immortal Maiden Hanzhi, perhaps seeing through Xuankong's background, felt a sense of kinship and said with a cold laugh, "The law enforcement deity is also known as Qingyuan Miaodao Erlang."

"He became the law enforcement deity over six hundred and fifty years ago, so few people in the mortal world know of him. Remember him, and be cautious if you ever meet him. Many of our Jie Jiao friends have fallen to his hands."

Immortal Maiden Hanzhi's breath was like a fragrant breeze, and her voice made one's body tingle.

However, Xuankong's mind was racing, and his face turned grim: "The law enforcement deity is Erlang Shen? Heaven, what kind of world is this?" He felt that the mythological knowledge he brought from his previous life was far from sufficient.

Hearing his low moan, Immortal Maiden Hanzhi shook her head and smiled, "Don't worry. The cycle of the world is ultimately in the hands of our Jie Jiao friends. As long as you don't cause a great disturbance in heaven, everything will be fine."

Even if Erlang Shen had immense power, he would still show some respect to these ancient sages.

"Even if you caused a great disturbance in heaven, what could be done?" Immortal Maiden Hanzhi muttered softly, waved her hand, and sighed, "No matter what, ordinary beings must still undergo the forty-nine heavenly tribulations. Don't try to be clever; just watch from the side."

Xuankong's face was awkward, like a student caught cheating by a proctor in his previous life.

He wanted to stand aside, but the little fox was focused on mediating between the dragon and the tiger, with no sense of caution. Although there were still twenty-seven bolts of lightning in the forty-nine tribulations, the little fox, who had no defenses, could not withstand them.

Looking at the remaining thunderclouds, which had gathered and increased in power by a hundredfold, Xuankong felt a sense of unease. Such thunder, even at the peak of his powers, would require his full concentration to handle.

Seeing through Xuankong's thoughts, Immortal Maiden Hanzhi reached out and pulled him, preventing him from being caught in the thunderclouds. Xuankong, held by her delicate hand, struggled a bit but did not use force, and had no choice but to follow her.

Immortal Maiden Hanzhi's eyes were half-closed, one hand holding Xuankong, the other forming a seal and pointing at the thunderclouds, releasing the seal.

Xuankong looked at her, with a flower crown on her head, dressed in exquisite silk, truly a celestial maiden. Her bare, delicate feet exuded a captivating charm, and her white robe added a restrained beauty.

Xuankong was momentarily entranced, only snapping out of it when Immortal Maiden Hanzhi lightly tapped his forehead.

He inwardly sighed, "Is she a celestial being or a devil?" He finally understood where the phrase "a devil's face, an angel's figure" came from, as seen in the advertisements of his previous life. Could the producers and directors of those ads have seen Immortal Maiden Hanzhi?

Xuankong's gaze was purely appreciative, without any lust, so although Immortal Maiden Hanzhi's face was flushed, she was not overly annoyed. She had always admired Xuankong's ancestor, and now, seeing a bit of confidence in his descendant's eyes, she felt a sense of reassurance.

Xuankong came to his senses and saw the dark clouds suddenly darken and then brighten. The remaining tribulation forces merged into a dazzling thunderbolt sword, heading straight for the inn. His junior brother and newly recruited disciple were still inside, but his hand was firmly held by Immortal Maiden Hanzhi, unable to break free.

Xuankong closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight of the inn turning to dust, along with Wang Qi and the others.

Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the boundless karma emanating from the dark clouds, accompanied by the power of heaven and earth, striking down. He heard a loud "thunderclap," and the cloud beneath his feet shook.

Xuankong clenched his left fist, his teeth grinding, and a drop of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Immortal Maiden Hanzhi's opinion of Xuankong rose, and she took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, gently wiping away the blood. She whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, open your eyes and see, your friends are unharmed."

Xuankong did not believe her, but when he opened his eyes, he saw only ruins.

His vision went dark, and his head drooped, almost causing him to fall from the clouds.

This time, it was not out of grief, but because he clearly saw the innkeeper and his wife, dressed in undergarments, standing in the rubble, cursing the sky. Xuankong, standing in the sky, was the most conspicuous and was also scolded by the innkeeper, but he felt secretly delighted.

Even an ordinary mortal with no cultivation had survived the great heavenly tribulation, so there was no reason his junior brother and disciple could not withstand it.

He turned to Immortal Maiden Hanzhi with gratitude. Indeed, the safest way to cheat was to involve the proctor. The thunder and lightning that seemed so powerful to anyone watching were actually harmless, and no one was injured.

This was truly remarkable!

Immortal Maiden Hanzhi smiled and whispered in Xuankong's ear, "I extracted the thunder force from the thunderclouds and sealed it in this handkerchief. The thunder that struck down, though it looked powerful, was just ordinary lightning and could not harm your friends."

Xuankong was deeply grateful. His hand tightened, and the handkerchief was already in his hand. This was Immortal Maiden Hanzhi's gift to the great-grand disciple of Daoist Master Wen Zhong. She had to return to heaven to report after executing the heavenly tribulation, and before leaving, she curiously asked, "How did you know I was Immortal Maiden Hanzhi? This seems to be our first meeting."

Xuankong scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "I just guessed in a hurry."

He had already suspected his lineage and knew it was related to the Thunder Department's deities. He had thought it was the legacy of one of the twenty-four heavenly generals, but today, Immortal Maiden Hanzhi revealed that the Laoshan Sect was actually the lineage of the Nine Heavens' Thunder Deity, Daoist Master Wen Zhong.