CHAPTER 176: COMPLICATIONS ARISE

Not only was the plan approved, but the authorities had already begun implementing it.

Wang Sheng casually checked a few of the more active online cultivation forums. Two days later, he saw people discussing how the Ziyan Temple had sealed a thousand-year-old devil, along with several secretly taken photos showing high monks chanting sutras.

The photos were quite interesting. Strands of devilish qi could be seen rising from above the Devil-Sealing Well, while golden and multicolored Buddhist light surrounded the high monks. The two forces seemed to be tugging against each other.

Once the authorities got involved, even the slightest trace of image tampering was removed. These kinds of posts would often get deleted once they gained a bit of traction, but after being taken down, they would quickly resurface elsewhere.

If Wang Sheng hadn't already known the truth, even he might have believed that the authorities were deliberately trying to suppress the information. He used to frequent these forums in his previous life, but only learned now that the government had set up many of them as a way to guide and divert the growing online cultivation crowd.

That was precisely why more and more people became convinced that an ancient devil really was sealed at Ziyan Temple and that the seal had already been damaged. After about a week, the number of 'tourists' near Mount Dajian gradually increased. However, they had all gone to the wrong place.

The real Ziyan Temple could be found just past the back mountain of the Shu Sword Sect, but the Ziyan Temple the tourists visited was over a hundred kilometers to the northwest, deep in the mountains. Any publicly accessible information online, including map markers, pointed to this brand-new location as Ziyan Temple.

Once the authorities began their misdirection, cultivators lost all chance of seeing through it. Near the real Ziyan Temple, patrols were replaced with covert sentries, and the temple's plaque was changed to "Lingyan Temple."

Meanwhile, large numbers of armed policemen had cordoned off the entire mountain, keeping the construction of the fake Ziyan Temple secret. Special Warfare Unit instructors were also stationed nearby, and Golden Core Realm experts occasionally released waves of pressure.

The Ziyan Temple had never been well known to begin with. Outsiders had no idea it even existed, and very few locals remembered its original location.

The authorities also had a dedicated team monitoring the internet. Any mention of the Ziyan Temple would be flagged and reviewed immediately, ensuring no leaks slipped through the cracks.

Now, they just had to wait for the fake Ziyan Temple's construction to be completed before moving on to the next phase of the "Ancient Devil Lures the Corrupt" plan.

According to his master, the Special Investigation Unit was even considering hiring a highly reputable film director to create the most realistic "ancient devil rampaging and righteous cultivators suffering heavy casualties" scene possible. Wang Sheng couldn't help but feel a certain admiration for their thoroughness.

In the two or three months before the "Ancient Devil Lures the Corrupt" plan was formally put in motion, the Special Investigation Unit spared no effort in pressuring the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect, attacking them from every possible angle. Only with enough pressure would the opposing forces be forced to consider "seizing the opportunity" and be driven to take desperate risks.

Now that Wang Sheng thought about it, it had been a while since he'd last seen his mistress. He wondered if his master had reignited the second great fire of his life.

Upon returning to the Wudang Mountains, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan peacefully cultivated again. Wang Sheng's cultivation realm improved slightly every few days thanks to his Illusory Core continuously nourishing his Dao body after his breakthrough.

The benefits of his latest grueling cultivation with the Sword-Pressing Stone had also begun to manifest. He frequently gained insights into the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra. Moreover, his Daoist realm slightly outpaced his cultivation, allowing him to raise his cultivation realm without fear of encountering a bottleneck.

Time slipped by unnoticed in the mountains. Before he knew it, half a month had flown by, and the Wudang Mountains entered another stretch of continuous spring rain, rarely seeing sunny skies.

One afternoon, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan sat quietly in meditation under a tree. One was deeply contemplating the mysteries of cultivation, while the other was holding a phone and reading comics.

They had been meditating all morning, and Wang Sheng was about to get up and practice his swordsmanship until dusk.

Over the past few days, Mu Wanxuan seemed to have hit a bottleneck in her cultivation. She couldn't stay focused for long during meditation; she would frequently open her eyes to either play on her phone; stare off blankly; or just nap for a while, dreaming of butterflies and fairies.

At first, Wang Sheng simply thought that his senior sister couldn't quiet her mind. However, when he asked about it, she only smiled and said nothing. Another two days passed, and he couldn't hold back any longer. He asked her again about what was going on with her.

If she had encountered a problem in cultivation, they could discuss it together. If they still couldn't figure it out, they could always call their master—who would surely be able to provide some guidance.

In response, though, Mu Wanxuan only whispered, "Forming core."

Wang Sheng was speechless.

Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I won't bother you anymore.

The ray of immortal light that the female corpse had gifted Mu Wanxuan before falling into Mount Pingdu was a truly tremendous fated opportunity for his senior sister. It had now allowed her to skip three to five years of painful cultivation and enlightenment. Who knew how many more benefits it would bring later?

In Wang Sheng's previous life, the Quiet Fairy had only broken into the top twenty of the Heavenly Rankings in the ninth year after the resurgence of primal qi. Now, his senior sister would reach the Golden Core Realm much earlier.

Wang Sheng simply lowered his head and continued cultivating peacefully. He didn't feel any regret over missing such a fated opportunity. After all, everyone had their own destiny.

The "Ancient Devil Lures the Corrupt" plan was progressing smoothly.

Just as Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan completed their two-month seclusion, the fake Ziyan Temple had already been fully constructed.

Based on a short video that Mou Yue had sent him, the newly built temple was nearly an exact replica. It could easily pass for the real thing.

Meanwhile, in the cultivation world, rumors of devilish qi leaking from the Ziyan Temple's ancient devil had spread like wildfire. Many righteous Daoist elders and Daoist masters even took the initiative to contact the Special Investigation Unit, asking if they needed help eliminating the devil.

In response, the Special Investigation Unit vehemently denied the existence of any ancient devil. It seemed they didn't want the public to see the authorities' frantic measures, nor did they want to cause panic and unrest.

Ironically, the Special Investigation Unit's denial was perfectly in line with the government's long-standing policy.

So far, near the Ziyan Temple, they had captured several dozen individuals attempting to trespass onto the mountain. Most of them were spies whom the corrupt Daoist factions had sent, and nearly all were ordinary people who had no valuable intelligence.

Judging by the timing, Wang Sheng also felt that it was about time for him and Mu Wanxuan to set out.

His senior sister had yet to take that final step into forming her Golden Core, but not because she was deliberately waiting for Wang Sheng to catch up. According to her, she was waiting for a certain feeling, and once that feeling came, she would form her Golden Core in a snap. From then on, yin and yang would align, allowing her to wield the forces of heaven and earth.

Still nowhere near her level, Wang Sheng couldn't really understand what she meant yet. He could only focus on advancing his cultivation realm step by step. Finally, after two and a half months back in the Wudang Mountains, he had made progress in his cultivation—he had reached the mid-stage of the Illusory Core Realm.

In exchange, however, he had completely depleted the Qi-Nurturing Stones that had filled the room with primal qi and consumed bottle after bottle of the costly Illusory Core pills.

In the past two and a half months, he had nearly exhausted all the supplies that he and his senior sister had stockpiled over the past year. If he wanted to improve quickly, this was the only way.

Wang Sheng, Spiritless and his celestial-grade flying sword had all been waiting for the upcoming battle. He didn't have to earn fame or any hollow titles in the Heavenly Rankings. Right now, he just wanted to fight the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect with everything he had.

Preparations were just about complete; the timing was also just right. As he had expected, on the fourth day after his breakthrough, Mou Yue called them.

Wang Sheng breathed in lightly. Before Mou Yue could speak, he said, "When and where. I'm ready to depart at any moment."

—You already knew, Daoist Master Wang?

Mou Yue was momentarily stunned. She soon assumed that the captain had already informed Wang Sheng.

—You can head down the mountain in half an hour. I've arranged for someone to pick you both up. We may need you and Fairy Bu Yu to be a bit more high-profile this time around.

"Understood. I'll be as high-profile as needed to draw their attention."

—Oh, right. Is Fairy Bu Yu currently in seclusion? I've been swamped running back and forth these past few days. I nearly forgot that she had already reached the peak of the Illusory Core Realm. She's about to break through to the Golden Core Realm, right?

—If she needs to enter seclusion, then just stay and guard her. Although you two are our best bet, we can still switch someone else in. The enemy isn't particularly strong.

Switch someone else in? The enemy isn't particularly strong?

Wang Sheng frowned. He felt the Special Investigation Unit was starting to get a little arrogant. If the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect were really that easy to deal with, then why did so many righteous cultivators and Special Warfare Unit soldiers fall in the last great battle?

And not to boast, but while Wang Sheng wasn't a Golden Core Realm expert, with his one-man sword formation and celestial-grade flying sword, he was hardly less effective than a Golden Core Realm cultivator against corrupt cultivators at or below the Illusory Core Realm.

Wang Sheng pondered for a moment. "Senior Sister is not in seclusion. The opportunity to form her core hasn't come yet, but the truth is... I don't want anyone to take my place in this battle."

Mou Yue was briefly stunned, but she quickly responded, "Alright, Daoist Master Wang. You're set for this mission! Don't worry, I won't let anyone take your spot!"

After thinking for another moment, Wang Sheng said, "Call Huai Jing too; see if he's willing to come."

"Buddhist Master Huai Jing is already on his way. He should arrive around the same time as you two."

"Mm. Alright then," Wang Sheng responded. He slowly stood up from his meditation, ended the call, and gazed off into the distance.

Opening his left hand, two sword cores flew toward him from a corner of the room and began slowly circling him. His true essence then pulled a silver-white sword case over and made it float gently into his palm.

After standing in complete silence for half a minute, Wang Sheng called toward the room, "Senior Sister, get ready. We're heading out to confront the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect."

"Alright!" Mu Wanxuan, who had been daydreaming by the window, immediately responded. A subtle, mystical aura drifted around her as she walked over to the wooden chest containing her ancient-style dresses.

At the courtyard gate, Wang Sheng suddenly sensed something. He looked down at his phone and tilted his head slightly. Its screen soon lit up. Before the ringtone could even play, Wang Sheng had already answered the call. Right after, he heard Mou Yue speak with caution.

—Daoist Master Wang, do you actually know... the exact mission I was talking about just now?

"Ziyan Temple?" Wang Sheng replied.

Mou Yue sighed deeply.

—I knew it. You misunderstood. That plan hasn't been fully set in motion yet. This is just a small matter—a minor exchange meeting. A few eccentric experts from Sakura Island, Gelan Empire, and Jinta have come to probe the Hua Republic. Daoist Master Bu Yan has already knocked flat the top experts they brought—those elders and whatnot—in just two slaps. So now they want their younger generation to spar with ours.

—Anyway, are you still interested? I heard there are a few katana-wielding hotshots from Sakura Island talking pretty arrogantly.

At a loss for words, Wang Sheng stood at the gate, his lips twitching.