Taoist Gao Yue had fought the King of Wutou before.
Initially, the King of Wutou did not know how formidable the old Taoists of Daluo Palace were. After taking Taoist Gao Yue’s Purple Sky One Divine Thunder head-on, he was injured on the spot and eventually had to retreat to Shanzhou to recuperate.
Similarly, Taoist Gao Yue and the others didn’t know that the King of Wutou possessed a Ten Thousand Souls Skill. As long as they hadn’t formed an array, he could calmly escape even if surrounded and attacked by many.
But now that the Eight Trigrams Array was complete, Taoist Gao Yue could unleash his Thunder Techniques without reservation.
Seeing that Taoist Jing Chun had locked down the Ten Thousand Ghosts Map, Taoist Gao Yue didn’t stop forming Seal Techniques with his hands. The Primordial Qi Divine Thunder, Purple Sky One Divine Thunder, Profound City True Fire Divine Thunder, and Shangqing Flame Divine Thunder were all hurled out at once.
The eight people in the Eight Trigrams Array worked together, absorbing Spiritual Qi and keeping the Eight Gates Flowing. While supporting Taoist Jing Chun in locking down the Ten Thousand Ghosts Map, the array provided enough power to support Taoist Gao Yue, the one with the highest attack power among the eight, in executing his Thunder Techniques.
Having lost the Ten Thousand Ghosts Map, the King of Wutou glanced at Gu Zhao, who was standing on the cliff and not making a move.
He remembered the giant palm from earlier.
The situation had unfolded so suddenly that he hadn’t reacted in time. Moreover, because Gu Zhao hadn’t continued to attack, and because he was delayed by Taoist Jing Chun, he hadn’t had the time to think.
But thinking carefully about it now, he realized how terrifying Gu Zhao was—his strength was far above his own!
Was this the true foundation of Daluo Palace?
The King of Wutou didn’t dare to delay any longer, nor could he afford to mourn the loss of his Ten Thousand Ghosts Map. Extending a finger, he sliced his own glabella with his long, pitch-black nail.
A drop of black blood seeped out, radiating endless chaotic thoughts.
The King of Wutou no longer cared about his Ten Thousand Ghosts Map or the incoming thunderbolts. He merely used Yin Qi to protect his body as the drop of black blood transformed into a speck of pure Spiritual Power, shooting in the opposite direction of Gu Zhao.
He was going to break the array!
"BOOM!"
This drop of black blood was his Heart’s Blood. It contained boundless essence and the remnant souls of thirty-six Fierce Ghosts, making it unbeatably ferocious.
The Eight Trigrams Array violently surged. Taoist Yan Qi and Taoist Xu Ning, presiding over the Kan Position and Kun Position respectively, stabilized the array’s foundation, ultimately preventing the drop of black blood from breaking out.
The next moment, Taoist Gao Yue’s thunderbolts and Taoist Xu Xing’s Sword Qi arrived in quick succession.
The Evil Qi contributed by the King of Wutou was incredibly abundant, not at all inferior to that of some Demons and tyrannical Ghost Gods.
Seeing the Daluo Palace Taoists all looking so pleased and exceedingly comfortable after slaying the King of Wutou, the Zang Yue Monarch felt an inexplicable sense of horror.
They truly treated punishing wickedness and eradicating evil as a hobby!
The genuine happiness that radiated from them when they killed an evil person couldn’t be faked!
Thinking that although he mostly lived in seclusion deep in the mountains, he wasn’t exactly a good person either—and even had a vague acquaintance with the Lady of Illusion Flower—the Zang Yue Monarch trembled with fear, standing off to the side without daring to speak.
However, the Taoists of Daluo Palace did not show any obvious malice toward him.
For one, he hadn’t taken sides in the conflict between Daluo Temple and the Lady of Illusion Flower. For another, the Evil Qi on his body wasn’t heavy.
"I had only heard of your name but had never met you in person. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation," Gu Zhao said with a cupped-fist salute and a smile.
"Greetings, Daluo Palace Master!" The Zang Yue Monarch hurriedly returned the salute and then invited everyone into Canyue Valley for tea.
Though the Zang Yue Monarch claimed to live alone in the deep mountains, he wasn’t actually by himself. He had a few gorgeous Female Ghosts serving him, living a rather leisurely and comfortable life.
Even though Canyue Valley was located deep in the mountains, it was a world of its own. With small bridges over flowing streams, pavilions, and terraces, the Zang Yue Monarch had practically moved a miniature Jiangnan garden into the valley.
The Female Ghosts served fruits and tea in a steady, flowing manner, looking at the Daluo Palace Taoists—especially Gu Zhao—with reverence. When they retreated, they left behind wafts of fragrant breezes and the scent of cosmetics.
"Since you have been in Shanzhou for a long time, Zang Yue Monarch, I wonder if you are familiar with news regarding the Western Divine Kingdoms?" Gu Zhao cut straight to the chase.
Although the Western Divine Country bordered the Central Plains, its style and systems were vastly different. Due to poor transportation and limited interaction, very little news circulated back and forth.
The Great Mountain Dharma King was eccentric and withdrawn, the Iron King Mountain Master remained in secluded cultivation, and the Red Lantern Sect only circulated within Shanzhou—none of them knew anything about the Western Divine Country.
But while the Zang Yue Monarch lived in secluded mountains, he actually had no attachments. Just like Ye Ruyan and the others from Wuya Ridge, he would wander about from time to time, traveling through Shanzhou and Yuezhou, as well as the Western Divine Country.
"The various news from the Western Divine Country are incredibly complex and numerous. I presume Gu Palace Master already knows the general situation," the Zang Yue Monarch asked. "What specific information are you looking for?"
"Let’s start with Wutou Country," Gu Zhao prompted.
"Wutou Country borders Shanzhou and is one of the many Western Divine Countries. Its National Religion is the Wutou Sect, and the King of Wutou was its Sect Leader," the Zang Yue Monarch explained.
"Now that the King of Wutou is dead, Wutou Country will definitely be left leaderless. It might even be annexed by the neighboring Heping Country and the Three Holy Countries."
The Zang Yue Monarch thought for a moment and added, "The National Religion of Heping Country is the Enchantment Sect, and its members are all Female Ghosts. Unlike the Red Lantern Sect, the Female Ghosts of the Enchantment Sect all practice the Secret Technique of Absorbing Yang and Nourishing Yin. They absorb Incense while simultaneously draining the Yang Qi of men.
"The National Religion of the Three Holy Countries is the Three Saints Sect, which is led by three Sect Leaders, each of whom is extraordinary. If the King of Wutou hadn’t possessed a Ten Thousand Ghosts Map, and if the Enchantress Cult Leader wasn’t so skilled at dealing with men, Wutou Country and Heping Country might not have been a match for the Three Holy Countries."
Taoist Xu Xing couldn’t help but ask, "Why are their country names and sect names so similar?"
The Zang Yue Monarch explained, "In the Western Countries, the destruction of a sect means the destruction of a country. The cycle of rise and fall is much faster than in the Central Plains. Basically, whoever is the strongest fighter can establish a country and found a religion.
"Compared to the Three Saints Sect and the Enchantment Sect, the King of Wutou was the weakest. That’s why he befriended the Lady of Illusion Flower, hoping to enter the Central Plains."
"He was the weakest, yet he dared to target Daluo Palace?" Taoist Huai Yi laughed.
"Just as the experts of the Central Plains are unaware of the inner workings of the Western Countries, the Ghost Gods of the West are also unclear about the sects within the Central Plains."
Speaking softly and tactfully, the Zang Yue Monarch added, "The Palace Master spends most of his time in Jiangzhou, and several Elders travel around Jiangbei. The King of Wutou simply didn’t know his place, which was why he dared to offend you."
Everyone understood and couldn’t help but chuckle.
It turned out that Daluo Palace didn’t have many experts stationed in Shanzhou, which had led to them being underestimated.
"The King of Wutou might have been weak, but the Western Divine Country must have powerful experts too, right? Otherwise, the Central Plains wouldn’t take them so seriously," Taoist Jing Chun asked.
"The Western Divine Country naturally has experts, but unless the Central Plains Dynasty attacks, or the Xuanwei Divine Sect and Spirit Court launch a massive invasion, they don’t intervene in the annexations between smaller Divine Countries." The Zang Yue Monarch continued, "It’s like raising Gu insects. When the smaller Divine Countries devour each other, they can produce even stronger experts, thereby increasing the pressure on the Central Plains Dynasty."
Taoist Yan Qi pondered for a moment. "In other words, if we go to the Western Divine Country, as long as we don’t encounter excessively powerful experts, those top experts of the Western Divine Country won’t make a move either?"
The Zang Yue Monarch was momentarily stunned and nodded subconsciously. "That’s true, but the Western Divine Country is located in a remote area, and its population isn’t particularly large. Are you all planning to establish a branch temple of Daluo Palace in Wutou Country and unify the Western Countries?"
The old Taoists all broke into smiles.
"The mortal world should be governed by the common people themselves."
"We have no interest in unifying the Western Countries. We are simply going there for Doing Good Deeds and Accumulating Virtue, and Eradicating Evil and Accumulating Merit."
"The current state of the Western Divine Kingdoms is perfectly suited for our missionary work!"
"The great revival of the Taoist Sect begins today!"