For the ancient mortals, there were four kinds of natural disasters capable of leaving nine out of ten households deserted: floods, droughts, famine, and locusts.
The Restraint Officers' Hall perfectly demonstrated the terror of locusts passing through.
"Run!!!"
An old Daoist with white hair and a youthful complexion stood atop an island-shaped artifact, frantically urging his disciples to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the Heavenly Court cultivators.
Unlike the forces that had already fallen, they had not been detected because of the artifact's effects.
The island released a faint mist, while the surrounding clouds concealed the artifact.
Yet the old Daoist knew full well that if they could not leave Jingzhou as quickly as possible, what awaited them would be the encirclement and attack of tens of thousands of Heavenly Court cultivators.
He opened the four eyes on his forehead. Three of them possessed Double Pupils, while the remaining eye had white pupils.
While the old Daoist was observing the surroundings, his disciples dressed in brocade Daoist robes gathered around him. They had all been scared out of their wits by the ferocity of the Heavenly Court cultivators.
"Master, just what kind of force is the Heavenly Court?"
"With your reputation built over all these years, can't you persuade the Heavenly Court to spare us?"
"Master, why don't we fight our way out? We can carve out a path through them..."
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist pinched the bridge of his nose as his disciples chattered around him. His eyes reddened, and he roared, "What are you thinking? The Heavenly Court is acting with such complete disregard for consequences. There must be an Immortal Wanderer overseeing them. Don't forget about that Dragon King of the Four Seas."
"Master, the Dragon King of the Four Seas... should only be a rumor, right..."
The disciples looked at one another, suddenly realizing that disaster had arrived.
Although the Four-Eyed Old Daoist was only at the Yang God realm, the peculiar characteristics of his technique allowed him to see the Strange Things within living beings.
He understood one thing very clearly. Cultivators who mastered techniques always sought stability. Even when a technique had flaws, they would do their utmost to avoid them during cultivation.
But the Heavenly Court cultivators were precisely the opposite.
The reason he was so terrified was because he had discovered that the bodies of the so-called Heavenly Soldiers contained twisted and grotesque Strange Things.
Many of those Strange Things were already on the verge of losing control.
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist had even noticed that some cultivators were already completely inhuman. Their bodies were half human and Half-Corpse, and they relied on Yin Qi to cling to life.
Aside from madmen, what force would cultivate its subordinate cultivators in such a manner?
"They really are a bunch of lunatics..."
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist muttered in disbelief. Blood tears flowed from his Double Pupils, which soon began to turn pale. This indicated that he had used his technique too much and exceeded the burden his body could bear.
The Surface Layer World was becoming barren at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist could clearly see that the Heavenly Soldiers were coordinating with one another. They simply had no intention of sparing even a blade of grass or a single tree.
"Roar!!!"
A Corpse Ghost let out a piercing howl. It charged toward the island on all fours.
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist cursed several times under his breath. His Double Pupils shot out searing rays of light, only for them to be blocked by the Crabmen parasitizing the Corpse Ghost's spine.
The Restraint Officers' Hall cultivators also swarmed over, surging toward the island artifact from all directions.
His expression became dazed. He recalled the scene from when he was still a mortal, when he had encountered a locust plague. Even a Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts could not compare with this.
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist signaled all his disciples to launch a counterattack. Various techniques crashed toward the ground, yet the Heavenly Soldiers did not dodge or evade at all.
Sen Sheng took the lead and stood at the forefront. After all, techniques could not break through hundreds of layers of human skin. Instead, he could use them to temper the resilience of the Human Skin Book.
"Hahahaha! The Heavenly Court's Cocoon Division. My name is Ten Thousand Techniques Unable to Harm Me."
He took a deep breath. The aura of techniques filled the spaces between every layer of human skin, and his body instantly swelled to a little over a hundred meters tall, allowing the techniques to strike him freely.
"Monster..."
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist could not help but retreat several steps. It was the first time he had felt such an indescribable threat from cultivators of a lower realm.
The disciples' movements as they released their techniques froze. Even the Four-Eyed Old Daoist, their backbone, had fallen into a disadvantageous position. How could they still have any fighting spirit?
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist's face turned livid. He understood that if he did not eliminate Sen Sheng, he would definitely perish in Jingzhou.
Given the Heavenly Court's brutality, they probably would not deliberately leave survivors.
He abruptly tore open his Daoist robe. On his exposed chest was a fist-sized set of Double Pupils. Bulging veins connected them to his blood vessels, constantly supplying them with blood.
Immediately afterward, light gathered continuously within the Double Pupils. The aura of the Yang God realm was exposed without reservation. Before the technique could even react, the light struck Sen Sheng's body.
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist's Destruction Technique was swift, precise, and ruthless by nature. Even a Heavenly Aberration realm cultivator could not track the light when caught off guard.
Bang!!!
Smoke and dust billowed. Sen Sheng was sent flying backward, and his chest and abdomen could be seen to have been completely pierced through. His internal organs had all suffered severe injuries.
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist breathed a sigh of relief. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at his disciples. Their morale had clearly recovered somewhat, and they cheered as they drove back the Heavenly Soldiers.
He stared at the Corpse Ghost waiting for an opportunity and intended to press his advantage.
At that moment, Sen Sheng's mocking voice rang out.
"Old Daoist, you've got some skill. You almost injured my flesh and bones. Too bad your technique isn't well practiced enough. Go into seclusion for a few more years."
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist's pupils contracted slightly. He then let out a muffled groan, clearly because the unexpected interruption of his technique had caused a backlash to his body and soul.
Sen Sheng peeled the skin from his body like taking off clothes. His injuries completely healed in the blink of an eye, though his complexion was slightly pale.
"You destroyed thirty-two layers of my human skin..."
"Please keep up the good work. I still have five hundred layers."
He thoroughly enjoyed the exhilaration brought about by the destruction of his skin. Under the effects of the technique, all his remaining layers of human skin had received significant improvement.
The Cocoon Vein was notorious throughout the Restraint Officers' Hall for its masochists. They were famous for their love of battle and would even take the initiative to ask others to attack them.
Sen Sheng was one of the outstanding members of the Cocoon Vein, and every day he practiced the Human Skin Book in increasingly varied ways.
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist was momentarily at a loss. Seeing this, the Daoist temple disciples immediately launched an attack.
Their bodies merged with Ghost Shadows, transforming into Flood Serpents of shadow that weaved through the clouds and spewed corrosive black flames.
Scattered among the Daoist temple disciples were also a few Wind Void People.
Ren Qing had not brought the Wind Void People into the Stomach World. They were currently stationed at the Bottomless Pit near Jingzhou. However, their consciousness was already connected to Dream City, making them unofficial members of the Restraint Officers' Hall.
Some of the Wind Void People noticed the missions in Dream City and came specifically to Jingzhou to join in the excitement. Their performance was fairly ordinary.
Feng Ye did not come along. He spent most of his time in the Small Heavenly Court, only occasionally visiting Dream City, which had been established by the "descendants of the Heavenly Court."
The Corpse Ghost exerted force with all four limbs and shot into the sky before landing heavily on the island artifact.
The Crabmen on its back released strands of insect silk. The other cultivators climbed along the insect silk toward the island, moving even faster than the Daoist temple disciples.
From the moment the island artifact was exposed to the moment it fell, only an instant had passed.
The aura of death surged toward them. The vegetation planted on the island gradually withered because of the Yin Qi.
The Four-Eyed Old Daoist's expression collapsed. He shouted hysterically, "Don't kill me! Spare my life! I beg you..."
"Please let me go!"
He repeatedly knocked his head against the ground. Blood dripped from his chin, leaving him looking utterly miserable.
The disciples watched their master weeping uncontrollably. There was not the slightest trace of the bearing of an ancient Daoist immortal. He looked more like a prisoner about to be taken to the execution ground.
The Corpse Ghost gave a cold laugh and signaled the other cultivators to dismantle the island artifact.
Although their strength was not particularly impressive, they numbered more than a hundred thousand, with most of them inside the island and responsible for operating the artifact.
The Corpse Ghost encountered the Four-Eyed Old Daoist surrendering outright and angrily contacted Ren Qing.
Ren Qing hesitated for a moment before casting Heavenly Demon Possession. He directly allowed the Ghost Shadow to descend into the Surface Layer World and envelop the entire island.
Amid the Four-Eyed Old Daoist's dejected pleas for mercy, the cultivators above the Yin Difference realm disappeared.
They were all imprisoned in the cells on the third level of the Underworld. First, the value contained within their memories would be completely extracted. Only afterward would the matter of recruiting them be considered.
As for the remaining hundred thousand or so people, Ren Qing simply threw them into the great desert of the Stomach World.
Whether they lived or died would depend on their own fate. If they managed to develop a prosperous civilization, they would naturally come into contact with the Restraint Officers' Hall several centuries later.
The Stomach World needed large numbers of different cultivation civilizations to enrich the foundation of the Restraint Officers' Hall.
Ren Qing gave the cultivators participating in the missions additional rewards. They could handle the island artifact themselves, and every one of them made a fortune.
Afterward, he simply allowed the cultivators to plunder the resources of the Surface Layer World.
In less than half a month, the Surface Layer World had been completely stripped bare, with not a blade of grass remaining. The Restraint Officers' Hall cultivators also returned to the Stomach World fully satisfied.
The other gains were inconsequential. What pleased Ren Qing most were the tens of thousands of Strange Things.
Ren Qing raised his gaze. Compared with the Surface Layer World, the Inner Layer World would only have more resources, and the same was true for the number of Strange Things.
He had no idea where the mastermind had obtained tens of thousands of Strange Things.
Now that the Restraint Officers' Hall had gotten them at a bargain, it was not a loss after all. After tracing their origins, the mastermind could barely be considered the founding ancestor of the Restraint Officers' Hall.
Ren Qing placed the Strange Things in the Heavenly Palace, while the bacterial souls tirelessly reverse-engineered their techniques.
According to his estimate, after removing duplicate techniques, there should be at least a thousand additional techniques. It seemed the Great Dream Technique Pavilion would have to expand again.
The Restraint Officers' Hall came and went without a trace, and the Surface Layer World returned to tranquility.
Later, several rogue cultivators arrived in Jingzhou, only to discover the devastated Surface Layer World. They could not help feeling apprehensive.
They originally thought that some change had occurred in the rules of the Immortal Position, but later they found an ordinary flag at the highest peak of the Surface Layer World.
The flag was not an artifact, but it was embroidered with a pattern of the Southern Heavenly Gate, along with the words "Heavenly Court."
Not long ago, the reputation of the Heavenly Court had only spread within a small area. But after this disturbance, practically no one was unaware of it.
They discussed the secrets of antiquity, yet they had no idea what role the Heavenly Court played.
As the saying went, three people repeating a rumor could make it seem true. Once every force knew that the Heavenly Court existed, whether it was true or false was no longer particularly important.
Ren Qing secretly waited for the situation in Jingzhou to continue fermenting.
At the same time, he began sending Restraint Officers' Hall cultivators into the Inner Layer World. However, the inner layer was not as safe as the outer layer. There were bound to be Heavenly Aberration realm cultivators there, so the number of people willing to participate in the missions dropped considerably.
Han Li decided to enter seclusion and digest his resources, while Gu Immortal chose to descend into the Inner Layer World.
Gu Immortal only possessed Yin Difference realm cultivation in Jingzhou. He had to seize the remaining opportunities and pursue more Blood Crystals.
Ren Qing did not pay attention to developments in the Inner Layer World.
It was impossible for him to care about the life and death of every cultivator. Even if someone possessed extraordinary talent, dying because of poor fortune was simply their fate.
Opportunity and danger had always existed side by side. Besides, Ren Qing simply had no time.
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Pilgrimage was approaching. Given Ren Qing's methods of preserving his life, he naturally wanted to interfere. Moreover, he could first use bacterial souls to explore.
He was very curious. The mastermind was clearly a Buddhist disciple of the Tathagata Fruit Position, yet his forces were unable to suppress the Earth Immortals and had even allowed Taiyin Star Lord to turn the tables.
What would happen if he summoned the Corpse Immortal and created a three-way balance among the Earth Immortals?
Ren Qing immediately cast Heavenly Demon Possession. However, this time it was the bacterial soul that descended, while his true body's body and soul remained in the Dragon Blood Sea Region.
At the same time, the Deeper Layer World was becoming increasingly lively. Every day, people could be seen making offerings to the monks preparing to attend the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pilgrimage.
The currency of the Deeper Layer World was similar to the silver currency of Xiangxiang. Almost every monk received at least several hundred taels of gold.
On the surface, everything was calm and peaceful. In reality, the dangers were all hidden in the shadows.
Whenever he had free time, Daoist Pig wandered around the temple, hoping to find information about the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pilgrimage. Unfortunately, even the Buddhas knew nothing about it.
He could not help becoming anxious. He always felt that if he entered the game rashly, he would be tricked to death.
An old man with a sparse beard on his cheeks smiled as he stopped Daoist Pig and pointed toward the noodle shop he operated.
"Master Wuneng, you will be meeting Fude Tathagata in a few days. Why don't you help our little shop by writing a few characters for us?"
Daoist Pig smiled without meaning it. Normally, writing a few characters could earn a considerable sum of silver, and if it had been any other monk, they would have agreed before he could even finish asking.
But Daoist Pig truly did not want to leave too many traces behind in the Deeper Layer World.
The matter of a Fruit Position Buddha was simply too sinister. Even if they suddenly displayed the ability to kill someone through a curse from a great distance, Daoist Pig would not be surprised in the slightest.
Besides, he had already understood that the Buddha behind the arrangement in Jingzhou was at least a Bodhisattva Fruit Position.
"Amitabha. This poor monk still has matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave first."
Daoist Pig fled in confusion, vanishing into the streets and alleys.
He could not help complaining inwardly. Of the two cultivators sent by the Heavenly Court, one was a fake monk at the Yin Difference realm who spent all day cultivating inside his room.
The other was a White Bone Skeleton at the Heavenly Aberration realm who simply could not show himself in public.
That left Daoist Pig to investigate the clues himself. The problem was that he was also terrified. This temple alone had at least three Heavenly Aberration realm Buddhas guarding it.
Regardless of how much water there was in the cultivation of the Jingzhou Buddhas, they were still not opponents he could easily fight.
What gave Daoist Pig the biggest headache was that they had not even set out yet. Tang Sheng and the other person could stay inside their rooms for long periods of time. But once they formally departed for Fude Tathagata, how were they supposed to conceal the Heavenly Court cultivators who were so completely out of place?
"The consequence of offending the Heavenly Court is probably worse than death, right?"
Daoist Pig wore a bitter expression as he took a winding route back toward his residence. He intended to discuss countermeasures properly with Daoist Mu Snake.
If all else failed, he could only apologize to them and leave. He did not want to die inexplicably in the Deeper Layer World.
Just as Daoist Pig approached the entrance of the temple, he suddenly noticed an inconspicuous paper crane resting on a nearby tree branch.
His eyes lit up with delight, and he kept muttering, "I'm saved."
Daoist Pig had a strange personality, but he was not without connections. Some time ago, he had contacted many forces, hoping to figure out what was happening.
The paper crane was a technique used to transmit information and was extremely concealed.
He looked around before trembling as he picked up the paper crane. After opening it, a stream of divine sense poured into his mind, bringing with it some additional memories.
Daoist Pig's expression stiffened. The contents contained within the memories made him shudder with fear the more he thought about them.
"The Heavenly Court launched a surprise attack on the Surface Layer Jingzhou, sweeping away every force with overwhelming ease..."
He had no choice but to believe it, because the memories also contained a large number of images. The Heavenly Court cultivators were plundering the Surface Layer World like locusts.
The images should have been recorded by an artifact. Cultivators could not possibly have survived in the midst of the locust disaster.
Daoist Pig collapsed onto the ground. Judging by the strength displayed by the Heavenly Court, he had already been caught in their grasp. He might as well obediently serve as a suicide squad member.
He sighed repeatedly and hurried through the side entrance of the temple.
Woof, woof, woof...
Rapid barking rang out. The monks chanting scriptures abruptly stopped, and the previously noisy temple suddenly fell completely silent.
Daoist Pig's footsteps paused slightly, and his heart began beating uncontrollably.
He looked toward the corner. A common stray dog from Jingzhou was barking continuously, while its abdomen began to writhe as though something were rolling around inside.
Unable to hold on any longer, the stray dog spat a long snake out of its mouth.
The long snake, which possessed characteristics of a dragon, struggled frantically. The stray dog whimpered and ran away, leaving behind only the snake whose flesh continued to proliferate.
Daoist Pig swallowed. How could he fail to understand? Another Heavenly Court entity had descended.
This time, however, there was clearly something different. A terrifying aura spread outward.
Daoist Pig could sense that the newcomer possessed the strength of the Heavenly Aberration realm, yet it seemed somewhat unstable, creating an extremely contradictory sensation.
The snake's bones assembled themselves, forming a human shape. Its skin shimmered with dazzling light and shadows, causing even the surrounding air to tear apart.
After a moment, the dragon limbs transformed into Ren Qing's appearance.
Because it was a bacterial soul descending into the Inner Layer World, this incarnation was primarily based on the Zhili Technique, which was why it resembled Great Dream真人.
"I wonder... which Immortal Venerable of the Heavenly Court you are."
Ren Qing took out a Daoist robe and draped it over himself, gradually suppressing the aura of his techniques before saying, "The Heavenly Court's stars and constellations, Lord of the North Pole Star."
He possessed five Heavenly Aberration realm techniques, so naturally he could create several more identities. It could also highlight the profound strength of the Heavenly Court.
"Lord of the North Pole Star..."
Daoist Pig gave an awkward smile and nodded, his back already drenched in cold sweat.
At present, the Heavenly Court had revealed at least four Heavenly Aberration realm cultivators, and judging by appearances, it was still holding something back. This made him shudder at the implications.
Contrasting with their strength was the Heavenly Court's indescribable ambition.
The Heavenly Court had clearly intervened in Jingzhou with a plan in mind. Whatever could interest such a colossal force probably was not merely an opportunity to come into contact with the Heavenly Dao. That would be somewhat unrealistic.
Apart from the Heavenly Dao, what else remained in Jingzhou? Was it not the Earth Immortals?
Could it be that the Heavenly Court intended to move against the Earth Immortals and seize the Immortal Positions required to attain immortality and the Dao? Were they not afraid of provoking the Turbid Immortals into an uprising?
Daoist Pig's mind was filled with questions, but at the same time, he deeply understood one principle.
The more one knew, the more dangerous one's circumstances became.
"Lord of the North Pole, what do you think of me? Could I perhaps contribute to the Heavenly Court?"
Daoist Pig ingratiatingly moved closer, yet his heart was filled with misery. Once he boarded this pirate ship, he was afraid he would not even know how he had died.
"Forget it, Zhu Wuneng."
Ren Qing rejected him outright. Although the Restraint Officers' Hall had already begun recruiting Heavenly Aberration realm cultivators, they were all first imprisoned in the Underworld.
As for someone like Daoist Mu Snake, he knew very little about the true foundations of the Restraint Officers' Hall. In addition, his Yin Qi was restrained by the Fengdu Corpse Emperor, so Ren Qing could use him with confidence.
Even so, once the events in Jingzhou concluded, Daoist Mu Snake would still have to return to the Yellow Springs.
Daoist Pig was on the verge of tears. He always felt that before long, the Heavenly Court would deal with him incidentally and leave him buried in a foreign land.
Given the terrifying divine abilities of the Heavenly Court, which came and went without a trace, escaping would probably be impossible.
Ren Qing added as he walked, "However, Zhu Wuneng, you have a connection with Buddhism. You can enter under the tutelage of Lingshan Tathagata."
Daoist Pig wanted to speak but hesitated. When he thought of that mountain formed from piled-up flesh and blood, and the means by which countless Buddhas had been birthed in a short period of time, no matter how he looked at it, it was difficult to associate it with Buddhism.
He did not immediately agree. After coming back to his senses, he looked toward Ren Qing's back.
Although Ren Qing had already restrained his aura, a seven-colored halo still radiated from his body. In a temple filled with ordinary mortals, he was extraordinarily conspicuous.
"Lord of the North Pole, be careful that the Buddhas don't notice you."
"It's fine."
Ren Qing glanced at Daoist Pig and walked boldly toward the depths of the temple. The sound of monks chanting scriptures began to come from all around once more.
He moved among the monks. Although the bacterial soul was primarily based on the Zhili Technique, the Heavenly Demon Tribulation also acted upon the soul, allowing him to exert eighty percent of its power.
Daoist Pig's scalp went numb. Ren Qing was only several hundred meters away from the nearest Buddha, yet such an obvious aura of techniques had no presence whatsoever.
He finally understood how they would proceed to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pilgrimage.
With Lord of the North Pole's divine techniques, concealing several people was far too easy. At the same time, it demonstrated how thoroughly the Heavenly Court's plan had been prepared.
Ren Qing gave Daoist Pig a few simple instructions before casually finding a room and settling down.
With the Heavenly Demon Tribulation protecting him, only an Earth Immortal could see through his flaws. The problem was that the Earth Immortals of Jingzhou were all troubled to varying degrees.
Ren Qing noticed that Tang Sheng's aura had become somewhat unstable.
He had not expected the environment of the Deeper Layer World to be so suitable for cultivating the Vajra Body. In a few months, Tang Sheng would be able to reach the perfection of the Yin Difference realm.
He had originally intended to have Tang Sheng return to the Stomach World, but seeing this, there was no need to hurry.
At present, the Deeper Layer World was still within a controllable range. Buddhism possessed absolute authority, while the extraterritorial heavenly demons could only wait for an opportunity.
Daoist Mu Snake, meanwhile, remained in a state of meditation, seemingly recalling the experiences of his life before death.
Since Ren Qing had come to the Deeper Layer World, he had no intention of remaining idle.
The Ghost Shadow silently traveled to Jinmen Temple in the Small Buddha Heaven. The temple had already regained some vitality, with several thousand elderly, weak, sick, and disabled monks.
The Great Buddha Heaven had clearly redeployed Buddhas to guard Jinmen Temple. However, no matter how they arranged things, they could not change the fact that Lingshan Tathagata had invaded the Small Buddha Heaven. The Buddhas were still Ren Qing's informants.
He felt that the cultivators of the Inner Layer World would soon ascend to the Deeper Layer World, which could very likely cause chaos in the Small Buddha Heaven.
It would be better to take control of the Small Buddha Heaven now, which would also make it convenient to carry out his subsequent plans.
Ren Qing controlled Lingshan Tathagata and communicated through his consciousness with more than ten thousand Buddhas.
The Small Buddha Heaven immediately boiled over. After all, Lingshan Tathagata had been completely silent for a long time, and many believers had assumed that the Great Buddha Heaven had eliminated him.
Large numbers of Buddhas knelt on the ground, devoutly gazing toward the sunlight in the sky.
Because their bodies contained the Buddhist Qi of Lingshan Tathagata, their souls could not give birth to even the slightest thought of rebellion. Their expressions were fanatical.
Ren Qing ordered them to send the heretical believers to Jinmen Temple and have them completely convert to Lingshan Tathagata.
One Buddha after another opened their eyes before attacking their companions without the slightest hesitation.
The number of Buddhas who believed in Lingshan Tathagata was already several times greater than the number of ordinary Buddhas, causing the battle to become a one-sided rout.
The Ghost Shadow arrived in the depths of Jinmen Temple and formed a vortex-like pitch-black passage.
The first batch of Buddhas was escorted to Jinmen Temple. The Ghost Shadow wrapped around their bodies, their lower halves sinking into the passage. In reality, they were in the Western Buddhist Realm.
Lingshan Tathagata extended his tentacles and devoured their Buddhist Qi. After advancing to the Heavenly Aberration realm, his efficiency against Yang God realm Buddhas was extremely high.
Before the Great Buddha Heaven had time to pay attention to the disturbance in the Small Buddha Heaven, the Buddhas had already changed allegiance.
The Restraint Officers' Hall cultivators continued descending into the Inner Layer World. Before anyone realized it, Ren Qing had already occupied most of Jingzhou, even forming an encircling formation.
The various forces could not find any trace of the Heavenly Court, yet the Heavenly Court appeared everywhere.