Above the Great Dao

Qing Province, night falls.

Li Tianqing walks down the streets of Qing Province, a small courtyard floating in his mind.

All around are terrified people, scattering and fleeing, cries echoing endlessly.

Recently, towering Ghost Gods have appeared outside Qingzhou City, as well as Ghost Monsters eating people. There were even Yin Messengers docking boats by the river, capturing ghosts, stirring panic among the people of Qing Province.

The governor Liu Dingchen led the Prefecture Soldiers towards the city gate while other officials within the city were fleeing or hiding. The local government was already in disarray, and only about half of his soldiers remained.

He wanted to flee as well, but didn't dare.

He feared the Scarlet Horse Bandits.

The Scarlet Horse Bandits once slaughtered corrupt officials in Qing Province, creating a bloodbath within the bureaucracy. Officials were almost entirely replaced, and only he survived due to his relatively clean record.

Since then, the people of Qing Province have worshipped the Scarlet Horse Bandits, building temples for them and offering incense.

If he escapes, he fears the Scarlet Horse Bandits will find him and kill him in one blow.

Moreover, if the sun, which is the sun of the entire West Bull New Continent, goes out, other places will likely be just like Qing Province.

Even if not for the people of Qing Province, he must strive for a way out for himself and his wife and children!

He's shielding and protecting Qingzhou City!

Currently, everyone in Qingzhou City is on edge, and there are some audacious individuals seizing wealth amidst the chaos. Normally, Liu Dingchen would order the arrest of these lawless individuals, but now he must focus on guarding Qingzhou City.

From the city gate came the heart-stopping roar of Ghost Monsters. Liu Dingchen led the crowd onto the city tower and looked down, only to see hundreds of Ghost Monsters galloping across the wasteland in the moonlight, swiftly approaching.

Each of these Ghost Monsters stands over ten yards tall, fierce and terrifying, covered in skeletal remains, with some wielding weapons.

And behind the Ghost Monsters was a towering Ghost God, standing three thousand yards tall, surveying from afar. With a shake of its body, numerous Ghost Monsters swarmed like fleas from its frame, joining the ghostly torrent rushing towards them!

"Block them!" Liu Dingchen shouted loudly, but his voice trembled.

Soldiers on the wall shivered with fear, watching the Ghost Monsters drawing closer and closer.

"We can't block them, there's no way we can..." a young soldier's legs trembled.

At this moment, Talismans shot out from within the city, shining in the sky, transforming into golden "immobilization" characters!

The "immobilization" characters measure about one point six seven yards long, positioned about forty yards from the city walls.

Liu Dingchen was stunned. Turning to look, he saw Red Mountain Hall's Talisman Masters leap swiftly to the walls.

Various Talismans emerged from their waists, floating at their fingertips, already igniting, ready for action.

Their spirit was magnificent, uniform, even more elite than his soldiers.

Liu Dingchen knew of Red Mountain Hall, a Talisman Master Association that had risen in the last half year, recruiting failed Scholars, idle Scholars at home, teaching them cultivation techniques, and Talisman script skills, leading them to hunt Evil Spirits, making money by exterminating them.

In just half a year, Red Mountain Hall's Talisman Master Association had grown significantly, with over two hundred people in Qingzhou City, and dozens in each county across Qing Province.

These people were Talisman Masters, considered unruly by the Court. Such gatherings warranted caution, and Liu Dingchen had reported it to the Court, submitting a memorial stating: "The Red Mountain Hall Talisman Master Association gathers in the countryside, secretly teaching spells, forming associations, clandestinely sharing skills, and the Talisman Masters assist each other unusually united. If this continues, chaos will ensue, with the threat of dissent towards the Court."

He proposed to the Court to ban Red Mountain Hall, apprehending or executing its Hall Master and Incense Master, leaving the Talisman Masters leaderless to avert disaster unnoticed.

However, there was no response from the Western Capital Court.

"They've truly become formidable."

Liu Dingchen observed the Red Mountain Hall Talisman Masters whose spirit was incomparable to his soldiers, thinking to himself, "Their leaders must have great ambition! Ah, calamity looms over us, why am I contemplating these things?"

The sound of rushing Ghost Monsters sounded like thousands of galloping horses, surging in, soon breaching forty yards, entering the immobilization charm's range, where they hit the immobilization web like mosquitoes on a spider's web, held in place.

At that moment, a voice called out: "Heavenly Thunder Introduction."

The voice was somewhat familiar, prompting Liu Dingchen to quickly look in that direction, but he couldn't discern who was speaking in the moonlight.

Talismans flew from the fingertips of those Talisman Masters, summoning heavenly thunder. Bolts streaked down, striking the Ghost Monsters' heads, toppling them instantly!

More Ghost Monsters surged from behind, trampling over the bodies of their companions, leaping forward angrily, shredding the Talismans floating in the air.

They landed heavily, rushing towards the walls.

"Five Mountains Talisman." The familiar voice rang out again.

Talismans flew from the fingertips of the Talisman Masters, turning into great mountains descending from the sky, suppressing the Ghost Monsters trying to advance, hindering their progress.

Once again, the voice sounded: "Meridian Evil Slayer Sword's First Form, Stabbing Sword Style."

A group of Talisman Masters each formed sword techniques with their hands, thrusting sword fingers. Invisible Sword Qi pierced the night, running through the Ghost Monsters' bodies, and Ghost Monsters fell in droves again.

Liu Dingchen thought, "The owner of this voice is not very old; I must have heard it somewhere."

Just as he thought this, he suddenly saw Ghost Gods, towering a hundred yards, angrily charging with massive leg bones towards them, causing the earth to shake incessantly. This momentum would surely smash the city gate and tower, and the swing of the enormous leg bone could demolish the city wall!