The curtains hung low, yet they vaguely made him feel uneasy.

"An Earth Immortal is coming!"

He alerted everyone and immediately held the Hook Paper, submerging his mind into it.

Suddenly, the surrounding fell into dead silence, all he saw was thick fog.

Li Yan was already familiar with this process and rushed forward swiftly.

It was once again the familiar stone well with black water, indeed still capturing Yin criminals.

Without a moment's hesitation, Li Yan placed his hand on the well edge, obtaining the Yin criminal's information.

Yin criminal: Hu Yue, nickname "Five Yin Mountain Lady."

Originating from a Xiangxi Corpse Chasing family, she retreated into the deep mountains after her family was exterminated by enemies. To seek revenge, she practiced evil techniques, refining "Hundred Ghosts Miasma" with Life Souls. After defeating enemies, she obtained secret techniques like "Tongyou Eight Diagram Formation" and possessed the magic artifact Blood Plague Umbrella: refined with heart blood of virgins, can spread Corpse Gu Poison...

Oh~

Li Yan was somewhat surprised upon seeing this.

The Yin Bureau's data this time was more detailed than before; could it be there's something unusual about this person?

No time to think further, he was about to turn and leave.

But just then, he caught a glimpse with his peripheral vision and was instantly alarmed.

Two massive figures appeared in the sky again. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

One dressed in a red robe was the most familiar Judge Cui.

The other clad in golden armor, also very familiar, was the Five Dao General.

Li Yan's heart stirred, he pretended to read the information while pricking up his ears.

Soon, a fuzzy and deep voice came from above:

"Judge Cui, any intel?"

"Already a lot."

"Hmph! Corrupt, nowadays someone is meddling, living Yin messengers are being hunted, and there are few left. Clearly there's a major event happening, are you just going to watch?"

"General's words are mistaken, 'Heavenly Rules' have orders, if we violate them, how are we different from them?"

"At least provide some support, what if this one dies too?"

"'Heavenly Rules'..."

"Don't mention 'Heavenly Rules', wasn't it broken just recently?"

"Cannot violate, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Taishan has a Netherworld Passage, entering with soul travel does not count as violating orders."

"Rubbish! That place requires the yin-yang reversal momentarily to enter, within such a short instant, how could mere mortals have a chance to enter?"

"Please don't make things difficult for this official, General..."

Their voices gradually faded, but Li Yan's heart was secretly trembling.

It turns out the Yin Bureau is also aware of the living Yin messengers being hunted.

It seems it's not only in the Capital, but the same situation is occurring in other places.

This Five Dao General is quite considerate.

Taishan Netherworld Passage, but where could it be...

Seeing as there was no more information to be heard, Li Yan swiftly exited this dreamscape.

Upon opening his eyes again, not even two breaths had passed.

"There's an Earth Immortal below, I'll handle it, attack!"

With the command given, Wu Ba didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion tore through the silence of Laojun Valley!

Wu Ba's eyes, like copper bells, flashed fiercely, the muzzle of the Tiger-Squat Cannon crackling with fire.

A heavy solid iron bullet, as large as a bowl, wrapped in terrifying wind force, slammed into the most crowded area.

No mercy!

No hesitation!

Wherever the muzzle pointed, it was all those who deserved death.

Time seemed to freeze for an instant.

The next moment, a terrifying scene unfolded:

A blossom of flesh and blood suddenly bloomed amidst the firelight.

At the center of the blast, three black-cloaked figures were instantly torn apart like ragged dolls, limbs and viscera fragments exploded outward in a radial pattern, staining the cold stone platform red.

The terrifying shockwave followed closely, the air tumult like an invisible ramming hammer sweeping across.

A dozen black-clad persons around screamed as they were hurled, or were struck by high-speed flying debris that shattered their bones and tendons, wailing as they rolled on the ground!

Broken arms and fractured legs were everywhere, the intense stench of blood instantly overshadowed the scent of sulfur and tung oil.

"Enemy attack——!!"

Beside the altar, Captain Bureau's Zhao Bingzhong's voice cracked in a cry of terror.

However, this deadly strike was just the beginning!

Even before the echo of the cannon faded, Sha Lifei already leaped like a forest swift eagle from another rocky crevice, appearing ghostly.

Still airborne, he pulled the trigger on the newly crafted firearm magic artifact.

Though he was still nurturing the weapon and hadn't mastered the Man and Gun as One technique, his precision surpassed that of ordinary sharpshooters.

Within the crowd, more than a dozen figures drew their Wodao, dispersing in a rush.

They were the Japanese previously in hiding.

The one at the forefront, after just a few steps, his upper body exploded, killed by Sha Lifei.

The Japanese samurai behind him did not retreat at all; instead, they quickened their pace.

They naturally knew about firearms, which can only shoot once.

At this distance, it's enough to charge at Sha Lifei for close combat.

However, they didn't know that Sha Lifei's firearm had been replaced with a revolver, capable of holding five bullets.

Boom boom boom!

Sha Lifei continuously pulled the trigger, and upon landing, he had already killed nearly half of the approaching Japanese samurai.

After landing, Sha Lifei did not pause, crouched and rolled, and the Guan Mountain Blade clanged as it was unsheathed.

The last approaching Japanese samurai was also slain by him with one slash to the throat.

Lv San did not charge directly but instead stood at a high vantage, a bone whistle between his fingers emitting a sharp, urgent melody.

In the darkness, countless rustling sounds erupted!

From the grass, rock crevices, and even from the toppled iron cages, a dense swarm of venomous snakes and insects surged forth as if commanded by a unified military order.

A Japanese ninja, who had just hidden to ambush Wu Ba, was caught by several venomous snakes around his calves, letting out a scream as he revealed himself.

The completely white little fox, Chu Qi, darted through the chaotic crowd like lightning, its emerald-green eyes flickering with a demonic glow, causing those who met its gaze to instantly become entranced and be struck down by their companions.

Kuai Dayou also displayed extraordinary combat power.

He excelled at mechanical skills, and his body was indeed covered with miscellaneous gadgets.

He threw several inconspicuous walnut-sized iron balls, which transformed with a "kaka" upon landing.

In an instant, numerous small flying blades with barbs shot out towards the nearby black-clad archers.

Though small, the flying blades had formidable armor-piercing power, causing the archers to fall, clutching their eyes and wailing.

But the fiercest was Wu Ba.

Like a human-shaped battle tank, after firing and achieving success, he charged into the crowd, roaring with his fists clad in gloves.

A Japanese samurai, confident in his superb swordsmanship, slashed diagonally at him, only to have the blade caught by Wu Ba's large hand like a fan, ignoring his palm being cut, and fiercely pulling the samurai into his embrace with unstoppable force.

Immediately after, the samurai's head was smashed like a watermelon by an iron fist.

Wu Ba then continued to punch with iron fists, slapping and kicking, crushing anyone in his path!

"Foiling my great plan! Young one, you're courting death!"

In the core of the altar, the Five Yin Mountain Lady Hu Yue, surrounded by black-robed men, let out a sharp cry like a night owl!

Her face was ferocious, her pupils flickering with a resentful bloody light, her hand moving swiftly with a spell before suddenly pointing to the dilapidated deserted temple behind her.

"Quick!"

Woo—!

A beam of blood-red light shot up from the palanquin.

It was a sinisterly ominous oil paper umbrella stained with dark red.

The umbrella opened with a "whoosh," and a stench, carried by the wind, rushed toward Li Yan and the others.

At the same time, Hu Yue's withered finger pointed remotely at Li Yan, emitting an urgent and eerie curse sound:

"Five Ghosts Binding Soul, Yin Sha Erosion Heart... Command!"

In an instant, an invisible, decaying death curse power attacked through the air!

This was an extremely powerful magic, not inferior to Wang Daoxuan's Seven Arrows Book.

"I've been waiting for you!"

All along presiding over the situation, Li Yan's eyes suddenly turned colder than frost!

At the moment Hu Yue released the oil paper umbrella, the scorching Hook Paper in Li Yan's hand was raised high!

"Heaven has record, earth has rules, Yin Bureau binds souls, living people avoid!"

As the words fell, the temperature in the valley plunged suddenly, and Yin Wind whipped up from the ground.

Rolling black mist surged up and rapidly spread around.

"Living Yin messenger!?"

Hu Yue's ruthless expression instantaneously transformed into boundless fear and disbelief!

The greatest nemesis of an Earth Immortal is a living Yin messenger.

For this reason, she had sought refuge in Spiritual Mountain under the protection of the Mystic Sect.

In extreme fright, she no longer dared to manipulate the Blood Plague Umbrella and curse Li Yan.

With a scream, her body turned into a rolling cloud of black mist, using her last resort "Five Yin Escape Technique" to flee using Earth Energy.

Whoosh~

The rolling black mist also chased through the air.

"Lin... Lin Yu!"

Lin Yaosong, struck with extreme fear, was disarmed of his blade by Fatty Lin's sword strike and turned to run.

Zhao Bingzhong and Zhou Xian were also pale-faced, attempting to escape deeper into the valley amid the chaos.

"Trying to run?" Sha Lifei sneered, blocking their path.

"Keep them alive! Bring them back to Taian!" Li Yan's voice boomed above the clamor, reaching everyone's ears.

Soon, under the fierce attacks of the Twelve Primordial Spirits, the remaining black-clad warriors were either slain or knelt in surrender.

The main criminals Zhao Bingzhong, Zhou Xian, Lin Yaosong, and those evil Dao cultivators of the Tongyou Eight Diagram Formation were all tied up like rice dumplings by Kuai Dayou's mechanical ropes and Lv San's vines, dragged along the ground like stray dogs.

At the same time, the swirling black mist also returned and seeped underground.

Li Yan knew that the Five Yin Mountain Lady was already a corpse.

Blood and carnage filled the valley, with severed limbs and broken blades strewn everywhere.

Under Wang Daoxuan and Long Yan'er's comforting, the young boys and girls shivered but were temporarily safe.

Looking at the captured main criminals, Li Yan's gaze was icy cold:

"Keep them secure! Bring along the children from the mountain temple... Let's return to Taian City!"

"Let's see how rotten the city government has become!"