Due to the recent arrangement of a blood formation, Zhang Tian's physical strength was somewhat depleted.
Reluctant to consume a Snow Lotus Pill, Zhang Tian could only endure the body's fatigue and set up another Qilin Formation outside.
However, the power of this formation was, as one might expect, very weak, only serving to impede.
Subsequently, Zhang Tian dug several more pits outside and prepared an escape route.
After the group spent nearly half an hour setting everything up, Zhang Tian's gaze finally turned to the dilapidated Taoist temple before them.
To be honest, if anyone were actually residing in this temple, Zhang Tian would be the last to believe it.
"Boss, I just checked. This Taoist temple hasn't been lived in for at least three years," Hu Bayi said in a low voice, surveying the area outside the temple entrance.
The temple had no gate, and the original wooden doors had long since rotted away, leaving only a frame. On either side stood statues of the sacred beasts Qilin and White Tiger, though they too were damaged.
Inside, there seemed to be many more buildings, all appearing quite dilapidated.
"Boss, if anyone's living in here, Fatty will lick all the snow off Qingfeng Mountain clean!" Fatty declared confidently, looking at the run-down temple.
Zhang Tian shot him a look.
"Eastern Qilin, Western White Tiger. How strange. The east should be the position of Azure Dragon," Zhang Tian murmured, looking up.
"Qingfeng Temple"
He saw the three characters "Qingfeng Temple" carved above, giving it a somewhat solemn appearance.
"Let's go in and take a look."
As Zhang Tian spoke, the others nodded and, with light footsteps, walked towards the interior.
"Tuantuan doesn't sense any demonic energy inside, so it's safe here, Daddy," the little fox said cheerfully from the side.
"No demonic energy doesn't necessarily mean it's safe. Let's still be careful," Zhang Tian cautioned. After passing through a long corridor, everything came into view.
A large Taoist temple appeared before them.
The temple likely occupied an area of about 150 meters, surrounded by numerous smaller buildings. In the east, west, north, and south directions, several smaller Taoist temples had been constructed.
At the center stood a large main temple.
The surrounding decorations and the placement of objects were quite disordered, clearly indicating that no one had lived here for a long time.
"This design is very intricate!" Hu Bayi exclaimed, looking at the surrounding architecture and layout with a sense of awe.
"Old Hu, you're enlightened again?" Fatty asked, looking at Hu Bayi.
"Look, at the four corners of the temple – east, west, north, and south – there are two smaller temples each, meant to suppress the Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Branches, as well as spirits and specters."
"The central temple acts as a pivot, which is quite ingenious," Hu Bayi explained. Zhang Tian nodded.
"Old Hu is right. This is actually a formation, using the natural energy of the temple itself to repel all spirits and specters. It's a shame it ended up like this." Zhang Tian sighed. He felt he might not even be able to set up such a formation, as it was too difficult, requiring not only the power of heaven but also the power of the Taoist patriarchs.
His gaze fell upon the grand temple before him.
"Boss, what we saw smoking earlier, that should be this thing, right? But no one lives here, so how could it be smoking?" Fatty asked, pointing at the main temple, puzzled.
"Let's go in and find out," Zhang Tian replied. The group began walking towards the central temple.
The central temple was quite tall, with a staircase leading up.
Without hesitation, they ascended.
Meanwhile, outside the scene.
Countless viewers were in shock.
Some were also enraged.
"Holy crap? Are those weasels dogs? How could they treat people like this?"
"The villagers offered them sacrifices, yet they were still killed or skinned alive and frozen to death?"
"Damn, it's chilling to think about. Fortunately, it's forbidden to become spirits after the founding of the PRC, otherwise, with these guys' abilities, could we really deal with them?"
"Wait, is there a possibility that Zhang Tian and his team destroyed all those evil spirits, which is why they've gradually become fewer in modern times?"
"Impossible. Zhang Tian only has a few people. Even if they had the ability, who would bother to go around eradicating evil spirits?"
"If Zhang Tian and his team wiped out those weasels, I'll be the first to thank him on behalf of my whole family!"
"Hold on, that statement sounds a bit off."
"Putting that aside, is this Huang Daxian real? It's a bit absurd, it's actually flying!"
"No, I'm going to the mountains in the northeast right now to find a weasel and ask it if it's human."
Below the stage, countless people were discussing.
Especially after seeing the innumerable weasels, some were left with their mouths agape.
Chen Xi looked at Huang Daxian in the screen, swallowing hard.
That Huang Daxian had immense research value, a pity it wasn't a product of this era.
If Huang Daxian still existed, Chen Xi believed that even without her saying anything, the authorities would have ordered its capture, sparing no expense. But unfortunately, she didn't know if it still existed.
Especially seeing tens of thousands of weasels crawling out of the graves.
At that moment, Chen Xi found herself drawn into the scene.
She wondered if she could survive if she were in that situation.
She had thought of a hundred ways, but the answer was only one: she would surely die. And this weasel tomb didn't seem to be the most mysterious.
The ancient city of Jingjue seemed even more formidable. She now felt that it would be abnormal if her grandfather and his team had survived their expedition to Jingjue.
At this time, the live broadcast from Xia Kingdom had already spread overseas.
"My God, Xia Kingdom is truly a colorful country."
"Are these the immortals of Xia Kingdom? So powerful, just like our Thor."
"I heard that vampires have appeared in an ancient castle in Australia!"
"Holy shit, really? Aren't vampires bats? Eating bats can cause illness, it's not recommended."
"Fuck, hurry up and tell those vampires to wear masks before they go out!"
"Yeah, let's get a PCR test first..."
After Huang Daxian appeared, the audience could more clearly see that in this world, even monsters could become immortals.
The old man's stories seemed to be more than just idle tales.
At this moment, the scene continued.
Inside the large Taoist temple.
Five people and one fox stood within the temple.
A Taoist temple fundamentally differs from a Buddhist hall. In a Buddhist hall, the deity you worship generally has no direct connection to you.
Most are deities like Tathagata Buddha or Blissful Buddha. The monks in the temples also generally haven't received direct favors from them or have a direct relationship.
However, a Taoist shrine is different.
Here, deities worshipped are masters, ancestors, and predecessors. They have received the inheritance of their predecessors.
They are like family, yet not related by blood.
Moreover, Taoism is not as ornate as Buddhism, with its lavish gold and splendor. Here, it is much simpler.
It doesn't appear as luxurious.
Looking around, Fatty was the first to express his feelings.
"Boss, shouldn't there be golden splendor and several statues on top for worship? Why are there only spirit tablets inside?"
"Isn't this too simple?" Fatty asked with confusion.
Zhang Tian looked at the numerous wooden tablets before him, his brow furrowing slightly.
"These wooden tablets represent the Taoist ancestors of Qingfeng Temple or the spirit tablets of its past disciples. It's a pity that these tablets are all damaged to some extent."
Zhang Tian frowned slightly, looking at the scattered plaques.
What exactly happened here?
"Boss, although they might be from the Bānshān sect, they are still a part of the Taoist sect. Even though they are tomb robbers, the Taoist sect is still a major sect in Xia Kingdom. Now their spirit tablets have been so damaged."
"I think we should do something," Hu Bayi said from the side.
The desecration of the Taoist temple was disheartening.
Zhang Tian nodded.
"Help them set them upright. Regardless of the reason, regardless of the sect, at least they were here, suppressing evil spirits for the people."
As Zhang Tian spoke, everyone acted without hesitation. Even Zhang Qilin actively began helping to arrange the spirit tablets.