Wait a minute, where is my master?

In the high skies.

Having heard Jin Xu's proposed solution and considering it feasible, Xia Yunzhao spoke to the dark, large eyeball before him.

"I accept the bet, but both parties must make oaths to the Heavenly Dao!"

Ye Wuyang felt a blockage in his heart seeing her reaction.

In his mind, even if Xia Yunzhao agreed, it should have been after much consideration and helpless reluctance, finally consenting out of an inability to forsake the lives of a hundred thousand civilians under the watchful eyes of the public.

Why was she agreeing so readily now?

This was not what he had expected.

However, nothing about today had gone as he had expected, and Ye Wuyang had grown somewhat accustomed to that.

Seeing Xia Yunzhao agree to the bet, he hesitated briefly, ensuring he hadn't overlooked anything, before gladly accepting the Empress of Great Xia's request.

The content of the oath to the Heavenly Dao doesn't need elaboration; the Cultivation World of the Nine Provinces Realm has developed for so many years that they have a very complete template for swearing oaths to the Heavenly Dao.

The two spent half an hour and finally finished making the oaths to the Heavenly Dao.

The feasting segment of the coronation ceremony was forcibly interrupted, and the crowd that had come for the ceremony surged toward a valley a hundred miles away from Shangjing City.

...

Outside the valley shrouded in formations.

Jin Xu and his group were the fastest to arrive; the second echelon was Xia Yunzhao with her grandson and the Third Elder of the Demon Sect accompanied by the true body of Ye Wuyang.

The Heavenly Dao oath included a condition that for three hours before and after the duration of the bet, neither the Demon Sect nor Great Xia could attack each other.

Thus, the Fourth Elder of the Demon Sect dared to come in person.

As for the third echelon, it was not visiting guests and civil and military officials, but rather Cultivators from Tingfeng Building using top-grade Flying Escape skills.

These people were there to collect information and also to use subsidiary formations to broadcast.

"... This intelligence agency seems to have the potential of paparazzi from my previous life," the little Taoist mused to himself, yet his eyes carefully observed the valley in front of him at this moment.

He stood at the mouth of the valley, his feet planted on soil next to the ruts made by carriages a few days earlier.

Jin Xu observed that indeed the valley was filled with people dressed like commoners from Shangjing City.

And just as the Demon Cultivator had said, these people had only their instinctual abilities left to act. Most of them stood idly with vacant expressions, while a small portion ate stiffly atop piles of "trash" as if they were walking corpses.

It appeared they were hungry.

The ground inside the valley was littered with filth, the waste produced by these hundred thousand people wasn't little.

Standing at the mouth of the valley, Jin Xu could faintly smell the stench emanating from within.

His brows furrowed as he shifted his gaze back to the outer layer of the formation. There was a red barrier of Spiritual Power. The little Taoist didn't understand formations and dared not activate his Spiritual Eyes at this moment, thus he couldn't see what it was.

But that was not important.

...

By his side, Ye Wuyang looked pale, his Spiritual Power fluctuating. Seeing Jin Xu's frown, he thought the formation troubled him and couldn't help but speak to regain some face, "Taoist Jin Xu, there's no need to rush. The bet doesn't start for another fifteen minutes; there's no need to think about breaking the formation just yet."

Emboldened by the existence of the Heavenly Dao oath, he spoke rather unabashedly.

The little Taoist chose to ignore what the other had said, but instead glanced at Yan Meishan, who was beside the Fourth Elder.

Her face was the same as the one he had seen within the Spiritual Power Seed, identifying her as the main culprit who had injured Little White.

Jin Xu made a mental note of this person.

Ye Wuyang felt extremely uncomfortable being ignored, but he didn't have any recourse.

In the Cultivation World, strength was respected.

If it weren't for the Heavenly Dao oath, he wouldn't even have the chance to stand there and talk.

The Fourth Elder made up his mind that once this affair was settled, he would go into secluded cultivation. When his strength could match the Taoist before him, he would come out and wash away today's disgrace.

The Third Elder of the Demon Sect beside Ye Wuyang couldn't help but shudder; she had just seen Jin Xu's glance toward her.

Yan Meishan made a decision that regardless of the outcome of the bet, she would flee the place first because she felt that a great terror was about to happen.

...

The quarter hour passed quickly.

The bet officially started, and an eight-hour countdown also began.

Behind the little Taoist, Xia Xuanmin looked up at the sun in the sky and then transmitted his voice to Jin Xu, "Young friend, the bet has now begun. If you have any good methods, feel free to use them.

If you cannot, that's okay as well. I will risk Heavenly Dao's backlash and try my best to hold off these two. I only ask you to slay them after three hours and retrieve the Dragon Energy for Zhaoer."

Emperor Min still didn't believe the little Taoist had any real solution.

He admitted that Jin Xu's cultivation was profound and strength was great, but Great Xia too had Cultivators who were skilled in formations.

On his way here, he had summoned a group of Cultivators proficient in the art of formations. But when they heard that they couldn't use Spiritual Power or Spiritual Sense to save people without breaking the formations, it seemed like an utter fantasy!

Moreover, the formation wasn't just prohibiting Spiritual Power and Spiritual Sense, but even Cultivators themselves couldn't enter it; otherwise, they could gather Body Cultivators to carry out the hundred thousand people one by one.

"Uncle Xia, you worry too much. I will surely lead these hundred thousand people out safely," said the little Taoist, reassuring before preparing to save the people.

He had just observed that the valley entrance was ten zhang wide. Considering the normal running speed of people, eight hours should be sufficient to get out a hundred thousand people, even with a surplus.

The people present turned their curious gazes toward the little Taoist upon hearing his words, especially Ye Wuyang and those Great Xia Cultivators skilled in the art of formations.

Ye Wuyang believed in his meticulous planning; the people in the formation were indeed rescuable, but he was convinced that there wouldn't be enough time within eight hours.

The Great Xia Cultivators proficient in formations believed in their professional abilities. They might not match this Taoist in cultivation or combat prowess, but they were old masters who had immersed themselves in the way of formations for hundreds of years. They couldn't believe that someone could break the formation without using Spiritual Power or Spiritual Sense and still manage to rescue the people!

As for the broadcasting cultivators of Tingfeng Building, their gaze and the formation never left Jin Xu's figure.

At this moment, in various places of the Nine Provinces Realm where broadcasting formations had been set up, everyone was paying attention to this matter.

People engaged in heated discussions about it.

Some cultivators thought the little Taoist would succeed, others thought he wouldn't.

Because of this, some even started betting in front of the broadcasting formation, wagering on whether Jin Xu could succeed or not.

Of course, there were also cultivators who secretly took out imaging stones to record the scenes from the broadcasting formation, planning to sell them to cultivators who hadn't witnessed the event.

Jin Xu was fortunate he had been wearing a mask all day; otherwise, his face would have probably become infamous throughout the entire Nine Provinces Realm today.

...

"I ask everyone, please retreat twenty li!"

The Taoist's calm and forceful voice spread out and reached the ears of the onlooking crowd.

Upon hearing this, everyone withdrew back obediently.

The broadcasting cultivators from Tingfeng Building originally did not want to move, as they were responsible for the broadcast!

But under Jin Xu's silent gaze, the lead cultivator eventually obediently moved back twenty li. This also caused the broadcast images to become less clear.

In the valley, only the little Taoist and the three women, including Yu Yaoer, remained.

"Little Taoist, is there anything I need to do next?" Xia Yunzhao asked softly, specially kept there by Jin Xu.

"No need for now, just follow what I have instructed earlier."

"Then why did you keep me here?"

"After all, you are now the Empress of Great Xia, so you are kept here to lend gravitas to the situation. By the way, remember to block your noses."

After answering Xia Yunzhao's question, Jin Xu specifically spoke up to remind the three women again.

The Empress of Great Xia twitched the corners of her eyes after hearing the little Taoist's answer, then silently blocked her nose.

After Jin Xu gave his instructions, he stretched out his hand and lifted the Age Chicken out from among the twenty-four Mystic Treasure Pearls, holding it in front of his eyes.

At this moment, panic and determination were visible in Little Hong's eyes as it made eye contact with the little Taoist in front of it.

"Gedgada!"

It suddenly let out a squawk.

"Temple master, he says you must keep your promise to him," Little White translated dutifully with her nose blocked, holding a ceremonial fan in her hand.

The little Taoist nodded solemnly at the Age Chicken, then carrying it, he walked to the mouth of the valley, close to the position of the fiery red spiritual force formation.

Then Jin Xu raised his left hand and placed it on the comb of the Age Chicken.

He whispered under his breath, "Little Hong, you must hang in there, okay? Once this is over, I'll send you home!"

After speaking, the little Taoist's left hand suddenly unleashed one hundred applications of the Body Purification Skill.

"Gedgadgadgadgad!!!"

Little Hong screamed as if stuck, then fainted. Although it had fainted, a strong, peculiar fragrance erupted from its body, rapidly spreading to the surroundings!

Under the purification process one hundred times over, the bloodline of the Age Chicken was continuously purified, and the speed at which it produced the strange fragrance underwent a remarkable transformation!

Almost instantly, the organ inside its body that stored the fragrance became completely filled!

"Little Yu, Little White, fan the wind!" the little Taoist said, staring at the unconscious Little Hong in his hands, addressing the two women already seated and ready behind him.

"Yes, Young Master/Temple Master," the two women responded, each holding a ceremonial fan similar to those carried by palace maids behind an emperor in TV dramas.

They began to fan desperately toward the mouth of the valley!

These were borrowed from the palace maids at the Golden Throne Hall when they came here.

In the valley.

The citizens of Shangjing City, who could only act on instinct, smelled the Age Chicken's peculiar fragrance and revealed a longing look in their dull eyes, rushing towards the outside of the valley!

The little Taoist stood at the mouth of the valley, and seeing the citizens inside start to move, he silently carried the Age Chicken a few steps back.

Then, turning to Xia Yunzhao who was stunned at his side, he instructed, "In a moment, when the people come out, you must quickly bring them to the back for treatment, understand?"

The newly enthroned Empress of Great Xia instinctively nodded, immediately showing joy in her eyes.

She had just realized that the citizens inside were actually running out on their own!

"Mhm, I understand!"

...

Twenty li away.

Ye Wuyang and others at this distance could not smell the peculiar fragrance.

All they saw was Jin Xu taking out an animal resembling a chicken, followed by a flurry of light flashing over his hands.

Then... the citizens in the valley started running out!

"What on earth is the principle behind this?"

Not just the Four Elders of the Demon Sect were puzzled.

All the cultivators guarding the broadcasting formations in the Nine Provinces Realm were also completely baffled.

"What on earth is the damn principle?"