Storm Clouds Gathering

Chapter 29

After Li Changmeng killed Qin Siwen, the Xuanfeng Kingdom adopted a somewhat laissez-faire attitude toward the Ancient Immortal Sect.

Radiating from Tieniu Town as the center, Sanxiang Town, Lizhuang Town, Goutuo Town, and Huangrang Township were all brought within the scope of the Ancient Immortal Sect.

As for Zhang Lin, the head of Huangrang Township, he was forced to embrace the Ancient Immortal Sect.

Zhang Lin was also a capable man with a rather sharp mind. After learning that Li Changmeng alone had killed Qin Siwen and a thousand soldiers, he took the initiative to bring his father to Huangrang Township and have him preach in the town.

He did not know whether the imperial court could deal with the Ancient Immortal Sect and Li Changmeng. However, his elderly father had already been completely converted into a believer of the Ancient Immortal Sect, and the sect had indeed demonstrated its powerful strength.

In desperation, he simply joined the Ancient Immortal Sect. There were no soldiers in Huangrang Township—unless he gave up everything and fled.

After the battle with the soldiers of the Xuanfeng Kingdom, Li Changmeng had directly fallen out with the kingdom.

So he did not hide it any longer. He wanted to establish a theocratic state, integrating religion and politics.

Centered around Huangrang Township, all the places controlled by the Ancient Immortal Sect were effectively independent.

Regarding this, the Xuanfeng Kingdom still maintained a laissez-faire attitude.

It was ridiculous. With a Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge of the Ancient Immortal Sect, Feng Xiaoyan was only glad that the other party had not come directly to Feihuang City and cut off his head like Qin Siwen's.

Who could have imagined that a dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator would fight amidst ordinary people?

His methods did not seem like those of a typical Incense Path cultivator. Instead, he resembled those malevolent cultivators who advanced by relying on killing qi and the resentment of ordinary people.

In the Xianying Temple in Huangrang Township, Li Changmeng, wearing a dark cyan religious robe, stood before the temple's statue, with a group of believers gathered in front of him.

"Live without pain in life, and enter a dreamland after death. You who join the Ancient Immortal Sect, worship the Taoist Lord Mimeng Wangqing, and eliminate all pain."

Li Changmeng wore a solemn expression. Spiritual power surged behind him, and a tall, humanoid spectral figure with tentacles and faintly glowing eyes appeared. A hundred pairs of eyes seemed to watch over everyone present.

The residents of Huangrang Township who attended the religious initiation ceremony that day all felt a trace of warmth and longing upon seeing this spectral figure.

If a cultivator were present, they would have sensed that something was amiss with the temple's atmosphere.

From a perspective hidden from ordinary eyes, billowing blue smoke emanated from Li Changmeng's energy center. This was a marvelous effect he had discovered after using the God-Invoking Incense to establish his foundation.

By using the inner incense—infusing it with spiritual power—the resulting blue smoke stirred the soul. While the souls of cultivators were robust and only slightly affected, ordinary people, whose souls were unstable, experienced a range of emotions. To enhance the efficiency of religious propagation, Li Changmeng naturally made these residents feel warmth and longing, as if enveloped in the comfort of a womb.

Combined with the spectral figure of the statue he had formed with spiritual power behind him, this series of operations essentially secured a multitude of devout believers.

Taking the opportunity to bestow a blessing upon everyone—to cure ailments and strengthen their bodies—by investing a little spiritual power, he could harvest ten or even a hundred times the incense's power.

Looking at the satisfied, joyful expressions on the faces of those kneeling before him, Li Changmeng smiled. Today's religious initiation ceremony was complete, and now it was time to attend to another matter.

Li Changmeng directly entered the residence of the township head.

When Zhang Lin saw Li Changmeng—even though they had met several times—he was still surprised by the fact that the other party looked only about ten years old. This further reinforced his belief in the identity of the Spiritual Boy.

"Sir, have you come to inquire about the matter of the Sect Protection Army?"

"Yes. How is it going?"

Zhang Lin had risen from the son of a rural villager to the position of a township head, and Li Changmeng also intended to cultivate him. Thus, he entrusted the entire matter of the Sect Protection Army to Zhang Lin, which also served as a kind of assessment.

"Living up to the trust of the Spiritual Boy, I have already selected two hundred strong young men. They are all physically robust. With a little training and proper armor and weapons, they will make fine soldiers."

Zhang Lin had been very diligent in the selection of members for the Sect Protection Army. As a smart man, he understood that although the current situation had reached a precarious balance—the Ancient Immortal Sect had not expanded its influence by swallowing up the surrounding areas, and the Xuanfeng Kingdom had not sent a large army to wipe out the Ancient Immortal Sect as if it were a band of rebels—a battle was bound to break out between the two sides.

On their side, they had the high-end combat power of the Spiritual Boy. However, the Xuanfeng Kingdom was so vast that the Spiritual Boy could not possibly address every issue personally.

Thus, the establishment of the Sect Protection Army was of great importance. The fact that the heavy responsibility of selection was entrusted to Zhang Lin demonstrated even more the importance the Ancient Immortal Sect attached to him.

It was not only because his father had long been a member of the Ancient Immortal Sect, but also because of his position as a township head and his relatively astute mind. He possessed inherent value.

At present, it was just the calm before the storm. Through the selection of the Sect Protection Army, Zhang Lin was given a taste of favor, and as the status of the Sect Protection Army was elevated in the future, his own standing would correspondingly increase.

Moreover, if the Ancient Immortal Sect eventually took over the world, would he not have the merit of having assisted in establishing the new regime?

So now, Zhang Lin was determined to follow the Ancient Immortal Sect, hoping that, in the end, relying on the unparalleled divine power of the Spiritual Boy, the Ancient Immortal Sect would destroy the Xuanfeng Kingdom.

"Two hundred people? That's a bit few. Go and recruit another eight hundred to make a total of one thousand."

What could two hundred people achieve? The Xuanfeng Kingdom had enjoyed long-lasting peace, so the number of troops was not enormous. Yet, conservatively estimated, there were at least fifty thousand armored soldiers. Adding the soldiers from each county and prefecture, an army of about eighty thousand could be assembled.

"Sir... the key to an army lies in its quality rather than its quantity. If we recruit too many people rashly, the burden on supplies and the difficulty of training will increase sharply."

Zhang Lin's expression changed slightly as he gently reminded him that two hundred people could barely be supported by a township—and that number was also very easy to train. For a thousand people, first the selection requirements would have to be lowered, and then the cost of weapons, armor, and training expenses for a thousand people... I am afraid that Huangrang Township could not afford it.

At present, aside from a few profit-driven merchants who would trade with them, most people in the Xuanfeng Kingdom avoided the forces of the Ancient Immortal Sect as if they were an enemy state.

"Zhang Lin, I understand what you mean. But the Xuanfeng Kingdom will not remain peaceful for much longer. To protect a township, two hundred soldiers are insufficient. There should be at least ten thousand.

As for the training and expenses, you need not worry. Those who join the Sect Protection Army will all receive the blessing of the Taoist Lord, which is equivalent to five years of training."

Li Changmeng patted Zhang Lin, who leaned forward intently. The understanding of ordinary people was indeed limited—they could not grasp the greatness of spells.

Training? Could it compare to his blessing?

At that time, a group of ordinary people with the strength of tigers and bears would be able to fend off five enemies each. And if they carried the incense statues with them in the army, his spellcasting could greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of the troops.

Thus, if it were not for the fact that the spiritual power required to bless one person could only be replenished by the power of incense generated from that person's daily worship over three years, he could recruit even more members for the Sect Protection Army.