Invite Ma Qin to the temple.

    The inner court cannot be taken, as it is the residence of my esteemed teacher.

    Chen Yun brought Ma Qin to the seal-making hall, personally handing over tea and snacks to replenish the other's strength.

    Although Cai Rujin was sitting beside him, it seemed awkward to discuss matters, but the situation was urgent. Chen Yun didn't bother with that and asked directly, "General Ma, please tell me what kind of formation the evil wayward spirit has laid out? And what amazing sorcery has it performed?"

    Upon hearing this, Cai Rujin subtly glanced over at him while he was reading.

    Ma Qin had just taken a sip of tea and eaten a piece of pastry, and his complexion looked slightly better.

    He carefully recalled and said, "The formation laid by that evil sorcerer was not overly sophisticated, but rather a common eight-palaces golden lock formation found on the battlefield."

    Chen Yun blinked and said, "The eight-palaces golden lock formation? As far as I know, breaking this formation is not difficult. Why are you all trapped?"

    Ma Qin sighed and said, "The eight-palaces golden lock formation changes endlessly. We know how to enter through the Sheng Gate, Jing Gate, and the Kai Gate, but once inside, we can't get out. The moment you step in, the formation changes instantly. There are also golden-ARMORED soldiers helping the bandits in the army. Our soldiers have tried several times and lost thousands of men and horses, but we have never been able to break through the eight-palaces golden lock formation."

    Chen Yun was not very knowledgeable about formations, but he had occasionally seen them in books.

    Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache.

    However, at this moment, Cai Rujin suddenly said, "Tell me in detail about the scene when you charged into the formation."

    Although Ma Qin didn't recognize Cai Rujin, he knew that this was a divine place and he couldn't neglect anyone inside. He quickly recounted the situation of the charge into the formation in detail.

    After listening, Cai Rujin burst into laughter and said, "I know the method to break the formation. It's very simple. Although this eight-palaces golden lock formation is laid out neatly, there is a lack of the main general in the middle. If you attack from the southeast corner of the Sheng Gate and exit through the Jing Gate to the west, its array will definitely become chaotic."

    Ma Qin helplessly said, "Although we have tried this method, we can't break through the guard of the golden armor soldiers and the evil sorcerer. They are too strong, with bodies as tough as steel and invincible to weapons. The golden armor soldiers are unbeatable in battle. The evil sorcerer can stir up changes in the heaven and earth through his magic array. Earthquakes occur at times, and flames surge forth at others. A red glow surrounds the array, making it impossible for archers to shoot in."

    Sometimes the earth tremors, sometimes the flames surge?

    Chen Yun heard that the formation was quite familiar, as if he had read about it in a book somewhere.

    Just as he was about to speak, Cai Rujin burst into laughter and said, "This is a Juzhen formation, a strategy that traps the enemy inside, shuts the door behind them. It creates an illusion of a formidable aura by using thirty-six columns of incense to entice souls. However, it intentionally leaves a weakness that can be exploited. Once the enemy enters, they can't leave unless they defeat the practitioner. However, I never expected this formation to be used in battle. As for those golden-armored soldiers, I believe they are demons forged by someone. Apart from their gold-plated coverage, do they have long hair elsewhere?"

    Ma Qin nodded repeatedly, saying, "Right! Right! Right!"

    Chen Yun suddenly realized that the Juzhen formation was similar to illusions, capable of creating widespread illusions and confusing people's sense of direction.

    As for the long-haired roc, if he hasn't mistaken, it should be the so-called long-haired zombie.

    What is a "long-haired zombie"?

    A "long-haired zombie" is a type of zombie with relatively strong abilities. They have grown hair all over their bodies, with copper skin and iron bones, and they are agile in movement, jumping swiftly. They are not afraid of fire or sunlight, and are quite difficult to deal with for ordinary people.

    There are two ways to deal with long-haired zombies.

    The first way is to defeat the person controlling them.

    The second way is to destroy them with thunder.

    It can be seen that the evil sorcerer is probably a disciple of the Yinshan sect.

    The Yinshan sect is one of the more peculiar branches of Daoism. It combines various forms of ghostcraft, sorcery, and spirit control techniques from the Mao Shan sect, Lushan sect, and shamanistic schools into a unique style that focuses solely on practicing yin techniques rather than any specific law.

    Orthodox Taoism emphasizes the "yang," while the Yinshan sect emphasizes the "yin."

    In Taoism, it is the gods with the right law that are invoked, such as the Thunder God.

    In contrast, the Yinshan sect heavily worships ghosts and demons, with the main deities being the Yinshan Sect's Lawmaker, King of Demonic Forces, and Pan Guo Da Di (Pan Guo Di, a legendary figure in Chinese mythology).

    Their arts are focused on the "yin," and they use flags to command troops and officers. In the sect, techniques such as harmony, mesmerization, breaking through, soul adjusting, soul driving, and soul locking all require soldiers and officers to be able to perform them.

    Chen Yun had confidence in defeating the opponent, "This is a small way, as long as we capture the golden armor soldiers, the evil sorcerer's formation will collapse on its own."

    Cai Rujin nodded and smiled, "Indeed, my Neidan school cultivates pure Yang qi, which is most effective in suppressing these evil spirits."

    Ma Qin was overjoyed and said, "So, does that mean, Mr. Chen the Immortal is willing to come out of retirement to lend a hand to our Tang army?"

    Chen Yun said, "I owe General Zhang Chengfan a favor. Now that you have come to find me, I must repay it. Yes, picking a date is no better than striking while the iron is hot. General Ma, you should have some food first before we set off."

    Ma Qin hurriedly said, "No need to eat anymore. This place is far from Xiangcheng. Let's set off immediately."

    Cai Rujin furrowed his brow and said, "Xiangcheng? It is indeed quite far away. By the time you arrive, the city gates may have already been breached. Teacher Uncle Chen, perhaps I can escort you there?"

    The General Ma has been running non-stop for an entire month, covering a distance of over twenty thousand miles in just eight days and nights.

    Chen Yun knew that it would take a considerable amount of time for him to get there, so he said, "Alright, it's kind of you, Cai apprentice."

    ...

    Xiangcheng.

    The governors of Chen State, Zhuang Chengfan, Wang Shihui, Zhao Ke, and a group of generals were all in a lifeless state.

    Their tens of thousands of troops have been besieged in Xiangcheng for more than two months. The city is running out of food, and if they do not receive supplies soon, it is feared that both the tens of thousands of soldiers and the hundreds of thousands of civilians in the city will starve to death.

    The thought struck him, and Zhao Qiu's hands were trembling. He spoke in a voice that was dry and hoarse, "Fellow officials, with the eight-palaces golden lock formation surrounding the city outside, and General Meng Kai aided by an evil sorcerer, how can we break through?"

    Zhang Chengfan took a deep breath and said, "Governor Zhao, a month ago, Ma Qin of my department managed to break through the siege and went to Mount Zhongnan to invite Mr. Chen the Immortal to subdue the evil sorcerer. If we calculate the time, Ma Qin should have arrived by now. If we can hold out for another month, waiting for Mr. Chen's arrival, we will surely be able to break through the bandit army!"

    "Hold out for another month?"

    "General Zhang, are you serious?"

    "Do you know how much food we have left in the army? Three days! If we can't break through the enemy within three days, our soldiers will probably all starve to death. Even if no mutiny breaks out would be a stroke of luck, and you're still hoping to hold out for another month?"

    "No, we can't just sit and wait for death. We must think of every possible way to break out and then figure out a way to slowly take back control."

    All the generals rose up in an uproar.

    Zhang Chengfan, Wang Shihui, and Zhao Ke looked at each other and couldn't help but smile wryly.

    "The eight-palaces golden lock formation is deployed outside the city, encircling it completely. How could they possibly break out?"

    The only way now is to wait for Mr. Chen the Immortal to arrive, subdue the evil sorcerer who guards the eye of the formation, and then they may have a chance to win.

    But, as everyone has said, the remaining food in the city can last for at most three more days.

    "If we can't break through the enemy within three days, the soldiers in the city will likely mutiny without the help of the Yellow Turban army. This is a serious situation."

    It appears that no matter what we do, we will face a dilemma.

    Suddenly, the county government meeting hall in Xiangcheng, which had been requisitioned, was filled with cries of despair. Everyone knew that whether they tried to break out or not, there was only one path to death.

    Just as the generals were at a loss,

    Suddenly, a trusted guard reported from the door, "Governor Zhao, General Zhang, the horse general Ma has returned with two people."

    "What?"

    "Ma Qin managed to get Mr. Chen the Immortal here so quickly?"

    "Quickly! Quickly, follow me to go out and welcome Mr. Chen the Immortal!"

    Zhang Chengfan, Wang Shihui, and Zhao Ke were so excited that they didn't even care about what Governor Zhao Qiu was doing; they rushed straight out the door.

    When Zhao Qiu and the remaining ten or so generals heard that the lifeline had arrived, they quickly stood up and rushed out one by one.

    Just as they stepped out into the outer courtyard of the county government.

    Zhao Qiu and the ten or so generals then saw Ma Qin standing respectfully behind two Taoists.

    The Daoist on the left was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with no hair on his lips. He looked somewhat like a young apprentice.

    As for the Daoist on the right, he was remarkable. He wore a flowing blue robe, carried an unusual wooden sword on his back, and most notably, he stroked his goat beard with a gentle hand as if he were a divine being.

    When Zhao Qiu and the other ten or so generals saw him, they immediately knew who the "immortal Chen" with boundless powers was.

    They three took three steps as two and surpassed Zhang Chengfan, Wang Shihui, and Zhao Ke, dashing forward and bowing abruptly in front of the middle-aged Daoist.

    "Governor Zhao Qiu of Chen State pays respects to Mr. Chen the Immortal."

    "The County Magistrate of Xiangcheng, Yang Lie, pays respects to Mr. Chen the Immortal."

    "The team leader of Chen State…"

    "The defense commander of Chen State…"

    Led by Zhao Qiu, the dozens of officials and generals of Chen State surrounded Cai Rujin, and everyone's faces were filled with sycophancy.

    They all thought to themselves that Zhang Chengfan, Wang Shihui, and Zhao Ke were truly considerate, bringing such an ethereal Daoist so quickly. This time, the evil sorcerers among the Yellow Turban bandit army must be insignificant in comparison!

    But just as they were paying excessive homage to Cai Rujin, Zhang Chengfan looked completely startled and said, "Governor Zhao, you have the wrong person. This young Daoist is actually Mr. Chen the Immortal."

    "Ah?"

    "Hmm..."

    The sound of flattery suddenly ceased, and everyone's eyes went black as they looked towards Chen Yun.

    Could it be that this young Daoist, who looked so young and had no beard, was actually Mr. Chen the Immortal?

    Zhao Qiu and Yang Lie exchanged glances, and their faces showed disbelief.

    Chen Yun realized that the crowd had mistaken him for someone else. He turned his head and laughed playfully at Cai Rujin, saying, "Apprentice Cai, see? You coming along here has taken away all the glory from me. Next time, I won't let you come with me."

    Cai Rujin laughed loudly and said, "People often judge others by their appearance. Mr. Chen, it's not that I took away your glory, but you look way too young."

    They ignored them and chatted idly for a few sentences.

    After a moment, Chen Yun looked at Zhang Chengfan, Wang Shihui, and Zhao Ke, "General Zhang, General Wang, General Zhao, it's been a long time. How have you been lately?"

    "We are all doing well, thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

    "Mr. Chen, I feel very sorry to have called upon you to leave your retreat this time. It is truly a last resort."

    "Mr. Chen, Mr. Cai, you have traveled a long distance to come here, and you must be exhausted. Come quickly, please rest for a while inside."

    The three generals eagerly welcomed Chen Yun and Cai Rujin into the county government meeting hall.

    Zhao Qiu and the remaining ten or so officials and generals have not come to their senses yet.

    They really can't believe that the Mr. Chen the Immortal, who is said to possess great powers by Zhang Chengfan, Wang Shihui, and Zhao Ke, is actually so young.

    And even more, they once doubted if this young Daoist had the capability to subdue the evil sorcerers among the Yellow Turban bandit army.

    Chen Yun had no idea what they were thinking; he was just chatting with Zhang Chengfan, Wang Shihui, and Zhao Ke, who were familiar to him, about family matters.

    As for the evil sorcerer among the Yellow Turban army, let's be honest, if he didn't have enough confidence to defeat them, he wouldn't have come here in the first place.

    (End of this chapter)