Chapter 339: 338: Return! (A Grand Chapter of Ten Thousand Words Presented)

Chapter 339: 338: Return! (A Grand Chapter of Ten Thousand Words Presented)

Du Gang didn’t have to wait long before the God Spirit in front spotted Ning Caichen, a man who looked exactly like the Ning Caichen from the 87 version.

“Great, now all I have to do is protect Ning Caichen!”

He thought for a moment and had the God Spirit that found Ning Caichen attached to him. This way, he could protect Ning Caichen on time if anything happened.

As the God Spirit followed, when they arrived at the Ten Mile Pavilion, Du Gang was puzzled that it wasn’t raining There.

“According to the plot, it should be raining here, and Xiahou Swordsman just happens to pass by, killing all other people and giving Ning Caichen a steamed bun in the process.”

Since it wasn’t raining, Ning Caichen didn’t need to take shelter at Ten Mile Pavilion. He continued on his way to Guobei County without pausing.



“Could it be because this is the mission world, there are some slight deviations?”

Du Gang felt that something was off, but he couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong after giving it some thought.

He shook his head, not brooding over it anymore, and headed towards the city ahead of time.

Just finding Ning Caichen was enough. As long as he protected him and followed the plot, everything would be fine.

When Ning Caichen arrived in Guobei County, Du Gang found that the plot had lined up again.

The account book he was holding was already soaked by the rain and the owner didn’t believe he was here to collect debts, kicking him out instead.

With nightfall approaching, Ning Caichen could only ask a friendly-looking vendor nearby, “Sir, where can I find a place to crash for the night without having to spend money?”

“For free?” The vendor unconsciously echoed.

The next second, everyone around him froze, looking at Ning Caichen with expressionless faces.

Ning Caichen, unaware of the situation, continued to inquire about the whereabouts of Lanruo Temple.

“If you leave the city and walk three and a half miles to the east, you’ll be there!”

“Thank you!”



After thanking the vendor, Ning Caichen set off for Lanruo Temple, leaving Guobei County.

At this moment, Du Gang, who was standing at the top of Lanruo Temple, furrowed his brows.

He had brought seven God Spirits into the mission world, six of which were dispersed to check out different locations. The abilities of these God Spirits, although limited in their range of coverage, should have been able to encompass most of the plot locations. However, he wasn’t able to find Yan Chixia or Xiahou Swordsman.

According to the 87 version of the plot, these two characters encountered Ning Caichen during battles at Lanruo Temple, but they were nowhere to be seen now.

“Is it due to minor discrepancies, or have I overlooked something?”

Du Gang pondered for a moment and didn’t figure out anything else. He laughed at himself in self-derision, “Maybe I’m overthinking it. As long as I protect Ning Caichen and complete the mission, it’s all good!”

“And... also need to keep Fu Qingfeng safe to avoid premature death!”

The third task is to let Ning Caichen meet Fu Qingfeng. Therefore, he had to keep both of them alive.

Du Gang concealed his aura. Unless directly perceived, he wouldn’t be discovered.

He hid on the rooftop, retracted his Divine Thought, and observed in secret.

Before, he had used the God Spirit to test it. Those female ghosts, though mediocre in strength, were extremely sensitive to the probing of Divine Thought. So, Du Gang didn’t use his Divine Thought anymore, but rather lifted a roof tile to peek secretly.

Ning Caichen entered the room, did a little cleaning under the Buddha statue, spread out a blanket he brought, and then lay down comfortably.



At this moment, Xiao Qian, who had been using the temple as a hunting ground, sensed the presence of a living soul and quickly approached.

It didn’t take long for her to arrive at the window of the room and peek inside quietly.

It’s another scholar.

Xiao Qian couldn’t bear to harm people, but if she didn’t, Granny would vent her anger on her.

I’ll test him, and if he shows no reaction, I’ll let him go.

Xiao Qian lightly floated into the room, landing not far from Ning Caichen.

“Oh...”

She moaned softly, pretending to fall.

Huh?

Upon hearing the noise, Ning Caichen looked up and saw a gorgeous maiden. He was astonished.

He had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life.

But the sudden appearance of such a girl in this desolate place felt strange.



He wondered if this woman could be some sort of ghost or demon.

But she was so beautiful.

To die under the peony flower, even as a ghost, would be a romantic gesture.

No matter what, even if she were a ghost, he wanted to be with her.

In that moment, the scholar’s gaze became lustful. Filled with excitement, he took a few steps forward and helped Xiao Qian up.

“Miss, are you okay?”

“Thank you, kind sir. I was traveling with my family when we encountered mountain bandits, and I’ve been fleeing for my life to this point. Please, sir, save me!”

Indeed, how could such a stunning girl be a ghost?

Ning Caichen’s face lit up with determination, “Fear not, miss, I will protect you.”

He himself was merely a frail scholar, yet now he stepped into the role of a hero in front of this beautiful girl.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qian’s expression remained unchanged. She parted her attractive lips faintly and emitted a breath, infusing the air with a charming fragrance that wafted towards Ning Caichen.

Next, she slowly revealed her shoulder, her eyes flickering enticingly as she looked at him deeply, “Sir, do you find me beautiful?”



Ning Caichen was at a loss, having never encountered such a situation before. He mumbled, “Beautiful! I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you.”

Emotionally moved, he took a couple steps forward and cautiously held Xiao Qian’s hand.

Xiao Qian turned away shyly with a smile, “I hope you will cherish me ...”

“Gulp!” Ning Caichen swallowed, losing control of his impulses, he puckered his mouth, moving it towards Xiao Qian’s neck.

The skin there was so fair and tender, it stirred his appetite.

Huh?

From the eaves of the roof, Du Gang knit his brows.

When had Ning Caichen become like this?

Considering Ning Caichen’s personality, he should not be behaving this way, should he?!

Could it be that the Heavenly Court wants him to fight to the death with the Tree Demon Granny?

Isn’t this tricking the Tree Demon Granny into her own death?

“Ring-ring-ring!!!”



While Du Gang was lost in thought, Xiao Qian rang the bell attached to her foot down below.

Immediately following this action, the characteristics of the Tree Demon Granny started to swiftly approach from a distance. Just like before, the only thing that came towards them was a lone vine.

Ignore it?

Of course not, Ning Caichen was the protagonist. He couldn’t let him die.

Du Gang once again made his appearance, stomping on the swiftly approaching vine underfoot.

“Repugnant Taoist, it’s you again!”

An earth-shaking roar echoed from the distance.

Immediately following, a tremendous energy rushed rapidly towards them. This time, the Tree Demon Granny was enraged.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Xiao Qian, who had been waiting for the granny’s arrival, was initially taken aback at hearing this outburst. Fear immediately followed as she recalled the Taoist that even the granny was wary of.

She hastily got up and darted towards the window, bypassing Du Gang and joining the Tree Demon Granny.

Despite her underlying intentions not to harm people for the granny, she didn’t forget that she herself was a ghost, and that ghosts and Taoists were incompatible.

Standing behind the granny, she looked towards the courtyard; sure enough, the same handsome man was there.

Compared to the Taoist the granny had talked about, she viewed the man before her as more of a dignified gentleman. Although he wore no adornments, his extraordinary demeanor marked him as anything but common.

But Du Gang, still disregarding the granny’s fury, furrowed brows even more. He glanced at Xaio Qian who was standing outside behind the Tree Demon, then again at Ning Caichen, who was inside hurriedly dressing, his clothes in disarray.

“How dare you ignore me? Taoist, you won’t escape today!”

While the granny’s words weren’t the least bit polite, she still made no move, opting to wait and see.

But Du Gang had had enough.

“Quiet down!”

He coldly snorted, and a godly aura erupted from him.

“Boom!”

This aura resembled a celestial god’s descent from heaven, grand and radiant, shimmering with divine light.

“Ah!!”

Xiao Qian and all the other ghosts who had gathered screamed in unison, falling to their knees. Try as they might to escape, the divine light possessed a certain captivating power, immobilizing them in place, allowing no room for movement.

Standing in their midst, the formerly arrogant Tree Demon Granny’s face turned sallow, her body emitting green smoke.

“How is this possible!”

Her eyes wide open in disbelief, she trembled as her body continually struggled against the crushing force of the divine light.

“Are you a god?”

“Impossible, the Celestial Realm collapsed, the celestial gods are all dead. How could you possibly still be alive ...”

With her limited knowledge, she couldn’t comprehend Du Gang, considering him to be a heavenly god descended to Earth.

Du Gang paid her no heed, instead looking puzzled at Ning Caichen who had just emerged from the room. Struck by the display of divinity, Ning Caichen immediately kneeled, bowing his head in worship.

Is this Ning Caichen?

Why does he look nothing like what I’ve seen on screen?

Suddenly, a thought sprang into his mind, and he asked aloud, “Scholar, what is your name?”

‘Ning Caichen’ seemed both excited and scared at the question. With a frightened look, he said, “Honorable immortal, I am called Zhu Zhang!”

Zhu Zhang...

Du Gang’s mouth twitched, was Heavenly Court serious?

What was the point of creating a man who looks identical to Ning Caichen from the 1987 version?

Despite his internal complaints, Du Gang quickly discerned the truth.

It was a trap, a trick devised by Heavenly Court. They wanted him to mistake this man for Ning Caichen, and consequently, cross swords with the Tree Demon Granny...

However, the assessment task should be standard; it was impossible to elevate the difficulty to match his unparalleled status on the Human Ranking.

As a result, this task appeared downright peculiar to him. If another person less powerful than the Tree Demon Granny took on the task, this fake Ning Caichen might die, causing him to lose his bearings.

All these realizations flashed through Du Gang’s mind in an instant.

He sighed, asking, “Zhu Zhang, why did you come to Guobei County?”

He remembered correctly, Zhu Zhang had indeed entered the inn from the film.

Zhu Zhang replied hurriedly, “Honored immortal, I am here to collect debts...Alas, heavy rain soaked my account book a few days ago and I lost my money, so I took refuge at this temple...”

I see!

Du Gang laughed dryly.

He recalled a detail from his memories. Ning Caichen had told the innkeeper that the previous debt collector had died on the road.

So, that previous debt collector was this Zhu Zhang. Heavenly Court had taken advantage of this point to set an early trap for him. If he fell for it, all the better, but if not, he had already confronted Tree Demon Granny and revealed himself, and would certainly be found out if he stayed to protect Ning Caichen.

Too bad his strength far outstripped the Tree Demon. Unless they saw him with their own eyes, they wouldn’t even know he was there.

Thus, he still had a chance, waiting for Ning Caichen’s arrival...

“Immortal, spare me...”

“I am but a poor lonely ghost, captured by Tree Demon. I am innocent!”

Off to one side, the female ghost fallen on the ground started begging for mercy as soon as she realized Tree Demon Granny was captured and couldn’t resist any longer.

At this moment, they didn’t hesitate to betray Tree Demon Granny.

Of course, not all the ghosts did this, only a handful.

Smart ghosts like Xiao Qian did not rush to beg for mercy.

She understood if an immortal wanted to judge, he would talk; but if he resorted to force, no ghost could survive, including Tree Demon Granny!

Du Gang ignored their pleas and pondered a question in his mind.

Did the task world ever say he had to complete the task according to the plot?

Seeing his daughter unharmed, Fu Tianchou heaved a sigh of relief. Since there was no hostage...

“What are you all standing around for? Seize them!”

He was not a warrior and had no grasp of the disparity in strength between the two parties; he simply thought that with so many people present, they would have no issue restraining the two men.

However, everyone around him fell silent, unable to voice their frustrations. They were merely third-rate, and in no way a match for the two men before them.

At the very least, they estimated the two men to be first-rate, if not grandmasters.

Such a master was beyond the reach of a mere Prime Minister’s Mansion.

They knew of a time when Fu Tianchou, the Minister of Rites, had set his eyes on a second-rate master swordsman and wanted to employ him. Even then, he was rejected.

So how could they, as third-rates, ever be a match for the two men before them?

But since they had been given pensions to serve and resolve disasters for others, they had to step forward despite the probable defeat.

The multitude of servants, holding their swords and knives, had fierce eyes. Gritting their teeth, they were all ready to pounce.

But at that moment, one of the two men in the center of the scene shot a golden figure from his body.

“Hummm!”

A tremendous force spread out in all directions.

At the same time, Du Gang’s deity slowly ascended higher.

It stopped in mid-air, several hundred meters above, at a place visible to everyone in the city, and then remained still.

“It’s an immortal!”

“An immortal has descended to the mortal world!”

At this moment, not to mention the countless people on the streets who were kneeling down, even the many servants in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, as well as Fu Tianchou and Fu Qingfeng, were also kneeling down in fear.

In the midst of everyone’s panic, a powerful voice slowly echoed from the heavens.

“I am the Matchmaker, who happened to come upon a couple predestined by heaven and earth, and thus appeared to aid...

“Ning Caichen, Fu Qingfeng, you two have been lovers for nine reincarnations. In this life, you cannot be separated again... ”

“Today, I, the Matchmaker, bestow my blessings, wish that the two of you may have a noble son soon, and live in harmony for a hundred years!”

This voice, seemingly from the land of immortals, every word and every sentence carried a special charm that was extremely persuasive.

What was even more astonishing was that this voice wasn’t loud, but it spanned the entire city. Even the palace heard it clearly!

“Hummm!”

At this moment, someone with sharp eyes noticed that the golden divine figure in the sky was casting a golden beam of light towards the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and then disappeared into it.

Du Gang didn’t leave behind anything overly precious. With his cultivation, he simply set up a formation that could exorcise demons and ward off evil.

Although his skill in arranging formations was only average, because of his strong divine power and position at the pinnacle of the world, even a casual arrangement like this could resist ninety-nine percent of the demons in the world.

This journey was not in vain; at the very least, he didn’t harm Ning Caichen for no reason.

With such a display from him, even the royal family wouldn’t dare touch Ning Caichen. Why? Because it was a blessing from the heavenly immortals. Whoever lays a hand on Ning Caichen will be going against the heavens’ will.

Just then, Du Gang’s eyes moved, and he looked in a certain direction in the distance.

One of his deities had located the trapped deity within the body of an ancient centipede, and it also learned the reason for this predicament.

It turns out the centipede had grown so powerful that its belly contained a special area capable of entrapping a Primordial Spirit.

His deities, while powerful, lacked tangible bodies. Only one-tenth of their real strength could be utilized, and the only type of attack they could launch was the Divine Thought.

However, the centipede specialized in this area. It not only resisted suppression but also imprisoned one of Du Gang’s deities within its body.

Still, Du Gang’s deity was not easily defeated. Despite being trapped within the centipede’s body, it consistently resisted.

Just now, when the other deity approached, its senses were triggered, leading to the discovery of the trapped deity within the underground palace in the centipede’s body.

Having clear enlightenment about the situation, Du Gang shook his head and once again had his heavenly deity issue a roaring proclamation.

“I didn’t expect to encounter an ancient centipede hidden in the tomb of this mortal emperor during my rare visit to the mortal world,” he exclaimed.

“This centipede would plunge the world into chaos once it emerges. Since I’m here, I might as well take care of it!”

Once he finished speaking, he left the courtyard, flying towards the location of the centipede.

“The deity is wise and merciful!”

“We are eternally grateful to the deity!”

All the people in the city, whether ordinary citizens or the nobles in the royal palace, knelt down in gratitude.

If they’d ever had doubts about the existence of deities, they firmly believed now!

Even the emperor, who had previously shown signs of neglecting his duties, was now awakened. He pledged to fulfill his role as emperor and hoped to reach heaven in the end.

It could be imagined that after this, this land would become more stable.

Once Du Gang left the city, he sprinted towards the emperor’s tomb.

There, the ancient centipede was fighting his two deities – one trapped inside its body, and the other outside.

“Another challenger?!”

Seeing Du Gang rushing towards him, the centipede was taken aback, “In that case, I’ll gobble you all up!”

As he said so, he revealed his true form.

He was truly a monstrous creature, stretching a hundred meters long and standing several meters high.

“Heh heh!”

With a cold sneer, Du Gang assessed the centipede. Its combat power was at the ninth levelling phase, verging on 60,000, and it was best suited to counter soul-based entities like deities. This was why it could engage in a battle with one.

But now, Du Gang himself was here, and the centipede was no match for him.

“Die!”

Directly, Du Gang wielded his axe which cast a shadow measuring a whopping 100,000 Naers in size, whirling it down towards the centipede.

“No!”

The centipede, witnessing the looming axe shadow, roared in terror. “I’ve cultivated painstakingly for a thousand years, I haven’t enjoyed the fruits of my labor ...”

“I cannot accept this ...”

Sparks and explosions engulfed him. His original combat power was doubled, reaching a shocking 120,000.

This proved the centipede’s exceptional talent. It had comprehended a secret technique on its own. Although still incomplete with side effects, it was undoubtedly supremely powerful.

“Heh heh!”

With a faint smile, Du Gang unleashed another axe shadow. This time, the combat power contained in it rose to a horrifying 200,000!

“Let’s see if you can explode again!”

The battle between the two was not subtle. Top sorcerers and martial arts masters had already gathered at a distance to spectate.

They were a bit worried when they saw the centipede’s eruption, fearing that the deity might not be able to defeat it.

But then the deity, with a mere flick of his wrist, summoned another axe shadow radiating intimidation.

Even though they were miles apart, they felt a bone-chilling sensation at their backs.

“He truly is a celestial being. His power is terrifying!”

“He probably hasn’t even used his full strength yet. Look at how effortlessly he wields his power ...”

“That’s right, he’s a heavenly deity. Even though he’s in charge of marriage bonds, he’s not comparable to this mundane centipede!”

A Taoist True Person stationed in the imperial palace breathed a sigh of relief: “Thank heavens for the emperor’s generosity and divine intervention. This centipede was eliminated before it could wreak havoc. Otherwise, its appearance would have devastated the world.”

“Yes, it’s fortunate that we encountered the deity!”

“Boom!”

In the distance, the axe shadow finally descended.

Regardless of how enraged the centipede became, he failed to unleash stronger combat power and perished under the blow.

“Thud!”

On the ground, a crack several hundred meters long appeared, and a centipede a hundred meters long was broken open from the middle, motionless, completely dead.

When Du Gang makes a move, it’s certain to eradicate both body and Primordial Spirit, leaving no future troubles!

After the centipede died, the gods trapped within its body were finally able to escape and quietly entered Du Gang’s body.

Quickly, the other gods who had been released in the capital quietly returned to their bodies.

“That should be enough!”

Du Gang didn’t meaningfully bid farewell in the city, but headed directly towards Guobei County.

Because, just now, the status of his Task One had changed.

[Task One...Current Status: 1/3]

This means that of the three major demons, he had already eliminated one, and he only needs to eliminate the remaining two to complete the task and leave here.

“I thought I would watch the Ghost Lady in a live broadcast once again. Who knew that in the end, this world was ended in such a violent way!”

Du Gang shook his head, “Don’t blame me if the Heavenly Court set a trap for me instead of carrying out a good plot. I just had to break it and restart!”

After completing Tasks Two and Three, Du Gang naturally had no reason to spare the Tree Demon Granny’s life.

He previously thought that if he couldn’t complete Tasks Two and Three by trickery, he would re-enact the plot.

But now that Tasks Two and Three were completed, why keep the Tree Demon Granny and the Old Black Mountain Demon?

“Granny, Granny, it’s not good, that handsome Taoist is coming again!”

A female ghost ran to the base camp shouting and reporting.

“Don’t worry, the Taoist is probably here to save people again, let him save them, don’t conflict with him...”

Du Gang’s two rescue missions led to misunderstandings, making them think that Taoists have certain restrictions, they can only save people and not harm them.

“Hehe.”

Du Gang couldn’t be bothered to say more, he directly slammed down an attack with a combat power of 200,000, completely obliterating her.

“Granny is dead!”

“Granny is dead!”

All of these female ghosts were panic-stricken, fleeing in all directions.

Seeing this, Du Gang’s eyes were like lightning, and with a fierce glare, most of the fleeing female ghosts were immediately scared to death.

This was actually the effect of the gods, who naturally restrained female ghosts.

As for the remaining female ghosts, he chose to let them go because, in his opinion, the female ghosts who just died would definitely return to cause trouble once they’re released.

But these remaining ones are kind-hearted ghosts, like Xiao Qian. Du Gang chose to let them leave.

After finishing up here, Du Gang was heading towards the Ghost Realm again.

The so-called Ghost Realm is actually a semi-open independent space, attached to this small world of the Ghost Lady.

It just so happened that this Old Black Mountain Demon found it and made it his nest.

Du Gang had no sympathy at all and directly unleashed a big attack, slaughtering all the ghosts in the independent space clean.

These ghosts, once released into the world of the living, will definitely cause major disasters.

If he hadn’t seen it, he would have left it alone, but since he did, he naturally took care of it along the way.

Of course, it was also because he was powerful, and doing this sort of thing didn’t affect him at all.

With the death of the Old Black Mountain Demon, Du Gang finally heard the prompt sound of task completion.

[Ding, task completed, please leave within two hours, countdown: 1:59:59]

Two hours, huh?

Du Gang smiled, didn’t stay and chose to return directly.

This world is very broken, and the ultimate limit is only at the God Spirit Level. He has already reached the top of the God Spirit Level, there is no further progress to make. Staying for two additional hours will not make a difference.

[Task Settlement in Progress...]

[This task is a single person exam task, total reward 3 Merit Points...]

[Your basic reward is 3 Merit Points...]

[Congratulations, you achieved a rating above D class, starting data analysis...]

[Rating Success, your task completion rating for this time is mid A class, you get an additional 80% merit points reward...]

[Your final merit points reward totals: 5 Merit Points, 4000 achievement points.]

[This task ends, you have an hour’s stay in Heavenly Court, please complete the exchange within an hour.]

[The next task will be issued in three to six months, please receive the task and enter the Heavenly Court in time.]

[Notice, you have passed the Single Person Exam Task, the next task will be a promotion task, please prepare in advance!]