Infinite Professions

Chapter 285 - 152: Mother of Ten Thousand_2

Suddenly...

"Hm!?"

Shen He stopped in his tracks and looked up.

"Boom!!!"

Just as he raised his head, a loud crash erupted. A blood shadow burst out from the high-rise, shattering the glass walls. Shards rained down, resembling a crystal storm.

"Alert! Alert!"

"Evil God Cultist detected!"

"Special Bureau action, surrounding residents take cover on the spot!"

The piercing alarm sounded, making the nearby pedestrians freeze, then hastily flee.

The nearby apartment buildings also activated defensive mechanisms. Various barriers rose, though not of high tier, they could withstand some impacts, buying time for evacuation.

The blood shadow was already entangled by a team of Professionals from the Special Bureau.

The fierce battle between the two sides caused massive destruction, even injuring many bystanders.

This is the danger of the Lower City District.

Not only are there Evil God Cultists moving in secret, but there’s also the risk of collateral damage when the Special Bureau and other imperial authorities purge the area.

There’s no way around it; these Cultists aren’t fools. The area is surely filled with ears and eyes, so the Special Bureau can’t evacuate the crowd and then act—they must strike swiftly, using arrays and other means to confine the battlefield space.

But confinement measures are not foolproof. Breaches happen often, especially with those High Tier cultists, frequently causing damage and casualties.

So, to live in this Lower City District, your fate must be strong!

If not, you’ll just have to wait to receive post-crisis compensation from the Empire.

It has always been this way in the Lower City District. After the war, incidents like this became more frequent, occurring every few days, leaving people in constant fear.

Yet this is the prevailing trend, unavoidable, you can only go with the flow.

Several Professionals were tangled with the blood shadow, the battle was fiercely intense. Shen He, however, did not intervene. Instead, he unleashed his Spiritual Sense, scanning among the fleeing crowd.

The blood shadow was merely a Tier Four, not his target.

He was looking not for these small fry.

But sometimes, small fry can draw out great serpents or dragons.

It depends on how you leverage it.

...

Days later, in Tianbei City, Upper City District.

"The Valley God never dies, it is called the Profound Yin, the Profound Yin’s gate, is called the root of Heaven and Earth, endless as if it presides, not overly employed..."

In a Daoist Temple, several individuals sat steadily on meditation mats, facing a Daoist, quietly listening to the teachings.

The Daoist appeared middle-aged, with a long, five-willow beard, wearing a black and white robe, sitting on the altar with an immortal demeanor.

Though the era has advanced into the Cosmic Era, religions such as Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism have not been discarded by the times. Instead, they have thrived, and are even enjoying flourishing incense, opening up many professions, touted as lofty "casters!"

Thus, the practices of Zen and Daoism have become a trend in the Human Empire, especially in star realms dominated by Daoist and Buddhist techniques.

Though Yunlan Star isn’t among them, there are still many Daoist temples and shrines serving as professional training institutions.

The Lanshan Temple is one of them.

This middle-aged Daoist is the Lanshan Temple Master, a Tier Five Professional in the Daoist techniques system.

Sitting majestically on the altar, he expounded scriptures and teachings, each word as precious as pearls. The audience below the altar listened with rapt attention, transfixed.

After some time, he ceased his discourse, looking at those below the altar: "Today, this Profound Yin Scripture has been covered. Return and comprehend it well, perhaps you may find endless benefit."

"Yes!"

The assembly responded, bowing with respect as they withdrew.

The Lanshan Temple Master also stood from the altar, holding a horsetail whisk, ready to leave.

Unexpectedly...

From below the altar, above a meditation mat, a figure sat steadily and spoke: "The Valley God never dies, it is called the Profound Yin."

"Hm!?"

The Lanshan Temple Master’s eyes tightened, looking at the person below the altar, a look of surprise and suspicion: "Who are you?"

Shen He remained unfazed: "The Profound Yin is the Dao Mother, bearing yin and embracing yang, giving birth endlessly, known as the undying."

"So, it’s a fellow seeker visiting."

The Lanshan Temple Master relaxed his stance, descended the altar, and respectfully saluted: "This humble Daoist is Lanshan. May I ask fellow Daoist..."

"Peng!!!"

Before he could finish, there was the sound of clashing, followed by a burst of fire.

Shen He extended a hand, two fingers pinching a long, blood-red spike, turning to the startled and enraged Lanshan Daoist: "Your Ten Thousand Mothers Sect is still using the old tricks."

"!!!!!!!!!!"

The pupils of Lanshan Daoist shrank, then he said no more, sweeping out with his horsetail whisk, launching a blood light straight at Shen He’s face, while his form split into multiple illusions.

"Peng!!!"

Shen He twirled his two fingers, returning the long spike, causing it to explode alongside the blood light. Subsequently, the scene was filled with five-colored brilliance, a sword prison materializing to trap the scattering illusions, all but one dissolving, forcing a figure from the void in shock and fury.

"Five Elements Lock Demon Array?"

"When!?"

The figure of Lanshan Daoist reappeared, looking at Shen He in a mix of shock and anger.

Shen He remained serene, stood up, and beckoned with a hand: "Come on."

A few days ago, based on a finding in the Lower City District, he followed clues here to the Upper City District, locating a valuable target.

Lanshan Daoist, a Tier Five Professional, a member of the Ten Thousand Mothers Sect.

The Ten Thousand Mothers Sect is an upper-level sect of the Blood God Sect, worshiping the Mother of All Things.

In humans, people are divided into various scales of status, and in the realm of Evil Gods, there also exists a hierarchy of strength.

They are specifically divided into Lower-Level Evil Gods, Middle-Level Evil Gods, Upper-Level Evil Gods, and Main Level Evil Gods.

Lower-Level Evil Gods, existences of Tier Twelve, are equivalent in status to Human Immortals.

Middle-Level Evil Gods, existences of Tier Thirteen, are equivalent in status to Earth Immortals.

Upper-Level Evil Gods, existences of Tier Fourteen, are equivalent in status to Celestial Immortals.

Lastly, the Main Level Evil Gods, beings of Tier Fifteen, correspond to the legendary Golden Immortals.

Previously the Blood God Sect, a lower-rank sect, was a subsidiary branch of the Ten Thousand Mothers Sect, worshiping the Blood God, a progeny of the "Mother of All Things."

This Mother of All Things, said to be a Tier Fifteen Main Level Evil God, was born before the universe in Chaos, sharing origin with the Dao Mother "Profound Yin" revered by Daoist sects, possessing creator-like powers, having birthed many entities, with the Blood God being one of them.

As one of the few Main Level Evil Gods, it has always been a dire threat to the Empire, with Daoist sects and the Immortal Realm treating it as a sworn enemy, contesting over the authority and path of the "Dao Mother."

This Lanshan Daoist, as a member of the Ten Thousand Mothers Sect, was deeply hidden. Shen He spent several days circling in the Lower City District before extracting a clue and tracing it here.

Shen He was uncertain if the ultimate conflict outside involved the Mother of All Things, but as a Main Level Evil God with many offspring, it holds an exalted position among Evil Gods. Its sect has naturally risen, not quite the leader of all cults or the king of all evils, but certainly a formidable force, a notable banner in its own right.

Thus, this person is a big catch!

As a big catch, there was no reason to let him escape.

Using the power of a Hidden Cultivator, Shen He discreetly set up a Five Elements Lock Demon Array, and though it lacked the Five Demon-locking Swords for the core, given his mastery of arrays and the wonders of the Five Elements Lock Demon, it was sufficient to hold this person for a time.

Unless...

"Ah!!!!"

Feeling the surrounding confinement of the Five Elements Qi, Lanshan Daoist realized there was no way out. With a painful howl, his body burst with blood light, extruding numerous fleshy tendrils, and a multitude of strange artifacts surfaced, conjoining with the flesh to form a giant monstrosity, wrapping around him.

Shen He’s eyes narrowed: "Evil Dao Mecha?"

Mecha!

Also known as Primordial Spirit Dharma Artifact, it’s a significant creation of the Human Empire, not only functioning as steel machinery but also integrating a cultivator’s Primordial Spirit, magical power, and even the physical body, along with array magic and techniques. It can use a cultivator or a supreme treasure as the core, thousands of Dharma Artifacts as components, driven by Spiritual Qi and various energies, exploding with immensely terrifying combat power.

Shen He has always been interested in this.

But the Primordial Spirit Mecha of the Human Empire requires the Power of Primordial Spirit to operate, and previously, he was but a small Tier Four Cultivator, without any qualification to engage with it, at most able to study some related knowledge.

Yet now... he hadn’t officially encountered a genuine Primordial Spirit Mecha, but instead stumbled upon an Evil Dao Mecha.

The principle of this Evil Dao Mecha is similar to the Primordial Spirit Mecha, merely employing some Evil Dao methods, even involving the Evil God’s Power.

This Evil Dao Mecha of Lanshan Daoist likely incorporates the malevolent power of the Mother of All Things; otherwise, just as a superficial Tier Five, hidden Tier Six Evil Cultivator, he wouldn’t have the possibility to command a Primordial Spirit Mecha.

So...

Shen He’s gaze sharpened, Karma Slaying already in hand.