The wind and clouds suddenly changed.
The sky was covered with heavy blood-red clouds that began to churn and slowly swirl.
The earth trembled.
Even Zhang Kui in the Nether Soil stone coffin felt a slight tremor.
On the ground, the troop of shadow soldiers stopped in their tracks, staring at the entrance of the Dead Man’s Cave. In their deathly pale eyes, a look of fear appeared.
Buzz!
A mass of black mist surged straight out of the coffin, with imnse montum like an earth dragon turning over, accompanied by the roaring sound of the earth as it burst out of the cave, transforming into a giant hand a hundred ters long.
This giant hand had indigo skin, with mottled bronze wrist guards at the wrist, hair on the back of the hand, black claws, and surrounded by large green ghost fires, reaching straight for the troop of shadow soldiers.
As the world changed color, those ghost soldiers and ghost horses exploded instantly, the yin qi scattered, and even at such a distance, their divine souls dissipated under the pressure.
The leading demon ghost was also pressed to the ground, howling madly, "General Hou, spare your anger, Counselor Zuo, save !"
Boom!
Another loud crash followed.
A giant stone coffin in another cave also suddenly opened, surging out another mass of black mist and yin qi, transforming into a rotting, darkened hand with scarlet nails, emitting an eerie red glow as it reached for the indigo giant hand.
Rumble...
The two enormous monstrous hands clashed violently!
Visible black shockwaves scattered, causing dust to fly from the trembling earth.
Two colossal silhouettes appeared suddenly.
One was in a feather robe and high crown, with only blood-red eyes visible through the black mist, scarlet claws, and a bleeding scripture banner fluttering behind it.
The other wore nacing bronze giant armor, its exposed skin indigo like temple ghost god images, its face obscured, with green flas blazing in its eyes beneath its helt, and a massive bronze spear hovering behind it.
The two figures stood tall as mountains, staring coldly at each other...
The Nether Soil stone coffin underground continued to shake, and Zhang Kui’s lips grew parched as he murmured:
"Mahayana..."
There are five realms in the path of mortal cultivation.
The first is the Enlightennt Realm, where one begins their cultivation journey.
Generally, entering this path requires "enlightennt". If achieved, one steps onto this path; without it, progress is impossible. At the Enlightennt Realm, one’s lifespan doubles that of a mortal, and the practice of skills can comnce.
The second is the Grain Avoidance Realm.
In this realm, one absorbs Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, subsisting on wind and dew, with their mana rapidly increasing, making them impervious to harm from mortal martial artists.
The third is the Celestial Tribulation Realm.
As mana growth hits a bottleneck, the mortal body becos a hindrance, as the three calamities of wind, thunder, and fire descend. If one overcos them, it smooths the path ahead; failure results in obliteration.
The fourth is the Divine Travel Realm.
In this realm, the body solidifies, the divine soul exits the body, traveling thousands of miles in an instant, sensing the world. The State Preceptors of the Qian Dynasty are in this realm, capable of attaching their consciousness to the National Guardian Divine Artifact to slay enemies from thousands of miles away.
The final realm is the Mahayana Realm.
Both divine soul and body are cultivated to the mortal limit, altering the wind and clouds with every breath, causing celestial phenona.
These two demon ghosts are evidently not so grand, but the mana’s transformation manifests celestial signs.
Undoubtedly, they are at the Mahayana Realm.
The Mahayana Realm is just a step away from becoming Immortal.
Zhang Kui’s face was dark as he looked at the equally massive caves and gigantic coffins.
No wonder they disregard humans...
His previous estimate was too conservative; it seed one Forbidden Zone alone could destroy the world.
Damn it, how can they be fought...
At that mont, General Hou let out a thunderous growl, "Counselor Zuo, do you think my spear is not sharp?"
The blood-red eyes of Counselor Zuo in the feather robe and high crown beca even more sinister, "I have important matters this ti; whoever obstructs will die!"
The blood-colored scripture banner and the gigantic bronze spear behind them began to quiver, seemingly ready to fight at any mont.
"What are you trying to do?"
Suddenly, a clear voice rang out.
Another one!
Zhang Kui was startled but looked around in vain, seeing no one; the voice seed to suddenly appear in the heavens and earth.
Both Counselor Zuo and General Hou bowed deeply:
"Military Advisor Bai..."
Zhang Kui felt his temples pounding.
With Counselor Zuo and General Hou already at the Mahayana Realm, what kind of monster is Military Advisor Bai... an Immortal?
Suddenly, he felt inexplicably terrified, quickly closing his eyes and using the Qi Prohibition Skill to seal his entire qi chanism.
Although the Nether Soil Stone Coffin was capable of completely concealing auras, he still felt sowhat uneasy.
Soon, that unsettling feeling vanished, but Zhang Kui still didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he listened carefully.
"This ti... let’s leave it at that."
The clear voice suddenly sounded again, "Invited by the Hundred-Eyed Demon Monarch of the East Sea, I’m off for a trip. I don’t want to co back to find the house dismantled."
"We abide by the Military Advisor’s decree..."
General Hou and Counselor Zuo responded in unison.
Soon, peace returned to the world.
Zhang Kui opened his eyes only to see the two massive sarcophagi slowly closing, and the terrifying aura rapidly subsiding.
On the ground, only the demon that escaped death remained, shivering as it hurried between the capital corpses...
At that mont, Zhang Kui just wanted to curse.
He took one last deep look at the giant sarcophagi in the caves and maneuvered the Nether Soil Stone Coffin to leave swiftly...
This ti, by a twist of fate, he witnessed the true power of the Tomb of General in the Demon Forbidden Land, leaving him feeling deeply burdened.
Just the General’s Tomb was so terrifying, what about the other Three Caves and Five Water Mansions?
Not to ntion the even more malevolent Three Mountains, which even the Four Caves and Five Water Mansions dared not approach casually.
Is there still hope for humanity...
......
"In Ling City, at Huo Family Manor, there are demons secretly refining corpses, and soone has been sent to exterminate them!"
"At the North Mountain South Slope Ruined Temple, a demon is lurking, plotting against passing rchants, and Guest Chen has already gone alone..."
"In the Jade River, demons and water ghosts are gathering, forming a sizable group, but due to the deep waterways..."
In the Jiangzhou Astronomical Bureau, above the main hall.
Luo Jizu sat in front of a small desk, compiling intelligence and issuing orders, with Black-clothed Profound Guards occasionally stepping forward to receive their missions and leave.
The State Preceptor has set a plan: before the locust plague calamity arrives, clean up wild ghosts, miscellaneous demons, and demonic cultivators within the borders.
This is a major operation, mobilizing not only all the Black-clothed Profound Guards of the Astronomical Bureau but also involving elite forces and guest ministers dispatched by the court to assist in various places.
Above the main hall, National Guardian True Man Wang Chaoxian and Zhang Kui sat on the left and right. One had eyes closed, relaxing peacefully, while the other seed to be lost in thought, his mind wandering.
After Luo Jizu stopped, looking sowhat helpless, he stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "Two True n, the River Demon Ghosts in the Jade River have ford a sizable group, but they hide underwater, appearing and disappearing without a trace. We need you to intervene."
Wang Chaoxian barely opened his eyes, pretending not to hear.
Zhang Kui returned to his senses, stood up tall, and said, "I’ll go. Have soone guide ."
Watching Zhang Kui stride away, Wang Chaoxian showed no expression, yet a glimr of intrigue flashed in his eyes.
When it cos to scheming and talking craftily with a mask, Zhang Kui indeed falls a little short. Wang Chaoxian easily sensed Zhang Kui’s odd behavior.
These days, Zhang Kui no longer concealed anything and moved with Fatty Tiger, living in the Astronomical Bureau.
No matter how amiable Wang Chaoxian seed, he had been the National Guardian True Man for many years. A subtle chill had inexplicably developed between them.
Only waiting for everything to be openly clarified...
...
The green water and lotus leaves rippled gently.
The Jade River was originally abundant with lotus roots, and many villagers on both sides made a living from it. But after several died, and rumors spread of water ghosts and fish demons causing trouble, it’s now deserted.
"True Man, this is the place..."
The guiding Black-clothed Profound Guard carefully introduced, "Several brothers skilled in water went down, but barely escaped with their lives..."
Halfway through speaking, Zhang Kui’s eyes subtly brightened, and with a wave of his hand, several clusters of Yin Qi struggled their way to the surface, revealing water ghosts with pale, decaying skin and fish demons over three ters long with sharp fangs.
A flash of golden light scattered the Yin Qi of the water ghosts, and the fish demons’ flesh exploded, leaving no movent.
The guiding Black-clothed Profound Guard stood there, stunned.
Zhang Kui, seeming disinterested, turned and left.
These fish demons and water ghosts didn’t even reach the Grain Avoidance Realm, barely providing two skill points, slightly better than nothing.
Since returning from the General’s Tomb, he had been like this.
It wasn’t out of fear, just a matter of ti. What annoyed Zhang Kui now was how to handle the situation in Jiangzhou.
The General’s Tomb had beco a great mountain, one he couldn’t move for now, so what about the Divine Void Temple and the Wang Family?
A massacre?
Undoubtedly inappropriate.
But knowing there’s a problem and not addressing it, that truly was unsatisfying.
The greatest root, after all, was the General’s Tomb, along with other Demon Forbidden Lands. Unless they were thoroughly dealt with, peace would never co.
As Zhang Kui pondered, he returned to the Astronomical Bureau. Before reaching the entrance, Luo Jizu led a group of Black-clothed Profound Guards rushing out.
"True Man Zhang, there’s trouble at the Martial Arts Assembly!"
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