Governor Gao Chang of Carriage Capital watched the Nightmare Wood from afar.
The Nightmare Wood's branches and leaves swayed, its canopy covering over ten acres, with more than a thousand corpses hanging from its limbs. So danced in the air, others walked on the ground. Even he felt a chill run down his spine at this sight.
He had never seen such a swift and efficient dismantling of a formation.
From Chen Shi being ambushed by the candle lighter, dragged into the Heaven-Encompassing Net formation, to him killing the candle lighter, breaking through the formation, slaughtering people, destroying the formation, releasing the Nightmare Wood, and blocking the formation—it was all done in one smooth, continuous flow!
He had also never seen such imnse bloodlust.
Nearly all of the over a thousand skilled operatives from the Mountain-Moving Clan and the Hundred Refinents Hall had been annihilated, with only five survivors!
Among these thousand-plus people, six to seven hundred were tomb-raiding experts ticulously selected from across the entire Western Ox New Continent. By day, they were either fortune tellers in the countryside, feng shui masters wandering the streets and alleys, peddlers carrying goods into villages, coffin shop owners, or knife-sharpening masters.
At night, they were gentlen who took up Luoyang spades to enter the yin dwellings of the dead, digging graves and robbing tombs.
They trafficked in jewels from graves, nourished blood jade in their bosoms, and even raised yin spirits.
They were highly skilled, coming and going without a trace.
Yet, outside Carriage Capital, in the battle to break the formation, the tomb-raiding elite of the Western Ox New Continent had been almost completely wiped out!
The remaining four to five hundred were master craftsn in refining artifacts and treasures, painstakingly chosen by the Hundred Refinents Hall, and they too had been almost entirely annihilated!
Even Carriage Capital's prefectural troops would have to pay a heavy price to surround and kill this thousand-strong force.
"Chen Shi alone buried all these people," Governor Gao Chang murmured softly. "Who said Chen Shi relied on Chen Yindu's lingering prestige? Who said he relied on the demons hidden within him? Those who think that have surely underestimated him. The truly dangerous thing isn't the demons inside him, but himself. I wonder if Western Capital has noticed this..."
The information he received often ca from Western Capital. Among the rumors about Chen Shi were warnings not to provoke him, that he had demons inside him, and if Chen Shi died, these demons would be released, and so on.
Now, the battle to break the formation outside Carriage Capital made Gao Chang realize Chen Shi's true danger.
Baili Mu's face was ashen, his hands and feet ice-cold.
Since becoming the Sect Leader, the Mountain-Moving Clan had flourished under his leadership. They had excavated many great tombs, severed several dragon veins, and seized so magic treasures. The number of disciples within the clan had also grown steadily, showing strong signs of resurgence.
Over these years, the number of experts within the Mountain-Moving Clan had increased, with disciples spreading everywhere. Just the number of disciples at the Golden Core realm alone numbered in the hundreds!
If he hadn't made the decision to follow the Young Master, the Mountain-Moving Clan could never have achieved its current success.
He never expected that the Mountain-Moving Clan would suffer a near-catastrophic blow today!
Chen Shi's hand was too ruthless.
Using the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace to block the Heaven-Encompassing Net formation, inserting a Nightmare Wood Talisman... the formation that was originally ant to trap him had turned into a nightmare for the Mountain-Moving Clan and the Hundred Refinents Hall.
Before him, hanging from the Nightmare Wood were the corpses of one thousand, one hundred and forty-three experts at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms. The bodies of three experts at the Spirit Transformation realm also hung from the Nightmare Wood, their limbs flailing along with the swaying branches.
If he hadn't arrived in ti, the remaining five Spirit Transformation realm experts would likely have been devoured by this monstrous tree as well.
This bizarre tree had already grown extrely massive, its canopy shading an area of over ten acres. Over a thousand corpses hung from its branches—a sight both spectacular and profoundly eerie!
"Demon... Chen Shi, you are a demon!" Baili Mu roared in fury. His Primordial Spirit left his body, standing tall in the void. He raised his hand and summoned forth the Tathagata Treasure Seal.
He abruptly flipped his hand over. The treasure seal descended along with his palm, like the hand of the Buddha Tathagata falling from the heavens.
The Nightmare Wood controlled by Chen Shi possessed imnse power; otherwise, it couldn't have besieged five Spirit Transformation realm experts. Yet, faced with such a magic treasure, it didn't even have a chance to flee!
Under the oppressive force of the Tathagata Treasure Seal, the Nightmare Wood couldn't move. Before the seal even landed on it, it began to explode and shatter continuously!
The Tathagata Treasure Seal crushed the Nightmare Wood as easily as breaking dry twigs, slamming heavily into the ground. A massive palm print appeared on the earth, a hundred zhang long and sixty-seven zhang wide!
Baili Mu retrieved the treasure seal, his gaze icy. He rose and left his deer-drawn carriage, heading straight for Great South Lake.
The five exhausted Spirit Transformation realm experts tried to follow him, but when they reached the lakeshore, Baili Mu's figure had already vanished.
The waves of the lake washed away all traces.
The five stopped in their tracks.
One of them was from the Hundred Refinents Hall, the other four from the Mountain-Moving Clan.
"What do we do now?" one asked urgently.
Another said, "The Sect Leader is a Divine Descent realm powerhouse, and he carries the magic treasure, the Tathagata Treasure Seal. Going to kill the Old Demon Chen will surely be without issue!"
"But... if the Sect Leader has any mishap, I fear our Mountain-Moving Clan will likely be wiped from the records..."
Silence fell by the lakeshore.
In the past, no one would ever have said such a thing.
Because Baili Mu was the revitalizing master of the Mountain-Moving Clan, a man of formidable strength. Looking across the generations of Mountain-Moving Clan leaders, few could match him.
Chen Shi was just a twelve or thirteen-year-old brat. Even if he started cultivating from the womb, he'd only have practiced for a little over ten years. What could he possibly use to contend with an expert like Baili Mu?
But now, not only did soone say it, but others also believed it.
Because Chen Shi's killing had been too ruthless.
Over a thousand Golden Core and Nascent Soul realm experts, plus four Spirit Transformation realm experts, had all perished by his and the Nightmare Wood's hands!
Just then, the clip-clop of hooves approached. Saintess Xuan drove her deer-drawn carriage to the scene.
This woman, holding the Hundred Refinents Hall's magic treasure, the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace, passed by them and charged into Great South Lake.
The two sika deer trod on misty clouds, galloping across the lake surface. The carriage's four wheels sped over the water at an incredible pace, quickly leaving the five far behind.
The five n frowned. Saintess Xuan was injured. Even if she brought the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace, she likely couldn't be of much help.
"Should we notify Fu Zheng Pavilion?" soone suggested.
Fu Zheng Pavilion was different from the various forces under the Young Master's command.
The Young Master commanded a diverse array of forces: the Taiping Sect harvesting Soul-Returning Lotuses, Rouge Lane engaged in the business of selling smiles, Mingfeng Pavilion performing operas, Pleasure Woods for gambling, Matchmaker House for matchmaking, and Hundred Refinents Hall for refining treasures.
Their businesses differed, and their sects were also different.
But Fu Zheng Pavilion was unique.
Fu Zheng Pavilion was a group of capable individuals and aspirants under the Young Master, structured similarly to the Tiance Fu of the Great Tang period, forming a small court. They strategized for the Young Master, commanded military authority, or liaised with various forces.
The people of Fu Zheng Pavilion ca from great clans, from prestigious orthodox sects, and were sotis reclusive masters of rare talent—a diverse mix of all kinds.
But without exception, they all possessed exceptionally high cultivation achievents!
The five hesitated for a mont, then finally made a decision.
"Contact Fu Zheng Pavilion!"
On the deer carriage, Saintess Xuan was still sowhat distracted.
She had followed Baili Mu out of the city this ti to encircle and suppress Chen Shi, thinking that with the capabilities of the Mountain-Moving Clan and Hundred Refinents Hall, capturing him would be as easy as reaching out. She never expected so many people would die!
She had never seen so many dead people before!
Over a thousand corpses hanging from a tree, swaying like leaves in the wind—the scene was both spectacular and eerie!
She composed herself and only then realized the deer carriage had already reached the lake surface. Looking around, she couldn't see Baili Mu's figure. Looking back, she couldn't see the land either.
The two sika deer pulled the treasure carriage at a full gallop. These two deer were of an extraordinary breed, capable of treading on auspicious clouds to ascend. But after running for so long, they were also growing tired, panting heavily.
"Sect Leader Baili!" Saintess Xuan called out.
Her voice spread far across the lake. Mist had begun to rise over the water at so point, and an echo ca from within the fog.
"Sect Leader Baili!"
It was as if another version of her was calling from within the mist, or sothing hidden in the fog was imitating her voice.
Saintess Xuan grew alert. The waters of the Five Great Lakes were all vast, like seas, and the lakes were often ho to strange occurrences.
She had heard many rumors. Passing cargo ships often saw dragon-like creatures swimming in the lakes. So had seen underworld ghosts and specters. There were even rumors of sea demons swimming upstream into the lakes, hiding in the mist to devour people.
"Sect Leader Baili!" The call grew closer, still mimicking her voice.
Saintess Xuan shouted, "Who are you?"
The voice in the mist said, "I am Ji Xuanxuan, a disciple under Elder Miaoyin of the Bodhi Monastery. And who are you?"
The mist parted, and another deer carriage approached. Inside the treasure carriage sat another Saintess Xuan, sitting upright with a dignified, sacred bearing.
This woman wore a holy expression as she scanned Saintess Xuan, sowhat angrily saying, "What manner of demon are you? How dare you impersonate a disciple of our Buddhist holy land?"
Saintess Xuan sneered, forming the Lion Seal with her hands, and shouted, "Since you are a Buddhist disciple, do you dare recite a passage of Buddhist scripture with ?"
That Saintess Xuan sneered, "What is there to fear?"
Saintess Xuan shouted, "Om, nu, nu, ma, yin, li, jia, yin, xi, di, suo, wa, er, he, yin!"
That Saintess Xuan followed along in recitation. When she reached the character "di," she suddenly vomited blood, her body contorted. With a bang, the treasure carriage and the two sika deer exploded!
Saintess Xuan looked into the water and saw several fish demons, now refined to death by the Buddhist dharma, floating belly-up.
"Evil creatures causing trouble, not knowing the imnsity of heaven and earth, actually daring to recite the Hariti Mother True Mantra along with . They deserved to die!"
She had just finished speaking when suddenly the sky darkened.
Saintess Xuan looked up at the sky and saw that the two suns had, at so point, closed their eyes, leaving only the moon hanging in the sky's curtain.
One moon in the sky.
One moon in the lake.
The moon moved with the carriage.
A breeze ca, carrying a hint of coolness.
Saintess Xuan grew anxious inside. The lake was too vast. Not only had she not found Baili Mu and Chen Shi, she couldn't even find her way back!
Then, she saw lights coming from the lake surface. Her heart leapt with joy, and she hurriedly urged the sika deer to run toward them.
As they drew near the lights, the sika deer dared not approach further. Under the few lanterns were several cargo ships. The boatn were several white-boned skeletons wearing clothes, moving about on the ships—so steering, others adjusting the sails.
"People who t with disaster on the lake!"
Saintess Xuan was startled. She stopped the carriage, intending to perform rites to liberate these wronged, wandering ghosts, lest they repeat the events of their death day after day. Unexpectedly, as soon as the carriage stopped, the two sika deer foad at the mouth and sank into the water.
—These two deer had run for a full day and night without rest and had finally exhausted themselves to death.
Saintess Xuan then chanted scriptures, performing liberation rites for the white-boned skeletons on the ships and the exhausted sika deer, before setting off alone.
"Crash—"
A trendous roar sounded, followed by a massive tremor across the lake, sending towering waves that sent Saintess Xuan flying, slamming her heavily into the lake!
Panicked, she flipped over and stood up, looking toward the source of the tremor. She saw a massive piece of land crashing out from the lake. The other end of the landmass broke the surface, enormous beyond asure. The mountains on the landmass lood shadowy and indistinct, stretching as far as the eye could see—it seed to have no end!
"This landmass is even larger than Great South Lake, isn't it?"
Saintess Xuan was horrified. She walked toward this suddenly appearing landmass. Suddenly, she inadvertently saw her own reflection in the water below—it was a skeleton, walking as her inverted reflection.
The skeletal Saintess Xuan also held a massive furnace in her hands, precisely the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace. However, the Hundred Transformations Furnace in her hands was already covered in rust, its power completely lost, as if eroded by the passage of long ages.
Saintess Xuan gazed at the skeleton, comprehending the profound mystery of 'this manifestation is not the true manifestation.' Joy filled her heart, and she felt her cultivation improve once more.
She walked toward this flying landmass. Its scale was imnse; looking out, she couldn't see its end.
Saintess Xuan walked across this land. In the dark corners all around, little things were everywhere, poking their heads out and peeking. When she looked over, those little things would hide, disappearing from sight.
When she stopped looking, these little things would pop their heads out again.
Just as Saintess Xuan was about to get a clear look at what these little things were, she suddenly heard Baili Mu's voice coming from afar: "Chen Shi, you lured here, yet you don't show yourself. What is your intention?"
He was still quite far from here, several tens of li away. The light emitted by his Primordial Spirit reached her, not very clear.
"Chen Shi is here too?"
Saintess Xuan was startled, and then she saw the furtive figure of Chen Shi.
The mont Saintess Xuan saw Chen Shi, Chen Shi also saw her. He imdiately broke into a sprint toward her, reaching her face in an instant, raising his knee for a strike!
Saintess Xuan flew backward, activating the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace to smash toward Chen Shi, thinking, "Last ti, you ambushed at close range... He's so fast!"
She didn't have ti to fully activate the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace before Chen Shi's knee slamd into her abdon!
Saintess Xuan grunted, tumbling backward. She endured the intense pain, regretting her decision to activate the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace.
Activating a magic treasure was, after all, sowhat slower, especially since this treasure wasn't her own.
She was about to summon her miniature shrine when Chen Shi had already caught up to her. He turned and punched the back of her head, sealing her Jade Pillow Acupoint.
Just as Saintess Xuan was about to project her Nascent Soul out of her body, Chen Shi's other palm already covered the top of her head.
Saintess Xuan fell to the ground with a thud, tumbling and rolling until she ca to a stop over ten zhang away.
Fury surged in her heart, mixed with intense sha: "Could it be that my cultivation technique has weaknesses at the abdon, the back of the head, and the Heavenly Aperture?"
Chen Shi caught the Hundred Transformations Furnace just before it hit the ground and gently placed it down.
Seeing this, Saintess Xuan observed him while coughing up blood, and suddenly said, "You're afraid of Baili Mu! You're avoiding him! You're afraid of a direct confrontation with him! Chen Shi, am I guessing right?"
Chen Shi glanced at her, not denying it: "I am indeed afraid of him. The mont he killed the Nightmare Wood with one seal, I knew that even if I used every trick up my sleeve, I wouldn't be his match. Once I reached the lake, I've been trying every way to avoid him. I didn't expect he'd still chase here."
A strange light appeared in Saintess Xuan's eyes. This person was actually so honest!
"Then why did you still provoke Baili Mu?" she inquired.
"A real man may lose the fight, but not his spirit," Chen Shi said with a laugh. "He's at the Divine Descent realm, I'm at the Nascent Soul realm. I can't beat him in a fight, but I can definitely beat him with my words."
Saintess Xuan endured the pain and said, "I never expected you to be such an honest person."
Chen Shi's expression turned solemn: "Because this is the Tongue-Pulling Hell. If you lie here, your tongue gets pulled out. Do you believe or not?"
"I..."
Saintess Xuan was just about to speak when she suddenly grew alert.
Chen Shi asked, puzzled, "Saintess, is sothing on your mind?"
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