Knife splashing

Chapter 702 Strange Movements in the Yin Ruins
"Sell Zhao Changsheng?"

Li Yan's heart skipped a beat. "You really dare to say that."

Zhao Qingxu chuckled: "You misunderstood first. How could the people of Jianmu be so foolish as to risk their lives for others? It's all about self-interest. If needed, Zhao Changsheng would betray his own people faster than anyone else."

That's true.

Li Yan glanced at the possessed Night Wanderers around him and sneered, "Do you really believe that Zhao Changsheng can open the Great Luo Dharma Realm passage and help you ascend to godhood? I think he just wants to release these demon gods to wreak havoc on the mortal world."

These words were actually a test.

Kong Shangzhao has completed the translation of "Seeking Immortality". According to Xu Fu's idea, it is necessary to set up a great array of immortality with nine tripods at nine dragon vein nodes, including Mount Tai, Mount Yi, Zhifu, Langya, and Kuaiji, to reconnect the Great Luo Dharma Realm with the human world.

The name Jianmu (建木) also originates from this.

The First Emperor believed in its mystical power, yet ultimately failed. The Nine Cauldrons, nurtured by the dragon veins for millennia, have become supreme artifacts; the array may no longer be effective against them. However, Zhao Changsheng's determination to seize the Nine Cauldrons is far from ordinary.

"Heh..." Zhao Qingxu chuckled lightly, "You know one thing, but not the other. Zhao Changsheng acts in secret and never shows his full face. I know a little about the inside story, and it's quite shocking."

"You want to hear it? We're willing to discuss it, even if it comes at a price."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes to slits: "What's the price?"

"Simple."

Zhao Qingxu laughed and said, "Kill one person for me."

"Who?"

"Bai Chenshan, Director of the Imperial Observatory!"

Li Yan was taken aback: "Why kill him?"

He had seen Baichen Mountain before; it was a top geomancer in China, in charge of calendar reform.

What enmity does Jianmu have with He?

Zhao Qingxu shook his head: "It's just a transaction, no need to ask any more questions."

Li Yan scoffed, "Do you think I'd believe that?"

Zhao Qingxu waved his fan, the character for "money" on it standing out prominently. "It's alright, you can consider it."

Li Yan didn't speak, but looked around.

Four dark figures hovered above and below, their soul-snatching chains twisting like serpents.

He had dealt with many escaped demonic energies. These were the souls of demon gods, vicious and cunning. In almost all the cases he handled, they manipulated believers to prepare for their own escape.

But they remained silent here, just like Zhao Qingxu's subordinates.

Demonic energy is not easy to deal with; it is immortal and indestructible, and there is no choice but to suppress and seal it.

One would be manageable, but four at the same time, he would have no chance of winning, not to mention the unpredictable Zhao Qingxu.

"Oh, I almost forgot."

Seeing his expression, Zhao Qingxu pretended to have forgotten and waved his hand.

Swish!
The night wanderers, corrupted by demonic energy, immediately made way.

This is a blatant protest!
Li Yan remained expressionless and quickly left the encirclement.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned around and asked, "There's something else I'd like to ask. Back when Zhao Changsheng returned from the northern frontier, someone in the capital acted as his inside man, and even tampered with the award plaque for meritorious veterans. Was that you who did it?"

Zhao Qingxu readily admitted, "That's right, it was I who made the connection."

Li Yan's eyes turned cold. "They are just mortals. Using the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coins is far too high a price to pay."

Zhao Qingxu looked up, and from behind the empty, pale mask came a playful voice.
"When you hunt, you're after the thrill; do you really care about the arrowheads?"

"very good!"

Li Yan's lips curled slightly, revealing his cold, white teeth. "You almost got away with it!"

As he spoke, he looked around and said, "Since you know about this, you know I won't let it go. You've been lying for so long just to get me to leave."

"What are you hesitant to do...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he had already taken out the warrant from his robes and was reciting:
"Heaven has its rules, earth has its order; the underworld collects souls, and the living must avoid it!"

"court death!"

Zhao Qingxu's voice immediately turned cold, and he seemed somewhat exasperated.

"I'll deal with him, you guys make the first move!"

Having said that, he made a hand seal, and a scroll of the "Earth Official's Pardon of Sins" rose into the air in his right hand.

Within this secret realm, the power of the precious scroll was revealed.

Then, a chilling wind arose and the imperial edict grew, transforming into several feet of yellow silk. It read: "With sincere devotion, I take refuge in the Azure Spirit Cave of Yang, in the Northern Capital Palace, who commands forty-two departments, and together with ninety million followers, overseeing the Three Realms, the Ten Directions, and the Nine Earths, and controlling the Five Sacred Mountains, the Eight Extremes, and the Four Cardinal Directions…"

Each character was as large as a bushel, radiating golden light.

Li Yan had successfully summoned the Yin army, but the Yin Sha black mist that came from the void was forcibly forced back.

He had anticipated this, and without hesitation, he made a hand seal, unleashing the Soul-Hooking Thunder Rope with a whooshing sound.

"Humph!"

Zhao Qingxu, on the other side, was also prepared. He made a hand seal again and waved his paper fan left and right.

This thing is actually a Great Luo magic artifact.

As he chanted incantations and performed his magic, the large character for "money" on the paper fan emitted a blood-red glow.

Wow~
Countless pieces of paper flew out like snowflakes.

Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be nothing more than phantom images of banknotes.

Li Yan had exceptional eyesight and could see clearly.

This item is similar to a banknote, but with some differences. It has a wooden figure and a house design on it, and the words "Yizhou Banknote Office" and "Maritime Trade Office" are written on it.

The "Jiaozi" of the Song Dynasty?
Why not a banknote?
Could it be related to its origin...?

Li Yan was puzzled, but he didn't have time to think about it too much.

The "coins" that Zhao Qingxu threw out tumbled and gathered in the air, and then yin energy surged, revealing figures, some with ferocious faces, some with large heads and small bodies, and some covered in hair with bloodshot eyes.

Ferocious ghost, big-headed ghost, smelly-haired ghost...

They are all evil spirits mentioned in the "Youxuanlu".

These evil spirits, their bodies covered with paper money on their front and back, seemed to be manipulated like puppets, and they pounced on him.

Money really can make the devil turn the millstone.

At the same time, Li Yan's Soul-Hooking Lightning Rope also covered his entire body.

With crackling and flashing lightning, he instantly transformed into a god of thunder and lightning.

boom!
With a loud bang, the person vanished.

The evil spirits along the way were powerless to resist and were directly smashed into black smoke, their souls scattered.

Although Li Yan's "Divine Transformation Method" has a time limit, its combat power can increase dramatically.

However, he felt no joy whatsoever.

The reason was that four demonic "night wanderers" were rapidly circling the statue of the fierce Queen Mother of the West in the distance.

Its form began to disintegrate, but streams of blood-red demonic energy all flowed into the statue of the Queen Mother.

The peach tree trembled at the same time, its roots twisting and stuffing all the paper figures worshipped below into the tree hole. Then, the pained faces of the powerful and wealthy appeared on top, followed by the agonizing roars of the remaining wronged children.

The statue of the fierce goddess Queen Mother was also lifted up by the roots and placed in the tree canopy.

Wow~
Stone chips fell from the statue's eyes, revealing blood-red eyes.

So that was their real purpose!

Upon seeing this, Li Yan immediately understood.

These demonic energies all originated from the demon god Liu Yuanheng.

It is even older, and legend has it that it was refined from the soil of the immortals, and later transformed into a monster. It is most skilled at transformation and can burrow into the clay bodies of other gods, impersonate gods, and plunder incense offerings. The so-called "Peach Banquet" was probably for two reasons: first, to control the powerful and noble people in the capital, and second, to raise this evil god.

boom!
Demonic energy invaded the statue of the fierce goddess Queen Mother, and the peach tree seemed to transform into its lower limbs. With each step it took, the ground trembled violently.

Li Yan felt his scalp tingle; the aura emanating from the ferocious creature before him was almost suffocating him.

Zhao Qingxu, on the other hand, seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of "jiaozi" (paper money), constantly waving his paper fan and summoning evil spirits to obstruct his path.

"hold head high--!"

Just then, a dragon's roar came from the horizon.

Li Yan felt an immense pressure descending from the sky, and the electric light around him gradually weakened.

In an instant, he smelled an extremely rich incense aroma, and heard a magnificent sound echoing in his ears:
"In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, where yin and yang were first separated, the Great Prophet received his mandate from Heaven and inherited the destiny of the land… Mount Tai guards the easternmost point, and Mount Hua protects the western border…"

This is the Great Xuan Kingdom's Prayer to Heaven and Earth!
This place is indeed related to the Great Xuan Dragon Vein; the previous pressure originated from here.

The dragon veins of every dynasty were the most core secret of the royal family; anyone who dared to peek at them would be executed.

Li Yan didn't know what secret technique the Great Xuan Dynasty used, but he knew that big trouble was coming.

Without saying a word, he turned and left.

As if by telepathy, Zhao Qingxu also retreated quickly, waving his paper fan. Countless "Jiaozi" phantoms fell like snowflakes, gathering on the peach tree and the statue to form a large "Hidden" character.

He watched Li Yan's departing figure in silence, his pale mask seemingly radiating murderous intent.

Of course, he did not pursue, and even concealed all his aura.

"Roar—!" The desolate dragon roar rang out again, louder and louder, and the entire space seemed to tremble.

Zhao Qingxu made a hand seal, his body trembling slightly.

Amidst the roar of the dragon, the paper coins that formed the character "隐" (hidden) continuously turned into ashes.

Clearly, Zhao Qingxu was barely holding on under such immense pressure.

Li Yan, who was on the run, was also having a hard time.

Whoosh!
He was still in his Thor form, transforming into a bolt of lightning and rushing directly to the strange market.

In the market, the lingering souls of merchants from all over the country also ceased to move.

They stared at the sky like puppets, their forms gradually collapsing amidst the roar of the dragon.

At the same time, the light and shadow distorted on a street on the left side of the market, creating a new illusory passage.

Li Yan could see that the other side of the passage was pitch black, with countless green ghost flames floating around. The streets were dilapidated, and various wooden shops were arranged haphazardly, resembling a haphazardly built slum. There were also many dark figures fleeing in all directions amidst the roars of dragons.

The dilapidated archway bears the inscription "Chang'an Ghost Market".

Why did the Chang'an Ghost Market come here?

This "Nine Gates Yin Ruins" indeed holds many secrets.

However, Li Yan had no time to care at that moment.

The lightning on his body quickly dissipated and faded under the suppression of the dragon's roar.

What's more troublesome is that although they have arrived at the city gate, the Chongwen Gate is tightly closed.

Rumble~
Just then, the city gates suddenly opened.

Just as the lightning on his body was about to dissipate, Li Yan finally rushed out of the city gate.

In an instant, all the pressure and the dragon's roar disappeared.

However, the trouble was not over.

"What kind of evil spirit dares to spy on this forbidden area!"

A roar came from ahead, and a dozen men in brocade robes and yellow gowns were already waiting outside.

Some of them held jade swords, while others held jade tablets or jade cong, all of which were sacrificial objects.

Li Yan couldn't sense the Qi of these people.

They used only sacred artifacts used in state rituals!
He is a royal sorcerer from the Imperial Clan Court!
These people clearly wouldn't listen to his explanation; holding the sacrificial vessels, they formed the Heaven, Earth, and Man Three Powers Formation.

At the same time, the Chongwen Gate behind them opened with a loud rumble once again.

The roar of the dragon and that terrifying pressure began to emanate outwards.

With wolves in front and tigers behind, Li Yan dared not use magic lightly, lest his true identity be exposed.

Jingle bell bell~
Just as he was forced to make a move, the pleasant bell rang again.

It's the Rabbit God!

Before Li Yan could react, he suddenly felt his feet sink into the ground.

It seemed as if some force was pulling him down, as if he were using earth magic, and he instantly appeared outside the dilapidated earth god temple.

At the temple gate, the oil-stealing rat spirit was licking the broken incense burner.

"Squeak~"

Upon seeing Li Yan suddenly appear, he immediately bristled and dropped the incense burner, then ran away.

Li Yan ignored everything and rushed into the local temple.

Ring ring ring~
The sound rang out again, but it was the red string and copper coin soul-binding thread in his hand that trembled.

Li Yan felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and then he was pulled away by a force.

He had barely left when those men in brocade robes and yellow gowns quickly arrived.

"Another loophole in the formation!"

Seeing the gap in the dilapidated earth god temple, a short, stout old man's face darkened. "Who's on duty here?"

"Uncle, it's me..."

In the line, a young man stepped forward with his head down, his body trembling slightly.

The short, stout old man looked embarrassed, but his anger only grew stronger.

The Grand Xuanzong Palace was usually headed by five princes, all of whom were of the first rank and formed the core of power.

They may not be members of the Xuanmen sect, but they can still arrange for qualified younger generations to cultivate.

Supported by the power of the dynasty, and using only state sacrificial artifacts, it was naturally of high quality.

But precisely because of this, the various networks of relationships within the Imperial Clan Court are also incredibly complex.

The short, stout old man saw that it was his junior and wanted to protect him, but he didn't want to lose face in front of these people.

"Never mind, it's not Chengyou's fault."

Another tall, thin old man looked around and said, “The Nine Gates Yin Ruins are ever-changing. We still can’t figure out the pattern. Maybe one day, a loophole will suddenly appear. We should be careful in the future.”

These claims are nothing but blatant lies.

There are people stationed near the nine gates; they can be discovered as long as they patrol regularly.

The hole created by the oil-stealing rat spirit had appeared long ago, clearly indicating that the young man was being lazy.

Of course, others also turned a blind eye.

After all, everyone makes mistakes. If you keep dwelling on it now, it will only cause trouble for yourself later.

"Did you remember that?"

The short, stout old man quickly reprimanded his junior, and the young man repeatedly expressed his remorse.

The tall, thin old man who had helped exonerate the man also turned around and said in a deep voice, "That person is a wandering ghost, so he must be highly skilled. Moreover, his physical body is nearby. Notify the Imperial Guards to seal off the neighborhood and conduct a thorough search!"

"Yes!"

Several young people, holding jade artifacts, gradually disappeared.

After they left, the short, stout old man whispered, "Thank you, Brother Wang, regarding this matter..."

"rest assured."

The tall, thin old man smiled and said, "This matter will not be recorded, lest those people cause trouble."

"Thank you."

The short, stout old man breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Chongwen Gate and frowned, saying, "It seems something has happened inside..."

"What can happen?"

The tall, thin old man sneered, "Perhaps some petty scoundrel has strayed into this place, causing the dragon vein to tremble and leaving nothing but barren land. There's no need to make a big fuss about it."

As he spoke, he turned his head and glanced at Chongwen Gate, a cold glint flashing in his eyes…

…………

In a daze, Li Yan felt his body rapidly falling.

Soon, it felt like being wrapped in a quilt.

This is a manifestation of returning to the physical body.

He was puzzled; it wasn't time yet, so why had Wang Daoxuan summoned the soul?

My body gradually regained its senses, and my vision was no longer completely dark.

boom!
Suddenly, I heard the sound of the wall collapsing.

Li Yan suddenly opened his eyes and saw that the surroundings were in complete chaos.

Wang Daoxuan performed the ritual with a solemn expression behind him.

Around the courtyard, a group of men dressed in black were lying on the ground.

Some of them had their heads covered in bruises, clearly indicating they had been stung to death by Lü San's poisonous bees.

Some of them killed each other because they were under the influence of Long Yan'er's Gu magic.

Wu Ba was grabbing someone's head and slamming it against the wall, causing the earthen wall to collapse.

"Someone suddenly attacked!"

When Wang Daoxuan saw that he had woken up, he quickly explained.

Li Yan immediately understood that it was Zhao Qingxu's doing. He was afraid that the commotion would attract the attention of the Imperial Clan Court, but he also wanted to kill him, so he sent people to launch a sneak attack. However, he did not expect that they would be no match for his own companions.

Just then, the little white fox's rat, Da Shu Er, in the leather pouch on its waist suddenly started squeaking.

"Soldiers are coming!"

Lü San quickly explained.

"go!"

At Li Yan's command, everyone immediately packed their things and lit a fire.

When the Imperial Guards arrived, all that remained was the courtyard engulfed in flames...

(End of this chapter)