Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 614 The Purple Gourd Overturns the Heavens and Burns the Nine Netherworlds, True Fire Purifies Heaven and Earth (Part 2)

A dark, eerie wind howled, tearing through the sky and swirling up millions of bones and dust, transforming into a massive, dark gray storm that blotted out the sun.

Countless twisted, tormented, and greedy ghostly figures shrieked and howled in the storm. These were monsters and demons formed from the filth of the underworld that had accumulated over countless years. The moment they came into contact with the yang energy of the immortal realm, it was like cold water being poured into boiling oil. Yin and yang clashed, causing the sky to collapse and the earth to crack, igniting the most primal desire for destruction and devouring!

The entire Wanxiang Senluo Palace gate was instantly transformed into a desolate ghost realm.

The world was completely shrouded in dark, ominous clouds. The world was devoid of light, with only the eerie phosphorescent glow of ghostly fire flickering among the broken walls and ruins, reflecting the countless disciples of the Myriad Manifestations who fled in panic, only to be instantly swallowed up by the ghostly winds and shadows behind them.

Like a living painting of "Nine Netherworld Ghosts Devouring Life," the faint spiritual light remaining in the mountain-protecting formation was like a candle flickering in the wind, instantly crushed and annihilated by this overwhelming torrent of yin energy.

"Hahaha, the Immortal Realm. Flesh and blood, living beings, we... have arrived!"

"Hehehe, now that the passage between the two realms is open, kill! Kill! Kill! Slaughter all living beings, and offer the blood and souls of the beings of this realm as a sacrifice!"

"Hoohoo!!"

Accompanied by chilling ghostly howls and demonic cries, from the depths of the nine enormous abyssal rifts, dozens of terrifying auras, capable of sending shivers down one's spine, suddenly awakened like ancient, slumbering beasts:

Yin energy condensed, transforming into towering, grotesque ghostly figures, some with blue faces and fangs, others with bony spikes, and still others with three heads and six arms. They were all entwined with dense, unyielding chains of Netherworld Laws, radiating the immense pressure of a Mahayana realm cultivator.

These Mahayana-level ghost saints from the Netherworld are eagerly preparing to cross over and turn the Earthly Immortal Realm into a new hunting ground.

As the two realms drew closer, their divine senses gradually began to resonate.

The thoughts of these Mahayana-level ghost saints from the Netherworld were almost tangible at this moment. Those cultivators from the Earthly Immortal Realm with slightly higher cultivation levels could see a scene simply by closing their eyes:
In the dead of night, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, a dozen or so skeletons of various sizes were rushing to a lavish banquet.

"Hahahaha, everyone has to die, everyone has to die! The greatest fairness in life is that everyone has to die!"

Azure Water Heavenly Lord slumped to the ground, watching and sensing the apocalyptic scene that had engulfed the entire sect. His face showed no pain or fear, but rather a twisted madness and a sense of liberation, as he hissed and laughed shrilly.

"Hahahaha, do you see that? Sect Leader Taiqing, True Person Lu Cheng, you possess profound magical power and have calculated every trick in the book, but what good is it? It's too late, everything is already too late. The membrane between the Netherworld and the Earthly Immortal Realm has been broken, the Nine Nether Abyss has been formed, and ten thousand ghosts have descended upon the world! There are dozens of Mahayana cultivators and an endless army of ghosts over there, what can you use to resist? This is the inevitable trend of heaven and earth, you are like mantises trying to stop a chariot, destined to be reduced to dust, becoming the nourishment for my ghost path. Hahahaha!"

"Under such a cataclysmic event, even you, Master Lu, cannot escape! Neither can the Taiqing Immortal Sect! Neither can escape!"

He kept repeating this, as if he were convincing and confirming it to himself.

Or perhaps, as a cultivator who had suppressed the Netherworld for ten thousand years, he had become the culprit who released ten thousand ghosts. At this moment, the Azure Water Heavenly Lord's state of mind was also complex and hard to describe.

"What are you so smug about? Whether or not the ghosts of the underworld descend, you're doomed. You won't even be able to be reborn, your soul will be scattered. What's there to be smug about?!"

Given Xiao Yuxue's personality, she could never stand seeing her rival cultivators so smug in front of her. She lashed out and lashed out with her whip at Biyue Tianjun, saying this.

At the same time, a golden rainbow flashed.

However, Daoist Mingque had already successfully brought back Xuanqing, Xuanzhen, Miaoyin Jushi, and Prajna Mingwang by using the power of the Golden Dawn Shuttle.

However, at this very moment, the Myriad Manifestations Palace is now in the same state as below, with the distance between the two realms constantly closing, and the heavens and earth inverted.

Although they were in the depths of the earth, from everyone's perspective at this moment, it appeared as if a gigantic world was rapidly approaching and falling from the sky.

The moment they truly fall will be the moment the celestial orbits of the two realms are activated.

The elders and disciples of the Taiqing Sect, along with the remaining human cultivators of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, all paled at the sight.

The ghostly aura emanating from that world is highly poisonous to even Mahayana cultivators of the human race, requiring them to expend their magical power to resist it; for lower-level disciples, it is an instant death warrant.

Not to mention the dozens of Mahayana Ghost Saint auras that are about to cross over from that world. Once they successfully arrive, all the lands of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, one of the nine sects of the human race, and even the territory of the human race, will face annihilation!
This is a calamity similar to the invasion of the ancient demon realm, but several times worse.

The rift between heaven and earth in the ancient demon realm is known only to a very few ancient demons and human cultivators, while the current invasion of the ghost realm has clearly gathered the power of many ghost saints.

"Sect Leader, the best course of action now is to completely withdraw from the Myriad Manifestations Palace, and then rally all sects and factions in the Earthly Immortal Realm to respond to this catastrophe!" Daoist Mingque was very clear-headed, and what he said was mature and prudent.

Such a calamity would be a devastating disaster for any sect or faction. Only the entire Immortal Realm could share the burden, and even then, it would take countless years to resolve, not to mention how many people would die as a result.

"Husband!" Xiao Yuxue, Xue Yuzhen, and the others also turned pale and looked at Lu Cheng nervously.

The true disciples, including Youming and Shisheng, formed a battle formation and stood ready for battle, but in the face of the overwhelming power of the Netherworld Calamity, human strength seemed so insignificant.

At this desperate moment when heaven and earth were collapsing and all living beings were weeping in anguish.

Lu Cheng stood alone between the surging abyss of darkness and the sky-covering black clouds. His expression shifted, as if deep in thought.

As his magical power increased, Lu Cheng, as a Mahayana cultivator, could sense the "Heavenly Dao" of this world, that is, the operating law of this Earth Immortal World, more and more clearly.

It is not entirely devoid of its own consciousness; it also possesses a kind of chaotic intelligence.

The will of Heaven has always been difficult to fathom, but it has gradually become less so in the presence of Nascent Soul cultivators in the mortal realm and Mahayana cultivators in the spirit realm.

The best among them can sense the existence of divine will more and more clearly.

Just like at this moment, Lu Cheng could sense more and more clearly the hatred and resistance of the Earth Immortal Realm of the Middle Thousand Worlds towards that world that was getting closer and closer to the Netherworld.

Whether in the Lesser Thousand Worlds, the Middle Thousand Worlds, or the Greater Thousand Worlds, worlds dominated by the Law of Death are relatively few.

These worlds of death objectively exist, and in these worlds, ghosts are even unkillable.

This is a record of the underlying laws governing the operation of the Heavenly Dao in that world. In such a world, it would be better to be born as a ghost, but if one is unfortunate enough to be born as a human, it might be easier to slit one's throat on the spot.

At this moment, Lu Cheng could clearly feel that the laws of the approaching Netherworld were constantly invading the Earth Immortal World, while the Heavenly Dao power of the Earth Immortal World itself was rapidly gathering, desperately resisting this erosion.

"I am a celestial being, and my will is in harmony with the Way of Heaven. I will act on Heaven's wrath and unleash its power of punishment! This is what it means when fortune smiles upon us and Heaven and Earth join forces, and when we follow the Way of Heaven."

If applied to Taoist practices, what kind of effects would it have?

"The Sect Leader?!"

As the Netherworld drew ever closer, and the Sect Master still failed to make the necessary decision, even though Lu Cheng held considerable prestige, Mingque Daojun waited a moment before finally stepping forward to inquire and urge Lu Cheng to make a decision soon.

However, the moment Mingque Daojun finished speaking, Lu Cheng did something that left everyone present dumbfounded.

He pointed his fingers like a sword, striking the acupoint between his eyebrows. A point of intense crimson light, seemingly condensed from boundless life force and a murderous will, suddenly blazed forth. Then, he opened his mouth and spat out:
"Buzz!"

A dark red, blood-red flying sword tore through the sky. The small sword, which was only three inches long and was entirely crimson, emitted an aura that made the surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) tremble and cry out. It shot out from Lu Cheng's mouth.

It was one of Lu Cheng's former natal magic weapons, the Boundless Blood Sea Flying Sword.

The sword appeared and hovered in front of Daoist Lu Cheng. The sword vibrated and hummed, as if it were breathing with life.

The next moment, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

That small, blood-red sword was like a paintbrush, wielding its power freely in the void. It drew upon the surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) that was incredibly violent due to the clash of the laws of the two realms, and also stirred Lu Cheng's own divine sense and magical power.

Manipulating creation, bringing something from nothing.

Vital energy and blood energy, two vast forces belonging to different dimensions, under the mysterious operation of the Blood Sea Flying Sword, underwent an incredible transformation and fusion.

The primordial energy of heaven and earth was imbued with the luster of life by the sword intent; Lu Cheng's vast divine consciousness and magical power were extracted and refined, transforming into the purest Daoist runes. The primordial energy was inexhaustible, originating from heaven and earth; the blood energy was endless, rooted in himself. Under the harmonization and coordination of the Blood Sea Flying Sword, the two were able to outline and condense at a speed visible to the naked eye, forming a silhouette identical to Lu Cheng's original body.

First, his bones formed, then his meridians spread, then his flesh and blood grew, and finally, he used magic to create a Taoist robe. His eyebrows and eyes gradually became clear. In just a few breaths, a "Taoist of Lucheng" appeared vividly in front of everyone, with the same aura, appearance, expression, and even the golden and red flames flowing in his eyes.

Finally, the Boundless Blood Sea Flying Sword transformed into a streak of blood-red light, flying into the Taoist's ancestral aperture between his eyebrows and imbuing it with spirituality.

It is a true avatar possessing independent spellcasting abilities and carrying a portion of Lu Cheng's will and magical power. The price is that Lu Cheng's original body instantly suffered a great loss of vital essence and blood, causing his face to turn slightly pale.

The original Lu Cheng and the newly formed Blood Sea clone exchanged a glance, then bowed simultaneously, their voices overlapping yet clearly distinct:

"Fellow Daoist, you've worked hard." (Main Body)

"Fellow Daoist, please go ahead. I'll stay here." (Clone)

No further words were needed; the two sides were already of one mind.

The main body unleashed its natal magic treasures: a purple-gold-red gourd and a small golden pagoda.

The Blood Sea clone took a step forward and stood beneath the purple-gold gourd that was suspended in mid-air and still radiated a hazy purple-gold light.

He swiftly formed hand seals, channeling a series of complex and profound incantations—a series of techniques that drew upon the boundless energy of heaven and earth—into the gourd's body.

As the incantation was activated, the purple-gold-red gourd shone brightly, and the innate Dao patterns on its surface flowed, as if it had come alive. A deeper and more terrifying aura of flames began to brew and accumulate within it, and the mouth of the gourd faintly emitted three colors of divine light: blazing white, crimson, and dark gold.

Clearly, the Blood Sea clone was fully engaged in communicating with the flame source within the gourd, which was comparable to a vast world, preparing to unleash its innate divine power, the Samadhi True Fire Dao Technique, to shake the Netherworld with fire!

At the same time, a simple and imposing nine-story Xuanhuang pagoda, exuding an aura of invulnerability to all laws and repelling all evil, appeared out of thin air above the head of the Blood Sea clone.

The pagoda emitted wisps of dark yellow energy, which, like jewels, completely protected the clone.

This pagoda is another protective treasure of Lu City, the Xuanhuang Pagoda. Now, a precious pearl is inlaid at the top of this pagoda, which brings vast and boundless merit power to amplify the magic weapon, making its defensive power extremely amazing.

The reason for summoning it now is to ensure that the clone can control the natal magic weapon, the Purple Gold Red Gourd, without any external interference.

"This treasure... it looks somewhat familiar to me."

The Prajna King beside Layman Miaoyin looked at the Xuanhuang Pagoda and his heart stirred slightly, but he suppressed the thought in the next instant.

The sect is now extremely weak and has no power to retrieve the Buddhist treasure. Even if it were to be retrieved with difficulty, it would offend the Taiqing Immortal Sect. How could the Xiji Great Zen Temple possibly protect this Buddhist treasure on its own?

Therefore, form is emptiness, and appearance is non-appearance.

"Namo Amitabha!"

Just as the clone took over the Purple-Gold Red Gourd and activated the Xuanhuang Pagoda, Lu Cheng's main body moved.

He held nothing back, transforming himself into an extremely dazzling stream of light.

This stream of light disregarded spatial distance and surged upwards relentlessly. Its target was the Netherworld Passage, which was becoming increasingly stable amidst the turbulent flow of the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

There's no need for further explanation. The clone and the main body are two sides of the same coin. Whatever arrangements and plans the main body makes, the clone can do the same here, just like the main body.

The Netherworld, the Abyss of White Bones in the Nine Netherworlds.

This is a treacherous and perilous place in the Netherworld, near the barrier of the Immortal Realm, the membrane of Heaven and Earth!
The sky was perpetually dark, with seven blood moons hanging high, radiating a cold light that could freeze one's very soul.

The earth was paved with countless enormous skeletons, white bones piled up into mountains.

The filthy River Styx, emitting a foul stench, meanders through the Bone Mountains, its waters teeming with countless struggling and wailing souls.

The air was filled with a thick stench of death, decay, and resentment, and the dense, malevolent energy almost condensed into a viscous black mist.

At this moment, in the center of the Bone Abyss, on an altar made of nine enormous demon god skulls, space violently distorted and fluctuated, forming a huge, cracked vortex of heaven and earth energy. That was the entrance to the interdimensional passage that was forcibly maintained and not yet fully closed.

As the Netherworld sensed it, a vast and mighty power of the Heavenly Dao converged, strengthening and stabilizing this passage.

At the same time, dozens of figures exuding terrifying pressure hovered around the altar.

They came in all shapes and sizes: there was a skeletal emperor draped in a decaying imperial robe and wielding a scepter of white bones; there was a gigantic aggregate of flesh and blood, its body flowing with foul blood and composed of countless pained faces; there was a Yin God ruler shrouded in a pitch-black cloak, with only two points of pale green soul fire visible; there was a white-faced Taoist priest riding a skeletal demonic dragon and standing with his hands behind his back... Each of them possessed an aura that was sinister, eerie, and incomparably powerful.

Ghost cultivation is incredibly slow, but in a world of death, time seems to have no meaning, and ghosts that develop intelligence can naturally accumulate strength slowly.

The leader of the many ghost saints was none other than the Ghostly Yama, who had previously ambushed Xuan Qing and the others.

He had now fully manifested his true form as a Ghost Saint, standing several meters tall with a blue face and fangs. He wore a jet-black Yama robe, holding in one hand the Death-Binding Pen that emitted a strong fluctuation of deathly laws, and in the other hand holding a phantom of the Book of Life and Death that was constantly turning and displaying countless images of living and dead souls. His body was filled with ghostly energy, almost merging with this Netherworld.

"Fellow practitioners!" The voice of the Ghostly Yama was hoarse and seductive.

"The world of the living is almost here. This time, we must be careful with our consumption and not recklessly devour more people to build a hellish ghost kingdom, allowing those living beings to multiply endlessly and provide us with their vital energy and blood..."

"It's natural."

“The Great Sage of the Ghosts is right.”

All the great saints of the ghost race present nodded in agreement.

In reality, each of them has been thirsting for at least hundreds of thousands or millions of years. They are still in good condition now, but once they see a living being, it will be very difficult for them to control themselves.

However, what the Great Sage of the Ghosts said was indeed true. Only by establishing a hellish ghost kingdom in the Netherworld and creating a special environment with magic can the living reproduce and provide food for a long time.

Of course, for those living in the hellish realm, it is like a prison on earth, but this is not something these ghost saints need to consider.

"Alas! A mere junior from the Earthly Immortal Realm dares to venture alone into my Netherworld! He is blinded by calamity and courts death! Capture him, extract his soul and refine his spirit. The billions of beings in this realm will all become our resources!"

Just then, Ghost Saint sensed a rapidly approaching aura with astonishing magical power, but he was not afraid; it was just an aura.

"Hehehe, just what I wanted." Among the many ghost cultivators, the Thousand Infant Ghost Mother, whose magical power was not weak, let out a piercing laugh.

"I will refine him into a corpse puppet, to admire and play with every day." A celestial corpse monster covered in green fur and exuding overwhelming corpse energy licked its fangs.

Just as the ghosts howled and prepared to tear the "flowing light" that rushed into the passage apart, the flowing light, like a burning meteor, crashed through the remaining chaotic flow of heaven and earth energy at the end of the passage at a speed far faster than they had imagined, and descended into the Abyss of White Bones in the Netherworld.

"Boom!"

Lu Cheng Daoist's figure solidified amidst the swirling ghostly mist and yin energy. Without the slightest hesitation, he launched his attack the moment he arrived.

"Thirty-six layers of celestial power, suppress!"

With a roar, the thirty-six layers of illusory heavens behind him instantly materialized and expanded rapidly. Each layer of heavens was like a real projection of a small world, carrying immense gravity and supreme laws, crashing down with a deafening roar.

Previously, when Lu Cheng fought against Biyue Tianjun and Shigu Yinzun, he did not use his full strength. The twenty-four layers of heavenly magic power was already using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Moreover, using this technique would put a great burden on his divine consciousness and physical body. Lu Cheng also reserved twelve layers of heavenly magic power to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

(End of this chapter)