I was the Heavenly Emperor in ancient times

Chapter 37 Dushuo
At the foot of Zhangwei Mountain.

Zheng Shiliang's research team was doing well. They conducted numerous experiments and observations in a snow-covered mountain valley, at the boundary between light and darkness, and collected a large amount of data using equipment.

On the snowy ground at night, Zheng Shiliang's team set up tents to observe the changes in Zhangwei Mountain.

As the night grew darker, they continued working.

However, something unusual was gradually approaching them.

"What's wrong? The machine isn't turning on." A person patted the equipment, searching for a long time but still couldn't figure out what was wrong.

"Why is the light getting dimmer?" A person nearby watched the light flicker and grow weaker.

"Is the power out?" Someone came over to help check.

"No, look up." Everyone looked up, and the stars in the sky dimmed one by one, and the moon disappeared without anyone noticing.

Something was coming from the darkness, and the inhuman voice sounded especially terrifying in the silence, causing everyone to panic.

"Something's coming through the snow."

"Don't panic, where's the gun?"

"Here, here."

They quickly huddled together, opened their bags, and took out their guns.

"boom!"

The gunshot startled the approaching predator, and then a fleeting flash of light gave everyone a glimpse of what it looked like.

"It's a snow leopard."

Hearing the gunshot, the snow leopard lingered for a while before finally leaving. After the commotion around them disappeared, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, something strange happened.

Despite it being an extremely dark night, with no light in sight and the moon and stars gone, torch-like lights appeared in the distance.

"Look, there are torches!" someone shouted, pointing into the distance.

"Is someone setting up camp?" the group speculated during their conversation.

"What's going on? Why can their lights turn on, but ours can't?" someone asked.

"Could it be traces of supernatural power appearing?" someone speculated at this moment.

This speculation immediately dispelled everyone's desire to retreat. They had come here for this very reason, and now what they were looking for was right before their eyes.

"Has something really been discovered?"

"It might really be a major discovery."

"Perhaps we can unlock the secret to becoming extraordinary."

Hearing this, Zheng Shiliang was also tempted.
The entire research team quickly packed up and headed towards the torch-like light. As they walked, they entered a strange area after passing through a certain range.

Suddenly it got light.

The setting sun, like blood, fell upon them.

Zheng Shiliang's research team was stunned. They kept taking pictures of their surroundings, but their cameras didn't light up at all, and all they captured was darkness.

Then, a huge sacrificial site suddenly appeared in front of them, exuding a sacred feeling amidst the ancient wilderness.

They watched as a large number of people dressed in a primitive and ancient style appeared, and then one by one they climbed onto the high platform made of grass and trees.

These people stood densely packed on top, looking down as if they were looking at them, their faces gazing at them across time and reincarnation.

"what is this?"

"who are you?"

"What are they doing?"

Some people tried to talk to those people, but they didn't respond at all.

At this moment, Zheng Shiliang suddenly spoke.

"The theory of cosmic memory—could this be ancient information preserved by Zhulong, allowing us to see some things that happened in the ancient, barbaric era?"

This made everyone even more excited. They watched the scene unfold with bated breath, eager to glean more information and secrets.

And then, they saw the last image that humans could see.

Zheng Shiliang stood on tiptoe and then saw the "dragon" he longed for.

A long, black shadow emerged from the darkness. It raised its head from the shadow, and it was a human head.

A human head and a dragon's body—that was the strange image of the ancient shamans.

"dragon!"

Zheng Shiliang's excitement swelled to its limit in an instant, and he felt an indescribable sense of emotion as he looked at the scene.

At this moment, those standing on the high platform of the sacrificial site also shouted one after another, using ancient and barbaric language.

"The Candle Shadow has arrived!"

"The Candle Shadow has arrived!"

“Candle Shadow… Candle Shadow…”

Then, Zheng Shiliang saw the human-headed, dragon-bodied being spew flames, setting everyone on the platform ablaze.

"what!"

Zheng Shiliang stared in disbelief at the scene. The screams of agony rose and fell from the flames as he watched helplessly as living people struggled in the inferno.

The others were also terrified and immediately tried to run away.

However, at this moment, the being with a human head and a dragon body caught up, and the flames from its mouth swept across the land, engulfing them as well.

The flames, which had been burning for thousands of years, ignited them as well. One by one, the people present were sacrificed alive in the flames, becoming the second offerings of the shamans of the ancient, barbaric era.

"what!"

"No, no."

"Help me, it's so hot, so hot!"

"what……"

Seeing those familiar figures screaming in agony, Zheng Shiliang was terrified and ran wildly outside.

As he ran, he looked back and saw that the "dragon" was still breathing fire, seemingly about to set the entire sacrificial site ablaze.

Amidst the towering flames, the shadows twisted and became increasingly sinister and terrifying.

The face with a human head and a dragon's body was deeply imprinted in his mind, seemingly becoming his deepest nightmare.

As the flames were about to engulf him, Zheng Shiliang screamed loudly, as if his three souls and seven spirits were all screaming together.

At that moment, a hand reached out from the darkness and pulled Zheng Shiliang out.

With a single leap, Zheng Shiliang plummeted from the terrifying blood-red setting sun and raging flames, returning to the dark, icy mountain valley.

"fire!"

"Zhulong, I see Zhulong."

"He killed everyone, so many people, including us. He's hunting us down..."

Zheng Shiliang, who had always stayed on campus, witnessed the most terrifying scene. At this moment, he was greatly shocked and his words were incoherent.

His longing for extraordinary power crumbled instantly. He said he wasn't just a hypocrite who loved dragons, but when he actually saw one, he was even more pathetic than the hypocrite he had mocked.

A voice came from the darkness: "That's not Zhulong."

Zheng Shiliang hurriedly raised his head: "Who is that?"

The other party replied, "Zhuyin, an ancient shaman."

Zheng Shiliang asked again, "What is he doing? Why is he killing people? Why is he killing us?"

The other person said, "In order to gain power and become a stronger being, what you call a superhuman."

“You were simply drawn into the scene of his sacrificial reenactment; once the ritual began, you became the new sacrifices.”

"I sensed you from afar, and flew over just in time to see you."

In the darkness, as the person drew closer, their hair and skin gradually emitted a faint blue light.

Zheng Shiliang felt his figure growing taller and taller, and witch-like features emerging from deep within his skin. He finally saw clearly the person he was talking to.

He realized something: "Li Jun with double pupils, you saved me?"

The other person said, "By sheer coincidence, you were still alive when you came over; you were just lucky."

However, Zheng Shiliang also knew that the other party was repaying the favor of giving him a ride. He never expected that his casual wave would save his life and even change his destiny.

Li Jun walked slowly to his front, but his eyes were looking behind him. Zheng Shiliang also noticed something and immediately looked behind him.

Then he saw the true form of the "torch" he had seen earlier in the darkness.

Those weren't torches at all, but terrifying, vengeful ghosts with no faces and flames covering their faces.

Zheng Shiliang was so frightened that he couldn't speak. He recalled many ancient legends about people losing their lives after being bewitched by ghosts.

Gradually, the shadows with faces that looked like burning flames faded away and disappeared completely, leaving only Zheng Shiliang's former companions standing in the shadows watching him.

For Zheng Shiliang, the scene became even more terrifying.

However, Li Jun noticed another aspect.

He looked down into the darkness.

Zhangwei Mountain was rising steadily, and everything that had just happened seemed to have caused something else to rise as well.

Zheng Shiliang saw it too.

In his eyes, the darkness in the distance resembled an endless, towering wall of black crystal.

In the deepest part of the darkness, a building, whether it was a city or something else, slowly rose up, like a snowflake frozen in an ice crystal, wriggling and floating forward little by little.

Zheng Shiliang: "And what is that?"

Li Jun guessed it; it was probably the One-Eyed Ghost Kingdom from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

When he first saw those one-eyed spirits wandering at the foot of Zhangwei Mountain, he was reminded of the records in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

He remained motionless and spoke to Zheng Shiliang.

"The situation is getting out of control. Let's leave now and not stay here."

Li Jun's expression became extremely solemn and serious, making Zheng Shiliang feel a little breathless for a moment.

When I first met Li Jun, he was able to chat and laugh.

But having truly witnessed the terror of supernatural power and the horror of death, when he saw Li Jun again, he felt a strong sense of fear, just like when he saw Zhu Yin before.

Although they are human, their power is more terrifying than that of ghosts.

When someone can kill you with just a glance or a thought, it's impossible for you to remain calm when you're standing in front of them.

In the darkness, Li Jun pointed out a direction.

"Follow it!"

"Do not look back."

Then he saw a wisp of light shoot from his fingertip into the distance, breaking through the boundless darkness.

Zheng Shiliang immediately followed the fluorescent light and ran towards the foot of the mountain.

He stumbled and fell several times along the way, but he got up and continued chasing the fluorescent light without stopping.
-
In the deepest darkness.

Li Jun stood at the boundary where the power of Zhangwei Mountain invaded the mortal world, his eyes seemingly glowing, reflecting everything in the darkness.

Before him lay a thick shadow, and in the distance, the deepest darkness, accompanied by beams of light and shadow emanating from the depths, allowed him to vaguely discern the frozen shadow of the ruins.

"It's about to surface, which is why it's leaking so much information and projections!"

The emergence of this relic is not the first in Zhangwei Mountain, nor will it be the last. No one knows how many ancient secrets it holds.

Li Jun gazed quietly at Zhangwei Mountain, seemingly captivated by it as well. This dark and profound mountain was so alluring; it was extremely dangerous, yet it also concealed the ultimate secrets that countless humans longed to uncover.

Mythology, the extraordinary, life, death, reincarnation, immortality, and all other captivating questions seem to find their answers within this mountain.

But as Li Jun observed it, he suddenly understood something.

"It is recreating everything that once happened to it, reproducing everything that once happened to it."

"But it is no longer the nascent Zhulong, so it is different in many ways."

Li Jun remembered that not long after the One-Eyed Ghost Kingdom was created by Zhuyin, he killed Zhulong.

Does this mean that, after it reproduces to a certain extent, it will also reproduce the scene of itself killing it in ancient times?

It will then be automatically killed again and broken down into three parts.

"We'll find out soon enough."

As less and less information was leaked, Li Jun could no longer observe the shadow of the ruins.

It hid again in the darkness, its exact location unknown.

"Da da da!"

Li Jun walked forward, as if walking on a black body of water.

With each step he took, a layer of black ripples would rise beneath his feet, trying to take away parts of his body, but they were blocked by the light emanating from him.

However, as he walked, a part of his body was continuously sucked into the water.

Soon, his feet touched the bottom, and he was blocked by a barrier of space below.

In the darkness, he reached out and used the power of the peach tree, pushing his palm forward as if he were actually opening a door.

Golden light emerged from the center of the palm, and layers of distorted halos spread outwards from the palm, as if twisting and shattering space itself.

"Buzz!"

However, Li Jun quickly realized something and slowed down his movements.

Because a sound like a mountain roaring and a tsunami came from the darkness, as if thousands of people were shouting, his action of pushing open the door startled a large number of beings outside Zhangwei Mountain.

He frowned, stopped what he was doing, and turned his head to look around.

He raised his hand high, his palm like a small sun, illuminating the surrounding area for hundreds or even thousands of meters.

At this moment, all the layers of shadows in the darkness were revealed, their sheer number unknown.

They swarmed toward Li Jun, as if wanting to follow him into the world inside.

But as Li Jun lifted up the "light source," they were so frightened that they all retreated and dared not approach. These were the souls lining up in the darkness, wanting to enter the depths of Zhangwei Mountain.

Li Jun realized that opening the door here would trigger a chain reaction and be detrimental to him.

Li Jun thought to himself, "Let's wait a bit!"

Judging from the appearance of the One-Eyed Ghost Kingdom before, it shouldn't be long before it truly appears in the world.

Li Jun began to back away, preparing to leave.

But at this moment, another unexpected event occurred.

The layers of soul shadows once again emitted a howling sound, and then they were seen emerging from the darkness in a mighty procession, heading towards the foot of the mountain.

It was as if something had reappeared at the foot of the mountain, drawing them there without hesitation.

As they rushed down the mountain, the darkness in Zhangwei Mountain seemed to be a vast curtain of darkness being pulled by countless tiny hooks, gradually accelerating and covering further and further away.

"what?"

Li Jun followed the vast shadows and took a few steps outside, after which his figure began to mutate.

His hands transformed into wings, and he followed the shadow as it flew into the distance, its destination the town at the foot of Zhangwei Mountain.

Ultimately, it was the Feathered People, the Ghost Shadow, and the Darkness.

The three converge on the most prosperous and bustling city, as if to submerge and devour it.
-
Southern part of Ellem city.

Walking through a quiet, tree-lined path, Zhang You, dressed in the Taoist robes representing the disciples of the Changsheng Temple, led a group of people into an ancient building.

Many of the people who looked like foreigners were also wearing Taoist robes, giving the impression of a monkey wearing a crown.

However, the respect and pride on their faces were genuine. Their ordinary, even plain, Taoist robes seemed to make them feel that they were no longer ordinary people, or even human.

This place was originally a temple, but the statues and murals inside have been moved somewhere.

On the altar, a brand new memorial tablet was placed.

"world!"

Two statues of gods were placed on the left and right, but their faces were not visible; instead, they were covered with two talismans.

"Shen Tu!"

"Yu Lei!"

Zhang You's hair suddenly grew long, whether it was an extension or a wig, it was unclear, and it was tied into a bun on top of his head, making him look more like a Taoist who had been practicing for many years.

He stood in the temple hall and looked around, but everyone else only dared to lower their heads and no one dared to look at him.

After looking at the statues and the layout of the main hall, he nodded.

"Are you ready?!"

"Everything is ready."

"The experiment is ready."

"Everything is in place."

Zhang You walked through the main hall and headed towards the back. Behind the main hall were more buildings, and Zhang You walked through the layers of buildings to the very back.

There was a lake there, and the water in the lake came from Zhangwei Mountain. Zhang You stood by the lake and looked along the direction of the water flow, as if he wanted to see the source of the water.

The crowd knelt around the edge of the lake, as if performing an ancient ritual, with Zhang You taking on the role of an ancient shaman.

Zhang You walked towards the lake, and surprisingly, he walked on the water's surface, beginning a ritual to worship ancient gods and spirits.

When the time was almost up, he raised his hand.

"Come forward."

The two Taoist priests then stepped forward and knelt by the lake.

Zhang You: "The Immortal Venerable will grant you immortality, and you must also diligently guard this place for my sake."

The two replied, "Thank you, Immortal Venerable."

A hand reached out from the void; it was Zhou Shentong's hand.

He took out two peach branches and merged them into their bodies. The two Taoists, amidst their cries of pain, gradually transformed into two peach trees, each standing beside the lake.

The branches of the two peach trees intertwined, as if forming a large gate.

And look down into the water.

Two even larger peach trees were reflected in the water, with mountains beneath them. The peach trees were even larger than the mountains, and two enormous ghosts and gods seemed to be sitting on them, looking down at the human world on the other side of the lake.

Zhang You looked at the two ghosts and gods, and bowed down to them, burning incense and worshipping them.

"There is a mountain called Dushuo, on which grows a large peach tree that stretches for three thousand miles. The northeast corner between its branches is called the Ghost Gate, where all ghosts enter and exit."

After the sacrificial ceremony, Zhang You stepped forward and pushed open the door between the two peach trees. A light shone from the center of the two huge peach trees reflected in the water.

In an instant, golden light pierced through both worlds. At the same moment, all the ghostly figures and spirits on Zhangwei Mountain cried out and rushed towards the foot of the mountain.

The darkness in the distance surged toward the sky above Ellem City, with dark clouds overhead. Zhang You stood at the gate of another world, calling out to countless ghosts.

The vast horde of ghosts will soon pass through the gates between the two worlds created by the Temple of Longevity, and only with their permission can they enter the other world.

Looking at the scene, Zhang You couldn't help but say something.

"Who in this world can control the cycle of life and death?"

Who can truly live forever?

This seems to be a question.

But it also feels like a self-affirmation, a question and answer to itself.

In Zhang You's view, this might be the beginning of them taking control of life and death.

This was also the beginning of their transcendence, their ascension to immortality, and their attainment of godhood.
-
A town at the foot of Zhangwei Mountain.

Everyone under the sky looked up and found that the already unclear sky had become even darker.

One after another, eerie shadows suddenly appeared on the street, and then emerged from those shadows one after another figures, some holding candles and others with indistinct faces. Their faces were ashen and terrifying, and their eyes were either vacant or crazed.

Pedestrians on the street screamed when they saw these ghost-like figures, and then began to run away in panic.

"There's something! Something's swimming on the ground!"

"what is this?"

"Don't come any closer, don't come any closer."

"run."

The shouts on the street rose and fell, converging together so that it was impossible to understand what they were shouting, like waves accumulating one after another.

Soon, television began broadcasting various emergency notices, and everyone's mobile phones were filled with alerts about the emergency. Panic then spread throughout the city.

Zheng Shiliang happened to come down from the mountain at this time. He spent a whole day exhausted before leaving that remote mountain valley. He was lucky enough to meet another research team on the road and traveled with them to Ellem City.

He is currently taking the subway to the airport station.

On the subway.

Suddenly, an overwhelming darkness surged in from afar, and then a large group of shadows were seen passing through the carriage, shrieking as they passed by the passengers inside.

This terrified all the passengers in the subway, and they fled in panic at the next station.

Zheng Shiliang was the same; as soon as he got off the subway, he saw the display screen on the platform start broadcasting announcements.

On the screen, a beautiful woman with mixed-race features is speaking in a very serious manner.

"Now, a news briefing."

"Because the Non-Human Union Association will be holding an extraordinary summit in our city soon, the city government has just announced that, starting today, Ellem City will be renamed Dushuo City!"

"Our city will temporarily close all exits from the city center. All citizens are requested to return home and wait for the exits to reopen."

"Unknown things may lurk in the darkness, so please do not approach areas without light or in dark corners..."

"Do not approach the river or the central main road; strange events have been occurring there..."

"If we encounter any unusual situations..."

Zheng Shiliang had just experienced one terrifying event after another. He wondered what he could do if he encountered an unusual situation. Would he call for comfort?

However, at this moment, the person in the news said something that left Zheng Shiliang speechless.

"Please kneel on the ground immediately, burn incense and candles, or turn on your phone and hold it up to a light while silently reciting the Shen Tu Yu Lei Zhen Chang He Mantra."

“The shackles of the underworld are lifted, and the gates of heaven are opened wide.”

"Yu Lei held a rope to bind the nine demons, and Shen Tu wielded his sword to slay the three calamities."

"The spirit falls from the constellation Ji, and the soul wanders with the Big Dipper."

"..."

While Zheng Shiliang was still in a daze, his phone rang.

When he opened it, he saw that all the groups were filled with videos about ghosts.

Before Zheng Shiliang could finish scrolling through the messages, his phone signal suddenly dropped, and the network connection was lost.

But when I looked up, the television news broadcast was still going on, repeating itself over and over again.

"If you encounter any unusual situation, please kneel down immediately, burn incense and candles, or turn on your phone and hold it up to a light while silently reciting the Shen Tu Yu Lei Zhen Chang He Mantra."

“The shackles of the underworld are lifted, and the gates of heaven are opened wide.”

"..."

"If we encounter any unusual situations..."

Everyone around was thrown into a panic; almost no one could walk slowly anymore, they were either running or rushing around.

Zheng Shiliang immediately sensed something was wrong; he and everyone else in the city were trapped inside, facing unpredictable events.

He recalled what Li Jun had told him, along with what had just happened and the emergency reports on television and his phone. This was definitely a major event that could shake the entire world.

the other side.

At this moment, Luo Zhen was secretly meeting with someone, with only Zhao Nange guarding outside.

This person was clearly from within the Changsheng Temple. Although Zhao Nange only saw his back, the person had long hair and a topknot.

There was a table and a sofa in the room.

The visitor brought out a video and some documents, which Luo Zhen looked at one by one.

The video shows a large number of researchers, but these people are also wearing Taoist robes.

Inside the buildings, one can see a great deal of research on the products of Zhangwei Mountain, especially on those ghostly figures.

One of the videos.

Luo Zhen saw a living person holding a candle pass under the peach tree, and then the living person's body disappeared, leaving only a shadow that walked through the peach tree towards Zhangwei Mountain.

Another video opened.

Researchers lured a ghostly figure to a platform using a special method, and then suddenly turned on a ring of lights around it. The different lights intertwined, stretching the original single shadow into more than a dozen even thinner ghostly figures.

In an instant, the ghostly figure could no longer maintain its state, emitting various strange cries before revealing its form. The circle of lights looked like a special sealing array.

The third video.

A ghostly figure slowly materialized in a dark corner, and a group of people sat inside the house, trying to communicate with it.

Then a person bound by rope was thrown in front of the ghostly figure, which attempted to enter the person's body. The video began to speed up rapidly, and the person eventually died after experiencing various bizarre changes.

Luo Zhen: "What are they doing?"

The visitor said, "We experimented with different soul forms. The Changsheng Temple was the first to discover and create a type of superhuman with the power of the Candle Dragon. They created the soul form through a ritual, thus summoning Zhangwei Mountain from nothingness."

"The first video shows the first few souls created by the Changsheng Temple. Zhou Shentong's Shen Tu and Yu Lei have the ability to take away a person's body or a part of the body, and then transform the remaining part into a soul and send it into Zhangwei Mountain. It seems that they made some kind of agreement with a certain being in Zhangwei Mountain in ancient times."

"Even ten thousand years later, this agreement continues. Zhou Shentong and the Changsheng Temple are also continuously creating soul bodies through part of this agreement."

"The second video is an experiment by the Changsheng Temple to control souls. They had research and laboratories on souls in Ellem City a long time ago, and have been conducting tests and experiments in this area since they created the first soul."

"The third video is the initial stage of the reincarnation experiment conducted by the Changsheng Temple. They are checking whether the transformed souls can retain their memories from their previous lives. However, the experimental results show that these souls only retain some of their instincts from their previous lives, and their memories have been almost completely lost."

"They tried to let the soul possess a person's body, which is what we call possession, but the human body simply cannot withstand this strange power, and the test subjects died not long afterward."

Luo Zhen finished reading and listening, and his expression was very serious.

However, he is a serious and composed person, making it difficult for others to discern his true attitude.

Luo Zhen said, "You're in such a hurry to see me, something important must have happened, and it's not just what's in the videos and documents!"

The other party said, "As I just said, the way Changsheng Temple creates souls actually comes from a contract that Shen Tu and Yu Lei made with a certain being in Zhangwei Mountain in ancient times."

Luo Zhen's investigation team studied Shen Tu and Yu Lei: "There is a mountain called Dushuo, on which grows a large peach tree that stretches for three thousand miles. The northeast corner between its branches is called the Ghost Gate, where all ghosts enter and exit."

The other party nodded: "After numerous experiments and attempts, Changsheng Temple and Zhou Shentong are ready to completely renew this contract."

Luo Zhen asked, "What do you mean? Please be more specific."

The other party replied, "I have received some information that they are preparing to recreate the old Dushuo Ghost Gate in Ellem City, summoning all ghosts into the underworld and restarting the cycle of life and death."

"At that time, people all over the world will gradually stop thinking about dust returning to dust."

“Everyone becomes a soul after death, and these souls are controlled by them. To enter the underworld, one must have their permission, and they may even be under their control in this life and the next.”

Some say that capital controls the world, while others say that systems and power control it.

But at this very moment, someone showed Luo Zhen another, more thorough way of controlling the world—or more accurately, the way that controls the world—and it was the most terrifying.

Its name is Life and Death.

Human birth, human death, and the cycle of reincarnation.

Only when it is completely controlled by a power will you understand what true despair is.

Luo Zhen stared intently at the man. This man clearly knew the situation earlier and understood it better than Luo Zhen, but after saying these words, he became even more nervous and his breathing became rapid.

Luo Zhen asked, "How much else do you know?"

He pressed further: "What kind of agreement did Shen Tu and Yu Lei make? Who is the entity behind it? When do they plan to launch this plan?"

The visitor shook his head apologetically: "I'm just an peripheral member of the experimental research team. I'm not very clear about the specific execution plan, nor do I have any access to it. I only know that Zhou Shentong assigned Zhang You to be in charge of its execution..."

Before he finished speaking, the light and shadows outside the window suddenly changed, and shouts rose and fell from the street.

Luo Zhen immediately stood up and told the person to leave through the back door.

Luo Zhen: "Remember to protect yourself. You can tell us if you have any requests, and we will do everything we can to meet them."

The visitor asked Luo Zhen, "Do you think I'm doing this for money or something else?"

Luo Zhen's expression remained serious: "No, at this point, money and power have lost their effect. The Longevity Principle can give you much more."

The newcomer's expression softened: "I just don't want the world to fall into the hands of a madman like Zhou Shentong. He doesn't treat people as human beings at all. The lives and deaths of seven billion people are probably just consumables in his eyes. I can't imagine what it would be like if someone like him took control of the world."

Luo Zhen: "No, it won't happen."

The visitor said, "I hope so."

Luo Zhen led Zhao Nange outside, and as soon as they entered the street, they saw all sorts of chaotic scenes.

On the street, Luo Zhen witnessed a grayish-white shadow suddenly intrude into the shadow of a living person. The person instantly went mad, ran into the middle of the road, and was run over by a car wheel.

However, the man's shadow then began to move, creeping into the darkness in a gruesome and bloody manner.

In another incident, a hand suddenly appeared in the dark street and dragged a person who was running away in fright into the shadows. What happened next is unknown.

Luo Zhen looked up and around. All the bus stops, billboards, and televisions in the shops on the street were displaying the same image.

The news repeatedly reported that Ellem City had been renamed Dushuo City, and finally ended with a single sentence.

"If you encounter any unusual situation, please kneel down immediately, burn incense and candles, or turn on your phone and hold it up to a light while silently reciting the Shen Tu Yu Lei Zhen Chang He Mantra."

“The shackles of the underworld are lifted, and the gates of heaven are opened wide.”

"Yu Lei held a rope to bind the nine demons, and Shen Tu wielded his sword to slay the three calamities."

"..."

The sounds overlapped, like a demonic chant piercing the ears.

Luo Zhen witnessed many people on the street burning paper and wood, chanting the incantation haltingly. These terrified people couldn't think of anything else; they only wanted to cling to this straw.

"Yu Lei..."

“Shen Tu…”

As the chanting of the mantras continued, the ghostly figures indeed avoided them, and this behavior spread further.

Zhao Nange looked at Luo Zhen: "Team leader, what's the next step?"

Luo Zhen: "Meet up with the others and head out of the city first."

After meeting up with the others, the three cars sped off towards the outskirts of the city.

However, when the vehicle reached the edge of the city, Luo Zhen and Zhao Nange suddenly realized that the entire surrounding area was shrouded in darkness, and the entire city of Ellem was under lockdown.

Let alone Luo Zhen, even Zhao Nange, who is a superhuman, does not want to try to see what he might encounter by entering that complete darkness.

They stopped the car, got out one by one, and looked at the boundless black abyss.

At that moment, a light shone from the darkness.

"Chirp!"

They heard a bird's cry, and then felt a gust of wind rise and tear apart the dark clouds in the sky.

A streak of azure light fell from the dark heights and descended to the mortal realm.

They entered Ellem City, or rather, the present-day Dushuo City, under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
-
The real Dushuo Ghost Gate is inside the Changsheng Temple, which is another space. What is in the present world is just an entrance created by the Dushuo Ghost Gate.

At this moment.

Before this entrance, Zhang You's sacrificial ceremony had entered its second phase.

With the door open, it's time to welcome the ghosts.

One by one, figures dressed in Taoist robes knelt on the ground, burning sacrificial texts and chanting scriptures. Zhang You raised his hands high and called out loudly towards Zhangwei Mountain in the distance.

"The soul is back!"

"The soul is back!"

As they summoned, countless ghostly figures surged in from all directions, and the surrounding light gradually disappeared completely, leaving only the flickering light of their burning talismans and candles.

The shadows of the peach trees on both sides grew longer and longer, and the dark gate above the lake opened wider and wider.

However, they watched as countless ghostly figures surged in, rushing into the room like a river.

Many of the people kneeling there felt not only terrified, but some were also suddenly jolted awake to what they were doing.

Whispers could be heard from among the crowd burning paper and chanting scriptures.

"So many shadows, how many people have died?"

"They were destined to die anyway."

"They will go behind the door, and from then on there will be no more birth or death, only reincarnation."

"With so many ghosts entering the city, it must be very dangerous inside right now..."

Many people have noticed that many of the shadows inside are not holding candles, and some even have missing parts in their bodies. This indicates that these people did not enter the door to perform a ritual, but were harmed by the ghostly shadows.

At this moment, Zhang You turned around with a frown.

The Yinshan Mountains pressed down from afar, and countless ghosts passed by behind. At this moment, Zhang You, standing on the water in front of the Ghost Gate, exuded a terrifying aura. A single glance back could almost terrify anyone.

"Can't you even keep quiet?"

But at that moment, one of them suddenly stood up.

"Didn't you say it was just a summoning of spirits? My family is still in the city!"

Someone stood up to object, but Zhang You was too lazy to explain. He just glanced at the person, and the person's body burst into flames, which then mysteriously disappeared.

The man died, but his shadow stood up and walked toward the Gate of Hell.

Zhang You tossed out a talisman and stuck it on the man's back.

He said, "This person will one day descend into the icy hell."

The others trembled with fear. In front of Zhou Shentong and Zhang You, whether they were people in the city or they themselves, as long as they were human, they were all cattle and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

As Zhang You watched this scene, his expression grew increasingly condescending.

He leaped up, walked on the waves, and gradually came to stand before everyone.

"If Yama (the King of Hell) wants you dead at midnight, who dares to keep you alive until dawn!"

"Today the gates of hell open, and all living beings enter the netherworld."

"No one can stop them!"

After saying that, Zhang You shouted angrily.

"Don't stop, keep going!"

Figures knelt on both sides, the burning talismans fluttering high in the wind, and the chanting of incantations echoed in the darkness once more.

Along the central avenue, more and more shadows slid across the ground, gradually solidifying before entering the doorway.

As this process unfolds, something changes within the darkness.

At this very moment, Zhang, who was standing before the gates of hell, was also paying attention to several places.

The first one is Zhangwei Mountain. It's rising up even faster. It seems that Dushuo City is really adjacent to Zhangwei Mountain now.

Secondly, the shadows of the peach trees of Shen Tu and Yu Lei faintly appeared in the darkness in the distance. The shadows of those two ghosts and gods seemed to be watching the city, situated between Zhangwei Mountain and the city.

Thirdly, Zhang You saw chaos in the city, and amidst the lights, he could faintly hear thousands of people chanting the incantations of Shen Tu and Yu Lei.

However, while they avoided the disaster, they also gave something else to Shen Shuyu: after they died, they would pass through the gates of hell of Shen Tu and Yu Lei, and be bound by the order and rules they established.

This is also the purpose of the Longevity Cult: they want to renew their ancient agreement with the underworld through Shen Tu and Yu Lei, and create the oldest cycle of reincarnation step by step.

Finally, Zhang You kept looking at the sky around him, as if he was afraid of something.

at this time.

A beam of light suddenly appeared in the sky, piercing the horizon, which was unusual in the eyes of the people of Changsheng Temple.

"A shooting star?" The flames from the burning paper floated up into the sky, replacing the stars.

"No, they're coming this way." Someone noticed something was wrong.

"There's something! Something's coming towards us!" A commotion arose.

Zhang You saw it too, but unlike the others, he immediately leaped up and rushed out of the lake.

The light arrived extremely quickly, like a bolt of lightning striking the lake behind the temple.

"Boom!"

Under the horrified and bewildered gazes of everyone at the Changsheng Temple, the portal that pierced between the Yin and Yang realms vanished instantly.

The water in the lake surged dozens of meters high, pressing against the shore and extinguishing all the surrounding flames.

The impact of this scene was so strong that it gave everyone present a sense of déjà vu, as if they had seen such a scene somewhere before.

"It's Li Jun!"

"Li Jun is here."

"Li Jun with double pupils!"

Now, screams of fear echoed through the darkness.

The sounds of bowing and chanting all stopped at this moment.

They watched as a light shone in the darkness, and an extraordinary figure slowly rose from the water's surface, layers of bird feathers gathering and transforming into the sorcerer's markings on his body.

He stood in front of the door, blocking the ghostly figures rushing towards him from afar.

They seemed afraid of his presence and dared not enter.

(End of this chapter)