Divine Tang Era

"Heh heh, amulet, is it effective?"

The demon mother chuckled sinisterly, leaped into the air, and reached out with her claws to grab Xu Dan.

The nine Japanese soldiers gathered around the campfire glanced at it, then turned back. Only then did Xu Dan realize that they were sucking the pale green embers from the fire, which wasn't burning wood, but rather the flesh and blood of living people, seemingly children.

Xu Dan shuddered. Wasn't he the perfect fit? No wonder the Ghost Mother wanted to kill him.

He quickly raised the Crimson Flame Shield in front of him, and the Demon Mother's claws landed on it, scratching and clawing at the shield, making a series of ear-piercing sounds.

After trying to break it for a while, the ghost mother changed direction.

Xu Dan quickly raised his shield to block, but the Ghost Mother moved with incredible speed, conjuring countless clones that attacked him simultaneously. Xu Dan was dazzled and didn't know which one to block, so he simply lay down on the ground and used his giant shield to cover his body.

The Ghost Mother hadn't expected him to hide inside the giant shield like a turtle, and for a moment she didn't know how to make a move.

After circling for a moment, it saw the gap in front of and behind the giant shield, and immediately flew closer, opening its mouth to spew out a gust of eerie wind and ghostly mist.

Xu Dan, inside the giant shield, noticed that the weather had inexplicably turned cold, and his head felt cool. He touched it and found that his hair and eyebrows were covered in frost.

The talisman hanging around her neck suddenly shone brightly, and a majestic deity stepped out from it, holding a long sword and pointing it at the Ghost Mother, shouting: "Demon, how dare you harm living beings! Take this!"

"kill"

The majestic general roared and swung his long sword.

Like a mountain-slicing blade, it cleaves through a thousand peaks; like divine punishment. The awe-inspiring might of Heaven, the cycle of life and death, prosperity and decay, is too terrifying to behold.

In an instant, a sharp, cold light, like a towering mountain, relentlessly pressed down. The Ghost Mother let out a sinister cry, leaping away to dodge the blade's edge and closing in.

The blade flashed, leaving a hundred-foot-long gash on the ground. Seeing that the Demon Mother not only hadn't retreated but was instead charging towards him, the mighty general coldly said, "You're courting death! Prepare to die! Kill!"

The long sword was brandished, and the blade flashed once more.

Reflecting heaven and earth, shining through the ages. Heaven and earth represent life and death, while the past and present are a cycle of reincarnation.

Life and death, reincarnation, all hinge on a single strike. The power of that single strike sends chills down one's spine and fills one's heart with fear.

The approaching demon mother sensed danger and tried to dodge, but it was too late. A blade flashed, and she was instantly sent flying. The sharp blade light, with its overwhelming divine power, struck her body, causing her yin energy to dissipate rapidly. She became ethereal, like a candle in the wind, flickering uncertainly.

"Children, come here quickly!" the demon mother cried urgently to her nine sons who were gathered around the campfire.

"Mother"

"Mother"

"Mother"

The nine children responded and leaped into the Ghost Mother's embrace, merging into her. The Ghost Mother's Yin energy surged, and her body rapidly solidified, growing larger. Small spheres rose around her neck, wriggling and bursting open to reveal the heads of the nine children.

"Mother, we're together again."

"Mom, Mom, I'm hungry."

"Mother"

"Mother"...

Upon seeing this, Xu Dan was startled and quickly left the area where the two were fighting.

The majestic general's brows furrowed. "Evil creatures, they truly deserve to die! Kill! Kill! Kill!" He then unleashed a slash. This slash was like a dragon stirring the sea, its terrifying intent enveloping the surrounding wilderness. The blade's light, like the bright moon in the sky, illuminated the desolate landscape as if it were daytime.

This strike is a blade of slaughter.

The sword wields power over heaven and earth; wherever its light reaches, even the void is torn apart.

"boom"

With a single, powerful strike, like a thunderbolt from the sky, the divine blade cleaved through the Ghost Mother. The remaining force scattered across the ground, carving a massive gash in the earth.

The demon mother was instantly killed by the chop, and most of the demon soldiers were also killed as well. They did not dissipate because of the demon mother's death; as if they had lost their souls, they lay scattered in the wilderness, bewildered and confused.

After a while, seemingly drawn by the campfire, they all ran towards it.

Fearing the Japanese soldiers might absorb the ghostly flames of the campfire and cause further trouble, Xu Dan immediately put away the Crimson Flame Giant Shield, took out the Soul-Devouring Yin-Yang Hammer, and struck them one by one, sending them to meet the Ghost Mother. He didn't see that the hammerhead absorbed the souls of the Japanese soldiers.

The god unleashed three strikes and then vanished.

The talisman also changed its appearance, losing its previous charm and even its grade dropped significantly, becoming no different from an ordinary jade pendant.

After Xu Dan killed the Japanese soldiers, he looked at the remaining campfire, which was emitting a ghastly green color, and didn't know what to do. After thinking for a while, he took out a water bag from his storage bag and poured some water on it, but it wouldn't go out.

He scratched his head, now he really didn't know what to do.

Suddenly I remembered the warding-off-evil powder I bought from the market. Since it could ward off evil, it should be effective.

So he took out the evil-repelling powder that he had kept for a long time from his storage bag and sprinkled it on the pale green campfire.

Surprisingly, it actually worked. As soon as the eerie green campfire flames touched the warding-off powder, they burst into crackling sparks and then disappeared, revealing what lay below.

They were all children's corpses and flesh.

Xu Dan sighed. That damned ghost mother! How innocent her child was! How could she do such a thing? It's a pity he didn't have the power; otherwise, he would have fried her in oil for hundreds of years to atone for her sins, then sliced ​​her into a thousand pieces and let her soul wander between heaven and earth.

He took out a shovel, intending to bury the remains.

After thinking for a moment, he took out the Primordial Boundless Salvation Supreme Scripture and began to recite it.

Let's perform a ritual to help these children pass on to the afterlife, hoping they can be reborn into good families and won't have to suffer like this again.

"In the beginning of the Azure Heaven, a song sang in the azure sky, and the Great Floating Earth received the immeasurable supreme salvation from the Primordial Heaven. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable then recited this scripture, turning it ten times to summon the ten directions. Then, the Great Celestial Gods, the Supreme Saints, the Wondrously Virtuous True Men, and countless others, arrived riding the sky. Flying clouds filled the crimson heavens, green carriages and jade wheels adorned them. Feathered canopies cast shade, and flowing jade light shone forth. Five colors flourished, illuminating the vast sky. For seven days and seven nights, all the heavenly suns, moons, stars, celestial spheres, and the Jade Balance stopped their rotations. Divine winds were still, and mountains and seas hid their clouds..."

The Sutra of Salvation is the foremost of all scriptures and the foundation of all teachings. Among all scriptures for deliverance, the Sutra of Salvation is the best.

According to records: "After reciting the sutra once, all the men and women in the country who were deaf will have their ears opened. After reciting the sutra twice, the blind will have their eyes restored."

After reciting the sutra three times, the mute can speak. After reciting the sutra four times, the lame and chronically ill can all get up and walk. After reciting the sutra five times, chronic and stubborn diseases will be cured in an instant.

Reciting the sutra six times will turn white hair black again, and lost teeth will grow back. Reciting the sutra seven times will make the old strong again, and the young vigorous. Reciting the sutra eight times will bring forth a pregnant woman, birds and beasts carrying fetuses, and all beings, whether born or not, will be born. Reciting the sutra nine times will cause Ksitigarbha to release his essence, and gold and jade will manifest. Reciting the sutra ten times will bring forth withered bones.

In the past, Xu Dan might not have believed these things.

But in this world where gods and ghosts appear, many things are hard to predict. He did hope that the sutras he recited for the salvation of the children would be effective, allowing them to attain great liberation and freedom, and to no longer suffer in the mortal world.

In their past lives, which of these children wasn't the apple of their parents' eye, their precious darlings whom they cherished with all their hearts?

Pity.

After reciting the Sutra of Salvation three times, Xu Dan also recited the Mantra of Purifying Heaven and Earth to cleanse the world polluted by the Ghost Mother. Then, he took out a shovel, dug a pit, buried the remains and flesh inside, and built a grave. He used soil as incense, water as wine, and offered some food as a sacrifice to prevent them from becoming starving ghosts.

Having done all this, he left the area to avoid encountering any more ghosts.

The moment the god disappeared, the spirit pearl that had given him the talisman sensed it. It suddenly appeared on the top of Mingfeng Tower, gazing into the distance.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you asleep?" Zhu Yuxian quietly appeared beside him.

"He used the talisman I gave him," Li Zhu said, frowning.

"Where in the city could such a powerful ghost have prompted the divine general to intervene? Could he be outside?"

"How about we go out and take a look?" Li Zhu glanced at Zhu Yuxian, and the next moment, a blooming flower appeared at each of their feet and then disappeared.

A silent night sky, a deserted wilderness.

Suddenly, a bright and beautiful peony and rose bloomed.

Li Zhu and Zhu Yuxian appeared in the center of the flower's heart. They looked around and found a small, raised grave. Walking over, they saw a wooden plaque in front of the grave, inscribed with "Tomb of the Children." Further inscription read: "The wicked mother demon slaughtered the children. A divine general descended and beheaded her with a sword. I have raised her bones and buried them in this desolate wilderness. May passersby not disturb them; my sincere thanks are due."

"Touching words."

Li Zhu mocked Xu Dan's calligraphy, then took out several pastries from her sleeve and placed them on the ground as a sacrifice for the child.

"The little guy must have encountered the Ghost Mother here and used a talisman. He's already left. Should we go and check on him?" Zhu Yuxian said.

"Take a look!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two flowers of the precious lotus reappeared, and the two figures quickly disappeared, returning the wilderness to its tranquility.