Primordial Era: Starting with slaughtering all the gods and Buddhas in the sky

Black water gushed against my ears.

Huang Chen hunched over, half-submerged and half-crawling, almost squeezed into the narrow ditch. The ditch walls were cold and rough, the edges like blunt knives, scraping against his shoulders, back, and thighs.

Blood was still seeping from the wound on his right rib. He pressed it tightly, but warm liquid kept seeping out between his fingers, which was quickly washed away by the sewage.

The roars of the pursuers overhead came from near and far.

There was the clanging of metal objects, the rolling of gravel, and the dull scraping sound of a black chain dragging on the ground.

Huang Chen didn't turn around.

Turning back was pointless; all I could see was darkness, and my nostrils were filled with the stench of rotting flesh, dregs of medicine, and decaying corpse ashes. Every breath felt like shoving a moldy, damp cloth into my lungs.

He pressed himself against the canal wall, closed his eyes, and forced himself to stay calm.

Don't wander around.

The fact that the Xuanjia Shaman had already sealed the front entrance indicates that this underground sacrificial canal is not simply a sewage channel. The fact that it could flow from the camp all the way deep into the mountainside suggests it must be connected to something more crucial.

With the chaos above—"the Soul Ash Warehouse is cracked" and "all the lower-level lock slots are open"—it's impossible for all the pursuers to focus on him. It's precisely in times like these that he should take advantage of the chaos to slip inside.

Huang Chen's Adam's apple bobbed, and he spat out a mouthful of bloody foam. His mind sank, and he activated the newly acquired Pulse Tracing Spirit Listening Technique.

The basic spells obtained from talismans are not yet fully mastered.

This is enough for a place like this.

The next instant, the chaotic sound of water around him felt as if several layers of skin had been suddenly torn apart.

The originally mingled roar gradually became distinct, with varying degrees of intensity, distance, and reality. About thirty feet to the left, the water crashed against the rocks, creating a huge cavity.

Deeper still, there was a very faint "humming" sound, unlike water, but more like the vibration of some kind of metal that had been immersed in the earth's veins for many years and was repeatedly washed by the water veins.

Black market.

Huang Chen's eyelids twitched.

He lowered his body even further and used the undercurrent to propel himself forward.

Several times he nearly got his calves stuck by protruding rocks, but he kicked hard, forcing himself out of the mud and bone fragments. The sewage grew colder and colder, and the bottom of the ditch grew deeper and deeper. Occasionally, something whitish would brush past him; he couldn't tell if it was animal bones or human bones.

After going another twenty or so feet, the water suddenly slowed down.

Huang Chen grabbed the crevice in the rock to steady himself and slowly poked his head out.

The crack in front of us is not a natural one.

Instead, it was a sacrificial canal chamber hollowed out inside the mountain.

The surrounding stone walls gleamed with a damp, cold light, and several pieces of icy crystal were embedded in the cave ceiling, shining with a ghostly blue light that made the entire surface of the water resemble the cold teeth of a corpse's mouth. The water contained piles of grayish-white debris, long bones of demonic beasts, broken copper rings, and several half-submerged wooden boxes. The surfaces of the boxes were completely covered in grayish-black grime, with only the remaining sealing patterns on the corners still discernible—the old system used by the Xuantian Sect to transport soul ashes.

Huang Chen's eyes turned cold instantly.

He looked in the direction of the vibration.

At the deepest part of the room stood a half-closed stone door. The door frame was inlaid with black lock patterns, the patterns of which were very similar to the imprint of the Zhenmai Array Diagram he had previously seized, but more intricate and complete.

A faint, dark red light shone from behind the door, like an inextinguishable furnace burning deep underground.

Huang Chen took a deep breath, wiped the blood from his mouth, and slowly moved closer.

The closer you get, the clearer the vibration of the black chain becomes.

Not one.

It was as if several black chains pierced into the root of the mountain from deeper within, then branched outwards from this stone chamber, connecting to the sacrificial troughs and lock channels throughout the camp.

He pressed his palm against the edge of the stone door; it was cold and slippery to the touch, with a fine layer of gray powder on it.

Huang Chen rubbed them together, his fingertips turning deathly white. They weren't stone dust, but rather the ashes of a human being after being burned.

The space behind the door is not large.

It is three zhang square.

In the center was a low stone platform, on which sat three boxes of soul ash, two scrolls of sealed bone books, and a black stone about half a person's height. The surface of the black stone was repeatedly carved with knives and awls, densely covered with calculated patterns of vein locks, mountain roots, waterways, and sacrificial canals.

Some places have been altered dozens of times, with old marks layered on top of new ones, making one's scalp tingle.

Huang Chen glanced around to make sure there were no restrictions to trigger immediately before limping to the stone platform.

The first ash box had a half-damaged seal on it.

"The northern foothills, third batch, thirty-seven items collected."

'

The second Soul Ash Box: "Cold Plains Branch Trough, Sixth Refinement, Residual Ashes Returned to Storage."

The third one is older, with only two words on it.

"Salary type".

Huang Chen's fingers tightened suddenly.

He opened the box lid a crack.

It wasn't filled with whole ashes, but rather with a grayish-white powder mixed with fragments of cold crystals, medicinal dregs, and fine black sand.

There were also a few brittle, short, and thin finger bones, clearly left by a child.

Huang Chen's eyes twitched violently twice, and he snapped the lid shut.

He didn't say anything.

A surge of fire rose up in his chest, making his throat feel tight.

Xuantian Sect, Demon Clan, Witchcraft Camp.

This bunch of bastards treat people like mines, medicine, and sacrificial offerings. They even record the ashes in batches in the ledger, writing it down clearly, like they're keeping track of livestock.

Huang Chen suppressed his anger and began to peruse the bone book.

The stamped bone book is neither a practice method nor a register; it is more like a transaction record.

Several different marks were branded on it, including the Xuantian Sect's receiving seal, the demon tribe's escort symbol, and a strange border army symbol with interwoven water patterns, resembling both an axe and waves. Huang Chen had seen something similar before—it was in the corner of the fragment of the Gonggong Zhenmai Lock Diagram.

Several different marks were branded on it, including the Xuantian Sect's receiving seal, the demon tribe's escort symbol, and a strange border army symbol with interwoven water patterns, resembling both an axe and waves. Huang Chen had seen something similar before—it was in the corner of the fragment of the Gonggong Zhenmai Lock Diagram.

He frowned and immediately took out the stamped bone book, the fragment of the Gonggong Zhenmai Lock Diagram, the account book bone slips, and the rubbing of the Zhenmai Array Diagram he had previously obtained from his storage, and spread them all out on the stone platform.

Under the cold, crystalline light, several items were laid out.

Huang Chen endured the throbbing pain in his wounds and activated the Spiritual Listening Technique to listen to the vibrations of the black chains and water veins in the stone chamber while comparing them with the patterns in front of him.

The more I looked, the colder my back felt.

The vein-locking technique used here does indeed bear traces of the fortifications used by the Gonggong tribe's border troops.

It is not the complete and righteous Dharma.

It's as if someone stole the skeleton and then stuffed it with sacrificial soul ash, demon blood diversion, and black chains to lock the roots—a sinister method. Doing this wouldn't immediately smash through the mountain's roots, nor would it trigger a large-scale backlash from the earth's veins. Instead, it would gradually weaken the water and soil balance around Buzhou Mountain over decades, forcing the mountain's roots to become sometimes tight and sometimes loose, and causing the water veins to frequently shift.

If the Gonggong border troops only see the frequent movement of the border mountains and the instability of their foundations, they will most likely misjudge it as "the outer edge of Buzhou Mountain is aging" or "the earth veins are being impacted," and then reinforce, relocate, or change the course of the mountains.

Once the mistake is corrected.

What was truly magnified was not these few tributary canals.

Rather, it is a chain reaction of collapses that occur when the entire outer mountain base is impacted during some major upheaval in the future.

Huang Chen stared at the deliberately altered array patterns, and a few words suddenly flashed through his mind.

Cause and effect of touching the mountain.

Someone is paving the way in advance.

It's not for now.

It's for a bigger picture in the future.

He exhaled a breath of stale air and quickly imprinted the most crucial array patterns on the black stone.

When the rubbing paper was applied, the stone surface warmed slightly, as if the aura of the person who set up the formation still lingered. A few breaths later, he put all three soul ash boxes and two scrolls of sealed bone books into his storage.

Just as they finished collecting the contents, a low, muffled sound suddenly came from the waterway outside.

thump.

It felt like stepping into water with a heavy weight.

Huang Chen instantly looked up, grabbed the black iron knife with his backhand, and pressed himself against the side of the stone door.

thump.

Another sound.

This time it's closer.

The person approached without haste, their steps were frighteningly steady, and despite the impact of the undercurrents in the sacrificial canal, their rhythm remained perfectly intact.

That wasn't an ordinary soldier, nor was it a guardian spirit.

Huang Chen tightened his grip on the knife little by little.

The next moment, a hoarse voice came through the waterway.

"They went quite deep."

'

It was sunk in the river.

His voice was low, coming close to the water's surface, carrying a cold, sticky quality.

"I thought you would die on the way."

Huang Chen did not reply.

Outside the stone gate, water rippled slightly, and a tall, dark figure blocked the entrance. Chen He still had scorch marks on half of his face from the earlier explosion of the Nine Nether Soul-Slaying Talisman; his brow bone was split open, and blood scabs mixed with sewage dripped down.

He held a halberd in one hand and dragged the broken black chain in the other, the links rubbing together in the water, making a sharp, grating sound.

He glanced at the empty stone platform, his face gradually darkening.

"You touched something you shouldn't have."

Huang Chen leaned against the door and grinned.

"Then you're late."

Shen He's gaze darkened, and he stomped his foot hard.

boom!

The entire waterway seemed to have been struck by a giant boulder, with black water carrying bone fragments exploding in front of us.

Huang Chen retreated swiftly to the side, his halberd blade grazing the doorframe and embedding itself in the stone wall, sending shards of rock flying. Chen He followed up with a sweeping motion, his long weapon proving even more ferocious in the confined space, the shaft striking water, walls, and people with a force as heavy as muffled thunder.

Huang Chen raised his sword and parried.

clang!

The blade jolted his arm numb, and the gash in his hand reopened. Shen He gave him no chance to breathe, his shoulder sinking as he closed in, his knee striking Huang Chen squarely in the abdomen.

Huang Chen gritted his teeth and pulled back his elbow, colliding with him with a bang. Both of them groaned at the same time, and water splashed up to the top of the cave.

This is not an open area.

There's no escaping it, no way around it.

We have no choice but to fight it out.

Shen He followed the authentic wu tribe's naval warfare style, using the water's current to his advantage, generating power from his waist and hips, and striking like a sunken log hitting a reef. The more narrow and semi-submerged the sacrificial canal was, the more he could hold his strength. Huang Chen took three steps back, his back slamming into a black rock, the shock causing his blood and qi to surge upwards.

Shen He grinned maliciously, and with a flick of his black chain, it wrapped directly around Huang Chen's legs.

Kneel down!

'

Huang Chen pushed off with his feet, his Mountain and River Boots suddenly exerting force, and instead of retreating, he used the rock wall to propel himself upwards. Bang!

His shoes left a crack in the stone wall as he stepped on it. He was like a piece of iron that had crashed down horizontally, his knee first striking Chen He's chin, followed by his elbow striking his temple.

The horizontal arm of the sinking river was used to support it.

Their arms collided, and the bones made a dull, teeth-grinding sound.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Huang Chen turned again, his fist slamming into Shen He's ribs near his armpit.

Shen He grunted, then slapped Huang Chen on the shoulder with his backhand, sending him crashing into the water. As soon as Huang Chen entered the water, he immediately rolled away, the tip of the halberd almost piercing his face and embedding itself in the bottom of the canal, even shattering a piece of cold crystal.

Scattered blue light.

The stone chamber was filled with rapid breathing and the sound of waves crashing.

Shen He shook his numb arm, stared at Huang Chen, and for the first time, his eyes showed a hint of seriousness.

He swung the broken chain in his hand into a semi-circle, the chain links wrapped in water, simultaneously wrapping around Huang Chen's feet, waist, and shoulders, working in conjunction with the halberd's edge to almost completely seal off every possible escape route in the stone chamber.

Huang Chen blocked three blows in a row, but his left arm was struck by a chain link, and his skin and flesh tore open on the spot.

Shen He seized the opportunity and thrust his halberd straight into Huang Chen's heart!

Too fast.

Huang Chen didn't have time to draw his sword to defend himself, so he simply turned to the side to avoid a fatal wound, letting the halberd tip cut a deep gash in his left rib. He then took advantage of the moment of close proximity to suddenly lunge into Chen He's arms.

bunt.

Close-fitting.

The halberd and chain were long, but at this distance, they became a burden.

Huang Chen's forehead slammed into Shen He's nose, causing the other man's head to tilt back, spurting blood and sewage from his nose. Immediately afterward, he grabbed Shen He's chain-wielding wrist with his left hand and struck him three times with his right elbow, smashing his throat, chest, and collarbone, each blow aimed at breaking bones.

Shen He went mad, pressing his knee against Huang Chen's thigh, using his shoulders and back to withstand the second elbow strike, and then punching Huang Chen in the injured ribs with his backhand.

Huang Chen's vision went black, and he almost knelt down on the spot.

Shen He sneered, "What do you think you're going to use to fight me?"

Huang Chen's teeth were filled with the taste of blood.

"Give me your life."

He suddenly lowered his head, bit down on the piece of flesh behind Shenhe's ear, and tore off a piece.

Shenhe screamed in agony, his movements momentarily faltering. In that instant, Huang Chen slammed his right foot into the bottom of the canal, and the Mountain and River Boots unleashed their recoil once more, propelling him and Shenhe together against the side wall of the stone chamber.

boom!

The stone wall cracked.

Frost crystal fragments, ashes, and accumulated water all collapsed.

Shen He was stunned by the impact, and just as he was about to activate the black chain in his hand, Huang Chen seized the opportunity when Shen He's shoulder line sank and swung his fist out fiercely.

boom!

The first punch landed on the shoulder.

Click.

The left side of his collarbone collapsed on the spot after he was submerged in the river.

The second punch slammed deeper into the collapsed area, the sound of bone breaking was clear, and Chen He's entire left arm collapsed instantly, the black chain slipping from his grasp and falling into the water.

"ah--!

'

Shen He roared, but Huang Chen didn't give him a chance to finish. He grabbed Shen He's head with both hands, pressed his knees against his lower back, and, taking advantage of the already turbulent undercurrent of the sacrificial canal, shoved Shen He into the main water outlet.

The water outlet is narrow and the current is rapid, like a black mouth that bites.

As soon as half of Chen He's face was submerged in the river, the rushing water filled his mouth and nose. He struggled desperately, his one arm clawing wildly, his fingernails scratching bloody marks on Huang Chen's hand, while his feet kicked, splashing water everywhere.

"open……"

Huang Chen didn't say anything.

He was hunched over, his shoulder and back muscles taut, like a stone nailed to the bottom of a ditch.

The more Chen He struggled, the harder he was pressed down, slamming Chen He's head against the edge of the stone trough.

Two times. Three times.

boom!boom!

boom!

His head shattered after he was thrown into the river, and the blood that had just gushed out was swept away by the black water.

A moment later, the body finally went from struggling wildly to convulsing, and then slowly went limp. Only the toes still kicked unconsciously twice, kicking up two circles of murky water.

Huang Chen pressed his hands for a few more breaths before slowly releasing them.

The head of the man who had been submerged in the river emerged from the water's edge, his face pale and his hair black, his eyes still open, filled with lingering ruthlessness and resentment.

The next instant, a familiar system notification exploded in Huang Chen's mind.

【Ding!

Slaying evildoers grants 32000 karma points!

Huang Chen's chest heaved rapidly. He stood rooted to the spot, supporting himself on his knees, almost too weak to even lift his knife to finish off the corpse.

Thirty-two thousand.

This guy has as many lives on his hands as those demon generals.

Suddenly, the distant rattling of chains came from outside.

More urgent than before.

It was accompanied by the furious shouts of the Xuanjia Witch Supervisor.

"Shenhe!

'

"answer!"

"Seal off the lower stone gate!"

Don't let him escape with his belongings!

Huang Chen's expression changed slightly, and he immediately squatted down, groping around Shen He's waist and chest.

He quickly pulled out a domino with a water-patterned border and military markings, a small roll of oil-soaked animal hide, and half a lock-groove token that could resonate with the black chain, and put them all into his storage.

If we delay any longer, we won't be able to leave.

He looked up and glanced around the stone chamber.

The main waterway has been exposed. If the Xuanjia Witch Supervisor follows the vibrations of the black chain, this place won't hold out for long.

Huang Chen's gaze fell on the side wall that had been cracked by him and Shen He, and then he looked at the crack above his head that was being held up by the cold crystals and broken stones. He gritted his teeth, raised his black iron sword, and slashed several times at the weakest part of the crack.

clang!

Clang! Clang!

The stone layers, already hollowed out by time and water erosion, collapsed in large chunks after being hit.

Instead of retreating, Huang Chen advanced, kicking the sunken corpse into the main waterway, and then punched the root of the fissure.

Boom—!

The entire stone chamber suddenly trembled.

Large swathes of icy crystals and boulders crashed down from the cave ceiling, causing the lock patterns on the stone door to flash wildly. The water in the sacrificial canal was abruptly diverted by the collapse, flowing back in a frenzy. Huang Chen seized this moment, ducking down and rushing into the newly opened breach in the side wall.

Behind me, all I could hear were sounds of collapses.

The rubble splashed into the water, the black chain snapped, and the stone gate was completely buried.

A section of collapsed boulder almost grazed Huang Chen's back, catching the hem of his clothes. Huang Chen groaned and scrambled into an even narrower natural crevice.

This place no longer resembles a sacrificial canal; it's more like a beast's intestine, carved out of the mountain's interior by water. The space is so narrow that only one person can crawl at a time. The area ahead is pitch black and sticky, while muffled, thunderous vibrations constantly emanate from behind.

A section of collapsed boulder almost grazed Huang Chen's back, catching the hem of his clothes. Huang Chen groaned and scrambled into an even narrower natural crevice.

This place no longer resembles a sacrificial canal; it's more like a beast's intestine, carved out of the mountain's interior by water. The space is so narrow that only one person can crawl at a time. The area ahead is pitch black and sticky, while muffled, thunderous vibrations constantly emanate from behind.

The Xuanjia witch supervisor caught up with them at the collapsed pass.

Even through the thick layer of stone, Huang Chen could hear the resounding, hammer-like crashes.

He dared not stop, dragging his nearly broken body forward.

After climbing for an unknown amount of time, the sounds behind us finally faded into the distance, leaving only the long, drawn-out roar from the depths of the water veins.

A faint, cold breeze slowly crept in from ahead. Huang Chen reached out and touched an upward-facing crack, its edges covered in slippery moss and seeping in the cold air.

He pressed himself against the stone wall, forcibly suppressing his breathing, and listened for more than ten breaths.

There were no footsteps.

There are no chains.

The only sound was the faint whistling of the wind passing through the crack.

Huang Chen then reorganized the items on his back. The Soul Ash Box, the Bone Book with Seal, the Stone Rubbing, the Dominoes, the Animal Hide Scroll, and the Locking Token were all there.

Nothing was lost.

He looked down at his hands.

His hands were covered in bloody gashes from being dragged in the river; his thumb and forefinger were split open, and bone ash and pebbles were stuck between his fingers. The wound on his right rib was white from being soaked in sewage, and the skin and flesh around it were rolled back, a gruesome sight.

Huang Chen pulled out a Qi-replenishing pill, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it up. The bitter taste of the medicine mixed with the stench of blood filled his mouth. He leaned against the stone wall for a moment to recover, then took out a concealment talisman and slapped it on his body. The talisman flashed and disappeared.

After doing all that, he reached out and grabbed the edge of the crack, slowly climbing upwards.

The wind outside the crack in the rock was even colder.

The wind blowing on the soaked wound felt like rows of fine needles piercing it.

Huang Chen gritted his teeth and poked half of his body out of the crack.

Outside was an abandoned guide channel, half-suspended on the inner side of the mountain. The bottom of the channel had long since dried up, leaving only thick layers of dust and broken wooden frames. Further away, the chaotic tolling of bells could be faintly heard coming from the direction of the Broken Vein Camp. The sound was weakened by the rock strata and drifted in and out of reach.

He rolled out of the crack, and as soon as his knees touched the ground, he swayed.

I almost fell over.

Huang Chen supported himself on the ground with one hand and pressed his right rib with the other. He coughed twice, and the blood he coughed up dripped into the ash, immediately soaking into several dark patches.

The night wind blew in from the end of the channel, stirring up ashes and a corner of an old talisman that had been blown here.

The talisman was flipped over, revealing half of the blurred seal of the Xuantian Sect.

Huang Chen reached out and pressed it into the ashes.