Chapter 238: Hell on Earth, Xue Rou Lian Hun Zhen

As the elderly man with the hooked nose shook his crimson little seal, a strange force spread outwards. It instantly paralyzed the Silver Moon Sect Master and the others, leaving them utterly unable to move.

“What do you intend to do?” the Silver Moon Sect Master asked, his voice trembling. A deep sense of dread filled him—this crimson seal was no ordinary object. It radiated an unfathomable menace.

“What I intend… you’ll soon find out,” the hooked-nosed elder replied with a sinister grin, his eyes gleaming with unnatural delight.

From the seal, faint wisps of black qi began to rise.

At the same time, in various hidden spots across Liu Yun Town, the stone pillars that had stood motionless for ages started to tremble. An invisible force wove through them, connecting one to another. Thin threads of black mist began to emerge from the pillars, spreading rapidly throughout the town.

“What is this?” a townsman murmured, watching the black fog drift toward him. Curious, he reached out to touch it.

The next moment, he regretted it deeply.

As soon as his fingertip brushed the mist, his finger began to melt like a burning candle. Then his palm, his wrist—quickly, the corruption spread up his arm.

“AAAAAHHHH!!!”

The agony was unbearable. The man screamed in terror, collapsing to the ground and rolling wildly, trying to shake off the mist. But it was useless. The black fog clung to him like a living thing, drawn to blood. It wrapped tightly around his arm and slowly, relentlessly, devoured his entire body.

Boom!

The horrifying sight sent shockwaves through the onlookers. Everyone scattered in panic, staring in horror at the man writhing in agony. Some tried to use brooms or cloth to drive the mist away, but their efforts were futile. The fog had fixed itself upon the man, refusing to let go.

The pain was too much. Within moments, the man lost consciousness.

And then, to the horror of all, they watched as he was slowly, completely consumed—dissolved into nothing. In his place remained only his clothes and a pool of blood.

After devouring its first victim, the black fog lifted again, its color darkening slightly. It began to drift toward another person.

“Run! Run!” The sight of the man’s fate made everyone realize the true danger. Screaming in terror, they fled in all directions.

A few who were too slow were touched by the mist. Their agonized cries echoed through the streets—but no one stopped to help. Everyone was too focused on saving themselves.

Similar scenes unfolded across every street of Liu Yun Town. Screams filled the air. The once-quiet town had become a living hell.

“What’s going on?”

On a hill about a mile away, Lu Qing had been helping Ma Gu set up their camp in the forest when his expression suddenly changed.

Without a word, he vanished from the spot. In a flash, he leaped onto the treetop of a massive tree, scanning the town below.

His face paled again.

Liu Yun Town was now encased in a thin, glowing crimson veil. Black qi swirled within, and through the haze, figures could be seen writhing, screaming silently—mouths open in agony, but no sound came out.

“A Qing, what’s happening?” Old Doctor appeared beside him, his voice tense.

“I’m not sure,” Lu Qing replied, pointing forward. “But look.”

Old Doctor’s Heavenly Body-enhanced vision pierced through the veil. He saw the horror in full—bodies being devoured, the crimson barrier, the silence.

“…What is that?” he asked, horrified.

“It’s a formation,” Lu Qing said gravely. “A cruel, ancient Daoist curse—Mo Dao Zhen Fa.”

His Divine Seal Sect heritage allowed him to recognize the nature of the crimson barrier instantly. It was a cursed formation, born of dark arts.

But he couldn’t understand—how could such a formation exist now? Qi had only just begun to recover.

“An ancient formation? Daoist magic?” Old Doctor’s expression darkened. “A Qing… can you break it?”

Though Old Doctor was a powerful Xian Tian Small Achievement cultivator, he knew little about formations—this was a realm beyond his expertise. He could only rely on Lu Qing.

“Breaking a formation usually comes down to two methods: brute force or precision.

Using brute force means smashing through the formation’s defense with overwhelming power—shattering the entire structure.

Precision breaking, on the other hand, involves identifying the formation’s core nodes—its weak points—and destroying them. Once enough nodes are compromised, the formation collapses on its own, without needing a direct assault.”

Lu Qing explained quickly.

“Then which method should we use?” Old Doctor asked, watching as people inside the town tried to flee—but were blocked by the barrier. One man, desperate, lunged at the edge. The moment he touched it, black qi surged up, melting his flesh instantly. His face twisted in agony before he collapsed.

“…I can’t be certain,” Lu Qing admitted, eyes fixed on the barrier.

Then, a faint violet light flickered in his vision. Words appeared, floating in the air before his eyes:

【Rong Xue Hui Guang: A crimson barrier generated by the Xue Rou Lian Hun Zhen, a cursed formation. It can dissolve flesh and blood.】

【Xue Rou Lian Hun Zhen: A primitive, ancient evil formation from the old cultivation era—extremely deadly.】

【Those trapped within are melted alive—every drop of blood, bone, and qi transformed into vile resentment, feeding the formation’s core.】

【The Xue Rou Lian Hun Zhen has eighteen formation nodes. Destroying more than nine will cause the formation to collapse on its own.】

【This version appears to be a simplified form—its power only affects those below Xian Tian Jing. It’s far weaker than the original.】

Lu Qing exhaled in relief.

He still didn’t know how an ancient evil formation had appeared in Liu Yun Town—but if it was only a weakened version, it was manageable.

“A Qing, do you have a plan?” Old Doctor asked, noticing the sudden relaxation in Lu Qing’s expression.

“I have an idea,” Lu Qing said. “Master, we must act quickly. If we wait much longer, everyone inside will be dead.”

“Then speak! What must we do?” Old Doctor urged, his voice tight with urgency.

“The formation isn’t hard to break—but whoever built it is no ordinary foe. You’ll likely have to face them.”

“Understood,” Old Doctor nodded. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. The scene below was too horrific for even him to remain calm. The man who had always avoided violence felt the stirrings of bloodlust.

“Then, Master,” Lu Qing said, “we’ll move forward together. I’ll go ahead and gather what I need. You go on ahead.”

He vanished from the tree, leaping into the forest and returning moments later with a longbow and a sword.

“Lu Xiao Langjun! What’s going on? Where’s Chen Ye?” The round-faced middle-aged man approached, alarmed.

He had seen Lu Qing leap onto the tree with a panicked expression, and Old Doctor had followed. Now Lu Qing was down, but Old Doctor was nowhere to be seen. Something was clearly wrong.

Others turned to look as well.

“Liu Yun Town is in trouble. Master and I are going to investigate. Xu Qian Bei, you stay here,” Lu Qing said, already turning away.

Then he turned to Ma Gu and Wei Zian, his voice firm. “Ma Ye, Zi An—stay here. Guard our belongings.”

“I understand, Master!” Ma Gu replied, his heart sinking. The seriousness in Lu Qing’s expression told him this was no ordinary crisis.

“Then we’re off!” Lu Qing pushed off the ground, sprinting down the mountain. “Xiao Li, protect Xiao Yan. Anyone who harms her—kill them without hesitation!”

“Lu Xiao Langjun—” The round-faced man started, wanting to stop him. But Ma Gu gently held him back.

“Xu Qian Bei,” Ma Gu said firmly, “if our master has urgent business, we must not delay him. We’ll wait here.”

The man hesitated. He had never seen Ma Gu so stern before. But he didn’t argue. Instead, he took a deep breath, then leaped up the tree after them.

“What… is that?” He stared at the crimson veil over Liu Yun Town, his voice trembling.

He had never seen anything like it.

Then his gaze snapped to two figures racing toward the town.

One was moving through the forest, swift and agile—his blue robes unmistakable. Lu Qing.

The other moved with impossible grace—leaping from treetop to treetop, barely touching the canopy, covering more than ten zhang with each step. Like a spirit gliding on wind.

Who else could it be but Chen Ye?

“Like riding the wind… Could Chen Ye really be…?” The man’s eyes widened in disbelief.

…

“Master,” Lu Qing called out as they raced through the forest, “the formation is too vast. Using brute force won’t work—we have to break it with precision.”

“Understood,” Old Doctor replied, gripping the sword Lu Qing had given him. His expression was sharp, focused.

“When we reach the formation, you attack the barrier with your sword qi. I’ll analyze the flow of energy and pinpoint the formation nodes. Once we destroy enough, the formation will collapse.”

“Agreed.”

They closed in on Liu Yun Town, only a mile away when—suddenly—a surge of overwhelming presence erupted ahead.

“Xian Tian Jing cultivator?” Lu Qing and Old Doctor both froze, eyes widening.

They had emerged from the forest. No obstacles blocked their view.

And there, in front of Liu Yun Town, a figure stood—radiating intense power. With a single swing of his sword, he unleashed a crimson blade of qi, aimed straight at the crimson barrier.

It was almost upon the veil—when a sudden burst of white energy shot out from within.

Boom!

The white energy collided with the crimson qi in a violent explosion. The shockwave rippled outward—but the barrier barely trembled. Not a single crack.

“Yan Tianhua,” a voice echoed from within the barrier. A man in black robes, wielding a long staff, stepped forward. “You’re exactly where I expected you to be. Hiding among Silver Moon Sect disciples.”

“Mo Hu,” the sword-wielder growled, his face darkening. “You and your Liu Yun Zong have set up this cursed formation—murdering fellow cultivators. Do you not fear the wrath of Sheng Shan?”

“Sheng Shan?” Mo Hu laughed—a cold, mocking laugh. “The age of Heaven and Earth Transformation has begun. All sects are vying for power. The Demon Path stirs again, seeking to reclaim the Nine Provinces. Even Zhong Zhou alone is enough to stretch Sheng Shan’s strength thin. Why would it care about us in Yun Zhou?”

He raised his staff. “And once today is over, my brother and I will be reborn. Our strength will surge beyond limits. Then even Sheng Shan won’t be able to stop us.”

“You’re both mad,” the sword-wielder snarled. “To gain power, you sacrifice innocents—even your own disciples! This is monstrous!”

“Enough talk,” Mo Hu sneered. “In this world, only strength matters. Victory is everything. Yan Tianhua, you’ve come just in time. I only expected to harvest a few Hou Tian Jing souls. But now, I can take a Xian Tian Jing soul—your life force. If I consume you, my artifact will grow immensely powerful.”

With that, he swung his staff forward—charging at the sword-wielder.

“What?!” The sword-wielder barely raised his blade in time.

The impact was like a mountain collapsing. The force was overwhelming—beyond his strength. He was sent flying, crashing into the ground, his sword clattering away.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end