https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-486-The-Four-Great-Age-Quelling-Incantations/12918894/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-488-The-Malevolent-Spirit-s-Emergence/12918896/
Chapter 487: Returning Home
Chapter 487: Returning Home
Outside Stone Horse Town, a chilling dark wind swept across the land, and rows upon rows of grim armored soldiers marched forward in unison.
The oppressive aura shook the earth, causing the mountains and wilderness to fall silent as if a million ghosts were wailing. The lights within the town seemed to stretch eerily under the influence of the dark wind, creating an eerie and sinister atmosphere.
With each step the shadow soldiers took, the lights flickered and distorted, making it difficult to see beyond the town's boundaries. However, the heavy footsteps echoed louder and louder, becoming more intense and closer.
Even those outside the town, including the members of the martial arts sects, the Unyielding Ox Sect disciples, the Iron Horse Magistrate, the four Assistant Hall Chiefs who followed him, and their officials and runners, had already turned pale.
Someone shivered and whispered, "Senior Brother Jin Chenzi... Can't you make this town disappear?"
"I..."
The puppet show master's face was also pale, and he anxiously said, "My plan was to trick this big-headed magistrate. I was going to make the town disappear as soon as he won and entered it..."
"But it's easy to trick him, but how can we deceive the shadow soldiers?"
The Iron Horse Magistrate, standing nearby, glared at the puppet show master. He had just witnessed the soldiers about to charge into the town, and now he realized that these demons had such an idea.
Just as he was about to rush into the town, he realized that they intended to make the entire town vanish. How could there be such an uncanny ability in this world?
Wait, upon closer inspection, it seemed they indeed possessed such power!
But now, it was too late. With the arrival of the shadow soldiers, all the Unyielding Ox Sect disciples' mysterious means were rendered useless.
He couldn't help but feel sorry for his subordinates.
Both sides fell into a gloomy silence, not even in the mood to speak, let alone fight. They stared at each other, seeking comfort, but only saw each other's ugly faces.
"Senior Brother..."
Inside the Main Mansion, Miao Shan Fairy was also terrified, whispering, "You are so powerful, think of something..."
But there was no response. She turned to look, and saw Senior Brother also staring blankly at the large sacred seal tied to the top of the ancient elm tree. As the shadow soldiers drew closer, he seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed on the seal.
After a long while, he slowly reached out his hand towards the direction of the tree's branches, where the sacred seal was tied high up. Naturally, he couldn't reach it, but he felt a desire to hold the seal in his hand.
However, just as this thought occurred, a thunderous roar filled the air, and immense pressure descended upon Senior Brother. His bones crackled, and a deep pit appeared beneath his feet, along with spider web-like cracks.
Even Senior Brother fell silent for a long time before slowly retracting his outstretched hand and shaking his head. "The things Master left behind are indeed beyond our capabilities..."
Miao Shan Fairy fell silent.
She turned to look outside the town, sensing the massive dark clouds that had engulfed it. Her heart sank with a feeling of helplessness.
The shadow soldiers left nothing in their path.
There were many powerful individuals in the town, and with Senior Brother by her side, she could leave safely. But what about the ordinary people in the town? She feared none of them would survive.
The shadow soldiers showed no mercy and would never hesitate.
As they trembled in their hearts, the town's residents remained oblivious to the impending danger.
The Lantern Festival was nearing its end, and the once lively atmosphere had quieted down. The bustling energy had transformed into a heavy atmosphere as the Dharmarajas on the Divine Platform put down their bowls and began to bow in worship.
The town's residents followed suit, kneeling and bowing.
As the festival concluded, they had already received blessings of peace, joy, and disease eradication. But now, they knelt to pay respects to the divine general who had vanquished the plague spirit.
Unaware of the true nature of the divine general, they also didn't notice the intensifying wind outside the town or the dimming lights. They followed their tradition, bowing towards the eastern part of the town, the direction of the Stone Horse.
...
...
In front of Meng Jia Er Gongzi, when Hu Ma recited the killing incantation, he felt an endless surge of power, as if a slaughtering blade had been raised, its sharp edge pressing against his neck. Both his mind and body were frozen with fear.
Under the heavy pressure, he desperately shouted, "Tell me, who are you..."
Hu Ma paused his incantation and slowly approached him, finding it strange that his voice carried a hint of pleading amidst the roars and howls.
It seemed that the young master's curiosity was driving him mad.
Hu Ma calmly observed him, noticing the tremor in his voice. A mischievous thought crossed his mind.
Wouldn't it be amusing to kill him without revealing his identity?
But this thought flashed by, and he chuckled softly, looking at the young master, whose face had lost all traces of his previous arrogance and composure, now pale with fear. "You came here to confront me, yet you ask who I am?"
"I..."
In the young master's mind, several speculations flashed by—the One Coin Sect? The No Beef Sect's demon?
But these speculations merely flickered through his thoughts. He recalled the sinister aura on the blade, how this person had subdued the Yin General, and how he had calmly accepted his bow.
He even thought about how this person didn't seem to mind his status as a Meng Clan member at all, and from the very beginning, had been determined to take his life...
Suddenly, an unimaginable answer formed in his mind...
"Hu Family..."
His voice trembled violently, as if he himself couldn't believe it, "You're from the Hu Family..."
"Actually, not yet."
Hu Ma looked at him with a faint smile, knowing that he had already guessed the answer, or rather, the entity within his body had already known. So, he calmly said, "I haven't learned the true skills of the Hu Family yet."
"But it's enough to kill you."
"...You... you're indeed from the Hu Family..."
It was unclear whether the young master of the Meng Clan was more shocked or angry. He couldn't control his expression at all, and suddenly roared as if he had suffered a great injustice and insult. He yelled at Hu Ma:
"But you, don't you remember the Stone Pavilion Alliance? Don't you care about the most basic agreement between the Ten Surnames?"
"...The Stone Pavilion Alliance?"
Hearing this question, Hu Ma couldn't help but laugh. He lowered his voice and said, "You were killed by the No Beef Sect's demon; what does it have to do with my Hu Family?"
"You..."
The second young master of the Meng Clan suddenly realized why, from the very beginning, this person had approached him like a New Year's Guardian. He understood why he had engaged him directly until the moment this piece of heaven and earth was severed.
A mix of shock and anger surged through him.
At the same time, Hu Ma, still wearing a smile, suddenly turned cold. He took a big step forward. He had already used one of the Hu Family's Four Great Incantations, the Killing Incantation, to suppress the second young master and the entity within him. But now, he rushed out.
"Swish!"
Sensing the surging killing intent within him, the vicious blade on the ground, which had been used as a talisman, suddenly flew up and instantly landed in his hand, its malevolent aura enveloping the blade.
"You're from the Hu Family, yet you use the New Year's Guardian's skills against me?"
The vicious blade flew out, and the ritual array instantly dissipated. The second young master of the Meng Clan leaped up, and along with him, the remaining consciousness of the Meng Clan's Ancestor within his body exploded, making his face contort into a hideous grimace like a malevolent ghost, eager to pounce.
In his final words, filled with resentment, there seemed to be an unexplained sense of grievance.
Hu Ma was much faster. In an instant, he took a step forward and kicked the second young master as he was jumping up, sending him crashing to the ground. Hu Ma stood over him, looking down with a sinister smile.
Within Hu Ma's left arm, the mysterious entity was also terrified, shouting loudly in Hu Ma's mind, "How dare you?"
"How dare you treat the Ancestor like this..."
"...What Ancestor?"
Hu Ma stared directly into the eyes of the second young master, or rather, into the eyes of the entity within, and snarled, "You're nothing but a malevolent ghost..."
As he spoke, the vicious blade in his hand began to buzz. His voice was filled with sinister release, "I use a method outside the Hu Family's teachings to kill you, just to let the world know..."
"...that members of the Shadow Bridge Meng Clan can be killed!"
"...The last word was still echoing when he suddenly condensed his Dharmakaya. With the remaining power of his Three Pillars of Dao, he channeled it all into the blade and slashed down forcefully.
The next moment, the second young master of the Meng Clan cried out in despair, and his head fell off. The blade, stained with fresh blood, gleamed even brighter, ringing out like maniacal laughter.
Hu Ma exhaled a long breath, raised the blade, and wiped the remaining blood off the sole of his shoe. Then, he picked up the head on the ground and walked forward, climbing to the top of the mountain.
From a distance, three thousand shadow soldiers emerged from the underground, a vast and mighty force. They marched forward, their dark wind carrying flickering ghost flames, their weapons interwoven, and a dense aura of malice. The yellow talismans pasted on their faces resembled flags that lured people to their deaths in the night.
Hu Ma stood atop the mountain, facing the three thousand shadow soldiers. He slowly raised the head of the second young master, his voice devoid of emotion, and shouted sternly, "Boundary between Yin and Yang, order of life and death, from where you came, to where you return!"
"Go!"
"...Huge!"
With these short words, the three thousand shadow soldiers stopped in their tracks, and even the dark wind subsided.
The next moment, the black tide of soldiers, dense and heavy, slowly and silently retreated from the front of Stone Horse Village.
(End of Chapter)
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