Twilight's Threshold Chapter 682: The Ancestral Shrine of the Ten Surnames - Novel Cool

Chapter 682: The Ancestral Shrine of the Ten Surnames

Chapter 682: The Ancestral Shrine of the Ten Surnames

"The question you just asked is actually a very good one."

Master Li observed the slightly startled expression on Master Hu Ma's face and sighed softly, "In this world, people either view those evil spirits and malevolent entities as ferocious beasts, not daring to even mention them, or they have long forgotten their existence."

"But rarely do people truly inquire about their origins, and how they came to be regarded as malevolent spirits and demons, with the world intent on their destruction?"

"In fact, it all began with a sacrificial ceremony one hundred and seventy years ago."

"That ceremony was led by the Supreme Master Shangxuan of the Great Dharmic Religion, who was also the first Imperial Tutor appointed by the Emperor himself."

"The original intention was to explore the mysteries of the universe and discover the origin of the Tai Sui's flesh and blood. However, during that grand sacrifice, the ancestral altar stirred, and the world began to collapse."

"..."

This information was likely passed down from his ancestors, but as he spoke, his voice carried a hint of sorrow and regret, as if he had personally witnessed the event: "Nowadays, people only know of the Ten Surnames, and perhaps they have already forgotten about the ancestral altar."

"It was my family, the Li family of the cave, who was implicated and punished for this. Therefore, we remember these matters more deeply than others. That place was once the bone of the world, the heart of the people, and the source of the gods..."

"Although it's called an ancestral altar, it was originally just a fire pit."

"This altar was established before the Capital Heavenly Emperor Palace, even predating the palace itself, the capital, and all the dynasties recorded in history."

"If we trace back further, it might even date back to the beginning of the world. Unfortunately, all records related to the ancestral altar were burned by Dui Yi in a single fire. Now, only oral traditions remain."

"According to my ancestors, the ancestral altar was established during the ancient times when the world was torn apart. A human ancestor protected the people, took on the sins of the world, and was struck down by heavenly thunder. Their body turned to ashes, and the spot where the thunder struck became a fire pit."

"Out of respect for the human ancestor, people built houses and cities around the fire pit, harnessed destiny, raised armies, and fought against demons. Over generations, the custom of placing ancestors within the altar also gradually emerged."

"Of course, not everyone is qualified to be buried in such a sacred place."

"Throughout history, even the royal family couldn't casually bury their ancestors in the ancestral altar. Only those with renowned fame and exceptional merit, revered by both the nobility and the common folk, would be granted burial in the fire pit."

"Once buried there, they would receive incense offerings from the royal family and the nobility for thousands of years. The common people would also worship them, erecting golden statues and temples in their honor."

"Later on, only those buried in the ancestral altar were worthy of incense offerings and revered as deities!"

"..."

"Deities..."

As Master Hu Ma listened, his heart stirred, and he vaguely guessed something: "Temple deities?"

Master Li sighed, "The origin and time of the establishment of the ancestral altar are already lost to history. Even the ancestor who took on the sins of the people and faced heavenly punishment might just be a legend. But that's no longer important..."

"Throughout the ages, the incense offerings of millions upon millions of people have been directed towards the ancestral altar. Three sticks of incense can determine the fate of the world and protect the destiny of mankind!"

"The location of the ancestral altar is the most sacred place in the human realm, receiving incense offerings from the entire world. Heroes of all eras considered it an honor to be buried there, and royal families throughout history made it their duty to serve the ancestral altar."

"It was even said that the royal families of each generation were the incense offerers of the ancestral altar."

"Generations of royalty came and went, but without offering incense at the ancestral altar, they had no right to rule the world!"

"With the ancestral altar here, no extraordinary beings dared to enter the capital, and mountain spirits and malevolent entities wouldn't dare harm people, drink blood, or rebel against the throne."

"..."

As he spoke, it was as if he was reminiscing about the past. The world was once harmonious, but his voice gradually lowered, "It was during that grand sacrifice that red thunder roared in the sky, and dark winds rose from the earth."

"On the sacrificial altar, there were cries of demons and ghosts, and within the ancestral altar, a gray mist surged, blocking out the sun."

"For three days, the sky was dark without a hint of sun or moon. The city was sealed, and all that could be heard were the sounds of battles and the clashing of blades. After three days, blood rain fell from the sky, and the golden statues in the temple of the palace deity shattered and collapsed. Black water gushed out from the ancestral altar..."

"No more incense offerings were seen, and it was then that the Imperial Tutor prophesied, 'Malevolent spirits have entered the human realm. We have committed a heinous crime, and from now on, we must atone for our sins for generations to come...'"

"..."

He finally sighed softly and turned to Master Hu Ma, speaking in a low voice, "Although these malevolent spirits gradually revealed themselves decades later, it's not difficult to trace their origins back to this time when they first appeared in our world."

"The first thing they did was destroy the ancestral altar, which had received the incense offerings of millions of people for thousands of years."

"This is why they are called malevolent spirits!"

"..."

Master Hu Ma listened, feeling a sense of oppression in his heart. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but he held them back and asked softly, "And then?"

"Many things that happened later, you already understand."

Master Li spoke softly, "My Li family's ancestor was sent here to guard the ghost cave and atone for his sins, using his living body to guide the souls of the dead into the netherworld."

"At the time of the new emperor's ascension, an urgent decree was issued to bestow titles upon various Palace Deities, create golden bodies for them, and establish divine scriptures. The decree forced the common folk to worship them, claiming that they would replace the Ancestral Altar and suppress the demons and evil spirits of the four lands."

"These Palace Deities are the Lord of the Realms you see across the land today."

"It can be said that they were either personally appointed by Emperor Yi, high-ranking generals in the court, or once humble folk shrines that were promoted to temples."

"..."

For some reason, Hu Ma seemed to detect a hint of mockery in his words. But it was just a fleeting moment, and he gave Hu Ma a deep look, saying, "It was also around that time that the Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion was being constructed in the capital. Various extraordinary figures from the jianghu were invited to join the court."

"Most of the Ten Surnames Ancestors entered the court during that time."

"..."

"The Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion?"

Finally hearing about something he was deeply concerned about, Hu Ma's spirits lifted, and he hurriedly asked, "Did it appear during that time?"

"It's not just that it appeared during that time..."

Lord Li paused for a long while, as if making a momentous decision, and slowly said, "It's said that the golden bodies of the Temple Deities across the land shattered. The emperor then issued a decree to collect the golden bodies of the Temple Deities and bring them to the capital, where they were melted down and forged into a golden cudgel."

"The Noble Zhang Family's ancestor was tasked with leading the realm's most skilled artisans to use the remaining ashes from the Ancestral Altar to create bricks and build the Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion. There were also extraordinary individuals who performed rituals to summon spirits, using secret techniques to invite ghosts and deities from the four directions to refine Golden Armored Warriors, replacing the emperor's authority and suppressing all ghosts, deities, and evil spirits, thus guarding the balance between Yin and Yang..."

"Of course..."

In the end, he sighed, "At that time, even the people of today had almost completely forgotten about the Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion. Who else would remember its origins?"

"So, the Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion was built from the ashes of the Ancestral Altar, and this Curse Suppression Golden Cudgel... was forged from the golden bodies of various Temple Deities?"

At this moment, Hu Ma was filled with indescribable astonishment. Only now did he truly understand the origins of the Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion. He couldn't help but connect this with the shadows he had seen and the voices he had heard when he received the Curse Suppression Golden Cudgel from the Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion...

Were there no more Temple Deities in this world? But it didn't seem entirely true, as there were still some among the reincarnated beings who carried the souls of Temple Deities.

Furthermore, if the Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion was indeed built using the ashes of the Ancestral Altar to balance the realm, why was it that when he received the Heavenly Demon Subduing Mansion, he was completely free from the suppression of imperial authority?

And if the Ancestral Altar was broken by a reincarnated being, what was the reason? Why would a reincarnated being break the Ancestral Altar from the very beginning?

"I know you still have many questions, but I can't answer them all."

Lord Li looked at Hu Ma and gently sighed, saying, "In the end, the Cave Li Family only follows the orders of the National Master, guarding this place and leading ghosts into the Netherworld, repaying a debt that seems endless..."

"It's said that those evil reincarnated ghosts crawled out from the cave, but I've been guarding here for a lifetime, and I've never seen any reincarnated evil ghosts..."

"..."

'At least you've seen two today...'

Hearing the sadness in his voice, Hu Ma sighed inwardly. After a long silence, he spoke softly, "So, the Ancestral Altar truly disappeared completely a hundred and seventy years ago?"

Lord Li remained silent for a moment and sighed, "The Ancestral Altar doesn't disappear; it simply ceases to exist..."

"After that grand sacrifice, the Ancestral Altar was destroyed, and the emperor issued a decree to create the Twelve Ghost Altars to suppress the Ancestral Altar. Since then, no one has mentioned the Ancestral Altar again."

"Over a hundred years later, it's said that these Twelve Ghost Altars also gave rise to wronged spirits. Twenty years ago, someone gathered Ghost Walkers from across the realm to seal the Twelve Ghost Altars. That battle shook the heavens and the earth, but few outsiders knew about it."

"Even I only know that today, the Twelve Ghost Altars have all disappeared, and in their place stands the Ten Surnames Ancestral Shrine."

"..."

"The Ancestral Shrine?"

As Hu Ma listened, he felt a sudden realization.

Is this why there are no more Ghost Walkers on the Bridge Passage, and why Elder Long Jing is no longer around?

And as for Grandma...

The place Grandma returned to was probably the Ancestral Shrine built on the site of the Ancestral Altar, right?

He had wondered about this before. Qing Yuan also had an ancestral shrine, but since the family had completely split, there was no way Grandma would return there.

As he tried to process these past events, Lord Li paused slightly, perhaps to rest, before smiling and saying, "Young friend, I don't know if it's you or someone else who sent you here to ask about these matters."

"To be fair, the Cave Li Family, which stays out of worldly affairs and merely observes with a cold eye, has indeed witnessed all these events. But since we don't participate, our understanding is limited."

"And if he wants our Cave Li Family to offer some advice..."

He paused for a moment and slowly said, "I can only ask you to deliver a message to him: the Hu Family must stand up, and merely suppressing the Meng Family's head is not enough."

"The Hu Family has fate but no blessings. When the three-yearly Black Gale Plague comes again, who will they rely on to protect them?"

"The old lady in the Ancestral Shrine in the capital?"

"I'm afraid that won't be enough..."

(End of Chapter)

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