https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-777-The-Immortal-White-Jade-Capital/12919970/
Chapter 776: The Strategy to Save the World
Chapter 776: The Strategy to Save the World
"Daoist Sage Huaxuan secretly investigates the Heavenly Fate and encounters a cluster of malevolent blade aura approaching from the southwest. After divination, he sends people to investigate and discovers that the Victor King of Mengzhou has been deluded by evil spirits, raising the banner of exorcism and marching straight towards the Imperial Capital."
"He has already swallowed tens of thousands of troops from Yanzhou, sweeping the land and seizing provisions. With their formidable force and powerful dark arts, they will reach the capital within three days."
"The Daoist Sage has sent me to urgently request the Hu Family Matriarch to discuss important matters."
Just as Hu Ma returned to the old mansion, he saw a young Daoist disciple riding a horse and rushing over, shouting anxiously. Hearing this, Hu Ma couldn't help but smirk, "I just went to look for him, but he refused to see me. Now that I've returned, he's in a hurry to discuss important matters with me?"
Turning his head, he scanned the area and noticed that countless people had gathered in front of and behind the old mansion. Upon seeing Hu Ma, both the Qingyuan Hu Family's Second Ancestor and the maternal clan's elder, Mr. Ren, hurried forward and asked, "What about the matter of going to the Upper Bridge that we mentioned earlier?"
"Even if it's not convenient at the moment, we should still decide whether we'll go as Necromancers or the Evil Suppression Bureau."
"If our identity is not established, our words will not be heeded, and by the time the religious ceremony begins, we might be expelled from the Imperial Capital!"
"..."
Hu Ma initially didn't take their anxiety seriously, but after witnessing the strange atmosphere in the Imperial Capital, he guessed their thoughts. Hearing their words, he smirked and said, "Who would expel you? And why are you so eager to stay in the Imperial Capital?"
The Second Ancestor of the Qingyuan Hu Family and Mr. Ren from the Ren Family were somewhat embarrassed and replied, "After all, with the Heavenly Fate's appearance, the human realm is in chaos. If a war breaks out, only the Imperial Capital can offer refuge."
"And now, with the increasing population in the Imperial Capital, those without a proper identity will find it difficult to stay before the ceremony begins..."
Their words caused countless people around them to nod in agreement.
Hu Ma understood their concerns, and the anxiety he had felt earlier dissipated.
The Qingyuan Hu Family, wishing to enter the Imperial Capital, lacked the necessary identity and had no residence there, forcing them to stay in inns for the time being.
As for Hu Ma's maternal clan, the Ren Family of the Imperial Capital, they lacked power and influence. When Hu Mother left the Hu Family, it caused quite a stir in this world, akin to a division of the family. They were left unprotected.
The others shared similar thoughts, all desperately seeking a place in the Imperial Capital.
Having a residence or not in the capital represented their standing and connection to the Hu Family. It determined their status and influence in the capital.
This was the reason they were so eager to force their way into the Hu Family or the Necromancers.
Their situation was extremely delicate and awkward. A simple nod from Hu Ma would elevate them to the status of Ten Surnames Kinfolk, granting them the right to a large residence in the Imperial Capital.
However, if Hu Ma shook his head, they would become rootless and unsupported, at the mercy of being driven out of the capital at any moment, left to fend for themselves.
"Elderly ones, there's no need to worry."
Hu Ma understood the crux of the matter and smiled, "What others have, the Hu Family will naturally have as well. And what others lack, the relatives within the Hu Family might also possess."
Hearing these words, everyone was overjoyed and became even more anxious to speak. They discussed when to move, with one family having dozens of members and another having hundreds...
But Hu Ma paid them no heed. He instructed them to seek out Miao Shan while he followed the Daoist disciple. The disciple lifted a lantern, dispelling the gray haze in the city, and they arrived directly at the ancestral hall. From a distance, they saw the State Preceptor setting up an incense table behind the hall.
"Perhaps they realize that this religious ceremony threatens them, and those who have reincarnated can no longer sit idly by."
Hearing Hu Ma's approaching footsteps, the State Preceptor didn't turn around but sighed softly, "With 130,000 elite troops at the border, accompanied by Yin soldiers and evil spirits, and an unknown number of Upper Bridge experts hiding in the shadows, controlling the wind and rain, once the Victor King arrives, the blades will rise."
"This fierce battle, even I don't know how it will end. I fear this ancient city may not be able to withstand it..."
"..."
Listening to his words, Hu Ma smiled and said, "With the world in chaos and people on the brink of extinction, there's no need to be sentimental over a few broken stones."
"Hehe..."
Hearing Hu Ma's words, the State Preceptor laughed and said, "It's not just about a city."
"The evil spirits delude the hearts and minds of people, usurping the power of Heaven and Earth. I fear this world will no longer exist as we know it."
"..."
As Hu Ma listened, his eyes filled with mockery, but he surprisingly nodded in agreement and sighed, "Indeed, as Heaven and Earth become lighter, the commoners are devalued. On my journey back, I saw nothing but homelessness, plague, and famine. Lives were as fragile as wild grass, withering away."
"Although it's unbearable, there's no easy solution. I've returned to seek your wisdom, State Preceptor. With your profound strategies, how do you plan to save the people of this world?"
Hearing this, the State Preceptor slightly turned his head and smiled at Hu Ma, "Little Mr. Hu, do you truly trust me?"
"Trust, of course, I trust you."
Hu Ma smiled and said, "In my heart, I don't believe that those evil spirits are truly evil, regardless of their origins. A kind heart is always kind."
"Even the evil spirits of the world, as long as they receive the incense offerings from the commoners and are willing to protect them from calamities, can have temples built and be deified. As for those who have reincarnated, they use purple qi as their incense, no different from the spirits in the temple. This is my attitude towards them, and it won't change."
"However, just like those who receive offerings but fail to fulfill their duties, the temples should be destroyed and the golden bodies should be beheaded. As for these reincarnated individuals, although I am familiar with them and many are close friends, when it comes to important matters, we must distinguish right from wrong."
"So, if the State Preceptor knows something and has a plan to save the world, please tell me."
"If it makes sense, I dare not disobey."
"..."
"There is indeed a plan to save the world."
The State Preceptor smiled at Hu Ma's frankness and said, "Twenty-three years ago, I was already in the Stone Pavilion with the most knowledgeable and skilled Daoists of our time, and we established this plan to save the world, which is also known as the Stone Pavilion Alliance by outsiders."
"This time, I invited Mr. Hu here to let you inherit the will of your Hu Family ancestors."
"I wonder if Mr. Hu is prepared?"
"..."
Hu Ma smiled and nodded, saying, "This trip back to the capital is to clarify these matters."
The State Preceptor also nodded lightly and instructed the Daoist disciple beside him, "Go and inform the masters in charge to prepare for the religious ceremony. I need four days, but those malevolent spirits will arrive in three."
"Please ask them to hold off the malevolent spirit army for a while, to protect the Imperial Capital, and wait for me to set up the ceremony. Then, we will capture them all at once."
The Daoist disciple left to carry out the order. The State Preceptor then led Hu Ma to the back of the ancestral hall, where they saw black stone slabs covering the ground, and at the end, there was an incense burner with a thick incense stick as thick as an infant's arm, colored in a deep purple.
Looking at the incense burner, Hu Ma's heart stirred slightly. The style of the burner was very similar to the one in his own Life-Source Spirit Shrine.
The State Preceptor bowed before the incense burner and sighed, "This is the World Watching Furnace passed down by the Dalaofa Religion. There is an ancestral altar that can subdue the Three Disasters and Eight Tribulations, gathering the incense offerings of the mortal realm."
"The Dalaofa Religion, passed down from shamans, has always observed the fate of the mortal realm and avoided malevolent influences. When Duiya summoned the Celestial Guardian, this incense burner showed an unusual sign. Unfortunately, by the time the Dalaofa Religion descended from the mountains, it was already too late."
Hu Ma looked at the incense in the burner, more than half had been burned, leaving less than a third. His heart stirred slightly.
If this furnace is like the incense of a reincarnated person's life, does it mean that the fate of the world has only a third left? As he was thinking, the State Preceptor bowed again, and the incense flames suddenly rose and floated around him like clouds. Hu Ma smelled the strong incense, and he felt the world changing, as if he had lost track of where he was.
As a master of the Nine Pillars of Dao, he stood firmly on the ground, unmoving. However, his soul was sensitive and responsive.
As the incense flames floated and swayed, he saw everything in the mortal realm in an instant.
He saw people wearing animal skins praying in the snow, he saw invading armies slaughtering, and he witnessed all kinds of atrocities, from massacres to the destruction of entire cities and clans.
He saw countless human flesh and blood being sacrificed to the enormous shadow above, and he saw that seemingly endless black shadow, heavy and dark, growing more substantial with the stench of blood, blocking out the heavens and earth.
In a blink, he saw the Grey-Robed Elder descending from the mountains, paying respects to the Emperor, receiving an imperial order, and conducting a ritual to ask the heavens. He saw the Elder's face turn pale, and he wept with his sleeves covering his face. He saw thirty-six clans of wayfarers heading to the corners of the world to guard the Ghost Cave, guiding souls into the Netherworld...
Countless wronged souls were sacrificed to some shadow deep within the cave, as if feeding an insatiable monster.
He saw the endless black shadow, trying to enter from beyond the heavens and earth, using all means possible.
He saw the heavenly decree changing, the Netherworld in turmoil, giving rise to countless fierce and terrifying creatures, including shadows that he recognized, like the old ancestor of the Meng Family.
They were vicious and sinister, using all means to enter the mortal realm, but no matter what, they were still a step away.
"Is this the calamity of Duiya's sacrifice?"
Hu Ma had already vaguely learned about the origins of these calamities from various sources.
At that moment, as his thoughts stirred, he understood that what he was seeing was the origin of these calamities from years ago, as well as the various changes that followed. The World Watching Incense of the Dalaofa Religion recorded the rise and fall of these calamities, and now they were being projected into his mind.
"Is that black shadow the Celestial Guardian?"
Even though he had only vaguely glimpsed the shadow of this bizarre object through the World Watching Incense, Hu Ma's heart was stirred.
As he looked at it, he felt that the object was infinite and enormous, impossible to discern its edges, and he couldn't describe its appearance with his own words or understanding.
He could only see it through the World Watching Incense; otherwise, just looking at it would have driven him mad.
But that object was still being blocked outside, with countless roots desperately trying to penetrate. Even the terrifying creature like the old ancestor of the Meng Family was just one of its countless roots.
They were vast, yet they were being held back outside.
(End of Chapter)
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