Twilight's Threshold Chapter 821: Burning the Lake and Boiling the Dragon (5000 words) - Novel Cool

Chapter 821: Burning the Lake and Boiling the Dragon (5000 words)

Chapter 821: Burning the Lake and Boiling the Dragon (5000 words)

"Hmm?"

Erguotou had set up a formation for this city, and its myriad wonders left people in awe, even deeming it a divine skill beyond human imagination.

Under normal circumstances, similar methods could be employed by others, but within a battle formation, they were often dispersed by the soldiers' surging energy, rendering such techniques unusable.

However, this was where the difference between having and not having contact with the Purple Celestial Year God lay. Those imbued with the Purple Aura possessed heavy sorcery, and even within a battle formation, they could unleash awe-inspiring effects that set them apart from others.

Not to mention, the Purple Celestial Year God on Erguotou's body was far more potent than that of others.

Just as the entire army was elated by the city's fall, a streak of blood light emerged from within, sinister and eerie, carrying an indescribably strange aura. In an instant, it plunged into darkness, heading straight for the Grain Guard Army outside the city.

At this moment, King Yang Gong of Ming State was riding on horseback, brandishing his treasure sword and ordering the army to advance into Lake City.

Although he had been warned and knew that someone within the city was casting harmful spells, and even understood how to counter them, he didn't pay any attention. He was only aware that his power remained the same, whether he was in the battle formation or not.

Now that Lake City had been successfully breached, that streak of blood light had arrived.

King Yang Gong had many capable individuals around him, each proficient in various sorceries, tasked with protecting him in the army. But when the blood light flashed, it still caught them off guard.

This sinister sorcery was imperceptible to the soldiers, but far away on a small mountain, Hu Ma had been waiting. Suddenly, his gaze turned solemn, and he looked towards a spot in the night.

The blood light was barely visible to the naked eye, but Hu Ma instantly captured it. However, even with his abilities, it was impossible to instantly cross the distance of several tens of li to intercept the blood light. Even Erguotou only realized it after the blood light had flown out of the city:

"Not good!"

"..."

He had set up a formation, enclosing the entire city within it. The blood light flew out from the city, and he was the first to notice.

Even with the power of his formation, he was caught off guard and couldn't force the blood light to stay within the city.

But at that moment, Hu Ma didn't think much and took a step towards the ground. Simultaneously, his Ten Pillar Dao Practice surged, empowering this single step.

Boom!

The earth seemed to tremble, and the world, shrouded in darkness, appeared to twist and sink at the point where Hu Ma stepped, creating a depression in the ground.

The blood light had been heading straight for King Yang Gong's neck, and he himself was unaware of it. In an instant, he instinctively felt a heart-pounding sensation, and the blood drained from his face.

But before his pupils could even contract, the blood light's trajectory suddenly twisted.

Instead of flying directly at King Yang Gong, it was pulled by a strange and powerful force, changing direction abruptly and flying towards the small mountain behind the battle formation.

Standing there was Hu Ma.

"This blood light..."

He raised his hand and grasped the blood light in his palm, feeling its sharp and slippery force cutting frantically in his palm like an electric saw.

But he held on tightly, and after a long time, the force subsided. He opened his palm and saw a faint red mark, with a faint scent of blood.

"What is this thing?"

Erguotou, already alarmed, hurried over. He could sense the blood energy but couldn't stop it, which surprised him, as he believed he had a deep understanding of various mystical arts.

'My abilities are so advanced, yet there's something beyond my comprehension?'

'...'

"No wonder even the disciples of the Golden Skin and Color Sect couldn't figure it out..."

Hu Ma looked at his palm and said slowly, "This isn't a human skill; it must be from the Yellow Springs."

"I've seen this skill on two people before. One was a wooden-faced killer I encountered when I went to Wutong Town, and the other was a reincarnate by White Wine Miss, named Shaodaozi."

"Their skills were tainted by something extraordinary, making them far more sinister than others. They can't be viewed through common sense."

"That skill must have originated from the Blood Pool in the Eight Scenes of the Yellow Springs."

"The female demon under Old Dragon's command has limited abilities, but she inadvertently stumbled upon a technique related to the Blood Pool, making her so formidable."

"..."

As Hu Ma spoke, he paused and said softly, "The Eight Scenes of the Yellow Springs are the most mysterious places between heaven and earth, and now they're all in the hands of the Ten Surnames."

"It seems that when we truly face the Six Surnames, we can't be too careless..."

"..."

"That's right!"

Erguotou nodded solemnly, "No matter when, we must never underestimate the Ten Surnames."

"I used to underestimate them, but after learning your Hu family's Year Protection Scroll, I realized the power of their techniques. Even after twenty years of not seriously studying, your family is so formidable. What about the other families?"

"But how did you stop this sinister thing?"

"..."

"I didn't stop it!"

Hu Ma smiled and retracted his foot. A faint rumble seemed to emanate from the ground, as if the earth had trembled, but upon inspection, there were no visible changes.

"I didn't use the Bridge Ascension Technique, but with the help of the Dalaofa Religion and Elder Jun Eyebrow's teachings, I cultivated the Ten Pillar Incense, and now I'm a bit different from others.

"With the Dao cultivation of Ten Pillar Incense, one can stand upon the earth and cause the heavens and earth to form a pit with oneself at the center, tilting towards me. Thus, the techniques borrowed from the limitations of heaven and earth will also be drawn closer to me."

"..."

Erguotou listened with a solemn expression, "Are you deliberately making up new terms? I can't understand you at all."

Hu Ma was momentarily at a loss for words.

At this moment, his fate was so significant that a part of it had already exceeded the limitations of heaven and earth. Therefore, any technique that wasn't specifically targeted at someone or performed through close-range mediums could be drawn to him.

This was the only way he could protect Yang Gong for now, although it was still a clumsy skill.

If, by some chance, he couldn't protect Yang Gong and his head was severed, he could use the Year-End Guardian's techniques to sew it back on. Perhaps that might work too.

Sigh, it had to be admitted that the Year-End Guardian was only proficient in some clumsy techniques.

...

...

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Before Lake Prefecture City, the crowd sensed something amiss and hurriedly looked at Yang Gong. After carefully examining his neck and finding his head still intact, they slightly relaxed.

"Nothing."

Yang Gong shuddered slightly and then reacted, gazing deeply into the night before raising his horsewhip and knocking on his chest.

Then, with a sinister look, he turned towards the city and gritted his teeth, "All sorts of sinister skills, and they don't even bother with propriety. Once my Granary Protection Army enters the city, I'll skin every rat in those sewers, one by one!"

He ordered the attack on the city, strictly forbidding the slaughter of innocents, but not a single demon from the Daughters' Sect was to be spared.

King Yang Gong of the Bright State was also furious. His troops were strong, yet they had almost lost their lives to these sinister methods. Anyone would be anxious in such a situation.

"Granary Protection Army, don't loot the grains, wield your weapons, and protect the people!"

At this moment, as the Granary Protection Army breached the city gates and climbed the walls, the resistance from the city's troops grew weaker and weaker, and they were on the verge of total collapse.

The Granary Protection Army shouted in unison as they advanced into the city, spear in hand. Some of them had already reached the sacrificial altar in the city and saw the panicked demons from the Daughters' Sect. They immediately charged forward, hacking and slashing, leaving a trail of blood-filled gourds in their wake.

This scene shocked countless residents of Lake Prefecture City. Meanwhile, other troops had also entered the city from various directions, and the Lake State troops completely surrendered, no longer resisting.

Soon, a tall flag with the character 'Bright' flapped in the night wind atop the city wall.

"I am the Thousand-Year Dragon God, and heavenly mandate resides in me. Even the heavens cannot control me, and the Netherworld cannot take me. How dare you mere mortals deceive me?"

However, the chaos within Lake City soon subsided, except for the southern part of the city, which was backed by water. There, blades clashed, and chaos reigned. A silver-armored general led a group of black-armored men, trampling and maneuvering, leaving a trail of blood and flesh in their wake.

It was the Three-Headed Ancient Serpent.

Serpents are inherently suspicious and cruel, always on guard and ferocious. So, before he could discern the situation, he dared not lead his troops to confront the Bright State King. But now that they had been driven into the city, he couldn't just sit and wait for death. Instead, he unleashed his ferocity and led his troops out to fight.

Indeed, with a thousand years of Dao cultivation, he wielded a pair of spears with such force that the wind seemed to roar around him. Hundreds of Granary Protection Army soldiers couldn't get close to him, and instead, they were forced to retreat repeatedly.

Usually, he was timid, but once he started fighting, he became ferocious. It seemed like he was about to charge straight through and confront King Yang Gong.

Zhao Zhu, eager for merit, rushed forward with a steel fork, but Zhou Liang was quick-eyed and pulled him back.

Even so, he almost got speared through the body.

"This demon is vicious; you all step aside and leave this great achievement to us!"

Amidst the chaos, a loud voice shouted, and the crowd saw that it was the Four Generals from Old Yin Mountain, led by Yuan Kui, who had just achieved a merit. The four of them charged forward together, engaging the Three-Headed Ancient Serpent in a fierce battle.

Although their skills were already formidable, they seemed to struggle against the Three-Headed Ancient Serpent. In an instant, they were already being suppressed.

The black-armored guards of the Three-Headed Ancient Serpent spread out and surrounded them, not allowing anyone else to intervene.

"This damn thing is really stubborn!"

Amidst the fierce battle, Hu Ma and Erguotou also appeared on the distant city wall, observing the ancient serpent and considering his skills.

Erguotou said, "Since we're betting on the Granary Protection Army, I can't directly intervene. If you do, you might also scare away the heavenly mandate. So, we must wait until it is forced out of Lake City or reveals its true form; that's when it's time for us, the experts of our sect, to make our move!"

As they spoke, they moved forward and saw the battle intensifying.

They witnessed the Four Generals from Old Yin Mountain struggling to subdue the ancient serpent. Then, from the side, they heard a loud roar—it was the Central General Shen Hongzhi, who bowed to the red lantern a few times before charging forward with her weapon.

Her deputy general, Sun Niangzi, followed suit, and the other leaders and generals trailed behind.

Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu joined forces and advanced, confronting the group of black-armored guards. One of them raised a hand and pressed it against his ribs, while the other lifted a hand and placed it beside his nose. Then, they simultaneously channeled their Dao cultivation and unleashed their ultimate move:

"Hmm!"

"Ha!"

In an instant, a rolling Yang thunder and a chilling Yin aura intertwined, like two rivers flowing side by side yet in opposite directions, rushing forward together. The loyal black-armored guards were shaken, their bodies thrown into disarray, and many of them stumbled and fell.

The Granary Protection Army behind them pressed forward, brandishing their weapons and stabbing the black-armored guards to death.

The bald old Zhang, who was about to show off his specialty, paused upon hearing the commotion and turned to look. Then, he lowered his hand, saying, "Since you've hummed, I won't."

"..."

The three-headed ancient serpent, in the midst of battle, felt increasingly irritated by the chaos around him. Glancing at his black-armored guards, he saw that they had suffered heavy casualties, their bodies littering the field.

The ancient serpent was both startled and furious. It wanted to unleash a powerful move, going wild and killing a few of them.

However, it was also a cunning creature. From the start, it knew that in terms of troops, it was no match for the Granary Protection Army, which was why it used civilians as human shields. Later, when it saw how quickly the Granary Protection Army was advancing and that its rain-summoning spell had been broken, it realized there was a powerful figure among the enemy ranks.

Suddenly, it became alert and noticed that outside the southern gate, near the lake, there were troops swiftly encircling the area. Were they trying to cut off its retreat back to the lake? It had initially stayed near the southern gate to ensure its escape route to the lake. Now, it had no choice but to roar in anger, shaking the air with its demonic aura and repelling those who approached. Then, it leaped over the city wall, ignoring the others.

As its head plunged into the lake, things changed instantly. Vaguely, a massive creature stirred beneath the water, occasionally letting out terrifying roars.

The Granary Protection Army reached the city wall, nocked their arrows, and fired, but to no avail.

The next moment, the giant creature in the lake stirred, and a towering wave rose, crashing into the low-lying wall near the lake. The force of the wave was such that it smashed into the city, collapsing numerous buildings and knocking over countless troops.

Riding the giant waves, the black-armored guards also fled towards the lake, diving into the water.

Then, from all directions in the lake, endless ripples appeared, and countless hidden objects emerged to join the swarm, forming a dark mass that resembled an army. They created various waves, surging towards the city.

Even the fierce generals of the Granary Protection Army had never witnessed such a scene, and their faces paled in shock, like scalded chickens, trembling as they retreated.

"Haha, with my thousand years of cultivation, I rule over the waters. How dare you compare your petty tricks to me? As long as I remain in this lake, you'll never take my Lake State!"

Although he was only in his thirties, he referred to himself as an old man because he remembered his origins.

But this arrogant declaration caused the faces of the onlookers to darken. Lake State was surrounded by water on three sides, and its terrain was unique. If there was an ancient monster hiding in the water, keeping a constant watch, even if they captured Lake State, they might not be able to hold it securely.

This was the ancient serpent's advantage. Although it had taken human form for thirty years, it had always maintained its demonic nature. The creature in the lake was its true army.

If the Granary Protection Army remained, it would hide in the water. Once they left, it would return and reclaim its territory, making it nearly impossible to guard against.

More importantly, even if they found a way to deal with it, this creature was an anomaly of heaven and earth, with a thousand years of cultivation. Even Lu Madam's paper figurines might not be able to suppress its formidable might.

How, then, could they deal with it?

...

...

"Impressive, a thousand years of cultivation..."

Just as everyone realized the dire situation and felt helpless, a distant laughter echoed. Hu Ma, wearing a black robe, appeared with the old fortune teller, who held a banner, and Erguotou standing on the wall, watching from afar.

The soldiers on both sides, especially the leaders, mostly recognized Hu Ma and quickly made way for him. Hu Ma strode directly to the city wall, gazing at the vast, dark lake beneath the wall, and said with a smile, "I'd like to see how your thousand years of cultivation compares to my ten pillar incense."

"..."

"Get lost, you good-for-nothing!"

The creature in the lake didn't recognize Hu Ma and sensed that the formidable figure who had sealed the altar earlier wasn't him. Seeing his youth, it didn't take him seriously and stirred up waves, trying to pull him into the lake.

"Bang!"

Hu Ma, however, countered with a backhand strike, using the Great Smashing Tablet technique.

On the back of his palm, intricate talismans appeared, and with a slap, he sent the waves, dozens of zhang wide and over ten zhang high, back into the lake.

The next moment, his soul light condensed, revealing a three-headed, six-armed Dharmic form. The left head, with a green face and fangs, turned to face forward.

Facing the dark lake, his ten pillar cultivation surged, and his head turned crimson.

Then, he opened his mouth wide and roared, spewing a torrent of evil flame into the lake.

The evil serpent, having already been shaken by the returned waves, quickly coiled its body and retreated to the depths of the lake, determined to stay hidden beneath the surface.

But it hadn't expected the evil flames to engulf the lake, causing steam to rise and obscure half the sky.

After a while, bubbles began to appear on the lake's surface, and the lake creatures, water demons, screamed and struggled to escape the water, some already scorched red.

Behind them, the Granary Protection Army, the old fortune teller, and even Erguotou on the distant wall, were all stunned.

"He... He's boiling the lake... to exorcise demons?"

PS: Book Recommendation: "Abnormal Containment: I'm the Lucky One in the Cage" by Yigen Chousu, a sci-fi novel with supernatural powers.

(End of Chapter)

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