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Chapter 834: Blood Vajra
Chapter 834: Blood Vajra
When Hu Ma bluntly refused, Madame Li also sighed softly.
Hu Ma's expression was one of absurdity and weariness, while Madame Li seemed slightly disappointed.
After a long pause, she sighed gently, and the solemnity she had when describing the Eight Scenes of Hell earlier was gone. She slowly said, "To give you all the resources accumulated by our ten surnames over twenty years to assist the new heaven is already a huge concession..."
Hu Ma merely scoffed and didn't even bother to respond.
Madame Li's gaze turned slightly cold as she looked up at Hu Ma.
At this moment, her identity seemed to shift from the elder lady of the Li family, who had a long-standing friendship with the Hu family, to the elder ancestor of the Unchanging Li family. She slowly shook her head and said, "The descendants of the Hu family who suppress evil are talented and capable. They have gathered the bodies of this world and the laws of the other world, cultivating their current abilities. When they went to the capital city, even the State Tutor couldn't do anything to them, making them the first among the ten surnames..."
"But you are also too confident."
"I understand your confidence comes from those people of the other world. They are indeed capable, and they have indeed ascended the bridge. But you must know that they ascended the bridge too late."
"..."
She looked at Hu Ma, as if instructing a junior in the art of cultivation: "Ascending the bridge is to transcend."
"The path of transcendence is to return to the source. Therefore, all people have the ability to return to their homeland. After ascending the bridge, they naturally move towards their origin."
"The people of this world, after ascending the bridge, will get closer to the Eight Scenes of Hell because the Eight Scenes of Hell are where we came from."
"But the people of the other world come from the Celestial Age. When they ascend the bridge, their instincts will lead them closer to the Celestial Age, making it more dangerous. Therefore, the people of the other world may be even further behind us on the path of returning to the homeland..."
"You're expecting them to help you win..."
She paused slightly and said, "It's difficult."
"To be blunt, if we really insist on determining a winner, and both sides fight to the point of anger, it's possible that neither of us will be able to control the situation. This world could be destroyed."
As she spoke, her tone was light, but her words carried a heavy weight.
Hu Ma suddenly looked up at her, his lazy expression vanishing as his eyes turned cold. "Is the elder lady threatening me?"
They had agreed to a duel to preserve more things, but now she was saying that the duel might destroy the world. If that wasn't a threat, what was it?
Madame Li looked at Hu Ma coldly, neither confirming nor denying, which naturally meant she wasn't denying it.
Hu Ma met her gaze, and a cold smile appeared in his eyes. Slowly, he nodded and said, "The elder lady said that my grandmother and she were old acquaintances, so she must know her well."
"When she returned to the ancestral shrine, she told me that sensible children always endure more hardships."
"With one sentence, she expressed her concern for me and the bitterness in the hearts of the Hu family. Yes, sensible people always seem to have more bad luck. Enduring hardships is good, but what's scary is when your efforts are unappreciated."
"The Hu family has seen the bitterness of this world and made preparations early on, so we ended up with a broken family and lost lives, leaving only me alone. You, on the other hand, have enjoyed twenty years of wealth and honor, and now you want to become immortals..."
As he spoke, his face turned cold. "What do you owe us?"
Madame Li listened as his words grew heavier, and her expression showed a hint of surprise. The coldness in her eyes lessened, and she stared fixedly at his face.
"I am gathering the Heavenly Mandate to drive away the Celestial Age. I want all the things you mentioned earlier, but..."
The ridicule on Hu Ma's face reached its peak at this moment. He scoffed and raised his voice, "If it comes to the point where one group is fighting desperately at the front while another group is dragging their feet from behind..."
"Then to hell with it!"
"..."
Madame Li was suddenly shocked by these words, and her entire expression seemed to lose control.
She was old and experienced, and naturally understood the art of observing others. She genuinely felt that at this moment, Hu Ma was not speaking in jest.
For some reason, she suddenly regretted coming to meet him and saying these words. How could someone who claimed to save the world also be prepared to destroy it at any moment?
"You're old, so you don't understand," Hu Ma said, seeing the surprise on Madame Li's face.
Madame Li's expression remained unchanged as she spoke. She stood up and looked down at him, her expression cold and disdainful. "You want to threaten me by saying you'll break this world?"
"You don't understand. The duel is to give you a chance, not a bargaining chip for negotiations!"
"I follow the path of the New Year Guardian, and I'm a simple man who only knows simple methods. So, instead of this complicated duel to determine a winner, I'd rather fight you directly until you submit. I'll defeat you, and the remaining resources will be in my hands."
"Whether the ten surnames exist or not doesn't matter, and whether Nobleman Zhang exists or not is also unimportant. As long as the people of this world are still alive, we can still perform the Grand Heavenly Ritual."
"It's just a pity that because we both understand the fragile parts of this world and how to destroy it faster, I can only follow the rules and have a proper duel with you..."
"But if one day, someone really breaks these rules and we lose our chance to win, I'll be the first to find your door!"
"..."
Outside, the yin wind blew, causing the candlelight to flicker and cast shadows on his face, revealing a deep gaze and a fierce light in his eyes. "Old lady, go back and tell the descendants of the Li family, as well as the others."
"None of us have a way out!"
"This world is being watched by the Celestial Age, and we have no way out."
"You are also being watched by me!"
"..."
Madame Li didn't know how many years it had been since she had felt such pressure.
The presence of a New Year Guardian nearby would naturally put pressure on other mystic practitioners, especially when they were furious. It was like a fierce and cruel spirit, pressing down on her, causing her to feel momentarily startled.
After a long time, she slowly smiled, and her hunched and withered body straightened slightly. Under Hu Ma's gaze, she regained her composure and sighed, "I forgot that when it comes to ruthlessness, the Hu family has never lost."
Hu Ma looked at her expression, and after a long pause, he slowly took a step back, and the shadow on his body retreated from Madame Li's body.
He smiled and said, "I've been under a lot of pressure lately, and I got a little carried away. Elder lady, please don't mind."
"Young people should have this kind of spirit. Otherwise, how can they accomplish great things and make others believe in them?"
Madame Li smiled and comforted him, "But this gamble is too ruthless. Leaving no way out and making others deliver everything to your doorstep is not reassuring."
"You can convince the people of the afterlife, but that doesn't mean you can convince the other families. You can't even convince the National Tutor, let alone the rest of the world. Aside from the Ten Surnames and the National Tutor, who knows how many able persons there are out there?"
"They might all believe you and bet everything on you."
"..."
"That's indeed a problem..."
Hu Ma listened and heaved a soft sigh, saying, "To be honest, the more understanding one is, the more they suffer. It's an unfair saying, but one that's all too familiar."
"If we can't convince them, then what? We can only grit our teeth and move forward. But as for the old lady..."
"..."
"In the end, it's still a matter of winning or losing in a duel!"
The old lady of the Li family sighed softly, as if weighing her words carefully. She looked straight at Hu Ma and slowly said, "I wanted to discuss something with you. I was going to propose a deal, with the promise of returning to the origin as the condition, to help you succeed. This way, the Ten Surnames would also be satisfied."
"But now it seems that we can't convince you, and you probably can't convince the others to follow you either."
"The Ten Surnames are all from the rivers and lakes. Let's bring this back to the original bet!"
As she spoke, her expression grew serious. She said, "If the Li family loses, we'll give you the Stone Weight, and you can take all the Heavenly Mandate. The Soul Punishment Sect and its disciples will be at your disposal, ready to sacrifice themselves in battle."
"But if you lose..."
She paused, her eyes turning cold. "As for the other families, I won't interfere. But I want all of you to help my Li family with all your strength."
"Break the Mother Formula, which governs the Blood Pool in the Netherworld, and enter the Homeland Realm."
"Or, if the Li family understands the Homeland Realm through this duel, that's their own ability. If they gain that immense fortune, you won't be able to push them around."
"..."
Hu Ma listened, his brows slightly furrowed, but he also knew that the old lady had spoken her final words.
The Ten Surnames now each possess a Mother Formula, which allows them to influence the Eight Scenes of Hell, granting them immense power. However, this Mother Formula is also their obstacle, preventing them from truly controlling the Eight Scenes.
She wanted to propose a deal, offering herself as an exchange to help them break the Mother Formula, but that's not possible. If they are to gamble, and during this duel, they gain insight and master the Homeland Realm, then it's beyond his control.
Moreover, if they truly gain control over the Eight Scenes of Hell, then even if he wanted to interfere, he wouldn't be able to. In the spirit realm, they would already be one with the heavens and the earth.
This duel is not only about who has the superior technique but also about who can take that crucial step forward. Whoever takes that step first is essentially the winner.
The winner takes all!
In deep thought, he suddenly spoke in a low voice, "What if someone threatens me with breaking the order of this world again?"
The old lady of the Li family slowly stood up and said, "I must admit, I don't quite agree with what you said earlier. The Ten Surnames and the able persons of this world may not be willing to bet on you, nor are they willing to throw away what they have now."
"But the Ten Surnames still have their pride."
"Moreover, our few surnames are still listed in the Stone Pavilion. If someone doesn't follow through on their words, the others won't agree either."
"So, rest assured. Let the duel happen. If someone loses and doesn't admit it or does something to harm this world, my Li family will be the first to stand up against them!"
"..."
Hu Ma's eyes lit up at these words, and he quickly supported the old lady as she stood up, saying with a smile, "This is the dignity that the Ten Surnames should have."
"The first one to duel with you will always be at a disadvantage."
The old lady of the Li family listened to the praise without a hint of a smile. She sighed, "Our Li family was tricked by the Zhao family's slyness and became the first to draw a line. We were not fully prepared."
"But since we've started, let's make this duel about Tiger Pass."
"However, I should remind you that the Divine Bestowed King was raised by my Li family, but he no longer listens to us. He has a Stupa Army under his command, and you should be careful because outsiders don't know the full name of this army."
"If I were to tell you, the word 'blood' should be added before 'Stupa'."
"..."
"Blood Vajra..."
Hu Ma's eyebrows lifted slightly as he listened, "The 'blood' from the Blood Pool?"
The old lady of the Li family nodded and looked at Hu Ma with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "And our bet lies here. It's up to you to break this 'blood' word, or you can ask us to take it back!"
The conversation between Hu Ma and the old lady of the Li family took place not in the mortal world but in the midst of the Head Array, which was now subdued by the ceremonial tent of the old lady's entourage.
However, Digua Shou Tou was quick to act, and the wandering ghosts and wild spirits who had already entered the city were still causing chaos. Many of these spirits weren't from the pass but had appeared from behind it, joining the army of wild spirits.
Inside Tiger Pass, chaos had already ensued.
The Divine Bestowed King's soldiers, numbering at least tens of thousands, were stationed at the pass, but under the onslaught of countless shadow troops, the place had fallen silent.
The vast pass had become a desolate, lifeless place, seemingly transformed into an empty fortress.
Further back, at the Three Armies Alliance, the atmosphere was tense. Everyone was eagerly looking out, sensing that something extraordinary had happened at Tiger Pass during the night. The massive pass seemed unguarded.
They were all anxiously waiting for dawn, for the yin energy to dissipate, so they could quickly seize the pass.
They couldn't even imagine what the scene would be like after capturing the city.
A pass guarded by nearly ten thousand soldiers had been conquered overnight by the ghost deity army, with the living following behind to reap the rewards.
This news, if spread, would create a sensation in the mystic circuits, becoming a legend.
However, they didn't expect that behind Tiger Pass, amidst the silence and the wailing of ghosts, in the pitch-black tent in the middle of the pass, a low sigh suddenly echoed.
The Divine Bestowed King woke up, stretching out his hand to feel around the table. He found a fire stick and lit the oil lamp.
The dim light illuminated his pale face and bloodshot eyes.
Hearing no movement outside and only the howling yin wind, his face showed signs of impatience.
After several days of continuous battles, he intended to sleep for two or three days to rest, but unexpectedly, he woke up in less than two hours.
And at the same time as he opened his eyes, countless soldiers in other tents also opened theirs, their bodies emanating a strong aura of blood.
Still clad in their armor, they opened their eyes woodenly, looking like rusted iron men.
"Huff!"
As they exited their tents and began to form formations, a dense, bloody stench rose within the vast pass.
The invisible and intangible bloody stench in the darkness seemed even heavier than the sinister Yin energy of the ghostly assault, suppressing the howling Yin wind within the pass. All the ghosts who were frolicking were startled by the surge of blood energy.
Then, in a panic, they quietly tucked their heads and retracted their Yin winds, not even bothering to remind their grandmother before trying to escape.
"Eh?"
However, they were unaware that long before the blood energy billowed, their grandmother was the first to notice, startling her so much that she turned around and left the city.
The vast Tiger Pass fell silent in the night, and even the wind seemed to have subsided.
Only in front of the pass, a massive Head Array was forcibly turned, facing the entrance of Tiger Pass.
"Why isn't the sky brightening yet?"
The Three Armies Alliance, eager to attack at dawn, grew anxious, constantly looking eastward, hearing nothing but silence, and seeing no sign of fire from Tiger Pass. They all felt it was an empty pass, and once the Yin energy dispersed, it would be easily taken.
But their wait was in vain, and they felt the night was too long. It should have been dawn by now, yet it remained pitch-black.
In the eastern sky, only a thin line of blood seemed to suppress the sun, preventing it from rising.
Amid this silent and oppressive anxiety, suddenly, they heard the Yin wind gradually dissipating in the distance. Everyone thought the rooster had already crowed, and the night was about to end, and their hearts anticipated the coming day.
However, they didn't expect that at this very moment, the pitch-black pass, seemingly devoid of any living soul, slowly opened its gates.
An army, shrouded in the night, slowly emerged from the pass, stirring the darkness into chaos.
"Swoosh!"
No one expected Tiger Pass to open its gates at this time.
And most crucially, in front of Tiger Pass, there was already a Head Array aimed at the interior.
As the army appeared, these unresolved souls in the Head Array felt the presence of their nemesis—these were the people who had severed their heads. Without provocation, their desire for vengeance had already arisen, and their grudge surged like a tide.
But the army from Tiger Pass didn't even bother to look at them. They only heard the clanking of iron armor as the army marched out, horses and iron boots trampling directly over the heads, even stepping on them as they slowly advanced toward the pass.
In the Head Array, the heads were suppressed by the formidable aura, unable to even open their eyes.
Only in their eye sockets, blood tears slowly seeped out, dripping down their cheeks.
"That is..."
Behind the Head Array, the various generals and vanguard officers guarding the array outside also smelled a gust of wind carrying the intertwined scents of rust and blood, making it hard to breathe.
Their hearts pounded in their throats, and a scene flashed through their minds, causing their voices to tremble: "The Stupa Army?"
Divine Bestowed King had the Stupa Army, which only killed at night.
The time had long passed, but the sky remained dark. Could it be that the Stupa Army had awakened and was coming out to kill?
"I intended to spare you for a few more days, but since you insist on disturbing my peaceful sleep, I'll take your heads first, and then I'll rest!"
Amid this oppression, the army suddenly quickened its pace, stirring the night as it approached. When they drew near, their appearance became clear—row upon row, both men and horses were encased in iron armor, forming iron lumps.
Heavy and oppressive, fresh blood constantly sprayed from their armor.
Wherever the horses' hooves landed, the dry and frosty ground should have been solid, but for some reason, fresh blood splattered, forming patches as if the earth beneath had seeped out mysterious and eerie blood, intensifying the bloody aura.
In the hazy mist, they seemed to be trampling on a surging river of blood, charging forward.
The massive commotion not only instantly scattered the Head Array in front of Tiger Pass but also enveloped the vanguard army behind it in the dense bloody aura.
"Not good..."
Many able persons in the army sensed something amiss and immediately used their unique spells, throwing out a painting that unfurled and blocked the Stupa Army.
A river flew out of the painting and landed on the ground.
Over ten zhang wide, the river roared with surging waves and rapid currents, forming an abrupt barrier before the Stupa Army, allowing the unprepared vanguard army and various generals watching from the front to safely return to their camps.
However, unexpectedly, the Stupa Army, gazing at the river in the darkness, didn't even glance at it and simply crossed it.
Under the horses' hooves, fresh blood splattered, and the river instantly vanished, leaving only clumps of paper stained with blood.
"..."
"..."
At the same time, in a small courtyard in Quzhou, an elderly lady from the Li Family, supported by her two granddaughters, one in white and the other in black, slowly emerged from beneath a locust tree and walked into the courtyard. A middle-aged man in the courtyard hurriedly approached to greet her.
The elderly lady sat down and sighed, "This child from the Hu Family is different from the young ones in our families... He shouldn't be someone we can teach."
The middle-aged man offered her a cup of tea, asking, "Is it true?"
The elderly lady nodded, "His aura is extraordinary, transcending the mortal realm, indeed possessing the bearing of the Great Dharmic Religion's National Tutor."
After drinking half a bowl of tea, she slowly set it down, her expression solemn and her gaze deep. "Naturally, he can also help our Li Family break through the Mother Formula that has stagnated for ten years and find the path to the Homeland Realm."
"Understood, grandmother."
The middle-aged man nodded, then took a few steps back to stand before the locust tree. He placed his hand on the tree and, after a moment of silence, spoke in a low voice, "The Li Clan's four great hall officials, eight hundred officials, and three thousand runners, listen up..."
"Hold the Yin talisman, lead the ghost generals, and together, let's go to Tiger Pass. Support Divine Bestowed King and face off against the Demon Hu Family, and let's see who wins!"
(End of Chapter)
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