https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-846-Return-to-Homeland-Three-Realms-of-the-Nether-Palace/12920089/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-848-Bringing-Purple-Qi-Back-to-the-Mortal-Realm/12920091/
Chapter 847: Entering the Nether Palace to Slay the Emperor Ghost
Chapter 847: Entering the Nether Palace to Slay the Emperor Ghost
In a trance, he drifted into a dream, oblivious to the mortal world.
In the past, when Hu Ma entered a dream, he would only visit his Soul Temple or fall into a deep slumber.
But this time, he deliberately retained his consciousness, merely taking a light nap, allowing himself to dream.
Only by doing so could he give those who wanted to "convey a dream" to him the opportunity to enter his dream.
Regarding the knowledge within the secret arts, dreams are when the divine soul is unstable, wandering amidst the entanglements of heavenly cause and effect. Thus, there are malevolent spirits waiting to enter dreams and torment the living.
Before entering the Netherworld, Hu Ma had also received dreams from vengeful spirits, but later, as his abilities gradually improved and his divine soul became more stable, his destiny became heavier, and he gradually stopped dreaming, no longer allowing malevolent spirits to invade his mind.
This wasn't considered a great ability; there should be many in the New Year Guardian sect who could achieve this.
The 'Impermeable Body' mentioned by Mr. Zhou's family included the ability to repel malevolent spirits and sleep deeply without dreams.
Of course, this time, Hu Ma actively invited malevolent spirits into his heart, not only suppressing them but also keeping the words 'Nether Palace' in his mind, silently wondering what the ten emperors of Du Yi looked like and what the Nether Palace truly was.
Because he had it on his mind, he indeed dreamed in his daze.
Drifting aimlessly, his body felt like a floating duckweed, confused and disoriented, unaware of his surroundings. When he opened his eyes, he seemed to have arrived at a grand golden palace hall.
Looking up, he saw that beneath the grand hall, both sides were filled with heavy and eerie killing intent, and the court officials and generals were awe-inspiring, causing fear in people's hearts. At the very top, on the dragon throne, there was a blurred figure wearing a beaded crown.
In this dream, that figure seemed incredibly massive, surpassing mountains and rivers, looking down from above, gazing at him as if he were an insignificant ant.
Cold eyes like lightning pierced through his body, as if seeing through everything, and then a heavy voice resounded:
"You, the descendant of the Imperial Clerk, dare not kneel before my throne?"
"..."
This voice directly unsettled his mind, filling it with countless fragmented images.
It was as if his bloodline truly had an ancestor who, at this moment, stood trembling in this grand palace hall, facing the high and mighty emperor above, full of fear and reverence, his knees buckling, about to kneel down.
However, with his cultivation and having sensed the overwhelming pressure bearing down on him, a faint golden light seemed to envelop his body, not very noticeable but effectively dissipating much of the pressure.
Not only did he not kneel, but his mind also cleared, and he became aware of his surroundings and the entity he was facing.
He stood more firmly, slowly clasping his hands behind his back, looking around at the densely packed Yin spirits in the hall.
Finally, he raised his head and looked towards the dragon throne, suddenly asking, "Which emperor of Du Yi are you?"
"How dare you!"
Upon seeing the faint golden light on Hu Ma's body, the entity on the dragon throne seemed to be enraged, with rolling black energy swirling around him. In the infinite darkness behind him, enormous tentacles could be vaguely seen.
A voice filled with unassailable authority resounded: "I am the Emperor of Supreme Virtue and Utmost Justice, the ruler of the written word and martial might, benevolence, filial piety, and wisdom. To not kneel before me is to commit great treason."
With this shout, a cold wind blew through the court, and the officials and generals on both sides moved simultaneously, the sound of their tablets and armor clashing like thunder, and overwhelming killing intent gathered.
"So, you're the second-to-last emperor of Du Yi?"
"The one who had his skin flayed was his son."
Hu Ma remained unmoved, but in his heart, he recognized the emperor.
There were eleven emperors of Du Yi, and the last one, who had his skin flayed and lost the empire, naturally had no qualification to enter, so there were ten emperor ghosts in the Nether Palace. When he first entered the dream, he didn't know which emperor he would meet first, but now he knew who this guy was.
Of course, these emperors' posthumous titles were given after their deaths; they didn't know them when they were alive.
It was only after their grand funerals that their descendants would inform them of their titles, whether good or bad; they had to accept them anyway.
"Great treason?"
As this was his first encounter with the Nether Palace, Hu Ma intended to test the other party's level. He coldly smiled and said, "Do you really think you're still alive and the emperor of the people of this world?"
"Even if you weren't already a dead ghost, given what you did in Du Yi, what qualifications do you have to demand that I kneel before you?"
"Look carefully, I am the Grandmaster of the Great Dharmic Religion and Master Hu of Exorcism, in charge of the Evil Suppression Mansion, commanding the Golden Armor, presiding over the Yin and Yang, and your Du Yi lineage has long lost its dynasty, with all descendants perished. This is the consequence of your sins and karma. Instead of reflecting in the Yellow Springs, you dare to intrude upon my dreams?"
"Don't you know that the Evil Suppression Mansion governs the boundary between Yin and Yang, and I won't allow the dead to harass the living? Otherwise, I'll behead you!"
"..."
"How audacious!"
These words seemed to have stirred up a hornet's nest. Even before the entity on the dragon throne could react, the officials and generals on both sides were already enraged.
An uncountable number of ministers and generals, their faces obscured, stood up and shouted, "How dare the Hu family, mere Imperial Clerks, covet the authority of the Evil Suppression Mansion?"
"Treason against the emperor is an unforgivable crime! Capture him immediately!"
"Seize him!"
They were indeed ruthless, perhaps truly believing that this was a righteous cause. With a single command, people rushed forward, weapons and restraints aimed at Hu Ma.
Hu Ma glanced around and saw that the figures in the hall had strange faces—some were pale and greenish-blue like paper, with stiff expressions, while others were covered in yellow paper, hiding their features.
It could be said that their official robes and armor were exquisite, but the people inside were stiff and peculiar.
Even the maids holding lanterns on both sides of the Golden Palace Hall seemed more lifelike.
After a moment of thought, he understood the situation.
Even in death, these emperors continued to command their officials and generals, but the true officials and generals were unwilling to follow them to the underworld.
They could bring the emperor's concubines, eunuchs, palace maids, servants, laborers, slaves, and even the emperor's entourage, but when it came to themselves, they were often replaced by paper figures.
Having seen through these people, he was fearless and instead, let out a cold laugh. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and expelled a Primordial Yang Arrow.
As a New Year Guardian, even in his dreams, his Primordial Yang was vigorous and powerful!
A thunderous sound echoed, and within the hall, a brilliant fire blazed like a scorching sun, with the flames resembling the malevolent flames of the Golden Crow.
These ferocious officials and soldiers, who had rushed towards him, were instantly blown away by his attack, and an unknown number of them caught fire. Even the rows of armor on the soldiers began to melt rapidly.
The Nether Palace, no matter how special, was still a realm of the underworld, and the entities within were still ghosts. How could they withstand his Primordial Yang Arrow? However, although this attack was effective, he remained vigilant, aware of the peculiarities of the Nether Palace. Its strangeness was not to be underestimated, and although he smiled coldly on the surface, deep down, he did not dare to underestimate the ghosts within the palace.
As expected, the figure on the dragon throne, upon witnessing this scene, became furious and roared, "You dare!"
He slapped the dragon throne, and two rows of palace maids appeared at his side, with the one in front holding two dimly lit, eerie palace lanterns. She lifted them up, and as the light shone upon the hall, the lanterns suddenly turned purple.
Within the lanterns, a surge of purple qi rolled forth, rushing towards them. At that moment, the burning officials and soldiers transformed into living beings, their flesh and blood real, their faces exuding authority, and their bodies resembling their former high and mighty selves.
The officials spoke simultaneously, but their words were inaudible. However, it was clear that they were casting ghost curses, causing unease in those who heard them, as if their very life force was being stripped away, and they were being haunted in their dreams.
The soldiers had already drawn their swords, fiercely hacking towards Hu Ma. As the blades passed, a chill spread across their skin, and their lives hung by a thread.
"Capture him! Capture him!"
"This one who came to our door, we'll detain him here. It's better than those sacrificial offerings they prepared."
"After the Imperial Clerk dares to betray the Emperor, we'll borrow his body to return to the human realm!"
The air around them grew chaotic, and countless voices seemed to drill into their ears, causing irritation. But Hu Ma discerned the reason they wanted to capture him.
Currently, they were only able to communicate through dreams, and their connection was weak. Therefore, they wanted to capture him within the hall, which would be equivalent to the Nether Palace gaining a fraction of hope to return to the human realm through him.
The Nether Palace, in the human world, had become like a rootless tree, its former prestige still lingering, but it had become a household name for families facing extinction.
To continue enjoying the incense offerings from the human realm or to influence it, they needed to find the corresponding bloodline.
However, Du Yi, being of royal lineage, undoubtedly had some bloodline remnants in the human realm, just like the Qingyuan Hu Family. They had found one, but those bloodlines had long lost their connection to the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother, and were no longer related to the Nether Palace.
Speaking of which, these bloodlines left in the human realm could evade the Dragon Well Scholar's curse precisely because they had lost their connection.
"Indeed..."
At that moment, on the grand hall, as the purple qi surged towards him, Hu Ma's heart sank, and he involuntarily took a step back.
Looking up, the hall around him felt incredibly real, as if mountains were pressing down on him. This was a pressure he hadn't felt since achieving his tenth pillar incense.
After all, he had already obtained the tenth pillar incense, which he had snatched from the heavens and earth.
The New Year Guardian rose from the ground, and with the tenth pillar incense, Hu Ma could reach a state of fusion with the heavens and earth, where the pressures of this realm would be shared, making him immovable, and all techniques would be drawn to him.
But at this moment, firstly, he was not in the human realm, and secondly, the purple qi he faced was more formidable than ever before, even surpassing the capital city.
Speaking of which, it could be said to have the weight of an entire capital city, slamming straight into his face.
Instinctively, every figure before him seemed immensely large, and even a strand of the lantern's purple light felt as heavy as a mountain.
The Nether Palace was inherently different from anything he had ever encountered in the human realm.
The tenth emperor of Du Yi, having ruled for seventeen years, had enjoyed the fortune of the realm for that long, stealing an unknown amount from the heavens and earth. Whether it was destiny or incense offerings, they far surpassed him.
Once the New Year Guardian lost his footing and could no longer stand firm with his abilities, it would be equivalent to losing ninety percent of his power.
But just as he, the New Year Guardian, was about to lose his footing and retreat, a sudden chill spread behind him.
A powerful force, seemingly out of nowhere, supported Hu Ma's lower back.
Hu Ma, being in a dream, didn't need to turn around to see who it was; he already knew.
It was Little Hong Tang.
She had somehow followed him into the dream, and now, her face was deathly pale, and she hid behind him, shivering.
Clearly terrified, she had still come and helped him stop his retreat.
Most importantly, Little Hong Tang usually wore a red dress, and in this place, her red dress seemed even brighter, almost purple.
It was no less vibrant than the purple qi surging from the hall.
Hu Ma's cultivation had grown stronger over time, but regarding purple qi, he had gained little. Little Hong Tang, on the other hand, seemed like she was made of purple qi, perfectly complementing his deficiency. Instantly, she stood firm in the Nether Palace.
"How bold!"
Upon seeing Little Hong Tang, the weapons that had been pressing towards Hu Ma halted.
The officials on both sides stopped speaking, including the dark figure on the dragon throne, and they all stared at her with eerie gazes. Their eyes showed surprise, but it quickly turned to anger.
They shouted in unison, "A mere palace maid, a sacrificial offering, granted entry to the human realm by imperial decree, yet you abandon your sacred duty and escape punishment. How dare you return?"
In the Nether Palace, such scolding and accusations were like substantial entities, surging towards Little Hong Tang.
Facing these people, Little Hong Tang was clearly terrified, but she stood her ground, her short legs trembling. She sat down on the ground, tightly hugging Hu Ma's thigh, wanting only for him to protect her.
And on either side of the Dragon Throne, the maidservants holding the palace lanterns also stared intently at Little Hong Tang, their mouths opening and closing as if silently cursing, while simultaneously raising the lanterns in their hands high.
As they watched, the purple light within the lanterns intensified, seemingly sharing the same origin as the purple qi on Little Hong Tang's body. With their movements, the purple qi on Little Hong Tang's body began to stir, and strands of it were being drawn into the lanterns.
"What?"
In the mortal world, chaos reigned, and it was impossible to discern what had happened.
But in the Nether Palace, Hu Ma, being in a dream, and these people, being immersed in the Nether, intertwined with each other. Hu Ma instantly understood what Little Hong Tang had experienced.
His face suddenly turned grim, and endless hatred flashed in his eyes.
Little Hong Tang had indeed escaped from the Nether Palace.
She was one of the children who had been buried alive with the emperor. In the Netherworld, because she was still naive in life, she naturally suffered bullying from the powerful ghosts after death.
It was originally supposed to be dark and sunless, but since the Du Yi bloodline had been severed in the mortal realm, the Nether Palace had become a rootless tree.
And because she was truly a living sacrifice, a genuine pure soul, she was chosen by the Emperor Ghost, infused with purple qi, and sent to the mortal world to reincarnate, in preparation for becoming one of the catalysts to connect the Nether Palace and the mortal realm in the future.
However, Little Hong Tang took the wrong path during her reincarnation, and the timing was off, which led to her wandering in the mortal realm. Eventually, she was found by an old lady returning to the capital, who took pity on her and brought her back to Old Yin Mountain.
In fact, in recent years, the Nether Palace had sent out many people using this method, but none seemed to have succeeded.
Some got lost, while others were secretly eliminated by someone. After a long time, the Nether Palace also abandoned this idea.
But now that they saw Little Hong Tang appear, they instantly flew into a rage. They wanted to retrieve the purple qi and capture her for punishment.
However, Hu Ma was watching by his side.
Before this, he had always wanted to know about Little Hong Tang's background. Why did this little girl have so many differences from others? She had immense strength but was reluctant to fight, and she wouldn't hurt others.
When facing blood-related matters, she had an extraordinary ability to control herself... She was already someone formed by purple qi, and naturally, she had an extraordinary ability to control the Purple Grand Heavenly Lord.
But before knowing, it was fine, but after knowing, he only felt a surge of anger and surprise arise within him.
He thought of her naivety before she was forced to be buried alive, and the bullying she endured after death. Now, seeing this little girl scared and sitting on the ground with a pale face, almost transparent, a surge of raging fire burned within him, and his eyes had already turned red.
Suddenly, he waved his wide sleeves, blocking the two lanterns shining on Little Hong Tang.
Then, he slowly helped her up, using his body to shield her, and said in a low voice, "Little Hong Tang, don't be afraid. I'll get revenge for you!"
"You can't even protect yourself, and you're talking about getting revenge?"
"Take him down, and if not, we'll keep this little girl here!"
In the Nether Palace, the evil ghosts cried out, and the ghosts in the Nether Palace were indeed different from those in other places. Most of the ghosts in other Netherworlds had already lost their spirituality, only knowing how to be eerie and violent. At most, they might know some fear and instinctual terror.
But the ghosts in the Nether Palace seemed to retain human-like thinking due to the nourishment of the purple qi.
They were afraid they couldn't capture Hu Ma, but seeing that he cared for Little Hong Tang, they had a plan.
As long as they captured her, they wouldn't be afraid of not being able to catch Hu Ma.
Amidst the shouting, the ghosts swarmed like flies, forming into groups and clusters, transforming into clumps of dark wind, and rushing towards Hu Ma.
...
...
"Even you can't withstand the Nether Palace?"
At this moment, on Great Sorrow Mountain, the State Tutor stared intently at the ten pillars of incense he had lit.
Clearly, one of the pillars was burning vigorously, and its incense smoke was denser than the others, forming a continuous cloud like mist, enveloping Hu Ma within it.
The soil beneath Hu Ma began to soften and sink, as if he were slowly sinking into the ground.
He knew that the Nether Palace wanted to capture him in his dream and pull him from the mortal realm into the Nether Palace.
But because he had walked too far on the bridge, he couldn't deal with the Nether Palace. However, Hu Ma possessed the Tenth Pillar Proficiency, and yet he seemed so easily defeated? As he wondered, he suddenly saw Hu Ma in his sleep, his teeth clenching, and he muttered in his sleep, "I transform into a bridge, bringing the mortal slaughter tribulation to the Nether Palace!"
Boom!
Before his words had finished, a blood-colored lightning bolt suddenly appeared from the other side of the sky, instantly drawing towards the mountain and landing beside Hu Ma.
The next moment, a violent wind rose, and blood energy filled the air.
...
...
In the Nether Palace, Hu Ma protected Little Hong Tang with one hand, while the other pointed towards the mortal realm, forming a bridge with his arm and shoulder.
The next moment, a bridge seemed to form between the Nether Palace and the mortal realm, with Hu Ma as the boundary. Indescribable gusts of bloody wind and rain poured from the mortal realm into the Nether Palace, tearing the countless civil and military officials to shreds.
Even the rolling purple qi in the palace was shocked by the blood energy and instantly lost its form, rolling back.
Hu Ma protected Little Hong Tang with one hand, his body covered in blood rain, and he walked step by step towards the palace, causing the civil and military officials to tremble in fear, their faces filled with shock, their voices like evil spirits.
"The mortal realm is undergoing a slaughter tribulation, destroying the unjust destiny of the world. You are the one who benefits the most from this destiny, so how can you let them go?"
"..."
As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, and a hideous and vicious blade appeared, coming from the mortal realm and entering his dream, then from his dream to the Nether Palace, landing in his hand. The blade was vicious and evil, and on its hilt was a ghost head, emitting endless killing intent.
Hu Ma gripped the blade, his voice deep, "Once filled with killing intent, today it's stained with blood."
"I'll rename you. From Punishment Official to Crow King, today you'll accompany me in the Nether Palace, specializing in slaying imperial orders. Are you willing?"
"..."
The Crow King's blade instantly rang out, like the laughter of an evil spirit.
(End of Chapter)
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