Chapter 868: Taking That Step (Part 1)
Chapter 868: Taking That Step (Part 1)
"Returning home..."
"What do you mean by 'should'?"
"Why bring up returning home at this moment? I am just..."
"No, it's time."
"..."
Standing on the Bridge of No Return, overlooking the Nether Palace, Hu Ma listened to the National Teacher's voice from behind, and his heart suddenly became clear.
Before entering the Nether Palace, he already had an incense stick outside the realm of heaven and earth, which was the Beyond Human Realm.
After entering the Nether Palace, he took another step forward, becoming the bridge between heaven and earth, able to borrow the slaughter tribulation of the mortal realm, thus entering the Beyond Ghost Realm.
After devouring the Eight Palace Emperor Demons and swallowing the Emperor Ghosts, he had already entered the Beyond Ghost Realm, and his cultivation soared.
From the First Palace to the Eighth Palace, he had killed countless evil spirits, accumulating fate, and by the time he reached the Second Palace, he had reached the peak of the Beyond Ghost Realm.
He was just a step away from the Beyond Divine Realm.
Then, the National Teacher arrived.
He broke his death trap with the Bridge of No Return, bringing the power of countless evil spirits from the Underworld, connecting the Nether Palace and the Underworld. This allowed Hu Ma to borrow the power of the Bridge, and in an instant, he had the Underworld on his back, taking that step into the Beyond Divine Realm.
The Underworld was also a part of the mortal realm, belonging to the Yin aspect, hidden deep within the mortal realm.
The dream's wondrous transformations were fully displayed at this moment. In the blink of an eye, he had severed his connection to the mortal realm, but then he reconnected, stepping into the Beyond Divine Realm, and becoming even closer to the mortal realm.
But now, it wasn't just about blocking the Nether Palace; countless Yin souls from the Underworld rushed into the Nether Palace, helping him suppress the evil spirits within.
It wasn't over yet; suddenly, a scent of incense and fire appeared behind him, majestic and ethereal, caressing his divine soul. It was the Pond Deity from the mortal realm, coming to fulfill the Hu Family Emperor's decree.
If the Bridge of No Return and the City of Wrongful Deaths represented the Yin aspect of the mortal realm, then this incense and fire represented the wishes of the people.
It represented Yang!
Without turning back, Hu Ma felt the incense upon him, and he even saw the mortal realm with countless Non-Vegetarian Sect Disciples standing in the four directions of heaven and earth, in front of various towns, holding green incense and praying to the Grand Master, bringing endless incense to him.
He saw the Granny, the Mountain Lord, the Pond Deity, and the shadows of countless new deities and lesser deities.
He even saw a willow branch floating in from somewhere, gently swaying, turning into golden threads that wrapped around his wrist...
...Even Granny had learned her lesson.
Countless strands of incense intertwined, wrapping around Hu Ma, and he felt the pillar of incense within him transform once more, merging with the incense of the Pond Deity.
One pillar became infinite, merging with the countless incense from the four directions of heaven and earth, becoming one, indistinguishable from each other.
At this moment, although he stood in the Nether Palace, far from the mortal realm, he seemed to become one with the heavens and earth, viewing the mortal realm from the perspective of a deity's incense.
As Hu Ma entered this new realm, he felt an indescribable divine mystery.
"Is this the Beyond Divine Realm?"
Stepping on the Nether Palace, bearing Yin and Yang.
He had felt oppressed by the two Emperor Demons of the Nether Palace, but at this moment, he suddenly broke free from his constraints: "You rely on the Earth Deity, but I carry the weight of the Underworld and the mortal realm!"
The Phoenix Emperor Great Sword in his hand vibrated, creating a rolling wave of evil energy that pushed the two Emperor Demons far away.
The countless eyes on their bodies were filled with terror, as if they couldn't understand how Hu Ma had suddenly achieved this transformation. The mystery of Yin and Yang merging into one body was a realm they had never witnessed in their lifetimes.
But it wasn't over yet. As he achieved the Beyond Divine Realm, stepping on Yin and Yang, the Eight Scenic Views of the Netherworld appeared.
The Bridge of No Return, the Ghost Gate, the Bloodstained Pool, Broken Money Mountain, the Homeward Gaze Platform, the Cloak Removal Pavilion, Wild Dog Village, and the Mengpo Shop, all appeared on his body, causing his energy to surge once again, becoming both illusory and real, as if he had transformed into this realm.
"With the Eight Scenic Views in hand, heaven and earth become one."
Hu Ma, clearer than ever before, instantly understood the National Teacher and the Great Dharmic Religion's true intentions behind the mortal realm's bridge method.
The Ten Clans only mastered one scenic view each, yet they aspired to become living deities. But the Great Dharmic Religion, with its ambition to swallow the mountains, controlled all eight scenic views, becoming the embodiment of heaven and earth, and the Old Heavenly Father!
It was no wonder they wanted to become the Old Heavenly Father. They couldn't bear the weight of the Eight Scenic Views, not even one. Even the original Hu Ma with ten pillars of incense couldn't bear the burden of the Eight Scenic Views.
Devouring the Emperor Demons, accumulating fate, becoming an emperor, receiving the blessings of the Pond Deity, and nurturing the people, all contributed to his immense merit.
All these factors intertwined within him, allowing him to carry the weight of the Eight Scenic Views, standing shoulder to shoulder with heaven and earth. This was the Beyond Divine Realm.
Humans were humans, yet they stood alongside deities, bearing the weight of heaven and earth.
But there was still something missing...
As he embodied heaven and earth, the Emperor Demons of the Nether Palace became obstacles, and thus, obstacles in his path.
With a clear mind, Hu Ma suddenly opened his eyes, gazing coldly at the Emperor Demons within the Nether Palace. Then, he threw the Phoenix Emperor Great Sword aside and raised his hand towards the sky.
"Huala!"
In the mortal realm, amidst the void, a stone casket guarded by golden armored warriors suddenly stirred, and a golden light flew out, vanishing into the horizon.
This golden light traveled from the mortal realm to the Underworld, crossing the Bridge of No Return, and entered the Nether Palace.
Even the National Teacher, who was standing guard on the Bridge of No Return, was startled by this golden light. He nearly got hit by it, and as he watched, the golden light, carrying an immense force, suddenly appeared before Hu Ma. Hu Ma grasped it firmly.
The nine-sectioned mace in his hand collided with the golden rings, emitting an invisible roar of a ferocious beast. It was the Hu Clan's treasure, the Exorcism Golden Mace.
Holding the mace, a brilliant golden light shone. The mere movement of the mace and the clashing of the rings was enough to suppress the ghosts in the Nether Palace.
"Rebellious and defiant, challenging the heavens!"
In the next moment, a surge of malevolent energy rushed towards the eyebrows of the First and Second Palace Emperor Ghosts, who wore ferocious expressions. They passed through the golden light emanating from the Exorcism Golden Mace, scattering countless malicious spirits that tried to gnaw at them. They rushed towards Hu Ma.
At this moment, their bodies seemed to have lost their human form, replaced by countless writhing tentacles.
They were too close to the Earth Deity, and although they still existed in the form of Emperor Ghosts, believing themselves to be the two former Duyi emperors, in reality, it was uncertain if they were Emperor Ghost spirits or incarnations of the Earth Deity.
All that was known was that they carried the aura of the Earth Deity, and their malevolent energy intertwined with the filth of the Underworld, threatening to devour both Hu Ma and the Underworld itself.
As long as Hu Ma was devoured, there was still a chance to enter the Underworld.
Originally, they disdained the Underworld, and even in death, they would not be buried with commoners. They sought to transcend all living beings.
But now, this had become their only chance. Only by entering the Underworld could they glimpse the mortal realm.
Regardless of their intentions, Hu Ma held the Exorcism Golden Mace firmly and smashed it down.
The Eight Scenic Views of the Netherworld were all manifestations of the power of heaven and earth, and now, Hu Ma wielded the mace, almost at his will.
He grabbed a white banner from the Li Clan and waved it, causing a sea of blood to surge and consume everything. This was the power of the Bloodstained Pool, and with a flick of his finger, blood surged into the sky.
The Zhou Clan's Daoist seal merged with the Immovable Seal of Heaven and Earth that Hu Ma had cultivated. It entered his body, and with his back to the Yin side and his front to the Yang, he embodied the New Year Guarding Technique. Standing in the Nether Palace, he himself became the Ghost Gate.
The Zhu Clan's Homeward Platform, which Hu Ma had been holding, transformed into a green color, and even the calamity snake inside became agile, spitting out flames of evil from its mouth as it poked its head out of the bag.
The Zhao Clan's Cloak Removal Pavilion turned into a Daoist robe, which Hu Ma wore. With this robe, he could transform into anything—a commoner, an emperor, a ghost, a demon, or any other form.
The Zhu Clan's Wild Dog Village turned into green mist, surrounding Hu Ma, with the constant sound of barking. These dogs could devour anything.
The Chen Clan's Mengpo Shop became a bottle, held in Hu Ma's fourth hand, created by his Dharma image. It could twist cause and effect, erasing all karma, unaffected by any law.
At this moment, Hu Ma looked at the two Emperor Ghosts in the Nether Palace, feeling as if he were observing ants.
"Chi La!"
The first mace strike peeled away their skin.
The filthy imperial robes, beast skins, jade belts, and even the human skin of the two Emperor Ghosts were all shattered by the mace.
Whether an emperor or a villain, at the Cloak Removal Pavilion, one's fate, destiny, abilities, and reputation were stripped away.
Only a person remained.
Hu Ma then swung the second mace.
This mace not only carried a surge of killing intent but also summoned the sound of countless barking dogs from the void, devouring the consciousness, wisdom, pride, and ambition of the two Emperor Ghosts, stripping them of another layer.
In the next moment, Hu Ma swung the third mace, and the sound of flowing water seemed to envelop the Emperor Ghosts, washing away their karma.
Without karma, they were like blind men, left with only their instinctive roars.
But at this moment, Hu Ma swung the fourth mace, solidly smashing the two Emperor Ghosts. Blood and flesh splattered as they quickly fell, plummeting towards the deepest part of the Nether Palace.
It was as if a clear mark had appeared between heaven and earth, spanning the divide.
Not only were the two Emperor Ghosts forced to retreat, but the entire palace of evil spirits was also pushed back into a corner of the Nether Palace.
This was the Ghost Gate, the boundary between Yin and Yang, where life and death were imprisoned.
"Yin and Yang divide, life and death are separated..."
"So-called techniques and principles are, in the end, this simple..."
Heaven and earth bestow everything, and they can also take it all away. Even the former possessions of the Emperor Ghosts of the Nether Palace could be stripped away by heaven and earth.
With the power of heaven and earth in his grasp, Hu Ma had reached an unprecedented realm. Even the Emperor Ghosts of the Nether Palace could not withstand the weight of the Exorcism Golden Mace in his hands. They were crushed by its force, wailing in despair.
The vast and intricate Nether Palace now showed signs of cracking, and the once indescribably cruel, terrifying, and ferocious Emperor Ghosts, along with their entire court, emitted cries of fear and then scattered in pieces.
"But it's not enough!"
Hu Ma's gaze was intense as he stared at the two Emperor Ghosts. Even after these mace strikes, they were still alive.
The human parts of the bodies had completely collapsed, but their physical forms remained, bloated and writhing as blood and flesh. They continued to struggle and devour everything within their reach.
Unconsciously, they extended their tentacles upwards, as if grasping for something, and the flesh even churned, attempting to transform back into the form of Emperor Ghosts.
The Eight Scenic Views of the Yellow Springs were meant to suppress all living beings in the world.
However, these two Emperor Ghosts from the Third and Fourth Palaces were clearly no longer entirely of this world.
They belonged to the Earth Deity!
Facing the surging blood and flesh, Hu Ma's eyes flashed with golden light, and he waved his golden mace, his voice deep and thunderous like the rumbling of heaven and earth, as he chanted the incantation: "At dusk, the boundary is drawn, and Yin and Yang are divided."
"The boundary between life and death, Yin and Yang, where the living and malevolent spirits abide by the rules."
"The Governor of Pest Suppression has issued a decree, and punishment will be meted out without mercy!"
"Governor of Pest Suppression, open!"
...
A deafening boom shook the air.
The Nether Palace trembled as the aura emanating from the Exorcism Golden Mace collided with it, causing countless cracks to appear.
The Governor of Pest Suppression, which had only been opened in the mortal realm and never in the Underworld, was now being summoned by Hu Ma directly into this realm outside the Underworld, into the Nether Palace that had merged with the Earth Deity.
A solemn and imposing wall emerged, and a dense, oppressive aura of killing intent surged in the air. The Governor of Pest Suppression appeared in mid-air behind Hu Ma, and then, with a thunderous boom, its massive gates opened, revealing golden-armored warriors with gleaming eyes.
A deep and oppressive voice resonated within the Nether Palace, intertwining with the endless wails of ghosts: "The Governor of Pest Suppression has issued a decree, and punishment will be meted out without mercy!"
"Governor of Pest Suppression, punish the guilty!"
...
...
Another thunderous boom shook the Nether Palace.
The Governor of Pest Suppression suddenly glowed with golden light, and chains emitting golden radiance shot out from within it.
One by one, the chains, shimmering with golden light, exuded an aura of unyielding dominance.
They pierced through the two masses of writhing flesh that were still trying to transform back into Emperor Ghosts, quickly coiling around them. With the pulling force of the one hundred and eight golden-armored warriors within the Governor of Pest Suppression, the flesh was forcibly dragged into the palace.
The next moment, Hu Ma waved his mace and shouted, "Cut!"
"Clang!" "Clang!"
Without hesitation, two dog-headed guillotines were brought out, and the flesh was pushed beneath them. The blades came down with force, severing the flesh into two pieces.
In an instant, the blood and flesh disappeared, accompanied by silent roars of anger.
With the Emperor Ghosts slain, the palace became serene.
Not only did the evil spirits in the palace fall silent and dissipate, but even the ghosts in the Underworld with lingering consciousness were stunned into silence.
(End of Chapter)
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