Chapter 967: Vengeful Souls
Chapter 967: Vengeful Souls
A surge of intense, ominous, and malevolent energy swept in, causing the skies to spin and the earth to churn. The atmosphere transformed, and the divine perception's scope began to distort, losing its luster, as if plunging into a profound, suffocating abyss.
Under the overwhelming onslaught of this dark energy, everyone's divine souls trembled, even those at the Golden Core Apex, unable to withstand it. One by one, they lost consciousness, their eyes glazing over, their Yin Halls darkening, before slowly collapsing to the ground.
Mo Hua endured the longest, though with great difficulty.
It seemed an evil, mind-contorting force was ceaselessly distorting his Sea of Consciousness, attempting to sever his divine perception from his self.
As he watched Elder Xun and the others fall, Mo Hua finally succumbed, abandoning his resistance. He allowed the dark energy to extract his divine sense from his Sea of Consciousness, transporting it to an unknown realm.
The surrounding landscape transformed into a kaleidoscope of chaotic, vengeful emotions: a jarring, icy, and distorted world. The environment shattered, only to reassemble anew.
When Mo Hua reopened his eyes, he found himself in a realm of illusory, nightmarish fantasy.
The surroundings still resembled a grand, divine temple, akin to the one he had seen in the mortal world. The temple's architecture was resplendent with golden and verdant hues, yet it reeked of intense, ominous, and dark malevolent energy.
Foul, black waters submerged the golden pavilions, while corrupted, flesh-like growths hung from the eaves. The walls were embedded with grotesque, despairing eyes, scrutinizing some unseen presence. Ghostly apparitions darted across the sky like dark clouds.
Mo Hua drew a deep breath, his gaze turning icy as his thoughts whirled:
"Second Elder's corpse was desecrated, the sorcery broken, and the Dragon Lock shattered... the Evil Embryo must have awakened."
"Its malevolent energy is too potent, pervading the temple and warping the mortal world, drawing everyone's divine souls into its nightmarish realm."
"This nightmarish world belongs to the Evil Embryo. As long as it lives, this realm will persist."
"Everyone is trapped, doomed to be consumed by the Evil Embryo, one by one, becoming sustenance for this nightmarish realm..."
"This is a lethal, inescapable trap..."
"Is this the goal of that pale, enigmatic Demonic Human – to slaughter everyone, trapping them in this nightmarish world to die?"
Mo Hua lifted his gaze toward the temple, its divine, yet corrupted and degenerate, presence filling him with an increasing sense of gravity.
This was the most massive, realistic, and terrifying nightmarish realm he had ever encountered. The malevolent energy within was almost palpable.
Mo Hua's brow furrowed.
"A Third-Rank Evil Embryo at its peak..."
Even with his formidable divine perception and mastery of the Void Gate Sect's Divine Will Sword Technique, he was, for the moment, unsure how to vanquish such a formidable existence.
Mo Hua pondered, then sighed softly.
"First, I must find Elder Xun and Master Gu..."
Elder Xun and the others had undoubtedly been drawn into this Evil Embryo's nightmarish realm, their whereabouts unknown. As Golden Core cultivators who didn't practice divine perception or divine sense techniques, their exposed, true selves were in grave danger within this perilous realm.
Mo Hua felt a deep sense of responsibility toward them, as they had been entangled in this Evil Embryo affair while trying to rescue him.
As for the Third-Rank Evil Embryo, he would take things one step at a time...
Mo Hua observed the nightmarish realm, gauging the layout, and began to ascend the golden stairs, step by step, into the temple's depths.
Fortunately, the divine realm's virtual interface was built upon the material, mortal world. While there were differences, the overall layout remained largely consistent.
Mo Hua had already traversed the path to the innermost temple in the mortal world; now, he navigated it once more, familiar with the general direction.
Golden stairs, stained with black, bloody residue, led him upward.
Mo Hua restrained his energy, concealing his divine perception, and masked his golden, divine marrow, blending in like an ordinary child, ascending the stairs.
The surrounding, twisted demons and ghosts, in all their bizarre, terrifying forms, failed to penetrate his disguise.
Thus, Mo Hua continued forward, eventually arriving at a golden Dao Ground.
This Dao Ground was identical in layout to the one outside, except that the copper men now bound a multitude of vengeful spirits. These spirits, trapped within the copper men, faced the distant temple, offering worship.
They struggled, wailed, and mourned.
Their pain and despair transformed into nourishment, flowing toward the temple's depths.
In life, they were enslaved and exploited. In death, they became vengeful spirits, their suffering and desperation harvested to sustain the Evil Embryo.
This was the temple's operational logic, and the truth about Solitary Mountain.
A hint of compassion flickered in Mo Hua's eyes.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Following the sound, Mo Hua spotted a group of freed, vengeful spirits in the distance, their eyes glowing red, as they savagely devoured a person.
The victim was a youth, Shen Qing Sheng, with a pale complexion and a weak aura. He wielded a long sword, his life-bound artifact, which had manifested in this nightmarish realm. Though its power was limited, it struggled to repel the ordinary ghosts.
"Vengeful spirits, freed from the copper men, are attacking Shen Qing Sheng..."
Mo Hua assessed the surroundings, a realization dawning on him.
Shen Qing Sheng was the son of Shen Shouhang, the mastermind behind the massacre of over a hundred thousand Solitary Mountain cultivators.
This was a bloody, karmic retribution.
Shen Qing Sheng's presence in this realm, near the Dao Ground, had enraged the surrounding vengeful spirits. They mindlessly broke free from the copper men, seeking to tear him asunder, to devour him alive, and shatter his soul.
Mo Hua initially hesitated, considering abandonment, but ultimately decided to intervene, rescuing Shen Qing Sheng.
With a flicker of his divine sense, Shen Qing Sheng dispersed the vengeful spirits, sending them fleeing in terror. Utilizing his Divine Perception, he condensed an array pattern, re-sealing the vengeful spirits within the Brass Pillars.
As the vengeful spirits dissipated, Shen Qing Sheng remained in a state of shock, wildly swinging his White Jade Sword and shouting incoherently:
"Scram, you wretched creatures! You short-lived, impoverished ghosts, dare not approach me, begone...!"
Moments later, Shen Qing Sheng realized the vengeful spirits had vanished, his expression bewildered, unsure of what had transpired. Suddenly, a surge of elation welled up within him.
"Must be the blessings of my Ancestors and Forebears, the Shen Clan..."
Shen Qing Sheng's face turned ashen, muttering, "This accursed place, I must not linger..."
Just as he was about to flee, he noticed a figure materializing before him.
"A child?"
Shen Qing Sheng's eyes widened in astonishment, and upon recognizing the face, his pupils constricted in shock. "You're... Mo Hua?!"
Mo Hua responded with a nonchalant "Hmm."
"How... did you end up in this state?" Shen Qing Sheng struggled to comprehend.
"This is a dream realm, where forms are fluid," Mo Hua simply stated.
Shen Qing Sheng's gaze turned sinister, scrutinizing Mo Hua.
At first glance, Mo Hua appeared to be an ordinary, helpless child. Had he regressed?
Should Shen Qing Sheng kill him now?
Shen Qing Sheng pondered in silence, recalling the deep-seated grudges between them. The misfortunes that befell him in Solitary Mountain, including being captured by those despicable tomb raiders, were all Mo Hua's doing.
"I'd love to see Mo Hua dead," Shen Qing Sheng thought, eyeing the "youthful" Mo Hua with malice.
However, he hesitated, remembering the scene where Mo Hua had outwitted Pig Mr.. Mo Hua had never shown him any quarter.
In this dream state, despite Mo Hua's weak appearance, an air of enigmatic composure surrounded him.
Shen Qing Sheng remained uncertain, weighing his options.
Mo Hua, however, gazed at him serenely, his thoughts unknown, before inquiring, "How much do you know about the Shen Clan's affairs?"
"Shen Clan affairs?"
"Ten Thousand Demons' Pit."
Shen Qing Sheng's eyelids twitched. "I'm merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, barely twenty years old; how could I possibly know about family matters?"
Mo Hua nodded, as if acknowledging the debt of vengeance.
With an air of determination, Mo Hua headed toward the Dao Ground, teeming with Brass Pillars and vengeful spirits.
Shen Qing Sheng exclaimed, "Where are you going?"
"Divine Temple's depths."
"Can one escape from there?"
"Perhaps."
Shen Qing Sheng was perplexed, but Mo Hua's cunning nature was well-known. The path Mo Hua chose, even if not an exit, might lead to a way out.
This place was infested with vengeful spirits, preying on the living.
Shen Qing Sheng had no desire to linger, so he followed Mo Hua, venturing forward.
After a few steps, Mo Hua turned back, eyeing Shen Qing Sheng. "You're following me?"
Shen Qing Sheng sneered, "The path lies here; if you can navigate it, so can I."
Mo Hua silently regarded him, then nodded. "Very well, you may follow me."
With a subtle hand gesture, a faint golden glow materialized, forming a Divine Mist Array. Part of the array was imprinted on Shen Qing Sheng, while the rest adorned Mo Hua.
"This is a stealth array," Mo Hua explained. "Don't disrupt it, or your presence will be exposed, and you'll be beset by vengeful entities, from which no one can save you."
Shen Qing Sheng gazed at the golden array on his body, his mind reeling:
"This Mo Hua, even in a dream, can create an array? I'm fortunate I didn't attack him earlier..."
"Understood," Shen Qing Sheng acknowledged.
Mo Hua continued toward the Dao Ground's depths. Earlier, he had searched the exterior but found no signs of Elder Xun, Master Gu, or Fan Dian Si. This implied they were likely deeper within the Divine Temple, near the Evil Embryo's location.
"I hope Elder Xun and the others are safe..."
Mo Hua thought to himself, leading the way.
As they proceeded, the Brass Pillars lined their path, each bearing the tormented, anguished vengeful spirits. These entities, sensing the deep-seated grudges and unrequited vengeance, seethed with fury, yet remained oblivious to Shen Qing Sheng's presence due to Mo Hua's Divine Mist Array.
Their suppressed, blood-curdling hatred and accumulating rage were palpable.
Shen Qing Sheng grew increasingly uneasy, witnessing the Brass Pillars and vengeful spirits. He couldn't help but curse:
"These abominable, wretched creatures, what purpose do they serve here?"
Mo Hua halted, turning to face Shen Qing Sheng, his gaze faintly chilly. "These are, in fact, your family's... masterpieces."
"My family's masterpieces?" Shen Qing Sheng's expression turned uneasy. "What do you mean?"
Mo Hua's gaze narrowed. "Your father, Shen Shouhang, revealed everything."
Shen Qing Sheng's eyes widened, "What did my father say?"
Mo Hua's expression turned contemplative, recalling that Shen Qing Sheng had been under the influence of Dao Heart Cultivation of Evil during his father's revelations, remaining oblivious to the Shen Clan's dark secrets.
Mo Hua chose not to elaborate, instead continuing onward.
Under the Divine Mist Array's protection, they pressed on, nearing the Dao Ground's exit. The Great Wilderness Divine Temple's dragon-headed entrance began to materialize in the distance.
However, the surrounding Yin Evil Spirit energies intensified, as if the vengeful spirits, sensing Shen Qing Sheng's impending escape, were enraged by the prospect of their century-old, blood-soaked vendettas remaining forever unrequited.
In a frenzy, they broke free from the Brass Pillars, disregarding the Netherworld Omnipotence Lock that bound their ethereal bodies, tearing apart their own limbs in the process.
The entire Dao Ground began to tremble as the vengeful spirits' resentment surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming and powerful.
Finally, with a sound of snapping, a vengeful spirit tore through the copper man, but it was caught and cut in half at the waist, leaving only half of its body. Despite this, it still snarled ferociously as it charged towards Mo Hua and Shen Qing Sheng.
This was the first, followed by the second, and then the third...
The sound of the copper man's snapping echoed, rising and falling.
More and more vengeful spirits broke free from their bindings, gathering together with a roar, like a surging tide.
But Mo Hua's Divine Mist Array concealed their location, so the spirits couldn't find their "enemy," and they could only respond with furious anger.
Dark clouds gathered, covering the sky and blocking out the sun.
And as fate would have it, a large, fanged, and ferocious Third Rank Vengeful Ghost appeared.
The Vengeful Ghost's perception was far stronger than the average vengeful spirit, and it could vaguely see two human figures hidden within the Divine Mist Array.
The fear of life and death enveloped Shen Qing Sheng's heart, causing him to tremble in terror.
"Run!" Shen Qing Sheng whispered, his voice trembling, and then he sprinted away.
Mo Hua followed closely behind him.
The countless vengeful spirits sensed a disturbance in the air and slowly began to sweep towards them.
But it was already too late.
In less than an incense stick's worth of time, Shen Qing Sheng had run out of the Dao Ground, stepping onto the temple's stairs, and escaping the vengeful spirits' deadly range.
Shen Qing Sheng let out a long sigh of relief and then turned to look at Mo Hua. As he did, his expression changed dramatically, and he exclaimed in terror:
"Mo Hua, behind you!"
Mo Hua was startled and turned to look, but before he could see anything, a sword tip pierced through his chest, breaking through the Divine Mist Array pattern and penetrating his heart.
Mo Hua slowly turned his head to look at Shen Qing Sheng.
Shen Qing Sheng's face twisted, and he snarled ferociously, "Die, you little beast!"
Mo Hua's expression was one of confusion. "Why...?"
"Why?" Shen Qing Sheng sneered. "What do you mean, why? I've wanted to kill you for a long time. Do you think I'm playing around with you? Moreover, although I'm not clear about what my father said to you, it seems you already know the secrets of the Shen Family. In that case, I can't let you live..."
Mo Hua's pupils constricted. "The Shen Family's affairs, did you know about them from the beginning?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Shen Qing Sheng snorted coldly. "My father hid things from me and didn't tell me, thinking I wouldn't find out?"
"Isn't it just killing? What's the big deal?"
"Moreover, the ones being killed are those lowly mining cultivators. What's so scary about that?"
"And the lives of those lowly people, are they even lives?"
Mo Hua's expression remained calm. "All of this, was it taught by your father?"
Shen Qing Sheng chuckled coldly. "For this kind of thing, do I need to be taught?"
"Who am I? I'm a direct descendant of the Shen Family, born to be above others!"
"Since you're above others, you should have the awareness of being above others."
"Those lowly people are only worthy of bowing down to me. Even if they were to be my Shen Family's dogs, they should still watch my expressions."
"My father worked so hard to give me this kind of life. Isn't this the kind of life he wanted?"
"What's laughable is that my father killed so many people, his hands stained with blood, and only then did he become an Elder with real power."
"He taught me to be diligent in my cultivation, to be kind to others, and to sympathize with the weak."
Shen Qing Sheng suddenly scoffed. "I don't even know what he was teaching me. When he talks about these things, doesn't he find them laughable himself?"
"Those lowly wandering cultivators, living a life of poverty, what's there to sympathize with?"
Mo Hua's expression turned indifferent. "The prosperity of your Shen Family, your luxurious clothes and fine food, are all built upon the poverty of those people."
Shen Qing Sheng was taken aback and then scoffed. "Then blame them for not having the ability. Whether they're poor or suffering, it's their fate, their own fault, and has nothing to do with my Shen Family."
As these words were spoken, the vengeful spirits in the Dao Ground gathered, shrieking in shrill voices.
A massive Vengeful Ghost also appeared.
Mo Hua's chest was pierced by a long sword.
Shen Qing Sheng casually pushed Mo Hua, sending him into the Dao Ground, into the midst of the vengeful spirits, surrounded by dark and gloomy air.
"Since you care so much about those poor ghosts who died in Solitary Mountain, then use yourself to feed them..."
Shen Qing Sheng sneered.
Mo Hua's Divine Mist Array shattered, exposing his aura, and with a sword piercing his chest, he couldn't escape.
The small body was surrounded by countless vicious vengeful spirits, inch by inch.
The massive and terrifying Vengeful Ghost also arrived behind Mo Hua, opening its bloody maw.
The smile on Shen Qing Sheng's face grew more triumphant.
But in an instant, the smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by disbelief.
In his eyes, the countless vicious vengeful spirits surrounded Mo Hua, like a raging tsunami about to devour everything.
Yet not a single one dared to truly approach Mo Hua.
Even the massive Vengeful Ghost, after opening its bloody maw towards Mo Hua, seemed to sense something, and its ugly eyes revealed a hint of fear, slowly backing away.
The chaotic dance of ghosts and monsters covered the sky and blocked out the sun.
Yet that small figure stood firm, like a small Yama King suppressing the underworld.
An immense chill spread from his heart, slowly spreading throughout his body, causing Shen Qing Sheng's pupils to slowly dilate as he struggled to turn around and run.
But a golden light flashed by.
A golden sword tore through the air, piercing Shen Qing Sheng's thigh and pinning him to the ground.
Shen Qing Sheng struggled a few times, but the more he struggled, the more painful it became, and he quickly turned his head.
Mo Hua's expression remained calm as he pulled the long sword that had ambushed Shen Qing Sheng from his chest. With a light pinch of his fingers, the sword turned into powder.
"Your Dao Heart has already rotted..."
Shen Qing Sheng's expression turned fearful.
Mo Hua extended his pale palm and grabbed at the air.
A faint blue light, carrying a hint of crimson killing aura, appeared, and the Water Imprisonment Technique condensed, binding Shen Qing Sheng tightly, and then slowly dragging him towards the Dao Ground, inch by inch towards the mouths of the countless vengeful spirits, drooling in excitement.
"You'll pay for your father's actions first..."
Within Solitary Mountain, the countless vengeful spirits that had died tragically shrieked and howled, and the dark wind blew in reverse, filled with excitement.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
