[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-sky-fell":3,"chapter-after-the-sky-fell-after-the-sky-fell-chapter-157":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Sky Fell",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2281013,4462,"Chapter 157","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-157",157,"\u003Cp>156. Chapter 156: The Strange First Day\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi felt his life was fulfilling: he cultivated and evolved at night, and trained his bones and blood by day, honing his martial path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with the White Bone Contemplation technique and various potent elixirs, his growth was nothing short of meteoric; if this continued for a while, he even believed he could touch the threshold of spiritual perception, and his martial cultivation might truly reach the Meridian Cultivation stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if Meridian Cultivation martial prowess were paired with spiritual perception? How terrifying would that combination be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking about it made Li Yi excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Senior Brother, before nightfall we must shut all doors and windows and stay inside—today is the first day of the month, when ghosts and gods roam. This day is strictly taboo; everyone across the Four Seas and Eight Zones will unspokenly honor it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang cultivated while chatting with Li Yi, making the practice feel less tedious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, you mentioned it yesterday. By the way, where’s Zhao Qian? I haven’t seen her.” Li Yi asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang said: “Little Sister left early this morning to buy door gods from the fortune-teller at the Chenghuang Temple in San Yang City. Sticking door gods on the threshold wards off ghosts and gods and ensures safety, but their power lasts only one night—after tonight, they’re useless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happens if you don’t buy door gods?” Li Yi pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not buying them isn’t dangerous per se, but the fortune-teller says if you don’t stick door gods on the first day, any passing ghost or god might drag a living person from your home to the underworld. So wealthy families always buy several to paste on their doors for safety,” Rong Niang said. “But since childhood, I’ve never heard of anyone actually being taken to the underworld for not sticking door gods—I suspect the fortune-teller at the Chenghuang Temple invented this lie just to sell more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, most people with means buy them anyway—for peace of mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.” Li Yi hadn’t expected such a folk custom here—it sounded oddly peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Zhao Qian returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cheeks were puffed with anger; she immediately vented to Li Yi: “That fortune-teller said she’s busy this month and won’t sell door gods! I got up early to queue, planning to buy several for your house, and now she says she has none? If she wasn’t selling, she should’ve said so earlier!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not selling door gods? How could that happen? This is rare.” Rong Niang was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know. In all my life, I’ve only seen this happen a few times—I never expected to run into it this month.” Zhao Qian said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang said: “If she won’t sell, then forget it. We won’t die without door gods. Tonight, just shut all doors and windows and return to your rooms early—nothing will happen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll go shut all the doors and windows right now.” Zhao Qian remembered and dashed off again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such a vast mansion with no servants, closing every door and window took considerable time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi, however, had no such fears—he continued cultivating, practicing the Bone-Washing Classic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The daylight passed quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before evening arrived, Rong Niang urged Li Yi to leave the training ground and return to his room—no matter what happened, he must not step outside at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no choice, Li Yi ended his training early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he stood up and gazed into the distance, his expression hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his vision, the entire sky above was gradually filled with a dark energy, rising from the ground and saturating the heavens and earth. With this dark energy came strange shadows flickering in the dark corners of the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the martial artists who had died in the Han Family Dojo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Influenced by the black earth energy, they had become ghosts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this black earth energy rapidly dissipated under sunlight—yet the sun was setting, its power waning, while the dark energy in the sky only grew denser with time, until it would surely engulf all of heaven and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, today’s celestial signs were abnormal: two pale red moons now appeared, one on each side of the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two pale red moons were fuller and larger than usual, resembling the full moon of Earth’s fifteenth day, at its brightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother, Senior Brother, what are you looking at?” Rong Niang shook Li Yi’s arm, curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The first day of every month across the Four Seas and Eight Zones truly is unusual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi’s eyes glowed faintly: “You martial artists lack spiritual eyes—you can’t see ghosts or perceive changes in heaven and earth. But I can. The black earth energy rises, and these two moons block the sun, intensifying yin energy. Even now, with sunlight still present, it’s no longer enough to dispel this energy. Once night falls, I can’t imagine what will happen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it really that terrifying?” Rong Niang gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even worse than I imagined. You haven’t opened your spiritual eyes—so not seeing it is a blessing. At least you won’t be frightened.” Li Yi said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang nodded slightly, curious—what secrets had her Senior Brother’s divine eyes revealed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come, return to the room. Call Zhao Qian too. Tonight feels extraordinary—stay with me. Don’t leave. Prepare everything you need. I’ll seal the doors and windows to keep all danger out.” Li Yi spoke, then moved at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed all vital items inside the room: potent elixirs, the sniper rifle, Soul-Returning Pills, plus food and water to avoid hunger or thirst at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang and Zhao Qian helped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, everything was ready; all doors and windows in the mansion were shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, not just them—everyone in San Yang City had done the same: shops closed early, people stayed indoors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before sunset, the streets were empty, silent as a dead city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surroundings were unnaturally quiet—not a single sound, not even the chirping of insects or birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reminded Li Yi of Zhongyuan Festival back on Earth—once, it was just like this. But later, people stopped valuing the tradition, and with the suppression of superstition, the customs faded. Now he saw: these ancient rules had purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rong Niang, you and Zhao Qian sleep together on the bed. I’ll sit here and cultivate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them now shared one room; even the Eight-Treasure Deer had slipped inside, sensing the unusual energy outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang and Zhao Qian felt awkward and tense—they’d never shared a room with a man before. If word got out, their reputations would be ruined. Yet they silently agreed not to mention it—perhaps only Li Yi could make them disregard such social constraints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, Senior Brother, my little sister and I will rest now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unsure how to respond, Rong Niang pulled Zhao Qian into the inner chamber to avoid awkwardness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi sat on a chair by the door, eyes closed, focusing, striving to reach the Bone-Washing stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sunset, night deepened. The black earth energy churned, now filling the entire world, as if the whole realm were shrouded in ominous energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To most, this seemed an ordinary night. But to Li Yi, tonight was anything but.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His senses were sharp—he could feel yin energy crawling over his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this state, Li Yi couldn’t cultivate—or even enter meditation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a Spiritual Perception cultivator, too much sensitivity wasn’t always good. Li Yi was too disturbed to calm his mind, but Rong Niang and Zhao Qian in the inner chamber had fallen silent—they must have fallen asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems this world of the Four Seas and Eight Zones has its own strange side.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi sat motionless, his eyes glowing faintly as he looked down—the cracks in the floor tiles were oozing black earth energy, now filling the entire room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, staying inside was no different from being outside—the walls offered no barrier. If ghosts passed by, doors and windows were meaningless—only a psychological comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now I understand what Lin Jie meant when she said that after opening the medium’s eye, even the bare minimum could let you read feng shui. I get it now—my eyes see ghosts and gods, and perceive invisible energies. I truly could help people choose ancestral homes or feng shui sites.” Li Yi thought silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took out his phone to check the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he’d brought a power bank, the phone’s battery was nearly drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s only eight o’clock—eight or nine hours until dawn.” Li Yi turned off the phone, thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no desire to cultivate and no way to pass the time, so he simply closed his eyes and sat still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yi hadn’t sat long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his ears twitched—he heard a sound from inside the room: the snorting breath of a horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did a horse get into my room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi turned toward the sound—and froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dark corner of the room stood three tall, muscular yin horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath them lay the sniper rifle and a modern backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi remembered now—these weren’t ordinary horses. They were the Mud Horses: two bought in Ghost Street, one found in the underground chamber of the Han Family Dojo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even the yin horses have taken form—how terrifying must this yin energy be?” Li Yi’s expression didn’t change. “If ghosts appear now, what will they become? Under this energy, they’ll turn into monstrous specters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder ghosts and gods must purge the world—without it, yin-yang imbalance would surely bring catastrophe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yi felt something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would a martial world have such terrifying yin energy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Li Yi could analyze further—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze flicked to a shadowy figure sneaking out from nowhere, its head poking into a chest, rummaging through its contents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A ghost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He strode forward, clenched his fist, activated the Guiding Technique—cosmic energy surged through him. In the yin-saturated room, his fist glowed faintly. Weak against living foes, it could annihilate ghosts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A little ghost dares steal from my room? You’re asking for death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi shouted and swung his fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little ghost sensed danger, turned, and raised its head—its face twisted in fear. Unlike the mindless ghosts before, it seemed to possess some awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The punch struck—its body exploded into fragments, which were then devoured by the yin energy, absorbed into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no sooner had Li Yi killed the ghost than movement came from outside the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the threshold, dark humanoid shadows shifted, accompanied by strange whispers—countless voices murmuring indistinctly, yet unmistakably: the ghosts outside were communicating, speaking their own unique tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>",1773,"2026-06-20T01:26:56.586Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4b665bf054f00a7c0dd12eafc63a9e0dbca4de15a9338ae0f2c49e27af7002b4","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-158","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-156",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-sky-fell-cover.jpg"]