Chapter 278: The Lord of Soldiers becomes the Lord of Evil

Someone shifts to the Fire Method, lighting a green lamp in the night. Brilliant red flames rise, the Profound Heaven Sect transforms into nine dragons!

Nine streaks of fire shot into the sky, suddenly taking the form of dragons. Their separation and union scorched the void, the crimson brilliance illuminating the silent firmament and the faces of everyone present. In the distorted air, Zhang Fan's figure became hazy yet towering, a terrifying aura permeating the wilderness.

"Daoist True Flame, the Fire Method is perfected!"

Meng Qingli stared fixedly at the figure within the firelight; only now did she truly notice Zhang Fan's existence.

Originally, her entire focus had been on Brothers Qi Delong and Dongqiang. As long as she suppressed the successor of Mount Laojun, she could turn the tides and lock in the overall situation.

Yet she had not expected that in this Mount Chanbao, a place of extreme ferocity, there was still hidden a great expert, a master of the Fire Method, with nine dragons gone mad.

"So you still had a helper!" Meng Qingli let out a sharp shout, her gaze becoming piercing.

"He has become even more refined than he was in the Immortal-Imprisoning Temple..." Brothers Qi Delong looked at the fire-filled sky, his expression also solemn.

Deeply trapped in the Great Night of No Light, having yet to escape the tribulation, he was still able to advance with such valor, his cultivation base surging to this extent—it was truly terrifying.

Rumble...

The Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Canopy closed in like a seal, nine streaks of fire weaving and intersecting, trapping everyone within. The terrifying temperature and high pressure boiled toward the center.

Gu Chuanyin let out a muffled groan; the golden light coating his body was actually cracking inch by inch under the pressure of the nine dragons combined.

"My Golden Light Talisman!?" Gu Chuanyin's expression changed abruptly. The jade talisman in his palm became dim and lusterless, a faint crack even appearing at its center, continuously spreading outward.

"Fire Dragon Cinnabar Sword... This is the Fire Dragon Cinnabar Sword of the Pure Yang Patriarch..."

Ma De screamed in terror, his Nascent Soul horrified, his movements restricted, almost unable to function.

Patriarch Lu Pure Yang was revered by the Daoist Complete Perfection Sect as one of the "Five Northern Patriarchs," and Mount Zhongnan was the ancestral home of the Complete Perfection Sect; naturally, his disciples knew of this technique.

Once met the Fire Dragon Lord, a sword passed down to accompany this life. Heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers follow the foam; sun, moon, and stars let them turn or stop. Cinnabar fire creates the mystical formula; peerless in the world is the Pure Yang Lord!!

The Fire Dragon Cinnabar Sword, this great fire-path technique, had originally been mastered by Zhang Fan after comprehending it from a thousand-year-old demon. Later, as his cultivation improved, he used it as a foundation to create the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Canopy.

Advancing from a minor technique to a major one.

"Orthodox Xuan Sect, who exactly are you?" Ma De roared sharply.

"Slaughter them!"

Zhang Fan whispered coldly. His murderous intent had risen. By using the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Canopy to isolate the four directions, this wilderness instantly became a burial ground; naturally, there were no taboos.

Hum...

The next moment, Zhang Beijiang moved. His gaunt, withered body walked out from the black night like a machine of ruthless slaughter, a bloody wind rushing toward them.

"Northern Zhang... The Spirit Zombie of Northern Zhang is his..." Ma De shrieked in loss of voice.

At this moment, everyone finally regained their senses. That rampant, lawless Spirit Zombie was not owned by the successor of Mount Laojun, but was driven by this mysterious man before them.

"Who exactly is he?"

Ma De's face trembled. Before he could react, he looked up and saw that terrifying figure pressing down like a shadow.

"You..."

Before the words were finished, Ma De's body shuddered violently. Looking down, that gaunt, withered palm had already pierced through his lower abdomen. With a light tug, scarlet blood splashed, and his intestines spilled all over the ground.

"Senior Brother Gu..."

Ma De's eyes widened, and he struggled to turn his head, casting a look of plea toward Gu Chuanyin.

Puchi...

At almost the same moment, Zhang Beijiang's fingers and palms, sharp as knives, swept lightly, slicing Ma De's head in two. The upper half slowly detached, and grayish brain matter mixed with scarlet blood splattered the ground.

Hum...

In an instant, a Nascent Soul leaped out, abandoning the fleshly body, intending to flee this place of great calamity.

"Save me... save me..." Ma De's Nascent Soul cried out urgently.

After all, he was at the Spirit Commissioner realm. Although he had not yet reached High Merit, compared to ordinary people, his Nascent Soul was still powerful. Even if he lost his physical body, as long as he found a suitable vessel, he could still live for a long time.

Whoosh...

The Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Canopy emitted a streak of red light. The fire, like a sword, easily pierced Ma De's Nascent Soul. The terrifying temperature instantly turned it into a wisp of thick smoke that dissipated.

Body dead, Dao vanished, everything turned to emptiness.

In the blink of an eye, Aoye and Ma De, two disciples of Mount Zhongnan, had fallen one after another, their bodies turned to ashes, remaining forever in Mount Chanbao.

"Ding-Chou extends my life, Ding-Hai guards my soul!"

"Ding-You controls my spirit, Ding-Wei wards off my disasters!"

"..."

Fierce winds rose, the sky darkened, and once the slaughter began, blood surged to the heavens.

Gu Chuanyin's heart and spirit trembled. He formed seals with both hands, chanting words, his eyes filled with unprecedented fear.

He had never dreamed that beside the successor of Mount Laojun, there would follow such a great expert—a master of the Fire Method, with no taboos, isolating the eight directions with a single move, intending to exterminate them all here.

Such methods were even more formidable than demons.

"Jia-Zi protects my body, Jia-Xu guards my form."

"Jia-Shen secures my life, Jia-Wu guards my spirit."

"..."

The True Yang within Gu Chuanyin's body melted like mercury. A stream of clear Qi spiraled up along his spine, dispersing into his limbs and bones. Faintly, red light shone through, protecting his mysterious void.

"The Six Dings and Six Jias protect my body; my body shall forever remain to suppress the universe!"

"The Six-Ding Six-Jia Body-Guarding Incantation?" Zhang Fan said coldly.

Rumble...

Zhang Beijiang followed like a shadow, black Qi currents weaving and permeating, as if an endless eternal night were crushing down. In those scarlet eyes, there was not a shred of human emotion.

Gu Chuanyin's body trembled, and he subconsciously raised his hand, trading a punch with Zhang Beijiang.

Bang bang bang...

Explosions rang out continuously. Gu Chuanyin was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. The clear Qi around his body shattered instantly, the sound of bones breaking came from within his body, and scarlet blood spilled from the corners of his mouth.

"Even the Six-Ding Six-Jia Body-Guarding Incantation couldn't block this monster?" Gu Chuanyin's expression turned ugly to the extreme.

The Six-Ding Six-Jia Body-Guarding Incantation was one of the twelve body-guarding incantations of the Daoist Sect. Whenever this incantation was chanted, demons could not invade, ghosts could not approach, all evils were warded off, and the body remained unbroken.

Yet just now, Zhang Beijiang had broken his incantation with a single punch. With such terrifying power, Gu Chuanyin could not withstand a second punch.

"Junior Sister Meng, save me... quickly save me..." Gu Chuanyin shouted urgently.

Meng Qingli had entered the sect later than him, but her talent was far higher, and she had reached the Great Being realm a step earlier.

Being righteous like this, Gu Chuanyin was angry from the bottom of his heart, even jealous of her, and usually addressed her by her full name.

But at this moment, at the critical juncture of life and death, he could not care about much else. Let alone calling her Junior Sister, as long as he could survive, he would even accept calling her "Mistress."

"Do you really think I have no way to deal with you?"

Meng Qingli's eyes flared with fire, and she shouted sharply.

Two of them had already died. If Gu Chuanyin were also left here, she would truly have no way to explain herself upon returning. "If you had a way, why didn't you use it sooner? What are you waiting for?" Brothers Qi Delong whispered coldly. He stood like a natural chasm in front of Meng Qingli, Yin and Yang mixing, the Great Spirit Fish moving, his defense airtight.

"Fine!"

Just then, Meng Qingli let out a long howl. She retreated violently, a terrifying aura shooting into the sky. Fierce winds surged around her, and surging thunder actually seeped out from her pores.

"This is..."

"Brother, retreat quickly!"

Brothers Qi Delong and Qi Dongqiang's expressions changed abruptly. Their figures flickered, escaping into the distance like spirit fish.

Rumble...

The next moment, a terrifying streak of thunder light shot out from Meng Qingli's mouth, like a long rainbow piercing the sun, illuminating the endless night. The violent power surged toward them like a thunder dragon.

Bang bang bang...

Zhang Beijiang's figure stopped ten paces away from Gu Chuanyin. That terrifying thunder light actually pierced through his body. The raging thunder roared, crazily devouring and disintegrating his body. The terrifying recoil force actually sent him flying, smashing him directly into the terrifying 【Jingguan Corpse Mound】.

"Thunder Cinnabar Bead!"

!

"The treasure of Mount Zhongnan, the Thunder Cinnabar Bead!"

Brothers Qi Delong shouted in shock. Only now did he see clearly that a jade bead was floating in front of Meng Qingli. Thunder Qi boiled around it, and under the reflection of the brilliant thunder light, Meng Qingli's face became cold as frost.

"Thunder Cinnabar Bead, a Green Feather treasure... The sect actually bestowed this treasure upon you!?" Gu Chuanyin was somewhat dazed.

A Green Feather treasure was a treasure that had been refined with incense offerings for over three hundred years.

Like the 【Demon-Illuminating Mirror】 of Mount Qiyun previously, it belonged to this category. Its mirror light was mystical, causing the 【Majestic Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal】, which was a Yellow Feather treasure, to appear damaged.

Although Mount Zhongnan's 【Thunder Cinnabar Bead】 was also a Green Feather treasure, its power was far beyond that of the 【Demon-Illuminating Mirror】.

It is rumored that Mount Zhongnan has a 【Thunder-Falling Terrace】. Whenever there is thunder and rain, lightning strikes that high platform. Later, a predecessor discovered a strange stone there. After a long time, struck by lightning, it split open, revealing a jade mine inside.

That predecessor took out the jade mine, carved it through much effort, and refined it into a treasure.

That was the Thunder Cinnabar Bead.

After this treasure was refined, it had been offered incense by generations of Mount Zhongnan for nearly four hundred years, making it even more ancient than the Demon-Illuminating Mirror of Mount Qiyun.

"Daring to force me to use the Thunder Cinnabar Bead, your lives have reached their end."

Meng Qingli's expression was indifferent. Brilliant thunder light raged and boiled around her, streaks of thunder Qi weaving. The surging power tore the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Canopy apart.

The flame light dissipated, thunder Qi boiled.

Roar...

The Jingguan Corpse Mound, this place of great calamity, seemed to come alive. Countless black shadows were wriggling, accompanied by viscous liquid, like tentacles, climbing and pulling at the heavily wounded Zhang Beijiang, as if wanting to drag him into it and make him a part of this 【Jingguan Corpse Mound】.

"Good, let's see how you can still be rampant!"

Gu Chuanyin saw the evil star, who had been arrogant just a moment ago, fall into a desperate situation in the blink of an eye. He immediately regained his confidence, his back straightening by three points.

Roar...

The blood hole in front of Zhang Beijiang was shocking. Black shadows seemed to crawl out from it, crazily tearing at his wounds. No matter how he struggled, it was useless.

The Jingguan Corpse Mound, having been nurtured in this Mount Chanbao for many years, was not an ordinary place of calamity.

"Zhang Fan, what are you doing?"

Just then, Brothers Qi Delong let out a wild roar, seeing Zhang Fan actually step forward, entering directly into the Jingguan Corpse Mound.

"Is he crazy?" Gu Chuanyin's brow twitched. As a disciple of Mount Zhongnan, he naturally knew that this place was dangerously unpredictable.

"Under a great tribulation, there must be a great opportunity. Do you think this is our tribulation?"

Zhang Fan shouted violently. True fire rose again around his body, burning the Yin evil, exterminating the ferocity. With one step, he arrived atop the Jingguan Corpse Mound. His Nascent Soul, like a wisp of a sky lamp, ignited the phantom shadow behind Zhang Beijiang.

"One hundred thousand Yin soldiers obey my command, the Five Directions and Five Chang accept the decree!"

Rumble...

Suddenly, the phantom shadow behind Zhang Beijiang lit up violently. Endless black shadows turned into Qi, becoming nourishment for that phantom, all absorbed by it. Immediately after, strange and mysterious patterns appeared on the phantom's body, especially the five heads facing different directions. On their foreheads, a talisman appeared, extremely evil and fierce, the Supreme Yin at its peak.

"Five Chang control ten thousand ghosts, the Lord of Soldiers becomes the Lord of Evil!?"

Meng Qingli's expression changed slightly.

"Go!"

She shouted. The Thunder Cinnabar Bead fell like a great star, smashing toward the transforming Zhang Beijiang. The black hole in his chest was actually healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Rumble...

The Thunder Cinnabar Bead arrived, thunder Qi boiling, electric light flashing, terrifying power crazily crushing down.

Whoosh...

Just then, the Jingguan Corpse Mound trembled violently. Endless black Qi soared into the sky, as if countless wronged souls and shadows were wriggling. The Yin evil turned into ferocity, actually blocking the power of the Thunder Cinnabar Bead.

"Chang soldiers and fierce officials, brilliant and majestic. Holding spears and swords, killing without mercy."

"Angry and fierce, rampant and wild. Beheading and dripping blood, eating ghosts and swallowing essence."

"Eyes wide and glaring, breaking stockades and burning camps. Appearing everywhere, rampant and towering. Under the Zhengyi decree, retribution is clear..."

Strange phenomena manifested in the void. Amidst a trance, the sound of chanting and incantations arose. Zhang Beijiang let out a violent roar, and behind him, the 【Five Fiend Evil Lord】 held a great seal in its hands. All the skulls and remains atop the entire corpse-mound of the Jingguan transformed into vigorous essence, which, like a long rainbow, poured directly into Zhang Beijiang's body.

Spiritual light flashed on his forehead, shooting into the sky.

"He... he refined the entire Jingguan Corpse Mound!?" Gu Chuanyin was horrified.

He had never dreamed that this Spirit Zombie, by borrowing the Zhang family's deification, not only turned the Five Chang Lord of Soldiers into the Lord of Evil, but actually refined the entire Jingguan Corpse Mound.

"He has advanced..." Brothers Qi Delong's brow twitched.

"Great Thunder Dead End!"

Meng Qingli whispered. A large amount of thunder poured out from the 【Thunder Cinnabar Bead】, turning into a sheet, like a dead end descending to the mortal world, pressing toward Zhang Beijiang, toward the Jingguan Corpse Mound, toward Zhang Fan...

At this moment, the terror of the Green Feather treasure was finally truly revealed. Such a phenomenon, stealing the power of heaven's thunder, was no longer something ordinary shallow vision could imagine.

In front of such a treasure, the Majestic Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal would have to dim, avoiding its edge, and human flesh and blood would ultimately only turn to ashes.

"Meng Qingli, do you want to fight to the death?" Brothers Qi Delong's expression was solemn, and he shouted violently.

"It was already a fight to the death." Meng Qingli gritted her teeth.

"Good thunder, break it for me."

Just then, Zhang Fan let out a long howl. Under Zhang Beijiang's guidance, the boiling thunder all crashed onto the Jingguan Corpse Mound. This place of great calamity, silent for many years, was finally torn open by this treasure of Mount Zhongnan...

At the top of the Jingguan Corpse Mound, a translucent white bone bead appeared, like a bright moon, like a great star shining, dazzling treasure light piercing the firmament.

"A heaven-sent treasure, the Bone Relic!!"

"Come!!"

Zhang Fan waved his hand, and from within the endless thunder, he grasped this heaven-nurtured treasure in his palm.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 279 =====