Chapter 582: Blood Basin Holy Mother

Footsteps faded away; only darkness remained around.

Feeling the presence of others vanish completely, Master Liuyun sighed faintly, then his gaze grew calm; he picked up his talisman sword and muttered bitterly:

"A lifetime of caution, only to grow foolish in old age…"

With that, he gripped the talisman sword and chanted incantations nonstop.

He no longer cared about life or death; he only sought to maintain the altar, ensuring Wang Yushi and the others could break through successfully.

The longer he held out, the greater their chance.

In the night sky, the eerie chanting still echoed.

The clanging of gongs and drums stirred unease in the heart.

Suddenly, the yin gong fell silent; all turned to deathly stillness.

Master Liuyun felt no relief—only dread; a chill rose down his back, and he hurriedly turned to look at the altar before him.

Rustle-rustle!

Inside the wooden bowl, the five grains surged outward like a geyser.

Soon, the other talismans began to tremble.

This was the sign that the altar had been broken.

"Wretched fiend, you shall not!"

Master Liuyun gritted his teeth, stepped into the Gangbu, and stomped hard on the ground; then he pulled out a red cord and tore it sharply across his palm.

Instantly, the red cord cut his palm, blood gushing freely.

The old Daoist ignored the pain, muttering hand seals while tying knots in the red cord, rapidly winding it around the altar array.

The method of binding knots to repel evil originated in ancient times and had countless variations.

This particular knot was designed specifically to stabilize the altar.

But clearly, it was ineffective.

The surrounding darkness pressed inward like walls; the altar's table and chairs rattled violently, on the verge of collapse.

Suddenly, the black mist solidified like corpse oil.

A stench of decay flooded his nostrils.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

All the blood-stained red cords snapped.

"No good!"

Master Liuyun snapped his head up.

In the darkness, green flames flickered, faintly illuminating three human silhouettes—cold breaths surged toward him.

As they drew closer, their forms became clear.

Three paper doll puppets, half a man's height.

Each paper doll had a distinct appearance.

One was entirely pasted with Chuandong funeral "Lao Tu Paper," soaked in Youyang corpse oil, its face pasted upside-down with a torn page from the Yinfu Ritual Manual, and inscribed with the four characters "Seven Kill General…"

Another was as thin as a cicada's wing, like a kite, its straw frame joints secured with blood-drenched coffin nails, its body bearing the same four characters: "Greedy Wolf General…"

The last was even stranger—stacked and glued from countless layers of spirit money, its body inscribed with "Breaker General…"

"Three Yin Generals!"

Master Liuyun saw them and his scalp went numb.

Paper doll magic was not uncommon in the Xuan Gate.

But these three were no ordinary ones.

When the "Ghost Opera Troupe" once ravaged the rivers and lakes, he had still been young; though he never encountered them directly, he had heard many rumors.

This Youmingxitai could perform many arts, and Yin Nu Opera was its most famous.

Each Yin Nu Opera could summon a different demon.

For instance, the inverted chanting of "Mokuren Saves His Mother" could summon the "Blood Basin Holy Mother," and every Yin Nu Opera required the Three Yin Generals to guard the stage.

"Begone! Evil spirits, retreat!"

Master Liuyun roared, bit his fingertip, swiftly formed a hand seal and entered the forbidden character, then smeared it fiercely along the talisman sword.

Intense Gangsha energy immediately gathered.

The old Daoist felt his whole body burn; blood dripped from his nostrils.

This was a desperate technique—temporarily igniting all yang energy and blood essence to unleash fierce combat power, but it would utterly destroy his foundation, shattering his spirit core.

But now, he no longer cared for his life.

Whoosh!

The old Daoist flung his robe, leapt over the altar, formed a hand seal with his left hand and spun a sword flourish with his right.

The sword tip lifted the altar candle flame and whipped it away.

Hoo~

The Gang wind howled; a fire dragon traced the blade's edge.

Instantly, the "Breaker General" paper doll ignited, crackling with foul, thick smoke.

After taking two steps, it collapsed with a crash.

Without hesitation, the old Daoist twisted his body, reversed his stance, and executed a Su Qin Backsword, lifting another candle flame into a fire dragon and hurling it.

Boom!

Another muffled roar—the "Seven Kill General" paper doll also caught fire.

But this one was different; soaked in corpse oil, it did not fully burn, belching thick black smoke and stench as it lunged forward.

Bam!

The old Daoist was unprepared; he was slammed down, staggered backward, and even knocked the altar behind him into shattering ruin—offerings and talismans rolled everywhere.

Corpse stench mixed with flame ignited his beard and hair.

"Die!"

Ignoring the pain, the old Daoist thrust his wooden sword straight into the paper doll's skull, executed a Vicious Python Flip, and severed its head.

But the altar was already destroyed.

Without the altar's protection, fierce winds surged again; black mist rolled in, and the evil wind beneath his feet shot straight into his skull.

This "Bi Wind" disrupted cultivators—once touched, it clouded the mind, caused dizziness, and made spellcasting impossible.

Worse still, the "Greedy Wolf General" paper doll now rushed toward him.

The paper doll, as thin as a cicada's wing, clung directly to his back.

The old Daoist felt his body stiffen; something seemed to be breathing against his ear—he grew drowsy, on the verge of falling asleep.

"Hahaha… die together!"

Master Liuyun grew half-mad, pulled out a fire starter from his waist, blew on it, and ran backward.

This was their final plan.

If escape was impossible, they would ignite the gunpowder and perish together.

But after stumbling a few steps, dazed and confused, he realized the surrounding darkness was absolute—the gunpowder depot, once so close, had vanished.

"Soul-distorting spell…"

The old Daoist, filled with bitter regret, collapsed to the ground.

His consciousness seemed to detach from his body; his vision darkened rapidly—he lost all awareness…

………………

As the Daoist fought for his life, something strange occurred outside.

Li Yan and the others followed the Big Dipper in the darkness, soon reaching the Wang Fu's main gate; they kicked it open and charged out.

Meanwhile, the darkness spread rapidly.

Master Liuyun had been arrogant, fallen into a deathly trap—but one thing he guessed correctly.

This array moved with its users.

As Li Yan and the others emerged, the array's range expanded accordingly.

"Look!"

The soldiers stationed outside immediately sensed something wrong.

The once dense black mist had enveloped the entire Chengdu Wang Fu—but now, it was visibly spreading outward.

Because the mist blocked their vision, they saw nothing.

The Battalion Commander was sharp-minded; he instantly ordered: "Aim at the gate—fire!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The soldiers wasted no time; they pulled the triggers.

At the same moment, Li Yan and the others arrived.

Though the soldiers fired wildly, two bullets struck true; the powerful Divine Fire Guns pierced straight through the gate.

"Ahh—!"

One Bagua Gate disciple, unable to dodge, was shot in the chest.

The Wang Fu gate, of course, was made of premium jujube wood, three fingers thick; even after the Divine Fire Gun bullet pierced through, its power was greatly diminished.

Yet even so, the disciple's chest was torn open by a bloody hole—he spat blood foam, eyes filled with despair, and soon died. "Zhu Zi!"

Dong Cunshan dragged Wang Yushi aside, eyes blazing with fury.

Logically, once here, the other Bagua Sect disciples could have scaled the walls and charged from other directions.

Yet they were still enveloped by the Yinming Opera Stage Array.

Leaving the range of the seven Daoists' flags would immediately subject them to slanting winds piercing their acupoints, causing instant unconsciousness—how could they still fight?

"Charge out in three breaths!"

Li Yan let out a low shout and stepped directly out of the flag's range.

This time prepared, he activated the Dragon-Snake Talisman for protection, and the Thousand Thoughts bracer on his left arm clattered with coins as it repelled the demonic wind.

Without hesitation, Li Yan pushed off with his feet, leaping straight up to step on the adjacent wall and landing on the street.

But at the same moment, the surrounding black mist spread with him.

This situation genuinely startled Li Yan.

Not a single error in the content of the first line!

He had thought he'd break through the array, yet he remained trapped—this array must have incorporated spellcraft, marking everyone inside the magistrate's compound.

But now, he had no time to ponder further.

After leaping down from the wall, he unleashed hidden strength throughout his body, tapped his toe lightly, like a dragonfly skimming water, and leapt straight into the ranks of the garrison soldiers.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Two Soul-Cutting Flying Knives danced above and below, instantly slaying four men.

Worse still, those soldiers were dragged into the array—the demonic wind surged up from their soles, and they soon collapsed, unconscious.

To the remaining garrison soldiers, thick black mist surged forward like a beast, swallowing those ahead whole.

Screams never ceased; no one could escape.

"Fall back, quickly!"

The garrison company commander felt his heart freeze and immediately ordered retreat.

The previously impenetrable encirclement finally cracked open.

Inside, Dong Cunshan and the others couldn't hear the sounds outside, but they trusted Li Yan—after counting three breaths, they charged outward.

Indeed, there was no resistance.

But once on the street, they didn't know what to do next.

Not only was the surrounding area shrouded in black mist, disorienting them as to which way to run, but the Bagua Sect disciples weren't even familiar with Chengdu.

Worse still, the Seven-Star Flags above began to dim.

"Bad—Master Uncle…"

The Daoists below saw this and immediately wore expressions of grief and fury.

"What are you waiting for? Follow me!"

At that moment, Li Yan arrived with a black cloth bundle slung over his shoulder, gave a low shout, and sprinted leftward.

"Where are we going?"

"No questions—just follow me!"

Li Yan's face was grim as he strode ahead.

He had long organized small teams; every operation, he prepared thoroughly, and when he came, he obtained an evacuation plan from the Formless Young Master.

Though complicated, it would surely evade pursuit.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Suddenly, all the flags above ignited spontaneously.

The Cloud-Flow Daoist inside the compound was dead; the altar destroyed—these flags, deprived of their foundation, could no longer sustain themselves.

Instantly, demonic winds howled again around them.

Fortunately, these Daoists from Baiyun Temple were no weaklings.

"Gather around us!"

The lead Daoist shouted loudly, then drew his talisman sword, formed hand seals, chanted incantations, and together with another Daoist, plunged their swords into the ground, forming a Bagua pattern.

Then, they simultaneously pulled out red cords, wrapped them around the sword hilts, shifted positions, instantly linking all the swords together and affixing yellow talismans to the hilts.

Only after completing this did they sit cross-legged, forming hand seals and chanting.

This too was a protective array, but far inferior to the previous altar—capable only of defense, not movement.

The Bagua Sect disciples, under Dong Cunshan's lead, swiftly entered the array, eyes alert, watching the surroundings.

Dong Cunshan himself was deeply frustrated.

The Bagua Sect wasn't without martial arts, but none of these men had awakened spiritual powers; in the capital, affairs were numerous, and with Baiyun Temple accompanying them, they hadn't bothered.

Even when facing garrison troops, they had never feared—they always found ways to break out—but now trapped in this strange array, they could do nothing.

Li Yan stood outside the array, staring fixedly at the opposite street, then flung the black cloth bundle over his shoulder to Dong Cunshan.

"What is this?"

"The key to breaking out."

Dong Cunshan, puzzled, tore open a corner to look—and sweat broke out on his forehead.

Inside were two explosive packs.

These belonged to the garrison soldiers; Li Yan had spotted them, chased after them, and seized them—wasting precious time.

After carefully securing the bundle, Dong Cunshan looked toward Li Yan ahead and couldn't help asking: "Young Master Li, what are you waiting for?"

"Waiting for the chance to break the array!"

The nearby Baiyun Temple Daoist frowned and said: "Without destroying this array, we cannot break out."

"To shatter this Yin Nuo Opera, first extinguish the Three Yin Generals guarding it; then the Blood Basin Holy Mother will appear—she is the array's core."

"Crush her, and the array collapses!"

Li Yan nodded and reached into his robe.

Within the Gou Die, still remained one Gangling —this was the confidence that allowed him to risk his life…

………

"They escaped!"

The garrison company commander rushed over, bowing anxiously: "Please, all of you, act quickly—don't let these criminals flee!"

By now, he dared not be arrogant.

Against these strange beings, firearms were useless.

"Hehe~"

Nie Sangu leaned on her cane, smiling and shaking her head: "The Yinming Opera Stage Array hasn't dissipated—entering it ourselves would mean death."

"Then what should we do?"

The commander's mind went blank; he hurriedly asked.

"Why the rush?"

Nie Sangu remained calm, popping a pill-shaped dumpling into her mouth, gazing across: "These two Daoists haven't even used their full strength yet."

Ghost Zhong Kui Situ Qian's face was equally grim.

Seeing the already burned "Seven Killings" and "Break Army" plaques, he reversed his Gang step, flicked his fan once more.

Whoosh~

The demonic wind howled; the "Greedy Wolf" plaque trembled slightly.

But within a breath, the final plaque burst into flame.

"The opponent has a master!"

Ghost Zhong Kui Situ Qian's face twisted into a snarl: "White, we must summon the Blood Basin Holy Mother—prepare."

To be honest, tonight had surprised him.

Usually, deploying the Yinming Opera Stage, the demonic wind alone could subdue everyone—perhaps only deploying the Three Yin Generals.

To summon the "Blood Basin Holy Mother," Bai Qihong must serve as the medium; afterward, she'd need months of recovery—it was a last-resort technique.

But the situation had forced his hand; so many left-path sorcerers were watching—if they lost, the Ghost Opera Troupe's reputation would be ruined, and punishment would follow.

Bai Qihong understood the stakes perfectly; without hesitation, she bit her fingertip and traced ghostly talismans across her pallid face.

Situ Qian, meanwhile, changed his Gang step incantation, spun backward around the bronze opera stage, his sutras accelerating, while pulling handfuls of paper money from his robe and tossing them into the air.

On the bronze opera stage, thick black mist erupted from the triple-eaved roof; at the center of the ceiling's coffered dome, the Yin-Yang Mirror slowly rotated.

Paper money fluttered everywhere; Bai Qihong changed her singing tone.

"Blood wine poured, heaven and earth grow dark, Lady Liu opens the gate, sons of the mortal world forget filial piety, cut out your hearts and offer them to the Merciful One…"

"Hail the Blood Basin Holy Mother!"

"Ten thousand hungry ghosts feast!"

As she sang, thick blood mist surged from the stage, enveloping her entire body, faintly forming a lotus shape…

(End of Chapter)