Chapter 583: Breaking the Array, Subduing Demons

Blood-colored mist churned and coalesced, thick as liquid, vaguely forming a human shape, yet constantly dispersing and reforming.

"One hundred thousand~ hungry ghosts~ feast well~"

The operatic chant continued, but now twisted and warped.

Moreover, the thick stench of blood spread further into the surroundings.

The battalion commander from the garrison had not yet left.

He stood frozen, face pale, sweat beading on his forehead, wanting to turn and flee, but his body stiffened, unable to move.

What lay before him had utterly surpassed his comprehension.

Many arcane phenomena, invisible to ordinary people without awakened abilities, could only be seen under two circumstances:

One, a dying person, with death qi gathering.

Two, in special environments, such as places saturated with malevolent sha qi.

The Youmingxitai was precisely such a place.

The battalion commander felt only blood in his nostrils, dizzy and blinded; he trembled as he touched his nose and found his hands covered in blood—then he fainted.

Others were faring no better.

The sorcerers around them all felt chest tightness and nausea; some with awakened spirit eyes even seemed to have seen something horrific, faces filled with terror, blood streaming from their eyes…

"If you don't want to die, close your eyes!"

Nie Sangu's face grew grim as she uttered a low command.

At her warning, many came to their senses and quickly shut their eyes, deactivated their abilities, some even turned their backs.

They knew they had likely violated some taboo.

Huh~

A fierce wind surged around them.

The pungent stench of blood rapidly receded.

Hearing the silence, they slowly opened their eyes.

"Is this the Blood Basin Holy Mother?"

One black-robed Daoist priest trembled as he spoke: "Our sect's《Yinfu Ritual Manual》records: Liu swallowed Buddha's bone, shattered the Mirror of Sin, declared herself the Blood Basin Holy Mother, feeds on living souls to nourish ghosts, wielding dominion over inverted yin and yang—never thought it truly existed…"

Another frowned heavily: "Impossible. The Mu Lian opera is merely a Buddhist proselytizing trick—how could it be real?"

"Even if it did exist, how could a Buddha's disciple allow his own mother to become a demon?"

Nie Sangu cast a cold glance and explained: "That is a demonic deity—once venerated by certain yin opera troupes, it once flourished in eastern Sichuan."

"Even today, folk tales in eastern Sichuan say: if you hear《Blood Basin Plague》at midnight, the Blood Basin Holy Mother descends to the mortal realm, where drowned ghosts and starving corpses pay homage, manifesting the 'One Hundred Ghosts Carrying a Palanquin'…"

"Pregnant women there avoid red silk, fearing the Holy Mother's 'Blood Basin Gazing Upon the Womb'…"

She turned to Situ Qian with a smile: "I heard years ago, in White Emperor City, a 'Iron Casket to Suppress Evil' was unearthed, containing a bronze mirror with the Holy Mother's blood lotus pattern cast on its back—later stolen. Seems your doing."

Situ Qian shot her a cold glance, saying nothing.

Nie Sangu fell silent at once.

She had been curious, unable to resist probing.

But such matters were not to be spoken lightly.

Clearly, Situ Qian was displeased.

Yet others, upon hearing this, instantly understood.

This was a demon artificially created.

Some heretical sects often did such things—like the old Song Dynasty Ghost Sect, which conjured countless abominations…

…………

Outside the Chengdu Prefectural Office, the atmosphere was equally heavy.

Ziz~

The Duan Chen Blade flashed with lightning, cleaving the paper doll in two.

Li Yan reversed his grip and spun the blade.

The puppet paper doll before him burst into green flame, turning to ash.

The Three Yin Generals of this altar were indeed fearsome—but against thunder arts, and with Li Yan's current cultivation, they were utterly powerless.

Yet no one's face showed relief.

They had slain the altar's puppet, yet the talisman array remained intact—meaning this was not over.

Indeed, soon after, another anomaly appeared.

The surrounding yin mist ceased flowing; the soul-sucking demonic wind abruptly halted; darkness and silence grew heavier, suffocating.

The pungent stench of blood spread once more.

"It's the Blood Basin Holy Mother!"

The Baiyun Temple Daoist gritted his teeth: "Li Shaoxia, this is a demonic entity summoned by heretics—Sichuan folk fear it deeply, so it cannot be destroyed, only suppressed."

"We'll hold it off—you go!"

These Daoists, though proud, upheld the righteous path and could be relied upon in critical moments.

Yet Li Yan shook his head: "No escape. Even if you die, this thing will still cling to us."

Saying this, he formed a hand seal with his left hand; seven straw spirit paper dolls soared into the air, circling him rapidly, while the Three Talismans of Earth-Heaven-Man on his armguard clattered violently.

Huh~

A fierce wind surged; yin and demonic qi rose from the ground.

Frost began spreading beneath Li Yan's feet.

His aura grew colder, fiercer.

"Is this… Summoning a General?"

The Baiyun Temple Daoists stared, disbelief in their eyes.

Others might not recognize it, but they were orthodox disciples of the Tai Xuan Zhengjiao, raised in the imperial capital—well-traveled and well-informed.

The method of summoning generals was not exclusive to Fengdu.

The Shenxiao Sect, for instance, could summon the Thunder Bureau's Heavenly General "Scattering Fire and Flowing Gold" to descend before the altar and subdue demons.

But such methods were usually extremely complicated.

They required elaborate altar setups, coordination among many Daoists, immense manpower and resources—only a high-ranking master of a sect could perform them alone.

This kid… isn't he a rogue?..

Leaving their confusion aside, Li Yan had already gathered all his focus, unleashing his full ability, fixing his gaze ahead.

With the Eight Outer Altar Generals' reinforcement, the demonic qi on his body grew denser.

He had encountered such demonic entities before—not just once.

The Lingzheng Ghost venerated by the Ezhou Ghost Sect, the "Mist Guest" conjured by the ancient Yan Shui tribe—both similar abominations.

Such demons arise in the mortal realm, not true yin violations; more accurately, they are mutated primordial gangsha qi, born from incense offerings, blood sacrifices, or various heretical arts.

Only two methods exist to deal with them.

One: find their counteragent.

Two: obliterate them with absolute power.

Finally, Li Yan sensed the Blood Basin Holy Mother.

A thick stench of blood, as if riding the wind, approached from afar—within a blink, it crossed hundreds of meters.

So fast!

Li Yan did not hesitate—he formed the incantation: "Nuogao! Taiwei Straw Spirits, forge armor and weapons, expel evil, aid the righteous, yang harmony pervades the body, by the Northern Yin Emperor's decree, Zhenshedaobing!"

Simultaneously, the Soul-Grabbing Thunder Chain shot forth.

The expanding yin demonic qi around him was instantly absorbed by the Soul-Grabbing Thunder Chain, enveloping him.

It was the "Divine Transformation Art" he had just mastered.

To others, Li Yan's body erupted in black mist, swelling rapidly into a towering shadow.

As if a true ghostly deity had descended!

What art is this?

The Baiyun Temple Daoists were utterly bewildered.

They had never seen anything like this.

Before they could ponder further, a terrifying stench of blood roared toward them—gale-force winds carried thick crimson smoke; all nearby swords trembled violently, the red cords nearly snapping.

"Worse!"

"Hold the protective array!"

Several faces paled; they bit their fingertips, chanted incantations, pressed their hands onto the sword hilts, straining to maintain the formation.

Even with the great array guarding them, the pungent blood stench made them nauseous, their vision darkening in waves.

The yellow talismans pasted onto the sword hilts began turning charred yellow.

Is this the Blood Basin Holy Mother?

Several Daoists grimaced.

Fortunately, the target was not them.

As the blood shadow lunged, Li Yan's eyes turned icy; he pushed off the ground and shot forward—clang!

The Duan Chen Blade slashed sideways, emitting a dragon's roar.

Under the "Divine Transformation Art," Li Yan's speed became astonishing—the Duan Chen Blade pierced straight into the blood mist.

A sharp tearing sound rang out, and the blood mist rapidly retreated.

A length of white silk sleeve slowly descended.

It's the mourning opera dancer!

Li Yan immediately understood the opponent's identity.

It seems this Blood Basin Holy Mother also requires possession of a human body, and the mourning opera dancer has become her medium.

If we kill the mourning opera dancer, this dark art can be broken!

With a plan formed in his mind, Li Yan leapt forward again.

"Blood wine—poured! Heaven and earth grow dim! Lady Liu—open the gate of magic… Cut out the heart and liver—offer them to the Merciful One!"

Twisted singing drifted endlessly from the blood mist.

Not a single note, syllable, or line was wrong!

This was the terror of the Blood Basin Holy Mother.

Folk tales said that anyone who heard this voice would suffer blood calamity; pregnant women who so much as glanced at it would hemorrhage to death.

Ordinary martialists or sorcerers who touched it would suffer chaotic qi and blood, instantly shredded.

But Li Yan had used the Divine Transformation Art, entangling the Soul-Stealing Thunder Cord, gathering yin-evil energy—perfectly blocking it.

Both sides moved with terrifying speed.

In an instant, fierce winds howled around them.

Those nearby could only see two thick clouds—one red, one black—flashing up and down, colliding wildly, the clashing of blades, fists, and feet never ceasing.

The Bagua Sect disciples all swallowed hard.

Good heavens, are these even humans?

Hundreds of meters away, Ghost Zhong Kui Situ Qian's face also changed drastically.

He hadn't expected that even with the Blood Basin Holy Mother's descent enhancing her, Bai Qihong was still held back.

This had never happened before…

Thinking of this, Situ Qian hesitated.

As Nie Sangu had said, they had obtained the sealing mirror for the Blood Basin Holy Mother from White Emperor City and placed it within the Nether Opera Stage, offering worship morning and night—it was their last resort.

Each Nether Opera Stage enshrined one demonic entity.

This method was powerful, yet extremely dangerous.

A mortal body as a medium could not sustain possession for long; if the time limit was exceeded, the Blood Basin Holy Mother would retaliate, and Bai Qihong would likely lose her life.

But he had to maintain the Nether Opera Stage, and with one foot just severed and not fully healed, he couldn't act.

Helpless, Situ Qian turned and called out: "Senior Nie, there's a strong enemy over there—please lend your aid."

Nie Sangu wasn't a fool; she wouldn't so easily agree. She chuckled: "Friend, don't joke. This Nether Opera Stage is formidable—if this old woman enters rashly, she'll lose her life."

Situ Qian gritted his teeth, plucked a small bell from beneath the Nether Opera Stage's eaves, and respectfully offered it: "Senior, if you carry this, you may enter and leave freely."

Had it not been for desperation, he truly wouldn't have revealed this secret.

"Oh?"

Nie Sangu took the copper bell, a satisfied smile spreading across her face: "Why didn't you say so earlier? With this treasure, this old woman won't have to just watch."

Saying this, she slipped the bell into her bosom.

She had her own calculations—afterward, she'd keep the bell and not return it; if the two sides ever turned hostile, she wouldn't fear the Nether Opera Stage.

Situ Qian's gaze turned dark, but he said nothing.

He had already used his trump card; even if successful, Bai Qihong would lose combat capability afterward and need to find a place to recuperate.

If this still failed, how could they ever seize the opportunity of the Shu Prince's fortune?

Meanwhile, Nie Sangu leaned on her cane, appearing slow and leisurely, yet moving with startling speed, her cane tapping dong dong dong as she swiftly vanished into darkness.

She quickened her pace, soon crossing the street and seeing two thick clouds—one black, one red—colliding violently.

The sight stunned her.

This old woman was also a dark demon; she grasped the situation at a glance, immediately pulling from her bosom a black pill the size of a glutinous rice ball, flicking it toward Li Yan.

Whoosh!

Seeing the black sphere hurtling toward him, Li Yan's expression changed—he dodged swiftly.

The black sphere struck the ground with a thud, instantly erupting in thick phosphorescent smoke that hissed as it melted the snow—and refused to be extinguished by water.

Smelling the odor, Li Yan inwardly sighed with relief.

This substance smelled just like the Spirit Fire Musket—both derived from late Tang-era dark arts, only solidified, slightly weaker in power.

Fortunately, he was very familiar with this scent.

Seeing reinforcements arrive, Li Yan gritted his teeth, swiftly forming a hand seal with his right hand; lightning crackled over his entire body, flashing pi li pa la.

His condition was no different from Bai Qihong's.

Using the Divine Transformation Art consumed immense energy.

Simultaneously wielding Thunder Art, he couldn't sustain it much longer.

But now, he had no choice—he must end this swiftly.

As soon as the Thunder Art manifested, the situation changed.

Boom!

A thunderous crash echoed—the blood mist instantly recoiled.

The opponent's primordial evil qi was strange, but still a dark art, inherently suppressed by Thunder Art.

Li Yan didn't hesitate—he closed in.

With Thunder Art enhancing it, the Broken Dust Blade grew even more ferocious; lightning crackled pi li pa la, mixing with slashing blades as they danced up and down.

The opposing blood mist was driven back step by step, gradually dimming, even revealing the blood-smeared figure of Bai Qihong.

As lightning flashed, Li Yan's form also became faintly visible—seen clearly by Nie Sangu beside him.

"Boy, so it's you!"

Nie Sangu's face instantly filled with murderous intent; she pulled out several "black glutinous rice balls" from her bosom, preparing to burn Li Yan alive.

Puff!

At that moment, Bai Qihong suddenly spat a mouthful of blood, her hair disheveled, the red in her eyes fading, her cheeks flushed unnaturally.

The possessing Blood Basin Holy Mother had been shattered—this mourning opera dancer now suffered the backlash.

But this demoness had iron will; she forced herself to cling to her last breath, flinging her flowing sleeves violently, dragging herself up by the eaves of the street-side houses, rolling into a nearby dwelling, even leaping into a well.

This move took Li Yan completely by surprise.

She had fainted upon falling into the well, but he had no time to search—he spun around, facing Nie Sangu.

No good!

Nie Sangu's heart jolted; she turned and fled, tossing several black glutinous rice balls as phosphorescent fire and toxic smoke rose.

Yet Li Yan moved faster.

Black mist surged, cutting through the air above the phosphorescent flames; two Soul-Severing Flying Daggers shot out with a whistle.

Nie Sangu spun around frantically, raising her dragon-headed cane to block.

Clang! Clang!

Two sharp rings—the Soul-Severing Flying Daggers were deflected.

But in that moment of blocking, the lightning-charged blade had already slashed across her neck.

Li Yan didn't bother looting the corpse; he pushed off the ground with his right foot, launching himself backward in a swirl of thick black mist, landing beyond the Bagua Array.

Upon landing, the black mist dissipated; the straw effigy burned midair, turning to ash.

The surrounding yin-evil energy also vanished; under the faint moonlight, the street's scene became clearly visible.

The Nether Opera Stage's formation had finally been broken!

Before anyone could cheer, Li Yan staggered upon landing, nearly falling.

Dong Cunshan's face changed—he rushed forward to support him.

"I'm fine!"

Li Yan said grimly: "Go quickly—through the secret drain behind the magistrate's office, to Wensmiao Street, enter the Yu River waterway, hold your breath and escape."

Saying this, he pulled a map from his bosom and handed it out.

"Go!"

Dong Cunshan gave the order; everyone immediately charged into the magistrate's office's hidden alleys.

At the very moment they left, the dark sorcerers arrived with the garrison soldiers.

Chaotic footsteps shook the ground.

Thud!

The body of Glutinous Rice Ball Granny Nie Sangu crashed to the ground.

Her head rolled into the snowdrift…

(End of Chapter)